Benefits versus Responsibilites Part 2

March 24, 2009

Today I want to continue discussing the benefits (blessings) and the responsibilities of believers.

2. God pours out His blessings – Our responsibility (call) to spiritual warfare.

Many Christian can testify of the blessings that God has poured out in their lives. Many of us could spend hours describing the abundance of grace and mercy alone.  In addition, many believers live a life amazing peace, financial prosperity, maturing & genuine relationships,  and the ability to grow in godliness.

I know I can praise God and thank Him for the blessings of my wife, our children, our church family, and many, many more things that He poured out into my life. I am very thankful!

When someone receives Christ or rededicates their life to following Jesus as their Lord and Savior they begin to experience the blessings that God pours out on His children.

During that same transition period it is important for new believers to understand their responsibility to walk in accordance with His heavenly calling  in Christ Jesus and encourage the body of Christ to maturity in Him.

Even though the Christian is blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3), spiritual warfare is still the daily experience of Christians while in the world. (Ephesians 6:10-20)

The spiritual world is real and it makes an impact on more than is obvious to most believers. Paul offers insight and direction for not being taken unaware in the midst of the invisible battle around us.

Many times we struggle with things that are hard to explain or have a rough day at work, or just feel that intense pressure or weight on our shoulders, yet seemingly nothing is really wrong or needed to be done.  Not all, but many of these instances in my life have been due to spiritual warfare, and a need to go to my prayer closet and seek God.

In Ephesians 6 Paul describes the weapons of warfare that I  have turned to during these times.  Paul offers insight and wisdom in these verses, and describes the weapons of prayer, and God’s Word. It is in the tongue that brings power and life to the Word of God. I will read scripture out loud or quote some verses that pertain to my situation. The spoken Word of God has power to change things.

Then in my prayers I will seek God and ask Him for the breakthrough or victory that I need, while thanking Him for the victory that was won on the Cross.

I will close with this, His Word coupled with our Faith — changes things — it changes everything!

Next time you are experiencing one of the amazing blessings from God, remember to spend a few moments thanking Him and praying for other situations in your life, and for those struggles in others lives.

1 Comment | Challenging, Church, Life, Overflow, Prayer | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by kevinjbradford

Even More Blessed Girl

March 13, 2009

By: Ashlee Bradford (Guest Blogger)

When Kevin asked me to “guest blog” a couple of weeks ago I meant everything I wrote. I DO feel as though I’ve come into a new level of contentment in the past year. However, one area that has been difficult has been my struggle with fertility. Our oldest daughter was a very pleasant surprise after Kevin and I had been married a few years…but were still in college and very young. Then because of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) we used fertility medicine (Clomid and Progesterone) to get pregnant with our 2nd daughter.. The process lasted about 2 years and was incredibly frustrating. I remember praying about it time and time again and the only thing I ever head the Lord say about it was that Baby #3 would be a surprise and I wouldn’t have to go through the fertility drug crap again. I was relieved by this, primarily at that time because if there was to be a Baby #3, there had to be a Baby #2!

So, after our second daughter was born I “expected” a surprise. I see some irony in that now. Would I have really been surprised? But anyways, nothing happened. We moved to Wisconsin to plant the church, we bought a home. There were a lot of distractions and I never really had “baby fever” but yet that Word was always in the back of my mind. Finally, towards the end of 2008 I started thinking about really wanting another baby. I struggled with believing what I heard God say and the obvious lack of results. I felt older, and in some ways like we were moving into a different season of life because our girls were getting so big. In December I asked Kevin about going to the Dr., getting Clomid, going through the whole process again. He said, “OK” and I made my appt. Privately; I struggled with wondering if I was giving up on what I heard God say. Tests are done, prescriptions are written.

Before you can start fertility medicine they want to be 100% certain you are not pregnant. So, I took a test on cycle day 28 (as directed) and the test was negative. That was the expected result since my labwork indicated I had not ovulated. I called the nurse to tell her I was going to start the meds. I got the price tag from the pharmacy (over $100/per month). While I was chatting with the nurse she mentioned that it was possible I could have ovulated late and she wanted me to wait until cd 35 and take another test. To be honest, I was annoyed. I felt like she was just putting off my TTC (trying to conceive) efforts for another week. I almost went and picked up the meds anyways and got started. But — I’m a rule follower, and I already had another test so I waited.

