
Another Look at WORSHIP

(This is consecration and fast week for Vision Intercessors at AIGL. Below is a post I sent out today and thought I’d add it to my blog)
Worship is more than a musical experience. Worship is more than a deep engaging prayer encounter. While all this is good and could satisfy our relationship with God for a lifetime, the reality about worship is that it is similar to an onion… It has many layers!
I believe a more practical definition of worship is; Worship is doing anything in search of a deeper relationship and understanding of something or someone you deem valuable. Worship is the deepest love, respect, godly fear, submission and adoration of something or someone you wholeheartedly trust and believe in. Worship is to make something or someone LORD of your life (intentionally or unintentionally).
To say we worship our Heavenly Father (through Jesus Christ) is to say we have a relationship with him…on his terms, and he is our LORD. Therefore, worship might look a little like this!
Worship is PRAYER (petitioning God). Worship is JOURNALING (holding a discussion with God) Worship is MUSICAL (a romantic encounter with God). Worship is RESEARCH (searching out anything pertaining to God). Worship is STUDY (pursuing the complexities of God). Worship is MEDITATING (exploring the quietness of God). Worship is DANCING (celebrating God). Worship are THOUGHTS (that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy). Worship is HELPING (expressing the compassion of God). Worship is FELLOWSHIP (with the people of God). Worship is FORGIVING (displaying the mercy of God). Worship is PEACE and PEACEMAKING (reflecting the presence and nature of God). Worship is ORDER (maintaining alignment with God). Worship is LOVE (it pursues the fruits of God). Worship is LIBERTY (it will not control or confine). Worship is GIVING (of one’s self, time and treasures). Worship is HOLY (it is set a part). Worship is WARFARE (exercising God’s authority in heavenly places).
You see, Worship is more than the religious things we do or say. REAL worship “Transforms” us and the world we touch. Worship is constant and it takes on many different forms, and expressions; all seeking after God with all your heart with, all your soul, and with all your mind and strength.
Luke 10:27 NIV
He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
In a nutshell, worship is a LIFESTYLE that is passionate for God…Relentless and Resilient.
Encouraging you today, during this season of consecration, to commit to worship God but this time with greater awareness and understanding of the many layers where he may be found.
Scripture References:
Phil.4:6, Jer.30:2, Ps.104:33, Prov.25:2, Joshua 1:8, 2Tim. 2:15, Ps.149:3, Phil.4:8, Heb.13:16, Mark 11:25, 2Thess.3:16, 1Corn. 14:40, 2Corn. 3:17, Act 20:35, 1Peter 1:16, 2Corn. 10:4
CULTIVATE YOUR VISION
(This is a morning encouragement I shared with my Vision Intercessors today. I thought this might be a word others may need to hear today so, I decided to post!)

Good Morning VI!
Well, this morning I want to encourage you to CULTIVATE your VISION! To cultivate something it means to “Nurture” it. In regards to your vision, you are responsible (though your the walk of faith) to cultivate or nurture what you see in the spirit if God’s vision is to be manifested in some way, shape or form.
Understand, the vision that was deposited in you WILL require cultivation and it begins first with the measure that God has ALREADY given you. Ask yourself… What people, businesses, ministries or resources has God “already” placed in my life (given me access to) to help me grow in His divine purpose? What has God “already” deposited in me as gifts, talents, passions, and burdens to help cultivate His vision? Consider, this is the measure God has given to you to START WITH! Honor it and use it well!
Realize, it is completely up to you if God’s vision grows beyond its existence in the spirit! So, if His vision is to be manifested in the Earth, it will require YOU to CULTIVATE IT! FYI… and in the way He is leading. So, how does cultivation take place? It will require you to INVEST in something bigger than yourself! Why? Because that is where the seed gets nurtured. Something bigger than yourself could be employment (on the job training or to obtain needed resources for what you need). It could be education. It could be mentoring, books, training, research, industry networks, gaining industry experience, etc., You see, all these things (and more) will cultivate the small seed that God has originally deposited in you. Realize, without this, you will remain “just a seed.” I encourage you today to value the faith that God is stretching you into because it is the ONLY way that you will see your vision manifested.
So, if you are lacking in growth, lacking faith, lacking motivation and vision, then this is a sign that you are “starved,” under nourished and in need of KNOWLEDGE. If you are lacking in skill, and understanding in your call then you must first, pursue INFORMATION and this will cultivate INSPIRATION upon which God will release His REVELATION. That’s It! This is your life long process of cultivation. INFORMATION, INSPIRATION, REVELATION.
If you do not have a constant flow of these three things working TOGETHER, you will go lacking, lose faith and hope and it will show in your walk of faith and in your pursuit of divine purpose. You see, this is the fine line between an AMBITIOUS pursuit and a DIVINE pursuit and your fruit will speak for itself! So, this is the process for cultivating the soil for your vision to be manifested in your life. This is what your “initial” steps of faith will look like. I encourage you, walk honorably and wisely in what you have been given.
Below is a link to the Parable about the “Talents.” May it encourage your spirit in this same message.
Have a Full and Prosperous Week!
The MEASURE of FAITH
FAITH IS…The HOPE (substance) that inspires you daily. It empowers you to produce your hidden potential and causes you to persevere for your deepest desires.
Faith is Self-empowerment to produce Spiritual Realities.
We all have a measure of Faith to work with. We should learn to be content with the measure we are capable of producing on our own… However, with God, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!
Jesus look at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.” Matt. 19:26
“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 12:3
“What measure of Faith are you walking in?”
CALLED TO A “FAITH TO BELIEVE BEYOND MEASURE”
Mark 4:35-41New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Calms the Storm
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
A Lesson About “SPIRITUAL SKILL”

