2012 - Bringing Forth Your Tree of Life

Pastor Rick and I are in Uganda dedicating a new building for a church and school in the remote village of Nabusozi; in the heart of a valley which birthed the evil empire we now call the HIV virus. We’re here in a valley where an occasional motor bike is the only motorized movement on pathways carved through the African farm and scrub land. It’s the end of the road, so to speak, for those living by the shore of Lake Kijanibalola; the end of the road for many with HIV, the end of the road for many who have little or no access to education or knowledge of Jesus or a hope for a way out of poverty. It’s a place where people usually gather under a tree rather than under a roof.

It’s from this venue that I bring you words of grace and hope. There are times in life when it seems we are at the end of our road; times when it seems the convergence of bad stuff happening makes even the spirit-filled believer grasp for hope. We know God’s grace, His favor theoretically; yet sometimes we do not walk in the experience at any significant measure. If there is hope for this remote village with few spirit-filled believers, there is hope for you in 2012. The Holy Spirit prophetically revealed aspects of the Father’s heart to us on New Year’s Day. He said that 2012 will be a ‘pivotal year’, a year upon which many crucial crossroads will be encountered. He also said that many people in 2011 had ‘hope deferred making their heart sick’ (Prov. 113:12), but that 2012 would bring forth the ‘tree of life’, a refreshing accompanying the fulfillment of some desire in their life. I am now ministering to a remote people whose hope was deferred and were truly heart sick only 2 years ago, but there has come refreshing brought by the Holy Spirit, through people led by the Holy Spirit, with spiritual and practical provision authored by the Holy Spirit.

Be encouraged that whatever challenges you may face in this pivotal year, there will be opportunity to gather under the tree of life where a God-birthed desire is fulfilled, healing the heart and bringing refreshing. Be encouraged even as the people at the end of this road are encouraged! Just when you think you’re at the end your road, the tree of life appears. Hallelujah!

2012 - a ‘Pivotal’ Year

2012 is a ‘pivotal’ year. A prophetic word for the church is ‘pivotal’, meaning crucial, very important, something upon which people and organizations will turn. In our church we received an associated prophetic word that 2012 will not be ‘normal’ in the sense that there is a substantive realigning coming in 2012. This, I believe, extends well beyond our local fellowship into the CrossFire International Alliance and to nations. To realign is to reposition something to bring it in line. The Holy Spirit is saying that crucial decisions will be made in 2012 to re-align the hearts and minds of individuals, churches, and governments. This will be a crucial, pivotal year to CHOOSE God’s way or another way. When the Holy Spirit speaks forth these things we must have our spiritual radar tuned so that we as leaders have our hearts and minds prepared to turn with Him at the right time as opposed to staying the normal course. The Holy Spirit reflects the abundant favor of the Father by revealing His heart for us to be effective in our Kingdom work. He does this to bring awareness, acuity, and accuracy to the strategic work of people advancing the Kingdom of God.

He desires to bring people, church fellowships, ministries and nations into proper alignment. I believe strongly that the Holy Spirit is telling us to be acutely aware in 2012 of crucial opportunities to position ourselves to bring forth the fullness of our purpose, calling and assignments in the Kingdom. Something will change from what had been normal for you. Very often our ‘normal’ life allows hearts and minds to get off track, to slowly and subtely get out of alignment. We drift off without realizing it. You can be assured there will be efforts by the enemy to keep everything normal, to move or keep you out of position, or to steer you in direction out of alignment with God’s purpose in your life. God’s abundant grace will give you ample opportunity and clarity for these crucial decisions in 2012. He is not hiding anything or being coy. But………you will have to choose. Your choice is pivotal to your purpose and your work to advance His kingdom!! Hallelujiah!

Advancing His Kingdom in 2012

We close out 2011 having seen the Kingdom of God advance in the hearts of many people. As pastor and apostle I witnessed the evidence of His advancing kingdom. The advance of His kingdom in 2011 was preceded by the Truth of His Word, the unconditional Love of His Son, and the good news of Grace toward all who believe.

