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Not by might nor by power

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After Israel returned from their 70 year Babylonian exile- God raised up a prophet of restoration. His name was Zechariah.

His ministry was to encourage and mobilize God’s people to accomplish a task that they had begun – but lost the momentum for completion.

I’m I talking to anybody today who God assigned a task to accomplish but you lost your momentum?

Due to adversed circumstances, demonic opposition, or jealous people – you lost your momentum.

God says, get ready for acceleration… He said to tell you that it will not happen by might, nor by power.

Might represents – a collective of super smart and innovative people. You’ve assembled a team of gifted leaders and very talented people – God says, you did good – but there’s another source.

Power represents – the one superstar, the show stopper, the headliner, the gifted speaker, the talented musician. You thought, if we can only get him, if we can only get her – it’s gonna be a game changer – but God says you did well – but there’s another source.

Gods says

You’re gonna need oil!

Because it’s not by might nor by power – but by my Spirit says the Lord!

Zechariah 4:6, 7

When people abandon you, and others blame you: 7 Things to consider

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When people abandon you, and others blame you for what went wrong – what should be your attitude?

7 Things I am learning about that:

1. Take responsibility. No matter how out of your control the situation was, it happened on your watch. And as a leader, everyone involved should feel like you genuinely take responsibility.

2. Commit your feelings to the Lord. In any event, He is bigger than your feelings. When the criticisms, judgments, and abandonment become real and you feel rotten, commit your feelings to Him.

3. Seek wisdom from trusted friends and leaders. See it as a teachable moment.

4. Keep your heart from becoming resentful and bitter by inviting God into the situation.

5. Often times when we are misunderstood we want to make everyone aware of our righteousness. Don’t seek to justify yourself or your actions. Let your heart settle in the fact that God saw how much you invested and how much you still care.

6. Care enough to pray – not for God to straighten them out or show them how wrong they are, but that they may experience His love.

7. Leave room reconciliation. Keep your heart open for a day that peace and understanding will prevail.

Humanly Speaking

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“Sometimes God will plant you in places He knows you are not going to grow Or bear fruit except by a miracle.” Walter Bright

Isaiah‬ ‭41:18-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬
“I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive. I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together, that they may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it.”

Listen to Him today – He says, “I have purposefully
planted you in this place so that you can
understand that humanly speaking it will
be impossible to grow and be fruitful. But
with God nothing is impossible.”

Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father, I take You at Your Word. You have my best interest at heart. Thank You for helping me see that it is not by my might, nor is it by my power that I can bring about any substantial or long lasting growth and fruits in my life and calling- but it all comes about by Your Mighty Holy Spirit. So I submit to Your plan. Please pour out Your Holy Spirit in my life and calling so I can become fruitful…
Thank You – In Jesus Name!
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This Week: 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

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Devotional And Prayer Guide:

The Prayer of Jabez

The Prayer of Jabez

The Prayer of Jabez

The Prayer of Jabez

The Prayer of Jabez

The Prayer of Jabez

The Prayer of Jabez

Take this week to focus and pray for the blessings of the Lord to bring success, influence, protection and provision.

Click on the links above to find the devotional and the prayer guide.

Battle Ready: Day 3

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Fight like a winner

“Jesus has already won the victory, but it doesn’t mean you won’t have to fight. What that means is – you have the advantage. Your Victory over the enemy has already been made possible. All you have to do is stand in it, enforce it and contend for it!” Walter Bright

-fight like a winner.

Take some time to fully grasp the following verses. Jesus had given us the advantage over the enemy.

His victory guarantees our victory!

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

1 John 3:8

“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

Colossians 2:15 ESV

“God made us alive with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

Colossians 2:13-14 ESV

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

1 John 5:4 ESV

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24

So what part do we play in this epic battle? If Jesus has already won the victory, why do we still have to fight?

Our victory is already won, but we still need to stand in it

“You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.””

2 Chronicles 20:17 ESV

“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

Ephesians 6:14-18 ESV

Our victory is already won, but we still need to enforce it

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Luke 10:19 NKJV

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

Mark 11:23 NKJV

““Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 18:18 NKJV

“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;”

Mark 16:17 NKJV

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.”

Isaiah 54:17 NKJV

I love Isaiah 54:17 – Weapons may be formed – but they will not prosper unless you let them. This verse is about your God given and inherited authority to enforce the victory that Jesus has already won for you. It says, “you shall condemn.

Our victory is already won, but we not only have to stand in it, enforce it, but also travail for it!

This kind

“Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not…“When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.””

Mark 9:17-18, 25-26, 28-29 NKJV

There are certain issues in life that you’re going come across that will demand more than just the usual response. Some demons are stubborn, some problems persist and some habits become strongholds.

Whenever you encounter such things you’re going to not only stand in your victory, or enforce your authority, you’re going to fast, and travail for it. Sometimes you’re going do a lot of fasting and praying before you can begin to see the breakthrough.

Let Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for the authority you have given me. In Your Name let all of Your enemies be scattered!

Dig Deeper

Matthew 10:1

Mark 6:7

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Matthew 10:8

Galatians 4:19

Today let’s take authority over all the powers of darkness.

Battle Ready – Day 1

Battle Ready: Day 2

Battle Ready: Day 2

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Settled in Peace

“Your level of confidence in your commander in chief will determine your level of peace in every battle.” Walter Bright

To know that The Lord of Host has already won the victory over every battle, every devil and every and temptation you’ll ever encounter should settle you in His peace.

Spiritual warfare can be an intense and prolonged experience. Sometimes that intensity can weight heavily on you and cause you to unnecessarily carry a burden you were never meant to bear.

God did not design spiritual warfare to be waged from a place of chaos, fear or turmoil. If you’re fighting from a place of chaos and uncertainty you’ll first have to conquer that devil before you can effectively deal with whatever else you’re fighting.

It is therefore imperative for you to do battle out of the place of peace. That peace comes through our complete confidence in our commander in chief. If we are settled in our confidence, that confidence will bring us assurance and that assurance will in turn lead to peace as we engage the enemy in the battles of life.

Example: The Daniel experience

The scripture says, “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.”

Daniel 10:2-3 ESV

The Lord saw how heavily the battle weighed on Daniel, so He sent an angel to help Daniel settle in peace as he did battle.

“Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.”

Daniel 10:12 ESV

“Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,”

Daniel 10:12-13 ESV

People who operate in great supernatural power are often saturated by a greater measure of peace.

Example:

“When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

2 Kings 6:15-17 ESV

Here’s another example- This time it’s Jesus sleeping in the stern:

“On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?””

Mark 4:35-40 NKJV

Let’s Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, saturate us with Your peace. May our confidence in You – our Commander In Chief bring the reassurance we need to do battle against the enemy. In Jesus Name – Amen!

Dig Deeper

Philippians 4:7

John 14:25-28

John 16:33

Today let’s pray together for he Lord to settle us in His peace as we do battle.

Battle Ready: Day 1

Battle Ready: Day 3

Battle Ready: Day 1

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“The highest form of spiritual warfare is obedience.” Tim Gavigan

OBEDIENCE IS A SHIELD

The other day one of my friends (Tim Gavigan) – who happens to be a pastor- said something that caught my attention. He said and quote – “ the highest form of spiritual warfare is obedience.” End quote.

Your obedience is not only your defense against all the schemes of the devil, it is also your offense against the power of darkness. It’s a weapon.

“by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The scripture says in Deuteronomy 28:2 –

“And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God… Operating word – Obey!

Verse 7 says

The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”

Your consecration, your heart that follows after God’s own heart, your single minded devotion, your fear of the Lord – are weapons of warfare so powerful that the enemy can not withstand them.

The only way he can prevail over you is by having you tear down that shield of defense by your disobedience.

Obedience is a shield.

As long as that shield is up, the enemy cannot penetrate.

This is what Balaam understood when Balak sought to put a curse upon the children of God.

Balaam told King Balak how to get the Israelites to commit sin by enticing them with sexual immorality and food sacrificed to idols.

Numbers 31:16 tells us how the Israelites fell into transgression due to these traps and God sent a deadly plague to them as a result.

The devil recognizes the power of clean hands, clean lips, and pure hearts.

You can jump, scream and shout all you want trying to do spiritual warfare but devils are not impressed with fake anointing. They respect the purity and power of Jesus residing in you.

Example:

A good example is a story we find in Acts 19:14-16 ESV about the Sons of Sceva.

The scripture says,

“Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly, help me today to live a life of holiness. Open my eyes to see You in the beauty and splendor of Your holiness so that I can grow into Your holiness – In Jesus Name! Amen!

Dig Deeper:

2 Corinthians 6:7

Romans 6:13

Isiah 54:17

Ephesians 4:27

John 14:30

Proverbs 26:2

Luke 11:24-26

Ephesians 2:2b

1 John 4:4

1 John 5:4

1 John 2:16

Today Let’s pray that we can rediscover our battle cry by laying a firm foundation of obedience:

Battle Ready: Day 2

Battle Ready: Day 3

How to Demolish the devil’s lies even though it might have a grain of truth?

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There is a certain level of truth in some of the lies the devil tells us about ourselves. It is not necessarily the lie that gets people stuck; it’s the grain of truth that the devil embeds deep within the lie.

If you are honest with yourself and not ashamed to admit it, you can find a strategy to consistently defeat him.

First of all, we need to understand the one we have to confront. He is formidable, but most especially diabolically artful in blending a little truth with big lies.

We see this play out in Matthew chapter 4 – where we see him taking the Word of God and twisting it in such a way to catch Jesus off guard.

But what he didn’t understand is that Jesus was way more sharper than he. So at every interval, Jesus world tell him – here is what it actually says – and, here is the context.

So, the question we are trying to answer today is – how can I wage an effective battle against the lie without ignoring the grain of truth in it?

There are two ways to wage an effective warfare against the enemy’s lies in this scenario:

1. Position yourself to maximize your potential

It would be naive to simply brush off the attack with the usual platitudes. Just quoting our favorite verses and wise sayings sometimes don’t adequately deal an effective blow to the enemy.

I’m afraid people who hide behind platitudes end up repeating those platitudes over a lifetime of defeat.

“I can do all things…” Philippians 4:13

Quotes like the one above could become a little bit more effective if we look to improve ourselves in areas of weakness.

For example:

If the enemy tells me – “you don’t have what it takes.” I can either be honest with myself and acknowledge that I lack some competencies in my leadership skills. Or I can ignore the grain of truth (if it’s there), and fight him with words. I may feel about myself for a minute, but the enemy always comes back seeing I’ve done nothing to improve myself.

What I need to do is – position myself to learn and to grow in those areas where I’m weak. I need to position myself to maximize my potential. So when he come back the next time around, he’s going be talking to a different me.

That is why Jesus calls us to be disciples. A disciple is a person who embraces life as a journey, not a destination. He/she is in it for the long haul. They keep returning to the drawing board. They are life long learners, doing everything it takes to own their weaknesses, improve on them, lean on others where necessary thereby edging the enemy out.

You cannot overcome accusations, condemnation, and lies without taking responsibility for your own mistakes and weaknesses. The enemy is going to play into that. Declarations are not enough, and who you are is as true as who you are becoming.

2. Position yourself to rely on God’s supernatural power.

This kind of attitude sets you up to wage an effective spiritual warfare. Because at this point – you’ve realized that whatever it is that God has called to do – you’re going to need something more than what you can bring to the table.

That if God doesn’t show up – you’re not going take off. I’m reminded of of a passage of scripture in Isaiah 37:3 – where it says,

“Today is a day of shame, reproach, and humiliation. For children have come to birth and there is no strength to bring them forth.”

If you’re like me and some times wonder how you’re going to bring forth that which God has called you to bring forth – let me remind you – “if He called you – He will help you.

So – When the enemy whispers in your ears – “what a shame, what a disgrace, you’re going to be humiliated again, you don’t have what it takes!”

Tell him – that He who called you has every resource you need. With His help you will succeed! That you will rise up in the strength of the Lord to bring forth whatever the Lord has called you to bring forth.

After you have done all you can do – God steps in and does what you can’t do!

Cultural clashes in defining beauty

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My wife was recently in Boston to give a short talk at TED. The video is available on their website right now. I would appreciate it if you took just a few minutes of your time to follow the link/video still below, watch the video and give her your feedback.

