Who's Manning the Post?

Welcome to the start of the Story of David and Goliath. For years now, David has been in the fields minding the family's sheep. This was the lowest job in the household, and definitely not the easiest. Stories are told of how he has to fight of wild animals, how he sits out there all on his lonesome for days at a time. 

Finally, one day his father comes to him with a new job. He is to go to the front lines of war and deliver some bread and grains to his brothers. Not only that but to go to their commanding officer and give him  some specialty cheeses and get a report to bring back on how his brothers are doing under him. This is a pretty big deal for David who has had very little human interaction in his father's fields. 

Though this was huge, what David does first is very important. Its imperative as leaders that we dont over look the first action we should take when asked to move into something new.

1 Samuel 17:20a (The Message)

"David was up at the crack of dawn and, having arranged for someone to tend his flock, took the food and was on his way just as Jesse had directed him."

David seeks out and finds someone to man the post. Before he sets out to accomplish the commission given to him, he makes sure that the responsibilities he is leaving behind are looked after. He doesn't leave it for his dad to figure it out, or just leave a whole in the system that produces an income for his families house hold. He makes sure his post is manned in his absence.

 In our fast paced lives, we are often moving between roles. Promotions at work. Leading a connect group. Filling roles in kids church, youth, service, production, or worship teams. When we are asked to move into something bigger or different, our mind immediately goes to what that new position will look like. What it means for our future. But David is a prime example, even at a young age, what our true calling in life is. Our God given "Great Commission"... 

to make disciples! 

Matthew 28:19-20

^"19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The whole first chapter of Proverbs tells us how important it is to teach. To learn. How important it is for us to have someone growing underneath us. Its how we learn to lead. How we prepare ourselves for bigger things. We should continually growing leaders to rise up from under us. If we dont share what we learn, it just sits in us. It doesn't have room to manifest. Like the mana God gave the Israelites in the desert, it molds and decays if not utilized immediately. Its when we reach out and impart into others that things spiritually and physically start into motion. When I tell someone about a revelation or experience, when I speak it out, I am hearing and re-experiencing what I have learned. Catching even more revelation and understanding. It benefits both parties. 

So invest!

The main turning points in my life have been when I have had a leader take the time, energy, and love to invest into me. When I was younger and started leading in our youth ministry in Atlanta, I continually made choices that made me feel ineligible to lead. It was simple. My perception was so internal it made my circumstances seem to massive to come back from. My pastors at the time, Travis and Adam, gave me the outside perspective and encouragement that I needed to get past my own insecurities. They took time out of their schedules of leading hundreds of teens and young leaders to mentor me. As a result from these coffees and meetings, I grew a deep respect for these leaders. I would then encourage them as often as I could. When they needed encouragement, I would be first in line to give it. When they needed help with anything, I would rush to volunteer. So invest in those you lead. 

Luke 6:38 (The Living Bible)

"For if you give, you will get! Your gift will be returned to you in full... Whatever measure you use to give- large or small- will be used to measure what is given back to you."

Invest time and you will receive time. 

Invest your love and you will receive love. 

Invest encouragement and you will receive encouragement. 

Measuring Fruit

  Fruit is fruit, right? If I were to go into a market and select 3 apples of the same kind, would I be equally satisfied with them all? Frankly, no. Just because one fruit looks similar to another doesn't make it the same quality.

  Matthew 7:17+ talks about fruit in Kingdom living. A good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit. And even if the trees do look similar , the deciding factor of good and basis the source of the nutrients, the soil and water that it absorbs. The fruit we produce is directly related to who and what we allow to influence us. 

  The funny thing about fruit that we often forget is it's meant to be consumed. The world tells us we produce fruit to admire it. To marvel at what we have created. Fruit takes many forms. From ministries, events, finances, relationships, jobs... The list goes on, but we don't want to see these things gobbled up by others. The truth is, we are meant to produce fruit for OTHERS. For others to grow from, to utilize in making their own fruit.

