Have you noticed that there are always things that come set to take us out?  It’s usually from things we can’t normally see like our mind or emotions or even our attitude.  Many times our past is used to choke us to death.  The crazy thing is the battle seems to always push us into another realm.  I believe the enemy plants cells down inside of us from years ago just waiting to be activated.  I’ve seen people who have never thought of divorce, suddenly possessed with it.

 

So many times spiritual attack is designed to move you into loneliness forcing you into a private battle that you can’t normally talk about.  This inner self conversation doesn’t usually say, “I can’t go to work today!” but “I’m tired of being me!” 

 

I was recently thinking, how could a man be a good man yesterday, and today kill his family?  What kind of threats could possibly come into the mind to steal that much peace leaving a person that dangerous?  I heard a pastor tell me this week, “I lay down but can’t  get any rest, and get up and feeling beat!”  Why?  Attack!

 

Paul’s first instruction in Eph. 6 is, “Put on the whole armor of God….put on the helmet of Salvation!”  Regardless of who we are, we all need to have a safe place to think from.  We must cover our heads with the equipment God has provided for us to be creative, and think thoughts of Who We Are, not Who We Were!

 

The storms of life have pushed us to a new level where what used to satisfy, no longer works.  When you think about it, we are being given elevated thinking.  And it’s because we are Eagles!  We have been designed to get above the storm; and not fall into the norm where others sink.  Yes!  We put on the that Helmet, and begin thinking clearly; thinking about things above not the economic crisis that presents itself constantly.

 

Eph, 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ….”  God says, I set up an account with your name on it, and I’m now tapping it to bless your spirit, so you don’t have to lean on your flesh, but prosper from this new place; your spirit.  So we must tap this hidden treasure and speak out what God has placed there.  Things of God starts in your spirit!  You can’t be a great person unless first of all, greatness has been placed in your spirit.  Awakening begins in your spirit.  That’s why Paul prayed in verse 18, “I pray that the eyes of your understanding be enlightened!”  You are dedicated to His purpose and He will provide, prosper, encourage, create, do the impossible, send people, money and resources!  Why?  It’s a plan that He has already established and waking us up to it!

 

Saul was a Greater Man in the eyes of men than David.  But David was a spiritual Man!  God kept him, provided for him, because He planted His heart inside of him.  That’s why we pray; “God give birth today what You want me to say and do!”

 

I’m learning to get rid of my agenda because I want to be consumed with God’s unfolding of my future filled with hope!  God’s purpose was that He begot you!  There will never be another you!  Nobody has your finger prints.  You are one of a kind!  Anything that attempts to altar that is a Stronghold!  Pull it Down!!

Mission

Mission – Team of people who live by faith, known for their love, and a voice of hope to the city to save the culture.

• Are we bringing churches together to create culture for the community?
• Are we healthy?
• Are we an example of the Gospel of Christ?
• Are we secure enough to drop our titles and denominational names and become the face of Jesus to the community?
• How long are we willing to build relationships with city leaders, school boards, mayor, government, administrators?
• How do we define Evangelism?  Is it the number of people saved each weekend, or long term relationships that people find Christ slowly through the example and friendship of people who have committed and sacrificed their lives together?

Picture of God Himself

God is incredibly patient.  He understands everything in your heart.  He knows why you do what you do, and He is never surprised or caught off guard.  God is kind, and He wants you to feel His touch in your heart, that heart He created to long for Him, for love.

God never envies anyone or anything. He never desires to take for Himself what others have.  Instead, He longs to give away all He has, and He’s never tempted to take things back because He didn’t get enough attention.  God doesn’t boast about the highest truths about Himself; He willingly lowers Himself even lower than you just to lift you up.  God is not proud, holding to His perfection and reminding us He doesn’t need anyone.  He desires a relationship with you and me, and He continually makes Himself vulnerable just to make that possible.

