What do you really want?

Do you even know what you want?

Do you think you have a good idea about what it is that you think will simply make you ______________ (insert your verbiage for bliss here)?

I've been processing a lot lately. I think about big issues a lot, but actually processed much more cause/effect oriented material in the past month or so - my head hurts. But now, my heart is starting to hurt.

There have been some pretty massive breakthrough changes in my life (including my wife's), which include things that deal with the desires of our hearts, things that have broken my perception of what faith is and cast light on even more beautiful things than I could imagine, financial outpouring, job situations, and a cross-country move.

Let me just say this - I don't think that I asked specifically with big faith for any of it, let alone, all of it at once. This is just what asking the Father what He wants looks like sometimes. (Disclaimer: If you are asking the Lord what He wants - you better make sure you know it's what you want to let Him get what He wants. . . . .)

First, I want to give you an opportunity to let the Holy Spirit overcome you before reading any further. This is where it all begins. Sit, close your eyes, and assume a receptive posture, and ask Him to search your soul, and open up your heart to the things you forgot about, or thought were all too sacred to access.

Now, if you didn't get whacked yet, and you have the means to continue reading, I want to tell you what started all of this new season for me and my family. GRACE. The tangibly genuine power of God which allows you to do what you couldn't do a second ago. Jesus. The spoken Word of God presented as a means for faith and reception of God's power. Holy Spirit. The comforter, the one who reveals to us Grace (The power of God) in Jesus, granting us the ability and strategy of opening our heart to the Father's work - which is for His Glory. Glory. The pinnacle of Heaven, a currency whose value is assessed only by the Father and Creator God.

It is only by God's power (Grace), that was given to us through Jesus (a means of restoration of belief), for the works of the Kingdom (His Glory), that we exist.

I'm here to tell you, that even though I know that there are things in my life that look like they benefit me at the moment, I have NO release to believe for one second that I am the first recipient of this blessing, AND I an not the end user of this blessing. I cannot believe that I am more fortunate than others, nor have I fought longer and prayed harder than another. What I wish to convey is that for years now I have continually submitted my heart and my desires to those things that I believed were the Lord's. And now, the Holy Spirit, has allowed me to see what I have been praying into, and has also aligned all of my future to fit this path ahead of me, a pilgrim's progress, for the sake of the goal - making every bit of my life holy, pleasing, and fit for One who is worthy to receive everything I am.

Even our Savior, who was fully man, flesh from the dust, submitted His every breath to steward a glorious gift of perfection, the most beautifully restorative means of Grace to not only those who would accept, but to all before and since the Cross. Imagine such an amazing Royal Ambassador, having come from both Heaven's courts and our ranks of men, that would ask us to join in His suffering so that the Lord of Hosts would be glorified! What an incredible invitation to do God's work in the way He wants it done! All sin has been covered by Grace (the final authority of Heaven), because all man's ways have led to destruction, and are in need of recovery from their own demise. Who out of their own will has changed the color of their hair or determined the color of their children's eyes? Who in their own doing has kept a river in it's path? The Lord has done great things, and the greatest of all things accomplished in Heaven or Earth was not done without Love, but for His Glory, and for the Glory of all those who have been welcomed graciously into the destiny of Heaven.

We surely know who differs from our opinion and demands taxes and yet we will not support one agenda that does not suit my insatiable desires to be greedy in every form. But who will call out and proclaim that God is good?

My heart burns and yearns and groans for all of those that I know and have known, know and will know, all those who have surpassed and should have surpassed me, that they all might receive a summons from Jesus himself (as I have) to come and suffer - not as a punitive sacrifice for sins committed, but for the reward of a life laid down for the lives of their friends. Love beckons deeper than the deepest ocean, calls from the furthest corners of the universe, and desires from us a payment in the only currency of any value - a life lived in belief that God is good, God is righteous, and that God will has made a way for me to come to Him.

My prayer for you reader, is that you would begin to desire to not only have, but desire encounters with the Spirit of Christ, our Holy Ghost, that you might begin to be taught the nature of our loving God, and understand your role not as a just a 'believer', but as a SON or DAUGHTER of our God, and in this revelation catch a glimpse of the pleasure of our God in your committment to embrace the man, the Royal Ambassador, Jesus, as a means for it all, not just forgiving your your sins, but making provision to purge all your short-comings from your consciousness!

And I will ask who is this King of Glory? His name is Jesus, and He wants to take you to your full potential. Here is some advice - don't ask for provisional means in pursuit of the desires of your heart, and expect to use them in the way that you think they ought to be utilized or spent. Say 'Thank you Lord!' and then ask where the hole is that He's fashioned for that specific peg.

Blessings and peace to you my friends, blessings that change you, forge you, and make you who He wants you to be.

Culture Stewarded Leadership

"Those who long for the development of a particular culture will draw lines in the sand and seemingly jeopardize community for the sake of their hope in that culture. Don't make friends because you need them - make friends because you desire to obtain the same things as those individuals (i.e.: peace/trust/hope/faith/mercy/justice)."

Hey Leaders - Yeah - I'm talking to you.

I want to discuss some things that have been ruminating in my heart for some time now, and I feel like I am finally beginning to have the words to discuss what it is that I've really been after. Basically, I'm realizing that I've really desired culture where I thought what it is that I desired was called community.

