Why do I do wrong, When I know what is right?!

There is no greater personal defeat than to know what is right but to do wrong! The guilt and shame that is attached to bad decisions are intensified, when you know within yourself, that you could have done better! So how do we become overwhelmingly inclined to do right, when our flesh wants to do wrong? I could be naming a number of things here; addiction, bad relationships, bad attitudes, responding in anger, and the list goes on... I'm sure you can think of something for yourself...

Stay with me to the end of this post and you will not regret it....make the right decision...

Purpose is established by God the creator and is revealed through the unction of the Holy Spirit. We are predestined by God to end up at a certain place and following the leading of the Holy Spirit will guide us to that destination.

Although this is revealed to us through the scripture, we still have to realize that destiny is decision-based. You will only be as successful as your daily decisions. Although success is guaranteed through Jesus Christ, this guarantee is only given through your decision to follow Christ.

Here's a good example...A car can have a warranty all day long and any type of product can have a guarantee, but that means nothing to the person who has not puchased that car or product. Let’s just call it being fully convinced… So let me ask you a question? Are you fully convinced? Yes, there is a guarantee to your success but are you "ALL IN"? Unless you make a daily decision to follow Christ, the guarantee does not apply.

So why is it so hard to make the right decisions? If we know that our success is determined by our decision-making ability, then we have to uncover the mystery behind the decisions that we make. Cause decisions aren't made by accident.

Have you ever wanted to say no to something in your gut but your "will" just kept saying yes? Maybe it's an addiction or a relationship...I know that we all have been there in some way or another. So why is it that do what we know is wrong for us?

In order to understand why we make the decisions that we make, we have to place our focus on the place within each one of us where we make all of our decisions. Why do we make certain decisions; even if we know those decisions are not prosperous?

Why do you always say yes to that certain type of man? Or woman? What inclines you toward certain responses?

Proverbs 4:23 NLT

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

If we look at the Hebrew translation of this scripture you will see that there is more to these words than what we have translated in English. I have formulated a literal translation based on Hebrew. I'm sure you will find it interesting...

"Guard (like a prison guard) your heart (your inclinations and the seat of your appetites) because this is the place that produces all that you experience in life. The status of this one place will determine your direction and success."

I have found this statement to be true; the difference in a successful person is in their ability to follow the unction of the Holy Spirit instead of the urges of their flesh.

Paul writes about this common struggle in the book of Romans 7:4-6, 14-25 (NLT). He talks of this personal battle that almost all of us face. You know...the wanting to do what’s right...but inevitably doing what is wrong, or what we don't want to do. Here's exactly what he says here:

18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.

So what is this nature within each one of us? And how do we overcome it? Well, this battle is within your mind...more specifically your heart, which is the 2nd compartment of your mind. It's a lot to get into in one blog, but your mind can be described as your conscious thoughts, while your heart is your subconscious thoughts. Or even more specifically, your heart is the filter that you process all other information and experiences. Some call it a "World View".

It's your heart that must be transformed in order to be able to rightly discern the will of God for your life. You can change your mind temporarily, but if your heart is not transformed the change is not sustainable. Jesus came to give you this heart transplant that you need in order to change the way that you think entirely. Not a momentary change but an eternal change. 

Your mind is a spiritual faculty but is also connected to the physical world at the same time. It's a part of your soul, that we as humans are distinct from all other creatures as having. It's what makes us "God-like" so to speak. This is because we were made in the image of God and at the same time given physical bodies made of earth.

Stay with me here...cause this could change your life...

The heart is the second compartment of your mind. This is the placement of your urges. This of how your physical heart instinctively pumps blood and sends messages throughout your body by way of the blood. It’s amazing that the human heart can produce life even if the brain is shut off. That means that you can be brain dead but your body is still living because your heart has a mind of its own so to speak. But the heart is instinctively driven by a certain code.

That takes me back to what Paul was saying…. My mind is telling me one thing but my heart is producing another thing. My wish is to do one thing but my decisions are following another pattern…your heart will produce what you do as second nature, so to speak. What you do without really intentionally thinking about it.

Let's understand this heart thing a little more: If your heart is your "World View" then it is like the operating system of a computer. Everything that is viewed through your computer comes through the context of what operating system you are using.

