I was sitting here this morning and I thought what if you just prophesied? The result is the following podcast. I saw a young woman touching letters….
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A lot of my friends need a Plan B. Members of my family could use a Plan B. Few people adhere to plan A with the ferocity of a Tim Tebow, who regardless of what has been offered is planning on living out his plan A of being a quarterback in the NFL. But I would bet you that Tim Tebow in fact, has a plan B building in his life. I would imagine he has a form or stream of income that is being created. A career after football, perhaps.
A plan B does not mean you give up on plan A. It is simply an option, or a fallback position or something that gives you great joy. Continue reading Plan B – Growing An Alternative Perhaps
Coming from a prophetic voice this may sound “silly” but I sense we have missed the thought process of “care about caring.” We have become so enamored about the flash and the miraculous that sometimes we lose track of little scriptures.
Like this one. James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted.
I am obviously not a pastoral gift (Though that being the title they slap on anyone who leads a church fellowship.) but I do care about people. Perhaps not with the same measure of mercy that is enfolded in a pastoral gift (Ephesians 4:11) in their function or grace, but it exists. How many nights have a I cried, praying with tears in my eyes?
Lately I am gripped with the thought of how many are going through physical pain, sickness and illness. I confess I am not “good” about it. It makes me angry and desirous to see it all end. I cannot accept the acceptance of it all. Last night someone’s words about a sickness, couched in these terms, “my sickness” (Interject specific disease.) pinged my redline. (Sorry…)
Today I sit here and I think about my friends who are in the battle against sickness, ailment and disease. Frankly it is a struggle for me. I think we have got so caught up in destiny and what God is doing “for me” that we may have forgot what He wants to do “for them.”
I encourage you to think about those around you in your prayers, words and deeds.
Have you stopped moving ahead? Have you pulled the “vehicle” to the side to let the “faster, younger, informed” ones pull by? Have you given up because it is too hard, too far, too much or too high? Have you confessed your last confession, declared your last declaration and prayed your last prayer because of fear, hurt or pain are causing you to stop? You might be in better company than you think.
I have noticed a lot of people who have said “I cannot do this ANYMORE!” Children, grandchildren, parents, jobs, friends have just become too much. “I want off this train. Out of this world. Stop the bus!” Many have read the book (The Bible) saw the last chapter and said “we win.” And then thrown it out into the future for “when they get home.” But what about now? Today? It says “we win” today…tomorrow and the next day. How? We change the earth. We cause it to look like heaven. Continue reading Giving Up On Life – Let Me Off!
Yesterday I wrote of the widow Elisha went to, her two sons and the story of the vessels being filled. This is the story of the woman (2 Kings 4:8) who wanted and went to Elisha. This woman was well of, married. She lived in Shunem, a place meaning “uneven.” Previous mentions in scripture indicate this was under the allotment given to the tribe of Issachar. It is also the site of the gathering of the Philistine army against Saul, where he was so frightened he turned to the witch of Endor. It was a farming community through which Elisha passed often. There is a divine “yes” here as the Lord shows you the “have” and the “have not”, the barren and the fruitful, one gave-one received, the married and the widow.
Why is this background important one might ask. The Bible is laden with hidden truths, layers of revelations. Think about it. Not a woman of need, but barren, having no children. Come on! If this was not a set up for God, in a place of unevenness, I do not know what is. A place where the “sons of Issachar” A place where the “sons of Issachar” (Their name means “there is recompense.” Wow!) had been given their reward. The same tribe that God said “And of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command.” 1 Chronicles 12:32 (By the way did you see that “all their kinsmen” statement? Huge!) A place that fear had struck. Continue reading The Woman Who Wanted – Constraining The Prophet
Are you going through the mill? (Do you feel flatter than a pancake?)
