The power of God

Lately on this journey we call life it has become apparent that we who proclaim Jesus as Lord aren’t walking in the fullness He desires…and sacrificed all for us to have.

The Maker of heaven and earth, who rules and reigns over all, has passed along that power and authority to every one of His followers. Yet with that being the case, why does it seem as though darkness and evil continue to thrive? Sure it’s suppose to, but the victory we are to walk in is not supposed to take such a back seat.

I look around…the lawlessness, rebellion, hatred, etc. that is so prevalent in society is at times overwhelming. That isn’t the way it has to be…however it is up to everyone who declares they are a Christian to walk in the power of God. To me there appears to be one primary thing holding most back from doing that. It is modeling one thing that Jesus demonstrated in His time here on earth…something I think most of us are missing.

While many would think that would be the signs, wonders and miracles He performed (Lord knows that is the pursuit of most believers these days), I have been drawn to the continual examples of what it was like to encounter God in the flesh. The best I can come up with is…people were STUNNED.

In looking at every account recorded of Jesus’ life, over and over people would be taken to this place of awe in what Jesus would say and/or do. Think about it…the way He confronted the mob wanting to stone the women caught in adultery, the response to the disciples about the masses needing to be fed, the woman at the well, the rich ruler, the lawyer trying to set a trap, Nicodemus, Pontius Pilate, the list goes on and on. There never has, and never will be, any other like Him…yet the whole goal of God’s work in us is to make us just like that.

And if there is one thing that this world needs today, especially here in America, is to be STUNNED by the power that can only come from those truly walking under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

There seems to be one main problem with this taking place. It is what I call the “pendulum effect”…where the world has conditioned us to sway toward one end of the spectrum or the other. The result is now we have allow ourselves to be pressured to “walk in love”, that we have left out the willingness to boldly speak the Truth. This results in backing down when things get close to being difficult.

Go back and really put yourself in the examples I mentioned earlier (or the many others not mentioned) and you can’t get away from the impact Jesus had…by doing both.

For me the question that has been resonating in my spirit is…”Have those you are  coming in contact with been STUNNED by the encounter with you?” If so, I’m convinced that the world will know that Christ dwells within me.

Peace.

So sick of it!!!

While that is usually the normal response to tough situations/challenges we all face, I for one am choosing to respond differently and want to encourage you to do the same.

The ability to do so will only be sustainable by having a Kingdom perspective…seeing the way God does. Otherwise it is inevitable that the weariness, pressure and stress will overwhelm and ultimately consume us. The difficult things we all face are part of this life. How we respond is key…

Which brings me to one of the reasons for this post…way too many people professing Jesus as their Lord and Savior are falling into this trap of the enemy. Allowing emotions to supersede the finished, victorious work of Christ. Whether we want to admit it or not, this is an indication that our faith in what He did is lacking or we have a distorted view of who God truly is. Personally I think that it’s the latter most of the time because the main tactic of satan is to get us to question who God is…he even tried it with Jesus!

For those without the foundation of Jesus, the struggle is never going to end…ever. Even that statement will reveal this reality, because the “natural”, fleshly response will lead one to view this as a doom and gloom/fire and brimstone type of comment. However, from a Kingdom perspective, it reveals the desire of the One who created each one of us to make a way to true freedom, while allowing us to be the ones who decide which life we desire. Like the good and loving Father God is.

So for the Christian, the answer is to renew your mind, surrender to the indwelling power of Holy Spirit at all times and fixing your gaze upon Jesus (not your issues)…the Kingdom perspective of continually walking with God in the cool of the garden, here on earth.

For those who have not made that decision yet, all that is necessary is a simple (and most times weak) “YES”. Wherever you are, whatever you’ve done…none of that matters, just tell God you need help, that your ways aren’t working and in many cases were so wrong…that you need His forgiveness and guidance…Jesus stands at the door of your heart, waiting for you to do just that so He can come in. Invite Him right now!!

Peace.

Trump? Brexit? Making Sense of It All.

Clearly there is a tension in society. That tension is manifesting with “hot button” issues and polarizing individuals that are now part of our daily lives. Thanks to the advancement of technology, we have an endless supply of opinions, headlines and images to keep things stirred up.

Everything all around us tries to get you and I to become angry, fearful, protective (and so much more, in a negative way). This has resulted in a clear dividing line that is being formed…navigating through this requires a wisdom and discernment that can only come from having the correct lens in which you view things.

So what lens are you looking through? Are you like the majority, that everything is based upon what we as individuals think is right or do you recognize that there is something even greater than having it your way? What sets the standard for how you live and make decisions?

