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.

How to Keep Moving Forward Through the Storm

With life comes rainfall experiences. From the lightest sprinkles to the most torrential downpours. A friend of mine recently shared in her weekly inspirational message about the challenges of driving in the rain, which got me thinking about this in an interesting way. She noticed while driving through this heavy rain that some motorists had chosen to pull over, which suggested that their windshield wipers failed to clear the falling rain water fast enough for them to safely continue their journey. And so life can be when the rainy seasons of your life dump more on you than one can seemingly bear (or see beyond).

Rainy conditions will indeed challenge your visibility. And depending on the shape your wipers are in, you may not be able to see well enough to safely proceed to your destination. After all, given the great risk associated with moving forward while unable to clearly see what's ahead, a delayed arrival is better than not arriving at all. While sitting alongside life's highway watching the other vehicles passing by, you may even recall brushing off the need to get a fresh new set of windshield wipers to replace the now dull pair. As it's often said, hindsight is 20/20. So there's no point in being frustrated about it now. You just have to wait until the rain slacks up, however long that may be.

Here is where I'm going with all of this... One of the greatest advantages of enjoying a vibrant life of prayer and communion with your Heavenly Father is the way in which He improves your visibility despite the conditions. There is literally no amount of rainfall He cannot quickly clear from your windshield when He is allowed to provide for you. But a lack of prayer and communion with Him deceives you into believing that you can see things on our own--that is, until you find yourself parked on the shoulder of the road waiting for the storm to pass.

Be encouraged today to make prayer and communion with Yahweh a consistent part of your life with Him. Trust Him to be faithful in making sure you can always see the way, even under the worst of conditions. He will clear the rain from your view, so you can keep moving forward THROUGH the storm to your destination.

Stock photo by Matheus Bertelli (IG: @bertellifotografia) from Pexels

Hand Him Your Worst

For the sake of not looking as pitiful as our situations may be, most believers--especially those who are well-acquainted with church culture--have mastered the art of disguise.  Oh yes, we go to great lengths to mask the struggles with which we grapple, the insecurities secretly tormenting us, even the consequences of the mistakes we've made.  Because GOD forbid the saints see how jacked up we REALLY are!  So we say, "I've got to give the LORD my best..."  And all the while we are hiding our worst, and for what?!

Recently, a dear woman of GOD by the name of Evangelist Cynthia Diggs shared on her Facebook timeline, "We are so busy trying to give Jesus our best but our best without Him still isn't good enough. He actually wants our worst so He can make it better!"  What an encouraging Word for this modern day church!  There are too many people of faith NOT receiving better because they remain hung up on trying to publicly present a version of themselves that is not only inconsistent with their present reality but one that actually hinders them from truly experiencing life more abundantly.

As Evangelist Diggs continued in her status update, she referenced Mark 3:1-5 where Messiah healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath.  It angered Yeshua Jesus to see people in the synagogue so caught up in THEIR OWN agendas that it was just accepted for the afflicted to remain bound.  There was no mercy, no compassion--just hardness of heart from the very people whose lives should be the very embodiment of Yahweh's loving-kindness.  The behavior of this people evidenced a culture of worship that was very much counterproductive to the restoration of that which was withered to a state in which it was made fully functional.

Extracting The Greatness In You

Nothing worth having comes easy.  This is why there are people dying every day who left themselves no choice but to leave this life unfulfilled.  They played it safe.  They settled for good enough.  They chose the familiarity associated with survival over the risk of potentially thriving.

Understand that it's YOUR unwillingness to experience discomfort that's keeping you from being great--NOT PEOPLE.  In order for greatness to come forth, YOU must be willing to step into discomfort.  Yes, the struggle is real; and you won't even begin to scratch the surface of greatness until you're willing to face your self-imposed limitations head-on.