Your worldview tells you how you ought to live. Even if it isn’t Biblical or morally correct…it’s what you believe to be personal truth. Even if it is in conflict with absolute truth, you will still perceive it as truth because it’s the context that you are view life from.

This is because we all experience life through the boundaries of our minds. What you are experiencing by reading this blog right now is defined by your physical senses but it is interpreted by your World View.

To help you understand how each of our World View is formed I have decided to use a Deck of Cards! Each of the following are the things that shape our World View and must be challenged in order to fully transform our perception of the world and our purpose in Christ.

Everyone in life is dealt a hand of cards in life. If you have ever played poker, you know what a poker face is and how important it is in playing your cards to their greatest advantage? This is the same in any card game...where you make sure no one can look in your hand and you make everyone believe you have a great hand when you may not...just to have "confidence" play in your favor.

In life, so many times we believe that we are confined by what we have been dealt in life and this is our current worldview. Everything that we see and experience in life is filtered through this lens. So here is what those cards you've been dealt represent...

SPADES: A spade is a picture of a unique little shovel (I never knew that before). So this represents the geographic location of where you were born and what part of the world you are currently planted in. This refers to your city, your neighborhood. Whether you were born into money or born into poverty…whether you live in a free country or one that is ruled by a dictatorship will shape your worldview. This is your country, state, city…geographically where you are in the world.

CLUBS: This is easy to define. The clubs represent your social constellation. Basically, these are the people in your inner circle of relationships. It represents the people that you can’t help being placed with and those that you have chosen and allowed. Those relationships that you have chosen are in some part based on your past relationship experiences and needs.

HEARTS: This represents your culture. This includes your ethnicity, family traditions, religions, and upbringing. This represents your spiritual experiences and also your natural talents and passions. Just think of it as the things that you love to do and have impacted your personality.

DIAMONDS: Because of the great process that a diamond goes through to become what it is, this represents your past experiences both GOOD and BAD. It represents the way that life has processed you and whether or not those experiences have had a positive or negative impact on you.

So you have all of these cards and most people make the most of what they’ve been dealt…they play the game and are successful in their own right. Other people look at the hand they have been dealt and start comparing in their mind with what they think they know about the person next to them and choose to FOLD…throw in the towel…Unfortunately, the sad thing is that many of those people will get to the end of their life and realize that that there were people winning in life with a worse hand than they had but they didn’t stay long enough to discover that.

And that's where all the "Self-Help" teachers end their advice..."Do the best with what you have been given"

God goes a step further...

The world will lead you to believe that is where the road ends. And people are making millions teaching seminars and writing books on how to play your hand well and in the most positive light. That is all good but God’s plan is better.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NKJV)

9 Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” (THIS IS THE LABEL—THE CONTEXT THAT HAD TO DEAL WITH) 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me (make me successful) indeed, and enlarge my territory (entrust me with more), that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain (Don’t let me be defined by what was handed to me)! So God granted him what he requested."

This man named Jabez could have been listed among the ordinary, like scripture details, but he refused to be labeled by his story and experiences up to that point. He refused to be limited by his parent’s idea of what he would become. He said...."God, I want your hand!"

That is the mighty power of God's grace at work! He gives us what we need to overcome our present state to become what He had originally intended!

This is what Paul wanted us to understand. We have these urges that come from our old nature or World View but what God will do, is through Jesus Christ introduce you to a Kingdom Paradigm.

A Paradigm (a pattern) is a firm set of beliefs and theories that have been established within a certain discipline.

The Kingdom is not a religious concept but it’s a culture, a mindset, and a new way of life. The interesting thing is that your worldview isn’t completely taken away. The kingdom of God is superimposed over the old so that you still see it but with a different context. With a Kingdom Perspective, you still remember your past but you see your life circumstances from a different perspective. You no longer see problems but you see possibility. You see potential!

So you have a new mind that has now been attached to your worldview and it goes in and turns everything that was upside down, right side up.

