Words

Bishop Joseph Garlington recently reminded me, "Words create worlds!"
He is right! In fact, the natural world in which we all live is the visible manifestation of words spoken by Jesus. He spoke where there was nothing and things appeared. "By His words", the Bible says, "the worlds were made" (Psa 33:6). The heavens and the earth then began immediately to use their own vocabulary to declare the greatness and the glory of the One whose words created them (Psa 19:1).
Our words can also create worlds that are the immediate atmosphere in which we live. What people sense when they are around us is the world that our words create. This atmosphere inevitably manifests our character, desires, attitudes, priorities, and values. A negative world is the creation of negative words from a negative source. And so it is with other atmospheres characterized by joy, hope, sadness, doubt, or faith.
What is your world like? What does it say about you? You created it. You can change it. Remember that words create worlds.

A Fresh Paraphrase

Proverbs 29:25 - "Being afraid of the response of man will strangle your thoughts, dreams, and aspirations.  But finding a covering in the Lord will raise you to a place of elevated security.  And your thoughts, dreams, and aspirations will rise with you!" - GHB

The Path of Life

“Show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

Life offers a multitude of directions and opportunities for each of us to pursue. Each of those paths will provide a measure of personal fulfilment and joy. However, there is no guarantee of “fullness of joy” unless the path one takes leads into the presence of the Lord. The prayer, quoted above, is a request for Divine direction.
The “path of life” is the individual path that completes God’s plan and destiny for every person.
“Fullness of joy” is the place where my awareness of the grace and glory of God is so overwhelming that nothing can distract my attention or discourage my spirit.
The Lord’s “right hand” is His hand of power and intervention. In His presence I can observe the Lord acting on my behalf to defeat my foes and my fears.
When I stray from that path and follow any other, I cannot find the presence of the Lord. On any other path I cannot find fullness of joy or the full manifestation of the Lord’s right hand. Knowing this, my daily prayer is for an unveiling of the “path of life” that God has for me.

Ottawa

It was my joy to attend the National Prayer Breakfast and National Leadership Dinner in Ottawa this past week. It was encouraging to meet and hear from some of the many truly Christian parliamentarians. These are fine men and women who are deeply committed to the Lord Jesus and to our nation. They deserve our faithful prayer support.

What Time Is It?

In the 17^th chapter of John we are able to read the words of a prayer spoken by Jesus, Himself. Jesus begins His prayer with these words, “Father, the hour has come”.

Jesus prays with a clear awareness of the time. Rather than a specific “segment” of time, the word “hour” here refers to a “season” of time.

If we are to pray effectively we must recognize the season in which we are praying. What season are you in? A time of sowing or reaping, pain or gain, work or rest, releasing or regaining, training or testing, evaluating or implementing, walking or running, waiting or transition?

Recognize and embrace the unfolding purposes and plans of God in your life and pray accordingly!

A New Year

It’s 2011!

Is there any real significance in such statements? Aren’t all days basically the same regardless of what date is attached to them?

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about these types of questions. And I have heard the voice of the Holy Spirit whisper truth into my spirit.

I have been reminded that God Himself separated time into identifiable segments. This demarcation was one of the first recorded creative acts of God. The Genesis account tells us that, with the creation of light and darkness, God divided time into days. The synchronized movement of the heavens (that He also created) divides time into clusters of days that are identifiable and distinctive segments of time that we call years. So, the passing of an old and arriving of a new year is God’s idea and plan.

God gives great significance to the identification and passage of years. The uniqueness of each year is forever maintained by the specific events that occurred within its boundaries.

Every morning we step into a new day, but only once in 365 days do we step into a new year. God has already walked through the days of 2011. And He now welcomes us to walk through each day with Him.

This year will be like no other. I am personally determined that 2011 will be distinct because of the magnitude of victories I will win and blessings I will welcome, and the multitude of lives I will impact and life I will impart. But most of all, I am determined that this year will be distinct because of the increasing measure of the mastery of the Spirit of Christ in my life.

It’s going to be a great year … for me, and for YOU!