Pick Yourself Up!

Trials and stresses of life can be overwhelming, leaving us feeling completely helpless and hopeless, but David had a powerful approach to life's dire straits, especially at the kidnapping of his family.

“...David encouraged himself in the Lord his God” (1 Sam. 30:1-6). David fastened and bound his heart to the Lords heart and became valiant through God. He maintained his trust in God and his resolve was strengthened by God’s constant love for him.

Be encouraged in the One who knows every need and care you will face. He has already brought resolve to them, before you were born He had them worked out. Lift your head today and encourage yourself in the Lord. He has told us of His great love for us – soak it into your spirit today as though it were warm sun on a cold winter’s day!

-The Lord your God is mighty on your behalf. He rejoices over you with EXUBERANT GLADNESS and singing (Zeph 3:17).

-I THINK ABOUT YOU continually, says the Lord your God! I have planned good things for you both today and in your future (Jer. 29:11).

-The Lord greatly delights and TAKES PLEASURE IN YOU, His people (Ps 149:4).

-The Lord our GOD HAS SENT MINISTERING ANGELS to assist us and come to our aid (Heb. 1:14).

-If GOD IS FOR US, who could possibly come against us – for they stand against the Almighty if they stand against us (Rom. 8:31).

Blessed be the name of the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits! (Ps 103)

(All scriptures paraphrased)

You Are The Gatekeeper

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Prov 23:7)

The word ‘think’ in this scripture has two connected meanings:
1. to estimate oneself 2. to be a gatekeeper.

To estimate is to measure value or potential. There are two choices in how we estimate ourselves: by human opinion or by God’s destiny for our lives. God’s estimation of you is your destination and calling. The most important thing you can do in obedience to God is to find out who He has created you to be, believe it and live it! Your own estimation could be wrong and it could take you in the wrong direction. Don’t allow someone else’s estimation of you to stop you from following God’s plan, either. Keep going in His direction for your life! Get understanding of who He has made you to be and how you are to serve Him and others. Agree with His estimation!

A gatekeeper guards a gate and decides who or what gets entry or access. You are the gatekeeper of your mind and heart. You decide what goes into it to form your thoughts and direct your life. You can close the gate and you can open the gate: the gatekeeper holds the key to his own development. How much of God is allowed in as opposed to worldly influence? You must open the gate of your mind to the things that help you fulfill God’s estimation of you – don’t allow things that are contrary to the heart of God!

As a man thinks in his heart....so he will become! Agree with God's estimation! Be a faithful gatekeeper!

Miracles, Visions and Dreams, Oh My!

There’s a hunger in much of the Church today for supernatural things such as miracles, visions, angelic visitations and dreams. I would even go so far as to say that many in the church have a desperate desire to experience these things.

Biblically, these are very much a part of the Christian experience. They’re seen in a variety of circumstances in the Bible, and they’re generally unpredictable in their appearance in Biblical writings. I’ve heard many people say that these things no longer exist today, however the Bible never called for an end to them. Additionally, the lives of everyday people in Bible writings included these experiences as a means of hearing God’s will and leading for particular callings and circumstances in their lives. The Bible includes these examples as possibilities of the ways in which God might move in our lives.

There is one common theme for every one of these supernatural experiences in the Bible: the one receiving the experience never sought it! In fact, most of these events occurred when people were simply serving God through earnestly living His word, loving others and fulfilling His purposes for their lives. They may have called out to God for help or wisdom, but they never ask Him to give them one of these supernatural experiences. We must be cautious not to seek these experiences so desperately that the rest of our walk with the Lord comes to a standstill, effectively stifling our sanctification process!

The reason I write this word today is to ask you to look at what God has done in your life. There have been many miraculous things in mine that didn’t come with a flash of lightning or being rapt in a vision, but nonetheless they were miraculous. And there are times I’ve seen things which I know my natural eye couldn’t have conjured up – it had to have been supernatural. The point is that God is in every moment of our lives and it’s His decision how he chooses to move in each moment. Our openness to His possibilities is necessary, but when we over-stress our own definition of ‘supernatural’ and hyper-seek these experiences, we sometimes miss the voice of God and the way He wants to move in our lives. It is also necessary to see that Biblically, there are some giftings which experience these occurrences more regularly than others.

Remain balanced in God: just seek Him and stay in His Word. He knows the best avenue to get you where He’s created you to go in life. Recognize and be thankful for His participation, no matter how it comes. Yet, don’t limit His means of moving for fear of how He might supernaturally do it!

Get the Hell Out!

There's an old saying which asks the question "how do you eat an elephant?" The answer is "one bite at a time."
This is the same way we become accustomed to things which shouldn't have any part in our lives as children of God. TV programs, unhealthy relationships, ____________. You and the Lord can fill in the blank.
A little look here won't hurt.... and a little time there won't hurt....and before long we have swallowed the entire elephant.
Every once in a while we have to do a 'house cleaning' and get the ungodly influences out of our homes. A friend of mine use to say 'get the hell out' of your life! It's appropriate to say the same here.
You are the salt of the earth....don't lose your saltiness. You are designed to bring the life of God into your home and the world. Get rid of those things which conflict with this calling and draw your time and attention away from God. It's time for a holy house cleaning!
God is willing to be your everything? Are you willing to let Him?