So how do you allow this process to take place? It doesn’t take place overnight. Sure, there are some instant changes when you are born again…but remember…a baby has all the potential to do everything that you and I can do but has to be taught. It’s something that seeps in over time. That means that God now gives you a new family context and creative outlet as a part of the church (hearts), he plants you in specific geographic areas on purpose with an anointing and an assignment (spades)…. he directs you to a new set of relationships (clubs) and takes the pain from the processes that you have gone through and produces something great (diamonds)! He gives you a testimony!!!

It may take several years of discipline to overcome the urges that exist within your mortal body, but the more you give in to the unction of the Holy Spirit, the more you will become like Christ!

7 Ways to Leverage Partnerships!

Every problem can be solved through a relational connection. You either need to disconnect from some bad relationships or you need to connect to some new sources. In most cases you may have to do both.

There is great power in collaboration. Without it, we remain dull and lack luster.

Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV) "17 As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."

Most of the genres of must that are most popular today were in fact created through some of the greatest collaborations. Merging 2 genres creating a masterpiece of creativity.

The same is in the body of Christ. When everyone plays their part in the plan of God, the full expression of what he wants to accomplish is revealed. 

Some of you have been struggling with loneliness and even depression, but there is going to be a breakthrough for you! You’ve felt like you’ve been battling all alone. But I am declaring effective relationships are coming to you, and you are going to be able to recognize them when they come.

We can't survive by ourselves. In fact, the continuation of life is predicated upon your relationships! If you think about it; In the natural, if 2 people were to never come together in "intense fellowship" again…life here on earth would end. This is not because life ends here, but because God designed a system of collaboration here on earth…where one part is dependent on another.

The earth can’t function work without the sun, we wouldn’t be able to breathe if it were not for the plants and flowers here on earth creating a breathable and sustainable atmosphere for us.

In our own lives, if we are going to accomplish anything great here on earth, it is only going to happen with help of effective partnerships and connections.

Luke 5:1-11 (NKJV)

1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

There are 7 things that we can learn from this passage of scripture, in order to embrace new relationships or partnerships in our own lives.

1.     Everyone needs partnerships…even Jesus did. He needed a boat to carry him out on the sea so that his voice could be projected to a large crowd over the water. Don’t think you will be able to accomplish God’s purpose for your life alone. You will always fall when by yourself but with effective partners you have support.

2.     Understand your own need and don’t be afraid to let others know how you need their assistance. If you project the idea that you have it all together, then no one will ever know you need help. This does not mean to degrade yourself but utilize the partnerships that you have.

3.     Do not victimize yourself by pursuing expressions of “pity”. You don’t need pity; you need a strategy. Clearly express what you need and be confident in what you know you will bring to the table as well. Don’t underestimate what you can contribute. It may not seem big to you, but to the right person your abilities become really valuable.

4.     Don’t underestimate what others can bring to the table because you had failed before they came. Jesus said cast your “nets” but Peter only cast 1 net. They are there for a reason, they may see a different side of the equation.

5.     Count your failures as "breakthroughs of new information". Behind every mistake is hidden wisdom to help you accomplish your long-term goals. Just because you fail doesn’t mean you are a failure.

6.     Align your partnerships in expectation of great growth. Build an infrastructure that can sustain the success that you expect. Don’t be left with broken nets when the fish start coming in, build the structure now!

7.     The connections that God brings may have started as one thing, but it could really be a decoy for something bigger that God is going to accomplish in that partnership. Don’t limit what God can do through effective relationships! Most partnerships are multi-dimensional but we have restricted them based on a current need alone.

How to Respond to the Call of God

DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE AND RESPOND TO THE CALL OF GOD ON YOUR LIFE

Have you ever been in a crowded room and tried to answer a phone call? Maybe you tried to answer but couldn’t hear the person talking on the other end because of the noise in the room and you ended up misunderstanding what they wanted to tell you…or maybe you just hung up determined to call them back later…the problem is that they just keep calling.

Its easy to look at our phones now a days and hit the big red “end” button on our phones when someone calls…especially if where we were at was more than just a crowded room…maybe it was a party with music and games and the thought of leaving the people and entertainment in that room outweighs your desire to answer the call…. A lot of people respond this same way when they hear the call of God... What do you do?

