Make the most of it...

It's amazing how fast a year can speed through our lives. Does anyone realize I am writing this blog just 13 days before Christmas? And if I remember correctly just seven days after comes a new year. Unbelievable.
Paul (the apostle) told us to make the most of every opportunity. How do you slow the opportunities down long enough to make the most out of them? They keep flying by. Just last night I experienced one of the greatest opportunities to date in my work with the great Bethel church in Tampa. We celebrated Christmas with various arts sharing the wonderful story of God's plan for our salvation. With over 800 people in attendance, I personally had the privilege of inviting our guests to have the great gift of Christmas, Christ himself. After asking them if they knew what God wanted for Christmas, I shared with them it was their lives. Many responded. It was awesome. Pray with us as we continue to reach out to the precious friends and invite them to become family.
How about you? What are you giving God for Christmas? Make the most of it...

daily bread

in a prayer we often call "the Lord's prayer" we find a phrase He teaches us to pray. This phrase is give us this day our daily bread. A great friend in the ministry shared in a meeting last week about this phrase. He shared some challenging thoughts. This is a one day at a time prayer. God does not advance money to our accounts until we need it. He is our source. As God calls us to a place of ministry, service and opporunity, He will provide. Just a great reminder... Enjoy your daily bread!

Embrace Him NOW!

An amazing passage of the Bible is found in Paul's letter to the church @ Philippi, 3:8-9 (the message), "...I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by Him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ-God's righteousness."

This embracing is more than a moment. It's embracing with our lives. It's embracing with our all. It's living with "it" all dumped in the trash in order to embrace Him. It is impossible to embrace Him when we are holding tight to "it" - things, good or bad, or holding too tight to ourselves. I wonder if God sees that I am holding too tight to anything so I cannot embrace Him. We should ask Him to reveal those things to us, so we can "dump" them immediately. This is challenging but well worth the journey.

When He embraces us, or as Jesus stated it in John 4: 23-24, worshipping in spirit and truth, we will be found in Him. And in Him we will keep his covering over us (Psalm 95:6-7); adjust our atmosphere (Acts 16:25+); find His favor (2 Chronicles 5:13-14); and bring His blessing (Psalm 1). It just worth embracing Him. Why don't you get your embracing on right now?

Have a great week!

God $ense, overcoming economic chaos

When you are in so deep it is easy to loose perspective and you cannot find your way out. That may be exactly where we are as a nation economically. Lost perspective is borrowing more money to pay off loans you already have (then you owe more money). This does not make "good sense". And it certainly does not make "God $ense".

God $ense gives us perspective, purpose and process to manage our finances even in economical chaos. Let's start with Proverbs 3:5-10...Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

If we can trust God to actually do life (including finances) His way, then we will walk in provision and blessing. Amazing isn't it? Trusting God means not trusting your heart, mind, ways or personal wisdom. Let Him lead and guide you every step of the way.

Trusting Him may take a heart transplant. Our heart is "deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"(Jeremiah 17:9) Our selfish and grieving heart should be replaced with a generous and grateful heart. Read Deuteronomy 15:7-15.

Trusting Him takes a commitment to contentment. Paul says in Philippians 4:10-13, ...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances...I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want...I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

We often quote the last phrase, I can do all things..., about many things, but Paul was specifically writing about his commitment to contentment. It is only through Christ that we can learn and live in contentment (having our soul @ rest).

God $ense is what I want for me. And it is what I am praying for you. Have a great week!

Be Strong!

Paul concludes his letter to the church at Ephesus with the admonition to be strong. Have you ever wondered why God said to us throughout the Bible through different stories and passages to be strong? This is not really a trick question. He says is often because His followers are not strong - at least in His perception - which is what matters most.

In this conclusion, Paul gives some valuable insight how we can be strong. It is not with our own might. He tells us to take on the full armor of God. In other words, we cannot be strong on our on.

Some people with deep church or religious backgrounds may have actually fallen into a bad understanding that God will not allow you to take on more than you can bear. In fact, if you look up the verses in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 that thought is derived from, you will find there is more to the story. Paul, speaking of temptation in this passage, does say God will not let you have more than you can bear. He continues to say that God will provide a way of escape in those situations. So it is more than you can handle by yourself, but not so with Him.

Look at what Paul said in this letter to the Ephesians, "Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting, you'll still be on your feet." (6:13, The Message).

Here again we are told this life stuff is larger than us. The only way we can stand firm is to completely, without reservation depend on and trust in God. We must take on the full armor. We must take it all - every weapon God has issued. Battles with our enemy are coming - it's a guarantee. But we can stand firm to our victory only if we take on His help.

Have a great week. (I took a little vacation and missed some weeks - but i am back in the saddle now)

God has us where he wants us...

As I read from the Message, Ephesians 2:7 +, that "Now God has us where he wants us...", I was caught off guard. So much comes to my mind as I read this...God has us where he wants us...or does He have us where He wants us... Is where I am right now really where God wants me?... and I kept trying to wrap my head around this thought.

I tried to unwrap what Paul was saying and found some success. Paul mentions three specifics that indicate the "where" that He wants us: alive in Christ (regeneration), realization of a "raised up" life (living in Resurrection power), and participation in His divine nature (now and not just later). Well, ok, now that makes more sense. If I am enveloped in these three areas, then He does have me where He wants me.

BUT WAIT...THAT'S NOT ALL (sounds like an infomercial, doesn't it),He has me right where He wants me for a purpose. That purpose is that I can be an exhibition of His favor (His incomparable riches of grace). In every aspect of my life, I can be a display of His grace and favor.

Ok, then, maybe I am not where He wants me yet...man this is challenging. I understand what the where is, now I have to get my life in tune with the where so I can be a trophy of His grace...for all to see.

When you see a trophy from far away, you notice first the figurine or emblem that identifies the reason for the trophy first. Only upon closer examination can you read the inscription at the bottom. Remember the same is true of our lives, what people see from a distance is what draws(or repels) them to read the fine print of our lives. We are (intended to be) His workmanship, on display for Him & His glory!

Shine this week!

the deposit...a little something-something

As Christ followers we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit is also the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. In a previous post, I listed an alphabet of who the Bible says the Holy Spirit is and how He can work in our lives. With all this list of who He is and what He does, He is just a deposit. A deposit is earnest money...a pledge, an assurance of what is to come. It's not even the down payment. It's just a little something-something for what's coming. When you think about that, what is coming later is really amazing.

get your deposit on... In Ephesians 1...this deposit is also referred to as our Spirit of wisdom and Spirit of revelation... Now that's a deposit worth having. In fact, Paul prayed that we would know this "incomparable" power... with all this in mind, we should get and stay connected to the deposit and be excited about what is to come... after all He's just a deposit...

if you sit where you've always sat, you're not gonna go where you need to get... in other words you've got to get sealed, and recognize you have on deposit a guarantee of your inheritance.