Great Expectations

God usually meets us at our level of expectancy. It seems that whether it is Israel in the Old Testament or the blind man in the New Testament, what is done for the believer by God is in direct correspondence to what that believer expects. In Numbers Chapter 14, we see that Israel received the negative report of 10 of the twelve spies sent to scout the land of Canaan. They came back and basically said that it is all that God said it would be, but there are Giants over there and we are like grasshoppers in their sight. Two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, said that we can take it. Why did they feel like they could take it? Because God said they could. They believed the promises of God. Their faith was based on what he said, not what they saw. Faith is not circumstantial, it is unconditional. What God says, he is definitely able to perform.

Several times in the New Testament, as Jesus performs a healing, He says “according your faith, it shall be.” In other words, I will perform up to that which you believe and expect of me.

As for Israel, God was angered and considered their lack of faith as a complaint against him. His response was, “Just as you have spoken in my hearing, so shall I do to you.” That is exactly what he did. Joshua and Caleb said they could and they were the only two of their generation to see the Promised Land. The other 10 spies and all that believed their report died in the wilderness over the next 40 years. What are you expecting and what are you speaking in the hearing of God concerning His promises toward you?

Expectation is something quite awesome in the life of the believer. We have the right and even the obligation to expect from God all that He has promised. We limit God with our limited faith. We allow the circumstances to dictate the flow of our thought processes instead of believing God for all that he is and all that he has promised. He has promised that his Word would not return to him void, but would accomplish all that it was sent to accomplish.

  “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (Isa. 55:11NASB)

The Bible also tells us that we are not able to fathom the things that God can and will do for us, in us and through us.

“ but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." (1 Cor. 2:9NASB)

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, (Eph. 3:20)

       A common phrase used by Christ upon healing someone was “According to your faith”, as with the Blind man in Matthew 9:29. According to your faith is basically saying that based on what you believe or taking it even further, what you know, this I will do on your behalf. Faith is the conduit through which God engages and functions in the life of the believer. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6, NKJV)

You cannot please God without faith because the absence of faith is a personal indictment against God. Basically your lack of faith is saying to God, “I don’t believe you can!” It is saying that you cannot possibly be the great I AM. Remember what he said to the Israelites concerning their fear of entering into the Promised Land:

The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me.  "Say to them, 'As I live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. 'Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.  (Num. 14:26-30 NASB)

What are you speaking into the hearing of God about your situation? Are you grumbling against Him with your unbelief, or are you standing on His promises and trusting His power? I urge you to raise your expectations. Set your focus like the woman with the issue of blood. Twelve long years she suffered with no end in sight, but her faith in Christ was so strong that she decided she did not need a personal face to face encounter with Him; she simply needed to touch His clothes. Her faith was so strong that it pulled power from Jesus to the point that her touching His clothes felt to him as if she had touch Him directly. This faith of hers was so powerful that it drew on the power of Christ. When he asked who touched me, the disciples thought he had lost his mind because there was a crowd and he was being thronged by the crowed. Yet, in all of this he feels this woman touch Him. Now that is faith. That is a great expectation. Then there was the Roman General that came to Jesus and said that I am not worthy for you to enter into my house, but if you would just simply speak it, I know that it will be done. Now that’s faith.

Dr. Rick Wallace 

Pastor and author, Steven Furtick, says, “If the vision (expectation) that you have for your life is not so huge that it intimidates you, it is probably insulting God.” (Sun Stand Still)

Let me explain something to you. Stop giving so much weight to the facts. See people who do that are known as empiricist and pragmatist. They base everything on what they can see and observe. However, the Bible tells us that we should live by faith and it also says that we walk by faith not by sight. What does this mean? It means that we may acknowledge the facts (do not be in denial; a real problem does not go away because you pretend it’s not there), but don’t give more weight to the facts than you do to your trust in God. My cousin and I say this slightly different, but basically it comes out to the same meaning: Either your faith will resolve the facts or the facts will dissolve your faith. You and only you will make that determination.

