"Life"

Life happens.  Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day to share.  Unfortunately, many of us waste those hours on unnecessary things.  In the same token, though, many of us try and squeeze every little ounce of life out if every second that we fail to enjoy the time we do have.  Both are frustrating.  You can be so relaxed that you become completely unproductive, or you can be so productive that you can't even enjoy a breath!  There MUST be balance.

Personally I like being productive, but I also like breathing!  

When you are productive, you can enjoy the accomplishments you have attained, and that's good.  But the question is how "productive" are you socially with those around you?  Do those around you view you as the proverbial slave driver who is driven to get things done at all costs all the time?  How "productive" is that really?  Sure you finished the task, but what about the carnage of people left in your wake in trying to get the job done?

Adversely, when you just "chill" and relax through things, that's good, too.  But the question is how confident will people be in assigning you specific tasks not knowing if or when you'll get them done?  Will you be considered trustworthy?  Will you be considered dependable?  Sure you will be fun to be around, but what about the people waiting at the end of your obedience and diligence to accomplish the tasks set before you?

Therefore, it behooves us to strive for the place of balance.  Put our hand to the plow and not look back.  Adversely it is equally important that we learn to relax and enjoy the air.  In this way we will be both trustworthy and a delight.

'Nuff said...

The Heart Never Forgets...

I was driving this morning to an appointment with my Mother-in-Law and had one of my favorite praise and worship CD's on (Paul Wilbur's "Your Great Name." GET THE CD!!). I had not been "feeling" particularly spiritual or even close to the Lord at that moment. As a matter of fact, I had really been struggling in my walk with Him because life was, and still is, happening. It was the first bit of praise and worship I had listened to this morning and I hadn't had any time in the word, either, so needless to say my heart wasn't to tender at the time. Struggles with money, health, transportation, and ministry, seem endless and the one place I should run to, I was having a hard time entering. The presence of the Lord is the safest place to be in moments like these, but life makes it difficult. Ever been there? There now?

 Well, when it came to the chorus of one of my favorite songs on the CD, "Nobody Like You," something happened. Each time I heard the words "Holy, is the Lord of Glory..." my heart felt like it took a couple extra beats. It was funny, as if the Holy Spirit was shouting, "CLEAR!!" and then shocking me with the paddles from a crash cart! My spirit remembered what it was like to praise Him, even though my mind, will, and emotions were being extremely and exhaustingly challenged. I had no joy. There was no lasting peace. Frustration and sadness seem to be my constant companions. BUT there is something about praise that causes the heart to remember where it came from. That place within us, that reborn place, our spirit, recognizes the voice that created it. It recognizes the DNA that it shares with the Almighty (Gen 2:7) and responds when it hears Him speak. My spirit remembered His presence even though I couldn't sense Him near.

 The heart never forgets. When one encounters the Spirit and presence of God, you never forget what that is like. And whenever you step into that place again, whenever you relive that moment, something within you comes alive regardless of where you are and what you are experiencing. And the purpose for that moment of remembrance is to cause us to remember further what His presence meant for us when we first met Him. It's for us to remember the joy that we experienced, the peace that engulfed us, the love we felt, and the purpose we recognized. It's to cause us to remember who we are and Who's we are. That then leads us to remember the loving, accepting, and father heart of God toward us, realizing that because He's here everything will be alright, regardless of what we see. That remembrance causes us to recognize the power of the Mighty One on our behalf and to recall that no matter what we face, HE is working it all for our good. Then comes the challenge of Is. 53:1 "Who has BELIEVED our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" After these moments of remembrance, we are faced with the challenge of who and what we will choose to believe. Will we believe what the circumstances say, or will we believe what God says about the circumstance?

 Life doesn't play fair. Life tries to wring us out like a wet towel draining all the life blood we possess. But God is the giver of life and if we will set our gaze upon Him regardless of our circumstances and issues, He will replenish what has been drained out of us through the cares of life. Stuff is hard, but God's love and faithfulness toward us and to His word are MUCH stronger.

