November 30

I "have been enriched in every way"! Yes! I have all that I need! I lack nothing! I lack no spiritual gift! Paul is speaking to me - God is speaking to me - I am speaking it to me! It is the truth of God that needs to be confessed over and over - hearing it again and again until I believe it and have complete trust in this truth! That means zero doubt.

I was chosen so God could display His glory through me. Ordinary, lowly, uneducated, without much talent I came into the Kingdom and now proclaim the Kingdom. His awesome gifts are in me and I am His instrument! That even confounds other Christians!

Shall I not keep going? I have the mind of Christ - I know what God holds in secret to the world - I have secret wisdom! O.K., I'll stop ----- for now. Thank you Papa that you

November 29

"In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power." In what way? What it looks like to me is stuff was happening and things were breaking loose and people hated Paul and The Way (Christians) and... There was stuff going on! I don't have to use this as the only model, but it sure speaks to me about having things run UN-smoothly! Why do I always want everything to feel so good and fit so well into my plan? I crack myself up! The Kingdom of God is FORCEFULLY advancing and that means that it won't be a smooth as silk all the time - or even most of the time. Do I want easy and comfortable or do I want the advancement of the Kingdom? Advancement.

November 27

Paul wanted to go to Bythnia to preach the gospel. He also wanted to go to Asia but was restrained by THE SPIRIT OF JESUS! What? Jesus stopped Paul from going somewhere and preaching the gospel? YES! It was Paul’s heart to go everywhere and preach to everyone, but Jesus had another idea – go preach to who I send you! That really speaks to me. The point is that I have to be focused on what God wants and not what I would like to do. It is the difference between asking God to bless the day you planned and asking Him what His plan is for the day. Ministry is supposed to be directed by the Spirit of God for Kingdom purposes. Sometimes that means not doing what would seem natural and logical to do.

November 26

Beginning with the Spirit and then going to the law (or works). I think that applies to all of life doesn’t it? I was thinking of financial provision and how it comes from God. I was going to give a little more to missions today because I love supporting missions and other ministries. However I heard the Lord say not to give any more than such and such as my normal offering. At first I doubted that it was God telling me that, but now after today’s reading, I am convinced it was God. He saw something in my heart that needed to be “nipped in the bud”. I must have been, ( because I was unaware of it) giving to get the blessing. That is works my friends! Although I know that giving puts me in the position for receiving more, that CANNOT be my motivation! Otherwise I am caught in the trappings of works to ‘get” from God. That is not how God operates – especially in my life! I have to continue to believe and trust that He will supply all I need because of His promise and His faithfulness, not because of anything that I do.

By the way – Paul equates trying to earn God’s favor (keeping the law) with losing your joy.

November 25

So Paul and Barnabas preached the word and it was received pretty well. Then they preached again and they were persecuted. The interesting thing to me is that when they left that region because of the trouble that the jealous Jews had stirred up, they shook the dust from their feet, (as a sign to the people, and I think as a sign to themselves that they weren’t going to carry that rejection in their soul) and were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. They were basically run out of town and that had joy!? God spoke to me and said that these two knew how to operate on a different level. They knew how to let go of bad things in ministry and move on AND they knew the secret of having joy in trials. The thing that stood out to me was that they had joy, and I think it is because they were NOT results focused, they were Kingdom focused. They were thinking about the Kingdom and not about their particular ministry. Their eggs were in Jesus basket!

On a different note – Paul was very human and God worked with his humanity and doubled the missionary team. They left with the grace of God so that means there were no hard feelings and only that of love between all of them. There was an opinion about ministry partners and Paul and Barnabas couldn’t agree – and something good happened through it. Disagreements should NEVER provoke us to jealously or strife, but should ALWAYS end in love – otherwise jealousy and strife will follow you in an unnatural (supernatural evil) way.

November 24

Giving to the poor is something that many Christians are doing these days. Social justice is high on many people’s list of important ministries. I have heard people say that giving to the poor and needy should only be done if you can preach the gospel to them or if they can have some sort of spiritual benefit that includes a personal opportunity to come to Christ. While I agree that is it a wonderful thing and important for people to have direct ministry, here in today’s passage I learned something. Giving to the poor is an offering to the Lord. Without any by-product of the giving being mentioned, giving to the poor is mentioned three times as something that Cornelius did that was godly. Even if you never mention Christ when you are giving, you are doing a wonderful thing in God’s eyes. I don’t mean to say that we shouldn’t minister the Word of God and give hope to the needy, I do think that and deeply desire to do it! What I am saying is that the act of giving is, in and of itself a work of God in us! It produces God’s character and is a production of God’s character in us. The point to me is give. Give when you can preach, give when you can talk about God, give when all you can utter is a “God bless you”, and give when you can’t say a word. Giving is a wonderful thing.

