NUMBNESS...

Constant pressure in a sensitive place produces numbness over time, but activity despite the pressure reduces the throbbing and eventually overtakes the numbing effect.

Don't just sit, get up from there and MOVE!

"...that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for 'In him we live and move and have our being'..."

Acts 17:26b-28a ESV

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The Fact Itself...

“Look closely, a rotted peach demands first the peach, and there can be no sexual disease without first sex and behind the abused child exists first the child. Like cracks in the Pieta, or the blotch on a banana, these adjectives are secondary, unoriginal after-the-fact intrusions and the fact itself as pure fact, is good.”

The original design of God beneath the layers of hurt, pain and so many disappointments should be both the reason and cause for hope. Who or what is the fact? The fact is God! Despite all of the negative occurrences between your entry and your departure the fact itself is that God is good and His plans for you as a part of His creation are also good!

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God." Psalm 42:11

Desperate To Enter

Luke 11:9-10 AMP

So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.

While I was sitting in a neighborhood parking lot outside of a friend's home, I noticed a large grey cat traversing a screen door. This cat was gripping the screen very tightly with its paws in an effort to hold all of its body weight up until it had reached the height of the door. I noticed that when the realization of physical exhaustion and the limitation of height was met by the cat, it still was determined to grip just a little tighter and hold on desperately. Finally, when futility set in, this grey feline jumps down but still undeterred, chooses to plop down directly in front of the door. I could only imagine that this cat did that, knowing full well that this door would eventually open and he was not willing to miss his next opportunity to enter. Facing the door even after being denied entry is also the proper response and posture to gain access.

This episode that I am attempting to describe certainly reminds me of times in life when we are intent on gaining access or entry to a new career, position, relationship, etc. Our friend the grey cat reminds us that when you ask, seek, and knock, don't forget to be in the correct posture and position when you are waiting for the door to open. The promise of the word of God is that when we ask, seek, and knock the door WILL BE OPEN! That part is not up to us, it is a done deal. It is, however, our job to be in a position and posture that is able and ready to receive the request and move forward into the promises of God. I don't know about you, but I am going to take my cue from that fat grey cat and grip tightly to my desire to know the Lord and obtain all of what God has for me. Even if I am fatigued and grow weary waiting my prayer is Lord keep my eyes on you so that I do not miss my opportunity.

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Hindered By Association

If you are a dreamer get away from those who seem content with their nightmares! You become what you associate with.

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An "Even If" Devotion to God

Once again I am finding that the Lord has allowed me to find an articulation which clearly illustrates the cry of my heart. It was found in this brief clip of Pastor Francis Chan. I don't think that it is coincidence but rather Divine Providence that this was posted almost exactly one year ago (6/26/10). This is a great way to spend your next 10 minutes. Be blessed!

Progression In Reverse

"If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man." ~C.S. Lewis

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The Necessity For Prayer...

The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfill all thy counsel. We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfill all thy petitions. Psalm 20:1-5 KJV


This text reads as a prayer of intercession. Regardless of our respective places, positions, and relationships with God, it behooves each of us to remain constant in prayer. Apart from winning souls to Christ, living a life of holiness and our “good standing” with God, there is still a level of total dependence that the Lord requires.  Our dependency on God in large part is supported and cultivated through prayer.

Psalms 20 begins with a cry for deliverance in “the day of trouble.” The defense submitted for the hearer of this psalm was the very name of “the God of Jacob.” By moving from the place of defense to a position and posture of dependency, we bless God on two accounts. First by our recognition of his supreme power, providence and authority, secondly by shifting focus from our dire situation to worship. This shift from horizontal relationship with others, and ourselves to a vertical relationship with God creates a shift in our response to Authority. We begin to walk out our destiny of being in the world but not of the world, fully submitted to the will of God, regardless of the resistance of contemporaries and/or our enemies. We recognize, regardless of our position within and outside the four walls of the church that our first responsibility is to please the Lord. The goal for the believer should be moving beyond the legalistic and natural responses of Christianity found through paying tithes, fasting, or attending worship services, to a relationship with God that requires daily prayer and conversation that requires a sensitive ear. By developing this level of communication with God that exhibits active listening, we are in a better position to “rejoice in salvation,” and walk in complete victory regardless of circumstances.

