Monday, February 28, 2011

Are We There Yet Daddy?

I remember when I was a little boy and we would go on trips. I would probably bug my parents do death asking "Are we dear yet daddy? The standard answer was"five more minutes". It might be an hour, but the answer would be "five more minutes." When you are on a mission trip, part of life is the test of "five more minutes". The unknown factor of what you are doing and when you are doing it. Well, it didn't take long to start.

Well, the trip to Atlanta and then to Managua went as well as it possible. I was in first class on both flights. We left SLC around 1AM, and got to Managua around 2PM. Then we had to wait for the one of the rental trucks. We got the trucks and then drove about 2 hours north to Dario where we unloaded on the land that Harry’s church has been given to build on. They were having a service on the land. We got there about 4:30 and the service didn’t start until after 5:30. It was my first test on the trip. I really wasn’t in any mood or condition to minister. To be honest all that I wanted to do was go to the hotel, shower and shave.

Well, God definitely had other ideas. The service was very good. Harry preached and worship was very lively. The people were very open to the Spirit. One of our team, Hector, brought a good word about the land being ready for revival. It was right on, and well received. The team began to prophecy over different people and it was evident that God was moving and people were getting touched. A few of us had prophetic words for some of the people and then we begin to call out words of knowledge for healing. People started coming up and it was amazing. I think that almost everyone that we prayed for was healed. Of course you never really know, but from the look and joy that they were expressing, you could see that they really had been healed.

This is just a continuation of what happened in Salt Lake City. There we saw over 70 healings, mostly of eyes, but also of many other things. Last night I prayed for a man who had constant pain in his stomach. After praying for a second time, the pain was totally gone. I think that everyone that I prayed for was healed. It was amazing. We also prayed for two men to be delivered from alcohol, and prayed of ten people to receive Jesus. It was a good night. The service lasted until about 7:30. Then we had to wait while they used our vans to take people back to villages and take down the equipment. Then we had to drive for over an hour to the hotel. But we hadn’t eaten since early that day, so we stopped and ate around 10:30. Of course it took about an hour and a half to eat. The food was very good and I was very hungry.

We finally got to the hotel and finally got to the room around 12:30. The shower and shave felt good, and I was in bed by 1AM. So I figured I got about 4 hours of sleep in 40 hours. Definitely a good start to the mission trip. But I’m up now, eating breakfast. The coffee is unbelievably good. Today is going to be a great day.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Releasing the Army

Well, I woke up to 4 inches of snow. That much snow would have paralyzed Atlanta, but didn’t even phase Salt Lake City. They even had the hotel parking lot completely free of snow before we left this morning. Since I didn’t get to bed until about 2AM Salt Lake time, we sort of slept in this morning. That’s a good thing since we are about to get on the flight to Atlanta in about thirty minutes.

Today was another awesome day. My workshop on running your own race went very well. I had a room full of students, probably about fifty or so, and Holy Spirit showed up to lead the workshop. I talked and exhorted them, led them in prayers of forgiveness and called them into their destiny for about an hour and fifteen minutes. I think it could have been a little better, but I was pleased, and everyone seemed to like it.

This afternoon at lunch about 40 kids went to the mall. They wound up in the food court, standing on chairs asking if anyone needed healing. They prayed for some people, and I think they saw some healings. It was the beginning of the release of an army of God in Salt Lake City. Tonight was amazing. Worship was over the charts, and we wound up doing some prophetic worship. The worship leader was being led by the Spirit and was making up words as he went along.

They were so good, I wrote some of them down, and then I felt Holy Spirit begin to add some more to what I had written. The following really tells what went on this week better than I could. “The army is marching. You can hear the army of God marching across the land. With love in their hearts and oil in their hands. Hear the sounds. Let your voice thunder over this region God. Let your voice be heard, Lion of Judah, lion of Judah. Let the rebellion begin. Not a political rebellion, but a spiritual rebellion. A rebellion against dead works and religious systems based on law. A rebellion against the American dream or any other dream that is not inspired by the Kingdom of God. A rebellion against all other gods but Him. Let the rebellion begin. Lion of Judah have your way.

That’s it for tonight. I’m boarding the flight to Atlanta. Next blog will be from Nicaragua.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Stepping into Inheritance

Why do so many good Christians keep trying to earn favor with Father God, when He has already given it to them? When will we learn that you can’t earn something that has already been given to you? The western church does one thing fairly well. It teaches about the love of Jesus. At least the evangelical church does. It teaches about the love, but it really doesn’t show the love of Jesus very well. For the most part the church concentrates too much on judging others, something Jesus never did. So even though it teaches about His love, it doesn’t reflect His love.

One thing the church does very poorly is teaching about our inheritance as believers. Tonight we had the first night of the Relentless Generation conference. There were over 400 youth from this region. Scott spoke and released the love of the Father. It was an awesome message that was well received. We prayed for literally hundreds of youth during ministry time. As we were praying for them it was sad to realize how few of them realized that God loved them enough to heal them and that there was nothing that they had to do to gain His favor. They couldn’t understand that they didn’t have to perform, all they had to do was come as they were.

But why should I be shocked. It’s like that everywhere I go. It doesn’t matter if it is with youth or adults. They haven’t been taught on the love of the Father. The church, just like the world, is suffering from an orphan spirit. That has to change if we are going to be the agents that bring change to our communities. Tomorrow I’m talking about identity in my workshop. I decided to change some of the emphasis tomorrow. I need to focus more on the Father’s heart and His goodness. Until people believe that God is for them, that He loves them unconditionally, they will never be able to truly know who they are. Hopefully I will be able to remedy that to some degree tomorrow.

We check out in the morning. Then after the conference we leave for the airport tomorrow night. It’s going to be a great day tomorrow and I can’t wait to see more people set free. Then tomorrow night it’s off to Atlanta and then Nicaragua. It looks like fun. It’s been a long day, and it is snowing outside right now. It will be interesting to see how much snow we have in the morning.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Relentless Generation

Everything worked as planned this morning as far as travel to Salt Lake City. John drove me to the Savannah airport. I got there about 4:30 and caught a 5:30 flight that got to Atlanta at 6:30. By 7AM I was sitting in my seat of the flight to Salt Lake City. The flight to SLC was a little less than 4 hours, so we got here around 10AM Mountain time. We were met by the youth pastor Andrew and some of the other members of his team. After getting breakfast/lunch, depending on your time zone, we went to the hotel. Scott and I were expecting to share a room, but we were staying at these Hyatt suites and we each have our own suite. Very nice!

We had a couple of hours to rest, so I got a quick nap after we went to Target to buy a few things. Oh yes, they loaned us a car too. So we got back and took a nap. Then we met most of the team from the church at a local Starbucks. Then we went to dinner. Tonight was a worship and prayer service for the conference, which begins tomorrow night. It was very good. The worship leader is from Las Vegas and his team had come in earlier in the day.

The title of the conference is “Relentless Generation”. My prayer is for a generation that is so relentless in their pursuit of God and His Kingdom that they will never give up or stop going after more of Him. If one generation would truly get sold out for God, we could change this nation and the world. Our hope and prayer is that this is much more than a conference. If it is just an event where kids worship and a few people are healed, but it doesn’t impact the community in any way, then we will have failed. We are looking for something that will have a lasting impact in the schools and outside the four walls of the church. I believe it can happen here. After seeing the heart and passion of most of the kids at the prayer meeting, I know that God can use them.

The conference has over 400 signed up, so it should be a good group. Our workshops will be on Saturday afternoon from 2 – 3:30. I plan on finalizing what I am going to speak on sometime tomorrow. We have a pretty free day tomorrow, so I should have plenty of time to work on it. Hopefully I will be able to run on the treadmill tomorrow morning as well. It’s way too cold to run outside. It is beautiful though. The snow on the mountains is absolutely breathtaking. I had forgotten how pretty it was here in the winter. It’s much different than Hilton Head. It’s hard to believe I was there just last night.

