a church in every city

you know what i want to do? start a church in every city of the world. i think i am going to start to write a comprehensive stategy on how to do that...this should be fun.

belief overcomes history

jesus said, greater works will we do. God is doing things today that are not written in the word, why? because He said He would and He said that we, His children would do them. there are greater works to be done. those works that we have not contemplated or studied. why? because God loves to do something new. only one red sea, 1 walking on water, 1 goliath, 1 cross, 1 Paul, 1 Peter, 1 me and 1you. isnt that amazing? i decided to stop looking at history to figure out or anticipate what God is going to do and decided i am going to let Him surprise me. i am looking forward to His goodness.

belief is more powerful than prayer

this was a wild revelation, as i was worshipping to start my prayer time i was listening to some music and reading through some scripture and God spoke. i have had this internal belief, not spoken or even formally recognized, but hidden and controlling, that God is hidden behind a secure door, and if i punch in the right code, ie pray the right prayer, frase the words the right way with the right inflection or even get on my knees, the door will open and He will answer. so as i sat there ready to pray He told me not to. and said that He is enough, believe Him is more powerful than empty prayer. i was silent and thought about Him, and thought about those whom i normally pray for.

He wasnt interested in my prayer, He is interested in my thoughts about Him. who do i really think He is?

and that morning he told me that He is good. He is good, and from His goodness i receive. He is not bad. i dont receive bad from Him.

to sit silently before my God and trust/believe that He is good changed my prayer life that day.

God speaks to me

christianity is a relationship with the Creator of the universe so naturally there is a two way conversation that takes place. i speak to God and God speaks to me.

so my first day of 3 hour prayer besides the fact that it was pretty awesome, the Lord told me, I speak to you and have spoken to you even before your theology would allow it. now for me that was a big deal because for many years now i have wanted to hear His voice and so when He spoke that to me, all these memories came back of those times when i clearly heard Him. it was comforting and peaceful. for the first time i stopped comparing myself to how others hear Him, stopped begging Him to speak and just was full

journey back to prayer

for a long time i have wanted to get my life back on track with God. i have wanted to know more of Him and to do more of His works. but it hasnt been going so well. how do i know because i am always comparing what i am like today with how i was when i first got saved.

life as a new believer was incredible. there was passion and desire to do the things of God, to share HIm with others, to spend time with Him and there was joy. but now there is duty and obligation. and for a long time i have been trying to figure out why i dont have now what i used to have. then a couple of weeks it dawned on me, one thing that completely changed my life as a new believer was this book... could you not tarry one hour, by larry lee. yes, that was the book that really made a difference in my walk with God and kept me afloat.

so i ordered it again and decided to start to pray for an hour. i flipped through it and then began to pray each morning for about a week. then one day i got to the back of the book where he talks about cho, the pastor from korea. it says that he prays for at least 3 hours each day. wow, i thought, i am going to try that...so i am.

pretty cool stuff is happening and this is what i am writing about.

let the weak say i am strong

i took a defensive driving course recently because i got a speeding ticket, my first in 15 yrs. one of the points they made was how to avoid major disaster when hydroplanning. when the car begins to spin, keep your eyes on a spot that you want to end up and your hands will stear in that direction. if you look at the pole or tree then that is where you will end up. i thought that is a pretty powerful statement. it is amazing that what we focus on tends to be the place we end up in life. the scripture says, let the poor say i am rich, let the weak say i am poor, not because that may be an accurate representation of your current state but because that is the way to get to where you need to be. i heard a pastor once say, positive outcomes never come from negative critcism. i have been spending time filling my head with His promises, there is a land flowing with milk and honey even if there is only mana on the desert ground. setbacks and disappointments are part of the process of coming into the promise land.

my wonderful Jesus

my thought was simple, if He is then i dont have to be. the more time i spend with someone who is, the more i become conformed in his image. so i dont have to try and make myself. God's plan in everyones life is to make us like Jesus. that is His plan, His purpose. and mine? believe and trust and let Him do and be through me. so if He is why dont i have to be? because what He is and what he does He will be and do through me, if i just let him.
the following snippets are taken from the bible

he guides me
he is with me
he owns the earth
he is good and upright
he is my light
he is my salvation
he is my rock
he is my stronghold
he is my vindication
he instructs me
he teaches me
he prays for me
he makes my paths straight
he releases my feet from the snare
he lifts me from the pit
he keeps me safe
he is strength