Beyond Function To Intimacy In Prayer

Tonight we enter into night 13 or our 21 Days of Prayer "We Won't Relent" (you can tune in from now until April 7th from 7 - 8:30pm by going to www.livehope.us "media" "Ustream). We have been seeing God move powerfully in the hearts of the congregation, our families & situations.

One thing that God has been speaking to me during this time is that we often trade intimacy in prayer for the function of prayer. When our focus is on the function of prayer it leads to legalism, work & fruitless striving. Yet, when our focus in prayer is seeking a deeper intimacy with God it leads to delighting in God's presence, longing for a deeper understanding of His heart & willingness to wait on Him.

I want to encourage you to delight yourself in the Lord today, to let your heart be set on drawing near to Him. Choose to shift the way you view pursuing God today. God's promises to us are,

"I love those who love me & those who seek me find me," (Proverbs 8:17) 

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart," (Jeremiah 29:13) 

"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near," (Isaiah 55:6) & 

"The lions may grow weak & hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing," (Psalm 34:10).

Let's seek Him with all that we are!

The Value of Family

Most of the kids that our local outreach team ministers to come from single-parent homes, resulting in a marred view and value of family. Fatherlessness is running rampant in our community, single-mothers are trying their best to be both mother and father to their children, homes are hostile environments, children are growing up with the lie that they are not valued, desired or secure and young and old alike are being trained to look out for self.

As a result, I have recently challenged our local outreach team to begin to think with a new paradigm, to transcend our culture’s dominant value of individualism, specifically when it comes to family. As a result, our team is intentionally working on allowing our ministry with kids, youth and families in our community to flow from our ministry among our own families.

In challenging our ministry to allow the value of family, community and shared life to become greater I have recognized that there must be a shift in thinking, believing and living. I have noticed that even in the church many Christians have the desire to grow their own spiritual lives, focus on their individual spiritual disciplines, but believing for and reaching out to their own families is not a priority.

However, according to 1 Timothy 5:8 caring for our family, especially for our immediate family, is an extremely foundational 

kingdom value; one that the church 

has swept under the rug.

Our team has to be sensitive to the different family and home cultures of the kids, youth and families that we are ministering too as not to judge, condemn or cause the single-parent mothers, fathers or grandparents to feel inferior. I have realized that to some on our team and those we minister too, the ideas of community, family (father/mother/children) and shared life are very foreign. However, on the other hand, I have recognized that some of those that we reach out to from different countries and cultures have such a stronger value of family then many Christians have. Therefore, I have been inspired to delve into scripture to gain God’s heart for family, as well as open my eyes to see how those we minister to interact with their families, understand why they guard this value so deeply and learn how they seek to maintain it.

As a result, I and our team have resolved to begin to work towards transformation in our homes, among our family members and among our relatives. I believe that as a kingdom value of family begins to overtake our hearts and is lived out among our immediate families then it will freely and uncompromising flow into the areas of ministry we are serving. My spiritual father Pastor Benjamin Robinson once said, 

“We have to be the most spiritual in our homes. We have to be more spiritual in our homes than we are in the ‘church.’” 

The point he was stressing was that when a kingdom value of family begins in our homes, our families and our churches, then cultural and community transformation cannot help but happen.

Too often we have sought to be more spiritual in the ‘church’ then in the home. As a result, we have great ‘church services,’ but our marriages, homes, families and communities are being ripped apart at the seams. It is time to see a paradigm shift. It is time for kingdom transformation in our marriages, homes, families and communities. It is time for us to gain a greater value of family.

"Propelled By Appreciation & Honor"

So I just got up from a much needed nap and I was getting ready to work on a final paper as well as try to start study for a final exam. However, I was overwhelmed by such a great sense of love & appreciation I just needed to share it. Last night my home church, Living Hope Christian Center, had its first-ever Leadership Appreciation night & I was so overwhelmed by all the loving words, hilarious skits, wonderful gifts & beautiful presentation that were given to all the leaders from the members of the congregation (you can check it out by following the links, espcially the 1st one, lol: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW5wOxR7OEg&feature=colike, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwaky7tz3aE, http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/21024362.

I personally thought my Captain America shield was the best gift of the century and the Nacho Chesse was icing on the cake! But for real, the church and the Local Outreach team blessed me so much with a brand new pair of dress shoes, enough chips & nacho cheese for about 6 months and a number of other amazing gifts! If you know me I don’t usually go shopping much, so the shoes were amazing and all the other gifts just overwhelmed me & my wife. It made me think of how blessed & thankful I am to God for calling me to serve the people of Living Hope in the city of Emeryville, Ca.