November 23

God had a plan! His plan included Saul soon to be named Paul and Ananias was within the plan of the salvation, Holy Spirit filling, healing and baptism of this man, who would become the writer of most of the New Testament. I am amazed at the ancillary part of Ananias, yet what he did was play a part in the salvation of the one of the greatest apostles! It is amazing how God can take a seemingly insignificant person (Ananias wasn’t to God) and use him to bring about something so huge that he couldn’t even dream it! God wants to do the same with me! I, like Ananias can only question in sincerely humility, but in the end, must obey the Word of God to my heart in order to be a part of something that is so much greater than me that I could never dream of!

November 22

Stephen’s face looked like an angel – and that was before his enemies! How about my face – angelic or could care less, or somewhere in between? God has been speaking to me about being more loving to people – strangers and friends alike – as I am away from church. It’s easy at church isn’t it? Easy to give a smile and show your love. Away from church is different. Someone came into my house the other day and I didn’t get up and hug her. The Lord rebuked me. It is those simple things that display Him in me. Even more than that is showing respect, honor and love to those who don’t like you. If I am to have my face look anything like an angel, then I have got to reflect Jesus in my face. I want others to see Him in me.

Come to think of it, the older I get, the more I look like my mom (genetics). Shouldn’t it stand to reason then, the older I get in Christ, the more I look like Him? (Look – both the way I appear and the way I look at others).

November 20

I was reading the “Daily Bible” today for my reading and I read the commentary which I usually don’t. I don’t usually read it because I don’t want to get “tainted” by the views of the author/editor. I want God to speak to me without any other voice telling me what the passage is saying. As I was reading the commentary today it talked about “special demonstration” and “special power” used by (only) the apostles. It absolutely floors me that smart people who love God believe this way. The contrivance of people to purport that the first 15-20 years of church history (the book of Acts), were “special” because God somehow only needed or wanted to work miracles then (during that time) is crazy! If we look at the scripture, we see that there was NO mention of miracles and the supernatural dying off or going extinct or disappearing – EVER! What we do clearly see is that it is taught and believed to be NORMAL life. Peter specifically said that the gift of the Holy Spirit, which was causing this great “sign” to all who saw (wind, tongues of fire appearing, people speaking in tongues, people understanding the tongues in their own language), would be poured out on those who believed! He specifically mentioned “to those who are afar off" as being recipients of this gift. US! These works of God that brought glory to the Father in the OT, in Jesus life, in church life are still bringing glory to the Father in our lives today! I not only believe that one has to reinterpret the Bible to suit themselves (tickle their itching ears), but one would have to commit intellectual suicide not to acknowledge that down through the millennia God has used miracles trillions of time. He hasn’t shut the supernatural door! He still works wonders and signs and miracles and healings and salvations to ALL who are afar off. ME! Thanks Papa – increase your miracle power through my hands and ministry! Increase my faith! Increase your glory!

November 19

Luke 24:38 (NIV)
38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?

Luke 24:45 (NIV)
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

The mind. If you can understand this, you will get one of the keys to the Kingdom. It really hit me as I was reading this today – the mind doubts and the mind understands – but only after it is opened. There is a sermon in here, but today, for now, it stays with me. The point of the Holy Spirit wakening me to this phenomena is that my mind is so important. What I put into it is so important AND yielding it to the Lord so He can open it so I can understand more! Yielding it has got to include reading His Word so I SEEK to understand. I do want to understand Lord – open my mind to understand all the more!

November 18

I read this passage like a text book today – does that ever happen to you? I got the information and then sat there thinking; “what is God saying to me today?” This is a book of life and needs to be read for the life it brings. So I read again, looking for the life God has for my day.

Jesus was forsaken. He said it while on the cross. “Why have you forsaken me?” He was talking to His Father. His Word to me today --- I will never leave you or forsake you. In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, Jesus will never forsake me. That is His decision and I know it well. However, it sure does my soul well to hear it again. He won’t leave me to be on my own. Thank you so much Jesus, keep reminding me for I can be forgetful of these simple truths. Not that my memory is erased but that don’t reckon this truth from time to time when I feel alone or pressed.

