2017 The Year of Strategic Gates!

2017 is a strategic year for the Body of Christ! Kingdom powers and authorities are shifting, that which has become obsolete will no longer be tolerated, thus making room for new wineskins. It is imperative that you rise up and take your place in the Kingdom. You are a key to the success of Kingdom Expansion and you possess an authority that nobody else has...your place of investment is strategic and critical.

As I prophetically look into 2017, I clearly hear the Lord saying that it is a "Strategic year of Gates". How you approach the gates of your life this year and how you respond to the gates will mark the difference in terms of whether you experience kingdom acceleration or deceleration. Gods intention for you is that you grow beyond your current place of advancement and that you reach new heights, new depths and discover new aspects and dimensions of His grace, favor and anointing. 

God has already gone ahead of you in this upcoming year and has orchestrated divine appointments, supernatural encounters and kingdom opportunities. Doors have already been unlocked, territories have been secured and boundaries have been expanded. The enemy has already been put on alert and demonic assignments relative to your health, your finances and ministry have been canceled. The path for your righteous advancement has been established. Heavenly armies have been organized, dispatched and are on full alert. 

The Father has decreed His heavenly release over you, but His purposes, plans and passions will only come into fruition as you activate your faith towards His declared and redemptive promises and strategically approach the gates with faith, boldness and courage. 

There are three specific sets of gates that you must address in 2017:

The Gate of the Lord

The Gates of your Natural World

The Gates of Divine Opportunity

The Gate of the Lord:  "Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle." (Psalms 24:9-10)

There is an anointing, a victory, a strength and a heavenly might that has been prophetically orchestrated for you. Your "point of access" is your faith that "lifts up the Gate".  The Hebrew word for "lift up" is NASA! Lifting up your gates to access the glory and the anointing is releasing those things that hinder and bind you to the limitations of your natural world. Let go of the habits, the hindrances and the hurts that are paralyzing you and keeping you bound to a life of the ordinary. Let go of your natural abilities and discover the glory, the strength of the Lord and the might of the Lord!

The Gates of your Natural World: In 2017, there are four primary gates that you MUST guard with diligence...the gates of what you see, what you hear, what you feel and what you think. Each of those are strategic portals that the enemy is poised to access upon your permission. In this year, the stakes are high and permission to the enemy must be denied at all costs! Many think that the opposite of faith is fear, but actually it's sight. (The opposite of fear is trust). Remember, things aren't always as they appear and we must walk by faith, not by sight. The voices of the demonic are like the waves of many oceans...the sounds of the demonic are often disguised as reason and logic, as well as counsel and advice from sources that are void of godly roots. 

In addition to what you see and feel, you must also place a guard on your thoughts and your emotions. Take back the keys of your thought life that you have surrendered in fear. Rise up, bold as a lion and verbally begin to refute the lie and recite the truth. The enemy will attempt to be your guide down the gallery of fear and dread that is filled with paintings of your past and more importantly of your future. But remember, the canvas of your heart belongs to the Master Creator of the universe and His work in you is a masterpiece. Refuse to take a trip in the enemy's art gallery, but allow God to paint His vision in you!

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is on the run for his life. He is operating in fear following his confrontation with Arab and Jezebel. Interestingly enough, he makes his way to Mount Horeb (Charab) which means a desolate, wasted, dried up place.  He gets to the mountain and hides in a cave (uwr) which means to be naked, exposed and laid bare. 

So, our prophet is on the run, feeling dejected, alone, laid bare and vulnerable. Life and ministry has a way of doing that to you! The Lord sees him in there and challenges him, "What are you doing here?" And then, He gives him prophetic instruction that I believe applies to us as well..."get out of your cave of depression and vulnerability, go stand on the mountain, in the presence of the Lord"! Resist the strategies of the enemy to lock you in a state of depression and make your way into the presence of the Lord where shackles and chains are broken!

