Foundational Podcast

What do we do when trials come to test our faith?

Do we trust God enough to leave the outcome in His hand, or do we grow anxious and try to seize control of the situation? Is God our first source of provision or our last-ditch effort at finding an answer?

God tests our faith to produce patience and character; to cause our faith to grow even stronger in Him.

Once while we were pastoring a small congregation, we had hired an individual to oversee our child care center.

This person came with very high recommendations but it soon became apparent that there were some serious issues with integrity.

To make a long story short this person embezzled thousands of dollars, some of which were state and federal funds.   We became aware of the situation when the manager of our bank pulled my husband aside one day as he was making a personal deposit to ask why he was not returning his calls.

We were completely unaware of his repeated attempts to contact the church office since all calls were channeled through the office of this person we had hired.

While skimming funds off the top, this individual also failed to pay the bills and our mortgage had remained unpaid for two months which placed us close to foreclosure.

We were still both young, in our early thirties, and facing complete ruin.

We were dealing with a person who had drained our church and business funds, extending to even the federal level. If we lost our building, we would most likely also lose our reputation as pastors as well.

In times of utter darkness we had learned to call upon God who is our help. “Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord.” Psalm 121.

At that time our church owned a rental property, which we had wanted to sell but for which we could not find a buyer.

The day before foreclosure we received a call from the renter saying that he was prepared to purchase the rental property and had cash in hand. It was a genuine miracle.

We met at the bank that day to sign the papers and pay the mortgage. (This was before the days when property purchase agreements were not as thick as novels.)

At the midnight hour, so to speak, our resource came in.

God is never late but there are times when He will test your faith. All tests and trials of life are all about God revealing to us His character and our need.

We tend to turn to God when we have nowhere else to turn, but God wants us to dwell in Him. He wants us to turn to Him first.

Times of stress and turmoil squeeze out of us the parts we have not yet yielded to God so we can come face to face with our need.

He then reveals Himself as our source.

He does not always answer our need as we would expect, but in His all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-wise character He will answer with what is best for us.

The question is can we trust His answer for us?

Wanda Hackett has been leading children's ministries for over 40 years in churches throughout the States and Canada. She has a strong passion to see children experience Jesus Christ on their level - in a very living and relevant way. She has written numerous Children's church curricula, some

God wants to reveal to you the secret plans of the enemy before he carries them out.

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Matthew 6:13

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.'" Psalm 91:1-2

"Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; you shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues." Psalm 31:19-20

• 2 Kings 6:8-23
• The only one who stayed in a face-to-face relationship with God was Moses and Joshua
  • Children of Israel thought it was too frightening
  • They backed off
  • Everyone else had to go through special rituals
• God's presence dwelt in the Holy Place
  • It was the Secret Place
  • But God had a plan
    • Your heart is now the secret place

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

• Your heart isn't a secret place just because you're born again
  • The potential is there
  • It is open to you
  • It depends on the choices you make

"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name." Psalm 91:14

• If you want to God to share with you His secrets and where God talks to you face-to-face
  • You must love Him with your whole heart, mind, and strength
  • 75% of Christians who go to church at least 2-3 times a month never read the Bible during the week
    • God can't share His secrets with you if you don't let Him talk to you
    • You have to know His name
• God wants to give you secrets to defeat the enemy every time.
  • Adversity, trials, and sufferings are normal Christian living
  • Defeat is abnormal
  • If you're walking in defeat you're not dwelling in the secret place of the Most high

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This world offers a  lot of pain, but Jesus wants to give us a truly incredible life!

Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:1-4

• His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life
  • As a disciple of Jesus Christ, you do not live in lack
    • defeat
    • rubble of life
    • victimization
  • How do we access this divine power?

"...through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue..."

