Video Journal: Deja-vu

About a year ago, Vanessa and I noticed that something strange was beginning to happen.  Whenever we were out on the streets, people would say that they were sure they had seen us before.  Normally they would ask if they had seen us earlier that day.  People always seemed to think that we'd been at a movie with them earlier that afternoon or something.

This happened about a half dozen times within one week--almost every day.  We noticed that God was telling us something!  People were recognizing us according to God's eternal purpose on this earth.  Before they saw us in person, they knew us in spirit.

This went on for about a week.  Then I began to get frequent feelings of deja-vu.  I noticed that they happened whenever I began doing something important--like when I ministered in a new place, when I encouraged someone, or when I did something for the first time.  I'd get the sense that I'd seen this all before.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." 

Deja-vu began marking times and seasons.  I realized it was the Holy Spirit confirming that I was on God's predestined path for my life (Jeremiah 6:16).

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,"

An Arrow From God

Last fall, God began directing our thoughts to a first true mission trip together.  Since then, we have been slowly receiving direction regarding where we should go and when.  I remember that He was speaking to us through symbolic arrows a lot in the beginning.  God sends us places--whether literally or spiritually--with His momentum.  He is the one who calls us to certain things and sends us to certain places.

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"     Exodus 3:14

Recently, the arrow theme has been brought up again.  On the way down to Pinehurst, the Lord reminded us of our role as a tool, as an arrow in His hands.  What a timely reminder!

So, God's likened this mission trip that Vanessa and I are on as an arrow sent from His bow.  I believe this speaks of being sent with the "strong hand of  God" upon us as seen in Ezekiel 3:14 .  We both have felt impressed to wait on God to send us--that is, to wait until He gave us the push off to leave.  Before we were to leave, He had to open the door and provide a springboard.

My glory will not fade; the bow will be ever new in my hand.'     Job 29:20

God has a mandate for all of us.  He has bent back His bow, and He will bend it back again.  He has prepared and initiated a calling for all of us.  For each believer, He has prepared a place that He wants to launch us into.  He is ready to send us out with spiritual momentum.  By His bow, we can be the arrow of truth and life that He initiates out into a new land.  Are you ready for Him to release you? Are you ready for an open door?  God is always sending out new things through people who can soar with His message.

"May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,"     Psalm 149:6

We need to be like Jesus.  He was like a sword, like an arrow from God, and He delivered love and healing to the people.  He cut to the heart of those around Him.  He went out into the world with supernatural momentum, with a compassion that couldn't be suppressed or slowed down in any way. When God sends us out, we should be the move the same way.  We should leave our resting place ready to go and labor for God.  It's a labor of love.  We need to go out only when we know that He is the One who's sent us.  We need to be full of His Spirit and His power and not ever relent.

"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."       Luke 24:49

New Year, New You: Focus on God

As believers, we need to focus our efforts on God.  We need to live for His Glory.   We need to live for what He stands for.  We need to be fixated on the Kingdom.

I was seeking the Lord on themes for 2015, and I this is one of the themes He gave me.  I also believe it's the most important.

"But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  Matthew 6:33

Seeking God before our own interests is a command.  And it's been given for our own good! The reality of the Kingdom of Heaven is more fantastic, more important, than anything else we could run after.  The reality of salvation is more important than anything else.  And the possibility of friendship with Jesus is more important than anything else.    So we need to seek the things that matter.  We need to seek His Kingdom before He allows us to find it.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."  Philippians 4:8

When we are seeking Him, our thoughts will reveal it.  We will think about God, Heaven, and how we can accommodate His desires on the earth.  We will naturally follow the advice of James seen above.  We will become pure and go from strength to strength (Psalms 84:7).  We will feel the power of His Victory.  When we focus on Him, we will share in His passions.  We will devote our talents to God, and He will give us the desires of our heart.

Focusing on our Lord will always keep us safe.  Those who put their hope in Him will not be disappointed (Isaiah 49:23).  If we focus on Him, He will deliver us.  Let's look to Him and be saved.  Let's look entirely at Him, and do so in faith.  Let's know that our redeemer lives (Job 19:25).

When we focus on God, we our minds will be renewed.  We will know the Father's heart for our lives, and we will experience the surety of our calling.  We won't be limited by mere religion, putting God in a box, nor will we subscribe to the wisdom of the world.   Instead we will become more and more separated from the world!  And this is a requirement if we are to hear clearly from God.

So let's seek Him first.  Then let's fulfill His commission--the Kingdom and the righteousness will follow.  Let's advance His causes.  Remember that the desire to share  His salvation with the lost  is already in you.  If it's not, then to some extent you have stifled the Holy Spirit.  Don't live in old desires and selfishness any more!  Instead look to Him and obey as He takes you to the fullness of salvation.  Keep seeking as He saves every single aspect of your life!  Thank Him for His goodness, and believe that He is worth focusing on.

Confirmed:  Right after writing this post, a commercial for power tools came on.  It was quickened to me to have 'True value behind every project'.  This takes focusing on Him and a pure heart.

New Year, New You: Become a Servant

What is the second thing God directed me to for the New year?  Let's consider how important it is to be a servant.  Are you willing?  Jesus was.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."  Mark 10:45

Even our master became a servant.   Even He became a friend of the unpopular and lowly.  Do you want to be like Him?  Jesus, build our Love.  To be a servant and do so joyfully, we need to have His Love.  We need to have it lit up within us.  We need to have it light us up.