People who embraced the advance of His kingdom had to make room for that kingdom in their hearts. They released offenses and judgments, discarded wrong belief systems, disengaged from co-dependent relationships. In their place came the kingdom character of pure hearts, truthful beliefs, and healthy interdependent relationships. This was often painful individually and corporately, but those who endured entered a new place of freedom and faith. Every advance of the Kingdom of God starts in the hearts of His people, before it extends to the hearts and minds of governments, educational institutions, denominations, and nations.

As we transition into 2012, the Holy Spirit is leading each of us in the context of a bigger picture. 2012 will be a pivotal year for the church world-wide. Each person in the Body of Christ has a role in the kingdom beginning at the most basic level of the local fellowship of believers. As each person allows the Kingdom to expand in their hearts, the local fellowship expands its corporate heart. As each local fellowship fulfills its call and purpose, His kingdom advances to the pre-Christian, to denominations, and to governments and nations. 2012 will be a pivotal year for each believer to continue their personal expansion of the kingdom at the expense of leaving behind circumstantial distractions, the cares of this world, and the desires for other things(Mark 4:18,19). Personal decisions will affect the destiny of churches, of elections, and of nations. Advance truth. Accept His unconditional love. Embrace the good news of grace!

Christmas Gift...of Competence

As we enter the season celebrating the birth of Jesus, we must remind ourselves that we’ve been given a gift to be competent. We are ministers of a new covenant of grace and peace: the gift from Jesus. 2 Cor. 3:6 says “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Scripture declares that our competence as ministers comes from the new covenant of the Spirit, not of the letter of the law. What does that mean? It simply means that the Father has made us competent, i.e. skillful in method and effective in action, through the undeserved favor, blessing and love birthed at Christmas 2000 years ago.

Our methods and actions must only come from the new covenant of grace and peace. It is through this Christmas gift that we minister transformation in people’s lives leading them into the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:13). When we try to influence people by the letter of the law we employ wrong methods and actions, thereby undermining the gift of Christmas and rendering ineffective our leadership in the Kingdom. Leading by the letter of the law always stifles, diminishes and even kills. The letter of the law is no longer our supervisor! (Gal. 3:25)

What is the ‘letter’ versus the ‘Spirit’? The letter is the literal content of 3000 dos and don’ts of the 10 commandments, the feasts, the sacrifices, in short, rules of religious living. The letter of the law can only bring death. The Spirit is the Holy Spirit’s intent and ultimate goal. By the Spirit, we love God and love people through our righteous relationship with the Father with whom we have peace through the abundant grace given by Jesus. Leading by the Spirit brings life to those around us. Leading by the law kills joy and brings death to those around us. Paul challenged the Galatian believers who had succumbed to the ‘letter’ when he said 'what has happened to your joy’? (Gal. 4:15)

You are a competent minister….. competent when ministering through the gift Jesus, the competent minister, brought at Christmas. We now minister by the Spirit, through the grace, love and hope, of the Christmas gift. Rejoice in what He has done to make possible what you can do!

Power to Delight

Your words have power to delight. James 3:1-12 says that our words carry great power. Our Father’s desire is that our words powerfully influence people for the Kingdom of God, bringing life and hope into a world of death and despair. Verses 9 and 10 declare the power of our words to praise God and bless people. This is the power to delight; delighting our Father and His people. He loves the praises that come from the lips of His people. He relishes words of love and faith we offer to Him whether in a church meeting, in our devotion time, or during our daily routine of life. We live and declare a life filled with words of praise. We’re like the Psalmist who said ‘My life is an example to many, because You have been my strength and protection. That is why I can never stop praising You; I declare Your glory all day long’ (Ps. 71:7,8). The Father accomplished everything for YOU and strengthens your life through the grace of Jesus every day. We offer words to delight Him in response to what He has done in us and for us.

But what about words to delight people? We can speak words of destruction or delight toward people. We have a choice based upon what’s in our heart. The words of James say that it is not right that we praise God then speak curses toward people. To do so is to be double-minded. We are to praise God and bless people, in spite of what people may say about us. In fact Jesus said that even when people speak words of destruction, we are to speak words of blessing (Luke 6:28). The word ‘bless’ literally means ‘to speak well of’. When we speak well of someone we delight their heart. There will be people who do NOT speak well of you in leadership. Not everyone is going to like you or speak well of you. In spite of their words you can offer words that delight.

