Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cool and sunny on this new day of a new week, and it’s guaranteed to be a hot one. If I’m still here, then I have Purpose, and I want to be sure I’m found pleasing to my God. The first order of Business for me on any new day is to give the Author and Perfecter of my Faith the Praise and Thanks He deserves. The next thing on the Agenda is to share what’s on my Heart. I make my Requests…I Confess my wrongs…and I ask for answers to things I sometimes can’t understand and can’t seem to find in His written Word. And then…I repeat the process all over again as if by repeating my Search for answers I will somehow be able to understand the mind of God. I’ll bet the Living God smiles sometimes when we determine to make sense of Life from our viewpoint and not His own. I didn’t find the answers I was looking for this morning, but I found my Peace instead – and it’s that Peace that sees me through even when I don’t have the Answers. Passing through this Life with head knowledge doesn’t get us very far at all – it’s the passing through this Life with Heart knowledge that matters the most. Isn’t that the way it is for you too?

If there is one thing I’ve learned in this Journey called Life, it’s that when the Heart is where it’s supposed to be, the rest of me will follow. If my Heart is Kind and Compassionate, you won’t have to utter a word, and I’ll be able to feel your pain. If my heart is Calm and Ready, you won’t have to say a thing, and I will be able to sense your fear. If my heart is Humble and Selfless, you won’t have to tell me about your needs – I’ll be busy filling them before you can. If my Heart is filled with Gratitude, you won’t have to worry about me passing judgment on you no matter what’s going on in your life. If my Heart is Patient, you can count on me to be there to help you work your way through….over and over again. If my Heart is Readied with Wisdom, you won’t have to ask twice, and I’ll have the Words you need to help you find your way. If my Heart is filled with Joy, you won’t stand a chance of holding onto bitterness or a bad mood in my presence. When my Heart is Readied by the King of all kings, I’m equipped to Serve anybody, anytime, and anywhere. I don’t need to have the answers, and I don’t need to be better at anything before I go to Work to serve Him. My Heart is the only part of me that He can use….so the condition of my Heart gets the most time and attention from me.

It’s easy to spot Christians more focused on their head Knowledge than they are on the Heart. They can put the best of us to shame as they quote Scripture on demand in any circumstance, and they’re always ready to remind the world that those Words are what we need. But if they rely on head knowledge of the Word and they don’t have a Heart like Christ, they can’t be used by the King at all. God doesn’t need us to (just) recite His Word…He needs us to LIVE it. It’s easy to spot Christians more focused on their “reservation” for Heaven than they are on the lost people around them. They live as if they believe they were smart enough to “get it” and it’s not their problem if others don’t get it too. But if they rest on the Promises of Heaven and don’t do their part to get as many “travel partners” as they can, they can’t be used by the King either, and there’s a good chance they might hear “I never knew you” on the Big Day.

It’s easy to spot Christians who are filled with arrogance and judgment as if they’ve been assigned the Judgment Seat right here on earth. Somehow they’ve forgotten that Christ died for them too and that without Him they’d be a pitiful (and eternal) mess, and yet they lack Compassion and they never seem to grow tired of judging others. All of these outward signs are a SURE sign that the Heart is not in the Condition it’s supposed to be in.. that is, IF being a Light in this dark world and a Vessel worthy to be used by the King matters to them at all. The Heart is the only part of us that He can use.

I began this new day determined to find some answers, but I was put in my Place by the One who matters the most, and NOW my Heart is ready for Service. Instead of looking for answers to things I’ll probably never understand, I’ve set aside my need for head knowledge, and I’m focusing on my Heart instead. My Heart is the only part of me that matters to Him.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s impossible for me NOT to smile when I watch the Master wake up the world day after day and year after year. No matter the Condition of my Heart when I first wake up, it doesn’t take long before I’m filled with an Attitude of Gratitude and overwhelmed with Joy from the front porch of this old farm. Sometimes I wonder what the world would look like if everybody sought His face first thing in the morning, and if every one of His Children understood the importance of sacrificing just for the Privilege of sitting in the Presence of the Most High God. As for me, I can almost hear the voice of my God saying, “Rise and shine, child!” and the thought of the Master wanting to meet with me makes getting up earlier than my body wants to a piece of cake. From where I sit, losing a little sleep is just a minor sacrifice for the honor to be in His Presence…a sacrifice I’m willing to make for the One who died for me. If the Author and Perfector of my Faith expects me to “rise and shine” all day long in the Name of Jesus Christ, then I need to be sure that I’m Ready! I am an Ambassador for the King of all kings, and every “sacrifice” I make in His Name is small in comparison to the Price He paid for me. Isn’t that the way you see the Journey of Faith, too?