  There is a fish farm in the southern coastal region of Spain. My nose immediately gets turned up at the thought of a farmed fish. All the ones I've seen or heard of before are gross, manmade pools of thousands of fish tearing at one another for pellets or protein blends of chicken bones, corn,  and chemically enhanced vitamins. But this one is significantly different. 
 The farm is created by a natural canal fed by the currents between the Atlantic and Mediterranean sea. The fish live off of the natural influx of algae that rolls in fresh from the ocean. All of this evidently makes for a delicious meal, but the most amazing thing is how the farmers measure the quality of their fish. In a secluded region over 150 miles from this farm is a flamingo nesting area. Everyday, tons of these flamingos trek the distance just to feast on the fish on this farm. The farmers say that the quality of their fish is revealed in the pinkness of the bellies of these flamingos. The success of these farmer's "fruit" is measured in the success of its consumer.

  This is how we should be measuring our fruit! By quality, not the quantity that we produce. By the success of those who partake of it. The passion of the youth in our church. The riaising of worship leaders in our music team. The commitment level of our volunteers who make every service happen.

  Quality fruit produces sustainable growth and it I sustainable growth that builds long lasting, influencial churches. It's  sustainable growth that builds strong character and effectivness in our lives.

Letting Go

We have this internal desire in us to hold onto things. Whether it has to do with our jobs, our relationships, our finances... it doesn't matter. We see it as "ours."

Somehow we determine in our minds that the produce of what we have worked toward is our possession. Its our "baby". We grow attachments that can become possessive. And possessiveness blinds us from what we COULD have.

In the early NT church, the believers came together and began selling what they had to give to the building of the church. Acts 4:34 even says that "none among them that were lacking". God provided for them when they showed faith that He was in control of their possessions. Then there was Ananias and his wife who sold their property, but gave only some of the money they received from their sale. Ananias held back from God what He could have used to bless him! Thinking he was being safe, he ends up losing a whole lot more than what he was hoarding... his life.

Today, we are faced with the problem of becoming attached to material. We even become attached to relationships, success, and ministries. All of our time and efforts put in, we think that when its time to cash out, the winnings are sacred. We have to realize that the doors and entry points into where we are or what we have become, were opened by God himself. When we realize that we are part of a plan bigger than our own, we can start to release. We can start laying things down at God's feet, trusting in the one who made it all happen. "Let go, and let God"

Serve Low= Serve High

Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

It is a fact. God Places people into power and authority over us. Whether we believe in their policies, their ethics, or their causes, God has an eternal plan. In the book of Daniel, He places Nebecanezzar as king. It was no surprise to God when he was able to take over the people of Isreale. Most would see one of only two options: one being to fight, to resist. The second would be to give in. To convert their way of living to the way the Babylonians did things. But Daniel saw a different way. He chose to hold his faith in his God and his people, while submitting to the authority that was placed over him.

Sometimes we find it hard to just fall under our bosses, teachers, or pastors. We could come up with reasons why not to trust them. Reasons why not to follow their lead, but that does not change the fact that we are called to serve. As part of a functioning body, it is our job to support the head no matter what. When we put our own selfish desires sown, when we allow the Holy Spirit to cover us, giving us protection and a "God" perspective, the friction we might have had between ourselves and our leaders are now relieved. It acts as the oil that lubricates the cogs and gears that make the body a functioning organism.

When Daniel decided to trust God's plan, not forgetting where his allegiance was, he was able to see! God let him stand out among those who the king trusted, giving him reigns to help make important decisions for the Kingdom.

Ps. Phil Pringle has said that "You serve high (God) by serving low (your leaders)". Your immediate leader is serving your associate pastors, who are serving the senior pastors, who are serving global leaders, who are all serving Christ together. When we step back and allow our vision to grow, when we stretch our capacities to see past our own agendas, we in-turn grow our perception. When we have a better perception of God's larger plan, it makes serving "small", so much BIGGER.

