Have you consulted the Lord?

Numbers 9:8       Moses therefore said to them, “Wait, and I will listen to what the LORD will command concerning you.” 

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Nu 9:8.

The church asks us questions about many issues that they are confused about. Sometimes we use our own brain and life experience to answer the question. I wonder what would happen if we consulted the Lord and asked Him the answer? God knows all things and He can better apply His word to each and every situation than we can, but do we trust Him enough to ask Him?

Something it is not

In our nation and culture we make a lot of things about what it is obviously is not about. We hide behind things in our lives that because we just don't want to come out in the open and admit what something is really about. Jesus came and died to make us free so that we can live boldly for the kingdom. The New Testament says that the earth is waiting for the true sons (daughters) of God to be revealed. Is there something in your life that you are making it something it is not?

Blind but now I see

In John 9 we see the story of the blind man and his encounter with Jesus. Jesus comes to him and does something different than at other times. He puts mud on the mans eyes and instructs him to go and wash. The man in faith does what he is told. In that instance he can see for the first time in his life. Is their a place in your life that you are blind and Christ wants you to go and wash so you can see? God is using the dirt of your life as the covering and you are being cleansed from all of the things that have happened.

Grace

Something simple today. Grace is simple what God bestows on us as we are becoming what He has called us to be. It is not a blank check to live as we want, but a kingdom resource to use as we grow into a person that will impact the world for Him.

Recognition

In John 8:12-20 Jesus talks about being the light of the world, and that that God the Father is within Him. The Pharisees could not get their hearts around that concept. The were lost in religious tradition that darkened who God was. Jesus comes against that very belief of how they see God. Do you have a conception of God that God is bringing to the light? Are you recognizing the Lord who is bigger than anything else?

Cultivate

In our lives we cultivate different fruit for different situations. If we are known for anger, than we have cultivated the fruit of anger. I could continue down the list of bad fruit but I choose to focus on good fruit. Galatians 5:22 and 23 tells us "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control." So we need to choose how we will react to different situations. To live by the Spirit you have to retain your flesh in how to react to situations. Today I choose ___________ to live in. It is that simple as you do that choice daily God will supernaturally agree with your decision and you will build a new tree and cultivate a new fruit in your life. What are you cultivating??










The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ga 5:22–23.

Success

So many of us determine success as something tangible in the natural world we can quantify. Everyday we work in a natural world in a spiritual battle. We clap each other on the back for the great things they do that is in front of everyone. I think God measures things differently in different seasons of our lives. What may be success is for them to accomplish what the Lord has them doing right then. The greatest battle is the one that changes us and causes to become more like Jesus. I see it happening all around me as people who are changing. It is something only God can keep track of and quantify, I praise Him that He is the ultimate judge of what we do. Have you had a amazing breakthrough in your life and n one noticed, don't worry God did. :)

Hunger

We have many barometers in our lives and one is our hunger for the things of God. Do we desire to spend time with Him and do His will. Are we out telling others about Christ and the work of the cross? You want to show others your hunger for God go out and tell others about Jesus and the hope we have.

Entitlement

I am 38 years old and in my generation there has been a shift from being grateful and doing our part to I am entitled to everything. This idea of entitlement has entered into the theology of the the church today, especially Pentecostal churches. We believe that because of what Christ has overcome we are immediately entitled to all of the things God gives in the covenant. It doesn't matter how we live or how much we have allowed God to change us. I am not talking about works because we are going to heaven once the decision to live for Jesus is made. I am talking about that we put a overlay over the Biblical message that there is no need for death on our behalf. Jesus suffered and had His Gethsemane so will we. Many believe that because Jesus suffered and overcame that we will never have to suffer. There is a principal of Jesus being formed in us that comes from a dependency on Him and a choice to pick up our cross and follow Him daily. My concern is that we are not growing into mature believers and are instead training a generation of those who have a sense of entitlement. So when rough things come they do not know how to handle it and walk through the rough things and see Christ formed in them in the process. Jesus has overcome and I believe it, my question is have you allowed Him to overcome in all areas of your life? I see us our lives as the promised land and we have areas controlled by the flesh and the enemy. We have to know that God wants to occupy all of us. He paid a price to own all of us, are we allowing Him to own all of us?