To Rise and Shine in the wee hours of a new day is a choice that involves a minor schedule adjustment for most people. For me, it’s not always easy to get my body to cooperate with my Heart, but I know that if I need to “Rise and Shine” in the Mighty Name of Jesus all day long to fulfill my Purpose, then being Equipped is non-negotiable. So…I make the effort, and I allow Him to fill my Heart and Soul every morning, and I am confident that I will RISE AND SHINE all day long because I’ve been made Ready with the touch of the Master’s Hand. My Faith isn’t something that makes me feel good about my life; my Life has a Purpose, and that Purpose has nothing to do with me at all. My Faith isn’t what I do or say, my Faith is WHO I AM. Because I Believe in every word of His Word, I already know that I was Chosen before the foundations of the earth to fulfill a specific Purpose He Created ME to fulfill. I understand that my Faith isn’t about me feeling warm and fuzzy or getting “enough sleep”- it’s all about Him and His Call on my Life to “Rise and Shine” every day so that others will see Him in me by the way I Live, Love, and Speak. Pleasing Him is my first priority, and He’s much more important to me than “sleeping in”.

If I Rise up and Speak up about the Love, the Hope, and the Power of my God despite opposition and persecution, then my Faith will take on a Life of its own, and my Faith will be unshakeable for all the world to see. If I Shine with Joy, Peace, Love, and Compassion as I go throughout my day, despite how I might be treated in return, then my Faith won’t be easily overlooked by anybody, and my Light has the potential to inspire others to want to know more about the God who makes me “different.” Unless I’m willing to Rise and Shine, then the Fruit of my Faith will be limited to how I feel on the inside and “what’s in it for me”…but it’s not about me. I don’t want to be like a selfish child not willing to share; instead, I want to Share everything about my God…every Miraculous Detail surrounding who I once was and how He’s Transformed me. My “business” IS their business when it comes to Sharing my Faith – so, I RISE and SHINE every day, and that’s just the way it will be until He calls me Home.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Alpha and Omega – the Beginning and the End- on this new day of this new month, and I’ll be walking with Him until the end of me. At first, I felt very small as I sat there in the Presence of the Beginning and the End, but there’s nothing “small” about me or my Life. At first, I felt doubt about my ability to make even the smallest Difference in the Kingdom through my Efforts today…but there’s no place for doubt in the Heart and mind of a Child of the Living God. From the outside, I might appear to be a speck of dust in the bigger picture of Life, but the Beginning and the End Designed me for a Purpose much bigger than anything I could imagine on my own, and my Significance is known in the Kingdom. As long as I allow the Beginning and the End to Shape me, Teach me, Strengthen me, and Encourage me for His Work day after day, then I AM a Significant and a Mighty force for Him. Isn’t that the way you look at your Journey of Faith too?

It can be so easy to allow ourselves to believe that we don’t matter much in the Big Scheme of things, or that we can’t make a significant Difference in the world on our own, but those thoughts are a sure indication that we’re listening more to the liar from Hell than we are to the King. We often hear people say “I don’t want to get involved” or “What difference could I make?” but those are just excuses stemming from the lies from the one set out to keep us from doing what we were Born to do. We weren’t all Born to preach from a pulpit or to be missionaries in a remote part of the world, but we WERE all Born to Fulfill a Specific Purpose that will never be found unless we’re willing to Believe that we ARE Significant to the Alpha and Omega…the Beginning and the End. It’s when we Understand our Significance that we begin to roll up our sleeves and we get to Work to Fulfill what He has for us. It only takes one spark to get a fire going, and it only takes One willing vessel to change the world when the Alpha and Omega is behind the Plan.