You Have Something To Offer

My friend Chandra Hill shared a story about an occurrence earlier today that got my attention in a very unavoidable way.  She was getting gas and noticed an older gentleman doing the same across from her. After finishing, he got back in his car to leave but the vehicle failed to start.  So, as expected, he popped the hood to inspect things.  However, it still would not start once he got back inside.

By this time, Chandra had finished pumping her gas and was in her vehicle preparing to drive off. But before she could leave, she heard the Lord say, "Ask him if he's okay..."  Her initial thought was, "If he isn't, what can I do?"  The Lord's response was no different: "Ask him."  So she rolls down her window and does what she was instructed to do.

"I need a boost," he says.

"Well," she replies, "I have cables, but hooking them up is another story."

His response: "I can hook them up, if you have them."

Accepting The Paint

One thing I've come to understand about life as a believer is that Father's methods can raise a lot of questions.  We often have our own ideas and perceptions of how things should go; and each time we do, we're reminded that His thoughts and ways are higher than ours.  When we feel like we're at the end of our ropes, He's waiting for us to let them go so He can catch us.  When we feel like our backs are against the wall, He's waiting for us to stop fighting long enough to allow Him to lift up a standard against the enemy.  See, we struggle with letting go of life's ropes and putting down our fists when the fight seems to be the most intense; yet scripture continues to remind us that His strength is made perfect in weakness (as found in 2 Corinthians 12:9).

In contemplating the frailties of life, some days this journey plays out like a suspense thriller.  Finding myself in one vulnerable place after another is honestly quite stressful, and there are indeed times when my moody side just doesn't want to be bothered after having dealt with all the drama. (Can I get just ONE witness?!)  Yes, as grateful as I am to Yahweh for making ways, opening doors, snatching me out and catapulting me forward, the compounding stress that comes with waiting on Him takes a toll on me when TIME is of the essence.  If you didn't know, well now you know: living on eternity's timetable is NOT for the faint of heart because He who is from everlasting to everlasting is literally in no one's hurry.  He has His own appointed time for everything He sets His hands to do to be accomplished.  And regardless of how we may feel, there's absolutely NOTHING we can do about it.

Staying Power

In order to run this race of a life with patience, we must have the stamina to endure what--at times--can be a very grueling experience.  Yes, life can be hard; but we have unlimited access to the grace to persevere.  I'm reminded here of the term "staying power," which is the ability or strength to last or endure.  It's the quality or ability that allows someone or something to continue being effective and successful.  Today, we're living in a time when effectiveness and success are less and less evident in people's lives simply because they lack the endurance to finish what's been started.

When we consider how our Heavenly Father works, we see that everything Abba starts gets finished because it was already finished at the start.  In other words, whenever He starts something, Him starting it is proof that it's already complete.  Therefore, may I suggest that our ineffectiveness and unsuccessful efforts directly correlate to the fact that what we set out to do was pretty much unfinished from the beginning.  Our minds must be renewed here to understand that when something reaches its completed state in the unseen realm, it is THEN--and ONLY then-- that the process of fulfillment can begin in the physical realm.  Essentially, the execution of a half-baked idea is purposed to reveal that the idea was always half-baked.  It furthermore causes us to see that we cannot fully commit to physically manifesting what our lack of commitment in the spiritual realm has already failed to manifest.

Our problem is that we lack vision.  And work plans can only be devised for that which has been envisioned.  Without a clear picture of the finished product, there can be no documented procedures on how to start at Point A and arrive at a finished product that bears the image and likeness of the vision.  Furthermore, the absence of vision will surely set us up for failure.  It's impossible to have the staying power necessary to overcome the various hurdles encountered while bringing a vision to pass when you're not clear on what the end result looks like.  And here's the more sobering thought: you simply cannot commit to that which you're unclear about.  No one in their right mind will commit to a vision that's foggy, but how many times have we all been guilty of attempting to do something about which we're unclear?  In fact, when the situations and circumstances surrounding the process of materializing that foggy vision become too hard to handle, quitting is usually what happens next, doesn't it?  So in order to stay committed unto the completion of a thing, we must possess a clear understanding of what is indeed being finished.