Preparing for the future

I have many prophetic friends, imagine that. All of the are different in how they see the world and what God says through them. Many people do not always understand what they see or why it is important. My one friend is used powerfully in terms of the economy not only in America but around the world. The Lord has been showing him some things that are coming for many years and like a good son, He has been preparing and declaring what is coming. Many have not heard him or agreed with him. I agree whole hardily with him and am feeling strongly that I should also tell all those who read this to prepare as Joseph prepared Egypt. The years of economic famine are coming and we need to be prepared. We need to put things away not only for ourselves but for the missionaries around the world. We need to change the way we see money and our rights to it. We spend money on so many things that at the end of eternity will mean nothing. My wife and I have been cutting things that are not necessary. Even Netflix which is 8 a month has been cut. We need to tighten our belts and put a fifth away for the future. Will God take care of His children yes but that doesn't negate our responsibility to be shrewd managers with our money. What can you trim to prepare foe the future?

Solidarity

At Starbucks this morning I saw two young guys with their arms clasped together like they were arm wrestling. There was a statement of solidarity and passion in this little stance in the midst of the world. They weren't trying to be sneaky and look like everyone else and pray. They made a statement that was awesome. When we are out in the world together are we making a statement of we love our God? Are we hiding our light or proudly declaring who we belong to?

Meticulous

Exodus 25:9
9       “According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so you shall construct it.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ex 25:9.

This week I have been in Exodus as apart of my bible reading plan. After I read this verse, I started to see how God specifically told Moses and Israel how he wanted everything built. In our culture we don't have the level of seeing things don't with excellence. It is even in the church we have put grace at a place in our lives that we have become lazy in doing the things specifically the way GOd has asked us to. The New Testament model that we are suppose to follow and be built like is Jesus. We use high sounding rational arguments of why we should not try to be like Jesus because He was perfect. It is true that we can never be perfect, but we can have the fruit of the spirit in our lives that people see Jesus through our lives. Do you look like Jesus or like church culture? Are we truly free in the Spirit or are we free in our flesh saying everything is ok for us? Questions I wrestle with everyday!!!

Prayer

In the last few weeks I have a overwhelming sense that without a major change in our commitment to pray, things are going to be very difficult. I have made a decision to discipline myself to pray three times a day. It has changed my life and personal attitude in how I see things. God has already provided everything needed for us to accomplish the task ahead of us. I believe prayer is the relationship part of the war which rages in us so that we have a change in mindsets to see things from God's perspective. His voice is louder and I do less things from my perspective and I do more from His perspective. I see the fruit of my life lining up with what the scriptures say is what we should exhibit. It is a discipline to get up and sacrifice time and sleep and our priorities to minister to the Lord and build His Kingdom. Seek first the Kingdom of God and then these things will be added to you. Are you praying???

Clearing the Brush

Three weeks ago we cut a bunch of limbs from a tree and bushes to give more light to some areas. Our lilac had been pushing out of the shadows into the light into the yard. It is looking great and the lilac has responded well to the change. In the process though I had a lot of cut limbs beside the house. It has rained several times and the limbs were wet and getting moldy. Our neighbor is hooking us up in having someone get rid of it for us. The question for this morning is after you have forgiven or been free, is their cuttings from the issue still laying around in your life. We have to get rid of the old thought process that go with that old pain.

2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), 2 Co 10:5.

Many times these old thoughts are just hanging around in our flesh. We have to clear them out and not let them clutter up our lives. A way we can do that is to change our thought process. To change the way we think or what we dwell on is a major part of the freedom we receive. I use 2 Corinthians 10:5 for this in my own life. I choose to bring my thought life under the authority of Jesus because that is His best for me. It clears my mind and my creativity and focus explode in a new and powerful way. Have you cleared the brush???

Memorial of the cross

Waking up this morning I heard The Lord say He wanted to build a memorial of the cross in my heart. I saw it as a remembrance for the one who paid the ultimate price for all of us. He gave us the greatest freedom of all and restored our relationship with the Father. So today remember what God has done for us.

What would happen?

I served in the military and I have many friends who have. We gave a part of our lives to this country to serve it. There are some who gave all and died for their country and this weekend is about remembering their sacrifice for us as American's. Their is another group of people who are dead and serving Jesus across our world. They are the missionaries at home and abroad, they have to die to so many things to accomplish what the Lord has put in front of them. We are all as Christians are suppose to die to the things of this world. But if you look at social media we are wrapped up in so many cultural things that at the end of it all in eternity to do not matter. I love movies and sports, the Lord has been taking the love for them out of my life and replacing it with a passion to see people come into relationship with Him. I am not totally dead yet but I am heading that way. I am trying to laser focus on things that really matter in the scope of eternity. What would happen if the church got this concept?