What are your expectations for God’s movement in your life? ~ Dr. Rick Wallace 

The Queen Protects the King

Some of you who have been impacted by the secular paradigms of this fallible culture and led to believe certain unfounded principles pertaining to relationships will probably wonder why I would post this. It is because the many hours I have spent researching God's design for marriage opened up the true dynamic of marriage to me. It revealed how secular culture has totally obscured God’s true intention and design for marriage. It has caused non-believers and believers alike to take on a selfish approach to an extremely selfless institution.

There is significance in the fact that God took a rib from Adam to create Ishah (the woman, she was not called Eve, until after the fall). The Hebrew terminology that is used to express this extraordinary action paints a vivid picture. When God created Adam, the word yatsar (to form) is used, but when he took the rib from Adam's side to create Ishah, the word banah (to build, to fashion, to sculpt) is used; depicting the divine construction of the female body. (This expanded more in some of my studies and written treatises)

The significance in the rib is that the rib provides protection to the most vital organs of the human body; by taking a rib from Adam, He created a place of weakness and vulnerability. So then the rib is semantically symbolic in that it expresses the power of the women, as helper, to cover her husband’s weaknesses.

I have often said that behind every great man is a great woman, and she is great because she knows his weaknesses, but instead of exploiting them or degrading him, she covers them; allowing him to stand and lead with confidence. She does not share his weaknesses with her friends or share them on Facebook and Twitter.

My brother in the ministry shared with me the other day as he watched some old footage of some civil rights protesters being sprayed with fire hoses, and he notice that one of the men had been beaten and injured and he could not retreat fast enough from the force of the hose. A woman (probably his wife, maybe not) comes and places herself between the man and the water (taking the brunt of the force). She saved his life by risking her own. My friend said to me, "Rick, in this culture, how many women do you know that would do that now? Sadly, I couldn't build a significant list. Women would do it for their adult male children, but not for their husbands.

Before you ladies get on your high horses, and proclaim that I am so off base and how dare I say that; check this out. If so, why is it that so many of you are so easily prepared to expose your man's weaknesses (it's non-biblical, in fact it's contrary to biblical mandate). Why is it that you are so willing to tear him down when he is broken or stumbles, rather than take the moment to build him up? Why is it that your mother and friends know more about your marriage than you do?

Dr. Rick Wallace

This is not about giving men a pass, I stay on them as well. This is about understanding the dynamic of marriage. A man needs to have the confidence that he can step out and lead. No one likes to admit this, but failing is a part of leadership, and a man needs to know that he can make a mistake and he will have at least one person that will support him. A man needs to know that his weaknesses are covered by your strengths.

Yes, men are leaders, protectors and providers (in that order), but in the true design of the marriage there are situations when the queen, in essence, protects the king.

When so many Christian marriages are faltering, one has to ask themselves why; not looking to point the finger, but to taking an introspective examination of self. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace

The Time is Now!

In his last speech, Dr. Martin Luther King spoke of having a general and panoramic view of History, with the possibility of choosing in which era in history he would live.  As I begin to ponder that very possibility, my intellect attempts to keep pace with my vivid and seemingly infinite imagination.

If God were to come to me and say, “Rick Wallace you have access to the corridors of time, you may travel through history and choose for yourself the era in which you wish to live” With anticipation, I would travel back to creation and witness the magnificent and majestic power of God as He calls into existence the universe. I would observe with the attentiveness of an inquisitive youth, as He sets the boundaries of the seas. I would allow myself to become encompassed by the tranquility of perfect peace, and as easing as it would be to my soul, I wouldn’t stop there.

I would travel forward in time to witness a prophet by the name of Moses as he proclaims to a people that are destined to be a great nation: “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” I would gaze into the moment with an intense perspicacity of the gravity that it bore. Though this would be both breathtaking and assuring, I wouldn’t stop there.

