Whose report will you believe?

1 Sam. 15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. (NASB)

Whose report will you believe? We too many time do what Saul, as in Saul and David, did; listen to man. We put too much stock into their voice, their rhetoric, their standard of living and being, until God’s voice become almost barely audible in our life. Yet, we say I am still standing on the word, we fall down but get up, or I am not perfect but I am here. Really? You are on the path of confusion doing all of this because man’s logical conclusion and illustration gave you illumination on a report that has no authenticity. But yet, like Saul we fear people, we allow them to intimidate us, or distract us long enough until it becomes our truth. So, all the words of God we speak are truth, but because we are living on a faulty foundation, we are deceived. See, God has given us His divine if then statement, if my people who call by my name, if you confess with your mouth, and try me and see if I will not open the windows of heaven, and if this is not enough, then check of John 15 it is full of if then statements. 

I started an intentional journey about three years ago now, and inspite the hell and chaos thrown at me. The support expected, promised, and believed, not coming from man, I never step away from what God’s report of me. Not always easy, because intentional actions, behavior glaring in my face, and I wanted to just take a mouth full of profanity and spew upon some folk, and bless them my truth, but I believed God’s report, and basked in amazing grace. His report pushed me forward, caress me into being reconciled until Himself, and I have no regrets of my choices, even if man does get it or understand it, but God. When we get it right with God by staying in the lane, you are supposed to be in, until HE moves you, it gives a peace, a balance, a rich enduring unconditional love that provide the quintessential rest we desire…

So let us take another look at this song, and see if we can get it right this time because He, our Father wants it all!!

I Surrender All
by Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896:

ALL to Jesus, I surrender; ALL to Him I freely give; I will EVER love and trust Him, In His presence DAILY live.
I surrender ALL, I surrender ALL, ALL to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender ALL.
ALL to Jesus I surrender; Humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures ALL forsaken; Take me, Jesus, take me now.
I surrender ALL, I surrender ALL, ALL to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender ALL.
ALL to Jesus, I surrender; Make me, Savior, WHOLLY Thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine.
I surrender ALL, I surrender ALL, ALL to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender ALL.
ALL to Jesus, I surrender; Lord, I give myself to Thee; FILL me with Thy love and power; Let Thy blessing fall on me.
I surrender ALL, I surrender ALL, ALL to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender ALL.
ALL to Jesus I surrender; NOW I feel the sacred flame. O the joy of FULL salvation! Glory, glory, to His Name!
I surrender ALL, I surrender ALL, ALL to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender ALL.

We need more than information…

Neh. 2:7-8 -I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? ⁸ And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. (NIV)

We need more than information as we live our truth to follow the example of Jesus. We will need revelation as well as information. We need to do more than just know, but get it in our soul, in our thought pattern, and in our perspective. We must own knowing right does not always translate into doing right. It is more than a new deliver methodology or being providing an example, model or pattern; it is the committed convince soul and mind.  It is the intentional engagement to produce change and the willingness to submit to the process of the enhancement or enlightenment. However, this difficult to achieve when we are resting in a less than authentic place with self and others. See we do reap, what we sow in this life; it is not for something but all things. We must choose with a resolute position to get it right, and we seek the right way to do. It is beyond the standing in your light but also providing the room for others to shine because you are willing to shine with humility, not arrogance. 

It is the journey of the soul where we move away from the transference responsibility attitude, and accept accountability. Walking in authority, living in prosperity, and praising in authenticity daily, and it has nothing to do with conceit but confidence in the one we are serving. We get it right, my doing right as a seamless unconscious way about ourselves, as we are depended upon God divine calculation and illumination for our journey. Knowing the way without having revelation about the way is only results in confusion, and we all know God is not the author of confusion...but guess who is???

No god is like My God!!

