This baby has been in a coma since 2 months old. She is now 8months old and has not moved or opened her eyes. THey have been feeding her through a feeding tube. The mom brought her to church last Sunday against her doctor's wishes. It is long, but watch it. The spirit of God came over me as I watched this and I began to intercede over Andrea's womb that it would come out of that coma and supernaturally bring forth life. Please agree with me!!!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Megan Smith Speaking
I am so proud of my 15 year old daughter Megan. The amazing young lady she has become brings so much pride to my heart that I am her father. She had an opportunity to speak in her youth group (EDGE) on December 2nd,2009. Her passion, conviction, boldness, and confidence blew me out of the water. Take a listen. She is a sista preacha
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Where Else Can We Go?
John 6:68 is an amazing statement from Peter when other disciples had left and Jesus turned to him and asked if he was leaving too. Peter, says, "where can I go Lord, you have the words of life. Peter had burned all his bridges to the point if Jesus wasn't who He said he was, Peter would have no one or nothing left to turn to. Man, talk about being addicted to Jesus. Peter was wounded by love to the very core of his being. Today, as I have been studying and meditating on God's word, I am starting to learn what it means to delight in God's word. When I look at Psalm 119, I see 172 verses of a man who is love with God and His word and can't say it over and over again enough. The challenge to me is what I do with free time or when no one is watching. For David any free time, I can see him sneaking away to have some fun in God's Word. Reading the Bible in 90 days is a good way to get a big taste of what the Bible is all about but you must take time to meditate on it to get what the heart of God is saying to us When you read God's word at a rapid pace, you miss the heart of God. It's not about reading through the Bible, it's about taking each scripture and meditating on it. I don't want God's Word to be a duty or something I routinely do. I don't want His law to be a homework assignment or a bore. God's Word must be a time of meditation where I let God's Words communicate his delight and love for me. Instead of just reading the Bible through in a year, how about reading a couple verses over and over again in a year. I am challenged to truly meditate on his Word rather than just get through it. Peter and David understood this!! Lord, when I read your Word, will you breathe on me. Will you speak your heart to me. Will you reveal understanding of your scriptures to me. God search my heart and make me aware of any back up plans I might lean on just incase you don't work out. I truly want to surrender to you and dive into knowing that if you don't catch me I will be lost. I know you delight in me, now teach me to delight in you
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Our Loss
The past two weeks for our family have been an emotional roller coaster as we went through our 4th loss of a child. Instead of typing out the whole story here on this blog I shared the story in the middle of one of my messages to our students. This audio/video file has the story and our response to God.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Commitment
Just read this a few minutes ago; it really gave me solace because I beat myself up alot when I am not committed to God in my spiritual disciplines as much as I should be
"aren't you glad that God is more committed to us than we are to Him"
God, thank-you that are I can throw myself daily on your throne of grace and your commitment level to me isn't gauged on how committed I am to you
"aren't you glad that God is more committed to us than we are to Him"
God, thank-you that are I can throw myself daily on your throne of grace and your commitment level to me isn't gauged on how committed I am to you
Counterfeit
2 Timothy 3:5.........."having a form of Godliness, but denying the power of it in my life
There have been times in my life where I have gone through the motions of Christianity; sadly enough even times where I have preached the word not from the power of the spirit within but from the human wisdom found in the intellect of my mind. Paul reminds me that his life is not governed by persuasive, smooth words but by the power of the Holy Spirit. How many times have our lives or our churches just had forms of godliness but lacked the power of the Holy Spirit that comes from really engaging in God. The reason why our lives are not overwhelmed with the presence of God or our churches filled to overflowing is because we are practice a counterfeit presence of God. We try to conjur him up in our services, bribe him into our lives, or start programs to achieve temporary success. I am convinced that if I want to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, I must daily make sure that I am not faking God in my life. I never want to be in a place in my life where I fake God's power or his presence. Also, I never want to be part of a body of believers (church) that fakes God's power or counterfeits his presence. The only way to truly see the power of God evident and alive in our lives and churches is to get back to holy-living and gut-wrenching, tear drenched prayer. Our churches are limping and on life-support because the church is made up of people and we are limping and on life-support. We think we are fulfilling our Christian duty by having 15 minute devotion and prayer times and showing up to church for an hour a week. That kind of lifestyle will never help you to live empowered, spirit led lives. We must engage our lives to make every part of our life bathed in the presence of God. My prayer: God, let the stench of the world on me be gone and bathe my days and nights with your presence and power. Everything I own, that I hold so close; it is rubbish, junk, nothing compared to knowing you and being found in you. I don't want to live one day without the leading of your Holy Spirit. I don't want to fake you or try to replace you with a counterfeit. It must be You!!! God if the woman with the issue of blood felt your power by just touching one hem of your garment, how much more is for me if I grab ahold of ALL you are.