I would move through time and witness great kingdoms rise and fall. I would see the Egyptians and their great contributions in the way of architecture. I would observe the Chaldean, Persian, and Greek Empires and the wonderful standards of living they produced in relation to their time in History. Though this would be breathtaking, I wouldn’t stop there.

I would stop by the Parthenon in ancient Greece as philosophers and writers such as Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, and Aristophanes discuss the issues of life. As intellectually stimulating as this would be, I wouldn’t stop there.

I would move on past the fall of Greece and watch the rise of the Roman Empire. I would stop around A.D. 30 and observe the beginning of the ministry of the one who would ultimately expiate the sins of fallen man. Though it would validate my faith and intensify my passion for service, I would not stop there.

I would move on pass the fall of Jerusalem. I would stop briefly by 1517 and watch Martin Luther tack his 95 theses to the door of the church at Wittenberg. Though Luther’s launching of the reformation movement would bring a rising of the protestant church and reaffirm my doctrinal belief, I wouldn’t stop there.

I would move on up to the late 1700s and witness an English cleric and preacher by the name of John Wesley ignite the revival of the ages, as he proclaims: “Give me 100 men that fear nothing but God and hate nothing but sin and we will change the world.” Though this very statement would ultimately one day inspire me to persevere through to my destiny, I wouldn’t stop there.

No, I would ultimately end up here in 2013. With all that history presents, it is at this moment and beyond my destiny lies. Why here, why now? Never has there been a time in which the Word of God was so deficient in His people. Never has there been such a cry from the souls of people searching for the answers to the enigmatic quandaries of a spiritually dysfunctional society. Never has there been more of a need for the proper delineation and dissemination of Bible doctrine. We would be hard pressed to find a time in History where man had fallen so far from his designed purpose and destiny. Where is the man? Is he in the home? Is his righteous living visible in the community? Does he fulfill is filial responsibilities? Can his children find their worth through his love? Can his wife find the security of his love in his actions? Can God look upon him and see his thirst for righteousness and his passion to serve? Is he declaring in the way of Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord?”

 I’m afraid that today’s man has lost his way. Contemporary man has devised and settled in his own systems of selfish desires. He has fallen to the subtle but powerful machinations of the enemy.  The church has tilted on its axis and created multitudinous orifices through which the enemy has infiltrated the organism and converted it to an organization. Rites and sacraments stifle the power of faith and perseverance. It is time for the men of God to rise up and live out their destinies. It is time for the men of God to bear out the fruit of their salvation.  It is time for the men of God reclaim their place in the home. It is time for the men of God to resist the luring force of secular paradigms. It is time for the men of God to create a paradigmatic shift in the culture that surrounds us.

This is the moment and time in which I was meant to live. I was created for such a time as this. I invite those with a passion to serve. I invite those that yearn to be a worthy vessel and instrument through which God can function in this perverse society. I invite those that desire to leave an inheritance of righteous living for the subsequent generations. Who is willing to walk with me as we press toward a life that is indicative of the converted? This is not walk of ease, but it is one of reward.

As I often iterate, I do not preach from a platform of perfection. I do not claim to be perfect nor do I teach from the catwalk of condemnation. My calling comes from a heart that sees the consequences of our failures. As I strive to rise I invite every man to join me in rising to his design and destiny.

Ladies, I have not forgotten about you. I know that we as men have failed you. I understand that you have been pulled out of your primary design and find yourselves carrying a disproportionate part of the load. However, the failure of others can never be an excuse for your own fallibilities. You too have lost your way. You too have fallen victim to secular paradigms that produce erroneous behavior that is diametrically opposed to your very design. Your design is of greatness and purity. Your design is of directive purpose and strength.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,” (Ephesians 1:18, NIV)

Dr. Rick Wallace 

We were designed and created for awesome works and the building of the kingdom of God. Many will try to remind you of who you once were; others will speak with contempt and condemnation as they attempt to judge you because you don’t measure up in their eyes. I will tell you that the transforming power of the Holy Spirit is more than capable of bringing out the best in you. Rise up and be all that you were designed to be. If you are like me, you look into the mirror of the Word of God each day and you are reminded that there is still work to do. Don’t allow this to discourage you, in fact look back and visualize what you once were. My grandfather used to say, “As I evaluate my life I realize that I am not the man I should be, but I praise God that I am not the man I used to be.” My grandfather was able to see the need for growth, but he was also able to recognize the growth already obtained. You are on a progressive continuum towards spiritual maturity and ultimate sanctification; don’t be deterred by the finger pointing of others. Recognize that you are not where you should be and move toward your calling.