Ephesians 3

The secret is out! All the mysteries of God's plan is now made known. How often have we questioned God's purposes? Through the Holy Spirit living in us, God reveals the true, underlining reason for everything He does. This doesn't mean we understand the ends and outs of every decision, disaster, or triumph here on earth, but we can know the whole picture. The final result that is being orchestrated... That every man, woman, and child... every sinner, saint, slave, and master... every muslim, hindu, jew, and gentile has the opportunity to know Christ and His love and give it in return.

Paul says, "When I think of all this, I fall to my knees.." How fortunate are we to know this mystery! The Greek translation for mystery used in this chapter is "mysterion" which he uses to describe something that was formerly hidden or obscure, but now now revealed by God for ALL to know. To know His Love, and to know that we must be rooted in Him and this love so that we can then understand it fully!

Ephesians 2

Oneness...Unity!.
No matter the circumstance in a point in time we will feel like we don't belong. The devil loves this opportunity. He knows that there is strength and power when we join together so he takes every chance to capitalize on our division. He wants to convince us that we are in the wrong place. That we dont belong.
But God has called us to walk a certain path and He can and will use us in whatever circumstance. There is always a place for us with in the body. Imagine a church of ONLY creatives... there would be plenty of brilliant ideas, but without the more articulate, business minded, the idea would be much more difficult to come into fruition. There also needs to be those who are in between, who can convey what each side needs to the other, creating balance. We all have different backgrounds, gifts, and dreams, but one God. One spirit that works through us all. If we just all align to Him and His will, there is no stopping the Body we are apart of!

Ephesians 1

A few months ago, I did a study on Ephesians. It has quickly become one of my favorite books due to its incredible amount of insite jammed into 6 simple chapters! Cant get much better than that. So here are some breakdowns of what i received in each of these books.
Chapter 1.
We are in! God made a way, through his Son, that we might be with Him. We are now viewed blameless because of what Christ has done for us. The Ephesian's pre-christian life style was completely ruled by immorality. They needed to hear this very fact, that there was no need for shame or guilt, because Christ stood between us and what we actually deserve.
How often do we feel unworthy or unclean? Verse 4 tells us God had, from the beginning, planned to see us without fault in His eyes! So when God looks at us, He sees His son. Jesus lives with in us and takes away any fault, any flaw, any thing that would keep us from the blessings of heaven. He no longer sees what we were but what the blood of Christ has made us!

Together We Stand

There is a constant battle going on all around us. Physical and spiritual battles that are fought at home, at work, when we are with out family and friends. Accepting Christ can be simple enough, but as soon as you step out into the world your hit with it and it's humanity. What is key here is that we don't have to fight alone. Every Christian ends up dealing with a lot of the same stuff because we have one common enemy. But when we come together and fight against the dark realms of this world we find support, strength, and new perception that we would never have on our own. This is why being grafted and connected into a local church with a vision is so vital to our growth and success.

In 2 Kings 3, the chapter starts out with the transfer of Israel's power from one king to another, his son. Their neighbors, the Moabites, saw this as the perfect time to attack Israel, a time of change. The enemy is always on the move in a time of transition. When we step into something new, it is so easy to get discouraged and feel like we are making a huge mistake. When this is pressed into our thinking, it causes destruction and hinders our growth. We can loose confidence and end up never stepping out into faith or our vision for our futures again. Some tend to get confused and think that this dout is brought on by God saying, "Thats not the direction I have for you." The way to filter what God is saying and what the devil is lying to you is simple. The enemy will always place negative thoughts into you. "Who do you think you are? You could never accomplish this." God will always correct with love. It is His nature. He will give you a new direction. He never leaves us empty handed.

So the Moabites rebel against Israel. Jehoram, the new king, now has a choice. His armies can hold up in the city and try to fight it alone, or go out and "nip it in the butt". Something stirs in Jehoram and he sends word to his allies Jordan and Edom. We have allies! This is a huge purpose of the church body.  We often want to hold up our little problems and try to solve them ourselves putting so much stress and weight on our world it eventually defeats us. But when we realize that we are fighting for the same causes and we band together. Ps. Jeff Crabtree has given a perfect picture of this. Ephesians 6 talks about the armor of God and verse 11 says, "Put on the armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." The word stand here in the greek translation is actually plural. We stand together, and when we have this armor on and we come together, we for an unstoppable force.