• We have to have accurate and true knowledge of who Jesus Christ is.
  • Often our understanding of Jesus is rooted in historical knowledge
  • The word knowledge in this verse isn't intellectual knowing
    • It means an intimate knowing

"...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death," Philippians 3:10

• Today there are weird concepts of Jesus Christ
  • Mormons teach that Jesus is an exalted man and
    • one of the gods
    • He and Lucifer are brothers
  • Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus is one of the gods
  • Muslims teach that Jesus was one of the prophets and Muhammad is above Jesus
  • Baha'i, Hindu, and Buddhists teach that Jesus was just a great man, a great teacher.
  • Historical criticism (higher criticism) of the 1800's teaches that the virgin birth didn't really happen.
    • they teach a historical Jesus
    • not a divine Jesus
  • Evangelical and Pentecostal churches are embracing historical criticism
    • not always in the same way as before
    • portray more of a humanized form of Jesus through sermons and worship songs
      • they lower God's divinity

"These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you,
and set them in order before your eyes." Psalm 50:21

• All cults do two things
  • lower Jesus Christ
  • exalt Man
• When you skew the identity of Jesus Christ
  • you lose all things that pertain to life
  • you go back to trying make it on your own

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Be sure t

Living the incomparable life is inseparably linked to loving the truth

Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:1-4

• Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God
  • is having correct information
  • is having personal experience, not hearsay
• We have been given exceedingly great and precious promises
  • Promises which are highly valuable
  • Promises that are firmly established

"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us." 2 Corinthians 1:20

• Rooted in these promises are
  • grace
  • peace
  • all provisions for life and godliness
  • that which will deliver us from corruption of this world
  • impart to us new life - divine nature
• But we must have an accurate view of God

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America Is Filled With Idol Worship and False Gods

Is God a Mean and Angry God?

Who is Jesus Christ?

The Humanizing of Jesus

The True Identity of Jesus  Christ

Have you ever asked yourself this important question: "What would I do differently if I knew Jesus was coming today?"

What would happen if every believer let that question determine their actions and decisions? What kind of difference would that make in Christian families and in the church?

Jesus had been teaching and fellowshipping with His disciples forty days after His resurrection.

The final day, He walked with them to the top of the Mount of Olives sharing with them, suddenly He began to ascend into heaven.

The disciples stood looking up at what was happening before their very eyes and two angels appeared and spoke to them. “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus which was taken up from you into Heaven, will so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into Heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Why were they starring into the sky?

I know why they were staring into the sky. How many times in your life do you see someone ascend off the earth into Heaven?

Complete amazement, that is why they were staring into the sky!

That was not really the point of the angels' question. They were bringing a message of assurance to the men who had faithfully followed the Lord Jesus Christ.

“This same Jesus”; not a reasonable facsimile or a representative; but this very same Jesus is coming back to earth again.

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It was a divine confirmation of what Jesus had promised the disciples on the night He was betrayed and arrested.

Walking from the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus gave some of His most important teaching. Part of the teaching was about His second coming.

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3 NKJV).

The question arises, What would you do differently today if you knew Jesus was coming?

It is not a fairy tale or a sermon preachers have used for centuries to scare people into responding to an altar call. It is as certain as Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, His crucifixion and His resurrection.

Jesus said, “I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there you maybe also.” He also assured us, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36).

What we do know is Jesus provided sign markers so we could know the nearness of His second coming.

"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has alread

Most every person can remember an occasion as a child when no amount of persuasion from our mom or dad could convince us to change our opinion.

Our peers had told us what was true but nothing was going to change our belief; only to discover later on what we had believed was misinformation or worse, we had believed a lie.

Accurate reporting and a free press are critical to the well-being and the sustaining of liberty for an individual and for a nation.

There is no greater bondage than someone living in deception; thinking themselves to be free when they are in fact slaves.

Darkness has become their light.

• Distortion is changing the shape, the characteristic, or the design of an object or a fact.
• Misinformation is the unintentional reporting of inaccurate facts.
• Disinformation is the purposeful dissemination of inaccurate information with the intent to distort the truth.

The consistent reporting, teaching and publishing of a lie will ensure it becoming the new “truth” – disinformation.

The mission of the Church is to bring the message of truth to the world, “and [they] shall know the truth and the truth shall make [them] free” (John 8:32 KJV).

The church has been given the amazing responsibility of ensuring every generation has access to the truth so they can live in true liberty.

The Apostle Paul wrote a solemn warning to his spiritual son Timothy on two different occasions.

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:1-3 NKJV).

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-5 NKJV).

Why would anyone actually choose to accept deception over truth? It makes no sense, or does it?

A person’s morality will always determine their theology.

When people make the choice to follow Christ casually and to loosen their moral standards, they must adjust their theology accordingly.

We are living in such a time.

