Potter's House Pasadena - CFM

Hebrews 12: 29 - 'Our God is a consuming fire...'  I thank my God that we were able to witness this momentous occasion. My brother (Casi), and my sister (Veronica), tied the knot this morning! What a beautiful story of integrity, fidelity, and prayerful persistence! According to testimony...Veronica received a word from Pastor Dillard October 2014 that her prayers would be answered and the one she has been praying for would be by her side not too long from now...this has actually come true!! Through fasting, prayer, counseling and perseverance...that prayer was answered in a big way! Casi, a man of the penal system, made some serious decisions to turn his life around and give Jesus his life. This took a lot of soul - searching, and a lot of humility; usually a man of great pride and arrogance, now had to come to grips with the truth that he was in desperate need of the blood of Jesus. His love for Veronica had surfaced, but her commitment to Christ through him for a loop...

Proverbs 13:15-16 (NKJV) 15 Good understanding gains favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard. 16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool lays open his folly. Prudent – ‘Acting with or showing care and thought for the future’ Synonyms – Wise / Well advised / sensible / sage / shrewd / cautious / thrifty Latin word provident…foreseeing or attending to This word has lost circulation over the years. Look at the time span: 180s – 2010 In the 1800s it was used .003% in the English language (about 30,000 times for 1 billion people) In the new millennium it was used .0005% in English (about 35,000 times for 7 billion people) As you can see it dropped dramatically. These statistics basically tell us what we should already know about our society and culture…that is we care more about Today, than we do Tomorrow. Over the past 200+ years, we’ve failed in exercising wisdom, planning, and taking godly counsel. This is why people continue to make the same mistakes over...

Judges 6:12-14 (NKJV) 12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” 13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” 14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” Let me ask you, do you still believe in miracles? Do you believe that God can come through and save the day? Will God move in such a way, that no one can explain it? Does He still work like that today? That is the million dollar question for the modern-day Christian. This can be a hard pill to swallow because, while we are excited and believe God for other people - we find it nearly impossible to believe ...

Numbers 20:1-13 Moses’ Error at Kadesh 20　Then the children of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh; and Miriam died there and was buried there. 2　Now there was no water for the congregation; so they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. 3　And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: "If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4　Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? 5　And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink." 6　So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7　Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 8　"Take the rod; you and yo...

Acts 2:1-4 2  When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. God wants to meet with His people just as much as we want Him to...however, the bible makes it clear the prerequisite for this to happen... 1 - They were in One Place 2 - They were in One Accord 3 - The celebration (opportunity of mass gathering) was in full effect God wanted the attention of the lost masses...He waited for the opportunity to present itself, and decided to select a group of people who were in unity to do it! God does powerful things through His people who are in one accord with Him...

Matthew 11:12 12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. Well, we landed in Chicago on Thursday...hit the ground running and God did the rest!! What a powerful 3 days of outreaching, street ministering, and fire-breathing Evangelism!!  Several people gave their lives to Jesus and I couldn't be more grateful for being a part of what God is doing in Chicago!! Our church of Pasadena TX will never be the same...Jesus took over and we went out about His business!!  I thank God because, on Saturday night - (The 3rd night of our outreaching)...the church flew back to Texas, and I had the privilege of doing the concert that night...7pm... There were visitors galore! People were coming in from everywhere - asking for the people who gave them the invitations to come! We let them know that we were a sister church helping out this church...that concert was spectacular!!  People were touche...

Matthew 11:12 -    And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. The Potter's House Christian Church of Pasadena TX is on the move! God promised that we would win the city in His name, but it's a battle that we must fight! Just as God didn't simply hand over Canaan to the children of Israel, He isn't going to hand over our city to us, not without a fight! Isaiah 59:19-   So shall they fear The name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.  That standard was the Word of God itself, and we waived it with honor and humility last Saturday Night! To put it plainly, we took the Lord at His Word, and went to a local movie theater in Pasadena. The aim was to outreach, and get the bullhorn blowing the gospel! We actually have a karaoke machine that we were also going to ...

John 1:10-12 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: When Samuel Forrest of Armenia heard a baby crying from outside his wife's hospital room, he knew his life would change forever. Not only had he become a father, but he would soon receive some unexpected news about his newborn son. "This pediatrician walks out of the room with a little bundle -- that was Leo," Forrest said. "She had his face covered up and hospital authorities wouldn't let me see him or my wife. When the doctor came out, he said 'there’s a real problem with your son.' Forrest followed doctors and nurses into a room where he'd finally get to meet his baby. "When I walked into the room they all turned to me and said 'Leo has Down syndrome," h...

Luke 22: 1-6 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude. This moment in biblical history is among the most significant - this is the last fellowship Jesus would have with His disciples before His death...He felt it important to not only fellowship but worship...actually, this is history repeating itself. Exodus 12:1-14 The Passover Instituted 12 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to al...

Matt. 25: 1 - 13, 'The Kingdom of heaven shall be likened to 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now 5 of them were wise, the other 5 were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. At midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, NO, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also saying, 'Lord, open to us!' But He answered, 'Assuredly, I say to...