About this speaker
Dalali is not only my wife, but the mother of my two children and the most amazing person I know. She is a State Street new hire, who graduated from California State University, Chico with a double major in project management and accounting. Her research focuses on how leadership styles played an important role in political upheaval. Delali is also a certified SAP associate and led a project to convert SAP ERP Financial case studies from IDES to GBI dataset, to support SAP curriculum progress at her university.

About this talk
In this talk she shares her personal story of how growing up in West Africa, she was bullied and marginalized for being skinny. Her family worried about her, put her on diets, and found her embarrassing and shameful. Then, she moved to the U.S. in her 30s, where she was suddenly seen as beautiful! Through her story, Delali illuminates the importance of creating your own self image.

Ladies and gentlemen I give you my lovely wife Delali Bright. Please click on the link to watch my wife’s powerful talk at TED. It’s called – Cultural Clashes in defining Beauty.

The Stand

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A Mini Series on The Armor of God

“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” This is not only the key to understanding the armor, but it is also exactly what we are called to stand in.

The armor has everything to do with you standing in it than it has to do with you putting it on!

Today in this introductory message on the armor of God I want to remind you that

  • greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
  • I want to remind you that you have been born of God.
  • He has He hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son
  • By virtue of your faith in Him – you have been made victorious.
    It is from this vintage point – in this victory that Paul calls you to take a stand.

I hear people say that we need to put the armor on every day.
But my question is – if we are to be ready in season and out of season… if we have to be vigilant- because our adversary the devil seeks whom he may devour… seeks whom he may catch off guard…
than it makes sense to me to stand in my armor in season and out of season

Ephesians 6:13-14
“Having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore.”

The armor of God is the spiritual grace and inheritance that we have due to the life altering, supernatural transformation we have in Christ.

We are call to stand in the working of His incomparably great power that is available to those who believe.

The scripture says,
“That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.”

This power – you don’t put On! Why? Because it’s already inside of you! That’s why Paul told his readers to do everything within their power to stand.
“For it is in your standing that you will be able to withstand the evil day.” (wb)

Friends, the evil day is coming- how firm is your stand?

Heavenly Father we thank you for the victory you have won for us – today we stand in that victory. Amen!

His Perfect Patience

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“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Perfect Patience
Nobody I know in this life has perfect patience. But I know beyond the shadow of doubt that God displays perfect patience.

We can see it on full display in Paul’s life.

In this short passage Paul describes himself as “foremost.”

What did he mean?
Let’s look back at a few verses:

1 Timothy‬ ‭1:12-15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
‭‭
Paul’s message here is simple and clear. Christ came to save sinners and according to him, he was the foremost- the worst – the chief of them all.

He recounts how in his past life he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent opponent of the faith.

But something special happened. He received something from God that he did not deserve.

The Bible says, he received mercy, the grace of our Lord overflowed towards him and Jesus lavished his love and forgiveness on Paul by drawing the foremost of all sinners to Himself.

FOR THIS REASON
Paul says,

“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”
— ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Paul says, the reason why I am here today is because of God’s Perfect Patience. And if you have any doubt in your mind that He can’t save you or forgive because you, believe me He can.

if you feel like you’re too far gone, and your sin is dark and evil – Paul says, look at me: The foremost of all sinners. If He did it for me – He’ll do it for you.

My life is a perfect example of The Perfect Patience of God towards sinners.

Come, plunge beneath His precious blood and lose all your guilty stains.

The Black Dot!

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Day 5

“One day our headmaster walked into the classroom and put up a broad white sheet of paper with a small black dot in the corner. ‘Boys,’ he asked, ‘what do you see?’ All of us shouted in unison, ‘A black dot!’ Then he said, ‘So not a single one of you saw the broad white sheet of paper? Don’t go through life with that attitude.” -Kofi Annan

A Black Dot!
Sometimes as Christians all we do is focus on what we disagree on and not sufficiently on all the other things we agree on. Let us not go through life with that attitude. Talk more about the thinks you agree on.

Sometimes in relationships, all a husband or wife thinks about is that character flaw or that thing that your partner does that so irritates you. Don’t go through life with that attitude. Think about and celebrate the good things about your spouse.

You will not be here today had it not been for someone holding the door open for you , paving the way for you. Stop this ‘I know it sickness, self sufficient madness. Stop the competition. We all rest on the shoulders of pioneers who inspire us. Thank God for the opportunity and the people He put in your path.

Sometimes in churches all we seem to think about is that one black dot. The music is too loud, the pastor’s sermon is too long, there are no paper towels in the ladies rest room, there is no parking. Don’t go through life like that. Find something to like about your church. Talk about them every time you are tempted to focus on the black dot.

Sometimes life can be difficult, if that’s all you focus on, you are missing out on some of the other awesome stuff the Lord may be doing in your life. Don’t go through life like that, give thanks, and develop an attitude of thanksgiving and a spirit of contentment.

It has been said that in every family there is a black sheep. One that is bad and different than the rest. I don’t necessarily agree with that kind of stigmatization, but those parents have managed to Zoom in on a bad thing in a child and label him/her for the rest of their life a black sheep.
The question is – is that all they see?

You get the drift…
There is a world of unlimited possibilities…Don’t let just one little dot limit you.

Celebrate small Things

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Day 4

The great Michelangelo once sculpted a figure out of marble as his friend stood by and watched. Well, this friend of his left for a business trip and after a while he returned and didn’t really see any significant progress in the work that Michelangelo was doing.

Upon hearing the criticism of his friend, Michelangelo told him that he had indeed done some work on the marble figure by softening certain parts, straightening the lips, defining the muscles and polishing here and there on the marble figure.

To his surprise, his friend said that his efforts were trifle. But Michelangelo replied,
Trifles they may be, but trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.

Are you in the habit of celebrating the small things in your life?

Do you stop and acknowledge how blessed you are?

Marriages and relationships fail because spouses pay little or no attention to the little things.

Believers live in fear and ingratitude because they fail to stop for a moment and count their blessings.

New converts grow discouraged and sometimes fall away because they fail to recognize and celebrate the baby steps they are making toward maturity in Christ.

