THE TEARS THAT BRING JOY

THE TEARS THAT BRING JOY

Ironically the shortest verse of scripture (and arguably the saddest) is “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)  It is a striking emotional portrait of Jesus Christ, standing before the burial site of his dear friend, Lazarus.  While the number of words recorded here by John, the apostle of love, is modest; their significance is indeed monumental.  It is the clearest and most concise declaration of one key aspect of the person and work of Jesus.  That is, in CHRIST, we have A HIGH PRIEST who is “touched by the feeling of our infirmities.” (Hebrews 4:15)

Dictionary.com defines “INFIRMITY” as “a physical weakness or ailment” (or) “a lack of strength” (or) “a moral weakness or failing.”  Relative to us, Jesus Christ directly connects with every part of that definition.  As ‘VERY MAN,’ Jesus is intrinsically clothed in our humanity.  In other words, HE GETS US.  As ‘VERY GOD,’ Jesus has limitless power to totally transform our human conditions and circumstances.  In other words, HE CHANGES US.  Through Christ, our minds are transformed; our ailments become healings; our weaknesses become strengths; our failures (moral or otherwise) become undeniable victories.

I hope that you do not think me insensitive or unkind when I admit to you that I am hilariously happy that JESUS WEPT.  For his tears not only form the preamble to Lazarus’ resurrection, they become the catalyst for our regeneration, restoration, renewal and rejoicing.  Because JESUS WEPT, we can “glory in tribulations.” (Romans 5:3)  Because JESUS WEPT, we can “count it all joy.” (James 1:2)  Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Regardless of what you are experiencing at this hour, be aware that YOU are the constant concern of THE COMPASSIONATE CHRIST.  As a matter of fact, you should absolutely feel free to cast “all your cares upon him” with full assurance that (no matter what) “he cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7)  Bottom-line: “Weeping may endure for a night, but JOY COMES IN THE MORNING.” (Psalm 30:5)

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST

CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST

Have you ever become frustrated at the seemingly slow pace of progress in your life?  In this era of ‘microwave mentality,’ it is sometimes challenging to wrap our minds around the fact that GOD WORKS THROUGH PROCESS.  In other words, the changes HE institutes in our lives are often implemented over extended periods of time, through a multitude of life experiences.  Bottom-line: We cannot always trace God’s hand, but we must consistently trust His heart and His plan.

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson.  Each morning, Grandpa rose early and sat at the kitchen table reading his old worn-out Bible.  His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him any way possible.  One day the grandson said, “Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book.  So what good does reading the Bible do for me?”

The grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.”  The boy did just as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back home.

The grandfather laughed and said, “You will have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.

This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home.  Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was “impossible to carry water in a basket,” and he went to get a bucket instead.  The old man insisted, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water.  You can do this.  You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he watched from the window as his grandson attempted to please him again.

But at that point, the boy knew it was impossible, and he just wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got very far at all.  The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.  Out of breath, he wheezed, “See Papa, I told you that it’s useless!”

“So you think it is useless?” the old man said.  “Look down at the basket.”  The young lad examined the basket and for the first time realized that it looked quite different.  Instead of the dirty old coal basket he had first received, the one he held in his hands was now completely clean.

“Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bible.  You might not understand or remember everything right away, but if you keep on reading, IT WILL SURELY CHANGE YOU…FROM THE INSIDE OUT.”

That is the work of THE FATHER in our lives.  He changes us from the inside out, slowly transforming us into the image of HIS SON. (Romans 8:29)  Therefore, we must resist the temptation to become exasperated or frustrated by the cadence and content of our change.  Ultimately, we are in the hands of THE MASTER POTTER and we will be fashioned into the finished product that pleases Him and edifies His Kingdom. (Jeremiah 18:1-6)

The Apostle Paul sums it up succinctly: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)

Let THE CHANGE begin…and let THE CHANGER manage the timing and details of THE PROCESS!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

PURSUE YOUR UNIQUE DREAM

PURSUE YOUR UNIQUE DREAM

FAITH is a profoundly personal and powerful commodity.  As such, it should always be grounded in God’s Word, i.e. it must be based upon what THE CREATOR has purposefully spoken and seeded within, not on the outside limiting opinions of others.  After all, only THE MANUFACTURER is in position to reveal the ultimate purpose of what HE has created.  So throughout our lives, despite adverse circumstances or setbacks, we must have inner knowledge and supreme confidence that whatever GOD has spoken over us will ultimately come to pass.  To assure that a heavenly vision would be reflected on and remembered, God instructed the prophet Habakkuk to “write the vision, and make it plain…that he may run that reads it.” (Habakkuk 2:2)  To wit, it is of strategic importance to record your dream and to share it (only) with faith-filled dreamers.

Kingdom Principle Number One: YOUR LIFE-VISION IS FOR AN APPOINTED TIME. The fulfillment of your dream will manifest at the intersection of CHRONOS (man’s time) and KAIROS (God’s time).  According to David, a blessed wo/man “brings forth fruit in HIS/HER SEASON.” (Psalm 1:3)  Please do not allow impatience or frustration to abort either your vision or the actualization of Heaven’s earthly prospects for you.

Kingdom Principle Number Two: YOUR LIFE-VISION MUST BE AN ACCURATE REFLECTION OF GOD’S WORD.  Whatever the Holy Spirit has communicated during your private time of prayer and devotions must be carefully confirmed and authenticated in the Word.  If there are any contradictions at all, you must revisit and reconfigure your dream.  If it is of GOD, it will surely stand the tests of time and trouble.  If not…well you already know.

