What is the Nature of God? We have the Bible to tell us about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Let’s take an overview.

Why don’t you add any verses I’m missing. I enjoy these kinds of group projects.

Find out why God can say NO.

Download audio file (WhyGodSaysNO4.mp3)

Why God Says No – Part 4

What do you do when God doesn’t seem to answer your prayers? We can spiritualize it and shove it down. We can get angry and choose to blame God. Or we can examine what Scripture says and align ourselves with the truth of the Word. Find out how to do this without being offended at your Father who loves you.

Download the Entire Message at Expectancy Press

Listen to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Subscribe via iTunes

Find out why God can say NO.

Download audio file (WhyGodSaysNO3.mp3)

Why God Says No – Part 3

What do you do when God doesn’t seem to answer your prayers? We can spiritualize it and shove it down. We can get angry and choose to blame God. Or we can examine what Scripture says and align ourselves with the truth of the Word. Find out how to do this without being offended at your Father who loves you.

Download the Entire Message at Expectancy Press

Listen to Part 1, Part 2

Subscribe via iTunes

You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. John 14:13 (New Living Translation)

You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. John 15:16 (New Living Translation)

At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. John 16:23 (New Living Translation)

What does it mean to ask “in Jesus Name”? It means praying with His authority because we come in the name of His Son, Jesus. Praying in Jesus’ name essentially means the same thing as praying according to the will of God,

And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. 1 John 5:14-15 (New Living Translation)

Praying in Jesus’ name is praying for things that will honor and glorify Jesus. Genuinely praying in Jesus’ name and for His glory is what is important, not attaching certain words to the end of a prayer. It is not the words in the prayer that matter, but the purpose behind the prayer. Praying for things that are in agreement with God’s will is the essence of praying in Jesus’ name.

Find out more at HopeInTransition.com

Find out why God can say NO.

Download audio file (WhyGodSaysNO2.mp3)

Why God Says No – Part 2

What do you do when God doesn’t seem to answer your prayers? We can spiritualize it and shove it down. We can get angry and choose to blame God. Or we can examine what Scripture says and align ourselves with the truth of the Word. Find out how to do this without being offended at your Father who loves you.

Download the Entire Message at Expectancy Press

Listen to Part 1

Subscribe via iTunes

Find out why God can say NO.

Download audio file (WhyGodSaysNO1.mp3)

Why God Says No – Part 1

What do you do when God doesn’t seem to answer your prayers? We can spiritualize it and shove it down. We can get angry and choose to blame God. Or we can examine what Scripture says and align ourselves with the truth of the Word. Find out how to do this without being offended at your Father who loves you.

Download the Entire Message at Expectancy Press

Subscribe via iTunes

You may have never had a spiritual father or mother speak words of promise over you. Does this mean you can’t use this key to refocus from the pain to the promise?

You can use this tool when you ask the Father to reveal the treasure He’s hidden in you. Invite Him to bring to your memory a passion from your childhood, or an encouragement from a teacher or pastor or friend.

It’s as simple as praying:

Father, I need direction and encouragement. I don’t know what to do as this point. Show me a glimpse of the treasure you’ve hidden in me that others have seen and encouraged me with. I know you said as I delight myself in you, you’ll give me the desires of my heart. Show me the desires you’ve put in my heart.

Now wait for Him to speak and show you a memory to encourage you. He will. He loves giving good gifts to His children.

There’s another place to look for clues. I’ll tell you an obvious place in the next post… it’s obvious but one we often overlook.

Find out more at HopeInTransition.com

Well it’s about time I let you know about “How To Get the Good God Has for You”.

God has promised good to us but did you know at times it’s laid out conditionally? He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous but there are three conditions in scripture for us to get the good that the Father intends us us to have. Find out what they are and how to live them out practically today.

I’m waiting for a video to upload to youtube but I have been able to set it up for sale on on ExpectancyPress.com as well as here.

How to Get the Good God Has For You e-book

Learn what is good and what the Lord requires of you.

The video should tell you more about it, or you can go to Expectancy Press and read an excerpt. I’ve been so blessed by the comments people have been giving me about it.

Need to get on with the newsletter after I feed the kids some lunch. Don’t you love summer? I sure do.

To live unoffended at God, it’s not simply a matter of willing our minds to think different thoughts. Wounds are where the strongholds in our thinking take root. We need to be healed of these wounds.

If you don’t know why you’re offended, but you know you are because your admittedly standoff-ish with the Father, or you don’t like hearing other’s testimonies or you’re quick to take offense at others, ask Him to show you the root wound using these steps:

• Ask the Father, Son or Spirit to take you back to the place in where you became offended at Him. You’ll be brought to a memory.
• Describe the situation or picture.
• Find where Jesus (or the Father, or the Spirit) is in the memory.
• Ask Jesus (or the Father, or the Spirit) the lie you learned from the situation.
• Renounce the lie(s).
• Ask Jesus (or the Father, or the Spirit) what the truth is.
• Agree with God and declare the truth.

