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?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s 25 degrees cooler than it was just a few days ago, and the earth looks like it’s ready to rest from the high temperatures and blazing heat. God is going to open the floodgates soon, and the rain will do its part. When the cool air meets the warm earth, the fog begins to roll in. One minute, you can see the trees off in the distance, and the next, they are masked by fog. There wasn’t much fog this morning, but I could feel the heaviness in the air – the kind of heaviness that warns us of the rain that is coming soon. Mornings like this remind me of what it feels like to navigate through this dark world. The heaviness of the upcoming Spiritual Storm can be felt in the air, too, but it’s being ignored by so many people. One minute you can see things so clearly, and the next minute life is “masked” by oppression so dark and so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. But as a Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I REFUSE to focus on the fog – I don’t fret over what’s masked – and I sure don’t scramble around in the “dark” or blame politicians for the Spiritual state we’re in. I am certain of what we’re up against, and I am Confident in how the Story ends, so I focus on the Eastern sky – rain or shine, fog or clear – because that’s the Direction Jesus will come calling from for me One Day. The Time is near, and I have just a few goals as I live out these perilous times on earth. First, to be sure that I’m READY to meet my Maker, AND next I need to be sure to Help get as many souls as I possibly can Prepare to meet Him One Day too! Despite the insults being thrown around the world right now, and despite what you think someone deserves (or doesn’t deserve), the King doesn’t want anyone to perish… although, sadly, many of them will. Jonah didn’t think the Ninevites deserved to hear the Truth either, but God had other plans. There’s no time to linger in the fog when there’s Kingdom Work to do! Isn’t that the way you see these last days too?

The Bible says that in Hell there will be eternal “weeping and gnashing of teeth” for those who don’t believe – imagine that – torment with no ability to find rest or peace ever again. I’m sure it’s much worse than anything we can imagine, but I think we’re getting a small glimpse of Hell today. There is no rest in our world. There’s no end to the “gnashing of teeth” as the battle over “good and evil” goes on. There’s no end to the shaking of fists in anger. There’s no end to the violence. There’s no end to the lies. There’s no end to the immoral acts. There’s no end to the tactics some use to be heard. There’s no end to the greed. There’s no end to the selfishness. There’s no end to the violence. There’s no end to the harm that’s being done to “these little ones.” There’s no end to so many things that can discourage the Heart because of this small glimpse of Hell we’re seeing today, as the battle between “good and evil” goes on right before our very eyes. BUT I know the rest of the story. I Know that the Devil hasn’t been unleashed yet and that the Light of the world is the only thing holding him back. We need more Warriors – we need more Light and Salt in the world! Fortunately, I KNOW Who Wins, and I know how the Story ends…and it ends well for those who have Surrendered to Jesus. Until then, I’m doing my own kind of fighting to share the Good News with this dark world so that the glimpse of Hell doesn’t become an eternal reality for them. This is the Key to living out our Great Commission…before it’s too late. This is the Key to being found worthy by the King!

The Bible says that “no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love Him,” and I’m looking forward to Heaven. I’m going to that Place where there’s no more sadness or sickness – a place where there are no more tears….EVER. A place where “evil” doesn’t exist, and Peace is Everlasting. Though I can’t imagine it, I long for it, and I want everybody else to long for it too! I am confident that “greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world,” so I’m Living out my Faith with the boldness of a lion and the gentleness of a lamb. I refuse to take part in debates over meaningless things that make no difference in the Bigger Picture of eternity. Instead, my Light will be shining brighter than it ever has before in the middle of a dark world getting darker every day. I KNOW Who wins…and I’m on the Winners Team, so I can’t partake in that “glimpse of Hell” – I can only outshine it with Him – and FOR Him. Darkness can’t exist in the Light, and I know that if more people Believed in my God the way I Believe in my God, they’d be shining their Light in this dark world too…instead of partaking in the war against “good and evil” on earth – so, I’ll be busy trying to (re)ignite their Faith while I’m at it. I’m looking East, and I’m longing for Heaven. This is the Key to walking through the Journey of Faith with Peace in ALL circumstances. When I have Heaven on the horizon, why in the world would I focus on the fog?

