In our Day

Habakkuk 3:2
LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

This simple prayer has become the hearts cry of Amy and I. Habakkuk actually asked and expected something from God. We sometimes get caught up in the "lingo" of our faith and pray to God with such a religious attitude. We say things like "Oh God just do your will" and "I know all things will work out for the good". Of coarse that's true and that should be the foundation of our prayer life, but this prayer is one of desperation, perseverance, and expectation. Habakkuk saw a great injustice in his day, and wanted to know what God was going to do about it.

Chapter 1:2-4
2How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not save? 3Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

This looks like a lack of faith, but it is not. Sometime God wants to see his people get mad! Habakkuk was not mad at God, he was angry about the injustice. He was tired of just sitting and watching so he went to the only one who could do anything about it. When I feel like I am being ripped off unjustly somehow by someone that I may do business with, I call the company and complain until I get someone with authority that can do something about the problem. I don't want some generic answer read to me in broken English by some unconcerned Indian employee getting paid minimum wage to answer phones. Most people will just settle for that and say "well, I guess that's the just the way it is" "It will all work out in the end". No! The moment I pick up that phone I have a determination to get the Justice I deserve and am not going to hang up until I get someone who can make that happen. God is waiting for us to approach him this way. I am tired of watching people die and just sitting by casting a quick generic prayer towards the heavens hoping maybe something will happen someday. It is time to get aggressive! Get violent! Jesus said when you want something "knock, and then knock some more", and "ask, and then keep asking". I am ready to see with my own two little eyes what I know God is able to do. I have become passionate in my prayer life. God restore your great works in my day!! I know who you are and what you can do. We need to see it now!
This is how God answered Habakkuk:

1:5
Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

Amen!
With violent determination,
Pastor Josh

The angry Lion has been unleashed!!

God is so faithful!! Well, Amy and I just returned from Virginia where one of our closest friends Jason Peaks and his church Open Door of Suffolk held there second annual Worship conference. Wow was it awesome! I'll be honest, it was not something that I originally had much desire to attend considering the distance, timing (we are sooooo busy right now) and the fact that we come from one of the greatest "praise and worship" churches in the world were I am honored to be submitted to one of the most anointed Pastors and worship leaders of all time, but God began dealing with me about taking our place in this particular circle of ministry. God has been doing an awesome work in this generation, my generation, and I don't want to miss anything. We are the ones that are going to carry the fire into the next age, and we need one another to do that. Well, like I said it was awesome. God moved in a mighty way, pouring out his spirit bringing clarity to what he has already been speaking to all of us individually. He confirmed many things to Amy and I and I believe anointed us afresh and anew for this new season we have entered into. Pastor Mark Holcomb, one of my hero's for sometime now, spoke, and let me tell you, this man is operating in a level of anointing he has never walked in before! I watched in awe as God used him in a mighty and powerful way. As well as Pastor Mark, another new hero of mine, Pastor Robbie Hilton, spoke the word of God with such power and authority that I was blown away. It was also the first time I had the pleasure of seeing my little bro Jason preach, and he didn't disappoint! The whole experience was a much needed time of personal Revival.
It didn't end there though!! This Sunday was a continuation of Gods power and anointing that I don't think is going to end anytime soon. My pastor preached a prophetic message the likes of which I haven't heard him preach in a long time. I was fighting back tears the whole time. As he delivered the word I felt something so heavy happening in the Spirit that I was overwhelmed. As it ended I couldn't shake the heaviness that I began to rest on me, and continued in prayer as we then began the all day Sunday Revolution youth day. As the rest of the leaders led the young people in a series of fun events, I withdrew my self to the office to pray, and try to figure out what God was doing in me. Before the service I felt led to lead the pre service prayer that we do before every service, not knowing what to expect, but with a strong feeling that God was about to mess up our agenda! He did! The lives of everyone in attendance will never be the same. God poured out his spirit and grace on all of us, speaking prophetically to almost everyone individually, and challenging all of us to ask for what we wanted to see him do, and that he would honor his word and give us what we asked for. I Got what I asked for!! It's not over. Greater things are yet to come!!! This is just the beginning.
My father-inlaw had a vision on Sunday morning. He said he saw a fierce dog that was chained up, and was consumed with anger and a passion to be released, and was pulling with all his might on that chain. But as he looked closer, the dog became a lion. It was ready for the kill, but was unable to do what it intended to do as long as it was chained. Sunday, the angry lion was unleashed. Hear the sound of the lion of Judah, roaring again!!