•  The voice of circumstance rattles the walls, but the voice of God shatters the mountains. 
•  The gaze of circumstance causes our knees to knock, but the gaze of God makes demons tremble. 
•  The arm of circumstances press us down, but the arm of the Lord scatters His enemies and sets captives free. 
•  The presence of circumstances brings hopelessness and depression, but the presence of the Lord brings fullness of joy and pleasures forever. 

 We must decide what we want because God has already decided what He wants to give. The heart yearns for this. The heart craves this. The heart hungers for His presence because... The Heart Never Forgets.

"Pain and Resolve"

It's a new year. 2013 is set to be a very interesting season, it seems. Sitting here in a Starbucks in Fresno, CA, many different things run through my mind. This is a bit of a rough season for us right now. It's excruciating, actually. And there are opportunities to go several directions. That's just the way pain is. Pain oftentimes causes us to forget the things we know to be true and scramble for a way out of it. Often when we are faced with it and are unable to escape, we react in unrealistic ways. We lash out, we fight the wrong opponent, we look for solutions with no success, we settle for temporary relief, and many times we simply give up. Frustration drives us instead of peace. Grief consumes us instead of faith. Sometimes we even refuse the right solution to our pain because it isn't what we want to hear or requires more time before full relief comes. Honestly put, sometimes we don't really want people to pray for us because prayer is not typically a quick fix and we are just simply tired of hurting, even though prayer is one of the most powerful forces on the planet. I've been there before, wanting the quick fix. Have you? Well this is one of those rough times of life, not pushing away prayer, but rather just a season of frustration. So permit me to preach to myself. You can listen in. It's cool with me. Maybe it'll help you in YOUR pain. This is NOT the time to the power of the pain! Yes, it has gone on for a while. No, it is not even in the arena of being enjoyable. No, it doesn't mean God is punishing you, and no you are not defeated. You are never alone and that MUST be enough for you. You want people to be around you and support you, encourage you, believe in you. But none of those people can support, encourage and believe in your more than God. Why settle for people when you can have God? Remember that The God we are talking about is someone who has promised you eternity with Him and life everlasting. But never forget that you are going FROM GLORY TO GLORY, which means there MUST be change. Each change creates in you a deeper root in Him and will be able to sustain you in greater fashion ONLY IF you allow it to finish what He started it in you for. Think of it this way: You're in good company! Think of how Joseph felt when he was promised all that God had promised him, only to end up in a prison on some trumped up charges. Consider David when God set him up as king being hunted by Saul when he was innocent. Think of Moses leading the children of Israel and having to go through all that he went through in obedience to God. How about Jeremiah, imprisoned for speaking the word of God? There was one common denominator in all of their situations: THEY WERE NOT ALONE. Be resolved that there is a plan the God is working out, even though we may not understand. Be resolved that you will say as Job said, "Even if God kills me, I’ll still put my hope in him. I’ll argue my case in front of him." (Job 13:15 New International Reader's Version) Be resolved He is STILL faithful, STILL for you, STILL involved in your life, STILL working things out according to plan, and STILL loves you. He has never led you astray in the past and isn't about to start now. And if you've been disobedient, be resolved that you are not being punished, but that what you're going through is simply a consequence and holds no bearing on His love for you, His plan for you, or His acceptance of you. Be resolved that if He died for you when it was impossible for you to do ANYTHING right, why would He cast you away for any fault or failure, provided that you are indeed repentant of it and desire to change? He pines for you every single day, whether in obedience or not, because He loves you and is greater than your faults AND your fears. Don't run away, but rather run to Him. Don't refuse His solutions simply because it is not a quick fix, but rather submit to His solutions and watch how miraculously He works on your behalf. His character is borne out in scripture and in our current lives. He can be trusted. Perhaps this little excerpt from my upcoming book "Hidden For Divine Purpose," regarding the processes God takes us through, will help just a little: "Submit to the process – As stated before, your submission to the process of God while waiting in the hidden place is vital to the revealing of who you were created to be. But you must understand and remember that the process, no matter how difficult, is for your good and your protection. Understand there is a purpose for the process and a method to the madness. The process does not DEFINE you. The process REFINES you. Never forget that you are NOT your process. However, submission to the process is the only way to mine out the jewels it contains. Consider a person with a bad heart. They have two choices: either to medicate the pain by taking nitroglycerin tablets and live with it, or they can see the doctor and prepare for open-heart surgery. One requires action on their part and is only temporary, while the other is potentially life saving and life prolonging and requires the patient to let someone else help them. Similarly you and I can either say no to the purpose of God and remain in the hidden place until stronger methods of getting God’s point across are issued, or we can submit to the hand of God in breaking us to reveal Himself in and through us at the appointed time. The patient doesn’t get truly well until they “submit themselves to the doctor’s knife.” This is not enjoyable, but afterward they have a greater chance of living a longer, more fulfilling life. And life is what God offers us. The hidden place incubates us as we grow in the life He releases to us." I guess that'll teach us to be careful with the counsel we give. One day we'll need those words even more than when we first learned their meaning (ha)! "nuff said" G