Hope in the Desert

Life can have long and hard stretches: it seems like a dirt road at times and we're walking barefoot. Every step feels hard and dry and painful. We can certainly feel like the Pilgrim in Pilgrim's Progress.

There will be long, straight and dusty stretches in this walk, desert places so to speak, but there is purpose even in the desert place. Take the attitude that God has got you in the palm of His hand in that desert place, speaking to you and forming you. Let the Son bake you until you are perfectly cooked in Him - don't fight it!

Hope and vision keep us going during this time. We call out to God, who has perfect timing and never let's His word fall to the ground, and lift His word of promise up to Him in thankfulness. Then we suddenly come around a bend on that dusty, desert road and see things we couldn't see on the long, straight stretch. Those things were there, but we couldn't see them until we got around the corner. Somehow that long road changed our ability to see. Turning the corner made things seem bright and clear and there was relief and joy. Now we shake off the dust and keep moving forward.

How to "Dis" a Pharisee!

Jesus knew how to handle the naysayers and accusers, and He often did it with irony and unconventional methods. The Pharisees discourse with Jesus in John 8 is a perfect example of this. Here was Jesus, teaching and bringing life to the crowds at the temple, and the Pharisees drag in a woman whom they’d caught in adultery. “Well Jesus, since you know the law, tell us, what are we supposed to do with her?” What they were trying to do was test Him to see if He would follow the letter of the law. They saw the crowds following Jesus day after day and wanted to discredit Him for fear of losing their power over the people, so they tested Him with the very thing they represented: legalism!

This is what Pharisees do. They see the Bible as a set of rules, a cause and effect answer book. A Pharisee looks for what should be done to stay within the bounds of the Bible’s ‘rules’ instead of seeking God’s answer for each individual circumstance through His Spirit. In this way Pharisees remove the grace of God and the creativity of His solutions.

Jesus means of dealing with both the Pharisees and this woman were straight from the heart of God. God knew the motives of the Pharisees and the heart of this woman, and because Jesus listened to the Father’s wisdom, He brought the perfect solution. With a crowd of people behind Him and the Pharisees in front of Him, Jesus stooped down and drew in the sand, continuing to illustrate His lessons to the crowd as though the Pharisees weren’t there. Some things just don’t deserve our immediate attention! The Pharisees became more indignant and demanded an answer. Jesus stood up and looked at the crowd, saying “everyone who is without sin, pick up a stone and get in line to throw it at her.”

This statement hit the hearts of the crowd! Jesus could see into them! He knew their sins! But more importantly, He exuded the love and forgiveness of God. He brought the grace of God not only to this woman, but to everyone in the crowd, including the Pharisees. But they wouldn’t receive it!

The plan of the Pharisees backfired, just as it had with Daniel in the case of the lion’s den. It was the same ploy of the enemy to discredit the servant of God with manipulation - based on fear of losing status. The Pharisees saw Jesus as a threat when He was actually the answer to their fears. He was the freedom they longed for and the grace God desired to give them. But they refused it. They stuck with the letter of the law and discarded the grace of God, and once again walked away frustrated.

Pharisees are ‘anti-grace’ representatives. They misunderstand the New Testament to be a continuation of the Old Testament Law. But God’s answer to this shortcoming is GRACE! This is what He gave to each Pharisee, the woman caught in adultery and each person in the crowd that day. The irony of God’s answer to the Pharisee's sin of legalism is to cover him with grace, the very thing he lacks. The sin of a Pharisee is no different than your sin or my sin – it can be washed away by the blood of Jesus and the grace of God. Give it and receive it today!

Physical Senses - A Means of Discernment

Every Christian can sharpen his discernment by becoming more intimately acquainted with the Word of God. Paul exhorts us to get past feeding on the milk of the word, as infants feed, who cannot discern the world around them. He tells the recipients of Hebrews that their lack of feeding on the meat of the Word has caused them to have delayed growth, dull spiritual hearing and sluggish insight (Heb. 5:11, AMP). This would be similar to feeding a child food which doesn’t have enough nutrients for him to grow: he’d become malnourished and his body would not function properly.

In Hebrews 5:13-14 Paul elaborates more specifically the effects of being malnourished in the Word: our thoughts, purposes and actions remain infant-like and immature. This is because we can only think and do as the Word instructs to the degree we have it inside of our hearts and minds. If there is no foundation of righteousness within us, we can neither live righteously nor discern what is righteous and what is evil. However, the person who is filled with the Word, and is daily being transformed by it, discerns through every sensory organ in his body (Heb 5:14). In other Words, once the physical body is given over to the life of Christ and continues to feed on the meat of the Word, it can be used to discern the world around us. If we brush up against something we might discern either evil or good from our ‘touch’ perception. If we see something, we can discern evil or good with our ‘sight’ perception. Understand that our complete physical bodies are part of the gift He’s given us to not only live on this earth, but to discern the world around us for our benefit and protection.

Another requirement of discernment is to love! Discernment is not based on suspicion – it’s not looking for trouble or trying to pick out people and circumstances that can be fixed. The truth of the Word and discernment work hand in hand to examine and approve the things that are of God and dismiss those that aren’t. That's the job of discerning - to approve the things that are of God. It's not a personal affront to anyone when we discern, but a necessary element of the Christian walk and one of God's ways of protecting us.

