The Purpose for the Present Pain

The seasons of brokenheartedness we experience, as worshippers, come to break our will power of the stubbornness that has led us astray from the heart of Yahweh. By disregarding Father's wishes to instead do that which we have deemed to be right in our own eyes, we ultimately set ourselves up to experience the sort of painful spiritual reckoning that is meant to crush the soul as well as the ego. 

As spirit beings having a human experience, we must undergo a maturing process that makes it unmistakably clear to us when even our best intentions conflict with Heaven's agenda. Consequently, the only way Father can most effectively get our attention is by ALLOWING us to presently experience the pain of our humanity contending with the plans He both ordained and set in motion before the foundation of the world. 

Pain creates brokenness. And yes, there are times in our life journeys when it takes us experiencing brokenness to produce our willingness to embrace the culture of righteousness. In other words, sometimes our way has got to hurt more than we ever thought it would in order for us to see why Yahweh never wanted us to go that route. But it is often through brokenness that we are steered back into the right direction.

The Blessing in the Pressing

The brokenness we experience in our pressing situations is purposed to release an oil that is strategically anointed for ministry.  Yes, the pressing was crushing.  But with the crushing pain--and even embarrassment, in some cases--comes a powerful release.  And the value of what is released far outweighs the value we attributed to that which was crushed.  The oil we carry is only released via excruciating circumstances.  There indeed lies a blessing in the pressing because it's THIS oil that is specially formulated--if you will--for the work of ministry.

Flowing from our own pain, it's infused with the very power of GOD that brought us to the other side of through.  For some, the pressing may be diseased affliction.  For others, it may be a failed marriage.  One person's pressing could be a serious financial crisis, while another's situation involves a period of incarceration.  The possibilities are endless because everyone experiences their own unique combination of crushing blows from which the power of GOD delivers us.  The same power that brought us deliverance is now the active ingredient in the oil produced by our lives' crushing experiences that is meant to bring deliverance to others.

Your Time of Refreshing Is Now | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

I recently came across the Amplified version of Acts 3:19, which reads as follows:

"So, repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to GOD], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, or reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord."  

My soul couldn't help but get happy reading this because there is so much hope found in this one verse of scripture.

Truly my heart goes out to all those who love GOD but have found themselves so far from Him that they feel like just giving up and letting the chips fall where they may.  Yes, they have made mistakes and enjoyed lifestyles not pleasing to GOD; but beneath all that is wrong in their lives there lies a desire for that which only GOD can provide.  (This is why it's so important for me to not judge people based on their behavior.  My focus can't be on judging WHAT people are doing because it takes understanding WHY they're doing it to really help them.)

I want to encourage someone who feels like GOD, who was once so near, is now afar off.  Know that He's NEVER stopped loving you.  Even when you tried everything and everyone else to deal with all that's wrong in your life, GOD NEVER GAVE UP ON YOU.  His steadfast love for you outlasts ALL of the temporary fixes that, after they have given you a few moments of relief, only abandoned you to feeling worse than before.  With arms outstretched, your Heavenly Father patiently awaits to embrace you, His child.

It's not too late to change, no matter what anyone says.  Don't focus on how it will happen, just make up in your mind that you want to change and that you're willing to do what it takes by His power to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Not only will GOD erase all the sins you have committed, but He will refresh you.  (Thank You, Father!!!)  YOU WILL RECOVER from the effects of the heat experienced in that dry place from which you came.  No longer will you feel numb, for GOD will restore the feeling you thought would be forever lost as a result of the dry spell.  As it says in Isaiah 12:3 (KJV), "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."

Don't wait another day.  Don't deny how you feel for another hour.  Your time of refreshing is now.  I know you feel the Holy Spirit tugging on your heart strings.  I know you want to be relieved of the mounting pressure within.  Your time of refreshing is RIGHT NOW.  The voice of GOD is calling you.  The way you once knew is closer than you think.  Be refreshed, my brother, my sister, in Jesus' name today.

When Disaster Strikes | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

I was listening to an old message preached by Bishop Jakes, in which he shared something to the effect of, "Isn't it amazing how one person's disaster can be another person's normal?"  This question struck me because I couldn't ever recall seeing my own life's "disasters" in this light.  (Honestly, my coping statement of choice when experiencing disappointment has been, "Worse things have happened to less deserving people."  Hey, it's not the the most profound statement, but it gets the job done in my world.)  However, Bishop Jakes introduced me to another perspective that I felt the need to explore.

