Book Review: Living Rich for Less

Once again, I have the privilege of giving another fantastic book a huge “thumbs up!” And this is a fantastic time of year for a read such as this! Are you making a decision to shore up your financial situation in 2009? Then this book is for YOU!

You really can be rich in every way, every day.

So you want to own the home you love, make memories on wonderful vacations with family or friends, finance college educations, and help others too? You can—starting here and now.

With lively humor, proven know-how, and practical principles for financial health, Living Rich for Less helps you stretch your dollars to realize the lifestyle of your dreams. Ellie Kay’s entertaining and enlightening examples show you simple steps to save, spend, and give smart, and her three main principles are undergirded by dozens of effective rules and hundreds of Cha-Ching Factor™ tips that keep or put money in your pocket.

Ellie knows what it’s like to be financially-strapped or struggling, wanting to be the Joneses but feeling as poor in spirit as in pocketbook. She went, within two and a half years, from being a new wife and mom with $40,000 in consumer debt and seven children (and college educations) to support, to being completely debt-free and within fifteen years able to pay cash for eleven different cars, give away three of those cars, buy two five-bedroom houses (moving from one to the other) and nicely furnish each, take wonderful vacations, dress her family in fine fashion; and support more than thirty non-profit organizations in more than a dozen different countries, giving away more than $100,000.

Isn’t that the kind of transformation to a rich life that you want?

Living Rich for Less helps anyone get there in our taxed-out, maxed-out times. Because financial security doesn’t mean just genuine prosperity, but being able to live luxuriously, give generously, and care for yourself as well as the others around you.

Why keep up with the Joneses when you can be them?

Get YOUR copy of Living Rich for Less at Amazon…

Home of Refuge

I want to focus today's post on praying for a special family of ours. Pastor Tony and Rosa Rivera have had a huge impact on my life. I can confidently say that if not for them I probably would not be in ministry today. They are one of the best models of Christ I have ever seen. Read the article of a recent incident that happened to their ministry and begin to pray for them. Also pray about sponsoring one of the children and giving to this ministry which is making a difference in the world. You can learn more at www.homeofrefuge.org.

The Truth of What Happened in Venezuela

"On Monday, December 8th, while Tony was in Honduras, four armed men entered the Venezuela Home of Refuge. At gunpoint, they locked the boys into a room and the girls into a bathroom and completely robbed the orphanage and children of all valuables, even as far as removing air conditioning wall units. Upon hearing the report, Tony changed travel plans and was able to be back in Venezuela on Thursday, December 11th. The four men were in conjunction with a local, politically-motivated confiscation of the property which transpired the following day (Friday, December 12). During that time, a large group of government officials, police and psychologists entered the Home of Refuge, told Tony that he was no longer sanctioned to operate an orphanage, and forced him off of the property with only the clothes on his back. Through the grace of God, Tony was able to make contact with someone who smuggled out of the orphanage his passport and all of the money he had just brought for the purpose of buying Christmas presents for the children. For the following few days (until Sunday evening), Tony had to travel about "in hiding", having received four different death-threat phone calls. The children were shipped out to various drug rehabilitation institutions (from which some of the children escaped and met up with Tony in the city). Though "on the run", Tony was able to secure living places for the children he had possession of and administer finances to a trusted neighbor whom he appointed with the task of providing for the childrens' needs until the money ran out. When Tony went to the National Guard on Sunday, they advised him to leave the country immediately. At immigration, he was told that an impediment had been placed in the system under his name and therefore he would not be allowed to enter the country of Venezuela again.

Though the events that have taken place in Venezuela feel devastating to us here at the Home of Refuge, we will continue on in the work of rescuing children, knowing that it is the Lord who is able to cause speedy justice for all the oppressed; our hope is in Him for the children that He has brought into our care. Our orphanage in Honduras currently has 32 children and we have discovered a great need that we are able to meet in that country. On the 28th of December, Tony and Rosa will travel to Honduras again. Our plan is to go forward full blast in rescuing the oppressed children of that country. We fully expect to rescue 100 children in the 2009 year. Please remember with us that the Lord loves the orphan and the widow. He considers it pure and undefiled religion when we care for them. On the contrary, we are in the midst of a war--a relentless onslaught from the enemy of our souls and he hates it when we bring light to a dark world and rescue children from the domain of that darkness. We will continue to do this with all of our strength...the rest is in the hands of the Lord. Please also know that now more than ever we need the financial and prayerful support of those who have faithfully stood with this ministry. Much work remains to be done. We are looking for those who will respond to this dark hour with resolution in their hearts to see even more children rescued and placed into the glorious Kingdom of God.