“HIDDEN OFFENSES”
Have you ever experienced people in your life that on the surface their relationship with you appears to be genuine although in your heart you know there is something disingenuous? These are relationships where discernment is critical because you could be setting yourself up for GREAT deception. In such cases, you may discover the hard way that the “disingenuousness” you perceive in others may very well be your own jealousy and pride and it can bring harm to a perfectly good relationship. On the other hand, if your discernment is warranted, then addressing it “unskillfully” can also lead to disappointment, confusion and even repeated offense. Oh God! How can we discern the difference?
These are the relationships where you may consistently experience argument, confusion or abuse either mildly (covertly) or blatantly (overtly) whereby in your heart, you sense if you were to confront them with your concern (without tangible evidence) they will conveniently deny your observation or state you misunderstood them or they will quickly correct themselves (confessing oversight and even an apology) ONLY because they have been clearly exposed.
These are individuals whose actions “consistently” do not add up with their words. These are people with whom your gut feeling tells you “something isn’t sincere about them.”
So, the best way to deal with people whose actions “constantly” make you struggle to understand is to “IGNORE THEM.” Yes! “Resist the devil and he will FLEE!” (James 4:7)
The Spiritual Skill to apply in this situation is from the principle of FORGIVENESS. When someone offends you, the Bible instructs us to forgive. (Matt. 18:21-22) This is not always easy in particular when the offender will not take responsibility for their actions. Therefore, you must seek to find forgiveness through God. This healing process is God’s biblical model and part of the “Ministry of Reconciliation” that He has given to every believer. (2corn. 5:18) This principle suggests it is best to hold your WRATH and extend MERCY instead. Otherwise, your wrath will consume YOU much more than it will consume the person you feel it deserves.
Granted, this is a hard thing to do. It is because forgiveness is an attribute of LOVE, which does not come naturally to our human nature. Love is from God because LOVE IS GOD and His love is SUPERNATURAL therefore, the only way to withhold your wrath and extend mercy, is through PRAYER (conversation with God). This is the only way to cause something nearly impossible to achieve to have the ability to transform our heart, mind and spirit. What is so beautiful about this is that if your offender is a Born Again Believer, the Holy Spirit will convict their heart and prayerfully they will submit to His will and make things right although, if they are not a believer, the Holy Spirit will respond through grace and long suffering and allow them and their actions to ultimately condemn themselves. This is also the same outcome for rebellious Believers too!
I believe the challenging part in all of this is that we don’t seem to realize that the transforming work of God, in US, may “Take Time.” Therefore, your full transparency with God and how you submit to His leading will determine how smooth of how rugged this experience will be. Rest assured, in any case, as you trust Him, it will all work together for your good. (Rom. 8:28) Yes, transformation through forgiveness takes time and too often the enemy deceives us to believe that God doesn’t really care about those who offend us; Oh! But HE DOES! What is both biblical and true to the nature of God is that He passionately loves EVERYONE whom He has created and desires that none would perish but would one day find truth and eternal life in Him. (John 3:16) You see, wrath is a great responsibility to carry and should be carried by God ALONE. This is why prayer is so critical in times like these because the peace of God can be imparted to you no matter how He chooses to handle the matter.
So, ignore engagement with people you can’t trust. A common term for this is “Pick your Battles.” When your engagement with certain people stirs up anxiety or animosity inside of you because of something they’ve done and timing is not in your best interest to confront it just yet, this is a clear sign that something isn’t quite right and you can trust it. Therefore, do not take offense instead, extend MERCY by ignoring their behavior. DO NOT even acknowledge their act with the dignity of your respect by giving attention to it. Only when their action is clearly exposed either publicly or is confronting you directly should you respond and when you do…respond SKILLFULLY!