November 17

What a passage to read for my birthday! The false charges, the hatred, the beating, the rejection of all Jesus is had to have been so emotionally tough for Him. This was a road that He had to travel, but what an awful road! I just taught on this in OSL last night and I must say that I am moved when I think of what my Jesus has done for me. He didn’t just take a bullet to the head, he suffered in every way possible. The physical suffering was no doubt indescribable and the mental and emotional torture was astoundingly tormentous. He did it – for me – I am forever in His debt.

There is another interesting thing that I saw. Judas Iscariot somehow came to his senses and realized that he did wrong. However the religious leaders had no such revelation. The man who Satan himself indwelt had a revelation, but the Pharisees were worried about breaking God’s law by accepting blood money back into the treasury – that it came from! Religion twists you like no other sin – stay away from it – it’s dangerous!

November 16

Jesus is getting jacked up! He is getting strung up for what? Doing good! He is suffering and about to suffer something terrible and it is not His fault. Yet, He knows that He must go through this suffering in the body and soul to become the sacrifice of sin for the world (spiritual). He is being wronged so He could make things right! Convicted yet? I am! How many times do I allow myself to be wronged or accused and condemned or anything else for the sake of something greater from the Father? How many times? Being like Jesus is a high calling and a tough thing. No wonder He said that we have to die to ourselves. To be wronged for the greater good – the will of the Father – is difficult to anyone who cares about His life. God, help me die all the more to myself and live for you.

November 15

There is nothing that I can produce or do on my own! Even when my church doubles or triples or whatever, even when my salary is restored and my earnings doubled, it is not because of me, my standing on the Word, my faith, my faithfulness or anything else. It is ONLY because I am connected to the vine and the blessings come from the vine. The danger with blessings and growth is that you become deceived to think that you brought it about. I did this or put this strategy into place or preached this Word, but all production in my life comes from the vine and my connection with the vine – Jesus Christ.

Twice Jesus talked about our joy being complete. It seems to me that He wants us to have joy! How do we get it and how do we get a complete joy? The simple lesson that God impressed on me is this, remain in Jesus and ask for the stuff that He wants us to have. Whenever I think stuff I think supernatural, and being in relationship with Him and really being one will bring the joy I so desperately need. With that comes the wonder of relationship and asking and receiving because of that relationship. Joy, joy joy!

November 14

Another Sunday jewel! Jesus washed the disciples feet. This doesn’t affect us too much because it isn’t that strange to us – although a little strange. To them it was incredible! The thing I saw was right before Jesus did the washing.

John 13:3 (NIV)
3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

If we know who we are and who God has called us to be, then we will do ANYTHING no matter how low or high it may be.

November 13

When I have the faintest hint of the fear of man, of what people will say or the price I will pay for doing such and such, I am going to be diving into unbelief. I realize that I am not a Pharisee, however it is a principle that God showed me. Consideration of man before God is a trap that sends you towards unbelief. First you are really trusting man more than God for the outcome, and you certainly are not fearing God which produces faith. Whatever consideration of man I have must be what God would have as well – my heart and His heart have to line up. I really want to stretch and believe for things that I have never seen before and God has showed me today one of the keys to getting there. Don’t be a people pleaser, be a God pleaser.

November 12

There are two things that spoke to me. First there was the “worthless” servant. Did you get that? Worthless! What did he do to be called worthless? He didn’t do anything with the gift that God gave him. He is lazy, unmotivated, unaware of the impact he could have, and even if he was aware, he was unwilling to do anything beyond normal living. He just lived his life and did nothing with what God have him. Hmmm….

The second thing was that righteous people are known for what they do and not what they don’t do. It wasn’t there moral way of life (not doing all those things a Christian shouldn’t do) that was a factor in this parable, (although the righteous would certainly live morally), it was what they DID. They did have mercy, they did help the needy, they did care, they were hospitable. For me it is not how good I preach or lead worship that God is making me aware of, it is how I treat the individual and care for their needs. I will start by supplying a Thanksgiving dinner to someone needy. God help me to have a lifestyle in which I give to you through the people on this earth.

November 11

Jesus is stunning the Pharisees with blow after blow. First He answers all of their questions with words of wisdom, then he talks about them in parables, and then he goes into what we call the 7 woes. Jesus is not out to win friends, He is here to preach the truth! Although this truth has been truth (about the Pharisees) since the beginning, it is now time to let it loose. (Timing) He is not afraid – Jesus make me like that.