There’s so much going on in the dark world, but you could never prove it by the Peace I have within me. To some, it looks hopeless on the outside, but it’s NEVER hopeless! To some, the main goal is to save the most amazing country in the world – to me, it’s to save the Heart of the Lost. Ready or not, the King is Coming, and when He does, believe it or not, EVERY knee shall bow, and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! I mourn for the ones who aren’t ready to meet Him. Yes, even the crazy ones who have taken to our streets to “rob, kill, and destroy”. They’re being used by Satan himself and they’re blinded to the Light. There is only ONE way to fight and to win, and it’s not whining about the government or with weapons of the flesh. To be Ready for the journey through the darkness and the fog, we need to be sure that we are Strengthened for Spiritual battle every single day, and we need to focus more on the Eastern sky where the King will appear than on the condition of the dark world or the latest word on politics. Those things are just a distraction the enemy uses to keep us in the fog! It doesn’t work on me – will you let his tactics continue to work on you?

I’m busy Serving the King, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can easily cut through the fog with the Word of God, and I can light up the darkness with the Light of the Holy Spirit within me. I Receive my Direction from the Holy Spirit. He’s my Strength. He’s my Shield. He’s my Deliverer. I’m looking to the East with great anticipation! Fog? What fog?

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. When I stepped out onto the front porch for coffee and prayer, my Heart was filled with Gratitude, and I had High Expectations about this new day with the Living God. The sun is already scorching, and no doubt it will dry out the freshly cut hay. It’s not the first time the hay has been cut, and it won’t be the last, but it never gets old to me. The look and the smell of a freshly cut field are heavenly to me every single time. This isn’t just any old day – it’s a New Day – and I’m not just any old Servant – I’m a Willing one with High Expectations about the Journey. My God has no boundaries, and it shows in my Life as He continues to use me in ways I could never imagine I would be capable of…IF I look at Life with my mind instead of my Heart, that is. As I stumble through the Journey called Life – as I fall down and get back up time and time again- I KNOW HE KNOWS my Heart for Him, and I KNOW He’ll use me all the days of my Life because I LOVE HIM WITH MY WHOLE HEART. I am a Willing Vessel with High Expectations about doing the work of my God. Isn’t that the way you look at your Journey, too?

These days, it seems to be so easy for people to lose hope in the face of adversity, but that’s because they don’t have High Expectations for the Journey of Life. I’m not sure how that’s possible if they Know Him the way I do and if they consume His Word for Wisdom and Direction….how can they NOT think Big? Sometimes we focus on the surface of Life that often resembles a train wreck with a million broken pieces – but that doesn’t slow down the God of no Boundaries, and He’ll always work it for Good IF we let Him. When we have High Expectations about the Work of His Hands, we Understand that there is always something Beautiful going on behind the scenes, and we look through the RUBBLE for the RUBIES every time. When we have High Expectations about His Purpose for us, we don’t allow ourselves to think that things are impossible, because we Know that ALL THINGS ARE possible with Him, so we Celebrate the Victory long before we see it. When we have High Expectations, we’re quick to hit our knees to ask for Forgiveness because how He sees us is FAR more important than how the world does. We Understand the importance of getting rid of anything in the Heart that has the potential to damage our Relationship with the King of all kings, and that if we want to be found Worthy to be used by the King, Humility is a Key Characteristic. With High Expectations, we don’t put God in a box, and we NEVER quit believing in Miracles.

