Why the gap?

In each of our lives we experience what I call the Identity Gap. Identity Gap is the gap between our conception and God’s intentions. The distance between what we conceive in our minds and God intended in His mind for us to be. It is the gap between being called Israel and living as Israel. Doesn’t matter what name of greatness you have been given if you don’t believe it yourself.

Identity Gap is the space between the revelation (word released) & the incarnation (word lived).

What caused the gap?

Our Pets do. I don’t mean your dog or cat. Pets are an acronym for our Past, our Environment and our Troubles. The same way many people have names for their pets and nurture, care, feed and clean up after them is the same way many of us take care and baby our past, our environment and our troubles. If we are ever going to realize our potential we must get rid of our pets.

Our Past
You can’t change the past. The failures of yesterday cannot be changed. What happened in our past must stay there and we must move forward. Like Pumba from Lion King stated “we must put our behind in our past.” That is why a windshield on a car is so much larger than the rearview mirror because what is in front of you is more important that what is behind you.

Our Environment
We can be paralyzed or empowered by the environment that we are in. Due to the fact many have never seen that which they needed modeled by others, they duplicate what they see on a daily basis. It is easy to duplicate divorce, addiction, bitterness and lust when that is all you see. The good news is that you don’t need to become a product of your environment but your environment can become a product of you. You were created with the ability to transform cultures and environments.

Our Troubles
We have each experienced troubled times in our lives. These experiences become your problem or your promotion. Jacob’s series of troubles were enough to make most men die. His father favored another, his father-in-law tricked him, his love of his life died in child birth, his favorite son is taken & presumed dead and so on. Jacob experienced trouble to the point he exclaimed “all these things are against me.” Every great man have had a pit in their lives. Remember, our pits are our promotion.

Close the gap. Kill the pets.

• Everygreen Area in San Jose:  Lead - Joseph and Nelva (Adult)
• East San Jose Area:  Lead - Rhonda (Women)
• West San Jose: Lead - Pastor Nick (Single Adult)
• North San Jose/Milptas - Lead - Pastor Matt (Adult)     * Homewood Suites (Building 5) 

Where did it go? Did any one see?

Then off in the background he hears the sound of the axe head splashing down in the middle of the Jordan River. How did this happen. Now what? How do I ever get it back? He is now standing on the edge of the Jordan River hoping somehow to catch a glimpse of the lost iron. He stands there starring at the place the axe head use to be. Desperation sets in.

How did this happen? How will I ever recover it? How do we get our edge back?

The process is actually very simple. Second Kings lays out the process for our lives.

First, we must admit it we lost it.


We have all faced a situation of loss or failure that can be embarrassing. One of the main schemes of the enemy is to make us feel isolated or embarrassed. This isolation can cause us to hide the fact that we lost it. The young prophet was wise enough to understand that he needed help so he runs and tells Elisha what happened.

What is funny is that many people attempt to fake it until they make it but like swinging a stick at a tree you are making no progress. Many people fake that there marriages, finances, health & mind are fine but they have no evidence of progress and embarrassment locks them into a prison of isolation.

If you have lost your edge, you must first admit it.

Secondly, you must go back to where you lost it.

Elisha asked the young man a very important question . . . “Where did you lose it?” We must know where we lost our edge in order to get it back again. Sometimes it is a hurt, a crisis or a unresolved offense that can cause us to grow indifferent and lead us to losing our edge.

Where did you lose your passion for your spouse? Where did the financial crisis begin? Where did you lose your love for God? Like Andrae Crouch’s old song, “Take Me Back” we need to go back to the place we lost it.

Lastly, allow God to restore it.

Elisha does something unusual; he cuts a piece of wood and throws it into the place where the young man has lost the axe head. This act is followed by the impossible. The laws of physics do not apply. This one act makes iron lighter than water and . . . the axe head floats! One man with a piece of wood makes the impossible become possible. As ridiculous as it sounds, one man (Jesus), with one piece of wood (the cross) makes the impossible happen. The same can happen in your life, ministry, marriage, finances & your body. The impossible is possible with Christ.

