I LOVE MY WIFE!

I've always wanted to be a good husband. The very best that God could create me to be. So I remember when I got married that I wanted a way to ensure that I would always love my wife. I wanted to do it on a consistent basis. I wanted it to be seen and known amongst many so that it would never be in question. At that moment I purposed that "I Love My Wife" would be my confession. So I turned to Facebook and at the end of my status updates I would always include "[**I LOVE MY WIFE**]." It wasn't for Nicole, my wife, because she wasn't on Facebook. Though I wanted people to see it, it really wasn't for them either. That became my daily confession  so that whenever anything happened to where I could be contrary to loving my wife that my first response would be to love her.

I wanted to make sure that I had told myself enough times that "I Love My Wife" so that I could store them up and use them like a bank account. I wanted to be able to draw on the fact that I did in fact love her because I kept storing up love when she was convenient to love. Now don't get me wrong, it's not that my wife does horrible things to me to cause me to not want to love her, but as human beings we will not always please people with our actions. I was doing this solely based on Mark 11:23-24:

"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, Whatsoever things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them "

Based on this scripture I can have whatsoever I say based on my faith and belief in the things which I say. Now Jesus did this in the verses that come before this when he went to the fig tree and there were no figs. Because there is no lack in God the tree was not operating in God's best and he cursed the tree. When he cursed the tree he believed that it was done and it was done. There was no question to his faith or what he said because it happened immediately. When Jesus and his disciples came back past the tree they saw that the tree was withered. Results based on what he said.

So if my confession is consistently that "I Love My Wife" no matter what happens there will always be love available for me and my wife to be partakers. I will say it enough so that it is true even when temptation wants me to believe otherwise. I remember when my wife and I first got married and not even two weeks after the honeymoon we had a disagreement. She left out of our apartment for work without me and I came down into the parking lot about ten minutes after she left. I get in the parking lot and her passenger sideview mirror had cracked my drivers sideview mirror. Her mirror was hanging off and she had the sad face and said, "I'm sorry." Immediately I said, "It's okay, I love you." In that moment there was every right to be mad, upset, or angry, but I chose to be caring and loving because it was stored up. As long as no one was hurt I was fine because it could have been worse.

I know that we all have moments where things will differ from what we want them to be but today's question is, "How are you preparing for what is to come?" Whether it be in your words or your actions what are you believing your situation to be? If something is in you then when you are squeezed then that is what will come out. Galatians 6:7 clearly states, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked:  for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." I can imagine Jesus sowing to his spirit man for 20+ years of his life so that his faith would not fail him. So that he would operate in the will of God at all times. Jesus was able to operate in all the things that he did because he was preparing for it. Even when he was found in the synagogue he was "about his father's business."

I know that I'm always preparing for something when I utter the phrase, "I LOVE MY WIFE!" For me it is a confession of faith, hope, strength, promise, purpose, and manifestation because when I say it I become invigorated with what I'm believing to happen. I want to see a manifestation of me loving my wife! I want to see a manifestation of healing and provision! I want to see something restored to me that was lost! I want to see what I say! So maybe if I start saying things consistently and frequently enough to build my faith up to believe with no doubt, that I may actually see what I am saying one day. What was that you just said?

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

Grow up

I must get beyond myself
My fears
My complacency
My slothfulness
My laziness
My ignorance
My genius
My familiarity
I must get beyond all the things that make up me
Because I am my own bondage
I am the limit that the line of my life
Keeps approaching
But never reaches
Because I am not yet defined
I have not allowed myself
To exist outside of space and time
And just rest in Him
For in Him I find definition
And purporse
The ability to manifest heaven on earth
And contain things beyond my own capacity
He is my definitive line that outlines my life
And allows me to function in Him

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

Back in the Saddle

I first must apologize to all the readers of this blog. The last month has been filled with joys and challenges that have prevented me from blogging like I've wanted to. But I now say, "Let us get  to our revised scheduled program."

Expect more in this wave of upstart and know that if you try to hold God to routine you will only find yourself bound. If you continue to search for God in the places you have found Him before you will cease to seek Him in the places that He now occupies. This is not to say He is not where you've found Him, but He is an ever increasing God. So as He increases we must also increase and move forward with Him. We must flow with Him, and in Him, and through Him in order to achieve fullness. Change and success will not happen if you continue to do the same thing. Regardless of how successful it has been in the past we must be prepared to change as the Spirit of God leads. He is trying to take us to another place so it will definitely require more of our faith.

Be encouraged and know that there is something bigger on the horizon. Enjoy the week and know that God can always do more!

