The 318 Project

Do you feel like what you are doing for God is not having an impact or recognition?
Maybe, You got to that point where you felt completely empty and dried up.
Well, you aren't alone.

I will share how an image from an old movie about the desert revealed to me how God uses men and women throughout the Bible as a vessel for Him.

In John Ch 4: 7-15, Jesus spoke about the living water that He had to the Samaritan woman, and it is that same water that flows in those that are saved.

Jesus said we would have rivers of living water flowing from our belly (John 7:37-39).

This is a representation of the Holy Spirit that is poured out in us and flows through us.

Jesus said that we as Christians would do greater things than He. Not because of our abilities and power, but from the Holy Spirit working through us.

We are the vessel. When the Holy Spirit moves through us to speak into someone or over them (prophecy) or a message of tongues and interpretation, We are simply being a willing vessel. Jesus told those that followed Him to go to the upper room . (Acts 1:8)

What God showed me was a water canteen? Just as a canteen carries water to refresh and bring life to a thirsty soul, so are we a vessel that brings living water (the Word) to a lost and thirsty world.

II Corinthians 4:7‭-‬10
II Timothy 2:20‭-‬21

It is the water that brings life and gets the honor, not the vessel. The same goes with us. It is Jesus who gets the glory and honor by the Holy Spirit working through us as the willing vessel.

Like in those movies, like the westerns or others where they are stranded on the desert with only that one canteen. It is great for them while there is water in it, but Once the vessel runs dry it is worthless till they find an oasis or water supply to refill it.

The same applies with us. While we have the Spirit living in us to help uplift others, we too need a refilling of the Holy Spirit to continue on and refill our vessel so that we don't run dry and become worthless.

Jesus talked about that in the parable of the old wineskin in Luke 5:36‭-‬39. This same parable is mentioned in Matthew 9:17 and in Mark 2:22

In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus even called out the Pharisees about their outer appearance

But again it is the Holy Spirit flowing in and through us that the world needs to see.

Even in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was placed on men and women at special times to prophesy and speak judgement from God.

In Ezekiel, God shows the prophet of an example of how the Holy Spirit can bring life to dead souls when in Ch 37 God commands him to speak to the valley of dried bones.

Then we see when Jesus is with the disciples at the Last Supper and he begins to wash their feet. In John 13:5-9, Peter tells Jesus not only to wash his feet by his hands and head.

Finally the Holy Spirit gives us an unlimited supply source that never runs dry. However, at times we may become tired, discouraged, run down or overwhelmed, but that is when we need to go back to that water source to refill.

The same thing with those movies when the character finally finds a well or oasis. They drink as much as they can to

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In this episode, I talk with Clifford Hare, my dad and President of Faithful Men Ministries; and David Hare, my brother.
We talk about the importance of a father's blessing of affirmation in a child's life. The meaning of affirmation and where we first hear of the father's affirmation, or blessing, in the Bible.
Cliff shares about how he grew up in a non-christian home and had caring parents, but never had that affirmation of you are a good son.
Many people grow up with an image of the only way we get affirmation, or love, is out of fear unless we accomplish goals in life. Other times we may have a fear that we never measure up to receive that love and affection.
As men, we must allow ourselves to be vulnerable in front of our children and those we mentor. This isn't to show weakness, but that we have difficult time and how we work through them.
The origin of the father's blessing goes back to the book of Numbers 6:23-27 when God speaks to Moses and shares with him the Aaronic Blessing. Later we see when Jesus is being baptized by John that as He comes up from the water that God speaks and tells Him, "This is My Beloved Son, in whom I AM well pleased." This comes before Jesus has done the first miracle, sermon or teaching; yet God was affirming him as his son.
Our identity in society come from the father. This comes with us going back to learn to hear the voice of the Lord.
The way to truly know of that love is not just by having a conversation with God, but having those intimate times with Him; whether in prayer, praise, both or simply just resting in His presence.
Even for Jesus after was affirmed by God, he went into the wilderness that brought a time of testing a walking by faith that we see that Jesus had confidence in His heavenly Father.
Clifford Hare has been married to Patricia Hare for 48 years. They have 2 sons, 1 daughter-in-law, 3 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. Cliff took over Faithful Men Ministries for Jack King in 2016. He serves as an elder and pastor at the Springs Church in Jacksonville, Florida.
David has works for the Florida State Corrections 6 years and has also is an ordained minister for almost 10 years.

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What is the first thing you do when you get home with your new phone, car or any electronic device?
Do you stop to read the instructions from the owner's manual, or just start messing with it to figure out all the options that it has on your own?
I remember as a kid, that as soon as I got home with a new video game that I would plug it into the game console and start playing it without reading the book to know the purpose for each level and what some of the options available to help defeat the game. Even when I got Legos, I would open the box and dump all the pieces out and start building what I saw on the box. But, about half way through it looked nothing like what was on the box cover.
That was when I went and got the instruction book or owner's manual out of the box to see what I need to defeat the game or the step-by-step instructions to build the Lego ship.
Even as we get older, we buy a new cellphone or car and immediately start trying to look at what all we can go with it to make us feel comfortable.
Later on when we have an issue arise or help on how to fix it, where do we go?
THE OWNERS MANUAL!
It is the same thing with our lives and our spiritual walk with Christ. We give our hearts to Him and ask for forgiveness of our sins and start growing. But, over time we get into a routine and then all of a sudden we face a crisis or an issue arises that we don't know how to handle or fix.
Much like when we see a indicator light come on the dash of the car, we can go to the owner's manual to see what the problem may be and what we need to do to fix it.
That owner's manual is the BIBLE!
God's word has so much for us to help guide and lead us in our daily walk. Yes, many of us may read the word in a daily devotion plan. You and I may take the time to pray everyday; even listen to praise and worship music while doing activities. But do we know all the options that are available to us from GOD?
Even for many seasoned Christians that have been saved and serving God for many years will tell you that God is still revealing new things to them when they read His Word. That is the beauty of the Bible is that it is God's breath and is alive for us and in us.
As we read and grow from reading the Bible, God reveals all the options and daily instructions that are available to use that will help us each and every day as we face life.

