Hello. I am home today (Sunday) freezing! We had the electricity go out because of an ice storm in Northeastern Oklahoma! It looks pretty- all the trees and bushes covered in a clear glaze of ice; a virtual winter wonderland- that was untill a tree that Joshua and I planted when he was four years old split under the pressure of the ice load!! I was SICK looking out at that tree in our front yard! I am kind of sentimental about those kinds of things! That tree represents time spent with the greatest son a dad could even have! Humor me as I brag a bit- He is handsome, kind, smart and a bit cocky (I admit the cocky could go, but the flip side of that bad character trait is determination and confidence once it falls under the control of the Spirit of G-d).
Then as I sit here I hear a loud **CRACK** a HUGE limb off of a 75 foot tall pine tree in my back yard takes out the fence in my back and side yard!! UGH. This is going to be a messy clean up- and it isn't over yet!! We are supposed to have ice falling around here until lateTuesday! Keep us in your prayers! I am asking for any available angels to hold up the balance of the branches or at least keep deflecting any falling ones from hitting the house!! Ah, never a dull moment.
I know what I am going to do- being the dilligent man of action that I am!- I'm going to get back to drinking my hot cocoa as it sits here next to my laptop as steam rises from top of my Starbucks mug, snuggle under a fleece blanket of Elisabeth's and watch "It's a Wonderful Life", because, you know, it really is! My advice to you today- Stay warm, make yourself some hot cocoa, get a copy of this classic movie and take some time to reflect what a great life you do live- and ask Him what you can do today to make it even better for those you come in contact with! Gotta go, the movie is about to begin!
09 December 2007
03 December 2007
The Cave, Part Deux!!
III. Looking Out From The Cave: A Gathering Place (22:1b-2)
A Gathering Place for a New Spiritual Family
In Psalm 142 we read David's final petition from the cave:
"Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will deal bountifully with me."
David senses that although he is, in a manner of speaking, entombed in a cave, God will resurrect him. He also has the sense that the spiritual life resulting from his connecting to God will draw others to the messianic king. As he looks out into the light, here is what he sees. 1 Samuel 22:2:
“And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.”
In one of the most beautiful scenes in Scripture, David looks out from the cave and sees that hundreds of men have been drawn to Adullam. The cave had become the gathering place. (By the way, the word "gather" is the Hebrew word from which the word "kibbutz" derives.)
And who were those who made up this new family? "Those who are in distress" (constrained, in deep straits that caused them to wither up); "everyone who was in debt" (due to the heavy tax structure of Saul's kingdom); and the "discontented" (literally, the bitter of soul, those for whom all the simple pleasures of life had disappeared). The people who were drawn to the cave were the outcasts, those who felt heavy-laden by the old kingdom. "In English literature the term Adullam is occasionally used as a kind of shorthand for a sanctuary for outcasts. Thus Thomas Hardy in The Mayor of Casterbridge refers to Mixen Lane in the lowest section of town as 'the Adullam of all the surrounding villages. It was the hiding place of those who were in distress, and in debt, and trouble of every kind.'”
The spiritual life that emanated from the cave of Adullam drew others into the new family. Everyone who came was drawn; no one was coerced. Saul was seeking David, but he could not find him, but those who were internally G-d-drawn found him without any problem. In the same way, the men and women who came to Christ were drawn to do so willingly because of their unhappiness with the old order or unfulfilled religion. They gladly responded when Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls" (Matt 11:28-29).
I think this has profound implications for the way we choose to build G-d’s Kingdom today. Much effort is spent in trying to get people to attend my “church”, but often they find that there is nothing about the life of the “church” that attracts them. Believers in the early church, however, had their priorities right. They focused on worship, fellowship, communion and the apostolic teaching, and the result of these things is recorded in the book of Acts: "and the Lord kept adding to their numbers those who were being saved." Evangelism in the early church was a natural outgrowth of the spiritual life of the church. The lesson for us is this: hurting people are drawn to believers who are connected to G-d.
Kingdom-run Businesses are no different- the people around me now, my true “inner-circle”, are people G-d drew over the years. Men and women who are proven and who “qualified” for those posts based on their own experiences and responses to those events in their lives that mold a man (or woman) into the fertile soil ready for Kingdom seed!
This text also identifies whom we should target in our Kingdom building efforts. Oftentimes we target the wrong groups, failing to recognize that G-d is already at work, drawing people to himself. The TRUE Kingdom-church needs to reach out to the discontented, the distressed, and the debt-ridden. In our own area, this means the foreign refugees, the poor, unwed mothers, the divorced, single parents, teenagers from unhappy homes, AIDS patients and the unborn. Such are fertile fields for the message of the Kingdom as Pastor Tom Desuchle best summarizes as; “right thinking, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And eating from the Tree of Life not from the legalistic Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.”
So when you are in your “cave” season we are seeing a picture of G-d doing as much “outside” the cave that concerns us as He is doing “inside” the cave. This illustration of divine orchestration of ones life should create in us a shout of praise from deep within to G-d Himself who said He would work all things for our good if we love Him.
This then is the vision that David sees as he looks outside the cave of Adullam. G-d was bringing together a new spiritual community.
But there were others who came to the cave.
Reconciliation of the Physical Family:
And when his brothers and all his father's household heard of it, they went down there to him. (22:1b)
G-d was restructuring David's family. The outcast youth, once the subject of the disdain of his brothers, is now sought after as the messianic king who will overthrow the old order. At last his family recognizes him as their new leader, and they come to him on his turf and on his terms.
Jesus was a source of dissonance in his family. His brothers refused to believe in him; his mother tried to coerce him at the wedding in Cana. At one point, they thought he was a madman, so Jesus was forced to say, "Who are my mother, brothers, and sisters, but he who does the will of G-d?" Jesus was creating a new family, made up of those who were drawn to him. After his death and resurrection, his family too were reconciled to the new order. They were to be found in the Upper Room, with the others, worshipping Christ.
Though at times we grow spiritually because we suffer rejection initially by our physical family, true Kingdom understanding will keep them in our hearts as a right and proper concern, and we will long for their reconciliation with G-d. As many of you can attest, one of the most joyful occasions in life is when a member of one's physical family is reconciled to Christ. I just experienced this with my daughter Elisabeth! My cave experience and my response to the trials I was under served as a testimony to the faithfulness of G-d so loudly that my daughter was able to see God’s hand at work and she committed afresh to the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
The goal of spirituality therefore is community. The monks sought to withdraw from the world, and in this they were half-right. But once we have met with G-d, true spirituality is experienced in community. Having met with God in the cave of Adullam, David has a vision of the new community. He leaves the cave, a different man, to walk twin paths.
How did his experience in the cave affect his walk with G-d?
IV. Leaving the Cave (22:3)
A Path of Responsibility:
And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what G-d will do for me." (22:3)
In David's great hour of testing, having no home to call his own, he made it a top priority to honor his parents by providing a home for them. What a tribute to his heart, especially when we remember that in former times he felt abandoned by his own. As he wrote in Psalm 27:9-10: "Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O G-d of my Salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me..." David takes his family to Moab, right into the presence of the king (perhaps because Moab was the birthplace of his great-grandmother, Ruth). Note how he expresses his faith in G-d to the foreign king, in contrast to his behavior when he disguised his identity in front of Achish, in Gath.
Jesus had the same heart for his family. In his hour of trial and testing, he cared for his mother and provided for her future. The gospel records: "When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold, your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household" (John 19:26). While Jesus was being "cut off" from the earth, he made sure his mother was not cut off and abandoned.
It might not be convenient to care for your parents (and I am sure your screaming at 3AM with a poopy diaper wasn’t too exciting or convenient for them night after night either!), but it is the biblical thing to do. My dad was the primary caregiver, but all of us cared for our dying mother for the last year of her life. She lived with my dad when the doctors (and some well meaning family members) thought it “best” to put her in a nursing home. My dad refused and took care of her until a coma finally took her. The new family transcends the old, but it still honors and cares for the old. Never forget those who bore you. Honor them to the grave. This protects us from the phenomenon of the cults and a self-centered lifestyle, which are extremely destructive of today’s families.
