Day 41- Committed

Happy Saturday!!

I am resting and trying to get myself to understand my mind position.  I mean, I want to relay the idea to myself that mindset matters on so many levels. I want to know why I'm stuck.  I have been making major mind shifts over the years but I recently feel stuck in one particular area: Finances.  I am sure that even though I don't see him, the Lord is working things out in my favor.

A recent thought keeps showing up in my day to day.  The thought is about commitment.  I understand that commitment is a key and this is one reason why I am doing this 90 day challenge.  I want to develop the mind that it takes to keep at something, to finish things to the end.  I know that I can do it with school, because I did it before.  This doctoral stuff though is different.  It is more about believing in myself, believing that I have what it takes to finish.  I want to believe in myself, but above that, I want to have complete and utter trust in the Lord. I am still in the process of learning how to do this with my whole heart.  So, the thought about commitment leads me to committing my life to the Lord again and again.  This is not to suggest that I became unsaved, but it is to say that the Lord teaches us bit by bit.  We are supposed to acknowledge the Lord for teaching us his ways.  We are supposed to keep learning and to keep growing.  We are learning to be all in.  We are learning to believe more fully everyday.  I am all in.  And if I am all in, then nothing else matters. . .

When you don't commit to a goal 100%  than other things seem important. . .

This is the thought that I am pondering.  If I made a commitment to serve the Lord, then why do other things seem important?  I am overwhelmed because I am putting other things before the Lord.  I  over commit myself because I did not take correct inventory of my time.  This has to change.  And since the Lord tells me to ask and I will receive, I ask him today:

Lord help me be committed to you and only you.  And let me trust in you enough to do everything for me that I can not do for myself.  The glory is to God that I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.  This is a good deal.  Thank you Lord.

I have a goal to spread the good news about the Kingdom, nothing else matters.

Day 40: Live Life Devotional

Day 40

The Process of Purpose

Every intricate part of your development takes time, planning, vision, and revision.

God is the artist and he has chosen our spirits to be his medium. He understands the intricacies of us. He has formed each and everyone of us to be a tool to paint his masterpiece. God has made and specifically designed the tools to create the marks that he wants to see in this world. God is painting Heaven in this world. But Heaven cannot stay in a dying world. We are the manifestation of the thoughts of our God. Trouble and blurred vision comes when the inexperienced come to add or take away from God’s vision; God’s purpose. Trouble comes when the tools which God is using have a mind of their own and start messing up all of the beautiful strokes he has already made. Lines get crossed, colors are dulled, and the picture becomes unclear because of ignorance and opinions that don’t line up with the original vision.

We notice that in God’s artistry, he has decided to make us individual artist as well as tools to create his vision. There is always levels with God, always a deeper meaning. Let us keep looking at and studying to get a better understanding of what God’s purpose is for us.

Your purpose will always have something to do with what you are doing now. The things that you have been through, the things you have seen, the people you lost, and the people that you have met. An intricate woven tapestry of situations and events have lead you to this exact place. You are special. You are awesome. You have purpose.

When you do receive your Vision from God. Write it down. Become very familiar with the word of God to make sure it aligns with God’s purpose. Sometimes we can receive mixed messages if we are not consistent in our walk. Sometimes we can run off course when we fail to consider God’s advice. As you work towards your Vision, it will become simplified and revised. This is necessary for the vision to come into fruition.

It takes time to receive your vision and to reach your vision. It will take planning on your part and hard work. Have faith and press forward, believing that everything that God has shown you in the vision will come to pass. God will elevate you and increase your knowledge. God will make you influential so that you can spread his word.

What is that thing that you love to do? The thing that you will spend money on and lose sleep over. This is the thing that you do to the glory of God. This is the thing that you do to advance the Kingdom of God. This is the gift that God has given you to develop in order to provide a service to the world. This is the thing that you use to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the purpose of your life. All you have to do is ask for the opportunity to start.

Now go out and shake this world up!

Live your Life on Purpose.

26Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”d

Corinthians 1:26-31 

Day 39: Live Life Devotional

Day 39

Don’t let the World Distract You from Your Purpose

I see a blatant movement of sympathy for Satan. It is so bold that it does bring great sorrow to my heart.  It is sad to know that so many minds sleep because they choose not to see who they really are. They choose to believe a lie rather than the truth of a new country. A promised land flowing with milk and honey. How glorious to know that my purpose has a place at home. We no longer have to try to be successful in a foreign country. Our father is waiting for us, and he will rejoice at our home coming. . .


The story of the prodigal son always intrigued me. Perhaps you have heard it before:


Their were two sons that lived with their father who had a great estate, with servants, land, and wealth. One son ask his father for his inheritance and went out to a foreign land to make a way for himself. In his youth and ignorance he spent his inheritance and had to start working to support himself. The life that he chose was not easy and it seemed like no one cared to help him out. Near death and starving the son thought about how foolish he was and made up his mind to go back to his father’s house. The son was convinced that if he was sorry enough, and begged for forgiveness that his father would at least feed him and make him like one of his servants.  The son was willing to work to have shelter at his father's house.

Before that son could even make it down the long road to his father’s estate, the father saw him from afar off. Jumping with excitement he made an announcement to prepare a feast for the return of his son. He was so very happy that he decided to throw the most magnificent party! (Read Luke 15 11-32)



There are three points that I want you to meditate on:


#1- There are no amount of works that you can do that is going to make your father love you more or less.  Your father is happy that you have decided to come back home.  There is no deed too unrighteous that your father would not forgive you for.  He sees you on your way back and he is preparing to have a party in your honor.

#2- We must not get distracted by the promises of this world. We must not get caught up with the idea of success, wealth, pursuit of happiness, or even world peace. These are not purposes of God. Do not think that you are supposed to be successful in a foreign land without the support of your father’s resources. Live well, live responsibly, with wisdom, and with understanding.


#3- There will be some of us who don’t experience the burdens that the world places on us. Why? Because you may represent the second son in the story. You may have been the one always with God, walking with him and being obedient to his purpose. You have been working in the field and you know the work. Do not become angry at your brother who has returned home. Instead, let us rejoice for all of our brothers and sisters who will soon find their way back home.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 5Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

11Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

13Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

James 4:1-17

Day 38: Live Life Devotional

Day38

Your place in the Kingdom

There are two main Kingdoms that we concern ourselves about; The heavenly Kingdom, and the World Kingdom. Let me rephrase, there is one Kingdom to be concerned about and the other we just need to be made aware of.


First, the heavenly Kingdom is where God resides. It is operating already, the way that a Kingdom should. God is the King and he has business. He thinks, strategies, makes decrees, laws, and gives out orders. He is a planning King and a creative King. He has advisors, ambassadors, knights, a royal court, and servants. He has everything that a King should have. His Kingdom is unified and strong. He rules justly, with love, with grace, and with mercy.


The adversary, (also known as Satan, Lucifer, or that lying serpent the Devil) also has a kingdom. His kingdom is the World. He will not be a just ruler, and he does not love you like God loves you. His Kingdom goal is to get spirits to worship him forever on this earth. His ultimate goal is to reign with us as his servants and to keep us away from our kingdom inheritance. Why? Because he became very jealous when he found out what God’s plan for us really were. He was very jealous and did not agree with the Master artist’s painting strategy.


Remember, there will always be those people who stand behind you and say “I don’t like it!, I don’t get it!”   But know and understand this: anything that goes against God’s plan is considered to be evil.  I know that our definition of evil warrants images of witches flying on brooms or stirring cauldrons, however, evil means it is not for God’s purpose.  If something is not for God’s purpose, then it is good for nothing.

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor; wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Matthew 5:13

The world is not for God’s purpose. It uses man’s selfish nature to bring worship to the love of wealth. This love of money then enslaves the mind to work for it all the days of man’s life. Instead of man working for God’s purpose, he advances the world agenda. This is evil.


God is telling me right now that there are levels in heaven. It is a city of different planes. What you do on earth today is going to determine your access to the different levels of heaven. You will also be completed in heaven. You will still need to grow in your eternal purpose. We are learning in this age the mindset, the currency, the language, the laws, and the culture of the Kingdom. We don’t want to stick out like sore thumbs for eternity. We must get ourselves together in order to learn our place in the kingdom.

