christianity

Are You Absolutely Sure?

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s too cold to spend my mornings on the front porch these days, but not too cold to step outside to see how God has Painted this new day. As I sat in the Presence of the Most High God I thanked Him for all things new…a new sunrise…a new day…a new opportunity to Serve and a New Word for such a time as this – it was a long list of New Things. But along with those New Things I thanked Him for in my own life, I thanked Him for the New that several of my friends are a part of today – friends that have drawn their last breath here on earth but are now in the New of Eternity. The sting of death isn’t easy for family and friends to endure, that’s for sure. But behind the tears of mourning, there is a Heavenly Celebration of the New Life for those who Know and Love Jesus Christ. Without the Promise of a New Beginning, life would be meaningless for us all and the sting of death would be unbearable. But with Jesus Christ, the Future is New, Bright, and Beautiful forever and ever, for those who Believe! Isn’t that the way you look at death too?

Mourning is a natural process and it can’t be rushed along. Parting from a loved one is excruciatingly painful and the emptiness they leave behind is felt forever. There is no right or wrong way to mourn. In the days of Moses, the Israelites had a 30-day mourning period. In the Jewish culture, loved ones are buried the same day they die – in Bible times there was a 7-day mourning ritual that sometimes included “mourning musicians” to help in the process and a tearing of their clothes to express their agony. Back in the day, widows were required to wear black for two years as a sign of respect for their dead husband and to let the world know she was off-limits until the time of mourning had ended. Some funeral homes employ a nurse to be present during a funeral service to assist the emotional loved ones with medical attention for their hysterical reaction to death. But no matter what the mourning process looks like or what kind of “rituals” people practice, it doesn’t matter how long it takes the human Heart to heal, there is a Celebration in Heaven for those who Know and Love Jesus Christ that NO AMOUNT OF EARTHLY MOURNING CAN DIM. Thank God for the Promise of Heaven for those who Believe!

We often hear “May they rest in peace” and see R.I.P. on almost every headstone in the graveyard, but not everybody will rest in peace One Day. Eternity is waiting for each of us, and it won’t be a dormant, “peaceful,” lifeless, forever resting place the way some people like to believe. For those who Trust in Jesus, the Bible says “No eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him”. I celebrate for my friends and loved ones who now see and hear what they longed for in this life. For all the others who don’t Trust in Jesus, the future isn’t bright, and they’ll be gnashing their teeth in torment for eternity. Now that’s something to mourn! For those who don’t (or won’t) place their Trust in Jesus, then this life is as good as it gets for them. But for all the rest of us, death of the body is just the Beginning – you see, our Victory only comes through death where we’ll finally be ushered into the arms of our Savior. Even Jesus (temporarily) struggled with death – just the idea of being beaten and crucified caused Him to sweat blood. But it was His Father’s Will for Jesus to die, and it’s His will for all the rest of us to die one day too! His death (and Resurrection) was the only way to achieve God’s Redemption Plan! Death is not a curse…at least not for those who Believe…it’s where we’ll step into Eternity with no more sadness, sickness, pain or tears Thank God for the Promise of Heaven for those who Believe!

The stakes are high and the Results everlasting which is what keeps Christians like me busy sharing the Truth that has the Potential to save the world. I don’t want even one person to die without knowing the Truth, so as long as there is breath in my body I’ll do whatever it takes to share it with the world! The ones to die without Trusting Jesus…now THAT’S something to mourn about – the others we Celebrate! There are no words for how blessed I am to Know that everyone in my family and my closest friends who have already gone before me Trusted in Jesus Christ, and I KNOW that they instantly entered into a Heavenly Celebration that will last forever! What joy and peace I have! Will I cry? Of course. Will I miss them? Absolutely! But you won’t find me wishing they were still here no matter how much it hurts on this side of Life. The day that they lived for is finally here and THAT’S something to celebrate through the pain!

Do you Know and Trust Jesus?

Are you absolutely sure of what Eternity will look like for you OR are you hoping just to “rest in peace forever”?

If you have doubts, I’m here to help. Don’t let even another minute pass until you find the Peace that leads to Victory.

Will You Continue To Waste Time?

