3 Keys to Financial Breakthrough

These are interesting, historic and uncertain times. No hour has ever been so key, so pivotal in God’s agenda for the ages. And, within this crucial moment, God has chosen to purposefully place you.

He placed you here and now, because He knew He could trust you to obey Him, to follow His Word by faith.

And I have good news for you: even in these times, God wants you to be fruitful. To His children, God gives peace during the storm, clarity during the chaos and prosperity during the famine. But there are three Biblical keys to claiming this God-offered fruitfulness.

#1 Stewardship

Stewardship is taking care of what you have, doing what you’re supposed to do with what you have and treating what you have like it’s what you want.

I find it interesting that many believers, who know that God is able, act as if He is unable when it comes to their finances. When we give to the gospel out of what we have now, we will be given more. I feel safe in saying that how you treat the gospel is how God will treat your finances. We say, “Bless me, and I’ll give.” God says, “Give, and I’ll bless you.”

We can’t expect more if we cannot obey with the little that we have.

We all want to be in a place where money is no longer a worry, where we can fund the Kingdom and bless our families. And God wants to take us to such a place.

But can God trust you with abundance? You’ll know the answer to that question by whether or not you give in time of need. When you can give with what you have now, it is a sign to God that you are ready for more.

“For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
~ Matthew 25:29

#2 Generosity

Without generosity, the stewardship of your finances requires no faith. For example, for some people, giving even $5 requires faith. To others, the giving of $5 is hardly even a reason for thought. Generosity is proportional. So if what you give doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t require faith to give it. And without faith, how can your financial management be pleasing to God? It’s impossible to please God without faith.

Generosity releases the flow of God’s provision in your life.

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”
~ Proverbs 11:25

Be the blessing that you want someone to be to you. Send that check in the mail, that random check you’re always hoping to find, to someone else. In the words of Jesus, “Give, and it shall be given.”

# 3 Faithfulness

Finally, in order to unlock the blessing of fruitfulness, you must be faithful. Faithfulness cannot be had in days, weeks or months. It takes years to have faithfulness.

Some people begin to sow into ministries and, after only a few months, stop, because their financial situation doesn’t seem to be getting “blessed”. But what God blesses is long-term generosity and stewardship. Though you may not see the results you want to see, keep sowing. It’s usually when you’ve come to what seems to be the end of your perseverance that God brings the breakthrough.

A Challenge

So, dear friend, I want to challenge you today to begin or continue in a lifestyle of giving to the gospel. Give to your local church faithfully. Support missionaries and global Christian projects. Involve your finances in the gospel, and God will involve Himself in your finances.

No matter how far your breakthrough may seem, a single step of faith can take you all the way to a miracle.

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Partnering with God

Years before my first national television broadcast hit the airwaves, I was working hard on accomplishing the vision God had given to me. Though I had been given clear instructions from the Lord, the completion of my divinely-given tasks required natural, daily action. I didn’t just sit around and say, “Lord, you’ll bring it to pass!”

In an effort to try to raise the necessary support, I posted a public facebook appeal. The responses I received were mostly positive. But there was one negative response that, because of human nature, stood out to me. A pastor sent me a scathing message, rebuking me using words to the effect of, “David, you are doing this all wrong. If God wanted you to have the support for the ministry, you wouldn’t have to ask for it; it would just come. You’ve been taught wrong, and you’re a gimmick.”

Immediately after sending me that message, the pastor blocked me, so I was unable to respond.

Now, over the years, I’ve had my share of strange posts and messages – they range from questions, to rebukes, etc. For the most part, I have developed the ability of non-reaction to negative posts. After receiving at least one a day for the past 16 years of online ministry, I don’t even flinch.

But when I received that FB message from that pastor, I was angered, confused….

… and discouraged.

I approached the Lord and asked, “Lord, is this true? Am I wrong for trying to cooperate with your will? Is it wrong for me to ask for help?”

Over the next few years, the Lord would show me in scripture that many of God’s servants asked for help. So today I take no issue with rallying support for the gospel. And I’ve learned this:

There is a big difference between being called to do something and being motivated to do something. Motivation can accomplish much, but unless God breathes upon a work, it’s all in vain. You must be called to do something in order to have God in it. But, contrary to the common misconceptions, the call of God does not present an obstruction-free path. Being presumptuous is unwise, but doing nothing is also foolish. God desires to bless you and prosper you. But it’s not entirely on God.

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” - 3 John 1:2

Whether you desire to prosper in business, ministry or other areas of your life, I believe that God wants to prosper you. But having God on your side does not mean that you do not have to work hard.

“The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.” - Deuteronomy 28:12

There was something I noticed in this scripture that I know I was not the first to notice. God will prosper the WORK of your hands, not your hands. From Genesis to Revelation, we see a beautiful working between God and man. God chooses to use men to accomplish His will in the earth.

“Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” - Proverbs 10:4

God will not give automatic prosperity to those who just sit there and say, “Lord, here I am – prosper me.” God responds to faith, not inaction. We are to balance hard work with faith – and God will surely prosper that.

For example, I am in the healing ministry. But I don’t just sit around all day and expect people to give to my ministry. I am in constant prayer, searching for direction from the Lord. His hand guides me to do effective work (not just busy work) for the kingdom.

I have to know the right lessons to put out, the correct systems to run, the proper accounting to apply and so on. I work regular hours, Monday through Friday, on ministry endeavors. Event planning, video production, meetings, TV tapings, accounting, marketing, writing and even hours of Biblical studies (besides my personal devotion). There is so much to be done that I  had to bring several ministry employees on staff, and we still have to work hard to keep up with all there is to do.

To this hard work, I apply prayer. Without a clear direction, there is no sense in moving forward. Everything we do is rooted in prayer. And it is this blending of hard work and faith that have led to the dynamic we have in ministry today. And I believe that our faithfulness to the Lord is what causes our ministry to continue in growth.

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” - Luke 16:10

You must show faithfulness. And you have to give Him something to bless. You can’t expect God to bless your ministry if the only hard work you do is to keep yourself from hard work. There are no shortcuts in God’s kingdom. Quick works will quickly fail. God gives visions AND plans. The vision is the heart; the plan is the action.

Only God can send the wind, but you must raise the sail. Only God can send the fire, but you must build the altar. Only God can send the rain, but you need to put seed in the ground.

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The Hiding Place: Where Power is Cultivated

Before God will bless you, He will test you. Before God will promote you, He will humble you. Before God will expose you, He will hide you. Before God will anoint you, He will process you.