God is never rude.  He doesn’t leave anything unfinished or unspoken.  He is incapable of giving anyone “the silent treatment” or playing hide-and-seek when they’re earnestly seeking Him.  He makes everything about Himself known and has no desire to keep anything hidden from you.

God cannot be self-seeking.  He is gratified and fulfilled when you are praised and honored.  His eyes are always seeking the best for you, and He’s never worried about what He gets in return.  He isn’t provoked easily or ever angered beyond His desire for complete love.  He’s not “high maintenance,” and He never wants you to walk in fear of offending or hurting Him.  He keeps no record of the wrong things you’ve done because He refuses to call you by the name of your past.  He doesn’t hold anything over your head, but continuously wipes your record clean so that He can clearly focus on your heart. 

God doesn’t delight in evil, and He’s never tempted to follow lies and fantasies.  He doesn’t desire romantic notions, just the real you.  He can’t countenance anything that would benefit His kingdom at your expense.  He rejoices in the truth about you because He sees who you truly are and it’s beyond wonderful to Him.  God always protects you from caving in to pressure, despair, or anguish.  If you’ll simply ask Him, He will always provide the strength needed to hold you up through the storms of life and carry you in His own strong arms to your intended purpose as His favorite, irreplaceable child.

God always  trusts you, with His heart doors open at all times, without exception.  He always hopes in you because He knows the endless truth of your never-ending story.  God always perseveres, proving He is who He claims to be.  He stands through the storm and walks through the fire simply to express His love for you.  He will never fail you, never fall short, never fall out of love, because He’s made of love, the very source of it all.

Love is why He sees everything inside you and knows every emotion, thought, and feeling.  Love is why He soaks through every outward thing that stands in the way to saturate your spirit, soul, and heart with the knowledge of blissful eternity with Him.  Love is why there’s no place, no person, and no created thing that can be separate from Him.                                                  Hufford

Passion

One of my favorite characters in the Bible is David.  I love his tenacity!  His attitude ran through his whole life forming his heart and life decisions, both good and bad.  Can you hear him?  “I will fight a giant with a rag and rock if I know God’s on my side!”  I’ve met people like this being willing to shine shoes, mow lawns if they know God is on their side.  It is this selfless life of living not for themselves, but fully for God, always asking, “Should I go up, down, out, be still or speak?”

David is a man of passion!  Whatever he did, he is passionate about it.  If he sang, he sang with passion.  If he fought, he fought with passion!  He not only played instruments, but made them.  Wrote poetry while sitting in a tree.  You’d think he would be soft if you didn’t read the rest of the story.  The one who was soft enough to write and sing, cut off the foreskins of a hundred Philistines and threw them at the foot of the king.  So passion can go both ways.

Passionate people can walk into an empty room and see it filled.  They can take a nothing job and turn it into something.  They can take a blank piece of paper and create it into a placemat covered with a dream inspired by something bigger than themselves.

You’d think with David’s track record with the Philistines would cause them to never think about fighting him!  Can you hear David saying, “You picked the wrong person to fight!”  Ever meet a person who punches you and says sorry?  That’s David!  I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened, didn’t mean to cuss you out, and then calls out to Jesus!

Saul hired David to fight, so he takes a bunch of rejects and makes them into a mighty army.  But the first thing he does is drop to his knees.  He refuses to go forward on his own strength or ideas, but humbly asks God, “Should I go up?  Do You want me to whip them?”  The reason why; he associates success with prayer.  Not power, numbers, anger talent, ability or force.  Not influence, money or recognition but prayer!

That’s why I love David so much.  He’s not just a hot head but a tender warrior with heart.  His thoughts are; I don’t want to engage the enemy without God!  I want to be sure God is on my side.  Because if He is on my side, I don’t care how big the enemy’s army is, how tired I am, or the obstacles I am up against!  If I know He is on my side both to do and to will according to His own good pleasure, I will run anywhere and fight anyone even if it’s all alone!