Now we have the three nations together and they end up in the wilderness on there way to Moab. Often times there is a desert between us and our goals. Sure we are committed at the beginning, but the test is if we are committed if it takes a long time to get to the goal. We can get bored with the time of trial and desert and turn back saying we will deal with it later but then end up never going after the vision again. 

Stuck in the desert, they were running out of food and water. They were getting weaker by the day with no nourishment and it seemed hopeless that they would even be able to stand by the time they reached moab, non the less defeat them. With all their own strength gone, they call on Elisha for a word from God. Elisha asks the king of Israel why he came to his God instead of the idols his father worshiped. He replies in verse 13 "No! for it was the Lord who called us three here..."

We all have a call, a vision, a passion burning in us that God gives us directly. Doesn't it make sense that when we feel stuck with no forward progression, when we plateau in this calling to talk to the creator and the one who imparted it directly? Sounds simple enough, yet how often does it turn into our personal mission instead of God's calling? We begin to try to work out all the problems on our own since we see it as our issue to fix. As if we know better. It is so refreshing to read that verse and see a king who was far from a man after God's own heart, realize that he wasn't going to make it on his own. That without God who stirred in him to step out in faith into this battle, he would not be able to fight the battle set before him.

So God gives Elisha the word that rain is falling far off that will produce a water source right through their camp in the desert, giving them the strength to defeat the enemy. There is always provision if we ask and strength and support in our allies. We aren't made to figure everything out, just to walk by faith. There is already victory waiting for us. 

Nothing but...

I have recently been in a time of visioning. Where am I going to be in the next year? How about the next five or ten years? When you start praying into your future and God starts revealing to you visions, it can some times be overwhelming. The thing is though, God gives us these visions to offer us hope, not so we feel inadequate. We can start filtering these visions and dreams through our minds and not our spirits, clogging the truth and making our goals seem unattainable. 

This was the mind set of a widow who met Elisha in 2 Kings 4. Her husband, the care taker  of the family recently died and left behind some debt. Creditors had come to her, threatening to take her two sons to sell as slaves because she had no real means to pay them. Elisha simply asks her, "What do you have?"

Ask your self that. Do you have a job with a good income? Do you have administrative or leadership skills? Do you have a heart to serve and be hospitable? What talents or gifts do you have? Search your life and pick out something that is working in your life. This is always a great place to start when trying to figure out how take the next step into this elaborate vision and dream God has placed into your spirit. Every one of us is blessed with something, yet most of the time we just simply will answer "Nothing". 

The widows first reply to Elisha was just that. "Nothing at all... well, except for this flask of olive oil." She almost doesn't even mention this flask because to her it is so miniscule. We are lead to believe that this olive oil was her very last possession. If I were asked what I had lying around my house, a jar of olive oil would be far down on the list. It is here that God shows us that even with the smallest things in life can be used to change someone's world.

Elisha now tells the widow to go to all her friends and neighbors and ask them for empty vessels. This is huge! People around us can be resources to get to our God given dreams. When I moved to NYC, I ended up selling a large amount of my things to help pay for the transition. This included my guitars. For those who do not know me or what I do, music has always been my olive oil. So when we arrived here, I was with out a vessel, a conduit, to use my olive oil. Thankfully the pastors happened to have a guitar that was open for me to use. What is better, this guitar was even better than the ones that I had to leave behind. 

There are ample opportunities and vessels that are already around us that we can sometimes overlook and pass by. Use your spirit to filter your vision so that you see the realities of heaven. See the open doors. See the empty vessel that can be used to produce great things in your hands. In the hands of Samson, a donkey's jawbone was the perfect weapon to defeat the enemy. 300 men in the right hands of Gideon was all God needed to win a battle. We all have something to work with. Find it. Embrace it. Use it.

