LSM Closes After 20 Years

May 2, 2023 by Chris Wilcoxson Leave a Comment

On October 19, 2003, Brett and JoHanna Young, Tiffany and I, along with Joni and Jordan, opened the doors for our first church service to MidCoast Maine. Life Source Ministries started in a basement of a building where the entrance was in the back. You nearly had to hear from God just to find it. However, the Lord blessed us and LSM would go on to relocate three more times as we grew.

It’s been an adventure – a journey of faith. As with any journey, it has come with some amazing highs and a few dark valleys. Through this journey, we were never alone, and some wonderful things have transpired. All of them surround impacted lives and families. None were more impacted in a positive way than ours.

Through the whole process of moving to Maine, starting a church, and growing a family, the Lord has shaped, taught, and poured into us. He has been so faithful, and we are thankful. This year marks twenty years since we started LSM. It’s a definite milestone. Twenty years of ministry represents hundreds of people who have been touched and walked with us through some or all of the journey.

As with any risk or adventure, you never know where it will lead. We got out of our comfort zone and have no regrets. Now we feel the Lord leading us to a new adventure. We have made the hard decision to close the church. The last service will be June 24^th, which is a Saturday. We will meet at Reid State Park in Georgetown, ME under the shelter to share memories, testimonies, and thanksgiving. Our church family has dwindled over the past couple of years. While there may be many reasons for that, we know that we have many friends of the ministry who have simply moved or gone on to other things. If you can travel here on that date, we would love to have you with us.

Tiffany and I are not sure of the next step for us. We have heard the Lord say, “Let go,” so we can follow Him into our next chapter. We know that the Lord has a next chapter for everyone who has continued to call LSM home. We look forward to what is in store for us all.

With Love,

Chris and Tiffany Wilcoxson

Faith is the Currency of Heaven

September 18, 2018 by Chris Wilcoxson Leave a Comment

Faith Seeks Until Found

Anytime the keys to my vehicle have come up missing, I have engaged in a mission to seek and find. Seeking was an action employed until the keys were found. My children will at times go to look for their shoes at my request and come back saying, “I couldn’t find them.” Supposedly they gave it their best shot, but they were ready to give up the search. No, I sought to find. One, because if I don’t find them, I’m not going anywhere. Second, I know they are here somewhere. The vehicle is in the driveway. It didn’t get there by pushing it, I drove it. So, I launch into seeking by faith, knowing I will find them no matter how long it takes.

Hebrews 11:6 says that “without faith, it is impossible to please God. For they that come to Him, must first believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Understanding a little of the nature of God, we realize that finding Him is a reward in and of itself. He is our all in all. However, He has a way of doing above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us. Faith is seeking God. It’s a seek and find mission much like the keys illustration because we know that He is.

Guarding The Heart

There’s no amount of money or good works that will buy what you want/need from God. Jesus paid it for you. Faith alone pleases God and brings a reward as we seek Him who paid the price for us. Faith seeks God on the basis that He is and that the Way to Him has been paid. We aren’t rewarded for trying to earn something from God. We are rewarded for using what God gives us – faith. (Hebrews 11:6; Romans 12:3; Matthew 25:14-30)

Throughout the Bible we see the effects of people who sought the Lord. Verses like Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart,” compel us to go after God with all we’ve got. The faith to seek God knowing we will find, please, and be rewarded by Him is literally given to us (Romans 12:3). The faith is given and we can grow it by using it. However, it’s the condition of our hearts that have to be examined. The condition of our hearts will either muddy the river flowing from our innermost being or clarify it. It’s a hard heart that we have to fight against. Past hurts, disappointments, discouragements, and offense are just a few things that can muddy the water if we are not diligent to watch over our hearts, which is the well spring of life (Proverbs 3:24). A hard, unbelieving heart can create an atmosphere in our life where we no longer seek the Lord with hope of finding. We revert to trying to pay our own way, make our own way, and find our own way. We lose sight of nothing being impossible for those who believe, and quit seeking.

Reward Beyond Expectation

In 2 Chronicles 20 we find Judah about to come under attack. When the king hears of it, we are told that he fears but turns to seek the Lord. He and the nation come together to seek the Lord and they seek until they hear. Once they hear a word from the Lord, they step out toward their enemy much like Peter stepped out of the boat to walk to Jesus. They marched down and found the word of the Lord to be true. God had won the battle. One might think that was their reward, but God did much more than they could ask or think. He gave Judah the spoil which took three days to load.

There is much more to this story, but here is what I want to show. They could have gone through the motions of a prayer for their safety as they went out to meet the enemy in their own understanding. They could have gotten offended and said “Why us?” “It’s not fair.” “Why is this happening?” They could have gone into prayer and fasting to impress and win the favor of God. What they did though was seek the Lord, period. They reminded themselves of the promise, stated the problem, and stood before the Lord with eyes upon Him. The faith that sought the Lord grew into a faith that heard the Lord, which then grew into a faith that obeyed the Lord. They grew what God gave and He rewarded with victory and spoil. What looked like the end, ended with blessing.

