Hope Part 2

Based on a Message by Pastor Kevin Rogler on November 24, 2013. To view the message on video in its entirety, click here.  Special music by Milt Carr.



Then the shepherds returned to tending their sheep, they went back to work.  You ever had God do an amazing thing in your life and you want to just camp there?  If you hear people talk more about their past than their present, they are staying there.  I love to hear what God has done in the past, but I love even more to hear what God is doing right now!  I know that Jesus came and was in a manger and I know God did great things then too, but I know He isn’t in the manger today, and He is doing great things.  So, I said to myself ok, when it comes to hope, running out of rope doesn’t mean you have to run out of hope.  Whatever that rope is in your life, time, money; but you have to know who your source of hope is.  I have 2 definitions to give you.  One is the worlds definition of hope and the other one is a better one.

The worlds definition of hope is a feeling and expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.

The better one is the bible answer, hope is a desire based on the promises of God.  So, when you are sick or lacking, when you’re in need, base something on the promises of God and that will give you hope far greater than anything the world can give.  The promises of the Lord are guaranteed.  He’s never broken a promise, and He doesn’t intend to start.  And if what He promised is different than what you are hoping for, His promise is better for that situation.  I’ll tell you something that gets our hope, disconnectedness from the Lord, and I want to reconnect anyone who is disconnected today.  I want to plug you in to the power of the Lord, to get you reconnected to get your hope to come alive.  When you feel connected you feel safe.  When you feel safe you have hope.  When you aren’t connected you don’t feel safe, you feel afraid and you lose the hope that you had.  Hope deferred makes the heart sick.

The best news is that the hope that I’m talking about isn’t based on that situation, which is good, because if it was based on that situation, hope is fickle, and it becomes very difficult to have hope.  There will be times before your valley, God will put you up, like a hill, and when you are up that is going to allow you to see farther than where you’re at in the natural. When you get down to the valley, you remember what you saw ahead, don’t lose that because you’ll need that.  What happens when God tells you something today but doesn’t connect the dots until 2 years later.  What will you do between that word today and 2 years later?  Will you stay on course or will you say, know what, there’s been no signal between me and You, so I’m turning around and I’m going back.  Most dangerous thing you can do.  If you stay on course there will be another signal coming, I promise you.  God will confirm His word.  It will happen over and over as you stay on course to connect you to that thing eventually.  That brings hope.

H – hearing, pay attention to what the Lord is saying to you.

O – obey it.  Overall, bring it back to God.  If you miss it, bring whatever it is back to the Lord and get lined up again with God

P – proclaim.  Tell people.

E – endure.  Stay connected with the Holy Spirit through the process.  When the Lord asks you to endure something it’s because there is life on the other end.

Romans 15:13

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I’m to abound in hope.  Through the power of Holy Spirit.  When the power of the Lord sits on your life long enough, things break.  Worries break, fears break.  Do not be afraid.  Why?  When your hope is connected to the Lord, He will see those things come to pass.  Fear comes when you are doing your own way, it worked for so long, but now you’re so far from shore, the engine has failed, and you lost your paddles and now you’re afraid because you did it your own way and you’re way out there.  Now the Lord is gracious, thankfully, and I believe He will bring you back and start you again.  Everybody needs hope to endure life.

When your hope is based on God’s promises, when your hope is based on what He says, and the only way to know what He’s saying is to read His word; He will keep His promises.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bashs-zUGR0&t=1s

Hope Part 1

Based on a Message by Pastor Kevin Rogler on November 24, 2013. To view the message on video in its entirety, click here.  Special music by Milt Carr.

