I enjoy the Message translation.  It expresses the scriptures in a very relate-able way.  Consider the following from 2 Corinthians 12:6-8:

⁶ If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.
^7-10 Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

Initially I had in mind to be upset, saddened or maybe even angered over something that happened today.  However, I thought of this passage of scripture and all the upset melted away.  One of the things I learned is that you simply cannot say you trust God and then think opportunities won't be presented for that trust to be proven.  Trust isn't trust until it is exercised!  Otherwise it is just a nice notion or a warm thought.

I like to be kind.  I go out of my way to be kind on purpose and to show people kindness that probably makes no sense.  I think of all of the kindness God has allowed to me in my life and all of the people that I admire most are kindhearted and they are givers.  Sometimes; however, we must accept that not everyone that we extend kindness to is in the place to receive it or appreciate it.  It doesn't mean we stop being kind.  I'm not kind because people appreciate it in me.  Nor was my kindness born out of folks being ready for it.  I trust that if I am kind that God will extend mercy toward me because I am doing what He called me to do.  I believe that as I show kindness God will extend favor toward me when I need it the most, but can't articulate it or when I myself don't seem to appreciate it.  One of my weaknesses is my kindness.

I will give anyone anything that I have.  My thought is that it's just a thing and if God gave me that thing He can and will give me another and if He doesn't I know that He can and perhaps it wasn't something that would enhance my life or it was for the person I gave it to and that's the end of that.

I believe that God operates in my weakness, submission and humility and to me sometimes showing kindness is purposefully suppressing my own will so that God's will can be seen, known and celebrated.  The enemy wants to upset you to the point that you focus on the upset, the harm, the pain, the flesh or anything other than God.  He wants us to react and mess up.  But I get what Paul is saying here.  I could have gotten upset when people took my kindness for weakness.  I could have responded poorly when my kindness wasn't returned.  Instead I choose to trust God, accept that my kindness is one of my weaknesses and let go and let God operate in it all.

My actions, reactions and responses are based upon God's Word

When I was younger I was so naive.  I believed that if I treated people well, that if I were a decent and honest person of integrity that others would give that back to me innately.  As I grew older and matured I began to see that some individuals simply lack the moral compass, trust in God's Word and even just the simple desire to do the right thing.  There are people who always want to scheme in an attempt to get ahead.  They want to try to con you, con God and con their way through life and even though you see the futility of their actions they simply do not.  They want to throw the stone and hide their hands.  Look up in they sky whistling like they aren't doing anything.  It must be very depressing not to trust God.  Frankly, I don't see how people make it without trusting in the Lord.

My choice to live for God as best I can isn't because I'm so good.  On the contrary, it is because He is so good.  The choice reflects my meager attempt to please God and to live like I believe He wants me to live.  Do I always get it right? NO!  Do I mess up and sometimes mess up knowingly!  YES!  Have I hurt others?  Have I talked about others?  Have I let myself and other people down?  Yes, yes and yes, but God forgives freely when we seek Him and when He finds us forgiving others.  He specifically intercedes for me with the Father and because I know that, I do want so much to do all I can to please Him.  We live in such an era of grace and favor; basking in the forgiveness of God through His son Jesus Christ.  Forgiveness is integral to our lifestyle.  It really is the only way that we have a right standing with God.

We cannot overlook the importance of forgiveness as a part of our Christian walk. 2 Corinthians 2:10 & 11 says: If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive [that one]; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of [and with the approval of] Christ, to keep Satan from taking advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his schemes. AMP

When I was younger and naive when someone would purposefully hurt me it was difficult to process.  I thought it had something to do with me personally so then I tried to be an even better person thinking that maybe if I can show them how good I can be they will not mistreat me again.  They will know not to hurt me again.  But the fact is that hurt people often hurt people.  It isn't personal and they will continue hurting you because they are simply toxic and need Jesus' healing touch.  Not only will they hurt you, but they hurt everyone they come into contact with because it is what they learned to do to deal with their personal issues. 

There are people who simply refuse to put their trust in the Lord for their blessings and to take care of them so they spend their short lives away trying to scam others.  They ignore the favor and the blessings of God.  They refuse to acknowledge that God is the source and the author of what they have.  Instead they would rather do dishonest things and live in dishonest ways relying on self to get gain.  The interesting thing is that they think no one knows that they are being underhanded.  Especially if you choose not to respond.

But the above referenced scripture entreats us to forgive in obedience to God's Word because our forgiveness removes Satan's ability to be successful.  When we forgive the hurt and the harm done we deflate the enemy and take away his power.  There are some people who live to "get over" on others.  They want to scam the government, they want to con the bill collector, they want to avoid paying their debts and in trying to "hook or crook" innocent bystanders may get hurt.  What I will tell you is that if this blog is feeling true for you it is because God sees all and He knows everything.  He does not slumber nor sleep.  Please do not take what someone else is doing personally and please do not allow your response to be based upon that person's actions or deeds.  Instead respond with love and show Jesus.  Let the Lord fight on your behalf because He is Jehovah Gibbor.  He will handle it.  He already has.  Forgive so that in God's grand plan you can be forgiven where you miss the mark and do not concern yourself about the scams and schemes that you can see clearly.  See it, forgive it, pray over it and give it to the Lord!

Today be on purpose with forgiving even the person who is trying to con you, scam you or hurt you. Pray for God to heal their hurt.  Pray for God to protect you and to provide for you.  Remember that God allowed you to see it so that you can pray and forgive.