Each moment of each day is an opportunity for us to celebrate the little things God has put in our lives. The bible tells us never to despise the days of humble beginnings. That better is little with God in it and that he will bless us if we are faithful with the little things we have.

I urge you to celebrate the life you have now… don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you do. The bible says in Ecc. 11:4 that, “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest…” So I urge you today to:

  • Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open
  • Don’t hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
    Wear your red dress use your good dishes
  • Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
  • And don’t spend you life looking back
    Give your love ones flowers while they are alive
  • go to the ballgames and go to the ballet
  • And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
    Kiss all your children Dance with your wife.
    Bullet Points: Point of Grace/ How to Live.

God is Good

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DAY 1: YOU ARE GOOD AND DO GOOD

I wrote Counting My Blessings out a a deep conviction of the goodness of God. The gratitude expressed in this song is not because I just got a big bonus, a raise or a promotion. Those are good reasons for us to rejoice and be thankful. Unfortunately, too often we are only grateful when life is good, but once things are difficult, we develop an ungrateful spirit.

Our situation may change from good to bad – bad to worse, but our God is always good. He is good on the mountain tops, but especially good in the valleys lows.

This is the God I want you to encounter in this season. His goodness is surely chasing you down. So lift those weary hands that hang low, strengthen those week knees, and get ready to walk in the path of gratitude. For God is good even in difficult times!

Counting My Blessings: A 5 Day Gratitude Devotional

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God is good on the mountain tops – but especially good in the valleys low.

walter Bright

Introduction

What does it look like or feel like to write and release a song of gratitude and thanksgiving in a year of a pandemic? Well, for me it was a very easy thing to do. And that’s not because it hasn’t been a difficult year, it has. But a simply fact remains true – God is still good and everything He does is Good!

So in these next few days I’m are going to take some time to tell you about my new song and the theological and inspirational benefits it has to offer – especially in these trying times.

About the song:

Counting My Blessings is about acknowledging and celebrating the goodness and faithfulness of God in our lives. It is a bringing into perspective the small and big things God has done and continues to do in our lives. For when we do, counting our blessings and naming one by one, has a unique ability to change current situation and our outlook at life.

The Lyrics: Verse 1

Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning

In my weakness I will shout lift a song of rejoicing

In every circumstance I will never never be shaken

He’s been good to me Oh so good to me

The favor that I didn’t deserve

Love you showed like no one else

Promise given to progress

I can go on counting my blessings

I look forward to sharing these devotional thoughts with every one of you as we approach the thanksgiving holiday. Allow me to leave you with some useful information about where to purchase/download or listen to me song:

Buy the Song Here: https://walterbrightmusic.hearnow.com/

New single from recording artist “COUNTING MY BLESSINGS” Subscribe for more music! https://bit.ly/2IKTy0j Follow Walter Bright: twitter https://twitter.com/WaltBright Facebook https://www.facebook.com/officialWalt… Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5g3… Instagram https://www.instagram.com/waltbrite/ #WalterBright #CountingMyBlessings #OfficialLyricVideo2020 https://youtu.be/y1EdMuqwbQg

5 Way to help grow the membership of your church

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INTRO:

One of the most difficult places to minister and build a church is in Rural America. There are varied and complex factors that contribute to this difficulty.

UNIQUE & DIFFICULT FACTORS

Take for example the lack of stable and competent volunteers. The economic difficulties of a small town. The frequent need for members to relocate for a new job. In a small town there is no telling what your congregation is going to look like from Sunday to Sunday. Families come, families move, hopefully for them, to a better job, housing or school.

The membership in most churches in Rural America is aging. These are the folks who despite their age do most of the heavy lifting. If there is community outreach – bake sale, fireworks fundraiser, or movie in the park – these older folks are there. But ‘most’ of them are not necessarily active in sharing their faith or inviting friends to church. The only friends they know are already Christians.

Than there is the chronic problem of church hopping, church skipping for long periods of time (not speaking about those who work on Sundays) and a hesitance to volunteer, get trained or even sign up to do some form of ministry.

On the other hand, some are just content with coming on Sunday getting fed with the Word and enjoy fellowship with the body. There is nothing wrong with that – but growing a church takes more than doing just that.

Other times people expect to find an already functioning children, youth, or young adult ministry – and as they should. In fact when people church hunt to determine what may be a good fit for their families – they want to see a functioning kids and youth ministry.

Unfortunately, in many cases – you will not find any of that. If you live in Rural America, churches come in many sizes from 25 to 50 congregants. Attracting new people to an aging congregation, less younger families with children, a limited paid staff, and non existing ministry to children and youth is tough.

TO CHURCH HUNTERS

So when you visit a church and feel the need to jump back in your family mini van and never return – take a minute to stop, pray and listen. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. You may be the one that pastor has been praying and waiting for. He has been waiting for someone with whom he can partner with, train and release into areas of ministry. Don’t just go for the convenience. Yes its going to take a bit of a sacrifice – but one that will grow the work of the Kingdom, bring glory to God, and produce something truly awesome in your life.

TO CHURCH MEMBERS

If you already find yourself in a small congregation, hear me out – you are a miraculous answer to prayer. You are not there by chance – it is God ordained and God orchestrated. So if you have children and you find yourself attending a church with no children, youth, or young adult ministry, what do you do?

  • Start One! This is for the first timers as well. You came to church but there was nothing planed for your kids. Walk up to the Pastor and tell him – that next Sunday you will be back with your kids and you need space to start regular children’s ministry. Start One! Ask for training and resources.

If you attend a church and the numbers are dwindling – what do you do?

  • Start a vigorous campaign of inviting your friends. Create a culture of inviting people to church. People will come if they are invited. Bring all your friends. Find creative ways to invite people.

If you feel the need to serve and use your gifts and talents to serve the Lord but don’t know how or where to start.

  • Talk to someone in leadership today! Tell them what the Lord has placed on your heart.

If you know that pray can change things things. What do you do?

  • Start a prayer movement in your congregation.

If your church outreach effort is lacking. What do you do?

  • Start an outreach program

I get it, not many people are up for such a challenge. But if you want to see an exponential spiritual growth in your life and the fruit you see in other places – I encourage you with the words of Jim Elliott, “Wherever you are, be all there.” Don’t leave to go somewhere else where those things you value are already in place in your church- create one right where you are.