The Power of Love (Part 2 of 2)

(Continued from Part 1)  Let's face it: people are hurting IN THE CHURCH, people who have probably spent most--if not all--their lives IN THE CHURCH.  Their silent tears are going unnoticed, and they're crying out for help in a place that's supposed to offer them aid but unfortunately doesn't because the people in the so-called place of healing have made them feel like they CANNOT be transparent about what's happening in their lives.  So where then they do go?  To all the people, places and things that WON'T judge them.  The bar, the drug dealer, the strip club, the prostitute, their workloads, the Internet, and the list goes on.  It's sad when people find more safety in ANY place other than the house of GOD and among ANYONE else than the redeemed of the LORD, doing ANYTHING but the will of GOD.  But that's the state of affairs in our nation's churches.

Hurting people will expend all their resources (i.e. money, time and effort) trying to escape what the church fails to heal via the power of the Holy Ghost.  Eventually, their wells run dry; and when all else fails, suicide usually ends up being their only conceivable way out.  So with that said, WHAT then are we going to do about it?  HOW are we going to change this?  Because it's not enough for us to be the thermometer that accurately reads the temperature of the environment.  If we're indeed going to be Kingdom people empowered to do Kingdom work, then we must aspire to BE the thermostat and SET the temperature.

Never Minding The Fog (Part 1 of 2)

Preface: This post was actually written on Tuesday, December 9, 2014, even though I was not able to post it until today.  Since this writing was based upon what happened that particular day, I didn't want to ruin it by rewording references associated with the then-present.  Thanks for understanding.  I pray this post encourages you.

As I traveled to work this morning, a very thick fog filled the air, decreasing road visibility to less than a quarter-mile on the Interstate.  The downtown skyline, which could ordinarily be seen from many miles away, was completely out of sight--almost as if it didn't even exist.  In the meantime, I had my instrumental music playing while talking to the Father in prayer.  There were several things on my heart for which I desired  direction and clarity on from Him.  This year has been extremely busy for me and even presented some very difficult challenges.  And although I can feel the tide turning, there are just some things in my life that have consistently been troublesome for me.  The greatest of these has been identifying, understanding and following GOD's path towards fulfilling His purpose for my life.

I truly love how GOD relates to me by His Spirit...  As I drove and prayed, Holy Spirit began to speak right there through what was before my eyes: the fog.  Through this morning's commute to work, He gave me a prophetic visual of my life.  He then said, "Although you can't see WHERE you're headed, aren't you still moving forward?  Of course you are.  And why is that?  Because, even though your surroundings are foggy, you already know the location of your destination and the route you must take to get there."  It finally clicked! Right there, smack dab in my face was the issue.  The unnecessary busyness and extreme willingness to help others that I've been exhibiting FOR YEARS has been my way of coping with the fact that I'm unsure about the location of my destination.  It also means I can't even begin to determine what route to take in fulfilling my reason for being.

As I learned from Dr. Myles Munroe, vision is simply purpose in pictures.  Think of it as the brochure a travel agent gives you when planning a vacation to a destination you've never before visited.  It's the only thing you have that connects you to the place you're planning to go UNTIL you get there.  And the more you see it, the more excited you get.  Anticipation builds as the day of your scheduled arrival draws near, doesn't it?  So imagine what it's like having NO brochure, NO vision.  Imagine knowing you're going somewhere but have no idea where you're headed.  Instead of there being great excitement, there's anxiety. And when the atmospheric conditions impair your ability to make sense of the things around you, the anxiety only intensifies.  This is where the enemy is most easily able to leverage the fears we've yet to overcome.  Using our fears, the enemy influences us to make wrong turns (i.e. bad decisions) that ultimately leave us feeling lost, confused and helpless on life's journey.