Once we focus on Him, we have fulfilled the first five commandments.  We have loved Him with everything!  So let's allow Him to take us further.  Let's love our neighbor as ourselves.  Let's become servants.

When Jesus saw people in need and oppressed, He was moved with compassion.  We need to be the same way.  Our desires need to be spent on God, and then on giving Him to others.  Jesus said, "feed my sheep".  Do you love Him?  Then bear fruit and obey Him.  Let's all feed His sheep (John 21:17).

God wants to save His people from any evils, and He wants to bless them forever (Psalms 28:9).  Will you join Him in the work that He's given Himself since before time?  He will accomplish His purposes regardless.  Don't you want to partner with Him? It takes loving and being loved to truly serve.  But these love exchanges testify to our true identities--as the sons and daughters of God.  Let's serve accordingly.

God wants to give you His passions.  Jesus is the most passionate One in the universe.  He has more than enough passion for you, and He has more than enough passion to give you.  Allow it to compel you.  Allow it to give you humility.  Allow His love to give you unconditional thankfulness.  Allow serving others for His purposes to become pure joy.  

Snapshot: Entering the Promised Land

A few days ago God spoke to me about my pathway through life.  This was the same day He was telling me to ask for details.  But in addition to this, we need to allow the Spirit to control our will and our dreams.  We need to imagine God's Will, and walk into it.  We need to see what He sees, feel what He feels, and follow His leadings step by step into the Promised Land.

I remember that a Christian figure from past times coined the term "Holy Imagination".  And that's what we need to have.  We need to have Holy thoughts and pure minds.  Only then can we dream big.
And only then can God implant Himself into our visions and our dreams .  Infact, this was the way that He called many old testament prophets.  So many were called and received their calling from a Spirit filled,  almost otherworldly dream.

This past Spring, I had a dream that I was crossing the Jordan river.  The dream wasn't set in ancient times, though; instead, I was on a steamboat that was slowly being evacuated.  Many passengers were on this boat, and many were scared about whatever might happen while they were stuck on this stalled boat.  Other passengers, however, didn't seem to see any problem in their situation.  I was left wondering what to do myself.

After some time, a militia-type group had also been sent onto the scene.  These military leaders searched for passengers willing to be recruited into their evacuation team.  Brave passengers became compelled to join this team, which was preparing to leave the ship and search for help on the mainland nearby.  I remember that the ship was fairly close to the riverbank, although the evacuation team was facing a jungle once across the river.  I listened as the military personnel spoke about the dangers of the mission ahead, and I felt more than slightly intimidated by my own prospects of joining this voluntary team.  But the situation on the boat was boring and lifeless, and people were left to waste away through their own devices.  So I decided I would go.  I was going to join this team and cross the Jordan!  I was told that the mission would be long and hard.  I was told it would be dangerous.  But I wanted to get off of that boat--it wasn't going anywhere and the people on board were not motivated to do much.  This is where the dream ended.

When I woke up I felt it was a dream from the Lord.  I felt His leading to be bold for Him and venture into uncharted territory.  I felt His desire to take me into new places, and report back to those 'stuck' what I tasted and saw.  Shortly after waking up that morning, God led me to the Joshua 1, 2 and 3, which strongly matched my dream.  God was beginning a new season in my life, and I was being exhorted to enter into the promised land.  Around the same time I had this dream, I started doing healing ministry on the street.  I was just starting to be used by our Lord to pray for the afflicted.  I was out of my comfort zone oftentimes.  But I had made the choice; I had crossed the Jordan!

God's recently began speaking about this to me again.  I believe that I'm in a new season now, and I've just crossed another river of roadblocks.  In the life of a strong believer, there may well be many "Jordans" to cross.  God wants His children to personally walk through the exploits in the Bible, and in that dream He gave me, I was shown that He wanted me to live out Jordan crossing of Joshua.

Confirmed 12/13:  God showed me that I've crossed the Jordan, because His commandments were more important.

Confirmed 12/14:  I was reading the book of Judges, and through 'quickened eye-glances' (see the Quickened Word for more on this), God revealed to me that I had been called out with Him.  This is exactly what the military leaders were doing in my dream all those months ago.  And He went on and showed me that I was to follow His lead.  How critical!  Just as the Israelites could not cross the Jordan without the Presence of God, in the Ark, guiding them, we cannot enter the Promised Land that He's called us to unless we follow Him into it.

Confirmed 12/15: Recent Themes have been:  Lush, green gardens.  Green trees. The Tree of Life. Milk and Honey.  The finest of foods.  Open Door to His Promises!

Confirmed 12/15:  I was reading the Bible Commentary book again, and God really spoke through it.  Random reading (search the 'labels' feature for this, if you're interested).  I was led to the subtitles "Canaan" and "Canaan as a type of Heaven".  God wants to lead us all into a land where the Promises He's given us become manifest.  He wants to lead all those who will listen into a land of heaven on earth.  The Promised Land symbolizes that our Lord has given us another chance to return to the Garden.  The Promised Land symbolizes that our God has great things planned for us, even before we enter Heaven itself.  Praise God!