LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

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With as much difference, opposition and hate as there is in the world, it is powerful to remember the words of Jesus: "Love your enemies and pray for those who would attack you because of your relationship with Me."  Let's address two biblical concepts that are often misunderstood, which then result in believers operating in the enemy's nature.

The first is directly connected to God's own estimations of a particular man.  Some point to the Father's feelings for Esau as approval for trafficking in hatred.  This is unfortunate, as the phrasings of Malachi 1:3 and Romans 9:13 are humanized and then used to reverse engineer the nature of the Lord.  If we assume that His feelings mirror ours, we create a god made in our image, rather than allow our perspectives to be stretched by His perfect character.  When God declares that He "hates" something, it is in a Spirit that is very foreign to the emotional make-up of most humans.  We must adopt divine perspective.  The word used in the Hebrew for "hate" is specifically a "de-choosing" and not the spiteful, bitter, emotional glare we see among people.  In other words, because of Esau's appetites and behaviors, God distanced Himself and made a clear statement that He could not support and would not associate with someone whose values and behaviors were at intentional odds with His own.  This is not egotism, but the ultimate in wisdom and love.  God is life.  His desires for people to revolve around and be anchored in that which accommodates and perpetuates life.  Therefore, He intentionally deselects ("hates") those things which oppose life, so that humans will learn to adopt His values and enjoy His life.

The second is extracted from King David.  Often, believers will turn to the words of David, "Don't I hate those who hate You, Lord?" (Psalm 139:21), as a permissive text expecting to receive justification for their disdain of others.  Yet, such approval is not in the heart of God.  We must remember that a description found in the Word is not necessarily a prescription proposed by the Word.  When we read the Psalms written by David, we are usually getting a sneak peek into his private journal.  These are the musings of a man who loved God deeply, but was also struggling with obvious character flaws.  (Can anyone say, "Bathsheba?")  This is not to say that we don't glean powerful teaching from the all areas of the Bible; but we must admit that God clearly doesn't intend for us to emulate the behaviors and adopt the perspectives of every character we find in its pages.  That is one of the reasons why I love what Jesus said in John 14:9, "If you've seen Me, you've seen Our Divine Father."   Jesus appears for a multitude of reasons, one of those being to clear up any confusion about the loving, humble nature of the God of the Universe.  The best way to honor God is by loving.  When we love - even those who hate Him, we walk in the Spirit of God that empowered the Cross of Christ.  Nothing can defeat that.

So, my friends, love God, yourselves, your spouses, your parents, your children, your brothers and sisters, your friends, your neighbors, your bosses and co-workers, humans in general, and yes - love your enemies.  In this way you fulfill the greatest desire of God; and then it will be equally said of you: "If you have seen <<INSERT YOUR NAME HERE>>, you have seen Daddy Divine."

Forever panning for gold,
Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

SLOW DOWN

Sometimes in our effort to keep up with the pace of society, or to hasten the fulfillment of a dream, we find ourselves barreling through life.  The younger and more energetic that we are, the more enthusiastic we can be in this conquering hustle.  Granted, it is exciting to move forward into destiny and achievement. Similarly, when we sense a victory around the corner, it is natural to quicken our pace as internal momentum kicks us into high gear.  But, our pace must always be equal to the flow of grace that God has given us.  Being on the winning team should never become an excuse to become unhinged and reckless on the field.  We are engaged in a battle.  Outpacing our Commander-in-Chief will have disastrous results.  Take a look at this story:

But Asahel refused to turn back, so Abner thrust the butt end of his spear through Asahel’s stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He stumbled to the ground and died there. And everyone who came by that spot stopped and stood still when they saw Asahel lying there.