True Kingdom Spirituality is a path of responsibility.
There is a second path.
A Path of Mobility:
And the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. (22:5)
By means of the direct voice of the prophet Gad, David was told to not attempt to create security for himself by turning the cave of Adullam into a permanent fortress. (The word for "fortress" is the same as the word for "Masada.") He would find security in his constant obedience to go wherever the Lord sent him ("they went wherever they could go", 1 Sam 23:13). David would find no permanent place to settle as long Saul remained in power. That is why he continued to depend upon
G-d.
Here is the applicable lesson we learn from the above statement (incase you didn’t catch it!): Until it is “your season” there is unrest and you seemingly don’t “fit” anywhere. This season of sojourning for Kingdom believers is a part of this life. It is a time to embrace, to rest in, to prepare and to worship- not grow weary in! You are not “forsaken” as your flesh might feel or others looking in may judge as the situation, but you are being prepared for your domain, your role, your place of purpose. How exciting of a time this can be once you understand it! It is a season of great spiritual need, a time to build a relationship with the Lover of Your Soul and, strangely enough, a time where those truly called to work along side you will find you, celebrate you and need to learn from you!
Our Lord likewise could find no safe place to settle down during his ministry on earth. To those who naively wanted to follow him, he said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head" (Matt 8:20). If this was the fate of David and Jesus, how can Kingdom people expect to find a permanent, safe abode in this temporal (but significant) world? Let us not try to find safety in fortresses built by men, but rather in our constant abiding in the will of G-d.
The history of our brothers in the faith (the Jewish people) should serve as a warning to Kingdom people today. In the first century, the sects who fled to fortresses like Masada or tried to put their security in the temple were destroyed. When the church adopted a fortress mentality and hides in structures of worldly security, whether buildings, religious or political structures, we not only lost all effectiveness, we also forfeited our true security, making us an easy target for the enemy.
So I found the secret to Kingdom victory in the cave of Adullam. I went to Israel suffering from the pain of losing close friends, money and reputation but Adullam taught me that by letting things and people go, I am allowing them to enter into the most important aspect of the Kingdom: that they may "know Him, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings."
What a place my Adullam is; I learn of praise, worship, fellowship and truth. But I could just as easy make the cave an experience of despair and self-pity. It is my choice!
A Gathering Place for a New Spiritual Family
In Psalm 142 we read David's final petition from the cave:
"Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will deal bountifully with me."
David senses that although he is, in a manner of speaking, entombed in a cave, God will resurrect him. He also has the sense that the spiritual life resulting from his connecting to God will draw others to the messianic king. As he looks out into the light, here is what he sees. 1 Samuel 22:2:
“And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.”
In one of the most beautiful scenes in Scripture, David looks out from the cave and sees that hundreds of men have been drawn to Adullam. The cave had become the gathering place. (By the way, the word "gather" is the Hebrew word from which the word "kibbutz" derives.)
And who were those who made up this new family? "Those who are in distress" (constrained, in deep straits that caused them to wither up); "everyone who was in debt" (due to the heavy tax structure of Saul's kingdom); and the "discontented" (literally, the bitter of soul, those for whom all the simple pleasures of life had disappeared). The people who were drawn to the cave were the outcasts, those who felt heavy-laden by the old kingdom. "In English literature the term Adullam is occasionally used as a kind of shorthand for a sanctuary for outcasts. Thus Thomas Hardy in The Mayor of Casterbridge refers to Mixen Lane in the lowest section of town as 'the Adullam of all the surrounding villages. It was the hiding place of those who were in distress, and in debt, and trouble of every kind.'”
The spiritual life that emanated from the cave of Adullam drew others into the new family. Everyone who came was drawn; no one was coerced. Saul was seeking David, but he could not find him, but those who were internally G-d-drawn found him without any problem. In the same way, the men and women who came to Christ were drawn to do so willingly because of their unhappiness with the old order or unfulfilled religion. They gladly responded when Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls" (Matt 11:28-29).
I think this has profound implications for the way we choose to build G-d’s Kingdom today. Much effort is spent in trying to get people to attend my “church”, but often they find that there is nothing about the life of the “church” that attracts them. Believers in the early church, however, had their priorities right. They focused on worship, fellowship, communion and the apostolic teaching, and the result of these things is recorded in the book of Acts: "and the Lord kept adding to their numbers those who were being saved." Evangelism in the early church was a natural outgrowth of the spiritual life of the church. The lesson for us is this: hurting people are drawn to believers who are connected to G-d.
Kingdom-run Businesses are no different- the people around me now, my true “inner-circle”, are people G-d drew over the years. Men and women who are proven and who “qualified” for those posts based on their own experiences and responses to those events in their lives that mold a man (or woman) into the fertile soil ready for Kingdom seed!
This text also identifies whom we should target in our Kingdom building efforts. Oftentimes we target the wrong groups, failing to recognize that G-d is already at work, drawing people to himself. The TRUE Kingdom-church needs to reach out to the discontented, the distressed, and the debt-ridden. In our own area, this means the foreign refugees, the poor, unwed mothers, the divorced, single parents, teenagers from unhappy homes, AIDS patients and the unborn. Such are fertile fields for the message of the Kingdom as Pastor Tom Desuchle best summarizes as; “right thinking, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. And eating from the Tree of Life not from the legalistic Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.”
So when you are in your “cave” season we are seeing a picture of G-d doing as much “outside” the cave that concerns us as He is doing “inside” the cave. This illustration of divine orchestration of ones life should create in us a shout of praise from deep within to G-d Himself who said He would work all things for our good if we love Him.
This then is the vision that David sees as he looks outside the cave of Adullam. G-d was bringing together a new spiritual community.
But there were others who came to the cave.
Reconciliation of the Physical Family:
And when his brothers and all his father's household heard of it, they went down there to him. (22:1b)
G-d was restructuring David's family. The outcast youth, once the subject of the disdain of his brothers, is now sought after as the messianic king who will overthrow the old order. At last his family recognizes him as their new leader, and they come to him on his turf and on his terms.
Jesus was a source of dissonance in his family. His brothers refused to believe in him; his mother tried to coerce him at the wedding in Cana. At one point, they thought he was a madman, so Jesus was forced to say, "Who are my mother, brothers, and sisters, but he who does the will of G-d?" Jesus was creating a new family, made up of those who were drawn to him. After his death and resurrection, his family too were reconciled to the new order. They were to be found in the Upper Room, with the others, worshipping Christ.
Though at times we grow spiritually because we suffer rejection initially by our physical family, true Kingdom understanding will keep them in our hearts as a right and proper concern, and we will long for their reconciliation with G-d. As many of you can attest, one of the most joyful occasions in life is when a member of one's physical family is reconciled to Christ. I just experienced this with my daughter Elisabeth! My cave experience and my response to the trials I was under served as a testimony to the faithfulness of G-d so loudly that my daughter was able to see God’s hand at work and she committed afresh to the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
The goal of spirituality therefore is community. The monks sought to withdraw from the world, and in this they were half-right. But once we have met with G-d, true spirituality is experienced in community. Having met with God in the cave of Adullam, David has a vision of the new community. He leaves the cave, a different man, to walk twin paths.
How did his experience in the cave affect his walk with G-d?
IV. Leaving the Cave (22:3)
A Path of Responsibility:
And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what G-d will do for me." (22:3)
In David's great hour of testing, having no home to call his own, he made it a top priority to honor his parents by providing a home for them. What a tribute to his heart, especially when we remember that in former times he felt abandoned by his own. As he wrote in Psalm 27:9-10: "Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O G-d of my Salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me..." David takes his family to Moab, right into the presence of the king (perhaps because Moab was the birthplace of his great-grandmother, Ruth). Note how he expresses his faith in G-d to the foreign king, in contrast to his behavior when he disguised his identity in front of Achish, in Gath.
Jesus had the same heart for his family. In his hour of trial and testing, he cared for his mother and provided for her future. The gospel records: "When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold, your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household" (John 19:26). While Jesus was being "cut off" from the earth, he made sure his mother was not cut off and abandoned.