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was far too cold for me to linger on the front porch this morning but I have a great view from inside too so I savored the view in a warm house with a hot cup of coffee. This morning the moon was still visible as the sun was coming up and all I had to do was turn my head from one direction to the other to take in the beauty of both. One a sign of a new day, and the other a sign of the end of the night….neither of them ever sleeps. It isn’t possible to see them both at the same time – at least not with the human eye. It takes effort to look at what’s ahead and it takes effort to look at what’s behind…and it always comes down to choice. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is promised to no one so it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to spend too much time focused on either one of them. It always comes down to choice. Today I choose NOT to obsess over the future or to dwell on the past…today I’ll be Living for today. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

Human beings are, by far, the biggest “wasters” of all God’s Creation. We waste money. We waste food. We waste water. We waste energy. We waste love. The list could go on and on forever of all the things we waste. But the most significant things we waste come down to time and opportunity. We waste time because we’ve convinced ourselves that there is no end to the time we have. We waste opportunities because we’ve convinced ourselves that there will always be another chance. Instead of valuing this new day as if it is the ONLY one we have, we waste time and opportunity because we’re too busy dreaming about the future or dwelling on the past. IMAGINE what would the world look like if everybody lived for today! There would be a roar that could be heard all around the globe as people simultaneously said things like “I love you” – “Forgive me” or “Do you know Jesus?”. It would be the most amazing sound on this side of Heaven! Instead, we waste our days and nights because we’re so convinced there will be plenty of time and opportunity later. But, what if there isn’t?

If today is our last one and we fail to say “I love you” or “Forgive me” it won’t be the end of the world. The ones we needed to say those things to probably already know we loved them and once we pass away most of the time they forgive us. But what happens when we waste Time and Opportunity to share the Good News…the one thing that matters more than all the rest and the one thing that lasts long after the world ends. What if YOU were the one God was calling upon to Share the Good News with a lost person BUT you ignored that Golden Opportunity because you were too busy lying to yourself that there is always another time or a 2nd chance? We don’t have to pay the price for our wrongs – Jesus died to pay the price instead. We won’t be “judged” for all the bad things we did because His blood covers them all. But how will it feel when we face our Maker only to have Him show us ALL the time and opportunities we wasted – ALL those times we could have (and should have) shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost person…but we put it off instead… because we were too busy dreaming about tomorrow or dwelling on the past.

I saw the sun and the moon in the sky this morning for just a few minutes before yesterday was completely gone and today showed up. I’ve chosen to LIVE today and won’t be wasting time or opportunity, that’s for sure. God forgive me if I ever overlook a suffering soul…if I ever make excuses for why I don’t love them enough to share the Gospel before it’s too late…if I lose my footing and get stuck dreaming about tomorrow or obsessing over the past when He has a Master Plan for my Life and today is all I have.

How about you?

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow…Do You?

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was too cold to spend much time outside on the porch at daybreak, but what I could see from my kitchen window was enough to stir my Soul. As I stood there watching the sky, I didn’t even notice the break in the clouds for the longest time. All I could see was color so beautiful that I didn’t want to take my eyes off it long enough to look at anything else. It’s Election Day in America and it makes me sad to see the majority of (professed) Christians a whole lot more focused on the break than they are on the Beauty and I fear for them because of it. There will never be another day like this one, that much I know for sure – not another sunrise or sunset and certainly not an Election. But no matter what the results look like at the end of this Election day, America will remain divided UNLESS (and by some miracle) God’s people begin to focus MORE on the Beauty than the break. Our Instructions from the One who still sits on the Throne is to turn our eyes upon HIM and not on this mess of a world. It’s only when we do that we can Focus on (and Celebrate) the Beauty and not the break. Isn’t it just like my God to use a magnificent sunrise to drive a Message to my Heart today. I’m listening. Are you?

I Serve a God that can calm a storm at the sound of His voice. I Serve a God who can part the sea to save millions of His people and who can rain down manna from Heaven to feed them. I Serve a God who plants the seed of life inside a mother’s womb and I serve a God who can raise the dead on Command. I Serve a God who can still heal the sick and raise the dead. I Serve a God who set the Plans for the day we were born and the day we will die and every day in between. I Serve a God who sent His one and only son to die for me so that I might have Hope and a Future. I Serve a God who gives AND takes away. I Serve a God who has GIVEN authority to good kings AND bad kings and I serve a God who sends calamity when His children get too out of line. I Serve a God who is already in tomorrow and the Election results were already made known to Him before the foundations of the earth. I Serve a God who will stop at absolutely nothing to turn His people away from the break and back to the Beauty because He loves us. My God can do anything. But even though my God is able, far too many (professed) Christians who claim to be His people are focused on the break a whole lot more than the Beauty. What kind of results can they expect?

