Faith Center Blog

A Change of View

Danny Borrell — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:00:00 -0700

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord”. (Luke 2:11) Those were the words of an angel messenger bringing a message of hope and joy to common folks like you and me. Life would take on new meaning. Their lives would experience great change, the birth of Jesus would transform their view of the landscape as they had known it. This was not just new hope for a coming year, for His work was an eternal work, one that would free us from the power of sin, chaos and futility. He is Savior, Christ the Lord.

There was an openness of the Shepherd's to receive the words of an angel and in haste, they set out to find the Christ Child. The Bible said that they found Mary, Joseph and Jesus, the one that the world needed so desperately. Heaven says to us today what heaven said to shepherds on the hillsides: “Unto you is born this day … a Savior, Christ the Lord”. The reference to “this day”, includes every day that will come, all 365 days of every year that you will see in your lifetime. Jesus came to work redemptively, not just today, but to work His purpose for your life every day of the year!

Pastor Danny Borrell

FOUR GRACE-FILLED FRIENDS

Danny Borrell — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0600

“And they came unto Him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was carried by four men.” (Mark 2:3)

I want to name these four unselfish men. Note that everyone else had already gone to the meeting to get a front row seat. The four men who took part in the man’s healing represent four vital elements in a great work of grace.

The first man’s name I will call Prayer. Prayer is the fundamental necessity in every move of God. In Luke 11 Jesus reveals the spirit of prayer in the man who continued to knock at his neighbor’s door for food. This man was intent. He could not be denied. His importunity opened the door. Jesus said that this is prayer.

The second man’s name could have been Faith. Faith grows out of the seed-bed of prayer. A strong prayer life begets strong faith. Faith is the normal outgrowth of fervent prayer. Faith becomes real and alive to the extent that we vitalize it through prayer.

The third man’s name might have been love or charity. The world is waiting to be loved. People will go anywhere when they are convinced that you love them. It is impossible to catch flies with vinegar, but you can catch hundreds of them with syrup. Love will win every time whereas criticism and hard knocks will repel those who need our help.

Let’s call the fourth man’s name Perseverance. When they arrived at the house where Jesus was preaching, they found it impossible to get the palsied man through the crowd and into the presence of Jesus. The fourth man, Perseverance, went looking for a ladder while Prayer, Faith, and Love were doing their part.

An old southern preacher once said, “There are three points in perseverance. The ‘fust’ is take hold. The second is hold on, and the third is never leave go!” Perseverance keeps pressing in when it looks impossible and pressing on in the face of difficulty. Perseverance knows that when you have Prayer, Faith, and Love working for you nothing is impossible to you. Jesus said, “Arise, take up your bed and go thy way.”

Full of Grace,

Pastor Danny

GREATER WORKS

Danny Borrell — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0600

  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the son.” (John 14:12-13)

I have never ceased to be enthralled with the magnitude of this scripture. Greater works than Jesus did are possible. There must have been, to some degree, a lessening of the power of God as a result of the weakness of His humanity (ll Corinthians 13:4), (Philippians 2:7-8). The words “because I go unto my Father” make it clear that because of His ascension to the Father and His being seated at God’s right hand in power, His limitation is gone, and now we are enabled not only to sit at the right hand of God in power, through Christ, we will do greater works.

Connybeare and Howson in their book, The Epistles of Paul, quote Jesus as follows: “For although He died upon the cross through the weakness of the flesh, yet now He lives through the power of God. And so I, too, share the weakness of His body; yet, I shall also share the power of God, whereby He lives.” (ll Corinthians 13:4) Jesus realized that the union that He had with the Father would be so intensely perfect that He could say as a literal truth – Greater works shall you do.

The ascension of Jesus to the Father and His being seated at God’s right hand, His limitation is gone, and now we are empowered to do greater works. Jesus’ promise of greater works was contingent upon two qualifications. First, believe on Jesus, and believe that He is the Son of God, our Redeemer who died for our sins. Believe that Jesus ascended to the Father with power over death, hell, and the grave. The second qualification is – ask in His Name: “Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do.” (John 14:13) Does “whatsoever you shall ask in my name” sound too good to be true? Jesus said it, and He never lied but spoke the truth in love. Believing and asking in His Name are the two vital elements for doing greater works.

What are the greater works? I do not know all that I would like to know about greater works, I do know that He invites you and me to go in His Name to heal the sick, cast out devils, and share the Good News. I know that by the laying on of hands, believers speak with new tongues. I do know that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to those who will dare to believe in Him. (Eph. 1:19-20)

Jesus is the Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians l: 22-23) I like this translation: “Who fills all things everywhere with Himself.” He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think. May I ask you – what are the greater works?

Pastor Danny

EVERYTHING IS NOT A NAIL

Danny Borrell — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0600

If the only tool you owned was a hammer, you would tend to treat everything as though it were a nail. God gave each of us diverse gifts and callings. We are each unique. Paul said our gifts or tools differ according to the grace given to us.

   “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…” (Romans 12:6, NKJ)

   “… not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord”. (12:11, NKJ) Romans

In verse 11 Paul said, do not lag in diligence, but be fervent in spirit as you serve the Lord. Evaluate your gifts and talents. You have all the tools you need to fulfill God’s calling and to affect every person God places in your pathway.

Pastor Danny

SATAN’S POWER IS DESTROYED!

Danny Borrell — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0600

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14)

When Adam turned from God, who was the Source of his Life, he then became subject to the power of death. The only way we could get out of that terrible dilemma was by Christ’s death on the cross and through the power of His resurrection we enter into the life of Jesus. Entering into our death, Christ endured the penalty for sin and satisfied the claim that satan had over us, fulfilling, the scripture, “death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57) Thanks be unto God, our marvelous heavenly Father who through Jesus our great leader has established us as overwhelming, triumphant, invincible champions through His amazing love for us. We win, in fact we more than win, victory is a slight almost trivial word, we are not marching over a field of battle into a defeated city. We are born on the wings of faith into the life giving presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. My brother and sister, no matter what comes down we still win big because He is on our side! (Romans 8:37)

Christ on the cross birthed a whole new generation in world history who would be called Christians, a people who are filled with His glory, grace and power, who cannot and will not be defeated. A people who died in Christ on the cross and in dying with Him; we were resurrected with Him, becoming a new creature with a new nature and now from our heart, we serve God. What an exciting life when you know satan no longer has anything to hold over your head and God has empowered you with His strength to overcome the evil ungodly influences in this world. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

Pastor Danny