The Gates of Divine Opportunity: The word of the Lord is "do not be satisfied with the status quo". Take an assessment of the past year and then set yourself to go to a new level in God and greater accomplishments in Kingdom advancement. If you will posture yourself in advance and make yourself available for supernatural kingdom advancement, the Lord is going to set before you "gates of Divine Opportunity". You will see them, recognize them and know that God has led you to them. In fact, God has already established them in anticipation of your arrival. Open that gate in faith and expectancy...what lies before you is a place of favor, blessing and opportunity that only He could have orchestrated. 

"I have gone before you says the Lord and have orchestrated my plans on your behalf. I have drawn the boundaries, I have established the borders of increase and have released assignments to angelic hosts to carry out my will and purposes on your behalf. As you align yourself in faith to the gates of your life, I will open and close in accordance with the strength of my Word over you. I will command circumstances to align with your word and your command. You are a vital part of what I am doing in the earth today and My kingdom will find expansion as you rise up in faith, power and authority!"

Guest Blog: Lauren Reece

The Journey Begins

These past two years I’ve been on a journey. A journey of healing, of faith, and of realizing exactly who I am in Christ. A journey that I know has just began. I have been at Ignite for two years now, and as graduation approaches in three weeks, I have mixed emotions. Emotions of happiness, of accomplishment but also of sadness and grief as I know that my mother is not here to watch me walk across that stage in a few Saturdays. As I was processing these things with the Lord, I felt impressed on my heart to write about my small journey these past two years. I am not the same girl that walked onto this campus two years ago. Not because of anything I did, not because of what my college did, but because of who God is, and what He has become for me.

A Heart Begins to Change!

This Georgia girl stepped onto this small campus in Christiansburg, Virginia, honestly, not expecting much. I was broken and hurt and my heart was not open to the idea of serving Jesus for the rest of my life. However, I have learned that if you are in the Word every day, and if you are talking about the things of the Lord, you cannot help but to be changed! Within my second semester, I felt my heart changing. I felt it softening and I felt the Lord begin to speak to me in a way that He never had before. And after my first year, I went on a mission’s trip to Kenya that changed my life forever. There the Lord placed in my heart a passion for the broken, and passion for those who do not know Him. I believe that there are moments in our life that stays with you forever, and Kenya is one of those moments for me!

A Life of Surrender and Moving Forward…

In my second year, I was committed to being here, and committed to the Lord. This year has been nowhere near perfect, I have had my ups and my downs. But through it all the Lord has carried me through, and has continued to mold me, heal me, and show me things only He could. I am in no way claiming, that I have it all figured out, because I do not. Or claiming that and that I am hundred percent whole, because some days I still break down, but I think that is the healthy journey and process of grief that I am learning to balance. However, I am claiming to know from my own life, that God is good, and He can turn the hardest heart, into a heart for Him. He can take the 19 year old girl, whose heart was broken into pieces, and put it back together again only the way that He could. I guess I’m writing all of this, to remember and to look back and see that God has done so much in my life and even though there are times in my life that I know I will be sad, and miss my mom, He never leaves me and He is always there to comfort me. He is always walking with me and in those times, are the times that I need to cling to Him tighter. Also to encourage you, that no matter what you are facing, God is with you. He sees you and He has not forgotten you.  No matter where you are in life, it is never too late to start a new life in Him. Be willing to surrender to Him, because in those moments of surrender, is when He begins to change your heart! I am excited for this next season, as next semester, I begin the degree completion program and work towards my bachelors in Ministry and Leadership, but more importantly I’m excited to see where the Lord takes me on my continued journey with Him.

Psalm 3:3

“But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” 

Pastor Scott Reece

We've all been there…sometimes it seems like a dry and weary land where there is no water. There is nothing for you to "hold on to" and the days seem empty with no sense of hope or expectancy. But at the same time, all of us have been in that place where you "know" something good is about to happen, or something has been promised to you and it's about to be delivered! I think we can all safely say that we enjoy the latter more so than the former. One of the worst things in the world is to lose hope and to have nothing to live for. What do you do when life seems to be at a dead-end, and all sense of expectancy has departed? What do you do when your dreams have been crushed and purpose in life seems to evade you? What are the issues that rob us of our expectancy and how do we get it back? Glad you asked!