I’m no expert, but I believe that God LOVES it when His children surrender it all to Him….from life to family to country…and yes, even to Election results. I believe it pleases my God when we choose to hide in the “shadow of His wings” and when we Trust Him with the outcome of an Election no matter what the outcome looks like. I believe it pleases my God when we confess that we have no strength of our own (only His to sustain us) and when we Acknowledge that “there is no good thing apart from Him”. I believe it pleases my God when we’re Bold and Courageous in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ and when we care MUCH more about lost Souls than we do about lost Elections. To some, that might sound impossible based on the state of the Nation we claim to love – to others still making noise and shaking their fists, the fact that I lay it all down at the foot of the Cross and I trust Him with the results is “lame”. Many have tried and failed to entice me to focus more on the break than the Beauty but that’s never going to happen. I Know that with God all things are possible and that “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”. I know that my God can use anything and anybody to bring Glory to Himself and I know that I don’t have the power to change what God has already ordained AND I have the “peace that surpasses all understanding” because of it. Unless God’s people STOP focusing on the break and START focusing on the Beauty there is no hope for America because God will not be mocked.

I don’t know who the future President of the United States will be when I wake up tomorrow but I DO KNOW Who will always be King and I DO KNOW that He has the future in the palm of His Hands. He already Knows the Election results because He “certified” them before the foundations of the earth. My God already Knows the Plans He has for His Children and, although He promises to be our Provider and our Protector, He never promised Easy Street. There is no way to Welcome in the Future we’re promised without experiencing the perilous times the Bible warns us about. No matter what – no matter how good or bad – no matter how difficult – no matter left or right, male or female, conservative or liberal, you will find me focusing on the Beauty as I watch my God unfold the breaks to draw His people closer to Him again. It’s all for His Purpose and His Glory, America. Once you get that part right, you’ll have the “peace that surpasses all understanding” for such a time as this too!

God bless America.

1 I don’t know about tomorrow,

I just live from day to day.

I don’t borrow from its sunshine,

For its skies may turn to gray.

I don’t worry o’er the future,

For I know what Jesus said,

And today I’ll walk beside Him,

For He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow,

I don’t seem to understand;

But I know who holds tomorrow,

And I know who holds my hand.

Every step is getting brighter,

As the golden stairs I climb;

Every burden’s getting lighter;

Every cloud is silver-lined.

There the sun is always shining,

There no tear will dim the eye,

At the end of the rainbow,

Where the mountains touch the sky.

I don’t know about tomorrow,

It may bring me poverty;

But the one who feeds the sparrow,

Is the one who stands by me.

And the path that be my portion,

Maybe through the flame or flood,

But His presence goes before me,

And I’m covered with His blood.

There’s No Other Way…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The beauty of the Fall in Virginia defies words and it’s my favorite season, for sure. It’s almost as if God uses colors to lift my spirits to tide me over before everything becomes brown and bare for the Winter. I met with the Auther and Perfecter of my Faith this morning with an agenda of my own, and I flipped through the pages of my Instruction Manual looking for direction. But my agenda was not His Agenda, and in no time at all, He changed the Course of our Time. His Agenda opened my eyes. His Agenda penetrated my Heart. His Agenda revealed much more than I was looking for. His Agenda brought me to tears and His Agenda restored my soul. Even though I sometimes go before His Throne with an agenda of my own, as long as I’m just willing to meet with Him, He will bring His Agenda into focus every time. Isn’t that the way it works for you too?

As a Child of the Living God, I know that my life is not my own… and that’s okay with me. He has an Agenda for my Life and my agenda will always take the backseat to His. As a child of the Living God, I know that He knit me together in my mother’s womb and that He continues to breathe life into my body for His Purpose and not merely for my pleasure. As a child of the Living God, I know that I have the ability to bring Him pleasure too IF I’m doing what He Created me to do to fulfill the Purpose of my Life – but my existence without obedience can’t bring Him pleasure at all. Just the thought that I can bring pleasure to the One who died for me, the One who gave me Life, the One who Created the heavens and the earth and everything in between, brings Joy to my life that I would NEVER know if my Life belonged to me. You might have trouble considering what it would be like for you to live a Life that’s not your own and to trade your agenda for His, but it’s a beautiful thing to be living out the Purpose of your Life and it’s the most fulfilling of all.,

As a child of the Living God my past, my present, and my Future are not my own either and they are intended to be an open book for all the world to see. Each time something amazing comes my way it’s a chance to give Him praise for His Goodness and His Faithfulness and His Provisions for all the world to see. For those times that I stumbled and I fell and I managed to make a huge mess out of my life, it’s a chance to give Him Praise, NOT ONLY for seeing me through but for giving me a stronger Testimony of the Power of my God and a tenderized heart willing to share with the world about His Greatness and His Forgiveness through it all. My pain and my trials have Prepared me to tell others about how I’ve “been there and done that” and how He has used each transgression to transform me into a better version of me…a stronger Vessel for Him…ready, willing, and ABLE to Serve. My Future belongs to Him from this life and all the way to Forever. I know what Plans He has for me and I know that in my Future, there will be no more pain, tears, sickness, death, heartbreak, or anything that causes me to suffer here on this earth…and the best part is that I’ll be with Him for Eternity. Now THAT’s a Future to look forward to! With the Promise of a Future like that, how could I NOT Share it with the world?

