Freedom Podcast : Recent Episodes
Kent & Beverly Mattox
Identity + Alignment + Empowerment + Assignment = It is for freedom Christ set you free (Galatians 5:1).
The month of Elul is the month in which “the king is in the field.” That is, God comes near to us…
This is the season in which He wants to be involved in your business, in your home, in each area of your life. And, we’re reminded that— rather than us alone seeking Him— God is the true Seeker who is available to us.
Moreover, He brings mercy and grace when He comes, extended the very nature of Himself.
By the way, the word Elul in Hebrew is an acrostic, which states “I am beloved’s and He is mine”— and echo of Song of Songs 6:3.
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Claim your free Alignment book at www.LifeOfFreedom.site/2
The Transformation book is available at https://www.lifeoffreedom.site/free
Av is the month the Hebrew children made one of the worst decisions of their lives— this is the month the Children of Israel were originally intended to enter the Promised Land.
However, they looked at circumstances instead of their Savior and Redeemer. Thus, they wandered in the wilderness of 40 years.
The Lion of Judah would have roared for them!
(Look in the night sky, and you’ll see Leo in the night sky, as a reminder of this prophetic season.)
This is a month to mix the promises of God with faith and receive— the Lion still roars (Amos 3:8). And, to intentionally align ourselves with God.
So, it’s a time to seek the Lord with new decisions that we make.
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Important links:
Claim your free Alignment book at www.LifeOfFreedom.site/2
In this episode Kent and Bev take us back to the beginnings of Word Alive and walk through some of the significant milestones from “back then” to where we are today.
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Here’s one thing we’ve seen--
God promises to take us to where He’s designed us to be…
We can go there two ways, though.
1 = We can get there by revelation (that’s the path of intimacy and is easier).
2 = We can get there by tribulation (that’s the more difficult route, but it still works).
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Kent reminds us that, in the beginning, his father offered him the land for a church— where Word Alive now sits.
“I’ve got one piece of land,” he said, “that I was saving for your mom and me for retirement…”
He continued, “Build a building on it that you can use for a church, but don’t make it look like a church— in case it doesn’t work out.”
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In this experience, they learned about the prophetic… and how God often speaks to us in unique ways, leading us to walk His plans for us.
The first service at Word Alive was a funeral— Kent’s dad was honored at the first event at the new church…
… and then the worship services began.
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Exodus 13:17-18… tells us that when the Children of Israel left Egypt, God INTENTIONALLY took them- here’s the quote- “the long way.” He reasoned that if they went the “short way,” straight through the Philistines country (think: David vs. Goliath), they would have shuddered. They hadn’t seen war, so they would have returned to slavery.
So, He led them straight towards the Red Sea and right into the wilderness (yes, all of THAT- yet, the long way- was EASIER than the short way). And, the long way equipped them for things they didn’t yet possess…
👉 They learned to fight in the wilderness (largely by just “showing up” and letting God do the fight for them = just stand).
👉 They learned about provision in the wilderness…. another one that you can only learn when everything has been pulled from you and you’re left… in the desert.
👉 They learned about God’s presence in the wilderness… where the fire and smoke and miracles occurred. Hard to see those when you’re busy in the grind of brick-making. Yet, there, in the long way… they saw it.
The wilderness revealed the true followers from the ones who had clever language and bumper sticker theology, too. When everything else was stripped away, the long way revealed what was true…
… and with that, they could move forward, better equipped when they found their way to the Promised Land.
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Plot it on a map. The trip from Egypt to Israel isn’t that far. Yes, it’s shorter the way they WOULD have gone, but there are things God wanted them to have, to acquire, that couldn’t be gained any other way.
Was everything that happened in the wilderness His design? No. Certainly not.
But, for sure, He led them there…
For their gain.
For their good.
So when they received the blessings He promised them they could sustain them and not squander them, so they could steward them well…
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The movement didn’t start as a plan “save a State,” but that’s the plan… and to see God move and transform the entire area.
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Grab your free Transformation manual — www.LifeOfFreedom.site/free = just pay the shipping & handling and we’ll send you the book.
Learn more about the All In Alabama movement at www.AllInAlabama.org
When God brought the Children of Israel out slavery, the first thing He told them was this would be “the beginning of months.” That is, they would have an actual calendar— and start walking in time (see Exodus 12:2).
Before this, they had no control of their time. They did whatever they were told, when they were told.
They had no control over their money, either. In fact, the Hebrew slaves eventually had to acquire their mud and straw (the raw materials) required to make the bricks to benefit someone else (see Exodus 5:7,11).