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

Pursuit to meet

I seek Jesus to manifest daily
In unusual ways
I search out secret
Unsuspecting places to find Him
Wherever I turn I want to be face to face
With Him
I pursue Jesus like a stalker in the evening
All day watching His every move
Anticipating where He will show up
But expecting
The unexpected

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

One Encounter Away

I talk about encounters...a lot. It is something that has always been a driving force in my pursuit of God. Even when I didn't know how to classify it I know that it was something to go after. You see, each time you encounter Christ you are in the presence of His person. You are affected by Him because He is near you. Now you can think of people that you have been around for extended periods of time and can remember how you took on some of their mannerisms. You took on some of their speech and sayings, especially if you liked the person or what they were saying. Now this happens when we hang out with Christ a lot, but even deeper than that, Christ is like a black light.

Imagine that who you are is written and created in you with a fluorescent marker. God drew the plan for your life in fluorescent marker into your spirit. Now naturally we know that we cannot see fluorescent markers without a special type of light. So in order to see exactly what it is that is written we need a black light. Now here is where Jesus comes in because He is our black light. Every time that we encounter Him more of who we are is revealed. It may not all come out at once but the expectation can be that I am changed each time I encounter Christ.

When I use the word encounter I mean any experience with Christ where change has initiated and can be established. You can have an encounter by reading the word, praying, hearing the preached word, during praise and worship, during soaking, or meditation, or any time that you invite God into your midst. When an encounter happens your affect changes. You know and sense there is something different about what is happening. Your spirit man wakes up and you are more spiritually aware than most times. An encounter can also happen when you dream or have open visions. Like I said, it will initiate change and give you a point to establish it. You can have encounters and not change. But it is an opportunity to increase your spiritual capacity with God.

Now you may be saying, "I have encountered Christ before but I never felt or noticed a difference." That doesn't mean that you didn't change. This life that we live is based off of faith. We live by faith because we are believers so the majority of what we know is not in what we can see. If I throw you a ball and you catch it but then I take the ball back from you, because it's my ball, does that mean you never caught the ball? No, of course not. Something did happen and you know that it did but it may seem like you didn't have proof. But if I come around again to confirm that you caught it, even though no one saw it, there is evidence. So we get around Christ, something happens in us and we walk away feeling like it didn't. But when we get around Christ again then it is evident of the change. Christ will confirm the things that He does.

If Jesus is a black light and God has written the plan for our lives in our spirits with fluorescent markers then we have to stay in the black light in order to fully know how and where we are called. The amount of information we can receive just by being in His presence can be vital  to the plan that God has for our lives. We don't always know where we should go but Christ knows all. Let's take a look at Colossians 3:1-4:

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid [concealed or kept secret] with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear [render apparent, manifestly declare], then shall ye also appear [render apparent, manifestly declare] with him in glory [honor]."

Each time we encounter Christ the "life [that] is hid with Christ in God" "shall appear!" It is truly that simple. Every moment that I spend in the presence of God I am allowing Him to reveal something new about myself to me. It will be something that I never knew before. Something that I never thought about before. It will be something life changing because my life is having an encounter with Christ. Jesus never went anywhere and did nothing! It is my expectation that every time he shows up in my life I will change. If I don't physically see a change then I know one happened by faith and will get back under my black light, Jesus, to reveal what has been written on me.

I know that an encounter with God can change the very fabric of my life. I endeavor, or chase after, or hard pursue, or seek an encounter with God that will change my whole existence. I want to fully see God the way I should see Him so that I can be exactly who He needs me to be. I should have what He wants me to have and experience His fullness, regardless of what I may think right now. I am constantly pursuing Him and in that pursuit I will continue to let Him shine light on me to reveal what I cannot currently see. If who I am is hidden in Him then I have to be found in Him in order to be revealed.

Know that the next encounter may be "the" encounter that will hurl you into destiny! Be bold and go after it today!

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

Aspiration

Inspired by Rend by Misty Edwards

Dearest Love
I know that You have gone away
To prepare our eternal home
But I have an immediate request
Would You come?
Rend the heavenlies
And descend upon where I am
Right now
The Spirit and I say come
My lovesickness
Has my stomach turned upon itself
In utter anguish for Your return

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

Too Big For Bondage

Would you ever sit in a chair that was too small for you if you knew you had to sit for a long time? Would you sleep in a bed where your feet hang off the end? Would you wear clothes that a 7 year old would wear? Would you wear a ring or a bracelet that wouldn't fit your hand? Would you wear a hat that was too small? Would yo try to sit it in a desk that was too small? Excessive? Maybe it was but there is a point to be made. Naturally when things are too small we do not accept them. We recognize that we are too big for those things and go to the things which fit us. I can tell you honestly and boldly that Bondage Does Not Fit You!


