“Primal” helps to remind the body of Christ of what a relationship with Christ is supposed to be about.  There are many voices, concepts, and belief systems clamoring to be accepted in this “information age” we live in.  However, Mark Batterson reminds of some deep truths. 

In the following quote, Mark Batterson reminds us that our faith is to be put to action:

“As we grow in our love relationship with God, we begin to empathize with God.  We feel what He feels.  Then we begin to sympathize with others.  We experience sympathy breakthroughs as we see the image of God in others.  And when those empathetic feelings turn into compassionate actions, they set off chain reactions with eternal ramifications”

If our heart is truly breaking with the things that breaks the heart of God, there will be action.  Regarding the source of our action, Mark said the following:

“…one act of Spirit-prompted compassion can change the course of history.”

That’s one of the things that I felt made this book so fresh and relevant to what God wants to do with our generation.  He’s not impressed with our intellect.  He wants to be able to speak and direct His will to our generation and have us actually align with His plan. 

I’ve read in the book of Hebrews that we “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” (aka “those that have gone before us”).  However, the opening of “Primal” helped make that concept more real to me.   Mark Batterson describes what it was like to enter the catacombs under the Church of San Clemente in Rome, Italy where second-century Christians secretly worshiped God. 

“As we navigated those claustrophobic catacombs, I was overcome by the fact that I was standing in a place where my spiritual ancestors risked everything, even their lives, to worship God.  And I felt a profound mixture of gratitude and conviction.  I live in a first-world country in the twenty-first century.  And I’m grateful for the freedoms and blessings I enjoy because of where and when I live.  But when you’re standing in an ancient catacomb, the comforts you enjoy make you uncomfortable.  The things you complain about are convicting.  And some of the sacrifices you’ve made for the cause of Christ might not even quality under a second-century definition.”

Regarding the author, what impresses me the most is how often Mark Batterson alludes to himself taking personal action in response to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  It is that reality that makes me more willing to let down my “filter” and take in the words that Mark writes about.  It’s very easy to find people who are willing to minister and write from their intellect.  It’s not always easy to find someone willing to minister and write based on things heard from the Spirit of God. 

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this book.  “Primal” is just the right size to devour without it feeling like overkill.  The style/tone helps make this book a very easy read, but you also close the book feeling like substance was conveyed to you.  Enjoy!

“We do not want you to copy or imitate us. We want to be like a ship that has crossed the ocean, leaving a wake of foam, which soon fades away. We want you to follow the Spirit, which we have sought to follow, but which must be sought anew in every generation. “

By Charles Thomas Studd, Missionary to China, India, and Africa

Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ’twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

“Why should a person come to the cross?  Why should a person embrace death with Christ?  Why should a person be willing to go in identification down to the cross and into the tomb and up again?  I’ll tell you why!  Because it’s the only way that God can get glory out of a human being!”

“From Peanuts to the Pressbox” is a story about how a little boy from Brooklyn pursued his dream to be a broadcaster.  This book takes you through the life of Eli Gold from his first game at Yankee Stadium, to having non-paid jobs at radio stations to get in the door, to a peanut boy at Madison Square Garden, to, eventually, Eli Gold becoming the “voice of the Crimson Tide”.

The book “From Peanuts to the Pressbox” allows us, as readers, a fresh perspective on the “rags to riches” storyline.  In typical rags to riches storyline, there is more of a focus on events as opposed to thought process and relationships along the way.  This books highlights on the latter.  What went through Eli Gold’s mind as he pursued his dream of broadcasting? Who did he meet along the way? What relationships were formed?  These questions and more are answered in detail and they help add a depth to the story of Eli Gold.

What struck me was Eli Gold’s dad’s involvement in his life.  Read the following quote:

“I remember vividly my first trip to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.  I was about for years old, and my dad took me to a game between the Yankees and the Cleveland Indians on a Wednesday afternoon.  The funny thing was, my dad wasn’t a big sports fan.  If it was up to him, he wouldn’t be at a Yankees game on a Wednesday afternoon or even on a Saturday, but he knew that I wanted to go.  So we went.”

Having strong involvement from both of his parents helped to provide Eli Gold with a strong foundation of which he could pull encouragement from.

Another aspect of this book that I found interesting was Eli Gold’s passion to be better at broadcasting.  Even as a small child, he would sit in his seat at various arenas and stadiums with a tape recorder and practice his play-by-play.  In addition, as he grew up, he gave his tapes of these play-by-plays to respected people in his field; Eli Gold then leveraged this feedback to help further perfect his timing, voice inflection, vocabulary, etc.