The first concept of freedom, then, was having control over their own time and money.
- Manage your calendar
- Manage your possessions
Many people don’t. They aren’t “in time,” so they feel crunched by time. And they don’t manage their money— it manages them.
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There’s never enough time to do everything that could be done, but there’s always enough time to do what should be done.
We tap into this reality be prioritizing God with the only two things we have authority to do anything with— time and money, the two things the Children of Israel were eventually given as they journeyed into freedom.
1 Corinthians 15:23 speaks to the importance of first fruits. Specifically, we read that “Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.”
He shows us something that’s true of us.
Moreover, Paul reminds us that if the first is holy, then the rest is redeemed (Romans 11:16). We’re holy, then, because Jesus is holy. We’re whole, because He is whole.
But this same concept— about the “firsts”— works in every area of life. Particularly in terms of our time and money.
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Grab your free Transformation manual — www.LifeOfFreedom.site/free = just pay the shipping & handling and we’ll send you the book.
Learn more about the All In Alabama movement at www.AllInAlabama.org
Watch the talk on Alignment here: https://www.lifeoffreedom.site/alignment
Paul Keith and Amy Davis are two long-time ministry friends.
(As you’ll read in our forthcoming book, Alignment, this couple is the connection between us and another co-laborer, Chuck Pierce! Paul Keith and Amy introduced us.)
We invited them onto the podcast to catch up, reminiscence about what the Lord had been doing. This, as always, led to an insightful conversation about “the place of God’s presence.”
And— not surprisingly— it has to do more with PEOPLE than just a PLACE.
Here are some highlights…
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Amy mentioned that the Lord recently spoke to her, saying, “The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God… in James 1:20.”
She reminds us to “look at the fruit we’re producing, as that often tells where our hearts are attached.”
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Paul Keith references the verse that tells us “Make ready a people for the Lord… in Luke 1:17.”
He says that many followers of Jesus think this means, “Let’s get people out of here— with a rapture.”
Really, God is looking for people to “occupy.” He wants to fill us— all of us— with His presence.
“The Kingdom,” Paul suggest, “is God fully living in us such that He can do through us what He did through Jesus when He was here…”
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This leads us to important questions—
What makes us a place where God can most fully, readily dwell?
And, how do we pursue His presence above all other things?
We discuss that— and more— in this episode.
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Grab your free Transformation manual — www.LifeOfFreedom.site/free = just pay the shipping & handling and we’ll send you the book.
Learn more about the All In Alabama movement at www.AllInAlabama.org
Recently, Kent visited Glory of Zion to preach for Chuck Pierce and the congregation he leads. He decided to take a gift to Chuck, something to honor him and publicly tell him “thank you” for the journey he’s taken with him thus far.
“I wasn’t sure what to buy,” Kent said, “so I decided to bring my friend Pastor Charles Martin to play the saxophone for Chuck and release something… we used to travel in ministry together.”
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Charles took the stage, just before Kent shared his sermon, and played. He blew his horn on stage, he meandered through the crowd, and he— with freedom— played.
Afterwards, Chuck knew something had shifted.
Chuck declared, “For years we’ve had Grammy-winning saxophone players here, and they are awesome. But they haven’t played with the freedom Charles just demonstrated. Now, since they’ve seen it’s possible, and since he’s unlocked it and imported it, they will…”
It was a defining moment.
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Then Kent suggested, “I think Charles needs to play that sax TO you, Chuck, and release something to your soul and spirit…”
So, before everyone, people prayed and Charles played…
Next, Chuck added, “This morning the Lord told me I was going to be healed.” He described the need. “And He said it would come from a saxophone.”
Chuck showed the group his socks— he’d word socks that morning, as a declaration, which had saxophones on them.
“In the Old Testament, Naaman the leper wanted to be healed. He was told to dip himself into the Jordan River 7 times. He initially thought it sounded odd, so he wouldn’t do it. It was too simple. He thought a move of God had to be something more grandiose…”
He continued, “So will I let a saxophone blow over me to experience God?”
After a moment, he added, “The move of God— your miracle— is closer than you think. It’s here…”
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Grab your free Transformation manual — www.LifeOfFreedom.site/free = just pay the shipping & handling and we’ll send you the book.
Learn more about the All In Alabama movement at www.AllInAlabama.org
We recently stepped into the year 5783 on the Hebrew calendar.
