SDV (Spiritual Dimension Vision)

Everything visual these days is moving to 3D. We have 3 dimensional movies--which are very expensive--we have 3 dimensional televisions, 3 dimensional video games and 3D phones. People are so excited about seeing something extra, but in fact what you are really seeing is a distortion--not another dimension.

God wants us to see with our spiritual dimension vision. That's an advantage of being saved. When you are a sinner you can only see things as a sinner, but when you become redeemed and can say so, you now have a different perspective, thanks to a Holy Ghost paradigm shift. Romans 12: 1-2 says it best:

1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

SDV allows the discipled Christian to mature knowing that although tragedy befalls me--what the enemy meant for bad, God has moved heaven and earth to make that thing work out in my favor. Even in the midst of my struggle and in the middle of my storm, I can have peace that passes all understanding because of the way I see things. When there's trouble on the water, Jesus stands there in the water beckoning me to come out there with him--just like He did with Peter. He wants me to keep my focus and my eyes trained on Him. He wants me to trust that in the midst of it all, He is my source. God is the strength of my life--whom shall I fear and of whom shall I be afraid? No one can pluck me out of His hand and no one can change His will for my life. I am who He says that I am and I have the promises that His Word extends to me.

The enemy's job is to steal, to kill and to destroy. He wants to hold up the blessings and the anointing that you've been praying and longing for. He wants to cloud your vision with false realities. Reality is what you experience in your relationship with the Father. The enemy wants to distort the very revelation of the Word of God for your life and if we are not careful we will revert to regular old natural vision. We will look at people and their actions instead of praying in the spirit for them and for ourselves. We will look at circumstances and feel helpless and hopeless, instead of looking to the hills and keeping our heads lifted so that the King of Glory can rest in our situation.

When you move into SDV you become purposeful and serious about your praise. You understand that your praise is a warring spirit. As a matter of fact the fight that you launch into the spirit realm when you open up your mouth, lift your hands and give God praise here in the natural is a like putting 1000 enemies to flight. If you touch and agree and pray with another, its like chasing 10,000 enemies away. Why do you think the enemy works so hard at dissension and division? Because in the spiritual realm our praise is exponentially magnified when we agree because where two or three get together God comes to dwell in the midst. With your SDV you begin to see the movement of the enemy more clearly. You see that he wants to take your blessings, steal your joy, mess with you family, and hold up your anointing. The the devil is a liar! He can't stop nothing! King David was so serious about his praise that he danced out of his clothes. When you begin to see that the enemy has it out for you, then you ought to have a King David type of praise because the fact is that we need to get what God has for us by any praise necessary. If that's an advanced praise, then count me in. If that's a shabach, then count me in. If that means I've got to open my mouth to give Him all the glory that He is due, I'd wish I had 10,000 tongues and that wouldn't even be enough to Thank God for who He is and for what He's done.

Your praise clears the path for your blessings to come to you that's why we sing when the praises go up, the blessings come down. Your praise also opens up a channel for you to communicate directly to the Father. Yes communicate. For the most part when we pray we spend a great deal of our time talking to God, but not listening to God. Our prayers are like dialing up a friend, saying everything we want and need to say and then hanging up before they can even say hello. But praise helps us to understand that we have two way communication with the Father. He wants to speak to us and to give us instructions on how to release and to receive what He has for us.

Be encouraged today to change your perspective. Do you have a debt that you know you cannot pay? Good. Here's your opportunity to understand that God is your source and your resource. Give the situation to Him. Don't limit Him by thinking of all the ways you could handle the situation--who you could borrow from, how you could get an extra job--please don't do that. Instead begin to praise Him in advance and begin speaking into that situation as though it is already taken care of--as if the debt were already paid and you have moved on to the next thing because we must speak those things that are not as if they already were. Get serious about your praise on this day! Use your God given SDV. Be encouraged to praise your way through. Keep your eyes trained on God.

No Child of God Left Behind

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9.

Those of us who believe and trust in God often enter into phases of our lives, our walk with God or our ministry where we begin to feel like we are losing ground or being left behind. We feel unproductive like we cannot get traction. This is not an accident.

