Sunday, June 28, 2009

Soar On His Wings by Robert Ricciardelli

Soar On His Wings
By Robert Ricciardelli www.vision2advance.com

God has tremendous purpose and original intent for all of His people! To dwell with them, and bring revelation of Himself through them to the world. This is no surprise to those of us who have made the choice to love God with all of our heart soul and mind, and love our neighbors and all the Lord brings our way abundantly. These two pillars of our faith are the foundation for everything we do in life. First things first, love God, for it is out of the abundance of our love and relationship with Him that makes loving others even possible. Mercy and grace and our lives of service to the King and His kingdom all permeates from our heart of love and obedience to Him and His word. If we truly love Him, we will truly obey Him and submit ourselves, our lives, our resources to the guidance of His precious Holy Spirit within us.

The revelation of the priority of this life is that every part of our being is His. Every moment, every day, every victory, every trial, every abundant season and every season of lack is His, for it is He that is our very breath and the sustenance of all things. Such loving requires a listening ear, a giving spirit, and a desire for the best in life for others, even as we offer our best to God. As children of the Most High God, we live to please the Father and serve Him as He leads us in the journey called life. We are ambassadors of His glory and light to the world through Christ. We have become reflections and channels of God’s love for all people.

If we are His people called by His name, we will live our lives fully in Him and strap on our boots to do the works of God. And it is truly work to fulfill His purposes in each of our lives. Jesus said, "My Father works, and so must I", so then as Christ works through us, we co-labor with Him in Father pleasing ways, and doing only what the Father desires. But there is a kingdom dynamic we must know.....we must rely on God working through us and not to work with our own strength.

Isaiah 40:29-31 reflects an awareness of this truth.

29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Following are some principles from this passage that are worth considering.

First, God does not expect you to do by yourself what only He can do by working through you. The Lord gives the energy, power, and tools you need to do your God-given tasks. Second, even the young and energetic will become exhausted if they try to serve God in their own strength rather than in His power. Third, through all the difficulties of life, God renews the energy of the faithful. He grants men and women of faith new strength so that they can fulfill their call to service.

God loves you! That is the good news of faith. And God can use imperfect people like us to do great things for Him. HE will fulfill all in us for His glory and purpose. In those moments when we fail, become weary, or feel discouraged, God will give us the strength to continue to the end. We inherit His crown of glory as we live, and move, and have our being into eternity with Him. Eternal glory begins today, and engages in everyday live, in the measure and grace of His choosing

Father bless my brothers and sisters around the world. Strengthen your servants that are in the trenches of this world doing battle for your Kingdom. Father, advance your Kingdom mightily through each of us. Mold us into the image of your Son, so that every motive and intent is pure in Your Agape Love. Give us Your power in replacing our power, Give us your will to replace our own will, and give us your burden for all people. May your people be consumed by the power of the cross and resurrection life of your Son, that gives entrance into your glorious Kingdom, and the Good News Gospel of freedom for every captive in Jesus name!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Every Day is Father's Day! by Robert Ricciardelli

Every Day is Father's Day!

Happy Fathers day! As I reflect this day that we celebrate our natural fathers, I must reflect in the revelation of our heavenly Father. Fathers should be honored every day and every moment, but thankful that society gives us a day of reflection for fathers. Our heavenly Father set a standard for all fathers in His desire to impart His nature, His love, and His never ending desire to dwell with His children through redemption, and restoration of His original intent. Father always has His arms wide open for prodigals to run into.

Being a father is far more than just a biological function. I became a father to my first son at age 21. I had no formal education, nor is there one that I was ever aware of, for what I needed to do practically as a father. I had experience of what it was through my amazing dad Carmelo, whom I call Papa. Yes I knew some of the bible verses as well, but it takes being a father to know what it really means. So here I am as a newly married young man with a wonderfully created young son name Anthony, and four years later another wonderfully created son named Aaron.

As I look back at where I was at the time, I am so thankful I had grown up with a Papa who loved me and also parents that had guided me towards the revelation of our Heavenly Father. So I tried to live and love the best I could in light of my experience and in light of my revelation of the Agape love of God. I did my best, but needless to say, I fell short many times. Self gets in the way a lot in trying your best, but I am thankful for Father God’s grace and mercy, which wipes away the condemnation of all shortcomings in life.

We have all heard the Word of God about training a child in the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not depart from it, (Proverbs 22:6). While this is true, we also must remember that children watch far more than what we say in our instruction to them. They pick up on all of who we are, not just what we teach or preach. They learn by how we love, nurture, have patience, and participate in the world around us.

I also realized, especially as they grew up to become young men, that ultimately I had little control over the choices they would make. I liked to think that I had enough influence towards healthy choices, but the bottom line was that the choices were theirs, just like the choices were mine, when I was maturing at their age. No matter how I disciplined them, shouted at them, or coaxed them towards my way, they were going to do it their way at times. They chose their way far more often than I had expected, yet as I look back, so did I in light of my Papa’s expectations for me.