It might not be convenient to care for your parents (and I am sure your screaming at 3AM with a poopy diaper wasn’t too exciting or convenient for them night after night either!), but it is the biblical thing to do. My dad was the primary caregiver, but all of us cared for our dying mother for the last year of her life. She lived with my dad when the doctors (and some well meaning family members) thought it “best” to put her in a nursing home. My dad refused and took care of her until a coma finally took her. The new family transcends the old, but it still honors and cares for the old. Never forget those who bore you. Honor them to the grave. This protects us from the phenomenon of the cults and a self-centered lifestyle, which are extremely destructive of today’s families.
True Kingdom Spirituality is a path of responsibility.
There is a second path.
A Path of Mobility:
And the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. (22:5)
By means of the direct voice of the prophet Gad, David was told to not attempt to create security for himself by turning the cave of Adullam into a permanent fortress. (The word for "fortress" is the same as the word for "Masada.") He would find security in his constant obedience to go wherever the Lord sent him ("they went wherever they could go", 1 Sam 23:13). David would find no permanent place to settle as long Saul remained in power. That is why he continued to depend upon
G-d.
Here is the applicable lesson we learn from the above statement (incase you didn’t catch it!): Until it is “your season” there is unrest and you seemingly don’t “fit” anywhere. This season of sojourning for Kingdom believers is a part of this life. It is a time to embrace, to rest in, to prepare and to worship- not grow weary in! You are not “forsaken” as your flesh might feel or others looking in may judge as the situation, but you are being prepared for your domain, your role, your place of purpose. How exciting of a time this can be once you understand it! It is a season of great spiritual need, a time to build a relationship with the Lover of Your Soul and, strangely enough, a time where those truly called to work along side you will find you, celebrate you and need to learn from you!
Our Lord likewise could find no safe place to settle down during his ministry on earth. To those who naively wanted to follow him, he said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head" (Matt 8:20). If this was the fate of David and Jesus, how can Kingdom people expect to find a permanent, safe abode in this temporal (but significant) world? Let us not try to find safety in fortresses built by men, but rather in our constant abiding in the will of G-d.
The history of our brothers in the faith (the Jewish people) should serve as a warning to Kingdom people today. In the first century, the sects who fled to fortresses like Masada or tried to put their security in the temple were destroyed. When the church adopted a fortress mentality and hides in structures of worldly security, whether buildings, religious or political structures, we not only lost all effectiveness, we also forfeited our true security, making us an easy target for the enemy.
So I found the secret to Kingdom victory in the cave of Adullam. I went to Israel suffering from the pain of losing close friends, money and reputation but Adullam taught me that by letting things and people go, I am allowing them to enter into the most important aspect of the Kingdom: that they may "know Him, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings."
What a place my Adullam is; I learn of praise, worship, fellowship and truth. But I could just as easy make the cave an experience of despair and self-pity. It is my choice!
19 November 2007
Buy a Membership- Help Kids
It is about time I utilize this site for a little shameless self promotion.
All of the businesses we own, have an interest in or are in control of have a common thread running through them- PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT. That's right. We have a passion for helping people, but a bigger passion and a mandate to teach people how to help themselves long-term. We have created companies that teach people by giving them the tools and support to learn web based marketing. Our desire is to show them how to generate extra income so they can pay their own way out of debt, create secondary income streams for themselves and maybe (with enough effort and a no-quit attitude) keep one parent home to raise their own kids!!
www.GatorPond.com and www.FundraisingByGatorPond.com are two of the many sites Maven Holding Company have created to help people generate long-term residual income. GatorPond is a fun entertainment site that allows families and individuals, for a small monthly membership fee, to trade all the old video games, DVD's and CD's you have at home with all the other GatorPond members throughout the USA or Canada. No more buying a game to play it for 45 days, beat the top level and then "trade it in" at some game trading rip-off place where they give you $15-20 for a great game you spent $50 for only a month and a half ago!! Check us out- we even show you how to raise real money for your school, ball team, youth group or Community Center!! But there is more.
www.aGlobalRevolution.com is another site we are creating to market the BEST and ONLY Energy/Sports Drink available with NO added sugar, NO added sodiun, NO preservatives and NO caffeine!! Only pure food-grade vitamin additives, Amino Acids and fiber! Tastes great, offers sustained energy with no "spike and crash" and less than HALF of the retail prices of junk drinks like the popular brands in convenience stores all over America!! Until the site for this is ready we have a site to find out more about this awesome product (which is now offered in the USA, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico) at www.Revolution.bHIPGlobal.com Come and join in on a global revolution of health and financial reward.
PLUS a percentage of the revenues from these sites goes to offer scholarships to kids who need it, helps support AIDS orphanages in Africa, and will fund an Inner City Entrepreneurship Program Maven is creating!! Good stuff making a difference. Come on, what are you waiting for!!!
All of the businesses we own, have an interest in or are in control of have a common thread running through them- PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT. That's right. We have a passion for helping people, but a bigger passion and a mandate to teach people how to help themselves long-term. We have created companies that teach people by giving them the tools and support to learn web based marketing. Our desire is to show them how to generate extra income so they can pay their own way out of debt, create secondary income streams for themselves and maybe (with enough effort and a no-quit attitude) keep one parent home to raise their own kids!!
www.GatorPond.com and www.FundraisingByGatorPond.com are two of the many sites Maven Holding Company have created to help people generate long-term residual income. GatorPond is a fun entertainment site that allows families and individuals, for a small monthly membership fee, to trade all the old video games, DVD's and CD's you have at home with all the other GatorPond members throughout the USA or Canada. No more buying a game to play it for 45 days, beat the top level and then "trade it in" at some game trading rip-off place where they give you $15-20 for a great game you spent $50 for only a month and a half ago!! Check us out- we even show you how to raise real money for your school, ball team, youth group or Community Center!! But there is more.
www.aGlobalRevolution.com is another site we are creating to market the BEST and ONLY Energy/Sports Drink available with NO added sugar, NO added sodiun, NO preservatives and NO caffeine!! Only pure food-grade vitamin additives, Amino Acids and fiber! Tastes great, offers sustained energy with no "spike and crash" and less than HALF of the retail prices of junk drinks like the popular brands in convenience stores all over America!! Until the site for this is ready we have a site to find out more about this awesome product (which is now offered in the USA, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico) at www.Revolution.bHIPGlobal.com Come and join in on a global revolution of health and financial reward.
PLUS a percentage of the revenues from these sites goes to offer scholarships to kids who need it, helps support AIDS orphanages in Africa, and will fund an Inner City Entrepreneurship Program Maven is creating!! Good stuff making a difference. Come on, what are you waiting for!!!
17 November 2007
"My Time In The Cave", Part I
This is a teaching that I am excited about because it is "real" and will help you on your journey. Please sit back with a cup of hot tea, a blanket and just let the Lord 'soak" you in His love, revelation and wisdom... here it comes!
When I visited Israel several years ago it was during a time of turmoil in my personal life. A business I was involved in was failing due to the 9-11 attacks (I had never been involved in a business that was failing before), I was spiritually “dry”, friends either left me or seemed preoccupied with their own “stuff” so it was a lonely, dark “night of the soul” all around. I was going through what most people occasionally experience in their lifetime- fear, doubt, worry, significance and questioning everything and everyone in my life. I am experiencing it again now, but this time I understand the purging that HAS to take place for me to be a Child of the King worthy of the call... read on...
Some men (and women, too!), especially during this type of season, tend go out and get a cute chic on the side, buy a sports car or motorcycle, become withdrawn, take up weird hobbies and all sorts of odd behaviour to fill a void that can only be filled by a God-given “purpose". Because what G-d is doing is showing you the places that are void in your heart of HIM. Don't resist what Heaven is doing in your life, nor doubt your value or worth. That is the lie your head tells you. But just the opposite is true. G-d loves you enough to draw you away, show you your emptiness and offer to fill you with REAL purpose!
I said earlier i went on another trip to israel- well one of my goals behind “another trip” to the Holy Land was to find the cave of Adullam, the place where David wrote his first Psalms during the loneliness of his wilderness years (yes, YEARS). I wondered, as I sat there in that dark, damp place, what was the secret that David discovered in that cave. I was waiting for some "vision" or "word" from heaven, an angel or even David himself to show up! But NOTHING! I admit it was moving and certainly a priviledge, and did put "a picture" in my head as I read those Psalms David wrote, but I needed "Hollywood" moment here people!! COME ON G-D, JUST a little bolt of lightning, maybe a voice saying "This is Larry, of whom I am well pleased" for those with me to hear, or something!
