The Heartbeat of God is YOU!

Obligations…..we all have some. We are overbooked with deadlines, over worked at our jobs, over looked by peers and overwhelmed with family activities. We wonder sometimes how to meet our commitments and eek out some time for ourselves, family and friends. How can we pay all the bills, meet the need of our loved ones and be there for everything else without compromising our own peace and tranquility? In these stressful days, we’ve seemed to have lost the art of relationship. We don’t take walks with our spouses like we used to or take the kids to the park as often as we should. Even digging into a great book in our leisure time has become a lost pleasure for most of us. We are so consumed with duties but empty on how to relate to our fellowman. When do we just slow down, to take an inventory to re-evaluate the importance of all we do, or lack thereof?

God knows that there are essential tasks that have to be completed to sustain our lives but our society seems to have a deficit when meeting our commitment to Him. We remember to pay debts but fail to give praise to the one who has provided employment. We care for our families but many times are too busy to worship the one who keeps them healthy. Why do we seek to be blessed, yet ignore the one who sheds an abundance of grace on us each day?

Cultivating A Ministry Culture Around COVID-19

The spring of the year 2020 will forever be historic in America. It was in the spring of 2020 that most Americans came face to face with the Corona Virus also known as COVID-19. This highly contagious viral infection has been the reason schools, businesses, daycare centers, movie theaters and even churches have been locked down. Disney has closed all of their theme parks for the first time since opening in 1955. Supermarkets can hardly keep food on the shelves, especially items such as hand sanitizer, toilet tissue and paper towels. In the midst of all the panic, what is the role of the church? Or of the believer? I have experienced conversations with people who were wondering how is it that houses of worship have gone dark. Why are the doors shut on houses of God? Why are there no live streams, prayer calls or videos to offer hope? Very few pastors appear to be reaching out to parishioners during this season and those who are mature in the faith seemed disillusioned while babes in the faith seem bewildered. Everyone is looking for answers and leaders in the body of Christ have a Godly responsibility to nurture the flock in this season. True leaders take situations like a pandemic or other disaster to point people toward the cross; encouraging them to embrace God’s word.

Are You Willing to Die in the Fight?

Recently, I was reading the book of Esther 5:1-8 and in do so, God revealed a profound truth to me. In the story, Esther approaches the king to inquire if he would join the feast she prepared for him. Her objective was to make a petition to him so that she could save her people from certain death. As I read this I thought: how brave of her, to go to the king without him calling for her which meant death if he was displeased. Then God addressed me with the question, “Are you willing to die in the fight?” I had to think again about Esther. She came to the king to seek solace for her people but knew if he did not raise his sceptre to her, he could have ordered her execution. Although Esther prepared herself by fasting and calling all of the Jews to fast with her there was a chance that things could not go in her favor.

Esther, for the advancement of the kingdom of God was willing to die if it meant her people would be saved. She allowed God to use her as a type of Christ. Her response to Mordicai was, “if I perish, I perish. I’m going to see the king” As I thought about her response, it made me realize that many Christians today say they love God but are they really willing to make the ultimate sacrifice? Are we willing to die to things that keep us separated from God in order to advance His Kingdom in the earth? Or are we just satisfied with our surface worship that doesn’t have substance? Are we just willing to continue to give God our lip service until something catastrophic occurs in our little world? And lastly, what should we be doing to show God we are truly ready to sacrifice whatever it takes to spread the Gospel?

On thing Esther’s example taught me is that we all need to pull in to get closer to the Lord. I learned through prayer that God loves intimate, one on one time with us. We need to sacrifice time with friends, children and even spouses to get a bit closer to Christ. Without spending significant time with God, we will crumble under the pressures of life. Esther knew God and because she did, had no doubt that God would deliver her people from the evil verdict that loomed over them. She harnessed the ultimate belief and hope that God would save her (II Thess 2:16).

We also have to humble ourselves even more toward God. Esther was humbled and willing to die at her husband’s hand for her people. The modern day believer, from what I’m witnessing is deluded into believing that trouble should never knock on their door because they are saved….it’s a fallacy! As children of God, we’re called to war in the spirit and our relationship is described in military terms for a reason. If a soldier is not willing to fight, prepare and do battle he is sent home. He is not ready to fully embrace his call. In order to be victorious in our battles we must trust God because He is our peace (Ephesians 2:14).

