The appraisal

I am a residential real estate appraiser. On Thursday, the bank that I get most of my work from sent an email wanting me to verify the square footage of a home I recently inspected. It was a foreclosed property and the listing agent thought the square footage may be off.

When I originally inspected the home, I was in a hurry and forgot to measure the second story. When I wrote up the report I noticed I had forgotten to measure the second story. Instead of driving back up to Fort Myers area to measure, I decided to use the public record. The pubic record is correct 99% of the time.

When the bank asked me to verify the square footage, I decided to go back to Fort Myers and remeasure.

Now, mind you, this was a huge home, 3,600 square foot in living area, but when I remeasured I realized that the public records were off by 1,200 square feet. I had appraised it as 4,800 square feet home.

This is a really HUGE deal. It was a HUGE mistake. All I could do was to be honest, admit my mistake and ask for forgiveness. I could easily get fired for this or the bank could cut me off as an appraiser and as I said before, I get most of my work from them. This could be devastating.

I sent an email to my boss explaining everything Saturday evening and rewrote the appraisal with the correct square footage. Sunday morning he responded back that he wanted me to call him Monday morning at 9am sharp. We were going to have a long discussion on how this could happen and how to measure a home.

The Holy Spirit led me to speak to Pastor James about this and to pray for me along with a few others. Pastor James suggested I make sure I have peace in my heart before I spoke to my boss.

I woke up early Monday morning and continued my exercise in “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me”. That was suggested by Pastor Sarah Marie on Thursday night. I prayed and then decided to do some bible homework that  I am working on. I completed question 1, then question 2 said to write out verse 2 of Isaiah 43.

NLT version is “When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

The Lord spoke. I had my answer. Complete peace.

Next, I called my boss. I did get a bit of a lecture, for good reason, but he told me he would go to bat for me with the bank. He would let me know later in the day how it went. He did tell me it could go either way; they could understand the situation and let me continue appraising for them or could cut me off completely. At this point it was totally in the Lord’s hands.

I went about my day, inspected 4 homes in Naples and Bonita Springs and had to drive to Fort Myers for a new MLS key. At approximately 4pm, my boss called me on my cell. He had spoken to the folks in charge at the bank and their response was “Oh, so he’s human” and forgave me and have asked that I write up a letter to send to Lee County to have the taxes lowered due to the incorrect square footage of the home. WOW!!!!!!!

Yea, God has shown up mightily. I was and am highly favored. He is with me. I can do all things through Christ who straightens me. All things are possible for those who believe and are called according to his purpose.

I serve a mighty GOD. PRAISE HIM!!!

#LoveIs Stable Message by: Pastor Tracy (video & notes)

Love is Stable

#LCCLoveIs

Sunday May 27^th, 2012                        Pastor Tracy

Intro: Last week, Pastor James talked about putting God into situations and this in one of the main ways we can overcome evil with Good.

God gives us His Love

Example of taking in all kinds of “attitude thoughts” then exploding! I kept taking in and taking in then I exported those thoughts through my mouth!

WHAT WE PUT IN COMES OUT

• Romans 5:5 (NIV)

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,who has been given to us.

God in His Grace gives us the Love to Love Him, ourselves and others. He gives/in-parts before we can export that love.

• Reasons love is poured out in our hearts:
  • To love ourselves: “you love me with all that I’ve done”. Knowing he loves and believes in the potential He placed in me allows me to love me
  • Love others
  • To love God; unconditionally not just when things are going well.
• My experience with Mom telling me love was in me and then Francesca
• Love is not something we mentally ascent to; it’s an empowerment to live life full and to reflect Christ.

God is banking on His love flowing through us

Ephesians 3:14- (NKJ)

For this reason I kneel before the Father,  What reason:

Ephesians 3:8-12 (NIV)

this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. ¹⁰ His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of Godshould be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, ¹¹ according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. ¹² In him and through faith in him we may approach God

• mystery: That now through Christ’s finished work on the cross God’s spirit can dwell in man making him born anew, man is forgiven and righteous….
• Manifold wisdom:
  • James 3:17 (NKJ)

 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy

• Paul as a driving desire to help everyone recognize their role in dispensing this great plan of God.