Using What Is Given

Matthew 25 has a parable Jesus told about the Kingdom of heaven. It’s about three servants who receive talents from their master before he goes away. Two of the servants multiplied what they receive and one buries what was received. Upon the masters return, they are judged on what they did with what they were given. Faith is given to seek the Lord and it will lead to greater faith to hear, follow, obey, and prosper.

David said, “One thing do I desire, that will I seek after.” When we too seek first, all these other things are added. Don’t circumvent your desire by trying to bring things to pass by your own strength and understanding. Judah’s desire would have been to survive the battle, but they turned their hearts to seek the Lord. He ended up being their reward and doing abundantly above all they could have thought or asked (Ephesians 3).

One thing pleases the Lord. That is faith. Faith is the currency of heaven and God has given you a measure to use. It’s a belief that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Faith is what brings heaven into view. Hebrews 11:3 says that by faith…what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” Faith is what brings the unseen realm of Heaven into view for the world to see. We must live by faith. We must seek God so others may see not our greatness but His.

Don’t Let Confusion Cloud Your Dream

April 8, 2018 by Chris Wilcoxson Leave a Comment

Not What I Expected

Fascination. It’s how I describe my view of the account of Joseph’s life found in Genesis. He has a dream, two in fact. Both were about his life. They were grand dreams and he shared them with his family. Before they could become reality though, his brothers plotted against him. They sold him into slavery. There he was falsely accused and ended up in jail. His father thought he was dead and his brothers thought his dream was dead. He was in a foreign land and in jail he was forgotten.
Joseph’s attitude and actions have been the point that fascinated me. Without fail, he handled everything thrown at him with what appeared as unyielding devotion. He was the favorite son, the favorite slave, and the favorite prisoner. However, it appeared he couldn’t have been any further away from his dream. Assuming you know the whole story and how it ends, you may have wondered with me how or why he kept going.
For instance, how is it that in slavery and faced with the temptation of his master’s wife did he respond to her with the words, “How could I do this thing and sin against God?” It’s not that he turned down the advances of this women that intrigue me. Fear of his master could have caused him to do that, rather than the fear of God. The wording of his response interests me. In not wanting to ‘sin against God,’ he didn’t want to sin against the dream. He was clearly directed Godward. He served God, the Author of the dream. Somehow it would seem that Joseph knew that greatness (which was what his dream was about) came from serving, not being served.
Throughout this remarkable lesson is the picture of a man who never questioned the outcome of his dream. How do we know? His service to the Author of the dream and his service to those around him. Regardless of his circumstances or where he was, he lived the dream. He believed the dream. You have heard faith without works is dead? True faith produces action. Perhaps Joseph wasn’t seeing the circumstances of the dream played out yet, but that didn’t stop him from being the man God showed him in the dream. My point is that by the time Joseph ascended in power in Egypt, he didn’t have to play catch up. He didn’t have to try to become the man in the dream now that he could see the circumstances of the dream.
No where in this grand recount of history do we see Joseph falling into confusion due to his circumstances. His response is void of statements like: “How could this happen?” “Does this look like greatness?” “Where is any of this getting me?” “If my dreams were real, why am I here?” Rather, we see a man who kept his eye on the Author of his life and the One wanting to write His grand story through Joseph.

Validating the Right Thing

If only I could tell you that I had the same perspective in my past. Oh, that I could tell you I hadn’t been tripped up by circumstances and where I ended up. It would be great if I could tell you that I kept diligently working to be the man in the dream, even when I didn’t see the circumstances of the dream. That however, would not be the case. Words that better described my perspective would be bewildered, perplexed, and confused. All those words mean close to the same thing. They lead a person to be unclear about direction, mentally disturbed, lacking distinction, and generally living an anxious life. In a state of confusion, lines of right and wrong can become blurred. It’s these things and more that lead me to believe that Joseph was never confused about the dreams God had given him.
It’s in this frame of mind that I remember crying out to God something like this, “Father, I’m confused. I just don’t understand. I don’t understand what has happened to me.” This had been going on for some time. You see, I too had a dream and I felt a million miles away from anything that looked remotely close to it. I hadn’t quit, but I wanted to. There was just no seeing how to get anywhere near what I saw in my dream. Plus, I feared losing the man I saw in that dream and hopelessness was keeping growth from happening.
In the inward chaos came Father’s response, “Son, what you call confusion, I call unbelief.” The words came with peace, relief, and a return to clarity. I had believed what I was seeing, and it was changing me. Rather than validating me in my mess, He will always validate His Word in our mess. In other words, God isn’t looking at us from our low place. He always looks from Heaven to earth and invites us to do the same. God isn’t threatened by our situations. We are invited to look at the world through His Word, but too often we are looking at the Word through the world and get tripped up. Believing the Word will change your world. The question is what are we validating in our circumstances?
What we believe will lead us to change. What change is your life leading you into? Realize it or not, your beliefs or unbelief are leading your life and change is inevitable for good or bad. What’s leading you, faith or sight?
Pilate famously asked, “What is truth?” He was confused about the events he found himself in. He didn’t want to be there and hadn’t asked for Jesus to be brought to him. Jesus was forced upon him and a decision was demanded. Pilate in his confusion, upheaval, and uncertainty looked at Truth Himself and in unbelief directed his question to I AM.

