Surge twenty-one

Surge Ending Prayer

January 28, 2019

Father today we pause and thank you for carrying us through the last twenty-one days that we have fasted and prayed personally and corporately. Our prayer today focuses on not only what You have done in this time, but also what is yet to come as we continue in what we have experienced in You. Many have sought Your heart reaching forward and upward and have surrendered their desires that Yours may come to fruition. Many have sought Your deliverance, and many seeking spiritual renewal, and also direction. They now bow before you not to see an end to this SURGE 21, but to complete it, as they stand on your promise to complete this new work that has been begun in their hearts. Lord may Liberty Church bow prostrate before You as a body to continue to seek Your will, guidance, and direction, spiritually, financially, and physically. May we be open and willing to the moving of Your Holy Spirit each step of this journeyAnd may we follow in complete unity. All for Your honor and praise Lord God Almighty! Thank you Father for Your grace, mercy, strength and provision in Christ. May You be blessed Father by the adoration of your http://people...in Jesus name! AMEN

Day Twenty-one

January 27, 2019

“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalms 1:1-3 NKJV In this world there are so many voices that we can listen to. Everyone has a thought, everyone has an opinion, and most people think they are right. You can even spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to learn from some of the worlds greatest thinkers. In the end, how do you know the quality of their counsel? God's word gives us direction for how to obtain genuine success and prosperity in life. King David, the writer of the Psalms, chooses to anchor himself in God's word and establish his confidence in God right from the very beginning. He says you will be blessed if you stay away from the counsel of the wicked. The wicked is anyone who is not a believer. Stay away from their counsel! Rather, delight yourself in the law of the Lord. Listen intently to what God has to say. Meditate on it day and night, it is that important. If you will discipline yourself in this way, you will be fruitful, you will have life, and you will prosper in all you do ! Abide in God's word and you will thrive in life. "Seek first the kingdom of God and all else shall be added unto you." JESUS SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions.

Day Twenty

January 26, 2019

“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” Revelation 12:11 NIV Let me take you on a journey. A journey many take throughout their life. We all face battles in our lives that challenge us. Some may be harder than others. We all face some type of challenges that create such pain that creates worry, stress, anxiety in our lives. We feel like God has forgotten about us and we feel there is no end. Well, I have news for http://you...jesus Christ died on the cross for all of us to live in the victory. Through the broken body and the blood that was spilled on the cross, Jesus Christ died and rose from the grave to give us VICTORY. That VICTORY only comes through Jesus. We no longer live in defeat or fight against our enemies. The battle has been won. All of us have a story. All of us have a testimony. What Jesus Christ did on the cross gave us a finish line that we can all run too. Never back down. Never let the enemy destroy you. The cross defeated hell, stop letting hell defeat you... Never give up...Surrender to the one that gives us VICTORY! “You are not fighting FOR victory - You are fighting FROM victory. The battle has already been won.” Tony Evans SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions.

Day Nineteen

January 25, 2019

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 4:19 Following isn’t always the easiest things to do especially when you don’t know what the journey will look like or what the destination will be, yet you’re still called to follow. You’re still called to obey. You’re still called to move by not what you see but based upon who you know that is leading. Do you remember playing “Marco, Polo” in the pool as a kid? One person has their eyes closed and is calling out “Marco” searching for the other people in the pool who are calling out “polo,” solely by listening to the sounds of their voice? Often times I realize that we are blinded or have our eyes closed to where God is trying to take us because we have yet to call out to him but also been thinking he’s playing a game with us. Many of us follow relationships, status, jobs, money, people, and so much more thinking that if we chase it long enough it’ll bring us some type of peace or satisfaction, but the only thing will give us true purpose and fulfillment is when we follow Jesus. Jesus calls all of us to ‘come’ not because he needs people, but because people need him. When Jesus speaks “Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men”, we are immediately forced to choose between taking action and receiving all that he has for us or remaining where we are. Each of these choices will give you an outcome that will either benefit you, leave you the same, or cause you to move in a direction that contradictory of where you desire. Should I take that job that is in a different state? Should I break off my current relationship? Should I buy those new shoes? A lot of times it isn’t the choice that holds a lot of weight, but instead the weight of the outcome that really matters. When Jesus asks you to “come,” do you truly know what is at stake? Do you truly understand weight behind Him commanding you to “come?” During this time of prayer and fasting take into consideration the weight of following Jesus but also the great reward of following Him. Matthew 11:30 reminds us “My yolk is easy, and My burden is light.” Let us follow and abide in Jesus as he makes us fishers of men. We will never change the world by going to church; we will change the world by being the church. Anonymous SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions.