2 Samuel 2:23 NLT

The story of Asahel is far too common a contemporary tale as well.  Asahel had joined David's army.  Disenchanted with the political status quo, he hitched himself to Israel's rising star.  He was on the winning team.  Even more than that, he was fast, naturally able to outpace and outlast his opponents.  If you read the preceding verses, you get a glimpse of his youthful, playful arrogance.  Even his enemy, a one-time friend, tries to warn him to slow down and pace his attack.  (Side note:  Friends, we will receive no such caring instruction from the true enemies of God's Kingdom.)  In his zeal to claim the final victory, Asahel wouldn't relent - he just wouldn't SLOW DOWN!  The verse above shows us the results of his failure to patiently pace.  From his story, consider these few nuggets:

1. There is a time, while in pursuit of the enemy, to turn back.  This is not retreat - it is a strategic return to the Commander for replenishment, revelation, and resourcing.
2. If our pace is out of sync with grace, satan will use our own momentum to take us out of the fight - permanently, if at all possible.
3. Pacing ourselves is not meant to be restrictive.  It's relational.  We are paced for partnership.  We cannot, by God's own design and will, win by running out ahead of God's army alone.
4. When Asahel dies, the rest of the warriors lose focus.  The greater our giftedness, the greater the temptation to rush ahead.  Unfortunately, this also means the greater the distraction to the rest of the team when we fall on our faces.
5. Though our haste may not result in our actual death, it may mean the death of our dream or assignment.  We mustn't let zeal for victory in the Lord consume our conformity to the Lord.

Friends, God is certainly looking for a people with the faith and passion to go the distance with Him against His foes.  We have said, "We are here, Lord!  We will fight with You!"  That is wonderful!  Now, let's take a beat.  Take a breath.  Let's SLOW DOWN and get our pace from His grace.

Forever panning for gold,
Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

ANOINTED COMMUNICATION

Communication is a non-negotiable.  We all must and will communicate regularly.  Whether it's written, spoken, eye contact, facial expressions, movements, or posture, we are communicating.  Even trying NOT to communicate is a form of communication.  The only choices we have are in the quality of our communications and the harvests that they produce.  I have recently spoken a series on this topic (three parts) and feel that it is important enough to condense and share with you in nuggetized blog form.  

Let's lay some quick groundwork.  You and I have been made in the image of God.  What's more - we've been born again by the Spirit of God and been given a new nature from which we are to live.   As such, we have the privilege and responsibility to function as His representatives and as extensions of His authority.  This means, that if His words are designed to return validated and effective, then so are ours.  If His words are sent forth to heal, so should ours.  If His words are destined to be fulfilled, then so should ours.  Those may sound like bold claims, but they are truth.  And our Father deserves for His Church to be a force of holy power and love the likes of which this earth has not yet seen.  Remember, the Father could have created the world in any way He saw fit.  What He chose, though, was to communicate it into existence.  It stands to reason, then that if we are to advance His will, then our words will be used to accomplish His work.  In light of that, keep these three main thoughts in mind the next time you prepare to communicate:

1. Anointed communication is CLEAR.  It is honest, informed and intentional.
2. Anointed communication is CARING.  It assumes the value of its hearer, delivers something of worth, builds strength on others, and imparts grace wherever it flows.
3. Anointed communication is COMPLETE.  It not only finishes its thoughts, but it creates, instead of complaining; calls forth the eternal, instead of just quoting the obvious; plants crops, instead of poisoning the land; and it secures the future, instead of settling for impotence.

All of these concepts are found in the following verses:

• ROMANS 4:17 - (as it is written, "I have made you, Abraham, the father of many nations"). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed--the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.
• HEBREWS 11:3 - By faith we understand that the universe was formed by God’s communications, so that all that is now seen was not made out of what was visible, but issued forth from that which was audible.
• PROVERBS 18:20-21 - With the fruit of a man's own mouth will his stomach be filled; Yes, he will be satisfied with what he uses his lips to produce.  21-For death, that which destroys, dismantles, and decays, and life, that which creates, constructs, and cultivates, are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it, by learning how to guard and order their words, will eat its fruit and flourish.
• 1 SAMUEL 3:19 - And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

I encourage you - do some study of your own on these powerful Scriptures.  Ask the Father for an anointing in your communications and start reaping a harvest worth eating.  You may not consider yourself a Master Communicator; but that doesn't mean you aren't communicating for the Master.  