Confusion Exposed

Confusion causes us to retreat in ambiguity. Vision, dreams, or promises from the Living Word give us straight paths through the most tumultuous circumstances. That is, if we believe. We can’t always control the circumstances of our life, but we can control our life in the circumstances. Psalm 32:8 reminds us that “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” Our way can become discombobulated on our own, but the Promiser and Author of our faith “is not a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33).” “Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). In Malachi, He says, “I the Lord do not change.” What is confusing about that?
Furthermore, over and over the Psalmist asks the Lord to give him understanding that I may know your testimonies. Confusion is a cover up for unbelief. It’s misplaced trust. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).” Let’s be careful. Trying to understand what we see can confuse us. Just like the disciples trying to understand the cross. They tripped over what they saw rather than leaning on the word of Jesus, even though He had told them what would happen.
Confusion defined can begin to tell us where we begin to lose our way. The root word fund or fus in Latin means “to pour.” Confusion exists when too many things are poured together so that they become uncertain and unclear. A profusion is a great quantity that seems to have been poured forth from a plentiful supply. The point I want to show from this is that when we mingle two or more things in our life we can end up with a con. Mixture is at best difunctionally diluted and at worst a dangerous delusion. The Greek word used in the Bible defines confusion as to comingle promiscuously, i.e. to throw into disorder, to perplex (the mind).

Cleansed Vessels

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…” (2 Corinthians 4:7-9)
What are we putting into our vessels? Watch how this works. Mix envy with strife and James 3:16 says you will find confusion and every evil work. Unbelief is usually not blatant. More often it’s a mixture of walking by faith with walking by sight causing confusion to set in when the circumstances don’t look like the dream. The double minded are unstable in all their ways.
The opposite of confusion is profusion, which is an abundance of a single supply. Profusion in medical terms is the body delivering well oxygenated blood to the tissues and organs. Altered mental status is one symptom of poor profusion. Profusion happens through the normal operation of breathing. As we breath or let oxygen pour in, we then breath or pour out carbon dioxide. Our bodies aren’t meant to work on mixtures. Adding carbon monoxide is poisonous to our body. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) We aren’t designed to live double-minded. We have been saved and set apart for God. As God breathes His word, we should breath it in. Other sources can be poisonous to our faith.
We cannot, anymore than Joseph, avoid the circumstances of our life. We can determine what gets to whisper in our ear and what we will believe. The devil is a liar and he will pour fear into our lives if we listen. However, there is an abundant supply of truth from which to drink. God promised. Why should circumstances get to call God a liar? Why shouldn’t God and His promises be calling our circumstances a liar? After all, we may not be able to see how He will bring the dream to pass, but we can trust Him to prepare us and lead us to what He already sees.
Perhaps you, like me, have allowed the mingling of too many voices to confuse you in life. Today, Jesus is the Fountain of Living Water. An abundance from that single Source has the power to flush our life of unbelief. He is the Author of the dreams we have had for our life. He is the Inspiration for every prophetic word. Today, drink from one well. We are not a victim to our circumstances unless we allow it. Nothing we find ourselves in has the power to keep us from being the person of our God given dreams. Trust God to get you where He promised. Until then prepare yourself in relationship with the Author knowing that God knows the end of the story He wants to write.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)

Resurrection Morning

April 1, 2018 by Chris Wilcoxson Leave a Comment

It Was A Morning Like No Other

Never has so much ridden on the outcome of a single event. It was certainly no ordinary event. Planned before the foundations of the world. Prophesied by prophets hundreds of years in advance by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It was God Himself wasting no time in proclaiming His plan in the Garden shortly after His creation had rebelled and created the atmosphere that would make this event necessary.

Man had sinned. A royal rebellion against God. Not only had he sided with the devil but handed over his dominion and life to that old serpent. The sentence for sin and rebellion had already been decreed. Death was the price. Separation from a Holy God. Where communion and freedom reigned, where walking and talking together was the norm, and rest and abundance had been, now there was only hiding, fear, poverty, and dread. Love and unity was replaced with blaming and shame. Evil and darkness crept and began to infect every person born from fallen man. The blood line was tainted, and sin reigned. Now that sin had entered the world, and death through sin, death spread to all men, because all sinned.