"Change"

You know, life can really be lonely at times. You live, you love, you breathe, you experience, and you die. Seems like a pretty dismal existence, doesn't it? If that's all we do, then yes. Quite dismal. No purpose, no destiny, no real reason for breathing this air, leaves us wanting. But then you try to find out what your life is all about and you find that the journey is a real lonely one. This is because it is YOUR journey and not anyone else's. No one can discover your destiny and purpose for you but you. It is a task many of us hate because it requires a letting go of what we've grown familiar to and taking on the new thing that awaits us. Oh, for a friend. Life goes on. People come and go. Sometimes friends that are close to you seemingly become distant memories of years long past. You yearn for the closeness you felt with them before, but unfortunately, life happens and we are only left with a memory. Where did they go? Where did WE go? WHO MOVED?! No one did. It's just "life." I sometimes have those lonely moments in life as well. There are friends that at one point I'd talk with all the time, but then life happens and time disappears. I get busy and they get busy. It's not personal, just business (haha). But the understanding of it all still doesn't remove the sting of their absence. Sometimes as you strive to discover who you are, though, you HAVE to go it alone. I really hate those times, and yet I love them. I hate them because it means something is going to die. Maybe a comfort zone, or a thought process. Perhaps it's a pattern of living or a habit. Whatever it is, it MUST pass away before the new can come. But I love those times because it means a new and exciting revelation of who I am and who God is in me is coming. It means a new phase of living is about to spring up on the scene. It means I am growing from where I am to a new place of even greater effectiveness for the Kingdom of God. But there is still that issue of loneliness. What to do? Let me tell you, I don't have anything mastered at all in this arena. I hurt, I ache, I gripe, I cry, I do all those things. But in the midst of it all I realize that even though it seems no one else is around that cares, HE is still there. God NEVER leaves or forsakes us. He always keeps His word even when it seems like He isn't. The issue is we don't see what He sees and we don't know what He knows, but He can be trusted with our hearts because He has our good in store. Sometimes He has to strip away the things that weigh us down so that we can be free to really live. This is a painful process. In those times, He reveals to us that the things we've been trusting in are not all that we make them out to be. We begin to understand that there is a better way of living, but it will require a letting go of whatever we are clinging to if what we are clinging to is a hinderance to our lives. Listen. I don't like the processes anymore than you do. But I'll tell you that I'd rather have God's processes of change than the bondage of staying the same. I'll take it, loneliness and all. In the long run, when all is said and done, I will be like Him. And so will you. Keep holding on. Don't let go. Please. I plead with you on behalf of those who await you on the other side of obedience, don't let go. You really are NOT alone. Peace.

"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