Revelation 3:20 (Jesus Talking)

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

 “I will come in to him”---I thought I read it wrong but even in the Greek this phrase here means a type of possession. But here it more specifically means that God will be your food…your source of life. To those who invite him in...he will literally sustain you.

When you dine with HIM you are not just eating any kind of food…you are literally taking in his nature and his goodness. Then you become infused with his DNA. This is where you will desire what God desires above everything else.

Jesus even said that, “if you do not eat of my flesh, and drink of my blood you have no life in you.” He’s not talking about cannibalism …but what he is talking about is your dependence on him. That you would so long for him that it would outweigh even your desire for natural food and drink!

1. The first thing you need to understand about a calling is that it comes from God, who is your Father.

 Your calling is articulated by Jesus who himself had to heed and obey a calling that was on his life. A Father gives identity and he is the one who establishes your spiritual DNA. Your calling is a part of who you are inherently. It’s in you to accomplish it…. you have the abilities and the anointing from God! God places his mark upon you and you are called his own.

The calling that I am talking about goes beyond the calling to accept the free gift of salvation, I’m talking about the calling to take up your cross and follow him. Your cross is your calling and it never goes away.

He longs for us in the scripture to open the door…

A door represents an opportunity. The thing is that it’s not about him giving you an opportunity to do something great…it’s about you giving Him the opportunity to do something great in you! It’s not about what we can do; it’s about how much we are going to let him do!

The instruction on how to respond to the calling of God is clearly defined here in Revelations

        ---to HEAR, REPENT, and RESPOND.

In other words God is calling you to LISTEN, to POSITION YOURSELF, and to OBEY.

It sounds simple but requires loving God more than stuff.

2. There is a cost to the calling.

This is the next thing that this chapter in Revelation teaches us.

Your calling requires a letting go of good to attain great. It’s not that God doesn’t want you to be blessed, but we have gotten it twisted when it comes to really understanding God’s blessing…because being blessed means that God has chosen to use you as his vessel…and in that…He desires that you would be more obsessed about his presence and fulfilling his will than you would be about having the latest and the greatest… “thing.”

That’s why I believe the rich man who asked Jesus “what must I do to inherit eternal life” was so perplexed by Jesus’ response. Jesus told him he would have to sell everything he had...and then follow him. It’s not that God doesn’t want us to be blessed financially…but are you willing to give up everything for the sake of the calling to follow Christ? And maybe it’s not about money…maybe it’s a set of friends…maybe it’s a job…maybe it’s your comfort zone…maybe it’s the thought of losing everything that scares you so much. But you have to believe that everything that you give up for the sake of the calling is returned to you in a greater level of glory!

Listen, every calling has a cost but the reward of obedience is far greater than any thing you may give up along the way. What you desire to keep are temporary things anyways…but what God longs to give you in return is eternal! His presence is more valuable than anything in the world!

That was exactly the state of the church that God was speaking to in the book of Revelation. Lets go back a few scriptures before…

Revelation 3:15-19 (NIV)

“To the Church in Laodicea I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

What we can see here is that those who refuse the calling of God (the knocking at the door), they become lukewarm in their faith, their prayer life, and in their overall pursuit of God. And what Jesus is saying is that what you have earned in this life will never be enough to buy what you really need…. because you can’t buy eternal life…

Have you determined within yourself that what you have right now is too precious to give up for the sake of the call? Have you given up eternity for the temporary desires of your flesh? When will it be enough? When will you have enough stuff? Will you ever be satisfied?

What happened to the burning desire on the inside of you to see a move of God? Have you forgotten the promises of God, that he would bring a great outpouring of his spirit upon you? Do you not remember fasting and praying for a move of God and now that the move of God is at your front door you ignore the knocking.

3. The call of God brings Personal Conviction.---Repent

We have failed to realize that to refuse the calling of God is to sin. It’s not the sin of commission, or the "what you did" type of sin. Instead, it’s the sin of omission, where you failed to do that God asked you to do.

Vs 19 said “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.”

As you ignore the calling of God, the voice of God becomes more and more saturated in the other voices that you are responding to. Where there is the sin of omission, the sin of commission is inevitable.