Deal with Unresolved Sin

I realize that sounds a bit presumptuous. I'm not assuming that the reason people lose their sense of expectancy is because of unresolved sin, but I am also aware that the effects of hanging onto the residue of rejection, bitterness, and hurt can be just as detrimental as unforgiven sin, itself.  Times like this demand an honest self-inventory, self-assessment and a determination to let go of those issues that have plagued you. Surrendering your hurts, unresolved feelings and perhaps even taking advantage of a skilled, godly counselor can help you move beyond those particular "sticking points" from your past. The payment for your sin has already been paid and you are no longer liable for it. Remember, God doesn't use condemnation, He uses correction with His children.  If you are feeling condemned, that the work of the enemy, not your Father. You can never cover up the effects of your sin by ignoring it, denying it, excusing it or blaming others…you must confess it.  Once you confess it, you are forgiven, so let it go!

Don't Let your Past Define You

I can't even begin to count how many times I have made this statement, to hundreds of people.  The enemy specializes in chaining us to the events of our past and our failures. Every time we are about to make a breakthrough, he simply jerks on the chain and brings us right back to that moment of failure and we see ourselves through that particular situation. It's time to lose the ball and chain of the past and

move into your divine freedom and destiny. Ever noticed that the windshield on a car is a LOT larger than the rearview mirror? Everything that God has for you is in front of you, not behind you! Your best days are those that you have yet to live, and the time to leave your past in the past, is now.  Isaiah 43:18, tells us to "stop focusing on the former things and to forget the old things". God is doing a new work in you.  Just because you remember issues that happened in the past, doesn't mean that you have to relive them.  When your mind drags up former memories, deal with it right then. Declare Jesus as Lord over your past, make your confession of forgiveness and release and set your mind to the new thing that God is doing in your life now! Just take a few moments to deal with it and put it in it's proper perspective, so that your memories no longer control you.  Remember…that was then, this is now!

Stay Current in the Word and Know Who you are in God

Lamentations 3:23 tells us that "His mercies are new every morning!" God longs to fill you to overflowing with a sense of His purposes and with expectancy, but you have to make yourself available to Him on a regular and consistent basis.  It's in the life of His Word that you will discover who you are and what your life is about. One of the primary tools of the enemy is to separate you from the source of the anointing, which is His Word. If the enemy can succeed in isolating you from a steady diet of the Word, you will become susceptible to his lies and a primary target for the arrows of deception that will cause you to see yourself in a way that is contrary to God's will for your life.  Psalms 119:11 says "Your Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." The Word not only keeps you from sin, but it keeps sin from you! His Word becomes a shield and a shelter in which you can safely fashion, form and develop into the person that God has called you to be.  Make a commitment to spend time with God everyday. If you get sidetracked, clear your head and jump right back in until it becomes a part of your daily routine, habit and discipline.  You may not hear God "speak" to you every single day, but the daily investment of the Word will begin to shape you into the person that He has destined you to be and will serve to create a spirit of expectancy in your heart.

Let Go of Pre-conceived Ideas

Over the generations, Israel has held to a very particular view of who the Messiah will be and what He will accomplish in their nation. They have fully expected the Messiah to establish an earthly kingdom, defeat all of the enemies of Israel and restore the temple, bring peace to the world and end all war, and be anointed as King of Israel.  This view based on their interpretation of scripture has actually caused them to miss the Messiah. Israel missed the fact that their real enemy was not natural, but spiritual and Jesus died to set them free and establish them as a people who would propagate the covenant around the world.  Their pre-conceived notions have blinded them to the truth. What about us? How many times have we held to a certain set of beliefs that our life had to move in one particular direction and it caused us to miss what God really wanted to do? Being closed-minded will keep you in the dark and will keep you from moving forward in the new things and the new season that God wants to bring you into.  God is sovereign and just because He did things on way in the past, doesn't mean that He going to do it that same way in the future. He has a perfect plan for your life and submitting means that you are open, flexible and willing to go and do anything that He pleases.  I am reminded that my life is one of divine appointment and as I live my life in the service of the King, I am at His pleasure and His purposes in life!

