Just a simple thought today:

Your experience of being blessed, fulfilled, and happy is directly proportional to the level of reverence and obedience you have for the Lord.  These things can and should be constants in the life of a believer.  The true condition of your life has been spoken from the mouth of the Lord.  Being blessed, fulfilled, and happy are not conditions based on the circumstances the world presents you, but the circumstances deemed right to the Lord.

Embrace the life God designed for you today, by lifting the level of your reverence and obedience and you will see an increase in your experience of living a Kingdom life.    

Blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.  For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands:  happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Psalm 128:1-2

Before I hit the road this morning, I will share some thoughts I still have rolling around in my head from Sunday’s message. 

You are God’s greatest asset on Earth. He wants you to release all aspects of the power he has given you.  In fact, God is calling you to release it daily.  There should be no disparity between the life you have received and the life you manifest in the world. 

God has given you:

   ·         Power with him

 ·         Power over the enemy

 ·         Power to love

 ·         Power to change

 ·         Power to forgive

 ·         Power to bless

 ·         Power to live

 ·         Power to speak

 ·         Power to stand

 ·         Power to prevail

 ·         Power to obtain wealth

  I could go on forever, but I’ll simply leave you with a few thoughts.   First, ask yourself what area is at the top of your list to be released today?  Second, as you move through this day think about your identified area based on the Word of God. Then commit to revealing more of his nature by operating in the power he has given you.  Finally, note the changes and give him praise. “If you live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:26   

Let me share a little insight that might transform how you apply the principles of this familiar little passage.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.”   Matthew 6:33

God wants you to live a carefree life; not careless, but carefree. Think about the difference for minute. He has in mind for you a Kingdom centered life that is full of the power, promise, and purpose he ordained for you. He sees a life where your every need is supplied.   Often though  a believers prayers and thoughts are not kingdom focused, but self-centered.  They are filled with requests to obtain something or get completely consumed with pursuing God for some immediate need.   It is possible to become so overly concerned about material things and personal comfort that you lose sight of the bigger picture. You are God’s greatest asset on Earth.  For example, God tells you to do something and instead of doing it immediately,  you set up a prayer schedule to ask for all the things that you think you must have in order to get started instead of just obeying.  You find more ways to stall than the one good reason to get started.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am an advocate of planning and I am persuaded that you must count up the cost before building, but sometimes believers hide disobedience behind the mask of waiting on God. He knows what you have and will never set a requirement beyond what you are able to handle.  Hasn’t he already promised to supply all your needs? If more is needed then your obedience becomes the key to opening up God’s provision.

Jesus knew you would have needs and requirements.  His instructions is to remain Kingdom focused.  The promise is this, when you are kingdom focused God takes complete care of you. He meets all your needs—spiritual, physical, emotional, and material.  He gives you access to his plans for your life. He gives you direction. He gives you certainty.  He gives you peace. First with him, then within, and finally with those around you.  You must be kingdom focused.  Excessive concern for the temporal things of life may be an indicator that your focus may be a little off.   There is a promise for  increase in your life as you focus on the Kingdom. 

 So how do you get or stay kingdom focused?  It essentially comes down to two things:  perspective and obedience.

Gain perspective.  A God-centered perspective involves more than mental assent but forms the foundation of your thoughts, words, and actions. Recognizing and bowing to the authority of God is a critical component of living a successful faith-filled life.  In order to gain proper perspective you must intentionally seek God’s perspective on an issue. God has already taken a position on everything. He is not trying to figure out what to do or how to handle a situation. He has already decided. You must find his position and align yourself with it. The imperative, “Seek ye first the kingdom,” is designed to influence your behavior and your will.   You must investigate how God’s authority can be honored or revealed in a situation. Then you must acquiesce to his authority.  Once you do that, you are prepared to move point two:  obedience.

 Walk in Obedience.  A commitment to obeying God is essential for your success. Let’s be clear, the full benefit of following God will never be realized in your life until you radically obey.   When you gain God’s perspective on an issue set your mind to obeying the truth. Let God’s truth override your own thoughts.  Let his truth put your emotions in check. Let God’s truth be the driving force behind your actions. Commitment to God is an all or nothing situation.  You can’t be “sort of” committed; half-hearted committed locks you out of the blessing.   You can’t try to commit; trying to do something assumes there is an opportunity fail.  When God is a part of the equation there is no failure. Your real decision to obey opens the door for God to send a helper.  The Holy Spirit is given to ensure your successful completion of God’s intent.  He is the, the “Paraclete.” He comes along side you to speak, coach, push, and pull you along. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is more than just speaking in tongues or giving charismatic gifts.  As you raise the level of your obedience an added benefit is that your intimacy level with the Holy Spirit will increase. Finally, you must develop the heart of true worshipper. As David wrote in Psalm 15, you must swear to your own hurt and change not. This means fulfill your commitment to God even when it hurts your feelings or challenges your established thought patterns.  