Before David was a King, he was a shepherd.

The anointing will hide you before is exposes you.

“When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the Lord has chosen.” Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the Lord has chosen.” In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.” - 1 Samuel 16:6-12

Samuel the prophet, instructed of the Lord to anoint a king, went to visit the house of Jesse. Upon hearing of Samuel’s intentions, Jesse presented his sons before the prophet. But Jesse left out a son; he didn’t present David. David was the unconsidered son of Jesse but the next king of Israel.

Why did Jesse leave David out of the line up? Was it because of his work as a shepherd? Was it because of his age? Was it because of his strange behaviors of worship? Or was it simply because of the ability of Jesse’s other sons? Maybe Jesse thought, “My other sons are so qualified that David doesn’t stand a chance.”

David was anointed, and that anointing caused him to be hidden for a season. Whatever thought it was that ran through Jesse’s mind, ultimately it was God who kept David hidden. Like a developing baby is protected in the womb, so God will hide his anointed until their time.

Hiddenness is an important part of being anointed. Though hiddenness does not mean inaction, it does mean that you’ll at first be overlooked and counted out. Others will not see the value in you at first, but that will only be for a season.

Hiddenness brings growth. Hiddenness brings intimacy with the Spirit. In hiddenness, your prayer life is developed, revelation is received and your patience is tested. Don’t rush this season; it’s crucial to your ministry’s foundation. Don’t be discouraged when you feel overlooked. God is processing you. The deeper the roots go, the taller the tree will grow.

In fact, in every stage of growth, you will experience a level of hiddenness. Every level of promotion is preceded by a season of hiding. God must process you before you go on to the next level of your calling. At each stage of growth, a new influence or ability is revealed. Embrace the hiddnness and be glad.

Others may think the job belongs to another, because of their ability, connections or position. But remember this: nobody expected David the shepherd to become David the king except God; The next in line are the unlikely ones.

Don’t despise the staff; it is the key to the crown.

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Carry Your Cross

Yesterday, my aunt and uncle, who are missionaries to Romania, gathered with several of us family members at my grandmother’s house. We gathered to celebrate my Aunt’s birthday. It was a rare but very much enjoyed moment. Gatherings like that are, for us, few and far between. Our family is scattered seed, purposefully planted by the hand of God in various regions of the world.

Though my immediate family gathers quite consistently, we have, for the most part, settled with the reality that it may not always be that way. We are committed to going anywhere the Lord might lead for the sake of the gospel.

In fact, I remember saying good-bye to my grandparents when I was only 7 years old. After a wonderful season of them having lived with us, my grandparents, in an unexpected season of life, saw an opportunity to get the gospel into Russia. The night before they flew out of the country, my parents and my siblings spent time talking with them. I remember the entire family crying together. It was heartbreaking.

Yet, even then, we knew why it had to be done.

Now back in the States, my grandparents still pastor here in Southern California, as do my parents.

So we gathered on Sunday evening. I stood at my grandmother’s house until about 11pm, talking about politics, old family stories and the Lord’s agenda for the nations.

But that got me thinking about the price of ministry. We often hear of God’s blessings, and I believe in God’s blessings – the ones that make us smile.

But we’ve also been blessed with a cross. We have the honor of sacrificial response. (And I use “sacrificial” hesitantly, for the reality is that we end up being blessed anyway, so there really is no such thing as sacrifice for us – we always come up with more than we put in.)

We all have a cross to bear for the sake of the Kingdom.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” - Matthew 16:24

Notice that Jesus says this to his disciples. He doesn’t say this to admirers, listeners or fans. He says it to those who are committed to doing what He does.

To be saved, you just need faith. However, to be a disciple, it takes the rest of what you have.

The cross is a place of death. When following Christ, when doing His work, there will be things in your life that have to die. But that’s where the real power is found – in the surrendered life.

We must graduate from elementary faith, and we must pick up the cross. Not everything will be easy. Christ never promised easy. If you want to be used of God, then you must die daily, surrender all and commit totally to His purposes. My encouragement to you today: pick up your cross!

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Your Jordan River

The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. - 2 Kings 5:1

A mighty warrior, Naman, was made vulnerable by his sickness, a leprosy which ate away at his body. Though strong, Naman was becoming weaker by the day, and he needed a miracle. He sought the help of God’s prophet.

So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy." - 2 Kings 5:9-10

A simple task, the easy command to go and wash in the Jordan proved to be insulting to such a mighty man. And it was insulting for two reasons. 1. Naman expected a challenging command, one that would leave him responsible, not dependent, for his miracle. He wanted to get himself out of his plight. 2. The Jordan river was a dirty one, at least by comparison to the other rivers.

But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed! - 2 Kings 5:11-14

Despite his offense, Naman was persuaded to obey the words of the prophet. And Naman was healed.

Isn’t that just like us sometimes? We find ourselves in difficult circumstances. But, instead of obeying the wisdom of Heaven, we opt to try to fix things ourselves.

We find it difficult to obey God – to wash in the Jordan.

A few weeks ago, I was thinking about the people who come to my services and are skeptical of me. Often, people, who think I’m a fake or too “showy”, will come to my services as skeptics but leave as believers. Their doubts range – “I didn’t believe in being slain in the Spirit” or “I thought healing was fake.”

I wondered about that, and I asked the Lord why He made my ministry so, to some, bizarre and difficult to believe. The answer was simple. God spoke to my heart, “To some men and women, you are my Jordan river, and they are forced to humble themselves by receiving from me, through you.”

I was amazed! But then I realized that I too had my Jordan Rivers, commands from God, strategies on escaping a difficult place. And I was convicted.

A Jordan River can be a person, a decision, an action or a mindset – it’s the thing that is difficult to do even if it will result in your miracle, the thing that will humble you.

When we are financially struggling, we don’t want to give. When we are angry, we don’t want to apologize. When we are prideful, we don’t want to humble ourselves. When we are offended, we don’t want to forgive. When we need a miracle, we don’t want to get our hopes up.

But for every circumstance, God has given you a Jordan River. Have faith, dive in, wash up and receive your miracle!

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The Power of Impartation: 7 Quotes That Changed Me

I am very intentional about cultivating and preserving, within myself, both a willingness and an ability to learn from others. Everybody knows something that you don’t. So it is wise to glean the good from within people. I have received from people of varying personalities, cultures, mindsets and expressions. Many great men and women of God have spoken mindset-altering words into my life.