There have been times in my life where I have gone through the motions of Christianity; sadly enough even times where I have preached the word not from the power of the spirit within but from the human wisdom found in the intellect of my mind. Paul reminds me that his life is not governed by persuasive, smooth words but by the power of the Holy Spirit. How many times have our lives or our churches just had forms of godliness but lacked the power of the Holy Spirit that comes from really engaging in God. The reason why our lives are not overwhelmed with the presence of God or our churches filled to overflowing is because we are practice a counterfeit presence of God. We try to conjur him up in our services, bribe him into our lives, or start programs to achieve temporary success. I am convinced that if I want to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, I must daily make sure that I am not faking God in my life. I never want to be in a place in my life where I fake God's power or his presence. Also, I never want to be part of a body of believers (church) that fakes God's power or counterfeits his presence. The only way to truly see the power of God evident and alive in our lives and churches is to get back to holy-living and gut-wrenching, tear drenched prayer. Our churches are limping and on life-support because the church is made up of people and we are limping and on life-support. We think we are fulfilling our Christian duty by having 15 minute devotion and prayer times and showing up to church for an hour a week. That kind of lifestyle will never help you to live empowered, spirit led lives. We must engage our lives to make every part of our life bathed in the presence of God. My prayer: God, let the stench of the world on me be gone and bathe my days and nights with your presence and power. Everything I own, that I hold so close; it is rubbish, junk, nothing compared to knowing you and being found in you. I don't want to live one day without the leading of your Holy Spirit. I don't want to fake you or try to replace you with a counterfeit. It must be You!!! God if the woman with the issue of blood felt your power by just touching one hem of your garment, how much more is for me if I grab ahold of ALL you are.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tired of Business as Usual
Got some personal revelation from God's spirit today in my time of prayer and study.
I am blind, naked, wretched, miserable and poor, and that how God loves me, because that is something he can work with. God wants to open my eyes to his beauty, clothe me with his righteousness, cause me to boast in Him, give me joy everlasting, and give me the riches of heaven. I am tired of business as usual in my life, my ministry and my church. I am not addicted to sin, but see that I am addicted to harmless,permissible things that are not sin but take up time in my life so much that my time with God beholding his beauty and seeking the deep things of his Spirit gets neglected. In a sense this behavior leaves me the same as a sinner, empty and dissatisfied. I want the Spirit of revelation in my life. I want to behold the beauty of Christ in my life to the point where my fascination is from Him and not the world.
Psalm 119:8- "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from your law"
Psalm 119:37- Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way"
I am blind, naked, wretched, miserable and poor, and that how God loves me, because that is something he can work with. God wants to open my eyes to his beauty, clothe me with his righteousness, cause me to boast in Him, give me joy everlasting, and give me the riches of heaven. I am tired of business as usual in my life, my ministry and my church. I am not addicted to sin, but see that I am addicted to harmless,permissible things that are not sin but take up time in my life so much that my time with God beholding his beauty and seeking the deep things of his Spirit gets neglected. In a sense this behavior leaves me the same as a sinner, empty and dissatisfied. I want the Spirit of revelation in my life. I want to behold the beauty of Christ in my life to the point where my fascination is from Him and not the world.