Many professors, pastors and church leaders are teaching and publishing the infallible Holy Bible “contains God’s words.”

According to them, many of the facts are inaccurate and many of the principles are cultural ethics of ancient times. Such compromise on the infallibility of the Living Word of God will make the church vulnerable to misinformation, disinformation and distortion.

Historical rewrite and moral compromise will become accepted norm and the Church will have a form of godliness but she will stripped of Her power to make a difference in a lost and dying world.

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There are 3 significant things that every child of God needs to know. These three truths radically change how they identify as a child of God and relate to their new life in Christ.

The zenith of all creation was made when God created Adam and Eve in His own image.

He delegated to them the capacity and the authority to fill the earth with a new species of being; sons and daughters of God made in His image and possessing the authority and power to be stewards over all of His creation.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

Adam and Eve committed high treason with the Serpent, forfeiting the authority delegated to them; giving it into the hands of the ruler of the darkness of this world. The magnitude of the loss experienced in that act of sin is revealed in a statement Lucifer made to Jesus Christ.

“Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me’” (Matthew 4:8-9 NKJV). 

The devil possessed the authority to make Jesus the head of all the kingdoms on planet earth because that authority had been given over to him by Adam and Eve.

God promised the day would come when that authority would be given back to the rightful owner.

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15 NKJV). 

The authority of stewardship for all of creation had been given by covenant to the human race.

Through an act of high treason that authority had been transferred to Lucifer. Recovery of that authority must come through an act of righteousness by a perfect man restoring the covenant that had been broken. God entered the world in the person of Jesus Christ.

The writer of Hebrews describes what took place.

 “For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels; but one testified in a certain place, saying, 'What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.' For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Bringing Many Sons to Glory; for it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:5-11 NKJV). 

Jesus Christ, the Last Adam and perfect man made the sacrifice that redeems mankind from the slave market of sin.

The presence of God was prevailing. It was even manifested in the parking lot.

Our hospitality teams were serious about sharing God’s love and grace with all who came.

A couple of the men took their role extremely serious.

They would remain at the back of the worship center, near the main entrance. Praying for all who attended, they would be alert to individuals God especially put on their heart.

Those individuals would receive special prayer.

If that person left the worship celebration early, as occasionally happened, they would follow them to their car and engage them in conversation; hoping for opportunity to share the Gospel.

Several people were led to Christ standing in the parking lot next to their car; more than one time the person received a healing.

This amazing presence of God filled every worship celebration and Bible study for over twenty months. Dozens of people came to salvation and many with cancer were healed.

The question has often been asked, “What did you do to make such a move of God happen?” It is not an easy question to answer.

Truly, we had been seeking God earnestly for revival and spiritual awakening.

Yet, He caught us totally by surprise.

We had no warning or indication that on the first Sunday of October 1983 that God would come in such glory and power. Neither do we know why the awesome presence began to lift after twenty months.

As I have reflected upon the events leading up to that first amazing day and the months that followed, Father has given me some important clues.

They are not spiritual secrets but spiritual principles often overlooked and often refused by those who find them too difficult or too demanding.

Waiting on the Father

“You will start everyday waiting on me. You will not make a telephone call or meet with anyone until you have first met with me.”

Those words rang loud and clear in my heart.

We were only days into a new church plant. I knew Father was giving clear and definite instruction for my schedule.

I tend to be a workaholic and there are always calls to make, people to see, tasks to be completed. God was calling me to “the secret place of the Most High” as the first priority of my day and my work.

Early morning devotions had been part of my daily schedule for many years.

Father was calling me to a new place in Him. I was to give additional time in waiting on Him and seeking His face. I had no idea what that would look like or what it would require.

I just knew Father wanted me to spend time with Him, waiting on Him.

It has become more than a biblical principle.

I have been privileged to experience a similar visitation of God for a season in 1992 and again in 2009.These experiences with God have not come without personal sacrifice.

Each time I have wrestled with self and daily pressures. Each one has arrived after lengthy seasons spent waiting on Father.

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Be sure to tell a friend about the Foundational blog and podcast, and share with them about the free Bible Reading Challenge journal they will receive when they subscribe to receive my newsletter!

The Middle Ages (500-1400 AD) was the convergence of three powerful forces.

The barbarians of the north were forming powerful armies to overthrow the Roman Empire.