"You've gotten too big for bondage! You've outgrown it! It doesn't fit you anymore! Just like when a person tries to put on shoes that are sizes too small for them, you cannot walk in bondage because you have grown too much. Just like when clothes don't fit and it's uncomfortable and looks silly on you that is what bondage is for you. I've caused you to be bigger than any bondage that can ever try to contain you! You're just too big for it! You're just too big! You're just too big!"

This statement is not arbitrarily contrived or made up. It's not something that I thought would be something good to post or nice to say. God said this to me in a moment of seeking his face and worshiping Him. He plainly said that we have outgrown bondage. He has grown us to a point where the very notion of bondage is foolish. When Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins, arose with all power, and ascended to heaven; He then made bondage too small for us.

Jesus said, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed (John 8:36). This wasn't something optional or an accessory of salvation. When Jesus died He made all those who would accept Him free. With that freedom we shall surely, without a doubt be free! He has secured that "we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Romans 8:37). It was His love for us that made it possible for us to be free. No one will bail you out of jail if they don't love you. There is always a relational connection to purchasing freedom. Jesus saw us in the bondages of sin and death and made sure we would be free.

1 Corinthians 15:57 says, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." We see here that victory ore the power to overcome is in Christ. A person who is free has the victory over anything that tries to hold him.  If we are indeed more than conquerors then we can do more than what a conqueror does. Think about that. We know that conquerors have victory and overtake whatever is in their way. Since we have been called more than conquerors, you mean to tell me that we more than overcome and have the victory? The only thing that equates to in my mind is being larger than any bondage. There were times when conquerors lost but us being more than those, we will never lose in Christ!

It was God's intention from the beginning for us to overcome anything that even tried to put us in any situation or predicament. Genesis 1:26-28 says:

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:  and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth on the earth."

God created man to subdue and dominate! That was his intention. He created man with the capacity and ability to overcome anything on the earth. At creation Adam and Eve were already too small for bondage. Sin and death came in though and temporarily suspended the ability, but Christ came and redeemed it. If it was God's plan for us to be able to subdue and dominate then that is what we shall do. Christ secured the rights for us to be larger than bondage. Bondage is not a good look on anyone anyway. It is restrictive, cruel, and just downright unrighteous.

Know today that God has allowed you to be too big for any bondage that could ever try to take hold of you! Whatever it may be know that you are too big for it. 1 John 5:4 declares that "whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." If we have the ability to overcome the world, being born of God through Christ, then clearly everything else that may try to hold us back is too small. If I have already overcome anything of world size proportion just by my faith, in Christ, then clearly everything else is peanuts.

Whether it is nail biting, overspending, guilt, shame, unbelief, doubt, lust, disobedience, insensitivity, or anything else that may hinder you from being full in God, know that God has caused you to be larger than that. Your relationship with Christ has cause you to be too big for bondage. You are too big in the spirit in order for some weak devil to try and hold you back from fulfilling destiny. Whatever it is today assert your authority over it. If it is trying to hold you back know that you've outgrown it. You're too big for bondage; it's not a good look on you!

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

Habitat for Humanity

He comes
Not for visitations
Nor extended stays
Not for sleepovers
Nor extended vacay's
He comes
Not for encounters that can be numbered
Or limited
Or contained in one moment
One thought
One memory
He comes
Not to be constrained to one sighting
One location
Or even one person to behold how beautiful He is
He comes
For a habitation
A permanent tangible expression of His presence
To take residence and dissipate
Every untruth and fallacy
Ever uttered into the atmosphere
He changes the very scene
That's been seen
So what we've been seeing is no more
And what He sees
Is all that we endeavor to know
Because
He comes to establish habitation
Allowing his preeminence to rest upon a shattered reality
Destroying temples
And in 3 days building them up
Only to exceed the appearance of former glory
That pales in comparison to what He does
Because what He does
Is eliminate all questions
Notions and thoughts
That aren't His
And allows those who have never seen Him before
To see Him for who He really is
All in the first few seconds of introductions
He's pleased to meet your acquaintance
Because He's known you all your life
That's why He's returning urgently
And permanently to the place where we are
Not to facilitate one time encounters
Two time encounters
Three time encounters
But a habitation that extends beyond eternity
And meets us where we are

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

Moving into the Unfamiliar

We all have familiar places, familiar saying, familiar relationships, familiar foods, and the list goes on into eternity.  Because of the way that life is structured we find ourselves moving into patterns; things we do on a consistent basis to a consistent schedule in our lives.  The problem with patterns and familiar places is that they can stifle growth.  There are many times when we can go to familiar places without even thinking because they have been so programmed in our lives. Have our jobs become familiar?  Have our routines become familiar?  Have our expectations become familiar?  If they have then we are at a point where we need to get up.

