Reach for the Sky!!!!

This guy came on Saturday with guns blazing aimed to take out poverty. And for the folks who came out I believe the mission was successful. The sheer excitement of being debt free was shown on the face of every person in the room. Joe gave us practical steps on debt release. If you can’t get debt free using the tools he gave on Saturday, something is bad wrong with either you or your math.

I am excited because I can see clearly now. I have been following Joe’s blog and utilizing some of the tools he has been talking about. But, just sitting there with him on Saturday made debt freedom much more tangible. I have been straddling the fence using his methods for a few months. I started out so determined then something goes haywire and I throw up my hands and throw the budget, tools, and common sense knowledge out the window. But, over the last few weeks I have been sticking to my guns and my budget, come hell or high water I will be debt free in a matter of months. Hey, I have kingdom business to take care of and can’t accomplish that in debt up to my neck.

So, KUDOS to you Joe!! You definitely rock!! Thanks Word of Faith Christian Ministries for affording this opportunity to all of us. Pastors Lyons you are the bomb!!

Where’s Waldo?

I was reading the blog of this high school pastor for this church whose pastor is this guy. They had a youth service last weekend and had over 1300 young people show up. In addition to that they had almost 300 young people give their lives to Christ that night. He also mentioned that they have around 430 students weekly that come to their youth programs. I am awed and amazed at the numbers. The fact that they can get young people to show up in those numbers is awesome.

What are they doing that we are missing? Ok, we may have those large numbers in a citywide event. But for a regular Wednesday night bible study…I have yet to see that many show up willingly. These kids are coming in droves and bringing everybody they know.

As a youth pastor I can attest that it’s become harder and harder to get non-Christian kids to simply walk through the doors of our ministries. We have the same dozen or so kids who show up to our little program every week. While other ministries in the city may have 200 each week or another church that has just three kids show up regularly. Why is that? But more importantly, what about the thousands of others who weren’t going to any church? Who was reaching out to them?

Getting kids to show up is where it all begins. How far are you willing to go to reach them? We can’t always assume young people will be there when the doors open. Many of them have no interest in coming through the doors. Some kids don’t even know the doors exist. There are an overwhelming number of young people who need Christ just in a 5-10 block radius of most of our churches. What are we doing to reach them? What is working? What’s not working and why? Is this cultural, social, denominational… What is it that we are missing in our cities? Better yet what are we missing in the body of Christ? These are questions we need to ask every time we open our church doors.

Pure Worship

Last night I had to pleasure of hearing Vicki Yohe live in concert. It was awesome, praise and worship at its best. Thanks, Bishop McGuire for bringing her in.

What I wanted to blog about today is the awesome phenomenon we were able to participate in last night. Vicki took us to a place that many of us have been longing for. She stood at that keyboard and began to sing a song. It wasn’t just the song, as she sang she began to explain how she wrote the song. As she poured out her heart. As she told us how God amazes her (BTW- You Amaze Me is my favorite song) we were drawn into something that is familiar/unfamiliar territory. Where did we go you ask, we went into Pure Worship…

The hush that came over the room was awesome. We were in a place that should have felt like home. A place that we should get to every time we are in “Praise” or “Worship”. But, most of the time we only look the part. We take imaginary trips into the arena that God dwells. It is a sad, scary state of affairs in the body of Christ.

One of the acts of Pure Worship is when you spend time by yourself or maybe in a group (such as last night) in a simple focus on God and God alone. You are seeking after Him and nothing else. The only petitioning is for His presence. No gimme lists. All we want from Him is to come dwell. When your worship is pure you give God the opportunity to dwell and not just visit.

When God dwells He remains for a time, He sets up residence, and He keeps His attention directed. A visit is only temporary God only remains for a moment. God wants to dwell in our space. Not just on Sunday’s or Wednesday’s, but everyday, at work, in the mall and in the car. He wants to dwell in our thoughts and hearts with His presence and glory. Worship is the avenue by which God invades our space.

Here’s a little homework for you… Today take a little God and me time. Set the table, pull out His chair, and began to thank Him, reverence Him, remind Him of just how good He is. Invite God into all aspects of your life. He wants to meet with you and dwell in the temple made just for Him.

