Spiritual Disposition



© All rights reserved Photo by Rolex823 11/9/2009

Lately, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect upon my position of spirituality. I have asked myself several questions:

1. Am I seeking God’s will for my life, or am I only seeking God’s blessings? 2. How is my attitude affecting or influencing others?  3. Are my students seeing me as a leader or a spiritual dead head?

In all of the questions above, what conclusion have I come to- I AM NOT EVEN CLOSE! I am not even close to attaining my Father’s perfect will.

Often times, Christians are overly distressed at the sound of "God’s Will". We tend to think that this is a far off galaxy like realm that is unattainable. This is when spirituality begins to decay. Often times, believers feel "if I can’t obtain God’s will I’ll make my own". We start to think of programs and ideas that will satisfy our spiritual decay- essentially filling the void of what we have stopped being sensitive to. I want this post to encourage all believers, that God’s perfect will for you life is not unattainable. It is very much achievable. In fact, God desires for His children to find His will for their lives. It is only through persistent pursuit of God’s will that His Kingdom will advance.

Like many believers I have fought fleshly emotions to give up during strife. Unfortunately many believers have given in to the falsehood that disagreement from others means that you’re out of God’s will. Or, that dissimilarity means that you’re operating in the flesh- because everyone should be on board if its God’s will… right? WRONG!

In my experience- disagreement from others (in many cases, not all)  confirms a direction, vision or idea. Jesus did not aim to please people or satisfy their desires- His goal was to complete God’s will for His life and that’s exactly what He did!

Recently, God gave me a great vision of the church and the believers thereof. While praying for deeper sensitivity and spiritual discernment- The Holy Spirit gave me a vision of the church. A great awakening of visions and freshness will begin to expand across the congregation- but it will not come without growing pains! Medically speaking- growing pains are part of hyper growth. The church is seeking freshness from God, but there are many that are unwilling to welcome the expansion.

Are you willing to accept rejection and dismemberment from others to pursue God’s will for your life? I raise this caution: It will cost you nothing because it is genuinely a great desire to pursue the Father’s will; but it will cost those that are unwilling to accept it a great deal. Jan 11 My Utmost for His Highest

What questions do you have about pursuing God’s will? Do you know what God’s will is for your life? What questions to you ask yourself about your own spiritual position?

Attack of the Pharisee

© All rights reserved Photo by SURZ1 on August 9, 2010

When I hear the word attack I automatically go into a fight or flight pattern. Spiritually speaking, attack has become a pattern of acceptance among Christians. So, what is it about being attacked by another Christian that makes it so much worse? In essence it’s a civil war! My definition of a Civil War is: fighting for the same army trying, and in some cases succeeding, to kill one another. Let’s keep it short and simple.

Anyone aspiring or pursuing leadership will face direct attack from another brother or sister in Christ.

While on earth Jesus had one main enemy, Satan, and several other enemies masquerading as spiritual leaders in the church. As a youth minister, I have faced adversity, hardship, downfalls, and the likes. However, nothing compares to the attack I receive from another self proclaimed "brother or sister" in Christ. While Jesus stood silent before His accusers during the last moments of His life, it was the moments spent clearing the Temple, rebuking the Pharisee, and rearranging the church order that claimed Jesus’ moments of fame. I have spent years training students in the gospel and raising leadership to hand the torch over to that have claimed my moments of attack.

During leadership, I have experienced attack only during times of great strive. When I have become complacent to the order of materialistic church the feathers remain soft and the envelope is stationary. But, when I receive a fresh spirit, vision or idea- the fan goes into hyper rotation and everything hits it. Old buried bones are dug up, issues from months ago are brought forward and anything I have ever wanted to do or accomplish is shot down- or at least attempted.

I call this, the Spirit of the Pharisee. Jesus called them a generation of vipers.  So, what is it about spiritual leadership or having a greater desire to serve God that welcomes these attacks? Satan cannot stand the advancement of God’s Kingdom and sadly- many in the complacent congregation allow Satan to use them to stifle the fresh visions.