In John 5:2-8 we find a man who had found himself in a familiar place:
"Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water:  whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool:  but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up they bed, and walk."

So we have this guy who is impotent or lacking the ability to perform a task necessary for life. He has been like this for at least 38 years, which is a long time, and the only thing he did was sit at a pool. And he waited. And waited. And waited for the right season, at the right time, for a man to come pick him up and take him to the water. He was looking for an event, waiting for a moment, when all conditions would work in his favor and he would miraculously be healed by the water touched by the angel. He was waiting and hoping from a familiar place. I suspect that the man sat there with expectation and hope each year for change. He didn't move forward on his own because he was satisfied in the idea of just hoping. Sometimes we find ourselves in the same condition:  finding euphoria and satisfaction from the simple hope of moving forward. But when destiny is concerned we cannot rely solely on hope.

I believe this man could have easily positioned himself closer to the pool of Bethesda. He could have had a man pick him up and place him by the pool in anticipation for the angel to trouble the water. When the water was troubled he could just have fallen in and he would have been made whole. But I truly believe it was him being in his familiar spot, with his familiar people, talking about being made whole that fueled his complacency.  Where do you find yourself being familiar at today? Are there people around you hindering you from moving forward because you revel in the hope of change. Are you looking for someone to pick you up and take you to your fullness.

It took this man to have an encounter with Jesus in order for him to realize where his potential was. Jesus told him, "Rise, take up they bed, and walk." Verse 9 says, "And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked." It only took him to have an encounter with God to propel him into his destiny. Though the man was able to receive from God it took his encounter with God to facilitate his change past what was familiar.

Know today that every time we encounter Christ there is a grace to get up from familiar places. Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life, opens up an opportunity for us to be propelled into greatness every time he speaks to us. Each time he visits us in church, at home, in worship, and in prayer, he is calling us out from our places. He is commanding you to pick up your bed and walk into where he is leading. We all will find ourselves in places that are comfortable and familiar but let us use our encounters with Christ to get up. He is here right now telling you to pick up your bed, put away what is familiar, and be bold to walk by faith where you have never walked before!

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

**Writer's note**
It has been a very strong tug on my heart for the past few weeks about this topic.  I know that within my own life there are areas that are very familiar.  Even with writing this blog I find myself in familiar places of simply not being used to writing a blog.  I do know that God has called me in many areas and it is simply the faith to get up that causes something supernatural to happen.  When I commit to what he has says in the moment that he says it there is an overwhelming power to overcome.  Just like the man at the pool, there was power to get up because he did what Jesus said.  I find myself, now more than ever, endeavoring to do what Jesus says so that I can access the power.  So wherever I have familiarized and patterned my life I'm looking and expecting Jesus to come in and say get up!  I want to be in a position where I can walk into the destiny and fullness that he has created for me.  I know there is more and I sense that there is more and I know that simply experience a nice feeling from hoping and thinking about it isn't going to cut it.  So this is not only something he laid on my heart to share but something very personal.  I'm getting up, because he said so, because he got up for me, because I'm tired of what is familiar. I'm ready to believe differently, see differently, and experience differently.   I've thrown my mat away; there is no need for it where I'm going.

Listening Close

I hear you calling my name
I hear it being carried over the wind
I hear it above the noisome pestilence
That potentially plagues my life
In the form of murmuring and complaining
I hear you saying what needs to be said
You satisfy my ears as Encourager
You tickle my my hearing as my personal Prophet
You fancy my listening as Provider
You excite my eardrums when you call me by name
Because you know who I am
You've sat with me before world foundations were set
You conversed with me in heaven before the earth was set spinning
You send me spinning into destiny 
Every time I hear the clarity of your word
Revelation floods me when I hear you speak clearly
Your words destroy damned up potential in my heart
Where fear, doubt, and unbelief once cemented failure
The life you speak to me unlocks the harvest of my potential
I proudly place myself in a position of hearing
I want to hear what you have to say about me 
Because nothing else matters
Than hearing the commanding presence in your voice
I move to your voice
I am but your servant ready to listen
Command my life so that it aligns with your will for me
No question
No hesitation
No second guessing
I am a servant of you
I will wast my life just to listen
I command silence
Because I know that you are speaking


Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

Son of David, Don't Pass Me By!