The book of Philippians tells us that our love will abound to a greater degree as we grow in the Word and discernment. In other Words, sharper discernment is a means of excelling in love. Why? Because as we grow in the Word we grow in the character of God and we are able to approve and promote the things of God in others and in our world around us (Php 1:9-11).

I pray that your love for the Word of God will grow; that you’ll have a passion to seek Him through His Word. This is a sure fire plan to spread the love of God by discerning good and evil; approving of what He approves!

Momma's Shortcut: The Fat Shaker!

When I was a child my Mom had a machine that was supposed to shake away fat. The machine had a large motor elevated on a stand to about waist height. A belt wrapped from one side of the motor, around my mother’s posterior, to the other side of the motor. When Mom turned on the fat shaker the living room floor vibrated. It seemed odd to me at the time that a person could shake free from their fat in such a manner, but she swore by it, until the motor broke down.

The fat shaker wasn’t effective because the concept didn’t coincide with the way God designed our bodies to work. It was a short cut answer which circumvented God’s design for not only our physical bodies, but the whole person.

Because God cares about the whole person, He’s not into circumventing issues in our lives to bring easy answers. In fact, much of this life in Christ is about learning to walk through difficult things and removing the mountains instead of walking around them (Mark 11:23).

Consider the outcome of some shortcuts recorded in the Bible:
-Abraham and Sarah’s decision to have a child through Sarah’s handmaiden instead of waiting on God’s plan and timing (Gen 16).
-Simon the Sorcerer’s desire to buy the power to impart God’s Spirit as opposed to seeking relationship with God and being filled with the Spirit (Acts 9).
-David’s decision to carry the Ark of the Covenant on an ox-cart (which resulted in the death of a friend) instead of following God’s prescribed method of transporting the ark (1 Chron 13).

These shortcuts all have one thing in common: they show that God’s perfect will is never accomplished by the flesh of man because true faith is trusting God and obeying His voice. When God prescribes a way of doing something He has in mind to work out what’s best for our entire being; the whole body, soul and spirit of a person. If we invent our own processes of completing His plan we may get to the destination we want, but the casualties we leave amongst our friends, family, finances, personal growth (etc.,etc., etc), can create worse problems.

There are people and circumstances that God wants each of us to affect as we reverently work out our salvation at His direction. Decide today that you will not have things done your way and seek shortcuts to His plans, but you’ll submit fully to His direction and receive the blessings that exist in God’s process of bringing us to His destination!

Warfare or Common Sin?

There are definitely times when God allows us to go through trials for our own benefit, and there are times when we’re being attacked by the enemy of our souls and he brings a trial on us, but there are many times when we bring those trials on ourselves. In any of these cases, God can use the trial to make us stronger if we are willing to hear Him and obey.

How often do we hear people tell us they’re going through warfare? Certainly this is a reality for the Christian, battling the ploys of the enemy in our everyday lives, and Paul expounds on this greatly in Ephesians. However, we often bring on our own trials because of sin in our lives and no amount of commanding or taking authority over the situation is going to get rid of the problem in that case. The truth is that we have to face our faults and examine ourselves through the Holy Spirit or we’ll compound sin with neglecting to admit that sin and turn from it.

Everyday life is full of opportunities to fulfill our own desires and we can’t blame those desires on the enemy. The book of James says “every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire [lust, passions]” (James 1:14 AMP). So blaming the enemy when you have no lunch money for your child is not valid if you bought Starbucks on the way to work every day this week. And crying out to God for your spouse to spend more time with you…when you’re at a church event 4 nights a week while your better half sits home with the kids… is not an attack of the enemy. The enemy will use those situations and compound them, but you can command and speak to the situation until your blue in the face and it won’t change anything! It’s a condition of the heart that needs to be changed - it’s called selfishness.

There’s a scientific law which states ‘for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.’ We have to see the cause and effect of what we do in our lives. Even though God gives great grace, we cannot take advantage of that grace. Its intention is to teach us to say ‘no’ to ungodliness and live for Him (Titus 2:10-11), in essence giving us numerous opportunities to repent even as we see the effects of sin in our lives. This is why regular time alone with the Lord in reading His Word, worship and repentance is so crucial to our lives. God will stop us in our sinful tracks if we get our hearts before Him and let the Holy Spirit convict us of our sin – this greatly benefits us and advances the Kingdom of God as a testimony of His goodness in our lives.

We must not be tools in the hands of the enemy because of our own selfish desires! Make a choice. Be honest with yourself. Get off of the merry-go-round of having the same old problems pop up in your life and face those things which are your fault. Stop the insanity and repent.

How Religious Are You?

Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (James 1:27)

Sometimes we get a little confused and think that we should stay away from the downcast of society so we don’t become defiled. But God’s idea of undefiled religion is that we live as His extension on the earth and help those in need– otherwise we wouldn’t need salvation in our time of life but only in our time of death.

James is telling us that our worship to God includes not only seeking Him through His Word and fellowshipping with the Body of Christ, but extending ourselves beyond the church pew to assist those in need. We can get so filled up with self-focus that we forget about the provision God gave us to share with others. If you really want to grow in your walk with the Lord, keep your fellowship with the Body, but watch God move as you extend yourself at His direction to the hurting and helpless.