Kingdom Principle Number Three: YOUR LIFE-VISION WILL SURELY COME TO PASS.  Although it is somewhat cliché, it is unquestionable truth: ‘DELAYED DOES NOT MEAN DENIED.’  Jesus Christ advised, “In your patience, possess ye your souls.” (Luke 21:19)  God’s admonition to Habakkuk is confirmation of the same: “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” (Habakkuk 2:3)

So never be afraid or hesitant to become DREAMERS…DOERS…PIONEERS…and TRAILBLAZERS.  Why?  Since God is the epitome of creativity, He forges and fosters distinctive plans and paths for all His children.  Therefore, nothing in the Kingdom of God should ever become a ‘cookie-cutter approach.’  In fact, winner-believers are as unique as snowflakes; no two of us carry exactly the same marks or mission.  Although we all must submit to ONE LORD, subscribe to ONE FAITH, and drink of ONE BAPTISM (Ephesians 4:5), GOD has sown an endless array of variety into His world – and into us.  Bottom-line: THE LORD OF LIFE wants to use you and me in imaginative and particular ways.  So we are obliged to keep on dreaming – to keep on reaching – even when others cannot perceive or receive the magnitude of our life-visions.

The infinite diversity of our dreams reminds me of THE MOTH WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH A STAR.  All his friends and relatives mocked him.  Every day, they told him he was being totally unrealistic, and urged him to focus his efforts on some local, possible, attainable goal: a street lamp, a porch light, a candle, a lantern, or even a chandelier.  But this moth was truly in love with his star, and he steadfastly refused to give up.  Unfortunately, his pals, parents and siblings soon burned themselves out swarming around local and readily accessible lights, ending their days as charred bits of ash on sidewalks, porches, tables and floors.  But our moth enjoyed a lengthy, happy and healthy life in endless pursuit of his distant star.  Perhaps he never achieved his objective, but in some sense, the journey is just as important as the destination.  Truth is, those small goals can be more detrimental and risky than more expansive ones.  SO GO FOR IT!  Never listen to the negative voices (either without or within) that affirm any doubt, delay or denial of whatever GOD HAS EVER SPOKEN.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

THE WONDROUS MYSTERY OF JOHN 3:16

THE WONDROUS MYSTERY OF JOHN 3:16

In the windy city of Chicago, a huge winter blizzard was on the way.  A little boy was trying his best to sell newspapers on a street corner as people quickly raced by due to the severe cold.  The little boy was freezing and wasn’t selling any papers at all.  He walked up to a policeman and said, “Sir, you wouldn’t happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep, would you?  I sleep in a box in the alley and it will be awfully cold tonight.  It sure would be nice to sleep in a warm place during the storm.”

The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, “You go down the street to that big white house and knock on the door.  When they open the door, you just say John 3:16 and they will let you in.”

The little boy mustered up sufficient courage to try.  He walked up the steps, knocked on the door, and an aging lady answered.  The hopeful child looked up at the woman, and just as he was told, he said “John 3:16.”  The old lady simply smiled and welcomed him.  “Come on in, son.”

She took him in and sat him down in a rocker in front of a blazing fireplace, then walked away.  He sat there for a while and thought to himself, “John 3:16...I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.”

Later the lady came back and asked invitingly, “Child, are you hungry?”  He said, “Well, I haven’t eaten in a couple of days and I could stand a bit of food.”  The lady took him into her kitchen and sat him down to a table filled with delicious food.  He ate and ate until he couldn’t eat more.  Then he thought to himself, “John 3:16...I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full.”

She took him upstairs to a bathroom with a huge bathtub filled with warm water.  And as he sat there soaking, he thought to himself, “John 3:16...I don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean.  I haven’t had a real bath in years.  The only bath I remember is when I stand in front of that big fire hydrant as they flush it out.”

The lady came in to get him.  She escorted him to the guest bedroom, where she tucked him into a soft feather bed, kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights.  As he laid there in the darkness, looking out the window at the snow pouring down outside, he thought to himself, “John 3:16...I don’t understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy feel rested.”

The next morning, the woman came back and took him down to that same kitchen table, filled with food.  After the little boy ate, she led him to that same rocker in front of the fireplace, took out a Bible, sat near him and asked, “Do you understand John 3:16?”

The little boy answered honestly, “No, Ma’am, I don’t.  The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it when I knocked at your door.”

The woman opened her Bible to John 3:16, and she began to tell the little boy about Jesus Christ.  And right there, in front of that old fireplace, he gave his heart and his life to Jesus.  Afterwards, he sat there alone and he thought, “John 3:16…I don't fully understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe.”

You know, after a lifetime of reading and studying the scriptures, I must be totally transparent and admit that I don’t completely understand it either.  How could one ever fathom how GOD would be willing to send HIS SON to die in our place, or how THE SON would ever agree to offer such a sacrificial gift?  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16…I don’t fully understand it either, but it sure makes life worth living.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

THE THREE "F'S" OF LIFE

THE THREE “F’s” OF LIFE

I read an interesting article by Michael A. Adeniyi.  I thought it would be nice to share it with you, so it’s reprinted in its entirety below.  Enjoy!

FAITH and FEAR are significant measures that determine the FUTURE.  

Faith and fear are actually infectious because they both spread like epidemics, so you must be very careful about the things you listen to and the people with whom you choose to associate.  Many people have allowed the faithless words of others to drive them into despair, by which they end up in future failure.

What is FAITH?

F - Future
A - Actions
I -   Intended and expected
T - To
H - Happen

What is FEAR?

F - Fake
E - Evidence
A - Appearing
R - Real

Thus, a person with fear is actually cowardly because “a coward dies ten times before their death.”

Here is a true story that confirms this fact.  A man started running down the street of his town shouting, “The dam has broken.”  Women shopping in the supermarket heard the scream, dropped their grocery baskets and joined him.  Men in shops and offices heard the mob and joined in, as did police and firemen.  Soon the street was filled with people screaming, “The dam has broken!”  One old man ran as fast and far has he could and then sat down on the curb for a moment and thought, “I've lived here all my life.  What dam?”

