Empowerment

Empowerment

Burn for You - Toby Mac

This weekend I spend time with men of my Church at a Men’s Freedom Encounter.  The program builds to an encounter with God.  This was my second encounter retreat.  The first was on a smaller intimate scale.  This one was on a larger scale and only for men.  (The ladies will have their encounter in 2 weeks.) 

In the first small group session we were asked to consider our expectations for the encounter.  For me this time around it was about empowerment and encouragement.  In a couple of weeks I will be offering a teaching based on primarily Ephesians 4 about social justice.  This is a topic where the secular and atheistic world has grabbed hold and has been hard at work removing God from the dialog.  I had even considered not submitting a proposal.  But after encouraging words from my friend Eric (author of the blog: A Fehr Life) I submitted my proposal to the committee.  This past November I offered a teaching about integrity based primarily on Psalm 15.  So now I have to do it.  I have to walk the talk.  In this blog I have written several blog posts that will serve as the foundation of my message.  So much of my message is written.  I just need to pull it into a presentation that will glorify God (and make sense).

Last month during the 21 days of fasting and prayer God kept bringing me back to Ephesians 4 and several other passages that talk about how the Body of Christ is made up of different members.  Each member different and having a role to play in the larger picture.  We are not all of the same.  Equal is probably a word that has been misapplied in this larger debate and dialog.  Equitable is probably a better word.  Equal is exact sameness.  Equitable is reasonable similarities along with differences.

This weekend Encounter served to fire me up.  I gained the empowerment and encouragement I sought from the Lord.  During the fast He repeatedly showed me Scriptural passages that provided me His wisdom for how humanity should be in relationship.  Reminding me of the teaching in November that I should walk the talk.  And this weekend He said to me and showed me that through Him all things are possible.

So I will prepare my teaching for the coming conference on social justice.  I have an overwhelming sense of freedom to offer this teaching.  Although I anticipate backlash from those of secular, world, or atheist perspectives  I am confident that my Lord Jesus Christ has prepared me and it is for His glory that I will speak.  I offer myself to Him so that His will can be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

I've got the Victory - Yolanda Adams