I am reminded of an Old Testament account of a famine in the land during the time of Joseph (Genesis 41:46-57). While the land was plentiful, he began to store up excess corn and was determined to move into a position of preparedness. He could have chosen to use his hard work to bring increase to his own home, but elected to store and toil for seven years in order to benefit many. I liken this account in Genesis to our actions and responses to God’s spiritual blessings during our times of joy and abundance. The spiritual revelations and blessings that the Lord pours into our lives must be cultivated and “stored” so that when times of disaster come into our lives and the winds of adversity blow, we are not only sustained by those same blessings but also enlightened and elevated by the revelation of scripture. In chapter 20, the psalmist declares that the Lord will “send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; remember all thy offerings and accept thy burnt sacrifice.” When the Lord “remembers” our interaction with him and our earnest desire to know him, I believe He moves quickly to strengthen us in our time of weakness. It is during the times of test and trial that we know that the time spent with the Lord, was not legalistic tradition, but the purposeful development and cultivation of the most enriching relationship we could ever have. This time spent with the Lord serves as an equipping for spiritual warfare. I believe that we will find that this equipping has strengthened us for the times of trouble, and will certainly shine forth brightly in our lives so that others can move through similar test and trials. I am inclined to agree with the psalmist and join with the author by declaring, “we will rejoice in (thy) salvation, and in the name of our God.”

History... Carried in the flesh.

Jesus was a man that carried his history in his flesh... after He suffered, bled and died he came back victoriously and revealed himself to his disciples. Thomas (who missed the first encounter) was not satisfied with just hearing about his return but expressed intently that he needed to see Christ in the flesh. (St. John 20:19-31) In other words he needed to see the history of what Jesus went through in his flesh. Thomas' belief was contingent upon a first-hand visual and tactile encounter with the scars and holes left from the experience that this man lived. He could not be satisfied or content with a second hand encounter. Transparency is a necessary component of our effective activity in the Kingdom of God. As believers we have to demonstrate our experience of Christ for others to see, believe and ultimately know (for themselves) who Jesus is...in other words our history of the lasting impressions (effects) of relationship with a Risen Savior in our own lives. We must show the world the History of Christ manifested in our flesh/lives.

Yes it is true that there are some who are blessed without ever seeing the history in the flesh, but Christ's example with Thomas lets us know that we can show up and in many cases keep showing up (with a consistent witness/testimony of our experience with Christ) to ensure that others are saved from their unbelief. Truly your history speaks volumes when it is carried in the flesh.

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Believing Is Not Knowing...

Some of you may have been thrown off guard by the subject of this blog. I must submit to you that there is a distinct and pertinent difference between believing in the Lord and knowing the Lord for yourself. Let's dissect this to its most elementary application. If I were conducting an interview with your parents and I asked them if they knew who you were, and their response to me was... "Yes, I believe that is my son or daughter," I must tell you that as the interviewer, I would suspect that perhaps they were ashamed or unsure if they knew you or they were not your true parent and somehow connected to you in some other "illegitimate" way. Now let's review that scenario again and suppose that your parents' response to my afore-mentioned inquiry was... "Yes, I know them, that is (insert your name here), my son or daughter." Then and only then, would I be able to affirm that these individuals not only know who you are, but actually have a relationship with you. Again I must reemphasize the title of this writing; believing a thing is not knowing a thing.


Let’s take a quick look at a couple of versions of 2 Timothy 1:12

"...I KNOW whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." (KJV)

"...I couldn't be more sure of my ground- the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he's trusted me to do right to the end." (MSG)

 Certainly this section of the text is interesting for me, in that, I am reminded that at the beginning of 1 Timothy, we find the Apostle Paul is encouraging this young minister not to cower behind his age and to hold firm in his faith amidst turmoil and conflicting practices both social and spiritual that were contrary to what both he and Paul were spreading about Christ. It is also important to note here for those of you who will make the case that Timothy was to hold firm to his faith, which you may say is directly related to his beliefs about the Lord... well... I must disagree. Faith is and has always been substantive. It is not simply our thought life about what is, but it takes shape in our responses to that belief through what we do as a result of our experiences while walking with the Lord (relationship). Scripture informs us that faith is the "substance" of things hoped for, it is something that goes beyond what we think or even feel about God because that can change depending on circumstances, our surroundings, friends, family, etc. It is something entirely different when you are able to say, that although everything in my life is screaming at me that there is absolutely no divine direction, governance, and certainly no protection from God right now, yet, I still KNOW that He is the I AM that I AM, and more than able to bring me to my destined place full of hope and a rich future. The bible says that the heart is deceitful, which further supports the fact that our belief and even some of our hearts desires manifested in our thought life and in our conversation can and have been at times contrary to the plan and purposes of God for our lives. We have got to constantly check our thought life, meditations, speech against the written and spoken words of God in order to line up fully with ALL of who we know God to be. That means when the bank account is low, rather than believe this is just the way life is for you, you KNOW that God is your Jehovah Jireh and is well able to “provide all of your needs according to His riches and glory,” or when there is constant chaos, disagreement and discontent in your home, you KNOW that God desires for you and your family to have a "peaceful habitation and a quiet resting place."

There is a definitive and distinct difference between simply believing in the Lord and knowing the Lord. Just like any other relationship it must be cultivated with quality time, questions and answers, and ultimately with a complete dependence and absolute trust. Ultimately there is no way to feel solidified in your salvation from sin without an assurance of relationship with the Lord Jesus.