Upon my return, I ran into a friend who is a practicing “orthodox” Jew. We speak a lot about the Word of God together. His insights as a Jew are amazing. He knows of my Jewish heritage and thinks I “turned my back on the faith”! We agree to disagree about issues pertaining to Jesus though. But I asked him his take on Adullam. He said to me, "You know what David found in Adullam, don't you? He found eternity" (ad olam -- eternity). WOW! That is so true! David came out from the cave with purpose, support and a new vision concerning his own life. Although hidden from the enemy, those whom God was also dealing with and planned for David to mentor found David and the group in that dark period in all their lives became a band of mighty Men of Valor! So today I'm going to take you to Adullam, where David discovered the secret to true Kingdom life, purpose and eternity.
There are four parts to our time together, so well narrated in the story, found in First Samuel 22:
1 Entering into the cave: What is it that drives us there?
2 Inside the cave: What do we find once we are all alone?
3 From inside looking out: What is God planning here?
4 Leaving the cave: How does the cave affect our future walk?
Begin by reading the text. 1 Samuel 22:1-5:
So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father's household heard of it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.
And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me." Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. And the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. (NASB)
I. Entering into your Cave: A Tomb of Sorts (22:1a)
In the first scene, David enters the cave:
“So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam;”
During our trip, my guide led us to the cave on the side of a forested hill. From the crest of the hill we could see the valley of Elah, where David killed Goliath, about four miles to the west. Fixing our gaze to the north-east, we could see Bethlehem. We could even see the tops of the buildings in Jerusalem, about twelve miles distant. This was familiar territory to David. As a shepherd boy, it was here that he cared for his father's flocks, killed a lion, a bear and did some pretty ambitious exploits. On reaching the cave, we found a small opening, through which we made our way inside. As our eyes adjusted to the light, we discovered that the cave has several large chambers, separated by narrow passageways. It could indeed accommodate and conceal 400 men, as the text says.
Entering the cave, descending into the depths of the earth, we felt as though we were descending into a grave. (The place was even littered with bat droppings- gross.) Adullam was a symbol of rejection for David- a last resort of sorts. He fled there because he could find no other safe place- no other welcomed place. Saul's royal court was fraught with danger for him; he found no resting place in the walled cities of Judah; he could not get help from the foreign powers in Gath. The only safe place was a cave, and that was what he found in Adullam. It was, for all intents and purposes, a tomb. He went in expecting to sit and feel sorry for himself. He wasn’t on a church men’s retreat he was hiding, fearful, rejected, wondering where God was in all this!
David describes his loneliness in Psalm 142, which he wrote while he languished there in Adullam. Verse 4:
Look to the right and see;
For there is no one who regards me;
Escape has perished from me;
No one cares for my soul.
Jesus also was born in a cave. His kingdom likewise was a threat to the powers that be, so the only safe place for him was a cave. It is the same for all who wish to follow him. Eternal life is birthed through the gateway of rejection. Being abandoned by others is a blessing, however, if that is what it takes to drive us to God. For those in the Kingdom called to be reformers, it is the only way! Remember this little Kingdom secret- it may not make sense or mean much to you now, but it will some day… your enemies promote you, not your friends.
NEVER resist the loneliness and rejection that comes your way in this season. Your response to things determines your destiny. No matter how you feel also remember that God is not closer to you in the times you “feel” Him than he is when you don’t. His presence in our lives is promised to be consistant and never-ending. Sin, darkness, feelings, people’s words, devils, angels… NOTHING can separate you from the LOVE of God. Remember that my fellow reformer! If David can feel lonely and think God has left him alone to his enemies, we have David’s experiences written down under the inspiration of God’s direction to tell us David’s feelings, like ours, aren’t always what is really happening to us. Rise above this season and thank Him who counts you worthy to share in His suffering and agony of the soul so you can come into a greater fullness of His revelatory purpose for your life!
In the next part of our time together, David learns something that will change his life (and yours) forever.
II. Alone Inside the Cave: A Womb (Ps 142:1-5)
Inside the cave, purposely disconnected from all others, David learns to pray and to connect with God. He renders his musings into music, melodies that become worship in the hands of the shepherd-poet that we still, today, call sacred. His agony produced writings that allows us to easily relate and express the groanings of our own soul to our Father. What was birthed through David’s darkness is still feeding us today. As a Kingdom reformer, you too, will be called to pay a price so others, many others, will be blessed!
Before we set out to find Adullam, we made a visit to the House of Harrari in Jerusalem, whose craftsmen have recreated the Davidic harp. The instrument, which is made from a single piece of hollowed-out wood, makes a beautiful sound. It struck me that the soul is a lot like David's harp. It is suffering and rejection that hollows out the soul, deepening and widening the heart so that it resonates. The strings of the soul are like the poetic words in the psalms that we say, and then the wind of God's Spirit blows across the strings and our soul resonates with life as we worship and connect with God.
The other wind that blows in our life, the winds of adversity, also allows the heart strings to play melodiously if we have spent adequate time in Adullam! That is the glory of heaven that rings true as a witness, or a seal, that creates a peace (shalom) in the midst of a storm! Hallelulia!
Psalm 142 describes how David connected with the Lord in the loneliness of this cave.
(a) His Plea
With my voice I cry aloud to the LORD ;
With my voice I make supplication to the LORD;
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my trouble before Him. (1-2)
His affliction pressed so heavily on his soul that it created a great outcry in his heart before God. Holding nothing back, he poured forth everything that was troubling his spirit.
(b) His Plight
When my spirit faints within me,
But You know my way.
In the way where I walk,
They have hidden a trap for me.
Look to the right and see;
For there is no one who regards me;
Escape has perished from me;
No one cares for my soul (3-4).
The Sovereign God knew all about David's spirit fainting within him, yet he allowed these terrible things to befall him. This is what drives David to say at last, in verse 5:
(c) His Portion
I cried out to You, O LORD:
I said, 'You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.' (5)
The cave was a shelter from the world and a sanctuary with God. In that tomb David died to others; and in that womb he was tied to God alone. In Adullam he wrote the psalms, the deepest expressions of spirituality that have ever been penned and great direction and expression available for us today!
From the cave we traveled to another cave named Eremos (the Greek word for "desert"), beyond the Sea of Galilee. This is the cave where Jesus often withdrew to find safety and solitude. Yet we often protest that living in our fast-paced world we haven't much time for deep reflection, let alone poetic expression. Do you think David had time? His life was in danger, yet he would not go on until he worshipped God in song.
The cave is a shelter from the world and a sanctuary with the Lord, a safe haven where we disconnect from others in order to connect with God. There we can reflect on the eternal significance of what God is doing amidst the mundane things of life, get rest for our souls so we can clearly see what is happening and most importantly it is ONLY there we can find the rest for our soul promised us.
In the next part of our time together God surprises David with something that he was doing outside the cave. Stay tuned!
When I visited Israel several years ago it was during a time of turmoil in my personal life. A business I was involved in was failing due to the 9-11 attacks (I had never been involved in a business that was failing before), I was spiritually “dry”, friends either left me or seemed preoccupied with their own “stuff” so it was a lonely, dark “night of the soul” all around. I was going through what most people occasionally experience in their lifetime- fear, doubt, worry, significance and questioning everything and everyone in my life. I am experiencing it again now, but this time I understand the purging that HAS to take place for me to be a Child of the King worthy of the call... read on...
Some men (and women, too!), especially during this type of season, tend go out and get a cute chic on the side, buy a sports car or motorcycle, become withdrawn, take up weird hobbies and all sorts of odd behaviour to fill a void that can only be filled by a God-given “purpose". Because what G-d is doing is showing you the places that are void in your heart of HIM. Don't resist what Heaven is doing in your life, nor doubt your value or worth. That is the lie your head tells you. But just the opposite is true. G-d loves you enough to draw you away, show you your emptiness and offer to fill you with REAL purpose!