I’ve been to gatherings that are so focused on their building campaigns that they can’t help a widow in need of a few dollars or some assistance with yard work. This type of attitude cannot stop us from personally helping those God puts in our paths. Use discernment, but purposefully seek to help others. If we want to keep our youth from the entitlement mindset, perhaps this is the mindset we should instill in them – serve others and give of your provision! And this is done not with an attitude of superiority, but humility – it’s God who gave the bread to us that we could give it to someone else.

We can believe for miracles and believe for our children’s lives – so why not believe for a place to sow into the needy? God will open a door almost before you can bat an eye because this is His heart. What we’re missing when we neglect this is an opportunity to receive and give His love, an immense blessing of personal growth in the Lord, and perhaps the avenue for the miraculous that so many are yearning for.

When we give and help those in need, we’re not just giving bread for food; we’re extending the Bread of Life. The provision of food and finances is simply the means of getting the Bread of Life to a hurting person – whether they already know the Lord or not!

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” (Is 58:6-8)

Perhaps that breakthrough you’ve been waiting for is at the end of the hand that’s extended to help those in need!

Bumper Bowling: Steady in Life's Lane!

The Bible calls us to ‘exhort’ one another every day. Exhorting includes encouraging, teaching, guiding, buffering, walking along side, comforting, propelling forward, recommending and advising. This describes the give and take relationship of fellowship in Christ.

Exhorting brings to mind the image of bumper bowling, where those we fellowship with are the bumpers which keep us steady on the lane of life in Christ. When we have this type of fellowship we will sometimes be the bumper and sometimes be the ball! This means we’re going to bump up against others – people we love and trust – and that’s exactly the way God intended this fellowship to work. Notice, however, that it’s a bump, not a beating! Those bumps should help us realize that we are loved - it’s an encouragement toward going in the right direction.

This give and take relationship is so important in the Body of Christ that we’re told not to forsake it or we’ll be in danger of becoming hardened to God and falling into the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:13). That sin may not look like your idea of the worst sinner - it may be subtle and cunning in its twisting of ideas and turning of your heart away from the thoughts and purposes of God. That’s why it’s crucial to have relationship with other Christians who will be truthful, love you, and want to see you prosper in the plan of God for your life. And it’s just as important that you are able to provide this for others.

This is the life of Christ we bring to one another, as though we are blood vessels supplying oxygen and nutrients to the Body. This fellowship doesn’t come from attending a church service once a week-there has to be a willingness to give up the things of life that block intimate relationship with others. However, God commands us into this life, knowing that we are crafted for this and thrive in this fellowship.

Could your fellowship be more intimate and beneficial to you and others? It may be time to clean up the path that leads to that fellowship – remove the barriers and go forward.

“Let the Word of God dwell in you abundantly. This will overflow into encouraging songs and grace-filled words of wisdom for those in fellowship with you” (Col 3:16 paraphrased).

Put Away the Sword, Peter!

Have you ever experienced embarrassment and hurt at the hands of someone you trusted? And was the person a Christian?

The easiest thing to do in handling a circumstance like this is to expose the person's sin - usually as a means promoting our own innocence...mixed with some indignation. It's human nature that strikes out in this way, and a hurt ego can give it additional power.

But Joseph, the Virgin Mary's betrothed husband, had a different way of dealing with Mary's 'sin.' Considering the evidence, it would have been perfectly legal and acceptable for him to expose Mary publicly, and in fact, he could have insisted that she be stoned to death (Deut 22). However, Joseph is called 'a righteous man' who would not make a public example of her (Matt 1:19). This is how the righteousness (holiness and character of God) was displayed in Joseph: he refused to bring the punishment on Mary that was fit for what appeared to be her sin. In fact, he was pondering on how he could keep her from suffering public humiliation when an angel appeared to him in a dream, giving insight into her condition.

Here is God's heart in dealing with us - He gives great mercy and desires that we do the same. It's as He said to Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane: "Put the sword away, Peter. If you sow by the sword you will reap the destruction of the sword" (Matt. 26:52 paraphrased).

God is saying the same to us today: put away the sword, child. You will reap what you sow. If you sow grace and mercy you will reap a harvest of the same. If you sow harshness and vengeance you will be looking over your shoulder in constant fear of the same...and it will overtake you. What are you sowing?

Calling Those Things Which Be Not.....

"Abraham, you are not just a father of nations, you are a father of MANY NATIONS! And Gideon, you're not only a farm hand for your father, you're a MIGHTY WARRIOR for the Lord and for Israel!"

When the Lord spoke these things Abraham had no children, and Gideon was hiding his grain in a wine press in fear of the Midianites. God came and spoke His will and destiny over them, spurring them on to see His purposes then take action at His direction.

God spoke of things which didn't exist in their lives as though these things had already happened and were visible to their eyes (Rom 4). But to God, who has laid out time as a line before His eyes, the end can be seen from the beginning: all things are already in existence and waiting for the specific moment of fulfillment. It's much like Jesus being slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8) - it was already completed in God's eyes because He placed it on the timeline of eternity and saw it as completed. The earthly time of fulfillment was a matter of formality.

This is why it's important to get God's plan into your mind, will and emotions. We're not to speak cars and houses and material things into existence at our whims, that's not what this scripture is about. It's about God's destiny and plan for our lives as part of His kingdom and purposes; it's about encouraging us to live for Him and have singleness of mind on Him; it's about verbally laying down His footsteps that we would walk in His plan; it's about the destiny of a people called by His name; it's one person at a time fitting into His larger plan on the timeline of eternity.