This morning when I awoke God told me I'm in my chrysalis stage. I researched that term. It is one of the metamorphic stages in the life cycle of certain types of insects like the butterfly. It interested me that God told me this was where I was right now because I've been longing to understand why I can't seem to get anything done. As I began to read about this stage I understood that I'm in a place that isn't about what I can do. Rather I'm in a place in my life where God is proving to me what He and only He can do! He speaks to me and tells me to be still and know that He is God.

The insect in its chrysalis stage cannot move. It must wait. It must be patient. It will not become what it needs to become by thinking, doing, moving or with any effort of its own. The work can only be done while it is still. I thank my Bishop for letting me know that I've got to let go of some things so that I can be still and allow God to work His perfect work in me as an individual.

The insect in the chrysalis stage is defenseless on its own and needs protection. The reading stated that the insect is first camouflaged. It is hidden. Some are protected by other types of insects like ants, while others are protected by their parents. I took that to mean that while we are in this growth stage our job is not to try to defend ourselves--we are tasked only to be still to allow God to hide us under His wing. He will send others to speak up for us. He will allow those who watch for our souls to continue to cover us while we develop and grow. We will be loved and nurtured without effort on our own part. We must just accept it.

Sometimes an insect can go into a state of dormancy while in the chrysalis stage. The reading explained that sometimes the insect has not reached the right season and instead of losing all, the insect slows development. This dormancy can last from a few weeks to a few years. Isn't this just like us? We fail to understand that we may have great gifts within us, but those gifts are meant for a specific time and season and application. God would rather that we slow down and develop under His loving tutelage than to waste the potency of our gifts. What God has revealed to you in your heart and in your mind will come to pass. by faith--you child of Abraham. Do not be afraid of your dormancy. God is not through with you yet. One last point about the dormancy stage. The reading mentioned that the insect will go into this stage during the roughest times of its life. God will allow us to go into this stage when the events of our lives begin to tip toward unbearable. He promised that He wouldn't put more on us that we could bare. So we go into dormancy to be in a place of protection.

Finally, there is the emergence from the chrysalis. It was interesting to me that the reading stated that most insects emerge from their chrysalis in the morning. That reminded me that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Realize today that God isn't leaving you behind. You are simply in your chrysalis stage. Be developed. Allow God to groom you, to mold you, to make you and to change you. What emerges will surprise even you. If you wait upon the Lord, He will renew your strength. You will mount up on wings like an eagle, you will be able to walk and not grow weary. You will be able to run and not faint. You will be able to pray and commune with the Father. You will be able to endure more. You will be able to discern more. You will be more graceful. More patient. You will have the fruit of the spirit. Your ministry will bloom. Your gifts will make room for you. Be encouraged today! God wants to bless you. He knows the plans that He has for you. Plans to give you a hope and a future and not to harm you.

Stay in your chrysalis until God allows your break out and breakthrough. Be ready for the new you!

The #1 Tool that Every Teen Needs

I had a dream last night that led to this blog today. I dreamt that I was a teenager living with a severely strict family--they were not my parents. Every chance I got I escaped them and went to visit a boyfriend. The motherly figure tried to talk to me, but the fatherly figure yelled, screamed and tried to forbid me to see the young man. In my heart I knew that the father wanted to protect me from making a mistake that I would regret, but I couldn't help but feel in this dream that the more that this father figure yelled at me the less I heard and the more appealing the smooth talking boyfriend sounded--even though he had nothing else to offer me. I woke up praising God for what I'm about to share with you.

Philippians 1:6 reads And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

My daughter is not a teen yet, but I pray everyday that her father and I are instilling in her trust in God. She teaches me moment by moment that children definitely do what you do and can be slightly steered by what you say. But the most important thing is how we live because she's following our example. So her father and I consciously set an example of faith, trust and belief in God. We pray with her and we encourage her to pray so that she can learn to develop her own relationship with God. We do not force or push anything on her. We just ask God to help us live it.

By the time we get to our teenage years we begin the painful process of severing our thoughts and our dependence from those who raised us, whether that is our parents, a guardian, or a system. Something in us makes us toddle into independence, like a baby learning to walk. For teens and for parents alike this can be a traumatic and hurting experience because of all of the falls and the bumps and the boo boos that we simply can't prevent no matter how attentive we are. Although many parents try, we cannot be with our children every moment of every day. Times will come when their own faith will be tested. Your faith is not their faith. They must learn to trust God and exercise their own faith and we must ask God how to help us allow them to do that because we want to shelter them from any pain and from all poor decisions, but we just can't.

