Day 146 - Outrageous Optimist

Day 146 – Outrageous Optimist
I joined a group on Facebook called “Outrageous Optimists”. Faith Blatchford started it. We believe it can help change the atmosphere over the nation. It’s obvious that the atmosphere needs changing. It doesn’t matter what your political persuasion is, we as a nation are in trouble when our atmosphere is filled with Despair, pessimism and cynicism. All of our news and all of our commentators, no matter what their beliefs, fill our airways with negativity. We need to being to take authority over the airways. The church needs to rise up and speak out. We have all the answers if we just begin to seek Him for them. It’s obvious that there is no natural answer for the problem in the Gulf. We need to cry out for supernatural intervention. Just think what would happen if God supernaturally intervened. Why more of the church, let alone the world might believe. We might even begin to pray for supernatural answers to our other problems. In my opinion the church has spent to long waiting on one particular political side or the other to come up with the answers. It’s not time for politics; it’s time for supernatural intervention. One of the first steps is of we believers is to stop adding to all the negative stuff in the air. I’m going on a fast. It’s a ”negativity fast”. I got the idea from a little book by Steve and Wendy Backland. For the next 10 days I am going to do my best not to speak negatively about anything. If I get that far I might continue on for 40 days, but I want to start small. So how does this fast look like. I am going to choose to believe the best, and think optimistically about everything I can. Even if I cant truly be optimistic, I can refuse to speak negatively about anything. I can already tell that it is going to be hard. I invite you to join with me for the next ten days. Let’s choose to see the glass half full rather than half empty. Let’s not get caught up in all the skepticism and cynicism. It might mean that I can’t watch as much news. That could be a good thing. I want to drink from the fountain of life rather than death. It should be an interesting 10 days : > )

I am really a blessed man. Oh I have my share of problems and challenges but I am still blessed. I am healthy. I have family that loves me, friends that love me and most of all a Papa that loves me. You see, I am blessed because I know how much He loves me. I also know that Jesus is my friend and brother. I am not a slave any longer. I am blessed because Holy Spirit lives within me, and is in constant communion with me. I am blessed because I know that I am righteous in Him, and I can do all things through Him. I am a son of the Most High God and within me lies all the power that raised Christ from the dead.
Now what I just said is true of all believers, but we don’t all believe it. I am blessed because I do believe it and am beginning to act like I believe it. It’s easy to read scripture and mentally acknowledge the facts. It’s another thing to internalize them and begin to act on them. It’s taken a long time, and I’ve gone through many trials. Julia and I were really just coming into more and more of this revelation over the last year or so. Her death has propelled me into this truth. I have no choice; there is no turning back. Even if there were, where would I turn. As Peter said, “Where would I go, You have the words of life.” I am so glad that likeminded believers surround me. Last night I talked about a team made op of three churches that was totally unified. This is a prophetic picture of what Jesus prayed in John 17. Unity will only come by the Spirit, not by trying to be politically correct or compromise our beliefs. It will take time for unity to come, but I believe it will come.

Well, I’m sitting here in my rocking chair with my laptop listening to “Love came Down”. It is really good to be back home. Tomorrow morning will be awesome at RiverStone. I can’t wait. It has really been a good week. I am tired, but alive. I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow.