"Death to Auto Pilot"

Technology is an incredible thing. We live in a day and age when things that would normally take about 5 days to accomplish now take about 5 hours. Transportation that would normally take us a week now take us a day. Communication is another area where technology has exploded. Instead of sending messages and letters by pony or train, we can now send messages to a host of people in a matter of seconds by group email. We can now hold conversations with crowds of people at one time and interact with them all at the same time in seconds.

Quite amazing.

The food industry has been influenced by technology as well. Instead of slaving over a hot stove everyday, we can now simply put food in a microwave and have it ready to eat in minutes. That which we only thought could be possible in science fiction and fantasy have now and are becoming a reality. And because of these conveniences, we can simply start the machine and it'll run all by itself. We can set things on auto and sit back while it all happens.

But what about relationships?

Technology is a good and necessary thing in this day. But have we forgotten what it's like to talk to one another face to face? I mean, I've been guilty of this, too, and it bothers me some. One family member is upstairs and another is downstairs and instead of getting up and GOING to them and speaking face to face, we send a text message or make call them on their cell phone. Again, I appreciate technology and use it daily, but I just don't want to lose touch with the "human" element of it all. I mean, now, it's unnecessary to even talk to a person on a phone. Everything is automated and your questions and needs are handled by a few simply programmed responses.

There's GOT to be more than this.

But the REAL question is, what is your relationship with God like? Is it like using technology? Do you rise up to speak with Him face to face or do you simply send Him a text message without any kind of interaction? Do we walk in love or do we simply turn on the machine and let things take their course?

Look, I'm not trying to slam anyone because I'm in no place to do so. But I'm just encouraging you to not get too satisfied in your walk with the Lord. Let it stay fresh and do all that is in your power to CULTIVATE RELATIONSHIP with Him. He does it for you and I 24/7 even when we have no signal on our cell phones (ha)! So look, He says He loves you with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3) so let that love be reciprocal, ok? "Death to Auto Pilot" Christianity, and life to an experiential relationship with God.

You CANNOT exhaust His resources. His love never fails, His faithfulness is everlasting, His power is unmeasurable. He is available to you at ALL times.

Let's enjoy technology, but let us LIVE for the Lord!

G

Understanding Without Understanding...

You know, God is amazing.  He has been faithful and constant all the time, even when it seemed like He just wasn't around or just didn't care.  I find in my life that all the times I felt like He was simply ignoring me, He was actually working on my behalf behind the scenes and I had no idea.  In reality, He kinda-sorta was ignoring me, but not in the way we usually think.  He was not ignoring me just for the sake of ignoring me.  Instead, He was giving His attention to something that had to be handled in order for me to experience the abundant life He promised.  He NEVER ignores out of spite, but out of concern.

Some may say, "Yeah, but don't you think that the whole idea of ignoring is pretty harsh, given the days we live in?  Seems kinda mean, wouldn't you say?"  Well, on one hand, yes I would agree it's a little harsh.  But not very different from when YOU sort of ignore your own children or friends in order to accomplish something for them that you KNOW is in their best interest.  Have you ever done that?  I mean, really, come on.  Be honest with yourself.  Have you?  

Neither you nor I are better parents than God is.  Oh, we sometimes like to think that we're so much more advanced in our thinking than He is because we view Him as being outdated or archaic.  But how foolish.  He knows how to handle His kids and knows what is best for them at all times.  He works feverishly to prepare the future for them at all costs.  How amazing is that.

The challenge for us is to trust in the face of misunderstanding.  I struggle with this all the time and God has been faithful to patiently win me over with His consistency.  I many times fail to understand what in the world is going on and why, and He doesn't always tell me what's what, either.  And that's when it gets REALLY difficult.  But see, there HAS to be a principle that we live this thing out by which will direct our heart's focus if we give attention to it.  By that principle, you are able to understand even when you don't understand.  The principle I strive to keep in the forefront of my heart is found in Jeremiah 31:3, which says, "...I have loved you with an everlasting love.  Therefore, I am drawing you with my lovingkindness."  If I know that His feelings toward me is love continually, that helps me to rest, be it ever so difficult at times, in His plans for my life (Jeremiah 29:11).  I haven't mastered it yet, but I'm far better off than I used to be.