It only takes one smile, or one act of kindness, to set things in Motion sometimes, and just these alone can be the beginning of a Transformation in the Life of another…when the Beginning and the End are at Work through us. It only takes a tiny bit of Compassion extended to someone who doesn’t believe they deserve it, to open the door to introduce them to the Definer of Compassion. It only takes a small monetary contribution to someone who doesn’t believe they’ve earned it, to open the door to the Provider of it all. It only takes a little Love and Acceptance of one who doesn’t believe they’re worthy to lead the way to the One who died for them because they ARE. The Bible is filled with accounts of ordinary people doing Extraordinary things because they were Born for that very Purpose…and because they were found Willing to Serve the Beginning and the End. NOTHING stands in the way of each one of us doing Extraordinary things in His Name…UNLESS we actually believe the lies told to us by the one who sets out to rob, kill, and destroy. None of the excuses we use for NOT getting to Work to Fulfill His Plans for us are EVER good enough for the Alpha and Omega…the Beginning and the End…and when/if we don’t bother to fulfill our Purpose…we’ll answer for it One Day.

Each tiny little piece of each Life on any given day has Significance WHEN we accept that we were BORN for His Purpose. We continue to draw breath ONLY because the Beginning and the End hasn’t called us Home yet, and I am confident that He isn’t happy to see so many “Servants” not serving at all as we pass the time away. I don’t imagine He’s pleased with us when we grab onto the Salvation Message…our Hope and our Redemption…AND YET we refuse to Pay it Forward by Sharing our Gift to a lost world so they can have what we have too!

I was feeling small and insignificant at the beginning of this new day, but He set me Straight about my Worth, and NOW this child of the King is walking taller. The Alpha and Omega knew ME before He ever formed the earth, and that fact ALONE brings clarity to my Worth and my Mission…and it kicks me into Motion to Fulfill what He has for me. He’s my God…my Savior…my Redeemer…the Alpha and Omega…the Beginning and the End, and I CHOOSE to Serve Him until the end of me.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia this morning. It’s a new day set aside for me to glorify my God, and I kicked it off at sunrise on the front porch just like I usually do. It’s sad to think that most people overlook the fact that the very reason for our existence is to serve the King of Glory. We’ve had record-breaking high temperatures this summer, but things have cooled down for a bit. Today we’re going to (hopefully) get some rain. We’re still in a drought with no real end in sight. I don’t know the Purpose behind God bringing scorching heat and allowing the land to remain parched, BUT I DO Know His Purpose for bringing scorching heat to our lives. Not only does He “discipline” those He loves, but He also turns up the Heat in our lives to Purify us through fire just the same as a goldsmith does when he raises the temperature to 2,000 degrees to refine gold. The goldsmith increases the value of the gold by separating the “good” from the “bad” through the refining process, and God does pretty much the same thing to us. It’s how we “handle” the heat (or not) that determines our Value to the Kingdom. I’ve been Refined through fire for His Purpose, and I’m confident that without the Refiner doing His Work in me, I wouldn’t be doing my “work” for Him. Isn’t that the way you see the Journey of Faith, too?

“No pain, no gain” was a popular phrase used by athletes to describe the necessity of enduring pain to achieve physical goals, and I think that’s true for every area of life. It takes hard work, determination, sacrifice, and a whole lot of aches and pains to force the body to be shaped and strengthened; that’s for sure. The only thing that separates the “buffed” from the “unbuffed” is the commitment to endure whatever it takes to achieve the goal. Some do, but most don’t. Thousands of gym memberships sell to well-intended people every single day, and yet the average member will only make use of the gym for 45 days of their membership. After that, they quit because the gain isn’t worth the pain it takes to get there. They refuse to put in the hard work, no matter what price has been paid for their journey. They refuse to sacrifice time and energy, and they refuse to deny themselves all those things it takes to “get in shape.” The Journey of Faith isn’t much different when you think about it. For some, it’s worth being Refined into Shape by the Master because they want to be all that they can be in His Name…for others, the Journey it takes to Get in Kingdom Shape simply isn’t worth it, and just like your average gym membership, they’ll “drop out” of the Spiritual Journey too.