God is the author of transformation and the keeps every promise, but your obedience is required. Gain perspective and walk in obedience and you will soon experience the spiritual, emotional, physical, and material increase you seek.  

Blessings to you, 

MC

Just sharing a piece from today’s message, “Crossing Jordan: Developing the Courage to Step into Your Destiny”

It is a fact that in order to get to a new place you must be willing to move. The same is true when it comes to the spiritual laws of God.  When he changes the season and is ready to move you to something new, you must be willing to leave one place and head for new territory. Sometimes, change is scary.  Stepping out on faith seems like a brand new thing even when you’ve done it before.    That place can be literal or figurative but one thing I am sure of is this:  God wants you to access every promise he has ever made to you and the time is now.  Kingdom work depends on you stepping into your destiny.  Abundant life is waiting for you, are you ready?

God wants you to walk right into the proverbial Promised Land.  He wants you to live a completely fulfilled, passionate, and inspired life. He wants your life to bring glory to his name, prove the truth of his word, as well as inspire and influence others.  This is a fundamental aspect of Kingdom expansion.  While pursuing the dreams that God has placed inside you makes for fanciful thoughts and exciting conversation; actually taking the steps to change your life in the pursuit of destiny is another thing all together. 

 Some think that it takes inner strength, personal determination, hard work, or even luck to achieve personal success. And though, I believe those can be important elements of success; there is one other essential element.  This element it seems is possessed by each person that dares to live the life God designed for them. That element, my friend, is courage.  Those who will live a kingdom centered life will possess and exhibit courage. When you demonstrate courage to God, it sets the miraculous in motion. 

 Living the life God sees for you will require courage. It is what God required Israel to demonstrate in order to gain access to the Promised Land.  It is what he requires you to demonstrate as he moves you into fulfilling the plans he has for you. You must be courageous. 

Courage is not you talking yourself into doing something.  Courage is not a display of bravado that when tested proves itself to be weak and useless.  Courage is defined as,” mental or moral strength to venture, stand, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.”  It is not merely for the spiritually elite nor is it reserved just for those who go to battle.  It is for you, today as you pursue Kingdom Living.  You need courage in everyday life in order to stand.  There are three building blocks of courage:

DIRECTION: KNOW GODS PLANS. Get clear on what God’s will is for your life. It may take some prayer, study, and assistance but you’ve got to know where you are going.  Do I really know what God wants me to do in this situation? Have I studied the word concerning this?  God’s will always has a direction.  It always leads to the path of righteousness.  Make sure you are following the words that guide you to him.  Take the time to align your plans with his plans.  Read and reflect upon Jeremiah 29:11-14.

DESIRE: PURSUE GOD PASSIONATELY. You have to want what God wants for you. This can’t be some philosophical conversation but an intense desire to experience the life that he says is yours.   In fact, you should feel incomplete when you don’t. These feelings should drive you to pursue him more.  “One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  Read and reflect upon Psalm 27: 4.

DEPENDENCE: TRUST GOD COMPLETELY.  Stepping into your destiny requires God’s help, but you must make the first move.  You must trust God enough to know that when you step out he will move mountains, rivers, collapse walls, close the mouths of hungry lions or whatever else he needs to do to assure you of success, but you’ve got to step out. Read and reflect upon Proverbs 3:5-7.

Courage will make you get out of the boat and walk on water.  Courage will cause you to look at obstacles and not get deterred. Courage is essential and it is needed when you get ready to make a shift in your life.  So, go ahead cultivate courage and begin to walk by faith and not by sight!  Pursue God’s best 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 

Just a word to share that will I pray will guide you to remain faithful to the mission that God has placed in your heart.

he word of the Lord is:  God intends to bless you.   In midst of chaos, down-turned economies, challenges at home and work, and every imaginable test and trial the word of God prevails. He stands ready to bless you. Knowing that it is God’s full intention to bless you, the question is, “Are you ready to step into the blessing?”

