A few nights ago, I was questioning my “existence”. I was not discouraged or depressed, but I definitely felt like there was a rabbit hole of sorts about me. My wife was away and God and I were having a pow wow about my life. Perhaps I had pulled out my checklist at some point. “This is good. This…not so much. This I do well. This is I stink at. Etc…” “Why am I here?” My “WISE” had turned to “WHYS”. Not necessarily the “bestest” of places to be. But I had to work through it.

The next morning I sat here and thought I can move these thoughts I put on paper out into life…or not. “Not” won out for the day. I did not really think about them. (They just sit here in my program with an icon of sorts to remind me to revisit.)But a conversation with Jacob about reputation and character last night reopened it in my mind. I thought “whose report do I believe about me?”

Last night after Jacob and Tina checked out for the night I began to examine a variety of things. Much of what was under the microscope were my beginnings in Him some 25 years ago. (Even as I wrote this I heard Ron Kenoly singing “Whose Report Will You Believe”. One of my favorites.)Faith, understanding, broad life changes. Roots! Only a few days I put out an article on faith and it appeared in a large news site, front page. People want and need faith.

Is that not the question on the board for us today? Whose report will you believe? Crisis ought not to drive us. (Unless it is to our knees.) “I will not be moved by urgency!” ought be our cry. I will not be moved! He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. Psalm 62:6

The other night I worked through my “I do not feel needed” moment. Unfortunately, my visit with Him revealed many are feeling the same way. For me I had “felt” on the shelf. I was reminded of a tremendous woman of God, Jill Austin, who had written a book I picked up in a meeting with her. It was about pottery set on the shelf before the firing. “What about me? Did you forget me?” And joy comes in the morning!As I write this today, I am proposing a solution. There are answers!

In a time of reflection this thought came to me. As airlines struggle, hospitals decide and people choose not to gather, it is time for the people of God to declare loudly “Our God Reigns!” Ebola bowed its knee to Jesus 2000 years ago. Time for the enforcement of His Kingdom. Not the reign of fear.

How?

Some 20 plus years ago I was part of a small group that traveled to the Midwest to gather with others of faith. (We slept in a Baptist church. So nice of them to provide the same color sleeping gowns. Oops! I was told they were choir robes!) On the second morning we headed over to the stadium. We arrived early as there were to be filled up.(The previous day it was packed to capacity-some 60,000.) But they made the decision to NOT open the doors until 10AM and we could not get in. A beautiful day, folks fellowshipped and then it happened. Men turned to face the city and songs of faith and adoration began to break out. Amazing! Everything changed in that next few minutes. “My God”, “Hallelujah” and “Awesome God” echoed through the city.

It changed me. It changed the atmosphere. Songs of deliverance and adoration changed the air waves.

I do not have the full revelation but as disease strikes fear into man, bringing further isolation to man, the enemy is working overtime to remove community and relationship. A few weeks ago I wrote an article on the restoration of relationship and community. I understand that this is testing of the word. (Not just mine, for I am sure there are others.) God’s people will overcome. Every little breakthrough you or I make will be a breakthrough. Just as He was Jehovah Perazim in the mulberries with David, so is he today. This morning I was thinking about all the things going on in the world. For instance in the disease and sickness world, we have Ebola, Enterovirus D68 and this morning I see leprosy in Ohio. Plus we have a mystery illness bobbing around. Wow! We have ISIS. We have war. Economic slides and destructions. The world is in turmoil. (This is NOT Y2K.2014!)

Why? What to do? How to respond?

First-remove the fear and doubt. There is a fire of fear.

When there is fire-STOP DROP AND ROLL

STOP (I used to think that meant Skid Tires On Pavement-imagine that!)-THE FEAR!

The first is to deal with the spirit of fear. It is gripping people, causing confusion and destruction. The airwaves are jam packed with fear. Even the printed word has power. Has the ability to produce fear. And with each day the world progresses in its fear. STOP! You, the people of God have the ability to change the world. Change the tide. Open the waters of faith and march them on through to the promised land.

What many are calling wisdom is fear. I have said this multiple times in my life. I did not get saved to serve fear. It is time for bold faith predicated on Him and our relationship with Him to stand up. (A few days ago, the city of Houston “had a problem”. Houston-your deliverance is coming. Watch for the unknown deliverer to stand in your midst. The city belongs to God!) I thought of my older friends who were raising the dead before it was “popular”. They never backed down. And I saw the return of these men and women of faith.

“While in South Africa, John G. Lake went through piles of dead bodies killed by the plague. He was looking for bodies to raise from the dead. People said he was crazy and that he would die from the plague. But he was firmly convinced that the Holy Spirit would never allow any bacteria or virus to harm him, and he was right – he never got the diseases he healed.”

It is time to STOP not gathering and begin to gather. Do not let fear and crisis overwhelm you. Reach out. Who have you not seen? They need you more than Netflix or sports or the news needs you! THEY NEED YOU! Isolation of men, women and children is not only happening in the hospitals. It is happening in the church! Rise up!

DROP-The F Bomb

It is time to drop the F BOMB. That is right. FAITH BOMBS on our communities, our nation and the nation of the world. Drop the fear mongering and drop faith! What does God say about this crisis or that fear? Got questions? He has answers! What disease did He not die for? NONE! ZERO! NADA! If you ever bemoaned this your season of life -the season has changed. The leaves have fallen and I can see clearly now! Leaves of healing for the nations! It is not enough to have faith in your prayer closet, but will you have faith in the workplace, the store or the school?

ROLL

In the “old” days there were “holy rollers” who shook, rattled and rolled under the power and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. We need some rollers. Those that will “roll over” the works of the enemy with powerful words of faith and action. Like a wheel, as they roll, there is no beginning, no end. Steam(Steam is heated up water released into the atmosphere!) rollers of love! (For perfect love casts out fear! 1 John 4:18)

I told my son-”no man is an island. But he is an archipelago.” You can not live alone and be healthy, wealthy and wise. Restore your health and get back in community. Throw down fear and rise up faith.

There is rolling of praise building up. Praise Him. New sounds of praise are coming. New songs of victory and overcoming are happening.

Change the atmosphere. Let your words testify of His greatness. Overcome. As we changed the world in Indianapolis, let us commune with the Lord and break the power of darkness. Let us join His body and stand up. Let us gather today in His name.

I think it is time to ask. Can I get an AMEN!

Our words are important. Visit this site to see Lee’s book on declaration and decree.