Breaking Down Worship

Worship to many can be confusing. The term can seem quite general and leave  some wanting more. To get a grip on the word "worship", lets take a look at the first place we can find it used in the bible. Genesis 22: 2, 5:

"take your son, your only son- yes Issac, whom you love so much- and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will point out to you...

'Stay there with the donkey', Abraham told the young men. 'the boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.'"

This first use of the word worship in the bible is key. Moses, the supposed author of Genesis, saw this as an opportunity to include the word worship here to make a point. And with more than 250 appearances throughout the bible, this one appearance would have been enough to define to us what worship really is. It is described as simply giving or offering God the biggest part of your life.

Ask yourself, what is the biggest part of your life. 

For some people this "biggest part" of their life might be a burden. A sickness, a lost job, a lonely heart. This doesn't make them any less qualified to worship, it just means what they lay down as a sacrifice looks different then someone's sacrifice of great success. 

If your giving up your burden- do so with hope. Understand that there are highs and lows in life and that they are not the realities of heaven which pertain to us. God is a huge God in the sense that He can take care of all his people.  Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." 

Other people are currently in a high point in this roller coaster of life and have plenty to offer God, yet many times this can be harder to do. We can get in this comfort zone and look around and say, "I've got the house, I've got the car, I've got the job, I've got the friends, etc..." and actually forget God got us there in the first place. 

If your giving God the greatest most successful part of your life, do so with gratitude. Laying down your success doesn't mean you loose it, it is just an acknowledgment that God is faithful to give us the desires of our hearts. When we prosper, the Kingdom prospers. 

Psalms 9:1-2 says, "I will thank you, Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High."

Genesis 4 gives an account of Cain and Able's sacrifices to God. If you don't know the story, basically they were brothers. Cain grew crops, and Able raised livestock.  One element wasn't more important than the other to God, but the giver's heart was. Able gave the best of his flocks in sacrifice to God, were as Cain just gave. It is important to give, but to give with faith whole heartedly. 

word a day (9): Isaiah 54:2

EXPENSE... what does it cost? Usually the better something is, the more expensive it can become. I can confess to you that I am what you might consider a name brand lover. I will only purchase Adidas or Puma sneakers. There is something about the color that illuminates from a new pair grab my attention every time i walk down 5th or Broadway which are lined with shoe stores (my favorite being "Electronics and Shoes Inc."... only in NYC). But the truth is that these shoes generally have a considerably long life span. The neon yellow/silver adidas which adorn my feet at this moment, were purchased at least four years ago. You pay for fashion, or durability, or just because a brand is popular. 

So now back from that rabbit trail... It cost Christ His life to save the soul of every man ,woman,  and child who will except Him. To make a way that we can have a personal relationship with God no matter what nationality or culture we come from, but what does it cost you and me?

1 Romans 6, Paul talks about us joining Christ in death. This does not conclude in us going upon hills nearby and constructing crosses for ourselves, I promise. When we accept Christ and make Him the leader of our lives, we submit. We die to ourselves, our sinful nature, our past regrets. And just as Christ rose from the grave, so will we have new lives. A life that is no longer centered around our own selves. It costs us everything. Our all. We lay everything down for Christ, that pearl of great price. That can be pretty pricey for some. In a world that cries out "Me, Me, Me!!!!" it can be hard. We are trained to care for ourselves and then fold onto what is ours. This is why it is called an expense. It is casting aside our selfish "me me me" wants and focusing on what God wants for us. 

word a day (8): Isaiah 54:2

AND SPARE NOT... to spare is to hold back. Our God is not one who in known to hold back. To those who serve Him, He continually pours out abundance and blessing. Being made in 

God's image, would that not in-tale that we were never a people created to hold back. Sometimes work can bog me down, or something happens in my family that leaves me feeling low. There are even times when church can wear me out(you can account to this if you have been in bible college and have spent every single day of your week in the church). But not one of these is a legitimate reason to spare time or attention from God and His call in my life. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9 that we not only are running a race, but we should be running so that we will win. We have to give it our all every day. This isn't a competitive race. We aren't competing to "get to God" before our peers, we are running out our own race. We are constantly challenging the pace we set the day before. The goal is to run with my eyes fixed on Christ. On His insurmountable love. On His grace that is undeserved. On His example he set before us and is available to us if we just open the pages of that book we only pull out for church services. The goal is for me to run this race, sparing no amount of energy, no amount of time, and no amount of effort.