As I became more knowledgeable towards my Heavenly Father, it was such a release to allow the Father of all things created to watch over these sons of mine. I would do my best to prepare good soil around them to grow successfully. I also realized that some of the weeds in the soil were ever increasingly being pulled from my own life as much as they were being pulled from their lives as they released themselves into Heavenly Fathers hands.

Ultimately it is about pleasing the Father!

My sons mostly always desired to please me. When they were doing things that would not please me, they would hide them from me, as they did not want to disappoint me, because they loved me. Some of those choices were just their own way, which was different from my ideas, and not necessarily rebellious or sinful to God.

In pleasing the Heavenly Father, you can run, but you cannot hide, because He knows and sees all, even before you make the choice to please Him or do your own thing.

Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, “For we also are His children.”

So we are all called to be Father pleasers, knowing that in Him there is life and outside of Father no life exists as God is all and in all. Father, through Christ, has called us His children with full birthrights once again, as we look back at original intent for creation.

If God is just someone we think about on certain days and not a living Presence then we have engaged in religious activities as a substitute comfort for a living Father who wants the best for us in all (His) ways. His desire is for us to love, honor, and seek to please Him, in our homes, our businesses, and in everything we do.

So fatherhood is just a part of the “whole” of pleasing God. A big part, as we set examples for our natural and spiritual children to follow. If pleasing God is our aim in life, what difference should it be making in how I am fathering? How much more of my life do I need to give in preparation for increasing His standards of fatherhood. As He reveals these changes, are we willing to say Father, your will and your ways and not my own ways any longer? May it be so, and may it be daily to the glory of God the Father, so that every day is Fathers day for Him.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

"From Eternity to Here" by Frank Viola

"Frank has hit the mark by unfolding to us the true foundations of faith-filled living. Father has always designed us for a relational journey of being rather than to doing. He did not create religion, but a people who would walk in His supernatural presence rather than lifeless doctrinal divisions. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to escape the systematic matrix of today, and live in the reality of Christ's glorious Kingdom."
Robert Ricciardelli, Visionary Advancement Strategies

OTHER BLOGS PARTICIPATING IN THE “FROM ETERNITY TO HERE” BLOG CIRCUIT

Today (June 9th), the following blogs are discussing Frank Viola's new bestselling book “From Eternity to Here” (David C. Cook, 2009). The book just hit the May CBA Bestseller List. Some are posting Q & A with Frank; others are posting full reviews of the book. To read more reviews and order a copy at a 33% discount, go to Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Eternity-Here-Rediscovering-Ageless-Purpose/dp/1434768708/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233609867&sr=1-4

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For more resources, such as downloadable audios, the free Discussion Guide, the Facebook Group page, etc. go to the official website: http://www.FromEternitytoHere.org

Enjoy the reviews and the Q and A:

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Out of Ur - http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2009/05/viola.html

Shapevine - www.Shapevine.com (June newsletter)

Brian Eberly - http://www.brianeberly.com

DashHouse.com - http://www.DashHouse.com/

Greg Boyd - http://www.gregboyd.org/blog/

Vision Advance - http://vision2advance.blogspot.com/

David Flowers - http://ddflowers.wordpress.com

Kingdom Grace - http://kingdomgrace.wordpress.com

Captain's Blog - http://www.captainestes.blogspot.com/

Christine Sine - http://godspace.wordpress.com

Darin Hufford - The Free Believers Network - www.freebelievers.com

Zoecarnate - http://zoecarnate.wordpress.com

Church Planting Novice - www.churchplantingnovice.wordpress.com

Staying Focused - http://kimmartinezstayingfocused.wordpress.com/

Take Your Vitamin Z - www.takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com

Jeff Goins - http://jeffgoins.myadventures.org

Bunny Trails - http://bunny-trails.blogspot.com

Matt Cleaver - http://mattcleaver.com

Jason T. Berggren - http://blog.jasonberggren.com/

Simple Church - http://www.simplechurchjournal.com/

Emerging from Montana - http://wordofmouthministries.blogspot.com/

Parable Life - http://www.theparablelife.blogspot.com

Oikos Australia - http://www.oikos.org.au/blog/

West Coast Witness - www.WestCoastWitness.com

Keith Giles - http://www.Keith.Giles.com

Consuming Worship -- http://www.consumingworship.org

Tasha Via - www.tashavia.blogspot.com

Andrew Courtright - www.andrewcourtright.blogspot.com

ShowMeTheMooneys! - http://www.showmethemooneys.com/

Leaving Salem, Blog of Ronnie McBrayer - http://leavingsalem.wordpress.com/

Jason Coker - pastoralia.missionaltribe.org

From Knowledge to Wisdom - http://isthistheway.typepad.com/

Home Brewed Christianity - http://www.homebrewedchristianity.com

Dispossessed - http://kblog.kevinjbowman.com

Dandelion Seeds - http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Dandelionseeds