Until we as individuals get to the place of not only knowing the correct answer to those questions, but actually showing it through our actions, that tension will never leave. That’s because it reveals the internal struggle we all are faced with…will you trust the One who created you or are you in rebellion to that.

So in reality what is happening is good news…because we are continuing to get the opportunity to choose which side we are on….the one that leads to righteousness or the one that leads to destruction. We all know what side is the one to choose, unfortunately the allure to doing what makes ourselves happy has such an attraction to it. It’s been that way since the beginning…and that makes this decision the ultimate “which side of history do you want to be on?”.

Choose wisely. There is only One WAY that leads to Life and Truth, the man Christ Jesus.

Peace.

How to vote…

Having a clear mandate to not overdue these blog posts, it has been some time since last one. However, it appears that on the day we honor such a true American hero, the time is right to put forth what has been stirring.

As we move full speed into the election season, it is evident the body of Christ continues to be so easily deceived. So many leaders of various Christian minstries, churches, etc. are in an absolutely frenzy regarding Trump and willing to do whatever means necessary to ensure he isn’t the Republican nominee (including spewing very unChrist-like rhetoric publically via social media).

First and foremost, this isn’t intended to suggest that we should support Trump, however I do believe that we need to be ok with the idea that he in fact could be just what God desires for the office of President (for a number of reasons).

This post is intended to awaken true believers to the reality that the Republican party has absolutely no evidence of truly being concerned about Christian values/principles…you can tell by their fruit. Since being deceived into electing GWB, until this very day, the Republican party has used the name of Christ to manipulate and coerce. The idea that so many Christian “leaders” continue to fall for this is another sign of how far the church is off-track.

“If the church does not recapture it’s prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.” #MLK – sounds like what the church in America today is actually dealing with…

And save the unbiblical position of either not voting at all, or by voting 3rd party (i.e. Constitution Party, which has all core values Christians look for, and free of the corruption within the Republican party) you are “wasting” your vote…letting other party win. That is not truly trusting God, and thereby compromising your principles in the vain attempt to dictate a desired outcome.

It’s time for true followers of Christ to show the discerment which is necessary to navigate through the last days…and clearly see following a political party which over and over shows to be an agent of darkness is part of that.

Break free from the deception…

 

Latest Update

Figured since it’s been awhile since last post and life keeps chugging along, it would make sense to put this out there.

First and foremost is the wonderful news regarding my lovely wife Lisa…cancer free!! Praise God!!!

With that vain attempt of the enemy behind us, I want to share a couple of the things that the Lord is keeping at the center of my daily walk with Him.

One is the realization of how much this life we live is all about our faith. Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1 CEV). Without faith NO ONE can please God (Hebrews 11:6)…it is key to us being victorious, yet is continually being challenged/tested. From the beginning, where the tempter posed the question “Did God really say that?”, it has been the tool satan uses to destroy and immobilize individuals. Just as the disciples asked the Lord to “help us increase our faith”, it needs to be the same pursuit by all Christ followers. Sobering for me is to ponder the Lord Himself wondering…when the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8 AMP) It is clear that this is the battleground we war on…

The other key thing God is really having me wrestle through is this whole mindset of walking in love. The “church” seems to be really trying to determine what that means…especially with the recent SCOTUS decision on same-sex marriage, but quite frankly for as long as I have been part of God’s family (28+ years). The confusion (stoked quite a bit by unbelievers and encourage by the master of deception) of who are we to judge or you can’t tell people they are off track, just need to love them, or some similar variation of that. Yet my Bible is clear that all have sinned and fallen short, hence the need for a Savior. If people aren’t aware of that, then no matter how much we love them, they will never realize their need. If someone doesn’t have a sense of judgement upon their actions,  how will they come to the place of addressing their need to change (repent)? The gospel is not just that Jesus loves you, but because of our fallen nature, Jesus came to demonstrate that love. We must not shrink back from making others aware of that sinful nature.  Jesus didn’t, the prophets didn’t, the apostles didn’t, nor will any that are truly devoted to Him.

There is plenty more stirring within me, with the things I touched on, along with much more. But I get the sense that this is good enough for now.

Peace.

My heart is broken…

During this current season I am in, this is the best way to describe how it is going.

Whenever I have told others this, I either get the sympathy expression or in some cases even a look of disbelief. Granted the description has it’s own set of built in conditions that go along with using it but for me it sums up what I am dealing with most accurately….allow me to explain.

Whether it is in my walk with the Lord, my relationship with my wife, as part of the body of Christ or the world as a whole, in each of those areas my heart breaks. Each in it’s own distinct way and all in a manner that is incredibly healthy.