“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,” - Proverbs 1:5

When I was about 15 years old, I received a prophetic word over my life. The prophet told me that I would be a cross-pollination of several types of anointing. And, throughout my time in ministry, I have observed and/or served many great men and women of God. I listen intently to the fiercely intellectual, receive inspiration from the deeply spiritual, glean impartation from the magnetically charismatic and work to mimic those who walk in holy integrity.

In addition, I have become comfortable with who I am as a unique individual, embracing my own tone, personality, cadence, preaching style and manner of thinking. That is the power of impartation – it assembles the positives of several people into one individual who is willing to grow.

Because of that, I am convinced that every generation should carry upon it a greater power and level of integrity.

I highly recommend this sort of discipleship. I encourage you to embrace who God uniquely created you to be, while receiving from the good upon the lives of others. This is what impartation is all about. Everyone will affect you to varying degrees; some more than others, some from up close and some from a distance. But remain keen, so that you will not miss an opportunity to receive from God.

So here, in this post, I will list 7 quotes from people who are among those who have influenced my life the most.  I hope that their words will influence you too, and I pray that you will become passionate about learning and receiving from others.

Benny Hinn

“Good morning, Holy Spirit.”

Pastor Benny Hinn has had a key influence on my life, and he and I have become friends over the years. I would liken his impact on my life to Kathryn Kuhlman’s impact on his life. I consider him a spiritual mentor. Though I have developed my own unique manner of ministering, I am thankful for what I have received from Pastor Benny’s ministry.

His words, “Good morning, Holy Spirit”, forever changed my perception of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a force, a wave or a lesser member of the trinity. The Holy Spirit is a person, Who can be personally known. In fact, the Holy Spirit can be your closest and most cherished friend. Closeness with the Holy Spirit is the key to the fullness of the Christian life. He reveals Christ, inspires true worship, empowers genuine prayer and works alongside the believer. It was this revelation of the Holy Spirit that completely and radically transformed me in the most profound way.

Tommy Miller

“Your computer is your studio.”

When I first began to initiate the ministry’s television outreach, I had a command from God but no plan to fulfill that command. I had the “What”, but I didn’t have the “How”. I was diligent to research media and production, as well as plan scheduling, editing, program format, shoot locations, airtime logistics, network connecting and so on.

There was only one personal contact I made with someone who had any experience at all in television ministry. Overwhelmed by the great task that lay ahead of me, I contacted Tommy Miller. Tommy Miller had been doing television for years. Having started as a traveling evangelist, Tommy Miller was used by God to build an amazing work.

Nervous and very intimidated, I placed a phone call to Tommy Miller. I still remember how anxious I was when the phone was ringing. To be honest, part of me had hoped that he wouldn’t answer. But sure enough, Pastor Tommy picked up the phone. Now I don’t recall the details of that conversation. I just remember that Pastor Tommy was very kind, very generous with his time and very helpful.

However, there was one thing, in particular, that he told me that got the ball rolling for the television ministry. I had asked him a question regarding TV equipment. I had a big vision but a small bank account. Frustrated yet excited, I didn’t know where to start. “Pastor Tommy”, I said, “I only have one camera and a computer. But I need a TV studio. How do I get what I need without the funds?” Pastor Tommy replied, “David, your computer is your tv studio. Just do what you can with what you have. And God will add to it.” His wise words immediately got through to me. To this day, I make the best use of my available resources.

The reality: right now, you have everything that you need to accomplish what God wants you to accomplish in this season. Don’t wait for the ideal situation to come along before you begin to act. Do what you can with what you have right now. Excellence isn’t having the best of everything. It’s doing your best with everything you have. Don’t delay God’s call, because you despise small beginnings. Take what you have right now and start doing what God put on your heart to do.

Paul Pimentel

“The dream is for the dreamer.”

I first met Paul Pimentel about 3.5 years ago. Now the executive producer of Encounter TV, Paul had at one point never even heard about me or this ministry. The pastor of a church, he invited me to speak for a Sunday morning service. He enjoyed the ministry and we began to connect.

On one of my return visits, Pastor Paul spoke words that deeply impacted me. In somewhat of a season of discouragement, I had taken a trip to visit the Pimentels. I often go there when I need to refuel and refresh.

After one of the services at which I had ministered, the Pimentel family took me out for lunch. It was during that lunch that Pastor Paul began to share with me his testimony. He had no idea that I was under discouragement and an unusually high amount of criticism from others. But, during the course of his sharing, he said something that leaped out at me!

Discussing the criticism he endured, he said, “But you know, Diga, the dream is for the dreamer.”

The dream is for the dreamer. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t quit. Don’t let the enemy bring sadness over the things that have yet to manifest in your life. Allow the process that can only take place when you’re having your patience tested. Don’t give up on what God has shown you and don’t expect others to always understand – the dream is for the dreamer, so move beyond the criticism.

Ron Simpkins

“What’s God sayin?”

Very rarely do I describe someone as having a gifted mind, but that is how I’d describe this man. Ron Simpkins is a brilliant man. Throughout the years, he has been very key in helping me to refocus energy and think critically in ministry. His insights have helped me to make shifts that helped the ministry to expand.

But beside his cerebral gifting, he is also a man of the spirit. Of all the principles, strategies, insights and approaches that I have learned from him, the single most influential thing I have ever heard him say to me was, “What’s God sayin?”

You see, even though he possesses great intellect, he is still highly dependent on the voice of God. He doesn’t lean on his own understanding – though if anyone could, it would be him.

What’s God saying? Our efforts and gifts do not matter if we cannot align ourselves with God’s agenda. If you want God to be in what you’re doing, simply go along with His agenda. No matter how talented you are, you need to know what God’s doing. What’s his plan for this season of your life? How does what you’re doing fit into His global strategy? When is the last time that you asked Him what He wanted from you? When is the last time that you asked Him about the direction of your church, ministry or life? What’s God saying?

Eddie Vargas

“Okay”

Eddie Vargas was, at first, my youth leader. He was the one who scheduled me to preach my very first sermon. He bought me the first Bible that I studied, entrusted me with my first ministry and pushed me to pursue the call of God on my life.

His response to everything I wanted to do for God was and is, “Okay. Sounds great.” But that was his attitude: “Okay”. He didn’t obstruct me. He didn’t stifle my gifts. He didn’t look down on me. Neither did he pressure me to do what I wasn’t called to do. Anytime I approached him with what God had put on my heart, he would simply say, “Okay.” And then he would help me do it.