I am really praying for this conference. You see, you don’t have to be young to be a part of the Relentless Generation. All it takes is a passion for Him and the willingness to pursue Him and His love at any cost. I am a part of that generation. So are many of my friends. I want to see breakthrough this weekend. I can almost taste it. It taste good.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Last Night in Hilton Head

It’s been a great week. The weather has been great although it was a little cold today. But the good news is the sun was out so we got a good bike ride in down to Harbor Town. Then we sat out like turtles sunning ourselves this afternoon. I really do love this place. As I was riding today, I was thinking about Christmas here this year and riding with all the granddaughters to the playground at Harbor Town. It was so much fun. Hopefully they can all get together this summer before they are all scattered to the extreme ends of the country.

Well it’s off to the cold country tomorrow. I catch a plane in Savannah tomorrow morning at 5:30. That means a 3AM wake up in the morning. The flight from Atlanta leaves at 7:35 s it should be a quick connection. I’ve already checked in on line and have my eboarding pass. Technology is amazing! So hopefully on the flight to SLC, I will be able to work more on my workshop. I did some on it today. I probably have more than I need, so now it is refining the message into what Holy Spirit wants me to say. But there has to be more than the message. I have to release the Father’s heart. They have to really understand who they are in Christ. Holy Spirit will have to give me strategies on how to do that.

I’m excited as I leave here. This is what life is about. Sharing the Kingdom of God, empowering, equipping and releasing the next generation into their destiny. My prayer for myself is that Papa would use me at this conference for His purposes, but even more, that He would push me farther into the destiny that He has called me into. I have a general idea, but I need more specifics and a greater plan. I’m looking for these next 10 days to help formulate that plan. I know that He will give me all that I need. I just need to stay plugged into Him. It’s not about me and my stuff, but it is about me being used to release His stuff. That’s what I plan on doing. If I do that, then everything will be OK.

I got the news of the passing of a dear friend today. Donn and I worked at Delta together in Flight Training on the L1011 for over 10 years. We had many good times together. We even took a plane to Africa together long before Delta started flying there (another story for another time). He got pancreatic cancer a few years ago and put up a great fight. I prayed many times for his healing, and now he is with Jesus. I’m sure he has talked with Julia already. I know that his wife and family are grieving tonight, and I just ask Holy Spirit to reach out and comfort them. I’ll be out of town for his service, but I definitely want to see his wife later. He was one of my best friends at Delta and a believer. He will definitely be missed.

So, I leave this island once again. It will probably be at least a year before I come back. It is a place with so many good memories of so many good times. I do feel more peaceful here than probably anywhere else that I can think of. So, hopefully I will be back. I plan on it, but who knows what plans Holy Spirit has for me. I do know that I will get to Ft Lauderdale and Norfolk sometimes in March. School continues until the end of April, after that, everything seems up in the air. Oh well, I have always embraced change, why stop now. Next stop, Salt Lake City.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Washington's Birthday

Sure, in our modern rush to always have holidays on a Monday, we changed many of our most patriotic holidays around. George Washington’s birthday (today) used to be a holiday. We celebrated it as the first president of our country. It was to honor his memory. Then a few years ago when we tried to streamlined holidays to give people more 3 day weekends, we did away with celebrating George Washington’s birthday, and started celebrating “President’s Day” on a Monday in February. It has become a meaningless day off, like many other days off instead of being a meaningful holiday. Well, today is George Washington’s birthday. Happy Birthday George.

Today was also a gorgeous day on Hilton Head Island. In fact, the last two days have been great, but today had to be the best. It was mostly sunny with a high of around 75. It was a little windy, but it was such a great day, the wind didn’t matter too much. We got to do a lot of outdoor activities. I ran four miles on the beach this morning and then probably walked another mile. It was a great time. Then we rode our bikes down to South Beach and ate out on the deck at the Salty Dog CafĂ©. I had the fish and chips. Fried Flounder that was very tasty and cooked just right. Then we rode along the beach back to the condos. After that we sat out in the sun reading for a couple of hours. It was such a beautiful day. For the past tow days I have been able to relax better than I have in a long time.

I don’t know what it is about the beach, but I can relax here easier than I can anywhere else. I just love to see the ocean and hear the waves. I love to watch the sun as it rises and sets. I love to sit out and read as the wind keeps me cool in the sun. Everything is just so peaceful. But the beach isn’t the same when you live there. I did that for almost a year as I tried to sell real estate in Florida. When you are working, you don’t have much time to relax and read on the beach. You definitely don’t have much time to ride bikes. No, the beach is for vacations, times to unwind and reflect on the year.

Tomorrow is a transition day. First, the weather is changing and it’s only supposed to be 59 for a high. We might get a bike ride in, but it won’t be a good day for sitting out and reading. That’s OK, I have to begin transitioning into what I am going to be doing in Utah. I need to spend some time looking at what I will speak on when I do my workshop, and I also need to begin to think and pray more about Nicaragua. So even though I will enjoy tomorrow, the fun days here at Hilton Head are really about over for me. Tomorrow I need to really think about the difference between being a son and an orphan. That is going to be a key concept in this conference. So tomorrow I really need to spend some time focusing on what Holy Spirit wants me to do. But it has been a great few days away from everything. I wish it could have been a few days longer.

Monday, February 21, 2011

The Kingdom of God

Kris said something during the conference that took me a while to figure out exactly what He was saying. He said: “All the Church is in the Kingdom, but all of the Kingdom isn’t in the Church.” I really had to think about that statement before I finally got it. What he was saying is that the Kingdom of God is much bigger than the Church. That makes so much sense, and everyone of us would probably agree. But we really don’t act like it.

You see, we all think that the Kingdom is complete in the Church. Too many of us have treated the Church as the Kingdom. The traditional religious systems have fostered this over many years. Come to church. Join the Church. By preaching just the gospel of Salvation instead of the gospel of the Kingdom, we have shortchanged believers, and kept the church from reaching her true potential. We have said all you have to do is pray a prayer and join the church. That’s not what Jesus said. In the great commission at the end of Matthew, He told us to go and do everything that He had done. To make disciples, teaching them to do all that He had done. That includes healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of God is to bring light into the darkness. It’s to bring heaven down into our situations on the earth. We are to call it down. We are to release the presence of God into each situation that we come into. So how do we do this? I believe one of the first and most important steps is to recognize that we are called to release the presence of God in every situation of our life. We must cast out fear, and embrace faith. Fear and Faith cannot coexist in the same situation, One will prevail, and that one is the one that you feed.

So, if you feed your faith with intimacy and embracing His love, the faith will increase. When faith increases, fear has no choice but to flee. But if we continue to focus on the negatives and allow the fear to grow in our hearts, then faith will fade as the fear grows. It’s like the Indian Chief who told the missionary that he had two big dogs, an black one and a white one. The black one represented all the bad things he was capable of doing, and the white one represented all the good deeds. The missionary asked the Chief which dog was the strongest and would prevail in a fight. The chief answered calmly, whichever one I feed. So true.

Which are you feeding, fear or faith. For me, watching or listening to too much TV news feeds my fear. All the news is built to feed fear. That’s how shows get their ratings. So I don’t watch nearly as much as I used to watch. I feed my faith by reading the word, and listening to worship music. I have to choose daily which I am going to feed. It’s sometimes a hard choice, but when I make it. I know what I am doing. I choose to release the Kingdom wherever I go. Am I religious? I hope not, no I know that I am not. I want people to understand my relationship with Papa, not anything about my religion.

We can all carry and release the Kingdom of God. It’s not about church and a building. It’s about relationship with God and with each other. So tomorrow as we go out, why don’t we all choose to press into His presence and release the Kingdom through out the earth?

Sunday, February 20, 2011

What are You Afraid Of?

Think for a minute. Stop reading and really think. What is it that you are afraid of, right now? Is there anything? Maybe you are afraid of losing your jb, or losing your house? After all, we live in hard economic times. Probably if you listen to enough TV you will be afraid of something. I used to be afraid of a lot of things. After I retired from Delta, I was afraid that they would go bankrupt. They did. I was afraid I would lose a lot of my pension. I did. You know what. I’m still here, and still living and enjoying life. Sure, I’v e made adjustments, but we can’t fear anything.

Think of it this way. Picture what you are afraid of, and then try to picture Father, or Jesus or Holy Spirit. How big is the thing that you are afraid of in relation to them. It should be very small. When I began to fear things, I immediately have to think of Papa and how big He is and how much He loves me. I have to believe, no trust. I have to trust that He will watch over me no matter what the circumstances are. I have to know that He will make all things work for good, even when they don’t look good.

