"God" Bless America?

To all who read this, let it be noted that I speak not as one who is perfect nor as one who is superior in any area of life. Those who know me know this full well. However, I do speak as one who has simply observed a few things occurring in this, my country. It is increasingly frustrating to me how we as a nation can be so dumbfounded and blinded by a blatant disregard for “human” decency and honor. I find it appalling that we permit certain things in our government to stand, declaring we allow them in the name of progress. Tell me: what kind of progress are we making when we disavow the standard of marriage being between a man and a woman? How are we so much further forward in our “evolution”, if you will, when we do that? We call ourselves open-minded, when in reality it is only “open” as long as it’s what “we” want. This is not open-mindedness. It is rebellion. This nation was founded on biblical standards (I know I may have lost many of you right there, but I dare you to keep reading). Regardless of how much we may cry out to the contrary, it is indeed true. Our very laws support this. Who said it is illegal to kill someone? Why is it wrong? Could it be because the bible says “You shall not kill?” You may say, “Well, Greg, it’s simply morally wrong to kill someone.” I agree with you. It IS morally wrong. But my question is simply “Where do we get our standard of morality?” What defines it? Someone steals something that doesn’t belong to them and the recourse is they are arrested. Why? Is it wrong to steal? Why is it wrong? Could it be because the bible says “You shall not steal?” The very laws that we use to govern our nation come from the very book we seek to destroy and the very God we seek to deny. We say that the bible is archaic and outdated. We say we need to evolve beyond the standards it possesses. Yet to do so would require us, yes even demand of us, to disavow the laws we use to govern ourselves. It has been preached “You can’t pick and chose the parts of the bible you want to follow.” I find that very applicable here. We basically are saying to God, “I want you in my life, but on MY terms.” “I want you to be a cushion for me as I live, because it’s MY life after all. You had nothing to do with it, really, God. And for you to tell me how to live it is just wrong.” Yet we deny the very fact that our origin begins with Him. It’s wrong for us to be conformed to His image, but it’s ok to require Him to conform to ours? How does that work? We cry out for constitutional rights. Where do we really think those rights come from? We are schizophrenic, for in one breath we want to “defend” the constitution, but in another we want to “amend” the constitution. Why do we call a standard a standard? It is to be erected as a plumb-line by which everything in life is to be measured. What we have done is moved the standard to fit and accommodate our choices. If a choice we make doesn’t align with the standard, WE CHANGE THE STANDARD. How can this be considered forward progress. I watch in disbelief as we have the ten commandments set up in place in front of a government building and people dare to have a problem with it. Really? I am shocked to hear about people who want to use a very popular patriotic song, but desire to reword it simply because it says, “God Bless The USA.” How utterly idiotic! We cry out for “separation of church and state” but tell those in need, “Our prayers are with you.” WHO are we praying to? We hate any mention of God in our government while just a few days ago, our own president ends his speech at a graduation ceremony with “God bless America.” We try our best to have our own pledge of allegiance altered to exclude the mention of God. Again, HOW can this be considered forward progress? I guarantee that if you went to another nation that had a creed upon which it was founded, and you entered that nation with a desire to change it’s foundational creed, YOU would lose that fight. Yet here, in the “free” United Stated of America, we say it is wrong to hold true to the creed WE were founded upon. The more disappointing thing is that our own government agrees with this preposterous idea! We say that not allowing gay and lesbian couples to have the same rights as a married couple is bigotry and is equal to racism against African Americans. How disrespectful to a people group that has fought for RACIAL equality! Not allowing gay and lesbian couples to have the same rights as a married couple is not wrong because it is NOT a racial issue! It is a sexual orientation issue, which has NOTHING to do with marital rights! But we are SO intellectually advanced (I speak sarcastically) that we simply “change” the constitution to fit our ignorant choices and comforts. How wrong! Again, I make no attempt to portray myself as a “holier than thou” type of person. Nothing could be further from the truth. But I see a nation that is being tossed around by the power of public opinion and shaken loose from the foundations that made it a great nation in the beginning! What are we leaving for the next generation? Are we just leaving them to fend for themselves and make due in this chaotic world? We are basically destroying our nation and asking the next generation to fix it. Yet we give them no tools and no foundation to bring about repair! No, we teach them that if the standard doesn’t meet your expectations, change the standard. We are telling them that there is nothing solid, nothing sacred, nothing sure upon which to place their hope. We are teaching them that a successful life depends SOLEY upon how you want to live it. Whatever sounds good to you is totally ok. You should be allowed to live how ever you want. So what happens if I decide that it’s acceptable for me to go into someones house and rob them? It is something that works for me! It’s something that I’m totally ok with (Again, speaking sarcastically) and want to keep doing. Who are YOU to tell me it’s wrong? Why don’t we just amend the law so that it allows me the right to go into any house I see and take whatever I want? Suppose someone decided, “You know, I think it would be great to just go and shoot this guy or that because they upset me on the road and were holding up traffic. It’s not right that I should suffer tardiness because they don’t want to move. Tell you what. Let’s get them to change the law to make it ok to shoot guys like this as long as we follow certain guidelines. Yeah! That’s a GREAT idea (sarcastically)!” Who are you to tell him he’s wrong. WHERE IS THE STANDARD, AMERICA?! Here’s another question: Why is Jesus and the bible SO offensive to people? Why is it so wrong for anyone to live their faith in Jesus out loud? Try going to a foreign nation and proclaim faith in a different god then yours and watch what happens. The entire nation would have your head on a platter! Why? Because their nation was FOUNDED on the tenants of faith the believe in. We were once a strong nation. We were once a prosperous nation. Now we are becoming a byword to the other nations around us. We are being seen as gutless, weak and powerless to those who watch us. We are being seen as people who are selfish and self-centered with no control over ourselves or our people. But we are much more than that. We are much greater than that. God WANTS to bless America, but it MUST be on His terms. He is the “Boss” and we are to do what He requires. We are to conduct ourselves as He dictates because it’s His world. And no matter how much we may not like it, it still remains the truth. But He LOVES this nation deeply. We would do well to call upon Him not only when we’re in trouble, but just to know Him for who He is. It is then that we as a nation will begin our journey back to being the nation we were created to be. Instead of excluding God from our lives, it is time to INCLUDE Him once again. I still believe in my country! I still believe she is a great nation! I still believe she has an incredible destiny! And I still believe she is “One nation UNDER GOD!”

"Maturity"

I was recently in Ft Myers, FL ministering with Paul and the Lord really did incredible things while we were there. The atmosphere was charged with the tangible sense of His presence. Waves of worship moved to and fro all around us as we praised and sang to the Lord. It was quite a sight to see.

During our worship time on Saturday of that weekend, we were called upon to go throughout the crowd of people that had been called forward for prayer. We were to lay hands on them and agree with them for God's answer to their needs. I noticed that I ha not particularly heard the Lord over each person as I prayed for each one. I was searching and listening for instruction as I walked, but none was specifically given. Part of me wondered why, while another part of me was completely content.

Then I had a revelation.

It seems to me that as we grow in the Lord, the pattern of communication changes. When I first came I the Lord in 1984, He would speak to me so clearly and frequently. But I have noticed that as I've grown in Him, He doesn't speak as often regarding to others, or even personally. The one constant is that His love for me hasn't changes at all, but His expectation of me has.

The older we become in the Lord, the more He requires deeper, more confident faith on our end. We've walked long enough with Him to know His heart, His motives, His intentions, an His purpose for our success in life. These are foundations upon which we build our experiences with Him.

I have noticed this dynamic in marriage. When we first meet our spouse, we are in a constant state of discovery of them. We are learning how they communicate, how they process things, what makes them who they are interpersonally. The longer we grow with them, the less we need to figure out. We have been with them so long that we can "finish each others thoughts" as the saying goes. The same occurs between us and the Lord. The more we grow in Him, the less we need to understand from a foundational standpoint, what and why He does what He does. We have grown to a level of certainty the end result of the occurrences in our lives. We may not understand the process, but we do understand the purpose.

Perhaps you are going through a time of growth and refinement right now and you don't understand what is going on. Perhaps you've sought God and it seems like the heavens are closed and your prayers appear to stop at the ceiling. I submit to you that perhaps the Lord is silent because you really do know the final outcome of His purpose for your situation. He knows that you've walked with Him long enough to take comfort in His motive regarding your life (Jer. 29:11/Jer. 31:3/3 John 2). And if you know Then end result of His purpose for you, perhaps He expects you to simply trust in the thick of the process. Remember what Jesus said regarding Lazarus in John 11:4? “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” In like fashion the process of growth is "not into death" even if it "feels" like it is, but for the glory of God AND for your good.

So cling to the confidence you have in the heart of God toward you. Rest in that, knowing that even though He seems silent, He isn't. Even though it feels like He's far away, He isn't. Even though it feels like He's simply watching you go through without working on your behalf, He isn't. Why? Because He promised, and He NEVER breaks a promise.

He has been, is, and will always be FAITHFUL.

He loves YOU.

Go THROUGH!

There is a favorite song I have that was written by my friend and brother Ron Kenoly which says, "If you catch hell, don't hold it. And if you're going through hell, don't stop!" Catchy, isn't it? Yes, catchy, but true. Many times when we face difficult and challenging times, the enemy tries his best to get us focused more on the difficulty than the promise of victory from the Lord. He loads us with discouragement and tries to dishearten us continuously. And because we become weary in the fight, many times he succeeds in getting us so focused on our pain that we just settle for the situation as it is. And if we give up and stop fighting the battle set before us, we trade Jesus' peace for the devil's chaos. That is NOT God's plan, nor His desire. One of the devil's most powerful weapons is that of persuasion. If he can persuade us into thinking a certain way, his way, he snares us. But if we hold on tightly to what we have believed even in the midst of struggles, we WILL come out on the other side standing stronger and taller than we did when we went into it. God has called us to be effective vessels of His glory and it behooves us to be fully convinced of who we are and Who's we are on a continual basis. Remember Daniel 11:32 "...the people who KNOW THEIR GOD will be strong and do great exploits." Pressing in to know the Lord daily will cause us to stand up in that reality and fortify us against the onslaught of the enemy. But many times we DO continue the fight and continue to stand, and it seems nothing is happening. That can cause us to become discouraged and disappointed. Listen, friend, God understands and knows that. It is NOT a light thing to Him. Many times we DON'T understand what's going on, but when I don't understand, I try my hardest to turn my fight towards fighting for His peace toward me instead of trying to understand. See, I believe that when we "fight" to understand instead of "fight" to remember, we exert energy that would be better spent on fighting for our peace in Him. And the harvest of THAT fight is a stronger fortification of our confidence in His love and promises toward us. And that, in turn, empowers us to remain victorious over the onslaught of the enemy. I remember something that my Pastor friend, Pastor Danny Chambers, told me a long time ago. He said, "When you go through a transition, KEEP YOUR PRAISE HIGH AND YOUR SERVICE STRONG." Keeping our praise high positions us in a place where the Lord can release His presence on our behalf, for the Lord, "inhabits the PRAISES of His people." Know this: Where the Lord has rulership, His word has the FINAL jurisdiction. Therefore, we enthrone the Lord on our praises and He in turn lays down a judgement against the enemy that is attacking. And just like Daniel, after praying for 21 days to understand the visions given him, was told that the day he set his heart to understand, the answer was given, sot it is with us. From the day we set our heart to enthrone the Lord on our praises and persist in it no matter how long it takes, His judgement against the enemy becomes effective and begins to reap a harvest. So take courage, my friend. It may be excruciating for you right now. It may be horribly tough. But remember: "IF YOU CATCH HELL, DON'T HOLD IT. AND IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HELL, DON'T STOP!!" Go THROUGH to the other side and stand strong. You ARE going to make it! Shalom, Greg

"Seasons"

Life happens. It is a very indiscriminate thing. It happens to each and every one of us. No one can escape it. It is sometimes very difficult to navigate through, but once you do, breathing becomes easier. The effects of life happening change like the seasons. At one point, you could be in the season of summer, where everything is warm and cozy. Other times you could be in the the season of winter, where things are cold and icy. Then there is the season of fall where things are falling and dying or you're in the season of spring where everything is coming back to life. Each warrants a different response. The tough part for us is to recognize what season it is that we are in. I know that for many, myself included, this is both the season of fall and spring. There are things in our lives that are falling away or coming to an end, while at the same time other things are beginning. We often end up in the "place of in between" and that leaves us floundering a bit until we can get our footing sure. Personally, I know that I am in a season where what I did vocationally is taking on a new expression. In like manner, my home is also taking on a new expression as well. With a son out on his own and a daughter about to be, both out of school and in the workplace, facing the empty nest syndrome, life can be a bit disconcerting. But it is there that we MUST remember the one constant in the midst of all of it. That is, the promise that God has of having plans for our lives that are for good, not for bad, to give us a future and a hope. But when you are in the place of in between, an intense battle ensues. It is the battle for the promise. For those who strive to live life according to the word of God, no matter how imperfectly, they strain to hear what the Spirit of God is saying regarding their lives at that time. And when they believe they have heard a word from the Lord, and the timing seems to match up with the promise, they take a step out of what was toward what will be. The thing is, during the transition process we have one foot in what was and one foot in what will be and are stuck in the middle until the other foot leaves the old and joins the foot that is in the new. That can be a really tough time, which is why you must war for the promise you heard from the Spirit of God as you step out. Never forget that the enemy ALWAYS has a "hath God said" up his sleeve. And if he can get that question to take root in our hearts, he can totally dismantle our faith, which is the anchor that keeps us in place. My point is this: Recognize what season you are in and respond accordingly. How will you know what is the correct response? You will know as you listen to the Spirit of God and trust that His heart and desire toward you is nothing less than YOUR good. If we can hold securely to that truth, it will make our transitions from one location to the other a lot more confident, even in the midst of trials, because the trials will most definitely come. But if you truly believe you have heard from the Lord, there is nothing you can't step into that He will not either confirm or redeem. You are safe with Him at ALL TIMES and ALL SEASONS, even when it doesn't "feel" like it. So the word for us today is "keep on holding on to the promise He has given you and DO NOT surrender it to the hands of the enemy." There is success waiting for us if we just take the step that God has confirmed in our hearts. Go for it! Greg