This is your time for elevation. This is your time for promotion. I encourage you to place God first and watch him move. Give God some praise as you began to move toward your destiny.

If you are serious about your walk and yearning to walk in the will of God, I invite you to join me as we ignite a spiritual revolution. Let the truly converted and redeemed of the Lord say so! Dr. Rick Wallace

Check out the additional resources:

1. Understanding how to Pray Effectively

At Your Word

Foundation Scripture: ⁴ When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon,“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵ But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” (Luke 5:4, 5, NKJV)

“At Your Word”; one of the most powerful statements in human history.  Yet, it is more than a statement.  It is an illuminated and erudite state of mind.  It is not supported nor justified by rationale or intellect.  It cannot be attained and cultivated by the empiricist nor the pragmatist.  This state of mind is not esoterically associated with sight walking.  It is spiritually empowered and sustained in faith.

If we are to ever live our lives in the abundance and awesome power we were created to live in, we must take on an “At Your Word” state of mind.  Proverbs 3:5,6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”  

This  state of mind requisites a total commitment of the heart.  I’m not speaking of the heart in a sentimental nor emotional type of way, but as the center of your existence; that force at the center of your soul that guides your every action.

This state of mind also calls for us to move away from our natural proclivity to intellectualize, anatomize, and rationalize every situation.  We are told not to lean to our own understanding.  This ethereal journey of Christianity calls for faith, make no mistake about it.  Not faith in the superficial sense of the word, but that faith that says, “If God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.  The faith that is not deterred by circumstance.  The faith that refuses to acknowledge the illusionistic portraits of despair painted by the enemy.  When we truly trust God’s word, we will be able to stand in the midst of the storm and respond,” at your word”.

This state of mind does not consider nor tolerate difficulties and thrives in the cul-de-sac of impossibilities.  This is the ultimate in trust.  It says all things are possible if we only believe.

In our scriptural passage, Christ asks Peter to cast out his net.  This, in and of itself may seem somewhat insignificant, however, let us look a little closer.  First, Peter and his partners had been fishing the entire evening (the best time to fish) but had caught anything.  Peter and his partners were professional fishermen and Jesus, a carpenter.  Jesus had already commandeered Peter’s boat and transformed it into His pulpit.  Peter could have responded to Jesus’ directive with the arrogance of expertise; he was in fact the professional when it came to fishing. Yet, we see something completely different; Peter’s surrendered spirit.  Peter points out the obvious, we’ve fished all night and we’ve caught nothing.  Then there appears the conjunctive adverb, “Nevertheless”, in spite of or irregardless.  Nevertheless negates the preceding statement and points to the subsequent statement.  “At Your Word” -there is no logic or rationale, but at Your Word.  All of the evidence says the opposite, but at Your Word.  Peter’s response reveals his servility, teachability and implicit obedience.  These virtues are the bridges to the blessing.

The scriptures tell us that the nets were filled with so many fish that they began to break.  When Peter’s partners brought their boat over to help, both boats were so overloaded by the catch that they began to sink.  This constitutes exceedingly abundantly above all that Peter could have asked or imagined.  If Peter would have trusted his own intellect or expertise, he would have never experienced the awesome power of God to provide.  He would have missed his overflow moment.  That moment in which the Red Sea is divided in all its splendor.  That moment when the sun stands still as time yields to prayer.  That moment when dry dead bones become living flesh.  That moment when you say Lord, I cannot understand, but at Your Word.