When disaster strikes, one hardly imagines their current state of shock as another person's state of normalcy.  Personally speaking, my disasters resulted in me being consumed by what I lost and the changes that disaster had brought to my life.  I can't remember considering that someone may have never had what I lost or that the changes I had to make were the only living conditions someone else may have known.  We get so accustomed to our lives at their best that it seems far-fetched to even think that our lives at their worst are what someone else knows as normal.  When I realized how spoiled and ungrateful I had been acting, I couldn't help but to say, "GOD, I'm so sorry for how I acted. I apologize for taking so long to see things Your way."

You Need A Plan | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

One of the most knee-weakening experiences a person can have is receiving a vision from GOD.  I'm not talking about some little aspiration, but rather Him showing you something so HUGE that its manifestation requires GOD's involvement.  It can be pretty scary coming face to face with such a ginormous assignment because many times it requires us to tap into a knowledge base or skill set we have little or no experience utilizing.  Just ask Noah: he built an ark as a visible symbol of GOD's saving grace with no recorded shipbuilding experience.  In addition to tapping into the unfamiliar, people of vision must sort through a variety of emotions when they receive GOD's assignment.  We just may experience a plethora of emotions, such as shock, bewilderment, excitement and relief, simultaneously.  However, bringing a GOD-given vision to pass requires reigning in our emotions to plainly write the vision and create a strategic plan BEFORE we get moving accomplishing tasks.

Too often, GOD's people receive a vision and, out of sheer excitement, quickly jump into making things happen before anything is ever placed in writing.  BAD IDEA!  The LORD says in Habakkuk 2:2 to plainly write the vision so that it can be quickly read and easily understood.  Vision is purpose in pictures, but the pictures need to be translated into a written statement.  Doing so empowers visionaries to effectively communicate that which they have seen to others.  And this is important because the ability to effectively communicate the vision orally and in writing inspires others to catch the vision (or see the purpose in pictures for themselves).  A compelling statement that inspires others to catch the vision creates accountability because now someone other than the visionary has become vested in bringing the vision to pass.  And without accountability measures in place, it's easy to lose focus and stray away from the vision.

You Gotta Believe | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

Yesterday, I was contemplating on what I would blog about today and was experiencing a bit of difficulty in doing so.  My mind traversed several ideas that I'd already started working on, but I couldn't quite latch on to any of them.  Oddly enough, I ran across a quote that I'd loved and thought about writing something around it.  It was a simple message that really didn't need much explanation; however, I was unsure of going that route.  Then this morning, one of my tweeps (Twitter peeps) said something that inspired me: "I know I make mistakes and I'm still a work in progress but I know I'm destined to be somebody because God told me so."

Fear of Failure | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

While getting ready this morning to tackle the day, my mind pondered fear of failure.  Now we know that GOD has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).  Therefore, all fear--aside from that of the reverential sort for GOD--is rooted in the Kingdom of Darkness.  As my pastor says, the word "fear" is best understood as the acronym "False Evidence Appearing Real."  Our adversary is strategic in his presentation of false evidence because he's an illusionist.  That's why it's not enough for us to consider what it looks, sounds or feels like.  We must consider what we believe and know--that is, what the Word of GOD says.  After all, we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7); and it takes us mastering our faith walk to avoid being tricked by illusions of what appears real.

Ironically, one of our greatest fears as humans is that of failure, the illusions of which will still us INSTANTLY.  It's part of our human nature to hate to lose because we're so competitive.  And somewhere along the way, we've equated the failure of an effort on our part to the emotions associates with the pain of loss and the agony of defeat.  Just because something may not have worked out as anticipated does not mean we've lost anything or experienced defeat.  But yet we've all agonized over our lives' failures like they were the end of the world.  Far from it! Encountering failure presents us a golden opportunity to make improvements designed to increase our potential for success in the future. 

Your Gift Will | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

I have been so inspired by the AMAZING story of Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden voice who has been all over the media the past couple of days.  If you're somehow unfamiliar with this gentleman's miraculous story, please view the video I've posted below.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Making Better Declarations | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

This morning, an interesting news segment on making better resolutions caught my attention and I immediately began taking notes on my Blackberry because I sensed something valuable was about to come into my hearing.  This brief segment packed quite a punch and I just had to share with you all how it impacted me.  However, instead of using the term "resolution," I prefer to use "declaration" because it aligns much better with the teachings of the Kingdom to which I espouse.