Blessings,

Craig

"Do You Have A Plan For Intentional Growth?"

Recently I was challenged with this question. Do you have a intentional plan for growth? Not do you read books here and there or do you occasionally go to a learning conference or get mentoring, but do you have a systematic plan for growth. My answer was, no I don't. I thought I have been doing pretty good until I was asked this question. Through a recent coaching session, I was challenged to plan for growth in 2009.

Success is not accidental, it is intentional. You are not just out on a Sunday afternoon drive hoping you get where you want to go. You have to have a plan. In fact if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. I don't know about you but I want to see continual progress towards my Destiny. Proverbs tells us that a man plans his way but the Lord gives success. You must first have a plan and then God will give your plans success.

Here are truths about personal growth.

1. Personal growth is necessary to spiritual growth.
2. Personal growth requires a plan.
3. Personal growth proceeds Church Growth.

1. If I am going to lead a Church to the next level, I must first go there. The truth is that if our Church is not growing, then I am not growing as a leader. John Maxwell's law of the lid states that if a leader stops growing so does the organization under him. My goal is that 2009 will be the greatest year of growth ever. Let's get started.
2. Growth requires balancing the wisdom of God with the knowledge of the ages. Jesus said that the children of this world are much wiser than the children of light. we must not only know the bible but we need to know the wisdom of the ages and then filter the wisdom of our times through God's wisdom found in the word.
3. For this exercise, you will need a notebook, a pen, and a calender.
   

4 Ways to Look At The Calender

1. Annually

A. vacation - This is when you abandon the everyday routine of life.

* When you are desperate for a vacation, it is too late.
* You can do this in a couple of long weekends, a block of time (week or two depending on your occupation).
* In ministry you may want to take a long weekend at the end of April and then your vacation later in the year.
* Once you put it on the calender, avoid the temptation to change it.

B. My Conferences

* This is a big conference that you have to budget for.
* Great time to take your staff, invest in them, learn and grow together.
* make it a goal to attend two a year.
* Schedule it as far in advance as possible.

2. Monthly

There are two things you need to schedule every month. These are monthly checkpoints.

A. Monthly Mentoring

* Schedule a 1 to 2 hour lunch (offer to buy lunch) with a Pastor within driving distance (or a Mentor in the field of your expertise) who is where you want to go or is ahead of you.

* Schedule this 3 months ahead at a time, do 2 to 3 a year.

* Join a monthly coaching network, I just finished a Church planting network that was awesome.

* You can also do this by phone.

Note: Schedule this as far ahead as you can, and be prepared with questions. You don't want to waste their time or yours.

B. Monthly Review

This is when you schedule a time with yourself and you review your calender, notes.

* Ask what am I doing right? What am I doing wrong? What do I need to stop doing?
* This is for review and reflection, I call it checkpoints along the way.
* A great time to do this is a couple of hours before your mentoring appointment, then you will know what questions to ask.

3. Weekly

A. Sabbath (day off)

* Plan this a year in advance.
* This is one of God's big ten. God rested after 6 days of labor.
* Your sabbath may be a long lunch with your spouse, a midday nap, sleeping in.

Rest Physically

Reflect spiritually through meditation.

* The purpose of this is to recharge you physically and spiritually.
* You can also reflect on your personal growth, goals.

B. Reading

* Theology, leadership, Best Practices, Philosophy, History.
* Set a goal to read one book weekly or monthly.
* Never leave home without a book.
* One person said, the only difference between now and five years from now will be the books you read and the people you meet.

Leaders are learners.

I am challenging myself to broaden my reading by reading more of a variety.

