Saturday

How To Make Right Decisions. Part 2

Our life is like a road trip on the way to a desired destination and our success is determined by discerning the route we are to take. Success is not where you start out in life but where you finish. It is learning to navigate the traffic, potholes, and turns of life. It is the difference between Israel wandering on a 11 day journey for 40 years and Jesus coming out of a wilderness season for 40 days in power. Do you want to take the 40 year trip or do you want to take the 40 day trip. It is up to you. A transition is meant to be short and intense. Your life is not to be a continuous cycle of failure, frustration and disappointment, living from battle to battle, strife to strife, argument to argument. No my bible says I am called to live from glory to glory (advancement), strength to greater strength, faith to greater faith.

I am attending God's class called "How To Make Right Decisions". By the way when Paul wrote all things work together for our good... We quote the first part but we ignore the condition tied to the promise that He will work all things together. Paul said the qualification of this promise is that we love God (those that love Him obey him, those that know Him know His voice and they will not follow another, and to those who are called according to His purpose. In other words those who are passionately in love with God in intimate relationship out of the proximity of their relationship they know His voice and they are called. The word called is literally directed, guided, or led. Those that are led by the Spirit are the true sons of God birthed out of intimacy of relationship.

See Phil. 4:6-7

Paul writes be anxious for nothing...

How many people in our world are filled with anxiety, worry, fear, uncertainty? Worried about marriage, mortgages, bills, kids, doctor's reports. People take more medicine for anxiety, mental breakdown, and stress related illnesses than any other sickness.

God said be anxious for nothing but in everything through prayer and petition let your request be made known and the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

What is a guard? A guard is an defensive weapon designed to shut down any attack from the enemy and to fortify your family, finances, and faith. It other words what is aimed at you, He won't let it get to you. Peace is what gets between you and it and says hold on, you can't go any further. The Peace of God is a guard that protects your heart, and your mind.

You get a bad report but the peace of God won't let you flip out. It begins to build a fortress around your mind and God will limit the thoughts the enemy can put in your mind. Remember the battle you are fighting is won or lost in your head. I heard one guy say if you can whip it in your head, you can whip it in life. Thoughts of despair, hopelessness, discouragement will begin to diminish. Why? Because the peace of God is guarding your mind not letting your thoughts get to you.

Paul says the peace of God passes all understanding. How does a guy who is told he only has weeks to live walk around in peace? Peace passes all understanding. He just received the bad news, he ought to flip out, go on a drinking binge, put on the blues music and close the blinds and pull over the sheets, but here he is in Church lifting his hands, jumping with joy. Why? The Peace of God causes you triumph in the midst of an assault.

Though your kids may be strung out on drugs, your husband is cheating on you, your bank account is overdrawn, you just got the pink slip on your job. The Peace of God guards... It keeps you under control. I speak peace over your life, marriage, finances, future, family in Jesus name. Tomorrow we will learn how to stay afloat and maintain your course in the midst of a storm. We will also learn "Learning to Use Your GPS System to Arrive at Your Desired End.

Peace to You,
Craig

"How Do I Make Right Decisions" Part 1

Continuing with the thought of making long term investments, I want to share with you a lesson that God is teaching me right now.

How many of you have made a series of wrong decisions, causing your life to stuck in cycle of failure, frustration and fear? Recently I began to take inventory of my life to see if the tares of my life were a result of the devil, or the enemy (in a me). God has showed me that 75% or more were the result of bad decisions. So I began through prayer and fasting to inquire of God on how to make right decisions so that my life could see the fullness of all that God had put in me before I was born.

I don't have time to share how everything that you need for your life is already inside of you, the supply of your life is locked up in the anointing and gifts that are already resident in you. That's what it means when we say you don't decide your life, you discover it. Paul wrote that I can do all things through Christ who is in me, My God shall supply all my needs according to the riches in Glory in Christ Jesus, I am complete in Christ, I am seated together with Christ in heavenly places in Christ... The theme of the entire New Testament is "In Christ".

Many of us are waiting for our blessing in the sweet by and by, but the mortgage company doesn't care if my money is in heavenly places in the sweet by and by, no I need it in my now and now. I need open doors in the now and now, I need divine appointments and connections in the now and now, I need my body healed in the now and now, I need my children saved in the now and now, I need debts cancelled in the now and now.

So how do I discover a life of fulfillment and fruitfulness, a life where my success overrides my failures? Let's find out.

Every struggle and battle ultimately comes down to this, my passion versus my peace. I may have a passion to buy that car but my peace says it is not time, to save so that I can buy it with cash. My passion says that girl is fine and a knockout, but my peace says on the inside she is empty and void and that our lives are on two different paths, my passion says let's go for it, make it happen but my peace says wait, be still and know that I'm God.