Apply scripture wisely to your life, in the context that God intended it to be applied. This scripture is a powerful tool in our lives when used as He intended, but it can be a self serving form of modern day witchcraft when taken out of context. The soul of man is very powerful and will move the physical life of a person forward into what occupies it. This is why our souls must be occupied and preoccupied with the word and purposes of God.

You are an instrument of God's voice in this world. It's time to get God's direction in your life and speak it out! Call your children and spouse into His destiny. Use His plan as a prayer and proclamation over your life. Fulfill His purpose for His glory!

The Emotional Roller-coaster

Everyone goes through hurts and pains in life. Whether these are the result of relationship problems, health concerns or other issues, how we handle our emotions through these difficulties definitely matters to God.

While God's intentions for emotions is to extend His love and grace, the enemy wishes to use our emotions to accomplish his purposes, especially in the hurts and pains of life. If he can turn our emotions to fear, anger and disappointment, he'll be able to take our focus off of God and open a door to resentment and secret vows. A vow is made when we swear to commit to something from deep inside of us: we'll never attend church again because we we're hurt or we'll have nothing to do with men again because Dad didn't love us. Emotional strongholds, or protective walls, are put up to keep us from receiving the love of God for healing and giving the love of God into our circumstances.

Emotions are a wonderful gift from God but they can only be trusted to the point they are submitted to Him. For example, there is a righteous, godly anger, but man's anger does not bring about God's purposes (James 1:20). Jesus showed emotion through compassion, anger, sorrow and grief, but all were driven by the love and purposes of God. The temple merchants who experienced Jesus anger were profiting on the worshipers who'd come from great distances at the most sacred time of year (Matt. 21). Jesus anger toward them was a result of passion for God and His house and He was setting things in God's perfect order. Once he corrected the problem He didn't continue in anger and take it out on His disciples.

The fallen nature of man directs us to run from God when we experience unholy emotions, but the God nature in a reborn person enables us to run TO God in these circumstances. He is able to help us sort through our feelings and break down the walls to understanding, receiving and giving His love. RUN to the mercy seat when your emotions begin to take you into turmoil....grab the hem of His garment and keep your focus on Him. Submit your emotions to God and step off of the roller-coaster! He will reveal motives and strongholds which drive your feelings, then He'll bring healing to your heart!

Secret Keys

If you want to accomplish God's will you may have to take a risk...and risks take you into the unknown...but that's where the secret things lie that you need to open up. These are not secret things kept from you, but kept for you! There are things ordained for your life and wisdom ready for you to grasp which are hidden in God only....and He will reveal these only as you pursue Him.

Isaiah was taken into the temple in a vision and God revealed His plan, empowered Isaiah, and cleansed his sins so He could speak for God (Is. 6). The story of Isaiah's life is one of taking risks, suffering for the Lord and bringing great glory to His name. These things are written down as examples for us of how to live for God and fulfill His purposes (Heb. 11). You may or may not experience what Isaiah did, but God will reveal to you what you need to know if you get yourself in a place where you can receive His wisdom.

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law (Deut 29:29)." These secret things are keys to life in Him, but you will only know them as you continue to passionately pursue Him and take the place in life that He's ordained, one step at a time and one risk at a time.

Put away fear by allowing God to envelop you with His love. Build your faith and trust in God by reading His word and hearing testimonies. Keep your eye single on Him that your attention would not be divided - let no one or no thing distract you from Him and His purposes. Jesus declared that he did and said only what He saw and heard from the Father: this is our example (Jn 5,8,14).

How passionate will you be in your pursuit of Him? Are you willing to embrace Him as your first love, hear the secret things He has for you and take risks as He directs?

Living in the Smogosphere?

If you wear glasses you know how the world looks through them when they're dirty....like your walking in a smogosphere. The same concept applies to computer and cell phone screens - when extra punctuation and little animals appear it's a clear sign to clean the screen.

A similar thing happens to us when our thought processes are skewed by our experiences: we see life through a dirty lense. When these thought processes are established in our lives they are called 'mindsets' or 'strongholds.' These mindsets are rooted in the experiences in life that the enemy has brought about and they are meant to add to, take away from, or alter the understanding of God's Word and the operation of the Spirit in our lives.

Mindsets can skew the word of God, making it more of a weapon or excuse rather than an instrument of love and grace. People who have been raised in an atmosphere of harsh judgement might hone in on disciplinary scenarios in the Bible and apply these as answers to every problem. Those who have grown up with false ideas of marriage may see scripture as supporting a slave/master relationship rather than an example of Christ and His bride, the Church.

What's born out of a mindset is an improper motive. A motive is that which influences us to act the way we do or that which induces feelings leading to words and actions (Dictionary.com). When our motives are consistently self focused, or set on getting a person or circumstance under our control as opposed to reconciling all things to God through His Spirit, then we are likely operating in a mindset.

The greatest weapons against mindsets are deliverance, washing of the water of the Word, prayer, mentoring, speaking the truth in love, and great grace! Not simply one of these, but all of them as the Spirit directs. When a person is controlled by a mindset the enemy has usurped the leading of the Holy Spirit - but a Spirit led believer can be an instrument to bring God's freedom to a person held captive by a mindset.