No matter what may be happening around us, we should still be able to move forward, just as I was able to successfully get to work this morning in the fog.  When we are properly prepared for the journey, it becomes that much easier to never mind the fog.  Therefore, Holy Spirit impressed six directives upon me during this morning's drive in to work which I will post on tomorrow morning.  [Here is "Never Minding The Fog (Part 2 of 2)].  I feel these steps will likewise help you to never mind the fog.  Furthermore, I pray that what's been shared so far has started to stir your heart and encourage you to reflect on your own life.  It would be great to read your thoughts, so please feel free to leave your comments and feedback below.

Banishing The Hurt | 03.06.13

I recently attended a Sunday Night FLOW worship service that featured some phenomenal ministry in song from Kevin Levar, David and Nicole Binion, and Myron Williams.  It was indeed a powerful time of worship, as the presence of GOD there was evident.  Even after the service ended, the Holy Spirit continued to minister to me.  I posted the following status update on Facebook shortly after awaking the next morning.

Elton Taylor believes unforgiveness will stall a breakthrough worse than a broken timing belt does a car. Yes, the battery has power; but what good is having power when you can't move forward? With that being said, I encourage you to replace that broken belt with one of wholeness so GOD can redeem the time during which you've been empowered but motionless. Now is the time to forgive and let go of the hurtful feelings you've been experiencing for far too long. Now is the time to evict from your mind each painful memory and break free from every mentally tortuous reminder of what happened. Now is the time to dissolve any desire for revenge and to sever from yourself all planned attempts for recompense once the truth surfaces. Your breakthrough depends on the forgiveness YOU extend, so let the healing begin that you might live.
#GodBlessMyEnemies_KevinLevar
#HealingIsHereAndIReceiveIt_DavidAndNicoleBinion
#SunNiteFLOW_MyronWilliams
#HearingTheHolySpiritForMyself_PRICELESS

That Changing Power | 01.23.13

Last night, I was blessed with the opportunity to encourage a friend and brother who is seeking to move past some things in his life that have been holding him back.  I can relate to his struggle because we all have certain behavioral patterns that have emerged in our lives as a result of our exposure to ungodly spiritual influences.  Whether our exposure to these influences emanate from choices we willingly made or situations we were forced to experience, we find ourselves daily grappling with demonically influenced behaviors that have taken up residence in our souls.  And because they have made themselves at home in our minds, will and emotions, they hinder the Holy Spirit from doing His job.  I'm not talking about Him giving us goose bumps and sending us into fits of praise.  This is about the Holy Ghost conforming us into the image of Christ by helping us achieve balance, teaching us about the culture of Heaven, and empowering us to transact Kingdom business here in the Earth realm.

The Need For Motivation | 12.27.12

After reading a friend of mine's Facebook status update on yesterday, I started thinking about the need for motivation from others.  In pondering the word "motivation," my mind interestingly enough gravitated towards the word "motive".  Quite intrigued by this, I began to wonder, "Why would I need someone else to provide me a motive for doing anything?"  As a born again believer in whom the Holy Spirit resides, I most certainly do not lack inspiration because my growing sensitivity to the Spirit and how He communicates frequently triggers ideas and visions.  And yes, I'm extremely grateful for this because I have come a long way in that regard.  But back to this motivation thing...  Why is motive such a difficult thing to generate for ourselves?

Trusting In GOD's Presence | 12.26.12

No matter what we face in life, we can trust in GOD's presence.  Make no mistake about it: GOD is always with us, but we can never be confident in this thing if we fail to trust in His presence.  In fact, it was spoken by Moses in Deuteronomy 31:6 to all Israel that the LORD "will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."  (Hebrews 13:5 quotes this passage in a way more familiar to our hearing: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.")  Herein, though, lies the reality check: simply accepting the fact that GOD is present is not enough when our faith is under fire.  When the will of GOD for our lives leads us through the valley of the shadow of death, we require more than the mere acceptance of GOD's presence...  We must pursue an immutable awareness of GOD's presence, an awareness so strong that nothing we face can make us doubt His presence being with us.  And as much as we may hate to acknowledge this, for our awareness of His presence to become that strong, it generally takes us encountering situations wherein only a manifestation of GOD's presence can get us through.