David Brodsky's Blog- "Flip the tape Deck" - http://flipthetapedeck.blogspot.com/

Chaordic Journey - http://jeffrhodes.wordpress.com

Renee Martin - http://www.reneemartinmusic.com/profiles/blog/list

Bob Kuhn - http://organicchurchnola.wordpress.com/

Living with Freaks: www.livingwithfreaks.com

Real Worship - http://therealworshipleader.com

Fervent Worship - http://ferventworship.blogspot.com

Julie Ferwerda Blog - www.JulieFerwerda.com / www.OneMillionArrows.com

What's With Christina?! - http://w2christina.blogspot.com

Irreligious Canuck - http://www.irreligiouscanuck.com

This day on the journey - http://guychmieleski.blogspot.com

Live and Move: Thoughts on Authentic Christianity - http://liveandmove.blogspot.com/

Spiritual Journey With God - http://www.elvineve.blogspot.com/

Dries Conje - http://www.echurch.co.za / http://www.thejesusfeed.com / http://www.bookdisciple.com.

Journey with Others - http://journeywithothers.blogspot.com

On Now to the Third Level - www.080808onnowto.blogspot.com

Christine Moers - www.welcometomybrain.net

Breaking Point - http://marybethstockdale.wordpress.com

Hand to the Plough - http://www.handtotheplough.com.au

Jon Reid - http://jonreid.blogs.com/oneanother/welcome-pilgrim.html

Weblight - www.blog.worldwidewebservices.se

D. L. Webster - http://gzmproductions.com/dlwebster

Searching for the Whole-Hearted Life - wholeheartedlife.blogspot.com

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Presence Powered Through Obedience by Robert Ricciardelli

Presence Powered Through Obedience
By Robert Ricciardelli www.vision2advance.com

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. John 14:15-16 (ESV)

Jesus, gave His life to give us life; a power filled life for today to accomplish His will for our journey. A Spirit led life is what we all desire, and when we obey His leading, amazing things happen. In fact the greatest worship we can give to the Father is living obedient lives that please Him. I love that thought of praising Him with obedience. Maybe partially because I just do not sing all that well. (smile)

The Bible says that God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalms 22:3). So in a life of worship to Him by obediently pursuing Him and His Kingdom, God brings habitation of Himself. In other words, we can expect atmospheres to be altered as we obediently live and move and have our being in Him.

Obedience then becomes the vehicle of faith which brings us into the presence and power of God!

Living as Kingdom dwellers is not a time of waiting for heaven, but it is a time of participating with heaven, and being conduits of His presence on earth as it is in heaven. We all have experienced His presence and hopefully we are witnessing this in every context of life, and seeing atoshphere and lives changed in every jurisdiction in life

Since we live in the Kingdom of God reality, we live in the reality of a King who rules everything... The King commands, and then we obey. He is filled with joy when His kids pay attention and listen to Him, and He responds by engulfing them with His presence.

John 8:27-29 They still didn't get it, didn't realize that he was referring to the Father. So Jesus tried again. "When you raise up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am—that I'm not making this up, but speaking only what the Father taught me. The One who sent me stays with me. He doesn't abandon me. He sees how much joy I take in pleasing him."

Wow, He will not abandon you ever as He guides you along your journey in life and because He is in you, you can expect miracles to show up all around you.

Jesus demonstrated how that worked while he was on earth. He came to earth in obedience to the Father. He spoke what the Father told Him, and did what the Father showed Him. He even declared and spoke a word that was made manifest regardless of space, time, or matter.

Remember the centurion who had a sick son and wanted Jesus to heal him? The centurion knew that Jesus did not have to come to his residence, but by His word, the atmosphere would change at home and God's presence would heal his son who was miles away. Somehow he recognized that Jesus had authority over everything and including the 4th dimension. Christ and His Kingdom reality changes any 3rd dimensional situation to the glory of God. Jesus only had to give the command--which he did. So as we obediently declare His works upon the earth, transformation takes place.

What if God's people did everything as an act of obedience to their Father? We could be confident of his accompanying presence and power in every moment and in every situation. He will not send His servants, (all of us), without supplying all the needed resources to accomplish the task. If we live obediently in His Kingdom reality we would never fear failure, and we would have no excuses for not going and doing as He requests. We would just go and expect God to supply everything practical, and everything supernatural, to accomplish His will.

No matter what you are going through, no matter what you have been through, nothing has caught God by surprise, and He will move on your behalf as you follow His commands. Obedience leads to seeing God intervene on behalf of his servants, and His presence is all that we need for His divine intervention.

He has given us the earth to steward on His behalf. He desires us to love and bring His heavenly presence to the multitudes, and teach them to do likewise in His name. We have been commissioned by Almighty God to be His representatives on this planet of His goodness. We are called to do this every moment, and in every day life. There are no time outs in serving the King, because it applies to all of life. So when you are working, playing, vacationing, reading, relating, etc. You are doing all to the glory of God, and will see His glory, power, and presence transform the world around you.