Get In Your Place

I really believe this is a word for some. If it applies to you, receive it. If it doesn't, pray for those for whom it is for.

I've never felt such an urgency in my spirit as I do right now about us all being in our place. The Lord is calling each and every one of us to OUR place. Sometimes it will mean digging your heals deeper into where you currently are now, making a deeper commitment to your place. Other times it will mean a change of position from where you are right now to where you are supposed to be. This is critical at this time because if you are out of YOUR place, it means you're in SOMEONE ELSE'S place, causing them to be misplaced. They can't occupy their place because you're in it. As soon as you move, you will free that space up for them to take. Until you do, there will remain a domino effect that will leave in it's wake a host of people that are potentially out of place.

GET IN YOUR PLACE!

It's time for us to seek the face of God to discover our place and dig into it with all that is in us. It is time. Many will not discover the fulness of their lives until they find their place. They will live frustrated lives trying hard to make where they are right now work for them. All it will lead to is a dead end and you will continue beating your head agains a brick wall until you stop, seek the face of God, discover where you truly are supposed to be, and get after it. Your life will remain a frustration or it will remain a temporary fulfillment for you. It will be like working hard and putting your pay into pockets with holes in them. You work hard, feel a sense of fulfillment, only to have that fulfillment drain away with nothing left to speak of.

It is time to stop beating a dead horse. I heard a phrase from a friend named Kevin Leel, which was, "If the horse is dead, dismount!" Why try to make live what has died? Don't try to resurrect a dead end. Move on to where the life is. However, this is something the must be submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit. See, God is able to make the place where you are, YOUR place and He can breathe new life into it. But it is ONLY if it is where you are suppose to be in this hour.

I say again, "GET IN YOUR PLACE!"

And do not be afraid if you don't understand it all or know how you will make it. All you have to do is be where you're suppose to be and God will cause you to make it. Please just be obedient to His voice right now and let Him sort out the details. Be like Abraham, who was told by God to leave where he was and go to a land that would be shown to him at a later time. He left not knowing where he was going, but he knew God had called. He moved out in obedience. You must do the same.

It's time! "GET IN YOUR PLACE!"

Searching For Daylight...

There are seasons when we feel like we're just sort of existing, making no progress at all in our lives. Oftentimes when this occurs, it becomes very evident that what we focus on, we will experience. If we focus on fear, fear is what we will have. If we focus on joy, joy is what we will experience. The mind plays a vital role in the effect faith has in our lives. What do I mean by this? I mean, simply, that the word of God is clear when it says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he...(Prov. 23:7)" Faith may be present, available, and effective, but if you are convinced that no matter how much faith you have you will never succeed, you will never see the success that faith can provide. I am finding in this season of my life that persuasion is incomprehensibly powerful in life. It's sort of like a person who gets on an airplane and no matter the safety precautions, they will not be at peace. Or like the super model who just can't believe that they are attractive no matter how many successful photo shoots they perform. What is one to do?

I'm reminded of a person that I had spoken with many, many years ago that lived a totally negative life. Everything in their life, no matter what, would end up in the negative. Everything they looked at would be viewed through the lens of negativity. I tried on numerous occasions to point out the upside of their life, but no matter how hard I tried, they just couldn't see it. The last time I had seen this individual, they had picked their forehead raw because they just hated the way they looked. All I could do was hold them while they cried.