But to ensure that our teens make as smooth a transition as possible into adulthood the one thing that we can give them that they can always rely on is an example of trusting God. That trust will instill in them the anchor of confidence and validation that they will need to persevere through any and everything that comes their way. Philippians 1:6 proves to parents and children alike that God is the one that began the good work and He WILL see to it that the work that He began is completed. We can rest in that promise because all of His promises are yea and amen.

Confidence tells us that we are valuable even in the face of life's circumstances that may say otherwise. When there isn't enough money to buy what everyone else has, confidence reassures you that it won't always be like this. When people talk about you, confidence reminds you to lift up your heads oh ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in . . . Confidence provides a strong foundation from which our teens can reach back and grab the Word of God to hold on to during emotionally perilous times.

If you've ever hung out with a group of teens for any period of time, you are reminded that children can be cruel. You are reminded that these are some of the most awkward times of our lives. You are reminded of how vulnerable teens are to peer pressure. You are reminded that their decision making process is being developed and tested and it hurts to see them making poor choices.

Life is not easy for any of us. With the grace of God we do the best we can, but for the teen it can be even more painful because of smothering overbearing parenting or people speaking for them and telling them who they are or should be. Or people bossing them around in the name of discipline. Or people speaking harshly to them not remembering that they are precious in the Lord's sight. Or people simply not listening to them because we already know what they're going to say and what they want to do. On top of all of the pressure from those whom they trust there then is enemy that wants to sift them as wheat. He accuses them daily before the Father. He doesn't want them to succeed. He doesn't want them to be anchored in the Lord or to trust in Him or to have confidence. He constantly tells them to take their own lives. He tells them that they are not good enough. He tells them that they are not loved. He tells them that nobody cares about them. All of the things that the enemy tells us as adults he tells our children too and depending on how we're living in front of them and what we are saying to them they may be more vulnerable to the enemy's tactics and his message. It is our job to encourage and uplift every Christian soldier, including our teens.

Let's protect our teens by living an example of trust in God. Trusting that what God has started He can and will complete not only in our own lives, but in the lives of our teens too. Let's encourage them to trust in God too so that they can be confident that they are loved, that they have value, that God bought them with a price and that He needs them. The #1 tool that every teen needs is confidence that if they make a poor choice, God still loves them; that if they fall down, they will have support getting back up; that the adults around them are not just talking about God, but are living a holy life and providing an example of trust in God. Our teens are watching us and they will do as we do.

Umm . . .You Realize You're in a Fight Don't You?

It seems like for the last few months I've been talking to injured Christian soldiers; worn down and torn up from fighting this fierce battle with the enemy. Soldiers that are weary and tired. Soldiers who are hurting and disappointed. But my words of encouragement are always the same and they come straight from the Word which tells us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4). I also tell them that we are not wrestling with flesh and blood, but we are wrestling against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places] (Ephesians 6:12).

Please understand that we are at war! Why are you surprised that you are suffering the stings of arrows and blows? Let me tell you something I learned in my short stint in basic training. I learned that everybody doesn't come to the ARMY to fight! People that I was there with had many different motivations for being there and I soon started to learn that they were not preparing for battle and I surely didn't want them on my side!

But as Christians we have to stop living with unrealistic expectations of our battle buddies. Certainly we must love each other--that is without question! Certainly we must encourage each other to continue maturing, training and preparing for the fight. Certainly we must keep picking each other up and vowing to never leave one another behind. We must do this because we cannot make it without each other in this thing, but the difference between the natural ARMY and Christian soldiers is that this battle to take back the Kingdom by force is not ours, but it is the Lords! That means that He equips us. He puts in each of us the tools that we need to win without struggle. He puts in us the seeds of triumph so that we are able to overcome any adversary and any challenge.