Judges 1: 28 - 'And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites under tribute, but they did not completely drive them out...' You must consider with me, the Children of Israel were probably feeling good about themselves at this point. They escaped the hands of the Egyptians, in dramatic fashion...they survived the wilderness and God blessed them incredibly through that; then, they cross the Red Sea, the Jordan, and literally destroy every enemy they encountered up until Joshua's death...that's impressive. However, with great victory comes great responsibility - they were too confident in themselves instead of God and they allowed the enemy to hang around longer than they should; this eventually became their own undoing, the same is true for you and me. I'm here to tell you that you shouldn't negotiate with the enemy, you should TAKE HIM OUT! The many problems the Israelites ran into is found in chapter 2 of Judges...God said for ...

1st Cor. 11: 1-2 Follow me as I follow Christ. Now I praise you, brothers, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 'Phil Jackson is arguably the greatest athletic coach of all time, having won eleven NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. Jackson has also been a respected mentor for two of the greatest basketball players ever in Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and he currently holds the record for highest winning percentage as a coach.  He is more philosopher, spiritual seeker, and scholar than he is a sports-minded tactician, although he is tremendously athletic on a physical and mental level in his own right and won two NBA championships as a player.  At face value, this well-known depiction of Jackson is undoubtedly fascinating; however, it does not explain the exact mechanisms behind his tremendous success and outstanding leadership ability. Rather than explore what Jackson knows and try to copy or em...

JOB 1:6-12 NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV) SATAN ATTACKS JOB’S CHARACTER 6 NOW THERE WAS A DAY WHEN THE SONS OF GOD CAME TO PRESENT THEMSELVES BEFORE THE LORD, AND SATAN[A] ALSO CAME AMONG THEM. 7 AND THE LORD SAID TO SATAN, “FROM WHERE DO YOU COME?” SO SATAN ANSWERED THE LORD AND SAID, “FROM GOING TO AND FRO ON THE EARTH, AND FROM WALKING BACK AND FORTH ON IT.” 8 THEN THE LORD SAID TO SATAN, “HAVE YOU CONSIDERED MY SERVANT JOB, THAT THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM ON THE EARTH, A BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT MAN, ONE WHO FEARS GOD AND SHUNS EVIL?” 9 SO SATAN ANSWERED THE LORD AND SAID, “DOES JOB FEAR GOD FOR NOTHING? 10 HAVE YOU NOT MADE A HEDGE AROUND HIM, AROUND HIS HOUSEHOLD, AND AROUND ALL THAT HE HAS ON EVERY SIDE? YOU HAVE BLESSED THE WORK OF HIS HANDS, AND HIS POSSESSIONS HAVE INCREASED IN THE LAND. 11 BUT NOW, STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND AND TOUCH ALL THAT HE HAS, AND HE WILL SURELY CURSE YOU TO YOUR FACE!” 12 AND THE LORD SAID TO SATAN, “BEHOLD, ALL THAT HE HAS IS IN YOUR POWER; ONLY DO NOT L...

Gal. 2: 20 - 'I have been crucified with Christ;it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.' John Adams, 1776: "Before God, I believe the hour has come. My judgment approves this measure, and my whole heart is in it. All that I have, all that I am, and all that I hope in this life, I am now ready here to stake upon it. And I leave off as I began, that live or die, survive or perish, I am for the Declaration. It is my living sentiment, and by the blessing of God it shall be my dying sentiment. Independence now, Independence forever!" From a heart of passion into the history books, we hear and witness the declaration of our freedom, hence our great nation - the United States of America. That same passion about our country should be no match for the passion we have for the Cross! The men who took a stand and signed the Declaration of I...

Luke 13:6-9 6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’” This scripture is very personal because it speaks of a Christian who has served God for a length of time, yet has nothing to show for it. Remember, God is always challenging you and I to produce fruit.  In fact, this was among the first things God ever commanded mankind: Genesis 1:28 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing...

Gen. 22: 1 - 19, Abraham Tested 22 Sometime later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The f...

1 Corinthians 9:26-27 New King James Version (NKJV) 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. A blind spot is an area where a person's view is obstructed. This is usually understood when operating a vehicle, we realize that there are spots on the road where our vision is hindered...it's to our advantage and common sense not to make any decisions moving the car when the blind spot is at work. Not only is this true in a vehicle, it's true in our lives as Christians...there are vulnerable areas of life and if we are not careful...we can fall prey to said blind spots... Matthew 7:3-4 New King James Version (NKJV) 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to ...

John 12:1-8 12 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” What an incredible picture of how destiny unfolds for people in the Word of God. 3 different people...

Acts 2: 1 - 4, 'When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.' We all know this scripture as the day the church started!  Consider with me what was actually happening, and what led to this moment in church history.  First of all, Jesus had appeared to 500 people before this took place, but only 120 people were in the upper room praying and doing what He told them to do before this moment.  I always wanted to ask, 'What happened to the other 380 folks?' I wonder if the pressure of family time at the Pentecost celebration took priority over the prayer meeting in the upper room? Seco...