Barbara Millicent Roberts, or Barbie for short, is likely one of the world’s original influencers. Who else could be credited with showing a five-year girl that she could be a CEO, a Spanish teacher, a fashion designer, a pilot, or a marathoner? Or that she could wear jeans, shorts, and ball gowns all on the same day? Barbie had a lot of friends, pets, cars, and a couple of houses, but the Malibu dream house remains iconic.
When I was six years old, a sixty-second walk down the doll aisle of a toy store gave pictures of this life of endless possibilities and became integral to a series of yeses to God’s plan for my life. Think what you want, but Barbie’s world is one of wonder.
So, leaving one of my favorite lunch spots in #SantaMonica , I could not resist the urge to take a quick photo in front of the #theworldofBarbie.
I know the life lessons came on many levels, in many places, from many people, and all of it worked together to allow me to honor God with my life and experience his blessings; but for this effort, let’s consider Barbie and a few points about the power and purpose of imagination.
First, you must believe that God has been with you and for you your entire life. He loved you before you knew him. He chose you and had a plan for you before you learned to ask, and he was working to get you to see him so that you could trust him. Why is this important to believe this? Well, it is the beginning of understanding grace. God’s kindness or unearned favor is shown to us. The wonder of his grace must penetrate and overtake your heart to truly surrender. You begin to acknowledge. If you loved me when I didn’t know you, didn’t want you, and disobeyed you. If you showed me kindness, then. If you moved to help me see you, seek you, and come to you, how much more will your grace do now?
We take grace for granted, but I do not doubt that after today you will want to know more and go deeper in understanding and respecting the grace of God. Don’t be too quick to dismiss something as irrelevant or unimportant. Be stable and evaluate things. Seek the Lord’s position. He’s working in it, on it, or through it. You must learn to truly be still and know that He is God. Also, be grateful for all the opportunities, situations, and circumstances you’ve seen in life. You are here today, and hopefully what you’ve gained out of the situation surpassed what you may have lost. If not, keep letting him heal you. He’s not finshed.
Second, remember that God created time, and he does not waste it. God dwells in eternity. There is nothing before him, and there will be nothing after him. He created the construct of time for man. Therefore, everything matters and impacts. The goal here is to learn to know and heed God’s instructions to use the time wisely. If you maintain an attentive ear and ensure your heart is set to obey his will, you know his timing for your life. I wish I could tell you that obedience and knowing God’s timining makes your life less complicated, but that’s not true. It’s not always pie-in-the-sky and hallelujah. Sometimes people won’t understand your obedience to God’s timing. They will think this or that. They will be wrong. However, I can tell you that you never really have to worry about that. God gives so many promises with obedience that when those promises become your reality and not just words on a page, you will obey as if your life depended on it. Obedience to God is the bedrock of spiritual growth and the key to a life of true freedom.
So, as I stood in front of this #Barbie sign just a few steps away from the Pacific Ocean, I looked up and heard, “Now unto him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or imagine according to the power that works I you.” And I knew at that moment that the life God plans for you exceeds your imagination.
My heart is filled with gratitude, knowing that the God who was with this little girl is with this very adult woman, and more importantly, filled with joy in reminding you that HE is with you now. The same God who held and breathed into my dreams spoke above my imagination and ordered my steps today is the same God who wants to do the same for you. He wants you to know him better. He wants to do so much more for you. Today, I hear the Spirit of the Living God encouraging you to DREAM AGAIN, UNLOCK YOUR IMAGINATION. Let Him, who has the breath of life, renew your strength, vision, passion, courage, tenacity, and purpose. He is reorganizing, reestablishing, and reforming to set you in a new season of unshakeable power and influence. It’s not solely for you and yours but for the most significant work of the church. (There is so much more but in due time.)
Today, I encourage you to remember the dream, make peace with the past and pursue the future. You can be and do more because He is able to do more than that, but it starts with what’s in you today. Hand your dreams back to the authentic influencer, and watch him work.