In Pursuit of Happiness - Part Four | 07.31.12

We all have desires--both bad and good.  GOD understands that; and no matter how "out there" our desires may be, He's in no way shocked by them either.  It should be good news to someone that GOD sees into our innermost desires and is not shocked by what is found therein.  This serves to help us understand why GOD has given us the ever present Holy Spirit to dwell within us: that He might lead and guide us into all truth.  And the truth of the matter is that many things we desire in our attempts to be happy are neither good nor beneficial for us, irregardless of how badly we may want them.

But there's something terribly wrong with pursuing what GOD does not desire us to have anyway, as if us wanting something bad enough will somehow sanctify it in His eyes.  Furthermore, it's most assuredly in poor taste to blame GOD for the resulting consequences of our efforts to obtain that which He has forbidden us to have.  GOD is neither responsible for our poor decision making nor the rebellious nature from which it emanates.  And He's surely not responsible for the calamity that befalls us, like He's just sitting there waiting to punish us as He stalks our every move.

So why then do we feel entitled to diametrically oppose GOD's directives to instead pursue our own perceived happiness?  I'm led to believe that it's pride.  And with pride comes GOD's resistance.  Scripture says in 1 Peter 5:5 that GOD gives grace to the humble.  GOD releases His favor in the lives of humble people.  When we operate in humility, we obey GOD even when it hurts or we feel that GOD's requirements are unfair; and He rewards our obedience accordingly in ways money can't even buy.

Read the next installment (In Pursuit of Happiness - Part Five).

Leave It Behind (AUDIO) | 05.07.12

This 5-minute inspirational podcast looks at why it is important for us as people of GOD to leave behind those things that characterized our old nature prior to redemption.  GOD has a ministry assignment for each of us, and it is of utmost importance that we not take any unnecessary thing with us on our journey.  Otherwise, we may set ourselves up for our own demise.



Music By: Longzijun
Transcript of podcast available at facebook.com/thisisfhw.

The Pressing of Testing | 01.02.12

The Word for last year was that 2011 would be the year of testing, and every bit of that Word manifested just as the Spirit stated.  There were moments of success as well as failure, but GOD remained consistent despite our own inconsistencies.  And for that, I'm truly grateful.  GOD saw to it that we made it through the rigors of 2011 because He has greater in store for us in 2012.  HALLELUJAH!

During worship this past Sunday morning, the Holy Spirit plainly spoke to me regarding the New Year:  "The year of testing was indeed pressing, but the pressing is releasing fresh oil in the New Year."  There is a greater outpouring of GOD's anointing being released for 2012 because of the pressing in 2011.  And by "greater" I mean a "more potent" outpouring than had before.  It's not that GOD's power has become more potent.  The year of testing has better enabled us to carry a more potent anointing than before.  Therefore, the year of testing that seemed so unbearable has actually been worth it because we have left 2011 more powerful than we were at its onset.

Truly the effectual, fervant prayers of the righteous availeth much because one doesn't just skate through the year of testing.  However, there's something to be said about going through the rigors of "the process."  Designed to refine HOW we worship, the year of testing has better prepared us to wield the power that "the process" yields.  GOD is all about empowering His people to succeed at whatever tasks He places in front of us, no matter how impossible the work may seem.  And empowered people operate with the boldness, confidence and assurance that literally commands the desired results to manifest.  So as we enter 2012, may all we do be done in the power of the anointing released in the pressing of 2011.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

You Can't Turn Back | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

While reviewing my journal this week, I ran across some notes taken during a message heard in church one Sunday in July:

"GOD has a path that will lead you into every promise He's given you (according to Jeremiah 29:11).  Your uncomfortable places are not your final destination.  When you get in an uncomfortable place, your temptation is ALWAYS to turn back.  But if you turn back you'll never get to your destiny."

