Romans 8:15 – 17 This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!
So, we have to realize who we are. Tomorrow night at school, I am speaking on identity. Steve spoke on it at the retreat, and I think that two or three more people will speak on it after me, but tomorrow is my night. I’m in the process of forming up my talk. I know that this passage in Romans 8 is key to understanding who we are. We are Son’s and Daughters of the King, and being so, we have an unbelievable inheritance. We should really be living life as an adventure, going form glory to glory as we press into all that He has for us. If you read all of Romans 8, you realize all that Christ has done for us, and you also begin to get the picture of who we are in the eyes of our Father.
He is calling us to co-labor with Him in bring His Kingdom here on the earth. We are not supposed to wait until Heaven, but help bring Heaven down her onto the earth. It only begins to make sense when you go back to Genesis, and begin to understant the nature and the depth of the calling that Papa gave Adam and Eve. They were to subdue the earth. They were to be fruitful and multiply. There were to be friends with God and walk with Him. It was their destiny to rule and reoign with Him over the earth as they expanded His Kingdom. Well, let me tell you, nothing has changed. That is still the calling that we have.
The good news is that Jesus, the second Adam, has come and taken back the keys that Adam and Eve gave to Satan. We have the authority, through Jesus, to act like we aere supposed to act, to be who we were supposed to be. The main problem is that most of the church has bought into the half truth that “I’m just a sinner saved by grace”. Yes, you are a sinner saved by grace, but you are not JUST a sinner. You are so much more than that. You are saved by grace. But Grace is so much more than just for salvation. Grace is what empowers you to do His will when you don’t have the resources. Grace is what empowers us to do everything that God tells us. It’s what lets us press into so much more than we can imagine. It does give us freedom.but in sop many more ways ahd things than we could have ever imagined.
So, our true identity lies in Him. How we see Him affects how we see ourselves. Don’t be afraid to press into things that you have no earthly reason to expect to change. With God, all things are possible, and there is no limit to what we can accomplish. He is our source, our lover and our life. We are brothers and Sisters in Christ, joint heirs for the King’s inheritance. What an awesome inheritance it will be. We can truly come to Him and ask Him “what’s next?” Don’t be afraid, He loves to tell you little clues.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Warm and Cozy
As much as things are changing, it’s nice for some things to remain the same; at least for now. Today is October 1st, and a tinge of fall is in the air. We just got back from dinner and fall is definitely in the air. In fact, it seemed down right cold outside. So, I came in to write my blog and really wanted to start a fire in the fireplace. So I did. Now I probably could get by without it, but I don’t know how many more nights I will be able to sit in this living room in my rocking chair by the fire. It’s not just warm and cozy temperature wise, I know that it is warm and cozy in my spirit.
I can’t think of how many nights I’ve sat just like this writing, thinking, praying and dreaming. This is a place where dreams have been formulated and where grief has been released. It’s a place where love has come to fruition as I began to think and dream about life again and Sheryl arrived on the scene. Yes, it is nice and cozy right here, and I will definitely miss it, so I will take advantage of the night.
That’s the way life is, it really is about change and our willingness to give up what is comfortable in order to press into what is new. The new might be much better than the old, but it’s still hard to do that and remain open to be loved and giving love. I just sit here looking at the fire and listening to music. The only difference is that Sheryl is here with me, but that does make all the difference, It’s the first time she has been here with the fire going. Her first time to experience all that I have experienced; watching the flame dance among the logs while you feel the warmth on the side of your face arms and legs.
In another month or so we will probably be sitting by another fire, in another house. Sure, it will be good, but it won’t be the same, will it? But that’s OK. It’s good to look back at the blessings you have had, and my time here in my rocker by the fire has been a blessing. But more than that, it’s time to move forward. I’m definitely ready for that too. October is a time of season change. Once again, the seasons in my life are changing. These are good changes, but changes nonetheless. Today we were cleaning out the basement and I came across some random stuff that really brought back the past. It was OK, but I know that it is time to move forward, and part of that move is the actual act of moving. I’m not looking forward to all the packing, but it will pass fast, just like the rest of life is doing right now. Well. It’s going to be an early night. I have a 3AM wake up for work in the morning. The good news is I will still be able to go to church tomorrow.