Put Respect on the Gift(s) that God has Graced you with

Romans 11:29 tells us that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.  To put this scripture into perspective we must understand what the Apostle Paul wanted to communicate.  Chapter 11 talks about the opportunity provided to the Gentiles to receive the hope of salvation after Israel rejected the gospel.  As Paul stresses the example of wild branches being grafted into the tree and having the opportunity to bloom, he also strongly emphasizes that the original branches are still available to be grafted back in as well and one day they will indeed!  Paul believed that the returning of the children of Israel will lead the homecoming of all to God!

As Paul describes this great day and this great time, He makes that comment that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.  What does that mean in this context of telling all that Israel will again fully return to God?  He means that when God says something, when He makes a decree, when He issues a gift and a calling, He does not take it back.  God called the Children of Israel and He has not rescinded that calling.  God has gifted and called us and He has not taken any of those gifts or any of that calling back.

Far to many of us are walking around with the precious gifts and calling of God all on and over our lives yet we are acting bewildered about what we should be doing with them.  Frankly some of us act like we never even received God's gifts and/or calling or maybe we just don't want other people to know.  God's gifts and calling are not a secret.  If you've been called you know you've been set aside, set apart, consecrated and called.  You can deny it all you want, but at the end of the day you know that you know that you know and others know it to because the anointing cannot be denied.  Most of the time people feel the anointing of your gifts and your calling and they are simply waiting for you to acknowledge it.  That's the trigger, key and linchpin that releases the activation of the gift and the calling.

We have to get in gear and respect the gifts and calling of God on our lives.  God has graced us with what we need to enjoy an abundant life.  God has told us that above all things He wants us to prosper and be in good health even as our very soul prospers.  To aid us in that prosperous living He has made us all after His likeness and in His image by giving us creativity and gifting.  These gifts and the calling having nothing to do with our intellect so our intellect cannot comprehend it.  We cannot unlock our gifts with our brain power.  We cannot make the gift and the calling work by sitting around thinking about it for days, months weeks and years.  In order for the gifts to begin to work we must first acknowledge the gifts and the calling and that their origin is God.  In order to allow the gifts to work for us, we must give God glory for the gifts and calling and be determined that God get all the glory from the use of the gifts and the calling.  We must acknowledge God in all our ways and admit that He knows what's best for us and that in order for us to experience that best He gave us the gift that would work on our behalf.  Then we must work the gift and accept the calling. 

God makes no mistakes and everyone single life has a gift.  It may take many years before we discover our gifts.  That passing of time doesn't make your gift void or unusable.  As soon as we acknowledge the gifts and that God is the giver we put ourselves into the position for the gifts to open up abundant living opportunities for us.  Those opportunities may not come easily and they may seem like trials, hardships and tough times, but remember that all things work together for the good of them that love the Lord and who are the called according to His purpose.  Work your gifts and accept your calling and see what God will do for you!  There's no escaping His manifold blessings when you obey!

Today make it up in your mind to respect God's gifts and calling on your life.  Make it up in your mind to lean not to your own understanding, but to acknowledge God in all your ways.  Trust Him and trust that life's circumstances and this journey will provide opportunity for your gifts to be used.  Relinquish your resistance and realize that your gifts and your calling will make room for you and bring you into the presence of great men because God said so.  He has graced us with creativity.  He has made us after His image and likeness.  You have purpose.  You have divine destiny and it is within our grasp.  Today is the day that we respect what God has put in us and give it back to Him in order to guide others to Him and to give Him all the glory.

A Substance Abuse Problem

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  Breaking down the scripture further let's define a few words.  Faith means complete trust or confidence and a strong belief in God based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.  Substance means the real physical matter of which a person or a thing consists.  Evidence is the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief is true; proof, confirmation, verification.

I offer that many of us have a substance abuse problem.  We think we understand the meaning of the word substance when we read the scripture.  But in fact what we have been taught and what we understand substance to be is something tactile.  It's something we can touch or experience with our natural senses and so as a result we are looking for something tangible to anchor our faith in.  So oftentimes what happens to us is we pray and we wait for a sign.  We tell God what we want and then we go wait by the chimney for Santa to deliver our gifts or we give God our laundry list of desires and then we see answers in superstion and whatever will satisfy our own mind that we've heard from the Lord.  But in fact the definition of the word substance that we have known our entire lives is not what faith is.  Faith is not physical nor is it a thing that can be exprerienced by our touch, hearing, sight, taste or smell.  The Greek word used in the verse above is "hupostasis."  The meaning of it is a firm foundation.  So in fact our faith is not based in the power wishful or positive thinking.  It isn't in our thinking at all.  Our faith is connected to our heart and it is a knowing that God did it before; therefore, He WILL do it again.  It is a knowing that we experience in our spirit.  We can encourage our mind by reading the Word and hiding the Word in our hearts, but what we cannot do is substitute the firm foundation of what our heart knows about our God for a flimsy, phoney, or flighty physical manifestation.  The faith is the revelation that God's Word is yea and amen.  Faith is the firm foundation of our hopes and it is the confirmation, verification and the proof of our beliefs.

Today let us renouce our substance abuse problem and let us elect to open our hearts and let faith find it's true resting place in the peace of trusting that God is real, He is not a man that He should lie.  What He says He will complete and perform.  His Word will not return unto Him void.  As the older generation used to say, God said, I believe it and that settles it!

Home Improvement

I awoke this morning with some concern.  As I took my concern to the Lord, He lead me to Matthew 19:16 to 22, which reads:

16 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what [essentially] good thing shall I do to obtain eternal life [that is, eternal salvation in the Messiah’s kingdom]?” 17 Jesus answered, “Why are you asking Me about what is [essentially] good? There is only One who is [essentially] good; but if you wish to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to Jesus, “Which commandments?” And Jesus answered, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not give false testimony;19 Honor your father and mother; and love your neighbor as yourself”[that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others]. 20 The young man said to Him, “I have kept all these things [from my youth]; what do I still lack?” 21 Jesus answered him, “If you wish to be perfect[that is, have the spiritual maturity that accompanies godly character with no moral or ethical deficiencies], go and sell what you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I walk].” 22 But when the young man heard this, he left grieving and distressed, for he owned much property and had many possessions [which he treasured more than his relationship with God].