Believe that God has an Amazing Future for You!

Listen to Jeremiah 29:11…"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." It has been said that the richest place on the earth is the local cemetery. It's full of dreams, hopes and aspirations that were never realized. It's full of songs that were never sung, stories that were never written and lives that were never lived to the fullest. This is your day, and this is your season! You must rise up and step up to the possibilities of life that are before you. You can lost in the past and in your regrets, you can feel sorry for yourself and live your life in comparison, or you can get a Word from God, rise up in faith and step into your destiny, one day at a time! God has an amazing plan for you life, but I know of many people who are not living in the future and the hope of God for their lives. Listen, God's word over you is yes, and amen! He is for you and not against you.  His Word declares that you are the head and not the tail, you are above only and not beneath, and that He desires to bless everything that you put your hand to, Deuteronomy 28:13.

The prayer of Jabez was that God would bless him and enlarge his territory, that His hand would be upon him and that he would be protected…God granted him his request, and He desires to grant yours. God's plan and purpose for you is that you walk in divine favor and peace.  God's plan for your life is that you would rise up and fulfill His will and that you would make known His Word for your generation.  Today, let faith and expectancy arise in your heart. Just say no to the lies of the enemy and yes to the promises of God!

Your Best Days are Ahead of You!

www.daysofdestiny.net

It's A New Season!

Isaiah 43:16-19

"Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty watts; Who brings forth chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old, Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

"To every thing, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven, to every thing there is a season!"

I talk to so many people on a regular basis who are looking for the "new season" of God in their lives. I thing we have gotten that backwards on so many levels, because according to this scripture, it's not the "thing" that accompanies the "season", it's vice versa.  The seasons of God accompany the things of God in our lives.  Is it mere semantics? I don't think so. Read on…

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, is insanity." You can't keep doing the same "thing" that you've always been doing and expect a fresh and new anointing on your life.  It's when you make a decision to do things differently that God will bring you into a new season. I have also heard so many people say, "Well, it's all in due season."  While that sounds good and logical, God has been trying to get some people into their due season for so long that it's now their "past due season"! Their healing is past due, their victory is past due, their blessing is past due.  You know that you're supposed to have been further along than you are, but the truth is…you're past due! I call you out of your past due season, into the new thing and the new season that God has for you.

Philippians 3:13

"Brethren, I count no myself to have apprehended; but this one "thing" I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching for those "things" which are before."

Paul understood that it's the "new things" of God that ushers you into the "new season" of God.  The new thing for you could be a new ministry assignment, a new relationship, a change in an old relationship, a new business adventure, a shift in location. There is no end to the new things of God in  your life and the new possibilities that await you. Approximately two thousand years ago, God showed up to do a new thing in Bethlehem, but they had no room for him. What about the city of your heart? Is there room for a new thing or are you full? Sometimes, we have to let go of a few "things" in order for God to do something new in us and through us.  I think it might be time to take an inventory and perhaps a little bit of house cleaning.

There are no Accidents with God!

Everything that God does is always on purpose and He will move circumstances around in your life to fulfill those purposes.  Even when there are things that happen that aren't His perfect will, He never wastes an opportunity to redemptively use the circumstances of your life to bring you into His plans and purposes for your life. By the way, no matter what you may have ever been told, you are not an accident…there are no accidents with God! You were born at the right time, into the right family, in the right place and God has an amazing destiny for you. Your life is not up for grabs! You are a child of purpose, you were born with a purpose and God intends for you to be a channel of His blessing and favor upon your family, your friends and even unto the nations.

I prophetically call you into your season of Purpose!

Leave Your Past behind You…

In this passage, God intentionally tells Israel to "forget the former things". Listen, everything that God has for you, is in front of you. Your blessing is not in the past, it's in the NOW and in the days that are still before you. You can't afford to get hung up in the failures of your former life, the mistakes that you have made in the past or the experiences that you have walked through.  It's time to forgive those that have hurt you, to make restoration with those that you have offended and to find peace with yourself in terms of what you've done or who you were in the past. Hear me clearly! Your past does not define you and your past does not determine who you are or what you will do in the future! In the words of a popular Disney song; "Let it Go!" You've come through some hard times, you've faced some storms, you may have missed a few seasons of blessing, and you may have even missed God in the past.  But so what? That was then and this is now! God is doing a new thing with a new season and it's "springing up", He's launching you into a new purposes and His plans are being unfolded in you and through you. You must be careful not to miss the new things of God simply because you can't let go of the "former things". 

