 There's a situation in the Good Book, that's the Bible for all that's wondering, that tells of a poor widow who's husband served with the prophet Elisha. Now, her husband is dead, and the creditors that she owes are coming to take her two sons and make them slaves to pay the debt. So, what does she do? She cries out to the prophet of God for help. But instead of just giving her stuff, he asked her a question. He said, "Tell me, what do you have in the house?" That's a question that we as families need to ask ourselves. What do we have in our house? Some of us, if not most, will look and say "not much". I want to challenge you to look at what God has given you. Not just the stuff that fills your house, but the substantial material gifts that God has placed in your life. You have more than you realize. And here's the thing; once we realize we have so much to be thankful for, we begin to realize we have so much more on top of that. It always gives me chills to think how blessed I am. And there is always more that we don't realize or see. The widow in the story told the prophet all she had in her house was a flask of olive oil. So, the prophet told the widow to gather and borrow all the empty jars as she could. Then he told her to go in the house with here two sons and shut the door behind her. He told her to pour olive oil from the flask into the empty jars, and set aside each one after it is filled. She was probably thinking, I don't have much oil in my flask dude! But, she obeyed the prophet. The story goes to tell us that the sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon, every container was filled to the brim. What you thought was empty will be filled to the brim as you trust in God and allow Him to work through your obedience. It's all in the House! At the end of the story, she tells the prophet what happened, and he instructs her to sell the olive oil, pay off her debt, and live on the what is left over. God is the God of More Than Enough! What ever you struggle, wrestle, or encounter in this life, remember, Everything You Need Is In The House! Go and read the story in 2 Kings 4:1-7 
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 Have you ever been Pushed? Pushed into a pool? Pushed into someone? Pushed out of the way? Pushed to the side, literally and figuratively? Pushed off a cliff? Well, maybe not. Pushed to the limits of utter delirium to where your head feels like it's about to explode and fall off after studying for a test or taking all night to write a paper for your college course. Okay, that last one might not have happened to you, but I'm sure some of you have been pushed to some sort of limits. All of these have one thing in common. They are all negative. I want to do the opposite starting this week. I want to push you, but I want to push you in a positive way. I want to Push You To Greatness! You have no excuse to settle for mediocrity. Let's decide to pursue great goals and break the habits that have held you back. Being Pushed does not have to be negative, because it's that negativity that has held you back from excelling in Greatness! Greatness is not a goal you can never reach. Someone once said, greatness is not gained by our big achievements, but by the little acts of kindness and triumphs throughout our day. One more thing! As I push you to Greatness, learn to Push others to Greatness! We may teach what we know, but we reproduce who we are! Start reproducing Greatness! Make today Beautiful! Only you can do that. With Love show your Greatness! The journey is ahead of you, the road less traveled is before you. Navigation set! Ready! Come with me! 3...2...1... GOOOOOOO0oooooooooo...........!!!!   "If you are faithful in the little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities." Luke 16:10 I once heard someone say they are a success because they floss their teeth everyday. He said if a day goes by that he doesn't floss, which he added is not very often, he is not very successful. Now, I don't know about you, but once I heard this I thought it was crazy. How can flossing equate to success? As I thought about it more, and as he explained himself, he was saying in essence that it's in the little things he choices to do that propel him to success. Flossing is something that betters your teeth, which in turn helps them to look good and healthy. Which in turn helps you feel good and healthy, producing more work and encouragement. Which in turn may make you smile more, which may make people feel better or loved. Which in turn encourages them to become all they were created to be. Which in turn they can encourage others. Which in turn.................. you get the point. Some of you might say that's a stretch. But think of something you may have done to better yourself. Did it make an impact on others? I'm sure it did because bettering yourself usually has effects on others. As I thought about this more, I recognized how much the enemy doesn't want us to open our minds to the possibilities of all we were made to be. You were made with purpose inside of you. It's an everyday, waking up, acknowledging God, and striving for the best in your life. Just think of all the negative that is produced everyday. You wake up with a since of purpose and ready to tackle what lies ahead, but half way to the bathroom your back goes out. If that didn't get you, next you find out you're out of toothpaste. Or, once you're finally ready you find out there are no more coffee filters to make coffee. Or, once you get in the car you find out there is no gas. Do you see the progression of negativity and disappointments that can come up during your day. If it's little things like this that can ruin your day, I believe it's the little things that can also make your day great (just like flossing). What are you doing to turn your negative into a positive? Have you lost your Focus because of all the small negative elements surrounding you? I believe it's all about choice. A choice to Create Solutions instead of giving in to mediocrity. Be Creative, Excellent, Ingenious, Innovative, Productive, and Visionary today!! It's inside of you!!   