Ephesians 3:20 ~ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us

 MARCH 6, 2023    FOX DIGITAL NEWS

FAITH

 

Published March 6, 2023 11:00am EST

Christian revival is no accident, says Hispanic evangelical leader: 'God is in charge'

Revival, plus 'Jesus Revolution' and return to faith all demonstrate 'God is up to something': California pastor

 By Maureen Mackey | Fox News

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, speaking by telephone, said it is no accident that at the same time that Asbury College in Kentucky played host to a Christian revival among thousands of people (which has since spilled over to additional locations), so, too, has the runaway hit film "Jesus Revolution" come out — helping to inspire and lead millions more people back to a place of faith, belief and hope.

"If you were a skeptic," said Rodriguez, "you would label this as a coincidence. But if you’re a person of faith — you see this as divine providence. It can't be a coincidence."

He added, "God is in charge. God is up to something. And that's the great news."

JESUS REVOLUTION TAPS INTO TODAY'S HUNGER FOR FAITH, SAYS GREG LAURIE: ‘PEOPLE ARE GETTING SCARED’

Rodriguez, based in Sacramento, California, is senior pastor at New Season Church. 

He said he finds what's going on right now to "be unbelievably interesting," he said. 

"During COVID," he said, "Gallup and Pew had surveys out regarding the ‘Z Generation' and how it's the most so-called ‘unChristian generation' — some have even deemed it the most anti-Christian generation in American history. Well, how about that? Then God shows up — and we have the Asbury revival, and we have this emphasis on generational change and how a mess can become a miracle."

Students raise their hands during a chapel service at Asbury University in Kentucky, which saw participants attending from all over the country.  (Asbury University )

Again, he added, "It can't be a coincidence. God is up to something. That's why I truly believe that America's mess is about to become God's miracle."

There's been "anarchy, chaos, crime and violence," he said. There's been the COVID pandemic. There have been "so many problems," he added — so much craziness. 

People have even asked themselves "whether we’re living in a movie script, an alternative universe. And yet God said, in the midst of all that, ‘Let me show you who’s really in charge.’"

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT: GOD'S GREATEST BLESSINGS MAY BE ‘UNEXPECTED,’ SAYS WASHINGTON PASTOR

Rodriguez noted, "You have young people hungry for spirituality, for authenticity, for truth in a world full of fluidity and relativism today. There's a generation hungry for truth and something that is solid. So I love the fact that God, with a wink and a nod, says, ‘Yeah, sure, you guys think you're in charge? And you really think I'm no longer involved? Let me show you who's truly in charge and who's on the throne.'"

An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.

Pastor Rodriguez said this is not just about the Asbury revival. 

"It's what happening across the country."

People had said, he emphasized, "that Christians and followers of Jesus would not come back to church after COVID, that churches would lose 30% of their attendance. And now, all of a sudden, we're hearing of explosions in church attendance across the country, even in California," he said.

ASBURY REVIVAL SPARKS MOVEMENTS AT OTHER CHRISTIAN COLLEGES: HOLY SPIRIT ‘IS AT WORK’

"I mean, go figure," he said. "So what is it?"

There are people hungry, he said, for faith, for spirituality. He said to recall John 1:5 — because "light shines into darkness, and darkness will never overcome the light." 

"God shows up. And says, ‘I got this. All you have to do is call upon me.'"

And "that's why I truly believe that family messes will become God's miracles, generational messes will become God's miracles and personal messes will become God's miracles."

He said this is not just "a happy, happy message. We don't deny the fact that there are messes. We look at what's happening in America with the fentanyl crisis. There are over 100,000 people — primarily young people — dead as a result of the infiltration of this drug into our country, coming in from the southern border."

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, based in California, is one of the nation’s most prominent Hispanic faith leaders. Fox News Digital spoke with him as he traveled to the East Coast recently.   (NHCLC.org)

He noted the crime problem in Chicago, in Oakland, in New York City and so many other major cities across America. "We're looking at disarray, we're looking at families without a father figure in 78% of African American homes, we're looking at so many other issues in America — including political disarray and discord. And we ask, ‘Is there an answer?’"

And yet, in the midst of this, "in this chasm — God shows up. And says, ‘I got this. All you have to do is call upon me. And I’ve got this.'"

