A Challenge for 2012

Allow me to challenge you to grow in grace this year. A great place to start in 2012 is to begin with a great plan of reading through the New Testament. If you have never read all through the Scripture it seems like a daunting task. However, it is actually rather easy as you break it into a manageable reading plan. In fact, it is so simple that you can read through the whole New Testament in just 30 days.

As you begin this plan do your best to stick with it. You will be amazed at how simple it is and how much you grow through the reading of the Bible. The blessings and fellowship with the Lord will set your year right. It would not be surprising if this plan does not stir you to revival.

 Read through the New Testament in 30 days:

1.      Matthew 1-9

2.      Matthew 10-15

3.      Matthew 16-22

4.      Matthew 23-28

5.      Mark 1-8

6.      Mark 9-16

7.      Luke 1-6

8.      Luke 7-11

9.      Luke 12-18

10.  Luke 19-24

11.  John 1-7

12.  John 8-13

13.  John 14-21

14.  Acts 1-7

15.  Acts 8-14

16.  Acts 15-21

17.  Acts 22-28

18.  Romans 1-8

19.  Romans 9-16

20.  1 Corinthians 1-9

21.  1 Corinthians 10-16

22.  2 Corinthians 1-13

23.  Galatians - Ephesians

24.  Philippians - 2 Thessalonians

25.  1 Timothy - Philemon

26.  Hebrews

27.  James - 2 Peter

28.  1 John - 3 John

29.  Revelation 1-11

30.  Revelation 12-22

31.  Catch Up Day

How big do you want it?

We’ve been looking at blessings. I’ve asked you to pray every day for God to bless you!

Now let’s take a look back into the event of 1 Chronicles 4 – remember Jabez…

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez,

saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “

Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!

Let your hand be with me,

 and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”

And God granted his request.

Four part prayer request: (1) bless me (2) enlarge my territory

What does this mean historically and spiritually for Jabez?

Historically – time of the defining of the bonders for the people of Israel – he must have been surveying his property and looking at the boundary marks - I wonder if he had a vision for what he could do with just a little bit more…more means he wanted more influence, more responsibility, and more opportunity to make a mark for the God of Israel. I wonder if he thought, “I was born for more than this! – “Everything, you’ve put under my care, O Lord – take it, and enlarge it.”

Spiritually – glory of God (this is where we get into trouble…we want for our glory – but we get when its for His glory)


An Exciting Prayer – O God and King, please expand my opportunities and my impact in such a way that I touch more lives for your glory. Let me do more for you!

Advancement – a vision for more territory for the Glory of God

Appointments – when you pray in faith for more ministry amazing things occur – as your opportunity expands, your ability and resources supernaturally increase – people will be placed in your path who need something from God – I call these divine appointments (Wilkinson calls them Jabez appointments).

Availability – God is looking for followers who want to do more for his glory (sadly, most followers shrink from living the blessings and influence of God)

Example: when we consider the size of our territory we do some mental math…

My abilities + experience + training + my personality and appearance

+ my past + the expectations of others = my assigned territory

We hear that God want to work through us – but we think that means by or in association with.
God said – “Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Host” (Zechariah 4:6)

God’s spatiality is working through normal people to be extraordinary – he’s waiting on one thing – Availability

My willingness and weakness + God’s will and supernatural power = my expanding territory

When you take little steps you don’t need God – you don’t need directions – you don’t need a compass!
You are not designed for little steps! You are created with more in you than that! There is more to this life than all this!

“Everything, you’ve put under my care, O Lord – take it, and enlarge it.”


(Sunday's Worship Gathering notes from True North Church January 23, 2011. Seed thought for this message is The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life by Bruce H. Wilkinson)

Hang On!

Devastation is a word I’ve heard a lot of people use as they turned the corner into this year. It may even be an appropriate word to use for many of us. It means two things:

{a} to cause severe or widespread damage to something

{b}to shock or upset somebody greatly.

When we turned the corner of this year it was very apparent that we left behind a very difficult year. Many of you lost a lot. Wealth, health, and hope limped away slipping just out of reach.

We are not the first of the generations to know such difficulties. And in fact, what we are experiencing pails in comparison to many other events in human history. Psalm 79 for instances is a complaint, no actually a review of factual events in prayer offered to Jehovah concerning the devastation of the holy city and her people in 587 B.C. Consider for a moment the fact that politically, socially, economically, and spiritually Jerusalem was ruined. No family was left untouched by the violence of God’s enemies. And to make matters worse there was not one temple left in which to offer sacrifice and prayer to the Father for intervention. Devastation may be too tame a word.

