The Empowerment of Encouragement

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25
Encouragement inspires hope. Hope in the Lord renews strength. Renewal causes you to soar, run, and walk victoriously…So encourage one another!
Also, want to invite you to check out the Firm Foundation program at www.FirmFoundationTV.net. There’s a lot of encouragement, insightful teachings, conversations, and testimonies on that website. See the flyer below:

Peace in the Middle of Your Storm: Resolving Conflicts

Jesus promises peace. Life brings storms such as conflicts in relationships and in our circumstances. The peace that Christ brings to your life is ¯ than the difficulties. Learn how to stay in peace even when you have to deal with people and resolve conflicts.
 
Proverbs 4:23, Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
 
Having peace in the middle of any of conflict begins with “keeping (guarding) your heart.” Conflict is not only the challenge of resolving interpersonal issues, it is also something that intends to degrade your inner peace.
 
The heart's central role in conflict is described in James 4:1-3. When you understand this passage, you will have found a key to preventing and resolving conflict.
 
"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
 
Most conflicts that are manifest in your circumstances began with conflicts within your own heart. Peace in your heart and peace in your circumstances are not the same. The first key to resolving conflict is to establish peace in your own heart and mind.
 
Romans 12:18, If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
 

How to Maximize Moments in Time

How to Maximize Your Moments in Time
 
One of the greatest keys to being empowered and empowering others is understanding the concept of time as it relates to God’s purpose for your life. To empower means: “Help people gain power or authority to do something great”
 
Eph. 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16)  redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17) Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
 
Colossians 4:5, Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
 
Redeeming the time; or, buying the opportunity: a metaphor taken from merchants, that diligently observe the time for buying and selling, and easily part with their pleasure for gain. The idea being that of a merchant who, knowing the value of an article and the good use to which he can put it, buys it up. (Matthew Poole's Commentary:)
 
“Because the days are evil” —The days of life in general are so exposed to evil, as to make it necessary to make the most of the seasonable opportunity so long as it lasts.  These are days full of difficulties and dangers, by reason of men’s hatred of 
 
Seize the moments or opportunities ordained of God; walk through the open door while it is open. “The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity.” Leonard Ravenhill 

Firm Foundation Weekly Broadcast #103 | Conversation with Pastor Shad Hill

Cultivating a New Attitude

Philippians 2: (NLT) 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8  he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
 
“Cultivate” is a farming term. Because attitudes “grow” we have to pay attention to factors that affect our attitudes.
 
• A good attitude will not always change our circumstances, but it will always change us. [John Maxwell]
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. [John Maxwell]
Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.  [Walt Emerson] 
 
Attitude is not what people perceive. Attitude is your internal disposition. 
 
Remember this: There are always more people with broken hearts than hard hearts.
 
According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the word "attitude" means "an internal position or feeling with regard to something else." Other words often used as synonyms are: "disposition, feeling, mood, opinion, sentiment, temper, tone, perspective, frame of mind, outlook, view, or morale."
 
Airplane pilots often use "attitude" to describe their horizontal relationship with the runway then they land. If their attitude isn’t aligned properly, the plane will make contact with the ground at the wrong angle and it will cause them to crash.
 
Your attitude is your inward disposition toward other things, such as people or circumstances. As in with an airplane, attitude is applied whenever you must deal with something other than yourself. According to God’s word, when you become a Christian, a part of your new creation is the development of new attitudes — your attitude should become like that of Jesus. The Bible says, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:" (Philippians 2:5). "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off the old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds." (Ephesians 4:22 NIV)
 
What we see may be a reflection of a person’s attitude, but don’t make the mistake of judging people you don’t know. I have a friends who seems to be overly serious, not very “bubbly.” Then I found out that he lost two sons in a car accident. This had happened a long time ago and it obviously changed his life. He does not lack joy and greatly enjoys life. It’s just that some experiences jerk all the slack out of you. Most people still have a lot of slack in their lives.
 
Life circumstances, privileges, or a lack thereof, affect the development and current state of our attitude.

Firm Foundation Weekly Broadcast #102

Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson Program #102
PROGRAM CONTENT:Bible Teaching: “Principles of Good Success”Productivity Technology Tip: Intro to Self-Publishing
Past programs, conversations, and teachings at www.FirmfoundationTV.net

Firm Foundation Weekly Broadcast #101

Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson Program #101 for week of January 23, 2017 
BIBLE TEACHING: "How to Delight in the Lord."
CONVERSATION: Pastor Dave Burrows from Bahamas Faith Ministries
PRODUCTIVITY TECH TIP: "How to Organize Your Projects and Ideas"

Free Indeed! Free Forever!

Be Empowered. Empower. Soar into 2017
2017: Your Year of Peace, Purpose, Provision, Empowerment
Free Indeed. Free Forever.
 