If Families want to see growth, Spiritually, Financially, in Togetherness, Peace, Love, Joy, then we need to be Raising Leaders! The picture above is a few shots of our children. I pray everyday for the Lord to help me raise them to be leaders. The Bible gives us awesome examples of how to do that. The story of Asher is short, but gives us insight on how to raise leaders. Lets see how. Equip: Story of Asher I Chronicles 7:40 “All these were the children of Asher, heads of their fathers’ houses, choice men, mighty men of valor, chief leaders. And they were recorded by genealogies among the army fit for battle; their number was twenty-six thousand.” 4 Parenting Principles that we can learn from Asher 1. He raised his children to be leaders. A. The Bible says Asher’s sons were the “heads of the father’s house”. They weren’t just hanging around the house, eating food, playing video games, and taking up space. According to I Chronicles 7:40 , these men grew up to fulfill a leadership role. B. You know as a Leader, Asher and his sons set the tone and direction for their homes and future generations. One of the worst things that can happen to a family is to have parents who do not adequately fulfill their leadership roles. They want to be called parents without the commitment of parenting. Remember men, that “headship” is not a title, but it is a responsibility. In order to claim the title Man, a leader must also own the responsibility that goes along with it. 2. Asher raised his children to excel in all things. A. The Bible says they were “Choice Men”. That means they grew up to become top of the line in all that they did. B. Being of “Choice” means they had great ethical character and they accepted their responsibilities. C. They held high standards that wouldn’t allow them to settle for mediocrity. Which means the Parents of these children clearly expressed expectations coupled with consistent follow-through. And that right there produces responsible kids. These children were not just trying to make it and get by. Rather, Asher and his wife raised them in a spirit of excellence and integrity. And even though Asher didn’t have a perfect track record, he sought to better his own character while steering his children to a higher plane than he had experienced. 3. Asher raised Warriors- Men of Valor A. I Chronicles 7:40 says he raised “Mighty Men of valor”. This describes individuals that are brave, courageous, and willing to risk themselves for others or for the betterment of the whole. Valor means boldness. A person of valor is willing to take a stand when a stand needs to be taken. Asher raised children who grew up into adults of conviction. B. To raise leaders, we must instill in them a heart of valor- a spirit that will stay strong despite the challenges and enemies that they might face on any given day. 4. Asher raised children who would serve others. They became mentors. We read they were “heads of Princes”. A. A healthy home is not an isolated home— it’s a home where family members are encouraged to get involved in local activities, as well as service opportunities in the community and beyond. B. Asher’s children not only did 1-3, they also took care of their country. Asher raised leaders who understood that the stability and advancement of the Kingdom began with them, weaving through their families into congregations and communities and ultimately impacting their nation. Unfortunately, today many parents have lost sight of the long term impact their children will one day make. My challenge to you, Parents, is to Start Now! No matter what age your children are, it is not to late to start raising them as Leaders! Below is a story that I hope encourages you today. Encounter: Don't Hope, Friend... Decide! -- By Michael Hargrove While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life changing experiences that you hear other people talk about. You know, the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly? Well, this one occurred a mere two feet away from me! Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jetway, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family. First, he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, and movingly loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other's face, I heard the father say, "It's so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!" His son smiled somewhat shyly, diverted his eyes, and replied softly, "Me too, Dad!" Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe 9) and while cupping his son's face in his hands he said, "You're already quite the young man. I love you very much Zach!" They too hugged a most loving, tender hug. His son said nothing. No reply was necessary. While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one and a half) was squirming excitedly in her mother's arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man said, "Hi babygirl!" as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder and remained motionless in total pure contentment. After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, "I've saved the best for last!" and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then quietly said, "I love you so much!". They stared into each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant, they reminded me of newlyweds