4. Daily Investments

A. God's word daily

B. Daily communion through prayer

C. Fitness (daily)

D. Invest in your spouse

E. Invest in your children

F. Invest in a unsaved person.

Prayer" God make me the person I need to be to lead at the next level. As a Pastor my prayer is Lord make me the person I need to be to lead a Church twice my size.

Blessings,
Craig

3 Things To Guarantee Victory in Your Battle!

I can't promise you that no weapon will ever be forced against you. In fact the bible tells us that we have an adversary the devil (not people). The enemy hates your potential, future, he doesn't want you to accomplish it. The very fact he is fighting you is an indicator that he fears your future.

The enemies job is to create adversity, He is the adversary, and it is his assignment to create adversity in your life. The fact you have adversity in your life reveals that you are on the right team, and you are moving in the right direction. The fact you are in a struggle is a sign to you that you haven't been conquered. The fact you are struggling means he has not got you... It is you refusing to submit to it, he has not subdued you, conquered you, you are fighting it, and you are overcoming.

There is a reward for those who don't quit. Those that try to slide through life taking shortcuts don't get their reward. As long as you believe you can win... I want to share 4 forces from my life that will help shorten the length of time you are in the battle. The bible teaches us that there is a time ans season for everything, a time to fight, and a time to rest. In other words if you are in a fight, you are in purpose. You are not going through it for nothing, there is spoil on the other side of this fight!

If everything is smooth sailing in your life, I would be nervous, looking back over my shoulder waiting for something to jump out of the bushes. The devil doesn't want you tog gain any ground so he by nature will resist you. The resistance lets you know, you are making progress, and the closer you to the prize, the harder it gets.

The struggle is never meant to be dragged out for long periods of time, it is meant to be short and intense. But if you don't know how to properly respond then a 40 day test will become 40 years of wandering in the wilderness!

Over the next few days I will share one key. By the way I have not forgotten the "Cutting the head off your giant". I will get to that later.

The first force you must use is your speaking. you have to learn that the power of life and death is in your tongue.

Proverbs 18:21 tells us that there is power of life and death in your tongue and they that love it will eat the fruit. That means that my word is seed and I eat the fruit of what my words produce. Most of the trouble we experience in our lives is the fruit of what we spoke. Could it be that the difficulty you are facing is a harvest of your words?

we give life to what God wants to kill, and we kill what God wants to live. You enjoy a world that has been created by your words. Everything in life follows your words, health, peace, provision, money, increase, success... If you know how to use the tongue properly, you can create a world you desire to live in.

A undisciplined tongue will cause what God intended to be short and intense to be prolonged. It prolongs your trouble and it makes permanent your trouble. The first step to changing it is to stop talking about it. The thing you ignore will die, but the thing you keep talking about will live. That's why when Jesus's mother was at the foot of the cross, He told her behold your son, behold your mother. Why? If you keep talking to me momma, i can't die, momma go home so I can die! if you want it to die, stop giving life to it with your mouth.

James tells us that though the tongue is a little member it can cause a wild fire and it can give direction to your life like a horse bridle, and it can turn your ship any way you want it to go. If your trouble is prolonged and it just keep sticking around kill it by ignoring ir. Call those things that are not as though they were. Speak what you want to see and experience.

I hate when someone keeps bringing up the problem. Tell me the solution or don't say anything at all. Lastly, why is it that when trouble comes, we want to talk to everybody but God? Cast your burdens on the Lord and he will sustain you. I have a rule and it is this, don't share your problems with people that have no ability to solve them.

Blessings,
Craig

Becoming a Giant Killer

Paul said that there is a wide door of opportunity that is opened to me but there are many adversaries. I used to think that there were adversaries standing in front of your door. But I submit to you that the adversary and the door are one and the same. That's right your enemy is the door to your next level, he is the portal of transformation from a Shepherd boy to a King. Just as the cross was the portal from Jesus the son of man to Jesus the son of God, from death and suffering to glorified dominion. It was cross (door) that was the door to taking the keys of death, hell and the grave from satan and kicking his teeth in. He was defeated once and for all, and Jesus said because of that door all authority on heaven and earth has been given to me. All means all, which means there is none left for the devil, he was stripped completely.