The truth was quite simple.  There was no dam.  There was no danger.

A short while later the citizens came shuffling back into town, collectively embarrassed by their irrational response to fear.  Some suffered physically from the stampede; some even died.  Thankfully, most lived to see another day.  Lesson learned.  Reject fear and choose faith to create a better present and future.

What is the FUTURE?

F - Focused
U - Understood
T - Timing
U - Used to
R - Realize
E – Expectations

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (II Timothy 1:7)

No fear…just faith…blessed future.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

THE WARRIOR WITHIN

THE WARRIOR WITHIN

In the face of opposition or difficult circumstances, we could be tempted by the enemy of our souls to doubt the goodness, greatness and sovereignty of God.  During moments like these, we would do well to reflect on one of the most powerful directives in the Holy Writ: “Fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (I Timothy 6:12)

Kiplimo Chemirmir, a Kenyan warrior, is convinced that there is an awesome and untapped power that resides within each of us.  Prayerfully consider his courageous words:

Tough people dare when others doubt.  Believe in yourself for the walls around you do not define the will within you.  See everything that you face in life as a test; face it because your heart wants what’s beyond it. Embrace your results and never give less than what you expect, and always remember that in your own way you are powerful.  You can do it, and you are a champion.

In my tribe we believe that beneath our skin stands a warrior.  Our ultimate belief is that there’s a shield and spear that is grasped by the warrior within us, which must always hang on the wall of our hearts.  We can only use them to protect ourselves and never hurt anyone in any way at all; to fight bravely but only for peace and victory that builds our lives from poverty and all that weakens us.

We must hunt for our goals and never cry when we are wounded by failure or disappointments.  Be brave and never forget to be wise with your strength because your greatest enemy is yourself, so make sure that the choices you make in life will not make you dig your own grave.

Never use that spear to beat or hurt yourself, nor use the shield to hide from your battles.  Use it for its purpose and for what is right.  Always fight a good fight when life brings you challenges, for sometimes life is a beast that must be tamed.  And, if this beast bring troubles that are mightier than your strength, remember a wise warrior listens keenly to those who advise him, but he never lets anyone decide for him.

You are the maker of your own destiny.  Fighting is in your spirit, valor is in your heart, endurance is in your blood – and this is why you must always believe in yourself, for deep within you stands a warrior who cannot be defeated.

You were born to be a warrior and this you will always will be; this is your birthright and you must not deny it.  So do not fail yourself because of fear, nor whatever is standing before you; the victorious fighter within will define you.

So fight back.  Strive for a better life, strive for peace, strive to become all you can be and never settle, for in life we are growing and always moving forward.  All is possible if you do not run away and always believe tenaciously in yourself.

In our tribe, I have become a warrior who is destined to be an elder.  A boy must go through a gruesome rite of passage; for me, it will take a book to write them all down, but the last day was the highlight of it.

I was fourteen years old when my time came.  The last week of the gruesome month of December was when I had to face a lion to complete the passage.  I remember that day like it was one second ago, standing breathless with my spear, a dagger on my hip, a quiver with twenty tranquilizing arrows hanging tightly on my back.

My bow fell somewhere while stalking the lion.  The lion turned back roaring and staring at me with fiery eyes that would pierce the soul of its prey.  Even lightning and thunder could never make my heart stop like in that moment.  But being there was not about courage; it was about destiny.

What made me stand strong and ready to charge is who I am, told by my elders and a powerful voice inside me.  I grew up being taught to believe in the warrior within.  It is hope, courage, strength and all that shapes a man to bring out his best, to rely on who he truly is, to triumph no matter the circumstances.

On that glorious day, the way the lion stared at me, I saw him as he saw me.  I could see a slice of fear on his face, which made me even braver.  I was only a young boy at that moment but I did not feel like I was a boy, or young, or weak or anything less.  I felt the spirit of the warrior breathing within, declaring “Today I will conquer the lion and I will roar through all the rest of my days!”

To this day defeat or failure never hurts because if I let them control me, I will be betraying the warrior’s path that I grew up following.  My friend, you are alive, just like the lion, you must never stop hunting.  But just like the warrior, you must never stop conquering and believing in the God who resides within.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

GOD'S GRACE...IT'S AMAZING!

GOD’S GRACE…IT’S AMAZING!

God’s unmerited favor bestowed lavishly upon us is revealed in a wide-ranging array of scriptural portraits.  I love the spectacular story of Mephibosheth because it is so characteristic and revealing of the Father’s nature.  How special it is for God-in-Christ to touch and transform us through agape love, thus making the ultimate sacrifice for our safety, security and salvation!  And how utterly marvelous it is that He encounters us in those places where we reside, and transports us to providential palaces of peace and provision.

Although David was a bona fide champion of Israel, he had become increasingly despised by King Saul.  The king was motivated by fierce jealousy; and, the Word declares that “jealousy is cruel as the grave.” (Song of Solomon 8:6)  It fueled Saul’s dark determination to seek David’s total destruction.  However, the principles of sowing and reaping apply in every arena of life.  The Word declares, “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)  Thus, Saul’s animus toward David eventuated in his own death, and even in the death of Prince Jonathan, who was Saul’s beloved son and David’s closest friend.  There is a definite correlation between our deeds and the welfare of those connected to us; this we should never forget.  Nevertheless, I find it entirely fascinating that God provides refuge for His own in the least likely of places.  Who would have thought that David would experience such a remarkable friendship, so freely bestowed by the very offspring of his chief enemy?

I Samuel 19:1-3 (NKJV)
Now Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David; but Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted greatly in David.  So Jonathan told David, saying, “My father Saul seeks to kill you.  Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide.  And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you.  Then what I observe, I will tell you.”

