We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. – Romans 8:37

Whoever you are, whatever your struggles and temptations may be, sweet victory is yours for the taking.

Right now!

All you need do is appreciate, appropriate and act upon what already belongs to you in the person of Jesus Christ. You are guaranteed success in whatever battle you may be fighting, not because you are sufficient for the battle—you are not!—but because there are massively powerful provisions at your fingertips, in Christ.

Here are three simple steps that will release you from the grip of even the most besetting sin.

1. Name the Thing

Honesty is the precursor to victory.

Before God, and in your own conscience, call your sin exactly what it is. Cease all explanations and excuses. Just get on your knees and confess that this thing is absolutely opposed to God’s character, that it is hurting others and destroying you. Verbalizing the truth of the matter is vitally necessary. Doing so awakens a deeper sensitivity and places your heart in an honest position before God …
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The great Hellen Keller is noted as having said, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” A little over two years ago my wife and I had a most unexpected door slam shut just as we were walking through it. It smashed us in the face, knocking us to the ground. Then it came off its hinges, fell on top of us, sprouted arms, and began to poke us in the eyes.

At least that’s how I remember it.

It was hard for us to take our eyes off this heavy door since it was flattening our noses with its closeness. However, rather divinely, we realized almost immediately that if we did not get out from underneath this evil door, it would quickly crush us out. God intervened upon hearing our cries for deliverance. He picked us up, dusted us off, and gave us a shove in the direction of the doors opening all around us.

Listen to Ty Gibson, James Rafferty and David Asscherick discuss the details and events leading up to the merger between Light Bearers and ARISE.

You can download this video to share with others (right-click, save linked file as).

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. – 1 Corinthians 9:25, NIV

In their excellent book, The Power of Full Engagement, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz suggest that, “Managing energy, not time, is the key to high performance.” We all have the same amount of time each day, but all of us do not bring the same amount and quality of energy to that time. Some people get more and better work done than others because they are alive with physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy that allows them to give focused and sustained attention to their goals, while others simply trudge through their days lacking usable energy. The goal should be to maintain habits that yield maximum energy rather than frantically trying to get as much as possible done with an eye on the clock.

There are four extremely effective habits we should form in order to maintain high energy.

1. Good Eating

In order that the work may go forward in all its branches, God calls for youthful vigor, zeal and courage. He has chosen the youth to aid in the advancement of His cause. To plan with clear mind and execute with courageous hand demands fresh, uncrippled energies. . . that through the exercise of their powers, through keen thought and vigorous action, they may bring glory to Him and salvation to their fellow-men – Gospel Workers, p. 67.

I’ve had an unshakable burden for Europe for over a decade now. I’ve just never been able to accept the sad and ironic reality that the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation is now so tragically spiritually dormant. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Europe is not exempt from the desperate need for revival. The church in France, I would say, is high on the “needy” list.

Thankfully, God is privy to this need. Though few in number, there is a new wave of on fire Adventist young people there, and they are beginning to make some noise. A group of nine young adults …
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As a child I remember looking once at the clear night sky and feeling the deep awe it inspires. It wasn’t just a sense that the Universe is big that gripped me, though it certainly is. It was the whole experience of being in the dark with my senses half deprived, which enhanced the profound feeling of wonder as I gazed up into the immensity of space. I believe that every child has this kind of experience at least once, realizing just how small we are and how much there is to discover. It may last just a few minutes or the whole life! But it always happens, because, as every child knows, one of the deepest pleasures a human being can experience is the pleasure of finding things out. It is not by accident that this expression is actually a quote from a physicist, Richard Feynman. Physicists (and other scientists too) are just grown up kids that haven’t forgotten about the guiltless pleasure of being curious about everything!

Being a Christian, though, there is another layer on the matter.

The ninth four-month Cornerstone class has come and gone. It’s hard to believe we’ve been at this for nearly a decade! Every class is special, I’ll be the first to insist on that. What made 2011’s class so special? I think it was a combination of several things, but two in particular come to mind. Let me share them with you.

First of all, the 2011 class is the first class we’ve ever conducted at our very own facility! Over the years, we’ve rented furnished corporate housing or summer camp facilities from other denominations, but not this year. This year we were in the new ARISE campus located in Jasper, Oregon. The facility, a former boarding academy, is absolutely perfect for our needs and the needs of our students. To be sure, we were saddened to hear of the academy’s closure; there can be no rejoicing when a Seventh-day Adventist institution closes its doors. The academy board, however, was persuaded that the time was right. We did not encourage their decision, but we did support it once it was made.

You …
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Matt, David, and Sherise surfing just South of Brisbaine, Australia

Moving can be dramatic. Yet change is a normal part of the human experience. Accordingly, the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus (535-475 BC) said, “all things move and nothing stays still,” indicating his belief that the only constant in our universe was change.

Interestingly, Heraclitus was the first to make philosophical use of the Greek word logos which John the apostle used to describe Christ in the opening of his gospel. “In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word (logos) was with God, and the Word (logos) was God” (John 1:1). For Heraclitus, logos was the principle of order and knowledge that bound the universe together. Paul agreed! He said that, “in Christ we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) and wrote that, “in Him (Jesus Christ) all things consist” (Col. 1:17).

If Jesus Christ is the logos that binds the universe together—which I believe!—then no matter how much things change, there is always a constant. No matter how much …
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Even though it’s happened, I still can hardly believe it.

We merged. We moved. We’re here.

After months of conversing, praying, thinking, and planning, it happened. And, again, I still can hardly believe it. But here’s the good news, no great news: it’s going so much better than I thought it would. Being a perennial optimist, my hopes were high—sky high—and somehow my expectations have been exceeded. It’s comforting to know that I’m not alone in either my optimism or evaluation. The whole team is singing the same song.

Undeniably, this is a God thing.

You don’t just merge two long-standing ministries—complete with established ways of doing things, strong personalities, successful histories, and future plans—without incident. It just doesn’t happen; it can’t happen.

Until it does.

So here we are. The transition has been more than seamless, it’s been downright fun, exhilarating even. Already many of the “pros” we talked about prior to merging are materializing: joint projects, synergistic brainstorming, spirited fellowship, and directional planning. The future is looking bright, and the present is already pure joy. Hardly a day …
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July 1, 2011 was a day of new beginnings for Light Bearers and ARISE. It was the end of two separate ministries and the beginning of one. And from that day to this, we have experienced unrelenting unity, fellowship, and synergy.

One of the things I most appreciate about the ARISE team is their youthful enthusiasm for God’s work and how it permeates every aspect of their lives. While holding tenaciously to the core truths, they are not inhibited by old traditions. The free and easy style of these young energetic workers allows them to reach the many youth who struggle with out-dated formalism.

New challenges are sure to surface when a team of experienced but youthful talent combine with “older” workers—Ty and I are almost 50 and are preparing to get carded when inquiring about senior discounts!—yet the transition has been surprisingly free of difficulty. A spirit of unity and purpose pervades as we move forward to chisel out new goals and directions for the now-combined ministry.

Yes, great challenges lie ahead as Satan is sure to do all …
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