but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't be. I puzzled about it for a moment, then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I were invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, "Wow! How long have you two been married?" "Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those." he replied without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face. "Well then, how long have you been away?" I asked. The man finally looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile and told me, "Two whole days!" Two days?! I was stunned! I was certain by the intensity of the greeting I just witnessed that he'd been gone for at least several weeks, if not months, and I know my expression betrayed me. So, I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!" The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with an intensity that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, "Don't hope friend...decide." Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!". With that, he and his family turned and energetically strode away together. I was still watching that special man and his exceptional family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, "What'cha looking at?" Without hesitating, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, "My future!" Activate: 1. What is one of the principles you need to work on most? 2. Find a ministry or a charity to serve with as a family. 3. Decide to go above and beyond just getting by. Equip, Encounter and Activate Today, and Tomorrow change the World!   It's another Wifey Wednesday, and the picture above is of the beautiful ladies in my life. My Wife is an awesome nurturer who takes initiative to teach our daughters to be strong and courageous, loving and caring, no matter what life throws at them. As we pray for our girls, we have faith and confidence that God will lead them to be a beautiful crown that he will use for His glory in the future. So today, let us dive in to how a Wife is a Crown to her husband. Proverbs 12:4 says, “A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones." Did you know crowns relate to wisdom. Proverbs 4:8,9 says, “If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown.” Now what does a crown do? A crown encircles the head. It originated from a word that means “to encircle”, much like in battle when you attack or protect. Just like this, wisdom surrounds and protects the mind and it brings honor to the “head” of the one who has it. The verse declares that the godly woman also is a crown to her husband. When she is received as God’s gift, her husband will benefit from God’s wisdom through her. It’s just like Abraham did from Sarah in Genesis 21:12 when God told Abraham to listen to her concerning Hagar and her son. The husband of such a woman, as it says in Proverbs 31:23, will be “well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders”. Now I know men no longer sit at the city gates and hobnob with other men about important things. Well actually we do, just not at the city gates. It may be in the office, or at church, or where ever you hang out in these modern times. People see, through you, of what a great wife you have when you speak well of her and the wisdom you have and share. What is my point? The woman who cultivates her relationship with God first, then relates to her husband relevantly, she will powerfully influence him in every area of his life. So, my one question to women, do you want to influence your husband in every area of his life? If you do, this is vital to doing just that. Truly effective people are those who are turned from their own short-sighted agenda to God’s eternal purposes. There needs to be a shift in our thinking to where we are thinking and doing eternally and not for the now. I know there are plenty of things you have to do now, but is all that you do NOW have eternal ramifications? I say this to everyone, not just women, but the men that receive her as a gift, you all have a purpose in this life. God has placed in both of you a purpose. That purpose should be passed on to the next generation. Your children will have their own purpose, but they will see in you and through you what their purpose could be. Men, your wife is not just a jewel, but the whole crown. Treat her and speak well of her in a way that beautifully displays that crown.   21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.” 25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” 26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” 28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed. Matthew 15:21-26 A seed is something you plant in hopes it grows into something truly beautiful and useful. Jesus taught us that the Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters the seed and while he's asleep or awake the seed sprouts and grows, and he does not understand how it happens (Mark 4:26-27). He goes on to say the earth produces the crops on its own (28). This applies to the seeds you plant in life. I don't mean the garden variety, go out in the yard, dig a hole, drop the seed in the hole, and cover it up type of activity. I'm talking about the seeds we plant in the world around us and the people around us. How do we plant these seeds you might ask. It's through the words and actions we use daily, that we are planting seeds inside people's hearts. So, if we are displaying and speaking joy, then we plant joy in someone's heart. If we display and speak bitterness and negativity, we sow those seeds into others around us. The story above is one of my all time favorites because of the woman's response. This story is also found in the book of Mark, and if you read both accounts you can get different perspectives. This