Word a day (7): Isaiah 54:2

YOUR HOME... In the bible, the word home is used a fraction of the time in describing a dwelling place with walls a roof and a fireplace. I like to think of a house as a shell, the walls. A roof over your head. This house is important. What would a church be if they had no common place to fellowship. But I feel the "home" is the comfort that can be found within the walls. Another thing, a home is not confined to a shell. God wants us to bring that home-like feeling into the cities we live in. Our jobs, our family, and friends. That is why building relationships is the most effective way to bring out the Kingdom in this world. It is the words and actions of a friend that change someone's life, not a beaming in the back of the head by someone throwing judgment and accusations from people they don't even know. As followers of Christ, we are expected to be excepting and comforting, even if we don't understand. It was the example He gave us while here on earth. This is how we are to treat people. Treat them as if they were valued guests in your home, because that is who they actually are in God's eyes. We need to step back and look outside of ourselves, our own agenda's, our own ambitions. To welcome people into our home in the Father. 

A Pro-Choice God

As crazy as that may seem to you, our God is pro-choice. I don't mean this in a direct correlation with abortion, but choice as a whole. 

Many christians and non-christians alike struggle with this question: "If God knows all past, present, and future, what does my life on this earth matter?" The matter of predestination has confused theologians and laymen alike since the beginning. Some view God as a giant looking down on us, moving us around as he pleases. I want you take take a look at it this way. Take the creator of the game of chess and place him in a match with a newbie to the game. The creator not only knows the strategies in and out, he invented them. He knows the outcome of the game just by the first moves of the game. But here it is! The creator doesn't move the rookie's pieces around on the board, he just knows what will happen because of each of the moves. The rookie decides which route and strategy he will use. He can even impress the creator with a move and change how the creator will play out his next series of moves. 

So God, the creator of this world and of you and me, has given us free will. He gives us choice! Every move we make, God saw coming, but he doesn't control them. You choose to act on the calling of your life. You choose your job, your car, you choose even the person you marry. 

God gives us opportunities. He opens doors that will change and benefit our lives but we are the ones who have to choose to step through those doors. God's story is MASSIVE! It encompasses all past, present, and future, and here is the hook... it is being written even as you sit here and read this. Our supporting roles in this story of His are only as important as we let them be, and it all depends on what we choose to do with our lives on a day to day, hour by hour, minute by minute basis. 

God wants us to play important parts in His story. Every day He brings someone, something into out lives that are tied into the calling He wants us to grab hold of. If we grab hold... "good on ya'!" But if we don't, its not the end of the world. This is where God might change His strategy up a bit. God's plans and purposes don't fall apart because of one person's choice to turn the chance down to change the world, He simply opens that door for someone else. So choose to take hold of the calling, which in-turn, results in blessing. 

A Perfect example is in 1 Samuel 16. After being anointed as king of Israel, the very first one at that, Saul continually screws up and looses his throne. God told Samuel in verse 1, "You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as King..."  God gave Saul a chance to justly rule His own people, the children of God, by simply following Him. Saul didn't fail through and through. There were times he did follow all of God's direction, and he was one of a hand full to be filled with his spirit mentioned in the Old Testament. But after making choice after choice that pulled him farther and farther from his calling. God soon after sends Samuel to anoint David. David wasn't perfect and we all know it, but he choose at the end of everything to return all glory to where it belonged. He lived within his calling and became known as "a man after God's own heart."