When I look upon my past and all the valleys I endured, ALL I can see is the Hand of God. He Refined me through fire, and He molded me into a usable Vessel for His Glory. Why would I look upon the past like a victim? I don’t wallow in it, and I certainly don’t let it define me! My pain and then my gain is the idea opportunity to be a Witness to the power of my God…not a professional whiner looking for pity. Paul said that he was “forgetting what is behind” so that he could press on in his Faith, and I can’t think of better advice for so many “professed” Christians who refuse to see the Pain of their past (or what they’re enduring now) as Gain in the Kingdom. When the fire shows up, and we can’t see a way “out,” ALL WE EVER need to do is turn our eyes upon Jesus, seek His face, Surrender to His Will, and Trust that our Pain has a Purpose. He IS the Way Maker.

I’ve been Refined by the Master Goldsmith! I’ve been Purified in His Name! I am Victorious! I’m a Walking Witness of the Power of my God! What appeared to be turmoil turned out to be Treasure, and I wouldn’t change a thing about my “past” even if I could! It was, and will always be, the necessary road to draw me closer to Him and the Best Opportunity to bring Glory to my God.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Author and Perfecter of my Faith when it was cool, but it didn’t take long for the sun to warm things up. This time of the year, we often have amazing cool mornings, but humidity and heat mostly win the battle in the summer in Virginia. Sometimes the humidity is so high, the air so “thick”, that it feels like you could cut it with a knife. As I sat there in silence taking it all in, I thought about how the world is very much like the summer air in Virginia. Evil is raging, and the Spiritual warfare is so “thick” that it feels like you could cut it with a knife too. The Bible warns us that as the end draws near, there will be “perilous times,” so it comes as no surprise to see and feel our adversary raging in his race to destroy as many as he can while he still has time. I can’t do anything about a hot and humid Virginia day except to withdraw into cooler places, BUT there’s a whole lot I can do about that Spiritual war, and withdrawing is not an option for a Child of the Living God. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

It’s amazing to experience pushback from people professing to share my Faith when I speak up for Righteousness, and I preach the Truth…even when it hurts. I’ve always been a stickler for manners, and I preached “polite” to my children until I turned blue. No doubt these are important characteristics for Christian people, and I drove home the message well…NOT so they would please me (although they did) BUT so that they would learn what it looks like to be a Good Witness of a Loving and Compassionate God…even when it hurts. Withholding life-altering Truth isn’t love; it’s cowardice. It’s impossible to be a Good Witness for a loving God if we withdraw to our own opinions of what the Character of Christ looks like or retreat to our own comfort zone. Impolite, rude people carrying a Christian Membership card do much more harm than Good because they’re a poor representation of the Nature of Christ, and the ones opting for the comfort zone over what we’re Instructed to do…well, let’s just say they’ll be in for a BIG surprise One Day.

Countless Good Characteristics come into play for a Child of the Living God, but withdrawing from Truth because we’re too cowardly to Speak it isn’t one of them. It takes Courage to stand boldly for Truth these days, but it also takes a whole lot of Unconditional Love to have the Heart to “save some” from the fire of Judgment that will come to ALL who withdraw from the Truth. So, I push back against the pushback, and I pray for the ones professing to share my Faith as they do their part to Discourage me from what the Lord has for me because I know that when they do, they’re being used as “messengers of Satan”…ouch. Sad but true. No matter how many times they’re used by the adversary in an attempt to shut me down, I remain strong because I know that he doesn’t win the Battle I’m Fighting and the only thing that will succeed in stopping me from doing what the Lord of Hosts has called me to do here on earth is death but since I’ve been born again, I will experience death once and my soul will live forever.