I said earlier i went on another trip to israel- well one of my goals behind “another trip” to the Holy Land was to find the cave of Adullam, the place where David wrote his first Psalms during the loneliness of his wilderness years (yes, YEARS). I wondered, as I sat there in that dark, damp place, what was the secret that David discovered in that cave. I was waiting for some "vision" or "word" from heaven, an angel or even David himself to show up! But NOTHING! I admit it was moving and certainly a priviledge, and did put "a picture" in my head as I read those Psalms David wrote, but I needed "Hollywood" moment here people!! COME ON G-D, JUST a little bolt of lightning, maybe a voice saying "This is Larry, of whom I am well pleased" for those with me to hear, or something!
Upon my return, I ran into a friend who is a practicing “orthodox” Jew. We speak a lot about the Word of God together. His insights as a Jew are amazing. He knows of my Jewish heritage and thinks I “turned my back on the faith”! We agree to disagree about issues pertaining to Jesus though. But I asked him his take on Adullam. He said to me, "You know what David found in Adullam, don't you? He found eternity" (ad olam -- eternity). WOW! That is so true! David came out from the cave with purpose, support and a new vision concerning his own life. Although hidden from the enemy, those whom God was also dealing with and planned for David to mentor found David and the group in that dark period in all their lives became a band of mighty Men of Valor! So today I'm going to take you to Adullam, where David discovered the secret to true Kingdom life, purpose and eternity.
There are four parts to our time together, so well narrated in the story, found in First Samuel 22:
1 Entering into the cave: What is it that drives us there?
2 Inside the cave: What do we find once we are all alone?
3 From inside looking out: What is God planning here?
4 Leaving the cave: How does the cave affect our future walk?
Begin by reading the text. 1 Samuel 22:1-5:
So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father's household heard of it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.
And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, "Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me." Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. And the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth. (NASB)
I. Entering into your Cave: A Tomb of Sorts (22:1a)
In the first scene, David enters the cave:
“So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam;”
During our trip, my guide led us to the cave on the side of a forested hill. From the crest of the hill we could see the valley of Elah, where David killed Goliath, about four miles to the west. Fixing our gaze to the north-east, we could see Bethlehem. We could even see the tops of the buildings in Jerusalem, about twelve miles distant. This was familiar territory to David. As a shepherd boy, it was here that he cared for his father's flocks, killed a lion, a bear and did some pretty ambitious exploits. On reaching the cave, we found a small opening, through which we made our way inside. As our eyes adjusted to the light, we discovered that the cave has several large chambers, separated by narrow passageways. It could indeed accommodate and conceal 400 men, as the text says.
Entering the cave, descending into the depths of the earth, we felt as though we were descending into a grave. (The place was even littered with bat droppings- gross.) Adullam was a symbol of rejection for David- a last resort of sorts. He fled there because he could find no other safe place- no other welcomed place. Saul's royal court was fraught with danger for him; he found no resting place in the walled cities of Judah; he could not get help from the foreign powers in Gath. The only safe place was a cave, and that was what he found in Adullam. It was, for all intents and purposes, a tomb. He went in expecting to sit and feel sorry for himself. He wasn’t on a church men’s retreat he was hiding, fearful, rejected, wondering where God was in all this!
David describes his loneliness in Psalm 142, which he wrote while he languished there in Adullam. Verse 4:
Look to the right and see;
For there is no one who regards me;
Escape has perished from me;
No one cares for my soul.
Jesus also was born in a cave. His kingdom likewise was a threat to the powers that be, so the only safe place for him was a cave. It is the same for all who wish to follow him. Eternal life is birthed through the gateway of rejection. Being abandoned by others is a blessing, however, if that is what it takes to drive us to God. For those in the Kingdom called to be reformers, it is the only way! Remember this little Kingdom secret- it may not make sense or mean much to you now, but it will some day… your enemies promote you, not your friends.
NEVER resist the loneliness and rejection that comes your way in this season. Your response to things determines your destiny. No matter how you feel also remember that God is not closer to you in the times you “feel” Him than he is when you don’t. His presence in our lives is promised to be consistant and never-ending. Sin, darkness, feelings, people’s words, devils, angels… NOTHING can separate you from the LOVE of God. Remember that my fellow reformer! If David can feel lonely and think God has left him alone to his enemies, we have David’s experiences written down under the inspiration of God’s direction to tell us David’s feelings, like ours, aren’t always what is really happening to us. Rise above this season and thank Him who counts you worthy to share in His suffering and agony of the soul so you can come into a greater fullness of His revelatory purpose for your life!
In the next part of our time together, David learns something that will change his life (and yours) forever.
II. Alone Inside the Cave: A Womb (Ps 142:1-5)
Inside the cave, purposely disconnected from all others, David learns to pray and to connect with God. He renders his musings into music, melodies that become worship in the hands of the shepherd-poet that we still, today, call sacred. His agony produced writings that allows us to easily relate and express the groanings of our own soul to our Father. What was birthed through David’s darkness is still feeding us today. As a Kingdom reformer, you too, will be called to pay a price so others, many others, will be blessed!
Before we set out to find Adullam, we made a visit to the House of Harrari in Jerusalem, whose craftsmen have recreated the Davidic harp. The instrument, which is made from a single piece of hollowed-out wood, makes a beautiful sound. It struck me that the soul is a lot like David's harp. It is suffering and rejection that hollows out the soul, deepening and widening the heart so that it resonates. The strings of the soul are like the poetic words in the psalms that we say, and then the wind of God's Spirit blows across the strings and our soul resonates with life as we worship and connect with God.
The other wind that blows in our life, the winds of adversity, also allows the heart strings to play melodiously if we have spent adequate time in Adullam! That is the glory of heaven that rings true as a witness, or a seal, that creates a peace (shalom) in the midst of a storm! Hallelulia!
Psalm 142 describes how David connected with the Lord in the loneliness of this cave.
(a) His Plea
With my voice I cry aloud to the LORD ;
With my voice I make supplication to the LORD;
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my trouble before Him. (1-2)
His affliction pressed so heavily on his soul that it created a great outcry in his heart before God. Holding nothing back, he poured forth everything that was troubling his spirit.
(b) His Plight
When my spirit faints within me,
But You know my way.
In the way where I walk,
They have hidden a trap for me.
Look to the right and see;
For there is no one who regards me;
Escape has perished from me;
No one cares for my soul (3-4).
The Sovereign God knew all about David's spirit fainting within him, yet he allowed these terrible things to befall him. This is what drives David to say at last, in verse 5:
(c) His Portion
I cried out to You, O LORD:
I said, 'You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.' (5)
The cave was a shelter from the world and a sanctuary with God. In that tomb David died to others; and in that womb he was tied to God alone. In Adullam he wrote the psalms, the deepest expressions of spirituality that have ever been penned and great direction and expression available for us today!
From the cave we traveled to another cave named Eremos (the Greek word for "desert"), beyond the Sea of Galilee. This is the cave where Jesus often withdrew to find safety and solitude. Yet we often protest that living in our fast-paced world we haven't much time for deep reflection, let alone poetic expression. Do you think David had time? His life was in danger, yet he would not go on until he worshipped God in song.
The cave is a shelter from the world and a sanctuary with the Lord, a safe haven where we disconnect from others in order to connect with God. There we can reflect on the eternal significance of what God is doing amidst the mundane things of life, get rest for our souls so we can clearly see what is happening and most importantly it is ONLY there we can find the rest for our soul promised us.
In the next part of our time together God surprises David with something that he was doing outside the cave. Stay tuned!
08 October 2007
Where Do You Live??
Silly question, isn't it? Well at first it may seem like a silly question- especially since most of us are not too keen on "drop-in" company these days!! So, why then, am I asking? I am asking because it is serious question that, depending on the answer, will let me know immediately if you are "seeking first the Kingdom of God". Do you mean where I physically live will determine whether I make wise choices or not??? Exactly- sort of!!
