Accurate Appraisal

To appraise something means to assess the value or quality of something.

When an appraiser appraises an object they look intently at it. They look at each detail of the object, studying every aspect of it. They spend time focusing on it to properly discern its value.

Discerning the heart of God will require us to appraise or look intently into His heart on the issue.

True discernment is derived from intimacy. Intimacy will help you accurately appraise something or someone.

Many times we fail at accurately discerning what God is actually trying to do in our lives; we fail in trying to understand His heart due to a lack of intimacy.

When was last time you just had an intimate moment with God? When was the last time you really appraised the heart of God on an issue?

In I Corinthians 2:10-12 is says “But it was to us that God revealed these things by His Spirit. For His Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.”

When we are intimate with God, we can know His heart. The way you allow yourself to search out and connect with the Spirit will help you accurately discern any issue.

Running with Excellence

Several months ago I was at the gym stretching before a run when I noticed something:

Some runners run with excellence and others don’t.

I laughed to myself as some people climbed upon the treadmill, without stretching, dressed very stylishly with new shoes on, focusing on everyone around them, chatting and catching up, only to stop running within a few minutes. While others came in with worn shoes to stretch their muscles, do core exercises, and focus on preparation, only to be seen again an hour or two later after completing what they showed up for in the first place.

So I thought, this is the difference between running the Christian race with excellence verses not running in excellence.

Training is part of the race; in-fact the race is simply a byproduct of your training. How are you training?

If we are going to run lets run with excellence, and this will require core training! Runners do core exercises to strengthen the internal muscles that give you better posture and overall endurance to run a successful race.

One way to train our spiritual core is to be intentional in our thinking.

Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Successful runners work on the things that no one sees (your core) so that they can win the race that everyone will see!

If we allow our spiritual core to be weak, if we think on lies, things that are impure and immoral, it will affect the kind of race we run.

Remember all runners run, but how are you running? Lets run with excellence!

Focus

To bring glory to God one must be focused. The only way to arrive at any goal is to be focused. Being focused helps us to stay single-minded.

James 1:5-7 says “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

Whatever we want to obtain, whether it be to get promoted at work, to raise a Godly family, to be valedictorian, to finish high school---whatever---if we ask for wisdom and do not doubt God will give wisdom generously to us.

Think about this: When you are face to face with something you cannot see anything else. There is a single focus taking place. The only thing you can see is what is right before you. Imagine if I were staring into my wife’s eyes, my forehead resting against her forehead. The only thing I will see is straight into her eyes. Why? Because my eyes are fixed on her.

What are you focused on? Are you focused on God? Are you focused on His goals, His kingdom, His vision for our world? Or are you focused on yourself, your kingdom, your vision, your world? What are your eyes fixed on?

The only way to arrive at any goal is to be focused.

Your focus will determine your destination!

Are you focused on God and His kingdom? Are the things you want to achieve, goals that God has placed in your heart for the purposes of advancing His kingdom---or are they goals to advance your kingdom? If they are goals from Him, then I challenge you today to start asking our generous God for wisdom, and believe that you will receive it! If they are not- then I challenge you today to pray for new goals- goals that God desires for you to achieve!

A Great Cloud of Witnesses

(Tuesday morning challenge to XMC students 4/12/11 .)

Have you ever played a sport? Or have you ever participated in a music or dance competition? What I like most about public competitions and performances are the people in the stands that watch you. There is something special about a friend or relative that cheers for you, regardless if you win or lose.

“Great game out there!” or “ It’s okay, we’ll get them next time”.

As Christians, it’s exciting, yet sometimes unnerving to know that we are always being watched. Especially in this season of your life, as young men and women of God, who have laid down a year of your life to know God and make Him known, people are watching to see how you will finish “this race”.

One group that watches you are those who were part of that crowd that you hung out with before you were saved. The ones that know who you were – who you use to be. They think that what you’re doing is crazy. “Why are you wasting your time? What are you getting out of all of this? Shouldn’t you be in college?” These spectators are watching with curious eyes, waiting to see what has changed in you. They are on the sidelines asking, “Is it real? Is it worth it?” Let your life show them IT IS WORTH IT BECAUSE IT IS REAL!

Another group watching are those who are serving the Lord but not living in the fullness He has for them. Those who are afraid to step out and pursue everything God has for them. They are watching and waiting. Anticipating. To see what your life of complete abandonment and surrender will produce. These people are all around us. In church, the youth group, in your families. They are on the sidelines asking, “Is there really more?” Inspire them; let your life show them THERE IS SO MUCH MORE!

Another group watching us is found in Hebrews 12:1

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

I love the way the word “endurance” is used here. Do you know what endurance means here? It is the capacity of something to last or to withstand wear and tear. Perseverance. Patience. Determination.

FINISH IT! DON’T STOP! PUSH PAST THE PAIN! ENDURE THE RACE SET BEFORE YOU!

We are competing in a race and are being watched by many types of people. There is a great cloud of witnesses who have finished this race, and are saying to you, “ENDURE! ENDURE! You can do this!” Inspire them; let your life show them that YOU CAN ENDURE!