When setting goals, we must frame them in the first person declarative.  It's important to see and say the phrase "I will" because it creates a relationship between one's will and the goal, thereby attaching the manifestation of the end result to actions motivated by one's will.  Thus begins the process of us both thinking and visualizing the achievement of the goal as an act of our will (Proverbs 23:7).  A goal is then no longer perceived as an impossibility becoming a probability, but rather a probability becoming a reality.

Condemnation vs. Guilt | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

This morning, I was thinking about how even though there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, there sure is guilt.  While condemnation is not part of the Kingdom citizenship experience, guilt most certainly exists. It usually manifests when the ways of our old conscience collide with our righteousness in Christ Jesus. Since we've been made righteous by faith (and not of works), we are to live righteously (or in right standing with GOD); but honestly, that doesn't ALWAYS happen. We all fall short of the glory of GOD (e.g. manifesting His character) as well as fail to faithfully abide in our Father's way of doing things (e.g. keeping His commandments). That's where guilt enters in because we could never be able to recognize its presence without the Holy Spirit governing us. As is commonly said, "When you know better, you do better." And as we continue to be transformed by the renewing of our minds via the Word of GOD, our righteous mind (which is the mind of Christ that we have already been given) will become increasingly dominant and reduce our old culture to a merely distant memory. Thanks be unto GOD for the power of guilt as well as the power to change. Walk in victory, my friends! GOD bless!

7 Steps to Renewing Your Mind

"You've got to commit in your mind to commit your mind to GOD."

Yesterday morning, as I was working out, I turned on the television and was trememdously helped by a Rhema Word delivered by Pastor Creflo Dollar. (I've recently been wrestling with some decisions that I made over the past year, and this message ministered life to me and confirmed some things for me.)

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm an application teacher. I love taking the Word of GOD and making it applicable to life. So what REALLY hit home were the practical steps Pastor Dollar gave for renewing the mind. As he mentioned, we have all the right answers and processes to accomplish so much, but we never get around to doing what's necessary to reach our goals. Yes, our intentions are good, but good intentions simply aren't enough. Only diligent doing in carrying out our plans realizes our goals. And if we find ourselves always intending to do things that never get done, then it's time to question our character (i.e. doing what's right because it's right and doing it right).

So here are the "7 Steps to Renewing Your Mind", as taught by Pastor Creflo Dollar:

1. Accept the part YOU played in the sin (or fall). Don't blame someone else (including the enemy) for your actions, but take responsibility for the role you played matter. What someone else did is none of your business. Just focus on what you did.
2. You MUST judge the fall (or sin) as wrong. Simply put: you can't come out of something saying that you weren't wrong. You must agree with GOD's view of your actions because this is a heart matter, not just one of wrongdoing.
3. Ask GOD for forgiveness. Don't allow selfishness and self-pity to keep you in parlysis. Narcissism will have you so caught up in how you feel that you'll never approach the Father and seek forgiveness, which is far more important than your feelings.
4. Recognize what plans or adjustments must be made. Make a clear, concise plan of action as to how you will avoid falling into the same trap again. As I heard Minister Steve Lawrence once say, you've got to know how the enemy attacks...YOU! Take the tools you've been given and develop your plan of exactly how you will combat future attacks.
5. WORK the plan. Don't be guilty of knowing what to do and then found guilty of not doing it. The roads to failure, sin and wrongdoing are all paved with good intentions. So, don't plan on those good intentions getting you out of hot water again. Just do what you've got to do to move from good intentions to reality.
6. Continue to renew your mind and grow. Don't stop because you missed the mark, and never get satisfied in your development and maturation as a Kingdom citizen. Remember: the greater the assignment, the greater the plan of development, and the greater the attack. When GOD's called you to do a great thing, you must be developed to perform that great thing for the Kingdom.
7. Guard against guilt and condemnation. When you fall, that's when the spirits of darkness come to paralyze you. In Isaiah 26:3, GOD commits Himself to us to guard, protect and secure us, if we commit our minds to Him, His Word, His way of thinking, His ideas. If our minds aren't committed to His Word, it's difficult for GOD's resources to be committed to our lives. Even in darkness and when we miss the mark, the commitment of our mind to His Word will release the Spirit of GOD within us to take us through whatever attack we face.