Each piece of my past, my present and my Future has a tremendous Purpose in His Plans and only I can fulfill them. I know how special I am to the Living God…He sent His one and only Son to die for me…He Created me for His Purpose…He provides for all of my needs…He’s my Father…my God..my Savior and my King. He’s turned up the heat in my life more times than I care to count to REFINE ME into something Precious…His Treasure…His Vessel…His Child…more precious than gold to Him AND one so eager to Serve because of it. No, my Life is not my own and I wouldn’t have it any other way! My past, my present, AND MY FUTURE all belong to Him and they are an open book to share with the world…they are ALL part of my Purpose for living…and they are all Preparing me for my Forever.

How about you?

Peace Isn’t Stolen…It’s Surrendered Instead

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. By the time God turned the Lights on this morning, the fog was beginning to lift and I watched it slowly make its way over the mountain. There’s something peaceful about fog to me…the way it lingers…the way it slowly reveals what it was “hiding”. I give thanks for many things when I meet with the Living God – morning or night – foggy or clear – but one of the most prevailing Requests I put before His Throne, and one that I boldly Proclaim for my life, is Peace. When I have Peace everything seems to flow easily. When I have Peace I can handle it all. Having Peace doesn’t mean that everything is smooth sailing around me, and my Peace doesn’t come without effort. I WORK hard to guard my Peace day after day and year after year and I refuse to allow it to be stolen from me by anyone or anything. Maintaining my own personal peace is necessary for my joy and contentment but it’s more than that. I Know that if I can be a Reflection of Peace amid a world in absolute turmoil, then I can be a living, breathing example of my Faith for all the world to see. Without it, I’m a poor Witness of the God of the “Peace that surpasses all understanding.” Peace is non-negotiable to me. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

We can see the Spiritual War being played out right before our very eyes in Living Color and it would be so easy to surrender my Peace and get sucked into the battle if I didn’t know how to Guard what belongs to me (as the Bible defines it). The Bible tells me not to worry…no matter what. The Bible tells me that I’m protected by the King of all kings and that I don’t have to battle on my own so I don’t worry about the “boogie man” coming to my door to cause harm. The Bible tells me that the “righteous will never go hungry” so I don’t worry about a day when there is no food (or toilet paper). The Bible tells me to take His hand and to lean on Him so why would I try to maneuver through the land mines on my own? The Bible tells me that there will be “wars and rumors of wars” so I’m not surprised to see what I see around the world today. The Bible tells me that there will be “scoffers” in the end, so I’m not surprised to be hated for boldly speaking up about my Savior. The Key to Peace in a world at war is to Know the promises of God and to cling to the only Truth we really have. We don’t “lose” our Peace…we surrender it instead.

We live in a hate-filled world that refuses to live in peace because the battle we see cannot be rationalized or negotiated – it is the battle between Good and evil. Sadly many are being deceived just like the Bible says they will so they don’t recognize it for what it is. It boggles my mind to see professed Christians jumping into the fight and being so willing to roll around in the mud with the best of the Evil ones as if their voice can make the difference in the battle between Good and evil. But what they’ve been convinced is the “right thing” to do, the Devil finds very pleasing because immature Christians are so easily manipulated to participate in his agenda. There’s nothing like being blind to the enemy and falling right into his hands. Evil is fighting so hard to instill fear and to rob us of peace…and evil is winning plenty of battles because the weaker ones don’t know how to Fight and they are surrendering their peace at will. It’s not possible to lose Peace UNLESS we surrender it on our own b because we CANNOT be robbed of the promises God has made to each who Belongs to Him…period.

The Peace around this old farm is so thick it’s almost tangible, but it isn’t that way by chance – or because of the beautiful view or the character of the front porch – or because I’m “lucky”. Peace can be felt by everyone at the farm because I GUARD MY PEACE and the spiritual realm knows I can’t be robbed! I Proclaim my Peace to the Prince of Peace every single day, and I refuse to surrender it to the Devil. It always comes down to choice. If you start talking defeat in my presence I’ll correct you every time because I won’t let you surrender your own peace in my presence if there is anything I can do to stop it. But if you refuse to stop talking against the Victory we have in Jesus, it won’t be long before we part company because I know that if I entertain conversation that goes against Good then I’ll be vulnerable to all the ways of the wicked one too. I’m an Expert Peace Guarder!