Father, I know that when (name the situation) happened, I felt rejected by you and chose to live offended at you. Specifically, I (tell him what you did to protect yourself). Forgive me for protecting myself and for rejecting others (name them) to keep them from rejecting me. Give me a new revelation of your love and help me to walk in your truth.

If you have difficulty with this process get someone with Sozo, Theophostic, or Immanuel training to help you.

To hope at the end of the rope you need to avoid bitterness by forgiving others and living unoffended at the Father.

The second key to avoiding bitterness as you hope at the end of the rope is living unoffended at the Father.

We can so easily become offended at God.

Many times when we stand before God will a broken dream, unfulfilled vision or loss of a promise and it feels just like the plant we tended so carefully has just gone dry and withered.

It has.

But don’t let the seed go to waste. Until a seed is dead, no life can come from it. Once it dies, it can be planted in good soil, watered well, and given the right amount of sun and life will spring from the dirt.

The good soil, water and sun is much like us choosing to live life un-offended at God.

I know you’ve been taught “Who is the pot to say to the potter…”. For some of you, you can’t conceive of ever thinking you could even complain about God, let alone be openly offended by Him. But do your actions betray you?

• How easily can you spend time in silence before Him?
• How readily do you go to His words of life?
• How often do you ask Him for good things?

We have a good Father who loves giving good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13). When we’re standoff-ish it could show we’re living offended at Him.

Another sign that I pick up on in myself is how easily I’m offended at other people. Normally, it takes a lot for me to not bless those who curse me. Sure, it might be sarcastic, or done just too get a rise out of them. Much of what happens is water off a duck’s back. But everyone once-in-a-while, I find I take offense at other’s actions or inaction. I notice it when I start to sarcastically bless those who curse me.

God’s shown me that when I take offense at others, I’m actually living offended at Him.

Find out more at HopeInTransition.com

Happy Father’s Day Dads!

It doesn’t matter if this is you’re first one or if you’ve already have great-grand kids, you’ve been entrusted with such amazing gifts.

And you’ve been honored with the name the One has chosen and was favored by the Son.

…Father…

We live in a time when commercials make fun of us and kids don’t automatically respect us and well, know know how it is and you know we don’t complain.

The good dads don’t complain.

They drive and sit and cheer and wait and work and putter and just would like one day to really get after that honey-do list.

But you’re doing good.

Sure, we all make mistakes. Just sitting here blogging as my wife is making breakfast and the dog needs to be walked before the kids wake up is probably one of mine.

But babies bounce, and kids wake up, and people can truly forgive.

I want to leave you with quotes from 2 philosophers. One is the apostle Paul. He said, “…only let us live up to what we already attained.” I think someone reading that needs to hear that today. The second is from the philosopher Red Green who would end his sketch with “We’re in this together. Keep your stick on the ice.”

We’re in this together. Keep Your Stick On the Ice.

When my father died I was left with questions. I had more questions than someone who believes God makes people sick to teach them something. No one really believes that. If it is God’s will for us to be sick, why would you go to a doctor to get well? If God’s will is for us to be sick, getting well is stepping out his His will. It’s an act of disobedience. It’s something a father would punish. People take solace in the thought they aren’t being healed because it’s not God’s will, but no one really believes it enough to live it out.

The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. Christ has come that we might have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). Bulbar ALS is an ugly disease that affects the person’s voice, then the person’s ability to swallow, then the person’s ability to breath. It separates the person from participating community, enjoying food with others, and eventually sharing air. Don’t try to tell me it’s God’s will for anyone.

We returned to Canada to help my dad finish up his book and publish it before he died. I don’t know if I cried much the whole time he was sick. I cried a bit the morning He died. I wanted to cry during the ceremony, so we put together a tribute video with a few songs. And I cried, but it wasn’t enough. For about 18 months afterwards I teared up every time I heard one of the songs on the radio.

I don’t know if I trusted God enough to pour my heart out to him. I know I was concerned if I broke down emotionally I wouldn’t be able to pick up the pieces myself. I needed to be a support for others, I didn’t believe I should be a burden to anyone.

What keeps us from risking our burden with others? Is it our foolish pride? Is it the enemies strategy to keep us isolated? Is it the lack of spiritual fathers and mothers in the church?

It wasn’t like I thought, “I should really talk to someone about this.” “I wish I had someone to cry with,” rarely crossed my mind. One day a song played on the radio and it hit me. The pain of unanswered prayers, the hurt of unrealized prophecies, and the fact that I was angry at the Father because, as far as I was concerned, He had let me down.

And I cried and I screamed and I wept…until there was no strength left to weep.