The more you disobey the voice of God and his calling you become more desensitized to the things of this world. It’s not long before your standards will be lowered and you will end up committing a sin of your flesh. Then you are left wondering why! Why did I do what I know is wrong? It’s because you have failed to listen when God is directing you.

To Repent is to Reposition. It means to change the way that you think so that you can be in the position at all times to be used by God.

I find it interesting that the bible speaks of another knock at the door of our lives...

Genesis 4:7 God says to Cain (the first murderer) “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

So we have both sin and Jesus knocking at the door of our lives and the choice is yours as to who will you respond to every day!

There are 2 callings going on simultaneously…Until you close the door to sin, you will not be able to fully articulate the calling of God.

So you’ve Listened….Repent…and Finally God calls you to Respond!

You have to being putting action behind the calling. You have to get with God and start building a strategy to fulfill that calling…

When it comes to the instruction from God...Most people say to themselves…Is this God’s calling or am I going crazy? If you’ve said that to your self...chances are, you’ve probably been hearing the call.

You know it’s the calling of God that you need to respond to because:

4.     The calling not only comes from God but comes from the cry of the people God is calling you to.

Moses… can you hear the cry of my people?

Face it; the calling of God requires action! The purpose of the calling is not just to hear but also to DO! And Just like being in a crowded room and trying to answer a phone call… To clearly hear the calling you have to get in alone in a quiet place of worship. You have to posture yourself to listen to the voice of God without distraction. This requires fasting, this requires prayer. You may even be called to the people around you making all the noise and creating distractions…but…you have to get alone with God to be able to hear his instructions!

5.     God calls you out from among the crowd…

He will call you away from among the mediocre…away from the lukewarm so that you can actually make an impact. God says, "Come out from among them my people!" You will never be able to impact those around you by being just like them…

Some of you have heard the call of God and you know that he has placed his mark upon you but you have ignored that calling and have been distracted by so many other things.

6. The calling doesn’t go away and You can’t lose the call of God.

I have learned that you can't lose the call of God but you can loose sight of it. A minister by the name of David Hernandez says this well in his sermons on the call of God.

Many feel like it’s too late to fulfill the calling of God upon your life because they feel like they missed their window. There is a window of timing upon the call of God over you life…but you have your entire life to fulfill it. Assignments are time sensitive but the calling of God is upon you your entire life, and God does not change his mind about you.

Romans 11:29 says the gifts and calling of God are without repentance…meaning that he’s not going to take it away from you once he gives it. He doesn’t change his mind about you!

God is calling you….

1. Will you listen (posture)

2. Will you Repent (position yourself & get rid of the sin)

3. Will you respond? (will you obey?)

You can run from the call of God but you can never outrun the call of God. The more you resist the more it will resonate within you! There is peace when you surrender to the purpose and plan that God has for you life! SURRENDER ALL TODAY!

-Pastor Ryan

Why You Never Seem To #Win

#Winning is a common phrase today! However, most people, if you were to ask them, would tell you that they just don't feel like they are actually #winning at life! It's true that we go through tough times and seasons of transition but when that season feels like a lifetime there is indeed something wrong with that picture! Here are some ideas that will help you jump-start your life and move out of the loser’s corner and into the winner’s circle!

1. You always give up and crumble right before the finish line.

If you are expecting the race to be easy...think again. Life is not always easy. In fact, it is mostly hard, but it is still VERY possible to live an extraordinary life! Knowing that the challenges are there to propel you forward is the first key to success. If you are always on the defensive then you will always be fighting to maintain, but if you move by "revelation" and "new vision" you will begin to see how insignificant the little problems in your life actually are...compared to the bigger picture. Imagine how your house looks from an airplane...yet imagine how your house looks when you’re on ground level. If you're always focused on what happened to you and all the little problems, then you will never move beyond the mental state that you were in when those things happened to you! It's time to get a new journal and get in the position of prayer to be able to see a NEW VISION for your life!

FACT: Most people give up right before their breakthrough! If you knew that your breakthrough was coming tomorrow...would you give up today? The tipping point will come if you just stay faithful you will #win!