Nothing useful, fruitful and healthy is uprooted and replanted ever other week. Stay planted where you are.

walter bright

God is counting on you there. Maybe you need to get off the fence. If it’s your desire to go somewhere else where you can find everything in place for your family, that’s not terrible. But let me ask you to stop and pray for a minute and consider how you can effect change right where you are today.

Thanks for seriously considering this challenge!

Allow me to leave you with one final thought. Just like every family – church family can experience misunderstandings, hurt feelings and difference of opinions. Let’s follow the example of Pastor Dwight Scott who told us when a brother felt hurt in his congregation – he invited him to come to the altar with him. And there, the two embraced the love of God and the re-conciliating power of the Holy Spirit. So, let us not let our differences separate us in these confusing times. Let’s meet each other at the foot of the cross where Jesus bled and died for us.

Stay blessed!

Walter

Destiny

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There is a buzzword in the church today.

DESTINY!

Everybody’s talking about it and running after it. It is interesting, however what exactly people mean when they talk about destiny. In many cases, it’s about personal success. There is nothing wrong with that! But destiny runs deeper than that.

Destiny is not about

success

status

self aggrandizement .

It’s is about servanthood.

Joseph was a young man who at the age of 16 misunderstood a revelation given to him by God. In his immaturity he developed an air of self importance that drove his brothers to despise him. His interpretation of a God given destiny or dream was all about him, and he paid dearly for it.

But after a series of life lessons, Joseph began to understand that though one day he would be elevated to become Prince of Egypt, God was not interested in his status, but his servanthood. God was not interested in his prosperity, but the preservation of his family. God was not interested in his destiny, but the destiny and formation of an entire nation.

That’s why he could say, “God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.” Genesis 45:7

Let us keep this truth in the back of our minds – we are simply just regular people with an extraordinary call to servanthood.

“The greatest among you must be a servant.”

Matthew 23:11

Reflections on John 4:10

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All of history, prophesy and promise, is completed in Jesus. Your whole life is completed in Jesus. Every part of your life: your work, family, relationships, friends, memories and dreams are completed in Jesus.

Nicky & Pippa Gumbel

“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.””

John 4:10 ESV

If you knew the gift of God, you would throw yourself in the arms of Jesus:

That gift is a gift of eternal life

That gift is a gift of unconditional love

That gift is a gift of forgiveness

That gift is a gift of peace with God and peace of God

That gift is a gift of freedom

If you understood the value and worth of the gift:

You would run through fire to obtain it

You would scale a wall to get it

You would search diligently for it until you found it

You would sell everything you own to possess it

You would travel mile away to experience it

You would pay any prize to have it

But it’s absolutely free. You cannot earn it or but it. It is more valuable than gold, rubies and diamonds.

And it is all yours simply by grace through faith.

If you truly understand the gift of God , you would fall into the loving arms of Jesus.

Because that gift is Jesus Christ Himself, in whom the fullness of God dwells.

When all hell breaks loose: Lessons from Job

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It was a beautiful day. I imagine tempretures in the low 70s. The warm summer breeze graced his face as he stood in the front of his ocean view house, basking in the glory and favor of his God. In the distance he noticed a runner – than another. One by one, messengers approached him dropping to their knees as they delivered heart breaking accounts of a beautiful and festive day gone bad.

Job stood there listening to each one of them as they unloaded tragedy after tragedy. But the account that knocked him off his feet and brought him face to the ground was the account of the last runner.

 Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.

Have you ever been hit with bad news? How did you handle it? How should you handle it? I confess there is no telling what one should or should not do when tragedy hits out of the clear blue sky. Maybe Job can help us a bit.

What Job didn’t understand was high up in the presence of God the accuser and enemy of his soul had conspired to take him out. Why? God had been bragging about him for a while. “Have you seen my servant Job?”

  • When all hell breaks loose in your life, know that you are blessed and favored. You are doing something so good that it atrracts the praise of God and the plots of the devil.

Somebody once said,

As long as you are stationary, no one will complain. Dogs don’t bark at parked cars. But as soon as you accelerate—once you step out of drunkenness into sobriety; dishonesty into integrity; or lethargy into compassion—expect the yapping to begin.

  • When all hell breaks loose in your life, know that your Heavenly Father is aware and not taken by surprise. 
  • When all hell breaks loose right out of the clear blue sky, know that your Heavenly Father has already set in motion your path to victory.
  • Your life may never be the same, but God will take the bad, and the ugly and turn them into something beautiful. 

When all hell breaks loose:

Keep your foot on the accelerator:

Keep doing the things that got you the praise from God. As long as you are getting praise from God, it doesn’t matter what the enemy throws your way. The obedience that made you a victim at the hand of the enemy, is the same obedience that will make you a victor at the hand of your Father. Press on!

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.”

“In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”

“There is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.”

“If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away, and let not injustice dwell in your tents.”

“What is my strength, that I should wait. And what is my end, that I should be patient?”

Keep a positive confession:

This is far superior to a positive thinking or a name it and claim it rigmarole. Your positive confession is centered on your absolute trust and assurance in the goodness of God. It is a reckless abandon, complete faith and total reliance on faithfulness of God.

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

“I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

“Though he slays me, I will hope in him.”

“I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end, he will stand.”

“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.”

Conclusion:

After all was said and done, “the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.”

Quote:

Max Lucado

Job 1:18-19

Job 23:10

Job 1:22

Job 16:17

Job 11:14

Job 6:11

Job 1:21

Job 42:2

Job 13:15

Job 19:25

Job 42:5

Job 42:10-13

10 Quotes from Max Lucado’s ‘Before Amen’

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When Prayer Flows

If you want to take you prayer life to another level of simplicity and ease, “Before Amen” is for you. It is inviting and inspiring. The focus remains on the Father all through the book. In essence, that is exactly what prayer is all about.

Enjoy a few quotes that jumped off the pages:

“Before you face your world, face you Father.”

“Prayer is conversation with God while driving to work or awaiting an appointment or before interacting with a client. Prayer can be the internal voice that directs the external action.”

“Guilt leaves a tattooed heart.”