I Serve the Prince of Peace and it shows. Peace is the Source of the Brightest Light of my Faith and the fact that I Reflect it in a dark work is the greatest Witness to the One I serve. In a land that is in turmoil and a future unknown, I guard my Peace like the Warrior I am, and my Peace can be seen AND felt all around me because of it.

How about you?

The Heart to Please…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was cold this morning but nothing that a hot cup of coffee and a warm blanket couldn’t handle, so I ventured outside for a few minutes to say “good morning” to my God and to fill my lungs with fresh country air. One day soon it will be too cold for comfort and we’ll be doing all of our morning meetings inside. Until then, I’ll go to extremes to Meet with Him outside even if for just a few minutes. This morning I gave Him my Praise, I gave Him my Thanks, I gave Him my Requests and then I ventured into His Word to see what He has for me…and He was Full of Surprises. The same Words that I’ve read so many times before took on New Life today because that’s the way His Spirit speaks to my Soul! A willingness to Meet, coupled with a Heart to Please equates to Messages that nobody else on this planet could ever get across to my Heart. Isn’t that the way it is when you Seek what He has for you too?

It’s a Blessing to have a Life full of family and friends who have your best interests at heart, but nobody offers Advice and Direction t he way God does. He sometimes uses His people to Confirm what He has in mind, but He Speaks for Himself if we just ask Him to (and believe He will). He can Heal a hurt, Remove fear, Reveal the Truth, Mend a Broken Heart, and force us to make U-turns in the blink of an eye, and He’s Ready to do all these things when we are Willing to Meet with Him with a Heart to Please. There is no place for doubt in the Life of a person of Faith, but sometimes when we turn to people for the advice we should be getting from God, we can become consumed with doubt based on their man-made input. If we feel the need to ask family and friends for approval for what we “think” God wants us to do, then it’s time to go back to the Drawing Board and build a Stronger Relationship with Him to be SURE about what He wants. When we have the Heart to Please Him, He gets First Priority, and we’ll push against the flow of our family and friends regardless of how hard they push back. When we have the Order of Business right, and we have the Heart to Please, we can count on Him to send a Messenger to Help us in the Journey, and when that Messenger Speaks we know it came from God and not from the opinion of man. It’s pretty amazing how God Works the relationships out and how He uses everybody for His Purpose WHEN we’re willing to Meet with Him for Direction and we Have the Heart to Please.

It’s impossible to make everybody happy, and sometimes we find ourselves working hard to please the world around us instead of having the Heart to Please Him instead. We look for approval from everybody else and we easily forget what Pleases Him when we do. We strive to “keep the peace” but until He comes back there is no real Peace. We pick and choose what part of His Character we’re willing to take on, and we kick all the difficult pieces aside for comfort. We rub elbows with lost people every day and we keep our mouths shut about Hope all because we fear what they might think of us when we do…and they’ll often die before they find Hope because of it. As people of Faith, we WILL find ourselves working against the flow of the world if we’re doing the Work of the Lord, and we’re inclined to settle into “comfortable” when we do. But when we’re diligent about Meeting with Him and we have the Heart to Please…sitting back is never an option and the opinion of the world dims in comparison to what He Calls each one of His Children to do. When He gives us Marching Orders He will open doors and pave the way – He’ll give us the Help that we need to do His Work – He’ll surround us with Protection – He’ll give us the Right Words and the Strength to do whatever it is He’s called us to do…if we have the Heart to Please Him, that is.

I wish I could make everybody in my world happy but it is not possible. I live out my Faith with Love and Compassion and I’ll extend Kindness to everybody He sends my way…with no regard for their status in life and no matter what they might think of me when I do. It Pleases Him when I “love thy neighbor as thyself” and it Pleases Him when I go about my Father’s Work trying my hardest to do my Work reflecting His Character within me. The Willingness to Meet and the Heart to Please can produce the Miraculous in the Mighty and Merciful Name of Jesus. Imagine that.

Is there any other way for a child of the Living God to live?

Seasons of the Heart…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The Fall is my favorite time of year and it’s impossible for me not to shout for Joy for all that He is and all He does for me while I take in the crisp, cool air and the vivid colors surrounding me in the Fall. The Bible says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” and the longer I live the harder it is to understand why everybody doesn’t see God in everything the way I do. I marvel at the Hand of God and how He has a Purpose and a Perfect Plan for each of the Seasons – from Spring to Summer to Fall and then to Winter with each one bringing beauty and blessings of its own. No two days are alike and no two Seasons are the same. To me, they just keep getting better and better while God Himself orchestrates the crescendo of Life that builds upon each new Season along the way. Wow! Isn’t that the way the Journey of Life is supposed to be for all of us?