women was desperate for her daughter to be free, so look at what she had to endure from Jesus. First of all, He ignored her. Now, I don't know if you've ever ignored a woman before as she was talking directly to you, but believe me, it's never a good thing to do. But instead of whining about being ignored, she begs even more. She begs so much she irritates those around Jesus, making them beg Him to do something. That should speak volumes to someone. Never give up praying and speaking forth your miracle. Pray and speak it forth so much that it gets on the nerves of those around you, that they'll be begging God for your miracle. It's the next part that gets me every time. Jesus responds to her begging by explaining He was only sent to His people, the Jews. Then out of nowhere, He calls her a dog. Now, this is Jesus. You know, the "call on His name and you'll be saved" Jesus. The "Kumbaya my Lord" Jesus. The healer, redeemer, savior Jesus, calling my sista a dog. Now, in any other circumstance the gloves, nails, shoes, or wig would of been off, but look at her response. Instead of reacting, she responded. I don't know if she was truly desperate to see her child free, or if she really knew her place in all of this. But, instead of sowing seeds of bitterness, discontentment, envy, resentment, and offense, she decides to surrender her own will. She was willing to take whatever Jesus could give her, knowing whatever the Savior would give, it was much more than the world had to offer. She decided to "Switch the Seed"! Instead of planting the seeds of pain, resentment, hostility, and bitterness, she planted the seed of surrender. And with that seed she planted, came a harvest of faith, love, hope, and healing. One of the reasons we're not seeing a harvest of these in our family is we're planting the wrong seed. SWITCH THE SEED! We need to start Switching the Seed if we want to see not just our family prosper, but our country prosper as well. It is time my brother, it is time my sister, to SWITCH THE SEED! If you want to see an abundant harvest, you must Switch The Seed!   This is our Daughter, Isabella Divine Shelley, and she is going on Mission this summer to the country of Belize with her youth group. We have raised her to love and serve others, and she exemplifies what Christ has called us to do, to Love God and Love people. This will be her 4th official missions trip to another country, not counting home mission trips to different cities here in the United States. She is such a hard worker, earning money babysitting, chores around the house, and any other odd jobs people might give her, to go on these mission trips. Isabella is looking forward to going with the High School Ministry of Community Bible Church on this summer's Missions Trip to Belize. They partner with a ministry called Thirst Missions in Belize. She came back home last summer and told us her heart was there and had to go back and work with the kids again. She told her Mom she felt so lonesome for them while naming some of the kids she had the privilege of ministering to. Then her Mom told her that it's kind of like us, that God knows our name and He loves and calls us by name. This has all started while she was young. My wife reminded me about a time 10 years ago when we brought our California youth group to an Orphanage in Mexico. We had 3 young kids, and Bella was a 1st grader. We saw first hand her love for other kids and a love for telling them about Jesus. God is faithful, and He continues blessing us today with the promise of our children continuing the call on our family. The team she will be a part of will help out a ministry in Belize called Thirst Missions. It is Thirst Missions pleasure and passion to try to make a difference throughout the country by bringing groups from around North America to serve, encourage, and share Jesus Christ’s message and love. Belize is a country with great physical and spiritual needs. Belize is the most ethnically and culturally diverse nation in Central America. 41% of the Belizean people live below the poverty line and many who find work, have to do so outside the country due to lack of opportunity. On this mission trip, Bella's team will work with a Belizean church in a variety of activities to further their ministry goals. Some of these activities include service projects, mercy ministry, outreach events, sports ministry, evangelism, children’s or youth ministry, etc. This is where you come in. Bella is working hard to earn money to pay for this trip, and you can have a hand in providing a way for her to go minister to the least of these. If you would like to give toward sending her to Belize, you can do so by clicking the button below. Every gift is tax deductible and goes directly into her account to pay for the trip. She needs $2000 dollars by May. Please consider giving today so she can be the hands and feet of Jesus to people that are in need. And please pray for her and the team, that God protects and anoints them on this journey. Click the button below to go to the missions website to give your tax deductible gift toward Bella's Mission Trip:  
