Truth + Light = Life

John 3:16-21

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17) For God did not send his Son in to the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19) This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20) Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21) But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” NIV

John 3:16 is the hope and synopsis of the gospel message. God sent his Son to die for us once for all. He did not do it to condemn the world, but that the world would be saved through him.  But as of Tuesday night we have entered a different era and time. So many have asked, “how could we have gotten to this point? Where do we go from here? How do we then live?” What stands now in the forefront of the arena is ‘truth” (v.21)

Truth is the opposite of non-truth or a lie. But scripture takes the word “truth” further. Truth here refers to what Francis Schaeffer called “true truth” or full and complete truth. Man has his own idea of truth. Some know the true truth and other’s twist the truth to make it fit their own agenda.  Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.”  Jesus is the truth, and said in verse 21 above, that whoever lived BY THE TRUTH (emphasis added) comes into the light.  He said again in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  And in John 12:44-46,  “When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45) When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me.(I like that) 46) I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

When you stand for “true truth” and live by it men will revile and hate you. Jesus told his disciples in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19) If you belonged to the world it would love you as its own.” 

Standing for the truth can be very difficult and scary.  Shinning a light (or the Light) on the deeds of darkness stirs men’s hatred and anger because they love the dark more than the Light.  Don’t be surprised or afraid when men hate you for doing so. We can be assured that the Lord already knows this path because he took it. And when we choose to live by the truth and expose the darkness, He will never leave us to handle it alone.

How shall we then live? I encourage you today. As the days take on a darker appearance, let this day begin your relentless pursuit of living boldly by the truth (true and complete truth- Jesus) and walking in the Light. “For (because) God so loved the world…..

To Be Or Not To Be

Its time for an up-beat morning knowing that God is there and we don’t have to go through life without Him! Enjoy!

Deuteronomy 4:29-31

29) “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and soul. 30) When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days, you will return to the Lord you God and listen to His voice. 31) For the Lord is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.”  (NAS)

Please ignore the  commercial at the beginning. I couldn’t edit out.

I’m Tired

Summer activities are over and school has started back up. Its time to get back to a regular routine. Its been many months since I written anything on here and much has happened in those months. Too much to really write about. But in looking back, one thing has become apparent to me. In all the busyness of the summer; cares, concerns and getting wrapped up in the “junk” of life, I’ve been left feeling tired and alone .  Which brings me to this post.

Yesterday during the church service I felt prompted to read Isaiah 40.  Yes, I stopped listening to the speaker and lost myself in this chapter. The last couple of weeks I’ve been feeling frayed at the edges. Like if someone came along and pulled one of the strings hanging, the whole thing would come unraveled, leaving me in a pile of tangled threads. This feeling has left me uneasy and a little unsettled. Confession time;  “I’m tired.” Am I alone in this feeling?

It seems the world is getting harder to live in. People are becoming weary. Weary of dealing with family issues, health problems, financial problems, sibling conflicts, employment dissatisfaction, and raising children. Each day can feel like a trial. At times (even though I know I’m not) I feel alone in my struggles. This is how I’ve been feeling the last few weeks. Thus the reason I believe the Lord lead me to Isaiah 40. Listen to what it says.

Isaiah 40:26-31 Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power Not one of them is missing. 27) Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God? 28) Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. 29) He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. 30) Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous men stumble badly, 31) Yet those who wait (hope in) for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings (sprout wings) like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary (faint).

After reading this, my heart took on a sense of peace. I was reminded (again) that the Almighty God created not only the stars, but me, and you as well. If He calls them by name, then He knows my name too. He knows I’m tired. Tired of the cares of life. Tired of the effects of sin. Tired of the consequences of sinful actions. Tired of all the things that need to be done each day. My hope is in the fact that God NEVER grows weary or tired and knows exactly where I’m at and what I’m going through. His promise is that He will strengthen me so that I can continue on, day-to-day with His strength and power. I don’ t have to manage on my own, nor should I.