Don’t take as long as I did to weep. Don’t be worried about how you can pick up the pieces when you fall apart. I’ve learned a better way, let me walk you through it. I’ll do that in the next post.

Find out more at HopeInTransition.com

What do you do when God doesn’t seem to answer your prayers? We can spiritualize it and shove it down. We can get angry and choose to blame God. Or we can examine what Scripture says and align ourselves with the truth of the Word. Find out how to do this with out being offended at your Father who loves you. This is a message by Trevor Lund of revtrev.com

Listen to an excerpt:

Download audio file (Why_God_Says_No_Excerpt.mp3)

This complete message is available for Immediate Download at ExpectancyPress.com

We’ve looked at the Hebrew names of God so we can know our hope is secure. In this post let’s consider the Greek names of God.

New Testament Scriptures, (Greek):

KURIOS: (kurios) “Lord” Found some 600 times in the NT.

DESPOTES: (despotes) “Lord” 5 times: Lu. 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Pet. 2:1; Jude 4; Rev. 6:10.

THEOS: (yeos) “God” (equivalent to the Hebrew Elohim), 1,000 times in the NT. In the NT all the persons of the trinity are called “God” at one time or another.??I AM: Jesus upset his generation especially when He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM,” John 8:58. Note also his claim to be Jehovah in such phrases as “I AM the Light of the world,” “the bread of life,” living water,” “the Resurrection and the Life,” “the Way, Truth and the Life” in John’s Gospel. From the Hebrew OT verb “to be” signifying a Living, Intelligent, Personal Being.

THEOTES: “Godhead” Col. 2:9; Rom. 1:20.

HUPSISTOS: “Highest” Mt. 21:9.

SOTER: (soter) “Savior” Luke 1:4 7.

WORD: (logos) John 1:1ff

ALMIGHTY: (pantokrator) 2 Cor. 6:18, Revelation, 9t, e.g. 19:6.

JESUS: Derived from the Hebrew “Joshua” (Y’shua) or “Je-Hoshua” meaning JEHOVAH IS SALVATION.

CHRIST: is equivalent to the Hebrew ‘Messiah’ (Meshiach), “The Anointed One.”

Other NT Titles for Jesus:

Shepherd of the Sheep; Master; King of kings; Lord of lords; Bishop and Guardian of our Souls; Daystar, Deliverer, Advocate, Last (or Second) Adam, Ancient of Days, Branch, Chief Cornerstone, Immanuel, First Born, Head of the Body, Physician, Rock, Root of Jesse, Stone, Potentate; Chief Apostle; Great High Priest; Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith (or Author and Finisher); Lamb of God; Lamb Slain before the Foundation of the World; Lord God Almighty.

LOGOS: “The Word of God” John l; Rev. 19:13.

SOPHIA: “The Wisdom of God,” referring to Christ, refers back to Proverbs (I Cor. 1,2)

Father, Son, Holy Spirit: Christian orthodoxy has always understood God to be One God in Three Persons (Elohim). In The NT each person of the godhead is called “God” and “Lord” at least once.

Names for the Holy Spirit:

Counselor; Comforter; Baptizer; Advocate; Strengthener; Sanctifier; Spirit of Christ (not the same as the spirit of Christ); Seven-Fold Spirit (Rev.); Spirit of Truth; Spirit of Grace; Spirit of Mercy; Spirit of God; Spirit of Holiness; Spirit of Life. Symbolized in OT and NT by (l) breath or wind; (2) fire; (3) water; (4) oil; (5) light; (6) a dove.

Find out more at HopeInTransition.com

We’re looking at how Jesus could rest while the storm raged on. I set down three reasons why I see He could rest. We saw Jesus knew His calling and how we can know ours. We saw how Jesus enjoyed life and I tried to motivate you to enjoy yours. In this post we’ll examine how Jesus stay connected with the Father.

Jesus knew how to stay connected with the Father. He only said what He heard the Father say. He only did what He saw the Father do. He always took time to get away and pray.

Do you?

Do you know how to stay connected with the Father?

There are times when the waves seem to crashing over the sides that all you can do is pour your heart out to the Father. That’s why He’s given us the Psalms. The Psalms provide a vocabulary for every human emotion.

They are key in strengthening yourself in the Lord. When your feeling discouraged or overwhelmed, pick up the Bible and open to the book of Psalms. Start reading anywhere and keep reading until you find one or a portion of one that speaks the emotion you’re feeling… Then camp out there for a while.

Ponder it. Consider it. If nothing else you’ll know that the Father knows what your feeling.

But we don’t just want to pour our heart out to God. We need to make time to listen. Because the words He speaks are words of life. So take time to shut-up and listen.

When the waves of circumstance are threatening to overturn your safety, you can rest in the middle of it by remembering your call, enjoying life, and staying connected with the Father.