Then last Monday (cycle day 34) I asked Kevin if he really wanted to do go through it all again? I wanted to know what he thought, if he resented the expense, or if he was just going along with what I wanted. He expressed some concern over how emotionally difficult it is, but said he was game for a few months. I felt so relieved we were on the same page. I also shared my hesitation because I really believed I heard from God that we wouldn’t have to use the fertility medicine again. He mentioned that perhaps I heard wrong, or what I heard was colored by my emotions, or that maybe it would make sense down the road. I commented that it was one of the clearest words I’d ever had from the Lord, but after nearly 4 years…who knows?

So Tuesday morning I woke up, and was rushing about to get our youngest ready for her dance class when I remembered I needed to take another test before I ran to Sam’s Club to pick up my meds. I’m so frugal it was the old fashioned 2 lines sort of test… I was totally expecting only line to appear, so I thought I was seeing things when a second line appeared. I ran downstairs to ask Kevin if he could see it (it was SO faint!) and he confirmed that he did see it but wanted me to calm down and go for a blood test. I dropped Kevin off at work, rushed to the clinic BEFORE the dance class and had the test done. By the time her class was over I still hadn’t heard the results from the clinic so I went to Walmart and picked up two of the digital tests. I honestly screamed when the word “Pregnant” came up on the tiny little screen. I don’t think I will ever purchase a test with lines again. I took both tests (just for fun, I guess) and then the doctors office called with the same result. Because the hcg levels were really low I had to go back in on Thursday for a second test but everything had doubled perfectly!

How amazing is God?! I do not think there could have been a day in the last 3 ½ years I would have been more surprised…and we never used fertility medicine…the plan was to start that very day! He is so faithful to keep His promises to us and His love NEVER fails us! To say I am excited is the understatement of the year…I’m ecstatic! We don’t care girl or boy…I love being a mom to girls and think having 3 girls would be awesome…yet having a boy would be something fun and different too. I’m very happy with whoever God blesses us with! I hope this encourages you…if you have a word that you have been holding in your heart for a long time…God has not forgotten it.

2 Comments | Family, God, Inspirational, Life, Prayer, Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by kevinjbradford

Tuesday Night Reflections

February 18, 2009

A few thoughts from the last week.

  • Thursday Night I took the family out to Disney on Ice.  It was a blast. We went to dinner at Margarita’s in Green Bay before hand. The entire experience was a lot of fun, and my girls were so excited and cute.
  • Saturday was filled with errands, building jewelry boxes with the girls, and birthday parties.
  • Our service Sunday was powerful. Many people were ministered too, and several people were responding throughout the message.  In the end three people gave their life to Christ, and a couple renewed their commitment to Christ.  Amazing!
  • God has continued to bless our family with some amazing stuff the last several days. We have been able to buy gifts for people we care about, pay for the things we needed, and put some money in savings.
  • God is still pouring out revelation at a rate faster than I can find places to preach or teach it.
  • Our House of Prayer “The Flood” was very powerful on Monday Night. The best night of prayer and intercession this year hands down. God really showed up. Two women in particular were ministered to in a very personal way.
  • I still cannot believe we have a new sound system, a worship pastor who plays guitar (she did not 3 months ago),  and some partners becoming more committed.
  • I have been begging God for some Young Men and Women to join our church that were already walking with Him, to help round out a team for growth. I believe God is starting to do that very thing.
  • We have a young man that is quitting his day job, and heading to Appleton to help us advance the Kingdom. YEA GOD!
  • Some young couples that have become interested in Overflow, and some high school & college students will be attending Life Groups for the first time this week.

Well that is all I have for tonight, probably much more I should include, but…

Leadership Lessons Via Dora 3 coming in the next couple of days, along with a special guest blogger.

In His Favor

2 Comments | Church, God, His Kingdom, Jesus, Overflow, Prayer, Tuesday Night Reflections | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by kevinjbradford

Okay…I am finally learning!

December 19, 2008

Have you ever been in a situation where you were just being a sponge, and suddenly you realized your soaking a lot of it up into your spirit (which is good), but in your mind your not learning a thing?

That is the realization that hit me today. (Wednesday Dec 17, 2008). I realized that God has been taking me to the woodshed for 2 weeks now, and He has been disciplining me, counseling me, comforting me, and breathing life into me. My spirit has loved it, but my soul (mind, will, and emotions) was still lagging way behind.

