Material and Godliness

      I was watching a video on Youtube and I saw a comment by someone that stated something along the lines of "If you're rich it's a sign of God's blessings" and basically if you weren't then the opposite is true. She went on to say that you can tell if someone is in God's favor by the things they own. Sadly, this is a common misconception that's been running throughout many churches for a long time.

     Of course God blesses His people, but what does that look like? There are many ways to be blessed. When we think about being blessed we can't think only about America, we need to think world wide. People are dying everyday all over the world from starvation, lack of water and disease. People are living under trees, in cardboard huts and some with less than that. If we look at the bigger picture we realize that if we have access to a computer/phone to read this very blog we are already blessed.

      If we only look at blessings in comparison to how the wealthy live in America we will be deceived and succumb to greed. We will never be grateful. Common sense tells us this idea of wealth being a sign of God's blessing is flawed. If it was true we'd have to assume the Mafia was favored by God, also the Kardashians and other Hollywood Celebrities. Are they living a life for God? Do they even believe in Jesus? So you see, wealth is usually a sign of compromise and sin, and not a sign of living a Godly life. What about the missionaries who live off 20k or less a year? Are they sinful and unloved by God? This whole idea of measuring a person's favor with God by their material gain is broken.

        Look at the world around you, so many have much less than you do. You are blessed. You are taken care of by God. He loves you. This crazy, insane wealth we see in America is usually filled with sin, scandal, compromise and a self reliance, not a God reliance (there are a few exceptions to this). At times it's easier for ungodly people to get rich because they are able to sow into the lusts and fun, evil desires of others. Sin sells. Also, they don't have the enemy trying to stop them in the spiritual world. As long as you are doing the devil's work why would he try and withhold anything form you? These are all things we have to think about. God's people do righteous and holy things with wealth. They make the world a more beautiful place with the prosperity God gives them, so of course more hindrance come with this holy agenda.

        With all this said, know, God takes care of His children. God will make sure we have everything we need. God is not going to have His kids begging for bread and for shelter over their heads. But if we are comparing God's provision with a Mercedes and a Hollywood mansion we may miss the goodness that's already been given to us by our Lord or judge people unfairly. Our ideas of wealth in America are so far in left field that we forget that rain and sunshine are all gifts from God. That a healthy family, and air in our lungs are blessings. That having a job, food on the table, a house (no matter the size), access to the internet, a vehicle and more are all blessings that many live without.

        This whole wealth and godliness mentality does nothing for us but feed our greed, causes people to live fake lives trying to keep up appearances, and breaks down healthy relationships in our churches since everyone wants to be around wealthy people since they are "blessed" (sad but true in many places).

         The fruit I care about are the fruit of the spirit in your life. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." - Galatians 5:22 NIV    I don't care what car you drive up in, what brand your clothes are, what your job title is, how expensive your purse is, or how many vacations you go on per year. As Christians we should be ashamed of ourselves if we judge others based on such temporary things. Material does not determine if a person is evil or good. As with all things God looks at the heart.

         Plus, if we really look around we will see that many of us are far more blessed than we ever realized, but we are to busy lusting after a Hollywood and an upper east side lifestyle to notice.

Your love never fails

Who God is

The least of these...

Pastor Jeremiah Steepek transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service....only 3 people out of the 7-10,000 people said hello to him. He asked people for change to buy food....NO ONE in the church gave him change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and was asked by the ushers if he would please sit n the back. He greeted people to be greeted back with stares and dirty looks, with people looking down on him and judging him.

As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation........"We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek"....The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation.....The homeless man sitting in the back stood up.....and started walking down the aisle.....the clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him....he walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment....then he recited

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning...many began to cry and many heads were bowed in shame.... he then said....Today I see a gathering of people......not a church of Jesus Christ. The world has enough people, but not enough disciples...when will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service until next week.......Being a Christian is more than something you claim. I'ts something you live by and share with others. - Author Unknown

Amazing

Jason Upton - Calgary Confrence

I love Jason Upton's teaching. His videos take you on a journey.