How many people do you empower? Isn’t it amazing how we often raise the bar once we’ve passed it? Are you enabling people or stifling them? Do you disciple people to grow what you’re doing, or do you disciple people so that they can fulfill the call of God on their lives? Are you quick to give opportunity? Or do you fear others doing better than you? We need to allow expression of ministry to flow. When they ask for permission to do God’s work, our response, unless scripture truly warrants otherwise, should be, “Okay.”

Omar Lopez

“There’s a reason behind everything that I do.”

My pastor is a very thoughtful and methodical man. When I first began to serve closely under him, I would find myself frustrated by his pacing. But I soon learned that his pacing, in the long run, saved more time than my own pace. He is more about doing things right than about doing them quickly.

I recall one instance in particular. I was only about 10 years old. I was watching him rearrange the self-serve coffee items in the church fellowship hall. Then he began to serve himself. Having just rearranged everything, I figured that he would realize that one creamer was practically empty. Still, he used that creamer first. I watched as he tapped the creamer against his cup. He was persistent in trying to get the last of the creamer. Why didn’t he just use the new one? It would have been much easier. I found it humorous and laughed quietly to myself. But he overheard me.

He called me over.

He explained to me that it’s a good idea to make full use of whatever you have – don’t be wasteful. I then understood that he was just trying to use the last of the creamer before he opened the new one. That was a good lesson in itself, but then he said this: “Diga, there’s a reason behind everything that I do.”

And that stuck with me. Don’t ask me why. Maybe it was the way he said it. But it just has stuck with me.

Be purposeful. Be thoughtful. Take your time. Be methodical. Don’t be wasteful with your time or energy – let there be a reason behind everything that you do. Take the time to plan. Don’t rush through the details. Nothing will slow you down more than a shortcut. Let there be quality and excellence to everything you touch. Haste really does make waste. But wisdom pleads with us to use the power of intent.

Pastor Omar is the pastor of a thriving church and a fruitful church planter. I have seen, first hand, the fruit of his ability to be patient and purposeful.

David Hernandez, Sr.

“You can be whatever you want, so long as you love Jesus.”

The most influential man in my life is my father. He’s a pastor and a family man. He was the same man in the church as he was at home, and that was crucial in my life.

He never pressured me to do ministry, held me to the “pastor’s kid” standard or made me feel like I had to do what he did. So when it came time for me to respond to the call of God, I never second guessed myself. I never had to ask, “Is this just my dad pressuring me, or is this really God?”

Because he had always told me, “You can be whatever you want, so long as you love Jesus”, I was able to discover the call of God for myself. So when God called me, it was personal. My response to the call of God was wholly my own. And that made it stick when times got tough.

Don’t pressure people to serve God like you do. God created different servants with different service abilities. Their sacrifice won’t look like yours. But you likely couldn’t handle their disciplines or responsibilities. Just because people aren’t doing what you’re doing, how you’re doing it or to the extent that you’re doing it, doesn’t mean that they’re doing any less than you. Let their love for Jesus be manifested in its own way.

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Are You Too Spiritual?

There is no such thing as being too spiritual. You can be too emotional. You can be too chaotic. You can be too weird. You can be too strict. But you can never be too spiritual.

The essence of spirituality is not strictness, seriousness, silliness or spookiness. Do not equate such characteristics with what should be your highest goal. Being spiritual is simply being aware of and in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. And He marks those who spend time in His presence with distinct characteristics.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” - Galatians 5:22-23

Your interaction with the Holy Spirit makes up the entirety of your spirituality. We must judge our spirituality, no upon misconceptions, but upon how we respond to the Holy Spirit.

There seem to be two extremes of so-called spirituality.

On one hand, there are those who deem themselves spiritual on account of their stoic and stiff nature. These might live seemingly holy lives, but their countenance is so depressing that their spirituality lacks the magnetism that Jesus carried. They are harsh in their dealings with others and hold to standards that Christ Himself has never raised. Making it more difficult for people to get into Heaven than it ought to be, they present a false sense of spirituality that is rather suffocating.

These lack love, joy, peace, kindness and gentleness.

On the other hand, we see those who are silly and senseless in their approach to spirituality. Seeking inebriation rather than intimacy, they present a peculiar and chaotic example that leaves most to consider them brainless. Hiding behind the flimsy defense of being “free in the spirit”, they turn the church into a circus and carry on with aimless wandering, drifting without purposeful action. The gospel is not a drug, and the Holy Spirit is not ecstasy. Far from being effective, these gather to themselves a culture of the church’s harshest critics, and they preach an openly rebellious, anti-establishment message.

These lack patience, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.

In the case of extremes, it’s not that people go too far; it’s that they don’t go far enough. They stop short of spirituality and settle in the valleys of senselessness and seriousness.

We must look no further than the Holy Spirit for the balance. A member of the divine Godhead, He is both royal and rugged. He is powerful and vulnerable, soft-spoken and heavy-handed. He is elegant and, quite literally, down to earth.

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My Dream of Heaven

I must clarify up front that I make no claim to have visited Heaven. I was not translated, and I did not die. Nor would I classify what I saw as a vision. I am simply sharing with you a dream I had, and, if my dream was at all indicative of what we might experience of Heaven, we have much to expect.

This dream, unlike any other I had ever before dreamed, was astonishingly vivid, and I, while experiencing the dream, was unusually cognitive.

It went like this:

The first thing I can remember is that I was suddenly standing upon the fine, almost powder-like, white sands of a beach that stretched out for miles in both directions. The sand was warm and was met by the waves of a clear, light-blue ocean. There was such a clarity to the water that I was able to see under its surface. As I looked into the ocean’s gentle waves, I could see perfect castle-like formations of coral reefs. There were reefs of multiple different colors, though I mostly saw reds and yellows. Swimming through and around those formations were fish that were just as colorful. Their scales were decorated with reflective patches, patterned in a deliberate manner. The reflective shimmers, bright and multicolored, resembled those of L.E.D. lighting – the tiny bulbs you would find in modern day fixtures.

As I stood there mesmerized by the lively underwater scene, I felt a breeze move passed me. It was cool enough to be refreshing without causing me any discomfort. At that moment, I looked up at the blue sky filled with white billows of clouds. I can’t really explain this, but the sky seemed so much larger than in real life. And the sky, like the water, was also very clear. Though it was daytime, I could see faint displays of stars, colorful galaxies, shining through the sky. That display, in particular, was so awesome that is was borderline terrifying.