I have learned so much of this the past year. I now know that nothing can really harm my spirit as long as I stay connected to the Godhead. Sure, I can feel pain and suffer loss. But this loss will pale in comparison to what Papa has for me. We have to become like Paul who was at peace in any situation. Tonight I am sleeping in a very nice Condo on the beach in Hilton Head, but that is not always the case. We all have areas where we are pressed by the circumstances of life. We all deal daily with things that, if we let them, would overwhelm us. But we can’t letl them. We as believers have to take authority over our situation. Maybe the situation doesn’t change, but we change in the situation. That is our calling. We are called to bring salt and light into situations that need salt and light. That could mean situations that we are dealing with.

Everyone has problems. The question is this: Do the problems define you, or do you define the problem? I want to be the one that defines the problem. Part of the way we do this is to live from the third heaven looking down. You see, all our problems are here on earth in this level. But we are seated in heavenly places, at the throne of God with Jesus. We have to learn to live from above, looking down at our problems. As we look down, they don’t seem as bad as they do when we look at them from our perspective e down here. Down here they can overwhelm us. But looking down, we see them from God’s perspective and they don’t feel so big.

So I close tonight with this. What do you fear? Try to look at it from a heavenly perspective. Ask Papa to show you how He will watch over you. Ask Him to show you how much He loves you. Then trust in Him, and His perfect love. He will be there with you, even if you have to walk through a valley. You are His, and He adores you, and me. I’m so glad.

Braveheart

Well John, Biddie and I made it to Hilton Head late this afternoon with no problem. The drive was easy, especially from down south where the conference was. Speaking of the conference, I was everything that I expected and more. Kris is so wise, and carried such authority in the Spirit. I always love it when I can see him in person. Today he talked about living from eternity. You know that we are seated in heavenly places. We have to learn to live from that perspective. It would take a lot more time than I have to write this post even to begin to explain all that he talked about today, but it was amazing and when you think about it, truly revolutionary.

But, here we are in Hilton Head, right on the beach. The unit is not a beach view unit, but it doesn’t matter. The hot tub and heated pool are right outside our building and we can walk less than a quarter of a mile and be in the beach. It is very nice. We went to Publix and got groceries and then came in and basically snacked for supper. We were hooking up my DVD so we could stream Netflix, but because of a problem with the way they have the wireless set up, we won’t be able to do it the way that we wanted. Anyway, we finally got everything set up as much as possible and we decided to watch Braveheart.

Of course you probably already know that this is my favorite movie of all time and for my birthday, one of the girls got me a new copy in Blu Ray. So this blog is late tonight because we spent almost three hours watching the movie. It is still sooo good, I can tell you almost everything that happens before it happens and it still brings tears to my eyes and causes my heart to race with adrenalin wanting to fight.

I loved every minute of the movie tonight, and I could watch it again soon. But as we started watching it, I had sort of a De-Ja-Vu moment. I realized that watching Braveheart was the last enjoyable thing that Julia and I did together. It was the Thursday afternoon before I took her to the emergency room that night. It was about to start snowing. She seemed to be better, and I was making a pot of soup. We were both sitting around in the great room, and I asked her if she wanted to watch a movie. She said yes, and I picked out Braveheart. We had just gotten back from Bill Johnson and I think we both wanted to see the movie. So we sat and watched the movie, commenting on all the prophetic symbols and phrases. Neither one of us realized then how sick she was. After the movie was over, she went to rest in the bedroom and got constantly worse until we went to the ER in the snow that night. It’s hard to believe, still.

Anyway, watching the movie brought up some of those memories, at least initially. But the movie is so good, and Julia loved it so much also, it was just a good thing to remember as the last thing we really did together. God has given us freedom. We have freedom of choice. The freedom to love Him or not to love Him. We have the freedom to be whatever we choose to be. The most important phrase tonight was early on in the movie. “Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it.” This is so true, and so often, the older we get, the more we allow our mind to overrule our heart. I’m talking to young people this weekend in Utah. That is going to be one of my themes. Your heart is free, have the courage to follow it.

Only if you follow your heart, will you ever live out your destiny. But sometimes it takes more courage than other times. My daughter Lisa made a decision with her heart this week. I am so proud of her for having the courage to follow her heart. Her job in Norfolk with the Coast Guard has been shifted, and she had to get another job. She had the opportunity to go somewhere that she really loves, back to Alaska, this time in Juneau. It took courage, and probably a willingness to lead with her heart. I’m so proud of her, I know it won’t be easy, but I just want her to live her dream, and find her destiny. I want to have the courage to follow my heart also. I know that my heart is free, and I must have the courage to follow it into some unknown areas as I move farther into 2011. After all, this is a year of change and transition. So my prayer is that Papa would give me the courage to follow my heart, because I know that He has given me freedom.

Friday, February 18, 2011

It's Still About Your Dreams

Today Kris said this: “ If you aren’t afraid to die and you haven’t sold your soul for money, you can change the world. “ Well, I’m not afraid to die and I don’t think I hav sold my soul for money, sl that makes me a candidate. So, what is it that is holding me back? I think it is probably the same thing that is holding most of us back. In my heart of hearts, I still don’t believe I have what it takes. I don’t see myself as Papa sees me. What I am doing is telling Him that He didn’t do a good job when He made me. That’s pretty stupid.

I know in my head that God made me just like I am, and that He mead me for a reason, a time such as this. But it needs to get farther down in my heart. I think that I am about 75% there. Which is much better than I used to be. But that missing 25% is key. It keeps me from stepping out to the degree that I should. But I am getting better and every time I press outside my comfort zone, the better it gets. Well, it’s about to get a lot better because I am about to step outside my comfort zone big time in the next two weeks.

But first I get a few days of fun in the sun at Hilton Head to prepare and recharge my batteries. Then It is off to Salt Lake City for a youth conference. I will be teaching a workshop on the Father’s heart. The title is “Run Your Own Race”. I will be calling these youth into their destiny and identity in Christ. I’m sure there will be some mini sozos and prophecy along with the teaching. I have to be ready for it all.

Then Scott will be [reaching, and I know that I will help during ministry time and probably more prophetic words. I was talking to some friends in first year of school about going out on trips. I told them that that was where you were really activated. You don’t realize how much has been imparted to you in school until you go out and start ministering. Well, my words will be true for me too as we go back to Nicaragua. That was where I got activated last year. Looking back now, life really hasn’t been the same since.

And to top that off, the time in Australia sealed what I am to do in Ministry. I have at least three men that I want to get together with when I get back to Nicaragua. It’s time to begin to strategize and develop “A Company of Fathers.” I can’t do it all by myself. The dream is too big for just one person. But with help and God’s grace, I believe we can make a difference. Kris said it today. People all over the world in every area are wanting fathers. I have my mandate. This is a dream that has to be birthed, and I believe it can be.

So, the conference is over tomorrow. O hope they put it up on podcast, or at least sell the CD’s. I would like to hear it again. Well, it’s time to make sure everything is ready for tomorrow. It will be two weeks before I am sitting here in my Rocking Chair.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Embracing Change

Today was a great day. Kris spoke to the students at 2PM and then the conference started at 7PM. He was talking about what season we are in as a church. It seems like Papa is constantly talking to me about seasons these days. Today, Kris was talking about the epoch seasons of the church. In order to know where we are in a season we have to live like this. We have to honor the past, live in the present and look toward the future. If we try to stay in the past and our favorite song is “The way we Were” then we will never be able to move into the season God has for us.

At the same time, we can’t ignore the present and just try to go straight to the future. If we do that we will miss what God is doing in us to prepare us for the future. So, we need to live in the present with our eye looking toward the future. Dreams and visions have no present or future, so we can pull them form the future into the present. Here is a quote that Kris got from someone. I don’t know who said it , but it rings of truth. In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully prepared for a world that no longer exists.

Think about it, it is so true. If you have stopped learning, you will not be able to adept to the world as it changes. There are many examples. Just look at the blacksmiths as cars came into existence. For many years it was debated if cars would ever work. But finally the infrastructure was put into place and cars replaced the horse and buggy. We are going through such a time in the church today. The old model of gathering people into a building to guard against breaking the rules is over. Now it is time to train equip and send out. We have been so set on keeping the rules that we have not gone after the relationship. Religion, any religion will wind up oppressing the population. It’s not about religion, it is about relationship. It always has been. Read the Song of Songs and say it is anything but relationship. We are the Bride of Christ. That symbol is not there by accident. Ephesians tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the Church. It sounds about relationship to me.