So take heart today.  I don't know what you're going through and I don't have an answer as to why, but I know it's not because God is ticked off at you and is taking out His aggression on you.  He doesn't function that way.  The principle I listed above isn't just a principle for me, but for you, too.  Why?  Because it's in the word of God and His word is not for a select few, but for ALL who claim Him as their Lord and Savior and strive to live in obedience to Him.  That's YOU.  His heart toward you is love continually, He draws you with His lovingkindness constantly, and He works feverishly regarding your future because He has planned it all out for your good. 

No matter what happens in your life, good or bad, hard or easy, joyful or traumatic, He is not out to get you, but is for you always, even unto the end of the age.  It may be hard to believe sometimes, but it's true.  Give your attention to the PROMISE NOT THE PROBLEM.

Feel better today!

Peace,

G

What Do You Want?

Music.  What a concept.  I've been involved in music ministry now for about 25 years in a myriad of venues, from performance to worship leading to back up vocals, to band member, and on the list goes.  I've been out front for a good while, but have been in the shadows mostly.  

That's where the real rubber meets the real road.

I've found that many of us "musical type" folks are like untamed race horses in the stalls.  We were built for running out front ahead of the crowd, but have to wait in the stocks until time to run.  We get impatient and frustrated in the wait.  We chomp at the bit trying to find some kind of way out.  But the more we try, the more frustrated and irritated we become.  And as a result of our impatience, we could even injure ourselves to the point that we destroy all chances of running period.  Just like that race horse kicking against the stall continues to kick and kick until it kicks wrongly and breaks its leg in a way that it can no longer stand the pressure of running, so we keep kicking and kicking to try and find a way to get going that we blow any real chance of it.  This sometimes shows up in bad and hasty choices, wrong decisions of who to hook up with, jumping at insecure opportunities, and so forth.

Many times, though, we strive to become household names and well-known people.  Many times it's an innocent pursuit of something we simply love and as a by-product, we enter the curse of exposure and forfeit privacy.  Other times it's just the pursuit of being the center of attention.  But here's my question: "When all is said and done, what will you have left behind?"  Will you have been popular only, or effective for something that will last forever.  What do you want?  Notoriety or lasting effectiveness?  What do you want?  To be famous or relevant?  It is possible to have both, but your heart motive will decide it.  What are you motivated by?  Why do you do the things you do?  What's the REAL reason?  

What do you want?

Selah.

G

"Simplicity Again"

     Throughout my years of walking with the Lord, and sometimes being chased by Him, I've come to notice things changing with every step.  Each time a child is born, they begin their lives in total dependence on the parents.  Later on as they continue to grow, they learn how to express love to the parents.  Still later, they become more and more independent and less dependent on the parents, but only in certain areas of life.  This continues on and on throughout their entire lives, but one thing is hopefully constant, and that is the love and acceptance they have toward AND receive from their parents.

     Unfortunately, the child now an adult, has also learned that with growth comes complications.  Now they have to deal with bills, employers, employees, taxes, relationships on a much higher level, expectations of others, rejections, acceptance, and on it goes.   But one thing is hopefully constant, and that is the love and acceptance they have toward AND receive from their parents.  

     Then later on, hopefully MUCH later, they have to deal with old age, retirement, weaknesses, loneliness, wrinkles, gray hair, NO HAIR, death of family members, and eventually death themselves.  But hopefully one thing was constant, and that is the love they have toward AND receive from their parents.

     For some reason in the Body of Messiah, we tend to go through all of these things and all of these stages, but seem to easily let go of the simplicity of loving God and being loved by Him.  We grow and mature, but let go of the simplicity of living in and walking in the understanding that we are "accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6)."  Unfortunately we replace the acceptance of the Lord for the acceptance of people.  But our life's blood is in HIS acceptance and love of us and for us.  

     I am personally desiring to return to the simplicity of trusting Him.  He calls it child-like.  It's returning to the place where all we needed was to see Him or hear Him, even just to sense Him near, and everything would be fine for us.  If we needed something, all we needed do was ask and the level of trust we had in Him at the start set our hearts at ease, for we KNEW He would grant our requests.  We knew He would do it not only because He was able, not only because of His power, but because we KNEW He loved us.  We felt like His favorite child.  We felt His pleasure of just being with us and us with Him.  We believed Him simply because it was Him.  We believed Him because He is Papa God (Abba Father) and that was enough.