The Price We All Owed

Death was a price that could not be overcome by sinful man. It was final. There was no beating it or overcoming it. Man could not save himself. He would need a Savior. One who had not been tainted or fallen prey to sin. A man upon whom death had no claim. A sacrifice for sinful man. God had just such a man in mind – Himself. God would become flesh and dwell among us.

For God so loved the world, that He would give His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in Him, would not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). His name was Emmanuel, God with us. Adonai. Jehovah. I Am. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. Wonderful. The Son of man. The Son of God. We know Him best as Jesus. One who joined His creation in being born to die. Except He was not born to die because of sin, as in our case. He was born to die because of love. The love of a Father compelled Him. He walked with His Father toward the purpose of His life – the cross.

The focal point of history. The defining moment for all who had, did, and would believe in the coming Messiah. It was a death like none other. Jesus became the lightning rod of the wrath and judgment of God. The penalty of sin was poured out upon Christ on the cross. Spirit, soul and body, He took the full punishment of our sin. He took our sin, our sickness, and our shame. And now He was dead. He died out of love, not sin. He died by choice, not sentence. Yet, dead He was and now buried in a tomb.

The Unveiling

That morning anguish and disbelief still clouded every heart. Death still appeared final. It appeared once again death had won. What good is a dead Savior? They had expected Messiah to beat death. They had imagined it playing out very differently. Even though Jesus, Himself, had joined with God and prophets in explaining that He would suffer at the hands of sinful men, they had not understood. Jesus even boldly proclaimed that on the third day He would rise again. Why didn’t they expect this to be a morning like no other? Perhaps because they saw Him die.

The events of the morning began to be unveiled.. As the darkness was fleeing from the morning light, a greater Light arose from the darkness of death. A rumble came deep within the tomb. The stone was rolled away and if death could not hold Him, what would a band of soldiers standing guard hope to do? Christ had risen!

“DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 NASB)

Jesus arose and said, “because I live, you shall live also!” He had conquered death, hell and the grave. He is not a dead Savior, but a Risen Savior and King!

The Grand Invitation

The resurrection is an invitation to believe. Not as the disciples did that early morning, for they were believing what they saw. Jesus had given them an invitation to believe His promise, to believe in Him. They tripped over what they saw. With all due respect, God’s plan looked like a colossal failure while Jesus hung on the cross.

Arrested, beaten, and spat upon. He was ridiculed, had a crown of thorns pressed upon His skull, and a purple robe placed on His whipped back. He was then made to carry His own cross upon which He would be nailed and hung for all to see. Isaiah spoke of Him by saying that “His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men.” He was carried lifeless to a tomb and sealed in with a large stone. Yet in all this, God’s purpose was working itself out even when His own followers could not make sense of what He was saying or doing.

The Resurrection today is an invitation to believe and trust in Jesus no matter how it looks or feels. When we understand or when we don’t, when it’s going well or when it’s falling apart, when the sun is shining, or the storm clouds are rising, when there’s feasting or there’s famine, and when I’m going over or it looks like I’m going under our trust is in the Lord.

The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIRV), “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank Him because you believe in Christ Jesus.” John 3:16 invites us to believe in Him, not what you see. Too often what we call confusion, is simple unbelief. It may not look like you imagined. It may not be what you expected. Yet the invitation is to believe in Him.

The Only Constant

When things are going great, don’t be deceived into believing in it. It’s a deception to believe in the mountain top. Why? There’s a valley on the other side that is dark and looks like the shadow of death. Believing He is with me, I will not fear. Jesus is the only constant we have in this world. Jesus wasn’t asking them to believe what they see, He was saying believe in Me. As the old hymn goes:

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word. Just to rest upon His promise, just to know thus saith the Lord.

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust You. How I’ve proved You o’re and o’re. Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus, O for grace to trust You more.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Him, Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend. And I know that He is with me, will be with me to the end.

Today, we believe in the cross. We believe in the resurrection. Our belief is in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, “Believe in Me also.” Don’t believe or have faith in your trouble, but believe Jesus. We don’t quit at the point of shortcomings, because we believe Jesus. Problems or trials may look bad, but we”re not going to put our faith in them. We turn our eyes toward Jesus. The slamming of prison doors sound final, but so did the stone being rolled into place. Turn to Jesus and be thankful no matter what happens. Walk by faith and not by sight! Good times and bad may change your life, but they can’t save your life. Emmanuel is still with us and able to make all things work together for good.

The Cross

March 27, 2018 by Chris Wilcoxson Leave a Comment

The Point

The cross stands as the pivotal point in history, the point in our history, where the past can not come any further. Where sin hits the point of forgiveness and can no longer define us. A point that brings love into focus. Where true love is seen in contrast to our sin. As the sunlight breaks blindingly in contrast to the dark storm clouds, so a contrast is seen between a choice of separation and connection, a choice of selfishness and selflessness, a choice of sin and righteousness. The cross brings contrast between the orphan and the adopted, death and life, hell and heaven, lost and found.