In order for God’s bold plan to be seen in us we would need what Paul was praying:

Ephesians 3:15-19 (NKJ)

¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened(become might by His power) with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

grant: supply you with, bestow on you based on His unmerited favor

First: THAT he would strengthen, make strong, our inner being with His miraculous power in our inner being- IN-PARTATION!

THIS PRCOCESS BEGINS WITH AN IMPARTAION OF GOD’S PRESENCE

Second: THAT Christ may dwell in your heart (thoughts and feelings).  God’s presence infuses our negative thoughts, feelings and perceptions

Third: THAT- you being rooted and grounded in unconditional love.

• What does it take to be rooted and grounded (lay the foundation stable)stay rooted; planting and watering
• Example when I tried to pull out a tree root

If we are rooted in this unconditional love we can THEN

• Comprehend- to grasp or lay hold of in the mind.
• To know  which means to experience
  • You first grasp it in order for others to experience it through you
  • We experience another level of his love when use and express his love:
    • We forgive or be kind to a person when they don’t deserve it
    • Holding our tongue
    • Covering a multitude of sin
    • Bringing peace instead of strife
    • As we continue these true acts of love, love gets developed- it becomes a way of life!

Example of the man I turned the cheek with

The Goal Ephesians 3:19 (NKJ)

Fourth: “that you may be filled with all the fullness of God”

Ephesians 3:20(NKJ)

Manifold wisdom Continued

James 3:14-18 (NKJ)

¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.

• Hearts: kardia
• Selfish ambition: a person who is concerned with their own welfare and therefore is ambitious, self-willed, self-seeking, looking for opportunities for promotion.

In other words when we cooperate with envy and selfish ambition we are

cooperating with our lower nature and are not pulling from supernatural love

¹⁶ For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

• When we push for ourselves there is always disorder. When we push for others or the team there is always order

¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

• Gentle: A character that is reasonable, fair, forbearing, moderate, considerate, opposite of being harsh, abrasive, sarcastic cruel or contentious.
• Willing to yield

Bring it back to 1 Cor. 13:5 (NKJ) does not behave rudely, does not seek it’s own, is not provoked, thinks no evil

The attributes of love cannot be displayed without an in-partiation of love. WE HAVE TO TAKE IT IN TO GIVE IT AWAY! It is an act of God’s grace to in-part love daily into us. We don’t have to earn it. God knows we need it to love and make known his ways.

It is easy to love lovely cooperating people! We have supernatural love when we are irritated, bothered, impatient, rude and easily provoked.

This all began because of the Blood of Jesus being spilled.

Mother’s Day #LoveIs Series with Pastor Sarah Marie (Notes & Video)

Mother’s Day 2012

#LCCLoveIs

God has given us everything to enjoy. We need to enjoy our children.  I know we want to discipline them and have them do good in school.

All this is good, but most of all, we need to enjoy them.  When they know we enjoy them, they will receive what we have to say.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Why does God say this to the parents? God knows that our children are exposed to a godless world. And this is why He wants us to keep His language before them.

If we stop talking about the language of God we are not going to be happy about it later.

We have 3 generations that continued God’s language.

2 Timothy 1:5 – when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

Paul said, I see in you what was in your mother and your Grandmother. We can see that they continued to talk about the language of God.

We see children and we look for good behavior in them and it is good. I think we need to hear what they are saying. If what they are saying is right, then their behavior will automatically be right.

This is why we should talk to our children about experiences that have impacted US.

Take every opportunity to impart the ways of God to your children.

Mathew 5:16 NKJ Let your light so shine before men (children), that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

This scripture teaches us to live it before them. When I say live before them – your children need to see you pray. They need to see that you live honest and that you treat others the way you want to be treated. When they see you live that way, they will feel secure.

When you live before your children this way, God puts the seal of approval on your life and blessings on their lives.

If you do this, you will leave them an inheritance that no one can steal from them. You could leave money, and one bad decision they could lose everything. But this kind of integrity is priceless.

I wanted my kids to be leaders. So I let them think they were leaders already, even when I knew they had a ways to go.

I let them think they were smarter than me.  Sometimes I went too far, but as long as my goal would be accomplished, I didn’t care.

