Weekly Blog Update - September 17

PRAYER POINTS

 ZONED IN - This term, in popular vernacular, means to have intense concentration or focus regarding a certain matter. This is what the prophet Joel is saying to us in his prophecy. He said to “lament, wail, cry, bring little children, postpone even weddings for a season,” so that the nation could pray and seek God. This sounds radical, but challenging times and events need a church that will radically pray. James calls it an “effectual fervent prayer that avails much.” This is a season for our families to purposely enter the prayer zone. When we do that, the Bible says, we will see things that are awesome and great. Let’s “zone in,” and see the enemy “zone out.” We will walk in victory!

BLOW THE TRUMPET – This was a signal or alarm for people to take action because they were being threatened (See Joel 2:1). Everyone in the city had a place and a purpose to fulfill when the alarm sounded. You and I have a great purpose and an appointed place in the kingdom of God. We must all answer the call and move by the Spirit to our assignment.  Just like Gideon’s army, we all have an assigned place. All the Lord asks is that we are faithful in our task. As we pray and seek the Lord, He will reveal to us exactly where we should be and what we should do. Listen to God’s voice, obey His word, and reap the harvest of the Lord!

ARE YOU ALL IN? – Joel says, “Turn to the Lord with ALL your heart.” The only way we will ever truly know the Lord is when our entire being (The Bible calls it heart) is surrendered to Jesus. The Lord has marvelous, amazing, and gloriously things prepared to give to us.  He must be able to find a person and place to deposit His gifts. The Lord said, “you will find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” The secret is in giving yourself to Jesus, and when you do, He is able to give abundantly and above all we could ever dream. That is exactly what Israel did in the book of Joel, and when they did, the entire nation was saved!  Let’s declare, “As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord! “

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PRAYER POINTS

I encourage you to look over these prayer points, and stand with us in agreement in preparation for this Sunday. It is going to be a great and I can't wait to see you all at Word Alive at 9 or 11! 

THE HARVEST – Jesus tells us two amazing facts regarding ‘the harvest.’  The first one is that it is plenteous, which means it is massive, and abundant (See Matthew 9:38). The second fact is that Jesus is Lord of the Harvest, which means that He controls and is in charge of it (See Luke 10:2). Knowing the harvest is extremely big and that Jesus is totally in charge, what is left for us to do?  Jesus tells us, to pray for laborers of the harvest! That means you don’t have to produce, manufacture, or generate a harvest all you are required to do is help gather it in. God promises if we pray, He will send the laborers, people just like you and me. Oh! what joy we will have in harvest time! (Isaiah 9:3)

DIVINE CONNECTIONS – According to Ephesians 4:16, the body of Christ “is joined and compacted together.” These two words tell us that not only are we connected, but we are intertwined with each other.  I hope you know you have a divine connection. God himself has placed you in the body to not only be blessed, but to be a blessing! The term fellowship in the New Testament is all about grouping together with a purpose. The Lord wants you to be connected because His presence flows through all of us, in order that His body might grow up together! I promise you when you find your place in the group; life will be great! Why?  Because Jesus said when you group together He will be right there in the middle (See Matthew 18:20).

DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE AND GIFTING – The Bible teaches that when Jesus called you to salvation, He also gave you a gift (See Romans 11:19). The way we discover our purpose and gifting is through the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is the Head of the Body and this gifting flows from Him to you (See Colosians 1:18). The lord is teaching us and revealing His plan and purpose to us. Abiding in Jesus, that is being in a loving and trusting relationship with Him, is how it all happens. Ephesians 1:18 offers us a prayer “for the eyes of our understanding to be open” so we can discover our purpose in the Lord.  You have a purpose, and you will discover it as you continue to love Jesus and allow Him to love you.

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Kent's Video Blog | August 26

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A Rosh Chodesh invitation

Join us Sunday for our final service before the Sabbath break.  We will worship radically, celebrate several individuals following Christ through water baptism, hear a message from Kent on Rosh Chodesh (Tammuz), and honor the Lord with a firstfruits offering.

