Breakthrough! The word for 2015 Church at the Manor!

Shout OUT!  What do we fear?

·         death, death of a loved one, loss of health, loss of job,

·         the unknown, what others think of us, loss of security, relationship, not being enough

Fear can be a primary driver in our lives, distort our vision, drown our dreams!

The most common thing God tells His people is  Don’t BE AFRAID.

Matthew 14:22-33 describes an incredible story of Peter stepping out in faith to walk on the water with Jesus in the midst of the storm.  I remember being in Israel  in 2009 and being on the sea of Galilee and just imagining the scene.  I tried to walk, but ended up going for a good swim!

SETTING of this scene:

 The disciples had just spent a day feeding 5,000 + women and children, they then had to clean up the leftovers…no small task.  Then Jesus tells them to get out of there and get on a boat to the other side.

It is 3am.  The Greek says that Jesus strongly urged them to get into the boat and go to the other side. And the next thing you know, along comes a storm!

Do you feel like you’ve been in the same boat as the disciples?  Do you feel like you’ve been tossed about by the storms of life? Has your life been drenched in darkness?  Have you seen a ghost and cried out in fear? 

Have the waves of life ever battered, tortured, and harassed you? Does it sometimes seem like you are rowing against the wind and making no headway? Have you ever found yourself alone, far from home?

Any time that we get into a position like this, we want to be rescued.   We want out, we want to escape the storm, avoid the ghost in the middle of the night.  Pick me up and get me out of here!

However; Jesus didn’t do that for the disciples and He doesn’t do that for us.  He doesn’t make us safe, calm and comfortable.  He reveals Himself and comes RIGHT INTO our storm, our mess and speaks to us there.

“Jesus does not come to us from outside our storms and fears like some divine search and rescue mission.”

Jesus came to the disciples walking on the water, through the wind, and in the darkness. Jesus’ peace, words of comfort and presence are not outside the storm but in the eye of the storm.

Here is the first important takeaway for spiritual BREAKTHROUGH  -  WE have to take courage that

1.        Jesus is our Emmanuel  - God WITH us.  He is in the place of our fear

Let’s not miss a very significant part of the miracle here…

I wonder if we sometimes miss what’s really happening in today’s gospel. If all we see is a gravity defying water walking Jesus then we have missed the miracle. The wind and the waves are about more than the weather conditions. They are more descriptive of what is happening within the disciples than what is happening around them.

The real miracle in this story is that Jesus walks on the storms that brew and rage within us. That means  His divine power and presence have and always will trample on, overcome, and conquer human fear. It means that Jesus is Emmanuel. He is with us in all of our circumstances.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

“Our storms and fears are the place in which we abandon ourselves to God. Most of us, however, don’t do that until we first feel abandoned by God. Surely that’s how the disciples must have felt. Jesus made them, compelled them, to get the in the boat and cross the sea seemingly alone. They had been abandoned to the open sea, the darkness, the waves, the wind, the futility of their own efforts, fantasies, and illusions. They were abandoned to their own self-sufficiency which always so that they might abandon themselves to God.”

“The very elements that threatened to destroy the disciples became the environment in which they recognized Jesus as the Son of God. What they first perceived as certain death they now recognize as new life, hope, and salvation.”

2.     We MUST STEP out In FAITH

Faith is all about recognizing where you need to put your trust and the only way that we can do that is by getting out of the boat!

“Put yourself in the story. Picture in your mind how violent the storm must have been.  It was strong enough to keep seasoned professionals struggling just to avoid being capsized. Imagine the size of the waves, the strength of the wind, the darkness of this night  and no acupressure wrist bands or sea-legs tablets. These were the conditions under which Peter was going to get out of the boat. It would be tough enough to try to walk on water when the water is calm, the sun is bright, and the air is still. Imagine trying to do it when the waves are crashing, the wind is at gale force, and it is 3am in the morning and you are terrified!”

What is your step of faith?

What is the security blanket that you need to throw away to fully trust God to meet your needs?