How can one’s heart breaking be a good thing you ask? For me it is growing me is such a dramtic way toward each of those areas…

Between the Lord and I there has been a new level of trust and confidence that is positioning me for all He has planned. While at the same time moving me past a desire for things of this world…even though He has promised certain things to me.

In my marriage it has brought forth a greater appreciation for the incredible gift I have received. This has helped me to treasure my wife more instead of trying to make her something else.

With regard to the fellow believers, I know am starting to really understand the dynamic of what it was like when Jesus began building “the church”. And if He could focus on the main thing, so could I.

And as for the world in general, the revelation about people and the amount of supernatural influence we face at all times has energized me in such a way that the kingdom of darkness dreads. Every second counts and every soul matters.

So as you can see this has put me in such a great place and gives me such passion and zeal to be even more hungry for His righteousness!!

To think that this all started from a cry in me for God to “break my heart for what breaks Yours”…which ironically we have been singing at Destiny lately. Only difference is now that’s a smile on my face when I hear it because I’ve seen how He responds.

In awe of Your goodness and faithfulness…I absolutely adore You Jesus.

The key to life…

can be only found by doing what is covered in our next video message.

As these messages are being developed, we pray that you take the words seriously and press forward in relationship with God.  His plan has always been for us to be in relationship with Him.  It is the only thing truly worth living for.

Next we will discuss why this is the only way to be in relationship with the only true God, the Creator of heaven and earth and all that is in it.

Peace.

The next step…

for this journey called life is to embark on the development of video based messages.

This represents some of what God is stirring as part of the mission and purpose for Kingdom Advocacy Group.  While this my seem like a basic production, the important thing that I am realizing is we are to respond in obedience and not wait for everything to be perfect (or what you/we consider to be perfect).

As mentioned in the video, this is just the beginning and the next segments are already being birthed and will be released soon.

 

Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to share what’s on my heart!!

Peace.

Have we missed another opportunity?

Lately my thoughts have been directed to the multiple times we receive instruction and yet are so quick to let it pass right on by.

The latest example that so clearly points this out, to me at least, is the issue with cicadas here in the heartland of America.  Over and over I am hearing people grumbling and complaining about this unique creation, and am reminded of the Israelites and their “journey”.  Everything that came their way they ultimately criticized instead of enjoying it somehow. 

My initial reaction was the same I must admit, but thank God that changed to an understanding that the sound they make and the general presence of something that most deem “gross” and “disgusting” is no different than how we fall into the trap of looking at people the same way…sure we don’t think that we do but this “lesson” shows that if we don’t embrace ALL of God’s creation then we can not truly love all that He loves. When we show disdain for His creation it represents a major insult to the Creator.

He has worked in me such an appreciation for this poor little insect that now I look forward to its songs of praise as much as anything.  Sitting on the deck today with the cicadas, birds and other assorted “worshippers” was a much more welcomed sound that the ones of man (and woman)…planes, trains and automobiles.

May our appreciation for all that God creates grow from this lesson and our way of looking at things be changed by this.

Peace.

Here’s the solution…

If you are searching for answers to all the chaos and confusion that is so prevalent in our world today, there is hope!

Whether it is questions about all of the animals mysteriously dying, or the continued occurrences of violence taking place, or maybe the devastation of flooding/mudslides/earthquakes?  Don’t forget the looming economic collapse that is about to hit America.

We are in the midst of being judged for our turning from God.  After starting out with our eyes fixed on His plans and purposes for us as a nation, we have ignored every opportunity to follow His desires, and instead are going down the path of destruction which is always motivated by selfishness. 

If there is one quality our nation has embrace more than any other, it is the pursuit of our own desires (i.e. selfishness).  Desires for stuff (material possessions), pleasure (sexual lusts), indulgence (food and drink) are creating the dysfunction that comes with such pursuits.

We are reaping what we sow.

And this is just the tip of that iceberg…don’t forget our callousness toward the value of life (over 52 million wiped out, with the vast majority of them being ended due to the “inconvenience” they present).  It’s ironic how the “news” organizations have been woefully quiet about the “health clinic” in Pennsylvania where the butchering that happened is truly tragic.  Yet the outrage and media coverage that focuses on a deranged lunatic is on 24/7??

We are reaping what we sow.

All very sobering if you are willing to look at things taking place, but sadly most will brush aside.  Buying into the lie of people like Oprah or our current President and the rest who are selling a false meaning of hope. 

There is only one TRUE hope for us!  His name is Jesus and if people don’t turn to Him they will be sentenced for their rebellion.

This is your chance…cry out to Jesus, admit you have chased after the things of this world, sought joy and happiness in temporary pleasures, that you desire to be forgiven and want Him to save you.

It’s your only hope…

Peace.