We need to be living in peace, joy and right-thinking in the Holy Ghost (I learned this from a wonderful and solid man of G-d in Africa, Pastor Tom Deuschle). But most of us, rather than living in the KINGDOM (which is a disposition more than it is a place) would rather live in the United States where life is relatively easy. We have what we need. We eat well (some TOO well). We are moderately safe (at least compared to war zones and familne- ravaged nations are concerned). Life is good! But we weren't called to live in the USA- we are sojorners; just passing through. We are supposed to be an "in it and not OF it" kinda people. Plan for a solid earthly future (because the Word says a GOOD man provides for His children and his children's children) but keeping in mind a heavenly-led plan. Seeking FIRST the KINGDOM gets you atarted on your way to living in the right "place". Read on...
"We are a people (those who believe in G-d Almighty) who are living a thousand miles below our priviledges" said my long-term mentor and true Apostle, Dr. Loran W. Helm. I see that. And I see now how it is possible. I didn't exactly understand when he shared that,though. Neither did the thousands he shared it with either! We CHOOSE not to live "in the Kingdom" and alternatively choose a life of ease and we "live" in our own kingdom! Pretty small place with meger provisions, I will say!!! But G-d has called us to live "in the Kingdom" which is characterized by living in "peace, joy and right-thinking". This is the simple answer why so many are depressed (as I was for many years), hopeless, greedy, worried, paranoid and self-centered!! We are called to live by a different set of life-rules. Our G-d "supplies our need according to His riches in Heaven". The religious think that means to sit back and wait for G-d to provide it!! UGH!! G-d said he has GIVEN (past tence) all we NEED to live life and G-dliness!! In other words "I HAVE DONE ALL, NOW YOU NEED TO GET WORKING!!!"
Tangible rewards, inward peace, wisdom, heaven-sent direction, blessings, joy, true KINGDOM relationships that last forever (not when people are "done" with you) are yours! These are some of the rewards of "living in His Kingdom", the Kingdom of G-d!!
Make a decision to live FULLY in the Kingdom and then all those things will be added unto you! He is the G-d of multiplication... bury yourself in the soil of the Kingdom and just watch what is really in you grow into maturity inside of you for a lost and dying world!
Your earthly rewards include PEACE, JOY and RIGHT THINKING, something His Church sure does need right now!!
We need to be living in peace, joy and right-thinking in the Holy Ghost (I learned this from a wonderful and solid man of G-d in Africa, Pastor Tom Deuschle). But most of us, rather than living in the KINGDOM (which is a disposition more than it is a place) would rather live in the United States where life is relatively easy. We have what we need. We eat well (some TOO well). We are moderately safe (at least compared to war zones and familne- ravaged nations are concerned). Life is good! But we weren't called to live in the USA- we are sojorners; just passing through. We are supposed to be an "in it and not OF it" kinda people. Plan for a solid earthly future (because the Word says a GOOD man provides for His children and his children's children) but keeping in mind a heavenly-led plan. Seeking FIRST the KINGDOM gets you atarted on your way to living in the right "place". Read on...
"We are a people (those who believe in G-d Almighty) who are living a thousand miles below our priviledges" said my long-term mentor and true Apostle, Dr. Loran W. Helm. I see that. And I see now how it is possible. I didn't exactly understand when he shared that,though. Neither did the thousands he shared it with either! We CHOOSE not to live "in the Kingdom" and alternatively choose a life of ease and we "live" in our own kingdom! Pretty small place with meger provisions, I will say!!! But G-d has called us to live "in the Kingdom" which is characterized by living in "peace, joy and right-thinking". This is the simple answer why so many are depressed (as I was for many years), hopeless, greedy, worried, paranoid and self-centered!! We are called to live by a different set of life-rules. Our G-d "supplies our need according to His riches in Heaven". The religious think that means to sit back and wait for G-d to provide it!! UGH!! G-d said he has GIVEN (past tence) all we NEED to live life and G-dliness!! In other words "I HAVE DONE ALL, NOW YOU NEED TO GET WORKING!!!"
Tangible rewards, inward peace, wisdom, heaven-sent direction, blessings, joy, true KINGDOM relationships that last forever (not when people are "done" with you) are yours! These are some of the rewards of "living in His Kingdom", the Kingdom of G-d!!
Make a decision to live FULLY in the Kingdom and then all those things will be added unto you! He is the G-d of multiplication... bury yourself in the soil of the Kingdom and just watch what is really in you grow into maturity inside of you for a lost and dying world!
Your earthly rewards include PEACE, JOY and RIGHT THINKING, something His Church sure does need right now!!
30 August 2007
Recognizing Your Passion
Passion- a pretty powerful word in its' own right. It has several meanings and uses. Some we are going to address and others we will leave for Dr. Ruth! :) The passion we are going to deal with here for a few moments is what few people really ever wind up tapping into. Most people today aren't driven by "passion". Let me explain. Most people's dreams and visions for there lives get burried and pushed aside by the cares of this life and the disheartening realities of survival. The dream seems to be "unrealistic" and farfetched.
LIE #1. Your passions are not G-d's plan. That is not true. You have been given the mind of Christ! The same Father who thought up DNA, and a worm hiding for a while and emerging a colorful and graceful butterfly, who made a baby helpless so as to connect that child in an intimate way for the rest of its' life with its' parents, also put the ability in you to see things that aren't as if they were, because they WILL! The main purpose for your brain is NOT memorization- although it is faster than any computer chip for recalling in vivid detail, but your brain's real skill that set's you apart from any creature or machine is the ability to create, to visualize, to imagine! THAT is how we were "created in His likeness". Don't fall for the lie that your deep-down pictures of your future and the drive (passion) to get you there aren't from Him! You really need to stop- assess where you are going. What choices can you make today that will get you moving in a direction you want to eventually be going? Well, change isn't going to come immediately but you have to force yourself to be disciplined enough to make choices, to make those choices starting today that will effect your future and the future of many, many others!
Let me share a few simple concepts you are familiar with to make my point. Savings- how many of you are disciplined savers?? (I hear crickets!!!) But start today saving something each time you receive income and in a few years you will see how compound interest and small consistant savings will make a difference! You wouldn't argue with that, right? EXAMPLE #2- you want a college degree- you have ALWAYS wanted to get your degree. You children are now in school and you feel like that was just a pipe dream!! That will NEVER happen for me-my time has come and gone. BULL!! TOTAL BALONEY- How do you do it then? You start with one class on line, then another and then another. START today. Don't let life, people's opinions, misconceptions, society, poor thinking habits, bad mental programing, fear and anxiety steal your passion.
Commit today to reawaken your passion to do something, be something and accomplish something. G-d is the author of grand plans, miraculous events when no other path is possible, moves obsticles, changes hearts, and is the fulfillment of all you hope for because it is in Him that we live, move and have our being. I am standing with you today and committing to seeing you reach down into your heart and re-awaken those dreams- passions- and see them through to completion. It is the first key to FINDING YOUR GROOVE!!!
LIE #1. Your passions are not G-d's plan. That is not true. You have been given the mind of Christ! The same Father who thought up DNA, and a worm hiding for a while and emerging a colorful and graceful butterfly, who made a baby helpless so as to connect that child in an intimate way for the rest of its' life with its' parents, also put the ability in you to see things that aren't as if they were, because they WILL! The main purpose for your brain is NOT memorization- although it is faster than any computer chip for recalling in vivid detail, but your brain's real skill that set's you apart from any creature or machine is the ability to create, to visualize, to imagine! THAT is how we were "created in His likeness". Don't fall for the lie that your deep-down pictures of your future and the drive (passion) to get you there aren't from Him! You really need to stop- assess where you are going. What choices can you make today that will get you moving in a direction you want to eventually be going? Well, change isn't going to come immediately but you have to force yourself to be disciplined enough to make choices, to make those choices starting today that will effect your future and the future of many, many others!
Let me share a few simple concepts you are familiar with to make my point. Savings- how many of you are disciplined savers?? (I hear crickets!!!) But start today saving something each time you receive income and in a few years you will see how compound interest and small consistant savings will make a difference! You wouldn't argue with that, right? EXAMPLE #2- you want a college degree- you have ALWAYS wanted to get your degree. You children are now in school and you feel like that was just a pipe dream!! That will NEVER happen for me-my time has come and gone. BULL!! TOTAL BALONEY- How do you do it then? You start with one class on line, then another and then another. START today. Don't let life, people's opinions, misconceptions, society, poor thinking habits, bad mental programing, fear and anxiety steal your passion.