Take a moment and ask Holy Spirit what that is for you?  He reveals Himself to us by  His still small voice.   Hi

3.     We must not be afraid of failing!

Some questions for us to ponder

Did Peter fail? 

Yes and No.  He actually walked on water and he was able to do what no one else did.  He experienced the power of the living Christ and walked it out in faith.

Yes, he failed when he took his eyes off Jesus.  We have to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.  Hebrews 12:1-3  The moment we doubt His goodness or we doubt the Father’s love, we start to sink in our own efforts.

The verse for 2015 Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Who were the real failures in this story?

Where do you need to trust God more?

If we want to experience breakthrough, we will face storms, but we need to recognize God’s presence right in the midst of our storm! 

Here is an update from one of our ministry team members, Laura F as she shares about her experiences while serving with us.

I'm here to share with you an update on the Church at the Manor. We are believing that 2015 will be a year of breakthrough. We've been there for 8 months since our first church service in one of the most unlikely places and already the lives that have been changed is amazing and speak of Gods relentless pursuit of His kids. For decades, the manor has been a place where lives of men and women have been destroyed. But God is about taking back what the devil meant to ruin people with, an doing a 180 degree turn. This place where girls freedoms are taken or lost will become a place of rescue and safety. A safe house where girls can get off the streets not on them.

This past Christmas we had a couple from out west sponsor a party for the manor. It was a wonderful celebration. Delicious Food, men serving in bow ties honouring the people who live there. Laughter and joy filled the room, a cartoon artist came and captured the guests. Decorations that brighten up the place. It looked different altogether other than the pole . Roger, the owner, and his wife Brenda were there. I had a good conversation with her, as a mom to a mom. All the residents received gifts. Yet, As wonderful as it all was, I'll never forget the sobering moment when I went upstairs to visit a friend and bring him lunch. When he finally opened up the door I was met with a man sobbing and shaking. He held onto me in a powerful crushing grip and cried. I felt almost numb coming back to the festivities and yet could not shake the feeling that we are to be apart of God's plan in fighting on their behalf so that one day he and others can experience God's joy and freedom.

We would like to thank those that prepare food each Sunday. Your contribution is so important. The people are very hungry. There is a guy that comes and often is mean and he calls me all kinds of names. One week he shows up and is kinda nice, which surprises me and so I ask what's up and he says "I had supper last night." Another man normally a bouncy, happy guy stands hunched over and rocks back and forth I asked how are you doing. He simply says "I'm just so hungry," and I can tell he can hardly wait for us to set up the lunch table. The food is vital to them. Some often go an entire week without nutrition. So thank you for your faithfulness in doing that! It is a huge part of the ministry!!!!

And thank you for the commitment to praying for this ministry. The spiritual battle that goes on there is so strong. Each and every week we are faced with spirits of oppression, addiction, mental health, resentment, fear, and so on.. God is moving and it's causing havoc on the strongholds that have taken residence there.

For instance, one Sunday, a gentleman came up to the food table and fills a plate and tries to leave unnoticed. I felt a nudge to go an intercept so I introduce myself and he tells me "I want nothing to do with God. I hate Him and can't stand to listen to anyone that wants to tell me He's good" I reply "ok, that's fine would you like more sandwiches". He is startled by my response but accepts and then goes on to say why he hates God. My eyes sting with tears and all can say is "I'm so sorry" he says thanks and leaves.

The next week he returns and asks me to sit and have a coffee with him. We talk and he shares in confidence about the things that have gone on in his life. The things some of these people have endured in their lives are uncomprehendable and it breaks my heart every week as more walls come down and they open up a bit more. Again he leaves before the sermon and again I tell him that I hope to see him the next week. He's been out every time now. Just a few weeks ago he told me that week we had sat together he was going to commit suicide, but has since decided that he doesn't want to go yet. That's because God is not finished with him.

Just this past month another person tried to overdose. The battle rages! We are at war for their lives. So thank you for lifting us up in prayer we appreciate it and desperately need it. For discernment, wisdom, safety, for the members of the church, ourselves and our families. Thank you from all of the team for your support.