2. The wall that you are facing is actually a staircase!

Many people look feel like they are always hitting brick walls...but I learned a long time ago that what may seem like a wall is actually a staircase. So we are in a cycle of hitting the wall...then retreating...hitting the wall...then retreating. We are in this endless cycle of never moving ahead because we expect ahead to be straightforward...when ahead may mean moving UP! It takes more energy to climb stairs than to walk on a straight path...but in order to move out of 1 level, you have to do a little extra work. You may have to take a leap of faith...or you may have elevated your thinking by renewing your mind (through the word of God). Either way repeating the cycle has not helped so do something different! God is trying to take you higher! What you thought was a simple foot race is actually an obstacle course! Those obstacles can either trip you up...or they can be your jumping-off point...your great launching pad!

Remember that in History, some of the greatest World Changers and #winners were those who rose up in the midst of great challenges! Would you know about Martin Luther King Jr. if there was not social injustice and racism to fight against? Let the climb bring out the best in you! Not the worst! 

3. You complain way too much!

Winners are not made of Whiners! The greatest key to your success is THANKSGIVING! The more you are grateful for the less defeated you will feel in your life and situation! Making a habit of giving thanks to God even in the midst of a hard situation is your pathway to freedom from that situation! Being thankful is the rope that rescues you out of the hole of despair! All it takes is one reminder to break you free from your self-defeating thinking patterns! Remember: You are better than you think you are! You have more in you than you even know! You were not built to break, but you were made to #win!

4. You are not in a competition with anyone but yourself!

If we continue to compare ourselves among others we will never actually #win! Me winning means something totally different than you because we both have different purposes and assignments from God. Keeping your eyes on the prize means keeping your eyes on yourself! How can I be a better me than I was yesterday? How can I be a little more positive? How can be a little bit bolder in my faith today? It's not about what you have accomplished in comparison to someone else...but it's what have you accomplished in light of what God has called you to do? Are you being obedient to HIS voice? Are you making HIS PLANS your priority? Focusing on You is the key to #winning.

5. You never try anything new!

Some traditions are good...and some traditions are just plain bad and no longer useful! Sometimes if we feel like we are in a rut in life we have to evaluate what we are doing that works and what we are doing that doesn't. This is hard because we like "same" even though the "same" that we like we actually hate! So step out on a limb and do something different to get a new and different result! You can't actually win if you never enter the race! There is always the chance of failure if you try but there is a 100% rate of failure if you never even give it a go! Imagine the Wright Brothers who dared to try something new...and set out to create a machine that would fly!!! Would we have the airplane technology today if they gave up the first time their plane didn't take off the ground as they thought? NO! but they made some adjustments and they tried again! Eventually, they got off the ground and the rest is history! It may look crazy but who really cares how crazy you look if it's effective?

I believe with all of my heart that everyone has a God-given purpose that must be discovered in order to be successful! Success in not measured by the amount of money that you make but the amount of purpose that you have fulfilled! #winning is en-grafted in your very DNA! You have been called a conqueror and an over-comer through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! In fact...he placed the gold medal around your neck and declared you a winner before you even started running! That in itself should be some good motivation!

What Do You Do When All Hell Breaks Loose?

First off I know that the picture that I put with this blog doesn't really match the title...but you will understand as you read on...I also know this title seems a bit extreme, but it's not that extreme to those who are going through it. Let's face it, there are seasons of life where we feel as if everything that can go wrong does go wrong. These are the times where we feel that no matter which way we turn there is opposition. Maybe you feel like you have done everything you know to do and that you shouldn't be experiencing this hard season. Well, I have been there and I know how hard it can be. 

If you are anything like me, sometimes the hardest times of your life are when no one seems to notice that you are going through anything at all. Have you ever felt isolated? Picked on? Singled out? Well if you have, I have good news for you! The greater the opposition, the greater the level of breakthrough!

Click to Tweet: "The greater the opposition, the greater the level of breakthrough!"

Think about it...why would the enemy fight against what he is not threatened by? Now, don't get me wrong, I know that we have to take responsibility for the bad decisions that we make in our lives...but I'm talking about the things you didn't sow for. These are attacks that came and you were seemingly doing all the right things! 