Obedience

As a child if I didn't do quickly and exactly what my Dad wanted the hammer was coming down. My father always said I was a good boy. Unknowingly my Dad shaped how I saw love and it has shaped my very soul. I obey God from a standpoint of fear that if I don't He will remove His love and blessing from me. I did it from a wrong understanding of Love and fear. This way causes striving, worry, and in security to be the fruit of my life. This morning the Lord revealed this to me and showed me the other side.  His love that removes this fear of loss and failure to something much deeper. I want to be obedient because He is my God and I love Him. I haven't figured out what the Godly fear looks like or what the fullness of His love is. I do know that God took my very soul and removed all fear and now I need to walk in love and retrain this flesh to do things from this new perspective.

Who will you tell about Jesus?

In Matthew 1:35-51 we see the beginning of the ministry of Jesus and the forming of the twelve disciples that would follow Him. First John the Baptist calls out who Jesus is and then two men follow Jesus. After they spend the day and night with Him they go to tell others. These others come and check Jesus out for themselves and Jesus reveals Himself to each one differently. Do you see the pattern a person gets the revelation of Jesus and runs to tell another who gets the revelation of Jesus. The group grows as the word spreads. If this is the biblical pattern of reaching those who do not have the revelation of Jesus will it still work today. Come on tell someone about Jesus today and lets reach those who do not know Him.

Do you know Him as Lord?

 Exodus 6:2-3  2  God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD;
   3 and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ex 6:2–3.

       There are two trains of thought here one generationally and one personally.
             In every generation we hear of what God has done before, and we try to mimic and know God that way. I think in every generation God wants to reveal himself in a different way. HE wants to show Himself to that generation in a way that will bring the greatest impact upon them because He knows every generation and what they need.
             In every person He wants to reveal Himself as the deliverer of their individual situation. Because of situations in our lives we do not always recognize the power of God to heal or deliver us. So HE wants to reveal Himself in our personal lives so that we know Him in a more powerful way.
             The different names of God carry within them the very character of God and who He is. In ancient Hebrew culture they understood this. Today we have lost that idea culturally. His name is who He is and what He will or has done for us.

Is God trying to speak to you in a new way in this season of your life?

Does He want to reveal Himself to you in a way that you do not know Him?

How do we treat the God head??? 5/21/2013

   Jn 1:1       In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
   2       He was in the beginning with God.
   3       All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
   4       In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
   5       The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Jn 1:1–5.

In the church we have so many different things that we focus on. You have two camps of people those who focus everything on the person of the Holy Spirit and those who focus on Jesus. Many times we are reacting to something that happened in our life to bring that mindset on. They are not in competition with each other they work in cooperation with each other. The Holy Spirit points to Jesus and Jesus points to God the Father. They operate in complete cooperation together. If only the body of Christ could also operate without  competition with each other. Pointing to the great things that each part of the body is doing.

Sons of God!! 5/20/13

   Heb 12:7   It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

The word discipline carries so many different connotations. Today I want to talk about discipline as in getting your priorities in line with the way Christ does things. In life we have many long times where we feel like we are in the dessert. I think this time is for God to trim things off of us and get us focused on exactly what we are to be doing. The time of discipline is many times a pruning that we hate and it hurts us so much. Our emotions run the gambit of why is it happening, I found that the season is going to last until we get quiet before the Lord and ask Him what He is trying to tell us.That doesn't mean the season is over it just means that we now know why we are going through it.

Faith pleases God

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that HE is and that HE is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Faith and grace have always gone together. They coexist in the same area of time and space. Why you may ask, because we have to have faith that the blood of Christ and His grace upon us allows us to go before the Throne of God in prayer. The law has been fulfilled in Christ Jesus, it has done it's part pointing to the only one who can save us. But we many times place the law upon ourselves and others to why we have not received something from God. We hold up the reasons that God cannot reward our faith because we have unaccomplished things and un submitted areas before God. We look harder at those areas than at the rewarder of those who seek Him. I am doing that right now in my life, not looking to God to help me but going through all the reasons in my heart why He should not. That is not a good place to be because it causes us to worry away our prayers. I am making a decision to seek God and believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. No one is perfect and God doesn't reward us for doing everything right. Grace fills that gap and opens the way for us to receive a reward from the Father. That doesn't give us the right to make grace cheap and just do whatever we want, but it does free those who are walking with God to live this thing out.