Day Eighteen

January 24, 2019

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Luke 11:28 We are followers of Christ. To intentionally follow Him requires Focus, Understanding, Trust, and Obedience. Focus: In our daily walk there are so many distractions that compete for our time and our attention. As followers of Christ this challenge is amplified by intentional forces of darkness that recognize our potential through the power of Christ and seeks to diminish God’s calling and His blessings on our lives. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Understanding: As critical thinkers we often obsess on the what, where, when, why, and how to achieve the things that matter most. In our journey to intentionally follow Him, the answer is simple: What - Salvation, Where - Right here - When, Right now, Why - His Love, How - Be Still and know that He is God. (ref. Psalm 46:10) Trust: In order to trust Him, we need to truly know Him. In order to truly know him we need to spend time with Him, reading and hearing His word, and times like these, praying and fasting. As we spend time with him the more He reveals His extravagant love for us, understand His ways and His calling on our lives, and recognize His blessings as they come. (ref Proverbs 3:5-6) Obedience: As followers of Christ, obedience is the key. Obey and surrender yourself completely to him, and be blessed… It is His promise. Right here, right now, be still and experience His presence, His Love, and His blessings… Thank you Jesus! "God gives His Own Self totally to us that we may offer ourselves completely to Him." Watchman Nee SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions.

Day Seventeen

January 23, 2019

For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 In this life we think many times we are alone. Especially when we have not been exposed to church or Jesus. We have no hope for a future and believe everyone is out to get us. I was that person and I remember this feeling of loneliness starting in middle school. I was quiet and shy and never fit in so I was bullied and teased and had no friends. I remember those years as the worst time of my life. I certainly didn’t know of Jesus and his love for me. And all I really knew was the sadness of my home life and the pain of rejection from school and dysfunctional parents. The only God I was exposed to was the one who I would hear about from a priest at the funeral of an old family member. It wasn’t until alone in a jail cell I sat, after many years of trying to numb my pain with alcohol and drugs that I was handed a bible and invited to a bible study. I fell in love with God’s Word and His promises. Then and only then did I finally see who this Jesus Son of God really was. I saw that He suffered more rejection and pain then I ever had experienced. I also learned that for every one step I took towards God He always took 10 steps right back to me and that in all the pain I’ve experienced in this life He has had me in the palm of His hand the whole time. He had plans to prosper me and not to harm me. He gave me beauty for my ashes and has even given me a flashlight to go back into the dark I was once stuck in and shine the light to get others out. “No matter what you face in life, don’t let go of God’s hand” Unknown SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions.

Day Sixteen

January 22, 2019

Jesus stood up and said to her, woman where are they? “Has no one condemned you?” She said, “no one Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more” John 8:10-11. Many of us walk around still feeling condemnation from our past . We are holding ourself back from our full potential that God has to offer us. Sometimes friends, and even our family members, will try to condemn us if they have not fully forgiven us. The Bible says there is no condemnation in those who believe in Christ Jesus. We need to remember when we come to Jesus with repentant hearts there is no condemnation, and we are free from all of our sins. Jesus has freed you from all condemnation by the power of His blood, and what He did for us on the cross. Walk in that freedom today! Rejoice in the fact we serve a living God who sent His only Son to die for us so we can walk in freedom from our pass failures. Be free today and abide in His forgiveness, grace, and love. “Remember who you are. Don’t compromise for anyone, for any reason. You are a child of the Almighty God. Live that truth.” Lysa Terkeurst SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions.

