Magnify

Have you ever read certain terms in scripture or used certain terms in your Christian speak without knowing what they mean?

Me neither...

Except all the time.

Have you ever had moments when those terms just open up to you in meaning?

'Magnify' is one of those words for me. We are to magnify the Lord, and the Lord shall be magnified. It is one of those words that are vague until you put such a simple understanding to it.

It made so much since when I thought about a magnifying glass and its purpose. Now suddenly, magnifying God makes plenty of sense.

As with a magnifying glass, I would make anything within its focus BIGGER.

Everything else is smaller. God should be and is made so much bigger when he is in focus.

I magnify God when He is made bigger than all my other things...

bigger than my stress bigger than my problems bigger than my deadlines bigger than my deficiencies bigger than my accomplishments bigger than my...

Rescue

Maybe it was out of somethingyou came through

Maybe it was from things you never had to experience

You have been rescued

Owning what you are lent

I woke up a few days ago with a phrase on my heart and mind.

"you are believing or acting like you own what God has lent to you."

I liked the sound of it so much I went straight to facebook. I had not even got out of bed and I had to share it. I even added to it "selfishness is...". Lots of people "liked" in a matter of moments.

As I reflected on it throughout the day, I realized God had, in fact, lent me that statement at the beginning of my day.

Then I took and added to what God had lent me as if it were mine. Though it may be a definition of selfishness, that statement was for ME...it was what I needed to hear. I should share what God has lent to me, but I had not even possessed it long enough to sit with it before I shared it.

I am realizing now how much God has lent to me and I have treated it like it is mine. I get frustrated when those things are not as plentiful as I would like. I get frustrated when those things are not used as I think they ought? I get frustrated when these things have to be returned to God; these things which were never mine. Things like:

- My family - My tithe - My money - My gifts and talents - My Health - My Education - My Ministry - My time - My LIFE

Love the church

I love the Church but most congregations aren't all they're cracked up to be.  But hey, I guess I'll never find that perfect church.  It seems that every church I go to...I'm there.   Bunch of sinners!  Hmph!  It seems every time I go to church, I'm just another one of the sinners..... Wait!  Thats fantastic!  I really do love the church.  I really do love most congregations...bunch of sinners!  GREAT!

Instant

"For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." -Galatians 6:8-9

My tendency in prayer and seeking God is to sow now expecting to reap now. How often I have prayed with hopes God will answer my prayer immediately? How often I have sought after God in an instant and grown tired of waiting for him to answer?

When you plant a seed (sow), you do not get the fruit (reap) that night with a little water. You get the final product after months of daily watering and cultivating.

Seek God and His Spirit today.... and tomorrow and every day

You will reap what you sow in prayer and spirit but you must keep praying and seeking for something you will one day reap when God says it is ready

CHECK MY AVAILABILITY

Thank you for considering me to speak for your event. It is a huge honor I do not take lightly.

If you would like to have me speak at your event or organization, I am pretty reasonable.  I do work as a Pastor.  So speaking engagements should be planned far enough in advance to prepare for that time away.  Please consider the time away from my job in how you would like to “love on me” for speaking.

If you would like to submit a speaking request, please fill out the form below to receive more information regarding my availability and possible reimbursement options.

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Anxious in everything

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7

This peace that surpasses all understanding is the peace OF GOD. This is a God who is immanent, transcendent and omnipresent. So peace of a God like that is available NOW. This peace is here and available now.

The problem is we fight and resist it.

Why would we resist that sort of peace? More importantly, HOW do we resist that peace?

That is answered in verse 6. If I am not experiencing peace that is available to me in my life, it is likely because I am anxious in everything and praying in nothing.

Natural can't be wrong?

"For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please." -Galatians 5:17

There is a common reflection and understanding in our culture that if something feels or seems natural, it must be right.

A few problems arise here. First, some things only feel natural when they are not, in fact, natural. Some of these things might be unnatural and we want to believe they are. So we disregard what really might be true. Other things we have to realize disorders for what they really are. Our brains and hearts can be very deceptive.

On another hand, just because something may be natural does not make it okay or even best for us. I crave a lot of things that are not good for me, but my cravings are natural reactions in me for pleasurable things.

But finally, there is the understanding that our flesh, which is our natural state, is at war within us against the Spirit. Living my life lead by the Spirit is going to oppose all the natural cravings within me. When compared to the pursuit of the Holy Spirit life, we come realize why and how everything else is so much LESSER.

Those natural things inside us oppose the Spirit within us, and moment by moment we choose which to do. Those cravings are more powerful than we give credit. When we disregard how powerful those cravings are, we will likely begin following them naturally, and in so doing, have already begun opposing the Spirit within us. Those are the moments we get discouraged and wonder why or how we have come to do things we do not want to do.

Our cravings are strong, and they may even be natural, but they oppose the Spirit in us. We have to want the Spirit more than what feels natural.

* yes that is a donut burger up there

Random Reflections: Thursday

We always ask why and blame it all on God. Our sin has the power to blow up

Devastation OR Desperation will bring transformation…which one will I choose

Transformation prayers are repentant prayers. It is because of us that we are where we are in all this. Humility is our first step to transformation.

Why do we wait on God? It is NOT because he trying to catch up.

Transformation prayer is also unified prayer. Join hands in prayer with leaders, pastors and intercessors. After all, if we sin together, we should be in prayer together. Do not leave it to that prayer warrior you know to pick up the mess of your sins, but if we sin together, lets repent together.

Random Reflections: Wednesday

If your plate is full, get rid of some of the things you do no need to eat.

Set time aside for God, and when you do, do not let anything interrupt it. Create time for God.

We love to hear God but hate to obey and do what we love to hear. Good intentions don’t always turn into actions. Sometimes we can even spiritualize our disobedience. Sometimes we even pray about it because we do not want to do it.

We have too many options and choices and we get frustrated when there aren’t as many options. This is why we come to church on our terms and not on God’s terms.

The National Day of Prayer is like: you come running in, punch the devil in the face and then run back out; leaving him 364 days to do as he pleases.

I lack desperate prayer. God hears desperate prayers. My American dream knows nothing of desperation. I cannot be desperate as an American. I far too often pray with dry eyes.

The deal Moses denied, America accepted. (God stays behind, but he gives us security, prosperity, and protection) But this is no good. We have say with Moses, "GOD, UNLESS YOU GO WITH US, NO DEAL." Unless you clothe us, we are naked…Unless you feed us, we are hungry…Unless you refresh us, we are always thirsty for more.

Random Reflections: Tuesday

I often do not think it was the Spirit because it sounded rude to me.

It is always important to remember that we have a real enemy, and he is always at work. Satan wants to take whole nations; he is not just about you, it goes beyond you. Satan wants to blanket nations. Satan thinks he owns nations. He even offers them to Jesus in temptation.

God wants nations. Jesus wants nations. We are not here to be Americans, we are here to be Kingdom People.

There is a power of God to be released in the power of prayer. Satan wants the believer to be more analytical than anything else…to think constantly with many ideologies. We see issues and look away saying, “Thank God I’m going to heaven.” We have to move from ideology to belief and then to lifestyle.

Is your life, your ministry, your family program oriented or prayer oriented? When we work we work, when we pray God works. Prayer is not and should not be a burden.

We often have such a small vision of God.

When your pastor seeks God and presents a vision, ask what you can contribute to it.

God is not experimenting. He has done this before. You may be next in line, but you have to need him. God does not intrude. God is not attracted to need but to prayer. He does not come to a need, he comes to a prayer because we have to ask.

Seems pretty clear: NO PRAYER, NO ANSWERS. MORE PRAYER, MORE ANSWERS!