There is no duel ism between God and the devil. It is not a big God and a mid size devil battling it out. God completely and thoroughly whipped him, and it only took the time span that it takes for lightening to strike which is a nano second. As fast as you can blink your eyes it was over. The devil is your adversary not God's and his intention is to lock you up in intimidation.

David is sent by his father to the battlefield to take bread and cheese to his brothers. Those that are positioned for greatness must first be willing to tote the cheese. In faithfulness in little and natural things, you become qualified for big things. The big is always locked up in the small. David didn't just get lucky, he had developed his gift (slingshot) on various levels before he was given the door to be a giant killer. Giant killers don't start out as giant killers. But through the faithfulness as your present level, you are promoted to the next level.

David goes to his brother and ask, what shall be done for the man who faces Goliath? His bother looks at him in disdain and says why don't you go back to tending the sheep? In other word, he is saying go back to the limitation and the low level living, who are you to think you can be a giant killer? Who are you to think that you can get that degree, achieve that dream, be debt free, break that habit? Why? Because people hate your success, they hate when you begin to do something with your life and you strive to be something and do something better with your life. Your forward progress is an indictment against their laziness and inactivity. Misery loves company. And when your life begins to rise they begin to say, who made you...? I have work harder and I am more qualified than you, who are you to think you can go farther and accomplish more? They don't underhand that God's favor sets motion to your life and causes you to exceed those more qualified than you.

David had to ignore what some say. There will always be some say, to tell you that you are not good enough, qualified enough, smart enough. If others opinions of you can make you want to quit and if you build your life on what some say, you will never have anything to say. If they can dissuade your from your dream, if anyone can talk you out of your next level, then you are not ready. David simply turned his face and moved on. What do you do, when they tell you you can't, you move on, keep on walking. Don't get bogged down in the critics. The fact they want to express their opinion of you is proof that they know you are anointed for the next level.

David asked, what shall be done for the man who defeats this Goliath? Your battle is always attached to a reward. The bigger the battle you are facing, the bigger the reward God has prepared for you. The size of the obstacle reveals the size of the opportunity. How do I qualify a battle? By asking myself, is this worth fighting for? Are than any spoils to this battle? What will I achieve by fighting this? Does this enemy threaten my tomorrow and what God has called me to be and do? If not, then I move on. If it affects my future, then I pull out my slingshot.

Some battles have no rewards or spoils attached, they are simply devices of the enemy intended to rob you of momentum, energy, passion, and resources. Don't get distracted by small battles. Things like, why don't they like me? If they don't see the greatness in me, then I must not be called. Stop trying to get people to like you, accept you and let you into the club. They can't take you to your next level. If they do promote you, then one day they will demote you. Promotion is given by God alone. he is the one I want to please.

Goliath came out for 40 days and shouted threats, accusations with the purpose of intimidating Israel. Israel dressed up for battle every day, went to the battlefield, but then they ran in fear. If you refuse to confront your enemy, or fight this battle, you are guaranteeing that you will remain stuck at your present level. David ran towards his giant with his mouth open. You must run at your giant with your mouth declaring what God has promised you. It is a war of words. Words are the weapon of the enemy intended to lock you up in intimidation. The enemy wants to get in your head and make you think, you have lost before the battle even begins. It is a old sports tactic. If the enemy can get in your head, you have lost. But if you can whip it in your head, you can whip it in life! Paul said we do not have a spirit of believing we can't win, but of power, love and a sound mind. I have a spirit of believing I have won before the battle starts. Remember you are fighting for something, don;'t quit, don't give up, there are some spoils on the other side of your battle!

To be continued... Tomorrow, get ready to cut the head off!

Blessings,
Craig

The Purpose of Your Battle Part 2

Your battle is necessary. Friends create comfort, family creates humility and your enemy (battle) creates movement in your life. In 1 Cor 2:8 Paul says if the rulers of this age had understood it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. Why? Because by crucifying Him, they multiplied him. The purpose of your battle is not to decrease you but rather to multiply you. God will never put a 10 by 12 vision in 5 by 8 people or a 2 liter blessing in a 12 ounce can. God allows the battle to create focus in you and to increase your capacity to receive what He is about to release to you.

David had a Kingdom key long before he even knew what the Kingdom of heaven was. That key is this. Your promotion or next level is always locked up in your ability to solve the problem closest to you.