A Relationship Based on Agreement

Having a true relationship with God means saying to God daily that whatever it is that you wanted and created me to be, I am willing to be.

Proverbs 16:9
"The heart of man plans his way,but the Lord establishes his steps.

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"SUSTAINABILITY"

One of the most important ideas of the 21st century is this notion of sustainability. This simply refers to any effort or process of living that attempts to both meet the needs of today without sacrificing what will be needed for tomorrow. In other words it is an attempt to conduct oneself in such a way that you not only utilize just what you need, but also attempt to leave plenty for others future needs. From a Spiritual perspective sustainability in many ways is facilitated by pouring out or emptying oneself in one way or another. For example if I am concerned about the sustainability of my love, in order to ensure that it lasts beyond today I would have to give my love away to another. Likewise in the Kingdom of God in order to truly be rich, we must give away what we have. In order for the local church to be sustained the community of believers must give liberally to that cause. I am completely in favor of the idea that we should not just "use liberally" everything that is at our disposal, however, I do concurrently recognize that a large part of my sustenance as God's creation comes directly from my Creator. In that respect it behooves each of us to recognize that the One who my Pastor often describes as Inexhaustible, is well able to ensure that we are not only sustained for today, but are useful for His purposes in the earth tomorrow.

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Good Intentions

"Because in God they believed not [they relied not on Him, they adhered not to Him], and they trusted not in His salvation (His power to save).Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven..." Psalm 78:22-23a AMP


So often God will display his Divinity in our lives by coming through on our behalf in ways that far exceed what we request and certainly beyond what we deserve. The pursuit of many believers is to mature to a level where we not only have the intention of honoring God with "good" deeds and words intermittently, but truly recognize the Lord for who he is and what he has already done as in the case of our focus text. So often we allow setbacks, frustration, isolation and disappointments dictate our responses to God and others. I truly believe that the children of Israel either by action and inquiry of God did not intend to dishonor or displease God directly; they much like many of us were caught up in self. I am learning that although our personal intention to honor God is necessary in our walk with him; God's responses, interaction and communication with us is not moved, changed or truly altered by our intentions. God isn’t moved by much of what we do except for in the cases where we sacrifice, share and give of ourselves, especially to the benefit of others. It is not only about the internal as the bible explains, but it is also very much about what the internal produces externally in our lifestyle, communication, and interactions, that God is concerned with. You may do say or act any way you choose and God will still be God. He created us for his good pleasure, not the other way around.

With countless reports of compromise within our government, public school systems, and among Christian leadership it is clear that the topic of an individual’s "true" intentions is certainly applicable. Rather than get caught up in the analysis of intention, which only God can do, let’s choose to honor God now in recognizing that we have an opportunity to change any cycles of compromised intention when frustrated, lonely, hurt or simply disappointed with life, by submitting our souls (mind, will, and emotions) to a God whose plan was set in place for us before the foundation of the world. I am simply asking you not to focus solely on your best intentions which may or may not have produced a positive outcome, but have faith in a God whose intention and design for your life and its purpose is impeccable. Don't take my word for it, check out Jeremiah 29:11-13.

Quiet Time

       This afternoon I was preparing to read the Word of God and I heard very clearly, “Close that Bible and just sit quietly before me.” I set my bible and my notebook aside and closed my eyes and just got quiet. As I closed my eyes, the Lord gave me a vision of two men working double time to show a young lady that they were the most chivalrous guy. They did this by showing how quickly they could open the door, how romantic they were by producing the largest bouquet of flowers and how much money they had to provide for her. I asked God, what in the world was he showing me and this is what I heard…
       The body of Christ is in competition. There are many who are trying to prove who can serve God the best, just like those two men attempting to impress a woman. God is not impressed or fooled by any of the false motives behind the spiritual, physical and emotional exercises done by anyone in an effort to please Him. In the midst of showing off, the goal is not to get close God, rather it is to somehow impress Him by outdoing another individual or group of individuals and ultimately be declared the winner. In this hour, God is looking for individuals who have an earnest desire to know more of Him.  They are willing to abandon all of the efforts to impress Him, and will simply get quiet and say, “God what is your will for this day, for this region, for this nation?” "Lord, how can I propel the Kingdom of God further and make your name even greater in this earth?" We are only truly able to take the focus off of doing things to impress God and begin to seek him during quiet time, when we trust that God will ensure that we have the direction, support, strength and grace required to bring each of us to a desirable place. God isn’t impressed with all of the spiritual calisthenics in this season; He is really seeking quiet time with each of us.
       Ultimately, if two men are vying for the attention of a female, the quick rush of being the man chosen for the moment certainly pales in comparison to being the man who gets to spend quality, intimate, alone time with the one he loves. Let’s spend some quiet time with God, not because we are looking to achieve some type of spiritual high score ranking, but simply because we long to know Him better.

"I've kept my feet on the ground, I've cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother's arms, my soul is a baby content."  Psalm 131:2 (MSG)