If we want things to change for the better, then WE will have to change for the better!
This is what the Lord has been telling us through His Vision for 1stSBC Gardena, CA, USA given to our Lead Pastor John Ward. Please read it here …
“By the Lord’s leading, five years from now First Church will be a Spirit-filled church led by an active, dedicated leadership team.
The entire body will be active in sharing the Gospel, winning people to Christ, and making new Christians welcome in a growing, maturing church.”
The 5-Year Vision God Gave to Pastor John Ward
Revealed to leaders on June 11, 2023 1st Southern Baptist Church, Gardena, CA, USA
Because of the vision God gave to Pastor John, we will focus on our individual and personal leadership at 1stSBC Gardena, CA USA in the coming years even more BECAUSE everything rises and falls on our personal leadership!
What areas do you need to change in order to accomplish the vision God has given you and your team?
We are the way we are because WE are the way we are!
What Does That Mean?
As I was reading through our reading schedule last month, I ran across a chapter in Isaiah that the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let me leave. Kate will tell you I hovered over it for hours over several days while we were home in Tororo, Uganda.
The more I poured over it the clearer God was about continuing the transformation of my life for Him as a Global servant of the Great Commission with King Jesus!
As this passage moved through me repeatedly, I reflected on the reality we studied for 6 months in the Warriors’ Study at 1stSBC Gardena, CA USA. For 6 months, we walked through Genesis and dealt with so many issues necessary to fulfilling the Dominion Command of Genesis 1.28. The lesson was clear: God wants all of His children to “take dominion” of their sphere of life and beyond!”
As we then moved into June we saw the reason for the Dominion Command: Jesus calls us to make disciples of all peoples starting where we are and stopping once we’ve reached the whole planet! We are in month 4 of that study in the book of Acts!These 10 months have been life-changing for me!
And as I read through Isaiah 32, it was like the Holy Spirit said to me: Listen, adapt, align your attitudes and choices to model what I share with you here so that you can fulfill both the Dominion Command and the Great Commission.
THE POINT: Once we listen, adapt, and align our attitudes and choices to model this kind of leadership, we can lead others to fulfill both the Dominion Command and the Great Commission.
So, will you join me in changing, improving, and becoming what we need to be in order to fulfill both the Dominion Command and the Great Commission? Great! Let’s dive in! with our next post!
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Disclaimer: This series is about ALL and ONLY about our personal leadership.If we CANNOT lead ourselves, we will never make an impact in our homes, our marriages, our families, our neighborhoods, our communities, our county, our state, our country, or our world!
THINK ABOUT where you have fallen from, and then TURN BACK and DO AS YOU DID at first. If you don’t turn back, I will come and take away your Church. Revelation 2:5 CEV
HOW DO YOU TURN BACK?
The Lord said: Israel, if you really want to come back to me,
1. GET RID OF those disgusting idols (horoscopes, ouija boards, fortune tellers, psychics, etc).
2. Make promises ONLY in my name, and
3. DO what you promise!
THEN all nations will praise me, and I will bless them.Jeremiah 4:1-2 CEV
“I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave.Do not ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
We live in dark times and YOU are the light of the world.
A darkness has come upon the world.
It is an ancient darkness and yet new in its manifesting. It is permeating our media, our entertainments, our marketplaces, our schools, our corporations, our public squares, our governments, our culture, and our lives. It is setting in motion the transformation of our society, the overturning of ancient foundations, and the destruction of age-old standards of morality, values, perception, and faith.
It is an unrelenting darkness, one that seeks not only to exist and grow but to exercise total dominion, to force all it touches into submission, to subjugate language, to alter perception, and to bend reality into its image.
It is a darkness that requires every tongue to confess its name and every knee to bow down in its honor. As for those who would defy or resist its conquest, it seeks to assimilate and transform them or else destroy them, even to destroy their will to resist. It is a totalitarian darkness. It cannot rest until all lights are extinguished! –Jonathan Cahn, Josiah Manifesto,
How the Darkness Works on People Of Faith
“Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
There it is: Our responsibility … “Make your light shine!”