In the aftermath of King Saul’s death, agape love motivated David to ask a rather unexpected question: “Is there anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (II Samuel 9:1)  In response, Ziba, one of Saul’s stewards, informed David of a surviving heir, the grandson of Saul and the son of Jonathan.  He bore a strange sounding name, Mephibosheth.  Not only was he dwelling in the god-forsaken city of Lodebar, he was physically handicapped as well.  Question: Why would the son of the prince of Israel dwell in such a terrible place?  Answer: FEAR is the ultimate mind-killer and the destroyer of destiny. Mephibosheth’s fear of retribution, coupled with anxiety regarding his physical state, moved him away from (not towards) the place of his heritage.  When summoned by King David, he arrived with great trepidation and trembling.

Remember this: Fear aggressively distorts the image of God in us.  It’s a highly effective satanic strategy that encases our perceptions within perverted prisms of doubt and despair, through which we come to view ourselves, others and the world around us.  Nevertheless, “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.” (II Timothy 1:7)  

One key to understanding Mephibosheth’s state-of-mind is the fact that his adverse life circumstances were caused by the negligence of others.  At the age of five, his nurse dropped him while fleeing in haste, resulting in his permanent foot disability.  So Mephibosheth arrived (with a limp) for his audience with the newly crowned king.  Incidentally, whenever GOD CALLS US TO HIS ROYAL COURTS, He is totally aware of our ‘LIMP.’  That is, He knows all about our sins, deficits and deficiencies.  Mephibosheth was profoundly shaken because he knew his grandfather had been King David’s archenemy.   He had the expectation that he would become a victim of revenge, based upon his unfortunate lineage and his obvious physical challenges.  Isn’t it characteristic of satanic deception to motivate us to LOOK ONLY AT WHAT IS NEGATIVE OR WHAT IS NOT PRESENT IN OUR LIVES, as opposed to the power and potential that IS present?  Mephibosheth’s fear caused a curious strain of spiritual amnesia.  He totally forgot that King David and his deceased father, Jonathan, were the very best of friends!

As Mephibosheth bowed before the king, his first words were a self-debasing question:  “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?”  What an incredibly distorted self-portrait he had painted!  Always remember that your first step toward spiritual liberation and blessing is to start seeing yourself as GOD sees you.  

Nevertheless, instead of pursuing anything punitive, the king offered what I call a GRACE-REWARD.  Summoning Ziba, King David decreed that Mephibosheth would inherit all the lands that had belonged to Saul and Jonathan.  Ziba, along with his fifteen sons and twenty servants, were held accountable to farm those lands and to pass along all profits to the self-proclaimed “dead dog,” Mephibosheth.  Also from that moment onward, Mephibosheth would live rent-free in the palace and dine daily with the king.  King David proclaimed “He shall eat at my table like one of the king’s sons.” (II Samuel 9:11)  What a miraculous manifestation of God’s grace!

Although your past captivity in sin and shame might make you feel at times like a “dead dog,” THE KING OF KINGS “RESTORES” YOUR SOUL (your mind, will, intellect, imagination and emotions) and extends to you His matchless, inimitable, everlasting and amazing grace. (Psalm 23:3)  And from that point onward, you COMMUNE DAILY AND FELLOWSHIP JOYFULLY IN HIS PRESENCE.  David had received such amazing grace from his HEAVENLY FATHER, and he paid-forward that same grace legacy by demonstrating mercy and kindness to his ‘apparently undeserving’ NEWLY-ADOPTED SON.  Here’s how David would have visualized the miracle of God’s grace: “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)  GOD’S GRACE…IT’S ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

THOSE WHO HONOR ME...

THOSE WHO HONOR ME…

In 1981, an exceptional inspirational film was released.  “Chariots of Fire,” set in the 1920’s, depicts a true story surrounding Great Britain’s national track team and their participation in the 1924 Summer Olympic Games held in Paris, France.  Eric Liddell, a citizen of Scotland and a Christian missionary, was absolutely thrilled to qualify as a member of Great Britain’s team.

While some members of Eric Liddell’s family disapproved, viewing the games as a distraction from his important work of ministry, Eric was steadfast in his insistence that his personal participation was the will of God.  In his words, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast.  And when I run, I feel His pleasure.  To give up running would be to hold Him in contempt.  To win is to HONOR HIM!”  Therefore, Eric was running (not to gain accolades or fame), but for the express purpose of HONORING GOD.  He had qualified to run in track and field’s premier sprinting event, the 100-meter race.  He was considered to be the odds on favorite to win against the likes of Jackson Sholz, the elite American sprinter.

However, as the British team sailed from London to Paris, Eric learned that the qualifying heat for the 100-meter race would be held on a Sunday.  This was most disheartening, because Eric and his family had unwavering convictions about honoring the Christian Sabbath.  He was convinced that there was no alternative but to drop out of the race.  And no matter who tried to dissuade Eric, or how aggressive their urgings, from the head of Great Britain’s Olympic Committee to the Crown Prince of Wales, he firmly refused to do that which he felt would DISHONOR GOD.

At the 11th hour, a door of opportunity opened for Eric to run in an alternative race, scheduled on another day.  A teammate, who had previously medaled in another event, offered Eric his place in the 400-meter race.  Everyone quickly came on board with this compromise because Eric was so fast that he just might win, and it was an absolute joy to watch him run.

Just before the start of the final heat of the 400-meter race, Jackson Sholz, a young American sprinter who was also a Christian, walked onto the track and delivered a handwritten note to Eric Liddell.  Here’s what Jackson had written: “It says in the Old Book that those who honor ME…I will honor.”  What an awesome message of inspiration that was for Eric, that GOD, Himself, would be present to honor his very unpopular decision to publicly own and honor HIM!  The starting gun sounded, and although Eric Liddell had never trained for the 400-meter race, which is arguably one of the most difficult races in track and field, he won easily and by a considerable margin.