The cross is the point that we must not turn from, but must look, or fail to be saved, healed, and delivered. A point that if not crossed, will keep us on the wrong side of forgiveness, healing, salvation, resurrection, Holy Spirit power and presence. At the cross, we find the Door, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The resurrection comes into view. We find ourselves confessing with those who watched Him die, “Surely this was the Son of God” – not only was, but is, and is to come.

The Focal Point

At the cross, we find perfect theology, because we see Jesus. Jesus is the exact representation of the Father. No one comes to the Father except through Him. We can’t come to Him without facing the cross. A Christ without a cross is a christ made in our own image, an anti-christ. What kind of Jesus are we beholding? To shade our eyes from the cross and look only to the images we like is to miss Him completely. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. Without forgiveness, the penalty of sin is death. Yet look to the cross of Christ and hope is born and heart is transformed. The cross is the point that connects us to our Savior.

The cross is not beauty but it produces beauty. It is not gold covered, but blood covered. Rugged, splintered, and weighty is the cross of Christ. It comes with nails and hammer. A crown of thorns and ridicule are prominently displayed. A innocent substitute, beaten and whipped, made to carry the cross on which He now hangs. Then words spoken from parched lips, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” As we look, it becomes clear that it was us who brought Him to this. It was our sin for which He bleed and died. We nailed the nails. Yet, it was His choosing us that steadied His hand and feet as the spikes were driven. It was His love that being reviled, He reviled not in return. His life for ours. The cross is a choice. He choose us. It’s in looking at the uncomfortable, beholding the unthinkable, and seeing the incomprehensible that we truly choose Him and His great love wherewith He loved us.

The Intersection Point

The cross is the pathway to life. It’s where death gives way to resurrection. The resurrected Christ is resurrecting us. At the cross He died in our place. We take His death as our own. This leads us to sharing in His resurrection as well. Therefore the cross is the point where we leave death behind. We walk into the future alive as a new creature never to die. We literally ‘cross’ over from death to life. We are never alone because He chose us at the cross.

The cross is a place of shame. Not God’s but mine. It’s hard to face, but on the cross is Mercy. It’s God on that cross. God at the mercy of man? No! God having mercy on man. God taking our shame, covering our shame, burying our shame. He took our place and clothes us in His righteousness.

The Defining Point

The cross is the point of repentance. It’s the turning point. There our eyes no longer cling to self preservation but rather behold One who laid His life on the altar not to preserve our life but give us new life – His life. The cross is our repentance point where we lay down our thinking and and take on His. No longer hiding, no longer running, no longer striving. We are loved. He loves us this much. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by His cross and resurrection.

The cross is the point of redemption. It’s where the ransom for our freedom from bondage is paid. Death is the price, for the soul that sins will die. Death brought freedom, not our death but Christ’s. For you see, He died in our place and set us free. His death became ours and yet that is not all. For though we would have died in sin never to rise. He died for all and robbed the grave. For death could not hold Him. He arose and declared, “because I live, you shall live also.” Therefore, if we boast, we boast in Christ.

The Inflection Point

The cross brings true freedom. A spiritual rebirth – through Christ we die in sin and are reborn in righteousness. Spiritual freedom is life and peace. Fleshly freedom is death and bondage. The laws and commandments of God are not bondage, our spirit desires the path of life. Sin is lawlessness. Lawlessness is regarding the lack of self-control or self government. External laws are only necessary where self government fails or sin reigns. True freedom is the ability to self govern by the power of a higher power – Christ in Me. Freedom is liberating ourselves from the whims of the flesh and into the obedience of the spirit which desires to please God. The cross is our example of being led by the Spirit and not by my flesh. The Law of Love in action at Calvary. It encapsulates the whole law into one word – Love. God is Love. Love is now our inward law, that frees us from every external one. Love rescued us and now we follow the law of Love out of a heart that was won by Love Himself.

The cross is the point. Without the cross there is no Christianity. Without the cross there is no Savior. We must meet Christ at the cross and allow Him to impart His grace and resurrection life. The cross is for all. It stands between Heaven and hell and reaches wide to receive all who will come. The cross is an invitation written in Christ’s blood that calls us to “Come unto Him.”

Destined to Live

December 30, 2016 by Chris Wilcoxson Leave a Comment

Live or Die

Matthew 1:21 …”She will give birth to a son and you are to name him ‘Savior,’ for he is destined to give his life to save his people from their sins.” TPT

Perhaps you have heard it said that ‘life is a terminal experience.’ In other words, no one gets out of this alive. The question really isn’t will we physically die, but will we really live.