In this episode we stop and acknowledge what this means, as one of the key factors we’ve seen in walking in God’s power and His purposes is ALIGNMENT with the Kingdom. In fact, chapter 2 of the Transformation workbook (and Transformation process) is just that— aligning our time and treasure (the two areas which create the most stress for many people) with God’s plans.
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5783 is represented by a camel. This year you should expect:
- Provision
- Power through your words
These two are linked, so we want to examine ourselves and make every effort to— to use our word— align everything with God’s Word and His will.
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Throughout the Scripture, we see that God DOES give “the power to get wealth” (see Deuteronomy 8:18). This isn’t just “wealth to keep” or “wealth to display.” Rather, it’s wealth… to bless.
Remember, God called Abraham, the Father of our faith, promising to bless him SO THAT he could bless others (Genesis 12:1-3).
Paul reminds us that God blesses us abundantly— with all the things we need (and more) so that in all times and in all ways we can abound in all the good works He’s called us to.
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This, then, is the year to lean into the promises of God— especially as they relate to provision. To call it forth in prayer. To prophetically release it. And to bless the people He places before you.
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Grab your free Transformation manual — www.LifeOfFreedom.site/free = just pay the shipping & handling and we’ll send you the book.
Learn more about the All In Alabama movement at www.AllInAlabama.org
We are beyond grateful for the time we shared with Chuck Pierce on October 8th. This gathering was the culmination of years or prayers and prophecies and pushing forward.
Years ago, Chuck Pierce received a word from the Lord that “Alabama must go first,” that is, that the State would be a fore-runner of revival, presenting itself to the Lord and then seeing justice roll throughout the nation.
On the 8th, leaders from all 67 counties of the State came together to present themselves and the area to the Lord.
Thank you so much for taking the time to be with us, as we presented Alabama to the Lord and Chuck recommissioned us to go forth into 5783.
It was so powerful— and it’s just the beginning.
In this episode of the Freedom Podcast, we look at Chuck’s sermon from the meeting where he highlights several significant moments in the story, as well as outlines next steps and things we should supernaturally expect.
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Grab your free Transformation manual — www.LifeOfFreedom.site/free = just pay the shipping & handling and we’ll send you the book.
Learn more about the All In Alabama movement at www.AllInAlabama.org
Everywhere He went, Jesus shifted the spiritual atmosphere. In other words, He didn’t “go to church” to find God, He took the presence and power of God with Him everywhere He went.
You can too.
In Luke 9, we read the story of Jesus encountering nine of his disciples who struggle to cast out a demon. In fact, they fail. As He— with Peter, James, and John— come down the mountain and approach the crowd, the father of the demon-possessed boy greets Him (Luke 9:38-42 NKJV):
Suddenly a man from the multitude cried out, saying, “Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is my only child. And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him. So I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”
Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”
And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.
In this passage, we see two facts:
- The disciples failed to do something they were presumably already empowered to do.
- Jesus appears frustrated.
The shift In the next chapter, Luke reports that Jesus empowered 70 additional followers, apparently with same empowerment as the original twelve. When they all gather back to provide a post-ministry report, we read something very different.
The disciples report that they were successful (Luke 10:17 NKJV):
Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”
Jesus isn’t frustrated. He rejoices, noting that He sees ultimate victory (Luke 10:18 NLT):
“Yes,” He told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!”
Assignment Step 4 in the Transformation book is "assignment"— it’s where we learn to apply the lessons Jesus taught the disciples BETWEEN Luke 9 (where they weren’t successful) and Luke 10 (in which they were).
This is the “sweet spot” where we discover that church isn’t something we attend, it’s something we are…
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Take the free Redemptive Gifts assesment (the gifts of the Father) at: https://www.lifeoffreedom.site/assessment
Grab your free copy of Transformation at www.LifeOfFreedom.site/free
This world is not your true home; you’re from another time and place.
We simultaneously live in “two worlds,” the kingdom of this earth and the Kingdom of God. One is always seen; the other often takes a bit of focus to see. Yet, as we study more you’ll notice that the Kingdom of God, though it may appear at first glance to be hidden, is certainly always visible as well. (And, recall, repentance involves seeing things differently— perhaps in a way we’ve never seen life before.)
The Bible declares you are primarily a citizen of Heaven! For instance—
- “ For our citizenship is in heaven…” (Philippians 3:20 NKJV).
- “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland” (Hebrews 11:13-14 NKJV).
Here and there at the same time Remember, though, you’re also a citizen of earth— here to bless the people among whom you live. Citizenship of the Kingdom and citizenship of the earth aren’t at odds (as many Christians suppose).