Psalm 119:8- "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from your law"
Psalm 119:37- Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way"
Monday, October 19, 2009
Engage
I've never been a huge reader or have the discipline or focus to read for more than a few minutes. I usually acquire creativity or fresh wisdom through videos, teaching on cds, or face to face meetings with people. This month I felt the urge or conviction to get into the written word. I am not talking about the Bible, because that is a discipline in my life already, but the written word from spirit filled, god-led authors. My favorite books this month are "Pursuit of the Holy" by Corel Russell, "The Next Level" by Scott Wilson and "The Seven Longings of the Human Heart" by Mike Bickle. Whether this is a good idea or not, I am reading all three of them at the same time. Right now in my life I am passionately drawn to the topic of intimacy with Christ and taking my relationship with him to another level. I have been so inspired by these authors. God's Word has always taken the lead in my life and always will be but there is something to be said about identifying with another person in this world as their written words resonate in your Spirit. As I read their words, I love the myriad of emotions; from tears to laughter. I find myself stopping in between paragraphs and sending up 30 second prayers to God in regards to what I just read. The power of the written word is so much more powerful than audio on a cd or images on a video. Even when I listen or watch a teaching or inspirtational story I find myself sometimes wandering off or becoming distracted, but when I sit down with a pen and highlighter and read a book, I take notes, highlight the highlights and I am fully engaged. I feel like the author and God are partnering together to share truths, wisdom nuggets, and lightbulb moments in my life. Believe it or not, someone is going what you are going through, thinking what you are thinking, or experiencing what you are experiencing, and the cool thing is, they probably wrote about it in a book somewhere. Engage today!!!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Testing
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything
I long to be mature, complete, and not lacking anything when it comes to my relationship with Christ. In James 1, it says in order to get to that place it is not through worship, reading God's word, or meeting with Christian believers. Although those are great things to be a part of, but at the beginning of that verse it says that trials and tests bring forth this kind of spiritual maturity or Godly character. I used to look at every problem, tragedy, setback or frustration that would come into my life as a thorn in my flesh or a huge hinderance or roadblock when it came to growing in Christ. Rather, it is the opposite, these tests and trials are usually authored by God and are initiated in my life to mature me, grow me, and teach me. Wisdom comes from reading the Word. Intimacy comes through worship and prayer. Spiritual maturity comes through testing. Though some problems in my life are caused by my rebellion or selfish/wrong choices, the majority of my problems are initiated by God to mature me in my spiritual walk. The Bible is full of men and women who went through many tests, some passed with flying colors, some failed miserably. I have found that God keeps on putting me through the same test until I pass it. It is kind of like school. You pass a test in 1st grade to graduate to second grade. Then the second grade test comes to graduate you to third grade. Every time you graduate through a test, sooner or later, another test (harder test) will come to get you to the next level. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be stuck in elementary grades taking tests. I don't want God to keep on holding me back in 3rd grade tests. (there is nothing worse than being in third grade with a beard and underarm hair). I want God to throw at me high school tests, then i want to run for my masters, my doctorate, and so on. You see, every test I pass means I am reaching a place spiritually where my mind, heart, and spirit are becoming truly one with God. When I am in this place, my thought life, my heart desires, and my passions become on a God level that is intense. Lord, help me to get up every day and be faithful, faithful, faithful. Then get up the next day and be faithful, faithful, faithful, then the next day, be faithful, faithful, faithful. Help me to understand that delayed answers, delayed dreams does not mean denial but it means that i am not through the test yet. God thank-you for my tests. I accept them, embrace them, and need them. I consider it pure joy when I go through these tests, because you are working in me something that at the end of the test will cause me to be closer to you.
I long to be mature, complete, and not lacking anything when it comes to my relationship with Christ. In James 1, it says in order to get to that place it is not through worship, reading God's word, or meeting with Christian believers. Although those are great things to be a part of, but at the beginning of that verse it says that trials and tests bring forth this kind of spiritual maturity or Godly character. I used to look at every problem, tragedy, setback or frustration that would come into my life as a thorn in my flesh or a huge hinderance or roadblock when it came to growing in Christ. Rather, it is the opposite, these tests and trials are usually authored by God and are initiated in my life to mature me, grow me, and teach me. Wisdom comes from reading the Word. Intimacy comes through worship and prayer. Spiritual maturity comes through testing. Though some problems in my life are caused by my rebellion or selfish/wrong choices, the majority of my problems are initiated by God to mature me in my spiritual walk. The Bible is full of men and women who went through many tests, some passed with flying colors, some failed miserably. I have found that God keeps on putting me through the same test until I pass it. It is kind of like school. You pass a test in 1st grade to graduate to second grade. Then the second grade test comes to graduate you to third grade. Every time you graduate through a test, sooner or later, another test (harder test) will come to get you to the next level. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be stuck in elementary grades taking tests. I don't want God to keep on holding me back in 3rd grade tests. (there is nothing worse than being in third grade with a beard and underarm hair). I want God to throw at me high school tests, then i want to run for my masters, my doctorate, and so on. You see, every test I pass means I am reaching a place spiritually where my mind, heart, and spirit are becoming truly one with God. When I am in this place, my thought life, my heart desires, and my passions become on a God level that is intense. Lord, help me to get up every day and be faithful, faithful, faithful. Then get up the next day and be faithful, faithful, faithful, then the next day, be faithful, faithful, faithful. Help me to understand that delayed answers, delayed dreams does not mean denial but it means that i am not through the test yet. God thank-you for my tests. I accept them, embrace them, and need them. I consider it pure joy when I go through these tests, because you are working in me something that at the end of the test will cause me to be closer to you.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Shake Me
Hebrews 12:25-29
25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."[a] 27The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."