Now some of you may ask ‘how do I speak words of correction that may not seem like a blessing at the time they are spoken’? Parents certainly know what I am talking about relative to raising children. We know that Paul and the Apostles brought words of correction to the church to straighten things out that had gone awry. Words of correction will be a delight when spoken from a Father’s heart for the good of the person and the church. Words of correction undergirded by grace can bring people, churches, and ministries into alignment with the Father’s word and His Kingdom. Such words, when received by grace, are a blessing and delight to the Father and to people. While not all people may receive them as a blessing, they are still offered as a blessing.

Leaders; consider the words you speak. Remember that your words carry power. They have power to direct, to destroy and to delight. Allow the grace of God, the undeserved power of transformation and blessing, to transform the well of your heart into a source of words that glorify the Father, reveal the Son, and carry the presence of the Holy Spirit. You will direct people toward the Kingdom of Jesus; delighting the Father and His people.

Destructive Power

Words have the power to destroy. James 3:1-12 gives us understanding of the power of words to influence people and the spiritual atmosphere around us. The scripture says our words can be so destructive as to cause great forest fires, corrupt our bodies and set our lives on fire. Wow! That is power….power to destroy! Our words can destroy hope, trust, unity and peace. They destroy hope by sabotaging the hope of glory we have in the good news gospel. They destroy trust by speaking publicly those things that should be held in confidence. They destroy unity by speaking strife and division in the church. They destroy peace by bringing doubt and anxiety into the lives of people around us.

But there is good news…..we have a choice in the words we speak…..and that choice is found in James’ depiction of two wells: a fresh well and a bitter well; the well of the heart. The heart is the decision station of life; the intersection of soul and spirit.

Patterns of speech give insight into the attitude of our hearts. Negative patterns of speech reveal negative attitudes of the heart. Positive patterns of speech reveal an optimistic outlook on life undergirded by grace based attitudes of the heart. Let’s face it. We would much rather hang around with people who speak words of life and encouragement than words of death and destruction. I find that I can handle negative people only so long, then I try to avoid them….even if they are friends!!! Just because you’re a believer in Jesus and or a leader in the body of Christ does not guarantee you draw your words from a fresh well.

Out of the overflow of our hearts we choose the words we speak. (Luke 6:45) The inner transformation from bitter water to fresh water is in the transformation to a good and noble heart. No matter how bad life circumstances may be, we can still choose to develop a good and noble heart (see Luke 8:15) that brings forth words like fresh water. We gain a good and noble heart as we embrace the gospel of grace and peace rather than a gospel of wrath and judgment. We gain a good and noble heart by cultivating our soul with the good news of Jesus’ victory over hell and the grave. We transform the heart by embracing the unconditional love of the Father. From this fresh well of the good and noble heart we terminate the words of destruction and germinate the words of delight. We infuse life in those around us and into the spiritual climate of our lives.Transform your heart and you will transform your words from destroying to delighting. Transform your heart and your words will no longer start fires or corrupt your life. Jesus said he came to bring good news. So should you!!

Word Power

Our words carry power. People often associate power with human size and strength, electrical voltage, big trucks, jet airplanes, and the suit sitting in the corner office. However, there is dimension of power that transcends those traditional perspectives. It is the power of our words. The Apostle James expounds on the power of words by comparing the tongue to a bridle that turns a horse, a rudder that steers a ship, and a spark that ignites a forest fire (James 3:1-12). Wow! That small physical attribute is really an instrument of power!

As leaders we must consider the influence of words in the spiritual and human atmosphere. There are three distinct powers of our words revealed by James’ writing. The first, to be addressed in this blog, is the power to DIRECT. James says that those who use words to teach will be judged more strictly (James 3:1). People will judge the words of a teacher more strictly than those who do not teach. It is the power of the pulpit. When you speak in group of 5 people or 500 people you bring immediate attention to the words you speak. People analyze your words, compare your words to your behavior, and receive your words as one speaking with a degree of authority.