As a Christian soldier you will get tired. You will get weary. You may fall down, but as Donnie McClurkin says, We Fall Down, but We Get Up! The victor of this battle is he that endures. Endure means don't be surprised when folks talk about you! Endure means don't give up when people talk to you crazy. Endure means that what God has called you to do is what He needs for you to do regardless of the discouragement that comes your way. Endure means maturing and recognizing that sometimes your battle buddy just doesn't understand your testimony or your praise because that's not where they are right now, but in spite of all of that you must press on toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And literally there may be times when you have to go on by yourself.

Please stop acting surprised! You ARE at war! This IS happening! Now like David at Ziklag, get yourself together and encourage yourself in the Lord! While you're encouraging yourself, encourage someone else. I'll end with this story. When I was in the sixth grade my teacher, Ms. Stella Fiddmont, left the room and left me in charge as the monitor. Immediately folks got out of control and wouldn't listen to me. I felt like a failure because I couldn't get them to do what I said. When Ms. Fiddmont returned people were out of their proper places and making all kinds of noise. They were clowing so hard that didn't' even see her enter the room. I saw her and started yelling Shut up! Be Quiet! Ms. Fiddmont came and stood next to me and put her hand on my shoulder to comfort me. She looked down and said to me, You be quiet and they will follow your example. Of course I thought she was out of her mind. How could that work? But she understood true leadership. A true leader provides a real and practical example to follow. That's why folks follow them because ultimately it's not about what you say, but it's about how you live.

So if you are feeling discouraged because of your war wounds, realize that Jesus was persecuted. If our Lord and Saviour wasn't spared by those who were closest to Him why are you surprised when you are misunderstood, misused or abused? Don't be. And don't allow it to move you out of position because every soldier is needed! God is our battle fighter. He is our Jehovah-Nissi. Calm yourself, take courage, encourage someone else, wake up and realize that you ARE in a battle, but that it is the Lords and finally keep pressing and be the one to endure to the end.

Why do you do what you do?

When I was coming up there was a song that said, Only What You Do for Christ Will Last. I often think of the words of this song when I'm challenged to minister, to pray, to share the gospel or to serve in any capacity. I stop and ask myself why am I doing what I'm doing. I ask myself if God will be pleased with what I'm doing. Finally, I ask myself if it matters to me that no other person my ever know what I've done.

The latter question is the most important to me because it seems like the flesh wants to be praised. In the past I felt the urge to just blurt out that I was responsible for this or that or that something was my idea. I've even had the audacity to want to say that I was responsible for someone coming to Christ. Now that I look back at it all I can see that it is total nonsense.

When I was a little girl I asked God to use me and I imagined myself as a tool in His tool belt. I envisioned Him just taking me out and using me sometime in my life for whatever task it was--no matter how great or now small. When I became a teenager I was so determined to work for the Lord that I'd do any job at the church--I signed up to clean the bathrooms at church and to work in the kitchen. I just wanted to serve and I really didn't care how God used me. I just wanted to be used and I was content with whatever assignment He gave me.

If it wasn't for the grace of God where would I be? I work for the Kingdom because God has been so good to me, because I reverence Him, because He's kept me, because He's brought me from a mighty long way, because He reached way down and picked even me up out of the muck and the mire, and if He so graciously did that for me, I have to share with others that He can and will be whatever you need.

It is important; no paramount, that we understand why we do what we do. Do we help others so that we can brag about it? Do we sacrifice so that others can see what we've done? Do we have a secret desire for people to praise us or to value us for what we've done? Do we need validation from others?

If what I'm doing is for Christ then the only one that I'm seeking to please is Christ. I truly believe that putting Christ first in my focus will bring me to a place where I will mature spiritually and where I can find favor with God and man. But if no person ever acknowledges anything that we do as Christians--if they never know that you were behind the scenes, it's all good. God elevates and promotes.

Recall Matthew 7:22 and 23 where Jesus says there will be many that claim to have performed tasks in His name, but He will have to tell them to depart because He doesn't know them. Why wouldn't He know people who were doing things in His name? Because it's not about the what it's about the why. It's not about the thing, but its about the heart condition that led you to do the thing.

Let's spend our lives doing good. Let's spend our time helping others. Let's give all out ministering. Let's sell out, but let's do it all for Christ's sake. If He is always the reason and the focus we can't go wrong. Our deeds will last beyond the end of this age. Our names will appear in the Lambs Book of Life. We will have fulfilled our calling and our purpose and that is all the vindication and satisfaction that we need.