Psalms 18:7 (NKJV) 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry.

In earnest expectation,
Pastor Josh

Greater Things Are Yet To Come!

Wow! The first Binghamton meeting is done and man was God faithful. It was a great time and exactly what God intended the first meeting to be. The attendance was not great but I know that the Holy Spirit showed up. Thank God he doesn't have a minimum attendance requirement! Lexie, Scott and the worship team where operating at a new level of their anointing. God spoke to us prophetically as I took the pulpit about following Jesus "Now" and counting the cost of being a Revolutionary. No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit to be a disciple. It was not the word I had prepared, but I knew that was going to happen, and it was awesome. The spirit of God was so thick and powerful, and the anointing was there to receive the word of the Lord. We all left the meeting different than when we arrived. I know this is just the beginning of something we have only imagined in this city. Greater things are yet to come, and greater things have yet to be done in this city! Keep us in prayer as we continue moving forward into all that this next season holds for us. It is going to be a busy summer, and one of Gods Glory and Power, and we are in a state of high expectation and anticipation. Praise God!!

Blessed in all things,
Pastor Josh

Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Tolerance?

2 Thess 3:13-16
13But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good. 14And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 15Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Sometimes we are too tolerant of trouble makers in the body. This is not the only place were we are told to not keep company with brothers and sisters in the Lord who are in rebellion and are causing dissension and discord. We need to avoid fellowship with them “that they may be ashamed”. It is not a bad thing to make someone feel ashamed if they are in sin. It is only then that they will be compelled to repent and be restored. We get too scared to push people away, but in truth, it would be better if we did, because then they would be in a position to be restored.
We need to remember that they are not enemies, but brothers or sisters in danger. It is our duty to admonish, or warn them, of the danger they are in. If we remain quite in the name of tolerance, or "understanding" we sell them out for our comfort and potentially offer them over to a death sentence, and at the same time voluntarily allow a deadly poison to dwell within our camp.

2John 10-11
10If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. 11Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.

We are not doing anyone any favors by trying to be sympathetic. We are just encouraging there sin and ignorance and actually becoming a partner in there sin.

2Cor 7:9-10
9Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death

If they are never allowed to feel shame, how can they repent. If they don't repent, how can they be restored.

It is never easy to be "hard" on people, but it is necessary. I believe that there has been a period of grace for those believers who are living on the edge, with one foot in the church, and one in the world, to give us a season to prepare us for what Gods wants to do. But that period is coming to an end. The spirit of God is moving forward, and those not up to the challenge will be crushed between the "flood of dissipation" and the River of God, leaving them crippled, incapacitated, and even dead. This ministry is going forward!!
Keep us in prayer, for tomorrow night begins the Binghamton Outreach. We are in great anticipation of what God is going to do.

Ever in motion,
Pastor Josh

300Revolution. The Revolution has begun!!!

Well I finally did it! I'm an official blogger. I look forward to sharing my thoughts and feelings with you as God brings us into this next phase of his Glory and Power. We have seen God move in a mighty and awesome way in the last year and know that it is just the beginning of what we are going to see. He has been true to his word along every step of the way and we will continue to hold him to it!! Our level of expectation is being raised everyday. Truly nothing is impossible with God. Keep us in prayer as we are about to begin a new outreach meeting in the city of Johnson City. This is truly somewhere we have never gone before, and we are exited, and maybe even a little scared, as we take this plunge into unknown territory. But, like the children of Israel crossing the Jordan, we are sending the presence of God ahead of us. He has given us a promise just like he gave that generation that crossed over as we see in Joshua 3:5"And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” Amen!! Tomorrow is a designated time. God doesn't gives us promises he doesn't mean to fulfill. So please keep us in prayer because we know that when God is fixin to move there is always opposition. Like Paul says in 1 Cor 16:9 "For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." Praise God.

Peace and Love,

Pastor Josh