We are people who have been bought out of the slavery of mindsets into the glorious freedom of Christ! Be washed by the Word and led by His Spirit that you may walk in His freedom!

Your Mental 'Safe Deposit Box'

The world has an old saying which may well fit into our Christian lives at times: insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

There are times when God changes our circumstances and there are times when God moves us to change our circumstances. We always want to take action in His perfect timing, but sometimes we either miss the opportunity or purposely don't grab hold of it. Either way, He's always ready give us another chance!

What dreams do you have, or changes you need to make, that are sitting in the same mental safe deposit box as they were last year at this time, and 2 years ago and 5 years ago? What have you done, including prayer and preparation of your heart and soul, to participate in God's plan of action? For some of us that plan may include a desire to teach Sunday school, or a live a more financially responsible life....whatever the case, God is ready, willing and able to help us, and to help us help ourselves, through His Spirit and plan.

We each have a responsibility in the Lord to live life to the fullest for His glory. We will be held accountable for how we use the gifts and talents He's given us - don't waste this provision (Matt.25:14). Life is not a matter of using our God given talents to advance ourselves and then thank God: it's to advance His kingdom by fulfilling the purpose He's given us.

Don't accept excuses: from the enemy, from your friends or from yourself. God has put His fire inside of us - does He also have to light one under us? Encourage and build yourself up in the Holy Spirit, then take action!

 

 

Who's the Real Enemy?

If the enemy of your soul can captivate your mind, he can steer the ship of your life! He'll try to do this by continually giving you thoughts that absorb your thinking processes. This can lead to obsessive focus on a problem or obsessive behaviors.

When we're wronged, struggling with our past, or have done something to wrong others, our minds will continually go to that spot and the people involved unless we make a concerted effort to stay focused on Christ! This is how we are subtly turned from worshiping God to worshiping a circumstance and using God to either justify our feelings or condemn those involved in the circumstance.

The Word says we do not wrestle with flesh and blood (the people involved in our hurts and problems), but we have a spiritual battle raging with the enemy - taking it out on people or allowing our minds to be captivated with the battle will not win it (Eph 6:12). There are wicked spiritual principalities and powers behind every battle: this is why we must fight with spiritual weapons. These battles begin in the spiritual realm and then manifest in the natural realm - and this is the way we must handle them if we want to conquer the enemy through Christ!

Here are some simplified steps to battle by the Spirit instead of the flesh:
-ask the Lord to show you where you are at fault - then repent
-turn your heart and mind to the Lord-read His word and worship Him. This will also help you take every thought captive! (1 Cor 10)
-keep the process of sanctification (becoming holy and Christlike) actively moving forward. If the enemy finds an open door of sin in our lives he will use it to attack us
-ask the Lord if this is your battle - are you to fight this or are you involved in something that's not yours? Understand that the battle has the ultimate goal of bringing the light of Christ by submitting to His plan. Vengeance belongs to the Lord - that is not our goal!
-Allow Him to guide you every step of the way-don't take action in the natural realm (the flesh) without His guidance.

It is much better to err on the side of grace than to battle viciously and be sorry for it later-forgiveness and grace are often powerful tools that still the power of the enemy! God will put His plan into place and bring victory as we submit to Him. The process of obtaining that victory will eventually make us stronger, wiser and more dependent on Him.

For we are not battling against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness manifesting in our world. Therefore put on the whole armor of God - put your entire heart, mind and body in Christ, completely focused on him, and you will be able to not only stand, but conquer! (Eph 6:12-13 paraphrased)

Uniqueness: No Excuse for Conflict!

The Word tells us we're formed in the manner of a clay pot: crafted by the Potter's hands, no two exactly alike (Is 64:8). In fact, the Bible encourages unity in the Body while at the same time promoting uniqueness. While expounding on the gifts of the Spirit, Paul tells us these gifts have innumerable possibilities in the way they manifest because of the uniqueness of each person's make-up (1 Cor 12).

However, the uniqueness of each person cannot be used as an excuse to stop up the process of sanctification - becoming more Christlike. If you find yourself struggling to get along with others from circumstance to circumstance or place to place, chances are you're not operating in uniqueness but out of an un-renewed mind and soul, keeping you from understanding God's ways. God is not into confusion and conflict in the Body of Christ, but the unity that comes from Christ-likeness in each of us.

You may have been hurt by the Body at some of the places you've attended, or you may have had numerous people part from your leadership over and over for the same reason...if either is the case, it's time to step back and ask the Lord what is causing this. What is in your heart and mind that causes the same circumstance to occur repeatedly?

If you want to move forward in the Lord and fulfill His will and destiny in your life, you have to get rid of the baggage of mindsets that have kept you back. You have to put offenses under your feet, forgive people, get into the Word and renew your mind toward greater sanctification! This rids us of our mindsets and gives us the mind of Christ.

Ask yourself, "is it more important to protect my pride and live with a trail of relationship casualties, or to forgive, seek God and live at peace in the Body of Christ?" If the answer is the latter, He is ready, willing and able to carry you through the process of renewing your heart and mind toward greater Christ-likeness.

As you seek Him, you will be renewed and recreated in the spirit of your minds (your thought processes); you are putting on the new self, the one created according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth. (paraphrased Eph 4:23-24)

How Much Do We Know?

