A few of us from Plug Prime took a 12 hour drive down to Elevation Church and here is a short clip of what we experienced.

Code Orange Revival from Elevation Church on Vimeo.

We also made it on the Local News…

Chazown is something our Plug Prime group went through over a course of a few weeks. It was a revealing and helpful process which allowed us to gain a better insight into our dreams, desires, passion and purpose.

It’s the Hebrew word for vision, and it’s what God had in mind for you when you were created. Each of us is a masterpiece, placed on earth for a unique purpose that’s solely ours to fulfill. Come uncover God’s dream for your life – your Chazown.

http://www.chazown.com/

A Look Inside IEC’s Young Adult Group — An idea that started out as a promo clip that developed into a heartfelt, inspirational short film that captures the emotions of a group of young adults in pursuit of something greater.

]]> http://iecfamily.com/plugprime/?feed=rss2&p=87 1 http://iecfamily.com/plugprime/?p=75 http://iecfamily.com/plugprime/?p=75#comments Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:00:03 +0000 Juli-Anne James http://iecfamily.com/plugprime/?p=75 Join IEC’s Young Adults Ministry every Wednesday for dynamic weekly book discussions!

If you don’t know who you are than you will never be progressive, you’ll fall for anything and perhaps you may live your life like the movie Groundhog Day, forever repeating your days, not growing and essentially living (or dying) in a stagnant state.

How do you define yourself?

If someone were to say to “describe yourself in 140 characters” what would you say?

If you were asked to describe yourself in 3 sentences what would be your response?

If asked to use 3 words to define yourself, how would you answer?

Some people out there, and I’m sure we may personally know one or two, define themselves in very superficial terms. Their sense of self worth comes from the job they work, the income they make, the clothes they wear, the shade of their skin, their education. Take for example, the actress who was once the Hollywood vixen ages. She no longer gets cast in anything leading or bit part. She may begin to feel that she’s worthless and not good for anything. Because her sense of self was in her looks she may get extreme plastic surgery to remedy the issue. She goes deep into debt for this ‘cosmetic’ solution and then sinks into a further depression because – she doesn’t recognize herself when she looks in the mirror, she’s in debt past her eyeballs, she can’t get any roles, and she believes that she’s got no useful skills to “reinvent” herself. And it continues to spiral out of control. Maybe if she knew the truth about herself, beyond the surface, she would not have descended into this mess and madness.

Our world and perspective on things is shaped by our experiences and environment that we grew up in.

Personal example, my mother always wanted to be a teacher. So, she became a teacher. Although she had been teaching for quite a few years in Jamaica when she came to Canada she had to start at the bottom again. But because she knew that she was a teacher she pressed and did what she had to, to get to where she wanted to be. Teaching was her labour of love. Her paycheque was the icing on top but not her sole “reward” or incentive for work. When I started working I would tell her that her example of loving her job was a blessing and a curse to me because I never felt easy with just working for money. There always had to be something more in the job for me. Now, I have the luxury of loving what I do. And my job doesn’t feel like a job. Even now, retired my mom volunteers at a school and tutors kids and works with the kids at her church. So what if in those early days in Canada when she had to clean houses and sleep on her sister’s couch she had not known who she was? She wouldn’t have remained focused and she may have never gone back into teaching. She would’ve been a disgruntled employee, maybe end up with some chronic illness, or maybe not so dramatic she would’ve remained humble, picked up a job somewhere and worked hard and faithfully but have a gnawing sense of untapped potential, emptiness, living in the shadows of “what if?”

What am I trying to say?

You have to know – KNOW who you are, what’s in your core.

You have to know who you are if you don’t want to live confused and move in circles.

You have to know who you are if you don’t want to waste time and walk a straight line.

You have to know who you are if you want to have some semblance of peace in your life.

You have to know who you are if you ever want to fulfill your purpose.

The apostle Paul wrote:

Galatians 1:15-17 (Amplified Bible)

15But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased(A)

16To reveal (unveil, disclose) His Son within me so that I might proclaim Him among the Gentiles (the non-Jewish world) as the glad tidings (Gospel), immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood [did not consult or counsel with any frail human being or communicate with anyone].

17Nor did I [even] go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles (special messengers of Christ) before I was, but I went away and retired into Arabia, and afterward I came back again to Damascus.

How do you think the apostle Paul would have defined himself?

With that verse in mind, we could probably assert that Paul would define himself: disciple of Christ …

Let’s take a look at Jesus, the perfect case study in Self awareness and Self confidence.

He came to earth as a human and went through the process in exactly the way that we all do.

Conception, Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood… He made the transition rather smoothly although there was much opposition.