I don’t know ALL the ways my Redeemer will be using me here on this earth until He calls me Home – all I know is how He’s using me right NOW in ways I never imagined. I’m an “alien in a foreign land”, and I’m here on a Temporary Assignment on behalf of the King. I’m like the woman at the well who got so excited about Jesus that she left everything behind to go tell her world about Him. With a Heart and excitement like that, how can ANYBODY say that a woman isn’t qualified to be used by the KING? I have High Expectations because I’m a Willing Vessel (with limited time) and I’m Ready to go where He tells me to go, and do what He tells me to do. I won’t be afraid, and I’ll never feel inadequate, no matter what He Calls me to do – not because I’m confident or capable – but because I have High Expectations for the Journey and I’ve already been Tenderized for the Job. I found the RUBIES in the RUBBLE, and it shows in my Life. I’m “pressing on,” and I’m running “in such a way as to get the prize!” just like Paul did. When I receive my crown (reward) for what I’ve done in His Name during my time here on earth, I’ll be tossing it at His feet as fast as I can because it’s my HONOR to Serve Him and NONE of it would be possible without Him. What I do for Jesus Christ can’t be measured by human standards, and my Rewards won’t be seen on this side of Heaven. What I do for Him is done out of Love…and it’s that Love that keeps me going with High Expectations.

How about you? Do YOU have High Expectations for your Journey?

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s going to be another beautiful day in Virginia today, and my Time on the front porch was too brief for me. I could sit there in His Presence all day long. That’s okay, although nothing replaces being on the front porch, I’ve prayed over every inch of this farm for decades, so I can “see” it even with my eyes closed. I’ve been an eyewitness to nature being obedient to His Call as He wakes up the world thousands of times, and I can visualize play-by-play because of it. I’ve walked this Journey hand in hand with the Master of the Universe, and no matter how many times I see a sunrise, I’m in awe of Him, and because I am, I want to be Obedient to His Call. At the sound of His voice, the earth was formed. At the sound of His voice, the land was separated from the sea. At the sound of His voice, Adam was put into a deep sleep, and Eve was formed from his rib. At the sound of His voice, the stars were scattered in the sky. At the sound of His voice, the sun stood still. At the sound of His voice, the sea parted. At the sound of His voice, the rain was withheld for years. As I considered the Power of the sound of His voice and how nature so easily responds, I thought about how often man…the most Valuable Creation of all…willfully ignores the sound of His voice, and we struggle with Obedience when we do. Isn’t that the way you see it, too?

It can be so easy for us to tune out the Voice of God, especially when He Instructs us to do something that makes no sense to the human mind, but we miss out on the Opportunity to Serve and to Please the God of all Creation when we do. Somehow, when the rational mind kicks in, we convince ourselves that God would never Instruct us to do something that doesn’t make sense to us. But if it makes sense to God Almighty, that’s all that ever matters. God’s ways are not our ways, and His ways don’t need to make sense to us for us to be willing to be Obedient. I’m pretty sure not much made sense to Moses, or Elijah, or Daniel, or Joshua, or a host of other saints we read about. But the biggest Miracles the world has ever seen were born out of Obedience to things that didn’t make sense to the human mind- and the same is STILL true today. Being willing to be Obedient to His Instructions, ESPECIALLY when they don’t make sense to the human mind, is the KEY to a Rich Relationship with the God of Miracles. The surest Sign of Trust is Obedience through it all.

The Bible says, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” – this isn’t referring to age, but to Maturity instead. Most of the rules we teach a child make no sense to the young human mind, but when they’re taught to listen to the voice of their father and mother, and they see the rewards of obedience, they mature into rule-following people able to accept authority, and they don’t hesitate to do what they’re told to do. If only people Walking through the Journey of Faith would do the same when they Hear the Voice of the Master of all Creation! IF only they would “let go and let God” the way they claim to! If only they would step out in Faith when God Instructs them to do something that makes absolutely no sense to the human mind. If only they could Trust Him. This is the Key to being a Willing Vessel – a Participant in the Master Plan that might not make a whole lot of sense to the human mind on this side of Heaven, but one that makes Perfect sense to the Perfect God.

When I was a child in my Journey of Faith, I “passed” on plenty of things because they didn’t make sense to my human mind. Today is a different story – today I’m Mature. At the sound of His voice, I’m Obedient and I Trust what He wants to do through me. My world sees the God of all Creation work in my Life in ways that sometimes leave them breathless – but what they see in my Life over and over again has nothing to do with me. What they see is the Hand of God working Miracles…Miracles born out of Obedience. Every single day, I work on “dying to myself” – to set aside my own will so that I can do His instead. Every single day, I ask Him to examine my Heart to see if there is anything inside that I need to purge and repent of. I can’t hear His voice if I have sin in my Heart (and neither can you!) I listen to His Voice with an open Heart and I set out to Serve the One Who died for me, ESPECIALLY when it doesn’t make sense to me at all. That’s what Trust looks like!