Death, explained by the Word of God, means separation. Death is to be separated from God, thus separated from life. The reality is that we all are eternal beings. Physical death isn’t the end. The real question is having been born will we really live. While death means separation, life is union with Life Himself. Life is the end of separation, never to be separated again.

Jesus, our Savior, was destined to give His life. He would give His life to save his people from their sins. The gift of Love was that God’s Son was born to die. That means He had to first be alive. Jesus was sinless and alive, not being separated from Father God.

Luke 2:10-11 “For I have come to bring you good news, the most joyous news the world has ever heard! For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you! He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah.” TPT

We, on the other hand, were born in sin and spiritually dead. A spiritually dead (separated) person has reason to fear physical death. To physically die having never spiritually lived is eternal separation. However, angels proclaimed the most joyous news the world has ever heard. They trumpeted life in the midst of death.

Exchange

Born sinless and alive, Jesus was destined to die. Born in sin and death, we were destined to live. He was destined to die. We were destined to live.

Destiny may seem a little overly dramatic for you. Yet, the word speaks of purpose, to be firmly established, and destination. God, your Heavenly Father, has firmly established your life in a plan that He devised before the foundations of the world. He knew you would need saving. He knew we would get lost. You were destined to know God, to have eternal life, to be found in Him.

Though Jesus died for our sins on the cross, if that had been the end, it would not be good news. His full destiny or destination would not have been achieved. Having died, our Savior defeated death and rose again. He proclaimed, “That because I live, you shall live also!” He has fulfilled His destiny so we could walk in it. You were born to live and Jesus has made it possible. Don’t walk in death, when your destination is life.

Choose life. Choose to step into a destiny that has been planned for you. Call on the name of the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and you will be saved! It’s your destiny.

Complete in Love, Perfected by Grace

December 18, 2016 by Chris Wilcoxson Leave a Comment

Rethink Identity

Immanuel, God with us, is more than just an extraordinary truth. It’s surpasses being a simple locator of God. It is an esteemed identity. For those married, identity changed from single to married. Those born again had an identity change from alone to never alone. A restoration takes place bringing us back into relationship with our Creator, the One in Whose image we were created. When creation comes into alignment with the creator, a completion takes place that cannot happen any other way. ‘God with us’ makes us complete.

“…and in Him you have been made complete.” Colossians 2:10

Many struggle to see themselves as complete. One reason is when we look at ourselves, we look only at ourselves. Self-image is a stand-alone concept that takes no account of others. It’s too narrow a view. Synonyms for complete are whole, wide-ranging, all-inclusive, extensive, entire, and perfect. The point is that we can’t build an image of complete or perfect from only one aspect of the whole. Not when we are intended to see ourselves ‘together.’

Perfect Together

My youngest daughter is about one year old. If I saw her alone, the last thing I would think is complete. No one year old can take care of themselves. For my daughter to be complete, she would have to be viewed within family. She needs the care and support of loving parents. She is not seen as less than perfect because she can’t talk, walk or prepare her own food yet. She is in process. She is complete through relationship. What she can’t do yet, my wife and I can. At the end of the day, our daughter has her needs met by our love and support. The result is perfect or complete. Our strengths making up for her weakness. She is destined to do what we do. She is growing every day. She would not be complete without us, but she is not without us. Our offered strength becomes an invitation to grow.

Relationships, especially family, complete us and make us equal. One’s strength compensating for another’s weakness. In 1 John, we see a different view of what perfects us than what the world describes. ^“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18) See it? Fear is the opposite of perfect. Perfect ceases to be defined by performance, but rather love. God is love and we are invited to abide in that love as a child. We are perfected by love. Self-image, as a judge of self, should not be a tool to demean ourselves for our weakness. It should be a judge of where we need to receive another’s strength.

“For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14

Never Alone

Only One is perfect and complete and even He refers to Himself as ‘Us’ in Genesis 1 (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). God alone is in a place to offer Himself completely. We need to become like a child in our thinking. We are in process and always will be as we grow from glory to glory. Without Father God, we would be imperfect and incomplete, but we are not without Him. God sees us as perfect and complete in the finished work of the cross. What we couldn’t do for ourselves, Jesus has done. He has ended the hostilities and reconciled us. No longer orphans (incomplete), we have been given the Spirit of adoption, where we cry Abba, Father! Father “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love…” (Ephesians 1:4). Regardless of where we are in that process, He chose us, knew us, and wants to complete us. ‘God with us’ is the lens where we can see ourselves complete and perfect. ‘God with us’ is our identity.