To understand God intends us to have choice, to live in free will whether it means with Him or without, we go back to the very beginning. God created all the universe from scratch. This means all was null and void. There was no good trees or bad trees. If God intended us to live as drones, to have no choice to follow him, then why would the tree of the knowledge of good and evil be planted? Why would He risk it? Take a man who finds a beautiful woman and instead of perusing her affection and love, he purchases a vile of potion that causes her to love him without thinking. Without her will. There is no real love there. How much more is the love that comes with time and passion and true devotion? This is why we are given free will. So that the love is real. It is everlasting. It is ours and His together.

Word a day (6): Isaiah 54:2

SPREAD OUT... We as Christians are called and given the command to spread out. To take ground. We are at war with a crafty liar who is bent on keeping our spirit and faith trampled, keeping us from being territory takers for the kingdom. Taking territory in our schools, our jobs, our relationships, our lives. Think of the influence that could made on this earth if the church as a whole where constantly spreading the grace and love of God. This is a huge reason I have bought into the vision of my church. Christian City Church effect the city of Sydney and then just call it a day. It went after the world, planting 200 churches throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States. God has seen the heart of this movement and the leaders of it, and has honored them with the power to more than add to the Kingdom, but the power to multiply. 

So don't ever hide that light God has given you as His child. Share it. Use it. Take it as far as you can and then look back and see all that has been accomplished for His sake. 

word a day (5): Isaiah 54:2

AN ADDITION... When you are in a family that is growing you add on to the house. When an addition is made there is more room to move around and grow. It also increases the worth of the home. The usefulness of it. It is capable to hold more, which in turn, produces more. God has called to make room. To add onto ourselves. We do this by disciplining ourselves and committing time and energy. We make the effort, the room in our lives, and God will fill it with His presence, revelation, strength, confidence, and blessing.

Word a day (4): Isaiah 54:2

BUILD... There is always a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when you have completed something. To sit back and look at the finished project, seeing that you have actually done something. Created something. Built something. But you cant sit there in satisfaction until you have gone and worked, which usually is never easy. There are the times of blood, sweat, and tears that go into the building. In the parable of building your house on the firm rock foundation, we often just skim it and get the basic idea, but there is much more to the story. In order to get to the firm foundation, the builders had to get to the firm foundation, the builders had to "dig deep". They had to work to get to the foundation, to remove the rubble and sand that get in the way. God wants us to build. To build His house. To build up friends and leaders. To build ourselves. But before we can build and start seeing results we have to remove everything unwanted in the way, our sins, our past, our own selfish ambitions. They need to be removed so that the foundation is firm. So it wont crumble and fall. 

word a day (3): Isaiah 54:2

HOUSE... A dwelling place. Throughout the bible, the word house is often used to describe the church. Many churches are primarily used as a place to worship a couple days of the week, but I believe there is to much life in the church to just let it sit empty the rest of the the week. I would often, especially when I was in School of Ministry, be there everyday. Even if we were going to head into the city with friends, we would meet in the parking lot and just chill out there. There is a sense of comfort, a sense of belonging when your there. The feeling that you should have when sitting in your own room, but even more. It is often said that we are aliens to this earth as christians. That exemplifies why we feel so at home in the church. We are in the place were God comes and meets us every week. Our Father. He wants us to have a passion for the house. To build it. To maintain it.

Another use of the word "house" would be anyone of us. As believers, Jesus Christ lives WITHIN us. We house the Spirit. I hate to think of all the stuff we have within us and what we do to our body, and what kind of dwelling place we become. How it can possibly even effect God's presence in our lives. If we take into consideration that God is a flat-mate of ours, but even closer, what would He have to share space with. When we subject ourselves to a questionable movie, song, or even food, it is in us. In the same place God lives. We are told to maintain and keep it a pleasant place for God to work in and through. 