Kudos To You…

I was reading the blog today of a radical pastor in Charlotte, North Carolina (here). In his post today he encouraged us to thank those who pushed (in my case pushed, pulled, dragged, and threaten forward in their faith. So, I am taking this time to thank my two awesome Pastors.

Pastors Lyons,

I want to thank you for being who you are. Your two are unique. I have never sat under leadership quite like yours EVER. And I count it a privilege and honor to serve under you. It’s only been 2yrs and some change since I came to WOF, it seems like more because your push to have me at optimum level feels like 100 MPH with the brakes on (thanks Crystal for that one). But, without your passion for excellence and genuine concern for growth I wouldn’t be where I am today.

I came to WOF a broken, confused, church hurt mess but you saw beyond all that and began to cultivate this diamond in the ruff. You saw more in me than I ever wanted to see in myself. You saw gifts and abilities that I never knew existed, better yet didn’t even want to use. You won’t let me quit no matter how much it hurts. Thanks, I appreciate that.

Pastor you have been pulling potential from day one. I walked away and you didn’t leave that night till I got every word God had to say. Right then I knew you were SPECIAL You didn’t know me from a can of paint, but you knew that God had called me to more than a pew warmer. And haven’t expected less since. You are the man!!!

Pastor J you have been my road dog in some of the toughest time of my life. And I love you for that. You are more than my Pastor, you are my friend. When the rubber meets the road I know you have my back. And I want you to know openly that I HAVE YOURS. Ride or die PJ!!! Ride or die.

I thank you for your guidance and your love. I am excited about what God has in store. I anticipate the moves we are getting ready to make. THANKS for pushing me. THANKS for expecting nothing less than excellence. THANKS for seeing me, even when I didn’t. THANKS for the pressure, because this lump of coal is so much closer to being a diamond.

Love Ya,

Cice

Get Rich Quick!!!! No Schemes!!

….Picture it Dayton, Ohio 2007. It was a humid, rainy day the room was full, anticipation filled the air. Tonight’s meeting was going to be like no other. The group moderator takes the podium and the room goes still. She begins to introduce herself, “Hi, my name is Cicely and I live check to check. Welcome to the first meeting of Debtors Anonymous.”

Not a true story but most of us are in the same boat, right? We hate to see the mailman coming. Payday is depressing your check is spent before you see it. You are sitting at the gas station trying to figure out how to make $30 pay for gas and groceries. Does all this feel familiar? Financial lack is among the worst areas of affliction among believers and non-believers as well. Most of us are in substantial debt. Others are lacking basic resources in their lives. Poverty and lack are not the will of God for our lives! God is a God of more than enough. He never has a shortage.

Financial struggles are often a result of a lack of knowledge. The key to ending this struggle is Financial Literacy. We must get an understanding of how money works. Practical application of financial principles guarantees success. It’s time for us to enjoy real FINANCIAL FREEDOM.

Word of Faith Christian Ministries is on a quest to make sure that anyone who wants it, gets FINANCIAL FREEDOM. On Saturday, August 25, 2007 they are hosting a seminar featuring Joseph Sangl. Through this seminar he is going to paint a vision of financial freedom and give practical tools to make the vision become reality!

Join us at Word of Faith on Saturday, August 25th where you will learn how to make money work for you so that you can enjoy success and financial stability God’s way!

For more information go to www.wordoffaithcm.org. Hope to see there on Saturday.

Speechless…

Sometimes the Word of God just leaves me speechless. You can’t say nothing but ouch or okay. And well in my devotional time with the Lord I was taken here. I didn’t know what to say, the response is based on circumstances and today it’s okay. But, you have to read it in The Message (I love The Message, it makes it so plain) to get where I am coming from…

³³ “And anyone, including prophets and priests, who asks, “What’s GOD got to say about all this, what’s troubling him?’ tell him, “You, you’re the trouble, and I’m getting rid of you.’” GOD’s Decree. ³⁴ “And if anyone, including prophets and priests, goes around saying glibly “GOD’s Message! GOD’s Message!’ I’ll punish him and his family. ³⁵ “Instead of claiming to know what GOD says, ask questions of one another, such as “How do we understand GOD in this?’ ³⁶ But don’t go around pretending to know it all, saying “God told me this . . . God told me that. ³⁷ “You can ask the prophets, “How did GOD answer you? What did he tell you?’ ³⁸ But don’t pretend that you know all the answers yourselves and talk like you know it all. I’m telling you: Quit the “God told me this . . . God told me that ³⁹ “Are you paying attention? You’d better, because I’m about to take you in hand and throw you to the ground, you and this entire city that I gave to your ancestors. I’ve had it with the lot of you. ⁴⁰ You’re never going to live this down. You’re going down in history as a disgrace.”