Having put this book down, I am encouraged and challenged by the life of Eli Gold.  As a father, I hope that I can help steer my children in the right direction as Eli’s parents did.  In addition, it gave me a renewed passion to work hard at being who I’m destined to be.

Matt Legere

The book “Fearless” by Max Lucado dares to pose a stirring thought to a culture saturated by fear: “Imagine your life without fear”.  The very idea that we could live our lives, as the title of the book suggests, fearless may seem rather bold, even unrealistic at first; however, it’s Biblical.  Max Lucado seems to reach into the atmosphere where fears are swirling around and, after picking out the ones that hold us hostage; he then proceeds to explain Godly solutions to these fears in way that inspires faith and rekindles hope.

One of the chapters of this book that was most impacting was Chapter 2 where Max Lucado confronts the “fear of not mattering”.  God used this chapter to bring previously undefined emotions and reactions to the surface of my heart.  As I read about the “fear of not mattering”, something clicked in me and I saw why it bothers me so much when I’m left out or when someone doesn’t return my phone call.  I fear not mattering.  And if we buy into this fear, “the fear of insignificance creates the result that it dreads”, as Max Lucado says. 

Another appealing concept about this book is that it wasn’t written based on proof-texting (i.e. I have a cool book title so let’s find a Scripture that works).  Instead, it presents the simple and profound truths of the Bible that show us we don’t need to be fearful, no matter what the economy or job market is doing around us.  We can trust in the Lord and we have hope!

I encourage you to get this book and I pray that you are as impacted as I was.

The book called “Love and Respect” by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs has a different approach than any other marriage book I have ever read.  In reading about how this book was birthed, I then understood what makes this book so impacting and fresh: it was developed in response to illumination from Scripture!  You may think that that’s how it should be (and you’re right); however, for those of us who have read a lot of books, too often we find books that contain people’s opinions wrapped tightly around handpicked Scriptures that prove their point. 

In 1998, Dr. Eggerichs was studying the Bible and he saw the “love and respect” principle in Ephesians 5:33 where it says, “Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband”.  Dr Eggerichs says it like this “Without love, she (the wife) reacts without respect.  Without respects, he (the husband) reacts without love.  While we previously were told that love was the answers for all issues (both male and female), the inclusion of respect will help marriages to be solid and Biblical.

My wife and I have been watching the DVD series on Love and Respect and it has been just about one of the best teaching we’ve heard on marriage.  We’ve begin to apply these principles in our marriage and it’s helped us “decode” how each other thinks and reacts to situations. 

If you are looking for ways for your marriage to be more Biblical, I would highly recommend this resource.

Highlights

• I’ve just recently moved this blog from http://mattlegere.wordpress.com to my very own domain at http://mattlegere.com
• I just broke 1,700 unique hits on the blog
• I just wrapped up a series called “Influenced to influence”

So what are my next steps?  More writing?  Another series?  Nope.  A break!

I’m enjoying the season that God has me in right now and I want to spend more time investing in my family.  Blogs are great and sharing thoughts from the Lord with others is awesome, but not at the expense of my family.  It may be a month or two, but don’t worry. 

I’ll be back.

Note: The picture to the right surprisingly is not me.  It’s Arnold.  Just wanted to make sure that nobody got confused.

It’s time that you and I got our rightful place of authority back! 

Satan’s seat

In Revelations 2:13, John told the Church of Pergamum that he knew that they were living in the city in which Satan’s throne was, but that they were loyal to Him. 

In Ephesians 4:27, we also read that when we allow ourselves to be angry and not deal with it quickly within 24 hours and offence sets in, that Satan then gets a stronghold.

Through these and other examples, we actually allow Satan to get a foothold in our lives.  Throughout history, enough of us have not lived up to God’s plan so Satan and his minions now are sitting in footholds/seats of influence over cities that they have no right to sit over.

Let me ask you this, have you ever been driving and someone cut you off? How did that make you feel?  If you are like me, it gets me pretty fired up!  I had a lane that I was driving in and, because you didn’t want to wait, you felt the need to cut in front of me as if you are better than me?!?  (Wow, getting in my head on a morning commute can be “enlightening”, huh?) 

Here’s the sad truth.  You and I are getting more upset about a 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme cutting us off as we drive, than we are seeing an enemy arrogantly sit in a seat of influence in our city while thumbing their nose at us and at God.  There needs to be a righteous anger that rises in us that says, “Give me my seat back!”