I was talking to a friend of mine about some hard decisions he had to make at the church he pastored. He had to tell another church which was renting their building to leave. I said, “that would be awful, I would hate to do that”. His reply was, “I am Kingdom focused, so whatever it takes to expand the Kingdom of God, I am willing to do – no problem.” I want to be more like that, more like Jesus.

Please notice what Jesus said at the end of the woes, He said He LONGED to gather Israel in His arms. What He said to the Pharisees was not because He hated them, it was because He loved His people. His motivation is always love. Jesus make mine love too! Don’t let me rise up in some fake righteous indignation to reprove people, let it be for the sake of love only.

November 10

Jesus talked about believing (acting out what has been revealed to you) while you still have the light. Darkness will come in the future so do it now! That was interesting to me. He seems to be saying that even though they had the revelation about Him that NOW was the time to act on it and not later. Later was going to bring darkness, which I believe was a swayed public opinion which made it much harder to believe (the acting out of what has been revealed).

When God gives me a revelation in regards to my life, family, ministry or anything else, I need to act on it immediately. Those times when I haven’t, that instruction got a little cloudy and much easier to refuse. The further you get away from the revelation or instruction or opportunity, the harder it will be to step into. Terry – act on it immediately! Don’t wait! When it is from the Lord, then do it!

November 9

“I came to serve, to give my life as a ransom for many.” Our lives can’t ransom anyone’s life like Jesus’ could. However our lives can make an impact! John and James were going to be baptized like Jesus, but I don’t think that was talking about the kind of death since John didn’t die a martyr. It was a baptism of different proportions of sacrifice. It was thinking long and hard about the phrase, “to give his (my) life”. What does that mean? I think that I have given my life – at least most of it. Then the recurring theme this year came to me; minute by minute give your life away. What time I wake up, what I do, when I go to work, what I do for a work out, what I do when I go to work, when do I answer the phone and when do I study for the next teaching – I must give every aspect of my life to Him who has sent me to serve and give my life as a gift to the church.

Lord, I know I do sacrifice but I feel like I fail most days on the minute by minute thing. I feel like the minutes rush towards the meeting that night or the dinner time at home. I start out well and well intentioned, but I end being pulled by demands. I am asking for your strong intervention – I want to be like you, maximizing all that you have given me.

November 8

Jesus delayed on purpose so on his arrival, Lazarus was dead. He delayed 2 days and Lazarus was dead for 4 days and probably more because the Jews didn’t bury people right away. The fact of the matter was that Jesus did delay and that delay meant more suffering. In fact Lazarus had to die twice for this God glorifying act. That is a bummer! Dying of any disease isn’t easy – I was thinking about the suffering he must have gone through and how hard it may have been. God didn’t rescue him from his suffering, but Jesus did raise him from the dead. God didn’t save Mary and Martha from their suffering/mourning either. That is what I was thinking about while I read. In fact I think this fact really hit Jesus and he broke down in tears twice! Even though He knew He was about to raise Lazarus up from the dead, He was overwhelmed with the thought of all the suffering. He doesn’t like us suffering, but He knows it is necessary at times. His heart aches when we suffer.

Thank you for your constant revelation Papa.

November 7

I usually don’t blog on Sunday, but there is something that just has to be said. Jesus said, “I will heal and cast out demons today and tomorrow and the 3rd day I will reach my goal.” Jesus had goals in ministry. I don’t think it was a number, but rather time. My time must be my Father’s to do with. Not even a threat of death would persuade Jesus to move on early. Don’t let anything persuade me to move on early Lord, not until my goal (your goal) has been reached.

November 6

Will I ever read the account of Martha and Mary without hearing God’s voice instructing me to choose the “better” option? I guess it is a character flaw of mine that is very resistant to the Holy Spirit. I would like to explain it away by stating that hyper Type-A people like me get things done, invent things, start businesses, etc…, but the words of Jesus seem to indicate that there are better things, like sitting at His feet and listening to Him. That was Mary’s choice, the question is will it be mine or will go I go out and work for God? For me, I choose God – again! It is easier to work and accomplish, not because I don’t like being with Him, but because I like accomplishing. I am afraid that for many in the body of Christ, they don’t spend time with Jesus because they are uncomfortable with it.

Our prophetic call jumped out at me. We are obviously all called to evangelize and heal the sick – right? How about when we enter a house “saying” “peace on this house”? How about that? That is crazy radical. I determine whether a house receives a blessing of peace or not! How about my own house? If it is crazy and the kids are going wild and out of control (never my children – it’s just an illustration), maybe, just maybe if I would wear my mantle of prophet, speak peace (command), the household would “chill”. I don’t use my privilege enough! God help me to see all my benefits in you!