Serving in ministry is not always easy, but there is nothing else I would rather do in the world than love Jesus & love people! There are times you get tired, frustrated or feel like you have nothing else to give, but when God’s love for His beautiful bride overwhelms you there is no way you can resist giving your all the way He did. And it is times like last night, times where believers join together to encourage, love, honor and appreciate you that refresh your heart, fuel your fire of service & remind you of how beautiful is the bride of Christ.

Reflecting on last night reminded me of the heart of God & what happens when we honor Him. God’s love for the world & the church is perfect, it never fails. And when we honor Him it just causes such a deeper sense of love to be poured out into our lives.

When we honor our Jesus it really flows right back into our lives.

Matter of fact, honoring was the first commandment with a promise by God! When a father & mother are honored by their children they have no problem sacrificing for them, no problem bending over backwards for them. Matter of fact, it usually compels them to do these things in a more significant ways!

 Honor breeds greater love, greater service, greater sacrifice and longer life! Not only is honoring our parents, leaders & one another a command, but I really believe it is a set up by God. Because those who love like Jesus loves will always allow being honored to lead them to a greater place of love for those they serve.

Honor propels your leaders into a great realm of love & service.

We have often shied away from honoring our leaders because it has only led to bigger egos & justified oppression. But, honor is never meant to simply elevate people to a greater place of status, it is divinely crafted to elevate people to a greater place of love, service & sacrifice. Not only so, but honor is meant to release you into a greater fullness & length of life. It is time we allow honor to be restored to our families & the church. It is time to release our parents, leaders & one another into a greater level of love, service, sacrifice & life through honor!

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Romans 12:10

"The Cry of a Fatherless Generation"

There is an epidemic that is sweeping our nation, destroying the very fabrics of our society, shattering our neighborhoods, deteriorating relationships and shaking the very core of our homes. This epidemic is drastically impacting our way of life and threatening generations to come. Fatherlessness… 

In America, “Young men who grow up in homes without fathers are twice as likely to end up in jail as those who come from traditional two-parent families...

Those boys whose fathers were absent from the household

had double the odds of being incarcerated.

 

The likelihood that a young male will engage in criminal activity doubles if he is raised without a father and triples if he lives in a neighborhood with a high concentration of single-parent families. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. Boys who grow up in father-absent homes are more likely that those in father-present homes to have trouble establishing appropriate sex roles and gender identity. In a longitudinal study of 1,197 fourth-grade students, researchers observed 'greater levels of aggression in boys from mother-only households than from boys in mother-father households.'"

(http://fatherhood.about.com/od/fathersrights/a/fatherless_children.htm).

However, does this epidemic only

effect our natural lives?

If the effects of fatherlessness impact our natural lives so drastically, how much more should would be concerned about the absence of spiritual fathers in our lives? How many sons and daughters are being birthed, but growing up as spiritual orphans?

There's a yearning that is tenaciously wrenching the hearts of children, a longing for fathers to take their place. But I truly believe there is also a cry from the hearts of the fathers. There is a father's cry that longs to see this epidemic vanquished. Fathers are longing to know how to father and they too are longing to be fathered. There is a cry going out from both young and old sons, the cry of a fatherless generation.

God promised in Malachi 4:6 that in the last days Elijah would come and,

“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

It's time that we no longer close our ears to the cry of God's heart. It's time that we allow the turning of hearts to become a reality in our lives, homes, families and ministries.

"The Funny Thing About Family"

Maybe it’s just me, but when you were little did you ever question why you were born into the family you were in? Don’t get me wrong, I loved my family growing up, but there was always hecka people in the house. You try having 11 people in the house with one bathroom and try getting ready for school. There were tons of times when I just wanted to be outside, hang out with friends or stay a night at someone’s house.

However, the older I got the more I realized I wasn’t the only one who wrestled with those thoughts. I mean with the divorce rate in America being about 50% I don’t know if there is even a definition for family in our culture. If we were to be honest I think many of us would not even be able to give a solid definition of what ‘family’ is. What does a dad look like? What does a mom look like? What does it mean to be a brother or sister? What are aunts, uncles, cousins or grandparents?

Honestly, the more people I talk to people the more I discover that America is longing for family. So many of us have placed our pursuit of the “American Dream” over the resolve to cherish & pursue family.