How to Keep In Step with the Father
a message by Trevor Lund

How can you hear God? You’re His sheep, you know His voice. You may need help. Here is a tool that can help you hear what the Father is saing. Immediately download the MP3 to listen to on any device.

Download audio file (keepinstep.mp3)

Buy Now

Available at Expectancy Press

About the Speaker:

Trevor Lund is a Christian Speaker, Author and Lead Dreamer for Expectancy Ministries. He lives with his beautiful wife and kids in Edmonton Canada and blogs at RevTrev.com

Listening to the Father part 2 - Episode 19 – RevTrev Radio

Download audio file (RTRadio1_19.mp3)

Listening to the Father- Part 2

You can hear the Father’s voice. You’re His sheep you know His voice. Learn to keep in step with Him. This message presents a tool that can revolutionize your relationship with God. This part concludes this message, I’d love to hear your experience with conversational journaling.

Enjoy!

-Trevor

Keeping in Step part 2 - Episode 17 – RevTrev Radio

Download audio file (RTRadio1_17.mp3)

Keeping in Step – Part 2

The Gospel is simple. Worship, Wait, Obey. You can hear the Father’s voice. You’re His sheep you know His voice. Learn to keep in step with Him. This is part 2.

Enjoy!

-Trevor

Grow up? Really?

I know, I know, men are boys with bigger toys. My son said this week, “It’s going to be easy to buy me Christmas presents
this year, but it’s going to be an expensive year.”  He’s experiencing what every man knows.

We may not want to grow up but God wants us to grow up.

God wants you to mature. He wants you to grow more-and-more into the image of His Son, who was an exact representation of the Father. The world needs to see Jesus in you.

Jesus said:

“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” Matthew 5:48 (MSG)

Paul wrote:

No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love. Ephesians 4:14-16 (The Message)

Paul told Timothy to establish elders in Ephesus and one of the criteria was that they couldn’t be a neophyte – “newly planted” or “recent convert”. It makes sense to us as it must have to Timothy. You don’t put a young Christian, in a leadership position.

But did you know when Paul wrote this to Timothy the church in Ephesus was not much more than two years old? Before Paul arrived in Ephesus, there were no Christian and he spent two years there. There wouldn’t be anyone in the church longer than two years.

His definition of “recent convert” is different from ours today.

It could be because we don’t suffer persecution to the point of shedding blood. I’m not saying you have to look to be a martyr, I am saying there’s something wrong with the church in North America if people can be a Christian for two years and not see spiritual, emotional and relational growth. We need to know how to help others grow up.

Now Paul also wrote:

I’m not writing all this as a neighborhood scold just to make you feel rotten. I’m writing as a father to you, my children. I love you and want you to grow up well, not spoiled. There are a lot of people around who can’t wait to tell you what you’ve done wrong, but there aren’t many fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up. It was as Jesus helped me proclaim God’s Message to you that I became your father. I’m not, you know, asking you to do anything I’m not already doing myself. 1 Corinthians 4:14-16 (The Message)

God wants you to mature. He wants you to grow more-and-more into the image of His Son, who was an exact representation of the Father. The world needs to see Jesus in you.

I’m starting a series on Moving From Milk to Meat. It’s about growing up in our Christian journey. I’ve done a version of this as a podcast you can listen to here and here. Or stay tuned to the posting I’ll be getting through in this series.

Are you trying to grow up?  Love to hear what you’re doing. Tell me about it.

photo credit: Smabs Sputzer

I don’t usually pass on emails I get sent. But this one made me smile.

How to keep a woman happy….

It’s not difficult to make a woman happy.

A man only needs to be:

1. A friend

2. A companion

3. A lover

4. A brother

5. A father

6. A master

7. A chef

8. An electrician

9. A carpenter

10. A plumber

11. A mechanic

12. A decorator

13. A stylist

14. A sexologist

15. A gynecologist

16. A psychologist

17. A pest exterminator

18. A psychiatrist

19. A healer

20. A good listener

21. An organizer

22. A good father

23. Very clean

24. Sympathetic

25. Athletic

26. Warm

27. Attentive

28. Gallant

29. Intelligent

30. Funny

31. Creative

32. Tender

33. Strong

34. Understanding

35. Tolerant

36. Prudent

37. Ambitious

38. Capable

39. Courageous

40. Determined

41. True

42. Dependable

43. Passionate

44. Compassionate

WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:

45. Give her compliments regularly

46. Love shopping

47. Be honest

48. Be very rich

49. Not stress her out

50. Not look at other girls

AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:

51. Give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself

52. Give her lots of time, especially time for herself

53. Give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT:

54. Never to forget:

* birthdays

* anniversaries

* arrangements she makes

HOW TO MAKE A MAN HAPPY

1. Leave him alone

Ladies (and men), I’d love to have you add to the list of How to Make A Man Happy…be as funny as you can be. Maybe it will be another post.