November 5

God give me miracles! Work signs and wonders by my hand! Glorify yourself and your Son with healings and deliverances! Those who doubted couldn’t argue with the eyes of a blind man being opened. BUT, they still wouldn’t believe. YET, there were plenty of others who saw and heard and did believe!

The familiar shepherd passage stuck out to me, especially where Jesus said that the hired hand flees when the wolf comes. Am I a hired hand? Will I flee in the face of opposition? I don’t want to – that is for sure. Then I began to think about it… I am not a hired hand, I am one with the shepherd! I have the shepherd’s heart for the sheep and within me is the propensity and ability to stand up to the wolves and lay my life down for the sheep. Jesus, I want to be like you – able to say it so straight that people want to kill me, but willing to lay my life down for the sheep.

Acts 4:29-30 (NIV)
29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

November 4

Do nothing to honor myself but do everything to honor God. That is easily said but hard to do. I do want to honor God with my life – so much! Yet there is that “guy” in me that wants some honor too. I am not talking about the healthy honor that one deserves because of his position in life, I am talking about that the desire for others to approve of you and give you accolades for being funny, working hard or witty and things like that. As I read today I just got the sense that God was stressing to me, “honor me in all you do”. That means that I must lay down my life, even more than I have, and give every moment to the honor of the King. I want to Papa, and I will – strengthen me to do just that.

Did you notice that Jesus went to the feast when it was the right time? He delayed but then left at the right time. At the feast they tried to arrest him and wanted to kill him, but it wasn’t the right time. We can have the right idea at the wrong time. We also should take heart that when we are doing the unpopular thing at the right time, God has got our back! When my life is given to God, I am immortal, until the right time.

November 3

There were 2 things that really popped out to me today and I am not sure if I have the answer to my first question. Why did Jesus have Peter get the coin for the temple tax out of a fish? Was it that he knew the fish had swallowed a coin and with the Father's help would bite on Peter's line? I was thinking, he had a treasury, He could have pulled it out of the treasury. It was a cool miracle, but Peter had to work for it. Hmmm... One thing it says to me for sure, God cannot be predicted! He will supply how He supplies and we cannot formulize Him for one second. It is all about obedience to His Spirit and trusting God for the results. God help me do whatever you tell me to do, even if I think it is dumb.

The second thing was in the story of the unmerciful servant. When the servant that had been forgiven a million dollar debt (I wonder how he got that?) was choking out his fellow servant, the other servants were "greatly distressed". Unforgiveness greatly distresses everyone around us along with the Lord. God started a pattern in my life many years ago that I would inventory any bitterness on a daily basis and forgive. It's a good pattern. God bring anyone to mind that I need to forgive today and I will release them.

November 2

Sometimes I think that the disciples are so dull! I think that I would have been saying, 'are you going to do the multiply the loaves thing again!!!!' However, then I think of all the times that God has come through for me and when the chips are down, I myself have doubted that God will come through - again - again. We are cut out of the same chord, me and the disciples. We have short memories, but as they grew and especially as they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they became different - me too!

Have you noticed that Jesus has used many different methods of healing so far? I don't think that is coincidence. I think we would clone the method and use that method as a formula instead of the power of God. He spit on people and stuck His fingers in ears and told people to go home and it was done. For me, it is about doing the will of the Father. Not just the big "W" will, as in mission, but it is the moment by moment obedience that He requires. Scary but comforting. He wants to lead me moment by moment.

November 1

Here they go again grumbling against Jesus. They are amazed at what He says but then they start thinking that they know Him, that He is just a regular, maybe even less than regular guy. It is no wonder that pastors are aloof and distant from their congregants. They fear that if people got to know them, they would lose respect. Unfortunately, I have had it happen to me. People love my humanity and transparency, but it has proven to be too much for some people. I am reminded by the passage that we have already read that says that Jesus didn't give himself to any man, for He knew what was in a man. There is a delicate balance of not giving man an opportunity to trounce on your identity yet remaining vulnerable. Jesus was so compassionate and open to the plight of man yet He knew His source - it wasn't man - it was His Papa. Although He faced personal let down and disappointment from man He knew His mission and He knew His Papa in whom He trusted in wholly. God, I want to be like your Son in this. Help me remain open and vulnerable, yet trusting in your for who I am.