Archive for the ‘Let’s Talk’ Category

A Season of Change

Sunday, July 26th, 2009

Change – become or make different; substitute or replace something; pass from one state to another

If I told you God is causing and calling for change, what would you say? Would you embrace it or run from it? Would you welcome it or abhor it? Depending on how you look at it, change can be either good or bad. Change directed by God, however, is always done for our benefit, our good.

Yes, change that is directed by God comes to make us better. There are lessons to be learned at any and all levels and it is up to us to glean from those lessons that which will enable us to grow. If done properly, you will move, and in some cases even transform, into who God has called you to be. You will live out your potential and fulfill your destiny.

Yes, change can be good, if you stay on course. But now, everything has a downside to it and change is no different. If you don’t keep it in check and under wraps, change will change you into something less than desirable. Change is in the air; God causes it, allows it and you either make it or break it.

A season of change with God’s favor…which course will you follow?
God’s favor will cause people to favor and bless you. You gain access to things before blocked to you. You receive promotion and recognition. Done right, this allows you to do greater things for God and create situations where God gets the glory. Done wrong and you get the big head and begin to think it’s all about you.

There is an increase in the latter, especially amongst pastors. What gives?! God’s favor comes upon you and for awhile you attribute it to God and give Him all the praise, honor and glory. Then something sets in; you get off course and lose your sight. Jesus is no longer your focus but off center a little bit and the things of the world attract your attention more so than the things of God. Why? Power, prestige, fame and fortune; you see $ signs instead of people. You see “things” (big houses, fine cars, etc.) instead of souls to be saved. You’ve been bit by the bug, the secular demon. The Father’s objective is not on your mind–getting more money, more stuff is. You have forgotten, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Your season of change has turned you from God.
There is a strict warning in the Bible to the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of God’s pasture. God said He would visit upon you the evil of your doings. Favor has gone to your head and corruption has set in. You, in essence, begin “pimping” the church; your trusted and loyal congregation. This is not the change God was calling for. REPENT, and turn from your ways! A season of change is upon you but now the question is, what will you do with it?

The Cost of the Anointing

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

You should know that with everything you do there is a cost involved. This cost may not come out in the form of money, but every action, every decision you make, whether you do something or not, costs you. To be clear, inaction and indecision also costs you something. Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion states, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” OK, big deal, so what does this mean?
It means, if you push against a brick wall, you’re gonna get a brick wall pushing back against you. The energy you exert meets with an equal and opposite reaction. So, spiritually speaking, you reap what you sow; what you put out, returns to you in the same measure, same way. Your effort will match your result. So if the cost of the anointing is high, guess what, you can’t put out minimal effort and expect to attain that kind of anointing. I’m telling you, an anointing is going to cost you something. How much you value the anointing will depend on how much of it you receive. If you do not give it much value, you won’t work as hard to attain it. On the other hand, if you place a great value on the anointing, then you will do what it takes to receive, maintain, and excel in it.
When the anointing is operating strong in a person’s life, you best believe it costs that person something. You want a fly-by-night anointing, lead a fly-by-night life. A strong anointing comes from spending much quality face time with God. Three elements can usually be attributed to someone who has a strong anointing:
1) They are givers
2) They have a strong and active prayer life
3) They fast

Whether you give of your time, yourself, your money, God can, and will bless a giver. If you hold onto stuff you won’t get anything in return. But if you give it away, somehow God makes sure it comes back to you, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

How can you expect someone, anyone, to give you something if they don’t know who you are? Though God knows you, you limit what He can give you if you don’t get to know Him, in prayer. Prayer time is precious and ought to be treated that way. This is a time when you and God can get closer than close. Prayer unlocks and opens doors, windows and everything else, but prayer also communicates God’s will to you. So you have to pray.

Fasting, oh this is a sore subject to most but fasting will cause things to happen in your life and can endow you with power from God. Fasting is more than abstaining from eating. Fasting puts your body, your flesh under subjection of your spirit man, who is then free to interact with the Holy Spirit. Fasting shows God you mean business because you are denying yourself in order to hear from Him.

What level anointing do you want? Do you want miracle producing, mountain-moving, demon-slaying/casting out, laying on of hands anointing, or do you want a speaking in tongues, feel good anointing? Don’t get me wrong…either one is good because an anointing from God is no small, laughing matter. But since God desires for us to lead victorious, abundant lives, shouldn’t the anointing on our lives equal and portray that? You can’t pity-pat around with God. Your walk, your stance, your anointing will tell off on you. If you want mediocre, pray five minutes, give a dollar in the church offering and fast every blue moon. To be a powerhouse, spend quality time with God; seek Him early, while He may be found; fast often and with a purpose; give liberally, with caution but without reason; and step out in faith knowing and believing that God is pouring out that triple-fold anointing upon you. There are no limits in God so if you have a limited anointing, get down to business and schedule some serious alone/face time with God.