PRESS RELEASE: “Mysteries of the Kingdom” Discipleship Book Series

Hey!
……………………
THAT’S IT! You’ve just Evangelized! Now, how easy was that! You know, it has always been the believer’s call to share the gospel (Matt. 28:19, Ps. 96:3). Just because it may not be popular in this generation does not mean God’s Great Commission does not rest upon us, we simply have to find more creative ways to do it.
The Kingdom of Heaven Has Come
“The Kingdom of Heaven has Come.” These were the
words of Jesus as he preached the Good News about the
Gospel of Salvation. Throughout the Four Gospels, Jesus
suggests how either we WILL or WILL NOT inherit the
Kingdom and it is based on how we live on the earth.
Matt.7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who
is in heaven.”
What was Jesus telling us? He was letting us know that
the message about His Kingdom is not entirely a “Heavenly”
reality as many think. In fact, and in particular, for the
people of God, it was also intended to be an EARTHLY
experience as well. You see, salvation came to the world
through Jesus Christ and it provided us a door of “access”
into this Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus death and resurrection
restored the broken relationship between God and man,
however, learning how to relate to God and live in
relationship with Him would be a life-long learning
experience. It is in this relationship with our heavenly
Father (our creator) that the reality of the Kingdom is
realized.
Once a person decides to believe in the message of
the gospel of how salvation and reconciliation came to
mankind through the ministry of Jesus Christ, everything in
the Kingdom of God now becomes accessible to them and it
is only realized after being born in the spirit and becoming a
Child of God. So, the mystery in this is that having ACCESS
TO something and LIVING IN something are two entirely
different experiences and this is the choice of each born
again, believer. This is what Jesus was speaking of. So,
what does it mean to be “BORN AGAIN?” Well, let’s look at
the passage of scripture where this term is taken from…
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CELEBRATING PENTECOST


THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER

In general, it is PURE STUPIDITY not to make PRAYER A PRACTICE. For what will you do when you need a miracle or an intervention that can only come from God and consequently you are fearful, worrisome, doubting God, and have trouble believing that God can, and truly wants to help you? I tell you, sometimes we can shoot our own selves in the foot! Lol
Possibly, you may be saying, “I tried prayer its silly…prayer never really worked for me” Well, possibly God may be saying, “Yeah, it became clear you did not want a relationship with me. You were more interested in just using me for what you could get” You know, possibly and just possibly…if you feel you are becoming cynical about believers and self-serving about life, radical in your relationships, well, just possibly, it is because you have not sincerely Practiced Prayer!
The Definition of Prayer: (The Apostolic Institute)
The bible illustrates prayer as the vehicle that enables mankind to communicate with the Almighty God of the universe. Prayer positions the believer for intimacy with God. Prayer is a form of offering to God (Acts 10:4). Prayer is a sacrifice (Heb. 13:15). The believer’s prayers are favored by God (1 John 5:14). Prayer is the vehicle by which the believer obtains access into the spirit realm, enabling them to exercise spiritual authority and power on a level playing field with their spiritual adversaries.
Intercessory prayer is all of the above on behalf of ANOTHER. Prayer intercessors commit to a tangible covenant agreement with their prayer partners about God’s will for their life. Intercessory prayer is cultivated and shaped in each prayer partner whereby God may utilize them as an aid through love, encouragement and their spiritual gifts to accomplish His objectives in their life. Intercessory prayer is defined as a position where one stands in proxy for another. The practice of intercessory prayer is a discipline that defends, protects and represents alongside and on behalf of an independent, perplexed, venerable or weaker vessel. Intercessory prayer demonstrates the spiritual stance, “We are Stronger Together.”
A bit of what the Bible says about Prayer:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18English Standard Version (ESV)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Ephesians 6:12King James Version (KJV)
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
1 John 5:14-15New International Version (NIV)
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
Note: Whether you choose to believe in prayer or not, one thing is for sure, there are millions of others in the world who are benefiting greatly from prayer.
It can’t get any more real than these amazing testimonies:
(Healed from Stage 4 Cancer with Prayer and Healthy Foods in 90 days)
https://youtu.be/5jwKRKLLVQA
(From a Follower of Satanist to a Follower of Jesus Christ)
(A Battle Plan for Prayer)
https://youtu.be/azo0aMgYPeQ
May you begin to cultivate a REAL prayer life, with the PRACTICE OF PRAYER, TODAY!
HOW TO KNOW THE WILL OF GOD