Do you ever get tired like me? Do you ever wonder if He even knows or remembers you’re here and that some days its just a flat-out struggle to maintain? Well, Isaiah tells us He does! Take comfort today in knowing that your hope can and should be in God and His strength and power to see you through all that bombards you daily. We are not alone. He does know our names and He cares deeply. Oh, thank you Lord for reminding me again!

Knowing More #4, Man, I’m Thirsty

How’s your quest coming along in learning more about Jesus? Are you still writing in your journal? I love to journal. But some times I go a week or two without writing anything down. Then, all of a sudden, I’m writing daily, like I can’t get it all down on paper fast enough, lol. We’re almost done with the month of February and hopefully we have a few journal entries in our books regarding our journey to “know more.” We’ve learned its Ok to desire to know more. It’s OK to ask Him to teach us more and it’s OK to ask to be shown more. Now let’s look at what it means to be thirsty for more.

As a parent of a just-turned-teenager I see how getting kids to seek and thirst after the scriptures is REALLY hard, lol. We adults aren’t all that different from teenagers.  We all thirst for something spiritual to bring peace and into our hearts. But like my newly turned teenager, we seek to satisfy that thirst with things like; TV, movies, books, video games, music. However, when you’re done with those things, the thirst is still there. Those activities don’t seem to satisfy that inner longing. Oh, they may in the short-term. But it’s not long and the thirst returns. There is only one thing that satisfies totally and that’s the Word. Sitting down to read the scriptures can be one of the hardest things to do. My new teenager says, “I’m too tired. I’m too busy. It’s too boring. It’s too complicated to understand,” etc. Believe me, I’ve used all those excuses in the past myself (gosh, I wonder where he got that from, Lol!). But when I finally set myself down to read, -one verse leads to another, and then another and before I know it, I’ve read a whole chapter. Then I begin looking up words that intrigue me, cross-referencing them with other chapters. Finally I look up and an hour has gone by. Reading the scriptures is like drips of water. Drip….drip….drip. Each drip feeds the thirst to read on, know more, saturating that inner thirst for peace. The scriptures say this about thirsting;

Psalm 63:1, “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (NIV) Here is the mention of thirsting and a place where there is no water….its the land of TV, books, music, movies, etc. None of those quenches the inner thirst, it’s a dry land. Matthew 5:6 says; ” Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Righteous living. The righteousness of God, godliness. Isaiah 55:1-2, “Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat….(2) Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?”  John 6:35, ” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” 

Jesus satisfies that inner thirst to know more about him. The more you hunger for him; drip….drip….drip, – the more you will experience knowing him intimately. This week I encourage you to bring your thirst to the scriptures. Let the “dripping” draw you closer to Him, one drip, I mean, verse at a time. He will satisfy your inner thirst for peace.  I promise!

Blessings to you-

A Sign of the Times

Cashless Society: India Implements First Biometric ID Program for all of its 1.2 Billion Residents

Brandon Turbeville
Infowars.com
January 12, 2012

Over the past few months, I have written several articles dealing with the coming cashless society and the developing technological control grid. I also have written about the surge of government attempts to gain access to and force the use of biometric data for the purposes of identification, tracking, tracing, and surveillance.<

Unfortunately, the reactions I receive from the general public are almost always the same. While some recognize the danger, most simply deny that governments have the capability or even the desire to create a system in which the population is constantly monitored by virtue of their most private and even biological information. Others, either gripped by apathy or ignorance, cannot believe that the gadgets given to them from the massive tech corporations are designed for anything other than their entertainment and enjoyment.

However, current events in India should serve not just as a warning, but also as a foreshadowing of the events to come in the Western world, specifically the United States.

Recently, India has launched a nationwide program involving the allocation of a Unique Identification Number (UID) to every single one of its 1.2 billion residents. Each of the numbers will be tied to the biometric data of the recipient using three different forms of information – fingerprints, iris scans, and pictures of the face. All ten digits of the hand will be recorded, and both eyes will be scanned.