Most people in life pick up a magazine, watch a movie, read a book and attempt to live their life vicariously through the person they fantasize about. Proverbs tells us that those who chase after fantasies will accomplish nothing... Instead of discovering who you are and what is in you, you attempt to become something you are not, which causes you to step out of the grace God has put on your life.

How horrible it is to go through life dreaming about what someone has already done, never knowing what I have and what I am supposed to do. Remember all sin is the result of mistaken identity. In other words, the place you miss it is a result of ignorance concerning who you are. When you discover who you are and what's in you, you begin to dominate!

The moment you begin to discover who you are, your assignment in life, the enemy shows up. He is always revealed on the edge of new revelation. He hates your blessing, and the reason grace is necessary is your gift, your prophetic potential attracts adversity. That's why it is ridiculous to spend your life wanting what somebody else has got, why? Because you don't have the grace to handle the adversity that comes with it. You are not asking for what they got, you are asking to go through all the hell that they have been through.

One of the major problems I see in the Church is that we have a lot of titles but no function based on the title. Who you are is not determined by your title, it is determined by your function. And by calling someone something they are not functioning in, we are lying to them. For example if you give someone the title of lead singer, but they can't sing, you are lying to them, and putting a expectation on them, that they don't have the grace to deliver upon.

If you have the title of a usher but you can walk down the aisle, see a piece of paper on the floor and not pick it up. I am lying to you when I call you an usher because you are not functioning in what I am calling you. Jesus did not say you will know them by their title, he said, you will know them by their fruit. If you are that, you will do that, but if I call you that and you are not doing that...

The bible says your gift will make room for you and bring you before great men. What is inside of you will reposition you for greatness. Most people are seeking out the mighty man. Years ago I had someone tell me, you need to get some flashy cards, and rub shoulders with so and so, because it is not what you know, it is who you know. Why is it that people are positioning themselves for someone to bless them, as if there is no God. I'm not trying to get in the room with the right person, cause nobody can give me what God has for me! Why is it that the mighty man (butler and the baker) forget you after you used your gift to bless them? Because God has a level of blessing that they can not give to you. If you have been forgotten, get ready there is another level blessing coming to you.

How many of us have troubles? How many are facing adversity right now? How many of us has 2007 been a year of intense battles? Could it be that the enemy fears what is on the other side of 2007 (completion or the end of something)? Could it be that what you have been fighting for will be released at 12:01 January 1st?

What is they key, it is the ability to solve the problem closest to you. Instead of looking for the mighty man, we need to look on the inside for the gift that solves a problem. If you get in the room but you have not discovered what is inside of you, the weight of the blessing will be too great to handle.

The gateway to your next level is in your ability to solve the problem closest to you. It is your gift that causes your life to move. Joseph solved a the butler's problem before he solved Pharaoh's problem. David solved a demon problem, bear and lion problem, a giant problem, a nation problem, many nations problems... Some want to display their gift publicly but they have never developed it privately. You want to use it when everybody sees you, but God says what you do in secret I will reward you openly. Why should God put you in front of millions when your wife hates your guts? Why should God trust you with millions , if you can't tithe off a thousand?

It is solving the problem closest to you. It is solving the problem right here, the one right here, the one right here and then before you know it you look back and say look what the Lord has done! It is the the problem right next to you, that is your gateway, your ticket, the portal to the next dimension of your life.

Joseph solved his father's problem, Potipher's problem, the prison's problem, Pharaoh's problem and a nations problem and then He looked back and said how did I get here in the palace? Let me bring it home. Lately we have faced some challenges, and God has challenged me to change my perception of the challenges, that they are not unwelcome intruders but they are friends. He then shifted me from trying to solve my own problems to solving other Pastor's problems.

Blessings
Craig

Tommorrow, Get ready to cut the head off your greatest enemy. When he falls there will be a domino effect and all will fall!

The Purpose of an Enemy

Many people I have talked to over the last few weeks all have one thing in common, they are facing intense battles. Unexpected battles, fierce battles, battles from the people closest to them, battles in the house...