In Genesis 21:22-34, Abraham had dug a well and one of Abimelech (King of the Philistines) had seized the wells.  Upon agreeing this was wrong, the King of the Philistines made Abraham a covenant that this wouldn’t happen again.  Therefore, the well was called Beersheba (the oath).  Historically, when someone dug a well, they were claiming the land surrounding the well.  When Abraham had dug the well of Beersheba, he was saying “this is my land my descendants land”

In Genesis 26:15, the Philistines had stopped up the wells that Abraham dug.  What they were trying to do is hide any evidence that the land belonged to anyone else.  Not only did they fill up the wells with dirt, but also dead animals.  While Israel was sowing the land, he discovered His father’s well.  In verse 18, he gave them back their names.  Isaac came into the land, found what was his, and took ownership again.  Isaac went on to dig 5 more wells in that region.  He reclaimed the land.

There are wells of ownership in New England, in our state, in our city, and in the lives of those around us.  Those wells were originally destined to be dug so that they could be influence by heaven and be possessed by God.  The enemy has filled up those wells with death and covered them up so that we don’t even know that those wells ever existed.  

I challenge you today to redig those wells.  Redig the wells of influence that the enemy wishes we never realized were there in the first place.  As we do that, we will be stamping on relationships, people, cities, and nations that God’s people are again in possession of the land.  AND, we not only want to redig the wells that were forgotten, but we are going to move forward.  Israel not only redig the wells that his (Father) had dug, but he also dug 5 more.  We are going for the jugular! 

I not only want to see the well redug that breaks depression’s hold on the land, but I want to see new wells dug out of protest.  Enemy, you tried to hide the well of ownership over depression so now we want the well of ownership over cancer!

Gates in the Bible were places of influence.  If you could get the gate open to a city, then you would have access to be able to step inside the city.  Likewise, there are gates that need to be opened to us.  Literally doors of influence that are currently shut but will be opening.  While we want to be careful of the influence of things from our past on us, don’t be surprised when you end up having influence in areas you thought were shut off to you (i.e. He makes all things new)

We need to be able to move spirits and demons from things that they are sitting on – this will influence our region and the people in it drastically. 

Isaiah 26:2 speaks of a declaration:  “Open ye the gates (entrance, marketplace, palace, place of influence) that the righteous nation which keepeth (to have charge of, as a watchman, preserve, protect, retain, treasure up) truth may enter in.

Life Application

I hope that you have enjoyed this series on influence.  To wrap things up here, I want to ask you to please seek God and ask Him to influence your life in a greater way.  Open up the doors to places in your heart that you have held back and give Him control of your destiny.  Next, begin to speak to the doors of influence in you, in relationships, in the culture around you, etc. and declare that they are now open to the influence of God!  Speak to the walls that are holding you and others back from experiencing the influence of heaven!  Rise up and throw down the things that are arrogantly sitting in your seat and cutting into your spiritual driving lane! 

Be influenced by God so that you can influence others for the glory of God.  Be influenced to influence.

As I had been praying over the last few weeks regarding what to speak about at Sunday Encounter on July 12th, 2009, this is basically what the Lord has been telling me:

“Doors of influence are coming..doors of influence are going to be opened to us as individuals and as a body.  Some of these doors will simply be natural expressions of the well that is overflowing in us to others.  Some of these doors of influence will be opened because we have taken our God given authority and destroyed the enemy that was holding back the door of influence from opening up.”

One of the primary reasons to be influenced by God, besides the benefits to us personally, is that we need to be ready for when these doors of influence are opened.  When the doors of influence are opened, are they going to see you and I and be disappointed or will they see Jesus and be forever changed?

We need to be overtaken ourselves so that we can overtake.  We need to be influenced so that we can influence others with heaven.

 How will this happen?

 A. God will empower you

Psalms 144:1-2 (NLT) “Praise the Lord who is my rock.  He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle.  He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer.  He is my shield and I take refuge in Him.  He makes the nations submit to me.

 **When I looked up what the word “subdue” meant, it is the Hebrew word “radad” and it means: “to spread, to prostrate on the ground, to extend, to spread out (hence to overlay with gold – I Kings 6:32)”

 B. As we go forward in the name of Jesus, He will open doors that will never be shut again!

Isaiah 45:1 says “This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one; whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear.  Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again”

 You and I are much like Cyrus.  There are doors that God wants to open for us to walk in that will NEVER BE SHUT AGAIN!  Woot!  Woot!

Check back soon for Part 5 where we talk about getting your place back!