In this episode, I talk with Tony Rorie, founder and President of the Men and Ladies of Honor.
Tony talks about the program and how he saw a need in the public school system to help mentor and train young people to understand that they are CHAMPIONS.
Tony is married to his wife Melissa and they have 4 children and one grandson. They live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
Tony was involved with youth ministry at the church they were attending over 30 years ago when the youth leader transitioned to the family life pastor and the senior pastor asked him to take over.
During that time, Tony was a public school principle for a Title One (at risk) in the Dallas area, when he began to see the need to help troubled young men in his school because many didn't have dads in the home. He began being a surrogate dad to many of the students. Then he took 4 of the worst boys in the school and began to start teaching them the basics of manhood, etiquette and chivalry.
From those four young men the group then grew to around 50 boys and at the end of the school year, the county school leaders asked him what he was doing to see such a dramatic change in these boys grades, attendance and behavior. He shared the program, since most school boards know that the more kids that attend brings more money to the county, and they began to implement his program in several pilot schools, which ended up having better results that what he had done.
The Men and Ladies of Honor goal is to teach young people to honor God, honor themselves, honor parents and then when honor comes it changes everything. Tony tells that the definition of ministry is seeing a need and meeting it. The kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. This comes through with affirmation.
Dr. Cole said "When you accept another man's philosophy, you also accept his consequences." And that is what many young people settle for in today's society.
Jack King told Tony "that the #1 job of a father is to affirm our children to greatness."
As the young men and women go through the program, they learn and implement to honor themselves and show respect.
Most young men are looking for affirmation through a parent(mainly their father), a teacher or coach and if you don't get it they will go somewhere that they can find it, which usually is in the gangs. They also want to be recognized for doing the right thing.
From that original pilot program in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area the program has been used in school districts in East Texas area, Oklahoma, Michigan, South Africa, Swaziland, Honduras and Belize.
With the program, it starts with them going through three magazines that help them learn to read the Bible, memorize verses and develop a daily reading and prayer time. Once they finish that segment, the young men earn a dagger as a symbol of honor and then advance to the next level, which is to complete six books from the Dr. Edwin Cole Majoring in Men's Curriculum and then earn a full sword for the boys and a shield for the young ladies.
At the beginning of the program, they take they young men and women, separately, to a weekend camp. On Friday night they talk about salvation and pray with those that haven't received Christ, since many that come have never been raised in a Christian environment. Saturda

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In this episode, I have a conversation with Pastor David Bendett, of Rock City Church in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Pastor David shares his testimony of how he was born in Miami, Florida till he was 5 years old. His father left him and his mother when he was small till she met his step-dad and they moved to the Excelsior Springs, Kansas, where he grew up for most of his teenage life.
After several years, his mother divorces and moved back to Miami, where David went back after High School. It was during this time that he became addicted to drugs and alcohol and also was arrested with LSD and sentenced to jail. It was while he was in jail that he gave his life to Christ at the prison chapel during a Gideon's service. During this time he began to teach other inmates how to read by using the Bible as he was growing in his faith from reading the Bible.
After his time in jail, David decided he wanted to go to Bible college when the Lord directed him to go to Oral Roberts University to get his Business Degree. David then served in ministry at various positions when a friend asked him to move to Corpus Christi to help be a campus pastor for a satellite church.
After nearly six and a half years the senior pastor from the home church, which was based in Oklahoma City, decided to close the church. It was from there that Pastor David and the congregation launched and started Rock City Church that has grown from a school cafeteria to now owning a strip mall that the church is in.
Pastor David shares about his family. His wife Amber, who he met at the church plant, have been married 10 years. They have a daughter, Cadence age 8, and son, Zion age 6. They are currently in the process of adoption.
David talks about one of the darkest times in the life when Amber had to deliver their daughter Eden Grace, who was a still birth at 32 weeks. Through that tragedy, Amber began writing and share their story. From that she wrote a children's book called The Lost Crown and how it is a story of trading ashes for beauty.
David then tells about how the mission field is in our backyard then into the world. He talks about how through the church they are not just active in the community, but also that he owns 2 coffee shops, voted best in Texas, and even sits on boards and committees for the city.
Pastor David shares how Rock City Church believes in the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and that is shouldn't be an oddity, but as they have coined the phrase "Super Normal Natural". It should be natural just as Jesus and later the church did and that the Bible is full of the supernatural.
He talks about how God wants and army and not an audience and that as Christians we should not be consumer, but wind driven. He shares that the fulness of the Holy Spirit comes when we are saved and that initial filling of the Holy Spirit; but that God has more for us through the gifts that we are greater equipped and not all about salvation.
He uses an illustration of how God is a gardener and that is represented in Genesis 1:27 as the job title; but that the job Description of God is defined in Genesis 3:27 in the five fold ministry of being fruitful, multiply, replenish, rein and dominion. This, he relates that God took it from the Garden Commission the the Great Commission and that the same five fold mi

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