In Time Out
November 30, 2009
If GOD were to honestly tell you how I’ve been lately He would tell you I’ve been a SPOILED BRAT. After complaining for 
part of the day, for no good reason, I finally came to the place of desperation and brokenness.
Almost immediately He began to speak to me clearly, giving me council, and releasing some unseen blessings over my prophetic giftings.
It was awesome to simply hear from Him, but just as importantly I once again was reminded of how He blesses the poor in spirit, and opposes the proud. These are the rules of the game, (2 Tim 2:5) I can’t expect Him to function otherwise.
Moreover, what a good Father we have that when we quit acting like babies, He’s willing to reward us with gifts that surpass our worthiness.
Yep, I’ve been a brat, but I repented and He blessed me.
Draw Me Out ~ Meditation
November 30, 2009
James 4:3-5
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason the spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely?
General Meditation:
As humans all we do in God is filtered through our us-ness. Even some of the most magnificent supernatural encounters are interpreted by our own perspectives. There is simply no getting away from the prayer and the heart of the person praying.
Many people are overly aware of their motives when praying keeping them petrified of asking anything of God. To say that your motives don’t matter would be a lie. James makes this point with a little kick in the pants, calling us adulterers for our division.
From my experience with new testament use of the word world I recognize that the term “the world” refers to the cosmos or the present order of things. For example Jesus came preaching His kingdom, His cosmos, as opposed to the way the prince of the power of the air has been ruling his cosmos.
These passages speak of the way effective prayer is hinged on our hearts connection to the Father. If we are living purely for Him we can expect all our prayers to be answered. Of we are divided between the two cosmos we can expect there to be a disconnect between us and a solid prayer life.
The last statment of the text is a revealing one. “The spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely.” The spirit is working to draw us away from this great division. Amazing!
Personal Mediation:
Of coarse James was speaking to matters of the heart. But I can’t help but wonder what did “the world” mean to James in his culture. Was it easier to divide holy things from sinful things? Was it easy to call out the religious from the sincere?
I can’t help but question what God is speaking to me when I read these passages from my personal perspective. What are my motives in being involved in online social networks? What are my motives in watching movies? In shopping? Am I being a friend of the world by these actions?
In what ways have I been tainted by the world?
I guess the only way to really find out is to ask God to show me. To never loose sight of the significance of this concept.
Prayer:
Lord, I want bee connected to you in a way where you are honored by my prayer requests. I want to see every prayer asked answered. Show me how to be in this world but not of it. Don’t let me compromise the jealous spirit of God that lies in me. Draw me out of the world, I release you to in a new way.
Draw Me Out ~ Meditation
November 30, 2009
James 4:3-5
3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason the spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely?
General Meditation:
As humans all we do in God is filtered through our us-ness. Even some of the most magnificent supernatural encounters are interpreted by our own perspectives. Many people are overly aware of their motives when praying keeping them petrified of asking God of anything. To say that your motives don’t matter would be a lie. James makes this point with a little kick in the pants, calling us adulterers.
From my experience with new testament use of the word world I recognize that the term the world refers to the cosmos or the present order of things. For example Jesus came preaching His kingdom, His cosmos, as opposed to the way the prince of the power of the air has been ruling his cosmos.
These passages speak of the way effective prayer is hinged on our hearts connection to the Father. If we are living purely for Him we can expect all our prayers to be answered. Of we are divided between the two cosmos we can expect there to be a disconnect between us and a solid prayer life.
Personal Mediation:
Of coarse James was speaking to matters of the heart. But I can’t help but wonder what did “the world” mean to James in his culture. Was it easier to divide holy from sinful? Was it easy to call out the religious from the sincere?
I can’t help but question what God is speaking to me when I read these passages from my personal perspective. What are my motives in being in online social networks? What are my motives in watching movies? In shopping? Am I being a friend of the world by these actions?
In what ways have I been tainted by the world?
I guess the only way to really find out is to ask God to show me. And to never lose sight of the significance of this concept.
Prayer: Lord, I want bee connected to you in a way where you are honored by my prayer requests. I want to see every prayer asked answered. Show me how to be in this world but not of it. Don’t let me compromise the jealous spirit of God that lies in me. Draw me out of the world, I release you to in a new way.
If God is in fact just, there has just gotta be a special VIP section in heaven for prayer leaders.
Only One ~ Meditation
November 28, 2009
Matt 23:8-10 (TNIV)
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
General Meditation:
After explaining to the disciples that the Pharisees teach really well but they don’t practice what they teach, Jesus cuts away the fat.
Jesus in an incredible cultural religious blow tells the disciples to not call anyone Father but God, not to call anyone teacher but Jesus, not to call anyone Rabbi for they are all brothers.