The 23 Reasons Why We Should be Saved

Good morning!

This morning's blog and several hereafter will deal with evangelism as we prepare for our Soul Saving Summer at uE. I'm excited about the training that we are receiving in preparation for being about our Father's business. After all, there's no business like church business, which should be the business of soul salvation.

Bishop Woods began a series last Wednesday evening titled The 23 Reasons Why We Should Be Saved. He began by breaking down the Romans road to Salvation with scriptures from (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:13, and 10:9-10. He then shared the following:

1. Matthew 10:28: we should be saved because there is a very real "Hell" and we do not want to be destroyed and go to it. Our time would be well spent reverencing God who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

2. 1 John 2:12 we should be saved so that we can receive forgiveness. Christ has already paid the price for sin. He has already paved the way for salvation. It is not His desire that any one perish but that all receive the gift of God, which is eternal life. Let's take advantage of the salvation that has been given to us through forgiveness of our sins.

3. John 3:7 we should be saved so that we can experience being born again. Everything is new to a baby. Babies take in every experience with a WOW! type of excitement and wonder. Life is fresh for them and everything that they learn that they can do is amazing to them. This is the same newness that God wants for us as newborn babes desiring the sincere milk of the Word. He wants us to experience newness of life and to be amazed by the journey that He is taking us on. He wants us to have faith like a child; trusting that He will take care of all of our needs.

4. John 1:12 we should be saved so that we can have an incredible relationship with God as His sons and daughters.

5. Philippians 4:7 we should be saved so that we can have peace. Being saved provides peace with God as we are no longer at enmity with Him, but it also provides the peace of God which allows us to rest in the comfort knowing that He has everything in our lives within His full control. While we may not understand everything that the hand of God is doing in our lives we can always be at peace knowing for certain that the heart of God means everything for our good and our advancement. He has plans for us and those plans are for hope and for a future.

HHT-3: Don't be "J"

Yesterday Bishop Woods explained how we can Overcome the Negative Emotion of Jealously. His scripture text, found in I Samuel 26:18~21, revealed the story of King Saul's jealousy toward David . Saul was jealous of David for reasons that he may not have fully understood, but in retrospect we see that God had rejected Saul and anointed David King over Israel. The more that Saul witnessed David's promise coming to pass the more Saul wanted to destroy David. Perhaps in his mind he reasoned that if David were out of the picture, God would return to him, but Saul's issues with God were based on his own blatant disobedience to God's commands. It really had nothing to do with David at all. David had not harmed Saul in any way. He never spoke an ill word against him. As a matter of fact he worked--in the beginning to please Saul. In other words, David had done no wrong to Saul and the scripture text even finds David trying to comprehend why Saul hated him so much. David was the object of Saul's jealousy even though he wasn't the root of it. Wikipedia defines jealousy as: [a] secondary emotion and typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety over an anticipated loss of something that the person values, particularly in reference to a human connection. Jealousy often consists of a combination of presenting emotions such as anger, sadness, and disgust. It is easy to spot Jealousy because where jealousy exists there is no love or forgiveness. There are only feelings of bitterness. Also, jealousy is totally a one-sided situation. The jealous person wants the innocent party to go away, never really understanding that even without that person in the picture their life experience will continue to be miserable. They will continue to be unfulfilled, angry, disgusted and stuck. The interesting thing about jealousy is that the person who is experiencing feelings of jealousy knows that he is wrong, but he can't seem to help it. In Saul's case in the scripture text above he even apologizes to David, but in the end Saul's jealousy beat him. As Bishop Woods put it yesterday, Saul patronized his flesh. He gave in to his irrational and unfounded feelings toward David. As you self-reflect today do you find that you have feelings of jealousy? If so dump them quickly. Ask the the individual and God for forgiveness. Jealousy is destructive and means you no good. It is a distraction from your promise and your purpose and as we see in the story of Saul it really the person who has become the object of your jealousy really isn't the cause or root of it at all. Go to God with a humble heart and a contrite spirit and find out the root so that you can dig it out. Don't spend your precious life chasing fleas. If you are the victim and someone is jealous of you pray for that individually continually and sincerely. Pray for peace, restoration and reconciliation. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God. Stay away from the "J"!