Hebrews 11:1

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Your faith is the substance of things, your faith is the evidence of things. It's when you rise up, activate your faith and embrace the new things of God that He will usher you into a brand new season of life and purpose and even anointing.  You are coming into a new season when something new is going to occur. Make room for it, get ready for it and be careful not to allow your past to keep you from walking in the fullness of your future. You are the apple of God's eye, and the new thing that He is bringing you into holds tremendous opportunity. Lift up your head, rise up in expectancy, put your mistakes behind you, let go of the pain and get ready for the new thing and the new season!!

"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; don't miss it! I am making a way for you in the wilderness and even rivers in the desert."

www.daysofdestiny.net

The Transitions of Life!

For the past six years, I have been honored to serve as the District Supervisor for the Foursquare Churches in the Southeast. It has been an amazing journey and I would not change one minute of life in this role, serving these amazing churches and pastors.  As our denomination has been working through a process that we called "Reimagine", the role of the supervisor was carefully considered, and each supervisor was asked to submit to a process of prayer and interview to determine if they would continue in this role for the next five year term.  While Michelle and I genuinely believed that we would be selected to serve another term, it wasn't to be.  During the interview process, it became abundantly clear that God had called us to serve in another role; a local church context. Initially, we were surprised because in the natural, that wasn't in the realm of our thought processes.  However, it immediately became evident to us that God was orchestrating a new season and out of His grace and love for our family, we were being ushered into new and exciting opportunities.  

It's All about the Fam, bout the Fam, bout the Fam...

When I stepped into this role, it was myself, my wife, Veronica and our 4 children.  One year into it, my precious Veronica went to be with the Lord and I found myself as a single Dad with four children. The Foursquare Church was so gracious to me personally and to my children and allowed me the time that I needed to find life and restoration once again. The role of supervisor gave me the space that I desperately needed and most likely would not have found serving as a local church pastor. My church also stood by me throughout the engagement and ultimately, my marriage to Michelle.  Again, we were given the time and space to make the adjustments in life that we so needed. When I started in this position, my son, Joseph was 6 years old…today, he is 12 (obviously). Should I take one more term, he would be 17 and due to the mass amount of travel required for this position, I would have missed my son's life.  What should it profit a supervisor to build the greatest district in America, but lose his own son?  Not only that, but I have an amazing set of two year old twins who need their daddy! I am looking forward to not being on the road extensively and pouring my life into one church and one community.

A Few Lessons Learned...

If You Keep Doing the Same thing, You'll keep Getting the Same Thing

It's become pretty obvious to me that God is wanting to do something new in my life and in order for that to happen, He had to do something new in my life! Just this past Sunday I preached about the New Things of God based on Isaiah 43:19, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." So many people are looking for the "new season" of God, but actually what God is doing is a "new thing". It's the new thing of God that ushers in the new season. Many times, we want to keep doing the same ol' thing and want the new season.  If you find yourself in a wilderness or a wasteland, allow God to bring the new thing in to your life and when He does, get ready for the new season!

Today's Investment's are Tomorrow's Blessings...

When you make an investment into your savings account, the chances are strong that you one day you will also make a withdrawal. God is the same way, He is making significant life investments into you today that He will draw on later in your life.  So, things didn't go as planned. You are being ushered into a new season. Does that mean that all of your activity was for naught? No! It means that God is using your current job, your current status and situation to shape, fashion and form your life, and that His purposes transcend your current circumstances.  The past six years serving as a supervisor have absolutely shaped my life in ways that nothing else could. I am a different man, a different leader with a greater and heightened sense of leadership awareness than I had when I started in this position.  I am thankful for every opportunity, every challenge, every victory and even the setbacks that I experienced. All of them have served to make me the man and leader that I am today.