This is a very simple message.  Just because truth can be simple doesn’t mean it’s not powerful.  Simple truth is very powerful.  Have you ever had your child say something to you at the very right time and it’s powerful?  They just say something and it’s like, yeah, I see that.  Today while I was preparing the message and preparing for things, I thought Lord, what can I say today, it’s not Christmas day, but we’re kind of getting ready for Christmas.  We know Christmas is on the way because of the preparation we see.  There is something telling us that something is about to happen.  It’s not a Christmas message.  Sometimes we hear a Christmas message on Christmas day, but it’s too late.  This message today may sound like Christmas, but it’s meant to prepare your hearts for the Christmas season.  Because it all builds up to that one day, December 25^th.  What happens to a lot of people after that day?  It’s a huge crash.  Maybe not for some, but for a lot of people it is.  Ah, but then we have New Years, party hardy, it’s not over yet, I’m not depressed yet, New Years is coming.  So, we get ready for New Years.  New Years comes and goes and then what happens?  Slump!  Maybe not for some of you, I see those halos floating right over your heads today.  Sometimes for me, it feels like a slump.  February, March, I know there’s another holiday somewhere in there, just bring it to me quick.

So, my message today is about hope.  What’s amazing is however much hope you have today, I’m going to show you, you can have more of it.  It’s all because what I have in my bible to share with you.  I’m a little old fashioned that I still get excited about what’s in here.  I still get stirred up because what’s in here is alive to me.  It doesn’t mean that I always get it right, it doesn’t mean I always understand it but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s alive and powerful.

Luke 2:8 - 20

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

If shepherds are about to get some hope, then don’t you think you can get some hope in a hopeless situation.  They were minding their business, going to work.  Doesn’t say they were fasting, doesn’t say they were praying, doesn’t say they were seeking the Lord at that moment, they were just minding their business.  So, this is good news as you mind your business.  You have to remember, we have our bible we can just crack open and read, beginning to end, end to beginning.  They didn’t have that, they couldn’t just open their bibles and read revelation.  So, this was hope to them.  They had heard things.  They heard the messiah was coming, and now it’s fulfilled.  Have you ever hoped for something and then it is fulfilled?  The question is this, when it’s fulfilled, do you still hope for it?  That doesn’t mean you put your hoper away.  You always need to have hope, if not for yourself, somebody else needs to hear about it.  Maybe you’ve got it all together, but someone else out there needs your hope.  If you have some extra hope to spare, send it to me because I need it sometimes on a Wednesday or Thursday. 

Which the Lord has made known to us.  That’s powerful because I believe that there are things that the Lord has made known to you, you who are believers, you who are Christians, that hopelessness is trying to kill.  Maybe it was made known to you years ago, and in the distance between when it was made known to you and that it still hasn’t happened yet, in this distance called life.  Life is not what we wish it to be, life is where we are right?  In that distance we lose that hope sometimes.  Your hope, whatever you are hoping for, is still about to be fulfilled.  It’s not over yet.  I pray that God opens our eyes to this today.

The shepherds told everybody.  Just people minding their business, got some great news, saw it happen, told others and others marvelled.  They marvelled not at the shepherds, they marvelled at what the shepherds were saying, there’s a big difference.

Relationship Redemption Part 2

Based on a sermon by Pastor Ian Wilson on Sunday, November 17, 2013.  To view the video in it's entirety please click here

So be prepared to forgive.  If Jesus was crucified, you are not going to go to heaven without a few scars.  Be prepared to forgive, Jesus did.  They were not His last words, His last words were, it is finished and then He gave up His spirit.  He was not finished; the work was finished.  Before that dying cry, there was another cry, and intercession, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.  Now as soon as He prayed that prayer, because His soul as He was leaving this earth was not going to be staying, He let go of the rage, and immediately there was something that is a very popular word in our culture, closure.  Closure is it is finished.  You cannot have it is finished without Father forgive them, I forgive him, I forgive her, from the heart, not as a mantra.  It’s amazing the gyrations people will get into to avoid reconciliation, repentance, saying I’m sorry or I forgive you.

Zechariah asked Jesus, where did you get those wounds, and Jesus told him, in the house of my friends.  The house of His friends is the church.  I have no problems with the world I have problems with the church.