I can’t think of how many nights I’ve sat just like this writing, thinking, praying and dreaming. This is a place where dreams have been formulated and where grief has been released. It’s a place where love has come to fruition as I began to think and dream about life again and Sheryl arrived on the scene. Yes, it is nice and cozy right here, and I will definitely miss it, so I will take advantage of the night.
That’s the way life is, it really is about change and our willingness to give up what is comfortable in order to press into what is new. The new might be much better than the old, but it’s still hard to do that and remain open to be loved and giving love. I just sit here looking at the fire and listening to music. The only difference is that Sheryl is here with me, but that does make all the difference, It’s the first time she has been here with the fire going. Her first time to experience all that I have experienced; watching the flame dance among the logs while you feel the warmth on the side of your face arms and legs.
In another month or so we will probably be sitting by another fire, in another house. Sure, it will be good, but it won’t be the same, will it? But that’s OK. It’s good to look back at the blessings you have had, and my time here in my rocker by the fire has been a blessing. But more than that, it’s time to move forward. I’m definitely ready for that too. October is a time of season change. Once again, the seasons in my life are changing. These are good changes, but changes nonetheless. Today we were cleaning out the basement and I came across some random stuff that really brought back the past. It was OK, but I know that it is time to move forward, and part of that move is the actual act of moving. I’m not looking forward to all the packing, but it will pass fast, just like the rest of life is doing right now. Well. It’s going to be an early night. I have a 3AM wake up for work in the morning. The good news is I will still be able to go to church tomorrow.
Leadership
So many of us think that leadership is telling someone what to do and watching them do it. That’s not leadership. Leadership is actually getting down and helping, leading the way in accomplishing the task at hand. You lead by doing and serving. It seems that many people when they hear that we are wanting to bring the Kingdom of God to the earth and infiltrate every area of life have the idea that we want to is to take over and boss people around. That couldn’t be farther from the truce. Kingdom Leadership is serving and coming alongside someone to help them fulfill their dreams and destiny.
Tonight we saw a good movie that represented good servant leadership. It was Battle for Los Angeles” and it was definitely about leadership. This Marine staff sergeant used his leadership abilities to help his team survive and to overcome the terrors that were eating at them. He led by example and by putting himself out in harms way to get the tasks’ accomplished. In the Kingdom of God, that’s how we lead.
Think about your style of leadership. Is it Kingdom? Or is it more of the bullying kind that this world seems to offer as the norm. We can make a difference, but we have to start by showing them something different. If we don’t, who will.
Tonight we saw a good movie that represented good servant leadership. It was Battle for Los Angeles” and it was definitely about leadership. This Marine staff sergeant used his leadership abilities to help his team survive and to overcome the terrors that were eating at them. He led by example and by putting himself out in harms way to get the tasks’ accomplished. In the Kingdom of God, that’s how we lead.
Think about your style of leadership. Is it Kingdom? Or is it more of the bullying kind that this world seems to offer as the norm. We can make a difference, but we have to start by showing them something different. If we don’t, who will.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Melting Pot
Tonight I took Sheryl out on a date. Well, maybe she took me. Anyway she got a coupon a couple of months ago for 50 dollars worth of food for 25 dollars. So tonight we went down to the one in Kennesaw. It was a lot of fun, although it cost a lot more than the 50 dollars. WE had cheese fondue, then the meats, which consisted of Ahi Tuna, Steak, chicken and shrimp. There was more than enough and we ate as much as we wanted and there was still food left over. Then we topped the night off with dark chocolate fondue with strawberries, bananas; cheesecake and pound cake. It was an excellent meal.
But why do people pay such high prices for such a meal. Yes it was good, but the food alone wasn’t so good that it was worth that price. I believe the reason they pay it is the experience. The experience is much more than the food, in fact the food is a minor player. The real experience is taking time for dinner. It took us almost 1 ½ hours to eat. That id probably twice as long as the average person spends eating, even if they are eating out. The greatest part of the experience is really about building relationship. Can you imagine if we all took the time to talk with one another over the fondue pot. Spending that much time just talking and listening over a fondue pot is bound to make a big impression your date. It’s the same way with Him as we begin to push out of our comfort zone.