I have learned two important things about battles, they are intended to be short and intense. And the very fact you are facing the battle is an indicator that the enemy knows the greatness that is in you. He never fights you on your present level, but he is fighting against your future level. He is fighting you over who you are dbecoming, your prophetic potential. And most of us don't fight himm over who we are in the future but who we are in the present. We access the battle based on our limited resources, artilary, favor... In order to win this battle you must fight him as hard as he is fighting you. A breakthrough is nothing more than the reality that press is greater than your resistance. The blessing of the battle is that it demands you focus.

You never focus when you are enjoying great success, you relax. But when all hell is coming against you you are fiercly focused on the task at hand. And when you are focused, you are dangerous. The battle is seasonal. Jesus endured the battle for 40 days, Isreal wandered for 40 years. Why? Because they refused to get a proper understanding of the battle and allow God to increase their capacity equal to the opportunity that God was presenting to them. Isreal was not afraid of the giants in the promise land, they were afaid of the neccessary process God was requiring to become giants. The bible says the land was a land flowing with milk and honey. If you are going to possess your next level, you must be willing to squeeze (milk) and swat (bees). We see this in the word behave, which literally means you have to be before you have. You have to become it, to possess it, and the battle is God's way you you becoming outside what you are on the inside. It is the way God applies pressure on the orange, to get the juice out. There is something inside of you that God is wanting to squeeze out. It will not kill you, it will multiply you.

Goliath was nothing more than a door to David's kingdom. He was the door of exit and entrance. Exiting the season of being with the sheep (1 Sam 16) and exit to revealing the king inside of him. Goliath's only purpose was to reveal the king inside of David. David was not primarily a musician, songwriter, one who threw kisses at God, a dancer, no David was at the core a warrior, a king. Your greatest problem is the portal from you being transofrmed from Clark Kent to Superman, it is the batcave, it is the trigger that releases the real you! It is the spinach to Popeye, the anger to the Hulk... It is neccessary!

The battle is always fiercest right before your breakthrough. The enemy will hit you hardest right when you you are about to shift over into your next level. The enemy does not greet you on the other side, he fight you at the door or portal. You are at the door, you are just inches away from your next level.

The battle is always a battle of word, threats, accusations, with the intention of intimidating you. It is the enemy's attempt through words and scenerios to get in your head to make you think you have lost the battle, before it has even started. Because if you lose it in your head, you will lose on the battlefiled, but if you can whip it in your head, you can whip it anywhere!

So for 40 days Goliath the champion (in between)(stands in between where you are now and where you are going) showed up and shouted threats and accusations. Isreal was dressed up for battle meaning they were dressed up for their next level, you are dressed up for your new season. All they had to do was show up, but they ran back to their tents. How many people are dressed for their new level, dream, future, but they are running bacl to their past. Know this, when you fail to confront your enemy, you are stuck in your present, you have missed your next level, you are prolonging the battle and your present season. Isreal ran from their opportunity because of intimidation and were stuck in the wilderness, not realizing they were running from the exit and entrance.

David shows up as shephard boy but he is about to be transformed in a moment into a King. He shows up with no money, he is about to leave with incredible wealth, he shows up as a single man but he is about to step through the door as a married man, he shows up as a peasant, low income, low level laborere, but he is about to leave the battle as champion, a giant killer. That thing you are facing right now, that financial hardship, that betrayel of a relationship, that failed marriage, that rebellious child you can't control, that pink slip, yes that problem right there, the one you are agonizing over, losing sleep over, the one that causes you great pain, it is your door, come on it is your moment, you are close to what you have been waiting for.

I have often thought about quitting the ministry, tired of dealing with all the little devils you face, facing battles that seem to have no spoils... But the one thing that keeps me moving forward and gives me the courage to keep showing up is, why don't you stick around to see what you are fighting for? Why don't you stick around to see what your enemy sees? if I have faced 7 years of hell in my ministry, there must be 7 years of incredible blessing. If my marriage has been through 10 years of great pain, there must be 10 years of great power. Stick around, stick around, stick around! Endure, outlast, keep showing up, keep pressing...

Tommorrow: Solving the problem closest to you, is the key to your promotion. Every promotion hinges on your ability to solve the problems closest to you.

Keep showing up!

Craig