But the devil is on a rampage right now and the only thing that holds him back is … YOU!
The devil is subtle; He deceives us. He always has, but now its like He is on steroids!
But God Counters What the Devil Sells Us
“Later the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, “Abram, DO NOT BE AFRAID! I will protect you and reward you greatly.” (Genesis 15:1)
You see, the Devil whispers the following into the ears of the faithful …
Things look bleak in so many ways!
You are getting older! (Abe is 75 here)
God hasn’t answered you! (sons)
You’ll die without God’s promises answered! (Genesis 12.1-3)
But God Is Speaking to You Today!
“Later the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, “Abram, DO NOT BE AFRAID! I will protect you and reward you greatly.” (Genesis 15:1)
Fear’s Grip Holds Us Tight When
We feel fragile and weak!
To the olders: Do you ever feel like, “Was it all worth it?” Abram did! He’d moved away from all He had know, trusted God when all Abram had was faith, and true – he’d gained much wealth and honor. BUT, as he aged, he hadn’t gotten the promises God had given him decades before!
We feel God has forgotten us!
To all of us: You know what it’s like to go to bed again and realize you’re still single; you don’t have the income you need; another loved one has passed,; life is getting harder!
What Did God Tell Abraham?
“Later the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, “Abram, DO NOT BE AFRAID!” (Genesis 15:1)
It’s a COMMAND! We have to choose our emotions. And what is God’s command when all of life is falling apart all around us and we wonder if God has forgotten us?
Do Not Be afraid!
Why? How?
What Did God Promise
“Later the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, “Abram, DO NOT BE AFRAID!
(1) I will protect you and (2) reward you greatly.” (Genesis 15:1)
I will protect you!
Satan’s greatest lie today is the devil can’t protect us … as the darkness seeks to exercise total dominion, to force all it touches into submission, to subjugate language, to alter perception, and to bend reality into its image … The devil declares God is unable or unwilling to protect you!
But the reality is, God is ABLE! God is WILLING!He is unfolding the plan we have written down in His OWN Words … the Last Days have become THESE DAYS! He is on His Schedule!
But God is still God! He is Almighty! He is the Creator! He is All Powerful! And what is His promise to those of us who are Abraham’s children by faith in King Jesus?
I will reward you greatly!
For Abram, it was a child! For you, it is the promised answer!
Now hear me: Abram didn’t get his answer for ANOTHER 14 years after this reassurance! Why?
God is on His own calendar!
And the best time for your answer is when it will arrive!
What Did Abraham Have To Do?
He had to keep trusting!
Trusting involves relationship! Do you have a close relationship with God?
Whether you made a commitment to Jesus in the past or not, 2024 is a great time to cement and secure a close relationship with God … especially as things grow darker and as the world grows scarier!
How’s Your Trust of God Right Now?
I trust Kate with everything! Why? Because we know each other – deeply, intimately, personally. And I know she is my partner who always has my best in mind with her every word and action!
That is how we trust God! We get to know each other – deeply, intimately, personally.
Do you know God like that?
Is it time to come nearer to God?If so, perhaps you are ready to make that life change?
“Come near to God, and he will come near to you.” (James 4:8, CEV)
Make the first step … come near to God today!
Whether you made a commitment to Jesus in the past or not, you could tell to God your commitment today.
I often tell Kate of my commitment to her. It’s not because I am unsure of it – or think she is unsure of my commitment to her. I simply tell her again because it is TRUE! In fact, it’s MORE true now that when I married her!
For all of us whether we have made a commitment to follow Jesus as the King of our lives, or we who would like to make that commitment today for the first time – at the beginning of 2024 – let’s just say this OUT LOUD to Jesus right now >>
Dear God,
I know that I am not worthy to be accepted by You.