I always thought that if I would do my very best with my children, God would do the rest.

Now, they call me blessed. They say you are one blessed mother.  And I am.

Mothers, the best thing you can do is to call blessings your children.

EXPERIENCE: The lady in Italy.

When we bless our children we empower them to receive all that God has for them.

It’s your voice that is going to activate the blessings on your children. When you bless your children, you start to see them blessed.

God told Moses to bless the children of Israel.

Numbers 6:27 AMP ~ And they shall put My name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.

Notice if Aaron wouldn’t have blessed the children of Israel they would go without blessings.

How much more He expects us to put blessings our children.

Numbers 6:24-26

The LORD bless you and your children and keep you and your children; The LORD make His face shine upon you and your children, And be gracious to you and your children; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you and your children, And give you and your children peace.”‘

“Authority Gained” in Ripped Off series (notes & video) by: Pastor Sarah Marie

Last week was “Authority Lost” with Pastor James.

This week is “Authority Gained” with Pastor Sarah Marie.

We have gained authority through Jesus, the second Adam. We are positioned in this authority.

How many agree with me that there is a big difference between position and experiencing the benefits of this authority.

James 4:4,6-7 Living Bible

Do you want this authority to be effective and see results? Then follow these instructions:

To experience the benefits we need to grow in the knowledge of the Word. And that is not enough. We need to practice the Word until our actions are consistent with our talk. In the meantime, we need to know that there is an enemy that opposes the process.

Ephesians 4:21-24

I went to a church that taught the Word of God like Life Christian Church.

On a Wednesday night the pastor taught about the glory of God and how Moses had experienced God’s glory. He wanted more. At one point he said, “if you don’t go with me, I will not go”.

I was so affected by this teaching that before I went to bed I knelt down and said to God “you have shown your glory to Moses, then Moses wanted more. You said you would not be partial. What you do for one you’ll do for another. Show me your glory. Come in the night season. You said to ask and I am asking right now.”

Then I fell asleep. I had an expectation that something supernatural was going to happen. I thought I would have a dream. But when I woke up at 6 in the morning and nothing; no dream.

I set up in bed holding my Bible and said “Ma, you said, to ask. I have asked. If you don’t want to show me your glory, what can I do?”

When I said that I heard a voice from near my nightstand right next to me saying, “if you strip yourself of any fleshly desire and put on Christ, you will see my glory”.

At this time I did not know that Ephesians 4:21-24 actually says this. We will get to these scriptures later.

I answered and said “how do I do that?” The voice answered and said “How did you get saved? You believed then you said some words out of your mouth then you got saved”. I answered, “It is that easy?” I started to say, “I strip myself of any fleshly desires and I put on Christ”. Immediately Jesus appeared standing in the air a foot from the ceiling. We were conversing mind to mind. He wasn’t talking and I was not talking. But mind-to-mind he was quoting scriptures and I was quoting scriptures.

We were having so much fun I told Him “Oh my, this is what it means to have the mind of Christ?” And right there a beautiful man with overhaul jeans stood in between Jesus and I. And said to me, “Don’t listen to Him, listen to me, and if you do, I will give you all this”.

Then he showed me the property I owned in Roseville, MI. And on the roof there were diamonds and gold all shining. He said “If you listen to me all this I will give it to you”. I said “what am I going to do with that, I don’t want it”.

Then he took me to the property that I own in Pennsylvania and he showed me the same; all kinds of gem and gold. I said “what am I going to do with that, I don’t want it”.

Then he took me to a building where I had an exercising business and showed me that on the roof had the same things, gems and gold. But, this time the building was multiplying. And I saw so many buildings with exercising business. He said “you can have all this”. I started screaming by this time and said “I don’t want it, you can have it”.

He got mad and threw a thick spit like the size of half an egg. It landed right on my chest and with my breath I blew that spit back to him and it went right into his face. I expected him to be angry.

Instead, he started to look at me with his eyes intensively and felt like I was being hypnotized. I was losing my strength. When this started to happen, I was a little cocky with him knowing that Jesus was right there. He was going to help me. But I was getting weaker and weaker.