And as for the others that watch you – remember -

ENDURE so they know it’s worth it because it is real!

And ENDURE so they know there is more!

The Flavor of Discipleship

Jesus sure set the bar high!

I mean have you read the “Sermon on the Mount”?!

Blessed are the peacemakers, merciful, mourners, poor in spirit, meek, pure in heart… Okay, and even if you have some of these down, He doesn’t stop there! He goes on to say that as the salt of the earth we should bless those that insult us, lie about us, and speak evil against us.

Now, I have lived in South Louisiana just about all my life, and if there is one thing I know… it’s seasoning. I like food with flavor. I hate tasteless food!

I believe what Jesus is really talking about is the flavor of true Discipleship. Let me ask you a question… Are you leaving a bad, or bland taste in the mouth of the world around you?

Discipleship will demand everything of you. It is a life that has been surrendered to God; and then, God, by His power, will allow you to live bigger than you ever could on your own.

In our own power we will never be able to live this kind of life. However, through daily surrender to the Lordship of Jesus, we can and we must bring flavor to those around us.

We are the salt that will bring flavor back to the broken lives that have been stripped of the Glory (flavor or image) God intended for them. We are the spice, flavored by a committed life of discipleship that will right wrongs; bind up the broken hearted, and set the captive free (Christ through us).

Nothing Without God

Last year when I was in Romania I toured Peleş Castle, a beautiful palace of the kings of Romania.
“Nimic fara Dumnezeu” was inscribed above each fireplace within the palace. "Nothing Without God."

The fireplace was a place where the family gathered. It was warm; there was light. It was a place of provision. And each time a family gathered around the fireplace they were reminded to do “nothing without God.”

Jesus said to seek first Him and His kingdom and everything else would be added. It’s the principle of seeking His kingdom first that allows for the blessing of God in our life. He promised His provision as we seek first His will. Too often today we struggle to find joy and purpose, yet we have more “stuff” than we’ve ever had in any time in history. But “stuff” doesn’t give you the fellowship that being in relationship with Him does. It doesn’t give you warmth. And it certainly won’t illuminate your mind or set your heart on fire.

As I toured the castle, I thought how does a nation go from a place where their motto is “Nothing without God” to a place where they have one of the highest abortion rates in the world, human trafficking is rampant, and forty years of communism have left a country still struggling to this day to find their freedoms in Christ.

How they got here, I do not know, but I believe the key to this nation being transformed and restored can be found in this motto that the kings of old inscribed. “Nothing without God”.

Is God just a part of our lives? Is it everything with God included or is it nothing without God?

Today I leave with a group of XMC students to go for two weeks to the nation of Romania. Please pray that God will use us mightily and that we do “Nothing without God.” That lives will be transformed and restored.

And may we all get to a place where inscribed upon our heart is “Nimic fara Dumnezeu!”

Check Out Our Missions Organization

Several months ago my wife and I re-activated or missions organization, Crosstraining International, that we founded in 2003. Over the past few months God has stirred within our hearts an urgency to reach the nations like never before. For updates about what we are doing please check out our blog at www.crosstraininginternational.blogspot.com and become a follower.

A Stone's Throw Away

From A Directors Heart

Title: A Stone’s Throw Away

2/8/11 (Tuesday morning challenge to XMC)

Luke 22

In these Scriptures Jesus has been walking, teaching, and modeling true ministry and empowerment for three years with His disciples. These disciples were trained under God incarnate. They were the best of the best in their time.

39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Luke 22:39-46 (emphasis added)

Here, Jesus is preparing for the most difficult time of His life, knowing that death and torment is at His door; knowing that the most pivotal moment in ministry was about to be made, and twice Christ finds His disciples sleeping a stones throw away. They could probably have heard Him at such a short distance, crying out in prayer, but they were sleeping. They had the opportunity to physically see Christ ministered too by angels and instead they chose to sleep. Think about it. This is the reason Christ came to earth - the most important hours of his physical life! If there was ever a time the disciples should have been praying, it was in these hours.

When all hell literally is breaking forth the disciples slept instead of praying. Why is it so easy to pray when we are being spiritually fed and seeing God move, but find it so difficult to pray when we’re needed most? Why are you, Master’s Commission student, so content with showing “face” because you’re around Jesus, but never with Jesus? When the hour of truth came, Christ’s disciples fled, denied, and cursed him. These were the best of the best, raised up by God himself; and we somehow think we’re better?

I challenge you to press in! We have what the disciples didn’t: resurrection power! So don’t tell yourself that you can’t do it, don’t let fears and insecurities keep you at a distance. Press in, and go after God in the moment you’re needed the most! God forbid that we come all this way into a place of incredible anointing and see miracles all around us, only to be found sleeping a stone’s throw away when God needs us most!

Our team was proud to perform their christian commitment (STEP) live at MCIN 2011 conference in Dallas/Ft. Worth TX. You can catch more of this on our "Faith Hope Love and Justice" tour. Enjoy!