Yes, the air is thick with the raging spiritual war, BUT I am confident that none of the “weapons formed against me will prosper.” Yes, the air is thick with warfare BUT I am confident that “greater is He who is within me than he who is in the world.” His Word says: “Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets before you. You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.” How could anybody professing to share my Faith pushback as I push Forward to finish the race I’m called to run? How could anybody professing to have a Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ withdraw like wussies and refuse to speak the Truth to a lost world? The answer to these questions might scare you…but they don’t scare me. I’m bold. I’m courageous. I have nothing to fear. But more than anything else, I have a Heart so in Love with Jesus that I want to be Pleasing in His eyes and Obedient to His Call… even when it hurts. I’ll do my part to assure that I remain “salty”. I’ll stand up and speak up with LOVE because I want to be the light of the world. My Life…my Faith…is like a city on a hill and it cannot be hidden. The air is thick with evil but evil doesn’t win. I’ll always be victorious because of Him!

Will you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. We had a storm pass through last night, and there’s no doubt the deer took refuge in the brush across from the front porch just like they always do. People have suggested over the years that I should clear out that area that goes untouched because all they see is an eyesore, but that’s never going to happen because all I see is beauty. All it takes is one glance at the deer taking refuge, or seeing one fawn taking its first wobbly steps from there, and it’s all over for me…and the brush remains untouched. What I see with my eyes often LOOKS like a mess, but nothing is what it appears to be on the surface. There is ALWAYS beauty to be found behind the mess if we look at Life through God’s eyes. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

Changing my way of looking at the mess that provides shelter for the deer is one thing; changing the way I look at other things in life that aren’t so pleasing to the eye is an entirely different story. It can be so easy to look at someone with tattered, dirty clothes and turn away in disgust. It can be so easy to have thoughts about how they should get up, get a job, and clean themselves up without ever considering their true circumstances or the damage they’ve incurred through the storm. But I serve a God who ALWAYS looks beyond the mess, and HE sees the beauty in everyone! Without a refuge from the storm, survival isn’t easy for the tattered and torn, the broken and the lost. Some need practical help, but they ALL need Jesus Christ…and that’s where I come in! It’s only when I (choose to) look at others with the Heart instead of just seeing them with my eyes that I can embrace the Truth…the Living God loves the tattered and torn just as much as He loves me, and He wants good things for them too. Changing my way of looking at them puts a whole new Perspective on life. Instead of thoughts of wanting to clean up the brush, I focus on the Shelter from the Storm instead. This is the key to Compassion.

We’re surrounded by the tattered and torn…suffering souls physically, financially, mentally, and spiritually, and there’s never been a better time to extend Compassion or to share the Truth. It isn’t nearly enough to say “I feel sorry for them” or “I’ll pray for them,” and it isn’t acceptable to the Living God that we leave their troubles for someone else to take care of…or not. The account of the Good Samaritan is a perfect example of that. It’s likely that a few of the people who passed by the beaten man “felt sorry” for him, and yet they did nothing. Do you really believe it’s okay with the Living God if we feel sorry for the suffering without lifting a finger to help?

Back in the “old days”, the Church took care of many of the needs, and the Church was the first to extend Compassion. Today the Church relies on the government to do its part, and they miss the opportunity to reflect the Compassion of Christ while they’re at it. It all comes down to looking at the tattered and torn with a Heart like Christ and not just with human eyes. It’s when we look at others with the Heart that we’re compelled to move from sympathetic words into ACTION. Jesus said, “whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for me,” so walking away from the poor, the dirty, the broken, the lost, or even the “crazy” isn’t an option if we determine to Serve the Lord with Honor. Who did He ever pass by? Who did He refuse to feed? Whatever we do for them, we do FOR HIM. How sad…the same church today that is praying for revival and miracles is passing the buck to the government to tend to the needs of the needy. I’m not sure that’s going to work out so well in the End.