The note that Jackson Sholz had written and delivered to Eric Liddell is drawn from the following scripture:

I Samuel 2:30
Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’  But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for THOSE WHO HONOR ME I WILL HONOR, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.’

The word “HONOR” means to highly reverence, respect, esteem, and defer to, with the utmost demonstration of value and the greatest degree of integrity.  This concept is crucial to every aspect of Christian living.  In addition to my ministry involvements, I have taught history to students in Connecticut public schools.   While I do not purport to be an expert in the field of public education, one obvious missing component in the American educational system is the intangible (but mission critical) quality called HONOR.

It is painfully apparent that a large number of students lack positive FAMILY ROLE MODELS that reinforce respect and honor, i.e. parents who both train and enforce honorable attitudes and actions in the daily lives of their children.  As a result, student behavior frequently spirals downward and out of control while the teaching and learning process is either disrupted or entirely dissipated.  In public schools, this lack of HONOR translates into substandard academic performance, which has profoundly negative rippling effects on the overall well-being, success and future of our students and our society.

Let’s take a look at one of the origins of this downward slide in American schools.  In 1963, an atheist activist, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, won a decidedly ungodly lawsuit in which the Supreme Court of the USA permanently disallowed prayer and Bible reading in public schools.  In their attempt to protect the First Amendment rights of non-religious citizens and to ensure the separation of Church and state (which was NEVER intended by the founding fathers and is NOT a part of The Constitution), the Supreme Court made a very egregious and grave error.  Clearly, they did not foresee the awful consequences of their decision.  

When JESUS CHRIST WAS LEGALLY EXPELLED from our schools, SATAN WAS SYSTEMICALLY ENROLLED!  And his institutional influence results in what we observe today: a profoundly negative transformation of our public schools, especially our urban schools.  What is the quantitative impact on our students and our nation?  According to the Program for International Student Assessment, the USA EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM (once ranked number one globally) finds itself ranking 21^st (in reading), 31^st (in math) and 24^th (in science).  There is a clear correlation between our LACK OF HONOR FOR GOD and our current state of affairs.  Proverbs 14:34 declares that “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

Unfortunately, many nations of the world find themselves emulating American culture and values because of our material prosperity.  From my perspective, this ‘cloning’ of American society is very much like purchasing first-class tickets on a ship that is about to sink!  While we truly love America and pray fervently for repentance and revival in our land, the Christian community must become more aware, concerned and engaged regarding our present plight.  Family dissolution and moral decay exist everywhere; and, the spirit of antichrist now rests, rules and reigns throughout our land. (I John 4:3-4) 

NOW HEAR THIS!  If we are to survive and thrive, AMERICA MUST RETURN TO HONORING THE TRUE, LIVING and sovereign GOD!  Two strategic questions lay before us: 1) As a Christian, what are YOU doing to SAFEGUARD THE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN of your own nation, whether you are American, African, Asian, European, Australian, or from any other region?  2) What are YOU doing to TURN YOUR LAND AND YOUR PEOPLE BACK TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST?’  Please reflect soberly on these questions via careful self-evaluation and fervent prayer.  GOD says “THOSE WHO HONOR ME I WILL HONOR.”  Therefore, let us collectively resolve to rededicate ourselves to steadfastly HONORING HIM!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

SURVIVING TOUGH TIMES

SURVIVING TOUGH TIMES

After my freshman year at Yale, I returned home to Pennsylvania for summer employment.  I was ecstatic because I had a wonderful job lined up in the Quality Control Laboratory of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel.  If you are aware of the steel industry, you know that I was blessed beyond measure to have snagged this high tech and safe position.  Inside steel mills, there are scores of challenging places to work, from the roaring blast furnaces where steel is formed to an additional host of hot, dry and dusty situations.  Typically, new-kids-on-the-block are afforded the ‘golden opportunity’ to work in the most unpleasant sites, due to their lack of seniority.

However, largely because of favor due to my father’s reputation and influence, I was assigned to something significantly better.  By rights, I should have been outdoors dealing with the lowest dregs of that hot and somewhat hostile industrial environment, but I was placed as a trainee technician inside an air-conditioned laboratory.  Indeed, I was highly favored and blessed!

My high school buddy and co-worker was the son of the superintendent of schools.  Throughout the months of June and July, Sherman and I prepared samples of raw materials (used to make steel) for spectrometer analysis.  How happy and carefree we were – to bypass the risk and rigor of working in the labor gang – close enough but sufficiently distant from the streams of molten steel, from the moving vessels containing fiery liquid slag and from the terribly loud and torrid blast furnaces.

While we were infinitely blessed to work in the Q.C. Lab under the name and influence of our fathers, Sherman and I had no way of knowing that ‘hostile takeover forces’ were lurking unseen in the shadows. During that incredibly hot July, two men with greater seniority spied our cushy and comfortable working conditions and decided to submit bids for our jobs.  One particularly hot day in the last week of July, the labor gang foreman appeared at the door of the Q.C. Lab.  He summoned us by name, ordered us to gather our personal effects and told us to meet him near Blast Furnace Number Two in ten minutes.

My co-worker and I spoke up at the same time and in almost the same words: “But sir, we work in the Quality Control Lab!”  In my mind’s eye, I can see that foreman standing there with a stern look on his face.  “Not any more!” he pronounced firmly.  “You guys have been BUMPED by men with more seniority.  Now get moving FAST if you still want to work here!”  I was just eighteen years old at the time, but it seems like just yesterday.  Our hearts sank as we sucked in our last moments of air-conditioning, gathered our hardhats, goggles and steel-tipped safety boots and headed for the blast furnace, having been (in our minds at least) BUMPED BY THE DEVIL!