So, think about your relationship with the Godhead tonight. How is it? Where are your priorities? I know that I’ll be asking myself some of the same questions and more.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

A Beautiful Day

Today was another beautiful day. I think it got up to 64 this afternoon. 64 and sunny, that was great. I didn’t get a run in. I had too much to do this morning, but I did get an hour ride in on the Harley. It wa a great afternoon for a ride. I took the back roads up toward Cartersville and wound up at Altoona Dam. That road took me for a few miles along the Etowah river, It was a fun ride and I really enjoyed it. Now if I could only get a run and a ride in on the same day.

Well, it’s time to change gears, Kris Vallatton comes in tomorrow for the conference, so no matter how pretty it is, I won’t have tome to run or ride for the rest of the week. But that’s OK. I am looking forward to hearing everything that this man has to say. His wisdom on the age that we are living in is unbelievable, and his grasp of all that God is doing is something that I want to get, not only in my mind, but in my spirit.

So, tomorrow it starts at 2PM for the students and pastors. There is another session at 7. On Friday it starts at 12 with a pastors luncheon, then 2 and 7 again. Somewhere in the next two days I have to pack for three climates. Hilton head will be in the low 70’s; Salt lake will be in the low 40’s and Nicaragua will be in the low 90’s. I really only have two suitcases, so I think I will pack for Hilton Head and Nicaragua in the bigger bag and Salt Lake City in the smaller bag. At least I can wash clothes in Hilton Head.

I was just talking to Papa about what a beautiful day it was. He reminded me that really every day is a beautiful day. It just depends on your perspective. That is so true. We are given only one day at a time. If anyone should know that it should be me. When you think of each day as a gift, then every day really is beautiful. So, I acknowledged that He was right, and asked Him to remind me and help me see the beauty in each day. I really want to live from His perspective, and with Him, it is all beautiful.

I guess that we have a choice too. How are we, no how am I going to reflect God’s beauty today. You see, if He thinks that every day is beautiful, how much more does He see us as beautiful. If He made us, and He did, then we have purpose and destiny. Only as we fulfill our dreams in Him will we really reflect the totality of His beauty. The good news is this life is a marathon, not a sprint.

So if you got off to a slow start, it’s OK, you still have time to make up the distance. If you faltered in the middle, don’t worry there is still time. It’s not about beating someone else, it’s about running your race, the race He called YOU to run. You can’t compare, your race is different from anyone else’s. As you run, He sees the beauty He has created running and growing, just like He planned. He see, and He is pleased. So tomorrow is another beautiful day. Go, run your race, create even more beauty as you go. He is watching and pulling for you, and me.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Yard Work

I know that I don’t like yard work, but I really do like the idea of having a yard. I’m not quite sure that I am ready for a Condo yet. Anyway, there are certain responsibilities that you have to deal with if you have a yard. One of those responsibilities is taking care of the yard. Things like blowing leaves out of the back yard and trimming the Crepe Myrtle tree that you would really like to just cut down. Yes, today, this afternoon I did yard work. Why not top off the day that started with a morning of getting tax information together.

It’s no wonder that I am not really feeling that great tonight. Five hours this morning doing taxes and then an hour and a half doing yard work. The only thing that I did today that I really wanted to be doing was to go for a run. That’s all I had time for. I wanted to ride the Harley, but it just didn’t happen. Maybe tomorrow. I guess this territory comes with being an adult. Some days, even when you are off work, you have to do things that you really don’t want to do.

It was Julia’s idea to put that Crepe Myrtle tree in the front yard. She always liked them. I guess I should be glad I only have one. Anyway, I have thought about digging it up, but I am afraid it has been in the ground too long, and gotten too big. It would probably be too hard to dig up. So, once again I did my duty and whacked it down to where it can grow again. I guess we get like that sometimes. Jesus said that He would trim the branches so we could grow and sometimes we do get trimmed. What does that look like, to be trimmed by God. I guess an unbeliever might think we were being punished because we loose some of our most beautiful branches. But if we are like the tree I just trimmed, we need to be trimmed back to shape and cause increase in the future growth.

We all have tendencies to “grow wild”. You know, to grow stronger and faster in certain areas. What we see as our strengths, Papa might see as excesses that need to be trimmed to shape us into His image. I want to grow into His likeness, not my own, so I do welcome any trimming. The key thing is to realize what is going on and learn everything that you can while it is happening. I read something by Bill Johnson talking about the storms of life. You have to discern who caused to storm. Is it caused by the Father to steer you back to Him when you are going astray, or is it caused by the enemy to stop you from reaching your destiny. You react totally different in each circumstance. So, we need His wisdom and His heart. If we have those, we will know the storms, and His storm won’t last long or be harsh because we will be running back to His arms quickly.

We have to allow Holy Spirit to blow the leaves of the past out of our garden. Isn’t it funny how last years growth, if not dealt with will stifle the life within us. Dead leaves are just the remains of last year’s achievements. They are part of the beauty that was. But left on the ground they will stop the beauty that will be. So we have to allow the wind of the spirit access to our lives to blow away our old victories and make us ready for the new battles. We can only have victories when we fight battles, and we need to be free of any old debris that will block our path.

So, I guess as I was tending to my garden today, Papa was tending to mine. I have given Him and Holy Spirit to trim and blow through my life. Make me ready for the next season. It is here, now.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentine's Day 2011

Today was much like any other day for me. I had to work a “C” period. That meant that I couldn’t plan any dinner or any other Valentine’s Day Activities. I did talk to my girls, and they got the cards. I’m glad of that because I was afraid that I had mailed them too late. Then John and Biddie came over around 9 PM and we sat and talked for an hour. But overall, as a special day it didn’t measure up.

I did read my blog from Valentine’s Day last year. As I read it I could just feel how much healing has taken place in my heart. Last year, the house had been decorated for Valentine’s before Julia got sick. So I had to take all the decorations down after the holiday. Well, this year there really were no decorations. But that didn’t matter. What got me about the difference in last year and this year was my focus. Last year I was focused on my loss. This year I am focused on the future.

Last year, I wrote to Julia about my love and how much I missed her. This year I can almost hear her talking to me. She is telling me to go for it all. She wants me to run harder both spiritually and physically than I ever have. She doesn’t want me to be lonely, whatever that means. I can almost see her smiling as I share my dreams. In many ways she is a bigger cheerleader for me now that she was when she was with me. The funny thing is I now know that I am capable of love. I didn’t know how big my heart was last year. I didn’t know that even though my love for her will always continue, that my heart is expanding and is able to love even more.

So what does that mean? I’m not sure, but I want everything that God has for the family and me. I don’t want to miss anything that He has for me. At the same time, I don’t want to push anything that is not of Him. So, right now, I am an open book, waiting for Holy Spirit to direct my path. I do know that in many ways I am more energized than I have ever been. This is the best time to be alive. The old saying “For such a time as this” is really true. Sure, everything is in flux. But one of my greatest strengths is adaptability. So, bring it on. It’s going to be a fun two weeks.

I’m off tomorrow and Wednesday but I have to get a bunch of stuff done for taxes and other areas. Once the conference starts on Thursday, I will be running constantly until March 5th. So the whirlwind is about to start. I hope that I can get what needs to be done complete in the next two days. I also hope that I can run and ride my Harley.

So I will close with this; if anyone is still reading this, Happy Valentine’s Day? Don’t take for granted all that God has given you. Cherish every minute and learn to love even more deeply. God is truly love, and we represent Him most when we share our love with others. That’s really what Valentine’s Day is all about.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Receiving a Revelation

I am so glad to have a job. It is a blessing to be able to work as a flight instructor for Delta. But sometimes I really wish I didn’t have to work, especially on Sundays. This is the third Sunday in a row I have worked. But at least I got to go to church on the first two. This morning I worked from around 9AM to about 3PM. That messed me up at RiverStone and Bethel. I also missed going down to L5P. So it was sort of a bummer of a day.

