The Most Anointed Word You Need to Know

You might be thinking, “Hallelujah”, or “Glory”. Those are great words, indeed, but the most anointed word is a practical word that needs to get down into the very fiber of your being – where it can radically alter the way you think and do things. This will be a bit of a faith-exersize as I share with you 3 ways to really see your life arise to a higher level. So get ready to be changed!

Psalm 27:6 And NOW shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. [kjv]

When all Hell seems like it’s about to break loose on your life, you’ve got to know the secret that David used when he too had his back up against the wall.

1. The Lord IS My Light. When David was faced with opposition, he refused to somehow think he was in the dark, or didn’t know what to do – no. David lived in the brightness, in the powerful glow of the presence of God in his present moment – “The Lord IS (not “was” or “will be”) my light!” Say this out loud: “Right NOW I’m not in the dark!”

2. I Simplify My Life. David wasn’t the schizophrenic leader like King Saul was. He wasn’t “loving God” at one moment and then getting angry with his family, staff or volunteers at another – no. David had just “one thing” on his agenda every morning – Seeking God. Say this out loud: “Right NOW I’m simplifying my life.”

3. I’m Not Waiting for Victory. In verse 6, David used a good, old-fashioned, faith-filled word: “NOW!” (See also: Heb. 11:1). Even before the battle took place, David took control of his spirit, mind, and emotions; and in effect said…

“I know my enemies are trying to move in on me, trying to make me fearful, overwhelmed with anxiety, and trying to cause me to cower in discouragement; but right NOW my head is going to be held high. In fact RIGHT NOW I look down on my enemies. I’m so charged-up with faith right NOW that I’m going to sing a song and whistle a tune in the presence of mine enemies, because I know on Whom I have believed!”

Say this out loud: “Right NOW I’m taking charge of my life.”

Don’t allow procrastination to rob you of your blessing! Make a concrete decision today that things are going to be different!

Prayer-2-Pray
“Lord, please forgive me for always wishing and hoping that things will get better. I want to begin to use my faith, and adopt this faith-filled word: “NOW”, and I choose to do it NOW! In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen!”

Another One Bites The Dust

Actually… according to scientists, the Dust Mites may, in fact, be the ones who are biting back!

I’m taking our youth here in Maui, HI through a series we’re calling, “Waking-Up Sleepy Christianity”.

Dust mites love dead skin and some of the best places they feast on are pillows, bed covers, and blankets. This is not meant to freak you out, (but it may have). It’s more to share the spiritual analogy between “dust” and “sleepy Christianity”.

Isaiah 52 says, “Awake, awake! Shake yourself from the dust, arise!”

“DUST”= SLEEPY CHRISTIANITY
Why? Because you don’t know it’s there until you get up close. Sometimes we distance ourselves from people and the church so that they won’t know what’s really going on in our life. Because if you get up-close to me you’ll see that there’s a lot of… Dust. And, dust only comes from one thing – Neglect.

– Dusty Bible
– Dusty Prayer Closet
– Dusty, nasty Attitudes

THE RESPONSIBILITY I HAVE TO WAKE-UP

The Scripture says I have to “shake” myself. The preacher can nudge you, but you’re the only one who can “shake” you. Your friends can try to shake you, They’ll say things like: “You really shouldn’t be doing that. What are you doing?!”, but you’ll just shake it off. You’ve got to shake yourself! It your responsibility. No one can do it, but you.

THIS IS MY WAKE-UP CALL

It’s not that you’re a “bad” person, or a “sinner”, it’s just that me and you, we have neglected our “beautiful garments” (Isaiah 52:1). We have to “put them on”. These are the…

– Beautiful Garments of Salvation
– Beautiful Garments of Forgiveness
– Beautiful Garments of Praise

It’s time to toss that old pillow of sleepy Christianity, and begin a fresh new day with the One who gave His all for you. Don’t be another one who bites the dust, (or is bitten by the “Dust”). What do you say?

5 Ways to Wake-up Spiritually

1. Set an alarm. With all our modern-day gadgets it’s easily to set a unique alarm on your phone, once a day, once a week, to remind yourself of your new season. Or it can be to remind you to stick with your goal of reading the Bible each day, or whatever. [Joel 2:1]

2. Flush, purge, and clean it out. Spiritually awake people are always scanning their life to make sure that garbage doesn’t pile up. They take a few hours on a Saturday and delete old music and files off their computer. They clean their room or redecorate so their environment is conducive to growth. [2 Chron. 34:8, Acts 19:19]

3. Create a “Prayer-Time” playlist on iTunes. This one has helped me alot. When you’re getting ready to spend time with the Lord it’s good to have some worship music on. (One of my playlists is 1.1 hours long, and I devote that whole hour to prayer). [Psalm 108:2-3]

4. Start a Bible reading plan. My wife and I have been doing this for years. Everyday you know exactly what you’re doing to read. It’s amazing how God can speak to you, even while going thru an obscure book like, Obadiah or Jude. [Matt. 24:35, Heb. 4:12]

5. Memorize scripture. Ok, ok… I know this sounds childish, or “Sunday-school-ish”. But if you’re wanting to really be awake spiritually, at some point you’ll need to renew your mind, (Rom. 12:2). Next time you’re at Walgreens pick you up some 3×5 index cards. Write-out the verse on one side, and the scripture address on the other. [Ps. 19:7-8, Ps. 119:11]

Playing it Safe?

