Book Review: Think and Make It Happen

Think and Make It Happen by Dr. Augusto Cury is a book to help you conquer anxiety, overcome negative thoughts, and to discover your true potential.

Dr. Cury is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, scientist, and author who developed the Intelligence Academy of Quality and Life Program and the theory of Multi-Focus Intelligence.

In his book, Dr. Cury, explains that most people have not discovered the unlimited potential our minds hold and when that realized is discovered it can help you to eliminate fears, control your emotions, release your creativity, protect positive memories, respond skillfully to stress, transform your relationships, and reinvent your life.

Is Gloom And Doom On The Way?

In response to a Pastor friend of mine I want to respond to a blog that came out from Pastor David Wilkerson whom I highly respect.

In response to the message David Wilkerson sent out I will use one of his recent blogs to answer.

O THREE THINGS

In the midst of their trial God told Israel to do three things: “Fear not. Stand still. See the salvation of the Lord.” His call to Israel was, “I am going to fight for you. You’re simply to hold your peace. Just be quiet, and put everything in my hands. Right now, I’m doing a work in the supernatural realm. Everything is under my control. So, don’t panic. Trust that I’m fighting the devil. This battle is not yours” (see Exodus 14:13-14).

Soon dusk fell over the camp. This was the beginning of Israel’s dark and stormy night. But it was also the beginning of God’s supernatural work. He sent an awesome, protective angel to stand between his people and their enemy. I believe God still sends protective angels to camp around all who love and fear him (see Psalm 34:7).

The Lord also moved the supernatural cloud he’d given to Israel for guidance. The cloud suddenly shifted from the front of Israel’s camp to the rear and it loomed as a pitch-black wall before the Egyptians. On the other side, the cloud provided a supernatural light, giving the Israelites clear visibility all night long (see Exodus 14:20).

Even though Pharaoh’s army was in total darkness, they could still raise their voices. And all night long they spewed forth threats and lies. Israel’s tents shook from this barrage of lies throughout that dark night. But it didn’t matter how loudly the enemy threatened them. An angel was on guard to protect them, and God had promised his people he would bring them through.

Dear saint, if you’re a blood-bought child of God, he has put a warrior angel between you and the devil. And he commands you, just as he told Israel, “Do not fear. Stand still. Believe in my salvation.” Satan may come against you breathing every evil threat. But at no time during your dark, stormy night is the enemy ever able to destroy you.

“Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night” (Exodus 14:21).

The windstorm that God brought down was so powerful, it began to part the waves of the sea: “The strong east wind…made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided” (14:21).

The Hebrew word for wind here means “violent exhaling.” In other words, God exhaled and the water congealed in walls. Israel’s tent-dwellings must have shaken fiercely as those mighty torrents blew through the camp. Why did God allow Israel to go through an entire stormy night, when he could have spoken a mere word and calmed the elements?

What a storm it must have been. And what a fearful time it had to be for Israel. I ask you, what was God up to here? Why would he allow such a terrible windstorm to go on all night? Why didn’t he just tell Moses to touch the water with his mantle, and part the waves supernaturally? What possible reason did God have for permitting this awful night to take place?

There was but one reason: The Lord was making worshippers. God was at work the whole time, using the terrible storm to make a path for his people out of the crisis. Yet the Israelites couldn’t see it at the time. Many were hiding in their tents, but those who came outside witnessed a glorious light show. They also beheld the glorious sight of waves mounting up, mighty walls of water rising to form a dry path through the sea. When the people saw this, they must have shouted, “Look, God has used the wind to make a way for us. Praise the Lord!”

I believe the answer is not in stocking up or hoarding up, running and hiding underground or declaring gloom and doom although I do agree that our nation is reaping the harvest of seeds that have been sown such as homosexuality and abortion. In spite of that fact, God says stand still, hold your peace, do not fear but see the salvation of the Lord... I sense that in the midst of all that is going on the Church will rise up as a reflection of God's power and Glory and it will be accompanied with a vast harvest of souls that we have never seen and signs, wonders and miracles. I believe we are about to see the body of Christ (not an individual) become a demonstration of Kingdom Impact. I believe that we must focus on seizing the moment and becoming an solution to the epidemics of the city we are assigned to. Here is what God said to me a few nights ago. He said do not fear but stretch your hand towards me in praise and surrender and as you stretch your hand I will stretch my hand and demonstrate my power like never before.

We are in the greatest day that the Church has ever seen and while the world may be getting darker and darker the Church sill shine brighter and brighter. Though many say we are in a recession, I spent the weekend with a Pastor whose Church is seeing increase in ever area. I asked why? The answer is simply that they are finding the problems in their community and solving them, such as a assisted living facility like I have never seen, a garden in which they will grow fresh vegetables and fruits and give them to those in need, angel food and a food pantry, a after school tutoring service and much more. If we will discover the problems closest to us and become solutions provision will be released. Another way God's power and provision are released is illustrated when Sarah forces Hagar and Ishmael to leave. They are in the wilderness and Ishmael is about to die and Hagar just settles with allowing the next generation to die, the angel comes and says the Lord has heard the cry of the lad (the next generation) and God days pick him up for I will make him into a great nation. After she embraced the lad the Lord opened her eyes and she saw a spring that was flowing. If we will embrace the next generation and become relevant to reaching them and embracing them, God had heard their cry and their will be a release of provision like we have never see.