This is kind of a preview on what I am sharing with the students next Wed, but my heart is so heavy for a shaking. Personally I want God to shake me to the core, so that all that remains is the things that pertain to His kingdom. Our God is a consuming fire, but this consuming fire that is seen in the Old Testament was a fire of removal and burning up things that were full of sin and rebellion. To worship God with reverence and awe, we need to give liberty to the consuming fire of God to burn up everything that is not of Him. Yes, even the things that we thought were harmless or the things that we have found comfort in for way to long. Of course I wish no harm to come to my family, my church, or my friends, but I almost want a physical disaster to come to America once again, if that is what it takes to drop us to our knees and to fill our prayer meetings once again. The church is operating with no power, no vision, and is on life-support. God, shake us, shake us, shake us to the core!!! God, give me dreams of your heart, prophetic visions, and stir my heart every morning as I wake up to you smiling over me.
25See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."[a] 27The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."
This is kind of a preview on what I am sharing with the students next Wed, but my heart is so heavy for a shaking. Personally I want God to shake me to the core, so that all that remains is the things that pertain to His kingdom. Our God is a consuming fire, but this consuming fire that is seen in the Old Testament was a fire of removal and burning up things that were full of sin and rebellion. To worship God with reverence and awe, we need to give liberty to the consuming fire of God to burn up everything that is not of Him. Yes, even the things that we thought were harmless or the things that we have found comfort in for way to long. Of course I wish no harm to come to my family, my church, or my friends, but I almost want a physical disaster to come to America once again, if that is what it takes to drop us to our knees and to fill our prayer meetings once again. The church is operating with no power, no vision, and is on life-support. God, shake us, shake us, shake us to the core!!! God, give me dreams of your heart, prophetic visions, and stir my heart every morning as I wake up to you smiling over me.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Instant Wisdom
In I Corinthians it talks about how God's wisdom supercedes all the wisdom on this earth. His wisdom surpasses all our obtainable knowledge and great intellectual exploits. I have been racking my brain to find a way to finance Andrea and i getting pregnant again. I don't have $5000 laying around to emplant twins in October. We both want so bad to be pregnant again and bring (hopefully) two little babies into our family. We prayed and felt like this was perfect timing and sensed that God would bless it. Through searching out loans, credit cards, and other borrowing avenues, we didn't feel comfortable with going into more debt along with high borrowing interest rates. Yesterday, we came up against a wall and decided not to go the loan route and trust God. If He wanted it to happen, He would make a way. At that moment of decision, God dropped an idea in my head that I never thought of before. I won't go into details, but lets just say that we won't go into debt and it is no extra financial stress on our family. Thank-you God so much for your wisdom, plans, and ideas. I was stressing out about making this happen for months and God in the span of 15 minutes made it all happen. There is a lesson in this: Don't worry, because God has it all in control. Not only did he pave a way for this to happen, but his stamp of approval and blessing was evident. Thank-you that your wisdom confounds the wisdom of this world. Help me always to search out your wisdom and not the wisdom on this earth
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
A Prayer From Romans 12
Lord,
Help me not to be hyprocitical with my love. I want to have a strong distaste for evil and pursue goodness. I need to prefer others better than myself. Let diligence permeate everything I do. Let fervency be an aspect of my service to my Lord. I want to rejoice in hope, persevere in every hard trial, and always in everything be devoted to prayer. Help me not to seek revenge on those who curse me, but in return, bless them. Help me to be estactic when others succeed and weep with those who are hurting. Help me not to boast in myself, but associate myself with the lowly. Let me brag on the wisdom of God and not in my own selfish ideas or thoughts. Let me live with moral excellence, Godly character and integrity no matter who is around. I want to be a peace maker in every situation and overcome all evil with good. Keep me humble God. Keep me hungry God. Keep me holy God. I want to be a slave to intimacy
Help me not to be hyprocitical with my love. I want to have a strong distaste for evil and pursue goodness. I need to prefer others better than myself. Let diligence permeate everything I do. Let fervency be an aspect of my service to my Lord. I want to rejoice in hope, persevere in every hard trial, and always in everything be devoted to prayer. Help me not to seek revenge on those who curse me, but in return, bless them. Help me to be estactic when others succeed and weep with those who are hurting. Help me not to boast in myself, but associate myself with the lowly. Let me brag on the wisdom of God and not in my own selfish ideas or thoughts. Let me live with moral excellence, Godly character and integrity no matter who is around. I want to be a peace maker in every situation and overcome all evil with good. Keep me humble God. Keep me hungry God. Keep me holy God. I want to be a slave to intimacy
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Slave to Righteousness
Romans 6 is such an amazing chapter. I have always been aware of the phrase "slaves to sin" that is repeated several times in the chapter. The Bible admonishes us to no longer be slaves to sin and to stop offering our body to the tools of wickedness. Reading this chapter again, I saw the phrase, "slaves to righteousness". When you are a slave to something, you have no choice but to do what enslaves you. Of course, when we are mastered by sin, we become enslaved and in bondage to the demands of the enemy. On the flip side of the coin, when we are slaves to righteousness we are enslaved to what is holy, pure, and ethical. I have never thought of myself as a slave to righteousness, but that is what Paul asks us to be. I truly want to be at the point in my relationship with Christ, that when i am tempted by sin, I will not give in, because I can't, because i am enslaved to righteousness and not sin. I am dead to the old self (sin) and now alive to the new man (Christ). The word slave brings about a negative connotation in our society, but I want to be a slave to God. Being a child of God brings with it acceptance, grace, love, discipline, and protection, but being a slave to God, brings about commitment, perserverance, dedication, sacrifice, and a martyr atittude. Thank-you god that you chose me to be your child; now I choose to be your slave.