Old wineskins Can't Hold new Wine…

Luke 5:3-38, "And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins." 

What exactly made it an old wineskin?  Several things…it had been already been stretched to it's limit, it had lost it's natural resiliency, and had lost it's ability to contract and expand. Pouring new wine (a new season) into the same old wineskin will cause it burst and the wine will be poured out on the ground and lost forever. Because God is doing a new thing in your life, the old structure cannot contain it. Although it's hard to let go and hard to say goodbye and tough giving up that which is comfortable, you have to cross that threshold to enter into the new season of the Lord.

Roles and Titles don't Define You!

The easiest thing in the world is to become enamored with the "title" that you've been given or the role in which you serve.  Throughout the transitions in my life, some easy and some difficult; I have learned that it's the man that makes the role, not the role that makes the man! When you live your life primarily as a leading-servant and the days and seasons of your life are in the hands of the Lord, the roles and titles may come and go, but your life's mission is not tied up in any particular season. My life's work and role are going to continue, and the calling is the same. The only thing that changes is the "thing" that God has been using. But now, He's doing a new thing!

Here are a Few and Humble Suggestions

Stay the Course!

In the natural, it's easy to get discouraged and start placing blame, either on yourself or those that are involved in your current situation.  You have to remember that your life is not up for grabs and even if you are going through a transition that God didn't plan for your life, He will still use the circumstances to bring about His perfect will and plan for you. Don't allow yourself to get in discouragement or fear. Keep reading the Word, keep praying, keep worshipping and keep fellowshipping.  Don't allow your words to bring about confusion in your family, your spouse or your friends. You are being shaped and developed and the new thing that God is doing in your life is exactly what you need. Don't turn to the right or to the left, but keep your Godly perspective.

Maintain Focus…

This is not a time to allow yourself to get distracted! In the first few days after realizing that I would not continue in my current role, I had to find my focus. All kinds of emotions come to the surface and the lies of the enemy are in endless supply.  I had to sort through and find my emotional, spiritual and even physical focus.  I had to remind myself that I am in God's hands, man does not dictate or determine my future and my success in life. It's not a time to panic or to worry about what will happen next.  It's a time to stand in faith, stand in the Word and trust God for His perfect timing and release into your new season.

Maintain Balance

Depression is not an option. Discouragement is not an option. Distress is not an option.  All of those are lies of the enemy and not where you need to find yourself.  The balance is in making a decision that you will continue being the person that God has called you to be.  Every morning, I spend time in the Word and in prayer.  I'm spending quality time with my wife and my kids and continuing to spend time with my friends.  There is a time and a season for everything and this is not the time to crash and burn, but the time to rise up with expectancy and embrace the new thing and the new season that God is bringing you into!

www.daysofdestiny.net

The Womb of Life...and Death!

Two weeks ago, my wife gave birth to the most beautiful twins ever born in the history of the world!  Kate and Bella came into this world in grand style…on the 4th of July, no less. Can you imagine the fun that I’m going to have with that over the years?  They’ll be teenagers before they realize that all of those fireworks aren’t for their birthday! They’ll think that Dad went all out for their celebration…haha!

As you can imagine, the analogies and lessons that God has been teaching me through all of this have been amazing, and a little challenging at times. As I watched Michelle going through all kinds of changes, I had to ask myself if there were changes taking place in me due to the fact that I am pregnant with what God wants to give birth to through me?  As I have been a part of Michelle’s pregnancy, I have noticed all of the changes that show up in women who are pregnant with children and people who are about to give birth to something that’s of the Lord!

The baby is kicking…

You’re getting uncomfortable…

Your clothes don’t fit like they used to…

You’re swelling in ways that you’re not used to…

Your walk has changed…

You cant sleep all the way through the night any more…

You can’t sit in the same place for long periods of time…

People look at you because of your condition…

Gifts are starting to arrive in preparation for what’s about to come…

There is some remodeling that is necessary…

Schedules are being rearranged…

Finances are being reconsidered.

