As 2012 arrives many of us are thinking about the New Year and all that it holds.  This will be a great year for the Body of Christ. I guess I should say, and even greater year than the past.  This year, the called out ones, are moving and operating with greater spiritual awareness.  There will be an increase in the God consciousness of those who will determine to live by faith and walk in obedience. The coming year will be prove to be limitless, but before we set off to great accomplishments some things must come to an end. That’s right; in order to move forward you must bring some things to an end…now.   So, as we celebrate the end of 2011 and look ahead to 2012, I encourage you to make the decision to end a few things in order to move towards greater success.

It is the will of God that we are available to him.  It is his will that we are willing to step into new territory and experience new things.  It is his will that we live passionate, extraordinary lives.  In order to do this we must align our words and our actions with his word.  God is calling you to do greater Kingdom work, but he wants you to let some things go in order to make room for him.  So, you might be asking, what do I need to bring to an end?

Here are three signs that tell you it is time to end things that may be keeping you from your greatness.

Sign 1: Overwhelmed.  If you have been overwhelmed, overworked, or stretched too thin, you need to execute an ending in order to move forward.  It is time to bring an end to overwhelm.  It is not God’s will that you live in a constant state of exhaustion.  Yes, you can muster up the strength to do a little more, but for 2012 decide to do what is best in terms of living the life God ordained for you. Ask yourself, what things can I stop?  What is the best use of my time, energy, resources?  I’ll give you a little insight here. This requires an examination of not only those things you consider “bad,” but also those that are noble in origin yet keep you from achieving God’s best because they divide your attention and your power.

Sign 2:  Complacency.   If you have been stuck in a rut for what seems like eternity; you probably need to execute an ending. Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time and a season for every purpose under the sun.  Ask yourself, what things am I doing even though the season changed?  Perhaps, you were reluctant to obligate your time because your children were young, or you needed to settle in to a new community, but now they are older and you have been there a year.  It’s time to get up and crash the complacency curse end, step beyond the habits that served you well in the past, but now only keep you stuck.  Determine today to get into action.

Sign 3:  Lack of Passion/Creativity.  If you have an idea, goal, or vision for your life but can’t seem to do much more than think about it, it’s time to end the creative drought and get in action. The question here is, “What things are stealing my mental energy and leaving no time/room for the inspiration of God?”  Determine today to bring an end to those things that an enemies to your prayer, meditation, and reflection time.  Pay closer attention to those things that inspire you and you will soon see your passion ignited.

Happy 2012!

MC

You are blessed beyond measure. The Lord can and desires to do “exceeding, abundantly above all that you can ask or think according to the power that works within you.”

We can trust and rely on the sovereignty of God; but it is just as important not to forget your personal responsibility. God will do his part, you must commit to doing your part.  You must be willing to do it and then you must do it.

Just remember:

Believe what He says

Do what He tells you

Stand firm no matter the circumstances

Trust that at the appointed time you will experience the fullness of the blessing

 Blessings to you,

 MC

From Pastor Cade’s Facebook notes:

Beloved of God, let us move from a place of carnal thinking, speaking, and actions to the powerful place of Spiritual living.

The aim of your life is to walk according to the Spirit; which means you are to manifest the glory, power, majesty, dominion, and authority of God in the Earth. Your life has eternal value and should be used to advance the purposes of the Kingdom of God. He created you…give him glory and honor. 

The challenge is most believers cannot accurately differentiate between walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh. (Although most think they can) It seems we have reduced it to intellectual understanding, not really what God has said. We try to evaluate our walk based on our feelings and not faith.  We measure ourselves against our own standard of good and evil, not the standards of Christ. Discerning the difference positions you for a life of peace, power, and fulfillment. You must know the difference. Always remember God loves you and wants your life to really reveal his power.

Tune in to Transformation Wednesday, 13 July at 10:30 pm EST as we discuss more on this topic. 

Blessings to you.

MC

It seems today, even among some leaders, “Kingdom” has almost taken on a type of buzz word status.  Many say it, some acknowledge it, but few truly live under the authority and rule of God which, in fact, is Kingdom.  The departure from living in line with true Kingdom principles and values has left man in greater need of a Savior than ever before.  This creates quite a problem for man, but God has already provided a solution… His Word a.k.a. Jesus Christ.  As a believer you should desire to live a life consistent with the principles of the Kingdom.  Although there are many aspects of living a kingdom life, today, I want to share a few thoughts on valuing and living the word.  

1. Honor the Word of God. To honor is to place a higher regard on its life giving power than your own habits, opinions, and thinking.  You must value the Word more than life itself.

2.  Receive the Word.  To receive the word means to listen with a heart to obey or put into practice what you’ve heard.  The Word is transforming—but only if you apply it.  Don’t just listen, but do what it says.  When you receive enlightenment put it into practice immediately.

3. Declare the Word.  This is not a blanket call for everyone to come out preaching, but to let the power of your life testify to the perfecting, saving, delivering, refining power of the Word. Your life has been given to reveal the glory and power of God. It does that as you live for him.

Remember, you have been given a sphere of influence and when you walk in humble submission to the Word of God the light of God within you shines and declares his goodness.