The funny thing about family is that many of

us want to run from it,

but we have been created for it.

The older I get the more I long to know my family, grow in the sense of belonging to it and love the family that God has placed me in. I believe that God’s desire is for us to believe for the best for our families, to not just love them from a distance, but to love them the way that Christ does.

I believe that it is time for the body of Christ to rise & believe for the transformational work of the Gospel to begin with us in our homes, no matter how broken they may seem or whether they seem to exist or not. It has to start somewhere, it has to start with someone.

Rather than waiting for your family members to take the first step, allow God to empower you to bridge the gaps!

Far too long Christians have been more spiritual in the church than they have in their homes. Far too long Christians have loved everyone else but their family. Far too long Christians have believed God to restore the gravest of situations, but give up on their family. Far too long Christians have sacrificed their families to see the work of God complete outside their home.

The more I mature in Christ, the more my love for my family increases. Our natural families are meant to be a representation of the family of God, just as our natural fathers are meant to be a physical representation of our heavenly Father. The funny thing about family is that you can't choose it, but God did & there must be a reason for it. It’s time we begin to believe for God to move in our families and it’s time that we put our hands to the plow. It’s time to work through the hurt, to allow God to give us His love for our families.

It’s time to be inconvenienced & be willing to sacrifice our ‘individual’ rights, pursuits & even dreams to see transformation

in our families!

The funny thing about family is that you can’t choose it, but the closer you draw to God

the closer you will want to draw

to your family too!



"Encouraged Beyond Logic"



Can't Wait For
New Car

Encouragement is something that I think is very underrated. This week I had numerous, let’s say opportunities to either freak out or faith up. Here are a few things that happened: one of my good friends being in the hospital for heart issues, receiving an emergency phone call at midnight for a family situation and my car hood flying up on the freeway (at 11:30pm) smashing my windshield. Not to mention that numerous nights I was up past 2:30am, had work, school & all that other good stuff. Let’s just say there were plenty of things that could have caused me to shrink back.

However, in the midst of all these seemingly difficult situations I see great

things happening.

 After much prayer, after my friend had tests done the doctors said they found nothing wrong with his heart! Through the family emergency my family is coming together in a way like never before – we’re discovering what it truly means to be a family & love as a family. With my car, I’m alive, there was no accident & I can’t wait to see how God is going to bless me with a new car. In the late night & early morning study times (like waking up this morning, on my day off, at 6am to finish an assignment) my friends & wife have shown me how loved & supported I am (thanks Carlos for studying with me last night!!!).

To some it may not make sense to be encouraged in all these things, but I truly believe that in ALL things we are more than conquerors!

Some would look at the situations above & think that things are falling apart, but I am soooooo encouraged. To be encouraged means to be infused with courage, to be empowered with the strength to face struggle with confidence/boldness/tenacity, or to be strengthened in heart to face daunting situations. It's to be filled with a 'never say die' faith & attitude in the midst of a 'it looks like death' situation.

Encouragement is not the absence of difficulty, but a wind of courage that rushes through your heart in the midst of these types of situations.

I have felt stronger than ever, full of faith for these situations & excited to see how God is working them out for good. My friends, church & family have been there to infuse me with courage by their words, actions & tons of love. My friends, family & situations have reminded me of God’s promises over me & I know that goodness & mercy cannot help but chase me down the street & take me over!

Take some time to encourage someone today with words, actions & gestures.

God wants to use you to infuse someone with courage, to empower them to face their day with confidence & to pour into them a tenacity to never say die! Encouragement is far more powerful than you think!

"So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word," (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17).

"Some Things Just Don't Seem Good, Right?"

Have you ever been placed in a situation, or placed yourself in a situation, and then asked, “How the heck did I get here?” One of the greatest reality checks I have ever had was coming to the realization that life doesn’t always work out the way I want it too… I can’t always control what happens around me, I can’t control how other people are going to respond to me, I can’t always control the situations I am in, but I can control how I respond. One of the greatest lies that the enemy feeds us is that we are powerless in these situations & that God left us to fend for ourselves.

It's not about the size
of the boat, it's about Who
is in control of the storm...

What it really comes down to is do you believe God is good, His plan is good, He is in control & that ‘in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose,’ (Romans 8:28)?

Let’s keep it real. Some of the situations we face in life are out right horrible. Some of the situations we were born into were extremely hard. Some of the people around us just don’t seem to care. Some of the things that are going around us just don’t seem ‘good.’