So what is the answer in times of devastation or near devastation? The whole of this Psalm teaches us – hang on! Hang on! Hang on to what? No, not what! Hang on to God.

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. (79.9)

There is the key to hanging on. The key to restoration and recovery is found in that one sweet line “for the glory of your name.” We seek restoration not on the basis of us but on the basis of HIM. To be restored and recovered is for His glory not ours.

I’ve been studying the terms of blessings in the Scriptures for practical and instructive reasons. Every time I turned the corner and discover God’s blessings for us I find they are attached to His glory. Could it be that we miss out on the blessings because we have forgotten to focus our energy for his glory?

The pathway to renewed blessings is through living for the Glory of God. Are you devastated? Cry out to him. Cry out for his glory. He will meet you – the sweet connection of a living soul and a living God. He will reach down and kiss you. He will exchange for you all your weakness for all His strength. He offers to you all that will carry you all that will assist you, and all that will encourage you in every moment.

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake…Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. (79:9, 13)

Always Enthusiastic,
Rusty Newman

Releasing the Blessing!

Matthew 14.18-21

Blessing – Greek word eulogeo lit., "to speak well of" (eu, "well," logos, "a word")
Indicates an act of praise, consecration, and petition.

Blessings are released through an act of Praise
(Ex) Jesus assessed the situation – he seated the people in an orderly fashion- he obviously knew the exact extent of the need and what it would take to meet the need.

(AP) Now that you are becoming aware that God wishes to bless you and you need it – have you ever taken time to accurately assess your situation?

(IL) Many who are known for receiving great answers to prayer (George Muller, J. Hudison Taylor) carefully recorded their needs and God responses.
If you will assess your situation you will begin to notice what happens to you both small and large, as answers to your prayers.

Blessings are released though an act of consecration

(Ex)verse 19 -…and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks
Jesus sought the mind of God – Jesus recognized the Father as the source of supply – he had already conformed to the revealed will of the Father – (obviously take the small portion and feed the people)

(AP) we must seek a word from the Lord concerning his willingness to bless and the manner of behavior he will bless…
(IL) Moses and the rock…
We must seek the Mind of God and act on His promptings

Blessings are released through an act of petition
GO Back: Blessing – (Greek word) indicates an act of praise, consecration, and petition.
Jesus blessed God and requested a blessing on the food (object of need)

Our prayers for blessing should include Praise, Consecration, and Petition
Praising Him builds our faith
Consecration is offering our self to Him to use however He wishes (Settles the issue of Lordship)
Now we are ready for making an effective Petition

Bessings are released through an act of obedience
Ex: Jesus gave to the disciples and they gave to the people – not only did Jesus ask for the blessing he was involved in the blessing

(AP): when we ask the Lord to bless certain people or activities we must remember that God may want us to be the channel of blessing.

“Lord, If I am to be the channel of blessing for you blessing to this missionary, show me, and I will act accordingly.”
The blessed food still had to be passed throughout the crowd.

(What do you want to happen in your life (in your family, your church, workplace, your community) that goes beyond what human resources can accomplish?

(Message notes from January 16, 2011 True North Church)

Ask the Blessing!

Blessing is a sovereign act of God by which he causes someone or something to supernaturally produce more than would be naturally possible. We can ask for a blessing! Overcome some mental and spiritual obstacles to our asking…
Three Facts to lean on:

Blessings are unlimited by the size of our need
Ex: imagine the hopelessness and helplessness of this situation…disciples overwhelmed (v. 15) Jesus was determined to prove that there is no limit to what may be accomplished when we have God’s blessings.

AP: We often view our situations as either too large for our faith or too small for God to bother with. (Many times we try to determine if the solution to our problem is within the realm of possibility before we approach God)

Genesis 18:10-14 The Message

 One of them said, "I'm coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man.  Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, "An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?"  GOD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh saying, 'Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?' Is anything too hard for GOD? I'll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby."

Sarah was afraid to claim the blessing in the face of insurmountable odds.

But God is not limited by the size of our need – Is anything to hard for the Lord?

Blessings are unlimited by the cause of our need

Ex: The disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away – look at verse 16…Jesus gave them the assignment to feed the people – all of them.
They made a desperate attempt (and failed) to gather enough food – v 17 all they got was 5 small cakes and 2 sardines. (Is it possible that the predicament was caused by their carelessness?)