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT: THE TIME IS NOT JUST FOR PENANCE BUT FOR GOD'S 'ABUNDANT' MERCY, SAYS FAITH LEADER

And that's where "we, as a church," he added, "need to stop the whining and the moaning and the complaining — and we have to get out of the fetal position. God is not coming back for a defeated church, a broken church, a whiny church. He's coming back for a glorious church, according to the Apostle Paul."

So "we really need to demonstrate the glory of Jesus to a broken world," said Rodriguez.

That is what "prompted me," he said, "to write this new book. Understand who you are. Let's do away with perpetual victimization mode — and let's apply the fact that we are conquerors in Christ. We can literally change things with truth, love, hope and grace."

Kelsey Grammer stars as Pastor Chuck Smith in the new hit film, "Jesus Revolution." Said Pastor Rodriguez about the film as well as the spiritual revival occurring at college campuses and elsewhere right now, "God is in charge. God is up to something. And that's the great news." (Dan Anderson/Lionsgate)

What about all those who feel inadequate or imperfect or unable to reach this understanding?

Rodriguez didn't mince words. "You mean all of us? We are all imperfect. We have all sinned and fallen short. That's us. That's each and every one of us. And that's the beauty of the gospel."

GREG LAURIE ON ‘JESUS REVOLUTION’: 'GOD'S HAND HAS BEEN ON IT FROM THE BEGINNING'

He said further, "Regardless of where the mess came from, God has not just the power but the commitment to turn our mess into a miracle. All he says is, ‘Believe in me. Give me not just your dreams, but your nightmares. I'll take care of the rest."

"Once you begin growing and maturing in your faith, then you begin to glimpse the new life God has for you."

The speaker, movie producer, bestselling author and president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference has a new book out in April called "Your Mess, God’s Miracle" (Baker Books, April 2023). 

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us

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Abba, Father,

God, You are so Good,

You want us to Rejoice

and find

God's will done on earth

as in Heaven.

Lenten opportunity to give:

We pray for relief to help and reach Syria

and Turkey. 6.4 and 4.9 earthquakes this week.

We pray this will cease. Lord, Your mercy upon this land and 

Your people.

We pray Amazon puts back Amazon Smile,

philanthropy is needed today and this program

was wonderful. Many will feel the clip if Amazon Smile doesn't

continue. Please Lord.

Your Words are Living and Active, when we long for Your Words, 

You are there.

Help us and encourage us to see, what this season teaches us. 

With Your Spirit, we will be Brave, filled with Valor, and Diligent. 

You have taught us, when we wander away and have fallen, 

You will search for us. 

Help us in those moments to be found by Jesus, 

wonderful Jesus.

Help us to see the Blessings in each day and in finding Your Blessings, 

the day is blessed. 

The times of refreshing, more enduring. 

Meaningful Life. Abundant Life to Look Up and Find 

the benefits You daily give and load us with

. If we don't see our blessings, we cannot live our Blessings.

In Your Enduring and Prevailing Love, 

Grace and Mercy we Live.

We are Blessed to seek You First. 

Blessed to be finding the High Way of Your Heaven today. 

Blessed to ask to see more Heaven upon earth. 

Blessed to have You as our Daily Bread. 

Blessed to ask to Live Love, Joy and Peace.

Blessed to pray in expectation of Your Love and Willingness. 

Blessed to say Thank You that during Holy Week, 

we have seen the Glimpse of Your Glory 

working to heal the fullness of the earth, Yours.

We have had problems in our neighborhood, 

theft of a mower, acts of violence.

 Pray for peace, please. 

My mother's roof is in sudden need of

repairs and we want to find the best solutions for her house.

During the rainy season.

In Jesus, we Live and ask this for those we Love. 

We pray for our own strength, 

Love and ask Jesus to cover this Nation, those who lead this Nation 

and all other nations in this good fight. 

Thanks for Facebook and the Asbury Revival 2023

The Voice of Revival. Fabulous photos of today.

The Light of mankind to shine with Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Lord, Amen.

In the Highest Name of Jesus Christ.

 Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless The Lord Jesus

Yes Jesus Bless Asbury

Ezekiel 37:1-14 ~ they may Live

 

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” 

And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 

4 Then He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 

9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah and Peter asked the Lord to look away from them as being part of sinful mankind. So did Isaiah. And all of them changed their mind, to eternity.

