Do Christians have the best sex life?

“What’s up with Christians and believing Jesus is real?” One atheist man said to his other atheist friend.  “I don’t know, I think they are all nuts!” said the other male friend. “I do know a Christian that I work with and he says he has the best sex life in his marriage because of Jesus.” “Really?” Long pause and silence…. “Where did he say he goes to church?” – (Mark Gungor, Laugh your way to a better marriage)

Since the launch of our church, over 5 years ago, hundreds have been led to Jesus for the first time. Many leaders would be the most excited that they were a part of the new, born again process to lead people to Jesus. My favorite and most exciting thing to be a part of is to watch Jesus heal a person’s home life and marriage. Over the past 8 years, we have witnessed Jesus heal dozens of marriages on the brink of divorce. Ultimately each couple would admit that self-righteousness was the greatest enemy of their marriage. Self-righteousness is self- focused and keeps score and yet when we are Christ-focused and what He did for us, we can’t help but lay our lives down because when we were still sinners He died for us.

Many have witnessed this next generation uneasy to lay their lives down to marriage. Young men and women want the benefits of marriage but can choose to live together and often refuse the life long vow and commitment. This has been happening for years. Did you know the institution of marriage is God’s idea for us to have the best sex life ever?  When young people have been impacted by being raised in an environment of a bad marriage then we can’t be surprised when they are reluctant to marry. People often reject God’s institutions because they have seen an unhealthy environment. We don’t heal from what we reject and the absence of something, we heal from who we accept and the presence of someone (2 Corinthians 3:17). His name is Jesus and he wants to heal our sex life!

Can marriage be unhealthy in a Christian home? Absolutely! I have met atheists that have better marriages than some believers. I can promise you that this is not what Jesus intended. I also know that this is not the majority of marriages. The majority of Christian marriages have a way better sex life than singles or celebrities that trade their partners every six months. I have heard experts say, “Single people don’t even know what they are doing.”   Jesus desires His people to have the best sex life under His idea of marriage and what if the world knew the truth? It may be time for the church to rise up and the redeemed of the Lord to say so!

Equipping Disciples of Jesus to Receive, Give & Serve in Grace,

Brandon Pollard

http://www.graceforeternity.com

Is Rest a Four letter word?

For some of us, everything in the world is grabbing for our attention. Our work, our kids, our friends, our phone, our emails, pretty much 24/7 we have some thing or somebody wrestling for our focus. So when we think of rest, we can often think of no responsibility or turning our focus off our job, which by the way can be very refreshing for the soul. However, have you ever felt you needed a vacation even after a vacation from your job? Rest for some well-meaning Christians can be a four letter word and their vacations can often be busier in focus than their day jobs.

For the new covenant believer, we are invited to learn from Jesus to find true rest. Today vacations are needed and practiced in our marriage and yet as a young believer I thought I could leave behind the responsibility of learning from Jesus while on vacation. I felt too busy relaxing and being entertained to invite Jesus into my jam packed vacation. All along Jesus was inviting me to learn from him even while on vacation, sometimes near the ocean, and ask Him the hard questions. I found the more real questions I asked Him the more I learned, and the more I learned the more I felt peace and rested. What moment in life have you felt the most rest and peace from Jesus? Were you able to give Him your full attention in that moment? Ask yourself, what would it take to go back to that kind of intentionality from distractions to focus on Rest?

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 The Message

^28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Rebuking Or Resting?

Every season, because you carry God’s calling and purpose, you will face a life storm. Jesus approached two ways to face a literal storm while in the boat with His disciples. During the storm, the first thing He did was rest His physical body by sleeping. So either the waves were hitting him in the face and he still didn’t wake, or the disciples over-exaggerated the drowning part of the storm. Physical rest was important to Jesus when no one else was prioritizing it. The calling and purpose of God on your life will often take you to a place where you are doing exactly opposite of everyone else in a storm. Of course spiritual rest in Jesus is the highest priority of a believer during a storm. To surrender your beliefs and worries and exchange them for God’s thoughts and plans during the storm can be true rest in Christ Jesus.

The second thing Jesus did was rebuke the storm after the disciples pleaded with Him. This is every young disciples dream… “Let’s simply get rid of the storm!” We see it often in young believers poorly advising, “Just rid yourself of the marriage, just rid yourself of the job, just rid yourself of the relationship, just rid yourself of the church…. things will get better because…..you deserve to be happy.” Sometimes ridding ourselves of the storm robs us from perseverance and an opportunity to grow in our faith and learning to rest. “Well Jesus finally rebuked the storm so He must have wanted to do that!” What if Jesus wanted His disciples to rest with Him and trust that what He said about going to the other side would actually happen, regardless of the storm?