My wife has this heart!  She will take anyone, even if they are a heroin addict, but only if she knows God is on her side.  She always goes the extra mile after asking God, “Should I go?” and waits for his answer.  Could it be passion?

Something is about to happen in all of our lives!  When it happens, we must go, but first we must stop, knee down and ask, “Should we go up?”  And then do it God’s way!  It’s the only way to victory!

So God says to David, “Go up and I will deliver your enemy into your hands!”  David goes up and defeats his enemy, but as he does it, they hear him chanting, “The Lord has delivered you into my hands!  I rejoice and celebrate His Holy Name!”  It’s one thing to realize you are being defeated, but another to hear your enemy taunting you with praises to God!

So don’t ever fight the enemy with your mouth closed!  Give the Lord your praise!  Give Him the glory!  Give Him the credit and lift Him up while you defeat the enemy!

The secret: Wait on the Lord.  Ask Him what’s next?  Believe in His promise of victory!  Go forth with passion, praise and thanksgiving!

Bless you today!  Love you!

As I was reading Hebrews 4:1 so much jumped out at me; “Let us fear lest you miss the promise that comes from entering His rest, and you come up short of entering it.”  “Let us fear?” Doesn’t  God say, “Fear Not, be not dismayed, for I with you!” and, “we have not been given a spirit of fear, but love, power and a sound mind!” but this text says, “Let us fear!”  The Message Bible says, this resting in Him pulls us on to His goal for us, so we should fear that we are disqualified or miss out.

This is not a contradiction but a collaboration of truth.  Which means….there are things you are not to be afraid of.,… “don’t be afraid of their faces, I will make your face like flint!  Stand Up against them!  But there other things that we should Fear!

So what should we fear?  My first thought was, death.  But I’m not afraid of death as long as I live first.  What I’m afraid of is if I live without living!  The worst thing would be to live and die like the Children of Israel in the wilderness, and not go in and possess the promised land. 

Carol and I see so many people living life with uncertainty, no purpose, not sure, would have done it different, could have had it, afraid of success or just not even trying!

I know we all grow up hearing, Don’t run up there!  Don’t touch that!  Don’t do that, you’ll fall!  But….to live and die and not know your purpose?  Settle for mediocrity?  Settle for less because you are more afraid of your opposition than the One who empowers you to be Amazing!

So what I believe the writer in Hebrews is saying, you need to fear living life by just existing.  I can’t imagine any of you living and dying without fulfilling all you were created to be! 

Think about this question: What leaves people stuck in a place where they never touch what they were called to do or be?  Is it intimidation?  I don’t thing so!  I believe it’s refusing to dare to live life fully alive.  It’s failing to get up everyday ready to fight against the fear of falling short of your greatness, or settling for less!

Faith is not only a noun but a verb!  You must work it!  When will you say things like; Enough is Enough?  I’ve lost enough stuff?  Nothing and No one will steal away my marriage?  I will not give up on my children?  I will do whatever it takes to land that new job?  I refuse to be a Passive Christian!  Enough is Enough!

I love Blind Bartameus, yelling, and with everyone around him telling him to be quiet, but No!  He keeps yelling for Jesus to Help him!  Faith is not passive, but aggressively at work yelling, “See Me Jesus?”  You don’t’ need to show Him that you’re cute, but that you are a mess.  “See what I lost while I was trying to get to You?  See Me Lord?”  I love the fact that Jesus noticed and gave him what he desired.

Don’t be afraid to yell, scream and chase Jesus to get a Miracle!  It’s no wonder God says, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life!”  Part of this happens because we fear doing nothing and letting life kill us.  We must rise up and take back everything that has been stolen!  Reverse every curse that has been placed upon us.  Defeat and destroy everything that was meant to take us down! 

Later in Hebrews it says to be diligent to press into that place of rest and promise.  That’s what God wants for us as His children; let’s get aggressive and go after it in the Name above all names, Jesus!