The project will be directed by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under the premise of preventing identity theft and social welfare fraud. India has rather extensive social welfare and safety net programs, ranging from medical support and heating assistance to others aimed at helping the poor. Fraud is a rampant problem in India, especially in relation to these programs due to a preponderance of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats who often stuff welfare rolls with fake names and take the money for themselves.

Yet, although the justification for the billion person database is the increased ability to accurately disperse social welfare benefits, it will not be just the Indian government’s social welfare programs that have access to and utilize the UIDAI. Indeed, even before the program has been completed, major banks, state/local governments, and other institutions are planning to use the UIDAI for identification verification purposes and, of course, payment  and accessibility

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As Aaron Saenz of the Singularity Hub writes:

Yet the UID is going to be used for much more than social welfare programs. The UIDAI is in discussion with many institutions (banks, local/state governments, etc.) to allow them to use the UID as a means of identity verification. These institutions will pay the UIDAI some fee to cover costs and generate revenue. There seems to be little doubt that once it is established, the UID will become a preferred method (if not the preferred method) of identification in India.

Saenz also sees the eventuality of the UIDAI program becoming a means of payment and accessibility. He continues:

Ultimately, I wouldn’t be surprised if the UID, with its biometric data, could be used as a means of payment (when linked to a bank account), or as an access key to homes and cars. Purchase a meal with your fingerprint and unlock your door with the twinkle in your eye. Similar results could be expected in other nations that adopted biometric identification systems.<

Saenz, and other proponents of the UID (UIDAI), have been diligent in pointing out that the program “is just a number, not an ID card.” However, this claim is debatable. Saenz himself admits that State issued driver’s licenses and identification cards will reference the UID information.

The question then becomes how much of that information will be referenced, and how that will be accomplished? Will the information be included on the card? Will only part of the information be included on the card? Or will the card reference back to the digital UID information to be then reconciled with the information that is present on the card? Although the UID is obviously going to be utilized by other institutions outside of the social welfare programs, no answers to these questions have been provided.

But, in the end, does it really matter if the information is collated into an ID card format if the government already has access to that information digitally? More than likely, a national ID card will appear as a supplement to the database already created by UID.  Regardless, the private biometric information has still been taken from the individual. The database is still there.

Indeed, government “officials” have already stated that the database will be used by intelligence agencies for the purpose of monitoring “bank transactions, cellphone purchases and the movements of individuals and groups suspected of fomenting terrorism.” This will be very easy to do since the UID number will be entered anytime an individual “accesses services from government departments, driver’s license offices and hospitals, as well as insurance, telecom, and banking companies.”

Nevertheless, proponents have also touted the fact that, at this point, the UID program is optional. But the program will obviously not be optional for very long. As I have discussed in previous articles, the introduction of a program such as a national ID card, biometric data, or cashless payment technologies is always followed by the program becoming mandatory. The ultimate goal of an all-encompassing cashless surveillance program with no opt-out provisions is always introduced by stealth and the Gradualist Technique.

At first, the program is introduced as a way to speed up transactions, increase efficiency, and provide convenience. Soon, however, governments and businesses begin to transition out of the older methods of payment and identification and focus more on the new technology. Identification using the traditional methods remain as an option, but become viewed as cumbersome. Eventually, the alternative methods are phased out completely and mandates replace what was once a personal choice.

As soon as Indian banks, businesses, and government social service offices begin to require identification using the UID, the ability to remain off the system and lead what passes for a normal life will disappear.

This is exactly the intention with India’s new biometric ID program. In fact, the cashless society is a stated goal of the UID program. CEO of MindTree’s IT Services, the company that was awarded the government contract for development and maintenance of the UID, explained in an interview with ComputerWeekly that the “ID scheme will support a cashless society. He said all vendors will have a biometric reader and citizens can pay for things with a fingerprint scan. Even a bag of rice.”