However, I truly believe what Paul said to the Athenians about how God, “determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us,” (Acts 17:27). Paul declared that you are where you are for a reason. You are in the family that you are in for a reason. You are in the country you are in for a reason. You are in the city you are in for a reason.

And that reason is that you would turn to God & reach out for Him, though He is

not far from you!

There is a reason you were born
where & when you were born...

However, so often our situations, struggles, confusion, hurt, fear & disillusionment compel us to do the opposite. We react out of our hurt & run from God. We react out of anger & we blame God. We react out of our frustration & we question God. What if you changed the way that you saw why you are where you are? What if you began to let the foundation of your perspective on life be that God is good & somehow He is working this for His good & your good?

What if you came to the realization that you are not powerless, but the same power that rose Christ from the dead is living inside of you so that you could respond to your situations with the heart of God? How different would your life be?

What if you started to look at your life with the perspective that your greatest struggle is meant to be the place of God’s greatest victory in your life? It is time we changed the way we see where we are & why we are. It is as Mark Batterson writes, in his book, In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day, “God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time. But the right place often seems like the wrong place, and the right time often seems like the wrong time.”

Where & why you are is intentional. It’s time to begin to interpret your life through the goodness of God & His goodness towards you. Maybe you’re thinking, ‘Well, I put myself in this situation.’ Do you believe that God is good enough to turn you around & turn your situation around for your good?

What happens may not always look good,

but in it & through it God is working for your good!

"To Risk Or Not To Risk?"

As I started school this semester I knew that it would be nothing sort of a major risk. I knew that if I was going to do it I would have to give it my very best. I mean, why invest money, time, energy, emotion and passion if I was just going to go through the motions? Why risk the tensions it could bring on my marriage? Why risk how it would affect my weeks? Why risk the late nights & sacrificing of sleep? Why risk having to say ‘no’ to hanging out with friends & family which goes against every fiber of my extrovert, people & event-oriented being???!!!

The reason is because the risk is worth it!

Too often we cower when it comes to taking risk. Many times we allow fear to so paralyze us that we either don’t move a muscle in any direction or we frantically retreat! Trying new thing is not always easy. Matter of fact, it is way easier to not try something new then it is to try something new. I mean, who wants to be humiliated if you mess up? Who wants to look crazy or like you don’t know what you’re doing? Who wants to fail?

You know what I’m talking about right? I mean it is way easier to not dream then to dream big & have those dreams dashed, right? Who wants to pursue something & then have it all fall apart? Who wants to exert tons of energy, time, money or emotions into something for it to just not work out? Do any of these questions sound familiar? Have you asked them before?

We need to change our ways of thinking...

We need to dream beyond our ability

to make things happen!



For fear of the fall
we miss the experience
of the jump...

 When it comes to relationships, ministry, work and things God has placed on our heart we cannot afford to not try new things, to not dream big & to not pursue the dreams God has placed on our hearts! We often say, “It’s too much of a risk…” What we’re really saying is, “I’m too afraid to try…. I’m too afraid to fail… I’m too afraid to be let down…”

In either case, we’re making ourselves the focus & taking the possibility of these things happening out of God’s hands. If we really get to the root of what we are saying it is, “God is not big enough… God is not strong enough… All things except this thing are possible for God… Not all things are possible for him who believes, only some things are…” Show me in the Bible where God’s people are identified by Him as fearful or timid. Where does God say His people should play it safe or lack confidence? I see the opposite.

I read that they are bold as lions, confident, strong, powerful, do mighty exploits,

defy the odds & do it with the

strength of God.

You'll never know
unless you try...

If we were really honest, we would recognize that playing it safe is really us trusting in our own ability to make things happen in our lives. When it doesn’t seem like we can make it happen then we play it safe. It’s time that we change the way we think & live. Too often we have missed out on the miraculous work of God in our lives because we have played it safe… It’s time to rise up in the strength of our God & move forward with courage! If we look at our families, our neighborhoods, our nation & our world we can clearly see that we can’t afford to not risks because the risks that God calls us to take are worth it!

"We Cannot Diminish"

This week I got a bit sick. My body started to shut down, head felt woozy, nose hecka stuffy and I just felt straight up weak. However, I was still at work, still had school and while I tried to rest a bit I knew I still had to move forward.

Call me crazy, but there is something inside me that never says die!



