Revealed Light

Why is revelation necessary?

Couldn't God just download to us a complete understanding of his Word and instill in us a desire to worship and obey him?

Sure, He could have programmed us to praise but all he would have is robotic servants.

Because we aren't programmed at the factory...we need revelation. The Bible says some knowledge is still hidden and needs to be revealed. We don’t know what we don’t know.

Consider the first time we heard the message of the kingdom of God. We progressed from an understanding of living toward an ultimate destination of heaven...to a REVEALED understanding that we can partake of heaven, while living on the earth. We can live an abundant life in Jesus!!!

“I come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.”

As the “Kingdom of God” message was revealed to us as “right thinking, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” ...our beliefs changed. Decisions are the fruit of beliefs. Outcomes are the result of decisions. Godly outcomes develop from Godly beliefs.

God's wisdom “confounds the wise.” Those who walk in the dark are often confused. It’s hard to find True North in pitch black.

Intimacy with God is highly dependent on our intimacy with His Word. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

The Word ushers light into our personal darkness. “Here a little, there a little.”

Right Thinking,

Pastor Steve

First Light

I don’t like dark places.

The darkness of a walk through the house in the middle of the night seems to always end with a stumble or a surprise beneath my feet.

God understands darkness so well that he commanded light to shine upon the Earth. Then he sent Jesus to shine brightly in our hearts. God is light and in Him there is no darkness.

The Apostle Paul seemed to understand the association between light and knowledge better than any other follower of Jesus. He met Jesus in a bright flash of light. The theology of Saul was washed in light as he met the true Messiah. Paul dedicated the remainder of his ministry and life as a light seeker. He wanted more of Jesus everyday.

We don’t need to spend one minute in a dark place. He will light up our path and be our light source for all the days of our life. If we don’t have light, it’s because we haven’t asked for it.

Seekers of light will be rewarded. As we pray for more understanding, more anointing, more intimacy with God...He will reveal more of Himself to us. The Spirit will reveal the deep things of God, if we seek Him.

Pray for more light. This world is a dark place.

Right Thinking,

Pastor Steve

Parable of the Persistent Widow

Does God seem to respond to your prayers with silence?

The Parable of the Persistent Widow is a parable about how to handle what seems like “no response.” The woman in the parable represents all of us. She was a Jewish widow seeking justice from an unethical Gentile judge.

She didn't have a voice in his courtroom, but the heathen judge began to look upon her with favor because of her persistence. Jesus said to his disciples that if this judge would eventually rule in the widow's favor then how much more would God defend and answer His children.

Jesus taught this parable to teach us that we should always pray and not give up. That we should be PERSISTENT.

The easiest thing I know to do is quit praying.

When we are tempted to stop praying, that's when we need to remember God cares about us, God is listening to every word we pray and God is working on our behalf.

What happens during the silence will determine if Jesus finds faith in us.

When God seems silent that's when our faith should be cultivated by remembering we are children of the King, seated at the great Banquet Table, and we can expect great things from our Father in this life! Don't stop praying, don't stop believing.

Will God find faith in Bixby? Will God find faith at BCC?

Will God find faith in me?

Right Thinking,

Pastor Steve

Parable of the Two Sons

Jesus always gives us an opportunity to repent and be restored. I’m so thankful for his grace.

In the Parable of the Two Sons, the Father gave his sons an opportunity to honor him through obedience. We read that one son openly rebelled against his father, later repented and went to work. The other son gave his word he would help but later broke his promise to his father.

When Jesus asked the Pharisees and Sadducees which of the two sons had completed the request of the father ... Jesus asked us to search our hearts through the mirror of the Word. Are we instantly obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit?

How often do you feel the move of the Spirit but fail to step-out to do what your heart is telling you to do? The Spirit of God instructs us throughout the day--not just at church. Hurting people in your life may be depending upon our instant obedience to the spirit.

Let us be known as a people who value actions over words.

This week, make a decision to be instantly obedient to our Heavenly Father in every aspect of His leadership. While we are busy DOING the work of the Lord, young lives will be impacted as we preach a sermon by our actions.

Generations to follow will be impacted by what we do today. Our sons and daughters hear what we say and watch what we DO.

Let’s not let our good intentions be trumped by a failure to do.

Right Thinking,

Pastor Steve

Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders

Does your hearing lead to doing?

Kingdom Living is hearing what God is saying to you and then doing it. As it says in the book of James, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Your foundation becomes solid when you base it on Jesus and come up higher in your daily walk with Him.

Consider the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders. Jesus doesn’t teach us how to build our house in a storm free area. Instead, He teaches us to build our house on a foundation that can survive in the midst of a storm. His words are a guide to storm survival and obeying God with all our hearts.

I think most of us living in tornado alley know about storms. It seems every news channel routinely offers tornado survival tips and how best to prepare when a deadly storm hits.

How much more prepared should we be for the storms of life by building our foundation on the Rock of the Lord Jesus Christ! We’re to build our house on Kingdom Living principles…and strive to live in complete obedience to His Word.

It is easy to understand why Jesus begins many of His parables with the simple word, “listen.” He wants to show us how to plug into His power through a willing obedience in Him.

Build a strong foundation on His Word. Upon that rock, your house can weather any storm.

Right thinking,

Pastor Steve