At this time, the Holy Spirit was really ministering to me because I had become discouraged on my path.  I had contemplated turning back more than once because it appeared things weren't working out as I had expected, and I was growing weary of the struggle.  From time to time, as I'm sitting in a church service, I break away from what the minister is saying to clearly hear the Holy Spirit when He starts speaking to me.  During this particular occurence, I heard the Holy Spirit say the following, which I quickly scribbled into my journal:

"You can't turn back because you have no place to turn back to.  The comfort you remembered can't be found there anymore because that season is over.  Going back there searching for what was there before is a waste of time, and you'll only be miserable there."

I remember being greatly encouraged by what the Holy Spirit spoke to me that day because those words dispelled my desperation.  It was exactly what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it.  I'm not sure if someone reading this TODAY needs to hear what I heard back in July, as well; but I do know that I felt compelled to share this when I ran across those words in my journal again. GOD has a destiny for each person's life.  But you can't turn back: walking into destiny requires forward movement.  You have to stay on the path GOD has laid before you.  So stay on the path to your promise, and watch how it will lead you right into destiny.

Four Imaginary Imprisonments (Part One) | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

INTRODUCTION

One of the most remarkable things about being a Christian is the fact that GOD has set me free from every bondage of sin that I inherited from Adam.  Understanding that I was born a sinner with a penchant for engaging in ungodly behavior makes me even more grateful for the blood of Jesus being shed for me along with its power to free me from the grip of sin.  No longer do I have to be under the influence of sin because I am NOW free to be whom GOD has purposed, created and called me to be.

Getting A GOD-Eye View (Part 2) | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

It's not easy climbing the mountain of worship because it requires us to put aside all the doubts and fears associated with our life situations.  There must be a steadfast determination in worshippers to push past everything that would attempt to arrest our attention and paralyze our forward progress.  Otherwise, we will never ascend to the place of worship where unto GOD desires to meet with us.  Abraham was able to make up his mind to climb Moriah and offer the sacrifice GOD required of him because his mind wasn't on what he could possibly lose.  Just as he indicated in the valley BEFORE he started the climb, Abraham's mind was on seeing the manifestation of GOD's provision (Genesis 22:7-8).

It was in the low place that Abraham declared in faith to his two servants that both he and Isaac would go up to worship and they both would return afterwards (Genesis 22:5).  Abraham was sure of this because he believed GOD would provide Himself a sacrifice.  He didn't waste time trying to figure out how GOD was going to make a way.  Abraham believed GOD and made the climb.  Unfortunately, for many of us, we can't make the climb because our minds are consumed with what we can't affect.  We worry and we fret, yet our worrying doesn't change the situation and our fretting won't help us feel any better about things.  It's through the eyes of faith that we see beyond the present circumstances, so we can overrule our emotions and press our way into GOD's presence.

Letter To A Modern Day Jonah | The Worshipper's Thought of the Day

(On Monday, July 4, 2011, I felt the urge to write an open letter to all the modern day Jonah's out there who know the calling of GOD is upon them but have chosen to accept an identity contrary to the one GOD has given them.  This is strictly for those with ears to hear and is not directed to any one person in particular.  It was simply birthed in a moment late at night, during which heaviness of heart was felt for those who struggle between choosing GOD's way over their own.)

Dear Modern Day Jonah,

I know that a lot is going on with you right now.  And I know that sometimes you don't want to hear what I have to say, which is cool, because I'm not that important anyway.  Although I sometimes feel unsure of what to say because you can only stand so much "spiritual" stuff, I can't apologize for being who I am in the realm of the spirit.