The key to Ruth stepping into the Destiny God had planned for her and be transitioned from a peasant girl into one whose life was transformed by an encounter with her Boaz was her listening to her Mentor Naomi who said go and sit at the feet of Boaz and say nothing but wait until He speaks to you and tells you what to do. Her entire life was transformed by a simple instruction which was get in position now and wait, don't move, don't go forward, don't finalize the deal, don't buy the house but wait.

Most of my life I have listened to my passion resulting in a series of bad decisions, wrong partnerships, and wasted time, energy and resources. I am 37 years old and I just now am beginning to learn that in order for my life to be everything God created it to be I have to let my peace override my passion. I know you want to run now, but where are you running to? What will you say and do when you get there. There is nothing more frustrating than arriving at your destination prematurely only to get there and not have clue what you are to do.

The second type of peace talked about in the N.T is internal peace. In the O.T everything is outer and physical and in the N.T it is inner and spiritual. In O.T God led by a pillar of fire and a cloud and in the N.T He fills us with the Holy Spirit as a guide and inner compass. To be led by the Spirit means you are acquainted with the Spirit of God who lives on the inside of you. The key is you have to know Him well enough to know His voice and follow. If you are not acquainted with the Holy Spirit you will miss it (sin) when He talks and you will end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Peace of God is the go ahead. People tell me that God talks all day long to them, that He tells them what to wear, what to eat, whether to go right or left at the fork in the road. These people believe that the majority of your life is a mystical and magical experience with God. Isn't it odd that these people are the same people who are very spiritual but totally undisciplined and they shout real loud in Church on Sunday but when you follow them home their life is a mess. Why?

I don't believe that God says the stuff you say He said to you, near as much as you say He does. The majority of the forward movement in my life was not the result of a booming voice, a smoke filled room, a visitation from an angel (I do believe in angels)... No almost every time it was my inner peace that gave me the go ahead or told me to hold steady. The overwhelming peace of God will give me the go ahead to take a step forward. To the Christian it is the yes and no of God.

Colossians 3:15 (See)

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you are called to peace.

The first thing we see here is that we are called to a life of peace. That means my life should not be filled with turmoil, confusion, uncertainty, anxiety.... I am called to a life of peace. In the O.T peace is the word Shalom which means nothing missing and nothing broken. In other words I am called to a life where nothing is out of place or out of order. I am called to a life of order and right placement. That means I am called to a life of being in the right place at the right time, with the right people. How? By listening to my peace.

The peace of God will rule...

The word rule in the Greek is the English word umpire. In sports especially baseball we see this word come alive. When sliding into home plate, the authority lies with one guy, not the people yelling from the stands or the dugout. There is one guy who calls it safe or out. I don't care how many voices you have speaking to you, how many people are surrounding you, how much counsel you are receiving. I don't care what your mamma's side of the family is saying or what your daddy's side of the family is saying, what your best friend is saying or your wife's best friend is saying.

The Bible says after you have listened to everybody, including me, after everything is said and done and everybody has got their word in, let the peace of God call it safe or out. Now here lies the challenge. I have had people get mad at me because they told what God said to do and I did something else. It is not that I didn't listen to you, that I don't respect you, or that I don't believe that God speaks to you, some of the time. At the end of the day I have a decision to make and after I have gathered all the counsel because there is wisdom in right counselors. How do I determine who should counsel me? In the area you are receiving counsel, is there life what you want yours to be? In other words if they are counseling you in the area of finances, is there life whole in that area. Don't try to counsel me on marriage if you are in your third marriage, don't counsel me in finances if you have filed bankruptcy seven times and your are living on credit...

The question is not what the banker said, the salesman said, your friend said, the preacher said, it is "Is it mine." Does my inner peace say Craig it is safe or it is out. When dating is he or she mine? He or she may be fine but are they safe? Most people don't have the fortitude to hear what everybody else is saying but they listen to their inner peace anyway. The people who walk closely with God are the people that hear all these voices saying do this or don't do this but in spite of all the voices they choose to listen to their peace. Sometimes my peace parallels popular opinion but the difficulty comes when my peace defies popular opinion.

Let me close the first part of this study with, Can you stand with God when popular opinion is against you? At the end of the day would you rather have them like you or have the hand of God against you?

I would hate for them to approve of me but the presence of God leave me.

Blessings,
Craig

Friday

"Understanding the Principle of Investments"

The Bible tells us in the love chapter (1 Cor. 13) that love does not seek it's own. In a culture that promotes selfishness, we must demonstrates selflessness. Love does not come into a relationship to see what it can do for them, true love asks what can I bring into this relationship. It is not what I can get out of you, but how can I complete you.

If you give more to that job than that job demands then that job will bless you more than you think it can. If you give more to that marriage than it demands then that marriage will bless you more than you think it can. Why?

All relationships are a bank, all jobs are a bank, all ministries are a bank. You can't pull out, what you have not put in. If you put a $50 bill in your account, then all you can withdraw is $50. If you withdraw more than you put in then the ATM will say account empty.