This new day looks a little muted…and it might just look like that all day long, but there’s NOTHING muted about my Heart or the way I’ll be looking at the world. I’m looking at this new day with my Heart and not just my eyes, and instead of running from the tattered and torn, the broken and the lost, I’ll be looking for opportunities to Serve them by doing whatever I can do in His Name. I’ll refrain from judgment because that’s not mine, and I’ll do whatever I can to bring comfort…but more than that, I’ll look at each encounter as an Ordained Moment, so I’ll be sure to Introduce them to my God…the ONLY Hope any of us really have. Every opportunity I have to Serve is a chance to Share the Truth! Whatever I do FOR them, I’m doing FOR HIM!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day in this Journey of Faith, and I can’t think of a more important way to spend my Time than in the Presence of the One who died for me…the One who gives me Life! It’s in His Presence that I find my Peace, and I Receive my Instruction on how and what to do, so, the way I see it, I can’t afford NOT to be still and listen for Him. There are plenty of things that I could be doing in the first few hours of any new day, but His Word says to “be still and know that I am God,” and it’s that “still” part that feeds my Soul the most. More than Christian music playing in the background or a long walk to commune with His creation, it’s when we’re “still” that He is able to drive a Message home, and it’s when we’re “still” that He can Speak to the Heart with no outward distractions at all. So…” still” I am day after day. Isn’t that the way you spend your Time with Him, too?

It’s interesting to hear how some people define their “quiet time” with God. Some people have a Bible reading plan to help them stay on track to read the entire Bible from start to finish. Some people put on Christian music while they prepare breakfast for the family. Some people read a page or two from a devotional written by someone else who had been “still” before God. Some people work on homework for a Bible study they’ve committed to. Some people read a chapter or two from a book written by a Christian author. Some will tune in to a pastor’s message on TV or the Internet. Some people will multitask by listening to a spiritual message through their earbuds while working out at the gym, taking their morning walk, or running. Some will pray on their way to work, or they’ll insert a CD to listen to a spiritual message along the way. There’s NOTHING WRONG with any of these things because each one is an effort to fill the mind and the soul with Good things. BUT none of these things leave room to “be still” before the Living God, and none of them allow for those miraculous moments when God unexpectedly “shows up” in the quiet. Although God is always with us, and I’m sure He likes to see some of those steps we take to fill our world with Him, I think He likes it best when everything else in the world is set aside and tuned out, and He gets some serious one-on-one time with His child. We can study until we turn blue, but the Relationship is built by spending quality time with the King of all kings. For me, it’s in the early hours of each new day…just me and my God, before my day has a chance to distract me.

It’s not easy to shut off the mind or to shut out the world because life overflows with distractions. It’s much easier to push the snooze button on the alarm clock a few more times than it is to get up earlier in the morning to make time for God, and it’s not easy to push the “pause” button on our to-do list so that we can “be still” in His Presence. For some people, it’s not easy to be in that quiet place at all, and they avoid shutting down the world for the Living God because of it, yet these same people whine about date night or a little time with an adult child. Why would God settle for less? Some people can’t stand to be still, and some are afraid of what God may say to them in the quiet…ouch. Others claim that they don’t need a focused time to meet with God because they “talk to Him all day long”…they have no desire for the “still” time at all. Some people praise technology that allows them to tap the Bible App anytime and anywhere they want to. Because they have 24/7 access in a fast-paced world, they don’t understand why anybody would waste time being “still” before God when they can “tap into” Him anytime they feel like it. For them, He’s just an App away! How did it come to be that we’ve become more obsessed with how much we can get done in 24 hours, that we’ve lost the importance of relationships? If parents and partners so willingly trade quality time with their own loved ones for whatever tickles their own fancy, I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that they see being still in the presence of a Mighty God as unnecessary nonsense too.

I’ve got a list of things to do a mile long, and I’m as busy as the next guy, BUT before I get busy on this new day, I get “still,” and in those “still” moments nothing else and no one else even hits my radar screen…it’s just my amazing God and me. He gets the first of me and the best of me and the one-on-one time that He tells me I need in order to fulfill His Purpose for my Life. Life is but “a vapor,” so I don’t have any time to waste pursuing Excellence before He calls me Home.

How about you?