No matter the Lord said– v 18 – bring them to me…

AP: Many people labor under the misconception that prayer is available or effective only in situations they did not cause or affect. (I would ask God for rescue – but I brought this on myself…) Praise God! This is when He is most joyful about our coming to him for help!! – we get convicted of our humanity (hopeless and helpless) we find our limits and then can discover that he has no limits!!

Colossians 2:6 - So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him

Daily we must admit our personal failures…falterings…faithlessness and ask for His sufficient grace.
God’s blessings are not limited by the cause of our need.

Blessings are unlimited by the available resources

Ex: can you see the disciples – they may want to pull Jesus aside so as not to embarrass him…Rabbi, all we have is 5 cakes and 2 sardines – these folks have to go somewhere…

God’s Blessing is not limited to the human resources available.

AP: too often we make our plans on the basis of what we think we can do rather than on what God can do through us as we obey Him. We must learn to seek the mind of God and not look at the past results as a measure of what to do.

J. Hudson Taylor (China Inland Mission)

“God’s work done God’s way receives God’s supply”

Many times we fail to ask for God’s blessing because we assume it must come through an existing or known channel.

(40 years in the wilderness)

We should not be discouraged because we cannot see how God will bring about a needed blessing. Proverbs 25:2 - It is the glory of God to conceal a matter…

What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Matthew 6:31-33 The Message

(Sermon Notes from True North Church Preached January 9, 2011)

Matthew 14:13-21 

Let God Arise!

The year was 1589. Henry of Navarre, the protestant champion of the French Huguenots, and his armies were held up in the town of Dieppe. They were threatened with destruction by the armies of the Catholic League under the Duc of Mayenne.

Weather was not favorable either for fog had begun to roll in and was keeping Henry’s artillery from taking aim on the enemy. To make matters worse reinforcements had failed to arrive. The men’s courage was gone in the face of insurmountable odds and the obvious strength of the enemy.

“Come!” said the King, “lift the psalm. It is full time.” Now above the clang of weapons there arose the melody of Psalm 68. May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him…

With the sound of the Psalm ringing in their ears the men of Dieppe forced through the royalist lines, splitting their forces. The fog lifted, and Henry’s cannon fired on the opposing ranks of soldiers, the cannon actually marking the cadence of the psalm. The League was scattered.

May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.

Psalm 68 was a favorite of Charlemagne and Oliver Cromwell. It might just be a favorite of yours. Are you under siege; insurmountable odds; over your head? It’s time - lift the Psalm – Sing it out – Sing it Loud – fight now for the Lord has arisen – He is mighty to save.

May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him…Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah (Psalm 68.1, 19)

Always Enthusiastic,
Rusty Newman

The Rock of Blessing

Psalm 31:3 …you are my rock and my fortress.

Before he was the King of Israel, David sought the wisdom and protection of the cliffs, crags, crevasses. On the plains his small band of ill equipped and outnumbered men were no match for King Saul’s mighty Israeli battalions. But on the rocks, in the hills, his small band was not only safe they experienced the blessings of victory. No doubt that with every experience of safety David with this awesome heart of a worshipper saw the immediate parallel to his true “Rock of Refuge” – Jehovah!

David sings two things about His Rock Refuge God that have been described by some, weak in faith – dim witted, as illogical. He sings that God is his rock and yet asks God to be his rock. Listen to the song –

Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue;

be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

Since you are my rock and my fortress,

for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Low faith and no understanding of faith ask, “How, can Jehovah be and yet be asked to be a refuge at the same time?”

How much we just don’t know?! Charles Spurgeon understood that this a logic not of words but of the worshipping heart. He wrote that this teaches us to ask God that we may, “enjoy in experience what we grasp by faith.” We know by faith that Jehovah is many things, because the Bible tells us. Hearing who Jehovah is in truth and theory is much different than proving God to be those things by personal experience.

Do you believe that Jehovah is all powerful? Of course you do. Then you should pray that He prove himself strong in your weakness. Do you believe that Jehovah is wise? Then ask him to show his wisdom in ordering your life. In the very same prayer you can ask Him to be to you loving and gracious and merciful and everything else that the Bible tells us he is.

The Prayer that opens the door for blessed experience is patterned this way – “You are______________ then BE ___________________.”

Learn this, Live this, and you will step into the Rock of Refuge and discover He is a strong fortress to save.

Always Enthusiastic,
Rusty Newman