This is our Daughter, Isabella Divine Shelley, and she is going on Mission this summer to the country of Belize with her youth group. We have raised her to love and serve others, and she exemplifies what Christ has called us to do, to Love God and Love people. This will be her 4th official missions trip to another country, not counting home mission trips to different cities here in the United States. She is such a hard worker, earning money babysitting, chores around the house, and any other odd jobs people might give her, to go on these mission trips. Isabella is looking forward to going with the High School Ministry of Community Bible Church on this summer's Missions Trip to Belize. They partner with a ministry called Thirst Missions in Belize. She came back home last summer and told us her heart was there and had to go back and work with the kids again. She told her Mom she felt so lonesome for them while naming some of the kids she had the privilege of ministering to. Then her Mom told her that it's kind of like us, that God knows our name and He loves and calls us by name. This has all started while she was young. My wife reminded me about a time 10 years ago when we brought our California youth group to an Orphanage in Mexico. We had 3 young kids, and Bella was a 1st grader. We saw first hand her love for other kids and a love for telling them about Jesus. God is faithful, and He continues blessing us today with the promise of our children continuing the call on our family.  The team she will be a part of will help out a ministry in Belize called Thirst Missions. It is Thirst Missions pleasure and passion to try to make a difference throughout the country by bringing groups from around North America to serve, encourage, and share Jesus Christ’s message and love. Belize is a country with great physical and spiritual needs. Belize is the most ethnically and culturally diverse nation in Central America. 41% of the Belizean people live below the poverty line and many who find work, have to do so outside the country due to lack of opportunity. On this mission trip, Bella's team will work with a Belizean church in a variety of activities to further their ministry goals. Some of these activities include service projects, mercy ministry, outreach events, sports ministry, evangelism, children’s or youth ministry, etc. This is where you come in. Bella is working hard to earn money to pay for this trip, and you can have a hand in providing a way for her to go minister to the least of these. If you would like to give toward sending her to Belize, you can do so by clicking the button below. Every gift is tax deductible and goes directly into her account to pay for the trip. She needs $2000 dollars by May. Please consider giving today so she can be the hands and feet of Jesus to people that are in need. And please pray for her and the team, that God protects and anoints them on this journey. Click the button below to go to the missions website to give your tax deductible gift toward Bella's Mission Trip:   I love history. If I were to teach a class at a school, I would teach history. The element I love about history is learning and finding out how places, people, communities, and creations were formed to make what we have and see today. You can learn so much of how people thought, or how a group came into existence and fought to establish it's greatness among despair. The dangerous thing about history though, is sometimes we are destined to repeat it if we don't learn from it. I also like learning about the creators, or inventors as we call them. People like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, George Washington Carver, or Lonnie George Johnson who invented the first Super Soaker water gun. We can even talk about the creators/inventors of today. People we might have heard about in the news like Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), and Mark Zukerberg (Facebook). The most popular and successful inventions today are not the handy work of one or two people, but rather a whole team. One of the similarities of these inventors and their inventions, are they all built upon something that was already there. All they had to do was look for it and use their talents to bring it out. A lot of their work was original, and their hard work payed off so we can build upon them today. Did you know that the Originator of the Original has put gifts and talents in you. All you have to do is look for them and bring them out. It will take work, but your efforts will bring forth a masterpiece that will bless generations to come. The Originator is the only one that has created something out of nothing. And from what I've seen so far in this life, He never creates junk. He has made you Original, Unique, Awesome. He formed you from the dust and has made you into a masterpiece. You Originally were made for Greatness. Start searching for it inside of you. Because that's where the Originator started.  Transcribed from the Ready Set Go Podcast: Episode 22 Forgiveness in the Family Intro: Welcome to the Family Second Program Through our 4 Shells Connection and our Equip, Encounter, and Activate Network we want to welcome you, along with my beautiful wife, my Diva Divine, Divina, and the 4 Shells themselves, Isabella, Everette, Eva, and Dallas. We love you lots. And want to encourage you today through this program and network. So please share with everyone you know. You can also be encouraged through my blog at philipshelley.org. So, check that out after you listen. The reason I do this is to lift, build, and encourage the family unit God has created you for a reason. I believe it’s through the Family we will begin and continue to heal this world. I know there is dysfunction, strife, unforgiveness, a whole slew of things that the devil wants to destroy you and your family with, but we must fight back. Start fighting back. It’s not easy. It’s hard. But your family is worth it. Equip: One of these things the devil uses to destroy the family that I just mentioned is Unforgiveness. Through the program today we are going to learn first what Forgiveness is and who forgives us, and second, what are the bonds of unforgiveness that can destroy, not just families, but whole communities. So, with that in mind lets dive in today. The Bible says in Colossians 3:13, “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, and you MUST forgive others.” We need to think of Forgiveness in terms of Reconciliation. So, we want to Reconcile not seek Revenge. Throw Revenge out the window. When you forgive, you are reconciling with that person. We also need to know that Forgiveness is made possible through Christ, who the Bible says Forgave us. Colossians 1:14 says, “He purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” Forgiveness is a true act where one person releases another from an offense. Now let me explain. When you do this, you’re doing 3 things. Listen carefully so you know what you’re doing when you forgive. 