I don’t deserve Your gift of eternal life.
I am guilty of rebelling against You and ignoring You.
I’m sorry, and
I need Your forgiveness.
Thank you for sending Your Son to die for me so that I may be forgiven.
Thank you that He rose from the dead to give me new life.
Please forgive me and
Change me,
so that I may live with Jesus as my Ruler. Amen
If you just said that to Jesus, congratulations! Welcome to the Family of God!
Over the next 21 days we will focus our prayers on being fearless in 2024! Our family, friends, and even our foes are in danger of an eternity in the Lake of Fire, all because they choose to live for themselves instead of Him who loves them and died for them (2 Corinthians 5.15).
As we pray, we want to focus on the theme of the day all day long. Maybe take this sheet with you everywhere you go and use it each day to remind yourself of your prayer target. Also, pray for that area of breakthrough that God needs to do for you in order to take you to the next level of spiritual success in accomplishing all God has intended.
Week One: Fearless Enough to Share Jesus’ Forgiveness With My Family
This week we want to target our family, our loved ones! All day long simply ask God to make your prayer a reality in 2024 among your family members.
January 2 – That I will be Fearless Enough to realize my lost family will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire if they don’t Surrender to Jesus as King of their lives.
January 3 – That I will be Fearless Enough to pray that my lost family will Surrender to Jesus as King of their lives so that they will NOT spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
January 4 – That I will be Fearless Enough to talk about the benefits of my surrender to Jesus as King of my life with them and the peace of mind I have knowing I will live forever in Paradise with Jesus.
January 5 – That I will be Fearless Enough to talk about my love for them and how it has grown since my surrender to Jesus as King of my life.
January 6 – That I will be Fearless Enough to be positive and encouraging about the love Jesus has for us all and share with them how He has recently shown me that love.
January 7 – That I will be Fearless Enough to ask them where they are in relationship with Jesus and how I can pray for that relationship to increase since He will declare us forgiven, give a purpose for living and a home in Heaven – which I want them to enjoy also.
January 8 – That I will be Fearless Enough to ask them to surrender to Jesus as King so they can be forgiven also, begiven a purpose for living and a home in Heaven.
* Of course, we will pray for these throughout the year as well as just this week.
Over the next 21 days we will focus our prayers on being fearless in 2024! Our family, friends, and even our foes are in danger of an eternity in the Lake of Fire, all because they choose to live for themselves instead of Him who loves them and died for them (2 Corinthians 5.15).
As we pray, we want to focus on the theme of the day all day long. Maybe take this sheet with you everywhere you go and use it each day to remind yourself of your prayer target. Also, pray for that area of breakthrough that God needs to do for you in order to take you to the next level of spiritual success in accomplishing all God has intended.
Week One: Fearless Enough to Share Jesus’ Forgiveness With My Family
This week we want to target our family, our loved ones! All day long simply ask God to make your prayer a reality in 2024 among your family members.
January 2 – That I will be Fearless Enough to realize my lost family will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire if they don’t Surrender to Jesus as King of their lives.
January 3 – That I will be Fearless Enough to pray that my lost family will Surrender to Jesus as King of their lives so that they will NOT spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.
January 4 – That I will be Fearless Enough to talk about the benefits of my surrender to Jesus as King of my life with them and the peace of mind I have knowing I will live forever in Paradise with Jesus.
January 5 – That I will be Fearless Enough to talk about my love for them and how it has grown since my surrender to Jesus as King of my life.
January 6 – That I will be Fearless Enough to be positive and encouraging about the love Jesus has for us all and share with them how He has recently shown me that love.
January 7 – That I will be Fearless Enough to ask them where they are in relationship with Jesus and how I can pray for that relationship to increase since He will declare us forgiven, give a purpose for living and a home in Heaven – which I want them to enjoy also.
January 8 – That I will be Fearless Enough to ask them to surrender to Jesus as King so they can be forgiven also, begiven a purpose for living and a home in Heaven.