I looked up at Jesus and mind to mind I said “ma, aren’t you going to help me?”. Jesus said “I can’t, you say “it is written, be gone from me”. To my surprise with Jesus I could speak mind to mind but with the devil I had to speak words.

I said “It is written, be gone…and I never finished the word “gone” and he turned from a beautiful man to this brutal ugly beast and started screeching back. He said “I’m leaving for a while, but I will be back”.

Then I was left with Jesus. And Jesus told me that if I did not resist the devil with the Word, Jesus was not going to resist him for me. Because Jesus said that I had the authority to resist him.

James 4:7

Now this sounds so easy just strip yourself and Jesus would be right there. I tried to do this other times, but Jesus did not appear. Jesus expected me to learn to keep self under control and not to give place to the devil.

Satan influences the system of this world. Satan always appeals to the flesh. Jesus stripped him of his power, but if people don’t know, he will take total advantage of them.

This is why He says to seek Him first. If we stay connected to Him we will get empowered to resist the devil and we’ll avoid many things.

Matt 6:33

This means find out how God wants things done. How He wants us to live and treat other people. How He wants us to act in certain situations. What kind of attitude we should have.

As long as we live in this world, the devil will always presents to us things that appeal to the flesh. But the key to victory is that Jesus holds it all together for us. All we need to do is put Him first.

When something happens, God is waiting to see how we are going to respond. And the devil is going to try his best to let us fall into his trap. If we know the Word, we will say “It is written”. This will determine the victory or defeat.

An example of when I fell.

This week’s note from Pastor Sarah Marie

Dear Beloved,

1 Peter 1:24-25 – “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever.”

My beloved, as a flower blooms and we enjoy its beauty for a season, and then it fades away and dies; the same is with us as people. We look the best at a certain age, and then we start to fade and eventually we die.

But the grace, love, and teaching we pass on to others never dies. Our Lord came, lived, died, was resurrected and went to the Father. But, His teaching continues to live on forever. He gave the Word to the apostles. They passed it on to those that followed them. And now we have received it, and we are to pass it on to others.

Our bodies will fade and pass away, but our words will live on. So the most important thing is to become a willing vessel for Jesus so His teaching continues through us.

1 John 2:20 – See yourself anointed and pass on to others the little or much that you have been given. As a believer, you are the hope of the world.

Love,
Sarah Marie Gardner
President and Founding Pastor of Life Christian Church,

Easter 2012 pictures

Easter Program video – 2012

Easter Program at Life Christian Church Naples – 2012

Rescue Series “The Robe” By: Pastor James (notes & video)

Rescue – the robe - click here for video

“your robe of financial breakthrough is complete”

by: Pastor James Boyd

• Review: whip, crown, spear…
  • He came to Rescue us from everything negative on earth. Physical healing, mental healing, relational healing, and today we move on to the robe.
• Cast lots for the robe
  • John 19:24 NKJV – They said therefore among themselves, Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be, that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: They divided My garments among them,  And for My clothing they cast lots.  Therefore the soldiers did these things.
  • Psalm 22:18 NKJV- They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.
  • Commentary: yet some have observed that the reason why the soldiers would not rend Christ’s coat was not out of any respect to Christ, but because each of them hoped to have it entire for himself. And so many cry out against separation, only that they may engross all the wealth and power to themselves.
    • They didn’t understand that the statement of the robe was much more valuable than the robe itself. They were looking at the fast food type increase from the event. But, Jesus was making a much bigger statement…
  • There was something special about that robe
    • The robe was also called a “mantle“. You’ll see as we continue that this was the mantle that Jesus passed to us. He was dismantled, so you could take His mantle. The mantle of financial breakthrough is yours.
    • There were 4 robes that Jesus wore. We’ll focus on the last for a second. It was put on Him by Pilot. It was purple. The color of royalty.
      • Emperor Aurelian refused to let his wife buy a purpura-dyed silk garment, as it cost its weight in gold!
      • After Rome fell, the color purple was distorted and they found cheaper ways to produce a similar color. But, Jesus wore the ultimate. He was stripped from the ultimate, so you could have the ultimate!
      • In Exodus, the color purple was used for the adornment of the tabernacle. The House of God. Jesus shows it on His body, the House of God. Now, you carry it on the Temple of the Holy Spirit. You! You are meant for the ultimate financial breakthrough!