Proverbs 3:9,10 reads, "Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” 

Mark Harris recently shared with me some revelation he received on giving that I thought would bless you.  Check out this excerpt from our friend:

"Here is a fresh idea about giving that I have been thinking about. It has to do with giving from a place of abundance rather that a place of need or lack. Although there are many stories of those who, in a time of need, gave sacrificially and benefited greatly, surely there is another place of giving that comes from a place of abundance rather that need.

• I Am Connected To ALL.
  We are connected to God, even one with Him (John 14:20). By virtue of this, we are connected to all that He is and all that He has. We are part of and one with the entire universe and God. Our giving is part of creation. Our giving is an act of creating. It adds to what already is complete by allowing everything to be given away.
  
  
• By Virtue Of My Connection, I ALREADY have. 
  The “Faith” movement or teachings have taught us a valuable lesson. We must believe that we have already received what we are asking for before we can actually have it or see it manifest (Mark 11:23-24; 1 John 5:14-15). This means that, in order to receive what we have asked for, we must accept that it is ALREADY there. By this we come to realize that it is impossible not to have, but it is possible not to know we have.  Our willingness to give comes from this recognition. 

• What I Give Values What I Have.  If a person has millions, but gives in tens, this could display a belief that millions is the limit of one’s connection or capacity. A person, however, who has thousands, but gives in hundreds, may display a belief in the connection to or capacity for much, much more. Therefore, it is not so much about the actual amount, billions, millions, or thousands that we may presently have, as it is about how much value we place on that particular amount. We determine the value of what we receive by what we give."

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday and celebrating firstfruits together.  If you are unable to attend this Sunday you can watch the service live here and participate in firstfruits giving online.

Many Blessings,

Kent Mattox

God's Promised Covenant on Pentecost

This week, we celebrated the second of the three feasts which occurs exactly 50 days after Passover, the feast of Pentecost. What is important is that Pentecost falls in the month of Sivan.

Sivan is the month of Covenant. This is the month in which God entered covenant with Israel, which is why it is the month associated with harvest and giving. It is also the month of receiving new boundaries, and to press into the new boundaries God is setting for you. During this time, it is great to study the tribe of Zebulon, the tribe associated with this month. If we understand Zebulon better, we’ll understand more about the season we are in!

Both Jacob and Moses prophesied over Zebulon that they would rejoice in going out to sea and trade. They were to become a tribe of wealth! Yet, what’s interesting is that when Israel entered the land, Zebulon was assigned a rich territory bordered by Asher, Naphtali, Issachar, and Manasseh. This was a great territory, but the problem was that Zebulon had a prophetic destiny involving the sea, yet it was landlocked. It was not on the sea!

But because Zebulon was a tribe of trade, it had the opportunity to begin moving towards its destiny in trade! God shifted Zebulon’s boundaries. As Zebulon traded with those along the sea of Galilee, members of Zebulon settled in Naphtali, and the two tribes intermingled. And as Zebulon continued to walk in its call, the same thing happened to the west.

This fires me up! Sometimes, you look at God’s Word over your life, and it looks impossible! You might think you don’t have what you need to get there, or that your boundaries are too narrow. Some people receive a prophetic word, and because of these things, respond to it in unbelief. They see themselves constricted by borders, and cannot accept God’s good will for their lives. But the good news is that God CAN expand those boundaries. He is Lord of and above ALL. If you pursue that call and are faithful, He will expand your territory.

This is what we have agreed on and believe for together on this month of Sivan and Pentecost. As we honor the Lord with our First Fruits offering, we ask that God expands our territories and removes those boundaries that constrict us.

And that is my prayer for you. If you did not get a chance to offer your First Fruits during service this past Sunday, I encourage you to do so online, and to declare this over your life as you do it:

Today, I declare I believe that this is God’s appointed time of Pentecost. I now enter into new boundaries of provision through aligning myself to God’s promises and establishment.  I honor the Lord with the First Fruits of all my increase, so now my barns shall be filled with plenty, and my presses shall burst forth with new wine. Today, I give in faith, and it shall be given back to me in good measure. Pressed down, shaken together, running over, God will give back to my bosom, for I believe that He has given me power to get wealth that I might establish His covenant.

Keeping the Word Alive,

Kent