Matthew 18:15, 21

¹⁵ “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
 ²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

We have a change in focus from the world to the church.  This isn’t about the violations of the world, it’s about the crimes of the church.  So be prepared to walk right now in forgiveness.  Let that be the posture of your heart and let that be preparation of your mind.  Forgiveness is the glorious gateway to freedom.  Be prepared to do it quickly.  My wife likes to have things washed up after a meal quickly.  So, we are having dinner and I am going downstairs with my little tray, Pauline is back in the kitchen rattle rattle and splash splashing.  She’s washing up, she says it’s easy to wash up now because in an hour’s time it’s all hardened.  Well in relationships, stuff’s always cooking, and it cooks on a daily basis.  Here is a word to the wise from someone who has a lot of experience when it comes to washing up do it quickly and when it comes to relationships, take care of business quickly.  Let the forgiveness flow, let there be an I’m sorry.  Jesus told us how to bring about reconciliation with brothers, he said, if your brother trespass against you, you go and see him alone.  Offense is the same as a transmittable disease, offence can spread, so when you go alone we have an isolation of it.

Matthew 18:18, 19

¹⁸ “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be^[e] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[f] loosed in heaven.
¹⁹ “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

Now when you reconcile with your brother immediately there is a function of power that harmonizes heaven with earth because you are into unity.  Harmony in your relationships.  There is a minimum in verse 19, it’s can’t be less than 2 agreeing.  Now the most powerful couplet that God ever brought together is the couplet of a husband and wife and if it is so powerful that two agree, that is where the devil will concentrate to bring a dislocation between them.

Let not the sun set on your anger because anger left til morning becomes bitterness.  Bitterness is a different thing completely, bitterness springs up and divides.  The root of bitterness is always there.  In every one of us there’s a root and it’s ready and waiting for the opportunity and occasion to spring up and Satan himself is there with miracle grow to make it get bigger.  There are going to be disagreements but don’t stamp collect them.  Soon you have a whole page of them and boom!  Take care of things quickly.

A fool never forgives, and never forgets.  A naive person forgives and forgets.  A wise person forgives and chooses to remember no more

Relationship Redemption Part 1

Based on a sermon by Pastor Ian Wilson on Sunday, November 17, 2013.  To view the video in it's entirety please click here

When our relationships here on earth find redemption and reconciliation, there is a glorious unity established between earth and heaven and heaven and earth, which is the essence of revival.  Revival is not through singing.  It may come out of revival, but it is not a product of it.  Good singing is the result of the unity of the saints coming together in harmony of the Holy Ghost.  When those relationships are reconciled we have the foundation of growth and revival in God.

Matthew 18:3 - 7

So, He’s introduced these individuals called little children and they are very close to the heart of God.  He goes on to speak about these little children again.

Matthew 18:10

That beholding the face of the Father means that they have access to the throne.  It’s not that they are standing before the throne forever and ever ignoring their guardianship, their stewardship of these little children. It means whenever one of these little children are offended they immediately go and carry the message and register it with God in heaven.  They have full access.  So, we have this contrast between what is going on in heaven related to what’s going on in earth.

Where is heaven?  It is right here.  All we have to do is have our eye and ears touched by the Holy Spirit and the immediacy, the relationship and the interrelatedness that goes on between heaven and earth becomes apparent.  Now to contrast, in verse 7.  This world, bad things happen in this world.  There is an idealise picture of the world that is in direct contrast with reality and what the bible speaks about the world.  Now I’m not the person to preach gloom and doom.  I have a carpet beside my bed that has eagles on it.  In the morning, I hop on it and spread my wings to glide throughout my day.  I’m what Pauline calls the world worst optimist.  But I have no delusions about this world.

There are three pulls marked by God.  There is the internal pull, the flesh, the external pull, the world, and there’s the infernal pull, from hell.

