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

Just a few thoughts this morning, before I hit the road…

 You want to live a more satisfying, fulfilling, peaceful, powerful, purpose life?  You must live uncompromisingly according to the Word of God.

Jesus gave his life for the remission of our sins and to prove the validity and power of God’s Word.  God’s word has more power than your will.  It gives more wisdom than your mind could ever conceive.  It is more inspiring than any emotional episodes.  God’s word is powerful and real.  It is given for you. It is to heal you, deliver you, restore you, inspire you, guide you, and the list goes on and on. You must believe it, respect it, and live according to it.

Sometimes we forget that Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh.  This means he embodied the actual intellect and wisdom of God.  Often it seems people fixate on their emotional thoughts of the man while forgetting to acknowledge his complete nature.   As you grow in faith and understanding, recognize that humanity and divine combined to give us a pure example of how we are to live.  Jesus was completely committed to doing the will of God- understanding, living and obeying the word. We must possess the same mind.   John 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Getting closer to God and living an extraordinary life is not some smoke and mirror illusion, nor is it mind over matter.  You cannot think your way closer to him. You cannot experience the powerful effects of his word if you do not believe, understand, or do it.  You must respect, honor, and obey the Word.   Today, hold the Word of God in higher esteem.  Believe it.  Respect it.  Do it.  I know that you will be blessed by it.

Blessings to you!

MC

Guys thanks for an awesome Bible Study discussion last night, I hope that it inspired you to further reflection and growth.   I had a little thought after we left.  I’ll share it here.

“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”  Psalm 119:65

Our hearts should be fortified against offense because we prize the WORD above all things.  What this tells you as a believer is that even if/when you are persecuted the TRUTH of GOD’s WORD sustains you and gives you comfort.  It also gives you knowledge accompanied by the wisdom to know what to do and how to conduct yourself.   Do not fall prey to the noise surrounding you, but focus on the life God has imparted to you: a life of peace, power, and love.  Satan wants you to be easily  offended so that he may have access to you and run amok in your life, but you must stand upon the WORD of God  and give no place to the devil.

Today, remember that you are called to greatness. You are God’s greatest asset on Earth.  Resist the temptation to be easily offended.  Place greater value on living the WORD and get set for Kingdom Expansion.

Blessings to you!

MC

Just a few thoughts on clean living…

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29

God has a plan for everything and everyone.

Your conversation will either add to or detract from his plan. The tongue can start a fire that changes the course of nature.  Today, keep those things in mind and recognize the power of your words. God wants you to use them to facilitate Kingdom expansion on Earth.  So, before you speak be sure that what you are about to say opens the door for Holy Spirit to move. Do not simply base your conversation on your mind, will, or emotions . Remember, he is faithful to perform all that he has set out to do, and your words are to work in concert with him.

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

     Many go about doing works, even “good” works, but where is the man who will take up the spiritual work of the Lord?
     A spiritual work is that which is initiated by and fulfilled through the Holy Spirit. As the body of Christ, we must realize that any effort to fulfill or accomplish something apart from the Spirit (in the flesh) is really a lost effort. It does not lead to kingdom results though it may outwardly appear to be successful.  This is a huge problem in the body of Christ today since most measure success by standards other than those established by the Lord.  God does not have an issue with success, wealth, or material possessions; nevertheless, the truly successful life is the one governed and led by the Holy Spirit. 
     The man or woman governed by the Holy Spirit will accomplish spiritual work. The spiritual man or woman obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He is sensitive to when he is leading and when he has stopped.  This sensitivity and spirit of obedience are not so much reflected in what is done, but in the ability of the work (God working through you) to touch the spirit of another.  When the spiritual work you do touches the spirit of another it will cause an increased consciousness of the reality of God. This raised awareness brings people to the dynamic power of salvation and the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
     Many in the world today are in need of the power, presence, and ministry of the Holy Spirit. The church is now being prepared (purified and restored), called upon (taken out of obscurity), and sent (not by man or organization but by divine commission) to respond to that need: the need for reconciliation with God as well as restoration of the joy of salvation among believers.
     I hear him ask, who will go?  Who will be crucified with Christ to that extent that only the life of the Spirit is released?  Beloved of God, commit to living a life surrendered to the Holy Spirit so that you can truly be a co-laborer with the Lord.   Let all your work be spiritual.
Blessings to you!
MC

Your life is designed by God and it flows according to his timetable. 

You must remember, respect, and receive it.

Listen to the audio this post by clicking below.

Please click here to listen 

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Humility is the truest evidence of divine revelation. 

In a world where there is no shortage of information or revelations, let us always remember that God’s revelation has greater purpose than to simply excite. 

Revelation from the Lord actually incites you to live a holy life, inspires you to trust Him completely, and ignites a greater passion in you to obey His word and depend on Him completely.

What did your latest “revelation” produce in you?