But He knew exactly who he was and therefore was able to be successful and live the life that he did. A life that is still resonating with us thousands of years later.

A brief example -The bible said this about Him:

Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV)

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g] (which means “God with us”).

Isaiah 9:6,7 (NIV)

For to us a child is born,  to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

And on and on…

That’s why when he was tempted he was able to withstand. See: Luke 4:1-14 and in the Amplified it says that after the full cycle of temptation.

14Then Jesus went back full of and under the power of the [Holy] Spirit into Galilee, and the fame of Him spread through the whole region round about.

See what happens when you stick to your guns?

That’s why when he was taunted by Pharisees who were trying to undermine him he silenced them. These guys were grasping at straws – like someone criticizing your ability to tap dance… But when you know who you are and what truly defines you then you can silence the critics. In fact you won’t pay them any mind.

Luke 20:20-26 (AMP)

16And the scribes [belonging to the party] of the Pharisees, when they saw that He was eating with [those [k]definitely known to be especially wicked] sinners and tax collectors, said to His disciples, Why does He eat and drink with tax collectors and [notorious] sinners?

17And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, Those who are strong and well have no need of a physician, but those who are weak and sick; I came not to call the righteous ones to repentance, but sinners (the[l]erring ones and [m]all those not free from sin).

Mark 2:16,17 (AMP)

16And the scribes [belonging to the party] of the Pharisees, when they saw that He was eating with [those [k]definitely known to be especially wicked] sinners and tax collectors, said to His disciples, Why does He eat and drink with tax collectors and [notorious] sinners?

17And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, Those who are strong and well have no need of a physician, but those who are weak and sick; I came not to call the righteous ones to repentance, but sinners (the[l]erring ones and [m]all those not free from sin).

When he was tried in the Garden of Gethsemane he was able to go through with the betrayal and the crucifixion

Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV)

36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

After all this we know that he was crucified. But Jesus rose again. See what happens when you follow through? You rise and shine?

Jesus knew who he was and because of that he chose his “friends” with wisdom. He carried himself in such a way that at 12 he could speak with authority in the synagogue (interesting that in Jewish culture 13 is when you ‘become a man’).

He spoke with conviction – that people followed him. And he was able to hang around the dregs of society and uplift them, change them. He always walked with authority and never found himself in places that he wasn’t supposed to be.

So what does the Bible say about us, who we are, how we should view ourselves.

- 1Peter 2:9-12 (chosen people, royal priesthood)

- Galatians 3:26-28 (sons of God)

- * Ephesians 1:3-14 (predestined, wise, marked with a seal)

- John 15:1-11 (vine and the branches)

When you know what you know you will be focused and you will accomplish what you are supposed to.

When you know what you know you will not be distracted and you will indeed “shine like the stars of the universe”.

My questions to you for discussion:

So now, how can we live knowing the truth about ourselves? How do we acquire that knowledge?

How do we apply the knowledge? So how do we apply this in a ‘practical way’?

Conclusion –

As Jesus knew who he was, you’ve gotta know who you are and believe. It will shape your choices and focus your life.

The bible says that God sends the rain on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). We are further told that God is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11), meaning that He shows no favoritism. To God, one man is not different from the other.

As a matter of fact, sometimes we have the tendency to think of God as being up in heaven, watching what is happening in our lives and exacting penalties or releasing blessings according to what we did or didn’t do that day, or that week or that year. The truth of the matter is though, that when God established the earth, He also established the principles by which it would operate. Those we can see, and those we can’t. For example, God doesn’t flip a switch on September 21^st in order to set Autumn in motion. He established the seasons when He established the earth. In the same way God established the law of sowing and reaping for example, and in Galatians 6:7, it says:

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

That is just one example of one law of the earth that God set in motion from time immemorial to man and it is as true as the law of gravity is true.

Anyway, I digress – so back to the universality of hurt. We have all experienced it, in various ways at various times and will likely experience it again at some point in our lives. I doubt that there is anyone alive who can say that they have not been offended in some way, by someone that they love or have loved, and that is exactly why I want to share some thoughts about – FORGIVENESS.

So just what is forgiveness?

Well we can talk about Merriam Webster’s definition at this point, but it would probably be best to look into the word of God on the matter to get the real definition of forgiveness, so lets skip the dictionary.com definition and look at Matthew 18:21-27 (AMP). This is one of those great moments when Jesus was teaching using parables and this one is called the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.

²¹Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times?

²²Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!

²³Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a human king who wished to settle accounts with his attendants.

²⁴When he began the accounting, one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents [probably about $10,000,000],

²⁵And because he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and his children and everything that he possessed, and payment to be made.