It’s time to look further than our present circumstances and struggles. “Well James, maybe I was just meant to struggle to pay my bills, maybe I was just categorized here so that I can witness to others like me.”. No, you were meant to have a testimony of breakthrough into a new category. You were meant to take that testimony to others that are stuck in the spot that you were in. Your mantle of financial breakthrough is complete. Jesus laid down the ultimate, so that you could have the ultimate testimony.

• It was seamless, and even the soldiers didn’t want to rip it
  • They must have heard of the hem healing the woman
  • They must have wanted the whole robe to sell, because even they saw the value in a robe without seams.
  • Without a seam, it would rip and not have partial value. It was complete without being able to be divided.
  • He was rendered naked, so that we could be clothed
    • He was clothing us with His unclothing
    • He was stating another fact: you don’t have to go without, because I did.

“your robe of financial breakthrough is complete.” Instead of looking at your present situation, look further into the future of what Jesus conquered for you. Your financial breakthrough already has an account number. The funds are already there. The investment in this account was already wired.

• Story of the well known rapper

Your financial breakthrough is complete.

Financial breakthrough – the seams have to be removed

• There are four seams that are found in a lot of our garments. We add them ourselves, but they can be removed.
  • Budgeting, speak the Word, giving, and speaking positive words
    • I want to walk through these one by one, because the enemy tries to convince us that we still have seams. That we can still be pulled apart.
    • Jesus made a lasting impression on His way to the cross. You don’t have to have seams that can fray or be pulled apart.

1. Budgeting

• Your seams are showing. If you don’t budget, your seams is where your garment will fall apart.
• Proverbs 27:12 MSG – A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered.
• Proverbs 21:20 NKJV – There is  desirable treasure, And oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man squanders it.
• I look at the governmentand wonder how they keep it all together. Some may say they don’t. I believe there is a reason.
  • There are too many seams. There are too many objectives that have to be met. These objectives get attention when there is a squeaky wheel, and money is funneled to them. If you don’t take a look at what will be hindered, it seems like a good idea and a necessity, but it will hinder something else that is also important.
  • You’ve allowed too many seams. Too many priorities. You’ve been pulled apart, it’s time to put it all together.

Your robe of breakthrough is complete

2. Speaking the Word

• Abraham
  • The story of Abraham and the sand and stars
  • Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law.  Christ has redeemed me from poverty. The blessing of Abraham is mine.  (Galatians 3:13 and Deuteronomy 28)
  • For poverty He has given me wealth.  (2 Corinthians 8:9)
  • I delight myself in the Lord and He gives me the desires of my heart. (Psalms 37:4)
  • There is no lack for my God supplies all of my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:19)
  • The Lord has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant, which is me.  (Psalms 35:27)
  • Speaking the Word gets our perspective back in line. Speaking the Word takes down the highway a couple of exits. Speaking the Word gets us out of the trees, so we can see the forest.

Your robe of breakthrough is complete

3. Giving

• Growing Good Corn
  • The story of the Nebraska farmer
  • You’ve thought it was a necessity for success to keep it all to yourself, but you’ve hindered your own crop.

Your robe of breakthrough is complete

The old donkey “Tommy”

• Story of the old donkey that pulled the man free
• You’ve felt like you’re out there alone, but He became poor so you would have your needs met. You’re not out there alone.

Your robe of breakthrough is complete

• You are not who the enemy says you are. You are not able to be pulled apart. You are a finance magnet. You are equipped with a seamless robe of breakthrough from above.
• Testimony: I just heard a testimony last week from one of the guys in our prayer circle on Thursdays. We started praying a month ago. The last time I heard of the issue, it still wasn’t answered. There were 8 days left to pay these few thousands of dollars. We continued to pray.
  • Pastor Sarah frequently says, “God is never early but He’s always on time.” This week, the gentleman showed up to prayer and told me the scenario.
  • He was heading out after prayer to pay this bill. God showed up just in time. It took faith and effort, but God made good on His Word. That bill was paid!

Your robe of breakthrough is complete.