“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Revealing God With Us

December 8, 2016 by Chris Wilcoxson Leave a Comment

…remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. -Ephesians 2:12

The world’s telling its side of the story

Sitting on a cold, hard bench in a bus terminal John looked worried, even fearful. He was jumpy and couldn’t relax even though his bus would not be loading for another hour. A well-dressed man in his 50’s noticed him and couldn’t help but wonder if he needed help. Unable to suppress his curiosity and concern any longer, he approached John. What he found out was that John was running from an abusive father. There would be no relaxing until he was safely on the bus and out of town. Years of physical and verbal abuse, a sense of being a total failure, and completely unwanted had left John feeling very much like an orphan. He had not felt safe in years and wasn’t even sure what it felt like to begin with. God, family, even society had been shaped by his world within the walls of the house in which he had lived.

The preacher pounded the pulpit and shouted loud and fiery words at the congregation. The small congregation had been in decline for some time. One by one, family by family, the congregation dwindled. Each one leaving quietly, without a word. To them it was like an escape from prison, an abusive one at that. They ran from shame, guilt, and pain. The culture of the church was controlling and condemning. With nearly every word of the preacher hopelessness grew. To them their heavenly father was a very angry god. How could they please a god like that? And if they couldn’t please him, then run for cover and try to escape.

Unnoticed and unchallenged Tommy fell through the cracks. He had learned the art of sarcasm and quick wit. To him, everything was a joke. At school, on the soccer field, or at the now third foster home, Tommy was not one to cause problems. They say the squeaky wheel gets the oil, but he didn’t squeak. The problem was no one had taken the time to get to know Tommy. Since his parents died, part of his life and heart had become shut off. He wore a facade and had become dark inside. Over the years, he lost himself and felt lost to everyone around him. He had been told God took his parents, the foster care system shuffled him around due to family challenges he had been placed into, and changing schools had made it difficult to have or keep friends. Tommy was 14 and thoughts of suicide went unnoticed.

Without God or God with us

The Christmas story of God sending His Son as a baby in a manger is well known. The declaration of the prophet and then described in the Gospels sums it up in the name Immanuel – God with us. To some this is a beautiful and calming thought. However, to some, like the ones in the stories above, perhaps not. This world is full of misrepresentations. Life experience and what others have shown us through word or deed all work to form our perception of God. Is He safe? Is He good, loving and kind? Or is He angry, abusive, and demanding? Will He help me, does He love me, does He care? Answers have to be seen in the Light of context. ‘God with us’ is powerful when in the proper context. John 3:16 puts it in that context. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Love is the context and that context needs to be seen and experienced. This world and those engulfed in it go around representing ‘us without God.’ For those of us who believe, it is vitally important to acknowledge that ‘God with me’ has a purpose. It represents to the world ‘God with US.’
‘God with us’ should be powerful, peculiar, and personal. ‘God with us’ is my salvation and forgiveness. The relationship that it implies should flow like a river to strongly counter the messages of this world. ‘God with us’ is still loving and giving to a world that cost the blood of Jesus.

Edgar was the man reaching out to John. What he felt for John was more than human concern. He felt compassion and felt that Holy Spirit wanted to love John through him. Edgar sat, listened both to John and to God, who was with them. As they spoke, John realized the tension from his shoulders had gone. He knew there was something genuinely different about Edgar. How Edgar knew some of the things that were going on in his mind and heart baffled him. As John shared his story, Edgar would say things from time to time. Things that made John feel like he was known, like his story mattered, and that he was not alone. Wow! What a feeling and how do you explain that in such a short time? Holy Spirit was speaking through Edgar right to John’s heart. With the precision of a gifted surgeon, God had revealed that He, a loving heavenly Father, was with John. John’s circumstances had not changed, but before this night was over, John had.

Sobs could’ve been heard from the bedroom had there been anyone else in the house. Broken, frustrated, and at the end of himself, that preacher of fire and brimstone came undone. He had not just passed his fears, need for control, and insecurities off on the congregation. He had also driven off his wife and children. He was alone. He had failed his family, his congregation, and now, he feared, God. It hadn’t always been this way. He could remember his first God encounter in the church at the center of town. He walked out that night alive and in love. Passion was gone now. The busyness of ministry had taken over. In the absence of a vital relationship with God, insecurities grew and control was his new mode of operation. Fear and shame worked well for that, at least for a time.
The sobs were in fact heard though. A knock on the door at 11:30 at night revealed one of the pastor’s old college buddies. He had left after work and driven five hours to be there. Immanuel had summoned him to the house. Even though they had not seen each other for years, Holy Spirit impressed upon his heart to call on his old friend. The intensity caused him to go immediately after work.
The pastor’s friend brought a message. He began by saying, God has a word for you. He began to speak prophetically. He spoke of how God saw him as a son, a mighty man of God, and the call that was on his life. He spoke of faith and a future that were still part of God’s will for his life. Rather than hearing the condemning messages he had preached thrown back at him, God was reminding him of who he was and whose he was. Conviction began to bring him back to the man in love with a Savior, a God of grace and mercy, a good Father. A new man and ministry were birthed that night.