So many of us, me included, don’t want to watch life pass us by. Sure, I love to minister to the hurting. I do it in sozo and in school. As much as I like to minister, there is more to having a balanced life in God. That means that I need to schedule time with my wife just for fun. Tonight is more than just about the food, as good as it was. It was about quality time together. Time to just talk and think about the future together. It was a time to talk about the kids and grandkids. It was a time to dream about seeing them and loving on them too. It was a night to talk about moving and all that entails. It was really about just enjoying the experience together, alone.
Life is busy and it’s hard to find time to really stop and smell the roses. Tonight we were able just to sit back and rest in His goodness, reflecting on everything that He has given us. We didn’t have to verbalize it, it just happened. I have to look for these moments and take advantage of them when they arise. So tonight the Melting Pot was much more than a resteraunt. It was a place where hearts could connect in a deeper and slower way. It was a place to bring up dreams and look at our destiny. The journey is so important, but sometimes we have to just sit back and reflect not only on where we are going, but where we have been. That’s really what tonight was all about. And in the midst of doing that, we got to eat some awesome food.
But why do people pay such high prices for such a meal. Yes it was good, but the food alone wasn’t so good that it was worth that price. I believe the reason they pay it is the experience. The experience is much more than the food, in fact the food is a minor player. The real experience is taking time for dinner. It took us almost 1 ½ hours to eat. That id probably twice as long as the average person spends eating, even if they are eating out. The greatest part of the experience is really about building relationship. Can you imagine if we all took the time to talk with one another over the fondue pot. Spending that much time just talking and listening over a fondue pot is bound to make a big impression your date. It’s the same way with Him as we begin to push out of our comfort zone.
So many of us, me included, don’t want to watch life pass us by. Sure, I love to minister to the hurting. I do it in sozo and in school. As much as I like to minister, there is more to having a balanced life in God. That means that I need to schedule time with my wife just for fun. Tonight is more than just about the food, as good as it was. It was about quality time together. Time to just talk and think about the future together. It was a time to talk about the kids and grandkids. It was a time to dream about seeing them and loving on them too. It was a night to talk about moving and all that entails. It was really about just enjoying the experience together, alone.
Life is busy and it’s hard to find time to really stop and smell the roses. Tonight we were able just to sit back and rest in His goodness, reflecting on everything that He has given us. We didn’t have to verbalize it, it just happened. I have to look for these moments and take advantage of them when they arise. So tonight the Melting Pot was much more than a resteraunt. It was a place where hearts could connect in a deeper and slower way. It was a place to bring up dreams and look at our destiny. The journey is so important, but sometimes we have to just sit back and reflect not only on where we are going, but where we have been. That’s really what tonight was all about. And in the midst of doing that, we got to eat some awesome food.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Loving Life
What do you find yourself doing when things get so busy? I know that this season of our lives is very busy. We seem to be so involved with school, sozo and just every aspect of life. Plus the driving back and forth between Newnan and up here definitely takes its toll. Today Sheryl came up after doing a sozo and we were able to go out and exercise. She walked while I ran. I am in terrible shape. I don’t have time to run, it seems like I am always in the car. This can’t continue this way.
The good news is that it won’t. We will be moving Sheryl out of her place on October 15th. We have rented a house in Peachtree City. It is 10 – 15 minutes from school and probably about a half hour to the airport. Church is about 20 minutes away, and I-85 is about 15 minutes away. It is a great location because of the quick access to everything, plus it has all the cart paths and running trails. It will be a great place to live.
Even in the midst of all the business, I love life. There is never a dull moment. Everyday is different and exciting. I know that for many years, I took life for granted. No more. I just want to savor every day as a new adventure. Life is just too short to not get all you can get out of it. I just wish I could be at more than one place at one time. I would be in Alaska with Lisa, in Florida with Jennifer and in Atlanta doing what we are doing here. Oh yes, I would be in California with Levi too. Everything that we want to do is here, but there is so much we would like to do with everyone else too.
So, I guess I will close. Life is good and God is better. It’s his life and His love that cause us to want to do so much. I can’t imagine being less involved; it would be so boring. Well, life is anything but boring. Oh, I forgot, we have to move both houses in our spare time. Yes, Life is definitely happening, the pace is picking up and the good news is Aslan is on the move!
The good news is that it won’t. We will be moving Sheryl out of her place on October 15th. We have rented a house in Peachtree City. It is 10 – 15 minutes from school and probably about a half hour to the airport. Church is about 20 minutes away, and I-85 is about 15 minutes away. It is a great location because of the quick access to everything, plus it has all the cart paths and running trails. It will be a great place to live.