The basis of my concern is that complacency seems to be the norm.  I find myself  
becoming complacent at times as though I've done what I need to do and there's no need to labor further.  I was also reading in Haggai and Zephaniah this morning regarding God's desire that people stop being complacent and get some gumption about themselves so that they may rebuild the House of the Lord.  Lastly I read Psalm 127:1 which stated that except the Lord build a house, they that build it labor in vain.

All of this led me to the conclusion that oftentimes we believe we have done enough; after all I have my job, I have my house, I have my car, I tell people about Jesus at my convenience.  I mean what else could I possibly be doing?  And yet we sing songs like "I Need More."  Signifying that we want Jesus to do more for us; to give us more of Himself; to pour out more to us.  In fact hasn't He already done it all?  What is truly needed is for us to do more; more to draw closer to Him; more to be less self-righteous; more to show that Jesus saves; more to minister; more to live a holy life; more to build the kingdom of God and on and on.

The significance of the story of the young rich man is that for so many of us we see ourselves as right on target.  The young man came to Jesus not really seeking an answer although he asked a question.  Jesus knew this, but allowed the situation to play out.  The young man really wanted to inform Jesus about what he had already done and in his mind surely there couldn't be any more to do that he had done, I mean he was the ultimate servant, he kept all the commandments since he was a child.  This young man really couldn't imagine what else there was to do.  What he failed to realize the entire time was who he was talking to.  He didn't see that he wasn in need of repair and that Jesus was the handyman.  He didn't know who Jesus really was because he was so enthralled and entangled in his own ego and so entrenched in his own self-agrandisement.  I mean after all he had it going on right?

We have the benefit of hindsight as we read this scripture so we can sit in a place of judgment of this young man.  We can clearly see that he was lacking humility.   We know that he went away sad because he treasured his possessions more than his relationship with God.  But in fact oftentimes we are in much the same position  as this young rich man because his real issue is that he lacked perspective.  He didn't really know Jesus and so he  could not comprehend what Jesus was offering him.  His thoughts went immediately to the   idea that something was being taken away from him and that made him sad.  

This young man needed some home improvement.  When you live in a house for a while you begin to notice its wear and tear. Eventually some things need repair.  As we walk this spiritual journey we ought to notice the leaks, the cracks, the broken down items and things in need of  repair in our spiritual home.  Jesus is the ultimate repairman.  He presents to us the tools needed to firm up our foundation and to repair our broken places.  He shows us the places that need repair and sends preachers, pastors, teachers and the like into our lives to assist us with the repairs.  The interesting thing about the repairs that we must make to enhance our own lives is that the work is not just us working on ourselves in a vacuum.  Instead it is us performing kingdom building and kingdom work that in turn serves to  repair our leaks and fill in our cracks.  Once we truly admit that we need repair and we're not just trying to show God how together we already are, because doesn't He know us?; Doesn't he know how raggedy we are?  Of course He does.  He knows that we are weak, this is why He sends us messengers to help us and to steer us into the right direction.  This is why He sent Jesus.  Now we have to let Jesus set the foundation and make sure that it is He in the building.  

When we do this there is a chance that we can be used to help someone else.  Today let's not become complacent and think to ourselves that we are doing what we need to do.  Rather let's ask God for a paradigm shift so that we can do what He has called us to do.  Let's improve our home by building the Kingdom of God, because as we take care of God's house He takes care of ours.

We are victorious

2 Chronicles chapter 20 is the story of King Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel being attacked by a joint union of the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Meunites.  Military intelligence revealed that a large number of soldiers were coming and in fact were already near.  It is certain that the enemies of King Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel planned to take the City by surprise and by shear numbers to overwhelm them.  But as the passage unfolds we see that the first thing that King Jehoshaphat did was to go to God in prayer.  In his prayer to the Lord, he reminded God of how they were obedient when they first occupied the city and they didn't fight with the Moabites, Ammonites or Meunites.  Then he reminded God of the promises that God had made to the Children of Israel to give them the land.  Not only did he pray separately in his very own "war room" but he then evoked corporate prayer by assembling the people together.  In the midst of the people King Jehoshaphat proclaimed God's promises and God's preeminence.  Then the Word was confirmed by Jahaziel who assured the King and the people that the battle was in fact not even theirs to fight or win, but it was the Lord's.  After that the King lead the people in corporate worship and praise.  The next day they arose with praise in the mouths.  The Bible says the King even appointed a choir to sing about the greatness of God and about His everlasting love.  The Bible goes on to say that as soon as the Children of Israel started singing and praising loudly, God set up ambushes for their enemies so that they were confused and instead of fighting the Children of Israel they fought each other and annihilated each other in the melee.  After the fighting King Jehoshaphat and the Children of Israel spent three days collecting the spoils.

This story should serve as encouragement for us that the answer is not in our physical efforts, but in our prayer, praise and worship or our spiritual fight.  We often say that prayer and praise together are a lethal combination, but this testament makes that point clear.  The fact is that once King Jehoshaphat turned his face to pray, putting God first, all of those would be enemies were already defeated.

God has already defeated the enemy in our lives.  We are already victorious!  How do we know?  Because if He did it before, which we know He did by this passage, then He will do it again.  King Jehoshaphat had a lot of choices.  He could have become afraid.  He could have called in advisers.  He could have starting calling in favors.  He could have commanded to assemble the armies.  He would have been within his rights to do any of those things, but the example that he set was that he immediately turned to God in prayer.