No doubt, even after such an admission by a man who was instrumental in the development of the program, many who read this article will still dismiss it as a “conspiracy theory.”

Nonetheless, this new monumental data mining effort by the Indian government dovetails with recent efforts in the Western world to develop an electronic surveillance grid capable of tracking, tracing, and recording every single movement and communication of every single citizen within a nation’s borders.

New technologies which are being introduced inside the United States, the UK, and Australia such as vein scanners, biometric employee time and attendance systems, voice recognition devices, and behavior analysis systems are all geared toward Total Information Awareness of every human being on the planet.

Only a totalitarian form of government would desire this information; and only a very determined totalitarian government would actively work toward establishing it. India is only the first nation to openly sweep up its entire national population into such a massive biometric database net. We cannot let our nation be the next.

This post first appeared on Activist Post.

Knowing More #3 Show Me

So how is the new year’s resolution coming? Have you learned anything new about the Lord since we last met, or are your struggling with this path? Well, maybe this will help a little.

I’m still reading about Moses, lol. In the last blog we discussed how Moses “asked” God to teach him His ways. Well, interestingly enough I found he didn’t stop there. In Exodus 33:18 Moses takes his request one step further. V.18, “Then Moses said, Now show me your glory.”  

After reading this account, I began researching what was meant by “the glory of the Lord.”  The meaning comes from a word in the Hebrew language שכינה shekinah. It literally means to dwell, settle upon, or inhabit. We know that the glory of the Lord lead the Israelite people out of Egypt and across the desert while being pursued by Pharaoh. The Lord’s glory or presence lead them by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in a pillar of fire. In Exodus 40:35 the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. It literally dwelt with or settled upon them.

When Christ was born the glory of the Lord shown around about the shepherds and they were sore afraid. The “glory of the Lord” is mentioned numerous times throughout the Old and New Testaments. In Matthew 18:20 Jesus told His disciples, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Or “there I am in their midst.”  As we meet and pray together the Shekinah (glory of the Lord) is in our midst, around about us.

Simply speaking, Moses asked God to show him His presence. Wow! I wonder if any of us would be so bold today as to ask God to reveal  His presence to us in a personal, intimate fashion? We know he’ll do it when there are 2-3 of us together praying. But what about when we’re alone, worshiping, praying, seeking to learn?

So here is what we have so far, 1) we have our desire to know more, 2)the freedom to ask God to teach us about himself and now we can 3)ask Him to show us Himself. So here’s your “homework” if you will, for this week; in your pursuit of Jesus, ask him to reveal His presence in your life. But I warn you. Be careful what you ask, and don’t ask unless you’re serious. I believe scripture teaches that God wants to reveal himself to his people, and that when He’s sincerely invited in; He comes.

I’m liking this journey so far! I pray exciting things come your way this week. And don’t forget to keep your journal. 🙂

Knowing More #2, Asking

OK, so the new year has begun and the resolution we’ve chosen is getting to know Jesus more personally.

I was reading up this week on people who desired to know God more and I came across a few I’d like to share with you. Maybe we can glean a little information from these people that we can apply to our own situations.

The first I found was Moses. I’ve talked a lot about Moses on this blog site. He’s a pretty remarkable character. In Exodus 33 we read that Moses communed with God in the “tent of meeting.” But even more interesting (at least to me) is that Moses asked God to teach him His ways so he could “know him better.” Exodus 33:12-13, “You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.” If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and  continue to find favor with you.”  (NIV)

Now we would assume after everything Moses had been  through with Pharaoh and the Israelites  that he’d know God pretty well by now. Why would he feel the need to ask God to teach him? Didn’t he already know God’s ways? I’m gonna step out on a limb and say, “no.”  Here is why I say this. Moses did know God. God told him in verse 17 that He was pleased with Moses and knew him by name. I believe Moses, in all his experiences with God, up to this point, knew a whole lot more about God than most people. However, by asking God to teach him more, Moses acknowledged that he didn’t know God completely, fully, or as intimately as he  would have liked, or even needed.