Jeremiah 32:27 

 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. 

Is anything too hard for me?

Malachi 4:6 

 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children 

and the hearts of children to their fathers, 

lest I come and strike the land 

with a decree of utter destruction.

A priest named Zechariah,a of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was

 barren, 

and both were advanced in years.

Luke 1

 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 

17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah,

 to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,

 and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, 

to make ready for the Lord 

a people prepared.

Matthew 19:26

Jesus looked at them and said, 

"With man this is impossible, 

but with God all things are possible."

1 Thessalonians 3:13

So that He may establish your hearts

 without blame in holiness before our God 

and Father 

at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Ezekiel 36:26

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;

 and I will remove the heart of stone 

from your flesh 

and give you a heart of flesh.

Deuteronomy 30:6

“Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart 

and the heart of your descendants, 

to love the Lord your God 

with all your heart and with all your soul, 

so that you may live.

He's got the whole world in His Hands.

He's got the wind and the rain in his hands.

He's got the whole world in His Hands.

He's got the little tiny baby in His Hands. 

He's got the whole world in His Hands.

He's got you and me, brother, in His Hands. 

He's got the whole world in His Hands.

He's got you and me, sister, in His Hands. 

He's got the whole world in His Hands.

He's got everybody here in His Hands. 

He's got the whole world in His Hands.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless The Lord Jesus

Yes Jesus Bless Asbury

† †

Matthew 20:1-16 ~ For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a master of a house who went out early

 

Edward, in his 6th Decade of life

has placed 2nd in Disc Golf

Texas State Champion for Doubles

playing against all age groups.

Matthew 20:1-16

†

¹ “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius^{[a day's wages for a laborer}} a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ ⁵ So they went.

Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ 

He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’

⁸ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ ⁹ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. ¹⁰ Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.

¹¹ And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, ¹² saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 

¹³ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. ¹⁵ Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 

¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first last.”

So the last will be first, and the first last.

Jesus told us the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. 

He didn't mean just for that moment. Jesus was telling us when we confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts - we have eternal life. Beginning ..... stop watch click...... at believing. 

All of God's promises are for us - now.

Life isn't Perfect.
Jacob having the full weight of God's blessings behind him 

- Yet a lot of Jacob's life looked pretty similar to Job. It was within Jacob's soul that God's blessings lived, multiplied and were given out. Jacob lived His promises.

Hiring people to make Mother's home up to selling is not just cleaning, sorting, memories, sorrow, joy, it's meeting with the people who bid and keeping them going and doing the job

well, on time, on budget, completely and caring for my entire family.

Who else would be first and last in God's blessings? 

Jesus' own brothers.

Jesus knew they would shine. 

Just as God knew Gideon would shine as well. It is fairly, understatement, important to treat people like they have it within them to Shine. 

Pray hard - with hope. God is still at work today. An uncle of mine found the Lord at age 78. Dancing in Heaven, yes, my grandmother would.

John 7:1-5

     

 Jesus' brothers, act like people, want Him to see some trouble.

After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take His life. 

But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." 

For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

It would be interesting to know if His brothers knew of the Jews waiting to take His Life. I would guess, Jesus knew they were just troublemakers.

Matthew 12:46-50 

His brothers want the trouble to die down. 

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.

"He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 

Pointing to his disciples, He said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 
For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister 

and mother."

Mark 6:3

Jesus records how his brothers think of Him; Jesus' family is seen by others as a very loving, all of a kind, family.

His family didn't whitewash all the aspects. They lived who they really were. Even when they were last in Jesus' daily life, they were part of His Plan, Hope and Future.

"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor."

This is Jesus loving His brother in clear light. He understands the situation, not whitewashing it. So, 1 Corinthians 13 tells us love conquers all.

1 Corinthians 9:5

Paul tells us of Jesus' brothers.

Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas [Peter]?

The Books of the Bible, James and Jude are Jesus' brothers that their Nazareth hometown saw them as a seamless family. They have Jesus dwell with them. As we can do this today.

Acts 1:14

They all joined together constantly in prayer, 

along with the women 

and Mary the mother of Jesus, 

and with his brothers.

Hebrews 2:10-12, 

Jesus speaks of us as His brothers, but also His own brothers.

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 

He says,

"I will declare your name to my brothers;

in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."