Just as a happy child cannot mis-hug, the sincere heart cannot mis-pray”

“Prayer is the hand of faith on the door handle of your heart; the willing pull; the happy welcome to Jesus.”

“Prayers are not graded according to style.”

“You are never more like Jesus than when you pray for others.”

“An un-prayed for problem is an embedded thorn.”

“Life is a gift, albeit unassembled. It comes in pieces, and sometimes it falls into pieces.”

“God’s goal for you is wholeness.”

An Illustration that will preach

This was a gentle, smooth read. Max’s illustration of the prayers of a 10 year old girl in Helen Roseveare’s orphanage is a powerful testament of what it really means that the “Father knows what you need even before you ask” (Matthew 6:8). How would you like to receive a timely gift, the same day you prayed, only to find out that the gift was mailed 5 months earlier?. I highly recommend Max Lucado’s ‘Before Amen.’

#brightsummerbooks

Ignite my Soul: Consume these idle sticks

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“God consume these idle sticks in my life that may burn for thee.” Jim Elliot

What does the word idle mean?

It means – not active or in use.
synonyms: inactive, unused, unoccupied, unemployed, disused. It speaks of a person – not working; unemployed. Synonyms: unemployed, jobless, out-of-work, redundant, between jobs, work less, unwaged, unoccupied. It also speaks of a person avoiding work; lazy. Synonyms: lazy, indolent, slothful, work-shy, shiftless, inactive, sluggish, lethargic, listless

It means to lack or be without purpose or effect; pointless.
Synonyms: frivolous, trivial, trifling, vain, minor, petty, lightweight, shallow, superficial, insignificant, unimportant, worthless, paltry, niggling, peripheral, inane, fatuous

It defines a person who spends their time doing nothing; be idle.
Synonyms: do nothing, be inactive, vegetate, take it easy, mark time, twiddle one’s thumbs, kill time, languish, laze, lounge, loll, loaf, loiter.

The Scripture warns about it

A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. Proverbs 10:4

And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. Matthew 20:3

But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Matthew 25:26

For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. Titus 1:10

And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. Titus 3:14

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Romans 12:11

I understand that some times, depending on where you are in life, a lack of clarity or opportunity can easily turn you into a couch potato. But that is a very dangerous place to park. If you didn’t already know, you are in big trouble if you find yourself sitting around doing nothing. Your life has become the devil’s workshop.

A slothful life can easily become a life of Spiritual Apathy. You soon find yourself slipping into a subtle love for worldly things. All of a sudden you, your life, your vision becomes dull – nothing moves you.

At this point, life is reduced to easy choices, and mediocrity. You begin to make the bed with false comforts. You are easily carried away by worldly distractions and fleshly attractions. And the things of the world are now more important than God’s mission.

What you need at this time is a dose of purpose; a watershed of passion and an explosion of persistence.

Mary O’Connor said, “It’s not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.” What’s your purpose in life?

Shannon O’Dell said, “God has so made man, that whenever anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish.” What are you passionate about?

The Apostle Paul said, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward toward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” How persistent are you?

Before I close, I urge you to find those idle sticks that are slowing you down from living life persistently and passionately on purpose. My idle sticks are different from yours and yours from mine. What’s important is that we can find them and ask God – the God who answers by fire – to consume them and set us on fire.

These prayers I will pray:

Lord, consume my longing and lack of discipline for:
Too much Entertainment

Lord, consume my:
Laissez Allez Mentality

Lord, consume my:
Indifferent & Care free Attitude

Lord, consume my:
Propensity to Settle for second best

Lord consume my
Spiritual Apathy

Lord consume my
Passivity

Light a passionate fire in my soul and make me “the fuel oh flame of God.”

Recourse: Online Etymology Dictionary for idle

Some Days You eat the bear – Other Days the bear eats you

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A few years ago, Billy Collins wrote a masterpiece called “Some Days.” Some Days you eat the bear and other days the bear eats you is Collin’s poetic explanation of the piece. In it he asks the question:

“How would you like it if you never knew from one day to the next if you were going to spend it striding around like a vivid god, your shoulders in the clouds, or sitting down there amidst the wallpaper, staring straight ahead with your little plastic face?”

In essence, what he is saying is, Some Days you are at the top of your game – other days you are not. Some Days, as a writer, speaker, singer, preacher, parent, a Christian, leader, professional, athlete – you are on top of the world, but other days you are dull, uninspired, bored, creatively challenged, down, depressed – at a wall.

How do you deal with this kind of emotional roller coaster? How do you manage to stay focus, and keep a sound mind when you are feeling dry, less inspired than the day before? How do you get you get back into the grove? Here are a few thoughts to consider:

Tap into the Supernatural

Where I come from, the question whether God exist is no question at all. There is no argument at all about it. Here in the west we love to elevate ourselves to the status of god-like geniuses or go looking for inspiration in wrong places. Sometimes we hold to the wrong notion that God only releases inspiration, creativity and hope on a faithful few. But “God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening. Their words aren’t heard, their voices aren’t recorded, But their silence fills the earth: unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.” Psalm 19:1 – Tap into His daily inspiration!

Look to the old to inspire the new

In a recent interview on TED Radio Hour with Abigail Washburn, the following question brought a very inspiring answer from the singer songwriter: “Is there any environment that really helps you in your creativity when writing or thinking about lyrics? To that she answered, “when I need a new idea, I listen to the old ones.” What a powerful idea. Go listen to old preachers preach, old speeches, old songs and artists. We sometimes think – “oh, I need to listen to something fresh, new and out of the box.” Sometimes all we need to do is, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it.” All of a sudden we can find our way again. Jeremiah 6:16 – Tap into His unchanging ways!