Our day to day life is governed by opportunities. The opportunities for each day are endless! We can do as much or as little as we put our minds to or allow. The fact of the matter is there are plenty of things that we already discredit or cancel out before we even get out of the bed. One opportunity though that we should never pass up, but always go after, is the one to encounter Jesus. I know it sounds cliche but there is always an opportunity for us to encounter God. He simply is wherever we are. He is constantly walking by in our lives so that we might reach out, cry out, and encounter Him.


Take for instance the blind man in Luke 18:35-39:
"And it came to pass, that as he [Jesus] was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:  And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passed by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace:  but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me."


This guy was blind, on the side of the road begging, and discerned something different about his surrounding. He heard a commotion that was not familiar. Who knows how often he heard multitudes coming down his familiar road, but he knew there was something that was not the same. When the people, who could see, told him it was Jesus of Nazareth something went off on the inside of him. Jesus' name had preceded Him so this blind man knew who He was. He may have even entertained the thought that if one day he met this Jesus that he would believe to receive his sight. He was in a position where his encounter with Jesus was passing him by and he cried, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" He literally said, "Don't pass me by!" He was at a point where he didn't want to continue the way he was. He knew that one encounter with Jesus would change his life.


So at the point of interception the blind man was ready.  He had probably been meditating on this day since he first heard of a guy from Nazareth healing the sick and giving sight to the blind. He had been anticipating his encounter. Are we anticipating ours? When we have the opportunity to intercept Jesus are we ready to say, "Don't pass me by!" The blind man knew that he couldn't miss this opportunity because he didn't know when the next time, if ever, he would encounter one like Jesus again. He knew that the change he experiences this time may not be the same as the next time. He was so moved to inquire of Jesus that he didn't care who was around him. Those beggars close to him, with sight, were discouraging him from bothering Jesus, but they already had their sight. He wanted something miraculous.


So as the blind man cried louder, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me," Jesus then told the people with Him to bring him closer.  He asked him, "What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?" and the blind man answered, "Lord, that I may receive my sight." The blind man already had an expectation in the nature of the encounter he wanted and just told the Lord that he wanted to see. What Jesus said next was the breakthrough for the man's miracle.  Jesus then said, "Receive thy sight:  thy faith hath saved thee."  The man immediately "received his sight, and followed him." (Luke 18:39-43)


This is the thing, Jesus told him that "his faith hath saved" him or made him whole. It was his anticipation of the encounter that caused the change in his life. Are you anticipating an encounter or will you let Jesus pass you by? Is your need to intercept Jesus so great that you will cry out today, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me?" After the man received his sight he continued his encounter with God because he "followed him, glorifying God:  and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God." (Luke 18:43)  So not only did he have one encounter but he made it his priority to have continuous encounters with Jesus after he had his initial encounter that made him whole. He went out and affected so many because people knew who he was and they saw who he had became; all to the glory of God.


So today are we ready to cry out for our encounter? Wherever we may be in our lives we are never above the endeavor to encounter. We always need more of Him so why not let today be the day that you meet him in your bedroom, at your job, on the beltway, in the elevator, or even at the grocery store. I know that I want everything I need from Jesus on the occasions that I have the opportunity for an encounter. I don't want to stifle the next time or miss out on anything this time. I want the one encounter to help facilitate multiple, continuous encounters with His presence.  Son of David, don't pass me by!




Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

Consider it Not

God created us to manifest His kingdom on the earth. When we became born-again we were endued with power from on high by Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross. With all of this power why is it that manifestation seems inconsistent? What is the missing link between God speaking and me obtaining? If God has called me to great things why can't I see beyond the end of my natural eyesight? I believe we put too much confidence in our flesh and not enough in God's ability to do. It is time out for us to be assured with what our flesh can do but with what God can do.

Because we exist in the natural it is normally our first instinct to react to what we see there. But being spiritual we have to reprogram our thinking to only receive and react to the things that are going on spiritually. If we constantly look at what we can do naturally then we will never be able to fully understand and what into what we can or are supposed to do spiritually.  Take Abraham for instance.  In Romans 4:17-21 it says:

"(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed even God who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform."