Stand up for others

Parenting Goals

     I'm not a mother, yet. But I already love my future children. I find myself praying for them and blessing them in my quiet time. I've gotten several dreams about the names of two of my children. I'm sure other women have experienced this. The Holy Spirit has really been working in me and speaking to me about what it means to be a parent and challenging me to really think about what His goals are.
    I've been jotting down notes here and there about my hopes and dreams for my children and how He wants me to raise them. 
   
Some of my notes are as such (this is a rough list):

-Help my kids develop mentally, emotionally and spiritually

-Add no emotional trauma

- look into their eyes and truly see them, everyday

-cherish the moments and never forget this is the good old days

-To be a safe place where issues are healed not covered or exploited

-teach them to think for themselves and to be assertive

-Leaders not followers, yet respectful of authority

-Routine is resistance to wonder. Encourage my child’s sense of wonder.

-Recognize my children’s gifts, talents and joys and help them sharpen and peruse them

-Above all teach my children to love God, love others and reach out.

 

    What are or were some of your goals for you and your children? I want to pray over this list and edited as the Lord leads, then hang it on my mirror or in my office and read it every morning. I guess my list is more about myself - reminding me not to control them or forget them, but truly see them and enjoy them, and help them grow into all God created them to be. I don't want to be swept away and never truly be present.  :-)

Eat your fill

        My husband and I are proud parents of a bossy Basset Hound. I don't know what you know about Basset Hounds, but most sources say they are lazy. This can't be further from the truth in our case. Winston, is always on the go. He's loud, bossy, silly and makes friends easily :-). When we lived in the apartments there was a trail we could walk him on every day to burn energy and stay fit. He was eating about four cups of food a day! Two cups in the morning and two in the evenings. That's more than my Golden Retriever. Yet, Winston was super skinny and fit. Basset lovers always admire his healthy size, since most Bassets are stereotyped as fat and slow. Over time we slowly cut Winston's food down to three cups a day (two in the mornings and one in the evenings). He seemed fine and it allowed us to save food.
         Eventually we moved into our house. Though we have a huge backyard, Winston didn't get those long walks on the trail anymore. So we decided to cut him down to two cups a day. One in the morning and one in the evenings. I mean, if my huge Golden Retriever can live off of two cups, surly, Winston can, right? As time went on I noticed Winston acting up, he would jump on the counters, he wouldn't settle down, and wouldn't listen. I had no idea what was going on. Then one day he was eating breakfast and I saw his stomach and thought, "Hmm, He's looking kinda skinny." I told my husband I wanted to start feeding him three cups again. He agreed and we began increasing his food. I saw a noticeable difference right away. He was calm, slept more, obeyed the rules and was back to being a cheerful little guy. Today, he happily eats three cups a day and remains fit.

          As I was thinking upon this situation and my little buddies behavior problems and how a little extra food changed him back to his happy self, the Lord showed me how we act the same way when we are spiritually hungry. Hunger can cause us to act in strange ways. When we are spiritually full we are calm, we rest well, we live life respecting others boundaries, spreading love wherever we go. But when we are hungry and running on empty we are moody, short tempered, rebellious, willing to eat anything and careless of others.  It's all about us.
           If you find yourself looking in the mirror and not recognizing yourself check your spiritual diet. Are you hungry? Are you running on empty? My poor little Winston's whole personality changed when his tummy was on empty. When is the last time you've eaten something good for you?
          When we are full of God's word our lives reflect that fullness in everything we do. So, if you are noticing negative behavior and attitudes in your life, know, it's not you, it's your diet. Eat your fill on healthy spiritual things and you will see positive changes take place almost instantly.

Jason Upton - ReleaseRetreat

I love what Jason says about selling yourself and spiritually aborting your destiny to please man (starts about 20mins in). Sounds like what I've been writing in my new book. It's definitely where my heart is. Jason has an amazing way of humbling the proud and encouraging the broken. If you're broken his message will bless you.

The ones who really belong

"Be yourself, do your own thing and work hard. The right people the ones who really belong in your life, will come to you. And stay."