Accept that some days the bear eats you

It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when. You are going to experience a really tough time. Welcome to the human race. It is going to happen. whether you like it or not. We live in a fallen world. Some people think winning is what life is really about. Unfortunately this is to settle for a shallow life. “He who watches the wind looking for perfect conditions will not plant his seeds. And he who looks at the clouds will not gather the food.  Just as you do not know the path of the wind or how the bones are made of a child yet to be born, so you do not know the work of God Who makes all things. Plant your seeds in the morning, and do not be lazy in the evening. You do not know which will grow well, the morning or evening. Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 – Tap into the adventure of the unexpected

Turn bad days into good information

I got a free download of The Daniel Plan from audible.com three days ago. And I picked up the above phrase from the book about what to do when you fail to follow-through on your goals. You don’t beat yourself up; you don’t throw a pity party – you turn your bad day into good information. Take whatever it is that keeps you from doing the things you purposed to do by putting them in perspective to educate yourself. You will realize that “Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart. Yet, on the inside, God is making all things new by his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the lavish celebration prepared for us.” 2 Corinthians 4:17 – Tap into the life changing process.

This is the kind of stuff that make for an adventurous Christian life… it never gets boring.

A Message About your Future

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The scripture under discussion today is one among many that changed the course of my life forever. I want to talk about the future – but allow me to go back about twenty-five years to when I first met the Lord and understood that He had a plan for my life. It was an eye opener – a treasured discovery that sparked in me a curiosity to understand all the things God had planned for life and my future. The first passage that really got the ball rolling for me is found in Acts 13:36

For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.
This passage blew my mind. So if God had a purpose for David’s life in his generation, does that mean that God has a plan for me in my generation? I went-really? That God has a purpose for me in my generation. What is it? The first sermon I ever worked on was based on a passage in Psalms 139 – where David says,
all my days are written in your book before one of them came to be (v16)…
Than in and in (v6) he says,
such knowledge is wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain…
In other word – WOW! I’ve got a future, I’ve got a destiny, I am going somewhere, I am not going to end up useless, broke, messed-up, dysfunctional and mediocre. Wow! I can achieve my goals, I can be successful, I can reach my dreams… wow! Withe the Lord, the sky is the limit?
Maybe today you are kind of feeling doubtful, down and fearful about the future, maybe you have more bills than you have money, maybe today you feel like you are going to be carried away by the storms you are facing or everything that you see right now is telling you not to believe – let me share with you a few things I’ve learned from the first Bible verse I memorized almost twenty-five years ago. Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

1. It’s an Original Plan… “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
2. It’s a good plan… “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you,”
3. It’s a plan with a promise… “Plans to give you hope and a future.
I think verse 11 cannot stand with-out verse 12.
They go hand in hand. Here is what it says:
4. It’s a plan activated by diligent search… “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me,
5. It’s a reliable plan… “and I will listen to you.”

You see God has a plan for your life – and though all may seem dark and austere right now his plan still stands. Here are four things you need to understand about your future and about God’s plan for you:

1. It is an original plan… He says – “for I know the plan I have for you. He says he knows the way you should take… he knows how you feel right now… He knows how he is going to get you out of the mess you are in right now. It’s like a road map… all sketched out for you. He says all your days have been ordained for you. Where you should live, to whom you should get married, what career choice you should make, what you should do with your life. He says be careful and don’t live your life haphazardly. Don’t do things because everyone is doing it. James 4:15 “Instead, you ought to say,

If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.

It’s an original plan – because you are unique – you are different – stop copying other – stop trying to be like others. He says in 1 Corinthians 2:9

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.

You need a revelation of God plan for your life. Verse 10 says,

but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

2. It is a good plan… He says – it is a plan to prosper and not to harm you. It’s a well thought out plan. It’s a detailed plan – nothing was left out. From beginning to end, from start to finish–it’s a good plan. He says that he’s counted the cost and he’s done his home work (Luke 14:27-29) – the plan will certainly bring you to an expected end. This plan will certainly bring you
success. This plan will certainly work. He says, don’t doubt plan because of the bumps along the way. He says, He will take your stumbling blocks… and turn them into stepping
stones… he will take your road blocks and turn them into path-finders. For he
said,

I will make a way where there seems to be no way.

he says,
he will take your only chance and turn it into a second chance. Yes, I am talking
about a God who can take you from nowhere to somewhere.

3. It’s a plan with a promise… God says you can be excited about your life because there is hope and He will bring you to an expected end. He says, “I want to speak life to you, I want you to be exited about your future. Because He sees you in your future and you are thriving, walking in favor and prosperity.” God says He is bringing you to an expected end.

4. The plan is activated by a diligent search… one hundred
percent of the time – those who are really serious about understanding,
discovering and doing the will of God are equally serious about searching for
it. God says,

than you will call on me – come and seek me.

That’s how you become certain about the future. That’s how you tap into the mind of Christ
about your destiny. That’s how you discover the way you should take, the
decisions to take, and choices to make. That’s how you hear his voice and make sense of the dry places in your life. That’s how stay to stay encouraged and victorious.

5. Finally, it’s a plan that is reliable… God says
he will be listening.He will make himself available 24/7 to answer all the questions and concerns. He will be there constantly to clarify the plan along the way. He will give you a hundred percent satisfaction. He himself will be the one guiding you – he’s not
delegating this to anyone. In fact he will be flexible with you and will allow you to express the desires of your heart but only if you delight yourself in Him
Psalm 37:4. When God tells you he will be listening to you he is not kidding – he means it. His plan is reliable from start to finish. Just trust him and he will take good care of you.

I invite you to cast all your cares and anxiety on him right now because he cares for you – and is going to take good care of you. Let Him worry about your future. As for you – just understand that he knows what the future holds for you and that he is working it out. Just understand that his
plan is good and that it is to prosper you – not harm you – to give you hope and success. Just put your heart and your mind into seeking him and fixing your eyes
on him – and he will bring to perfection the things that he started in your
life. And finally – trust him to deliver on his promises.

Let’s Pray:

“My God, I try to make so many plans for my life, but I know Your plans for me are best. You tell me that You have plans for me to prosper and have hope and a future. Thank You for loving me enough to have a plan for my life. You have promised me that when I call on You, You will listen to me. Thank You for listening when I pray. I am confident knowing that I serve a God who cares about my life. I want to find You every day, and You say that if I seek You with all my heart, I will find You. Thank You for showing me the way to You. I lay my plans down at Your feet and receive Your plans for me (mention your plans and lay them down before God). I know that You see the big picture and You know what is better for me than I do. I trust You, and I ask You to guide me toward Your plans.”