My attention was then called back to the shore on which I stood, and my eyes came to be fixed on a large house that was set on the far end of a peninsula. The peninsula was made a large black rocks – rocks that looked polished and were set in an orderly fashion. And on the rocks was an elongated field of vividly green grass.

The moment my attention was drawn to the house, I was in it, as if I traveled by thought. The house was three stories, furnished with modern fixtures and materials. The bottom floor had a window through which I could look out directly into the ocean. I saw two whale swim by. (To hear the end of my dream, click here)

If Heaven gives even a small amount of the joy I felt in my dream, it will be wonderful. Heaven, the realm of God’s manifested glory, has been promised by Jesus Himself.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” - John 14:1-4

Believer, we have a great hope, the hope of Heaven. As you go about the rest of your week, I want you to be mindful of the beauty, the glory that is to come. For if you call Jesus Lord, then you call Heaven your home.

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What is the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

Often, this question is asked from the state of fear. Terrified that they have committed the eternally unpardonable sin against the Spirit, some believers live out of a guilt-burdened discouragement. My heart goes out whenever I am met with a correspondence from someone who is filled with a tight and paralyzing anxiety. With panicked speech, they cry out in distress, “Have I committed the sin that cannot be forgiven? Am I forever doomed because of a single action?” While I understand that this topic can be somewhat alarming, it is important to remember that fear doesn’t come from God.

“ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7

Anything that takes away the soundness of mind isn’t of God. So if you carry uneasiness in your heart, know that God wasn’t the One Who put it there. Even conviction, which can sometimes bring about a sense of sorrow over sin, is essentially hope-filled, as it presents both problem and solution at once. Compare that with ungodly fear which is always paired with hopelessness.

First, let’s look at the key verse.

“’So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.’" - Matthew 12:31-32

Those are some very harsh words from Jesus. They are words found in three of the four gospels. So, before I attempt to do any explaining, know that I am not attempting to trivialize or minimalize the weightiness of the matter addressed. Jesus really meant what He said. There is certainly a sin that can never be forgiven. Of that be certain.

Jesus really meant what He meant. Jesus is very meticulous about His choice of Words, and every single one of them are inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself. Never really means never. Forgiven really means forgiven. “Never forgiven” really means “Never forgiven”.

Jesus really was speaking of a sin that could secure a soul’s eternal damnation. That soul can never be forgiven – not in this world or the world to come, not in this age or the age to come. So we must tread reverently in our approach to understanding those very holy words. In an attempt to comfort one another, we must not lower any standards that Christ Himself has raised. Neither should we aim to inspire ease where Christ has purposed to inspire great reverence.

Study the verse from any angle, and the seriousness is still very obvious. I approach the verse, as Paul approached the preaching of the gospel.

“Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…" - 2 Corinthians 5:11

Secondly, let’s look at the verse’s context.

Simultaneously curing a man’s speech and sight, Jesus delivered that man from a demonic spirit. Upon seeing the marvelous deliverance, a crowd of spectators began to praise Jesus and discuss the idea that Jesus might be the messiah, the Savior of the world.

Within the crowd of onlookers was a group of Pharisees. They were constantly looking for a means by which they could discredit Jesus. So, in response to the deliverance they witnessed, the Pharisees accused Christ of using the power of Satan to cast out demons. Jesus responded by saying,  “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said.” (Matthew 12:25-27)

Now recall that it is by the Holy Spirit’s power that demons are expelled from an individual. Jesus corroborates that truth by saying, “But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” (Matthew 12:28-30)

In the very next breath, Jesus gives us the gravely stern words we are analyzing. The Pharisees attributed the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. That’s horrifying and very chilling. What an ugly accusation!

So is that it? Is false attribution the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

Well, look at the account of Mark’s gospel. His narrative includes a portion where the Pharisees say that Jesus was, “… possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”

Not only did the Pharisees attribute the working of Christ to demonic power. They also accused Christ of being possessed by Satan Himself. They said that the Holy Spirit was Satan and rejected Christ’s divinity.

We should have no trouble at all knowing the context of Christ’s warning. For, in fact, the Scripture specifically tells us why Jesus even spoke such sobering words in the first place.

“He told them this because they were saying, ‘He’s possessed by an evil spirit.’" - Mark 3:30

Thirdly, we must understand the word itself. Blaspheme here is the greek term blasphemia. (Side note: Interestingly, it’s a feminine noun.) It is slanderous speech against the divine. It is injurious speech. This is why Jesus used the phrasing, “who speaks against the Holy Spirit…”

So we can rule out some of the sins that are commonly pegged as the “unpardonable sin”: murder, suicide, fornication, witchcraft, adultery and so on. Those sins cannot be the unpardonable sin, because they are not sins of speech. Furthermore, even general blasphemy against God can be forgiven, as Jesus makes perfectly clear when He declared, “all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven…” Of course, He went on to specify the exception. Jesus was very specific with His message, and it is that specificity that makes the unpardonable sin more difficult to commit.

Now some suggest that the unpardonable sin is the sin of consistent and stubborn unbelief.  In other words, it’s “unbelief until death”. That cannot be true. Otherwise, how could one be marked as unforgiveable “in this world”, as Jesus put it? That one can be beyond God’s forgiveness in this world means that the sin can be committed on this side of eternity. Plus, the idea, that the unpardonable sin cannot be committed while one is living, completely ignores the original context where the matter was first addressed.

The Pharisees had either committed the sin or were otherwise perilously close to committing the sin. So what was it that they did?

They claimed that the Holy Spirit was Satanic, and they basically called Christ Satan. They witnessed the obvious working of God among them yet denounced Christ. Recall that all spirits against Christ will deny His Lordship.

“So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit." - 1 Corinthians 12:3

Therefore, it is not possible for a Christian to commit this sin.

Even still, by a non-believer, it is not easy to commit. The unpardonable sin is a very intentional one; you cannot commit it by accident.

The Pharisees stood before Christ in the flesh. Faced with an obvious miracle, they stubbornly denied the work of Christ. And, in an effort to deny an obvious work of God, the pharisees blatantly blasphemed what they probably knew to be divine, though they were too prideful to admit it. Furthermore, the Scripture doesn’t indicate whether or not the Pharisees had actually committed the sin.

The one who commits the unpardonable sin is so against the Holy Spirit that they move beyond the ability to repent of sin. The Holy Spirit will only convict the sinner who has the ability to repent. Otherwise, why would He convict them?

“But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them." - John 6:36-37

Jesus will never reject the one who comes to Him. That verse is true even when contrasted with this section’s key scripture. How then do we reconcile the two scriptures? Basically, anyone who comes to Jesus has yet to commit the unpardonable sin. Otherwise, how could His promise to never reject anyone hold true?