© 2016 Chris Liotta

HOLD TIGHT

It is imperative that we remember precisely that to which we are holding tight in the spirit.  The wrong perspective or focus in this area exposes us to pursuits that will distort both our spiritual responsibility, as well as our reward.  The concept of holding tight to something is nothing new.  Every day we are confronted with threats to the things we value.  Some of these are overt, some covert, but, still, every day, we hold fast or hold tight to that which we perceive as essential to life and the pursuit of happiness.  Take a look at Hebrews 10:19-25:

19 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death,[b] Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

We have been given a tremendous gift.  The sacrifice of Jesus has opened to us a "new and life-giving way" of entering into the very presence of God.  Jesus has negotiated and formally established this blessing - personally paying the price for its permanence.  We have been encouraged to fully trust in Him.  We have been told to use this access-ability with a completely clean conscience - no guilt, no shame!  We have been made "most holy place" ready by Jesus' own blood.  Then comes the "hold tight" part.  We are told to "hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise."  We are holding tightly to HOPE on behalf of a PROMISE.  

When the world or the enemy or just plain old life comes to challenge what we value in the spirit, we must remember that we are not contending for a product or a position, but for a promise.  God has declared an identity and an inheritance over us that cannot be threatened - not because of the strength of our grip, but because of the strength of His goodness.  When we realize that our hope is in the security of His promise and not in the specifics of the product, we will truly be free.  Once we are free, we can fulfill the cause of Christ outlined in verses 24 and 25:  

1. Creatively motivating powerful acts of love and kindness.
2. Gathering together, free from competition and strife.
3. Infusing one another with transforming courage and faith.

In this condition - holding fast to a promise, not grasping desperately after a product, we will find great peace and power.  We will walk clean.  And we will be a Church worthy of the harvest to which He has called us.  So, HOLD TIGHT, dear friends, for He is faithful!

Forever panning for gold,
Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com

© 2016 Chris Liotta

DISCERNING DAD

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Got an email after Robert Henderson visited with us and taught on the Courts of Heaven.  As I read it, I thought, "Wow, this is a great question."  Then, as I answered it, I thought, "Wow, this would be a great blog."  So, here it is...

Hi guys, I have been thinking and thinking about what we learned last weekend and now have a zillion questions.  My most pressing question centers around John 5:19 "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does."  This seems to be key to the miracles Jesus performed -- how God's will was done "on earth as it is in heaven."  My question:  How do we "see" what the Father is doing?  I base my prayers right now on God's character, I ask for what He promises in Scripture, I ask for things based on the blood of Jesus and what He paid for, but I can't say that I "see" specifically what God is doing.  I think this would be very effective in the courts of heaven and I would like to "see" more effectively.  I'm very interested in God's will happening on earth.  Any thoughts?  Or definitions?  I have really been pondering this, the Holy Spirit won't leave me alone about it.  Help!

Here are my thoughts...

Without going through every word, I did some Greek study to give a little more perspective.  There are about 4 or 5 Greek roots for the phrase "see."  Their distinctions are significant, but specifically here, Jesus uses the word "blepo."   It is the only word for "see" that also means "to discern," but that is NOT a passive verb.  The vision is voluntary and intentional.  Also, "can do nothing" is a weak translation of the verb "dunamai" used in this verse in conjunction with "poieo," which is the word for God's creative works.  Also, remember that Jesus is addressing their judgments of His claim to be equal with God the Father.  That context sheds light on how to interpret this verse.  Here is my Kingdom Paraphrase:

John 5:19:

Then Jesus offered them a calculated response and clearly spoke, saying, "Listen carefully, because what I am about to say is an eternal "amen and amen!" I officially declare to all of you, The Son by His very nature and choosing can not and will not exercise His miracle power for any creative work in which the Father is not active; because the Son fully discerns and actively observes the Father's movements, patterning His own actions after those of Father-God."