I did get to go and teach in our healing prayer training tonight. That was awesome, but it didn’t make up for what I missed today. Now I will be out of town for the next three weeks. People at RiverStone are going to think I am a guest when I get back. Well, it will all work out, and I am going to get to go to the conference this week and then our time in Utah and Nicaragua. It’s not like I am not going to be able to receive and give out.

Tonight is the first time I have gotten to be at our healing prayer training in about six months. We only do it once a quarter, so I only missed one. I only had about 20 minutes to talk about our theology of Healing. I could have talked for an hour easily. But it still boils down to the fact that Jesus Christ is perfect theology. If you have seen Him you have seen the Father. Everything He did on earth, He did as a man, full of the Holy Spirit. So He is our model and example. God is good and He is in a good mood and does good things.

I did have time to give more scripture and go into much more detail. As I was getting ready to teach I realize for the first time since Julia’s death how much more authority I had in the Spirit to speak of these things. I felt Holy Spirit tell me that what was once theory in my mind and heart, was now fact; a fact that was permeating every joint and sinew of my body. I have walked through the fire, believing this, but now I have come through the other side, knowing it. There is a difference between believing and knowing. In believing, or trusting, you have to move in faith and hope. When you know, you can just rest in it. It’s easier to impart what you know rather than what you believe.

I still believe many things, many more than I know. I can teach and even impart some of the things I believe, because I have a measure of experience in them. But knowing something gives you so much freedom. I know the Father heart of God. I know Papa, Jesus and Holy Spirit intimately. I know the goodness and grace of God. I know His love and His heart toward us. I can give this away. No, I must give this away for it is a gift that Papa gave me in the darkness of grief and loss when I was clinging to His arms to keep from being swept away in grief and despair.

It is part of the Divine Justice that will be reaped from Julia’s death. It is a weapon of the Spirit to be wielded to bring many into a deeper relationship to Him. The pearl that is formed from the grain of sand called loss. I have been given a great gift. With this gift comes great responsibility (Spider Man 1). Seriously, I am responsible to share the nature of Him whenever I can. No one can attack the reality successfully. They will try, but will fail, Thank you Father for all the gifts you give to me. But thank you for allowing me to know your goodness. It is such a privilege to share your heart. Help me to share it whenever I get the chance.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Life is Never Still

It’s obvious when you think about I, but most of the time we don’t think. Life is always moving forward, never backward and never still. Sometimes it might seem like it stops or even moves backwards, but it is constantly, almost methodically, moving forward. So why is it that we try to stop time or even go back to times past. I heard someone say that if you are thinking more about what life was like than you are thinking about what it will be like than you are already dying.

I’m still focused on dreams. It’s important that we not only think about our dreams, we need to speak them out loud. Having the words come from our lips and out into the air is very powerful. We don’t realize the power of the spoken word. Words do make worlds. If we never speak it out, we will never do it. That’s why it is so important that we tell someone of our dreams. That is really the first step in seeing them come to pass. Last Sunday at lunch, a good friend was sharing their dreams with me, and I was sharing mine. It was a good time. You begin to know someone by knowing their dreams. Then tonight our dinner and a movie crew spent time sharing a few of our dreams as well. It was powerful just to hear them spoken out.

One of my friends dreams was to be a good photographer. He then started talking about what a good picture captured. It was beautiful to hear his description of the depths and light. It’s amazing how just an instant can be captured. It really is like the prophetic. We see for an instant, but the depth of fields, the details that we describe can change lives and destinies. But even more, it was important to hear his passion about it. I almost wanted to be a good photographer too. Dreams demand passion, and passion demands action. So if you constantly have your dreams before, and your passion for them increases then you will wind up taking action. But if you put your dreams on the shelf because you are too busy then you will never take action on them. They will stay dreams, hidden in the recesses of our heart.

I have been given a chance to start taking action on one of my dreams. My dream of traveling and ministering the Father’s heart is beginning to come to fruition. I’m getting to take a trip to Utah with Scott at the end of the month. I’m going to do a workshop with the kids. I think it will be on showing them the love of the Father. I’m still thinking of a title, but I have to have it tomorrow night. I’m still thinking about what it will be. But the workshop will be one of talking about the heart of the true father, and how much He loves them. I’ll probably contrast His love with the love of earthly fathers who are not perfect, and leave wounds and lies. If things go well, I will lead them into some forgiveness and then to a deeper love of the Father. That will lead to encouragement and a new self-identity. That’s the rough plan right now. If you have ideas, send me a comment.

Anyway, it is a start of what I know that Papa wants me to do with the rest of my life. I spoke this dream out loud for the first time about six months ago, and here I am. It is such a blessing and favor of God to allow me this opportunity. Now, with His anointing and presence, it should be a good time. No, life is never still, always moving. So the best thing we can do is to just dive in, swimming forward allowing the current and our dreams to direct us.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Release the Chaos

Well, we didn’t have any sozos tonight because of the couples’ dinner at RiverStone. So a few of us took the opportunity to go see Tron: The Legacy. Mow if you don’t like Science Fiction, you probably won’t like Tron, although it did have some very prophetic sayings. But I like Science Fiction and I liked Tron. It was in 3D and the graphics and special effects were off the charts. It is just amazing at what can be done in a movie these days. I won’t spoil the plot except to say it is about a son looking for his father. His father happens to be in a universe that he created.

But this universe has been designed to be perfect. Everything is in order of it is removed. It really reminded me of many of our churches. People were all lined up in rows and all looked and acted the same. Nothing was out of place, everything was decent and in order. But the father, the creator, knew that He had made a mistake. He had watched all this happen, stuck in his own created world. He was almost helpless as long as he wanted the world to exist.

But then the son was threatened and order and perfection were no longer the priority of the father. The priority was saving his son. So as he went into the world to save the son he said let’s release chaos. The definition of chaos is complete disorder or disarray. It is almost the opposite of order. Sometimes this is the only way that Holy Spirit can get i=our attention.

I think that it is natural for most men and women to like order. We love stability and order for the most part. Pastors and teachers especially like order. When there is disorder of chaos, pastors are worried about who might get hurt. Teachers need order if they are to use their gift. No wonder that there is so much order in our churches; they are all run by pastors and teachers. Apostles and prophets often see the need for disorder because they know that God’s power and presence often moves best when the structure is not so strong.

So I have no problem seeing Holy Spirit coming into a church that has been crying out for revival and saying “release chaos”. When Holy Spirit moves in power some degree of chaos is usually present. We can expect it, and we need to have an idea of how we are going to lead through the chaos. Many leaders choose to just stop the chaos and restore order at all cost. That shuts down all that Holy Spirit is trying to do. Other leaders let it go on until they can shut it down in private. Sometimes intimidation and peer pressure shut it down. Unfortunately there are not many leaders that want to pastor it, yet alone are ready to pastor it.

I say bring it on. I love a little, or a lot of chaos as long as it brings a move of the Holy Spirit. But of course, I probably lean towards more freedom. Well as William Wallace said, at least in the movie, we are all going to die, the question is what are we going to live for? I say we live for freedom. What say you?

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Transition

Well, when we woke up around Atlanta this morning, once again we woke up to snow. Thankfully it wasn’t really on the roads. It was just pretty and cold. That must be at least the fourth time this year. It’s still cold now, so much for the “mild” winter that the so-called weather people were forecasting. Some times I think that I could just prophesy the weather more accurately than the weather people can forecast it.

Anyway, here it is the middle of Feb. I am really looking forward to summer. It’s hard to believe that Kris Vallatton is coming to Atlanta next week. I’m working most of the weekend, and then I am off for the rest of the month. The conference, Hilton Head, Salt Lake City, Nicaragua; it’s going to be a busy three weeks. I’ve been sensing a transition in seasons. I believe that this next three weeks will really begin the transition process.

Ever since I got back from Australia, things have not really been the same. I don’t mean in a bad way. It’s really a good thing. I just sense a renewed presence and hunger. It’s like if I am not actively engaged in ministry at some level, something is wrong. Now that’s not to say I want to stay “busy” all the time, but this is a season of hands on ministry. In years past, I have sometimes been more involved in strategically developing ministries and helping develop church governments. While I may be involved a little in that in the future, I really believe my calling is to reach out to the next generation and bring them into the love of the father. That will take hands on ministry.