Monday, July 6, 2009
The Difference
As I read some comments from supposedly one of America's top 50 most influential pastors (no names), I was stunned that a lack of moral excellence and holiness has crept into our pulpits. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we have to talk and act with the vulgarity and coarsness the world uses in order to reach the world. Remember, the Bible says we are "in the world" not "of the world". I am a son of my father, so I take on alot of his characteristics and personality traits. I am also a son of God which means my imitations of him should align with who he is and what he stands for. I am sorry to see that so many Christian leaders in the world today have stepped over the line from in the world to of the world. Their character, moral values, belief systems, and integrity are starting to look alot like the world's and not God's. Just in the last 3 days I have been made aware of two pastoral moral failures that shook me to the core. These falls (which none of us are immune from), don't just happen overnight, but are constant daily decisions to quench the Spirit's voice of moral excellence and integrity. God, please don't ever hesistate to speak reproach or conviction in areas of my life that could eventually lead to moral tragedy. Help me not to search for fame in the Christian world by boasting my talent, being controversial, or striving to see my name in a magazine or a headliner at a conference. LET MY PASSION BE TO KNOW YOU AND NOT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW ME!!!!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Trials equal Joy
God,
I want more desire for you. I want my passions to be birthed through your heart. I want to wake up everyday with anticipation of what you have for the day ahead. Lord teach me to "count my trials" as joy and endure to the end so I will learn what you are teaching me. Father, get rid of my desires for things that satisfy my flesh and may my yearning be for holiness. I don't want to live in the ordinary or operate in mediocrity. Teach me how to be an overcomer, a man of excellence, and a person that is driven by my God-given passions.
Your Child
I want more desire for you. I want my passions to be birthed through your heart. I want to wake up everyday with anticipation of what you have for the day ahead. Lord teach me to "count my trials" as joy and endure to the end so I will learn what you are teaching me. Father, get rid of my desires for things that satisfy my flesh and may my yearning be for holiness. I don't want to live in the ordinary or operate in mediocrity. Teach me how to be an overcomer, a man of excellence, and a person that is driven by my God-given passions.
Your Child
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Complete
This last week, I fully understand the statement that Jesus made about marriage, "the two shall become one". My wife was gone for a week for a speaking engagement in Florida. I consider myself a pretty confident, independent person, but when my wife is gone for an extended period of time, I feel incomplete, isolated, and for lack of a better word, blah. An amazing thing happens when a marriage takes place; you no longer can survive or function on your own, but you have now joined your person, physically and spiritually to another. Thank you God for my wife and the completeness you bring in me when we are together. "the two flesh will be one"!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Creativity
Sometimes I sit behind my desk and can rack my brain for hours and nothing creative or workable comes out of it. I am not a desk person. Put me behind a desk with no people around and I become worthless when it comes to brainstorming or being creative. I am sitting at Panera right now with my laptop and sitting on a plush couch. In the background their is chatter and restaurant noises. There is constantly foot traffic around me and of course the elevator music over the pa system. You would think that in this setting, one would not be able to concentrate, but put a cup of coffee in my hand and I become a modern day Thomas Edison. All of a sudden my mind comes out of its cramped state and begins to pulse creativity, flow, and ideas. My fingers begin to work feverishly on the keyboard as I jot down notes and the virtual ticker tape that is coming out of my mouth picks up rpms. Thank-you Panera for being busy and noisy. You are the iniator of many great projects in my life. A special blessing to you, Panera!!!
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