* Of course, we will pray for these throughout the year as well as just this week.
Week Two: Fearless Enough to Share Jesus’ Forgiveness With My Friends
This week we want to target our friends who are dear to us! All day long simply ask God to make your prayer a reality in 2024 among your friends.
January 9 – That I will be Fearless Enough to accept the fact that King Jesus has placed me in the midst of my friends as His messenger to bring about their surrender and forgiveness for all eternity.
January 10 – That I will be Fearless Enough to pray for each friend by name and ask God to soften their hearts to accept the message of surrender and forgiveness I have to share when the time is right to tell it.
January 11 – That I will be Fearless Enough to sprinkle my conversations with them with short stories of how my walk with King Jesus brought help and hope to me recently.
January 12 – That I will be Fearless Enough to listen carefully and attentively for openings where my friends are being transparent and wanting some help in the midst of their messes.
January 13 – That I will be Fearless Enough to realize I need to be short and specific as I share my story of God’s work with me that brought forgiveness and the removal of shame when I chose to surrender to Jesus as King.
January 14 – That I will be Fearless Enough to live in such a way that shows I truly care about my friend and that I’m not trying to convert them, but that I’m sharing how He benefits me and, I think, He can benefit them as well.
January 15 – That I will be Fearless Enough to ask them to consider seriously surrendering their lives to Jesus as their King, knowing I am here to answer any questions and provide any help they might need at any time.
* Of course, we will pray for these throughout the year as well as just this week.
Week Three: Fearless Enough to Share Jesus’ Forgiveness With My Foes
This week we want to target our foes, whose angry with us or simply don’t like us! All day long simply ask God to make your prayer a reality in 2024 among those who don’t like you.
January 16 – That I will be Fearless Enough to realize that people won’t like me because of my wrong attitudes and actions and I may be the cause of that so I will repent of any and all wrong attitudes and actions the Holy Spirit brings to my remembrance as I pray today.
January 17 – That I will be Fearless Enough to understand that some people won’t like me because of the Spirit in me, that He is Holy and they are not and the Holy Spirit in me is convicting them of the sin in them, what is right in God’s
eyes, and the judgment if they don’t repent … but they are being stubborn and unwilling to repent right now. So I will pray for a softening of their heart today.
January 18 – That I will be Fearless Enough to do the hard work of being friendly to those who are unfriendly to me, thus I will pray today for strength for me so I can love them with the same love Jesus had for loved those who crucified Him.
January 19 – That I will be Fearless Enough to ask God to show me ways to express my love in tangible ways (other than words) for those who do not like me and then that I will go and do those things for them starting today.
January 20 – That I will be Fearless Enough to realize our Adversary is poisoning the minds of those who don’’t like us with false ideas, so I will choose to BE the difference, to reveal the love of Jesus to the ungodly, and to care for those who are lost and far from God despite their feelings for me starting today.
January 21 – That I will be Fearless Enough to simply and clearly tell whose who don’t like me that I love them and care for them and want to be their friend, just as Jesus was “a friend of sinners.” I will pray their hearts, while antagonistic or aggressive, will melt by my repeated prayers and king attitudes and behaviors towards them this year.
January 22 – That I will be Fearless Enough to ask them to surrender to Jesus as King of their lives, knowing how Hehas forgiven me, given me a purpose for living, and the promise of a home in heaven since He has forgiven all of my sin and rebellion as well.
* Of course, we will pray for these throughout the year as well as just this week
For our 21 Days fasting and prayer we have limited ourselves to just three (3) weeks. We will follow a schedule which will lead us through very intense questions for God to answer as well as times to pray for the things that are burdening our hearts – those things that have motivated us to fast and pray for 2024: Our Year To Be Fearless!
But, how long you fast is really up to you. The length of time you choose to fast should depend upon your circumstances, sodon’t get bogged down in the details!