“What are your dreams for the future?” That was the question Tommy had just been asked. “Dreams?” He had never thought about it. The only answer he could muster was, “I don’t know.” That answer wasn’t adequate and the person who asked wasn’t going to let it go. “Oh, come on, think about it. What do you enjoy?” Tommy got still for a moment. No sarcasm surfaced this time. There were no deflecting jokes. There was something penetrating about the question or maybe it was the way the question was asked. It may sound silly, but it was like there was hope attached to it. Hope that perhaps there was a dream there to be discovered, a future beyond what he had known. Up to this ‘chance’ conversation, perishing had taken over his thoughts. Now someone was digging into his heart and planting seeds of eternal life, significance, and even family. A new reality was birthed that day that began to grow. A loving heavenly Father wanted to dream with Tommy and invite him into a place of belonging in His family as a son with an inheritance.

With “Us”

…and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”) -Matthew 1:23
Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. God with us, means God with those around us. The darkness of this world keeps people in obscurity lost without God. God with us is an invitation to let our light so shine that people would see our good works and recognize that God is indeed with us. Let’s be a sign to a dark world that Immanuel is the same yesterday, today and forever. They will know us by our love.

Grace Empowered

November 21, 2016 by Chris Wilcoxson Leave a Comment

Walk by faith one step at a time

Imagine Peter stepping out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water. He throws his leg over the side of the boat as the perfect picture of faith. It’s not until Peter shifts his weight onto the water that he will experience grace. Grace to save was there. It took a step of faith to see it. Grace held Peter up after that initial step and empowered him to do what he could not have otherwise done. The fact that he began to sink reveals that salvation isn’t a one time event. No, we need the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with every step. It reveals that every step need be taken in faith, if we hope to find God’s amazing grace. Each step, eyes on Jesus, faith in His power to save. Eyes off Jesus, who is full of grace and truth, faith falters, doubt is cast over our salvation. Walk or sink, grace is there. Faith steps upon it and is lifted up.

Never separate faith and grace

We all are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). That verse goes on to say that it is not by works, lest we should boast. Therefore, salvation lies squarely on the shoulders of Jesus. Not just salvation from hell, but salvation from sinking in this world. Human effort has no power to walk on water. However, the bible also says that faith without works is dead. Faith without works is cut off from the empowerment of grace. Illustrated by Peter getting out of the boat, he moved out onto grace and received power to walk on water. The same work that stepped on grace is the same work that began to sink. Peter couldn’t take credit for walking on water except that with one step his faith was in Jesus’ omnipotent grace and the next in his impotent step.

A gift of sight

Faith can be defined many ways, but one is the gift of sight. Faith gives us sight into the Kingdom of God that is more real and stable than this natural world. The miracle of new birth that we receive when we ‘step’ toward Jesus in repentance and faith gives us the ability to see the Kingdom of God. This in itself is a miracle of grace. We have no more power to become born again and see the kingdom of God than go to the sun. Only the gospel of grace can open our eyes to turn from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to God and receive forgiveness of sin (Acts 26:18). The point is that if we will look by faith, expecting, we will see the kingdom of God and will be lifted up. Peter received and walked in a higher kingdom. What he did was a ‘sign’ of a higher kingdom and that ‘God was with him.’ (See John 3:2).

Invitation to empowerment

The Christian life is not an invitation to do the ‘best we can.’ It’s an opportunity to be a ‘sign’ that ‘God is with us.‘ It’s an invitation to a daily, hourly walk with God by faith. The gospel is the ‘power of God for salvation for all that believe’ every moment of our lives. Peter walked on water. He sank when he ceased walking by faith and began walking by sight. Be devoted to loving the Father and not this world. The low life is where our sight doesn’t reach beyond this world and we remain devoted to living a limited life. The high life is when our focus is fixed on Jesus and we are lifted up to become examples of what the ‘kingdom come’ looks like.

“We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection.” – Hebrews 12:2 TPT

Identity Before Ability

September 26, 2016 by Chris Wilcoxson Leave a Comment

Deception about our identity causes us to live below our abilities. Gideon and his people were being robbed. When the angel of the Lord came to him, he was hiding in fear trying to hold on to the little he had left. The fact that Gideon was living below his means, powerless, and in fear had no bearing on his true self. How you and I live doesn’t change who we are. It only reflects the amount of deception believed.

The angel of the Lord called out what God saw, not how Gideon was acting. He said, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior” (Judges 6:12). God spoke first to Gideon’s identity. His began to shift from seeing himself alone to having God with him. “God with him” revealed the valiant warrior that God had created. It moved him from being powerless to being powerful. The shifting beliefs about himself transformed him from playing defense with the little he had left to offensively taking back what had been stolen, his identity.

“Christ in us” is “God with us.” We are not alone and He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Let His presence conform you to the image of His Son.