So, how do you transition into a different season? I’ve been reading a little book by Dutch Sheets called “God’s Timing for your Life”. It’s been a pretty good read, but the last chapter, which I read today, was one of the best. It was entitled “Keys to Unlocking the Shift”. It listed nine keys that will help you transition from one season to the other. It is based on one of my favorite books in the Old Testament, Joshua. I just want to write about the first key tonight. Key #1; We must accept responsibility to do our part. Yes, God will do His part, only what He can do. But we must e willing to step up to the plate and do our part. We have a responsibility to press into our future and cooperate wit Papa to make sure we are ready for the shift.

Sometimes this can be hard. It might seem to some that we are pressing ahead of our destiny, or maybe holding back from something that is waiting for us. The key is to press into Holy Spirit and hear what He wants us to do. At this point, hopefully you have already received wise consul from good friends who also hear God. But now, the job is yours; yours to act as you hear God. It’s your to be obedient to what He tells you. We will never enter into the next season by pulling back in transition. On the contrary, we must press forward in our cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Every decision and every action has a reaction. We don’t live in a vacuum, and our decisions also have an impact on others. But even though we must weigh each move carefully, we have to act. Eventually you and I have to answer to the Father, not to men for our actions. So, in the transition between seasons the most important thing that we can do is stay close to the Father. Let Papa be your protector and let Jesus keep your heart right and allow Holy Spirit to comfort and guide you. Don’t be afraid to act. Don’t allow fear to overtake you. Be strong and courageous!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Curveballs

I loved playing baseball when I was a young boy. My first two years in Little League, I really enjoyed it. I played center field. I was a pretty good outfielder, and I was pretty fast, but my hitting wasn’t that great. I can remember going to practices, and I can remember some of the games. Then we moved from our house on Murray Lake circle in Conley GA to Sandtown, which is off Campbellton road in Fulton County. From then on my baseball career went down hill. The same could be said for my football career as well. You see, I stopped growing for a while. I was still 4’9” and less than 90 lbs going into the 8th grade.

But back to my baseball career; the reason it got progressively worse was I couldn’t hit a curve ball. I had enough time with a straight fastball, but when they started throwing curve balls, it was all over. From then on, every time I got up to bat I was praying that I would get a walk. Not a good way top make the starting lineup. I played for a couple of more years. We had a championship team. My best friends and my cousin were stars on the team. I was lucky if I got to play in the ninth inning. I really think that was when I began to lose confidence in myself. Don’t worry, I ‘ve had a sozo and have received inner healing. Anyway it was the curve ball that I had a hard time hitting.

Sometimes life throws us a curveball. We are looking for a pitch right down the middle and then this roundhouse curve ball comes. We thing it is going to be outside, so we let it pass and it slides in for a strike. We have been thinking things were going to go one way, and then things change almost instantaneously. So what do you do? Do you quit playing the game? That’s fine in baseball, but you don’t have a choice in life. No, what you do is reevaluate your position and then deal with the situation as it presents itself.

If you have studied the game, you know to expect curve balls and have a contingency plan to try and hit them. It’s the same thing in life. You seek the Father, and talk out everything that has happened and then go with what He says. He has already seen the curve ball long before you saw it coming. He wasn’t surprised. In fact, He has probably already prepared you for this pitch. It’s just that when it happens, you feel sad. You feel sad that a season is changing and you have to make adjustments. But If you have heard him, you are prepared, and ready. In fact, you are almost looking forward to change.

I guess the real problem is that we sometimes don’t take the time to seek the Father’s heart in a matter and then we just wind up reacting. Sometimes, no most times, that reaction is bad. But if we ask Papa to show us what may happen, then we can be prepared when that curve ball comes. We can be ready to accept things as they are and move to change the reality that we live in. That’s where I am today. I was thrown a curve ball. It was not unexpected. I was ready for it, and I really think that Papa helped me hit it. But it still changed reality, as I know it. I knew it was coming, but I am still sad. Seasons change, people change, love is constant, and His presence is ever abiding. That is what I am going after, no matter what.

Yes, life throws curveballs, but with Papa’s help we can use them to advance the Kingdom just as well as we can use the fastball. I am just so glad to be loved by Him, and to be in His Kingdom. It is an exciting time to be alive.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Releasing

Paul said that “I take up my cross daily”. What does that mean? Does it mean that we have to “die” daily? I used to think so. I used to think that every day I had to die so that I wouldn’t sin. The old saying “I’m just a sinner saved by grace” permeated my thinking about salvation. I just saw myself as a sinner. If I didn’t choose to die, I would surely sin. Every day I basically would make what Jesus had done for me “of no effect”. I was choosing to constantly live by Old Testament rules instead of New Testament covenant.

Sure, we do take up our cross daily, but it’s not to die so we don’t sin. No, Jesus did that once and for all. We are not sinners; we are saints. Kings, queens. Priests; joint heirs of the Kingdom with Jesus. We have been adopted by the Father. There is no reason that we have to sin. Our sin nature is dead. We only sin when we forget who we are. As I learned about my true identity, I began to understand that to take up my cross was to move toward the calling and destiny that I had in Jesus. The cross wasn’t the end, the cross was something that Jesus endured to fulfill His destiny. We all have things that we have to endure to reach our destiny. Some are harder to endure than others.

One of the things that we constantly have to do is release things. We can’t hold on to things too tightly when we are reaching for Jesus. We have to release things like our reputation and our pride. Many times we have to do this daily. Sometimes we have to release friends who may be pulling us away from our relationship with Papa. Releasing must become a way of life if we are going after the Kingdom. Someone said that anything we enjoy more than being with the Father has become a God to us. I’ve had to release my love for football. Well, I have loosened my grip on it a little. But you get the picture.

Probably the hardest thing to release is our relationships with those who we love. This past year I have had to release Julia and my love for her. Does that make my love any less? No not really. But it makes it different. Now as time passes, my love for her is strong, but it moves farther back into my mind and heart. I have the memories, but sometimes it seems like another life. I think that is how it is supposed to be. It’s harder to release someone who is still with you. I have to release my girls almost daily. Even though they are grown and don’t live with me, I still have to release them. I have to trust that the Father is watching over them and their families and that He will keep them. When I think of His greatness it is easy to release them into His care. But when I just think of my love and how much I care for them, it is hard.

Probably the hardest part of watching them grow up was realizing that I can’t fix everything anymore. Of course if I had raised them like I should have, I would have realized that long ago. But we have to release the things we love and treasure the most if we are to really be able to grasp all that the Father has for us. The good news is Holy Spirit is here to help us release. So once again I open my hands, palms up, giving all my treasures to Papa. I also release all my hurts and bitterness (but that is for another post). Papa, as I give all that I love to you tonight, what will you give to me in return? Tonight He says He will give me His peace and love. That is a good exchange. What is it you need to release? Ask Him, he will tell you.

God Gets Joy From Us

Have you ever wondered why the God of the Universe would create so many different and varied people? I have no idea how many people are on the earth today. If it wasn’t so late I would Google the question, I am sure that I would get an answer. But just think, each person, each unique personality He created, and knew that they would be born long before they were born. This isn’t a blog about abortion, but think about all the personalities God created that we kill before they are ever born. With so many personalities, if we are all a facet of God’s nature, think how different and varied He must be.

All of this thinking got stirred up tonight during worship when we were singing a song about how we bring joy to the Father. I know that it is true, the bible says it numerous times, but it’s still hard to believe. But when you think about it it makes perfect sense. He gave us free will so that when we loved Him, He could receive joy. If He made us without free will where we had to do right and love Him, then He would be able to get no pleasure at all when we obeyed Him. We would just be doing the job that He made us for. So a free will is an integral part of us being able to bring Him pleasure.

The Bible says “Obedience is greater than sacrifice”. Obedience is the currency of the Kingdom. It’s our love and obedience that really give Him pleasure. It is when we learn to be obedient on the small things, that He trust us enough to make us responsible for big things. It’s obedience that is making us, the bride of Christ, ready for the wedding. It’s also obedience to His calling that will lead us into our destiny.

Tonight we once again talked about dreams. I’ve written down 25, and I plan on adding another 25 to the list. We talked tonight about the lies that we believed that kept us from pursuing our dreams. Lies like, “I’m too old” or “I’m not that good of a speaker.” Lies will paralyze us if we don’t confront them with others. We have to talk about them and be accountable. We need someone else to tell us that we are crazy to believe them, that they really are just lies. But it’s lies the enemy used to cause Adam and Eve to fail, and if we let him he will cause us to fail as well.