Word a day (2): Isaiah 54:2

Day 2

YOUR... The Kingdom of Heaven is not a dictatorship; it is not a totalitarian kingdom. We do have one God who completely rules all and His law is iron clad and never changing, but He also wants us to have ownership. In a totalitarian society, a man is told what his job will be, where he will live, and is sometimes not even allowed to leave his country by the government. He has no ownership of his life. Children of God are not drones! He created us all in unique ways. He created melancholy artists. He created choleric managers. He created us all with a purpose in mind, with God given dreams in our hearts. He calls o us and when we finally hear that call and step into it, He wants us to take ownership of that calling. This ownership isn't a nose in the air, taking all the credit, big headed ownership. it is like if I were to go and buy stock in a certain company. I would devote all my needs that relate to that company, to that one particularly and not it's competitors. When talking to people about the company, I would make my case for that company, in which I have invested. When you invest in something, you want to see it grow. When we buy into a vision or calling for out life, we are taking ownership it. God has given me this desire, this city, this time, so I am going to take it on, full force, with devotion and time.

Taking ownership of something is taking responsibility. The story of God is massive and He asks us to take part in it. Just like in Jesus' journey to the cross, Simon of Cyrene took that cross, that calling, and went with it.

But it is still even more than taking responsibility, it is committing something. Time. Energy. Money. When we get the job of cleaning the lobby of our church before service every sunday, we own that job. We do it to our best abilities. When we get the job of leading a congregation into the presence of God on the worship team, we commit, we devote, we put our hearts into it. 

word a day (1): Isaiah 54:2

After reading a book by Louie Giglio called, "I Am Not but I Know I Am"  I was introduced to a new way to study the bible. Basically you take a verse and break it up into individual words. You take a word a day and meditate on what that word means to you. So here is my stab at it with a great verse that i already know, but want to see what else can come of it.

"Enlarge your house; build an addition.

Spread out your home, and spare no expense!"

Day 1

ENLARGE... when Christ left this earth His final words to His disciples weren't "Just take what I've taught you and just sit on it." It's a lot like the land owner who gave his servants the talents and blessed those who did something with what he gave them. They multiplied and prospered, but the one who buried it in the ground because he was afraid was rebuked. We were never meant to reach a comfort zone, and plateau there. We often get to a comfortable place with God and then just remain there. For years i was in that position. I knew God, He knew me, and i thought that that would be enough. I was lukewarm, and we all know what God thinks of a lukewarm christian. 

Think of a river. It is fresh, clean, and cool, continually moving, going somewhere. It has purpose and reason. Now, think of a pool. You know those pools in your neighborhood where the owner's kids are long gone from home and there is no up keep of it. It is stagnant water. It is murky and foul. It isn't advancing, has no purpose, collecting mosquito maggots. Which would you rather drink from? No one would drink from the pool of a stagnant christian with no vision or purpose for there life. 

We are called to grow in our faith. Its a muscle, and the best way to grow it is to nourish and use it. Reading and meditating on the word is the bread to our spiritual bodies. Doing so gives us substance, nutrition, and strength. When the word is bouncing around in our spirit, we receive the wisdom and knowledge God wants us to grab a hold of in order to grow and live life. Prayer is the drink of the spirit, that connectivity with God. It is refreshing. Who do you know better, your flat-mate and best friend for years, or a distant cousin in Milwaukee?It is a proven fact that the more you are in contact with someone, the better you will get to know them. The closer you are to them. And when you talk to God through prayer, you get that same sense of refreshment. That new boost of energy. With out water to the muscle, it becomes fatigued. If we try to take on this world without a prayer life, with out that empowerment, we will fatigue before our time. Giving and stepping out in boldness is the exercise for your faith muscle. Malachi 3:10 says: Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."  When we step out, and give as he has asked, we are working out. It is strenuous, it makes us sweat when we put an amount in the tithe envelope, but we are knowing that God will work it out. We also exercise when we step out in boldness because its getting out of where we feel safe. When we ask someone to church. When we engage ourselves in worship. When we take on responsibilities that further the Kingdom. The list goes on, but God has a plan for us all and in order to fulfill this calling, this purpose, we must continually grow. Continually enlarge ourselves.