Truth: Jesus promises to never reject the one who comes to Him.

Truth: The one who commits the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is rejected.

Reconciled Truth: The one who comes to Jesus has yet to commit the unpardonable sin.

Conclusion: Jesus will accept anyone who comes to Him.

So we know that the one who has truly committed the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit doesn’t have the ability to be convicted. For it is the Spirit Who convicts (John 16:8). If one does not have the ability to be convicted, he also does not have the ability to repent.

So, if you are worried that you have committed the unpardonable sin, you haven’t committed it. If ever you turn toward Christ, He we will receive you. I stress: we must compare scripture with scripture.

In conclusion, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a sin of the tongue that can be committed while you’re still alive. It is a slanderous attribution of the Spirit’s work. But, however one might define the unpardonable sin, it is clear that, if you have truly committed such a sin, then you will have no interest in repentance and no fear of having committed it. A desire to be forgiven and a fear of committing it are both proof that you have not committed it. When scripture is compared to scripture, we find that Jesus will never reject anyone. That is how we know that one must very deliberately move beyond a certain point in order to commit the unpardonable sin. However, it is a very sobering truth.

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Beholding the Glory

One of the scriptures I consider most often is this beautiful verse:

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord–who is the Spirit–makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.” - 2 Corinthians 3:18

Jesus is the Glory of God.

And, because of the work of the Holy Spirit, you and I can fix a clear gaze upon the face of Jesus. It is that fixation, that divine obsession, that brings about God’s transformative power in our lives. We behold the very glory of God.

Behold…

be hold…

As we hold the gaze, He causes us to be like him.

In Exodus 33:10 the scripture says, “But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” To behold the Glory, to gaze upon the countenance of Christ, is to experience the death of self and life unto God.

The scripture also says, “But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.” (Psalm 1:2). According to John 1:1, the Word is Christ. So Christ is our meditation. Upon Him, we meditate. And as we meditate upon Christ (The Word), the Holy Spirit takes the Word and causes it to become revelation.

Jesus is revealed.

The veil is lifted.

And we are changed as we behold Him…

The very Glory of God.

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The Immortal Mind

While it is in the nature of man to avoid the contemplation of his own demise, it is very healthy to consider the fact, the harsh reality that, no matter what we say or do, you and I will one day die. I know this isn’t popular preaching in the age of the self-help, life-improvement gospel, but the Bible is very clear on this matter. For the scripture says,

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” - James 4:14

The Bible also says,

“By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” - Genesis 3:19

I’m not telling you this to frighten you. I’m not telling you this to discourage or depress you. I’m telling you this so that you can live your life in the light of eternity.

Today, you often hear it said, “Live for the moment; the moment is all that matters.” While we should find cause for appreciation during every moment of this life, it is foolishness to live as though the moment is all that matters. It’s silly and naive to think that the moment is all that is worth consideration. First of all, what is “the now” if not the result of past decisions? Every now moment has been directly influenced by the accumulative effect of “then moments”.

Furthermore, the only reason that “now” could ever possibly, actually matter is if there is a future to be affected.

Truly consider the nature of purpose. Purpose is only imaginary if all things are only temporary. Remove eternity from the equation and what purpose have you left?

Why does tomorrow actually matter if there is no eternity?

Some would say, “Well, the good you do today can long outlive you.”

That is definitely true, but what about afterwards?

If we seek to find our purpose in adding a page of our own to the history books, we fail to recognize that history too will someday itself cease to be. Even if your legacy should reach beyond to the generations to come, your legacy will only last as long as the society which honors or remembers said legacy. But what about when the generations are no more? What about 200 years from now, when your kids, grandkids and maybe even your great grandkids have returned to the dust? What then?

What happens at the fall of a city? Of a nation? What is to become of anyone’s accomplishments when the earth itself is gone? Even if we should advance so far along that we, as a society, are able to travel throughout the vast distances of the cosmos, won’t all material things come to nothing? Can any created being, without the protection of God, see its species survive indefinitely? Nothing lasts forever. Eventually all odds of catastrophe stack too highly. Throughout the eons, an apocalyptic event would become unavoidable, certain. In fact, the universe itself is headed toward dark and cold nothingness.

Death is the great equalizer: every billionaire and ever beggar, every president and every prisoner, every king and every kid – all of us will face death. All of mankind, of current days and of ancient days, spends his or her life, a brief moment, upon this earth. Our limited time is spent in a temporary world, and there is no escaping that reality.

Without the existence of an eternal place, there is no purpose other than the delusional purpose we might subjectively embrace for comfort’s sake. All that matters, all that is left, is what we do to affect eternity. Only the life spent for the eternal is a life filled with purpose.

This is why the scripture says,

“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” - Colossians 3:2

There are at least three benefits that belong to the one who bears an immortal mind, a mind fixed on eternity.

#1 – The Immortal Mind knows the purest gospel.

The eternal perspective is the perspective which leads one to find the most truthful interpretation of scripture and the gospel message.

If ever you have heard a version of the gospel with which you found a small, difficult-to-justify discomfort, you are not alone. For a while, whenever I would hear a gospel being preached which only promised blessing, a better life, humanitarian success and social justice for all, I found it difficult to place my finger on what exactly it was that I found to be disagreeable. Much of the modern preaching sounded orthodox, but, still, I found something to be amiss.

It wasn’t until recently that I was able to successfully identify the source of my misgivings. You see, the true gospel promises most of its impact to one’s eternity. There is nothing wrong with being blessed or devoted to aiding one’s fellow man. But, when our proclamation of the gospel becomes mostly about what we do here on earth, we’re missing something big. Jesus Himself said,

“Jesus answered, ‘My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.’” - John 18:36

The gospel will improve your life, but that’s not what it’s all about. Following Christ is a commitment to self-denial, not self-improvement. The gospel may be advanced by humanitarian efforts, but the rescue mission to save souls is the greatest humanitarian effort of all time. It is dangerous to preach only likable portions of the gospel to attract people to Christ.

First of all, why would you ever share only a portion of the gospel when not a single one of us is promised tomorrow? Secondly, we see no example of portioned presentations of the gospel in scripture.

It is the duty of every believer to preach all of the gospel.

Only when one is thinking through the paradigm of eternity can that one remain properly grounded.

The second benefit of having an immortal mind is that it inspires godly decisions.

#2 The Immortal Mind inspires holy living.

“Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.” - Hebrews 12:14

When you are aware of the fact that you will be held responsible for how you’ve lived your life, you gain the motivation to live right and holy. Your thoughts and your actions have an audience with God.

How much would your behavior change if you knew that you were going to stand before Christ today? Are you ready to give an account for your life? If you were to stand before the Lord right now, would He find you faithful? Though I may falter, I am determined to give my all to Him. I want my walk with the Lord to be one of consistency. When I am well, I will walk for His will. When I am refreshed, I will run for His will. When I am weary, I will crawl for His will.

Yes, I am determined, when this life has ended, to be able to look at my Master and be able to say, “Lord, I did all I could do. I gave my all for you.” Can you maintain your honesty when you say, “I’m living in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.”? If so, continue. If not, consider the brevity of life, while also contemplating the scope of eternity.

When you are mindful of just how fragile the human body is, something in you will change. We are so easily broken unto death. Life is a thin, fragile glass upon which we walk. Below us is eternity, and, once that glass shatters, we must meet the Creator.

There is no do over. Do not wait for the ideal situation to present itself to you, for no such ideal situation exists. Don’t wait for anything. Instead, use your every moment to store for yourself treasure in Heaven. Disdain sin and avoid evil. Be aware of that which comes after this life here on earth. Know that you will one day give an account for your every day.

But, contrary to what some might believe, living with the immortal mindset is not the same as living in fear. Just the opposite is true. When you live with an immortal mind, fear loses its power over you.

#3 The Immortal Mind is not fearful.

We fear loss. We fear pain. We fear death. We fear rejection, failure and harm.

But, in eternity, for the believer, none of those things exist. This life, compared with eternity, is not even equal to a second. So, no matter what may come in this life, it does not compare to what eternity has to offer.

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” - Romans 8:18

“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” - 2 Corinthians 4:17

Therefore, we can rest in peace now. Most count on death to bring them that sort of rest, but we count on the Word of God to bring us that rest, for Jesus promised,

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” - John 14:1-3

If you wait for death to allow you to rest in peace, then you have crowned the grave as prince. But, if you stand upon the promises of God, you can in this life rest in peace, for Christ is the prince of peace.

What, therefore, should cause us to fear? Should we lose a loved one, we have the hope of seeing them once more. Should we be martyred, tortured or persecuted for Christ’s sake, it is only for a moment. We have no evil to fear – sickness, terrorism, financial crisis – none of these should be feared. For all of that which causes men to fear, we will outlast in the beauty of eternity.

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The Surrendered Life

What qualifies one to be a minister of the gospel? What attributes must the believer acquire before he or she can be fit for the Master’s use?

Certainly, there are standards one must reach before being considered worthy of God’s high call. Such standards of proficiency are plainly laid out in the scripture. 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 lay out for us a general standard of leadership. But beyond those standards, we often reach or aim to reach further than we are able, further than God actually requires us to reach.

We disqualify ourselves based upon imperfections, inadequacies and past mistakes. In fact, some people have left the ministry and dread having to “regain” all that was lost. Accepting the definition their mistakes attribute, many believers, who might otherwise become a powerful tool in the hand of God, simply count themselves out.

When I first began to seek the Lord at the early age of eleven, I asked Him to use my life for whatever He saw fit. In my mind, I never considered myself to be great or ideal for God’s use. My prayers often sounded like this, “God, I don’t have much to offer, but use what you can.”

Of course, many would, at that point, interject something to the effect of, “Of course, you had much to offer!” While I appreciate the sentiment, if I am going to be real with you, in light of the endless abilities of God, it becomes quite apparent that we, in fact, have very little to offer to God.

But it’s never really been about what we can offer to Him; it’s always been about what He can do with what we offer to Him.

We may list qualifiers.  Some might think, “You need to speak eloquently, live perfectly, be charismatic and carry many talents.” While there might be some small truth to that sort of thinking, I can’t help but also think of Jesus’ disciples.

“The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” - Acts 4:13

The disciples were, by all standards, ordinary men. They lacked special training in the scriptures, and they definitely weren’t perfect. Their qualification was, I strongly believe, their relationship with the Son of God. It was their personal and close connection with Christ Himself that enabled them to be used of God.

All true Spirit-filled ministries are forged in the fires of a passionate love for Jesus. The Holy Spirit within you is your greatest qualification for ministry.

If God were to use only men of renown, our thinking would by no means be confounded. If God only used the strong, the intelligent, the charismatic and the able, then what reason would there be to marvel at the enabling of divine grace?

“Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world,h things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.” - 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

God uses the weak to demonstrate His strength, the powerless to demonstrate His power and the broken to demonstrate His restoring grace.

Though you’ve likely never heard this thought delivered in this exact way, you’ve most likely heard this thought nonetheless. This truth only has power if you come to embrace it through acts of faith. The truth, no matter what your distracting internal monologue might suggest, is that God wants to use you and can use you.

Be encouraged. Take a step of faith. It’s not a matter of how gifted you are but of how surrendered you are. The life that is most suitable for the Master’s use is the surrendered one. Ask the Lord to use you. Make yourself available. Do it now in this moment, and then take a step of faith.

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First Love

Jesus is holy – we must love Him more than our sin.

Jesus is humble – we must love Him more than ourselves

Jesus is present – we must love Him more than distraction

Jesus is selfless – we must love Him more than our comforts.

Jesus is truth – we must love Him more than our beliefs.

Jesus is trustworthy – we must love Him more than our fears.

Jesus is accepting – we must love Him more than our prejudices.

Jesus is supernatural – we must love Him more than our agenda.

Jesus is personal – we must love him more than our independence.

Jesus is good – we must love Him more than our blessings.

Jesus is merciful – we must love Him more than our rights to justice.

Jesus is generous – we must love Him more than our gain.

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No Other Way

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” - John 14:6

Either we believe Jesus’ claim to exclusivity or we don’t. Christ Himself has told us that there is no other way to God.

I am concerned especially for my generation when it comes to boldness. It seems that my fellow millennials have been raised in a culture that champions tolerance over truth. It’s almost as if we are to believe that if something is offensive that it is, therefore, untrue. Many would rather avoid offense than deception. But nothing is untrue just because it is offensive, and nothing is true just because it is offensive. An idea’s ability to agitate or offend has no effect on its truthfulness.

Disagreement is not hate. The belief in truth is not bigotry. Exclusive claims are not intolerant.