²⁶So the attendant fell on his knees, begging him, Have patience with me and I will pay you everything.

²⁷And his master’s heart was moved with compassion, and he released him and forgave him [cancelling] the debt.

This illustration reveals that there are three elements to complete forgiveness:

1. Compassion: the scripture says that the king was moved with compassion for his servant. Other translations read “he took pity on him”. In today’s language maybe we would say “his heart went out to him”. This involves a change in the attitude of your heart toward a person or circumstance, a metanoia (defined as a profound, usually spiritual, transformation). In other words we need to first gain perspective and actively make a choice to change the way we think and feel about a person even in the midst of the circumstance, before we can truly forgive. This is the sort of help that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to provide us with when He ascended into heaven. We cannot achieve this sort of change in our hearts without God’s help and as we know – we have not, because we ask not. The first step is asking God to help us in this area.
2. Release: The king also released him. So we see that release is an important part of forgiveness too. Release from bitter judgments and expectations. For example, sometimes we say, “I forgive you but I will never forget what you did” or we say that we forgive a person for hurting us, but we maintain an expectation of them that they will hurt us again. We hold them captive in our emotional prisons. The expectation that we form in our own minds actually sometimes creates the opportunities for the offense to come about again because we are so on guard for it. If we don’t actively release the offender from our hearts, we have not completely forgiven.
3. Forgiving/cancelling debt: True and complete forgiveness means that we also cancel the expectation of being paid back what we are owed (whether that is physical, emotional, spiritual or material), and write off the expense so to speak. We give our expectations to God, and willingly incur the loss, knowing that God is able to supply what we need once we release and forgive.

This is a picture of forgiveness that is complete and unless we can model this at the times when we need to forgive, then we have not completely forgiven. Even now, for some of us, even the very mention of the topic of forgiveness brings to mind names of people or situations that we need to forgive completely.

I want to encourage our understanding that forgiving is not an emotional event that we need to build up to until we FEEL like forgiving or feel like we are ready to forgive.  Forgiveness is a choice – it involves making a decision and setting your will in a direction that is many times opposite to what emotion would have you do. Even beyond that, forgiveness is a spiritual requirement too. Let’s go back to Matthew 18, and read the rest of the parable. Continuing from verse 28:

²⁸But that same attendant, as he went out, found one of his fellow attendants who owed him a hundred denarii [about twenty dollars]; and he caught him by the throat and said, Pay what you owe!

²⁹So his fellow attendant fell down and begged him earnestly, Give me time, and I will pay you all!

³⁰But he was unwilling, and he went out and had him put in prison till he should pay the debt.

³¹When his fellow attendants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and told everything that had taken place to their master.

³²Then his master called him and said to him, You contemptible and wicked attendant! I forgave and cancelled all that [great] debt of yours because you begged me to.

³³And should you not have had pity and mercy on your fellow attendant, as I had pity and mercy on you?

³⁴And in wrath his master turned him over to the torturers (the jailers), till he should pay all that he owed.

³⁵So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses.

God expects us to forgive one another because He has forgiven us and modeled forgiveness for us. When Jesus taught the disciples to pray he taught them:

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

As we forgive them, not before we forgive them, but as we forgive. The measure of forgiveness that we reap, is related to the measure that we sow.

So as you continue along your day, consider theses two questions: What do I need forgiveness for? And who do I need to forgive? Ask God to help you search your heart today.

Here is a forgiveness prayer, to get help get you started talking to God about the people that you may need to forgive. Of course, you will need to make it your own and adjust it where necessary but sometimes when we are overwhelmed by emotion its hard to even know what to say to God. We pray that you find it helpful.

Forgiveness Prayer:
Lord, I come to You because I need to forgive <insert name>. I bring all of the pain, hurt and anger about what’s happened to You and I lay it at Your feet.

Your Word says I must freely forgive <insert name>, in order to be forgiven by You and so today I make the decision to be obedient to Your Word and to forgive. Lord, PLEASE heal me on the inside as only you can, so that I can let go of this hurt. I ask you Holy Spirit to heal and change my heart, so that I may see <insert name> as You see them.

I release <insert name> from every bitter judgment and emotional prison where I have held them captive. I surrender my right to receive any apology, acknowledgement or repayment from <insert name> and I place my trust in You Lord, to supply everything that I need and to fill any void that this situation has created in my spirit, soul and body.

I pray for <insert name>, please deal with them in the way You know is best. Heal them and bless them Lord.

Thank you Lord, for lifting this burden from me. Please help me not to take it up again. Grant me your grace as you continue to teach me how to truly forgive. I pray and ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. – Numbers 6:24-26