When we are facing enemies to our peace, to our success, to our well being, to the promises that God has already set in place for us and to our destiny, our first action should be to turn to God in prayer.  Our second response should be to give God praise for who He is and for what He has already done.  Like David at Ziklag, we have got to remember how God strengthened our hand before.  I call that the rewind praise.  Then we have got to look forward to what God is about to do.  I call that the fast forward praise.

Remember that after the Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites had turned on and destroyed one another, the Children of Israel were able to benefit by collecting the spoils.  The Bible is clear that the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous.  You may feel that an untenable situation has come upon you and that you are surrounded on every side, but God may in fact be setting you up to be the benefactor of someone else's confusion and failed plans to attack you or to bring you down.  I'm certain that when King Jehoshaphat originally set his face to pray to the Lord he wasn't thinking about how the enemy would be defeated or if there would be spoils to collect.  No.  He was clearly focused on the task of communing with God, praising Him and reminding Him of His promises.

So today, know that whatever battle you face naturally our job is to take it to God spiritually for we wrestle not with flesh and blood.  Our real weapons, which will never be defeated, are our prayer, praise and worship.

This is the re-take

Recently, a dear friend said, "I can see that my tests are closer together."  Then she went on to describe how she'd been presented with two different scenarios several times with in the span of only a few days.  James put it this way in chapter 1:

2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

  3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

  4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

  5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Have you felt lately that you are going through the same tests or the same experiences over and over again and that those tests are closer together?  For some of us it may be dealing with people at work, in the community or at church.  For others of us it may be challenging to saving or giving each time we receive our pay check.  When we, in affect, fail our tests or our challenges, the enemy wants to cover up the fact that that test was meant to make you stronger.  He wants to distract from the purpose of the test.  The test isn't to highlight your failings in a way that brings shame or makes you  feel poorly. Not at all.  The test is actually a way to show you that you are making progress.  That's why when my friend said her tests were closer together, I knew that she was nearer to her victory!  The enemy wants you to feel so ashamed and so condemned when you have a failure that you delay re-take and find it difficult to connect the dots between your tests and experience how God is strengthening you.  Let me try to explain it this way.  When I was very young, around 12 or so, it was prophesied to me that I would be a preacher.  That information was scary at that age, but it rang true some place within me.  I knew it was accurate in my spirit.  But there was a major issue.  I was and remain painfully shy.  It sort of reminds me of Moses telling God that he wasn't able to speak to the people.  But here's the thing, God calls and God chooses.  He does so at His will and for His glory.  So now in my hindsight, I can look back over my life and see all I have been through, each test, each trial, all of my tribulations and I can sew them together into a tapestry that reveals the picture of how God has nudged me into His purpose for my life.  It's amazing when you give it some thought.  God actually meant my failings and my rough patches to be for my good?  He meant for all of that to make me stronger, wiser, better and fit for His use and purpose?  He did that just for me?  It makes you look at your re-takes so differently.  Failing isn't failure unless we refuse to learn and grow from it.  Failing is a necessary stepping stone in growing stronger.

I imagine the life of a body builder.  We see the after pictures.  These individuals have bodies that look awesome.  Yet we weren't there during the building process.  We werent there through the pain.  We were just witnesses to the end results.  That body builder had to discipline himself exercise everyday  and had to deny himself when he wanted to eat sweet snacks.  He had to push himself to workout and to lift more weight each time.  The process took time, it didn't happen overnight.  But as he went along he would measure his muscle growth and he could  tell that his endurance was getting better.  Think of yourself as a spirit builder.  Like a body builder, your spirit must be challenged so that you can see your growth and so that you can tell that you now have more endurance.  Consider how Paul viewed this in Romans 5:

1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

  2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

  3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

  4And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

  5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.  

Truly our progress is measured in faith and maturity.  Our standard is Jesus Christ.  We strive to be like Him in how we show love toward each other and how we have compassion for people.  We work to build our endurance to be like Christ in how we show up for our divine appointments and act as conduits to allow His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Truly we strive to be like Christ in facilitating a real relationship between God and His people.  But often people don't see the work of our spiritual building and our maturity.  They don't see the pain and the trials that bring out patience and discipline.  They don't see how we learn to give and how we become aware so that we are not ignorant of Satan's devvices against us.  They see the result, but we know our struggle and that our struggle sometimes comes in waves of tests  that are back to back showing us that we have gained spiritual muscle and endurance.

Today, be purposeful in your spirit building.  Set your eyes on the standard, Jesus Christ.  Strive to be humble like Him.  Strive to serve like Him.  Strive to live like Him.  Before you know it you will be measuring your success in faith through experience which results in hope.

Then, I am strong . . .

In 2 Corinthians chapter 12 Paul states that the enemy handed him an ailment to keep him, Paul, humble.  Paul tells us that he asked God to take the ailment away on three different occasions.  I was reading this scripture today and it struck me that God did not take the ailment away the first time that Paul prayed, nor did God take it away the second time Paul prayed nor did God take it away the third time that Paul prayed.  In fact, it is notable that God never took the thorn away, but He told Paul that it was in weakenss that he would find his strength.  Does that mean that Paul was ineffective at praying?  Does that mean that Paul lacked the faith for God to remove the ailment from him?  The modern church views Paul as a learned, wise, passionate and strong patriarch of faith.  Paul was a fervent servant of God and in our hindsight we herald this apostle as one of the most articulate communicators of the truth and proof of Jesus Christ and he is credited for single handedly bringing the Word of God to gentiles.  So what does all of this mean?  Does it mean that God simply doesn't answer some prayers?