This is a question we are often confronted with when we face the crossroad of major life decisions. I must say that each time, in my own life experience, I have found myself returning to the same basic truth and that is; God’s will is not a mystery and God does not make it hard for us to figure it out. Certainly, the call of God will ask us to demonstrate faith in ways that might seem illogical at times, however, the CALL of God and knowing the WILL of God are two different things. Yes, REALLY.
You see, the call of God is an INVITATION. It is a call to simply trust what God is presently showing, speaking or providing you. With each call comes a measure of faith to step out in to receive what you believe God is calling you to. As you seek God in each circumstance you should be praying for discernment about what he has already shown you and NOT about what his will is about the matter. In circumstances like these, you may find that God’s will has already been made apparent although, it is usually the “shades of gray” or additional details that prayer will need to clarify. Realize though, these vague details are matters you couldn’t do anything with even if you wanted to. So they are not important. Although, too often we become stagnant in the steps of faith we should be taking due to fears of failure and what we perceive as the bigger picture. This is how many visions from God become aborted because we fearfully carry more than what we can handle when the only burden we were meant to carry was simply to trust God, move by faith, and allow the rest to unfold.
The call of God that comes as an invitation upon your heart will require you to only work with what you have been given. To follow what you have been shown. As more is revealed, exercise the same process. That’s it! The wisdom we gain from these experiences are priceless and that’s why they are a DIVINE PROCESS. The walk of faith associated with the call of God is more than often an unforeseen plan and most definitely not a cookie cutter process. It will very likely be a questionable journey, hence, our need to trust in God and have faith in what he has shown.
On the other hand, knowing the WILL of God is simple and far less risky. It is simply to consider the wisdom He has already provided for your daily walk and that is found in the word of God (Holy Bible). For example, the Bible forbids stealing; since God has clearly spoken on the issue, we know it is not His will for us to rob a bank for our daily provision—we don’t even need to pray about it much like the question of should I work for a living to provide for my family etc. I believe the hard reality in all this is that if we truly examine our heart we may find that in the cases where we feel that knowing the will of God is difficult, it is usually because we are wrestling more with wanting to do things our own way instead of God’s way.
Let’s face it. God gave us His word so that life would not be so complicated and this would apply to even the very basic things in life. Even further, He also gave us His Holy Spirit to comfort, counsel and guide us into all truth. So I would say, when we examine the resources, we have been well equipped for this journey of faith. The bible also tells us, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed” Prov. 15:22.
Yes! On top of everything God has already provided, godly counsel as another resource we can utilize. When we seek out godly, wise counsel we can be affirmed by God’s word through our trusted peers and respected spiritual leaders and with today’s hi-tech, social media society we can obtain this fairly easily. Realize that life doesn’t have to be as confusing as it may seem. Although, when it is, it is usually for two reasons. 1) Because we chose to follow our own wisdom instead of God’s, or we trust more in what we felt we needed instead of what God says we need. 2) The call of God will lead us into a wilderness where our peace and confidence will be found in him ALONE. These are times when faith does not route an easy way around but will require you to go through. These are probably some of your greatest seasons of spiritual growth and the fruit will later testify of it. So don’t be afraid to go in faith.
You know, Jesus meant it when he said: “I will never leave you” (Matt. 28:10). We can be certain of this because God’s wisdom is liberally given to us (James 1:5). His Holy Spirit is committed to reminding us of His will (John 14:26) and for many, no matter where we are on the planet, God’s word is daily at our disposal to search out and ultimately write it upon our heart.
BUILDING THE RIGHT WAY