So, tonight was a good night. We prayed for each other and stirred up the gifts then we went upstairs and ended with a long fire tunnel for first year. I didn’t leave until 10:15 and it was still going on then. So that’s my excuse for the late blog. But it was worth it. I’m looking forward to tomorrow night as well.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Zen

He calls himself Zen, I don’t know his real name but I’m pretty sure it is not Zen. He grew up in the Baptist church, but now he calls himself a “spiritualist”. He was sitting in the middle of Little Five Points today with his Tarot cards and incense charging a dollar a minute to “read peoples fortunes”. Sheryl Geddis and myself wound up talking with him for almost a half an hour. It was probably one of the most exciting and enjoyable times that I have had down at L5P. I’m sure he will be back next week, and I will try once again.

Zen had brain surgery and says he almost died four times on the operating table. I really believe him, he had no reason to lie. He says that during that time, certain people came and told him that he needed to do what he had been told to do. Since then, he has tried to help people and spreads love where ever he goes. He was very peaceful, almost as peaceful as we were. He was intrigued when he found out we were Christians. He was almost excited to find out that our beliefs, while different in key aspects, were very similar to his. Zen prays to the Father. Ht prays to the God that is above all Gods. He releases peace and love. Zen is very prophetic, and knows the bible. To be honest, I enjoyed our conversation with him more than I do my conversation with most “religious” Christians. We have so much in common. He is so close to becoming a true believer. His problem is that he has been so burned by the traditional church that he won’t admit that Jesus is the way, and Jesus is the representation of the Father.

We were able to give him a prophetic word about his destiny, and he was interested in coming to church, especially when we told him about Bethel Atlanta. He wouldn’t let us pray for him, but was very nice about it. That’s ok, we wouldn’t let him tell our fortunes either. I really think what was winning him over, and might eventually bring him to the light was what he saw in us. He saw the love of the Father being released in a non-judgmental way. He saw us accept him right where he was with respect and dignity. Hs said that we were Christians that he could like. We laughed and just told him that we wanted him to feel the love of God from us, and that our mission in L5P was to bring the Father’s Kingdom down to earth wherever we walked.

At one time he was praying in tongues and told of exorcising a demon from someone he was working with. To be honest, he had the tarot cards, but I believe he used them as a ruse just to prophecy over people. He has gifting, and when he comes to know the true God through His son Jesus, he will be an awesome minister of the Gospel of the Kingdom. He is so close, even as we speak. As we left, he asked us top throw blessings his way when we saw him. We said that we would that and more.

It’s funny, but as I left I prayed hard for this brother. His love for life, and his seeking heart stirred my heart and I could just feel the love of the Father flowing through me for him. I truly feel a connection to him and can only pray for his eyes to be truly opened by Holy Spirit. It’s funny, as we were begging to leave he looked around the area and said. “You know where we are standing.” We said no and he pointed out that the area was a triangle. He pointed to the three boundaries and smiled as he said “The Trinity”. I smiled and said that he was so right. The trinity was there. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I think he knows, now I just pray that he can see. Yes, it was a good day today at L5P.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Vegetable Soup

Well, I did get a run in this afternoon. That’s probably the most productive thing that I did all day. Last night I didn’t get to bed until after 1AM so I slept in this morning. Then I cleaned house, paid some bills and read a little. I also listened to music. Not a very exciting day, but it was my last day off for a couple of days, so it was nice. It was sunny and cold, I’m still waiting for another “spring day”. Hopefully the weather will start turning in another month or so. I did get to talk to my girls today. They are doing OK, but I wish I could see them sooner than I’m going to be able to see them.

Tomorrow is another long day. It’s almost like last Sunday. I work an A period and then go to Bethel Atlanta; lunch with friends and then to out reach. But then I’m driving back down to Newnan to a Super Bowl party. It should be a fun day, but it will be long. I’ll probably leave at halftime to drive home.

I did eat some of the soup that I had fixed a couple of days ago. It’s delicious and I am glad that there is still a lot left. I’m sure it will be gone by the end of the week. Some days you just need to relax. Yesterday was pretty full and tomorrow was packed. I’m glad today was just a nice leisurely day. So what does life look like when it’s just happening? This new normal can be exciting when you are around people, but it can be very boring sometimes too, especially when you are alone. I’m so thankful to have friends, and as I look on the horizon, I don’t really see too many boring days. It’s just some nights I really feel a download in my spirit when I start writing, and some days, like today just seem sort of blah.

In the midst of all this, God is still good, and He is in a good mood. I pray that outreach tomorrow would just be great, and everything would fall into place for a great afternoon. It should be fun, after all, we are releasing the Kingdom wherever we go.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Marinating in the Spirit

This is a first tonight. I’m sitting over at Bud and Cathy’s waiting on a Bison Burger from Ted’s and about to watch a movie with some of my favorite Sozo Team members. Some of them had to leave, it was past their bedtime. I certainly understand that, but I was able to sleep in this morning, so I am wide-awake. We had a Sozo team meeting tonight, and I am really excited about all that God is going to do with our team this year. It’s definitely going to an exciting time.

Today was a good day to sit by the fire. In fact that is exactly what I did most of the day. Like I said, I slept in and then spent the morning doing my homework for BASSM. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon reading by the fire. I don’t know how long it has been since I was able to do that. I had to do my book report on the ecstasy of loving God by John Crowder. It was an excellent book and really brought to mind some of the things that I have dealt with over during the last 15 years of ministry.

I really loved this book. It was very insightful and interesting. When the Renewal started in Toronto in 1994, Julia and I went that July. They were still meeting in the small location and we had to stand outside for a couple of hours before the meeting waiting to get in and get a seat. That’s when I first began to learn what it was really like to hunger after the presence of God. John Crowder’s book makes me even hungrier! I can remember all the controversy about the manifestations. They were coming from all the religious circles. I thought that if only these men would come to experience and not to analyze.

As Revivalist, we have to experience God to such a degree that meaningless arguments about the value of manifestations or about whether God would actually move like that just pour off of us like water of a ducks back. I am surprised by how many friends and fellow believers have to have an explanation for everything that happens in or outside the church. I am glad that God does things that I don’t understand. He wouldn’t be much of a God if I could understand and explain everything He did. I’ve heard it said that the Holy Spirit is a gentleman and won’t do anything you don’t want to happen. To that I say nonsense. I have had Holy Spirit have me laughing and crying at the same time. I’ve had this happen in places where I really didn’t want it to happen. God is good, but He is not tame. CS Lewis knew this when He pictured God as Aslan the Lion. You have to have an awe and fear, but you also have to be willing to press into the intimacies and ecstasy of loving Him as well. We can’t do the work without marinating in His love and then releasing the overflow.

The reason leaders get burned out is they don’t spend enough time just loving Him and marinating in His presence. It’s out of the overflow, as we slosh around and He spills out; that real ministry gets accomplished. No, we can’t stop to answer critics or spend all out time explaining the manifestations. Many movements have been shut down because they stopped to try to explain and justify everything that was going on. I personally saw it happen in the Vineyard. When they made a conscious effort to justify and explain all that was going on in Toronto, they turned away from pressing into His love and became apologist for what they could not explain. Then when they could not explain it, they too turned against it.

This was an excellent book with a depth of historical background citing time after time when God moved, but the religious have hid it from the world, buried it deep in the historical vaults. It’s good to see it brought out into the light. I know that I still have to much of a religious spirit in me, and I pray that by marinating in His presence it will someday be totally washed out. We all as leaders have to learn that it is not us or anything we carry that ministers to others. It is the power of the Holy Spirit. The only way to release the minister anything to anyone is through the Holy Spirit.