I'm glad that I've grabbed your curiosity.  I'll tell you what all of this means.  God in fact answered Paul the first time that Paul prayed.  It took Paul three times to hear, process and understand God's response.  So even the most revered Christians at times struggle to accept God's communication to us.  Sometimes we pray fervently for the answer that we want.  We sweat.  We cry.  We declare and we decree.  We wail and we moan.  We get others to pray with us.  But you know what?  God's answer is His answer and we need to hear it, process it, accept it and understand it.  After the third time of God not removing the ailment that had been handed to Paul, Paul was finally in a place to hear what God had been trying to communicate to him from the first time that he had prayed.  God was trying to tell Paul that He works best in our vulnerabilities and in our weakness.  We hear from God more clearly in our broken state.  We are more open for hearing His communication to us when we are in need.  Not only that, but when we hear, process and accept God's communication, we move ourselves, our ideas of what is right and what should happen out of the way and we are able to allow God's will to be done in our lives.  So many times He wants to show Himself strong.  He wants to prove His word.  He wants to be lifted up above our circumstances and situations.  He wants to be lifted up above the earth so that He can draw others to Him and we are His conduit to make that happen.  But understand that God's power shows up better on the backdrop of our ability to endure in spite of whatever situation or circumstance we find ourselves in.  For Paul that was the thorn in his flesh, it was imprisonment, it was being beaten, and it was preaching the word anyway and in spite of and through it all.  Paul's life serves as a powerful testament of how to persevere anyhow.  So we may have felt badly for him because he had an ailment that He wanted God to take away, but you see we are able to overcome today because of Paul's powerful testimony that in the middle of a thorn and in the midst of jail and in the process of being beaten, Paul preached Jesus Christ to anyone who would listen and he did it with the same level if not even more passion!  It was in this that God was lifted up above Paul's thorn.  God was made the main focus.

Today, when you think of an ailment that you are struggling with or maybe one that a friend or relative is struggling with, understand that the answer may not always be for God to take that thing away.  Some times it is, but not always.   Accept God's will.  Accept that God knows what He is doing.  Trust that God has your best interest at the core of all that He does in your life.  Trust that God will give you glory in the situation through sufficient grace.  Trust Him, not what you are experiencing with your physical senses.  Trust Him and take Him at His word.  Hear His answer.  Accept His answer.  Understand His answer.  Know that He will give you sufficient grace to endure.  Know that He is the focus and His will is the primary objective.

Why Do We Long for the Counterfeit?

Today's blog is about transparency for me.  I recently had an experience after which God showed me how He carried me through it; how He protected me in it; and how much He loves me and that He kept me.  When I awoke to this revelation, I immediately worshiped Him and blessed His name.  However, I did begin to wonder why I was longing for a counterfeit.

In the present case, I had been harboring a deep hurt in a very dark place.  That hurt had trapped me into a place where I had refused to declare the Word of healing.  It is no secret, as I have previously shared in this blog that I was abused by my father for 15 years of my childhood.  I had locked that pain in a dark and desolate place in my mind.  I had gone to therapy, I had spoken with counselors and with my pastors, I felt that I had dealt with the hurt.  But in fact that dark place needed to be eradicated and I had only put a very ineffective lock on a very rickety door.  The hurt and pain were still there.  The need to fully forgive was still hanging.  And frankly from time to time I would visit that dark place to remind me of what was missing in my life.

What I didn't understand was that you cannot simply allow hurt space to live in your mind.  The hurt creates a void and that void begins to suck.  That sucking then brings people into your life who have no way of filling the void, but who know how to manipulate you because they recognize that this void is your weak place.  There is only one who can fill such a void because it takes a being who has the ability to step in and out of time, who can go into your past, completely heal your hurt and make you whole.  So in my case, I felt that I needed love; that no one in my life had provided me a foundation of love and support and a basis for trust.  I felt that I needed to be loved properly and that such love had in fact eluded me my whole life.  That's where the vortex and the black hole began and it was sucking every thing and everyone around me in, or trying too.  I kept thinking I wasn't enough, but it was because that dark void was sucking in my confidence and my knowing that God was the author and finisher of my life and my faith.  There are people who see that sucking and recognize that there is a desperation to hang on to something.  So they interject themselves into your life to try to steal your anointing while you are distracted by your hurt.  And because you are so distracted by your hurt you never even notice that a counterfeit has entered in.  In fact because of our desperation, we become satisfied with the counterfeit.  We accept it as the truth.  There may be a nagging voice telling us the whole time that what we have isn't real and isn't of God.  There will be a voice telling us that what we have isn't going to help us, move us forward or support us, but that sucking desperation has a hold of us and we accept the counterfeit.

Today I was reading the book of Isaiah chapter 58.  This scripture discusses how we can be repairers of the breach.  The scripture text talks about how we can use what God has given us to help others and to repair the breach and in helping others we are also receiving help.  How does this relate to longing for counterfeit?  Well Isaiah 59 really helps to answer this.  Many times we cannot experience freedom in God and being restored, healed and made whole because we are pretending to seek light, when in fact we have become satisfied with darkness.  I had become satisfied with my hurt.  But there is no productivity in harboring hurt.  Therefore, I was never giving myself an opportunity to be successful.  I couldn't speak the word of healing over my life.  I couldn't admit that God is my all and all because I wanted to hang on to hurt and that hurt gave me the excuse to distrust God.

But today I declare that God has taken away that hurt and that pain and I can proclaim healing and wholeness in the name of Jesus.  I am whole and if God never does another thing for me I am whole and well and He is my savior.  I am a breach repairer.  God has given my gifts and talents with which to minister healing and deliverance.  I refuse to accept the counterfeit any longer.  God is the genuine article and He is mine and I am His.  I refuse to allow one more person to try to act like they have the potential to fill a void in my life.  Why?   Because the void no longer exists.  Christ has forgiven me of my sin, healed my hurt and made me whole; therefore, there is no more sucking and bringing the wrong person to me trying to hustle my anointing and make my ministry of none effect.

Today can you declare that you are done with the counterfeit?  Can you declare that you are actually trying the spirits by the Spirit?  Can you declare that its for God you live and for God that you'll die?  Can you say that you genuinely and wholeheartedly rely on God?  I can.  Thank you Jesus.  I finally can.

The Heat is on!

Good morning!  I stopped by to tell you this morning that you may be in or about to go through some heated situations, but God wants you to know that He has purposed these heated times in your life.  The goal is to refine you, to unbind you and to remind you that He is your starting point!  So the heat is on!

Consider Daniel Chapter 3 and the story of the 3 Hebrew boys.  Recall that these young men took a stand and each refused to bow down to the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had commissioned to built.  The first thing that you have to know is that today is your day to take a stand against some stuff that has been built up in your life or some things that other people have tried to place in your life and give a larger presence or give more precedence that our Holy God.  You already know in your heart, mind and spirit that you can't bow, you can't bend, you can't move and you can't blend to anything that's not of God.  Instead you've got to tell yourself as these young men did, that even if God doesn't deliver me, I KNOW that HE can because in fact, He is my starting point and He is the only one true and living God.

Second, once these men decided to take a stand, they saw that the enemy had attempted to lay a trap.  See there were some folks who didn't like these young men.  They didn't like Daniel.  They didn't like how God was blessing them, promoting them and working in their lives so as a result of their own insecurities, selfishness and misunderstandings, they wanted to get rid of them all.  So they plotted and maneuvered to get the king to build the image, knowing that these young men would take the stand to not bow, and then they'd have their chance to finally get rid of them.  Don't you know that there are some folks that the enemy is using to try to snuff you out?  There are some situations that the devil is using to trying to get rid of you.  It may be intimidating, but you have got to learn how to take a stand and to say like these young men did, "It's for God I live and it's for God I'll die!"

Next, these young men were sentenced to be thrown into the fiery furnace because the king could not go back on the word of his decree so the enemy thought that these men were down for the count.  As a matter of fact the king ordered for the fire to be turned up 7 times hotter than normal.  He was upset that these young men wouldn't do what he wanted them to do.  You better understand that the enemy is so determined to get rid of you that he will put it in some one's heart to turn up the heat in your situation.  The heat may get turned up on your job.  The heat may get turned up in your home.  The heat may get turned up in your own mind.  And just like with the 3 Hebrew boys the heat gets turned up so much so that even the very person throwing you in gets consumed!  But I'm came to tell you that sometimes we spend precious energy and time thinking about the person taking us into the heated place or taking us into our fiery situation.  But don't worry baby because that person is going to be consumed!  Your goal is to remain focused on the fact that God's got you in His hands.  Don't be afraid because the enemy sends his most mighty men to bind you up and cast you into the heated situation.  Don't focus on that person other than to know that they are positioning you into a place where you can see for your self that God is your starting point.

Notice in the story that folks could see what the 3 Hebrew boys were going through because when you read it says that Nebuchadnezzar was astonished.  Although they had thrown three men into the furnace bound when they looked there were four men walking around.  See your adversary wants to see you down and bound.  He wants to watch your destruction.  I find the perspective of the story particularly telling.  You see the story didn't say that the 3 Hebrew boys testified or talked about the 4th person in the furnace.  Instead, it said that the very person who ordered their destruction saw 4 folks walking around in the furnace and was astonished!  When you make God your starting point, the enemy may think he has you bound and down in a hot situation that's going to break you down, OH! but God will show up and walk around with you in your furnace.  Not only that, but He will cover you and protect you and let the enemy watch it all!  

What you need to know today is that God is concerned about you.  So much so that He will allow a hot situation to occur in your life.  But the heat is meant to refine you.  It's meant to burn things off of you, but not to touch you.  It's meant to unbind you or free you of the ropes and ties and the things that have bound you up.  And finally, you need to recognize that God is always there with the purpose to keep you and protect you in the very midst of the heat when it has been turned up hotter just for you, that's only because that's what it is going to take to get some stuff out of your life and off of you.  Endure it.  Accept it.  Trust God in it.

Last and this is for free, one day last week, I thought about the scripture that talks about how sometimes we cannot feel God on our right or on our left.  But God told me and told me to tell you not to worry, because as long as God has filled you then He's feeling you whether or not you feel Him!  And because He's feeling you, you're covered!  Have a blessed and bright day and remember today to take a stand on the word of God and make Him your starting point! 

Try, Fail, Change: Prune, Try Again and Grow

The CEO of IBM quoted Try, Fail, Change this morning.  I immediately thought of John 15.  It's no coincidence that God conveyed the example of Jesus as the True Vine through John.  Consider the following from John chapter 15:

1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 

If you consider yourself to be a branch, then imagine what's on a branch and what comes forth from a branch.  Branches are compelled to birth fruit of some kind.  Sometimes it's flowers, could be nuts, or literal and edible fruit, or it could just be leaves.  If you have watched a tree grow and bear fruit and if you have subsequently collected the fruit of the tree, there are some basic things that you learn to accept.  First you cannot take all of the fruit from a tree.  You cannot pick a tree totally dry of it's fruit or eventually it will fail to produce.  Second a tree must be properly pruned in order to harvest consistent and continual growth and to produce more fruit.  The fruit of each tree must be treated differently - not all trees are alike.  Some fruit must stay on the tree until it is ripe or almost ripe.  Some fruit must be removed from the tree and allowed to ripen that way.  In the end the key is to learn through the planting (trying), through the failure to yield fruit (failing) and through rethinking how to approach the situation so the tree will bear fruit (change).  