Our three-week fast eliminates FOOD during daylight hours.Note you are fasting from ALL food. You can drink water, or any liquid, as you feel led by God.
DO NOT ALLOW THE PHARISAICAL RELIGIOUS to dictate THEIR REGULATIONS upon you during this fast. This is YOUR time alone with God, not theirs. God is interested in the desires of your heart.
As we cry out to King Jesus – using meal times for especially longer times of prayer instead of eating – our time to share our hearts with God grows!
“No food during daylight hours. Drink water, or any liquid, as you feel led by God.”
The length of the fast is really up to you and is motivated by the intensity of your desire to get alone with God. If you have never fasted before, starting with a shorter fast may be the wisest course of action.
Whatever length and type of fast you choose, please remember this important truth:
If it means something to you, it will mean something to God. If it means nothing to you, it will mean nothing to God.
How Do I Fast?
Essentially there are three types of fasts …
Absolute Fast
You go without food and water. Absolute fasts should be done only for very short periods of time. It would be wise to contact your physician if you have any medical issues at all before you start an absolute fast.
Normal Fast
You go without food of any kind for a certain number of days. You also drink plenty of water during this fast! If the fast is longer, you also may choose to drink clear broth and juices in order to keep your strength up.
Partial Fast
You give up particular foods and drinks for the length of the fast. This doesn’t include the time you are normally sleeping. Examples of such fasts include: (1) The 10 day fast in Daniel 1, where the men of God chose to eat only vegetables and drink water. (2) The 21 day fast by Daniel in Daniel 10, where he chose to refuse meats, sweets and wine.
For 2024: Our Year To Be Fearlessfast, we are doing a modified normal fast. We simply DO NOT eat food during daylight hours.
You will see some immediate benefits to fasting … as in weight loss, clearer thinking, and greater hunger for God and His Word.
What Practical Tips Do I Need to Know About Fasting?
Begin with a purpose! You need to fast for a reason. While you are seeking God’s face during a fast, it is best to write out a specific goal or reason. Our reason for this fast
is that we are crying out to King Jesus, believing 2024 is Our Year To Be Fearless!
Pray often. The purpose of a fast is to spend less time eating and more time in conversation with God. Using breakfast and lunchtime and an extended time in the evening in prayer before you eat dinner (perhaps the drive home from work) is what fasting is all about.
Drink PLENTY of water. In reality, fasting is like “spring cleaning” for your body. Fasting releases the toxins that have built up in our bodies. Water helps cleanse the body of those toxins.
Be prepared for headaches. When in the early days of fasting, the release of toxins and the absence of normal food – sugars, caffeine if you choose to give up coffee (which Doc is NOT giving up), etc. – can lead to headaches. THIS IS NORMAL! After a few days these headaches should pass.
Please share your experiences!
Many have never fasted. Many have never gone without a meal before. If you are “STARVING” and complaining, remember, these are key indicators that this fast is for YOU!
The FLESH runs our lives all too often. If we live in the flesh we please the flesh. We are, as the Bible tells us, “carnal” or “fleshly” and are not pleasing God.
21 Days is designed to move us from our flesh-driven ways to Spirit-driven ways.
The core reason to fast is to reconnect with God! Life has a way of causing our spiritual life to drift in the currents of our hectic lifestyle. Connection with God gets sketchy. Time alone with God can be diminished and almost non-existent. A recent poll revealed that about 1 out of every 2 people do not pray daily.