It is time for the church at large to recommit to dying in the fight. We have to let our carnal desires go and spend more time with the Lord. When is the last time we’ve fasted, led a brother or sister to Christ, spent an afternoon in the word or a few hours in prayer? In spending time with Him, he will teach us not only how to wait for His timing (James 4:4) but also we will become more like Him. Our carnal nature will become subject to the Christ in us. Let’s endeavor to get closer to Him in this season. If we choose to do so, our carnal man will die which will allow us to win the battles the enemy of God throws at us. We will be more than conquerors while spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ in the earth.

What carnal desire or habit are you willing to sacrifice and thus die in the fight to evangelize the world?
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F.O.C.U.S.

Fresh Opportunities Create Unbridled Success!

Here we are again at the end of another year. In just under a month and a half, it will be 2019. Every year during the holiday season, we’re encouraged to love our fellow man a bit more, forgive wayward relatives and lastly, re-establish goals.

I’m of the belief that all of this indeed should be given much consideration during this time. However, more importantly, we need to master how to get it all done more purposefully. One of the things that has plagued me in the last quarter of this year is the word: FOCUS. I know we all need to be committed to something and stick with it in order to achieve anything in the marketplace. On the other hand, I needed an acronym to help me recall at a moments notice what focus meant to me.

Let’s Become Infectious

There was a time when I was growing up in the pentecostal/holiness sect of Christianity we were indoctrinated with the idea that certain “places” believers should never allow themselves to go. The idea of creating friendships with those who are believed to live a more carnal lifestyle supposedly “destroyed your testimony” and “compromises” your very salvation. After living most of my adult life as a believer, I simply beg to differ on this approach. This fear based teaching, that you can lose your salvation through associating with unbelievers is not scriptural.

The Prophetic Eclipse of 2017

The climate in America and the world is reaching a fever pitch. Confusion, hate, rioting and terrorist activity is erupting worldwide. As more subversive groups arise, people are living in fear. This demonic fear is driving even believers into making poor decisions by seeking comfort outside of Christ. In the wake of these horrendous events in which innocent people are being targeted and murdered, God is on the cusp of sending a word to the faithful. He is about to reveal His detailed message to those who have their ear to the ground; who are actively listening for His direction.

Is Deliverance A Thing of the Past?

The church in America is seriously under attack, this is nothing new. What is disturbing is that there are thousands upon thousands (I think I’m low balling this estimate here) of unprepared ministry leaders who are “trying” to operate in the arena of deliverance. Friends, this is a bad combination. It’s like being on a battlefield with a water pistol and you don’t even have any water. We are seeing a surge in new ministries but what we are not seeing more of is people who know how to worship and people who’ve experienced a radical, life changing deliverance. If we don’t have a measure of deliverance from bondages that hinder us, we are just a bunch of cheerleaders meeting every week that is ineffective in the Kingdom. I’m not mocking gathering at a church building at all. They are necessary for gaining instruction in the word and spiritual strength. However, we need to keep worship, prayer, and deliverance on our radar so that lives will be transformed. The true call of the church is to minister to the unsaved.

Pray On Demand

Around Christmastime last year, I received a phone call from the daughter of a lady I met while volunteering at a local nursing home. She had a multitude of health issues and as she recounted them, my heart went out to her. She was particularly upset that her medical problems and upcoming treatments would inhibit her ability to travel to Florida to see her Mom for the holidays. As she spoke, God whispered in my ear “Can you pray on demand?” I thought to myself what is praying on demand? How do I process this? This woman felt her prayers to God were unheard and that she was alone in this process she was experiencing. After pondering this thought for a bit,

The Blessing of a Judas

Luke 22:47-49

It’s that time of year again. The spring season will be kicked off by Easter or Resurrection Day as some refer to it and I went to see a new movie about the life of Christ.  There is nothing new there; millions of us seem to become more spiritual at this time of year as it is hailed the MOST HOLY season. It’s considered a holier time of year than Christmas for many. What was most poignant for me during this film was that my heart focused on something new. Like most people, I usually focus on Christs’ death and resurrection, but not this time.

Our Hateful, Hopeful World….

The world is a hateful place. We keep looking for counterfeit peace so we continually protest, host marches and coordinate rallies. Truth of the matter is there will never be peace among nations or among races for that matter. Never….How can I know that? You ask. I know because