You’ve been praying for a breakthrough; you’ve been searching for that place of overflow.  God is saying to you now, “Step out on the water.  I know what the circumstances reveal, I know what your friends are saying, I am cognizant of the things that have happened in the past.  I am God, step out on the water.”  You have spent too much time rationalizing, contemplating, and procrastinating.  You have wondered around too long in the fruitlessness of empirical confirmation.  You have struggled mightily under the opaque shadows of inevitability.  It is time to say to the Master, “At Your Word.”  At Your Word, I will stand, at Your Word I will press on; at Your Word I will rejoice.  At Your Word, I will have the audacity to praise you in the midst of the storm.  

It was Peter who led the disciples on the day of Pentecost.  It was Peter that healed the lame man at the Gate Beautiful.  It was Peter that contributed three letters to the Biblical Cannon.  None of this would have been possible if he would not have stepped out from behind human viewpoint and into the phosphorescent light of divine guidance.

“And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”  (Isaiah 58:11)

In the preceding scripture we find promises of strengthened bones, watered gardens, and unfailing springs; these are similes for sustaining power, prosperity, and the blessings of God’s saving grace.  However, the first thing we notice here is that God will guide you.  Only when you submit to the guidance of the almighty will his power flow fully through you.  The question then arises; In the time in which we live, how does God guide us.  There are numerous ways that we are guided by God in our Christian lives:Through the filling of the Holy-Spirit; the Holy-Spirit convicts and prompts us in our actions; Through the Word of God inculcated into the mentality of our souls; the Word of God is the will of God.  Through prayer; When the believer prays to God for Guidance, which is a legitimate Christian right, God answers.  God guides us through providential circumstances; providence is the molding of events by God to obtain the fulfillment of His divine purpose.  In whatever manner God chooses to guide and lead you, it is your Christian duty to respond.

In 2 Peter 1:19, Peter alludes to the profitability of heeding God’s prophetic Word.

Right now, God is calling us to step out, stand up, and be sure.  This is not a time for sight walking.  This is not a time for rationalization.  No, this is a time to stand in faith, walk in faith, speak in faith, and live in faith.  This is a time to say, “At Your Word.”  This is done without regard to current circumstances, without consideration to past situations, without contemplation of the negative conjecture of nay sayers.

It is time to cast out your nets.  God is calling you to reap the bountiful blessings of obedience.  There is someone out there God has called to step into the arena of entrepreneurship, yet, you are thinking, “I’ve tried this before and it was a disaster, experts are saying that this is not the time, the economy is not conducive to the successful launching of a business.  Nevertheless, “At Your Word.”  Someone has been called to relocate to a new city, to follow a dream, to fulfill their destiny, but there’s uncertainty with a new environment, the anxiety associated with change rears its ugly head, the support of friends and loved ones seems sporadic at best.  Nevertheless, “At Your Word”.

God has called you to vacate that abusive relationship, to walk in the liberty of emancipation, to stand in the sufficiency of His power and grace, to live in the fullness of purpose, however, this situation is all you have ever known, there is no family support in place, you suffer from a fear of being alone. Nevertheless, “At Your Word”.

At Your Word says, “Lord, I see nothing but you!  The moment is dark, but You are able.”  At Your Word says, My friends have forsaken me, but I trust your Word to heal.”  It’s time to step up and step out.

You keep gazing back into your past for confirmation.  You keep consulting the circumstances for authentication and corroboration.  It's time to view things through a different lens.  You have been viewing life through the lens of empiricism.  You have been viewing life through the lens of popular opinion.  You have been viewing life through the lens of social acceptance.  You have been viewing life through the lens of retrospective inquiry.  It is time for a paradigmatic shift.  It is time to start viewing things through the spiritual lens of faith.

Dr. Rick Wallace

But Dr. Wallace, I’ve never been successful in this area of my life.  My life has been one big failure after another; everyone says that I’m in over my head; they say that I’m reaching beyond my abilities.  I say that God’s Word is true.  His word says, “Things that are not possible with men are possible with God.”(Luke 18:27)  His Word says, he is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us”.