More than a key to the miracles of Jesus, this is the flow of his entire ministry.  And we, too, have the privilege of voluntarily peering into the Father's work and discerning what He is up to.  Notice, Jesus didn't pray about what He should do, He imitated the Father by discernment and observation.  Jesus also said, "If you have SEEN ME, you have SEEN THE FATHER."  When in doubt, we look to what Jesus did and we observe the Father.  We then take that experience into our current situation and trust that we discern His current work.  Once we have done that, the time for prayer is over.  It is now time to exercise the dunamis we have been granted and "get her done!"  The more I read the Word, the more I see that Jesus used prayer for intimacy and personal strength more than direction or guidance.  It seems when we have the former, the latter comes automatically. 

Take some time and meditate on the John 5:19 above.  Ask God for enhanced vision and discernment and when He gives you a prompting - speak it, don't pray it.  This is the essence of obedience and maturity in the Spirit.  Jesus knew  He was the Son of God.  When we realize that we are sons and daughters of God through being born of His Spirit, we can walk in the confidence of our authority, as well.  We don't compete with God when we do this.  We complete His work in the earth...on earth as it is in Heaven.  Hope this helps!

Forever panning for gold,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

DIVINE WEAVE

The strength of a piece of woven cloth can be boiled down as attributable to just two major factors: the material and the mechanics.  If the material is old, weak, cheap or brittle, the garment is destroyed before it is made.  It may look good (Smile for the picture!), but as soon as it is worn, it's inferiority is revealed.  It disintegrates, leaving the wearer exposed to both danger and ridicule.  If the mechanics are incomplete or careless, the entire cloth unravels, entangling the wearer in a mess that creates more problems than a good garment would have solved.  No matter how good the materials, good mechanics are indispensable.  No matter how good the mechanics, good materials are essential. 

And such it is with the Body of Christ.  The Scriptures refer to garments in a number of ways.  New patches on old cloths - Matthew 9:16.  The garment of praise - Isaiah 61:3.  The garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness -  Isaiah 61:10.  The armies of heaven in fine, pure white linen - Revelation 19:14.  Garments are used to illustrate and accentuate God's plan.  Well, today's nugget proposes that we, as the Body of Christ, can be likened unto a garment worn by our Great God.  We are a living, constantly renewing material - strong, valuable, and flexible.  Holy Spirit, the Master Weaver, is at the loom, crafting the Coat of Many Colors to be worn by the Creator of the Universe.  What a beautiful image!  You and me, draped over the shoulders of Almighty God, shimmering in the light and reflecting the various colors of the supernatural spectrum of His glory.  And yet, each of us is but a single strand.  Each of us is intertwined, filling the gap of just one small portion of His robe.  If we are to give Him His garment, we must stop squirming in the loom.  We must stop resisting the mechanics of God being used to weave us together.  We need one another.  We need to respect one another.  We need to become appreciative of our differences; and love must be without hypocrisy.   How can we do that?  How can we truly yield to this great work of Holy Spirit?  Here are some things to remember:

1. THE MATERIAL:  We are all made from the same material.  Regardless of our color or level of refinement, we are born again from the same Spirit.  John 3:8, 1 Corinthians 10:1-3, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:4-6.  We are ever-new through His presence.  Acts 3:19-21.  We are strong.  2 Corinthians 12:9.  We are valuable.  1 Corinthians 6:20 & Acts 20:28.   We are flexible, changing to meet the needs of the moment and season.  2 Corinthians 3:18.
2. THE MECHANICS:  For a weave to work, the threads must be both intertwined and cross one another.  Understand this one!  We don't all run the same way and sometimes we feel a bit twisted in our relationships.  But, if this were not so , WE WOULD FALL APART!  These are the mechanics of God and we need this looming process if we are to clothe God in the beauty of His purchase.  For a weave to work it must be tight.  The loom stretches and tightens and presses the threads together.  This is painful for us "living strands," but it is the glorious work of Holy Spirit among us.  The bond of peace is forged in the painful loom of fellowship.  