1. You’re refusing to enact whatever penalty is due him or her. 2. You’re refusing to continue attention of the cause of whatever the offense was. 3. And you’re refusing to allow that offense to affect your relationship. Now, some of you might be saying, “2 out of 3 isn’t bad.” But we need to accomplish these if we want true forgiveness to happen. Because without true forgiveness Unity will never be accomplished. And that is where God wants to lead us. That is our goal as a family, and as the family of God. What does this forgiveness do? It releases us from a sense of unresolved guilt, restores a clear conscience, and restores relationship. That’s what we need in our families today. Now, when we forgive we are not condoning the sin as acceptable. Nor are we saying it made no difference in our lives. And to forgive is not a license to repeat the offense. Forgiveness is a choice! It’s a decision made to no longer hold the offense against another person or group. Now, what happens when we embrace unforgiveness, because when we do, we allow bonds to hold us captive. So, there is another word I want to associate with Forgiveness. That word is Deliverance. We need to be delivered, or released from oppression and captivity, if we are to see our Families restored. There is a passage I want you to read this week in Acts 8:4-25 that tells us about Philip preaching in Samaria and seeing many miracles happen. Well, a sorcerer named Simon was watching, and it says that he himself believed and was baptized. So, he began to follow Philip everywhere. Well, Peter and John heard what was going on and came to pray with the new believers for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Once Simon the Sorcerer saw them lay their hands on the people and receive the Holy Spirit, he wanted to purchase this power that he saw. Peter went on to rebuke him and asked him to repent. Please go back and read this passage and listen again so you can get everything God has for you. Peter identified the basis of Simon’s sorcery. It was bitterness. Bitterness is the deepening effect of unforgiveness. It’s like poison. If we tolerate or embrace it, it may spread throughout and bind the soul, which will ultimately corrupt everything around it. In Simon’s case, his bitterness shaped his passion to control others, which motivated his quest to purchase the ability to impart the gift of the Holy Spirit. And here is the thing. I hope this speaks to some of you. He believed and was water baptized. But he allowed the residue of his past bondage to surface as he unworthily sought power to manipulate others for self-exalting purposes. How many of us are out there, even in the church, know the bible, repented, and are still in bondage of unforgiveness because of bitterness or wanting to seek revenge? This episode points to one of the keys to deliverance from a bondage that is rooted in a believer’s soul, and that act is Forgiveness! Forgiving others from your heart flushes out the poison with the power of the cross. On the other hand, Unforgiveness can lead down paths we would never have imagined we would travel. Just read God’s Word. It tells you plainly that unforgiveness will destroy your life. And isn’t that what the devil wants to do? To destroy you and your family. Let us realize today he wants to destroy it through bitterness, which is gained through unforgiveness. Spend time with God today, in that relationship one on one, and ask yourself the tough question. Am I holding on to something? Am I not forgiving, and through my unforgiveness, is bitterness destroying me from within. You need to be set free today, not just for your sake, but for your family’s sake and the generations to come. I love what I heard in church the other day. “Forgiveness is not difficult, It’s Impossible. That is why we need a loving Savior who nothing is impossible for to help us forgive.” Encounter: PRAY for the weight of unforgiveness to be lifted off family’s. Reconcile and Deliver Family’s, bringing Unity as we strive to reach our full potential. Activate: 1. Sit down with God and ask Him if you are holding on and not Forgiving. 2. Sit down with your Family and as a family see if any of you are not forgiving one another. 3. Receive God’s supernatural grace, power, Love through your forgiveness towards one another. It will be like a heavy weight being lifted off you. Outro: Thanks for listening This is a listener supported Podcast, so if you would like to give toward our Equip, Encounter, Activate Network, email me at philip@philipshelley.org . If you would like to be inspired go to my Devo at philipshelley.org and read some of those. We love all of you and our desire here at EEA Network is to see the weight of Unforgiveness be lifted off you and your family. It will truly set your family up for success when you learn about the power of Forgiveness. Let it set you free and set you up for greatness. Throw your hands up! This has been a Pshells, Diva Divine, 4 Shells Connection and remember that Connection is Key! Live to Give and Live to Connect! Peace!  |