Ephesians 6 18-19

     Eph 6:18-19  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

It has been a couple of months since I have blogged and the frequency is about to change.

When you hear about the amour of God the teaching usually stops at the sword of the Spirit. I wonder what would happen if we went a little deeper and grabbed a hold of the next two verses. To pray without stopping  in the Spirit not for yourself but for all of the saints. That they would be protected and preserver. Not for ourselves but others this is warfare ie. battle armor. Then we are to pray that each other has boldness to preach the gospel to those who do not know Him. You see we need to remove the enemies powerbase by taking those he controls away from Him. Jesus says seek ye first my Kingdom and righteousness and then all of the things will be added unto you. We need to be prayers and proclaimers to really effect the world for Christ.

Plower for Christ: Word for the Church 2-21-2013

Plower for Christ: Word for the Church 2-21-2013: Yesterday was my daughters 6 th birthday and the ten year anniversary of the Warwick, RI night club fire. This is significant because I w...

Word for the Church 2-21-2013

Yesterday was my daughters 6^th birthday and the ten year anniversary of the Warwick, RI night club fire. This is significant because I was there for the concert not serving God. I could have been among the 100 who died if I had not listened to what then I called my gut, now I know it was the Holy Spirit leaving at 7:30. Thank you Lord for your grace in all things!

On Monday the Lord directed me to Nehemiah 5, here it talks about the Jews were putting each other in financial slavery. It also has a section where Nehemiah asks the Lord to remember that he did not use the money the king provided to him as governor for himself. This stipend would have come from the people to pay and they were already taxed to the extreme.  In Nehemiah 5:15-16 we see why he did not take it.

¹⁵ But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. ¹⁶ Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.^[1]

I hear the Lord saying to you. Get ready I am about to provide for you and deliver you. The rains come on the just and the unjust and so should not droughts come also on the just and the unjust. I am a righteous overseer and your lack has pushed you closer to me and destroyed so many things between us. Many of you have felt My power starting to surge in you again and it is going to grow. In times of drought things perish and it has nothing to do with what you have or have not done. BUT as my children I feed you and take care of you, My love is great and I am about to deliver and bless you greatly. Stand firm in that.

The season of blessing that is coming comes for a purpose and I want you to be ready and prepared. DO not spend it frivolously. Spend it on my kingdom pursuits. Keep my missionaries in the field and honor your pledges to them. Do not spend it on comforts or like an empty barrel you go to for water that has a hole and lets the water out, comforts are the whole in your barrel. Entertainment has become an idol to so many, be very careful because at night you sit on your couches watching TV and believe you are resting, you are not. Real rest comes in sitting in my presence doing My Will.  The enemy of your soul works to destroy you and is prowling around you. In this next season there is a prayer wall that needs to go up and I need you to work on it. I am calling the church to a place of separation from the things of this world that entertains and comforts you and for you to push into my kingdom taking your place on the wall. There is an economic collapse coming to America and many parts of the world and you need to prepare yourselves spiritually and naturally. Store up grain as my servant Joseph did to have ready. It is not for you but for those who will come in begging to have some. Just like the kingdoms around Egypt came and begged for grain so will the world come to the church for help and answers. It will be the greatest harvest of souls the American church has ever seen, and the workers who are there now need to be prepared. Stockpile food and water, find ways to grow your own vegetables and can them. This generation has lost the importance of saving the harvest for the winter months. And this time of economic collapse will be just like a long cold hard winter. Will your storage areas be full and will you be prepared to help so many who will be in need. You must rise up and be generous in that hour for it will be the greatest hour the American church has ever seen. My Spirit will be drawing people to myself.  After this time I will then send those who have been raised up to be a great army to spread My word around the world in preparation for My return. I come quickly are you ready? Are your lamps full of oil and do you have extra? Do the things you do have a eternal value if not cut them from your lives and only focus on those things with eternal value.

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^[1] The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ne 5:15–16.