Jesus does here what most Pastors would be scared to do. He removes all the barriers between the people and God. When you take these words to heart and let them cut away at you you find yourself dangerously close to God.
Personal Meditation:
The closeness of God is what this Christian religion has given me. I could really care less about most other aspects of it all. I just want to be close to Him. When religious trends lead towards hierarchy and forced submission Jesus says come to my side, feel my wounds, experience my pain.
I’ m not talking in the rebellious “I don’t submit to anyone” kinda way. I’m talking in the private friend of God kinda way that allows me to submit to everyone.
Prayer:
Lord God, let me into your heart, let me know your ways, I want to be one with you, calling no one Father but you, being taught by you, being in communion with you. Teach me what it means to be so close that words become unnecessary and pains become shared.
Not on his Watch ~ Meditation
November 28, 2009
Luke 13:31-33
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!
General Meditation:
Approaching Jesus, like some grouchy cowards telling Him something He didn’t know, some Pharisees tell Jesus He should leave because Herod was going to kill Him. Jesus seeing through their attempt to thwart His plans He responds He tells them I’m gunns keep on casting out demons and healing the sick there ain’t nothing going to stop me from that. I’m going to accomplish the goals I have been given by the Father. Dieing you say? Yeah I’m gunna die like a prophet, not the way you want but the way I choose. You think your threats and your will is going to be done. Nope. What God started He’s going to finish.
Personal Mediation:
No matter what the devil, the religious leaders, or anyone else says God’s going to see me through to the end of His plans. Distinguish what the truth is even in the midst of a treat on my ministry and state with boldness the truth. God’s will be done, I laugh at any other force that would seek to push me from His purpose.
Prayer:
God, even if death is the result of my ministry, let it be on your watch for I can’t stand to think that my enemy would get the joy of seeing my ministry cut short.
Intro to Daily Meditations
November 28, 2009
New convictions have been formed demanding that I add a daily meditation to my personal devotions. When I say meditations what I am referring to is taking a few passages and chew on them for a short time period and see what I can take away. From my experience I have been nourished in the innermost parts by this act of mediation and become one with the Word in ways that only God fully knows.
I am choosing to document these here as a sort of accountability source. I don’t suspect the resulting thoughts about the scriptures will be incredibly insightful to you, but from experience knowing others devotional lives can be more insightful than their teaching.
So here I go putting these up daily, forgive me if they are not that helpful. This blog is meant for you to glean from the fruit of my contemplations.
I pray now God would use them to bless you.
Just Venting
November 27, 2009
insert rant here\\\
Been writing devotions for an event we are hosting. Somewhere between my leadership, my pride, and God’s desire, I decided to write the daily devotions personally. Could of gotten 30 great Psalms and sent them out each day, could of s used one of many the devotional books I have. But no, each day I wrangle down a few scriptures from God. Then find out what God wants to say through these scriptures, not easy either. We are on day 27 right now, praise God!
Some days it comes easy like turning on a light switch. Others, I spend most of the day trying to figure it out. Can’t emphasis how much of a struggle it was today. Finally after second guessing the scripture reference He told me at 7am, He leads me to another passage emphasizing the same concept, Acts 3:6 then Acts 14:8. Amazingly assured, I ratta tatted the half page about healing and am done with that for the day. 3 more days of devotions then who knows…
/// end rant
In my desperate pursuit of God’s manifest presence in my life these words have been the crux.
“Search your heart for any unclean thing, then…”
Bed-Ridden w/ Jesus
November 21, 2009
I’ve been bed-ridden sick the last couple of days. Can’t have lights on because my eyes hurt; can’t get comfortable, hot and sweaty or cold and shivering. You get the picture. What has troubled me most about the last few days is that my prayer and devotional time has been dramatically reduced.
You have to understand that this is where my life is found. All I am is In Christ I have no other identity. I’m not tryin’ to sound pious, this is the simple truth. But what does a Jesus freak become when he’s not spending chunks of time with Jesus? If I was left to my own devices, who knows? But Jesus reminded me this afternoon that it wasn’t my praying or my devotions that made me who I was. He reminded me that we are integrated, that we have become one.
After He shared this with me, He led me to a certain passage to write a devotion. I was floored at the timeliness of the word, He wanted me to share about His grace. Grace hasn’t appeared on my landscape in this raw fashion in a long while, I welcomed it because I needed it. See grace, the way He has shown it to me is the reason why we have joy, it’s the point of the gospel. But sometimes, especially times like this when I want to beat myself up, grace is refreshing, grace is God.
So here I lay, still sick, still longing to be better so that I can fully commune with my Jesus. But, I do so with confidence knowing that we are one, that He will never leave me or forsake me, and that His grace is sufficient.