So the first thing we see is that its OK to ask the Lord to teach us about himself. It’s OK to desire to know more. If I’m going to proclaim to live my life for this man, then I definitely feel it necessary to know who I’m living my life for.  Ask. Pursue. Get on that road of learning. Try making yourself a ‘to do” list and place a time limit on it. For example, once a week, seek to learn one new thing about Jesus and then write it down in your journal. I’m going to do it with you.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to blog more examples and encouragement for our “knowledge journey.” I’d love to hear about your discoveries! Let’s encourage and pray for one another in this. Blessings to you all!

Knowing More

Here we are at another new beginning. There is always something melancholy about starting anew. Maybe its the loss of the old, not wanting to let go of the familiar. Whatever the feeling, it makes us stop and reflect on those around us, the places we live, the times we’ve enjoyed or lost and the dreaded regrets.

I confess, I’m not one who likes to look back. I’m a future person and I like to plan for the next step, the next phase. I refuse to believe “this is it.” Age has never been a factor for me and I hope it never will be. I’ve tried things, been places and experienced things that have been hard, scary, and some really fun. All those things have made me who I am, or have at least added to who I already was. Never having professed perfection, all-knowing, or having “arrived,” I understand that life is a journey. That journey takes twists and turns, some good, some not-so-good, but each turn leads to another,…and to another. The journey doesn’t end on this earth until you breathe your last breath and hopefully enter the arms of Jesus.

Having said all that, lol, I encourage each one of you who frequent this blog to make one resolution this year (I hate resolutions myself, lol). I know that most resolutions are broken in the first week of making them. I also know you’re thinking, “Oh here we go, the religious sh- peal; take time for your Bible, go to church, memorize scripture.” Haha! Not this time. The resolution I’m encouraging you toward may include those things, but does not encapsulate them.

No, this New Year’s resolution is this; make it your goal this year to get to know Jesus better. I don’t mean knowing him through the pastor at church or reading the Bible through in a year, (although those are good things). I mean get to know Jesus personally. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been attending church; one year or thirty years, either way I can guarantee you don’t know him completely. Be creative. Think out-side the box on this. Determine this year to find out more about him, his character, his personality, his promises, his life and his desires toward you. Then keep a journal documenting all the ways in which you learn more about him.

I know people who intrigue me and I think, “man, I’d like to know more about them. Wouldn’t it be great to sit down and get to know them better?”

Ask him to reveal himself to you, to show you who he really is. If we think about it, there are so many things in life that are frivolous, shallow and not worth our time or money. But getting to know Jesus better will make all the difference in your world, I promise. Then when the end of 2012 comes along and you look back on your journal entries, I pray the list will be endless.

Today’s message to me was this, “Jesus is Lord” בישוע הוא האדון

My resolution this year is to experience how Jesus is Lord. Lord over all the earth. Lord of Life. Lord of my circumstances. Lord of my family. I’ll pray for you that your resolution will lead you to get to know Jesus (Yeshua) more. Blessings to you all.

watch for future blogs

Old Terms, New Times

I love the study of languages. I love to see how they evolve, change and adjust to the times and culture of the people using them. Watching old movies, especially westerns, makes me think about how words and terms they used then to describe their lives has bled over into our present culture and how things have changed from the 1800’s and yet, some how, stayed the same. I love in western movies how they describe going to church as, “Sunday go to meetin.” Ever wonder where that term came from? Well, I can tell you. It came from Moses. No, seriously!  We all know the story of Moses and the Israelites leaving Egypt and how Pharaoh and his men drowned in the Red Sea. Following this, the people wandered in the wilderness for about three months, when they came to Mt Sinai where Moses went up into the mountain and met with God and received the ten commandments. Encamped at this mountain, the people pitched a tent outside the camp where Moses went to meet with God.