Jesus stated that "a prophet has no honor in his own country" – simply stated, a leader that was once a student is not welcomed nor received in the place of their growing. Jesus often fled from the attacks, not because the attack was too strong, but because the people hearts were unwilling to accept Him or change.

When a congregation has stifled the growth and visions of the anointed, it is then that God will move the anointed into a deeper anointing!

A New Horizon

Marcel Ionescu on February 14, 2010 © All rights reserved

 As I have prayed about the coming year, I’ve sensed three clear directives.

Some people are terrified of 2012. They worry because the Mayans of ancient Mexico mysteriously ended their 5,126-year-old calendar on Dec. 21, 2012—as if they expected the world to end that day. This silly hypothesis became the basis for several New Age books and a goofy disaster movie, 2012, in which actor John Cusack avoids meteors and earthquakes just in time to get his family aboard the modern version of Noah’s ark (built in China!) before the rest of the world is destroyed by a tsunami.

I’m not afraid of 12/21/12 because (1) Ancient Mayans never actually said the world would end in 2012—and even if they did, they didn’t have an inside track to God; (2) Doomsday predictions have never been accurate; and (3) Jesus holds the future in his hands. As long as I’m in relationship with Him, it doesn’t matter what happens on earth. I’m secure.

Despite strange weather patterns, global terrorism and the specter of an economic crash, I’m actually optimistic about where we’re headed in 2012. And as I have prayed about the coming year, I’ve sensed these three clear directives:

1. Expect major transitions in kingdom leadership. The world is focused on leadership in the political arena, but God has been working behind the scenes preparing men and women for kingdom assignments. Our focus should not be on Democrats, Republicans, Obama or Romney. 2012 is not about a presidential contest. Just as David was prepared for the throne during years of testing in the wilderness, a new battalion of Christian leaders has been trained in obscurity. They will be commissioned and appointed in the new year. And their influence—not that of a political figure—will shift the nation.

Jesus said He would call the humble from the back row and seat them at the head table. He openly rewards those who pray, fast, give and serve in secret. God will exalt those who have walked with Him in faithfulness and crucified selfish ambition. As in the days of Elijah, He has reserved thousands of prophets who have not bowed their knee to Baal. They have been in isolated caves of preparation for years, and some have been on the verge of quitting. A wind of new strength will cause them to stand and assume their positions.

2. The sound of evangelism must be amplified. The prophet Isaiah said: “Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’” (Isa. 40:9). Just as the early disciples prayed for boldness in the midst of persecution, and the Lord answered with a supernatural earthquake (see Acts 4:29-31), the Lord wants to turn up the volume of our message and empower us with a spirit of might. We must put aside our timidity. We cannot hide our light under a basket.

Many churches in the United States have not made outreach a priority. We’ve catered to the saved and preached to the choir. The Holy Spirit wants to remodel and revamp weak churches and make them into powerhouses of spiritual impact. He can take a church with a four-cylinder engine and outfit it with eight; He can turn up the volume and cause a quiet congregation to shake a city. In 2012, expect small churches to be revitalized. God specializes in using small armies, like Gideon’s group of 300, to catch the enemy by surprise.

3. Supernatural provision will be released. The great recession has brought heartache and difficulty to families, companies and churches, but it has a silver lining: God has used it to purify motives, refine faith and refocus priorities. The Holy Spirit has exposed our materialism, and His fire has also consumed unhealthy prosperity doctrines that tainted the church with scandal and greed.

Today, a new passion is arising in the church to fight injustice, feed the poor, show compassion to the broken and share Jesus’ love with unreached nations. We’re tired of giving money to support charlatans who demand private jets and luxury treatment; we want to serve the orphan and the widow in the spirit of Christ. And we are asking God for His supply, knowing that if God can feed a multitude with one lunch, or provide for a family with one jar of oil, He can open sources of provision we never knew existed.

Missionary Hudson Taylor said: “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” I pray you will experience this truth in 2012.

Isaiah 66:9 says: “Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery? … Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” Don’t fear the future. Receive new strength from the Lord as you step into this new year. No matter what disappointments or delays you have encountered during the past season, don’t give up. God brought you to this point, and He will not fail you now.