Even in the midst of all the business, I love life. There is never a dull moment. Everyday is different and exciting. I know that for many years, I took life for granted. No more. I just want to savor every day as a new adventure. Life is just too short to not get all you can get out of it. I just wish I could be at more than one place at one time. I would be in Alaska with Lisa, in Florida with Jennifer and in Atlanta doing what we are doing here. Oh yes, I would be in California with Levi too. Everything that we want to do is here, but there is so much we would like to do with everyone else too.
So, I guess I will close. Life is good and God is better. It’s his life and His love that cause us to want to do so much. I can’t imagine being less involved; it would be so boring. Well, life is anything but boring. Oh, I forgot, we have to move both houses in our spare time. Yes, Life is definitely happening, the pace is picking up and the good news is Aslan is on the move!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sharing Thoughts and Memories
This afternoon I met with a friend who lost his wife not long ago. He wanted to talk and share. Basically I think that he needed to have someone who understood where he was, agree with him. Or at lest give him some prospective on what I thought. It was a good time of sharing about God and His goodness. This guy has very similar views of God, and he really needed to talk with someone who agreed with him.
You see, there really aren’t that many of us in the church, especially in the south that believe as passionately about the goodness of God as we do. He was wondering if something was wrong with him because he was beginning not to grieve as much, and yet those in his “grief counseling” class have been grieving for years. I shared my situation and how I felt God gave me joy even in the midst of grief. I shared that I was healed by the release of joy, even in the midst of grief. I could see that he was still questioning himself and trying to figure out what went “wrong” in her healing. I know the questions that go through your mind. Questions like, did I pray enough? Was there some sin in my life or her life that kept her from receiving? There could be thousands of questions if you give them space to form and entertain them. But what good do the questions do? They can’t bring her back. All they can do is to answer whys that we weren’t intended to answer. Things reserved for heaven.
I didn’t go to any grief counseling sessions. I don’t necessarily think that they are bad, it’s just that Holy Spirit said He wanted to be my grief counselor. That has to be far greater than any support group out there. He bypassed some of the stages of grief, but are there really seven stages? Or is it five? Or three? I don’t know, I didn’t count them. All I know is that I was so connected to the Father that there was nothing that I couldn’t handle with the ease of a pen. It’s Holy Spirit that expands your heart so that you can love again when you never thought that you would be able to. He did that for Sheryl and me. He gave me such a deep capacity to love her and yet to not dampen my love for Julia.
I told my friend that he would love again, and that his capacity to love would be so much greater than he has ever imagined. I think the fact that I had remarried and found life again was the most encouraging thing that he got out of our talk. It was good to see a man who believes in the goodness of God. It’s good to see someone who goes after healing and presses in of more of the Holy Spirit, even when he doesn’t understand. Yes, today I met a fellow journeyman in the middle of life’s most tragic event, and I was blessed to see his response. It’s good to know that others exist out there. I know that there are others in my stream of the Kingdom, but to fine others in different streams is really encouraging. The Lord is doing a work, and it is beginning to transcend denominational and traditional lines. Today was a good day.
You see, there really aren’t that many of us in the church, especially in the south that believe as passionately about the goodness of God as we do. He was wondering if something was wrong with him because he was beginning not to grieve as much, and yet those in his “grief counseling” class have been grieving for years. I shared my situation and how I felt God gave me joy even in the midst of grief. I shared that I was healed by the release of joy, even in the midst of grief. I could see that he was still questioning himself and trying to figure out what went “wrong” in her healing. I know the questions that go through your mind. Questions like, did I pray enough? Was there some sin in my life or her life that kept her from receiving? There could be thousands of questions if you give them space to form and entertain them. But what good do the questions do? They can’t bring her back. All they can do is to answer whys that we weren’t intended to answer. Things reserved for heaven.
I didn’t go to any grief counseling sessions. I don’t necessarily think that they are bad, it’s just that Holy Spirit said He wanted to be my grief counselor. That has to be far greater than any support group out there. He bypassed some of the stages of grief, but are there really seven stages? Or is it five? Or three? I don’t know, I didn’t count them. All I know is that I was so connected to the Father that there was nothing that I couldn’t handle with the ease of a pen. It’s Holy Spirit that expands your heart so that you can love again when you never thought that you would be able to. He did that for Sheryl and me. He gave me such a deep capacity to love her and yet to not dampen my love for Julia.