Why do we do things like this to ourselves?

Listen, the value you put on yourself is far greater than the value others put on you. The belief that your existence on this planet serves a purpose is far more important than the opinions of others. If you have a purpose, you have a reason to live. No purpose means no true living. Having a purpose is the makes the difference between living and just existing. Negative focus is an incredibly powerful force that has destroyed the lives of millions of people throughout the worlds existence. Negativity can lead to depression, which leads to more negativity, which leads.... you get the picture. It becomes a vicious cycle that seems to have no end. But if you believe that there is NO WAY that the Lord of life would place you on this planet just to take up space, breathe this air, and not have a purpose in it, you can survive AND thrive. I mean, just look at the order in creation. Plants, trees, animals, everything exists with some kind of divine order. Notice how the waves of the sea most typically come only to a specific point and recess back upon itself, and there is not anyone or anything stopping it from going further, at least not that we can identify. However, God said for the go thus far and no further and that's exactly what happens every time. Notice that most typically, the moon doesn't rise at the same time as the sun, but rather, the sun comes up for a certain time and then moves out of the way for the moon to take over. Now, if God would take the time to make sure that the planet functions with some kind of order, why would He not be able to bring some order to our lives?

Listen. No matter how horrible, irritating, frustrating, or whatever other word you would like to use to describe your life right now, God has a plan that really DOES make sense. It doesn't look like it right now, BELIEVE ME, but you and I have seen too much to believe otherwise. I know this is true. God has been faithful in the past and there is absolutely no way He will start being unfaithful to you now. So by all means possible, take courage and be encouraged with that. It may look like only darkness right now, but rest assured that daylight WILL shine again.

Just don't give up now. You've come so far already. You're SO close to your breakthrough. Dig your heels in deeper and hold on even tighter. And when you look up, you'll actually find that it's not you holding on to Him, but HIM holding on to YOU.

Keep Passion Alive!

Last night, I watched part of a show on tv where David Foster was playing music with some of his friends. It was SO compelling. And the talent? Forget about it! It was off the hook!! But what I found interesting about the whole encounter was what began to happen to me as I listened and watched. I was flooded with this wave of emotion emitting from the music. It was something that really took my breath away. There was a sweetness and a tenderness to the songs they played. When I paid particular attention to David Foster's playing, I could feel the emotion with which he played, be it ever so simple. And the brilliant collaboration of the instruments all together, the strings, brass, percussion, bass, guitar, piano, and vocals came across as two elements becoming one. The instruments alone made up one element and the vocals made the other. But when they sounded together, it was a little touch of heaven.

I was enthralled

But then I began to notice something else. I was taken back to the way I used to listen to music. I remember how it would take me to different levels of emotion and how it would "sing" my heart. I remember listening to David Foster's project that I believed was entitled "The Symphony Sessions" where I was taken away in my heart while listening to "Winter Games." Wow. And then the "Water Fountain Theme from the movie Secret of My Success." These two songs so impacted me that my wife Brenda, and I, had them played at our wedding. They carry such emotion.

But what got me was remembering my deep, deep passion and emotional connection to music and the me now that has seemed to have forgotten it a bit. Remembering that passion sometimes gets lost in the necessities of life and work. And when your vocation is in the area of your passion, oftentimes it ceases to be a passion and becomes a job. This is not because it's toilsome at all, but now it's being done out of necessity instead of pure joy. In the 15-20 minutes I listened, all the emotion and passion that I used to feel and experience came rushing back into my mind and heart and I've gotten hungry for it again.

This translates directly to our walk with God. Sometimes walking with the Lord and living and dealing with life can be in conflict. You begin to have to fight to keep things in the correct perspective. I mean, think back with me, won't you? When you first came to know God, what was it like? How excited were you? How passionate were you? What was it like for you to believe in Him and watch as He'd answer your prayers? Do you still have that passionate fire burning on the inside? If not, why not? Could it be that the very thing Jesus spoke about in Luke 8:8, 11-15, and in particular, verse 14? "Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity."

Now, please note that my focus is on the renewal of passion because of it being choked out in our lives. What is it that has choked out your passion? What is it that robs you of a passionate relationship with God? Can you identify it? I know that for me, I'm attempting to rekindle the fire that burned within my heart for the love of music, but more importantly, I'm striving to KEEP my relationship with God alive, passionate, and breath-taking. That's what He feels for me. I want to always feel that for Him as well.

Join me, won't you?

Greg