Launch in external player

Hopefully, this practical exhortation blessed you and will serve you well in the days to come. We all experience crises and have had the mispleasure of falling; but even in the midst of our failures, we are still more than conquerors through Christ who loves us (Romans 8:37). Furthermore, not to be harsh (but to express the seriousness of the matter), "if you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the first place" (Proverbs 24:10 The Message Remix). So now waivering: you've got to commit in your mind to commit your mind to GOD (James 1:8).

Below is yesterday's broadcast of Pastor Dollar's teaching ("Freeing Your Mind from Darkness Part 2"), which inspired this blog post, if you wish to view it. You can also obtain a copy for your personal library by visiting the CDM website.

In GOD's Presence - Part Seven

Nothing is worth our ability to hear from God, to perpetually be at peace, to consistently achieve the desired results, and to NEVER fail.

One thing I've come to learn in my own quest to live in God's presence is that my perspective on life has dramatically shifted. I actually find myself trying to find the good in everyone and everything I come in contact with. I'm not always successful in this effort, but my willingness to try indicates vast improvement. My threshold for the negative, gossip and simple carnal mindedness is steadily decreasing because I now know that these things only exist to draw me from God's presence.

The ways of this world are designed by Satan to build a barrier between people, in general, and God. The idea is to keep unbelievers in a state of unbelief and believers in a state of denial. In God's presence, it's God's way and there's no "other" way. Everything is as God ordained, and there's no room for deviation. God established the pattern; He only needs man, particularly the church, to follow it that His will may be done in earth as it is in heaven. Our problem lies in the mismanagement of our thought lives, which are constantly barraged by the adversary's rhetoric.

Let's face it: Satan's goal is to incite rebellion among the citizens of God's Kingdom. If he can just get us to begin thinking that God's way of doing things won't bring about the desired results, it's a wrap for us. The very second we consider "another" way of doing things, we've stepped outside God's ideal environment for us and been rendered powerless. Even though Satan can in no way separate the believer from God, he tries his best to separate us from God's way of doing things, thereby denying us access to our rights and privileges as Kingdom citizens. And what's the point in being a citizen of a country, yet unable to enjoy the rights and privileges associated with one's citizenship?

This is why being a citizen of the Kingdom is much more than cute cliches and colloquialisms. You can't just proclaim that you're part of the Kingdom and do whatever you're big and bad enough to do. There is an unmistakable culture of the Kingdom that clearly identifies who the citizens are, so save those catchy phrases for something else, okay? Simply integrating popular phrases and expressions heard on religious broadcasting into our daily conversations won't do it. This thing has to become a REAL way of life because the manner in which we live will indicate who's being ruled by God and dwelling in His presence.

Don't forget, the presence of God is the ESTABLISHED ideal environment for mankind. It was ordained before "beginning" that humans would be created in the image and likeness of God to operate like God in the environment that God created just for them. Therefore, salvation is merely the beginning of one's journey in pursuit of the life God intended for man from the beginning before sin entered the Earth realm. Yes, as believers, we are Kingdom; but we weren't born Kingdom. We had to be born again, not of corruptible seed (the flesh), but of incorruptible (God's spirit), the Word of God which lives and abides forever. It takes a spiritual awakening -- or quickening, if you will -- to even begin grasping the most basic concepts of Kingdom life. For the flesh cannot receive the things of the spirit insomuch that it considers it to be foolishness.

God wants us to fellowship with Him continually. He wants us to dwell in His presence, not just spend a couple of hours here and there. It is God's desire for us to be consistently exposed to the ideal conditions that we may yield top notch fruit. Did you know that in God's presence, failure is nonexistent. As humans, failure is one of our greatest fears; and no matter how strong we may become, we're never quite able to deal with it. But what if I told you that a life of willful, obedient submission in God's presence guarantees you a life free of failure? Well, it does...that is, if you're willing to make the sacrifice.

Yes, it may mean giving up some things, letting some people go, and changing your mindset; but, at the end of the day, nothing is worth our ability to hear from God, to perpetually be at peace, to consistently achieve the desired results, and to NEVER fail. Consider for a few moments the tactics Satan has used to lure you from God's established environment for you. Study how the enemy attacks you and commit his strategies to your memory, that you may easily recognize him as you discern your thoughts and cast down anything Satan sends your way. Until next time, be blessed beyond measure!