I pray the Psalms. Fly into the Hands of God.  

I'm placing the ones I love 

in 

His Hands.

Psalm 87

¹ On the holy mount stands the city He founded;

² The LORD loves the gates of Zion

more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

³ Glorious things of you are spoken,

O city of God.

Selah

⁴ Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;

behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—

“This one was born there,” they say.

⁵ And of Zion it shall be said,

“This one and that one were born in her”;

for the Most High himself will establish her.

⁶ The LORD records as he registers the peoples,

“This one was born there.”

Selah

⁷ Singers and dancers alike say,

“All my springs are in you.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now these three remain: 

faith, hope and love. 

And the greatest of these is Love.

Jesus is God's Delight.

 Jesus has Joy. 

In His Blessings, Jesus wants to give Blessings. 

In studying prayer, people who have had a blessing, are very capable of praying this received blessing on to others.  We are fully capable of blessing each other with Prayer.

Abba, Father God,

Our Abba, as we open our hands to You in Prayer. 

We consider by grace we have been saved through faith. 

And this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God.

Help us always to seek You First, Jesus Christ.

In this comfort and Love, help us be able to know

You will love and dwell with those we Love.

Having gifts, let us use them: in proportion to our faith. 

Even the Disciples had fear. 

Please pray for peace in families

 Please pray for peace during this time.

The statistics say 1 in 4 don't speak as parents and children.

 Father God. Peace within the family.

Dwell in us, Father,

Help us to seek You first,

We will finish well in Jesus Christ. 

We thank You for hearing our Prayers, Abba. 

We will ask for each day, each opportunity, each decision, every day - Father God who gives generously to all without reproach, we will ask for Wisdom and to see Your Willingness 

and it will be given to Your Beloved.

We pray this for our concerns, our lives, our hopes. We pray this over the people we love. The People You have given us. Healing, life, hearing, eyes, provision, opportunities. Hope, Joy, Love. Protection. And for this Nation to love You more. 

And for the Beloved of God - everywhere to have this of You, their Father.

Always, we want to Listen to Jesus.

Healing, balm, refresh, alleviate, remedy, cure,

Establish, 

rebuild, reconcile, regenerate,

Rejuvenate, conciliate,

mend, minister, recondition,

Joy and Peace with Love

Bless this Nation with mercy and tolerance, remembering the historic anger and ill-logic

following Pandemics. The sweep of History shows Pandemics have recovery.

In Jesus Christ, let us put real hope in the revealing of His purpose for us. 

Rejoicing in all life is given through Jesus Christ. Trusting again. 

Lenten opportunity to give:

We pray for relief to help and reach Syria

and Turkey. 6.4 and 4.9 earthquakes this week.

We pray this will cease. Lord, Your mercy upon this land and 

Your people.

We pray Amazon puts back Amazon Smile,

philanthropy is needed today and this program

was wonderful. Many will feel the clip if Amazon Smile doesn't

continue. Please Lord.

We are Blessed to seek You First. 

Blessed to be finding the High Way of Your Heaven today. 

Blessed to ask to see more Heaven upon earth. 

Blessed to have You as our Daily Bread. 

Blessed to ask to Live Love, Joy and Peace.

Blessed to pray in expectation of Your Love and Willingness. 

Blessed to say Thank You that during Holy Week, 

we have seen the Glimpse of Your Glory 

working to heal the fullness of the earth, Yours.

We have had problems in our neighborhood, 

theft of a mower, acts of violence.

 Pray for peace, please. 

My mother's roof is in sudden need of

repairs and we want to find the best solutions for her house.

During the rainy season.

For Edward and me,

we have not felt well and

this is an important prayer in pollen. Several

small complaints and one with purpose.

Thank You, Lord, we feel better and with the important

prayer as well.

Thanks to the Lord

Edward, in his 6th Decade of life

has placed 2nd in Disc Golf

Texas State Champion for Doubles

playing against all age groups.

Wow!

In Jesus, we Live and ask this for those we Love. 

We pray for our own strength, 

Love and ask Jesus to cover this Nation, those who lead this Nation 

and all other nations in this good fight. 

Thanks for Facebook and the Asbury Revival 2023

The Voice of Revival. Fabulous photos of today.

The Light of mankind to shine with Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Lord, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless The Lord Jesus

Yes Jesus Bless Asbury

† †