1 Corinthians 16:9 "There is a wide-open door for great work here, although many oppose me."

This is what Paul was saying about an area of ministry that God had called him to. He realized that for every great opportunity for doing the work of the Kingdom, there would be an equal level of opposition. You must also realize that the opposite of this statement is also true. For you who may be asking God, "Why am I going through this??" Here is your answer...

If you are going through some type of opposition, there is an unrecognized opportunity at hand for a great manifestation of God's Kingdom! The prayer I always decree when going through hardships and trials is this:

"I decree that the Law of Recognition is activated in my life. My eyes are open to the resources, opportunities, and beneficial relationships that are surrounding me. I declare that my ears are open to the frequencies of heaven and I am ready to take action for the cause of Christ and His Kingdom!"

Maybe you should stop right now and pray that prayer too! What the enemy wants you to do is be so distracted by the chaos of your present circumstances, that you lose sight of the purpose of God! However, what the enemy doesn't know is that every obstacle that he places before you will be used as the platform or the stage that you will stand on in this season to declare the message of the Kingdom. 

Click to Tweet: "This present pain is preparing a platform for you to preach and proclaim the Gospel!"

What you are going through will either break you or launch you. What do I mean? The trials that you are facing will either stop you completely in your tracks or will be fuel for you to accelerate into fulfilling your purpose. My mentor, Dr. Cindy Trimm has always told me, "Your next level has been booby-trapped to keep you out." 

It's the process that prepares you for your next level. Do you think what you are going through now is bad? Don't you understand that God knows the pressure of the next level? Don't you think that he knows that you will be completely broken if you are not prepared before he gives you access to that next level? So what am I saying in all of this? Don't stop now!

My answer is pretty simple to the question that I raised. What do you do when all hell breaks loose? You REJOICE because you are closer to your breakthrough than you have ever been! 

James 1:2-4 "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

There is a purpose in this that you are going through. Though you may have not known it...you can now recognize that God will use the trials that you face, the attacks of the enemy, and the pain of your experiences to prepare you for GREATER>>> So PRAISE HIM now for the breakthrough that is inevitable! 

3 Ways to Overcome Fear

Fear is something we have all encountered. It is the enemy's weapon of choice and is executed through various intimidation tactics. Fear is a great display of smoke and mirrors that create a false depiction of what really is. I've heard it be said that Fear can be defined as False Evidence Appearing Real. It is the re-framing of reality. Often times it holds the same elements of the truth but with a little lie mixed in. This is the great deception. The truth is that... the enemy does not have control over any part of your life. But how is it that we give him so much credit? Well, if the enemy can place a mirage in front of you, and make you believe that something is there that really isn't, then he has captivated your thoughts.

Thoughts are what shape our world. Thoughts are the building blocks of a culture. The environment you live in is a product of how you think. It's the power of perspective. Everything about your life can change in the blink of an eye...the moment you decide to think differently. It's not that circumstances necessarily change right away...but how you view the circumstances will determine whether or not you overcome.  

The opposite of fear is faith.

Fear is birthed out of a false sense of self. Fear is established because of ignorance, why? Because fear thrives in darkness. I’m afraid…because I am not quite sure of the outcome.

Faith is birthed out of the knowledge of God. Faith thrives in the unknown because that means there is unlimited possibility! 

So how do you get rid of fear?

1. Fear thrives in environments of negativity! Just 30 minutes of negativity a day can restrict your mobility and your decision-making ability! Most of us don't realize that starting our day on social media or listening to the news can send us into a downward spiral of fear for the rest of our day! 

Instead, use the first 30 minutes of your day to pray and to make positive declarations over your life. Maybe do it while your getting dressed or in the shower...but get it done. The first decision of your day affects the entire day. Make it a positive one. 

2. Fear enjoys hiding behind the mask of perfection. Don't get me wrong, God loves excellence, but what the enemy will do is come in with thoughts that fuel your insecurities. You're so afraid that you won't be accepted if you are not perfect or you are so afraid that you won't succeed at something unless all the chips are lined up perfectly. 