When all is said and done, we will be a strong, beautiful garment of praise and righteousness for our Warrior-Daddy-King.  Together we comprise His royal robe, without spot, blemish, or wrinkle.  You and I are  the Divine Weave of God.  If we will focus on what, or should we say, Whom, makes us one, we will better see ourselves as this seamless garment of Jesus (John 19:23).  Lose the jealousies - we are ONE garment.  Lose the competitions - we are ONE garment.  Let's give Jesus the wedding clothes He deserves - brilliant, priceless, spotless, matchless.  Let's love each other well...and give Jesus an Agape Robe saturated with the fragrance of His Kingdom. Amen?!  Amen!!

Forever panning for gold,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

PARALLEL LINES

I woke up this morning with a phrase repeating in my head, "Parallel lines never intersect, but they are still in a relationship with one another."  It was the Lord.  I have really come to recognize His voice over the years, and I just LOVE when I wake up with it running through my head!  It's so much fun deciphering and digesting what He is delivering.  And now for the message behind the message, and this blog's nuggets.

There are two main concepts the Lord was speaking to me through this word:

1. First, one of the problems with unity in the body of Christ is that we mistake it as requiring conformity.  Now, before some of you get twitchy about what I am proposing, let me be clear.  I believe in right and wrong.  I believe that sin is a real thing and that ignoring it doesn't get anyone closer to God.  I believe that there are reasons why we would not want to hitch ourselves to a certain wagon, especially one rolling slowly toward a burning barn.  But, too often, we, as believers, divide ourselves over nuance and perspective.  We look at life like the image above and we fall for the optical illusion of it all.  Somehow the extra lines and the dark spots make us believe that we are not running a parallel race with those around us.  We feel the distortion is real and we start posturing for the impact - criss-cross, crash!  And yet, it doesn't come.  We have squandered energy and opportunity readying ourselves for a battle with our brothers when we could have been celebrating and coordinating with them.  We must stop trafficking in spiritual competition with one another.  Unity does not require conformity.
2. Second, two people on two paths that will never intersect are still in a relationship.  It's called - parallel.  They have more in common than they think.  We may never cross paths with a born-again believer living across town, but it doesn't have to indicate indifference or division.  God is a vast and variable being.  There is more creativity in the mention of His name than in all the museums and art galleries on the planet combined.  We are foolish to think that any of us has landed on the final opinion or perspective of the King of the Universe.  We are not here to figure Him out.  We are here to get to know Him.  Retaining our individuality, while recognizing our unity is part of the mystery of being in His family.  We are not co-dependent on one another, but we are interdependent, with one another, in Him.  If we will accept this, we will be able to enjoy the crossroads of Christ, created by the Father to encourage and capitalize on our interactions.  And we will do that without feeling the need to compete with or conform to the assignment of the other. We must start realizing that we spiritually complement one another.  Recognizing difference doesn't require division.

Take some time today to consider the people around you, especially those who walk with you on the path of life in Jesus.  If you have been dismissive or divisive in how you have handled those parallel relationships, simply repent.  (Philippians 2:1-11)  If you have been stressed or felt pressured to conform to someone else's assignment, relax.  God needs you to be you.  The only conforming He wants for you is to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus.  (2 Corinthians 3:16-18 & Romans 8:28-30)  Now, go take some time, read the scripture links in this blog, and pray about the parallel lines in your life.  