Does any of that sound familiar?  If it does, there may be something stirring deep inside of your spirit that God is wanting to give birth to!

At a recent doctor’s visit, I heard something that had deep and impacting implications for me as a man who is passionate about the harvest and about discipling leaders. As our doctor began to talk about inducing Michelle at the end of 37 weeks, she made a statement that I will never forget. She said that the reason they would need to induce is because the babies would be safer outside of the womb than inside. Wow!  For 37 weeks, our babies have been protected, nurtured and living in the only environment that would provide the best chance of survival and life itself. They lacked for nothing; they were fed and cared for, totally dependent on a fetal life-support system. All of their nutrition, their immunity and life was the result of a completely dependent relationship.

What amazes me is that the very same environment that was a source of life can easily become a source of death without a successful transition or birthing. The womb of life runs the risk of becoming toxic and fatal unless the proper birthing at the right time takes place. It’s been said about a lot of things, but it is really true in birthing life…timing is everything!

The getting pregnant part is fun, being pregnant is exciting and it all comes together once the baby(s) is born.  The tough stage lies between being pregnant and giving birth…it’s a lot of hard work (which is why it’s called labor), it’s messy and can be very frightening, especially for first-time moms!  If you’ve been through this process either as a mom or dad, you learned pretty quickly that the entire process has been designed by God, and even though we definitely have a part to play, all of the elements are there for a successful birth if you will only pay attention and closely follow the rules.

It's fun to dream about what "could be" and all of the possibilities of doing life in the realm of the blessing and favor that comes along with obedience to the call of the Father.  Stepping out in faith into the unknown is a really a scary thing!  It may mean leaving the comfort of your present life and circumstance and it may mean giving up some sense of security and could possibly even mean being misunderstood.  Bottom line is that it is a requirement in order for you to fulfill the call of God on your life. With our twins...we would not know the love, the joy and the excitement of their lives, if they (and us) had not been willing to go through that time of birthing and stepping out.  Sure it's scary...but it's worth it all!

May I encourage you to consider your “pregnancy” and the birthing process that God wants to walk you through?  What is in you that God is wanting to birth?  What are the dreams that are inside of you?  What is the passion that drives you, but you have not released?  If you have come to maturity and fruition, it's time!   Yes, it’s scary, and yes, it’s messy and yes, labor is difficult, but the joy of seeing the baby breathing on its own, and the child standing on it’s own two feet and eventually starting their own family is worth it all!

Not transitioning could eventually mean death, but stepping out in faith and confidence surely brings life and life abundantly!!

Come to Me!

Ever had one of "those" days? In fact, ever had one of those weeks, months, years...maybe even a large portion of your life? You know what I'm talking about...when nothing seems to go right and even when it does go right, it's all wrong! We've all been there in life and we've all experienced both the ups and downs of life itself. The good news for us is that even when times aren't quite what they should be or could be, God still has a plan for you that includes your success and your blessing!

I have faced the darkest night that one can face, I have stared death in the face with no sense of hope or expectancy...in that moment of desperation and despondency, there was a whisper of help, a whisper of hope. Even in the depths of despair, there was a light burning that was already ignited even before I faced the greatest trial of my life and it continued to burn without even a possibility or hint of being extinquished no matter what the source of despair or dismay. I will have to admit that my ability to discern the light was shrouded by the circumstances that engrossed me, but it was there nonetheless and I was being pulled by the power of love towards that unquenchable light and the source of love that kept it burning ever so brightly.

 Within that light were the answers that I desperately needed, within it was the voice of assurance and comfort that could only be found in the light. The light itself was not new to me, neither was the source or the comfort...but it was to be expressed to me in a new and dynamic way. It would provide a sense of not only comfort, but direction for life and a hope for tomorrow! How did I ever get to the place where I needed such an amazing intervention of God in my life? I was the pastor, I was the spiritual leader. I prayed, I fasted, I stood on the Word and I believed God for His very best in my life. I dedicated my life to being an ambassador of the gospel, and I made sacrifices to be all that I thought God wanted me to be...this isn't fair, it's not supposed to be this way and this will forever alter my life and the lives of my children. This will bring a pain that can only be lived with and never fully understood, with scars that will never subside. Doesn't God love me? Doesn't He know that this isn't supposed to happen to me or my family? Other families maybe, and I'll be there to love and shepherd them through the hurt, but not me...not my family! I didn't ask for this and I certainly didn't deserve it! 