When we arrived at that smoke-filled and fiery site, Sherman and I had a rude awakening.  For seven weeks, we had enjoyed the cool, calm and carefree environment of the lab.  Now we listened in a daze as the foreman called off various manual labor jobs, none of which were familiar to us.  Even other college students who had by this time worked nearly two months in the labor gang had more seniority than we!  Worse yet, we were assigned to do repair work in a terrible place: THE SOAKING PITS, where huge ingots of red-hot steel were fired and tempered.  

During normal operations, those pits reached temperatures up to 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit.  Now in repair mode, the pits had been ‘cooled down’ to 140 degrees (600 Centigrade). You cannot imagine how hot that air felt on our skin and in our lungs…it was burning up in there!  Our job was to work inside (for 20-25 minutes at a time, the maximum one could safely endure) and to remove hardened impurities from the firebrick that lined the pit, using a 75-pound (40 kilo) jack hammer.  When it is that HOT, with the heat of the bricks combined with the 90 degree [32 Centigrade] summer heat, perspiration evaporates immediately.  Lips and nasal passages dry out completely and it is extremely difficult to breathe.  Those work experiences in the soaking pits confirmed forever that WE MUST AVOID HELL AT ANY COST!

Nevertheless, the scriptures teach us that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  Sherman and I were both Christians, and though we definitely despised our new working environment, there were vital character lessons to be gained in that oppressive place.  First of all, we learned how to PERSEVERE, i.e. how not to quit when confronted with adverse circumstances.  Secondly, we learned to be truly GRATEFUL for those earlier days of situational favor – the comfort and convenience that would not last forever.  Thirdly, we learned that COLLEGE EDUCATION DID NOT MAKE US BETTER than others; neither did it make us more powerful or productive. Fourthly, and perhaps most importantly, we learned the all-important lesson of HUMILITY.  Humility teaches us how to survive at the bottom, while mobilizing us to rise and remain at the top in our eventual appointed seasons.  Lastly, we learned how to maintain a GOOD ATTITUDE and to discover random reasons for laughter, even in that rigorous pit environment.

Although Sherman and I hated our weeks in the pit, we garnered strategic life lessons that guide and serve us today.  In closing, I would be absolutely naïve and insensitive to assume that my short-term work challenges can somehow be equated with the gargantuan struggles that many workers have experienced on a long-term basis.  Also, Sherman and I did have JOBS, reliable and gainful employment, while many were not as fortunate.  Indeed, so many suffer in silence, just to survive and to secure the basic necessities of life: food, clean water, shelter, clothing, etc.  Having traveled and lived outside of the USA, I am painfully aware of the reality of daily struggle that is the plight of multiplied millions around the globe.  Nevertheless, the practical life lessons to be gleaned from that personal experience one summer decades ago are these: 1) YOU WILL MAKE IT through tough times because GOD (Jehovah-Shammah) IS THERE with you; 2) YOU WILL SECURE AND SUSTAIN PEACE IN THE MIDST OF TRYING TIMES – if you hold onto your smile, your laughter, your hope and your faith; 3) YOU CAN ALWAYS TALK TO GOD, i.e. in any situation and at any time; you can tell HIM anything and everything; 4) TROUBLE WILL NOT LAST ALWAYS.  Robert Schuller put it this way: “Tough times don’t last…tough people do!”

Prayerfully consider the life lessons listed above and listen attentively (with your spirit) to the following very encouraging COVENANT PROMISES:

Psalm 27:13-14 (NKJV)

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  WAIT ON THE LORD; BE OF GOOD COURAGE, AND HE SHALL STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART; wait, I say, on the Lord!

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJV)

Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.  His understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, BUT THOSE WHO WAIT ON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

My friend, be encouraged to continue and to move forward – whoever, whatever, whenever, wherever, or however you may be.  GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU.  HE SEES.  HE KNOWS.  HE CARES.  AND HE HAS THE POWER TO TOTALLY TRANSFORM YOUR SITUATION.  TRUST HIM.  STAY POSITIVE AND STAY FOCUSED.  HANG IN THERE!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

DEFERRED COMPENSATION

DEFERRED COMPENSATION

Some years ago, I read an extraordinary narrative about a poverty-stricken farmer in Scotland with the surname Fleming.  One day, while struggling to make a living for his family, he heard an apprehensive cry for help coming from a nearby swamp.  Fleming immediately dropped his tools and sped toward that Scottish bog.  He discovered a terrified young boy sinking rapidly in quicksand, just about to go under.  With the help of the Lord, Fleming managed to set the lad free.

The next morning, a resplendent carriage pulled up in front of Fleming’s poor home.  A genteel nobleman exited the carriage and introduced himself as the father of the young boy whose life Fleming had saved.  The rich man offered a generous reward.  Fleming declined saying “I cannot accept payment for what I have done.”

At that moment, the farmer’s son emerged from the house to see what was happening.  “Is that your son?” the nobleman asked.  “Why yes!” Fleming replied proudly.  The nobleman looked the young lad up-and-down for a moment and said “I have a great idea!  You saved my son’s life.  Since you won’t take any money, I’ll make you a deal.  If you let your son come home with me, I’ll make sure he is well cared for, and he will receive a proper education.”

Although the Flemings were sad to see their son leaving home, they were hopeful about his future, so in time they agreed.  The wealthy man kept his promise, and years later Farmer Fleming’s son graduated from the Medical School of London and went on to become a renowned and knighted physician by the name of Sir Alexander Fleming.  This brilliant doctor discovered what was then the world’s most important antibiotic, penicillin.

Later on, incredibly enough, the nobleman’s son was stricken with pneumonia, and it was Sir Alexander Fleming’s penicillin that saved his life.  Even more astonishing is the family lineage of the elder nobleman, Randolph Churchill.  His beloved son, whose life had been saved twice by the Fleming family, grew up to become one of England’s most celebrated statesmen, Sir Winston Churchill!