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 One Who Knew me before the earth was formed, and we had a long chat about my Life. My Biggest Priority in this Journey called Life is to be Pleasing to Him… and not necessarily to those around me. Though I’d love to please everybody all the time, I know from my Instruction Manual that it isn’t possible to please the world. So, as long as I’m Pleasing the Master of the world by the way I Live, Love, and Speak, everything’s going to be just fine, and all will be well with my Soul. When I looked at the flags on the front porch on any given day, they reminded me of my Life…I’m many things to many people, and I’m often wearing more than one hat. And just like the flags on the front porch, when you mix all the colors of Life together, you get a Masterpiece painted by the Hand of God. I AM A MASTERPIECE because of Him, and all the pieces of my Life work together for Good because I LOVE HIM and I’ve been Called according to His Purpose. Isn’t that the way you see your Life, too?

It can be so easy to worry about what everybody else thinks about who we are and what we stand for, but when we worry more about what people think than what God thinks, we become useless to Him. Refusing to stand up for the Living God is a form of denying Him, and He makes it pretty clear that “Whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in Heaven.” Some people feel better about defining God as “the same god to all religions by a different name,” AS IF the Living God is okay with being mixed up with untruths. No matter how many people worship whatever form of god they design in their own mind, there is only One God, and He makes it perfectly clear in His Word – “Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” Plenty of people spend a lifetime making sure a loved one did not die in vain, and they do whatever they can do to be sure they aren’t forgotten…and that’s a beautiful thing. If only people had as much love for Jesus – if onlythey were Determined to Share His Messege so that He didn’t “die in vain” either, and IF ONLY they could love Him enough to make sure He’s never “forgotten,” the world would look a whole lot different than it does today. Unfortunately, with so many people of Faith opting to ride out their Journey as spectators, the world keeps getting darker and darker. As for me, “this little light of mine – I’m gonna let it shine” no matter what and what Jesus did for me will be shouted from the rooftops all the days of my Life!

As surely as I would stop to help someone with directions to a nearby destination, I will never lose the opportunity to Redirect a lost person when I see them being deceived. When I’m asked to “tolerate” other gods all in the name of acceptance…I refuse…because the Living God can’t be pleased with me if I entertain untruth just to be nice. I know that if the lost ones don’t get headed in the Right Direction, they’ll be lost for eternity, so I do my part to Redirect them before it’s too late. I have the Only Solution and I’m obliged to Share it with as many as I can in my Lifetime. I make sure to share the Truth with Love, and I know that lost people can’t deny the Joy they see in me. If they’re “offended” by Truth, there’s nothing I can do about that except to pray. I don’t Share because I judge them or because I don’t like them…I Share because I LOVE THEM! I stand Strong as a Messenger of Truth and an Ambassador to the One True God, no matter the price I pay because of it. The Living God has already warned me about how I’ll be treated, so it comes as no surprise to me – “Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” There’s not much to “hate” when we are silent, and there’s not much love in withholding Truth. It would be nice to be more popular for who I am and what I stand for, but as long as I’m “popular” with the King of kings, all is well with my Soul.

I am many things to many people, and sometimes I wear lots of hats in this Journey called Life, BUT when you mix it all together and stir it up, you’ll see that I really only have One Job, One Agenda, One Role, and that’s to serve Him with everything I’ve got. I care a whole lot more about Pleasing the Living God than I ever could about offending man with Truth. I may not win a popularity contest in this Journey called Life because of it, but that’s okay because I’m much more Focused on being “popular” in His Eyes than I am in the world.

That’s what Love looks like…that’s what Faith looks like…that’s what Surrendering a Life to Christ looks like.

What does your Life look like?