Commit today to reawaken your passion to do something, be something and accomplish something. G-d is the author of grand plans, miraculous events when no other path is possible, moves obsticles, changes hearts, and is the fulfillment of all you hope for because it is in Him that we live, move and have our being. I am standing with you today and committing to seeing you reach down into your heart and re-awaken those dreams- passions- and see them through to completion. It is the first key to FINDING YOUR GROOVE!!!
28 August 2007
People Leave and Make Excuses When Things Don't Go As Planned
Since we are using this spot to help encourage each of you to become "profitable" in all areas of your life there are a few lessons one must learn. Here is a big one...the people flock to you when things are "good" and run for the hills and talk about you when there is nothing left to feed them. Christian people. People who claim "high integrity" and "Godly ways".
But you know what- we all act out of past hurts and we need to recognize that. Here is a rule I try to remember as I deal with people- friends- who turn when things get rough and offer no help and even do things to hurt and scar your reputation... "Never let the pleasant people of your present pay for the painful people of your past."
It isn't worth getting angry over and ruining your day over. It is sad when people come to you and are so grateful for help- ie. meeting their needs. But as soon as they are finished and got all they perceive to be able to get... poof, they are gone. What do you do?? Nothing. Just do more qualifications on the front end- keep the "inner circle" tighter- be more selective. Let people proove themselves first- there is NOTHING wrong with that. People disqualify themselves all the time. Even Jesus experienced a relationship where a close friend, when it was "profitable" for him, turned his back on the Savior and sold him off to the enemy of the day. I guess the money was drying up in Jesus' bank account- you see, Judas was the treasurer and if money was important to Judas, then Jesus knowing that, must have allowed the "donations" to slow down knowing that was the key to reveal the heart of Judas. So obviously the thirty pieces of silver must have represented more to Judas than Judas perceived was attainable by hanging out with Jesus any longer. Does anyone else see a huge revelation there!! WOW.
"People always leave you in your season of dryness." That leads us to Lesson Number Two- don't despise dryness. It is as much as a gift from heaven as the rain- more in some cases!! The Word teches us that "when you are weak, He is strong" and His power is made manifest in us- made evident- when we are at our weakest. Blessings aren't always wrapped up in pretty packages. He knows what we need and what is happening in the hearts and souls of those around us. So what happens is when you get close enough to a person to see their weaknesses our "image" of that person to be a super-human spiritual giant is shattered and you leave. NO. Remember what G-d showed you about that person in the early stages of your relationship- that is still truth, but each man has weaknesses and character flaws- YOU DON'T! You are their to cover the cracks and even help fix and repair the flaws of another, not leave.
Take Jody and Crazy Cindi Wilson, Linda and Deaven Butler, Apostle Francis and Trina Myles, Tommy Deuschle and Jim and Cindy McGough for instance. WOW. These guys have been proven. They were around me when we were crankin' and rollin' but when things slowed down, money got scarce, when I went through terrible personal issues and a deep depression and most "faithful" people left and it looked like I was going down not to rise again, they were still standing with me. I asked them, like Jesus did to the disciples when everyone else walked away at one time, "aren't you going to leave me too". They didn't. You know why? Because they saw the plan God had to accomplish in me, with us together, not the weakness of the man he had chosen to complete the plan. They are the first people who I have known who have been that way with me. Their positioning themselves like they have made all the difference in the success of our ventures- and me still having half my witts about me today!
Dryness is a wonderful process of revealing the chaff. It clears out the "house" and makes room for those who have ears to hear. Joseph went through a terrible season in his life. Were the plans and the dreams wrong? Inacurate? An ego trip? No. The timing wasn't what Joseph thought- people in his life had to be revealed for what they were. No other way could this have been accomplished but through dryness and a "dark night of the soul". The outcome was the fulfillment of a personal vision he had for himself fulfilled in a way even HE never thought would be so glorious, and the slavation of millions of his people and the EVIL Egyptians as well. His brothers... well, there was forgiveness, but they never got to live in the palace! Reconsiliation did occured, but never full restoration!
If you have left someone, hurt them with words, misunderstood their motives, walked away from someone who can and did love you and spoke into your life, go to them. Ask them to forgive you! If that person is really a man or women of God then you will be well received. If you aren't well received then don't be bitter, you did your part. God will work on them. Leave them in peace and as non-confrontational as possible. People are funny. Do what you can to live in peace with all men, the Word says, especially with those in the household of faith. That's a good word to live by. Now eat some crow and go ask forgiveness. By the way, ketchup is real good on crow- I KNOW BECAUSE I HAVE HAD TO EAT A BUNCH OF IT MYSELF. Love you all.
But you know what- we all act out of past hurts and we need to recognize that. Here is a rule I try to remember as I deal with people- friends- who turn when things get rough and offer no help and even do things to hurt and scar your reputation... "Never let the pleasant people of your present pay for the painful people of your past."
It isn't worth getting angry over and ruining your day over. It is sad when people come to you and are so grateful for help- ie. meeting their needs. But as soon as they are finished and got all they perceive to be able to get... poof, they are gone. What do you do?? Nothing. Just do more qualifications on the front end- keep the "inner circle" tighter- be more selective. Let people proove themselves first- there is NOTHING wrong with that. People disqualify themselves all the time. Even Jesus experienced a relationship where a close friend, when it was "profitable" for him, turned his back on the Savior and sold him off to the enemy of the day. I guess the money was drying up in Jesus' bank account- you see, Judas was the treasurer and if money was important to Judas, then Jesus knowing that, must have allowed the "donations" to slow down knowing that was the key to reveal the heart of Judas. So obviously the thirty pieces of silver must have represented more to Judas than Judas perceived was attainable by hanging out with Jesus any longer. Does anyone else see a huge revelation there!! WOW.
"People always leave you in your season of dryness." That leads us to Lesson Number Two- don't despise dryness. It is as much as a gift from heaven as the rain- more in some cases!! The Word teches us that "when you are weak, He is strong" and His power is made manifest in us- made evident- when we are at our weakest. Blessings aren't always wrapped up in pretty packages. He knows what we need and what is happening in the hearts and souls of those around us. So what happens is when you get close enough to a person to see their weaknesses our "image" of that person to be a super-human spiritual giant is shattered and you leave. NO. Remember what G-d showed you about that person in the early stages of your relationship- that is still truth, but each man has weaknesses and character flaws- YOU DON'T! You are their to cover the cracks and even help fix and repair the flaws of another, not leave.
Take Jody and Crazy Cindi Wilson, Linda and Deaven Butler, Apostle Francis and Trina Myles, Tommy Deuschle and Jim and Cindy McGough for instance. WOW. These guys have been proven. They were around me when we were crankin' and rollin' but when things slowed down, money got scarce, when I went through terrible personal issues and a deep depression and most "faithful" people left and it looked like I was going down not to rise again, they were still standing with me. I asked them, like Jesus did to the disciples when everyone else walked away at one time, "aren't you going to leave me too". They didn't. You know why? Because they saw the plan God had to accomplish in me, with us together, not the weakness of the man he had chosen to complete the plan. They are the first people who I have known who have been that way with me. Their positioning themselves like they have made all the difference in the success of our ventures- and me still having half my witts about me today!
Dryness is a wonderful process of revealing the chaff. It clears out the "house" and makes room for those who have ears to hear. Joseph went through a terrible season in his life. Were the plans and the dreams wrong? Inacurate? An ego trip? No. The timing wasn't what Joseph thought- people in his life had to be revealed for what they were. No other way could this have been accomplished but through dryness and a "dark night of the soul". The outcome was the fulfillment of a personal vision he had for himself fulfilled in a way even HE never thought would be so glorious, and the slavation of millions of his people and the EVIL Egyptians as well. His brothers... well, there was forgiveness, but they never got to live in the palace! Reconsiliation did occured, but never full restoration!