Gifted speakers can direct nations. We have good and bad examples of word power in people like President Obama who evoked the mantra of ‘hope and change’ carrying this man with little leadership experience to the presidency of the most powerful nation in the world. People liked what he SAID! Winston Churchill, a former prime minister of the UK, invoked courage and strength to their nation in World War II as Germany bombed London on a daily basis. He said ‘we will never give up…we will never give up!’ People believed his words! Adolph Hitler turned the people of Germany toward believing in a ‘master race’ leading them to war against much of Europe and attempted annihilation of Jewish race. The nation was directed by his words. These are but a few poignant examples of the power of words to direct people, direct nations, and influence the spiritual atmosphere around them.

You may not lead a nation but you influence people. Whether it’s 5 or 500 you have word power!!! You have the power to bring words of grace and peace, spirit and truth, life and abundance. On the contrary, you have power to bring legalism and wrath, unholy spirits and false teaching, death and poverty. As you embrace the gospel of grace and peace through Jesus you will bring more words of life and less words of death. Words spoken with little forethought or consideration of their power can still direct those around you. Consider your words. Do they reflect the gospel of grace and peace? Do they bring life and hope to the people you lead? Do they speak life and abundance into the spiritual atmosphere? Do they direct people to worship in spirit and in truth? You have the power to DIRECT………the power of the tongue to turn people toward good news or bad news. Turn them toward the good news gospel!

Come to Worship and Bow Down before the Lord God your Maker.

Every time believers gather for the purpose of corporate worship of our God, we make a choice to worship and bow our hearts to the One who is the author and finisher of our faith. I find that worship is defined differently by different people. Some say it is when the music and singing starts. Some say it is when we have communion. Others say it is when the Word is taught and spoken to edify the body of Christ. Yet others say it is when we offer the Lord tithes and offerings from our financial storehouse. In reality all of these are facets of worshipping God, yet they do not completely encapsulate the concept of worship. Romans 12:1 says you are to ‘offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.’ Worship is a daily individual lifestyle choice that manifests itself corporately when a body of believers comes together for a few hours to offer their bodies together as living sacrifices. Our will is the gatekeeper to whether or not we sacrificially offer ourselves. Our will is like an eye of the needle, that narrow place that stands between entering in or staying on the periphery.

As a pastor who has traveled extensively, I’ve experienced many styles and formats of corporate worship. Most have the basic elements I mentioned above, but only a few church bodies really enter in to unified corporate worship. Few get beyond the cultural trappings of their brand of worship and beyond the gate of their will to touch the spiritually tangible hem of Jesus’ garment.

The one area of corporate worship that gets more scrutiny than any other is music, especially in the USA. Even strongly grace-minded people often see worship in music as a performance to be evaluated rather than an opportunity to access heaven. Seemingly mature Christians will criticize a musical worship team for ‘the worship’ without considering their own willful choices. Some are more tuned to their 5 natural senses than their spiritual senses. People say things like ‘I just couldn’t get into the music today because of the choice of songs’ or ‘I think the worship was poor today because a certain person was or was not leading the music’ or ‘I have a hard time worshipping when a certain person is here’. Their eyes are more dominant than their spirit, so to speak. Many church bodies do not enter into that awesome, sacrificial place of corporate worship because people choose to stay on the outside using peripheral issues as excuses for their personal willful act of not entering in. They choose to be part of the problem rather than part of the answer.

Leaders….it starts with us. Teach the people to willfully enter in to a place of worship at the time they step into that corporate gathering place. Teach them to choose kingdom minded worship rather than carnal minded worship. Teach them to focus on the One to be worshipped rather than the people involved in worship. Encourage them to press beyond the narrow gateway of the will into the tangible presence of the Holy of Holies. And…..be willing to be the one who leads the way. Be the example! Just as Paul said ‘imitate me’, so we as leaders should be able to say ‘imitate me in worship’. Choose it and see the glory of the Lord!

Release Something Close to YOUR Heart to Gain Something Close to HIS.

