The SuperBowl, Supernatural and YOU!

The Superbowl Sunday is the day they will play the greatest of all football games.  The Superbowl is known as the greatest of all sporting events.  On one day, and in one game, it will settle who are the Superbowl champions: the Carolina Panthers or the Denver Broncos?

The Panthers, a young & upcoming team with an MVP quarterback in Cam Newton.  Will they win it all or leave it on the table for next year?

The Denver Broncos with an all-star future Hall of Famer quarterback, Peyton Manning.  Will they win it all & help Payton retire with his second Superbowl ring?

There will be Christians playing on both sides of the ball "praying" to win.  Someone's prayer will be answered.  One of the teams will be seen as a "winner" and the other as a "loser."  For some reason that bothers me. 

Is God interested in the outcome of the Superbowl?  You'll have to ask Him for yourself.  However, He is interested in the "SUPERNATURAL AND YOU!"  I guess that the "Superbowl" is as close to the "Supernatural" as some people will get.  How sad!

There will be highs & lows for each team during the course of the game.  But winners ALWAYS BELIEVE & never give up!

"Now to Him who is able to do EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…" Ephesians 3:20 NKJV

This verse is descriptive of "SUPERNATURAL" power that can be at work in our lives if we will get into "supernatural" faith.

Natural faith is experienced every time we sit in a chair without thinking about it.  We just sit down because the chairs we've sat in before held us up.  Now what would happen if the past three chairs you tried to sit in collapsed?  You would be careful about the next chair you sat in and would make sure that it could support you.  That is what I call "chair faith" or "natural faith."

When you and I get into "SUPERNATURAL FAITH," that is believing beyond what you can see or understand with your five natural senses, then you can "connect" with the Supernatural power of God! 

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible.  Everything is impossible without faith, but in this specific instance, it is impossible to please God without faith.  When God is not pleased nothing happens on our behalf that is from Him!

Faith is what will connect you to the supply of the "supernatural."  It will act as a conduit to get God's power and victory and freedom in your life.  It will work anywhere, at anytime, used by anyone who uses it.  That makes it "SUPER!" 

In a few weeks most people will forget about this "Superbowl" game.  However you can remember the "SUPERNATURAL" FAITH that will work for you when you PLEASE GOD!  Whatever the need in your life just "use" some faith, exercise your faith and you can receive!

Charlie Brown and Lucy and Linus are lying on the ground, looking up into the sky.

Lucy says, "If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the cloud formations. What do you think you see, Linus?"

Linus responds, "Well, those clouds up there look like the map of the British Honduras on the Caribbean. And that cloud looks a little like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor. And that group of clouds over there gives me the impression of the stoning of Stephen. I can see the Apostle Paul standing here to one side." 

Lucy congratulates him, "Uh huh, that’s very good. What do you see in the clouds, Charlie Brown?"

Charlie Brown replies, "Well, I was going to say I saw a ducky and a horsie, but I changed my mind."

Imagination is a powerful force.  You can go anywhere & be anything in your imagination.  One of the things that reading develops is a vivid imagination. 

As a child I would travel in space while reading books.  I could go around the world to the most exotic places using my imagination.  I’m wondering if developing a vivid imagination is vital today.  Words paint pictures & a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Genesis 1:26-28 (MSG) ²⁶ God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."

²⁷ God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female.

²⁸ God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."

We are created in the IMAGE of God.  We are created with incredible potential.  We are created with an awesome IMAGINATION.

Begin to IMAGINE what God desires for you today!  Nothing is impossible to the one who BELIEVES!

Expecting, that is what Faith Evangelist Tommy Williams spoke about this week.  There is an audio in the media section if you want to hear the message in its entirety.

God said EXPECT...to HEAR MORE about hear more than ever before, more of the spirit, to do more than ever before.

We need to position ourselves to hear...

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

He has thoughts for you He doesn't have for anyone else.

He has an expected end He wants to bring to your life.

“But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There he waits (expecting) until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet.” Hebrews 10:12-13 NLT

Worshipping you with all that I am...

God has an expected end for your life.

Be fruitful, multiple, fill the earth...

Expect to hear

"The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize (hears) his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” John 10:3 NLT

“After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” John 10:4-5 NLT

Three things He said: You hear His voice, you follow Him, you won't follow a stranger.

Begin to expect...

I'm afraid I'm going to miss God.  Renounce fear and act in faith.

Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.

Hope - goal setter, gives the vision or dream...confident and favorable expectation.

Faith - faith receives, you count it done, NOW.

I receive it based on the integrity of the man who said it.

This will help develop you.

The boldness of a little child

1. Get to know the God of the Bible, not just the words in the bible.

2. Know your personal assignment.

3. Make a quality decision to always obey.

Don't wait till your comfortable.

4. Continue to develop and grow.

We started off as a baby but we don't stay a baby.

5. Be content to be you...nothing more, nothing less.

If God didn't call you to do that you'd be miserable.

Don't try to act like somebody else.  You be you.  He has an expected end for you.

When you have the greatest amount of joy with the least amount of effort your in the will of God.

Preaching is not a job for me, it's a joy.

Today’s technology makes things so much easier than they used to be in the past.  When I was a teenager my dad had a Vivitar 35mm Camera.  It had the different lenses and high speed film.  He would do much of his own developing in one of our bathrooms.  It’s amazing to think that he converted that bathroom into a darkroom.

One of the most important things to do for great pictures was to make sure the subject was in FOCUS.  If things were out of focus everything would look blurry!  And that would ruin a great setting and beautiful landscapes.

Focus is important, even today.  Webster’s defines focus as meaning “ADJUSTMENT for distinct vision.”  For someone to clearly see they must have VISION!

The problem in life is not WHAT is happening to you.  The problem in life is YOUR FOCUS while things are happening.  Helen Keller use to say that vision was more important than being able to see.  Why?  Because VISION gives FOCUS to life. 

It’s amazing how much emphasis we put on the problems and difficulties in our lives.  It’s so easy to get negative and enlarging the problems we face.  We need to start focusing on solutions to our problems.  Focus on the good things in life, on the positive.  Focus on the fact that things will get better.

The Message Bible says: “Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed (focused) in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed (unfocused) in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning, so you don’t get musty and murky. Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room” (parenthesis are mine).

            It’s a fact of photography that whatever we focus on will develop.  That is also a fact of life.  Don’t focus on cancer, focus on the CURE.  Don’t focus on sin, focus on FORGIVENESS.  Focus on developing a growing FAITH in a GOOD God.

The choice is yours, CHECK YOUR FOCUS!

Be blessed!

Rev. Rick Flynn, Pastor

The Spirit of the LORD is UPON me, for he has ANOINTED me

to bring Good News to the poor.

     He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,

that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,

     and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come (the acceptable year of the LORD –NKJV; that the time of the Lord’s favor has come-NLT).”  

Luke 4:18,19 (NLT)

We are MADE in the IMAGE of God!  We are the BODY of Christ!  If we are to be LIKE Jesus then we must enter into His ANOINTING!

DECLARE:  I AM Anointed!