Farmer Fleming had no clue about the historic seeds he planted on the day he saved that young boy’s life. Although he had refused any monetary reward, the benefits of his courageous act (saving the nobleman’s son) and his sacrificial act (freeing his son for higher education and opportunity) continue to resonate through time and eternity.

This phenomenal story raises three practical points for every believer to carefully consider: (1) Are YOU focused on getting whatever you can right now, or are you willing to freely invest and trust GOD for long-term dividends?  (2) Are YOU Kingdom-minded enough to invest all of yourself (time, talent and treasure) in the work of the Lord, or are you content to be who Christ described as a “hireling?” (John 10:12-13)  (3) What are your MOTIVES for service, erecting a personal empire or building God’s Kingdom?  

While the Lord has no issue with Christian workers receiving just compensation (Luke 10:17), we should never be motivated solely by money or material possessions.  We should be fundamentally and fully dedicated to building the Kingdom of God.  Consider this.  Just as Farmer Fleming gained unexpected and overflowing blessings for what he was willing to give (without any expectation of compensation), we will be rewarded generously for our contributions to the Kingdom, whether they are noticed or appreciated by others, or not.

Money is a necessary medium of exchange that remedies many natural needs, but we should never become greedy for it or become a lover of money more so than God or people.  The Apostle Paul wrote, “the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some have coveted after, they have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (I Timothy 6:10)  The authoritative command of Jesus Christ yet challenges every believer: “Go into my vineyard…WHATSOEVER IS RIGHT I WILL GIVE [PAY] YOU.” (Matthew 20:4) 

Although our rewards can be temporal, they are primarily eternal.  Hence, believers should not expect to be materially compensated for every single thing we do for the sake of the Kingdom!  Think about it.  Believer, are you willing to work on a “DEFERRED COMPENSATION” basis, or do you want to receive ALL you possibly can within this short earthly lifetime?  MOTIVES DO COUNT to Almighty God – Who constantly “tests the mind and the heart.” (Jeremiah 11:20)

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

ASSIGNED TO PRAISE

ASSIGNED TO PRAISE

King Saul was in hot pursuit of David.  Do you remember?  Just as long as David was slaying Saul’s enemies and soothing Saul’s emotional anguish via his anointed musical gift, Saul was ‘down’ with David’s personality and program.  This feels so typical, doesn’t it?  While performing according to the expectations of others, one retains ‘hero’ status.  Whenever one diverges from the prescribed course-of-control, one can be quickly deemed to be a rebel or an undesirable.  In that connection, some years ago the Holy Spirit seemed to whisper within my spirit: ‘I have saved you from SIN – now it’s time to get deliverance from PEOPLE.’  What a powerful personal revelation!  Instead of allowing CHRIST to become (and remain) as the Author and Finisher of our faith, many of us actually become inadvertent IDOL WORSHIPERS – by way of a curious emotional co-dependency that requires the mutual acceptance and affirmation of others.

How I love David’s attitude!  Of course, we know that ATTITUDE IS A RELIABLE PREDICTOR OF ALTITUDE.  Think about it.  Just as surely as Saul was predisposed to panic, David was wired for worship.  I am absolutely inspired by David’s faith and tenacity in the face of danger.  While surrounded by destruction and death, David sang, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1)  This determination to practice the presence of the Lord through praise and worship motivated and mobilized David during critically difficult days.

I can almost envision David’s brain buzzing and his stomach churning when the women started offering him greater post-combat accolades than those afforded to King Saul.  They sang “Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten-thousands.” (I Samuel 18:7)  David knew intuitively that those troublesome lyrics would precipitate a crisis.  I can imagine David’s hands were waving frantically back-and-forth to cancel out this dangerous tune, as his lips mimed in desperation, ‘NO…NO…NO…WRONG LYRICS!’

Eventually Saul became his archenemy and David was compelled to take refuge with the Philistines, the chief political rival of Israel.  Isn’t it ironic that he was treated with more acceptance and care by King Achish, than by his homeland monarch?  David wound up in a cave in a remote area called Adullam.  I am fascinated by the kind of people that were drawn to him.  The scriptures state, that in addition to David’s family, “every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them.” (I Samuel 22:2)  It’s simply uncanny WHO God will use to bless you!  So stop focusing on your external environment and sensory realities.  Neither your surroundings, nor your situation, ultimately matter – because GOD’S GOT YOUR BACK!

David’s dark cave was loaded with never-do-wells, but it was a DIVINE APPOINTMENT because everyone in that dismal cave was directly exposed to POWERFUL AND PRAYERFUL PRAISE!  I read an intriguing passage of scripture that clarifies the reason why David was sovereignly positioned in the Cave of Adullam.  Remember this: GOD is always up to something behind the scenes!  And wherever God guides, God provides.

Joshua 15:20,35

This is the INHERITANCE of the tribe of the children of JUDAH…Jarmuth, and ADULLAM, Socoh, and Azekah.

This scripture passage seems rather random and irrelevant at first glance; it merely cites cities in Canaan and their tribal assignment.  The city of Adullam was specifically designated as the proprietary heritage of the Tribe of Judah.  Since JUDAH MEANS PRAISE, this divine deed signifies that ADULLAM WAS ASSIGNED TO PRAISE!  No wonder David was STILL PRAISING GOD in that distant, damp, dank and dark cave!  Why was David so committed to sustaining praise in a situation that wreaked with reversals?  First of all, because GOD INHABITS PRAISE.  When you PRAISE HIM (in the midst of trouble), you bring Almighty God smack-dab-in-the-middle of your problem, pressure and pain!  Secondly, because PRAISE IS COMELY FOR THE UPRIGHT.  You ‘look’ and ‘feel’ so much better (and your environment is positively transformed) WHENEVER YOU PROACTIVELY PRAISE HIM! (Psalm 33:1)

The name “ADULLAM” is fascinating because it means “REFUGE.”  Often, the place where God has assigned you only LOOKS LIKE a test, a trial, a temptation, or a terrible time of trouble.  However, IF GOD HAS POSITIONED YOU THERE (even in that trouble-filled and light-challenged cave)…YOUR CAVE OF ADULLAM BECOMES YOUR REFUGE.  Why?  Because Adullam is where God has you FOR A TIME, until HE publicly brings you out into your appointed moment and place of divine destiny.  Be assured, HE will not leave you there!  ADULLAM is your PRESENT REFUGE – because in the darkness of Adullam, YOU WILL SOON SEE…AND POWERFULLY PRAISE…THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD!