Stepping into this new era of blessing requires two things: faith and action.  Don’t simply get hyped on the surface, but go deeper in understanding and application of this word. It will change your heart, your mind, and even the way you do business.   Believing that God intends to bless you in more ways than you can imagine is a good start.  It is the part that requires the activation of your faith.  I know, we’ve heard it all before. In fact, we have been hearing forever that God wants to bless you.  Now is not the time to desensitized to the message.  You must be willing to take him at his word.  Activate your faith.  Does it seem too hard to believe, now?  Then remind yourself that nothing is impossible for God.  Does the thought of God blessing you not really add up?  Then remind yourself that God is faithful, full of compassion, and mercy.  You must activate your faith.  Take your thoughts captive and dismiss negativity, doubts, and fears.  The enemy wants you to disqualify yourself from the message of God, but you must silence all the voices around you and bury the word deep in your heart.   God wants to bless you.  Receive the word in faith and allow the peace, joy, and hope it brings to flood your soul.  Then out of that strength arise and get into action.   God’s intent to bless is factual, but there is more.  It is the personal responsibility that you have.  Remember that God has always said that he blesses obedience. 

 In order to step into this season you must be willing to follow the plan that leads you to the blessing.   Here is where you must couple faith with action.  This is the part that I think separates the proverbial “men from the boys.”  You see, everyone can shout about the proclamation of the Lord and his intent, but few will go on to actually receiving it. Many miss out because once God says he is going to bless, they stop pursuing, take a seat, and wait.  For this season, this is not God’s way. It is the season to continue to work. You must work for righteousness’ sake.   If God says, I will bless the work of your hands; that means your hands must be working.  If God says, I will speak to you in midnight prayer that means you must be praying at midnight.  God is not to be confused with the famous restaurant that taught us we could have it our way.  He is God of creation, the God of Heaven and Earth.  He speaks of his intention and we are compelled as recipients of grace to honor him with our lives. We must always do our part which is never more than what he has done.  Remember, continue to work and pursue the things God has placed in your heart. 

 Today, I challenge you to determine that you will go on and receive the fullness of the blessing.  That you will make the will of God known on earth as it is in heaven.  Before you read any further, settle in your heart that God’s word is for me and I will receive it wholeheartedly.

God intends to bless you.  It’s a fact, yet the truth is some will not enter into this blessing; not because they are excluded by God, but because they will exclude themselves.  He will bless all those who willingly obey him.  Faith and action must be partnered with obedience to the word.  Not just the part you like, but the full gospel.  Honor God with your whole life.  Honor him and worship him with your thoughts, conversation, and action.  Honor him wherever he sends you.  Pursue holiness and live by the standards of God. If you miss the mark, confess that to God and get right back up and march ahead in pursuit of him.  Don’t allow a mistake or two to disqualify you from experiencing what God has planned for you.   Don’t think that because you may have dropped the ball, the game is over.  My friend, God intends to bless you to show the world who he is.  It is a part of his plan.  Recognize that God determines to bless out of his holy, righteous character.  He moves in accordance with his plan. I believe the war fare surrounding this word will be that the enemy would try to have you believe you are not worthy of blessing.  God sees and says differently. You were created by him; he loves you, and has a tremendous plan for your life.  Receive his word for your life and prosper.

God has in store for you a new day, a new season—great change! 

Tomorrow I will share the three things that you should obediently undertake to experience this move of God.

Blessings to you!

MC

Now, that you’ve made the commitment to increase your reverence for the Lord, I will quickly outline three ways to do it:

Maintain a proper perspective.  This might seem simple, but often the issues of everyday living effect our perspective or our ability to properly prioritize things.  We are told to keep God first, seek God first, and love God first, this must be acted upon.   Whenever the children of Israel missed the mark and ended up in hot water with God, it was because they did not reverence Him.  The fall into irreverence is not always quick; it happens little by little and usually it begins with a loss of perspective.   When life is busy and it seems like there is always a “to-do” list it is easy to become distracted or overwhelmed.  Distractions and overwhelm cause you to place more emphasis on those things than on trusting God above the situation.  For example, you work a lot and have little time for prayer or you worry about things to the extent that your conversation is consumed with words of doubt, fear, and negativity.  When these things happen you must be careful because the Lord describes this as reverencing other gods.  If you want to grow in reverence you must remember to give respect, honor, and adoration to God. Proper perspective is maintained by continually building your relationship with the Lord.  When you give undue time, effort, and energy to other things you will find yourself missing the mark.   Keep things in perspective by placing everything under the authority of God.   (Matthew 6:33)

Live by Kingdom rules.  Romans 12:1, tells us not to conform to the ways of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  God’s word outlines the rules for living. We must accept them and live each day by them.  If the world is to know the power of God it will be in part to believer’s demonstrating the power of the word through daily living.  If you are different then you should live differently.  If you serve a God that is above the world and operates by a different system then you must live by that system. Again I say, the fall into irreverence is not quick, it begins with a loss of perspective and then moves to an acceptance of the world’s standard operating procedures.  You must live by kingdom rules.  Admittedly, some of the things God tells us may seem paradoxical like:  give in order to receive, forgive over and over  and over again, or trust me when you can’t see me but it is in obedience that help you manifest the beauty and completeness of God’s power. Obedience produces Kingdom results.  When you are ready to take your reverence to the next level you must embrace kingdom focused living.  It’s not enough to know the word, you must live it. (Romans 12:1-2)