I’m in the Fall season of my life and often joke with family and friends about being “old”, but I’m not old. I’ve been Seasoned by the King for such a time as this and I’m just getting revved up in my Journey. My Heart has been softened over time through the Trials and the Tribulations of Life, and my mind is filled with Wisdom that has been given to me abundantly every time I’ve asked for it… just the way God promises to do. I have Fire in my belly for the Living God and a Passion for my Journey and it shows in my eyes and it can be heard in my laughter. No amount of wrinkles or saggy skin can take away from the ME inside because of it.

My Priorities have been put into Perspective in the Fall season of my life and my Workload has increased as God finds me fit to do more and more work for Him. I’ve learned more about who my real enemy is in this Life, and I’ve put in the time to learn how to fight the fight that leads me to Victory every single time. I’ve never struggled with being Grateful for the Blessings in my Life, but the Fall season adds clarity to the Bigger Picture and I see well beyond my own life and far into Eternity…and for that, there are no words for my Gratitude.

The Spring of my life was filled with turmoil and uncertainty and I spent that Season living on the edge, hungry for success and thirsty for money. I managed to overlook good things in the Spring, and I made some mistakes that led to lifelong consequences. But the sweetest Gifts came to me in the Spring of my life despite myself – God gave me 4 children and it was through those children that I came to Know, to Love, and to Trust Him. I was softened in the Spring season of Life.

The Summer season was spent holding on tight to raise a family on my own and struggling to find the balance between my family and my work. My Faith was made stronger through the Summer as I held tight to the only Hope I had to see me through. I was “forced” to seek the Hand of God to help me lead my children to a Faith of their own…a legacy of Faith that will last for generations to come and with an Eternal Blessing that I can’t begin to imagine. I was strengthened in the Summer season of Life.

I don’t know what the Winter will bring for me. I don’t think about it a whole lot because I’m too busy savoring the Fall, but I DO know that if God has a Winter season planned for me, it won’t be wasted ON me. I’ll keep striving to be all the best that I can be for the Living God and I won’t squander even a single day. I’m pretty sure that you’ll see the Holy Spirit fire in my eyes and you’ll hear the belly laughter of Joy all the days of my life, and you can BET that I’ll be doing the Work of the King until He takes me Home. When I get to Heaven, I’ll be doing more of what He’s Prepared me for here! My Job Description has already been written, and My Name is written in the Lambs Book of Life! The Seasons so far are just a Dress Rehearsal for what’s in store for me One Day and THAT excites me. I was born for such a time as this and I’m in the “right” season and the Perfect moment in Time!

How about you?

There’s Only One Battle Plan…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s finally dipping into near-winter temperatures in the morning so I won’t spend as much time outside at daybreak until Spring. The bad news is that it’s too cold to linger – the good news is that the sunrises are magnificent in the Fall. I focus a lot on what goes on in the sky from the sunrise, to the harvest moon, to zillions of stars I can’t begin to count AND I’m looking out for Him in the sky every day. The “key” to all the disturbing things we see in this dark world today can be found in the heavens – NOT in a political party or a fit or unfit candidate. No amount of “reporting” can reflect the mind or the Will of my God and no amount of fighting will change the Outcome. I like to think that IF the warriors in this battle against good and evil could bleed, the sky might look something like this because my God can turn anything ugly into something Beautiful…and I already Know Who wins the War. More than ever before I am being Reminded (and comforted) that what the Bible tells us about our struggle is NOT (ever) against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms and that the Battle I have been forwarned about is being played out right before my very eyes. With my mind, it’s troubling to consider the future of America BUT with my Heart for the Living God and what He’s already warned us will come before He does…now THAT excites me!

From where I sit, there are only about eighteen inches between Heaven and Hell…the distance between the head and the heart. Knowing who Jesus is and being able to quote Chapter and Verse of the Bible is meaningless unless (or until) Faith is driven so deep into the Heart that it is Unshakable. At the first sign of trouble, the intellectual ones will begin to speak their own commentary on things they can’t begin to explain because they don’t know the Mind of God, and without realizing it they become pawns of the Devil when they do. When Daniel faced the lion’s den he didn’t waste his breath trying to talk his way out of his circumstances – instead, he trusted the outcome to God. When the disciples were beaten for preaching in the name of Jesus they considered it an HONOR to be found “worthy to suffer” in His Name. Unfortunately, far too many (professed) Christians are attempting to fight the Spiritual War based on their intellectual perspective and they’re falling right into the Devil’s schemes because of it. They seem to have no idea that they are powerless because they insist on “using” weapons that have absolutely no power over the battle in the spiritual realms. Intellectualizing what we see with our eyes doesn’t impress the One Who died for the Heart. He wants us to look toward the Heavens and not focus on the world ESPECIALLY when things are troubling. He wants us to Focus more on His Word than all the other words from all the other sources combined because what they say doesn’t hold a candle to what He says. He wants us to be Stronger (and braver) than ever before and to have “peace that surpasses understanding” at such a time as this so that the world will see where we place our Trust. He wants us to put on our Full Armor and Fight the way He taught us to. He wants us to face evil and to laugh in its face because the Power we have when we battle in the name of Jesus will send the evil one(s) running back to Hell. How can we feel threatened, scared, or weak when we are empowered at the mention of the name of Jesus?