Laying hold of the Willingness of God

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There is one word about prayer that makes the entire experience meaningful. It is the bedrock of what prayer is all about, firmly anchored in the character of God.

Take it away and the worshiper is flooded with doubt.
Take it alway and prayers hit the ceiling and bounce back.
Take it away and the prayer life is sapped of all its enjoyment.

This one word makes prayer possible.
This one word brings the worshiper back again and again.
This one word assures the worshiper that God hears and longs to answer.
This one word causes prayer to soar to nights unknown
This one word is the anchor for all the promises of God.

#WILLINGNESS

Martin Luther said it best:

Everything is covered

Salvation
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32

Healing
“And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.”
Mark 1:40-42

Victory and Power over temptation
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mark 14:38

Spirit Baptism
“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:10-13

Daily Provisions
“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
Matthew 7:7-11

The I wills of God

There are many references to the I wills of God. I would like to highlight just a few important ones here:

I will deliver you… Exodus 6:7
I will comfort you… Isaiah 14:22
I will show you my glory… Exodus 33:19
I will pour out my Spirit… Joel 2:28
I will make you fruitful… Genesis 48:4
I will never leave you nor forsake you… Hebrews 13:5
I will make you abound in prosperity… Deuteronomy 28:11

My prayer in this post is for you to lay hold of the willingness of God. He loves you. He wants to provide for you. He wants to heal you. The God that I know is a good God all the time. I have not yet seen any prayer in the scriptures that remains unanswered.

God bless you as you lay hold of His willingness!

Living Life On Assignment

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A LIFE LIVED ON ASSIGNMENT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS THREAT TO THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS

Our text is found in the book of Mark chapter 4:35ff

“That same day, after it grew dark, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” Leaving the crowd behind, the disciples got into the boat in which Jesus was already sitting, and they took him with them. Other boats sailed with them. Suddenly, as they were crossing the lake, a ferocious storm arose, with violent winds and waves that were crashing into the boat until it was nearly swamped. So they shook him awake, saying, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to die!” Fully awake, he rebuked the storm and shouted to the sea, “Hush! Be still!” All at once the wind stopped howling and the water became perfectly calm.”

Mark 4:35-37, 39 TPT

Everything Jesus did while here on this earth He did on purpose and with intentionality. He live a life on Assignment. When Jesus said to His disciples, “let’s go to the other side of the lake”, it was intentionally, strategically and deliberately on assignment.

“Jesus regularly made statements like this:

“We have to go on to the surrounding villages so that I can share my message with the people there, for that is my mission.”

Mark 1:38 TPT

Jesus lived a life on assignment – even when He gave His life to be crucified- it was intentionally on assignment.

In fact, He always saw people in far away places His disciples were unaware about – and determined to reach them no matter what.

He saw the woman at the well and said – “I must go!”

He wanted to return to a place where His enemies wanted to stone Him – and one of his disciples remarked – “let’s go die with him!” But Jesus was not worried about that – because it was there He would declare – “I am the resurrection and the life – Lazarus – come out!”

It is no surprise that Jesus would tell His disciples- “Let’s go to the other side of the lake. See… He saw someone that His disciples couldn’t see. And His Assignment was to set that one free.

HE WAS ON ASSIGNMENT!

He saw a man bound in shackles

He saw a man bound by demons

He saw a man out of his right mind

And He was determined to set him free

It does not surprise me much that there arose a ferocious storm. I hope I don’t have to waste a lot of time trying to convince you that the forces behind the storm was much more darker and demonic than just a normal weather system.

Jesus and His disciples were about to enter a region possessed of the devil and the devil did not like that.

Listen:

A LIFE LIVED ON PURPOSE IS THE MOST DANGEROUS THREAT TO THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS

Someone once said,

“Dogs don’t bark at parked cars.”

As soon as you start living your life on assignment the devil will start yapping.

The Scripture says,

“Suddenly, as they were crossing the lake, a ferocious storm arose, with violent winds and waves that were crashing into the boat until it was nearly swamped.”

Why does the enemy attack us?

Someone wrote to other day – “the enemy’s attack is proof that I am anointed.” That’s funny… the enemy doesn’t attack you because you’re anointed. If you’re were really anointed- he wouldn’t be attacking you. But I get it… I understand the sentiment.

Sometimes we tell ourselves, “oh the devil attacks us because he just hates our guts.” Well, he hates us alright, but he’s not attacking because of that. He hates us but there is absolutely nothing he can do about it. He has already gotten over it.

He knows – no weapon formed will prosper

He knows- nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus

He knows you’re covered… he knows you’re more that a conqueror… he knows you’ve crossed over from being susceptible to his attack.

His attack is not about you – it’s about the assignment. That’s why a life lived on assignment is the greatest threat to the kingdom of darkness. That’s why we are attacked by the enemy. It’s not about you – it’s about the purposes, the plan, and the destiny God has placed on your life.

The enemy attacks you-to hinder or stop you from fulfilling your assignment.

What’s the Assignment?

“Go instead and find the lost sheep. And as you go, preach this message: ‘Heaven’s kingdom realm is accessible, close enough to touch.’ You must continually bring healing to lepers and to those who are sick, and make it your habit to break off the demonic presence from people, and raise the dead back to life. Freely you have received the power of the kingdom, so freely release it to others.”

Matthew 10:6-8 TPT

The greater the Assignment- the greater to attacks

““I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father!”

John 14:12 TPT

You’re destined to do big things. You’re carrying a heavenly anointed assignment from God Himself. But the enemy is not threatened by people with just a great assignment, he is threatened by people who are living their lives on assignment.

It is no wonder why the enemy is so relentless in his attacks. He wants to stop you from fulfilling the call on your life. So, I encourage you to keep pressing, pushing, persevering. Don’t let him stop you.

Live your life on assignment!

WAR:Scatter Your enemies

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Hello Everyone
My name is Walter Bright
And I would like to invite you to ring in the new year with my new song – entitled WAR!
It drops on the 31st of December and you can stream it on all digital media platforms. You can also, that same day, watch the Premiere of the Audio Visualizer on YouTube.

I pray that the song is a blessing to you! And I thank you for sharing it with everyone.

May God Arise in your life and May all your enemies be scattered – in Jesus Name!

Happy New Year!