Those are the questions that plaque us and demand some element of reconciliation. In those moments and in those days, I had a very distinct and clear word from the Father that although He was not the source of my pain and hurt, He did allow it, and that it was out of His love for me and my family that He did so. I can't comprehend that in the natural and honestly, I barely grasp it even in the spirit...what I have learned is that God is not only capable of operating only in love, but that He is redemptive and His heart towards me is one of healing and wholeness, no matter how much pain and hurt and even injustice I have been forced to endure. The whisper of hope was that I would not only get through this, but that the promise of life and blessing was still mine. The pain and the circumstances of life do not possess the ability to steal the precious promises of God over you.

Before the intrusion of the demonic, and the devastation that you had to walk through in your life, there was a promise over you, a light of hope and a word that had sustained you...that promise, that light and that word was never diminished even though darkness was closing in around you.

I want to ask you to journey with me to the Word of God in Matthew 11:28, where Jesus directly addresses these moments in our lives. "Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." For years, I had heard this preached and always assumed that Jesus was talking to people who labored and heavy laden. In other words, I incorrectly assumed that He was speaking to one group of people. In studying the Word, what I actually learned was that He was speaking to two different groups of people: those who were weary from labor, AND those who were heavy laden. The call of the Lord to those who are hurting and beat up in life to "come" is not just a good idea, or a religious suggestion because you have nowhere else to turn, this is the Greek word "deute" and it is an imperative command.

This is the Lord recognizing where you are in life, what you are going through and saying to you with a divine urgency...come! Come to Me, now! I can heal you, I can restore you and I can redeem you. This word is to those who labor (Greek word kapiao), it simply means to be tired, weary and exhausted from the ordeals and everyday issues of life. Certainly, we have all been there! Thank God for the promises of the Lord as we navigate the day to day circumstances that push in from every side. The other group of people in this appeal really catch my attention...it's those who are "heavy laden". The Greek word is "phortizo" and it literally means to have a burden placed upon you". It is a burden or a circumstance that is unwarranted and never asked for. You didn't cause it, you never expected it and you certainly did not sign up for it...but it's now your issue to deal with! This is that job that you lost unexpectedly, that spouse that cheated on you, that child that was diagnosed with a disease, that auto accident that wasn't your fault, the family member that died unexpectedly, that tragedy or calamity that will cost you money that you don't have and time and energy that could and should be applied to other endeavors in life.

Jesus speaks with clarity and authority and says very simply: come! Find your way to me, find your way to life, to My presence and experience the healing, peace and provision that only I can provide. The term "I will give you rest", means to cease from the activity that is exhausting you, to recover and collect your strength, to be calmed and to receive a patient expectancy. Wow! What a promise. Only Jesus can meet you at the worst moment of your life and restore to you a hope and an expectancy, only He can take your burden and turn it into a blessing. The night that I faced my darkest moment, and sat in my living room with my children having just lost my wife and their mother, I wasn't even sure the sun would come up the next morning and I really didn't care, but it did come up and the Lord wrapped His arms of grace, love and mercy around my family. He took our grief, our burden, our confusion and misunderstanding and surrounded us with His Presence and His love.

The process of healing has been steady and consistent and I'm often reminded of Veronica's life scripture found in Jeremiah 29:11 "for I know the thoughts that I have towards you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope". Out of our ashes has arisen beauty, and out of our despondency has arisen a hope for a brighter tomorrow. I'm not saying that it's always been easy, but I am saying that whatever you are facing right now in your life, if you will respond to the command of the Lord to come to Him, you will find a hope and life of expectancy that only He can give. Your choice is to try and carry it all on your own and work through it, or surrender your hurt, confusion and fears to the One who deeply and passionately loves you and has a plan for your life and a purpose for your restoration!