Blessings to you,

MC

A few lessons we learn from mothers… 

Mothers have influence.   You as a believer, whether mother or not, have influence too.  God expects you to use your influence not just for personal gain, but also to release others into their destiny.  Pray that you understand how fulfilling your purpose will serve others.

Mothers have a vision for their children.  They want better lives, easier roads, more success, love, peace, and happiness for them.  You must have vision for those you lead.   Pray that you are able to connect with the plan God has for those you lead.

Mothers work to bring out the best in their children by giving them love, guidance, and correction.   As a leader, you must have confidence in the ability and potential of those under your influence. You must work to bring out the best in them.  Pray that you see others as God sees them.

Mothers speak life into their children.  The words of a mother can give children courage, allay fears, and build self-confidence.  You, God’s servant, have the power to release others into their destiny through the words that you speak.  You must see them as God sees them and speak in line with his truth. Use your words to give confidence, allay fears, and build self-confidence in those you influence. Pray that you speak in line with God’s word.

Jesus’s mother released him into a new level of influence at the wedding feast of Cana.  She understood his potential and had confidence in his ability. The Bible records that this encounter was the beginning of miracles that Jesus did which revealed his glory and caused others to believe on him. This week consider those you influence, how can your words help them move closer to fulfilling their destiny?  Invest in the life of another. Make a diligent effort to “mother” them and know that God will give you an exponential return on your investment.

Blessings to you!

MC

As I hit the road this morning I just want to remind you that you are important to God. 

You are his greatest asset on earth. Every dream, vision, plan he ordained for your life will happen as you trust and obey him. 

Today, be confident in him and have confidence in your ability to master every situation life presents.  You are already identified as being more than a conqueror. 

 “Being confident in this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6

Gotta run.

Blessings to you!

MC

Lately, my daughter’s favorite word is ”random.”   In her estimation everything often seems arbitrary and disconnected.  As I listen to her conversations I work to help here make connections and see the big picture not just because I am her mom and that’s what moms do, but because I believe that even when things seem random there is order and purpose.  So, this morning I share some of my random thoughts.  I hope you will see the order and purpose.

1.  Let there be no disparity between the power God has placed in you and the power that is demonstrated in your life. Live the truth that you know.  Strive to walk and live by faith in God alone.

2.  Let there be no difference between the character of God and your character. Yield to the total ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is developing you. He is transforming you into the vessel that God desires you to be.

3.  Let there be no inequality between your thoughts, words, and actions and those of the Lord.   Righteousness yields righteousness.  If you think, speak, and do that which is right according to the Lord you will walk in power.

Just a  few more thoughts from the last post… 

As you dare to plug into God and take bigger steps of faith, remember these things:Focus is critical.  The ability to focus is crucial to fulfilling vision. Sometimes we forget who we are to focus on and allow activities or things to become the center of everything.  This can cause things to become idols in your life.  If you are to fulfill God’s vision for your life you must also learn to narrow your focus.  When you are focused you make progress.  You accomplish things. Focus produces action that yields results. Don’t mistake a focused state of mind with a hypnotic state of mind.  Believe that it is God that brings increase.Methods changes… principles don’t. God’s principles are unfailing and unchanging, yet there are many ways to do things. When God is preparing you for a new season you must be willing to change.  Sometimes the change is not so much what you do, but what/how you think about doing it. Be willing to adjust and to be adjusted.  Allow God to elevate your thoughts, sharpen your action, and reshape your plan.  You will find that inspiration comes when you stop fighting about something God is working to change. Believe that he wants to the best for you.God is God.  You must trust and believe him.  You must whole-heartedly believe that God knows what is best for you. You must always remember that where you are, what you are experiencing, even what you are feeling is not news to him.  He knows where you are right now, what’s going on in your life and how you really feel about it.  You must find ways to reverence and obey him in all things.  Learn to walk in agreement with God and you will discover a new level of power for your life.  Believe that God’s word will not come up short.Today, I challenge you to make a deliberate decision to silence the noise around you and plug into God.  Don’t allow the busyness of life keep you from excelling in God’s business.  He wants so much more for you, your life, and your area of influence.  Plug in!Blessings to you!

MC

Over the past few months, it may seem that I’ve been a little unplugged since I’ve spent considerable time away from blogging, Facebook, and Twitter. In reality though, the time I spent away from certain things created greater space for others things like rest, reflection, and refocusing.  I was actually away from Facebook for so long, at least by their standards, that when I accessed my page they sent me a “Welcome Back” email. That was just too funny.