As the world gets darker I spend much more time with Him than I do in this world to be sure that I’m Armed and Ready at all times. I know how to Fight in the name of Jesus Christ and, with Him, it’s not possible to lose. Although I have an opinion (and a preference) just like everybody else does in terms of this election, the winner will be who the God of all Creation allows to rule for a season…period. Nobody tricks Him, nobody steals from Him, nobody surprises Him, and nobody cheats or beats Him. He’s the ONLY Commander in Chief to hang your Heart on, that’s for sure. More than anything else at such a time as this, every professed Christian should be more Focused on God’s next move much more than the political moves designed to spin our circumstances. God holds the world in Palm of His Hands…He always has and He always will no matter who you vote for. Keep in mind that while recruiting people to vote in this critical election is a very good (and necessary) thing, it doesn’t hold a candle to Recruiting for Jesus Christ and the “results” go way beyond a few years of good or bad leadership…the Results are eternal.

How about you? Is your faith unshakeable?

I Refuse To Live a Mediocre Life!

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s bright, beautiful, and so full of color this time of year as Fall prepares the earth for Winter in Virginia. Everybody blessed enough to experience four seasons has a favorite season and I’d be inclined to say my favorite is the Fall if I’m pushed to pick one over the other. But truth be told, I determine to see the Beauty in them all. From the grays of the Winter skies that (hopefully) lead to snow to all the colors of the rainbow when flowers bloom in the Spring…I love it all and I love the uncertainty that comes with each one. Nothing in life is consistently bright and beautiful and the Heart will sometimes follow outward circumstances surrounding it if we aren’t Careful. It all comes down to the Condition of the Heart and how we are inclined to rely on the warm and fuzzies to find our joy. If I dare to meet with the Living God with a Heart that isn’t sad but isn’t happy either, rest assured I will be given a firm Reminder straight from the Throne of a Mighty and Merciful God of the dangers of having a Heart that is somewhere between light and dark….a lukewarm heart. My God doesn’t make mediocre days and He doesn’t like a lukewarm Heart. After all, lives don’t get changed by lukewarm, and Compassion can’t be fueled by it either. If I want to be Instrumental in changing lives with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then I can’t “afford” to be lukewarm. Can you?

Sometimes I wonder how God tolerates watching so many of His people coasting through this Journey called Life in mediocre mode. As for me, I refuse to live a mediocre Life because I serve an Extraordinary God who Excites me beyond words and Blesses me beyond measure…how could I ever be content with mediocre? How in the world did it come to be that so many people are content for one day to just blur into the next without much excitement at all? Apparently, people enjoy getting stuck in routines because that’s where they settle and that’s where they stay and they’re influenced by everything from the weather to the world because of it. They get up…go to work…come home…eat dinner…watch TV….and go to bed…and then lather rinse repeat. They manage to get excited every once in a while when they experience pleasure of some kind, but that excitement dwindles away as quickly as it came, and before you know it they’re right back to lukewarm mode all over again. It boggles the mind how even a single day can be taken for granted – but those stuck in the rigidity of routine will take each one for granted if they aren’t careful. Each day was uniquely designed by the Hand of God, and every day we’re given is a precious Gift, but we take it for granted anyway, and we look at life as mediocre. It’s only when we choose to live FOR God instead of just WITH God that Life takes on an entirely different “look” and we aren’t content with lukewarm because we understand the risk of staying there. We’re no longer driven by routine. We’re no longer stuck in the mud. We are determined to fight against lukewarm and we are willing to do the hard work. It takes a daily Meeting with the King of kings and a daily dose of His Spirit to wash away the mediocre and Light the Heart on fire. This is the key to being a Vessel overflowing with Love that He can use to Represent Himself, and it’s the safeguard method to stay clear of lukewarm in every area of life.