Let go of the past failures; God desires to open up the windows of heaven.  God desires to send excessive blessings, an overflow of power, a surplus of abundance and peace, over and above what you seek, extraordinary favor and a superabundance of joy.  Take Him at His Word.  Stand on His promises.  Live in His awesome power.  Cast out your net and become the head and not the tail.  Cast out your net, become the lender and not the borrower.  Cast out your net and be above and not beneath.  Cast out your net and see the glory of God revealed in your life.  I promise you if you cast out your net your

life will never be the same.

I invite you to simply tell God, AT YOUR WORD! ~ Dr. Rick Wallace 

Check out some ADDITIONAL CHRISTIAN RESOURCES:

1. Understanding the Levels of Salvation; Mind, Body, Soul, and Spirit

2. Understanding How To Pray Effectively

The Soul of the Virtuous Wife

Who can find a virtuous woman? This is a question pondered by many in today's society. Is the virtuous woman an anomaly in our contemporary culture? At first glance, it would seem to be so; however, a more detailed anatomization of the issue would reveal a more intricate enigma; that of lost identity.

A woman's virtue can be hidden in the darkness of her emaciated self-worth. It can be suppressed by her heightened sense of despondency and her dissipated self-esteem. It can be masked by her desperate struggle to be accepted by her peers or the opposite sex. Whatever the reason for these deficiencies, the truth remains that the potential for a virtuous existence in every woman is astronomical. A woman, by design, is created to be the virtuous creature of Proverbs 31, yet, she has found herself short of her glory. Why? She has not related to her identity with Christ as outlined in the Bible.

A Christian woman's virtue begins in her knowledge of her positional existence in Christ. She has been baptized into Christ; being a part of His death, burial, and resurrection. She lives in Him and through him.

In Maya Angelou's poem, "Beautiful Christian Sister", the first line says, " A women's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man will have to seek him first in order to find her." That speaks volumes. When a woman hides herself in Christ, she is not only aware of her worth, but her worth is protected. Her worth is then enhanced and refined. In Christ she rises to her position of optimal virtue. She becomes her husbands greatest blessing.

It is by no coincidence that three of these 22 verses deal directly with her relationship with her husband.

*v11 - The heart of her husband trusts her...

*v23 - Her husband is known at the gates, where he

sets among the elders of the land (a position of

prominence) his success is directly tied to hers.

*v28 - Her husband praises her

The success of this relationship with her husband is directly related to the fact that he found her hidden in the bosom of Christ.

She is the crown of his glory because she reflects him as he reflects Christ.

So to every woman that reads this brief contribution, I have but one thing to say to you: Know your worth! ~ Rick Wallace 

Additional Resources:

1.   Understanding the Levels of Soul, Spirit, Mind and Body 

2. Understanding How to Pray Effectively

Standing in the Need

Show Me Your Faith

Hello Facebook Faithful - There are many of you who are on this platform. At current, Facebook is the largest and most powerful social media platform in the world, and next to Google its the second most powerful entity on the internet.

The encouraging messages that we send and the great quotes that we share are minimal to the impact we could have on this world if we used the platform for the enrichment, enhancement, enlightenment, and empowerment of those that are lost and struggling.

Faith and Works

"14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:14-18, NASB)

James was very clear that authentic faith is expressed through actions. It is not actions that save the soul, it is the genuine belief in Christ and the magnanimous work He accomplished at Calvary, but faith produces an external force through the expression of our actions.

Religion has taught us all the right things to say, and all the right scriptures to quote, but the power is not simply in speaking, its in the willingness to cross over the line of comfort into the realm of impossibility. In fact, true faith isn't authenticated until it has been tested by the trials of impossibility.

Become engaged, your words are beautiful and needed, but they are empty without corresponding action. "I will pray for you" is not what the broken person needs to hear; they need you to help them engage their moment. The homeless man does not need to hear "God bless you"; he needs you to bless him.

