Ken & Pam

Seven Keys to a Healthy Revival (Acts 1 - 2)

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:21:27 -0500

In Luke’s account of the early church he provides us with several important ingredients to this great revival. Let’s note seven of them [you may find more].
1) Declaration of God’s Promise - the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus “ordered” them to wait for it and not be distracted by things “outside” of their control (Acts 1:1-11).
2) Congregation of Worshipers - gathering to pray and praise God with great joy (1:12-14)
3) Restoration of Leadership- Peter appealed to Scripture for the need for Judas’ replacement looking for a legitimate candidate and then sought for God’s direction in the choice (1:15-26).
4) Demonstration of the Holy Spirit - There was a great sound and the miracle of Galileans speaking in languages unknown to them but known to residents living Jerusalem [devout Jews] (2:1-13).
5) Explanation of the Demonstration - Peter again turns to the Bible for an this explanation (2:14-21).
6) Proclamation of Christ - Peter proclaims His ministry using the Scripture to back his claims (2:22-36).
7) Invitation - The invitation included a call to repentance and being saved from this perverse generation. This necessitated the embracing of water baptism (2:37-41).
Those who responded to the invitation continually devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer. All of these are corporate activities! Could it be the lack of devotion in the church today is a result of one or more of these seven ingredients being absent?

Christ’s Final Commands (Acts 1:1-8)

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:38:14 -0500

As we look at the account of Jesus final days, we are given critical essential keys to the success of His mission for the church. His words came from the Holy Spirit (vs. 2) as did the all His words in His ministry. He gave “orders” and not suggestions. Today many wrongfully believe that under grace we no longer have commandments. Yet the Bible teaches us grace is given to fulfill God’s commands not to do away with them (Matthew 5:17-20). To the apostles He presented Himself alive from the dead with many convincing proofs. Their faith was not without evidence but rested on an abundance of proof of His resurrection. They were in the presence of the risen Lord and listened to Him speak of God’s kingdom. Christ came not simply to bring forgiveness, but to establish God’s rule in men’s hearts again (1:3).
At this time Jesus gathered them for final instructions (4-8). He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the Father’s promise of baptism in the Holy Spirit. Like the church today, they were were distracted with questions concerning world events. Jesus spoke strongly to them that these kinds of things are none of their business but are completely under the authority of the Father (7) “...the Father has fixed by his own authority;”, They were to stay focused on being filled with the Spirit to be the witnesses essential to their mission (8). Today we still drift into speculation of things under the Father’s authority. May God grant us the wisdom and grace to stay filled with His Spirit to fulfill our God given destiny. As we gather tonight we will continue returning to God to be equipped for what He has called us to be and do.

Removing, Returning, Refocusing & Releasing

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:42:20 -0500

This week we are looking at two kings - Ahaz and Hezekiah. Both ruled Judah during the prophetic ministry of Isaiah. Although they were father and son, they were very different in responding to God’s word. When faced with opposition from the North, Ahaz turned to Assyria for help rejecting God’s word. His alliance with Sennacherib gained an immediate relief from their enemies but not without great cost (2 Kings 16). He took wealth from God’s house and his treasuries to make this treaty. This unhealthy alliance brought further corruption to worship and eventual he closed the temple.
After Ahaz died, Hezekiah opened the temple and removing everything unclean (2 Kings 18). He also broke his father’s alliance with Assyria and called God’s people to return to the LORD and refocus on God & what He did for them as symbolized in Passover (2 Chronicles 30). When inviting Israel to celebrate Passover, he sent this conditional promise of God. “For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.” (2 Chr. 30:9).
At AVWC, we are devoting ourselves to the Scripture, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer each night this week (January 11 - 18). We believe that as we return to the Lord, breaking all interfering alliances with this world, He will release our loved ones from captivity. Your are invited to join us as we remove interfering alliances, return to God, refocus on the cross of Christ, and trust God to release those we love presently in captivity.
(Readings: 2 Kings 16 - 18, 2 Chronicles 28 - 32:19, Isaiah 7 & 36 - 37 & Acts 1 - 2)

Principles & Prophecies for AVWC’s Reflection in 2009

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:11:20 -0500

New Years Eve, 1992 (Isaiah 54:1-3)
“Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; for the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.
Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs.
For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess nations and will resettle the desolate cities.

Since March 2004
- If we unite to seek the Lord, He will unite us to advance His kingdom in power (John 17).
- The world will only see the value of God’s kingdom when we, the church, are joyfully willing to sell all we have to pursue and advance it (Matthew 13:44-46).
- To move into the prophetic promises God has given us, we must pitch a tent of worship and a tent of war (2 Samuel 6, 1 Chronicles 13 - 16, Psalm 100, Matthew 11:12 & Ephesians 6:1-20).
- The key to our financial future is not in our saving but in our sowing (Malachi 3:7-12 & Matthew 6:19-21).
- Do not confuse our natural inclinations [from desire or gifting] for Divine directions [from prayer and God’s word] (Isaiah 55, Jeremiah 17:1-11 & Matthew 9:36 - 10:23).
- The only balanced life is the one fully surrendered and obedient to God. Balanced living glorifies God (2009).

The Blessed Life - 4 (By Robert Morris)

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:44:50 -0400

“Breaking the Spirit of Mammon” (Luke 16:9-15)
Identifying Mammon (a spirit on wealth seeking to rule us)
- Mammon is a spirit that rests on money; a false god seeking rule.
- Money given to God has His Spirit and blessing on it.
- Mammon promises you only what God can give you (identification, significance, power, freedom and security).
- Mammon is selfish, God is generous.
- Lie of mammon - “You could help more people if you had more money.”

Is Money Evil? “The love of money is the root of all evil”
- Money can be used to invest in people’s eternal good.
- Money can be used for righteous or unrighteous purposes, for temporal or eternal purposes.
- (Mt. 6:19-21) Our hearts are in heaven, because our money is in heaven.
- Money is not evil, greed and selfishness are evil.

What Should I Do with My Money?
- Faithfulness with “little” enables us to receive more.
- Faithful stewardship in finances precedes spiritual breakthrough.
- Faithfulness with what is God’s precedes His giving us what is our own.
- We need budgeting, savings & living within our means.
- God can only multiply what we sow!

***Question***
Are we using our money to serve God, His people and advance His kingdom?