No, I do not believe gloom and doom, I believe that there are up times and down times and we just happen to be in down times, yet we shall rise again. The Church and America will see in the midst of darkness and a cloud of despair that will linger for a season, the greatest move of God e have ever seen, if we will pray. We can't sit idly by, we must make the most of our opportunity and preach Kingdom, demonstrate Kingdom and become relevant to the city in which we live. We can longer just play Church and count how many people we have and sit in our offices pretending we are making an impact. It is time for the King and the Priest to merge and become one, that is a Church that will take the gospel to the marketplace. Could it be that the reason our Church is not growing and is not seeing God's provision is because we constitute success with our Sunday services rather that impacting the city we live in. What needs are you meeting and what problems are you solving?

Blessings,
Craig

Maintaining Peace

The Bible tells us that as much as it is up to you seek Peace with all men. You are not responsible for what you can't control, but as much as it is up to you... There are some people that will put a guilt trip on you to make peace with them but they are not peaceable. It is not that you can't get along with them, it is that you have exhausted all your resources but they refuse to be peaceable. Why?

There are three kinds of people in life, those that are going through a storm, those who are coming out of a storm and those who become a storm. These are people that no matter where you put them, they will always cause a storm. They are contentious, quarrelsome, and if there is no trouble, they will cause trouble. They are people who refuse to embrace peace and in a moment of trauma, instead of passing through it, the trauma gets in them and they become trauma. No matter what job, who they are married to, what Church they join, they are always causing a storm. These are the people I run from. I have enough fight with the devil, I don't need to surround myself with people who are trying to be the devil. They try to put the responsibility on you to fix them when in reality only God can fix them.

These people are full of poison and whoever they come in contact with they poison. You can throw them a good person, with a good attitude, if they hang with the poison, what's on them will get on the good person, and they will become the poison. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 1:-3 that we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. What is the bond of peace? It is keeping unity by keeping your relationships right. As much as it is up to you keep your relationships pure. God puts the responsibility on you and I to do whatever we can to make peace, but after we have exhausted all of our resources and done everything we can, it is time to wipe the dust off your feet and move on. Don't fret it, or sweat it just move on.

The angels that showed up to announce the birth of the Messiah defined true peace. They said peace is goodwill towards all men. Jesus brought the same message, goodwill to all men, whether it was the poor, the sick, the sinful, the religious, He brought goodwill to all men. Paul tells us that love does not rejoice in iniquity. Love does not rejoice in the downfall of another. I do not want to see you fail, no matter what you have done to me. I do not rejoice in your struggle, your pain. I want to see you succeed, win, overcome. I want goodwill towards all men.

There are two primary words for peace in the bible, the O.T word which is internal peace and the N.T word which is relational peace. If someone has done something to you, and you desire to see them pay, then that is an area where you lack peace. Peace is what Stephen had as his persecutors began to stone him, he prayed for them. Jesus was perfected in Peace when he said, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Joseph had peace when he could have made his brothers pay, but instead He viewed it all as part of God's plan. Peace is when I relaize no matter what you do to me, God will take what you meant for evil and turn it for good. Refuse to let that poison get in you, endeavor to keep the peace. Why? Because Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers for they are the sons of God. They are the mature ones. Those that have been perfected in God's love. There is a special blessing for those who stay in peace. So let me ask you, are you going through a storm or are you becoming one? Do you create havoc or do you bring peace?

Blessings,
Craig

Making Right Decisions Part 3

I remember something that a great Mentor once taught me. He said, "Don't ever make a long term decision out of a temporary situation". In other words never make a decision in the midst of a crisis. If you feel rushed or anxious, wait for the peace, if the peace doesn't come then continue to wait. In a time when business is acquainted with accomplishment, the reality is that just because you are busy does not mean you are productive. Even Jesus prior to making any important decisions (not whether you put sprinkles in your hair, or where or what do I eat), would withdraw to a solitary place in the quietness of God's presence and He would receive daily direction from His father. Jesus used Mary and Martha to illustrate that though you are busy, you are really running around in circles accomplishing very little. He told Martha, you are busy (anxious, worried) about many things, but Mary has chosen the greater part and it will not be taken from her.

As Naomi instructed Ruth to go to the threshing floor and wait, as Ruth obeyed that simple instruction and as a result Boaz took notice of her and covered her. God wants to cause opportunities, open doors and favor to notice you but you never sit in a posture of waiting and listening long enough to be noticed. He wants to cover you with His garments of provision and blessing but you are busy with many things.

Jesus was sleeping in the middle of the boat when a storm came. The disciples out of fear woke Him up and said do you not care that we perish. Jesus then stands up goes to the bow of the boat and says peace be still! Then He turns towards His disciples and rebukes them for their lack of faith. I have always believed that Jesus was talking to the winds and the waves, but it never says winds and waves be still, it says peace be still. Why?

Jesus was not addressing the storm on the outside, He was addressing the storm in them because the outer world is a reflection of the inner world. The storm is the manifestation of the fear and lack of peace in you. Have you ever noticed that some people no matter where they are or who they are with, they are always in a storm. Why? Because they are a storm!

Jesus addresses their peace and then asks them why are you so fearful? He was addressing something powerful using the storm to give them a revelation that would cause them to be able to change their world. And it is this, are you ready? Hold on to your seat belt.

If you can maintain and keep your peace, it don't matter what's going on around you, your environment will submit to your inner peace. When the winds and waves of life can't steal your peace, they will stop. Why? Because you have held on to your peace. You can change that environment by simply maintaining your peace, you can change your marriage by maintaining your peace, you can change your city by maintaining your peace! Your environment has to submit and yield to your peace. That's why the wisdom writer said, out of you flows the issues of life. Meaning that the issues of your life are not caused by the devil but by your lack of peace inside of you. But when you hold your peace, the God of peace will crush satan under your feet!

Blessings,
Craig