Also consider that not all of the fruit that is produced is edible or usable.  But just because a branch produces some non-edible fruit doesn't mean that the branch is no good and should be cut off.  Instead it is an acceptance that part of growing is failure.

What I am trying to articulate for you today is to consider the times of your life where you have tried and failed.  There is a wealth of information to gain and learn from failure.  It's in our failure where God's strength is brought to the forefront.  Its in our failure where we can do nothing but acknowledge that God has sustained us, kept us, forgiven us, moved us forward and picked us up.  

Today as you go through your day, maybe you will be faced with a failure in your personal life or in your work life.  You may have to deal with the fallout of a failure.  Transparent moment for me - I have been blessed with opportunities for a great deal of education.  I am an extremely introverted person.  I am very task oriented and driven.  However, over the last year, after a failed marriage, I am learning that I must show the people around me that I do treasure and value them.  Because I am introverted and task driven, I find it difficult and somewhat painful to grow in my personal relationships.  It's not at all because I do not value the relationship.  It's more because I have not developed properly in that area.  When become adults, everyone around us assumes that we know how to respond, how to act and what to do and for the most part many of us, even knowing our weak areas are too prideful to admit them so that we can be pruned and learn from our failures in order to grow.  

I so treasure my friends who know all of this about me and accept me anyway in my failings.  I feel like those are true friendships.  There are people that I'd like to reach out to, but I sometimes even fail to form the relationship outside of my own mind.  I think how great it would be to be some one's friend or to have a better bond with people that I love and care about, but years of abuse, lack of trust, and under developed social skills have stunted my growth in the area of creating and properly maintaining personal relationships.  For some, it seems that personal relationships are so easy.  They find it easy to talk to others, to share a piece of themselves, to trust and to develop friendships.  For me establishing personal relationships is painful because it's just difficult for me to talk at the right time or to know what I should say and to feel like I'm being genuine and real when I say it.  Most of the time I feel like relationships I want simply pass me by or I let them go too easily.

BUT . . . I realize that I can't stop trying. Even when I've experienced an epic failure and all of the associated hurts.  Just like everyone else, I need personal relationships.  I am not immune to the the need, even though, I sometimes tell myself that so that I don't have to push through difficult conversations or situations.  Sometimes it is directly in the middle of my failure that I learn the most valuable lessons, like how to be loyal and how to keep confidences.

I am glad that this area of my life is only a portion of what's on my branch and it's a fixable portion.  Through my failures, my tenacity to recover quickly and to keep trying and to want to grow, I believe that God sees that in me and that He cuts those areas that need to be cut and allows me to continue to grow.  Not everyone will stick around to see that growth and to know that they have a part in the results.  Not everyone who does stick around will readily recognize my growth, but I thank God that He will do it anyway for His glory and for my edification.

Think of yourself as a branch, which has been grafted into the true Vine.  There may be some unusable fruit or some leaves that are not so green.  No worries.  Yield that up to the Father who is the keeper or the husbandman as the scripture puts it.  It's His job to observe the branches and the fruit and to prune in such a way that will produce more.  Pruning may not feel good, but in order for you and I to be at our most productive, it is necessary.

Keep trying.  Accept that there will be failure.  Learn from the failure and make chances.  Allow yourself to be pruned based upon those needed changes.  Try again.  Grow.

Do You

Have you ever looked back over your life and began to regret what you hadn't done or what you hadn't accomplished?  If you have then you're just like Kind David!  In 1 Chronicles chapters 22 and 23, David laments over his regret at not being able to build a temple for God.  It was an accomplishment that he so wanted to achieve because he loved God and he wanted the Ark of the Covenant to be in a stable place.

This feeling is normal.  There comes a time when you realize that you cannot do everything that you've envisioned.  This shouldn't make you sad.  It should actually make you hopeful.  There's so much work to do in the Kingdom of God that such a notion should make us realize that we should be busy doing what we were instructed by God to do and moving out of the way so that others can do the same.  We are part of a body and each of us has a function and a purpose.  I cannot do what you do and you cannot do what I do, but when we work together we can fulfill the work of the Lord.

The scripture above reveals that God specifically told David that he would not be able to build the temple as he had so desired.  Guess what?  God told David this and David accepted it.  This information didn't make David any less a great king.  It didn't diminish his accomplishments or feats.  It made no dent in who he was in God.  David still remained a man after God's own heart.  He still wrong songs.  He still secured a great nation.  He still was an awesome leader.

When you come to the realization that you can't do everything for everybody all the time and that you may not get to do some of the things that you've envisioned accomplishing in your lifetime, please do not take this realization as some type of defeat or as some indication that you are less than who God called you to be or not where you should be in life.  There are reasons that God called you to the position He called you to fulfill.  There's a plan and a purpose just for what you're supposed to accomplish and do.  If we continue reading in 1 Chronicles we find that it was David's job to prepare the way for Solomon to have the years of rest and peace needed to fully focus on building the temple for God.  David's purpose was not to build the temple, but to set Solomon up for success so that he could build the temple.  David made sure that there were resources laid aside with money, skilled people, and items that would go into the temple.  David made sure that he built good strong relationships with the rulers around him so that there would be enough years of peace so that the temple could be built and so that Solomon would have people he could reach out to for other materials and funding that he would need.  David even began the process by setting up the Ark in a stable place and instructing the Levites on how to proceed from that time forth.  So while there was one ultimate thing that David didn't do, there was so much more that he did do that made the temple building process even possible.