So, if that is the case then I say, bring it on. If it takes being marinated in the Holy Spirit, which it really does, to minister the Love of God effectively then why would we ever not want all He has for us. We need to experience more. It’s good to have the knowledge, but we need the experience. Just think about this; If everything that was written about in the New Testament was about experience, then why are we so afraid of the experience.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Run Your Race

You have to run your race. No one else can run it for you. What’s more, you can’t run someone else’s race, even when you can see what they need to do. It’s all about our willingness to do what we have been called to do, no matter what the risk or what others think. Tonight we our “Dinner and a Movie” cell watched Secretariat. It was the second time I have seen it, and I want to watch it again soon. There is so much to gleen from this movie. It’s almost like Disney sponsored a Kingdom movie, and I don’t mean the magic kingdom either. There are so many Kingdom principals that are brought out in this film. We must have paused it five times at least as we talked about what was said and the significance of what it means in the Kingdom.

Penny’s dad told her to let the horse “run his own race”. It’s so simple and yet so profound. As parents it is awfully hard to let our kids run their own race. We often try to get them to run the race we wanted to run growing up, or we make them choose a path that they don’t want. We can force them, for a season. But sooner or later it will all fall apart. If we can learn to let them run their own race and then be there to cheer them on. You see, if you run your own race, you can’t lose, not really.

But what about me, what about you? Are we running our own race? Are we going after the dreams that God has placed in our hearts, or are we too caught up in the rat race that is the American Dream? Or worse yet are we running a race that others told us we should run? I hope not, because it won’t be rewarding even if we complete the course. If I can do what God is calling me to do, then I will be at peace, and I will know that I have done my best. So, how do we know what our race is?

It’s all about our heart, and what God has placed in it. If we are believers, and we hear His voice, then we have to trust that He will place His dreams in our heart. It’s our job to search them out and then run after them. They don’t just happen. We have to persevere and be willing to stand when it’s all we can do to stand and then run as hard as we can when we are able to run. We have to believe in ourselves when no one else believes. We have to trust that what He has told us to do, He will accomplish.

Secretariat had heart. He lived to run. His owner Penny had heart. She had to prove that her belief in her horse was justified. It cost her everything, or it would have if he had failed. She took a chance to believe. So many times we stop short of reaching our destiny be cause we don’t want to risk. We only live once. I have taken many risks, some good, and some foolish. I wish that I hadn’t taken the foolish risks, but if that means that I wouldn’t have risk in the other things, then I wouldn’t hav wanted not to risk. The kingdom of God is risky, and we have to be willing to risk everything we have to see it advanced. So, our heart has to be big. We have to run, run without ceasing to reach the prize that we have been called to get. We all have to be willing to run our won race, whether any one else understands or not. If we do this, then we really can’t lose. We only live once, what are we living for? What are we willing to die for? To really live, we must be willing to die. Stir up the passion within your spirit. Ask Holy Spirit to show you what your race is, and then help you to run it with great abandon, come hell or high water. If you do this, you have run already. Maybe you won’t get to your final destination, but the journey will be exciting and Holy Spirit will be there cheering you on until you reach your finish line, wherever it may be.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

A Little R&R

Back when I was in the Air Force in Hawaii, we always had soldiers coming over from Viet Nam for R&R (Rest and Recuperation). The Army would fly their wives or parents out to meet them at Ft DeRussy. The fort was a stretch of beach right in the middle of Waikiki that was along the beach. It had an club and beautiful grounds. They would put the soldiers up in hotels. This would be in the middle of their one year tour in the war zone. It was a great time and a good thing the army did for morale in the midst of an unpopular war.

After the last seven days, I felt that I was on R&R today. It was nice to sleep in until about 8:30. It was even nicer to do what I wanted to do all day and not have a schedule to meet. I was able to work on my dream list for my life coaching session. Yes, I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up! Then I went to the “Y”. I was able to run four miles on the treadmill sit in the hot tub and then go to Costco. I also went by RiverStone to see Terry. Later in the day, John and Biddie cam over to make Chili for our Dinner and a Movie tomorrow night. We are going to watch Secretariat. It is an awesome movie with a very prophetic story.

Tonight I cooked an organic pizza that I got at Costco last week. Then I started a pot of vegetable soup to eat the rest of the week. It’s best if it sits for a couple of days. It should be great by the weekend. I’m off until Sunday. That means I can get some needed chores done around here, and also work out every day. I’m looking forward to the time off.

I was thinking about all the things that Don Potter talked about last night; especially about how it is not our job to judge. In fact, the Bible says it is the Holy Spirit that will bring conviction. So many times we, the church, feel that it is our job to judge, We try to bring conviction to sinners, but that’s not our job. Our job is to share the gospel. What does gospel mean? I think it means “good news”; the good news that Jesus came and died for our sins. That’s a lot different than bringing judgment. It’s a lot different than us trying to bring conviction. If we can connect them to the love of Christ, then the Holy Spirit will be able to do His work. We don’t have to do it for Him. In fact, if we try we probably do more harm than good. That’s how most of the world got the wrong view of the church.

Changing the subject, it’s interesting writing a list of 25 things that you would do if money and time were no object. I got my list and then I realized that I used money as no object, but I didn’t give myself unlimited time. I might have to go back and revise my list. Anyway, most of my dreams and visions are on that list along with other things I would really like to do. I did write my life’s mission statement today. I had done it once before at school. I think it is similar to what I had said before, just a little different. Here it is: My mission in life is to restore, empower and release the next generation into their destiny by leading them to the heart of the Father. I believe that it is focused enough. I can do many things to accomplish it. I still see a company of fathers releasing the Father’s heart and the goodness of God to youth who feel fatherless. It should be a fun season.

It will be interesting walking that out. I also see mission and ministry trips to Latin America as well as Europe. Sozo will play an important role. There is not much time. Time is my most important possession and I must use it more wisely than I have been using it. Well, that’s it for tonight. Time for a little R&R.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Facing the Wall

We had Don Potter with us at school for the past two nights. It was a great time. Don Potter is a very gifted musician/worship leader. I sort of expected him to talk about worship, and sing/lead worship. I was very surprised. Yes, he did sing a couple of songs over the two nights, but basically he spoke to us from the heart of a father. He was basically talking to future leaders, pointing out some traps and potholes. It was a great two nights, and I learned a lot. He wasn’t afraid to take on controversial topics, and it was very interesting listening to him.

On Sunday, he spent time telling a little about his history and walk with God. There was a time in his life when Father God wouldn’t let him play or sing for anyone. Don said that God told him just to spend time playing to Him, and Him alone. He told him to sit facing a certain wall in his house, and wait upon the presence of God. It was the time facing the wall where Don really learned to hear God, and even more, to learn more about the Father’s heart. It was there just ministering to the Lord that Don wrote some of his best worship music as God revealed himself to him.

I’m thinking tonight that Papa wants me to spend some time just “facing the wall”. I’ve been so busy this last week in particular that I haven’t really had time just to soak and worship Him. So I plan on spending some time in the morning just “Beholding the Beloved”. The funny thing is, I know that I will be blessed in the process. We probably all need to spend time just facing the wall, allowing the bridegroom to woo us into a deeper love with Him. The tendency, especially in our western culture is to work, work, work. We are all Martha’s when Jesus is looking for Mary’s.

Tonight I was facing the wall in a different sense. We had our first advanced prophetic AMT, and it was so much fun. Our teachers were talking to us about really going after the gold in people, and that as we learn to prophecy; we should go deeper for even more gold. We had about 45 minutes of teaching and sharing and then 45 minutes of activation (or practice). The activation time is a time of learning, It’s a time where we give words, but then we are asked questions about what we were meaning, and how to go even deeper. It can be intimidating if you let it, but it is a safe place to learn and grow.

One of the exercises was to have a volunteer face the wall and someone else comes up behind the person. The one facing the wall then has to get a prophetic word for the other person with out seeing them. What it does is makes you learn not to get words from just looking at a person. Well tonight I was one of the volunteers. I was sort of intimidated, and I was just praying, “Help!” I knew that I had nothing, and if Holy Spirit didn’t lead me, I wouldn’t have anything worth saying. Well Holy spirit showed up, giving me a picture and an interpretation to the picture so that the word blessed the person, and He used me. It was great, and I did learn some things as the leaders asked questions while I was giving the word, which took it to a deeper and more meaningful level. I can see it is going to be a fun class.

I am so blessed to be able to be in this school. To be immersed in this culture of risk taking and freedom is giving me so much life. I just want to see this freedom and love spread through the body of Christ. It is so needed. God is good. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM. Freedom to learn, love and yes, even fail. It is such a great time to be alive. It’s also going to be good to have a few days off.