So how about you?  Enough of the things we say we must do in order to be close to God.  Enough of the parlor tricks and gimmicks in the Kingdom.  Enough of the replacement of people for God.  And enough of the personal brow beating we put ourselves through as a result of it all.

Jeremiah 31:3, one of my absolute favorite scriptures, says, "...I have loved you with an everlasting love.  And I am drawing you with My lovingkindness."  Friend, this is foundational to your walk with the Lord.  I challenge you to fully embrace this reality:  "You are abundantly loved and accepted by God"  As a result of this acceptance, you vow to walk in obedience to His word and to His desires.  And also you LIVE in the reality that His heart and intentions toward you are ALWAYS for your good no matter what comes your way.  Good times, bad times, not so good times, not so bad times, happiness, sadness, peril, safety, defeat, victory, all of these God "works together for your good (Romans 8:28)."  But it's in the simplicity of living in and embracing this reality that we REALLY begin to live.

So all I'm saying is this: As much as it depends on you, as best you can on a daily basis, PLEASE strive to continually find that place of simplicity toward God.  That's where your victory will come from.  That's where your joy will arise from.  And you'll start living FROM A POSITION of victory instead of fighting FOR A PLACE of victory.  

Hope this encourages ya.

Shalom,

G

"Who? Me?"

As I look around the world in the places we go to minister, I see people all over the place with giftings, callings, and abilities just laying there dormant on the inside of them.  Yet at the same time, these same people that are exploding with incredible creativity gaze at others wishing they could do what they see others do.  They strive for the abilities in the lives of other people all the while neglecting the gifts inside themselves.  What a tragedy!

People walk up to Paul and I many times telling us how much they wish they could be doing what we're doing.  But the reality is, you really DON'T wanna do this unless you're called to it.  I mean, you next home becomes the airport because that's the one place you start to see more consistently than your own home.  A hotel room becomes your bedroom and an alarm clock becomes your spouse.  The restaurant becomes your kitchen.  A suitcase becomes your closet.  On and on it goes.  Your life is placed at the mercy of the next airplane you catch and you trust that all of your luggage and personal items will all make it to your destination, much less that they'd make it in one piece!  Yuck!!

However, there is an INCREDIBLY PRICELESS REWARD for doing this kind of thing:  GOD'S PRESENCE.  You have the privilege of watching others connect with God in ways they never thought they could.  You get to be a part of seeing people come into the Kingdom of God.  You get to see the Kingdom of God manifest in many different ways: worship, praise, miraculous healing and deliverance, freedom to love, freedom to be loved, and liberty in an entire congregation, just to name a few.  That makes all the other crap worth going through.  Just let the Lord be glorified and His presence be experienced, and let lives NEVER be the same after each God-encounter.  That's the REAL payoff.

But my point is this:  YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE DOING WHAT YOU SEE OTHERS DO IN ORDER TO MAKE YOUR MARK ON MANKIND.  However, you DO need to do what God has called YOU to do.  Nothing He has called you to do is insignificant in the Kingdom of God.  And understand this as well:  Whatever He has placed inside of you to accomplish is NECESSARY for THIS generation.  It is a tragedy that this generation gets short-changed because of our lack of what you have to offer.  Author, Speaker, and Pastor Myles Monroe said, "The richest place in the universe is the grave yard."  It's the place where dreams were never accomplished, visions never manifested, inventions never came about, songs were never written, books were never scribed, and we are all the lesser for it.  We need what you have.  If you don't rise up and do what God has given you to do, we as a generation have a deficiency.  

NO ONE can do what YOU were called to do.  

So look, don't shy away from opportunities to put into practice what God has placed inside of you.  You have that thing for a reason and for a purpose for the Kingdom.  You don't have to be on stages all over the world because, in reality, the whole world is YOUR stage and you're in the spotlight.  All you have to do is let out what's on the inside as God matures you step by step.

A successful vision remains successful when the focus on it is not diverted.

Keep believing that you have something great on the inside of you, because you DO!  God doesn't mess around, Man.  He didn't look at the creation and say, "I need some filler space here.  I think I'll create ___________ just to occupy some space while I bless all the others in My creation."  Not so much, Dude.  Not so much.  No, He doesn't waste time and He doesn't waste resources and YOU are a resource in His hands.  You gotta fight for that reality and not let people, life, or the devil steal it from you.