Our insight into circumstances and other people's motives could probably be represented by the portion of the iceberg that's above water: what's seen is generally not all there is to know. Like the little boy who saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus, we also may not completely understand what we are seeing! This is why our decision making processes are desperately in need of God's wisdom and insight.

This is one of the reasons we've been given the Holy Spirit, He's here to lead us into God's truth. He reveals what's needed that we would discern not by sight but by His Spirit. Our knowledge and understanding are not complete (1 Cor 13), but He has the treasures of wisdom and knowledge stored up for us and desires that we go to Him for revelation (Col 2:3).

The person who seems to purposely push your buttons, or the child you view as rebellious....God knows what's behind their words and actions. If we react to people based solely on their physical and verbal manifestations, we may find ourselves trying to battle a spiritual stronghold with human power. But if we seek God, He will give us needed insight ...and at the same time He may reveal something in our own hearts which requires repentance.

As you seek God for wisdom and insight stay open to the various ways He may speak. Pray, seek Godly counsel, stay in the Word and be open to how He may guide you. He often reveals things to us as we go about our daily lives: a song we hear, a magazine we pick up while waiting for an appointment or a quiet moment where a thought comes to us.

Some things are not for us to know. It's not our place to get the 'scoop' on people as opposed to seeking God's wisdom and revelation to fulfill His purposes. If our motives match God's, He can trust us with His revelation to the end that His will is accomplished and He is glorified.

To God be the glory!

Power from on High!

Paul told the Corinthians that he didn't want them to be destitute of help while they were waiting for the return of Jesus (1 Cor. 1:7). He was speaking of the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit through each of us to assist one another. But he wasn't speaking only to the Corinthians, he was writing to you and I and all of those that would be here "until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Since 'the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ' hasn't yet happened, God's expectation is that we will continue to operate in the gifts of the Spirit. This means, of course, that we need to have the Spirit residing within us as impetus for operating in these gifts because they have to be directed by His Spirit (Acts 2, Joel 2). This is the great desire of God for the Church - that we be filled with His Spirit and empowered to be witnesses in our words and actions as a testimony of His love for all people!

Denying that these gifts are operative today is the work of the enemy - he would like nothing better than for us to set aside the help of God through these gifts so that we are left wondering and wandering helplessly. When these gifts are denied operation, the work of the Holy Spirit and the help of God falls on pastoral staff in the body of Christ. This takes power away from God's lay people and over-stresses leaders as 'go to' people for the entire body. However, part of a leader's responsibility is to guide the development and operation of these gifts in the body that we would minister effectively to one another (Eph 4:12).

Above the wonder of God's Spirit operating through us by His gifts is the fact that His love is extended to others when we submit to being used. We're even commanded to 'eagerly desire Spiritual gifts' that we could effectively bring the love of God to others (1 Cor 14:1). In fact, the gifts are ineffective if not inspired by love (1 Cor. 13)...like a noisy, clanging symbol.

The love of God also inspires us to draw close to Him and daily be sanctified so the gifts have a purified vessel through which to operate. It's a responsibility given by the Lord, to administer His love through His Spirit to a hurting world. Denying the work of the Spirit in this assignment is like going back under the OT law - trying to live and give the love of God through the flesh and a set of written guidelines - it's futile!

The promise of the Holy Spirit is for you, and your children, and those that are far off (distant ages and time and places). All those who want to be effective witnesses for the Kingdom of God are compelled to receive the promise! (Acts 2:39)

This is NOT the end!

This is NOT the end!

For anyone who's been condemned by others, or been told their not going to be used of God again, or who's made mistakes and wants to go forward, GOD IS NOT DONE WITH YOU!!!! He may alter your direction, He may make some changes, He may require something of you...but I can tell you that He's NOT DONE WITH YOU!

The Bible is about the God who redeems people at their lowest points. People like Saul, who thought He was serving God by murdering Christians. Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and declared Saul's Kingdom assignment, and just to make sure he didn't align himself with that old life, God changed his name to Paul. One day Paul was killing Christians and the next he became the apostolic father of the church!

What about David, who murdered a man to cover his adulterous affair. He was called 'the king after God's heart,' but he committed a sin that wreaked havoc on his family and the entire nation of Israel. He had consequences, but God didn't remove him from his position as King.

The fact is that people who love God sin: we are human. These men sinned, but God brought them out of it because they had an ear to hear Him when He corrected them, a heart that turned to God's voice and repented, and a willingness to PUSH THROUGH THE PAST and look to God's future.

God is reaching out to take hold of you, inundate you with His Spirit, and use you for His glory. That may be in a king's capacity or in a Sunday school room, that's God's decision. What He's looking for is a person who will turn from being stiff necked to being pliable in His hand; the person who has misplaced zeal and tenacity that He can redeem to power His Kingdom.

Consider this a wake up call! It's time to turn down the road to change. It's time to turn away from the past and look to His future! With God, 'the end' becomes 'the new beginning'...let this be your year of new beginnings!

To God be the glory!

 

 

Take These Chains

There are times when feelings and experiences are good aids in decision making, but if they work against the counsel of the Holy Spirit they are detrimental to us and those around us. The effects of our experiences, and the resulting emotions attached to them, can be an open door for the enemy to intrude in our lives and wreak havoc.