Offenses are the combination of violations and rip offs happen while we are on this earth.  In this world you will have tribulation and woe to the world because of offenses.  This present life is not for the squeamish.  This present life is not for the over sensitive.  As you read the word of God you become renewed and prepared for whatever can happen in a deranged, disordered fallen system, that is in contradiction with heaven itself.  That is why in the world, if you are a Christian, you will have persecution and trial.

The best thing that ever happened to this world we will celebrate, the coming of Jesus Christ.  The gift of God and we sent him back to heaven full of holes.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjiNW3Ch4fs&t=3s

Are You Within Reach? Part 2

Based on a Message by Pastor Kevin Rogler on November 10, 2013. To view the message on video in its entirety, click HERE



Luke 5:12, 13

¹² While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.  When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

¹³ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

Why would Jesus touch this man, when He is able to just for afar off say go?  It wasn’t important for Jesus.  It was important for the man.

Well I feel far off Kevin, you may see, I’ve had a rough week, I have a busy life.  Maybe I can just shout from a distance.  Jesus, touch me, have mercy on me.  I don’t really feel like I can come to Him, so just send your word Jesus.  Jesus says alright.  But do you know what, He is waiting for you to come, with leprosy and everything, just come to Him.  What will you risk to come?  What did the lady with the issue of blood risk to come close to Jesus, what did the lepers risk to come to Jesus?  Everything!  It was a different day back then.  They risked it all knowing they would receive it all.  There is nothing you ever risk in your life for Jesus, I promise you, that Jesus doesn’t have something else to put back in that void that you feel is empty. 

Of those 10 lepers only one came back.  Those lepers needed a touch from Jesus to be made whole.  I know they were healed physically.  But do you understand who Jesus is, do you understand how much He loves you?  Your healing is not enough for Him.  Your mindset being changed isn’t enough for Jesus.  He’s so big, He wants you WHOLE, complete in your mind, in your emotions, in your body and He doesn’t get exhausted.  Think about when Jairus came to ask Jesus to heal his daughter, and while he is talking to Jesus, the woman with the issue of blood touches His cloak and Jesus shifts His attention to her.  What must Jairus be thinking; wait a second, you budded the line, I was here first, right?!  But you know something about Jesus, He can be doing something over here, and at the same time, He’s still doing something over there, while He’s doing something else over the other place, while He is touching your life over here, all in perfect harmony.  All with the perfect plan in mind.  There is more where that came from.  You can’t sap Him of the resources that He wants to put in your life.  What did I say that for?

Well, because sometimes we are facing a lot of situations in our life, things are falling apart, things are eating away so we start praying the situation.  The lepers didn’t spend a lot of time explaining their situation.  They just called out.  Jesus could see their situation.  He already knew it.  They got their healing but only one returned.  My message today it; are you returning?  Are you the one that is going to return to Jesus and thank Him for what you need.  It is at the feet of Jesus where He speaks to you.  If you haven’t heard His voice for a while just take a second and ask yourself, have I been spending time at the feet of Jesus? 

How do you get to the feet of Jesus Christ when you can’t physically see him, that would be my question?  To me the feet of Jesus represents the place where I realize who I’m not and who He is.  When he touches you and you are made whole, there is peace.  People ask me sometimes, when do I stop praying for something?  The truth is when you get the peace on that issue.  It may take some time.  You need to pray until the Holy Spirit brings you that peace.  Get that peace, that confirmation, that touch, and then get up and go.  And as you go, He will put His goodness all over your go, I promise you.  He loves it when you go. 