We see this clearly in the Old Testament. The prophet Jeremiah found himself in exile, living in a land that didn’t worship the One True God. Taken in captivity from Israel, he found himself living in perhaps the most pagan nation of his time.
You might think God would remove him from a world with such different values than his own, yet God had a plan for him while he was there (Jeremiah 29:5-7 NKJV):
Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished.
And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.
This is the context of the verse Jeremiah 29:11 (“I know the plans I have for you…”). Followers of God were expected to live their sacred values instead of the values of the world around them. God encourages them to increase in number, and bless others.
Here, to bless… We also see this perspective in the New Testament.
Jesus prayed before facing the Cross (John 17:15-18 NKJV):
I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
Notice the balance: we’re destined to be in the world, yet we’re not of the world. We’re different in order to bless those who are here.
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Take the free Redemptive Gifts assesment (the gifts of the Father) at: https://www.lifeoffreedom.site/assessment
Grab your free copy of Transformation at www.LifeOfFreedom.site/free
You (already) have everything you need to live the life God designed; the key isn’t to find something “more” but to first set the things you already possess in order.
In other words, you can stop seeking and striving or the things God has already supplied tp you…
The first sets the tone for the rest The power of “firsts” empowers us to align our lives with God’s Kingdom.
We all understand the power of “firsts,” in general.
We regularly highlight “firsts.” Stores often frame the first dollar they receive. Even though many other dollars come into the store, the first is special.
We remember the men who flew the first airplane (The Wright Brothers), but we probably don’t know the second.
Everyone knows who the first President of the United States was (George Washington), even though most can’t name the second (Thomas Jefferson) or the third (John Adams).
Many people can name the man who first set foot on the moon (Neil Armstrong) but can’t name the man in the Eagle with him, who happened to be the second man on the moon (Buzz Aldrin).
As Chuck Pierce writes, “We can all remember our first car, our first date, and our first kiss. The first is special!”
It’s true Biblically, too… The Scripture reminds us of this same concept— the first matters.
Romans 11:16 tell us, “For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches” (NKJV).
The first sets the tone for the rest.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus clearly tells us to prioritize— that is, to “first”— the Kingdom.
He says, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
Furthermore, He offers a follow-up promise that if we do this that “all these things will be added to you…”
Re-order what you have... In the Transformation book, step 2 is "alignment." When we arrive at step 2, we don't look to attain something outside ourselves. Rather, we look to re-order what we already possess...
And we do so by tapping into the two areas that create the most stress, yet have the greatest potential to see superntural breakthrough-- time and money.
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Take the free Redemptive Gifts assesment (the gifts of the Father) at: https://www.lifeoffreedom.site/assessment
Grab your free copy of Transformation at www.LifeOfFreedom.site/free
You have a unique design, a special bent given to you by God. This design affects every area of life.
Proverbs 22:6 tells us, “Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they’re older they won’t depart from it.”
Pastors and spiritual leaders teach that this verse promises a spiritual boomerang of sorts— “Raise kids with a moral compass, in the Christian faith, and— even if they sway away in their teen or young adult years— they’ll eventually return to the faith.”
Thankfully this dynamic occurs. If— and when— we veer off-course, God calls us back to Himself. However, this verse highlights another truth entirely.
The word-imagery in the original Hebrew language of the Old Testament relates to buildings— of blueprints and architectural designs. Solomon (the author of the verse) contends that in the same way engineers and craftsmen create cities and skylines with intentionality and purpose, so also God takes the same care in His craft of creating people.
In effect, this Proverb tells us, “Your child has a specific design, a purpose all their own. Identify that when they’re young. When they’re older, they’ll walk in that purpose. And they’ll be all the better for it.”
In other words, “Train up a child in their unique design, according to their blueprint…”
It still applies… Many adults aren’t sure of their purpose. Remember, though, all adults were once children— and were given (by God) a unique bent, a specific design. We each have a blueprint.
f you don’t yet know your design, it’s never too late to discover it, so you can walk in it. Remember, this is an important area of repentance— of seeing things from that different perspective.
Keep in mind that...
- Design determines destiny. When you understand how something is made, you understand what it was created to do.
- Walk through the tool corral in a hardware store and you’ll quickly observe: there are hundreds of different kinds of tools. And, they each serve a different purpose. In fact, they were each invented for a specific purpose.
- In every instance the truth is the same: Once you understand what the tool was created to do, you know what to do with it.
- To use the metaphor above, you’re a tool. I’m a tool. And when we understand how and why the tool was designed, we know what to do with it.
