Saturday, December 31, 2016

Thoughts On 2016-Understanding The Why Of The Process


2016 was an interesting year for many, me included. The year started with great Prophetic Promise and excitement. Then as the year unfolded many of us received curve balls that we were not expecting. Our choice was to go with what was cast our way, embrace it, and the find the purpose of God in it; or get stuck and stifled right there, no longer moving towards our destiny.

I discovered that even in the curve ball God has been working His Master Plan for our lives. He seldom operates or does things the way that we think that He will or should. After all, He is still sovereign and has promised to do a New Thing. Why are we so surprised when He does? Because it didn’t come the way we had the scenario worked out in our pre-conceived ideas.

I for one learned this more than anyone this year. Even though I have always preached that we can’t put God in a box and that He will seldom do it like we think He will; yet when it happened to me, I was totally floored. I made up my mind to embrace the assignment and in the process, discover the why of the process.

So often we want to understand the WHY before we embrace the process. That is not how it works. It is as we embrace the process that the why is made clear. I discovered this year that God really does know what He is doing even when we think He doesn’t.

Unfortunately, many never discover the beauty or irony of how this works because they want it all figured out with a pretty bow on it before they do anything. They are individuals with all the POTENTIAL in the world who never live up to it because they can’t embrace a process they do not understand. God has always operating an individual’s destiny as unfolding revelation. He told Abraham to go to a land that He would show him.

Most of us would have said: “If you don’t show me where we are going, I am not leaving.” Thus, we find the underlying issue why so many never move past POTENTIAL. I read somewhere that the “Just Shall Live By Faith”. If you know exactly where you are going, no faith is required. But when you embrace that you are going where only God knows; then you are walking “By Faith And Not By Sight”.

This year, despite being thrown a major curve ball that I never saw coming nor ever expected or wanted, I discovered the purpose and plan of God for my life by embracing the process. I now know why I received the assignment that I did that I was not expecting. It turns out that God actually had at least four reasons that I am aware of at the time of this writing, and I am sure more will be revealed in the process.


My advice to you is simply this: Even when you don’t understand the curve ball that seems to be thrown your way, embrace it and yield to the process of God, as you do you will understand the why of the process. 

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Teach Them To Your Sons

All the way back in Israel’s history…there was a practice that we in the church today sure do need to resurrect. It was known as “Teach them to your Sons”.
“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.” Deuteronomy 6:6-8 NASB
“You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 11:18-20 NASB
“Now therefore, write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the sons of Israel; put it on their lips, so that this song may be a witness for Me against the sons of Israel.” Deuteronomy 31:19 NASB
The pattern was always that Fathers taught their Sons, who in turn taught their Sons, and so forth and so on. The pattern was always to be multi-generational. “The God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob”.
Yet in our day many of our Leaders both Naturally & Spiritually have forgotten and lost this pattern. What and how are we teaching our Sons…that they might teach their Sons? Apostle Paul instructed his Son Timothy, the Emerging Apostle:
“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2 NKJV
Do you see the pattern of Multi-Generational again? Paul…Timothy…Faithful Men…Others Also.
If there is not a burning desire to pour into the next generation and you are in leadership…then you surely cannot call yourself Apostolic or a Father. Teaching from a Pulpit or a Platform is not Fathering nor Apostolic. From the pattern of Israel it was something that was “Hands On”.
As we seek to be Apostolic Fathers…we must do more than just teach from the pulpit…we must be “Hands On” with the next generation to raise up Sons. Let’s Go For It Copying The Pattern As Old As Israel!