What have you read lately that just shut you up or sent you into complete worship?

Whose Slave Are You?

 

 

Rom. 6:16- “Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?” (AMP)

Everyone is a slave to somebody or to something, now that I have your attention…the question of the day is not “Are you a slave” but “whose slave are you?” Most of us are slaves to our jobs. Some are slaves to the habits that dictate our lives. Some of us are slaves to tempers that control our actions or reactions. Many are slaves to lust that control their bodies. We are all slaves and we obey these things that enslave us. We serve one of two masters; it is either a slave to God or a slave to sin.

There is always something beyond us that controls our choices. God is at work; Satan is at work. We are given very limited possibilities. So my question is: Who/what controls the choices that we have to make? What forces are at work to direct our choice of masters? Now sound off and let me know what you have to say about this one…

 

 

Are You Serious?

I am sitting at the doctor’s office right now waiting for my kids to be seen and decided to cruise some of the blogs and Facebook walls of the saints. And I am left wondering, “Are You Serious?” Why is it when we as the body get a platform to speak our hearts and minds we get SPOOKY? Some of the stuff I am seeing has me seriously wondering about the “saints”.

The internet has afforded us as the body the biggest avenue for reaching the lost. But we have to be effective. And if we are so deep that we scare folks it’s hard to win the lost to Christ. So, tell me folks how do we get the Word out and not be so Spiritual(heavenly minded) that we are no earthly good?

Calling All Single Parents!!!

Ok, I have a request for suggestions from my single parents… How do you do it? How do you make everything in your life mesh? I feel like I drop the ball often on one thing or the other trying to make everything fit. If I make room for this then there is no room for that. Yesterday was family night, something I haven’t done in quite awhile. Most of the quality time spent with my kids is in the car on the way somewhere or at night getting ready for the next day. I know, I know my super mom thing sucks. That is why I am soliciting the help of all of you. So, can you help a sista out… How do you make time for everything in your life and nothing gets slighted. So, come on post I need your comments.

Love One Another?

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

­-Leviticus 19:18

Sometimes our neighbors make it hard to love them, but you have to do it anyway. I had adopted a principle during a time when I was really frustrated with my “neighbor.” The bible says I have to love my neighbor but nowhere does it say I have to like my neighbor! I know, I know I can hear all the comments. I know it was wrong, so today I have been trying to get this “loving my neighbor” thing together and I came to an understanding. Loving others does not come easy, but it is a choice we all have to make. “Love thy neighbor” is not as hard as it looks on the surface, however, it requires the supernatural assistance only God, through Christ, can provide.

The biggest obstacle in loving our neighbors is unforgiveness. What is natural to “the flesh” when we have been hurt, abused or insulted is to strike back, to plot revenge, or to simmer in bitterness or unforgiveness. We take on this “I can’t believe they did this or that mentality” and refuse to let stuff go. But God requires forgiveness or He will NOT forgive us. I was reading an article and it made a good point… Remember as a kid when you were forced by some adult to “forgive” someone and were forced to “say sorry”? Most of the time you didn’t mean it but only said it to pacify the situation; it only stopped you from getting in trouble and made the wounded party feel better. Well many of us have carried this into adulthood as a substitute for the real thing, whether it is conscious or unconscious. We think by “saying sorry”, it is so. But, saying it and meaning it is different. Well forgiveness works the same way, do I really mean it when I say it or am I pacifying a tense situation?

When we attempt to achieve a counterfeit forgiveness by purposely putting “out of mind” the offense, we might be fooling ourselves and others that we have “forgiven”. But all of the emotions and hurt are still there and are only held back by force of will in deliberate denial. But then we see “our neighbor” again and all the bitterness and pain rise up again within us. Where is the love in all that? There is none. I am so guilty of this. And I hope by exposing the enemy I can and will overcome this, and I pray it frees you too.