Gifts of the Spirit, the Son, and the Father Seven different designs highlight the Father’s intentions for each of us. They describe how we were each made (and, thus, link to our purpose).
Many believers are familiar with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The manifestations listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 empower us to serve beyond our natural capacity, working in the power of the Holy Spirit (NJKV):
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
The Son also has gifts. The five-fold ministry offices listed in Ephesians 4:11-13 are people whom Jesus gives to the church in order to help the people in the church find and fulfill their purpose. These “embodied” gifts (read: these people) help us reach maturity (NKJV):
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
The Father also has gifts. Romans 12:6-8 highlights seven motivational tendencies which describe our innate tendencies to interact with people and circumstances in unique ways (NKJV):
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness….
What does this mean for us today…? Well, the gifts of the Spirit arrive when we're baptized in the Holy Spirit. And, the gifts of Jesus are the leaders given to the Body of Christ to help others find and fulfill the purpose God has for them...
But the gifts of the Father are for everyone. We receive them just for being born.
That is, they are part of that unique deisgn give you you... that special bent you have...
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Take the free Redemptive Gifts assesment (the gifts of the Father) at: https://www.lifeoffreedom.site/assessment
Grab your free copy of Transformation at www.LifeOfFreedom.site/free
Paul encouraged us that “all things work together for the good.”
If all things work together for the good (again, that’s what Paul writes in Romans 8:28f— not that all things ARE good, but that they all work together for good)…
… then that also means the facts (i.e., a bad situation) doesn’t necessarily tell the entire story, that is, it doesn’t contain complete truth.
In Brennan Manning's book Abba’s Child, he quotes Saint Augustine’s reflection on this verse as stating that in the economy of God, all things work together for our good. All things. Even our past sins.
God can take EVEN that….
I’ve seen it firsthand. He takes every crooked path and makes the way straight. He takes every piece of grit and forms it into gold. He takes the broken pieces of our lives and morphs them into His best.
Such is the nature of grace.
Have faith…
Even when the facts look bleak, they only tell part of the truth.
Malachi prophesied of a time when God would “turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons and the hearts of the sons to the fathers” (Malachi 4:5-6).
We often want to look at what our kids owe us-- and that their hearts should turn our way. However, we're reminded in the Bible to "flip the script" and note what we can do for them.
Paul says that wise fathers should “build them up” and empower the sons (and daughters coming behind them. Specifically, Colossians 3:21 reminds us that overbearing leaders can drain the life out of their subjects (NIV):
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
A grizzly authority who does not realize the leader’s job is to empower people by serving “beneath” them and “pushing them up” to the greatness residing within them will discourage and even embitter the person they are leading.
Ephesians 6:4 communicates the same message:
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
To exasperate someone literally means to “suck the wind out of them.” Rather than knocking the wind out of them, we are called— and empowered— to “breathe life into them.” This happens in the same way that—
- God breathed life into Adam at creation, such that a new thing came into being (Genesis 2:7).
- Ezekiel prophesied for the Lord’s breath to enter the dry bones, such that the dead and decayed transformed to health and wholeness (Ezekiel 37:10).
- Jesus breathed life into His disciples in the Upper Room, such that men who recently fled for their lives grew courageous turned the world upside down (John 20:22).
Don’t miss the difference between knocking the wind out of someone’s sails and blowing good wind into them…
Jesus promised that "in this world we will have trouble" (John 16:33). The flip-side, however, is that we can take heart- because He has already overcome the world.
In other words, even though we face trials, we know the end of the story. As such, we live FROM victory rather than simply contending FOR victory.
We can gain the most in the hard places There are some things, some treasures, which require tests and trails in order to receive.
James says to “count it joy” when you face these tests and trials- because you ALREADY know the outcome is a payoff of some sort that works in your favor (James 1:2f.).
I don’t fully understand this. I see a lot happen that seems NOT to have a gain on the other side. Or the price seems so high on the front end that it really makes you wonder...
Hence the tension of having to trust that all things eventually work together for the good (Romans 8:28f.) and that everything is made beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
James uses a banking term. “Count” is “reckon” or “reconcile.” It’s one way you manage the books. You paid this out and reconcile that thing in. You gave XXXXXX and received XXXXX for it.
It’s like an investment. A purchase. A trade.
Sometimes, as James presents it, something happens in life that you wouldn’t choose— an investment you wouldn’t want. He says to endure, a high yield return is coming. A return so grand that you couldn’t have acquired it any other way.