Imagine what the heavenly Kingdom looks like?  Imagine what it smells like?  What will your service be in the Kingdom?  What will you be in charge of?  What can God trust you with? Meditate on this all day long.  Have faith that what you imagine will come to pass.

Day 37: Live Life Devotional

Day 37

Your Place in the Mission

There has been an assignment given to us.  We were told to teach all nations. We must prepare ourselves with knowledge, and we should develop our gifts to spread this word.

This is where your personal vision comes in. God has been training you your whole life for your assignment. It is because of the position the world is in today that you had to go through what you had to go through. You had to develop the necessary perspective to reach those who need to be reached. It is a job that only you can do in the territory you were meant to be over. It is your mission to teach others about Jesus.  It is your mission to teach about Jesus through your story.

What is your story?

The more we can get each other to see the need for one another, can we become stronger as a whole. Unity will keep us moving forward in this great mission to get people to realize who they are and where they came from. God will win.  God’s win is our win. Therefore you must always evaluate and ask yourself which side are you working for? What purpose are you working for? Are you using your gifts, talents, and abilities to advance the Kingdom, or are you working to advance the World Kingdom?


We all live this life with the thoughts that we are doing well or that we are doing the best that we can under the circumstances. Sometimes we do not realize that our lives look to be aiding the World mission instead of God’s mission.



In order to find your place in the mission, God will give you a vision. He will place in front of you test to complete and levels to advance in. It is your job to be obedient to everything that he says. It will get harder as you go along because you will feel the resistance of the world against you. But resistance builds muscle.


You will find your place in the mission. You will be called. You will receive your vision. You will receive more directions to follow. Have faith, be obedient, and have patience.

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;

the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”c

20Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

I Corinthians 1:18-25

 

Day 36: Live Life Devotional

Day 36

We were made for a Mission.

Let us meditate on this verse today:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:19

Brothers and Sisters, (I feel like we can now address each other in this way) . . .


So, Brothers and Sisters we should feel safe and secure in all the good things that has been done by our brother for us. God has allowed these things to unfold for our benefit. It is by his love and sacrifice that we know love. It is by the completion of Jesus’s mission that we now have a connection back to the heavenly father. This is the message that everyone should know. Our purpose is to share this message with every spirit that is separated from the heavenly father.


Here it is again for clarification:

God loved the people in the world so much, that he gave his only son that was without sin, to die here in this earth. Which gave all people the chance to change their minds about who they are and then accept the gift of eternal life.

(see John 3:16)

God did not send Jesus here to point the finger and make people feel bad about the way they were living. Instead, he pointed out that we feel bad, because of the way we are living.


We should feel peace in our understanding. We can keep this peace if we stay focused on obeying the word of God. During our growth, however, we will find that this wisdom brings great sorrow. Why? Because there is a feeling of urgency to spread the message and a burden of not having enough time to complete the mission.


This is completely normal.


This is why we simply keep calm and trust God. We then learn how to grow our patience. We operate in time, but God does not. So the process will be complete when the process is complete. No one knows this time, but the father who is in heaven and the only begotten son who has gained access to all wisdom and understanding.

Day 35: Live Life Devotional

Day 35

You were created to provide a service

This is key.  We must lose the selfishness

If we are truly supposed to be like Christ, then we must take up our cross daily and follow him. This means that we should be studying his life very closely and working hard reap the harvest that has been growing up since his death.  We need to be laborers in the field.  This takes much sacrifice. This is a great service.

Sometimes we are called out of something that we are used to, or comfortable with. We probably found ourselves transitioning into new experiences and new arenas of growth What ever it is that God has called you to do, do it.  Do it with all your might.  Do it with such great faith, that the kings of this world feel threatened by you.  When you are called by God to do something, your purpose will shake this world.  Your purpose will rattle the foundation of lies that this world was built on.  This is how you know you are going in the right direction.

Your calling will be to serve people.  Whatever field you are in, what ever change you are supposed to make will not make your life easier.  You will meet resistance.  You just have to know that God is with you.  You must affirm to yourself:

I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

 

Yes, I told you before you need this one memorized!