So now look at your own life.  Who are you preparing the way for?  What is God doing through you that someone else will be able to pick up and run with?  What are you laying up so that someone else can use to further the Kingdom of God?  Do not be saddened by what you haven't done, but instead be encouraged at what God has purposed for you to do.

Here's a transparent moment . . . I recently went on a 3 day fast.  I went into it with my prayer requests and supplications, with my thoughts of what I needed to accomplish and where I thought I needed to be.  After it was over, someone came to me and shared their struggle.  Instantly, I realized that I had not gone through the consecration for myself.  I had gone through it for that individual.  I was able to minister to that person because of my preparation and out of fulfilling what God had told me to do.  It was both a rewarding experience and a painful realization.  It was rewarding because I knew instantly that God told me to do something, I did it and He was glorified in it.  It was painful because there was something that I had wanted so much, that I was praying about and I learned that the moment wasn't about me or what I wanted.  So at the end of it all, I turned to God and acknowledged that His will be done and not my own.  It hurt as I imagine that King David hurt when God told him that he would not be the one to build the temple.  But like David instead of focusing on what you can't do, focus on what you can do to prepare the way.

Today, your mind my be invaded by thoughts of what you don't have, where you haven't been, what you haven't seen, what you haven't done for the Lord or what you know you'll never be able to accomplish.  If and when that should occur, remember that you remain who God called you to be.  You are not diminished as a person.  Your godly position does not change.  Ask God to shift your paradigm and help you to prepare the way.  Ask God to show you how valuable you are and how important it is for you to be obedient to what He has called you to do.  And remember that without a David there would have been no Solomon to build the temple.  Without a you, someone else would not be in a position to do what they need to do for God.  Settle your heart and mind in knowing that God's purpose for you is just for you to fulfill.  Do it with joy.  Do it to the best of your ability.  Do it with all obedience to God and He will bless you greatly.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I was reading a devotional this morning and the writer admonished that since we are so blessed and since we are the hands and feet of Jesus in the world today that we should do our best to give to others by donating gently used clothing, shoes, etc.  What stood out most to me was that the writer said that Jesus was a master recycler.

In fact He is.  Take a look at the definition of recycle:

1. Convert (waste) into reusable material.
2. Return (material) to a previous stage in a cyclic process.

We are so used to talking about God's creation power, but today I want to talk to you about His power to recycle, to make renew, to make over and to restore.  When I look at the definition above I get excited because what it shows me is that when we accept that Jesus does this in our lives, it gives us hope that truly it ain't over until God says it's over.  I can put so much of my current situation into perspective because I see that Jesus is recycling me, my voice, my ministry, my calling, and my destiny.  He is taking parts of me that I thought were wasted and used up and He is conforming those things to a new use, for His glory and for my edification.

In my prayer time this morning I asked God to use me.  Actually, it has been a consistent prayer of mine since I was a seven year old just learning to pray.  I used to imagine myself as a tool that He could take out and use when He wanted.  I still see that.  When we grow up sometimes we feel regretful about whole portions of our lives.  We feel like it was time wasted, hopes lost, dreams deferred or disappointments in people.  But I truly trust that all things do work for the good of those who love the Lord and who are the called according to His purpose.  So there's no experience that I have endured where God wasn't trying to mold me and conform me into reusable material for His glory.

God is able to return us to a right standing in Him.  He is able to reconcile us to a Holy place and again this is for our edification, but most of all it is for His glory.  Following are some scriptures about God's restoration power:

Jeremiah 30:17, ESV For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord… Isaiah 61:7, ESV Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.

Joel 2:25-26, ESV I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Job 42:10, ESV And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Isaiah 1:18, ESV Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Psalm 51:10,12 NLT Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. 

Examine yourself today.  Are you in a place where you have been wondering about your current purpose?  Have you been a worker in the Kingdom and now you're feeling like your season is over?  Have you been in a holding pattern for a while?  

If your answer to any of the above questions is Yes, then just know that you may in fact be in a place where God is reducing some things from your life; maybe even some people, so that you can travel lighter, move faster, be more responsive and have more ability to move when He needs you to move.  If you answered Yes, then God may just be moving you into a new season in your life where He wants to reuse you.  God provides more and more clarity for us as we seek Him diligently and where you may have once been used in one capacity in ministry, God may be moving you to a new place or a higher level so that you can be reused.  Don't fight Him on this because it is for your edification.  He's not through with you yet.  Don't give up on Him!  Endure what you need to endure just like Job.  Go through all that you need to go through to be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that God can put your life to reuse!

Last, if you answered Yes to the previous questions, God just might be recycling you.  He just might be preparing the places in your life that looked like: wasted time, wasted space, wasted talent, wasted potential, wasted effort, failed marriage, failed relationships and wasted opportunities, for a new use.  Do not limit God with your imagination, but instead allow Him to work through your limitless faith and trust in Him to do what He needs to do.  Ask God today to allow your will to align with His will so that you can pray strategically, so that when you are in His presence you can seek His purpose for your now in your current state because I know that He still has use for me, which lets me know that He still has use for you.  Let the Master work with you.  Be flexible, pliable, malleable, and mold-able.  If He needs to burn some things off of you, let Him.  If he needs to wash you over and over, endure it.  If He needs to shake you to get some things loose from your life, take it.  Today, make it up in your mind that it's not too late for you because God wants to reduce, reuse and recycle you.  He wants you to become a new creation.  He wants you to be renewed in your mind and in your heart.  Take on the mind of Christ.  Accept this opportunity for God to do His greatest work in you with what you thought was nothing.  As Pastor Christine Woods would preach, God works well with nothing.  There is an awesome potential in your nothing!  Because God can take your nothing and turn it in to His reusable material for His glory.