You're worth more than you'll ever be able to comprehend.

Stand up.  We're waiting!

Shalom,

G

Is Anybody Out There?

You ever hear the phrase, "Stuff Happens?" That's a little safer than how many others say it, but anyway.... It's true that stuff happens. Many times it's stuff we don't usually have any control over, Which makes it tough because we can begin to feel that we're at the mercy of our circumstances. We bow down and cower at the feet of circumstances and issues in life feeling like it's hopeless to go against the grain. And then we begin to feel like we're the only one going through our type is struggle.

But that's not true.

There isn't anything under the sun that happens to us that someone else either HAS gone through, IS going through, or is COMING OUT of what we're going through. The question is: "Will you be humble enough to recieve from the what they've learned or are learning?" You have a choice in this life about how you will live. How you decide will deternine the outcome.

Stuff happens. Issues come and go. But what will you subscribe to when the stuff happens? What will you choose to focus on in the midst of difficult times? What will yor words sound like? What kind of conversation will you participate in? The answers to these questions and many others will decide how much of God's peace you will allow into your life. He has already given us His peace in Jesus. How much of His peace do you really want?

Listen. You're not alone in what you're experiencing right now. God IS walking with you through it, and you'll be able to recognize that if you allow yourself to. How do you allow yourself to recognize His presence? You CHOOSE TO BELIEVE HIM over your circumstances, situations, issues, and even self-condemnation. He promised He'd NEVER leave or forsake you. He said He loved you with an everlasting love (Jeremaiah 31:3) and He didn't lie. On the contrary, the enemy tries to persuade you to the opposite of what God has said. And if you choose to believe what he says, he's got you.

But you're not that way.

You're the kind of person who knows better. You've walked with God too long to fall into the trap of doubting Him to the point of no return. No, you're one that believes Him because you've seen His faithfulness. And if He's been faithful in the past, you're one that knows He'll be faithful in the present and in the future.

So listen. When you go through hard times, cling to His faithfulness REGARDLESS of what you see with your eyes, hear with your ears, or feel in you emotions. Believe Him. Will it change your circumstances? Maybe. Maybe not. But will it change you?

Definitely.

You'll find the strength in Him to keep on going.

"Keep on keeping on!"

G

How Bad Do You Want it?

Lately, I've found myself really wrestling with a few issues on a personal level.  I mean, the call of God is so incredible for all of us, but requires so much of us.  When you really consider it in the grand scheme of things, it really ISN'T that much.  But on the other hand on a practical level, it's everything!  Take for instance the call of God to follow after Him where Jesus says unless you're willing to "hate" father, mother, sister, brother, cat, dog, and everything else in between and follow Him, you can't be His disciple.  Now of course He didn't mean hate in the sense of the absence of love, honor, and respect.  To require so would contradict His very character.  But in the sense of loving Him exceedingly more than all of these is the real premise.  Think about it.  For the former explanation to be the truth would mean that even Jesus hated the creation because He loved the Father.  Yeah, that makes sense.  I don't think so.  But I digress...

Anyway, what I'm getting at is this.  In the natural it costs EVERYTHING to follow Jesus, Man.  I'm talkin' EV-ER-Y-THING.  You ever hear of the phrase, "Give until it hurts?"  How about "Love God until it hurts?"  In the long run, Man, none of the stuff we call important will even come close to rating with God, ya know?  Not money, prestige, fame, glory, friends, husbands, wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, children, anything, will be able to rival the importance of God, even though each and everyone of those things and people are VITALLY important.  But in comparison to God, they don't even come close.

You and I have been called by the creator of all to live for Him and Him alone.  And as a result, there is such an incredible reward for walking in obedience to Him.  And the neat thing about it is, in reality, everything you give up to follow Him could possible be returned to you because the focus of your heart would be correct.  However, even if they WEREN'T returned to you, you'd still follow Him at their expense.  Question is, "How bad do you want it?"  Better said, "How bad do you want HIM?"  Are you willing to give up every aspiration you've ever held onto in order to gain being in relationship with Him as your prize?  Are you willing to let go of every passion of your heart whether it be vocationally or relationally to follow after His heart, and in so doing find YOUR heart?  What are you willing to pay?

You were created to be like Him on the earth.  How bad do you want it?

G