Dr. Rick Wallace 

If you are wondering why the world has such minimal regard for Christianity, it is because their is very little action behind the words, that transforms our speech into simple rhetoric.

It is time to engage the issues of today with more than simple religious rhetoric. Honestly, the world has heard enough of that. They need to see true Christian power expressed through those that claim Him. As long as we continue to walk around beaten up and defeated; as long as we continue to hide behind the comfort of empty words; as long as we move with no force or no power, we will never have any true impact.

How will your faith be reflected? If you still believe that you can have faith without corresponding works, I will continue to show you my faith by my works. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace

Bible Study of the Week

You do not have because you do not ask God. — James 4:2 What a powerful statement, but what does it have to do with being a Circle Maker? It is easy to believe that we have asked, and yet we still do not have the things we have asked for. But have we asked the way the Bible describes asking?  In The Circle Maker, Pastor Mark Batterson will change the way you view relationships, challenges, and opportunities. The Circle Maker will change the way you pray. Here is the challenge: watch the first lesson, follow the outline, then answer the study questions. We hope you join us for this week's study on our blog. Bible Study of the Week: The Circle Maker  God loves to make promises. He invites us to draw a circle around those promises and pray until we see them become a reality. God is inviting you and me into the adventure of seeing His dreams come true in this world. This happens as we make the decision to become circle makers. People today love extreme sports! We live in a world where the boundaries of human ability and capacity continue to be pressed and stretched. People compete in Ironman Triathlons where they swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and then run a full marathon of 26.2 miles. Freestyle motorcycle riders used to dream of doing a backflip and landing it. Few dared even try it. That move is now common-place ... riders are expected to do it. So, in 2006, a rider named Travis Pastrana attempted and landed a double backflip on a motorcycle in the X Games. No doubt, someone out there today is trying to figure out how they will land a triple backflip on a motorcycle. Extreme sports like ice climbing, wingsuit base jumping, kayak skydiving, snocross, and a myriad of other surprising options are cropping up as people look for a new rush of adrenaline and a greater challenge. Something in the human spirit pushes us to climb higher, drive faster, and push the boundaries. Into this world of risk-taking adventurers God whispers an invitation, “Try drawing a prayer circle!” Into the lives of Christians who have become bored with the same old religious practices and routine spiritual lives, the Spirit of God says, “Take a risk, draw a circle, and engage your faith at a whole new level.” For believers who love God with a passion, but have slipped into a spiritual rut, it is time to enter a whole new level of extreme faith . . . it is time to become a circle maker! Continue to our blog to read more, Watch the Video and Get the Study Questions.   Special Offers  Save 35% on The Circle Maker Collection! Understand what it means to dream God-sized dreams, pray with boldness, and think long-term. Learn more about the collection: * The Circle-Maker Book * The Participant's Guide * The DVD * The Prayer Journal, and more! Buy and Watch the Next 3 Sessions Instantly! Purchase the entire series or individual sessions on-demand and watch them whenever you want, wherever you want! Missed your small group? No problem - just watch the video you need! Watch now on VIMEO... New this Month!   The Circle Maker for Kids, written by Mark Batterson and illustrated by Antonio Caparo, reveals the ancient Jewish legend of Honi the Rain Maker, a man whose bold prayer for rain saved a generation. This book launches nationwide on August 6! Learn more...                                       About Us  Bible Study of the Week is brought to you by FaithGateway featuring content from Thomas Nelson, Inc., publisher of the NCV and NKJV Bible translations, and Zondervan, publisher of NIV Bible translations. Check out FaithGateway.com, our new online community for readers to discover great content and engage with their favorite Christian authors through daily blog posts, book excerpts, devotionals, downloads, videos, giveaways, contests, webinars, and more.  You received this email because you signed up for updates from Thomas Nelson Bibles, Zondervan Bibles, or FaithGateway. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. Copyright © 2013 HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 501 Nelson Place, Nashville, TN. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions | View Our Policy