Blessings to you,
Pastor MC
Every living thing requires light. Light is essential for life. Light is simple but complex. You know when it’s present but may not understand the science behind the impact of wavelengths, frequency, and speed. You are aware of its absence but may not consider what processes stop when light is unavailable. I could go on and on and on unpacking the depths of light, but I will let you marvel at the wisdom of God on your own.
Here’s the thought, God says you are the light of the world. You are needed in this season to shine in darkness so that others may come to realize their need for an all-sufficient, all-knowing, abundant life-giving God.
When you allow the light of forgiveness to shine through you, others can believe in the mercy and compassion of God. When you allow the grace of God to shine through you, others can believe in the acceptance and unconditional love of God. When you allow the light of correction, order, and standards to shine through you, others begin to believe that God’s way is not a suggestion but mandated for salvation and incredible daily living. The challenge, beloved, is having the wisdom to know which light is required at the moment and what measure.
The ability to discern what’s required comes from a disciplined life developed by the Holy Spirit and continually purified by the word. It’s the life you attain as you follow Him closely and radically obey truth. It is the life God gives and had in mind for you from the beginning. It’s life more abundantly that enables you to operate in all places and at all times from the spirit of love. It is a life of freedom because of your experience of peace with God.
The light of God will transform you. Your light should transform others and cause a shift from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Anything less needs adjustment. Sin and lawlessness can not continue in the presence of TRUE LIGHT.
My challenge to you today is to be the light of the world. Live a life fueled by faith, purpose, and passion. Be extraordinary. #mikaelacade #buildingkingdomcapacity #purpose #faith #saltandlight #prophetic #girlpreacher #ThursdayThoughts
Let the promise of greater fulfillment and more profound experiences in God lead you to master personal responsibility.
Remember these things:
- Consecrate your whole life to him.
- Pray, and seek divine perspective.
- Be fearless in honoring the faith.
- Let your attitude and not just your actions reveal your faith and obedience.
- Always be sincerely grateful for every act of grace and mercy he gives you.
It is this commitment to faithfulness that gains the attention of the Father. Today, think about how you can give deliberate attention to cultivating your inner man.
Consider an area of your life where you might need to go deeper. Ask yourself, Are these four things are consistently true and evident in that area? What can I do today to move toward greater fulfillment in that area? #yourgrowuppastor #romans12 #strength4Godswarriors #beextraordinary #prohpeticinsight #mentorshipmonday #mondaymotivation #propheticflow
My prayer for you is that you come to know, love, and trust God more today than you did yesterday. I pray that you will understand that your whole life is given to be a praise unto him. I pray that you know he hears the sound of your life — not just the songs you sing in church – but the very sound your life makes without you ever saying a word. I pray that with every breath you take there is a greater awareness of his presence that causes you to trust and obey him more and more.
I pray that you know that God is a healer who not only heals sickness and disease but restores wholeness and heals all your wounds. My prayer is that you recognize and embrace the power of being led by his Spirit. I pray that you set your mind on things above and commit to being all God planned. I pray that you recognize that the work of the Kingdom is often done without fanfare or heraldic announcement. I pray that you recognize true spiritual power is not being seen and known by men, but to be known in heaven and at the enemy’s gate as an authentic agent of reconciliation, an ambassador of righteousness, a disrupter of darkness.
I pray that you know that you were created, called, and commissioned to do good works on the earth. You are to be free from the penalty of sin and all its effects. I pray that you are confident in the Lord and trust him only. You are called to step beyond the pretense of religion into the authentic, dynamic manifestation of spiritual power that proves the will of God and expands his Kingdom, not in word but power. I pray that you recognize the time and hear the call to step beyond what you’ve known in order to embrace the next. My prayer, beloved, is that you know He loves you and has ordained more for you.
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In case you missed the last call, here’s a replay of Prayer and Obedience.