"What must be given up to make room for what is coming?" Many times for each of us to increase in spiritual dimensions of life, we must release something else to make room for the next level of the kingdom of God to grow and mature in us. Jesus told the disciples that He had to leave to make way for the Holy Spirit, known as the Counselor, the Advocate, and the Comforter. He said in John 16:5-7 that His leaving was for their good, their benefit, their best interest. They had a hard time believing Jesus’ leaving was for THEIR GOOD! How could Jesus’ departure to the Father be good for them? They were saddened and grieved at the idea of life without Him. Even though Jesus himself said it was for ‘your good’ (John 16:7) they really didn’t want to release the right-now, physical, tangible presence of God for a promise of something intangible, unknown, and BETTER for them. They didn’t want to take Jesus at His word!

We often do the same thing. The Lord often speaks and promises something to us that demands letting go of one thing that is tangible, comfortable, and known in exchange for the promise of something intangible, uncomfortable and unknown. Those things in our life with which we have become comfortable, even when they are good things, require little faith in our walk. However, those things that are a promise, a prophetic projection, AND require giving up something known, good, and tangible require faith, believing, and trusting that He who began a good work in you shall finish His work. We must believe in what He says. We must trust that there is a bigger cause, a greater good, a kingdom purpose for leaving something behind to gain something ahead. These are conditional words from the Lord…..we can’t move ahead unless we leave something behind. If we hang on to what we have, we will not gain what we don’t have.

Jesus proclaimed to the disciples the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon them in exchange for his death, resurrection and ascension. However, the disciple’s world view was small. It was confined to a very small group of people in a very small geographic area, and dependant upon the physical presence of one man, Jesus, to bring forth Kingdom goodness into their realm. But Jesus promised the Holy Spirit that would not be limited by a physical body, a geographic boundary, or the presence of any one man or woman. Jesus was speaking of the expansion of the Kingdom of God through all men and a spreading of the gospel to all nations. It could not happen unless He left and the Holy Spirit arrived.

What is there in your life that must leave in order for the greater good, the capacity of Christ, or the design of destiny to come forth in a greater way in you and around you? What must be given up to make room for what is coming? Check your heart today. Check for barriers, comfort zones, soul ties that may hold you back from the next level of your kingdom purpose. Jesus promised the disciples that what was coming would be for THEIR good. You may grieve what is left behind, but you must embrace what lies ahead. What is coming is for YOUR good!!

We Will Never Give Up!

Your victory parade is near!

Many people, when mired in the trials of life, have thoughts of giving up, of taking the easier road, of flowing with the current rather than against it. It means we want to give up! This is especially true for people in the Church who speak and live the gospel of grace and peace in a world blinded by the culture of conformity.

Life is filled with ups and downs, troubles and trials, but it is still life. Jesus said He came to give life ‘to the full’ or ‘abundantly’. He didn’t say what ‘full’ or ‘abundant’ meant, but we can ascertain from His life and the life of the 1st century believers that it was filled with opposition to the good news, overflowing with abuse by religious ones, and targeted by arrows slung from the evil one and……….. a life culminating in overcoming victory!

Paul said it best when he said he was pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.(2 Cor. 4:8,9) This is the man who was flogged with 39 lashes on five occasions, beaten with rods on three occasions, shipwrecked three times, spent a night and day adrift in the sea, imprisoned for his faith, almost starved, stoned to near death, and often lived with little clothing and slept in inhospitable conditions (2 Cor. 11: 23-27). Yet this same man said ‘we will never give up!’ Wow! He was convinced that the good news of grace through faith in Jesus was worth all of the pressing, perplexing, persecuting and striking he experienced. What a testimony to the power of a transformed heart and mind--------he refused to give up when times got really tough!

Many of you have thoughts of giving up in some aspect of life and ministry. You may not have experienced what Paul experienced, yet the pressure and opposition seems too much to bear at times. Be encouraged that you can make it!! The word says that despite the circumstances, Jesus leads us in a triumphal procession of victory as we follow Him. (2 Cor. 2:14) Don’t give up! Whatever is opposing you or pressing on you is temporary!! Get ready for a victory parade!