Exodus 33:7-11 tells us, “Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the  camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And it came about, that everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. 8) And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. 9) And it came about, whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the Lord would speak with Moses. 10) When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. 11) Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to a friend.” (NAS) 

Moses would go to the “tent of meeting” to meet with and worship God. Everyone in the camp knew what the tent was for and would stand and worship in the entrance of his own tent. Each person knew that God was in the pillar of cloud and was meeting personally with Moses. Talk about incredible! There are certain times described in the scriptures that make me wish I had been there to witness it. This is one of those times!

John 1:14 tells us, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten (or unique, only one of his kind) from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  

The word “dwelt” means, tabernacled or pitched His tent and was among them physically. I love this too. Because it shows how God was the same among the Israelites as He was among the disciples when He physically walked on this earth. He pitched His tent with them and they looked upon His glory, His majesty as the living Word of God.

We also use this term today to describe “tent revivals.” A place and time to meet with God, to worship Him and renew our spirit with His spirit. Our country was founded on Judea-o-Christian values and ethics which come straight from the Bible. We have much in common with the people of Israel.

So the next time you decide to get up and go to church, remember you’re headed for “Sunday go to meetin.” Enter the tent to worship and behold His glory! Moses did.

A Good Read

I love to read and often have several books going at the same time. I attribute that love to my mother who always sat at night in her favorite chair with a good book in her hand. Once in a while a book’s message will grab me so deeply that I run around recommending it to other people. This happened to me this week after my sister was the one who recommended a book to me and it affected me as profoundly as it did her. Now I want to share and recommend that book with you, my readers. The book is, “Sun Stand Still” by Steven Furtick. Steven is the  pastor of Elevate Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. His passion is to not only see people come to know Christ as their savior, but for people to live their lives with what he calls “audacious faith,” believing God for the impossible in their lives. Having a vision for your life and asking God, with audacious faith, to use that vision to establish your life’s purpose and bring glory to him. This message so resonates with where I am in my life that I devoured the book in record time.

Everyone in this world has a purpose for being here. Your life is not by accident or chance. God has had a plan for each of us from before we were born. Having audacious faith takes the individual’s faith and trust in God and steps it up a notch in knowing and experiencing that life purpose to a new level. Here’s some of what Steven says;

“Time can talk you out of your dreams. Routine can weaken your propensity toward audacity. It’s never too late for you to embrace an audacious vision for your life.” (p. 30).   “audacity does not discriminate on the basis of age or disqualify because of wasted years. No matter how far behind you feel, or how many opportunities you’ve squandered, you can begin to ask God to do the impossible in your life right now.” (p. 30).

“If the dream in your heart isn’t biblically based, focused on Jesus, affirmed by the key people in your life, and tethered to your passions, gifts, and life experiences, chances are, you’re way off prompt.” (p. 25).

‘When you start developing your page 23 vision (his reference to the vision God gives you) – your old way of thinking will try and demolish it. Your mind will be flooded with all the reasons why it won’t work. You’ll remember all the times you’ve tried to do something great before- and failed miserably.”   “Audacious vision takes Jesus at his word.” (p.30).

I have a dream for my life’s purpose. I long for that vision to take shape and materialize. My ultimate goal is to bring glory to God in all I do, and to shine the spot-light on Him. I believe each of us (yes that means you too) has dreams, or things we have either never pursued for fear of failure or have tried to pursue, and quit because things didn’t work out quite like we planned. Maybe circumstances got in the way or maybe we went about it with wrong motives. Whatever the reason, you can start over again. Putting Jesus in the center is step one. Then stepping out with audacious faith, asking God to answer your audacious prayers in order to bring glory to him.

Let’s take our visions (whatever they are) to God with audacious faith in His unfailing love and power.

I encourage you to get a hold of Steven’s book, and see if it doesn’t impact your life to such a point that you will never think or see things the same way again.

“Sun Stand Still” by Steven Furtick, pub by; MULTNOMAH BOOKS, 2010