Don’t keep hitting the snooze button when the alarm goes off, you could miss what the Lord has for you.  You may miss it.  When that happens to me, I get right with the Lord and say Lord I feel like I missed something, please bring that revolving door back around, give me another chance to step through that door.  I do believe God can send it back, so you can step in.  How many times do you have that chance?  That I don’t know.  It amazes me that He is willing to do that, and He doesn’t tire of me.  The last thing is this.  People need you to wake up.  Who is on your journey, what lepers are on your journey today, this week?  We heard about how the lepers were there and the answer came by, you are the answer to somebody this week.  Christ in you is the answer, where ever your journey takes you, will you hear the help from the distance.  Will you be sleeping, maybe you have heard the help from a distance already?  God’s got your road map planned, you are not just saved for you, you are saved for them too.  So, who is on your journey this week that has a “leprosy” in their life and are calling out.  It may not sound like a call, there may be other signs that they need a touch from Jesus, they need something to be released from you to them, to bring them wholeness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmF0v6kDDyM&t=999s

Are You Within Reach? Part 1

Based on a Message by Pastor Kevin Rogler on November 10, 2013. To view the message on video in its entirety, click HERE

I was thinking about what happens when you run your car so close to empty.  What happens to the filter?  It clogs up.  Because when it’s so empty, there is nothing there to suck in again except the dirt and the debris that was in the fuel and has fallen to the bottom.  There is stuff in that fuel right, it looks clean but there is stuff in there.  But when it’s so empty, you start to feed on the bottom, so to speak sometimes.  God doesn’t want you to feed from the bottom, He wants you to feed from the top.  He doesn’t want you to be clogged up with bottom dwelling feeding; on the news this week, on your troubles this week, you know what you breathe it in and hack and cough.  You can’t function that way.  He wants you feeding from the top, that’s where the crystal-clear water is.  The reason you are able to feed from the top, is that he’s placed you at the top, in heavenly places, high places.  He doesn’t place you at the bottom.  I have a question.  The question is,

Are you within reach?

Within reach of what God wants to do in your life today?  There is something about being in the reach of Jesus Christ that is better than just reading about Him or when you watch a tv program about Him.  You get within that reach when you come together.  There is Jesus in each one of us and I need the Jesus in you and you need the Jesus in me.  Because I may say something that unfolds something to you or you may be able to say something that unfolds something in me, and you know what, it’s all Jesus.  Coming together allows Him to reach.

What is eating at you today?  Is there anything keeping you far off from Jesus and others?  What is causing you to return to be made whole?  I’m going to explain to you why it’s only in returning to Jesus that you are made whole.  It’s only through Jesus reaching out and touching you that you are cleansed and made whole.  It’s being close that counts.

Luke 17:11 – 19

¹¹ And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

¹² And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

¹³ And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

¹⁴ And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

¹⁵ And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

¹⁶ And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

¹⁸ There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

¹⁹ And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

There were no cell phones or emails to tell them Jesus was coming, the healer was going to pass by, but He knew they were there.  Jesus was their answer and their answer found them.  Don’t you love it when the answer finds you?  Jesus told them go and as they went they were healed.  That all, go, what kind of answer is go?  Where is the pizzazz?  Talk about practical.  Where do we go?  Well, go where He told you.  Well, what do we do when we get there, what do we do along the way, when do we come back?  He didn’t say that, just go.  I believe they went.  Know why?  Because one turned back.  That one saw he was whole and healed and thought wait!  There is something more important than delivering this message, it’s important to remember to give thanks.  The one threw himself at Jesus’ feet and gave thanks.  Jesus asked weren’t there 10 lepers healed, where are the other ones to give thanks to God?  Notice Jesus told him, Rise and go, your faith has made you WHOLE.  Was it possible that the other nine went healed but not whole?  Can you be healed and go to hell?  Yes.  But I don’t believe that you can be whole and go to hell.

Being healed and being whole are two different things.  And Jesus is all about the completed work.  You know what amazes me, in order for this man to be made whole he had to return back to Jesus, close enough to be touched by Jesus, at His feet.  The others could see what they wanted a far off.  There could be things in your life that you see from afar off so to speak.  But there are those things that the Lord has for you that can only be received from closeness.  Closeness counts.

PART 2 coming soon.  In the meantime visit our website for Daily Power Thought, Online Calender of Events, Our Favourite Worship Music, our location,  and more service videos at:  www.barriechristianfellowship.com

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