Islam was born in Mecca and Medina, conquering the Middle East as far as India and spreading across northern Africa and into Spain.

Christianity was in the middle region. It was a dangerous time because the light of the Gospel had become very dim.

Extremes were weakening the spirit of the church.

Desire for political power and moral corruption filled church leadership; out of balance teaching for holy living led to monasticism.

Literacy and the Holy Word was taken out of the hands of the general populace leaving them illiterate and void the truth and spiritual life.

Into this twilight God sent the Waldensians of Lyon, Italy.

John Wycliffe of Oxford University continued the work. John Huss in Prague spread the light further. These were the morning stars that turned up the light in these years of darkness.

The light became even brighter through Savonarola in Florence, Martin Luther in Germany, Huguenots in France and John Calvin in Geneva.

The light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ was again burning bright and dispelling the dark forces of the convergence.

Idolatry and false deities from other cultures combined with atheistic and agnostic educators and politicians are seeking to silence the Christian voice in public arenas.

Islam with its Muslim religion is pressing hard to replace the influence of the Christianity.

All the while, the Christian church has been weakened by her great desire to be relevant, show tolerance and to comply with political correctness.

Driven from the public arena, she has become monastic in the great edifices of mega churches.

The light has grown very dim in Western Europe and North America.

While the church claims to be growing, the dirty little secret is no Christian movement in Western Europe or North America is having significant growth.

Indeed most are stagnant or declining.

Further, the church has corrupted herself by softening her stance on holiness. The results have been moral failures among her leaders, a shocking rate of divorce in her families, “live-in” relationships, and the embracing of same sex relationships.

The good news is, the church has never been defeated.

Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build my church.”

While there have been times the light has grown dim, since the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there has never been an era when the light of the Gospel has gone out.

It will not go out now!

How can we turn up the light in this generation?

1. Preach the uncompromised Word of God. Teach the whole Bible: Old and New Testament. This generation must have a full revelation of Almighty God. Stay balanced in the preaching and teaching.

2. Pray until the convicting power of the

Have you noticed the amount of time Jesus spent helping the twelve disciples maintain a right focus?

“Get these little kids out of the way,” they barked! (My paraphrase)

Jesus’ response, “Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not; for of such is the Kingdom of God.”

“Shall we call fire down on these unbelieving heathen,” cried James and John. “The Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them,” Jesus replied.

They often argued among themselves, “Who’s the greatest in the Kingdom?”

The Lord’s reply was, “You must be converted and become as little children… whoever wants to be first must be slave of all… If I then, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

"Stay focused" Jesus instructed them.

Don’t get distracted by the stuff.

Don’t allow the world’s standards distort your focus

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

I am amazed at the loss of focus the Church often experiences.

• Teen suicide is off the charts.
• Middle school and high school “hooking up” is pandemic.
• More couples are living together than are entering into marriage covenant.
• Many teenagers and college students who claim to be Christian are not certain there is an absolute moral truth.
• The moral landslide around the world is horrifying.

Where is the focus of the Church in the midst of this moral crisis?

Much of the Church is arguing over women being ordained; defending Reformed Theology, pointing out the error of a mega-church pastor, or picking apart the inaccuracies and misrepresentations of Hollywood productions of Bible stories.

Really?

Of course there will be inaccuracies.

It is Hollywood and it is a movie.

Refocus!

How about we take the opportunity to invite an unchurched family, who will go to the movie theater but might never darken the door of a church.

Then take them to dinner or dessert after the movie and share with them how Jesus Christ changed our life.

Explain to them the true message of the beautiful rainbow in the sky.

Let them know Jesus said, “The days of Noah are coming again. When they do, He will come again and deliver those who have received Him as Lord and Savior.”

Church, keep the main thing the main thing.

Don’t get distracted by the critical judgmental spirit it will take you out of focus.

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

See His love for the lost and fallen world?

Observe how He used the opportunities of the Roman world around Him as teachable moments for the unsaved. Jesus never lost focus of Father’s love for the lost.

He never lost focus of His mission to save the most unlikely.

Church… the world will never know love unless we, the disciples of Jesus, love them with true compassion and see their true worth.

The world will never know hope unless we reach out to them with hands of mercy and grace, and walk them to Jesus.

Focus!

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