Catch a wave

    If you have a hard time being intimate with God on your own, the next best way to saturate yourself in His presence is to go places where He's manifesting. Hang around people who are manifesting Him. It's not a copout.
     I can't tell you how many times I was feeling spiritually dry, and went to an event where I knew people would be flowing in the Holy Spirit and prophetic gifts. As soon as I walked through the doors, BAM, I was hit with God's manifested presence. If you can't create a wave then catch a wave, hang around where the waves are crashing. Trust me you will get soaked. Before you know it you will be creating waves and catching waves when you're all alone worshiping. It will rub off on you.
      Sometimes we are in a dry season, not because God wants it that way, but because life pulls us down. That's why we need each other. Come surf my waves! We sharpen each other and encourage one another. Sometimes we need someone else to fill us up. There is no shame in that. Other times people are still young and immature to spiritual things and need some help. Again, no shame. Ride my waves.
      Over the years I've learned what events, or gatherings host His presence. So my hubs and I make a point to go for a refreshing. I will warn you, once you've experience the true and living God in a manifested way you are ruined for anything less. Places that used to fit you wont be able to hold you anymore. You can't go back.
      It's an amazing thing when God's presence rests on you and His spirit abides in you. There is a difference when you are running on empty and when you're running on full. Hang around people and places and help keep you full.
          God wants to speak to you and move through you.

Spirit Connections

    Have you ever felt connected to someone you weren't friends with yet? Someone you've never had a conversation with? Does God fill your dreams with these people? Relationships are a big part of our journey with God. Relationships play important roles in every area of our life, especially our spiritual growth.

       We shouldn't let the resistance from those around us stop us from reaching out and touching those God has given us a heart for. I've learned the hard way that those around us have their own insecurities. They may not want us reaching out because they feel threatened. They are scared they may be replaced, or miss out. We are fragile and easily succumb to jealousy and self preservation. We can block those we love from making the connections God wants for them, or be blocked by our loved ones ourselves. We have our "best friends" and we are protective over them and resist change to our groups dynamic, but we must realize the importance of connecting with those God's beckoning us toward. It's a divine connection.

     People impart important things into our life. Whether it be a gifts, talents, information, wisdom, healing etc. We are spirit beings and we don't connect with someone without their being an exchange (hopefully good).

       For example. I have a friend who had never dreamed in his life. Yet, he started going to a spirit filled prophetic church, and all of a sudden he started dreaming. He received a prophetic word for me in his dream which truly blessed me when I was in a tough situation. This had never happened to him before. He didn't even know he had those types of gifts, but when my friend made the right connection his gifts started manifesting. Who and what we are connected to makes a difference. We need to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. We need to have courage. We should be bold.

        You may have tons of Christian friends, but are they carnal? God may try and connect you with someone else who can impart something deeper into you. Would you be open? Or would you allow your clique to dictate the divine connections you receive? I've learned that powerful connections come with opposition and road blocks. It's a sign that something special awaits on the other side. The enemy can use well meaning people to block a good thing. We need to tune our ear to His voice and be daring enough to take a chance and obey. 

         I'm going to go out on a limb and share what inspired my blog. I pray it blesses whoever it's meant to reach. I was praying about what to blog about and this message started bubbling in me. This impression for someone inspired my blog post because I believe this hits home for more than just one person, though the impression is for someone specific : You have felt drawn to someone for many years. Yet, you have hesitated to reach out and make a connection because of what your friends may think. Your friends care about you, but one friend specifically has been a bigger road block than others. Self-preservation is his motive. It's important to obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. Reach out, make the connection, there is healing, restoration and divine friendship awaiting. When God connects people in the spiritual realm, no man can break it. All we can do is obey, or live in regret. The pulling never goes away. There is reward in obeying. 

         Relationships open and close doors. They sow seeds into our life that wont bloom till years later. We never know why God wants us to make a connection. All we can do is obey and see what happens. We can't allow who we are surrounded by today, stop us from reaching out to those who may be vital for our tomorrows.