If God promises you something big, never settle for less.

“And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here?” (Numbers 32:6, NKJV)

This verse, literally jumped out at me this week. The significance of the original language, in this text, is absolutely eye-opening. The tribe of Ruben (which means, “to see” ), and Gad (which means, “a fortune” ), these two tribes saw the incredible land that they wanted to be theirs. The only problem is that it was on the wrong side of the Jordan. The whole deliverance from Egypt was for the purpose of getting them across the Jordan River, and into their very own “Promised Land”. But these two tribes were content to stay right where they were at. What did they see? Num. 32:1 says they saw the land of Jazer (which means, “help & protection” ), and Gilead, (which means: “to be exposed” and “arguments” ). Here’s the thing: Sometimes what looks good on the surface, ends up leaving you exposed, and causes a lot of arguments, shouting matches, and family feuds. When we begin playing it safe, it ends up biting us in the end! Matthew Henry says it like this: “They consulted their own private convenience more than the public good.”

Stop sitting around twiddling your thumbs

To sum it up, let me share this: If God promises you something big, never settle for less. If He’s spoken to you about being a Pastor, don’t lower yourself by taking a management position just because the job looks good, and you know that you’ll be able to afford a house & car payment. If He’s spoken to you to start a business, why are you settling in the land that looks safe, and that you’re protected? You know you’re not happy. You’re arguing with your spouse, your spiritual-walk is constantly being attacked. Why? Because you’re not strapping on your boots and dealing with the issues at hand. Get in there and possess your land! Stop sitting around twiddling your thumbs, while others are excited to be in the promised land. Go get yours!

5 Keys to Being Backed by Heaven

“Yo! I got your back!” Have you ever had anyone say that to you? Feels good, doesn’t it? But how would you feel if the very God in Heaven were to back you in everything you did? Take a look at this scripture…

“As for you, if you (1) live in my presence as your father David lived, (2) pure in heart and action, (3) living the life I’ve set out for you, (4) attentively obedient to my guidance and (5) judgments, then I’LL BACK YOUR KINGLY RULE over Israel—make it a sure thing on a sure foundation. The same covenant guarantee I gave to David your father I’m giving to you, namely, ‘You can count on always having a descendant on Israel’s throne.”

[2 Chron. 7:17-18 The MSG Bible]

Notice the 5 keys!!

1. Live in the Presence of God.

2. Live with a Pure heart & pure Actions.

3. Live the life God gave you, (don’t wish you were someone else).

4. Live in Obedience to the Voice of the Holy Spirit.

5. Live off of the very Words of God!

May the Lord strengthen your spiritual foundation, and encourage you to know that He will strongly support those, whose hearts are completely His!

Scooter Fever!

Depressed? Sad? As a Pastor, I’d say, “Take some time to get-away from the hussle-n-bussle, and spend some time in prayer…” But, as a scooter enthusiast, I’d just say, “Watch THIS..”

Go out and buy a scooter today!

“Ah, I’ll Pray Later”

One of the favorite things the enemy loves to steal is our prayer time.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. [John 10:10]

Far too many Christians don’t understand just how much of an injustice this is. If our car were ripped off, we’d be furious! We’d call the police, our insurance agent, and all our friends wouldn’t hear the end of it. But when the enemy steals-away our Devotional life? “Ah, I’ll pray later.” Or, “Hey, it’s not such a big deal, we’re saved by grace – relax, bro.” And all the while the Devil is rolling on the floor with laughter as, another one bites the dust and another day of spiritual Rigamortis sets in.

It’s time for God’s people to get furious over letting the enemy steal-away the most valuable weapon we have! Love your car? Love your Devotional-Life more.

“Yin or Yang?”

♨ Bruce Lee, fuzzy fluorescent glow in the dark posters, and China Town are some of the things that come to my mind when I here the term “Yin & Yang” – the balance of life. Although it’s a symbol in Chinese philosophy it sure isn’t an original concept exclusively set-apart for them. I’m not suggesting we all get “Yin & Yang” tattoos on our arm with the scripture reference, “John 3:16” under it, but I am suggesting that we need to find balance in life.

“You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting.” [Dan. 5:27]

Some of us are wound-up so tight that we’re like a nuclear reactor in our homes & jobs – just waiting to explode. It may be time to take a chill-pill.

But this where I want to set up camp for a minute. I was challenged by a question I heard recently. “Are you Efficient or Effective?” We’d all like to think that we’re being effective, but the truth of the matter is that many of us are hardly even “efficient” in our personal lives or job. We can’t sleep, we’re late, scatter-brained, and don’t have time for a lot of extra stuff. You might say, “Yeah, I know people like that, so disorganized. How do they even manage?” [Chuckle, chuckle]. But what about your life? Are you really “effective”? Sure you’re “efficient”. You get to work on time, you fulfill your job responsibilities, and people rarely complain about your hard work, but what’s really going on inside you? Is there balance?

If we had your funeral today would there be anything significant that you achieved in your time on planet earth? Or did you just maintain status quo? It’s not, “Yin or Yang” – “Overachiever “or “Laid-back-peaceful-kind-of-guy” – it’s having balance in life. Here’s my challenge: In what ways are you make a significant impact for the better upon the world around you?