The axe head floats to the top of the Jordan River to the astonishment of the young man. Elisha then instructs him, “Go get it.”

Today if you have lost your edge. Go get it. Jump in, don’t be afraid of getting wet.

Get your edge back!

Check out the final game of our Men's Softball team on June 7th as we take on "Won by One".  The CWC Men's Softball team is currently undefeated and will their last game of the regular season before the playoffs begin on June 14.  

CWC Vs Won By Won

Location: Twin Creeks Sports Complex (Sunnyvale)

Time: 9pm

 Field 1

Where:
Almaden Lake Park, Arroyo Picnic Site in San Jose.
Parking on site is $6 per car. There is usually ample free parking on the streets surrounding the park. Pulling in, dropping off or unloading is ok.

Download Notes

* DVD will be available Tuesday at the LifeHouse location so you do not need to download the video and burn to disc.  

The now sucks. I have faced my share of now’s. The struggles of the now can blind you to the promises of the next. Joseph’s ability to press on beyond the now and push toward the next was a daily struggle and daily commitment to the promises of God.

How did he do it?

Here are a couple thoughts that keep me pressing on:

1.      He Believed For The Next, Lived In The Now

Hope is powerful thing. Hope is the fuel that powers us beyond what we see and helps us believe that better days lay ahead. When we lose our hope, we lose our desire for tomorrow.

Joseph believed in tomorrow yet understood his responsibility to live in the now. What we do today will affect our tomorrow. We can hope all we want but we cannot ignore the problems of today. We must face them. We must deal with them. We must actively work through them. Faith without works is dead.

2.      He Developed His Gift While Forming His Character

Throughout the struggles in Joseph’s life, each trial or place he landed, he utilized the situation to develop his giftings while forming his character. Each problem became a unique opportunity to use practice his gifts and develop his character.

In the pit, he learned how to deal with rejection & the jealousy of others. In Potiphar’s home he learned how to manage a home & administrate. Falsely accused he learned how not to become bitter by circumstances beyond his control. In prison, he learned how to deal with difficult and conniving people. Forgotten, he learned how to deal with disappointment. Each set back was actually a set up by God for the next step on his way toward destiny.

3.      Lastly, He Realized His Destiny Was Bigger Than His Dream

Joseph dream set his destiny into motion but his dream was actually a small part of his destiny. The dream was about his brothers bowing but his destiny was so much bigger. His dream had brothers bowing. His destiny had a nation bowing while he saved them and surround countries.

As big as your dreams may be God’s destiny for your life is so much bigger. The dream is about you, the destiny is about others. The dream might cause jealousy but destiny creates hope. Your dream just helps you step through the doors of destiny.

The “now’s” of life will not stand compared to God’s “next” for your life! Hang in there your now will soon give way to your next.

The “Heart Mender” EP

Brand new from Benjamin Cortez

 www.benjamincortez.com

However, we still live in the richest country in the world. The fact you have running water, a roof over your head and food to eat makes you wealthy according to the global standards of life. You can help spread the message of Christmas by helping us touch those in need this Holiday Season.

Here is how you can get involved:

On December 20^th, two very special events will occur during our annual Christmas production called, “Christmas with the Family”. First, our annual partnership with Toys for Tots will provide 400 gifts for needy children. We are gathering names & sign-ups for these toys. In addition, we will give away 100 bikes to inner city children who other wise would not have a Christmas.

You can help by donating a new bike, money to purchase one or help collect funds from co-workers, family or friends to reach the goal of 100 bikes. One hundred percent of all funds will go directly to this project.

Also, following our Thanksgiving Banquet for the homeless, we discovered that many of those we served are in need of winter coats. We are asking you to search your closets for unused jackets that are in good shape. You coats that are taking up space in your closet can be of huge benefit to someone in need. Please, if you would not wear it don’t give it.

Donations can be dropped off at our Milpitas offices at 241 South Main St in Milpitas or mailed in to CWC, 241 S. Main St, Milpitas, California 95035. For more information contact us at 408.263.0406.