John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.
~ Isaac Newton
 
We are free indeed and free forever. (Say it) 
Freedom is a treasure and a legacy. It is a treasure because is it valuable. It is a legacy because we did not create it, we only inherited freedom. Freedom and responsibility go hand in hand. We have the responsibility to live a certain way and we have the responsibility to share it.
When Jesus says he makes us “free indeed” he is talking about freedom in the total sense, at every level.
The word "indeed" means: Truly, in reality, in point of fact, as opposed to what is pretended, fictitious, false, conjectural
On the national holiday Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior we not only celebrate the work of the man but of an entire movement of which he is the most visible figure. He is a figure that cannot be hidden, though many others are hidden in history. 
The civil rights movement was not actually a movement of freedom but a movement of the exercise of the rights of freedom. People who were not already “free indeed” could not have done what they accomplished. The only people who can truly exercise rides are people who already know that they are free. That leads to the conviction that oppression of freedom is evil and the oppression of evil people must be addressed.
“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.” Rev. Dr. KIng
Dr. King possession the spiritual and intellection capacity to be prophetic and proactive. He and the ministers who led the movement were closer to God and ten times smarter than the oppressors.
Psalms 119:98, Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.
Here in the 21st-century many people are not living in the freedom they have already been provided because they've not experienced freedom indeed through Christ.
We are free indeed and free forever. But here's the hook, with freedom comes responsibility. It is our actions that determine if we live in what God has provided or if we continue to miss the best that God has for us.
Looking again at our text: John 8:31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
Some of Jesus’ own people thought that they already possessed all the freedom they needed. We don’t want to make that same mistake in only leaning on religion or what our society defines and freedom.
To be “free indeed” requires a Savior
While doing research for this message and presentation I noted how many accounts of the Civil Rights movement exclude the facts of how fundamental prayer was to the whole process. History has recast the movement as a secular movement. No, it was a God inspired movement led by preachers and believers in Christ. It was a movement that included not only black men and women, but courageous white men and women. 
The Civil Rights movement was one of the most prophetic movements of the 21st-century
I define “prophetic” as: God accomplishing His purposes by declaring his will and purpose in advance and then performing His will through willing people and ordered circumstances.
Freedom Definition in the civil context: The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint; Absence of subjection to domination or despotic government.
A despot is: A ruler who has total power and who often uses that power in cruel and unfair ways.
Freedom in the spiritual context: The power to know God, love God, love others, act in accordance with the will and Word of God. It is the power to be free from sin, demonic, and carnal influence to fulfill the Character of Christ.
“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.” (M.L. King)
You can’t think and talk like that unless you are “free indeed.” 
“Jesus recognized the need for blending opposites. He knew that his disciples would face a difficult and hostile world, where they would confront the recalcitrance of political officials and the intransigence of the protectors of the old order. He knew that they would meet cold and arrogant men whose hearts had been hardened by the long winter of traditionalism. ... And he gave them a formula for action, "Be ye therefore as wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." ... We must combine the toughness of the serpent with the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.
We Are Free Indeed and Free Forever. That’s we are empowered and can empower others.
Definition of empower: Help people gain power or authority to do something great 
Let’s talk about Financial Freedom because free indeed must also include freedom from debt. The Bible says the “borrower is servant to the lender.” People who are free indeed should also be free from debt.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
I make a distinction in purpose between consumer debt and debts for assets such as a home mortgage, but being debt free is our goal. 
I am pleased to announce that in 2017 New Covenant Church will be completely debt free! It is an expression of “free indeed.” Because you are connected to this ministry and you are New Covenant Church, you share in the blessing and breakthrough. 
We are stewards, not owners.
Everything we have is a gift from God. We have a tendency to act like we “earned” things, but that’s not the truth. Without the time, talents and providence of God, we wouldn’t have anything!
1 Corinthians 4:1-2, Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
Everything belongs to God. He simply allows us the great privilege of caring for it. And one of the best ways we can do that is to not be wasteful.
In John 6:12, after Jesus fed the multitude, He told the people, “Gather up now the fragments (the broken pieces left over) so that nothing may be lost or wasted.”

2017: Your Year of Peace, Purpose, Provision, Empowerment

INFLUENCE Micah 4:1, Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it. 2 Many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.”
EMPOWERED Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
EMPOWERING Colossians 1:10, So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 
Definition of empower: Help people gain power or authority to do something great
HOW TO BE EMPOWERED AND EMPOWER OTHERS.
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. ~ Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV
On one level December 31 and January 1 is only going from one day to the next day. On another level, we mark the New Year as something special because we value time and purpose. Because we reference our past life in terms of years, we think about our future life in the same way. We are creatures of time with eternal purpose. Every year is full of blessings and challenges, joys and sorrows, with people added and people who depart. Sometimes a year includes extraordinary gains and losses.
Through Isaiah, the Lord offers profound counsel for 2017:
1. PEACE “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old." Let the past stay in the past. Do not live in the past or look back as if you had no bright future.
2. PURPOSE "Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it?" No matter how much you have done or how old you are, God is still doing new things. It will "spring forth" meaning that the "new thing" will come quickly. You need to "know it" in faith, not just wish for it.
3. PROVISION & EMPOWERMENT "I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert." God can do the impossible for you. He will pave a road through your wilderness.  He will provide a river through your desert....provision in a dry place.
Expect a prosperous and fruitful new year!

Your Faith Can Make You Well

Mark 5:25-34
The true story concerning the woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years clearly demonstrates the operation of faith in God. The process of faith which resulted in this woman's healing can be understood and activated in the life of any believer. This process can be understood with seven key words...