 At any rate, I wish I could say that it was all a part of my well thought out plan.  I can’t. I wish I could say I was keenly aware of and willing to take the time I needed for rest, reflection, and reconnecting.  I can’t. I cannot take the credit - it belongs to God.  You see, he always has a plan. He knows what we need and will make sure we get it even if we are too busy to notice. What an awesome and loving God.  By his sovereignty, God continuously leads us to rivers of restoration, revival, and even relaxation.  He is our shepherd.  God knows when it is time to quiet the noise, slow the pace, and position you for transition. God knows the who, what, when, why, where, and how of your life.  He wants to share it with you.  He wants to ensure that you are following the path he has outlined.  He wants to insure you against being overcome by the challenges and circumstances of life. He wants to give you strength and courage when it seems that the path of life  you are walking is different than you imagined.  It is important to remember that God is with you, leading you, and guiding you.  Again, heknows what’s best. He is the ultimate life strategist. It is also important to listen and be willing to adjust your pattern in order to conform to his plans.  Refuse to get more focused on doing things than listening to him. If your focus is off you may miss out on some critical changes that he is making in your life.

Today, God may be asking you to make more room for him in order to get clearer on the vision he has for your life.  He may be tugging at your heart to pray more or perhaps longer in order to be reassured that you are on track, even if it looks or feels a little strange.  He may be encouraging you to trust him and step out on faith even if things look a little different. Resist the urge to succumb to fear and doubt.  Resist the temptation to fight to maintain the status quo.  Don’t waste time and energy fighting to hold on to something God has allowed to come to a natural end; he is moving you to new and better things.  Keep walking and trust him for new opportunities and opened doors. 

I see it a little like our drive from Italy to Germany. As we travel we go through tunnels, over bridges, up mountains, and across plains. We see so many different things, but it’s all beautiful. The point is, your journey will not be made up of one particular type of terrain, don’t let that cause you to panic or give up. If you lack clarity and certainty dare to unplug from a few things that may be stealing your time and plug into God.  You see, it’s during times of uncertainty that you must be completely plugged into God. God wants to give you certainty.  It is in his presence that you gain the courage and strength to persevere—knowing that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  It is in his presence that you are assured of his power and ability.  It is in his presence that you come to humbly rely on him and not yourself.  He wants the best for you and will stop at nothing to get it to you. You must trust him and step out in faith.

My prayer for you is that you are completely and wholeheartedly connected to God and pursuing his vision for your life.

Blessings to you!

MC

As I talked about in the previous blog, God intends to bless you.  You must connect faith, action, and obedience.  Today, I want to share three character traits that you must possess and perfect as you stand upon the word of God.

Be conscientious.  Resist the temptation to take in the word and stop working, building, or moving forward.  God’s word of blessings is a call to continue to move forward.  It is crucial that you continue to pursue those things the Father has placed in your heart.  Continue to pursue the dream or vision God has imparted into you.  Don’t allow the austerity of the economy drive you to close up shop.  Don’t allow fears and doubts to keep you from pursuing your purpose.  Remember nothing is impossible with God.  This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate the marvelous creativity that comes from God.  Zechariah tells us, “Let your hands be strong.”  Essentially, he says keep working.

Be courageous.  There are not very many more profound statements in the Bible than, “Fear not.” It is what the Lord repeatedly told Joshua as he stepped into leading the children of Israel.  He told him time and time again fear not; as he outlined the mission, plan, and purpose of Joshua’s life.  He tells it to the children of Israel again through the prophet Zechariah after he reveals his plan to bless them.  You see, when God speaks of blessing you there is almost always an element of fear that tries to attach itself to you. It seems impossible, sometimes even unfathomable.   I remind you, nothing is impossible for God.  God’s will for you is that you receive the word and allow him to make you a blessing to others.  Don’t allow thoughts of fear and doubt to sabotage God’s intention.   If the enemy tries to tell you to give up, delay, or forget about achieving a goal, you can silence him by moving with deliberate determination, being motivated by love, and maintaining discipline.  Be confident in God, trust him completely, and stick to the plan.  Don’t allow anyone to talk you out of God’s promise to you.  This means silencing your own doubts, ignoring the doubting Thomases in your life, and most of all silencing the enemy.  Satan will do anything he can to talk you out of the blessing of God.  You must recognize that God determines to bless out of his holy, righteous character.

Be committed.  Commitment is everything.  Without commitment nothing will ever get accomplished.  If you want to accomplish anything in life you must commit to it. Often we believe ourselves to be committed to something when we are not.  Commitment precipitates action.   Just the other day, I was talking about my desires with someone and she quite pointedly asked me, “So you want to go for it, or are we just talking about it?”  It was right then I realized that the only way to obtain what I wanted would be to commit to a course of action.  Commit to the vision.  Be clear on what you are in pursuit of and be willing to do what is necessary to achieve it. Recognize that commitment looks different for everyone. If you preparing to run a marathon commitment looks like running in the rain when it’s easier to stay in the warm, dry house.  If you are trying to increase your prayer life commitment looks like praying for those who would despitefully use you, your gifts, or skills to gain advantage over you.  If the vision that you are to pursue is to maintain balance and peace at work commitment looks like meeting deadlines, operating in excellence, and helping others.  Commitment to God’s vision for your life can also look like maintaining a proper attitude about all he has given you instead of complaining about what you don’t have.  Finally, I want to remind you that commitment even looks like taking time to laughing and enjoying the life God has blessed you with.  It’s okay to enjoy the journey.  Be committed, but not obsessed.  Life will be far more pleasurable and God will get the glory.

Remember, it is God’s intent to bless you.

Blessings to you!

MC