There is no doubt that God wants us to have joy in this life. He surrounds us with beauty…He puts people in our lives to thread it with love… and He takes good care of His children. His Word says that there is nothing better for a man than to “eat, drink and be merry”. But mixed in there with all the pleasures we enjoy from pets to pizza, is also the expectation that if we’re eating, drinking, and being merry we need to be Living for Him while we’re at it. He IS the Purpose of Life and He gets the credit for every breath we take, and yet somehow people are satisfied with lukewarm…BUT God will never be satisfied with His people lounging around in lukewarm mode…as in the days of Noah. When He was addressing the condition of the Heart of the churches in Book of Revelation, He had this to say: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth”. Something has to be pretty vile to spit it out of your mouth, and the thought that God could possibly feel that way about me and my Heart sends chills down my spine and propels me toward having a Heart that He can use instead. This is the key to living FOR Him…not despite Him.

I’ve put in the Time and I’ve been Energized by my God and there will be absolutely NOTHING lukewarm about me today. When God sends me off in a New Direction, you can count on me to leave every routine imaginable behind. When the world sees me coming it will recognize that there is something Different about me, and when it gets a chance to feel my Love and Compassion it will be eager to Know more. A mediocre life with a lukewarm Heart has absolutely no attraction to the lost world at all, and it doesn’t have enough passion to make a difference. Today I’ll be making a difference for Him.

How about you?

He’s Mighty, Merciful, and Powerful…STILL

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s Sunday – the day I recognize the Sabbath – and I’ll be doing my best to “keep it holy” as I’m Instructed to do. Even though church time is just around the corner, Time with Him is the way I begin each day of the week Sunday or not. I met with the Living God outside where the air was cool and the fog was thick and I watched the Hand of God at work over this old farm. This time of year we can expect to see fog as the cool air meets the warm ground, and I never get tired of watching the fog lift off the farm in the Fall. Sometimes it remains low to the ground until it dissipates, and sometimes the fog covers the entire farm from low ground to high ground and beyond. As I sat there not only could I see the fog, but I could feel it all around me too and it reminded me of the Shekinah Glory (the manifested Glory of God) and what it will be like to see one day…and I will. Some people have closed their minds to the thought that God can still manifest today as He did in the Bible…but not me. I Believe in the Supernatural work of my Supernatural God. Isn’t that what your Journey of Faith looks like too?

Sometimes I wonder how it came to be that people decided that God belongs in a box. To some, the Bible is just a history book and all the things they read about are just entertaining stories from the past BUT not for today. If the Glory of God showed up they’d excuse Him away the same as they do for so many other miraculous things right before their very eyes. Is it that His Supernatural Works scare them because they can’t explain Him OR is there a conflict between the Supernatural and the intellectual faith that so many hang their hat on today? Either way, some have wiped away all the Supernatural works of God as if He’s a past-tense God even though the Word says that He’s the “same today, yesterday, and forever more.” It must make our Enemy very happy to see us “muting” the Works of a Mighty and Merciful God. It’s interesting (and sad) that some people have been taught NOT to believe in the Power of God at all, and if that’s the case, they might as well “worship” a statue. My God IS the same today, yesterday, and forever more, and I long to see His Glory…and I will. Who in the world would want to believe in a powerless God, and why would they want to keep Him in a box?

It’s painful for me to see so many “regular church attendees” walking around IN the fog when I know that all they need is a genuine Relationship with Jesus Christ, more time in His Word, and the Holy Spirit to Guide them. They laugh at people like me and they scoff at the Supernatural just the way the Bible says they will… and they settle into teaching that tickles their ears because they hunger to be entertained and to hear what they want to hear. Maybe they have a Bible app on their phone but it’s rarely opened or read outside of the church. Sometimes they might reach for a copy of the Bible in the pew ahead, but they can rarely find the verse in time to read along because they aren’t familiar yet. Jesus really does “love the little children of the world” but He expects them to grow up! In fact, He expects His Children to Learn and Grow every day. He expects His Children to hunger to be in His Presence every day all the days of their lives. He expects His Children to be so familiar with Him that they recognize the voice of their Shepherd without hesitation or doubt. He expects His Children to know His Word like the back of their hands, and He expects His Children to obey the “rules”. That’s what growing up (or maturing in Faith) looks like and it’s the ONLY way to be Confident and Capable when the fog settles in.

If it’s foggy today, that’s okay – I can see the beauty even with my eyes closed. If my Bible was taken from me today I’d be very sad because I love it so much and I love to spend Time in it with Him every day…but I wouldn’t be lost and I wouldn’t stumble around in a fog. I’ll always have the Holy Spirit to guide me and the Holy Spirit will illuminate the Words when I’m struggling if I ask Him to. My Heart knows what His Word says because I Know Him. I’m a grown-up Christian still in the works so I Work on getting Stronger and better every day. I appreciate the fog but I’ll never be walking in it…church or no church…Bible or no bible…I’ll always have His Spirit and I’ll always have His Word embedded in my Heart.

I’ve put in the Time and effort to Mature.

How about you?