Here is the law of investments. I have found it is difficult for people to manage relationships over a long time because most people don't understand the law of long term investments. Most marriages fail between the 6th and 8th year and if you make it to 8 you have done well. It is like a retirement account, if you start investing at 28 and continue to put a small amount in over a long time then when you get to 68 you will see the rewards of your investment.

Diligence is defined as doing a little thing a long time till something big happens. Some people never see the rewards of investing because they never stick with one thing long enough. I have seen in my life that I have made decisions to leave a place of assignment to early and it becomes a cycle of always moving but never seeing the return of what I have invested. Why? because the hand of the diligent will rule, the diligent man will be blessed. Why? Because He understands the law of long term investing. It is not that other marriage, job, ministry, job, no it is can you stick it out when times are bad because good times will come again. Stocks and investing is down now but it will rise again, it will get better and those who stick it out and hold on to what God has told them will see the upswing from their down swing.

We think that if there is battles and all hell is breaking loose we need to move on. Could it be that your greatest blessing is right there in that pea patch and God is wanting to see if you have the resilience and diligence to fight for what is your until it turns because it will turn. If you sow good seed you may experience a season of tares but your harvest will come. We have to understand the ebbs and flows of life that everything operates in cycles and it may be down today but it go up tomorrow. It may not be today, tomorrow or next week, but it will get better, you will see the reward of your labor if you don't faint. Paul said do not become weary in doing good because if you faint not you will reap a harvest. Fight for your pea patch get into stance of diligence and stand your ground. There is truth to the saying that good things come to those... Success is not overnight, there is no such ting as a overnight turnaround, no it is the person that understand if I keep applying God's word, speaking God's word and just keep showing up something good is going to happen.

Paul told Timothy you may be experiencing difficulty now but remain in Ephesus. There is a harvest to be reaped and a reward to be gained. Don't give up now for your harvest draws nigh.

Blessings,
Craig

Wednesday

The Finished Work

SEE Psalms 139:14-18; Psalms 118:24; John 5:4-21

One of the greatest lessons I learned in 2008 that has revolutionized my prayer life and the way I view my daily agenda is this:

The disciples saw results in Jesus ministry that were unparallel to any other they had ever seen. Naturally when you see someone operating on a level and getting results, you want to know their secret. The disciples saw Jesus open blind eyes, enable the mute to speak, created limbs and arms, raised the dead, multiplied a boy's lunch... You get the idea. And when Jesus encountered the enemy He never seemed to sweat or struggle to get results. In studying Jewish culture I discovered that jews started their day in the cool of the morning around 3:00 a.m. They started the day when it was cool so that they could get a head start and better utilize their energy. Jesus would often withdraw to solitary places early in the morning to spend time with the Father. According to some theologians he would often spend about 6 hours seeking the Father. Now I am advocating a secret formula, or saying you have to pray 6 hours every day. Some of us struggle to pray 1 hour.

The focus is not a formula but a principle. And when the disciples wanted to know the secret to His results, they didn't ask how He defied gravity and walked on the water, or how he overcame the law of physics and multiplied a meal... I don't know about you but I would have signed up for the class on how to multiply my resources so I could have 12 basketfuls left over. Imagine the profit you would get, multiplying dollars, jewelry, automobiles, cell phones, houses... But the disciples didn't ask for that, they simply asked Him to teach us how to pray.

What if instead of struggling, buking, and fighting to get results, you could simply speak one word and it would happen. Now mind you, Jesus while He was on the earth, He didn't use His divinity but relied upon the direction of the Father and the anointing. What takes us six hours only took Jesus 6 minutes. Why?

In John 5 Jesus comes to a man that was sitting by the pool waiting for the angel to come down and stir the waters> The only problem was He was lame and could not move into position to get in the pool before someone else. Notice he said when I try to get in the pool someone steps ahead of me. Why? Because the reality is people want theirs before you get yours. If you are waiting on a person to help you, then well you will always be waiting. My help comes from the Lord and some may trust in chariots and some may trust in horses but I will trust in the name of the Lord. Here is a man that was bound for 38 long years, seeing the same scenery, depending on people to get him out. Now that is frustration. Why did he keep showing up at the same place for 38 years? Most of us would have given up around year 8. (Later I will deal with the tipping point).

Jesus shows up and in a matter of seconds reverses the man's condition. There was no struggle, no straining, no praying and yelling, just a simple spoken word. He heals the man and then the religious leaders get mad. Why? There are a few reasons.

* Religion would rather keep a rule, than free the person.
* Jesus the ultimate rule breaker, will break a rule to free a person.
* Religion desires to make you dependant upon a person and a system, always have to get a handout, so that the preacher can keep his job.
* Religion aims to keep the person ignorant and powerless so that they have job security, because the moment you get free, you no longer need the person.

Tomorrow, what enabled Jesus to get results? What is the finished work? How can I do greater things than He did?

Blessings,
Craig