As for me and my house

I'm done
Building my own kingdom
No more
Seeking worthless idols

Like sheep we have all gone astray
We must choose this day
Whom we will serve
As for me and my house
We will serve the Lord
We will serve the Lord
Idols raised, tear them down
Cause we will serve the Lord
We will serve the Lord
To one king we bow down
As for me and my house
We will only serve the Lord

We will cross over Jordan
We will claim what you promised

We will not give our hearts to another
Will not give our hearts to another
We belong to the Lord

The Spirit God gave

Winter Ramp 2012

Another intimate worship set by Jason Upton. I hope you enjoy all the videos I post. I try and share what's feeding me spiritually. I usually get some coffee, a note pad and turn my speakers up in my office and worship and take notes. If you sit through the whole thing you will be blessed. :-) 

Who is this love amazing

I've been worshiping to this song for weeks. It's about time I share! :-)

Your Gift to Yourself

     The greatest gift you can give to yourself is moving on. The Bible says God predestined our time and place. I've heard Bible teachers say this means down to our very addresses. That's how detailed "time and place" are referring.

      If this is true, then we need to set ourselves free and move on when doors are closed. Closed doors are the greatest blessing. We need to change our perspective. So many times we walk away from a closed door feeling rejected and sorrowful, but if we keep our eyes on spiritual things then we know a closed door is direction not rejection. Take it as sign and move on. It's the greatest gift we can give ourselves.

      God is fighting for us. He wouldn't put us here without a plan for us, the problem is many of us want what we can't have. Instead of stepping away from a closed door, we sow years of patience, waiting outside of a door, knocking, pleading to enter, some of us even try kicking it down. Why waste your life doing this?

      There is a place for you. A place where you fit. A place were people want you and need you. A place were people see the best in you and want you to win. This favor is direction as well. The worst thing we can do is stick around wasting time in a place where people's hearts are hardened toward us. No matter how much time you invest trying to change people, waiting, and hoping the bottom line is, only God can change someone's heart.

        Say your goodbyes, do whatever you need to do to cut the strings and soul ties and step away from the closed doors in your life. Take a deep breathe and know God's got you.Trust Him and begin walking away from the old and toward something new.

       I remember when my husband went to visit an old friend. My husband arrived and walked into the building and headed toward the elevators. As he walked to the elevator the doors opened on their own and my husband seamlessly walked in without missing a step. This is a powerful picture of our lives. God's not tricking you or fighting against you. He's not making things complicated. When our path is blessed it opens up to us, just like the elevator door.

       The sooner we move on the sooner we will walk onto the path of favor God's prepared for us.

It chooses us

   The more experiences I enjoy and endure in this life, the more I see how our ministries choose us, we don't choose them. Through trails and pain, through laughter and love, through triumphs and failures, our spirit begins beckoning us to help right other people's wrongs, to pull other people up from where we were, to wipe the tears of faces like ours. You have to wonder, was this all part of His bigger plan? We are connected. The call has picked us.

     Our voice has been given to us and set in motion way before we enter our mother's womb. We embrace it or fight it. Stay focused, or envy others. We choose to live as victors or victims, but our lives have been planned by God ahead of time.

     Often these areas of our life seem neglected by God. Why isn't He responding? Can He hear my prayers? Hasn't He counted my tears? We begin wondering why He responds to one prayer but not another. I've found the areas that seem neglected are the areas He's making us walk through. If He delivered us instantly we wouldn't become "deliverers" because it came easy. We'd become arrogant and boastful and make cheesy sayings about it. When people would seek our help we'd say things like, "If I can do it, you can do it. You just have to want it! It's simple. You just have to want it bad enough."

      Sadly, when things come easy for us we often take credit. But when we have to walk through the trenches, get mud in our boots, soak our pillow with tears year after year, something happens with us. Brokenness humbles us. Our spirit cries out, "Only you, Lord. You are my last hope. You are my only hope. I can't do this."

       God's not looking for us to be self made men and women. He wants us to be dependent on Him. He wants us to help others be dependent on Him. He wants us to be full of mercy and grace towards others and that does not happen unless we feel what they feel. This is why our cries go unanswered in some areas, but there will be a season for deliverance if we don't faint.

       At the appointed time God will set the record straight. He will align all that's been broken and you will arise with boldness in the areas you've felt neglected. You will be a voice of hope and healing to many. Let's not grow weary, but realize there is a reason we've had to walk the long way around certain issues. It may not be clear now, but have faith in God. He is not wasting time. 

          He's teaching you the way out, so you can lead others back out the same way.This is when we'll see our ministry has chosen us. It's been working in us and preparing us for our future roles before we even recognized it.