NOT ANYMORE! PRAISE GOD! Today, I had breakthrough revelation that will shape the way I spend the rest of my life.

Today I got free from conforming, doing things to please _____, selling out my calling in order to recreate someone elses vision, among other things.  In the future this blog will consist of my Tuesday Night Reflections, and hopefully some entertaining blogs, but most importantly it will be used to let you guys know what God has been speaking to me, doing in me, and directing me into. It will also let you know my weaknesses and the things I am struggling with, so that you can go to war with/for me.

To start:
2 weeks ago today God gave me a prophetic word for the church today. It was a prophetic word for Overflow, but also, I believe a word for THE church. So this past Sunday I lent my time for preaching to the battle that is going on in the heavenlies for those Christians who have fallen away from faith.

It was powerful.  Even before that Sunday we started to see some fruit from me praying the declarations in my private time with God. Since, Sunday we have seen some fruit.

This week I have also been begging God and making some prophetic declarations over some of my friends situations, and I am anticipating the GOOD NEWS that comes from their testimonies about how God came through for them. Please guys, share any testimonies with me, I want to hear all the GOOD NEWS in the Kingdom.

Then today, I began to get the revelation that puts together all of these different things I have been praying for, hearing, and declaring into the heavenlies. It was absolutely amazing. God began to speak to me so clearly, and quickly I was almost dizzy. (Praise God)

God answered my prayers for a new vision statement to help define who we are. Out of it, came this amazing revelation. “I had to repent for trying to recreate something that was meant for Clyde, Texas. We are the same DNA, and want to build the same type of church, but to recreate it was simply selling out and being lazy to what God has called me to do here in Appleton. God began to show me how that has hindered our growth and more importantly His presence in some of the things we have done.

Here is a declaration of what I am going to be doing in 2009!

  • I am going to “Dream Big Dreams ” – I am no longer going to cap the size of church I want, or the amount of growth I want. I have been limiting an unlimited God!
  • I am going to beg God to come through on those dreams.
  • I am going to walk a dangerous, risk taking journey toward my destiny, allowing God to build the bridges in my life.
  • I am going to beg God to show up in a manifest presence that allows us to worship Him freely.
  • I am going to pray “stupid” prayers
  • I am going to ask people for commitment
  • I am going to cast the vision of leadership and hold them to it!
  • Invite everyone to something (Life Group, Sunday Service). I mean everyone. What have I got to lose?
  • I am not going to be ashamed to just let people know that I am totally in love with Jesus. I just love Jesus!
  • I am going to love Jesus without abandon (like a man/woman trying to win someone’s heart in a sappy love story)
  • I am finally going to be ME!

Join me on this journey! I need you to partner with me.

God is about to do some awesome stuff. I am ready for the ride, are you? (Either way, buckle up!)

Leave a Comment » | Challenging, Church, God, Inspirational, Jesus, Leadership, Life, Overflow, Prayer, Vision | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by kevinjbradford

In Awe…really!

December 18, 2008

Well,  I had another post for tonight. I will type it up, and post it tomorrow. Then the one I had for tomorrow, I will type up and post Friday.

Why you might ask?

Tonight after Life Group my two girls came to tell me about a discussion they had earlier in the day. My oldest daughter (6) explained that she taught my youngest (3) something today.

Here is the conversation between the two.
Y: I want to be beautiful like you.
O: Sissie, God made each of us different, and you are beautiful because you are who God made you. Then, she went on to tell her that you had to understand that Jesus loves you, because He died on the Cross to forgive you of your sins.
Y: Oh and continued to ask questions that the Older daughter answered.

The whole thing ended in my older daughter leading my younger daughter in a prayer asking Jesus into her heart, and believing that Jesus died on a cross for her sins, and that she wanted Him to live in her heart for ever. She then stated that she would pray that prayer many times.

I had to change my blog for tonight, even though God really hammered me today.

I am really in AWE…my 6 year old jumped the bridge from a conversation about being beautiful like her to understanding how beautiful each of us are, because God created us and died for us. In doing so, she led her little sister to praying to receive Jesus.

After that, my wife put on some worship music in the living room and the girls were dancing and praising.

Thank You Jesus!

1 Comment | Family, God, Inspirational, Jesus, Life, Prayer | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by kevinjbradford