God called Abraham the father of many nations.  Abraham didn't make it up or assume that it would be a good idea to father nations of people.  God engrafted it with his name (Abraham=father of many nations) and he believed.  There are many things that God tells us that we are; healed, prosperous, whole, set free, delivered and etc.  A lot of times though our natural thinking takes over.  Abraham had every opportunity to argue with the word of God for him to manifest a son.  He was an hundred years old, his wife's womb was barren, and him having regular relations with his wife was something of a forgotten memory.  He had tried to do something upon his own ability before and it resulted in Ishamael.  Not what God wanted but what Abraham could do. But he finally did something courageous.  "He considered not his own body now dead," "neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb," to be a determining factor in what he was able to receive.  Abraham managed to discredit his ability or inability to do something in God's plan to manifest destiny.

How many times have we considered what we can or cannot do in order to qualify what God said?  What can I contribute?  What can't I contribute?  In this mode of thinking we will miss every time.  The only thing that we can offer is our obedience.  Abraham was "fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able to perform."  Not what Abraham could do or not do.  Not what Abraham thought or didn't think but it was all determined by what God had said.  It was in the word of God that Abraham saw the power for Him to manifest.  He was reminded daily what he couldn't do and he didn't let it stop him from believing God.  He had an encounter with God that called him out of the Ur of the Chaldees into his destiny.  God wanted to do "exceeding abundantly above all that [he] could ask or think, according to the power that [worked] in [him]" (Ephesians 3:20).  God put the power and ability there before the foundations of the world to work in our lives.  He was calling out of Abraham what He had already put there.  When Abraham moved himself out of the equation he allowed God to access what He had placed in him.

Today let us qualify the word that God has spoken simply because He said it.  Let us move into a place of being "fully persuaded" and position ourselves to truly hear from God.  When Abraham set aside what he thought he was able to truly receive the promise of God.  When Abraham refused to look at himself, his situation, what he could or could not do, and eve his own body he allowed God to be God.  Let us not get caught up in creating Ishmael's based on what we can do, but manifest the Isaac's that only God can do.

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

Send me somewhere

City search

Send me to a place unfamiliar

An undisclosed location

Uncharted

Unconquered

Unheard of

I’ll go to help facilitate Your presence there

I’ll aid in the manifestation of Your glory

So when it falls in such a way

That the place will never be the same again

Cartographers must remap the terrain

Because it’s so revised by heaven’s influence

Renovated to reflect the direct glory of Holy God

Everything new

Now properly prepared

For an open show of the glory

I am Your ambassador

Send me

I won’t hesitate

Or stutter step

Because you’ve readied me to stride

And sprint

And dive

When necessary

I’m set to obey

I’m set to survey

I’m set to see the hidden places

Nestled away in the spirit realm

Surface to be seen


Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

He wants it all!

As our day winds down from woshipping the Lord I just want to remind you that He wants all of you. Not just your Sunday but your whole week. Not just a moment but your whole life and existence. He created you for worship and to give all of that in everything you do is only reasonable. It says in John 3:16 that, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son; that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life." God is searching for a child that will give him their all. He gave His all and He is looking for those that look like Him. What are we doing today to cause us to look like him?

In worship, praise, and living today give God your all. Make it about Him so He can see His children manifest. He is searching the earth for those who are desperate enough to give Him their all. When you give it all you allow God to locate you, communicate with you, and bless you. He wants your all today so He can give you His all. He is a God of exchange. Will you exchange with Him today? Once and for all (all for all)!

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

The "Strong" Man in the Room?

Fear, doubt, and unbelief is the "strong" man in the room (or at least we've thought he's been strong).  There I said it!  He is the one who is standing in the corner holding your destiny hostage.  He is the one that is stopping you from walking through your open door.  He is the one that will intimidate you until you become stagnant and stop moving forward.  He is the one that aggressively needs to be addressed and taken down.  He is the one that only has as much power as you give him.

I say him because the traits of fear, doubt, and unbelief all travel as a package.  Fear causes doubt to show up and unbelief keeps feeding the other two.  If you allow it enter in and dwell for a while it can be a crippling thing to your growth as a Christian.  Fear is something that came in behind the package that Adam and Eve opened called sin-death.  Once they sinned, death showed up, and then fear reared its ugly head.  In Genesis 2 we see the fall of man.  They sinned and became spiritually dead when they were disobedient to the commandment that God gave them.  Specifically in verse 10 Adam said, "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."  We see that fear was right there behind sin-death. Adam realized he was naked so there had to have been some doubt about God's provision and he hid himself because he questioned his safety and security.  From this moment on mankind now had to deal with this entity.

So now that this so-called "strong" man has been identified in the room of our lives what do we do?  Let's take a look at 1 John 4:16-19:
"And we have known and believed the love that god hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment:  because as he is, so are we in this world.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:  because fearth hath torment.  He that feareth is not made perfect in love.  We love him because he first loved us."