What I'm finding is that there is an incredible amount of teaching, coaching, preaching, development, and economic stimulus aimed toward creating community, working to change the current circumstances to fit our idealistic view of how we ought to interact and how we ought live out our civil duties, human services, or spiritual obligations. We consider this cultural development, but we're only developing communities that fit our priorities, therefore creating opportunity to share our agenda, connect, and in effect move forward with others looking down the same tunnel.

Don't get me wrong, I think that community is an incredibly important element of any lifestyle, but I also think that there is too much emphasis placed on this particular organization of societal structure - regardless of it's orientation or how much measured good can come of it. I believe that community is something that can be acquired, happened upon, and even developed as a part of daily regimen. I do believe that the importance of developing community is a good thing, but not when sought as a short term solution - forgetting about what might be good for generations to come.

I've been a part of many movements and involved with many organizations that are stewarding, working toward creating community (and I think accidentally, and to their benefit, some are producing some sort of sub-culture). Some of these are local entities, and some are national or international networks working toward extending their influence to a few that will (in)formally commit themselves to the ideals these organizations are presenting to those who are willing to listen.

This is where my discussion gets messy, and I think that even a part of my own thinking is jogged in the following statements. Prepare to be offended. I am most definitely not an expert on social trends and development, so please don't think that I'm here to be 'righteous', because I am only expressing my heart - so hear me out. FYI - I'm particularly speaking toward the American Christian church - from perspectives I've experienced in or around a Christian worldview.

There are a whole slew of hungry, lonely, and dying people in the American church. Most of you don't even know it. Many of you do. Many of us have charismatic and even pentecostal leadership that is feeding to us the idea that there must be more, and with the anointing and calling on their life are able to produce some pretty awesome experiences that affirm their stance. I think this is good, and somewhat beneficial to the body, in that we are able to be a part of something bigger than ourselves - and create an atmosphere of worship that is reliable, stable, and for the most part honest in our offerings of worship.

However, there is a lie that is being fed to us that says things should be a particular way that's not the way they currently are, and we need change, and the lie says that we're supposed to create communities to help steward that vision of the church leadership, or denominational umbrella. It encourages groups of like-minded people to assemble and further digest what can't be given to them during their short attention spans at church - all the while incorporating some hype about how they need each other and let's see what happens - oh, and let's make them feel important by telling them they are discipling each other by being open about our sexual sins, debt, and honestly discuss how I treat my family.

NEWSFLASH - If people are not active in a community on their own accord based on their various associations or affinities - IT WON'T HAPPEN ANYWAY. What makes us think that 'cell' or 'life' or 'fellowship' or 'home' groups (not to mention short term missions) are going to produce a foundation for our churches that will in turn prime the pump for the 'more' in which we are supposed to be living and operating? I've been in church my whole life - I'm not convinced. Community is not a bad thing, but c'mon - the 'more' we're being told that is out there is out there - and I'm pretty sure there's only one way to get it.

According to Barna, people are leaving church by the droves. New people are coming to church as well, it's just that those that have been a part are leaving dissatisfied and doing what they know in their heart is right (and feeling ostracized), or turning to other available spiritual alternatives to the affirmation they seek. They desire to actually be a part of something that is actually bigger - way bigger. There are more reasons that we could apply to this than we could talk about in ten years worth of board meetings and coffee dates.

I'll sum this up - The desire that I have been given to seek first the Kingdom is heavy, and it is invading, and I've tasted and I've seen things that I cannot deny. I must find others who have found what I've found - I desire it more than anything, and I believe with all my heart I don't have to try at community to find them. I think that wanting something bigger than yourself means that you have to say no to things and people that you know are not willing to go where you know you've been drawn. Our lovely Savior desires to give us all our inheritance now - and I'm going to get mine.

I do know that there are a lot of people that come across our path that we find enjoyable, relatable, and we find that we have what it takes to be what they may need at certain times. I am NOT saying that we remove ourselves from communities or friendships that we have. What I am trying to communicate, is that we need to consider what it is that God is saying, what He is doing right now, and that we need to consider those things before we create another program (or friendship or support group) that needs more attention that we can give, and steals from us the much needed time and energy and joy that we need to seek first the Kingdom. 


I am telling you, and urging you, being an advocate myself for a Jesus Culture centered on the high authority of Jesus' glorious throne, that you ask for an encounter from God, to show you His love, which will reveal your purpose in the earth - which is to become a part of a culture that doesn't seek ministry opportunity, but seeks an invasion in the earth of Heaven. On earth now as it is in Heaven now.

Continue to ask the Lord for more of Himself every moment of every day, and I guarantee He will reveal Himself in a way that He can be found. In this, find yourself asking for the salvation of nations instead of how tomorrow could end.

I dare you to go beyond what you thought was possible. I dare you to realize that Heaven is a culture that revolves around the throne of our Almighty God, and nothing happens outside of His worship. Dare to believe that our faith is what pleases Him, not something that gets us through this life. Dare to abandon community for the sake of joining the ranks of Heaven's culture of redemption. Dare to pray the bigger prayer. Dare to believe in the compassion of our precious Jesus - our intercessor - our only viable route to the heart of the Father - which is your destiny. Dare to believe in the Gospel of Power. 


Dare to let yourself go and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you your destiny in Jesus, our beloved Savior. Dare to let God love you. . . . .