In closing, read the following scripture passage and be encouraged and mindful that no matter where you are…GOD IS!

Psalm 46 (New King James Version)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.  Selah.  There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.  God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.  The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.  Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth.  He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.  Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah.

BELIEVER, YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO PRAISE…so right here…right now…PRAISE HIM!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

MOMENTUM (Part II)

MOMENTUM (Part II)

Let’s recap yesterday’s devotional.  Never forget: Your opportunity-of-a-lifetime only takes place during the lifetime-of-the-opportunity.  Your God given assignment has a shelf life.  As Kingdom Kids, our mandate is to seize GOD-GIVEN MOMENTS (vision, assignment, anointing) in OUR SEASONS. TIMING IS KEY!  Occasionally, God moves us out of comfort zones and changes our seasons.  A blessed man inevitably “brings forth fruit IN HIS SEASON.” (Psalm 1:3)  Historically, God chooses human agents to give voice to revelation and redirection, so (whenever we hear His voice) we must resist the tendency to become stuck either in our failures or our successes.  As the main character in “Field of Dreams” eventually discovered, if one is sufficiently courageous to step out (even alone) and heed God’s call for directional change, it can and will happen for YOU.  In other words, “IF YOU BUILD IT…THEY WILL COME.”

You will never align with God’s great expectations if you are passively rest on your ‘brains,’ i.e. your rational mind and sensory perceptions. (Jeremiah 29:11)  Forget what you now see or feel; embrace whatever God declares.  “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” (I John 5:4)  And this victory is coming to and through you at the speed of “light” via “an open door” that “no man can shut.” (John 8:12 – Revelation 3:8)  Let’s consider another Newtonian law of motion: “For every action, there is a reaction, equal and opposite in direction.”  Although God has set before you an open door, His Word informs us that every open door brings immediate and forceful opposition.  Nevertheless, your enemy can ‘show-up’ all he wants to for he can never ‘shut-up’ what God has decided to ‘open-up!’  The enemy of your soul (and his human agents) appear as blessings-blockers, with the intent of moving you away from faith and toward fear. However, on such occasions THE WORD ‘shows-up’ to ‘bust-up’ every blessing-blocker as The Lord of Hosts declares with power: “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that rises against you in judgment, you shall condemn.” (Isaiah 54:17)  His Word declares that this phenomenal level of victory is the heritage of the servants of the Lord!

Who are you?  You are a WINNER-BELIEVER who consistently prevails in the face of insurmountable and overwhelming opposition. (I John 4:4)  You are ‘the anointed one’ of THE ANOINTED ONE – and there is absolutely no failure in HIM. (I John 4:17 – Matthew 16:16-19 – Philippians 4:13)  So, believer, here is what you must do: 1) Stop doubting God; 2) Stop minimizing His power; and, 3) Stop reading ‘the majority report’ about your past, present, or future.  For if you keep seeing yourself through the eyes of enemies, you will become a victim of THE GRASSHOPPER COMPLEX and never dare to take bold steps toward whatever GOD has conceived and breathed into your spirit! (Numbers 13:33)

My advice: TAKE GOD OUT OF THE BOX!  He is far greater than any situation or satanic force you will ever encounter! (Exodus 1:7 – Ephesians 3:20)  I love what Daniel and Paul declare about the resident power and authority that resides in KNOWING HIM! (Daniel 11:32 – Philippians 3:10)  Believe HIS WORD!  Meditate on it!  Stand upon it!  Declare it!  WE WILL DO GREATER AND GREATER EXPLOITS…BECAUSE WE KNOW HIM…AND WE ARE KNOWN BY HIM!

Whenever we take God out of the powerless box of ‘limiting traditionalism’ and ‘carnal imagination’ (a.k.a. stinkin’-thinkin’), we achieve OUR MAXIMUM MOMENTUM!  According to the science of physics, MOMENTUM is a property of a MOVING BODY.  In the natural realm, MOMENTUM is measured by the length of time required to STOP a moving body once it is under the action of a constant force.  In the spiritual realm, once we come under DIVINE FORCE, i.e. christ’s WORD-OF-FAITH-IN-ACTION, there is absolutely nothing that can stop or reverse anything that GOD has spoken and seeded within our lives!

How so?  Because at the end of the day, neither our hopes, our families, our ministries, our futures (nor nothing else that pertains to us) is tied to any external circumstances.  For “IN HIM…WE LIVE!  IN HIM…WE MOVE!  IN HIM…WE HAVE OUR BEING! (Acts 17:28)  Nothing can stop us now – because the God who inhabits eternity and executes in time has established THIS MOMENT.  And HE ordained OUR MOMENTUM – before the very foundation of this world.  So we must and shall stop magnifying our challenges with our natural minds and mouths.  We will DECLARE DIVINE MOMENTUM in and over our lives. Job 22:28 says, “You will decree a thing, and it shall be established unto you: and the light (THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD) shall shine upon all your ways.”  HALLELUJAH…WE are heirs and joint-heirs of ‘his majesty’ and our kingdom legacy of spiritual MOMENTUM!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!