Joe Mandeville

Remembering What God Has Done (part 2)

11/20/16
- Joe Mandeville
Audio Written Summary Blog Post

There is power in testimony. When you are reading the Word, take in the testimonies you see on a personal basis. Galatians 5:22-23 says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” God gave us Himself and in giving us Himself He gave us all of these things: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. We have all these character traits of God at work within us. For example, God is joy. He gives us Himself and therefore He gives us joy!

If you think the Christian life is boring, you are just doing it wrong. You cannot have a true relationship with God that is boring. He’s the most joyful person you will ever know. He is the most patient person you will ever know. You just have to know Him more! You won’t want to leave Him. In fact, the more you know Him, the more you want Him!

James 1:2 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” This doesn’t translate into “You know, you just have to understand joy…if it's linked to trials, joy is really not that good.” That’s incorrect thinking. Count it all joy! Graham Cooke describes joy as intensity of gladness that is bigger than our circumstances. Joy has to do with wonder and pleasure. God is for me. God is joy. God is present to help me. So it’s not, “You need to understand joy—it’s not really that great all the time.” On the contrary, you need to understand how good God is because His presence even turns trials into fullness of joy!

Remembering What God Has Done (part 1)

11/6/16
- Joe Mandeville
Audio Written Summary Blog Post
In Judges 6, we see that Gideon remembered (recalled the facts) about what God had done, but did not remember in a way that affected him. True remembrance actually transcends time and space—bringing the past to today. It is not vague recollection, but instead a bringing forward of history to present day. Gideon did not have a personal, visceral remembrance of God’s goodness. You can read God’s word to hear facts. You can also, however, read the Word of God and actually extract power by putting yourself in the story. You can experience with your imagination what it would be like to be so afraid that you were hiding in a winepress and then visited by someone (who you think may or may not be an angel). 
 
When you read what God has done in His Word, that is an encouragement to you! We can read the Word experientially. We can listen to testimony experientially. We can say “what you have, I want” when we see someone walking in the presence and power of God. And that is up to us to individually go after. “I am going to experience THAT!” “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps. 34:8) 
 
Gideon’s story is our story too. The testimony of the previous generation had made it through to Gideon in fact, but he needed to make it his own in order to trust God deeply. He started small, believed that the Lord was speaking, and partnered with God to the result of an incredible victory! As much as it is the responsibility of the younger generation to establish their own testimonies, Psalm 78 tells us not to hide our testimony but to tell the generation to come the praises of the Lord—to tell of God’s strength and wonderful works. 
 
When you see a good movie, you tell your friends about it. “Hey, you’ve got to check out this movie; it’s really good!” When you listen to a great band, hear a great song, or eat at a phenomenal restaurant, you tell others about it. We all are experiencing the goodness of God and there are people out there that literally don’t know. We have the opportunity to share our testimonies of His goodness. “This is what God has done in my life! You’ve got to see this because you can have it too!” Remember your testimony. Consider areas where you need to develop a testimony. Consider areas where you can share a testimony. Read the Word experientially. As others give testimonies, listen experientially. Establish your own testimonies with God—and help others establish theirs!

The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand

4/6/14
- Joe Mandeville
Audio

The message of repentance is God's way of bringing comfort to His people.