God Believes In You – Possess the Land!

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Read Gen. 12:1
God directed this toward Abraham and his seed. Are you of the seed of Abraham? If so, then you have a right to possess the land the Lord has given you. Now you may say that you have possessed your land. Right now you’re comfortable; your bills are paid, you have a job, you can afford to feed yourself and your family, and you even have money leftover to go out to a movie and dinner. But God says there’s more. You have to step out of your comfort zone and possess the land God has given you, the land He wants you to have.
This is not just physical land but God has laid up some stuff for us in the Spirit and it’s up to us to claim it. This reminds me of a book I read by Jesse Duplantis titled, Heaven. He tells the story about the warehouse. (My paraphrase follows) He was being escorted around heaven and came to a huge warehouse. He asked what it was and was told that it is the warehouse where all of the saints “stuff” is stored. Jesus further told him that these things are still in the warehouses because the saints, His people, won’t ask for them. Bottom line, we, as the children of God, have got to claim our stuff.
God wants us to possess the land He has already given us. He wants to get the rightful owners to possess the land.

Read Deu. 1:6-8
You have dwelt long enough in this mount. In this situation, you have been in it too long. In your current circumstances, you have been in them too long. In your current mindset, you have been in it too long. In your current way of living, you have been in it too long; you get the picture.
God wants to advance you but He can’t do that if you refuse to move forward. For example, you may be used to dealing with managers but God wants you to rub elbows with the owners of the corporation. He wants your circle to include millionaires and billionaires.
God has something He wants to put in your hands but for whatever reason, you just won’t accept it. You have to open up and receive the blessings of the Lord.

Read 1 Cor. 12:4-7, 11; Eph. 5:11, 12
God believes in you. He believes in you so much so that He has invested in you. He gave gifts unto you and I so that we may accomplish the works He gave us.
You don’t trust something of grave importance to just anyone. No, you delegate that responsibility to someone who you trust in, believe in, and can rely on.
But if God gave it to you, put it in you, He knew you could handle it. Now all He has to do is get you to know and believe that you can handle it.
Yes, there is a greater anointing, a greater calling on your lives and God is commanding for you to go up and possess the land!

Chosen

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

God calls us to service. God calls us to relationship with Him. It is up to us to accept this call or not. You may feel as if your life is unfulfilled. You may seem restless. You may feel as if there is something more for you to do. If so, check your hearing. Yep, I said check your hearing. Are you hearing what God is speaking to you? Sit still, open your ears, open your mind, and open your heart. Listen for God’s voice and let Him fulfill your longing, let Him fill the void in your life.

Below is a devotion I believe is truly inspiring. Hope you enjoy and comment back.

Being Chosen
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
02-03-2009

“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’” At once they left their nets and followed him (Matt 4:19-20).

Do you recall how good it felt when you were chosen to be on a team? It makes one feel special to be preferred over another.

During the time of Jesus rabbis’ were well known in their community. Each rabbi had a following of students. Jesus was developing as a “superstar” rabbi. He was unlike the others. He did things differently. He often confronted the accepted thinking of other rabbis and Pharisees. The younger men had great respect for Jesus, the rabbi. To be selected by Jesus would be a great honor because most rabbis would usually select only the cream of the crop in the community as their disciples. By these standards, Peter and the other disciples would not have qualified. But Jesus had a purpose in mind for Peter and the disciples.

God is the one who calls people into relationship with Himself and to their calling in life. It is for His purposes, not ours. Jesus chose each of his disciples from the workplace instead of the rabbinical schools. They did not choose Jesus, Jesus chose them and it was deemed a great honor in their culture to be chosen by such a rabbi (Jn 15:16).

Jesus called you into relationship with Himself because His desire is for you to be a faithful priest in your work life, family, and city. “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind.” (1 Samuel 2:35). He desires that you be a willing participant in his agenda. He has not called you for your purposes, but His.

Sometimes we think it’s all about us. It has to be all about Him in order for us to fulfill what is in His heart and mind for His overall plan for His Kingdom. He doesn’t need us, but He has chosen to use us.

God has an agenda for planet earth. He has chosen you and me as the primary instrument for accomplishing His plan. Are you willing to be his faithful priest and king to do what is in His heart and mind? Why not say “yes” to His agenda.