As an example, consider the parent who was sexually abused as a child. As an adult, he may protect his child so desperately that the child is inhibited from forming close and lasting relationships. Fear of abuse controls the parent and it stifles the love of God through this father. You can imagine the resulting relationship problems from a situation like this, not only in the child's life but also in the father and mother's lives.

This is but one example of how our emotions and experiences can affect our lives and the lives of others. We are sometimes unaware that we are operating this way, but we may continue to run into the same problems in life over and over. We may even decide that our way of thinking is a result of genetic makeup because our parents thought and did the same things. But we cannot allow the enemy to deceive us into coming to the wrong conclusions! In the end, we are not chained or imprisoned by our upbringing, but set free by the Word and Spirit of God if we choose to live for Him!

Look at the patterns in your life, where your actions and decisions have led you. You may see that many of them were deeply affected by your prior experiences and resulting emotions that have not been given to the Lord for healing. Anger, obsessive behavior, guilt, abuse, insecurity, manipulative behaviors .... God is able to heal us of these and cleanse our thought and decision making processes. Sometimes He leads us to get help from other people that He's trained up for this very purpose; only He knows the way in which His healing and wholeness will manifest in our lives.

Get in the presence of God and ask Him to show you why the things in your life are happening the way they are. Is there anything in your emotions and experiences that has grasp your thinking process and brought these patterns into your life? If so, God is willing and waiting to reveal it so that you can be healed and renewed in Him!

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me...He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners... to comfort all who mourn... And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD to glorify Him." (Isa 61:1 condensed)

Redefining Jesus

At one critical point in my walk with the Lord I had to make some choices about doctrine. I knew the choices I made would either leave me in the 'status quo' or bring about some drastic changes in my life.

As I struggled emotionally and wrestled in prayer, I heard a whisper coming up from inside of me, saying "read My word to know My character, to understand who I am and who you are in Me. Do not read my word to prove your existing doctrine."

That was a defining moment in my walk with the Lord. He was telling me that understanding His word is knowing Him! Rightly dividing His word is crucial to knowing His character. The Bereans understood this. They listened intently to Paul's teaching then searched the scriptures for themselves (Acts 17:11). Because of this Luke said they were noble: honorable, filled with wisdom and doing right.

Defining Jesus with even a little 'out of sync' doctrine is, in effect, remaking His character. Remember that His word will not return to Him void, but the word that we misinterpret, that which is not the Living Word, will return to us void and ineffective (Isaiah 55:11). Further, true faith cannot be built on wrong interpretation of the Word: this simply brings "high expectation based on wrong information" (C. Capps). We must seek to know the true Jesus!

When we understand who Jesus is and have relationship with Him through the Living Word (the Bible), that Word becomes effective in our lives. We are able to conquer the things that have beset our families for generations - the true character of Christ comes alive in us and we become living testimonies of His love and purposes for all mankind!

If we know the true character of God we will know His voice when He calls-there will be no confusion! Ask Him to correct any misinterpretation of who He is and take you deeper into relationship with Him, the Living Word! He died to make you His own - to know Him and live for Him.

"I am the Good Shepherd; and I know and recognize My own, and My own know and recognize Me." John 10:14

Prosperity. What is it?

God's word teaches us that prosperity is the result of an inward condition of the heart that overflows into one's life. Broken down into the basics of the NT word, prosper means "to do well in one's journey in life" (Strong's, 3 Jn 1:2). This 'doing well' is a condition of the heart and soul of man - which then overflows into the natural world.

That definition seems a bit different than today's twist on the word prosperity, which focuses on financial and material wealth. However, godly prosperity is achieved by following the leading of the Lord, as shown in Isaiah 48:17: "I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go. " In other words, He teaches us the way to live for Him, that we would benefit and prosper on His terms.

Constant grasping for wealth can lead us away from the plans of God. Even though there are scriptures indicating God's gift of financial blessings, focusing on these scriptures as an overriding doctrine will subtly lead us away from God and into serving the God of this world. In fact, this grasping for wealth is evidence that one is already off track from God's purposes and serving fleshly lusts. Perhaps the most grievous sin in this is trying to coerce God into supplying our material desires and calling it 'faith.'

OT law made allowance to help those in need of food and other necessities-this was the responsibility of God's community of believers. There are also instances in the Bible where God miraculously supplied food, finances and other necessities to His servants. However, please be cautious about the continuous seeking of multiplication of finances as a means of satisfying the flesh - these Biblical instances were born out of deep necessity.

A look at the financial and material prosperity in our society, overall, in comparison to the standard of living during Biblical times, is indication that we have prospered both financially and materially above and beyond what they could have imagined. Now, the question is, have we kept up with that Spiritually?

God's plan for each of our lives, when followed, will assure our needs are met and we have a supply to give to others. He affirms this in Psalm 37:4 where He tells us to delight ourselves in Him, then He will give us the desires our of our hearts. "Delight" means to make ones self pliable in His hands, to completely submit one's life to Him.

I ask myself and the readers this question: are our hearts and minds concerned more with God supplying our desires or are we consumed with God's plans?

Purify our doctrine, Lord Jesus, and set our hearts and minds on your purposes. Lead us into lives which glorify you and bring your presence into a world of materialism and self-satisfaction. You are the answer to the world's sin, and we will deliver that answer just as you delivered us!