“The VISION IS THE LORD’S.” As you embark upon walking out God’s “unique” purpose for your life, it is best NOT to begin the work until you have a clearly defined spiritual mandate which is your “Divine Assignment.”
Having a mandated vision (call) is critical because it will keenly shape your spiritual mission (the methodology in how you accomplish the vision). When this foundation is properly laid, no matter how rough or tough the journey gets, you will find that it is the conviction that comes from having a spiritual mandate that will keep you focused, divinely encouraged and faithful to the work of God. This is the anointing God gives to his “Mandated Ambassador.” This is what Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Jesus and his disciples and Apostle Paul had, and God wants you to have it too!
What is unfortunate is that many believers are eager to build a vision mainly because it gives them personal satisfaction, a sense of self-worth and productiveness about their lives – something every human being is (spiritually and emotionally) in desperate need of. Although, laying the foundation is so much more important than erecting the building. This is because the building will not stand without a firm foundation and it’s only within a matter of time, that the builder will discredit the mission if the foundation is not level and strong…no matter how beautiful the building looks on the outside. (Matt. 7:24-27)
You see, the foundation is EVERYTHING! Oddly, it is this phase of the building process that is the most uninteresting and void of form and beauty. Even further, after the building is built, no one cares about the foundation or values its worth except, the builder. As a Mandated Ambassador, your foundation is your heart, character, mind, body, faith and spirit. They are the foundation to everything God calls you to do. They are the substance that shapes your thinking and forms your core values and spiritual convictions. They establish your lifestyle disciplines and godly image. It is the spiritual identity that defines your God-given niche’ as a personal expression and how you will work collectively with the world and God’s people as a family of God. Your foundation as a Mandated Ambassador makes you spiritually authentic and it guards against prophetic deception through the light, power, and truth in God through Jesus Christ.
Truth is, many believers struggle with impatience in laying a spiritual foundation. We want to do it ALL…at the same time. However, consider, would you buy a house where the builder tried to lay the foundation and erect the structure all at the same time in order to speed up the building process? I wouldn’t, and you know what? God doesn’t expect you to do it either. So, do not despise humble, insignificant, obscure beginnings. (Zech. 4:10). It is the nature of God to germinate great things under cover. So, spend some time undercover until God defines your vision and mission properly and securely. Realize working underground doesn’t mean you are not doing anything. It means you are by faith, “piloting” the work of God and learning along the way. So the key here is FAITH, and sometimes God may invite you to “walk on water.”
Now, establishing a work in the name of Jesus without a mandated vision can be done, and it’s fairly easy to do and also recognize. It will often take on the philosophies of the world, along with its lusts and passions. It is unable to discern between worldly wisdom from godly wisdom. It resists authority and is sometimes unteachable. It exudes a human arrogance, uses flattery and may curry favor with people by acting in an obsequious way. It celebrates greed, focused on making money, fame, pursuing self-centered goals pacified by good works and if we are not careful, we might find this nature in our own character as well.
A mandated vision (like that which rested upon our biblical leaders previously mentioned) will persevere in the work, principles, and purposes of God in spite of money, praise and public appeal and will accomplish God’s work in the midst of opposition, and still succeed, with a glory that reflects God’s grace, power and truth. A mandated Ambassador will boast in God, not with a pharisaical humility, but with a realization that the power to live and build as God intended (in the midst of opposition) is a supernatural ability given to them by God, and it is not a power of their own will and strength (Zech. 4:6).
If we are TRUE ambassadors for Christ, we should never compromise the cause of Christ for our own desires. Realize, with every new level, there is a new foundation to be laid. So, it is best to simply get comfortable with building as a “lifestyle” and commit to becoming a quality builder instead of a bargaining one.
I encourage you today to value your spiritual foundation and don’t be ashamed to admit you need help laying it. Great buildings are constructed in phases and the most important phase is the FOUNDATION. What phase of the building process are you on? Are you right where you need to be or do you need to dial it back a bit? Are you repeating unhealthy cycles, easily distracted and getting off track? Are you living with the supernatural resiliency of God? The wonderful thing about building with God is that it doesn’t matter where you are in the building process because right alignment will always provide you just what you need and it will ALWAYS ensure progress, success, and beauty, to the Glory of God!
Register online to become a Vision Intercessor: https://secure.jotform.us/form/51810409927154