Face it....life is not perfect. But the imperfections are what make everything beautifully unique. It's how we grow...it's how we gain wisdom. Remember that God will give you beauty for ashes! What does that mean? It means sometimes things aren't gonna work out as perfectly as you planned...but God will still get glory from it. Stop worrying about making everything perfect and just move forward! God is the one who will bring perfection! All you have to do is bring what you have...he's not asking for anything more. .

Fear leaves the moment that you realize that you can't do things by yourself...but that you can do all things with CHRIST!

3. Fear loves to hide in the silence. Fear manifests itself as a kidnapper who ties you up and places masking tape over your mouth! The silence becomes an internal scream until your emotions are all over the place. 

Nothing crushes fear more than talking about your fears with someone you trust. You can't do life alone, and it's important to recognize that! The moment you verbalize the truth of how you are feeling is the moment that the cycle of fear begins to reverse. I'm not talking about a pity party...but I am talking about meaningful conversations with individuals who can bring some healthy perspective to your situation.

One healthy conversation can help you to see that what you are facing has already been overcome by thousands of individuals over the years. 

There's nothing new under the sun and the devil doesn't have any more tricks in his bag. If one person can overcome it then so can you! 

Finally, what I have learned is that fear is demolished the moment you become inspired. Look up stories of inspiring people. Those who overcame the odds to become champions! Look to those in the bible who were not perfect, but became world changers because they refused to give up. Use the strategies that they applied to their lives to spark a change in yours! 

Every successful person will have to confront and overcome fear in their lifetime. Fear is an indication that you've hit a new marker on the road to success. It's testing you to see how bad you really want it. Those who endure past fear and walk with faith are the ones that the world will talk about for generations to come!  

The Key to Making a Real Impact

Having a real impact is far greater a goal than to just simply have a large reach. In other words, you may have a lot of people listening to you but how many people respect you because of your integrity? Furthermore, how many people will still be talking about the work that you have done after you have gone? Many people nowadays are striving to reach more people but I think that the real goal would be in striving to make an impact on those you already reach! This is the difference in leadership that are known during one dispensation of time and those leaders that leave a legacy that is timeless and reaches far beyond the current generation. 

Let's face it, what difference does it make how many people know your name? What really matters is the number of people who know exactly what you stand for, who you're fighting for, and what you believe in. 

Even on social media, the experts will tell you that it's not as important the number of people who like your page or follow you...instead, it's more important the "rate of engagement" and the "number of people talking about your brand". If you have a Facebook Page, you know what I mean. You can check out the analytics and know what impact you are really making and who is spreading your message instead of following a "famous name". 

I made an interesting observation today and looked it up to make sure I was right. I noticed that all of the trees that bear some type of fruit are always small trees. Think about it...

The largest fruit-bearing trees are certain apple trees, and they only grow to a height of about 45 feet. That may seem tall to you...but consider that some of the tallest trees in the world will be a minimum of around 350 feet tall. 

That tells me a lot. Those who really make an impact on the lives of others are humble, approachable, tangible, and aren’t afraid of pruning. Fruit Trees may not be the tallest trees, but they provide the most nutrients. Other taller trees may produce nuts…the smaller trees produce fruit that hydrates and nourishes those who partake of its harvest.

What am I saying? There will be many leaders that rise and fall, but it's those that stand the test of time that we should put our trust in. Just because a tree is big doesn't mean it's bearing fruit! Just because you’re famous doesn’t mean you are making an impact on anybody or bringing any refreshing nourishment.

I encourage all you leaders out there to stop focusing on the number of people you are reaching, most of those people are saying what the crowd wants to hear anyways. Instead, focus on the integrity of your message and the transformation of those that hear it. Focus more on the engagement and discipleship of those who you are privileged to influence than just about reaching another person.

The real keys to impact are humility, honesty, integrity, being approachable, investing real time in those you care about, and be more concerned about building disciples of the message you believe in instead of just another follower.

Remember this, what you believe is not reflecting in your speech alone but in the way that you live your life.

I want to leave you with this disclaimer... you can have a big reach and a big impact at the same time…but honestly, you can count those people on one hand. And those who have a big reach now may not always have a lasting influence on that big number of people. I don’t know about you, but I would rather have an impact now and influence later that is sustainable than to just reach a bunch of people now that don’t remain!

John 15:8 (NKJV)

“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”