"Dream Big Dreams"

God has really been challenging me to live life beyond limitations, to dare to do the impossible, to reach for the unreachable. What is Christ's death on the cross worth to you? Did he go through the painful and excruciating experience so that we would live a normal, mediocre (Latin - the mess we are in)life?

Many of you that are reading this blog are frustrated because you are living a life below the privileges that Christ died for. My definition of frustration is when you lock up extraordinary in ordinary. One of my favorite bible passages is about Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 5). There was something extraordinary locked inside of him despite the fact he had spent most of his life begging, receiving whatever life threw his way. Are you tired of just accepting whatever life dishes out at you? Are you tired of allowing life's circumstances and situations to dominate you?

Jesus did not intend for you to live subject to life's problems, He intends for you to get on top of what has been on top of you. Jesus told the man who had been lame, carried on the mat to get up and take up his mat and go home. I want to prophecy to some of you, it is time for you to get a hold of what has been holding on to you. Paul when he was on the island of Malta (Acts 28) was bitten by a serpent, scholars say that a person who was bitten by this kind of serpent would die in less than three minutes. The islanders watched to see when he would die (people who saw you make it through the last one, think this one is going to do you in for sure). Paul shook it off. Watch this, what was in Paul was greater than the venom in the serpent and what is inside of you is greater than any venom from life's bite. All you need to do is shake it off. In fact what was meant to kill you, you are going to kill it! Nothing can stop you from your destiny.

Here is what Blind Bartimaeus teaches us:

* A cry needs to rise up inside of you, "I refuse to stay here".

* Religion will always try to get you to lower your expectations to the level of your surrounding environment or experience, but revelation will always raise your situation to the level of the revelation (expectation) inside of you.

* Until your revelation becomes greater than your environment, you will remain stuck there!

* Whatever you tolerate you are powerless to change. You are anointed to change it, and if you are not you need to say see ya later alligator!

* Labels do not define you, Bartimeaus means the offspring of a contaminated and polluted spirit. If you allow it it will define your world, you must refuse to lose and know who you are in Christ! You are not who they say you are and you are not what they say you did!

* He couldn't see but he could holler! Don't let life or religion shut you up. You need to get a crazy praise. Silence is deadening.

* He was in Jericho, a cursed place. Jesus walked through the curse and reversed it. No matter where you are Jesus will step through it and change your world!

* Jesus asked him what he wanted, he could have asked for a new begging garment (how they were identified) but he threw his old identity away and say I want to receive my sight. God is about to open your eyes so that you can see what you are destined for. But before Jesus did this he had to take him by the hand and lead him outside the city. God wants to take you out of your present environment and give you a new perspective so that you will have the power to change it. If you can see it, you can be it!

* The price of popularity is conformity (be quiet!), but the price of a reformation is the willingness to be reshaped. God wants to morph you into His origination of your life. He has created a you that is greater than what you are presently experiencing.

* What do you want me to do for you (blank check)? You must be prepared to answer that question, God is about to change your old address and when people come looking for you, they won't find you. God is about to change your location.

I want to challenge you to let a cry rise up inside of you, I refuse to stay here. There is more to life than what I'm presently experiencing. If you don't like it you can change it or leave it!

Blessings,
Craig