Fully Devoted

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2

Four things that the early church fully devoted themselves to: teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer. These four things were the antidote to revival breaking out, lives being saved and set free. They were of the same mind and spirit and the unity was a reality that demanded a response. Whenever there is full devotion and full unity, God will respond. It is the thing that draws Him to move more than any other thing. Signs and wonders were released through the apostles and all were stunned and in awe of what God was doing through their fellowship.

Could it be that we have forsaken the power of simplicity and unity in our fellowships? Could it be that we have traded the true unity and devotion for man made programs and structures that don't bring real change? Are we willing to empty ourselves to the point that we consider everything secondary
to Christ and His will being done?

I believe that the church has to change in order to embrace and receive what God desires to give and do. There is a fellowship that is more concerned with unity, love, truth, power, change, and freedom rather than empty and powerless programs. People are longing to really connect with God and with one another. There is a hunger to do church differently, better and more authentic. I believe the example that we see in Acts is a foretaste of what God desires to restore and redeem in His bride today. Let us be fully devoted to His word, to fellowship, breaking of bread, and most importantly prayer. Prayer is the backbone that keeps us in check and right posture.

Silent...

I have been thinking
lately about the silent cries
that the majority do not hear
but One always hears and never forgets
I have been thinking
lately about the silent tears
that most do not see
but One always sees and wipes them away
I have been thinking
lately about the silent fears
that some and all carry through the years
but One always says, "My perfect love casts out all fear"
I have been thinking
lately about the silent sins
that everyone struggles in
but One always seems to forgive
I have been thinking
lately about the silent pain
that so many people live under
but One always longs to heal
I have been thinking
lately about the King of Kings
the Lord of Lords
The Great I Am
The Almighty God
The Strong Deliverer
The Rock of Salvation
The Beginning and the End
The Savior of the world
The Great Physician
He is never silent.

Faith in your shoes...

The journey is long and painful at times
But with the right shoes it can make a difference
You cross one mountain to discover another even higher
A valley is always waiting at the bottom of the mountain
With the right shoes you can skip and scale, run and glide
You wont really notice the wear and tear when you look back
Faith in your shoes...
They seem to get you through
The secret is not really in your shoes, but in the steps that you take
Faith, feet, and shoes...will get you there
One step in front of the other
Just don't stop, or don't look back for long
Forward moving, knees bending, footsteps sending
You higher and further than you have been before
Opportunities anticipating, trials awaiting, both keep me moving forward
Not to give up, not to let go...

Extravagant Worship

Our sole purpose in life is to glorify God and make Him known. A lifetime can easily be filled up doing this, which spills into eternity. When a vision of the Almighty is captured in the heart of man and woman, they are changed forever. A vision of His beauty, His holiness, His splendor, His power and love become our focus in praising the Creator.

We must not hold back our worship, neither in corporate gatherings, or the secret place where it's just God and I. He desires to see His people worship Him with extravagance. Abandonment to God, passion for God, hunger and thirst after Him alone, in spirit and truth, and always in true freedom.

I encourage you today to worship Him throughout your day. Are you needing breakthrough? Are you needing an answer? Are you waiting for deliverance? Are you in a dire situation? Then worship God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. Linger in His presence until your heart and His are one. He desires to tell you how much He loves you and what He feels about you. He is the extravagant God. Everything about Him is wild and real. Jump in the river that will never run dry. Holy is the Lord and worthy to be praised.

Oh Thirsty Soul

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 42:1-2

Have you ever experienced a deep thirst where you felt like you were "dying" to drink something? Have you ever been so hungry that your whole body was weak, aching, and weary? Most of us in the west probably have not because of the abundance of food and drink that is available.

Spiritually speaking I have felt and experienced extreme thirst and hunger at times. I have been on my knees crying out to God for more of His presence, power, and love in my life. I have felt the reality of being in a dry and weary land where there is a lack of water, sometimes the greatest lack has been in my own soul. Hunger and thirst are a gift from God. If you are hungry for God and you can't live without Him, then you are blessed. If your body aches for the presence of the living God then count it a great joy.

We are living in times where most around us do not even consider the eternal God, much less hunger or thirst for Him. Never loose your hunger and your thirst. You will be empowered to do great exploits through this gift. Out of this place you will see healing and deliverance come forth. You will prophesy in power and souls will be impacted for the kingdom. Our great reward is Jesus Christ and He alone.

Am I not Faithful?

Has the Lord not promised that He would be Faithful to His children?  Is He not the Good Shepherd that watches over the needs of His flock?  Does He not tell us not to worry about what we will eat, drink, or wear?  I tell you that He is Faithful, He is the Faithful One...no one is like Him. 

Today if you are struggling understanding God's Faithfulness and believing that He is going to catch you when you fall, then let me remind you of the scriptures..."He promises to work everything together for the good for those that love Him and are called according to His purposes"...and "He who began a good work in you is Faithful unto completing that work".  Do not give up, do not lose sight.  Hold on your deliverance is coming.

Dreams and Visions

14 For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds,
16 then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings,
17 that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man;
18 he keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword. Job 33:15-18

How many realize that God speaks in many ways? Did he not speak through the still small voice? Did he not speak through Balaam's donkey? Has he not spoken through a burning bush? What about a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night? God is always speaking, are we listening?

In this passage God is clearly saying that He speaks in dreams and visions in the night. Why? He opens mens ears to warn them, turn them from sin and pride, and give them direction to name a few. There are many in the Muslim world who have had dreams of a man clothed in white, Jesus who has come to them. Many are coming to salvation through a dream or vision. People who are lost need to experience and encounter Gods power in a way that will captivate and draw them in to Gods truth and love. In some ways in places where there are no believers and no word of God, a dream might be the only means to a person seeing the truth. The truth is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and this will set them
Free. Countless unseen and unheard testimonies exist right now of how many a Muslim or Hindu have come to salvation through a dream or vision.

Of course we all have had off the wall dreams and ones that don't make any sense. Most of the time you can ignore those ones and just move on. You will know when a dream is from God, though you might not know the full interpretation of that dream. Daniel in the bible had the gift of interpreting dreams. There are Godly men and women today that also carry this gift who can help bring revelation and truth to complex and intricate God dreams.

All I want to say is ask God for His dreams and do not despise them. It might be a way He is wanting to speak and tell you something. Be blessed today.