Today we have 2 options in our life storm. Rebuke or Rest. I am all for rebuking life storms if you know that God has asked you to rebuke but what if in this season of the storm, you can go to another level of trust with Jesus by resting? Even if your life boat sinks, you can lean on the thoughts/ chest of Jesus who can’t sink or drown but supernaturally rises above the stormy water.

Mark 4:35-41 ESV ³⁵ On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Finding GOOD ADVICE for a healthy family.

Ever received parenting advice from someone who didn’t have kids themselves? Probably not well received from you as a parent, am I right? Many understand receiving good advice from someone who is just two steps ahead of us can be true wisdom. What if the person giving advice is two steps ahead but is not successful? Should we take their poor advice?

If someone in the business world is selling $1,000,000.00 a year of products or services and you are selling $500,000.00 annually then you will probably attend their workshop or seminar to learn advice how to make your next goals. Same thing is necessary in growing a healthy family, find some people that are successful, just two step ahead, and be intentional to ask how to reach your goals. Some Christians are more intentional to have goals in business and asking advice with their money than they are with their family and suddenly realize it’s too late. Here are three personal goals we look for to receive advice to invest in a healthy family. Today we value good family advice especially with young adults in college.

GOOD ADVICE FOR US:

1. Are their children passionate for Jesus and serve a local church weekly?
2. Is their marriage healthy enough to allow both couples shine in their talent and gifting together.
3. Are they married to the same person and still enjoy the local church, dating, and vacations together.

POOR ADVICE FOR US:

1. Their children are self-centered building their own kingdom not Christ-centered.
2. Their marriage is insecure where one is fulfilling their dream but the other suffers.
3. Remarried and advising us to focus on financial goals while ignoring our church and family.

Again, these are our family goals to pursue good advice and do not have to be yours. Just make sure you know your goals for your family, write them down, and believe in them to pursue good family advice as much or more than jobs and money.

Heal the Home Heal the World

http://www.graceforeternity.com

Forgiving Spiritual Fathers

When someone “owes” us an apology, there is possibly bitterness that has taken root in our heart. Don’t get me wrong, our soul enjoys a good performance of tears and a vocalized “sorry” when trust has been broken. But the Biblical definition of forgiveness is the removal of debt owed. For some of us growing up in the local church with “spiritual shepherds/fathers” that broke our trust has played out more times than we prefer to count. In my judgmental heart, I promised God I would be a better shepherd and protect the sheep with a tender heart and yet found myself saying the same things I had judged other spiritual fathers for. When I open my heart to God in this area, He reminds me I am forgiven without debt. Quickly judgment of other spiritual fathers debt is removed as well. Talking with many loving pastors who have hurt and said the wrong things to possible one percent of the sheep they feed, it is the one percent that keeps them up at night with regret of breaking trust and misrepresenting Jesus. The enemy often reminds them of the one they disappointed, so that they focus on failures and feel powerless from feeding and making disciples. Let us pray blessings for those who hurt us and truly discover there is no debt that is owed to us.

Heal Home, Heal World

http://www.graceforeternity.com

Friends and Forgiveness

Jesus was amazed at four friends who had faith enough to rip off a roof and lower their paralyzed friend to the feet of Jesus. Everyone needs friends that are seeking the kingdom first because when it comes time to go to spiritual war, the ones that are building their own kingdom first can often be too busy to even notice anyone around them is paralyzed.

Jesus lived forgiveness from Heaven but didn’t trust everyone. Forgiveness from Heaven and trust from Heaven are not the same thing. Forgiveness is a gift to the entire world through Jesus. John said, “behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”. Trust from Jesus is through relationship and obedience to His love. Jesus removed himself from the physical abuse of the self righteous trying to stone him because He didn’t trust them…..of course it wasn’t his time for the cross (John 8:59). There are people in your life to do ministry to, but Jesus possibly hasn’t called you to do ministry with. The friends that are running to Jesus and living godliness for love, not gain, are the ones to do ministry with.

The Apostle Paul was going to spiritual war for the early church and disagreed with Barnabas to separate ways. They didn’t separate because of doctrinal issues or because of any unforgiveness. They separated because Paul didn’t trust who Barnabas was ministering with. Barnabas had a cousin ( John Mark) who had already stepped away from the ministry once during a difficult work time and the trust was broken with Paul (Acts 15:36-39) It is healthy to have many friends and enemies that you forgive with the power of the Holy Spirit and it’s healthy to have a few friends you trust to seek Jesus with. Take time this week to be the trusted friend to rip off the roof for someone close to reach the feet of Jesus!