The difference between you and the world is that your purpose is going to line up with God’s purpose.  Your goals will be God’s goals.  Your hope will be God’s hope.  Your vision will be God’s vision.  You must lose the idea that this is about you.  No, it is not about you.  And even in knowing this, we still rejoice because God’s win is our win!!

We must always seek after the light of truth.  We must keep looking forward and not behind.

Someone once explained it to me this way:  If a person seeks and follows the light, then his shadow will always follow close behind, but if a person is always chasing his shadow, he will never catch it but constantly be in darkness.

Meditate on this verse:

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:13

We are not living this life because of what we want.  We are not finding our purpose and our vision because of what we want.  It will always be about what God wants. We have to be like Jesus and deny ourselves in order to do the will of our father.

Day 34: Live Life Devotional

Day 34

We were created to be like Christ

Do you understand who Jesus is?

Do you understand that he also had to go through a process to receive his assignment, his purpose, his vision, and his destiny.

When we are born again, we are met with the same challenges that Jesus had.  We are to take on the same mind as Christ.  We are to focus on what God has for us to to.  We must follow through on our assignment.  God wants to give us our assignment in full but we have to show ourselves worthy.  We must be consistent.  We must look at the life of Christ as an example.

We were created to become like Christ.  All of God’s planning is not happenstance.  He planned all of this for the building up of Christ body and the perfecting of the saints.  God planned the end and he understood where we would mess up.  God already provided the solution before the question was even asked.  Remember, he is the master artist and his masterpiece is yet to be revealed.

I encourage you to read through the new testament this year.  Study the life of Christ so that you can model his ways.  You may not understand why you are doing the things that Jesus did, but you should have faith that it is going to get you where Jesus is.

These are just somethings that Jesus did to become closer to God:

He talked to God

He spent alone time with God

He woke up early to pray

He gave God Glory and Credit

He loved and taught love

He taught in the Temple (Church)

He prayed continually

He fasted

He memorized scripture

He referred back to the old testament when teaching

He gave up his trade to start his ministry

He traveled around to teach about the Kingdom

He collected followers

He urged people to change their thinking patterns

He served others

He sacrificed himself to save others

Jesus did all of this because he knew who he was.  He didn’t do it to try to earn a position.  We must change our minds about why we do things.  Meditate on this thought:  What is it that I am doing in my life today that looks like the life that Jesus lived two thousand years ago?

We were created to be like Jesus

Day 33: Live Life Devotional

Day 33

We were made to be part of God’s Family

Understanding who you are is very important in finding your purpose. It is an important part to receiving your vision. I want to be clear that not just anyone will be part of God’s family. Yes, we are all spirits and we all have the opportunity to be adopted into the family. However, in order to do that, you must be born again.


What does this mean exactly? What does it mean to be born again?


It means that you have to have a clean spirit. It means that you have to get rid of that old spirit and allow the Lord to place new life, a new mind, and new love into your heart. You can not do this by your works. Instead, you do this by believing with your faith. The more you believe, the stronger your new “born again” spirit becomes.

This process is called accepting the gift of salvation!

In order to be part of God’s family you must believe that you have a brother. Your brother actually came down as a spirit that was never touched by sin. He couldn’t be born from a natural man because all men were affected by sin due to the fall of Adam. So, he became God’s only begotten son. He grew up, he developed a relationship with God. He found out who he really was. He continued to be obedient to God which was very pleasing to God. He received his assignment, his vision, and he was told his destiny. He knew that he was a king of a kingdom that was not of this world. Your brother’s name is Jesus Christ (who I have come to know as Yeshua Hamashiach).  His understanding of truth saved his brothers and sisters from sin.  His love saved us from eternal separation from our father.

You are apart of an everlasting reigning monarchy! We are children of God!!

“God wants a family, and he created you to be a part of it. This is God’s second purpose for your life, which he planned before you were born. The entire Bible is the story of God building a family who will love him, honor him, and reign with him forever.”

-Rick Warren

Let us meditate on this verse:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Ephesians 1:5

Day 32: Live Life Devotional

 

Day32

We are Here to Bring God Pleasure

We need to think of what is pleasing to God:


Obedience is the key to success by God’s standards. In order to be obedient to God’s words, we ought to read God’s word to find out what he says we should do. We should develop a relationship with him by talking to him, asking him questions, and allowing the Holy Spirit to interpret the kingdom language to us.