Demolish compromise.  Compromise is perhaps one of the biggest threats to increasing your reverence.  It is impossible to serve God and man. You cannot embrace some of God and some of the world. You are either all in or all out.  You can not be a little bit saved, just like you cannot be little bit pregnant. Compromise leads to irreverence because it causes a departure from Gods righteousness.  Specifically, it effects our worship.  When we live in compromise we do what we think it acceptable to God.  It’s actually like we are trying to fool God with an outward appearance but inside the truth is not there.  It is important to remember that God looks at the heart and not the outward things.   Compromise is a heart issue.  It shows that your heart is still bent towards your will and not surrendered to God’s.   If you want to grow in reverence get rid of compromise in your life. You will be amazed at the power of God that is revealed when you do.

Today, live with power, live for God, live KINGDOM!

Blessings to you!

MC

People often ask me, “What can I do to live the life God intended for me?” And though, I can truthfully say it is really through the grace and mercy of God, I do know there are some things that open your life up to experiencing more of his presence, power, and anointing.  If you really want to live the life God intended and not just talk about it, action is required.

You cannot separate life in Christ from the action of living according to the Word. What you believe is demonstrated through your actions. In fact, true belief always brings corresponding action. If you believe the Word of God is life-giving, life-producing, and powerful then you must do what it says.  You must obey it even if it seems counterintuitive. Unfortunately, many believers are in word only.  They talk a lot, but have little corresponding action.  This is not the Lord’s way. It is not God’s desire that one become puffed up with knowledge. It is his desire that we be transformed in our thinking in order to demonstrate his power through our actions.

If you believe in God and are fully persuaded of His power, pay attention to and obey the Word. Do what it says. Don’t allow anything to keep you from radical obedience.  Radical obedience goes beyond mental assent. The believer who is radically obedient takes the knowledge of the truth and moves to righteous action. The one committed to spiritual growth makes this a daily practice.  Those who share great intimacy with God know that consistency is the key.  If you really want to live the life God intended for you make radical obedience a habit.  The truth of his word gives you the power to do it. You will be amazed at how things will begin to change in your life.

 “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20

Blessings to you!
MC

In 2 days, God willing, I will join more than 15,000 of my closest running buddies to conquer a 26.2 mile course in the “Eternal City.”  As I make  final preparations and consider the last few months I am awestruck by the  purpose and plan of God.   It has been an interesting journey; He has been with me all the way.  I‘ve run thousands of conditioning miles. I counted and prayed through every one. I’ve experienced many days of sore and aching muscles which reminded me that adhering to your recovery plan is just as important as the training plan.  I’ve even had to deal with a training injury—the dreaded black toenail.  Actually, thanks to running coach, Jeff Galloway, I think of it as a badge of honor earned when I took my running to the illustrious “next level.” 

During the process, I have managed to remain committed to training in perfect weather, excessive heat, freezing temperatures, rain, wind, and even snow. Oh! Did I mention training when I was tired and just didn’t “feel” like running.  I’ve had to evade dogs, rodents, bicyclers, and even drivers on cell phones.   Further still, my routes have taught me how to navigate all types of terrain: cobblestone, gravel, dirt, and asphalt to name a few.  Each encounter a lesson.  It’s been a test of strength, balance, control, and sometimes just the sheer determination that comes from faith.   Honestly, it has been an amazing spiritual journey. 

The conversations I’ve had with God have been enlightening and entertaining.  He has sharpened, refined, and increased me. He has reminded me of some things and asked me to give up others, but most of all He has demonstrated His unfailing love.  This was all a part of His plan.  I am grateful.

In the next few posts, I will share some of those lessons with you.  I pray you will be enriched without having to run all the kilometers/miles (unless, that is your personal goal).

Today, I want to encourage you not to be afraid to pursue God’s big, radical, awesome goal for your life because with God nothing is impossible!

Stay tuned for more.

Blessings to you!  
MC

Although commonly misunderstood, submission is a key element of Living Kingdom. Join me for the next Living Kingdom Teleseminar as we explore this powerful topic. 

The Spiritual Science and Art of Submission

Tuesday, 9 March 2010

3:00pm- 4:00pm

Click here for more information

I look forward to sharing with you on the call. 

Blessings to you!

MC