What if the measure was different? Many times, it doesn’t make the enduring easier. Still leaves lots of questions, numerous unknowns.
But what if the measure of the test or trial is the true measure of the “gold” that can be obtained?
And what if it truly requires stepping into a place where you have nothing but empty hands and an empty heart so that you can receive the fullness of everything the Creator has for you?
Peter says the place of emptiness is important. It provides a simplicity, a purity, a perspective that only THAT spot that James writes about can provide (1 Peter 1:6-7).
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Grab your free Transformation book: www.LifeOfFreedom.site/free
In Ezra 5:2 we read, “Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them” (NIV).
Here, we see that—
- God gave his builders— workers like Zerubbabel— vision to work.
And...
- He sent prophets (His messengers) to confirm HIs power and presence with them.
During that season, Zerubbabel faced opposition. Some people didn’t believe the dreams could come to pass; others outright worked against him.
But God’s messengers reminded him, as we dicsussed in the previous episode, to continue. Press on. Do the work.
Note, though, God sends these messengers— and HIs Word— so that we can build this time on God’s wisdom, not human wisdom.
Furthermore, He allows death to the old man-made ideals, so that God’s ideas can emerge.
That is, we need God ideas— not just good ideas.
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This is a season in which, for many of us, it’s time to get up and go— again.
We see this in the example of a little-known Old Testament hero, Zerubbabel.
He was a Babylonian Jew who returned to Jerusalem at the head of a band of Jewish exiles and became governor of Judaea under the Persians. Influenced by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, he rebuilt the Temple (see Haggai 2:23).
In his story, we see that when he began to rebuild, the prophets (and God’s voice) returned…
This step requires that we not only understand God’s timing, but that we also know what to do. And, that often requires that we make a pivot, an adjustment.
For sure, there are seasons of loss. And, we mourn them.
However, we also know that God comforts those who mourn— and He leads us to something better.
He told Haggai that the glory of the latter temple would surpass that of the former (Haggai 2:9). However, experiencing the glory required they rebuild…
The glory didn't return until the Temple was rebuilt, that is, until they did the task God called them to do.
Now is your time.
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Subscribe to the audio feed of the Freedom Podcast at:
- Apple Podcasts = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freedom-podcast/id1633559695
- Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/show/5gGfCbyQzSy8icK6tbwpuk
- Google Podcasts = https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcHAua2FqYWJpLmNvbS9wb2RjYXN0cy8yMTQ3NTA0MDgwL2ZlZWQ
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Freedom isn’t just a concept. It’s a lifestyle.
Paul tells us, “It is for freedom Christ set you free” (Galatians 5:1).
We’ve created a simple acronym to help us better flesh out what this freedom looks like—
- F = Finding your identity is Christ
- R = Realigning with God’s times and seasons
- E = Engaging with spiritual community
- E = Exploring our gifts and calling
- D = Demonstrating God’s gifts
- O = Opening our hearts to the poor
- M = Making Jesus famous
In this talk, Kent and Bev talk about the times and seasons— of the Hebrew month of Sivan, leading into Pentecost. This was the time of the wheat harvest, which is a time of prosperity and blessing in each area of life.
Jesus came to save— in HIs own words, “that which was lost”— not just “those who were lost” (see Luke 19:10).
In this season, we’re reminded that He redeems every area of life, including our work.
Pentecost, though we often link it to the Holy Spirit, is the season of the barley harvest. This is the time in which Ruth gleaned in Boaz’s field.
Also, this is the time Moses was given the two tablets of God’s revelation.
Interestingly enough, the twins of Gemini in the sky highlight the double portion during this time period for Divine provision.
*Note: this audio originally aired mid-May as an YouTube live. Follow Kent and Bev live on Tuesday mornings at https://youtube.com/c/wordaliveinternationaloutreach
F-R-E-E-D-O-M is the acronym we use for the first course of the Freedom Track*. Go to www.LifeOfFreedom.site/101 for more about the first class, Connecting 101.
Subscribe to the Freedom Podcast audio feed at:
- Apple Podcasts = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freedom-podcast/id1633559695
- Spotify = https://open.spotify.com/show/5gGfCbyQzSy8icK6tbwpuk
- Google Podcasts = https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcHAua2FqYWJpLmNvbS9wb2RjYXN0cy8yMTQ3NTA0MDgwL2ZlZWQ
- Amazon Music = https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ea9010d0-d141-47ba-a76b-020eed9b5932
- RSS on our website = https://app.kajabi.com/podcasts/2147504080/feed