“When you fast, you abstain from food for spiritual purposes. Fasting is doing without food for a period of time, which generally causes you to leave the commotion of normal activity. Part of the sacrifice of fasting, seeking God and studying His Word is that normal activity fades into the background. (Jentzen Franklin, Fasting, 111)
God wants us to draw away with Him, to focus on Him, to cry out to Him, to pour out our heart to Him, to humble ourselves before Him … to reveal our real selves to Him! The best way to do that is to fast … to set the physical hunger of this life aside for the spiritual hunger of knowing God deeper … Jesus said it this way:
“But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face, so that you don’t show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:17–18)
Often God rewards those who fast in the present … answering their deepest needs at their most desperate moments. The Bible tells us of many reasons and people who fasted …
People who fasted for a breakthrough from God when everything they did seemed to meet only obstacles! (David)
People who fasted and heard God’s assignment for their lives, for their next step of direction! (Cornelius)
People who fasted to recover their passion for God! (David)
People who fasted to remove the demonic oppression of loved ones! (Jesus)
People who fasted to get God’s instructions for their people! (Moses)
People who fasted to gain understanding from God! (Daniel)
People who fasted to maintain their spiritual purity! (Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego)
People who fasted to save their people from certain death! (Esther)
People who longed to conceive a child! (Hannah)
Fasting opens the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God! Do you need a breakthrough?
21 Days – 2024: Our Year To Be Fearless!
These 21 days are a time to express our excitement to God about what He is about to do in us in 2024!
Many of us sense a Supernatural move of God is coming to those of us who are alert, listening, and banging on the door of Heaven.
For those of us who are ready, we will set ourselves apart to God for 3 weeks at the beginning of 2024.
For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you;
He will not leave you or abandon you.”
(Deuteronomy 31:6, CSB)
Our Passion:
That God would pour out COURAGE upon us as we seek to make disciples of all ethnicities this year!
SO THAT we can …
Glorify His name!
Accomplish His will!
Expand His Kingdom!
Brag about His presence!
Our Plan:
We plan to DAY fast for 21 days,
crying out to King Jesus for His Strength and Courage in EVERY area of our lives!
Day Fast: No food from SUNRISE to SUNSET. Liquids are based on personal convictions and preferences. (Doc will take water, coffee, or tea throughout daylight hours.)
21 Days: We will fast EVERY day for 3 weeks, beginning January 2, 2024.
Crying out to King Jesus: Each day there will be a TARGET area for prayer, revolving around the THEME of the week. There will be areas for us to ASK God for insight into as well as time for us to POUR OUT our soul before the Lord THROUGHOUT the day and ESPECIALLY during the time we would NORMALLY be eating.
For His Fearlessness: We believe 2024 is a year of great fearlessness for those who will trust and believe that our King commanded us to “Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples.” (Matthew 28:19, CEV)
Therefore, we will CRY OUT to King Jesus to MAKE DISCIPLES OF THE PEOPLE OF ALL NATIONS let us be certain that they will “Turn back to God! [they will] be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that their sins will be forgiven. Then they will be given the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children. It is for everyone our Lord God will choose, no matter where they live.” (Acts 2:38–39, CEV)
Among EVERY group of people that touch our lives: We are aware that when some people in our lives who are excluded from God’s forgiveness and salvation. SO, we will ask God to OPEN every heart around our lives in 2024 … VISIBLY TRANSFORM every person in our lives SO THAT THEY WILL SURRENDER TO JESUS AS THEIR KING and we will see them GLORIFY GOD by His visible manifestation of power!
Zechariah sings to his new son, John the Baptizer in Luke 1.76-77 and he clearly shows us what to say this Christmas! The reason for the hope of the season is explained clearly in Zechariah’s words here. Just click the button and take a couple of moments to find the words to share this Day!
Entering Into Death’s Shadow Valley is Dr. Matthew Lee Smith’s journey through the horrific process of losing his life-partner, Melodee Joy. It is meant to help others who enter this treacherous and often perilous path.
These books will help guide your daily Bible reading with insights into each passage you read.
This series is a practical, passionate, Biblical mentoring journey for individuals, small groups, leadership teams and congregations who desire to win their world for Christ.
These journals will help you keep track of your daily reading and prayer requests.
Hope Enabler is the real-life story of one Christian parent’s struggle with a runaway child and the hope that God enabled her to have during the darkest moments of that struggle.