Brandon Pollard

Heal Home Heal World

http://www.graceforeternity.com

Forgiveness and Suicide

Our Father in Heaven loves the world so much that He sent His son Jesus for everyone to receive the kingdom of forgiveness. “Isn’t it called the kingdom of Heaven?” you might be thinking. You are right but what do you think the kingdom of heaven is like when it comes to binding unforgiveness or releasing forgiveness?

The thing that Jesus did most that He was hated by the religious leaders was releasing the forgiveness that was in heaven. It was religious suicide to tell someone their sins were forgiven without going through the spiritual gymnastics of the old covenant sacrifices. Even today the over-religious earthly thoughts in us all expects a good apology for any emotional abuse before releasing forgiveness. Jesus didn’t wait for the tears or even the confession, just like His Father in the prodigal son parable who released love by wrapping His arms around His son. Jesus released forgiveness without a resume or speech from the adulteress woman and gave her the power to sin no more. Jesus offended the religious leaders not because He healed but because He forgave freely.

When we don’t tap into Heaven’s forgiveness to release it into the earth, we can drink from the root of bitterness. Jesus in His love warns the Jewish people that holding unforgiveness is like drinking poison into our bodies. Many of the Jewish people bound the unforgiveness to the Roman government and expected God to fight their battle for the land of Israel like the Old Covenant. Even though Jesus forgave all the jewish people at the cross, they refused to give the new covenant of the kingdom of forgiveness and God turned them over to the rulers of their land. More than a million jews died when Jerusalem and the mosaic temple system was destroyed in 70ad by the Romans. All the records of the Levitical priests were destroyed so that never again can we go back to temple sacrifice the way it was commanded under the law of Moses. Through the new covenant we are invited to the law of love, which binds the poison and suicide on earth and releases forgiveness from Heaven.

Matthew 18:23-35

²³ “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.²⁴ When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.²⁵ And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. ²⁶ So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸ But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii,^[j] and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ³¹ When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. ³² Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Heal the Home, Heal the World

Brandon Pollard

http://www.graceforeternity.com

Isn’t He Wonderful?

The english word “wonderful” might be overused in our homes and not always without sarcasm. Example from my wife: “Brandon, the electric bill came in high this month.” Me: “Wonderful”. Yes that is how the word is often used in our sphere but the Hebrew word for “wonderful” is oh so much more!

Wonderful in the Hebrew can mean miraculous, amazing, marvelous, fabulous, gorgeous. So when the prophet Isaiah prophesied that a baby would be born some 500 years later radiating these things, some believed and others doubted. The ones that doubted weren’t sure about the virgin birth of the Holy Spirit forming Jesus in the womb of Mary. They doubted the “miraculous” and when they heard He was from the town of Nazareth, they doubted He was anything “amazing”.

The stories of Joseph and Mary fleeing with Jesus to Egypt to escape the death sentence of babies under two and they possibly thought, “surely this King is not “marvelous” relying on His parents.” Not one story of Jesus doing ministry or miracles until later in his life and His friends might have thought “fabulous” was a reach. Now the people close to Jesus who had heard from God and the angels carried spiritual eyes of faith to see Jesus as “gorgeous”. The King of Heaven wrapped in humanity to take away the sins of the world. Nothing is more beautiful than the One who gave us eternal peace with God.

Some Christians today are not impressed with the miraculous Holy Spirit that is inside of them or other believers. Because Jesus is wonderful, so are you in this world today. I pray you have eyes of faith to see the “wonderful” Savior inside of you and the family of God!

1 John 4:15-20 ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ¹⁷ By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. ¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Heal the Home, Heal the World

Brandon Pollard

http://www.graceforeternity.com

Wrapped Is A Love Sacrifice!

What if every wrapped gift comes with sacrifice? I believe that because it’s easier to throw a gift in a bag this time of year, there is a deeper respect for those who take the time and craftiness to neatly wrap a present under the tree. One takes more sacrifice.

Jesus wrapped himself in humanity from the King of Heaven to the frailty of a wrapped baby in a manger. The shepherds would have had to had faith hearing the testimony of the angels because there were no miracles this baby King was performing, no levitating over water, or healing of the blind. Fully God, fully baby with probable smells of a baby that were mistaken for barn smells.

Religion often desires the supernatural without embracing the humanity for the natural, wrapping the unseen supernatural. The fact that God loves to package our miracles in something that is so dismissive as humans is probably humorous to a Father that wants to see His children receive from each other.