Last night as we gathered to pray for needs, encouragement, people far and near, I saw and began to describe the “victory” party I saw. In my spirit I felt this was a time of celebration. (A while later my wife saw three images; a stack of rings, confetti and a butterfly net, and what struck me was that she saw confetti falling out of the sky and a “butterfly” net to capture it.) If there is victory in heaven then there is victory in our lives, and just as the celebration of God and His goodness is in heavenly places, so ought we to consider the same in the earth. CELEBRATION!
So many are going through the mill that I have been drawn to pray for lately, seeking an answer. Why is my question. Where is the victory? And last night as I was praying, I began to see the following. (I was praying I think for one, but felt over the night it was more widespread as I received revelation.) Continue reading Going Through The Mill – Flour In The Making
This is an old story but a good one.
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. Continue reading Carrots, Eggs, And Coffee – How Do you Respond?
I often find myself coming up against myself. What does that mean? It is those times where I cannot seem to gain headway. The difficulty is I am often sure it is the Lord holding me back. Recently I have felt that way. I have watched all my supports evaporate. The last few weeks has had me wondering. Even when I remove the feelings of the intensity, I see that there is something underlying that I have not plumbed. I do not suggest that the Lord ruined home or finance, but for whatever the reason His intervention was not there. (I do not blame Him, nor am I even frustrated as to “why.”) And so I was “up against the wall” in my thinking.
And then a conversation. A normal conversation. And a flash. Continue reading Changing Mindsets The Product Of A Mindshift
This week a friend and I were engaging in conversation and one of the topics that came up is the “God Card.” The God card is often used by people to end conversations, to get their own way, to see at best, what they really believe to be true or truth. A God Card is used to “put an end to things.”
It came up because I am seeing a lot more people “play the card” in an effort to do what they want or NOT do what they need to. It is often a way to shift accountability.
“God told me we should make my announcement first on Sunday morning.” Is it passion and a heart or is it a manipulation, a power play?
Because I believe in the prophetic and operate prophetically, I get to see the card played and with the often devastating results. I see relationships that end or begin by the playing for the card. I see jobs taken or quit by the playing of the card. I see hurt and pain and disenchantment. This can be a “hard card.” Continue reading The God Card – It Has The Potential To End The Game
Everyone has choices. And from the choices, come results. The last week has been a continuing reminder to friends in conversation that we do one of the following, prior to making a choice.
From that place of faith, (Trust in our fears or trust in God.) we make our decisions.
How do I know? I have walked in both those areas over my time with Jesus.* Faith is what is settled for us or what we know. When we do not trust God, we automatically move to the other side.
Most know this story about my grandson Jacob. When he was younger I would put him on the coffee table (Or he would climb up on it.) and he would jump into my arms. He would not do that if he thought I would fail him. If he thought there was the possibility I would drop him to the floor, He would never jump. How much better is our God? There is not one record of God leaving you behind or “dropping you.”
Too often I have witnessed the “paralysis of analysis” when true faith (not hope) does not even look or question. It is settled. It walks “naturally.” One of my own choices came when my daughter Amy, announced her wedding in St. Lucia. Years before I had been schooling for my pilot’s license. Suffice to say my instructor chose to do something not in the “handbook” that week. It “scarred” me. I had to make the decision to trust God in returning to the air. But there was a season where I trusted my “fear.” The result of that season’s fears cost me relationships, value and finance while my trust in fear had gained ground. My trip to St. Lucia was without incident (Unless you call being pulled out of line and checked for gunpowder an incident.) and I was able to enjoy my time.
Tip-The longer you let fear rule an area the harder it is to trust God.
The difficult thing is God is not man. Yes, we have put our trust in man and seen man fail. God does not fail. He always is there. One of the reasons I believe God is “not trusted” is because church has made Him there ATM. Put your “card” in and pull out your answer. He is not like that nor does the Bible describe Him as that. While I believe in a powerful God I do not believe He always says “yes.” And I believe He has given over authority and dominion to us and much of what people blame God for is really in their hands. Continue reading Where Do You Put Your Trust?