I told my friend that he would love again, and that his capacity to love would be so much greater than he has ever imagined. I think the fact that I had remarried and found life again was the most encouraging thing that he got out of our talk. It was good to see a man who believes in the goodness of God. It’s good to see someone who goes after healing and presses in of more of the Holy Spirit, even when he doesn’t understand. Yes, today I met a fellow journeyman in the middle of life’s most tragic event, and I was blessed to see his response. It’s good to know that others exist out there. I know that there are others in my stream of the Kingdom, but to fine others in different streams is really encouraging. The Lord is doing a work, and it is beginning to transcend denominational and traditional lines. Today was a good day.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Spiritual Sons and Daughters
Where is our destiny? What is our inheritance? These are two questions that are being discussed by many of us as we go after the Kingdom of God. We are realizing that the only way for revival to continue more than one generation is to pass it on to the next generation. That is what I am attempting to do in this school. As I grow older, my destiny becomes less important and my inheritance has become more important. But the more I think about it, the more that I realize that in many ways they are one in the same.
My destiny is tied up in training and releasing revivalists. But at the same time, in order to train and release them, I have to become a Father to most of them. This is the generation that is so caught up in an orphan spirit. Just looking at the students as we ministered last night I could tell that many, if not most, of them were dealing with that spirit. As we prayed for the new students this weekend, I believe that this was one of the main issues that each of them were facing. It doesn’t seem to matter what their background was, they all seemed to be dealing with an orphan spirit. Sure, those with good families weren’t dealing with it as strongly as the others, but they still seemed to be dealing with it.
I think it is just so prevalent in our country that we will catch some of it just by being in the air as we live and breath. I ministered to a lot, maybe 25 – 30 and although I might not have dealt with it; it was there in each of them. The need for Spiritual Fathers and Mothers has never been so great. So what does that look like? I think I am living it out right now. For me, it looks like this weekend; pouring my life out as I love each of them and let them know that my love really has no strings attached. I don’t know how many people I hugged and just loved on this weekend. It seems that that is what I spent most of my time doing. Sure. I got to preach and prophecy, but what these kids really need is someone to encourage and to direct them while giving them freedom. I guess I really learned to be a spiritual father by being a natural father.
I believe it is a father’s role to train, empower, give wings and watch them fly. I never want to do anything to hold or keep my daughters from going after their destiny and neither would I want to do anything but empower and encourage these kids. Yes, most of my job in first year is something I am well prepared for; just be a dad to all, even if they are older than me. I think I can do that, Jennifer and Lisa nave taught me well.
My destiny is tied up in training and releasing revivalists. But at the same time, in order to train and release them, I have to become a Father to most of them. This is the generation that is so caught up in an orphan spirit. Just looking at the students as we ministered last night I could tell that many, if not most, of them were dealing with that spirit. As we prayed for the new students this weekend, I believe that this was one of the main issues that each of them were facing. It doesn’t seem to matter what their background was, they all seemed to be dealing with an orphan spirit. Sure, those with good families weren’t dealing with it as strongly as the others, but they still seemed to be dealing with it.
I think it is just so prevalent in our country that we will catch some of it just by being in the air as we live and breath. I ministered to a lot, maybe 25 – 30 and although I might not have dealt with it; it was there in each of them. The need for Spiritual Fathers and Mothers has never been so great. So what does that look like? I think I am living it out right now. For me, it looks like this weekend; pouring my life out as I love each of them and let them know that my love really has no strings attached. I don’t know how many people I hugged and just loved on this weekend. It seems that that is what I spent most of my time doing. Sure. I got to preach and prophecy, but what these kids really need is someone to encourage and to direct them while giving them freedom. I guess I really learned to be a spiritual father by being a natural father.
I believe it is a father’s role to train, empower, give wings and watch them fly. I never want to do anything to hold or keep my daughters from going after their destiny and neither would I want to do anything but empower and encourage these kids. Yes, most of my job in first year is something I am well prepared for; just be a dad to all, even if they are older than me. I think I can do that, Jennifer and Lisa nave taught me well.
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