Day Fifteen

January 21, 2019

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. - Hebrews 12:1-2(MSG) In reading this passage of scripture, I'm reminded of the Boston Marathon. On race day, as the runners prepare to take their place in the race, they seem to be excited, full of energy. They are dressed in light-weight clothing, nothing that will weigh them down or hinder their run. They are huddled together and some are even paired up at the starting line waiting to hear that sound for them to begin the race. Along the path of the race, spectators are on the sidelines chanting and screaming encouraging words as runners pass them by focused on the finish line. We who are faith believers are a lot like the runners of the marathon, except our race isn't a race of swiftness but one of endurance! As we run our race, we are to take off every weight and sin, nothing to weigh us down. Along the way, we may feel tired, fatigued, thirsty or experience moments of wanting to give up. In the natural race we can draw strength from the praises of the spectators, encouraging our selves or from those running alongside us. Well the same goes for our spiritual race! As we run our race, we are to focus on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. We are surrounded by the faithful ones who ran this race before us, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ruth, Esther... just to name a few. We have been surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses that we may receive encouragement from their testimony to endure our race in the same manner as they . The historical record of their lives, their faith and perseverance is like a thunderous outburst of encouragement for us, a reminder that we too can finish strong, just as they did! A successful completion of the race; to obtain our prize – Heaven! And with Jesus as our “Coach,” there's no way we can't win! God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say the arrival would be worthwhile. Max Lucado SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions.

A Word Of Encouragement

January 21, 2019

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Congratulations! You have already SURGED to new heights in Christ. Reaching forward and upward. We have partaken in two of the three partitions of this SURGE. REACHING for more of Christ and RECEIVING more of Christ and His pleasures for us. This final week we come to ABIDING in Christ . Holding on to the ground we have gained and advancing. This week your spiritual senses will even become more aware of who He really is, and where He wants to bring you! AND THAT IS A PLACE OF ABIDING. Be honest, be open and be ready! Our FAST ends on midnight January 27th. Our PRAYING and ABIDING continues. There will be a Praise, Worship, and Prayer night on Wednesday January 30th to celebrate Jesus and all He has brought us through, shown us, delivered us from, etc Pastor Moen will be leading us in prayer. This will be a special night of jubilation. Please plan to attend. Blessing as you continue to SURGE ON this week. SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions

Day Fourteen

January 20, 2019

I'm “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:1-8 NKJV Here Jesus is teaching about abiding. He often teaches verbally and then uses a real- life application to help the students (listeners) to understand God’s ways. The vine and Israel’s origin and inability to abide are called out in the Old Testament. They are called at origin a ‘noble vine” (Isaiah 5:1-7), Hosea 10:1”Empty Vine" and the Psalmist in Psalm 80:8 says” a vine brought out of Egypt (slavery and bondage). Isn’t that a description of each of us in our lives? In John 15 Jesus calls himself “a True Vine”. Israel as a nation was never a true vine although some nations think they are. Jesus is being clear that in our lives He is the one and only “True Vine”. He is also saying that only with an intimate living relationship can we be a part of this vine. It’s not enough to be a Jewish or a Christian by geography in the country of origin or by religious affiliate relationships required. In this relationship, He is challenging us to “abide” (hang around, spend time). There are many statements in life: “you are what you eat or “you become who you associate with”. These are pillars to a “true vine” of relationship. Jesus was in close continual contact with God(abiding). A relationship requires that we take deliberate steps in a relationship that become habits over time, to abide. Our challenge is, to be honest, and ask ourselves: What have I been eating? (taking into my life) and who or what is getting my time. Let’s challenge ourselves to make a daily appointment with “THE TRUE VINE”. The measure of our usefulness to God will be found in the measure of His life in us. As the measure of God increases in us, so our usefulness to Him also increases. Unknown SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions

Day Thirteen

January 19, 2019

" Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29 Life is hard. There are heartbreaks, disappointments, deaths, habits. Day in and day out is exhausting. Ecclesiastes says we are “chasing after the wind.” Searching, striving and doing it again and again and again. Worry plagues us. But Jesus offers Hope. We go to church, pray, do our best. But Jesus says, “Come to me.” In Exodus 33, Moses asks God to teach him his ways. God replies, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Jesus is compelling us to draw near to Him. He longs to connect with us, embrace us, allow us to stop striving to find our way. As we lean into him, as we accept His embrace, surrender ourselves completely to intimacy with our loving savior, we will find rest. I am reminded of learning to swim. When we don’t trust the water, we struggle. We flail and kick, we exhaust ourselves, and we ultimately sink and drown if we don't learn to relax. When we relax and trust, we lay back and rest. The water carries us with no effort of our own! As it is with Jesus. Come close. Draw near. Lean on Him. The current of His love will carry us. The Living water will quench our thirst. Today and throughout the rest of Surge 21, draw near to Him. Allow His presence to come with you. Surrender yourself completely to Him, and rest. “Thou Hast made us for Thyself, O Lord; and our heart is restless until it rests in thee.” Augustine SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions

Day Twelve

January 18, 2019

Jeremiah 3:15 - And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding. This verse in Jeremiah is the promise that God is giving to His people after He tells them to come back to Him after committing adultery against Him by worshipping all different kinds of idols. God is first instructing His people to come back to Him and even though they may not know how to live, He will provide them with people who are after His own heart to lead the way. This season of Surge 21 ought to shift your life towards knowing and trusting the plan that our Heavenly Father has for your individual life, your smallest needs, and your biggest battles. He is a God that can be trusted with EVERY detail of our lives. You may have wanted to trust God with your life for a very long time now but the way your mind processes what you see has distracted you from surrendering. Let this short devotion be your triumph today. Let these words bring power to your life from one believer to another. Receive this instruction today that GOD HAS EVERYTHING IN CONTROL. Your finances, your mental health, your family and friends. Every worry that the enemy is trying to pollute your soul with God already has the answer to. Trust in that still small voice that you have been hearing, for that is the Holy Spirit guiding you. Receive His instruction and know full heartedly that God wants to provide for you. He is known as our wonderful counselor. Trust right now that these divine instructions that He is blessing you with are filled with resurrection power! He is calling YOU to raise some dead things to LIFE! "Return to the battle again, no longer trusting in the false and insufficient human resources which so foolishly we had taken into the battle, but now trusting in the limitless resources of our risen Lord." Anonymous SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions

Day Eleven

January 17, 2019

"But he who received seed on good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." Matthew 13:23 Life is busy, and often in all the chaos reading the bible and studying its words can be the last thing on your mind. We often leave it to church services to help us study and receive God’s Word. I think about all the roles I have; spouse, mother, daughter, sister, friend, pastor, student, child of God. With two little ones the chaos and business often starts before my alarm goes off and I think “Oh there goes my time with God...”. I know that the truth is that on those chaotic busy days I need the scripture and God’s word more than anything else. Even if it is just a short Psalm or a story I know well. God’s Word is active and living and God wants you to receive it and know it. “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:23 When we read God’s word and understand it, it will produce fruit in our lives. It will carry us through the business and the chaos. We will be better spouses, parents, friends, siblings, children of God. All we need to do to receive the Word of God is to find a few minutes in our day to read the Bible and invite the Holy Spirit into our time. God will be faithful and speak to us through the scripture. “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.” Charles Spurgeon SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions

Day Ten

January 16, 2019

"But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ (ISV)” James 4:6 Certainly, God gives us more grace than what we ever deserve and that anyone else in this world would give us. God’s grace was demonstrated in the redeeming sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ. We were redeemed from a sinful nature that kept us away from God’s love until the moment we received Christ. For that reason, let us take a humble posture towards God and remain in it. Let us come to God with daily prayers, recognizing his sovereignty and underserving grace. If in a moment of weakness any of us find pride or indifference in our hearts towards God, let us humble our hearts in repentance to receive his grace, since God shows favor to those who are humble in spirit. “Our worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.” Jerry Bridges SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions

Day Nine

January 15, 2019

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 Receiving the Holy Spirit is not to be a pressure to be received but rather a PROMISE to receive from the Father. "For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Acts1:5 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever". John 14:16 It is our Father's wish that we should never be alone and never be afraid. Once we accept the gift of salvation from our Lord Jesus the Holy Spirit is sent to dwell within us forever. If we allow http://him...he will guide us in our ways, and help us decide what is right and wrong. He will fight all our battles and be our strength in all our weaknesses. There was a time in my life when I was in a very dark place. I could see no way out and I was lost in my desperation. In my darkest hour when I thought all was lost, I felt fear and dread that I was gone forever. In that moment the Holy Spirit came to my side and spoke on my behalf. In an instant I felt restored and empowered. My fear melted and my enemies were conquered. It is only by the love of God, the saving grace of my Savior and the Power of the Holy Spirit that I am able to write this today. I will forever speak of His Power, Holiness and Love. “Those in whom the Spirit comes to live are God's new Temple. They are, individually and corporately, places where heaven and earth meet.” N.T. Wright SURGE twenty-one devotionals are prayerful contributions from the pastors, ministry leaders, and volunteers of Liberty Church. We offer a special Thank You for your contributions