If you have left someone, hurt them with words, misunderstood their motives, walked away from someone who can and did love you and spoke into your life, go to them. Ask them to forgive you! If that person is really a man or women of God then you will be well received. If you aren't well received then don't be bitter, you did your part. God will work on them. Leave them in peace and as non-confrontational as possible. People are funny. Do what you can to live in peace with all men, the Word says, especially with those in the household of faith. That's a good word to live by. Now eat some crow and go ask forgiveness. By the way, ketchup is real good on crow- I KNOW BECAUSE I HAVE HAD TO EAT A BUNCH OF IT MYSELF. Love you all.
21 July 2007
There is Nothing Like a Powerful Visual
Wow. This is compeling and moving. If you know of a teen who is struggling with the pull of the temptation send this clip to them. If you know an old person who is struggling with the pull of temptation, send this to them as well, just make sure they turn the speakers up a bit louder!! :) I will resume the message of Finding Your Groove Monday. Watch this clip then pass it on! http://www.ksbj.org/eblogs/afternoonShow/?p=86
15 July 2007
First Things First- getting started on the road to a better life...
Well, in my opinion at least...there are a lot of directions to go here. I am not even sure, as I write this, that most will agree with me here, but...Since there are many differing opinions, let's just think this through... What do we need to have most of all to get started on this road to "total-life profitablilty". Now let me clear up that I am not speaking on wealth or cash necessarily, although our time and creativity has a serious value to it- It is what we do that creates assumed value in society (and in the wallet). But let's move ahead. You need to do work through the quest and soul-searching I am calling in my new book "Finding Your Groove". You need to find your groove- who am I, what am I supposed to do? Basic questions, right? But because of our busy lives most will die never finding their groove. Most of us are overwhelmed with life and "making a living". We are too busy to stop and think.. but that is WRONG. Most kids want to run past there youth where foundational ideas like "purpose", "responsibility", and a Biblical world view used to be stressed and head right into 'adulthood". If you want to have kids right away (or at least want to have sex which, duh, can and usually does lead to having kids) then you never find your groove because now you have to just "feed the family" and you miss the foundational building process. "Traditional" home-life is rare- and if you are a parent today, that is your greatest battle, but KEEP IT UP, and if your home is a mess, then stop and get things straightened out. Because if you don't put the brakes on your life and your family it now has to be built with additional stresses and pressures. Some of you adults reading this were just never exposed to the process of discovering who you were created to be- that's OK too. We will cover it all. Just chill out! (and my kids think sometimes I am not cool... whatever! LOL)
Some of you are where I just described. That's OK. It will be tougher, more challenging and will take a bit longer, but we, together, will get there. I have attached a diagram we created and trademarked for my new book, but it shows what we will be discussing over the next few weeks together... Your "groove" is another way of saying your purpose, passion or, as some call it, "your calling". I typically shy away from religious terms because most people have funky ideas such as callings are only for Pastors and Priest. How rediculous. I have faught YEARS of that mindset from religious people and even some in my own family. No doubt I, like many of you, am a called Man (or woman) of God as a businessperson! My "domain" is in the marketplace. Through my seminars and speaking engagements, I reach and speak to more people each year about the Kingdom of God (not "churchy" or stale religious stuff) than most " pastors or priests" do in an entire lifetime. I am talking about teaching people how to create a life that has REAL purpose, joy and fulfillment. Plus, a life God can bless and refers to in His Word as "profitable" Are you excited yet? You should be- because if you desire to be "profitable" I dare to say you are already!
Next week we will talk about the first of four areas that make up your "groove" based on my chart. That is YOUR PASSION- so get ready!!! Be meditiating on YOUR PASSION in your quiet time and we'll have a great time getting to the place where you know why you're here. Choices then come much easier and life becomes a bit more clear. It is JUST WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR. I promise. You are all loved and celebrated- Freedom is within reach!! Please comment and add feedback. it helps for others to see your questions, opinions and personal experiences containing both your personal challenges and success. Thanks. The "Profit".
14 July 2007
Hey, I have had a blog for like two hours and no one has commented...
That is some people's mentality when dealing with business, money, investments and just life in general in the United States!! Wouldn't that be foolish if that were my real feelings about this blog? Come on people, "mature" your views and ideas. NOTHING that comes easy is worth having. You don't respect it or appreciate it... so come on, let's be real and focus on creating the value in others instead of expecting it! Life is better and less stressful that way.
13 July 2007
WOW, I have a "BLOG", but will anyone care?!
Hi family and friends. I thought to myself why fight it any longer. "Get a blog going" some have said to me over and over again! Then I saw Dr. John Stanko's (I think that is how you spell it, but who cares LOL) and I really liked it and found it very interesting- to be able to travel with him and such. THEN believe it or not even PASTOR CINDI LOMBARDO has a Blog... that did it for me. My time has come, my season has dawned, the world wide web is now never to be the same again... "PROFIT" Larry is now in the blogging business.
The name, "Profit" Larry.... let me explain before all you religious fanatics think I am being sarcastic or disrespectful. You see, I am a businessman. i speak frequently in churches and at religious businessmen's meetings all over the world. EVERYWHERE I go it seems like people always have a title (especially the African-American congregations... Prophet-this, Apostle-that. Minister so-and-so, Elder-this one. HMM. Then they introduce me..."JUST" LARRY. Like is was sort of anti-climactic or something! Okay, I may only stand a strapping five foot- three, but heck, give me a freekin' title why dontcha! So in one meeting in Connecticut I decided I was going to announce that "the lord" (notice the little"L") "told me" that i was a prophet- then I said not a P-R-O-P-H-E-T but a P-R-O-F-I-T!! Darn right brothers and sisters... this white man is a "For-Profit" Prophet. My goal and calling is to empower people, get their awareness up that there is MORE in store for them and to call them to be a "PROFITABLE" servant of the Most High G-d!!
That is why my blog site has a black background! No man called by G-d should be in the RED! You should be living in the BLACK! Come back frequently- we are going to learn how to move from"where you are" to "where you're called to be"! believe it or not, it is only right over there!! Oh, can't see "over there"? Well you're not supposed to right now... too many chaff plants all around you right now! But don't worry, a time is coming soon where all the chaff will be pulled up, bundled and burned at your feet and all you'll see is harvest!! "Well, Profit Larry, that is not for me, I am finished, there is nothing for me to do, I blew it!" LIE LIE LIE!! If you had no more to do, no new assignments, no plan or purpose you would be called home to Heaven- but since you're still here I will believe you have a few more things to do!! Let's walk this life out and find out what they are together, ok?! Let's go!!
The name, "Profit" Larry.... let me explain before all you religious fanatics think I am being sarcastic or disrespectful. You see, I am a businessman. i speak frequently in churches and at religious businessmen's meetings all over the world. EVERYWHERE I go it seems like people always have a title (especially the African-American congregations... Prophet-this, Apostle-that. Minister so-and-so, Elder-this one. HMM. Then they introduce me..."JUST" LARRY. Like is was sort of anti-climactic or something! Okay, I may only stand a strapping five foot- three, but heck, give me a freekin' title why dontcha! So in one meeting in Connecticut I decided I was going to announce that "the lord" (notice the little"L") "told me" that i was a prophet- then I said not a P-R-O-P-H-E-T but a P-R-O-F-I-T!! Darn right brothers and sisters... this white man is a "For-Profit" Prophet. My goal and calling is to empower people, get their awareness up that there is MORE in store for them and to call them to be a "PROFITABLE" servant of the Most High G-d!!
That is why my blog site has a black background! No man called by G-d should be in the RED! You should be living in the BLACK! Come back frequently- we are going to learn how to move from"where you are" to "where you're called to be"! believe it or not, it is only right over there!! Oh, can't see "over there"? Well you're not supposed to right now... too many chaff plants all around you right now! But don't worry, a time is coming soon where all the chaff will be pulled up, bundled and burned at your feet and all you'll see is harvest!! "Well, Profit Larry, that is not for me, I am finished, there is nothing for me to do, I blew it!" LIE LIE LIE!! If you had no more to do, no new assignments, no plan or purpose you would be called home to Heaven- but since you're still here I will believe you have a few more things to do!! Let's walk this life out and find out what they are together, ok?! Let's go!!
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