Bethel Church LJ Podcast

We should not move backward to a flawed picture of the prophet as primarily a messenger of condemnation. New Testament prophetic ministry should begin here and move forward from here. Even when correction is necessary, the goal should be repentance, restoration, and the redemptive purposes of God.

The prophetic is not merely about saying, “Thus says the Lord.” It is about knowing the Lord. We know Him well enough to hear His Word and proclaim it. We know Him well enough to carry His heart and pray. And we know Him well enough to trust His purpose, even when the final outcome is not the one we desired.

The water is here, but being near the water is not the same as drinking from it. You can be around the presence of God and still need a fresh encounter with Him. Maybe familiarity has caused you to take for granted what God has made available. Maybe you have been drinking from other sources and have discovered that they cannot satisfy. Or maybe there is simply a fresh thirst rising in your heart for more of God.

The invitation of Jesus remains: “Let him come to me and drink.”

Jesus said whoever believes in me out of His own heart will flow rivers of living water. Do you ever wonder what that means? It means hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed by what He pours into you. Because it’s pouring out of you, so it’s time to stop craving our personal benefits. And our personal satisfaction and spill those gifts out onto other people. The Lord is asking everybody in this room who will do that for Him. And just remember the gift is not for you

God created us in His image, and through Christ He is transforming us so that we increasingly reflect His character. Giving is therefore about more than money. It is one of the areas in which the character of our King is being formed within us.

 The purpose of this message is not simply to convince us to make a contribution. God is transforming us so that we increasingly reflect the character of our King. The NT teaches us that giving flows from the condition of the heart. So yield to the transforming work of God. Allow Him to change the way you view what you possess, the priority you give Him, and the attitude with which you give.

The good news is that the King Himself has made a way for us to be reconciled to our Creator and restored to His Kingdom. Jesus did not come merely to improve our lives. He came to restore us to the Kingdom of God.

The gospel is the King's call to enter His Kingdom. Jesus made it clear that He alone is the way to the Father, and that entrance into God's Kingdom comes through the new birth. Through the new birth, He forgives our sins, restores our relationship, makes us new creations, welcomes us into His family, and grants us citizenship in His Kingdom.

This is the good news we share today: Jesus has prepared the way for everyone who believes and calls on Him to enter His Kingdom.

Something changes in Habakkuk. He began by asking, "How long?" Then, "How can You do this?" God tells him to live by faith. Now, that word has become his posture.

Habakkuk 3:17–19 Though the fig tree should not blossom,nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive failand the fields yield no food,the flock be cut off from the fold and there were no herds in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the LORD;I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

That is what it means for the righteous to live by faith. Faith is standing on what God has said even when we cannot yet see its fulfillment. No matter how long it takes, no matter what circumstances look like, we continue to trust the One who has spoken.

God's purpose has never changed. Sin did not dethrone the King or cause Him to lose territory; it displaced humanity from our proper place under His rule. But through Christ, God has restored us to Himself and once again sends us into the world as representatives of His Kingdom.

God begins by establishing His rule in us, but His purpose has always been to express His Kingdom through us. Wherever He has placed us, in our homes, churches, workplaces, and communities, we are called to live under the authority of the King and make His righteous rule visible.

One day — and I don’t know when, and neither do you — somebody is going to be standing at a stone with your name carved in it.

And they’re not going to talk about the first date. Nobody stands at a grave and talks about somebody’s birthday.

And they’re not going to talk about the last date either.
They’re going to talk about the dash.
They’re going to talk about what you did with it and who you were in it. And I believe there are 2 people sitting in this room tonight.

— If you’re saved but you’ve been sleepwalking — you’ve got the ticket and none of the life. And God has works sitting there that He prepared for you before you were born, and they’re still waiting. It’s not too late. Wake up and start walking in them.

— And if you’re hurting tonight — I want you to hear this one. This night is not forever. Weeping stays for a night. But morning is coming. It always comes.

You didn’t choose the first date.
You won’t choose the last one.
But the dash is yours. What are you doing with it?

Jesus did not come to reestablish His own throne; God is King - that was never the issue. His mission was to restore us, His fallen creation, His wayward sons and daughters. Through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, He has made it possible for us not only to be reconciled with the Father but also to be rejoined to His family and once again given a renewed purpose to fulfill humanity's original design.

The invitation of the gospel is the invitation to come home. It is the invitation to lay down the burden of self-rule and once again joyfully live under the benevolent reign of the true King. Through Christ, we are welcomed back into God's Kingdom, restored to fellowship with our Father, and called to serve as His royal priesthood, faithfully representing His will upon the earth until the day His Kingdom is fully revealed.

 Every sacrifice He asks of His people is an invitation and God’s method of shaping us to become more like His Son. It's comforting to see that the role of sacrifice in God's Kingdom has always been clear. The real question, though, is whether we trust Him enough to give up whatever He asks of us, knowing that His plans are always for our good. The Holy Spirit has revealed to you a particular good you've been holding onto. It could be a plan, a dream, a relationship, a hurt, a comfort, or even the urge to control your life. God has never asked for anything He wasn't willing to give Himself. He offered His best for you, and now He simply invites you to trust Him. Will you place your life on the altar once again? Will you give up the lesser good for the greater good of honoring God? Each act of willing surrender shapes you into the person God designed you to be.