Forever panning for gold,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

AND SO WE PRAY - PART 2

And so we pray...Last time, we chatted about the challenges many face when trying to build and strengthen their prayer lives.  We acknowledged that the answer is two-fold:  1) Propaganda (created by the enemy to keep us from praying), and 2) the "over-religionizing" of the practice of prayer.  Take a look at "AND SO WE PRAY" to read about the propaganda part.  Today, we will focus on the practice part and what is meant by the phrase "over-religionizing."

THE PRACTICE:  Prayer, as a concept, is widely known and accepted.  When it comes to defining and practicing prayer, however, the perspectives can be as divisive as they are varied.  Some teaching on prayer has created more discouragement than desire; and pressures from well-meaning (or truth be told, sometimes, just plain "mean") believers can scare away the most humble and honest of hearts.  So, in an effort to simplify prayer and inspire a passion and enthusiasm for it, let's pull some of the ritualism, ceremonialism and spiritual "hoop-jumping" out of it (that's what we mean when we say "over-religionizing").  There is sooooo much to say about prayer, so we will only touch a couple of areas; and for space and time, let's bulletize our nuggets:

1. PRAYERS ARE RELATIONAL, NOT RELIGIOUS - God does not need us to pray as a function of His religious order.  He doesn't need anything from us at all. (Acts 17:25)  He wants us to fix our relationship with Him and draw near to Him through prayer. (Isaiah 55:6-7)  To get to know Him better through prayer. (Philippians 3:10-14)  He designed prayer so that we could truly be friends with Him. (John 15:15)
2. PRAYERS ARE CONVERSATIONS, NOT FORMULAS - Prayers are simply conversations with God.  Now, it is possible to pray with wrong motives or to pray about things in ways that go against God's design or desire, but there are no formulas. (James 4:3 & Isaiah 5:20-21)  The prayer police aren't waiting in the wings to shut you down.  Also, God is not looking for elaborate, flowering speeches.  Just be humble, honest, and from the heart. (Luke 18:9-14)
3. PRAYERS ARE FOR EVERYONE, NOT JUST CHURCH LEADERS - Luke 18:9-14 contrasts two very different people as they pray.  One is a church leader (not one of the good ones, though) and the other works for the IRS (not very popular).  Jesus shows us how it is God's desire for everyone to be able to approach God in prayer.  All of us have the chance to get to know God personally, and prayer is the way we do that. (Jeremiah 24:6-7)
4. PRAYERS ARE FOR GETTING TO KNOW GOD, NOT GETTING STUFF - You can go back through the past points and see this truth about prayer popping through.  Knowing God is so much better of a reward than we realize.  (Philippians 3:10-14)  Rather than asking for more answers from Him, we should be asking for more intimacy with Him.  This doesn't mean that we ignore our needs while we are praying.  It just means that we don't need to pray as if we were beggars.  Don't let your focus stay on the "stuff."  Put more time into appreciating getting to know Him.  (Matthew 6:7-8)
5. PRAYERS ARE FOR GROWING, NOT GRIPING - Remember, God is our Dad!  Our prayers are times of sitting in His lap or hanging out on the couch talking about life.  In the end, we really just want to be like Him.  (1 John 3:1-3)  If all we ever do is complain, (my wife and I call this "comprayning") we are going to find that prayer becomes a chore and a disappointment - for both us and God, LOL! (Colossians 3:8-13)  We may need to get stuff off of our chest; but then - move on.  Let love become the centerpiece for your prayer time.  (1 John 4:7 & 1 Peter 4:8)

Once our hearts are straightened out in prayer, we find that a matchless power and peace comes from its practice. The prayers of people who have aligned themselves with God through the sacrifice of Jesus are POWERFUL.(James 5:16)  Also, when our hearts are right, our heads start to clear out, too.  Minds made brittle by thoughts that have been dehydrated through worry and confusion get moisturized by God's peace and presence. (Philippians 4:6-9)  Oh, friends, there is nothing quite like it...and so, we pray!

Forever panning for gold,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta