Good Report!

Last Sunday I grabbed Leaf and drove up to Lake Elsinore to spy out a brand new church plant called New Creation. The church has just been born and meets in the Diamond Room at Storm Stadium at 9:00 am. So I reluctantly got up at 6:00 am piled into my work truck and started my pilgrimage up to the Promised Land. After a long drive we arrived very early so we helped the fledgling body of believers set up. There were chairs and table to move around and other general set up chores that needed to be completed before hundreds of God’s flock gathered together. God has given Pastor Joe a vision for reaching the lost in the community of Lake Elsinore with good solid encouraging grace teaching. God is guiding him to reach out to the hurting and bring them healing through Jesus Christ!

 People started arriving early in anticipation of worshipping our great God.  The Pastor, Joe Sabolick, has written many songs that have literally been sung around the world in churches every Sunday. You have sung many of his songs in your own church without being aware of the author. Joe has a heart for the lost and now God has anointed Pastor Joe to plant, nurture and shepherd the good people of Lake Elsinore. The physical location of the new church is Lake Elsinore’s Storm Stadium. The building is a stone’s throw away from the south end of Lake Elsinore providing a perfect spot for baptisms. The stadium also has the potential to seat enough people for evangelical outreaches which Joe says are going to happen within the next year and a half.  He asked me to invite the community to come and visit some Sunday as the church begins to stretch out its wings and grow! 

In the book of Numbers chapter 12, at first glance it looks like it was God’s idea to send the spies to observe the occupied Promised Land that He had promised to Father Abraham. But upon closer examination of the scriptures combined with knowledge of God’s promises to us we discover it was Israel’s idea to spy out the land and not God’s. In Deuteronomy chapter 1 Moses repeats this fact several times “See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers- Abraham, Isaac and Jacob- to give to them and their descendants after them.”

So why then did they send in the spies to gather Intel? Well, it’s what we always tend to do in our own lives, doubt in God’s promises but more importantly His power, might and majesty.  We worship an awesome, holy God who loves us and wants us to prosper! In 2 Chronicles 16:9 God says “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”  Also in the book of Joshua “ Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go"

But, like the Israelites we all too often choose to doubt in God’s power and authority and try to move our mountains with our own assets, power and strength. Usually its just because we let doubt and fear control us and forget that God has promised to deliver us from all evil.  There are many great scriptures to memorize but it is paramount to remember the promises of God as mountains begin to rise up in our path blocking our view of the Promised Land. God has given us all power and authority through the power of His Son Jesus. We need not only prepare for battle but actually pick up our weapons and begin to fight. He will deliver us just like David when he stood before the giant Goliath. While the entire Israelite army cowered in their boots, this ruddy little 17 year old young man stood up to the giant and asked why is this uncircumcised Philistine  taunting the army of the Living God?   

Are there mountains in your life? Speak to them in the power of the living God and demand that they leave you alone and get out of your way because you are a child of the most High God and they have no power over you. Jesus spoke to the fig tree and He encouraged all of us to take ownership through the unlimited power and authority through His blood. God loves all of us so much and He wants only the very best for us all! Remember the promises of God because the best is yet to come. Pick up your weapons and begin fighting while you still have breath!