The only way that we can be strong enough to overtake the "strong" man is to have an encouter with Love.  In the passage above we can use God interchangeably with love; so if perfect love cast out fear the only way to be strong enough to cast fear out is to encounter Love. So how do we encounter Love?  We have to have encounters with His word.  In order for that to happen we must hear His word and have an encounter with His word.  When I say encounter I mean given an opportunity for God's word to manifest, come to full term, or proven.  When His word has been proven so has His love.  If we know that God is not a man that he should lie nor the Son of man that he should repent [Numbers 23:19] then having an encounter with His word that produces manifestation will secure in our lives the power of His love. 

When He manifests healing, peace, prosperity, wholeness, wellness, and everything else promised in His word then you are enabled to take down the fear, doubt, and unbelief in your life.  If there is no encounter with the word then the "strong" man will remain strong because he will try to exercise power that he truly doesn't have.  If I don't know why He loves me then I will question everything.  Why He loves me equates to what He wants for me.  He wants the best for me so that I can be in a place to manifest heaven on earth.  When I have constant encounters with His word then I am always at a place to combat the so-called strong man.

Now that this weak man full of fear, doubt, and unbelief has been knocked out and defeated, let's get to where we need to be!

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

THAT'S NOT MY THOUGHT!

In this life we are presented with hundreds of thoughts daily. Some we take on our own and others are given to us. What do we do when we get a thought that we don't like or isn't beneficial to us?  Do we give it back to who it came from or do we meditate on that thought until it has affected our whole day?  There are plenty of things in life that we are forced to do but one thing we do not have to tolerate or entertain are thoughts that are not ours.

Have you ever taken something that is not yours, or purchased something, or been given something?  If we wanted it then we were immediately grateful and joyous that we received something that we had been longing for.  If we didn't want it then we would just give it back or even go to the lengths of exchanging it.  I know that I have received plenty of things that I either gave back or took back to the store to exchange.  But today I find myself asking the question, "Why don't I do it when it comes to my thoughts?"  There have been plenty of unGodly thoughts that have come to mind on many occasions that have created opportunities to sin.  What would have happened if I gave the thought back to where it came from?  What would have happened if I gave it back to who it came from, the devil.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 says:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."

So from this we find that we don't fight flesh with flesh.  We can only use spiritual laws to combat those things which challenge us in the flesh.  With that being said it is our job to take authority over every thought and imagination that we encounter that does not exalt or glorify God.  We have been given the ability to think and imagine for kingdom purposes, and not for evil.  To use our thoughts and imaginations to aid in facilitating glory in the earth is an awesome responsibility, but we must guard it at all cost. If it is against the knowledge of who God is then it is not our thought!  We must capture and pinpoint the thought and cast it down; hurl it from our minds and exalt a Godly thought so that the notion of sin can be uprooted.  Remember that anything that separates us from God or the knowledge of Him is sin.

As a believer we find ourselves amongst many different types of people at any given moment and we must be very diligent at catching thoughts are are not of God.  Simple conversations, jokes, side comments, or rude remarks can send our minds swirling to great lengths.  When this happens we must make a stand and declare, "That's not my thought!"  When we do that we clearly identify the unlawful thought and can then take action.  The only thing that can interrupt a thought is spoken words.  You don't believe me?  Then try this out.  Begin to count in your head from 1-10 and when you get to the number 5 say your name.  Did you try it?  Were you still counting in your head when you said your name?  Of course not!  So there we have it; if our confessions begin to identify and uproot thoughts we can combat those things which challenge our knowledge of God.

So once you locate it what do we do?  I'm glad you asked.  We then flood our minds with confessions about who we know God to be!  That is the opportunity that we need in order to make sure that thought will not return.  When something is uprooted it must be replaced because if not then that thing, or thought in this case, will come back stronger (Matthew 12:43-45; Luke 11:24-26).  We definitely don't want a thought to overtake us and cause us to sin.  We are striving for mature Christianity out here.  We do not have to sin, but that is another blog.

Now this is not just a one time occurrence.  We will have to identify, capture, confess against, uproot, and combat thoughts until Jesus returns.  As we do it more it will come more naturally but I challenge you to try it for a week.  When a thought occurs that challenges who God is just declare, "That's not my thought!"  Then replace it with the word.  Let us take this opportunity to root out: lying, cheating, stealing, backbiting, fornication, lust, idolatry, adultery, and the many other sins we are tempted with simply by thoughts. Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established."  I know that if I'm living for Christ I definitely want the blessing of the Lord to be established and manifested in my life.  I will not let thoughts that challenge God in my life affect my daily outcome.  "That's not my thought!"

Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]

Day Planner

Over the past several years I have tried a few different mediums to try and manage my day.  It all really first started in college when I met my wife.  She was the very organized and scheduled one and I was the one that was haphazardly moving through life, hoping to hit all of the points that I needed to hit, to get at least some things accomplished.  It started out with a Palm organizer.  It was electronic and I would find myself forgetting to use it, I would often misplace it, and, ultimately, I stepped on it while it was sitting on my floor.  Not a very effective tool.  I then tried to use a Blackberry 7520, arguably my favorite Blackberry handset of all time, but I digress.  This was my phone and my planner and for the first two weeks I was pretty good with it.  After those two weeks though I did not stay consistent and I would primarily use it as a phone.  I ultimately got rid of the phone for something more simple because I was not utilizing all the features that were made available to me.


Towards the end of my college career my wife and I experimented with Franklin Covey organizers.  For anyone who doesn't know about Franklin Covey they are pretty pricey but very effective when you work with them.  Using it took some getting used to but I was about 75% effective with utilizing it.  I had a case for it and everything that I eventually made my wallet.  When that got too big I scaled down to a smaller organizer similar to the ones that they give you in high school to use (why I didn't master the whole planner thing in high school is beyond me since they made me use it).  Even though I was planning 75% of the time I still wasn't getting the optimal results because I would still miss appointments and my life still felt a mess.  Finally, I have, once again, abandoned all things paper and gotten a Motorola Droid which is my phone and organizer. I'm at 85% efficiency and that is increasing daily.


I say all this to say that I have been sadly mistaken.  I have been unsuccessful with planning because I have neglected the fact that He, God, is a Day Planner.  I have been searching for what has been missing in my life for quite some time, finding myself hitting and missing with a lot points.  I would get results with little to no effect and wonder, why do I feel like it is not all together?  I was aimlessly seeking a solution within the natural realm when I know that I have been called to all things spiritual.  I can't remedy natural with natural.  I realize I need something Higher.  I realize that He is my Day Planner.  God/Jesus/Holy Spirit can do things for my day and my life that I cannot begin to fathom.  He has structure for me that I just need to accept.  He says in Isaiah 55:8-11:


"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts your thoughts.  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater:  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:  it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."


God said all of this to say I got this.  I've mapped this out. I know what I am doing and if you follow what I have for you, you will prosper.  I know that I have tried to think a certain way or go a certain way but God tells us that He has it mapped out to produce a result.  He knows the appointments we should make, places we should go, things we should, and it is planned out in such a ways that everything will be taken care of (hence the reference to the seed, time, and harvest).  If I let Him be my Day Planner I can't go wrong.  In Jeremiah 29:10-12 it says:


"For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you and expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you."


God says He knows all that He thinks toward us and all of those thoughts are of peace to get me to His expected and final destination.  Whether circumstances be good, bad, or indifferent the Lord knows the direction of my life.  He knows when I will turn down a dark place but He also knows when I will get out.  How about I just sit tight!  I haven't been so willing to follow because of fear doubt and unbelief.  I realize today that I need to seriously let Him be my Day Planner.  If He knew me before I was formed in my mothers womb and called me [Jeremiah 1:5] then He has got to have a plan for me.  He tells me in Proverbs 8:17, "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me."  I know that I want to find God so He can tell me what my day should look like.  I am giving up the days where I try to chart my course and prioritize my life.  I want every day to be a God encountered day because I heard His voice.  I want to acknowledge Him in all my ways so that He can direct my path [Proverbs 3:6].


God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is your Day Planner and if you incline your ear to hear then He will guide you.  There are things in the earth to be done and things that God wants us all to accomplish.  I am pretty convinced that if I stop concerning myself with trying to manage my own schedule and let God make all my appointments I will be 100x more effective than I am now.  Jesus says in John 16:13-15:


"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:  for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:  and he will shew you things to come.  He shall glorify me:  for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.  All things that the Father hath are mine:  therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it you."


Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to be "another Comforter."  One that walks like Him, talks like Him, acts like Him, and thinks like Him in order to show us where we need to go.  All the things that belong to the Father will be shown to us because we are in Christ.  I know that I want to know what God has for me.  I know that I don't have the know how to make the things happen that God has called me to without Him.  Today I make a change.  I make it priority to seek first and early so I can know exactly what my day should look like according to the word.  This is the place where I have seen the Lord and from this day forward He shall be my DAY PLANNER!


Be More. Hear More. See More. Do More.
You can do anything [through Christ]