Year: 2015

The Secret to More

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The secret to more in your life is your ability to release what you have. It’s your ability to live open handed and not tight fisted. Somebody once said , “In the Kingdom of God you only get to keep what you give away.” The principle is simple: “Bless Us – So we can be a blessing.” Freely received, freely give – for with the measure you use it will be used unto you. Getting all the good things in life and keeping them only for oneself is not only stupid, but also the perfect way to shut close the doors from where they came. When we try to keep for ourselves His ever flowing stream of grace, we create a life of stagnacity. The more we give away, the more we get to keep. Everything is worth sharing. The dead sea is a great example: Life flows into it – but nothing lives in it. Why? Because nothing flows out of it. If you want more Anointing look for opportunities to release it. If …

DownLoad a Free Song from Hillsong

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Do want to be captivated again by the wonder of Easter? You can start today by downloading and singing along to a new Easter Single. The song is written by Marty Sampson and it “tells a timeless story” If you want to remember anew or reflect on old gospel themes in a different way, than “O praise Him” will help you captivate the wonder of the Easter story. It’s the story of the Cross It’s the story of His resurrection It’s the story of His Love In my estimation – the greatest love story ever told. Download it here for free… http://hillsong.com/worship OR Listen to it below Lyrics: I cast my mind to Calvary Where Jesus bled and died for me I see His wounds, His hands His feet My Saviour on that cursed tree His body bound and drenched in tears They laid Him down in Joseph’s tomb The entrance sealed by heavy stone Messiah still and all alone Then on the third at break of dawn The Son of Heaven rose again O …

7 Things To Do With Your Plans

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A few weeks ago I came under fire from one of my critics for telling him that I had planned several months ahead of what I felt the Lord was leading me to share with our congregation. This individual took my words and twisted them, and began to spread in the community that I had no place for the leadership of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of the Word of God in our Church. If you’ve read “My Beautiful Tension,” you can see how ridiculous it is for any pastor to plan sermons without the help of the Holy Spirit or even do ministry for that matter. Even though I have addressed the subject here, I feel the need to talk about it again. There is school of thought in certain circles about the subject of planning that I believe is out of sync with scripture. A lot of well meaning people believe that planning is of the devil. I am not one of those. I do not believe planning is of the devil. …

My Beautiful Tension

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Every Sunday morning before I take the pulpit to speak, I wrestle with what I am about to deliver: Is this of God? Is this what the Spirit wants me to share today? Have I study enough, prepared enough? Many mornings I am led to preach something other than I prepared. Other times I walk to the pulpit, heart pounding, not knowing what I am going to say. I would love to say I am spot on every time, but that wouldn’t be true. I miss him sometimes – but when I do hear Him and obey Him, it’s glorious. Every afternoon I take sometime to reflect upon the message preached. I celebrate what God did during service. I praise him for the response of His people to His word. Sometimes I second guess what I shared, even though, I know He was in my preparation. Did I miss God? Was I obedient to His voice? I thank God for testimonies heard I weep sometimes – especially when I don’t see Him move Than again …

10 Reasons I would never forgive

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I hope to capture in a few phrases, the power of forgiveness, the absolute necessity of it and the reasons why forgiving others should be a lifestyle of the believer. If forgiving others were not a righteous requirement for receiving God’s forgiveness – I would never forgive others. If forgiveness others were not the soil in which I could grow in holiness and become a bit more like Jesus – I would never forgive others. If forgiving others were not the right attitude for maintaining my sanity (mental and emotional) – I would never forgive others. If forgiving others were not the springboard from which a life of momentum, zeal and endurance ensue – I would never forgive others. If forgiving others were not a testimony, a declaration and a demonstration to the world of how much I’ve been forgiven – I would never forgive others. If forgiving others didn’t have a positive effect on my physical health – I would never forgive others. If forgiving others didn’t allow God to bring justice and avenge …

Are Afflictions Wordless Prayers?

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“Tears are words that need to be written.” — Paulo Coelho And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. Genesis‬ ‭16‬:‭11‬ KJV) This is one of the strangest verses I have ever seen in the Bible. On a human level, we cannot hear affliction. We can feel it and other times see it. To hear affliction is unthinkable, at least in my finite mind. We usually hear about how God saw the afflictions or heard the cries of his people in their afflictions. But we almost never read about him hearing our afflictions. This must be a thing that God alone can do. Could it be that all our afflictions are wordless prayers that God hears? Could it be that our afflictions are supposed to be louder than our voices lifted up in prayer during times of affliction? I want to believe that an affliction is a reflection of a need. …

Are you an Altar Junkie?

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In most churches there is a time for congregants to gather at the altar for a time of prayer. Usually in response to a message people will voluntarily come forward to receive a blessing, a touch from God or simply to consecrate themselves either for the first time as a new believer or for some a deeper walk with the Lord. An altar junkie would be a person who ceases every opportunity to spend time with the Lord at the altar. They are like the Sparrow who finds a home; the Swallow who builds a nest at the altar of the Lord and raises its young right there. Like those who dwell in His house ever singing his praise. They are like doorkeepers/gatekeepers in the house of the Lord. They understand that “better is one day at the altar than a thousand elsewhere.” Unfortunately, there is a misconception among many believers about spending time at the alter. In some places, altar time in is widely and only seen as a place for sinners to come …

Comfort Foods

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Comfort, comfort, comfort! Who doesn’t like to be comforted? The problem is we often seek it in all the wrong places. For me, finding comfort in food is my drug of choice when I am seeking comfort in difficult times. For some, it might be alcohol,  drugs, or some kind of temporary fix to cause you to forget your pain. Still for others, it is an escape into a world of fantasy,  entertainment,  the adrenaline of a fast life or a lustful, soulful,  sexual experience. In any case, we usually, if not always come away more empty than we went in. But it’s time for you to see and taste of the “sweetest of love, where your heart becomes free and your shame is undone. “ We find those in the comfort that comes only from the Father of all comforts.  If you are tempted in any way today,  to go looking for comfort in all the wrong places,  know that you will never be satisfied.  But if you choose to look upon the face …

The Strongman is just and Old Man

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We are all afraid of something.When it come to dealing with the enemy if our soul, that ancient serpant. We sometimes think he is stronger, bigger and badder. How much of a game changer would it be to understand that the strongman is just an old man. What difference will it make in your approach to dealing with him, if you had an insider’s understanding about what he thinks about you? What matters most in spiritual warfare, is not what you think about your enemy, it’s what your enemy thinks about you. Here is a story that does just that God appeared to him and called him “a mighty man of valor.” In the same chapter, just a few verses between each other,mother Lord commissioned him to “go and deliver Israel in this might that is yours.” God also insisted that “I will be with you.” The Lord established a covenant with him. Yet Gideon did not believe and asked God on two separate occasions to either wet or dry a fleece. Even after the …

7 Days without Prayer makes 1 weak

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Just a thought Fasting and praying is not for the faint hearted. It takes a tenacious person, one who is willing to go the distance, deeper, farther than necessary. That’s when you find God in all His glory. The edge of the desert Moses was taking care of the flock for his father-in-law Jethro, Midian’s priest. He led his flock out to the edge of the desert, and he came to God’s mountain called Horeb. The Lord’s messenger appeared to him in a flame of fire in the middle of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was in flames, but it didn’t burn up. Then Moses said to himself, Let me check out this amazing sight and find out why the bush isn’t burning up. When the Lord saw that he was coming to look, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” Moses said, “I’m here.” Then the Lord said, “Don’t come any closer! Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground.” He continued, “I am the God …