What then is pleasing to God?

Obedience

Faith

Showing your faith by being obedient

Being obedient by showing your faith

Let us meditate on this verse my friends:

Let us hear the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecclesiastes 12:13

Complete obedience allows us to get closer to God. The steps that we take through being obedient allows us to grow. This does take time. It is a process.

Since we were made to bring God pleasure, this is also part of our purpose. Remember God has provided you with everything that you need to carry out your purpose. Hence, the tools that you have are meant to bring God pleasure. Your tools are your gifts, talents, and abilities. Using these things to be obedient to God’s directions is a form of worship.

Rick Warren says that worship is multifaceted. And he is so very right. Please change your mind of your ideas about what worship is. You must know that worship is what you do, not just what you say.

Abraham found what he was looking for because of what he did by faith, not by what he claimed to do with his words. Abraham took action with what God gave him. He used his gifts, talents, and abilities to advance the Kingdom. He learned patience and he learned the voice of God. He grew in his obedience of what God told him to do. Abraham’s obedience was a form of worship. He followed the ways of the Lord. Why? Because of his faith; that God would do everything that he said. God found pleasure in Abraham’s worship.

“Worship is not what you do with your lips; it’s what you do with your life. All the singing, praying, and praising is worthless if it doesn’t lead to personal change and commitment. You can’t be a spectator in worship. Passive worship is an oxymoron. Real worship is offering yourself to live for God’s pleasure.”

-Rick Warren

On day 15 I had asked you to make a list of the things you do to spend time with Jesus. The things on your list are forms of worship because they bring God pleasure. You do these things by faith because you believe that God will do what he said he will do.



Keep doing these things because God wants to reveal more secrets to you. He wants to tell you who you are! He wants to show you the vision he has for you! He wants to do these things for his children! He finds pleasure in our obedience and he wants to reward us for our obedience!

“God-pleasing worship is based on scripture. Real worship is rooted in the Word; it’s based on truth, not our imagination. God pleasing worship is also from the heart. Made in God’s image, you are a spirit that resides in a body, and God designed your spirit to communicate with him. Worship is our spirit responding to God’s spirit.”

-Rick Warren

 

I have a second verse for you to think about and eventually memorize:

And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

Deuteronomy 28:2

Day 31: Live Life Devotional

Day 31

Do you know what you want?

Many of us are working towards some type of success.  We each have our own goals and ideas of what that is.  Surely this world pushes specific ideas about wealth, power, popularity, and authority but this is not what we believe if we are consistent in reading the word of God.

God has a different definition of success.  The word of God says that we should not chase the things of this world: riches, fame, success, notoriety, awards etc.  

We must continue to study the word of God to really know why we are here. By today we should have a better understanding of the following Purposes that were outlined in Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Life.”  He claims that:

We are here to bring God Pleasure.

We were made to be part of God’s Family.

We were created to be like Christ.

You were created to provide a service.

We were made for a Mission.

What do these statements mean to you?

Before I go through each of these, I encourage you to journal your thoughts about what each of these ideas is referring to in the bible.  Use this devotional as a reference. What verses did we meditate on that help support these ideas?

Day 30: Live Life Devotional

Day30

Have confidence in God’s strength

When we have confidence in God’s strength, we can make it through anything. He is made strong in our weakness, which means that we have to learn how to let go.


This is a lesson that I am learning right now. I’m a teacher and I realize that many teachers have control issues as well as authority complexes. I want to be in charge. I have to learn how to “let go, and let God!”


This is a different kind of let go compared to modern day interpretations. Letting go and letting God, doesn’t mean that we become reclusive and non-caring of the progress of our brothers and sisters. We must strive to the mark of the higher calling that God has for us. We must be doers of the word and not only hearers of the word.  We must learn application. Our belief must be so strong that we start to see dreams manifest in our lives.  We must be so consistent that we start to see our faith work. We must keep trusting that God will do everything that he said he will do. We must know that we can do anything we set our minds to.

I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

This is the verse that you need to meditate on night and day for many years to come! You can do this. You can live this life on purpose!! Have confidence in the word of God.