This culture, with hypocrisy, will applaud the individual’s journey to find and live in their “own truth” yet disdain the one who says they’ve found it. It seems to me that the spirit of the age celebrates the wandering journey to find truth while condemning anyone who has actually reached the destination.

Why?

It’s because, so long as man is wandering, he is never settled. And so long as he is never settled, he never finds truth. And as long as he hasn’t found truth, he is free to do as he wills.

But you, fellow believer, must not fall for such nonsense. Be bold. Be sold. Be convinced of the truth that Christ proclaimed. He is the only way to Heaven, to God, to Truth. All others are false. That’s the truth.

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Cast Your Net Again

“One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.’ ‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.’ And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!” - Luke 5:1-6

Perhaps you’ve been believing for the salvation of certain loved ones. You’ve preached to them, conversed with them and maybe even argued with them a little bit. Still, there seems to be a resistance, a worldly stubbornness. When believing for the salvation of someone who resists the drawing of the Holy Spirit, it’s easy to become discouraged and disappointed. It can seem as though your prayers aren’t making much of a difference.

But, as Jesus encouraged the disciples, I want to encourage you to cast your net again. Each time you cast your net – evangelize – you are taking a step of faith. And you never know which cast will yield a great catch. Don’t give up. Don’t be discouraged. Keep casting your net, and, eventually, the miracle of salvation will occur. Your loved ones will come to know Jesus – it’s just a matter of time and prayer.

Your efforts are making a difference, whether you see it that way or not. For it is impossible to accomplish nothing in prayer. God’s Word does not return void, and your evangelism is making a difference.

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Impossible Places

“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer. It is I. Do not be afraid.’ Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, bid me come to You on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter got out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'” - Matthew 14:27-31

Only Jesus could have invited Peter to walk upon the water.

Only Jesus was able to bring you to the place in life that you are now.

When you follow after Jesus, when you walk with Him in life through obedience, He’ll cause you to stand in impossible places. Sometimes those places may scare you. Sometimes you may feel inadequate to stand where you are standing. You may say, “Lord, I don’t know if I can do this.” Be encouraged: He stands with you.

Only God can cause you to stand in impossible places, and only God can keep you there. Just keep your eyes on Jesus, and you’ll walk in places where others sink. Only God could have brought you here, and only God can keep you here. Stay dependent upon Him. Don’t look around – keep your eyes upon Him.

Why does God take us to places that would have otherwise been impossible? It’s so that no flesh can glory in His presence.

The destiny He has for you is impossible to fulfill without Him. It may be intimidating, frightening. It may feel as though you cannot handle where you stand, as though you’re going to sink. Wherever God intends for you to walk will always take faith to walk there. Faith stands in impossible places. Follow the voice of Jesus, keep your eyes fixed upon His lovely countenance and you’ll walk upon the waters of your destiny, impossible places.

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Keep Dreaming

“One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. ‘Listen to this dream,’ he said. ‘We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!’ His brothers responded, ‘So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?’ And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them.” - Genesis 37:5-8

God gave a dream to Joseph. Joseph shared that dream, and his brothers hated him for it.

Have you ever been hated, disliked or disdained because of the dream that God has given to you? Have you ever been misunderstood because of the favor upon your life? People label the passionate as “ambitious”, the faith-filled as “arrogant” and the dreamers as “crazy”. Not everyone is going to like you. Not everyone is going to believe that you are genuine. Regardless, do what God has called you to do.

You don’t have to explain yourself when you’re obeying God. In fact, even if you tried to explain yourself, there are some people who are just committed to believing the worst about you. Whether it’s because of jealousy or disagreement, some people will not be for you no matter what. Regardless, hold onto the dream.

To this day, Joseph is criticized. I’ve heard many preachers remark that Joseph should have kept his mouth closed. However, it was the sharing of the dream that ultimately positioned Joseph to fulfill it, even if the circumstances weren’t necessarily ideal. So do what God has called you to do, keep your heart right, stay focused and let God be the One to vindicate you. Hold onto the dream. It will come to pass.

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Divine Prevention

“Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.” - Acts 16:6

What God doesn’t allow is just as important as what God does allow. What He removes is just as important as what He gives. Paul wanted to go to Asia – it was a desire of his. But the Lord prevented Him from going.

In hindsight, it’s easy to understand why Paul the Apostle’s obedience to the Lord was so important. His life affects millions to this day. But who might your obedience affect?

Steer a ship slightly off course, and it will be difficult to notice the error. But, as the ship travels great distance, the error becomes more obvious. That’s the effect of the generations. Your decisions matter, here and there, now and then. So obey God.

Might you be experiencing divine prevention?

What feels like rejection can actually be promotion. What seems like delay can actually be a shortcut. What looks like a setback just might be a setup for something greater.

So, when it comes to the Lord’s prevention, don’t put up a fight. Let Him remove what needs to be removed. Let Him direct and redirect. Celebrate his permission, and celebrate His denials. Commit to obeying and embracing the will of God, even if it means divine prevention. You can’t go wrong obeying God.

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Hell: As Inspired by a Dream

Hell – No amount of regret can appease it. For every moment that passes, a moment is added to the extent of one’s stay. Deep frustration, hopeless turmoil and constant confusion are forever in the soul. Hope is destroyed. After all, there is no mercy past this point. The instant your eyes catch a glimpse, your pride and stubbornness are broken. But it’s too late. The moment you sense the evil, you desire the opportunity to repent. But God is not mocked. The reality is confirmed. Everything you knew in your heart to be true is now visibly apparent. You escaped the thought on earth, hoping the thought would never manifest its own reality.

Every moment of sinful pleasure, every comment of mockery, every laugh at God – they turn to be regrettable, sorrowful even. To know that safety was within reach is a tormenting thought. Why such foolishness? Why such carelessness? It could have all been prevented – that is a most tormenting thought. No time exists – Hell is the constant state of highest anguish. It is darkness that never again will see light, pain that will never know comfort and loneliness that will never again find companionship. It is the justice of God. Can you grasp the vastness of the universe? That is temporary. Hell is a universe void of all things good. Pride is the door to Hell, and stubbornness is the step that takes you through.

What sort of pride would walk into Hell fire? What pleasure is worth the soul? Mock, laugh, scoff and push it from your mind – it remains a reality. Life is a thin, fragile glass upon which we walk. Once it is broken, it cannot be repaired. Only fools go to Hell when salvation is so near. Frustration that causes physical tension, fear that causes your heart to race, anger that brings depression and pain that causes a scream – these are the reactions of a Hellish existence. They are the eternal marks of a tormented, rejected soul.

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