When we became born again, we became co-laborers with Christ to be ambassadors for God’s design and plan for the earth. Our body is purchased and became the wrapping (temple) of the Holy Spirit. Which really is exciting when we enter a room with people that have been held captive under darkness, we unwrap the love of Jesus and set the captives free by binding up the broken hearted with the power of the Holy Spirit. How? We are a co-laborer so we can’t be surprised when the miracle is already in our hands, in our mouth and in our gifts. It may never look like it is enough in the natural, which is the humor God works with to take us on a journey to trust him for the supernatural. The wrapping of the baby would have looked unimpressive. The wrapping of His dead body would have been hope deflating. But God always takes the wrapping of the natural sacrifice and invites us to open our spiritual eyes to see what Heaven sees!

Heal the Home, Heal the World

Brandon Pollard

http://www.graceforeternity.com

You Have A Place Of Honor Always!

King David gives us a glimpse of the heart of Jesus when He honors the covenant between Jonathan and himself to Mephibosheth. David is looking to pour out his kindness on a family member of Saul and Jonathan not because of what they can bring to David’s kingdom but responds with what kindness can David’s kingdom bring to him. The young man was crippled from being dropped as a baby and was unable to even provide for his basic needs. King David makes the statement and declaration that Jesus is telling you and I today, : “…And you shall eat at my table always” (2 Samuel 9:7).

This young man cannot handle the basic functions of providing for himself in the same way we could not provide enough righteousness ourself to stand before God, more less sit at His table. Yet here is an invitation to receive the kindness of the King to have a place of honor “always” at the table because of a covenant that had nothing to do with us and everything to do with our Heavenly Father and Jesus. Mephibosheth answers the way many of us may have thought in our heart at one time,

⁸ ….“What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

If you ever have been around a dog at the table, we know that they are beggars for scraps. He described himself as one lowly dog who didn’t even have the strength to beg at the table because he wreaked of death. This is where all our self righteousness was without Jesus. The Father opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble because humility recognizes the need for Jesus. Today see yourself at the table of the King, where decisions of the growth of the kingdom are made, see yourself as royalty because of Jesus and the promise He made with the Father. The promise is eternal life at the table with the King and because you didn’t earn the seat with your strength, you can’t lose the place of honor with your weakness.

³⁹ And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. -John 6:39 NLT

Heal the Home, Heal the World

http://www.graceforeternity.com

Recognizing His Anointed Family!

History has shown us that over the centuries people have used God’s word and twisted it for their gain and other’s losses. Without a believer knowing the heart of God, people can pervert the word of God as a sword against the family of God. Remember when David had an opportunity to kill Saul, the men around David reminded him of God’s prophetic word for David.

‘Behold, I will give your enemy into 

your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’-1 Samuel 24:4

Wasn’t Saul an enemy of David because the king wanted to murder him? Interestingly enough, David didn’t see King Saul as an enemy but recognized him as God’s anointed. David knew the heart of God and recognized Saul as the family of God when the 400 men of Israel around him couldn’t.

6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord,

 the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” 

7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul.

 And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.

You might be thinking….”Hang on, ain’t nobody trying to hurt God’s anointed and I’m not trying to hurt God’s anointed…..So we good like David, right?” Well under the new covenant of grace we get to understand that every believer is now carrying the anointing (Jesus) and are called the family of God. Jesus always empowers us to love way richer and deeper under grace than the old covenant law…….

Old Covenant Law: “Don’t commit adultery (unless you give your wife a certificate of divorce)”,

New Covenant Grace: “Husbands lay your life down for your wife (she’s anointed) as Christ for the church (they are anointed).”

Old Covenant Law: “Set your tithe aside for His blessing/ anointing (unless you want to be cursed)”

New Covenant Grace: “You are already anointed and blessed from Jesus so be content and generous with His money”

Old Covenant Law: “Do not murder (unless they are your enemies)”

New Covenant Grace: “People are not your enemy. Do good to everyone, especially to those of the household of faith (the carriers of the Anointed One).”

Old Covenant Law: “You can be generous to God and have financial gain”

New Covenant Grace: “You are free to choose generosity to God’s (anointed) household so they have financial gain”

I’m going to say something that may shock you, “Giving to the household of faith (gathering of the anointed) financially is godly but it is not godly or love to give for our personal financial gain.” Believers are deprived of truth when they imagine that godliness is a means of gain. When believers discover they don’t gain financially from generosity to the church, sadly many are disobedient with generosity and stop giving and their heart is no longer for the local church because there is no longer a promise of gain. Jesus promised wherever our treasure is there our heart is. The greatest treasure in Heaven is always God’s people. And if in the past we have been giving to the local church for financial gain, we can ask Him to help us learn to give from a place of love and cheerfulness for His anointed people because we have contentment from the head of the church, Jesus.

³ If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, ⁴ he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, ⁵ and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. ⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain, ⁷ for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 1 Timothy 6:3-9