"If you are going to expect great things,
you must attempt great things"

 I know that rest is necessary, good & a gift from God. Don't get me wrong, I loooooove to sleep. But, if the kingdom of God is forcefully advancing & Jesus says that the kingdom of God is within me then I should be forcefully advancing too.

This means that when things are pushing against me: emotions, thoughts, physical tiredness or discouragement then I am to force my way through it. Yet, I know this is not meant to happen by my own strength, but by the resurrection power of Jesus in me through the Holy Spirit. Too often we ‘always say die.’ Too often we throw in the towel to early. Too often we turn and run in the face of adversity when Jesus did the opposite.

Jesus stood in the midst of adversity & pursued the purpose of the Father with
great love & tenacity!



"Our strength never
diminishes in adversity"

I want to live as one who truly believes that as the people of God we cannot diminish. The kingdom of God knows no retreat! The kingdom of God knows no defeat! Defeat is not in our God's vocabulary! Show me in Scripture where God was defeated... Show me where Jesus was defeated! God did not abandon Him to the grave & He is right now seated at God’s right hand!

We cannot diminish. We are a people that moves forward in hope, love, strength & power even in the midst of weakness. For in our weakness, God's power is made perfect! We think our weakness disqualifies us for victory. But, Paul saw his weakness as that which qualified him for victory. It was his weakness that opened the door for God’s power to manifest in that area of his life. As the Lord told Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you!"

It's time to wake up, shake ourselves & live as a people who know that no matter what comes,
hell or high waters,

we cannot diminish!



"The Power of a Supportive Spouse..."

This Cake Was Amazing!

I need to confess, my wife is stinking amazing & I have not fully appreciated her as often as I should. First of all, for my birthday on January 17^th she not only was extremely affirming & encouraging, but she made me breakfast, showered me with love, made sure I had an amazing time at Buffalo Wild Wings, bought me a Captain America shirt & made me a Captain America cake!

At the beginning of the month we both started school. I’m working full-time, serving in ministry & taking two classes & she is going to school full-time, serving in ministry & working part time. With major transition comes major growth. For the first couple of weeks it was really hard, mostly because I didn’t take the time to see how I could meet my wife’s needs & how I could support her. But, last week we sat down and communicated.

You know, a lot of problems, arguments & misunderstandings can be alleviated

with loving, sincere & clear

communication.

Take Time To Talk...
And LISTEN....

I didn’t realize how much my wife was sacrificing as she has been supporting me with school, ministry & work. I also didn’t realize how much her support meant to me. Over the last couple weeks when I got home extremely late from class, went to bed extremely late from working on homework or got up super early to spend time with God or study she was there to tell me how proud she was of me. Not only that, but she has loving cleaned up my mess because I rushed out of the house. She has stood in prayer for my strength. And, she has packed me lunch, made dinner & made sure that I have been taken care of. All along, she has also made time to study, spend time with God, clean the house, put away clothes and more!!!

 At the same time, I didn’t realize how much I’m also supposed to stand with her, how much she looks for me to encourage her & how much we need each other. Recently she told she didn’t realize how much she feels emotionally supported by me. When she told me that I realized that I felt the same way about her, but hadn’t verbalized it like I should. I think we often appreciate in our hearts, but don’t allow it to become realized through our words & actions. It is definitely a skills & something to be worked at.

When God said,

“The two will become one flesh,” He meant it.



Bout to Eat BBQ in Texas...



It’s not about me completing the vision I think God has for my life or her just fulfilling the vision God has for her life; it’s about ‘us’ walking with God in the vision He has for our ‘life’ as one. Yes, we’re individuals and we like different things, have different personalities & think different, but He has called us to oneness.

One of the major ways that we walk in that oneness is standing in support of one another, believing for one another, encouraging one another & selflessly serving one another.

This married thing is a team thing.

I need her just as much as she needs me, the minute I think any different I have allowed pride to creep in & stepped into selfishness.

If my wife did not support me in school, ministry or work I know that I definitely would not be able to do it, or at least be able to do it the right way. The support of our spouse is so powerful! We are not only called to stand with our spouses, but to help release him or her into the fullness of God has him or him. Your support may release your spouse into discovering new gifts, pursuing new dreams & conquering fears that held him or her down his or her whole life! 

The support of our spouse could cause us to soar with strength we didn’t know we had,

run with endurance that we never

realized was in us and walk

in confidence as one who

could conquer the

world.

I encourage you to take some time to stop, think about how much he or she may be supporting you without you even recognizing it & intentionally choose to appreciate your spouse in word & action…