Galatians 3:29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (NIV)

As I listen to this song, I was bouncing and grooving to the words, then I realize there is no one like God. No matter what I go through. No matter what kind of problems I might encounter. The mean, bitter, spiteful people who try to destroy, impede me, He uses it for my GOOD! It is all God. I am one of the King’s kids, and if no one want to deal with royalty, then that is their problem not mind. I do not mean to be conceit or overconfident, but I am confidence I am His. Even when I out of order, He gives me order with truth and grace, when I stubble and fall, as I will, He says, rest in me and see my peace I give to you… Psalm 23:1 -The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing!!. (NIV)…it is, what it is…

Lyrics to God Like You by Kirk Franklin on his new album ‘Hello Fear’

Everybody wanna be like you they
Want power and praise like but
See there is no god like our God
There's no one like
Who gave their life you and
Who paid our price like you see
There's only one god that's our God
There's no one like you.

Who can touch like you
Or heal us like you do
We stubble and we stray
Til' you always get us thru
Who makes all things new
And comes to our rescue
Death, hell, and the grave
They could not conquer

You became just like me
To unlock and set free
This prisoner that was deeply wounded and redeemed
The me I could not see

Everybody wanna be like you they
Want power and praise like but
See there is no god like our God
There's no one like
Who gave their life you and
Who paid our price like you see
There's only one god that's our God
There's no one like you.

Some may worship things
But what joy do they bring
They try and hide the stains
But can they set us free
See where would we be
Without Calvary
A king upon a tree
So the whole world can see

You became just like me
To unlock and set free
This prisoner that was deeply wounded and redeemed
The me I could not see

Everybody wanna be like you they
Want power and praise like but
See there is no god like our God
There's no one like
Who gave their life you and
Who paid our price like you see
There's only one god that's our God
There's no one like you.

Healer, father, savior
Counselor, friend, provider
Was is and forever
That's why I just wanna be where you are
I'll travel life with you no matter how far
[x2]

Became just like me
To unlock and set free
This prisoner that was deeply wounded and redeemed
The me I could not see

Everybody wanna be like you they
Want power and praise like but
See there is no god like our God
There's no one like
Who gave their life you and
Who paid our price like you see
There's only one god that's our God
There's no one like you.

There's no one like you, there's no one like you, there's no god like our God
There's no one like you. [x8]...

Being Watchful

Num.16:28-30 - Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: If these men die a natural death and suffer the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me. But if the LORD brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the realm of the dead, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt.” (NIV)

We must be watchful of those we surround ourselves with because everyone that says ‘got you’ don’t care about you. Everyone that supports you are not into you, but are into what you are attached to. Everyone who says, I will help you are not there to help you, but to harvest what you have and go. Everyone who say, I will mentor you and provide guidance, is not there to direct you, but rather to divert you. Everyone who pushes you is not pushing you forward and onward, but out of the way. Everyone who say they want to change, only want to put old wine in new wineskins so that it looks like different but not. Everyone who wants you to get it right, is not necessary telling you, they are going to be right, or do the right thing. Lastly, everyone who gives you responsibility and authority will not always give you the right resources, or tools, because they do not want you to succeed and/or want you to stay dependent on them… But when you are watchful, and pay attention to the signs you are able to know and see, what is God, and what is not!...Being watchful matters…

Breaking the curse

John 13:34-35 -“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (NIV)

Breaking the curse requires us to first acknowledge and reveal in order to be healed and grow into our testimony. This makes you a part of the solution to the problem. Intentionally choosing to not repeat the mistakes of the past, in our life and willing to surrender self to God totally. To do so, we must step outside ourselves, our familial standards that are taught through words and actions; through our authenticity. We overlook, what we know is issue, and not own it's a problem for ‘me’. Forgetting God can not heal, what we do not reveal to ourselves but also to others. Don’t get it twisted, not everyone is ready to hear your truth. We need to choose wisely, otherwise we will be destroyed by those who we speak to, and you are around these kind of people, then you should know they are there for a reason, not there for you…

Many cultural core belief  hold to the old adage of - what done or said in the house or family, we do not tell- thus, we feed the cycle and guarantee its continual existence of the curse, we say we desire to break. We begin a diet of anorexic existence, what say we do not desire we create because we are consumed fear, insecurity, and confusion. It is not easy to let go, but we must if we are to live this earnestly with our Father, and fulfill our destiny in its fullness – 1Pet. 3:8 -Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble (NIV).

See, I believe we cannot live out our promised destiny, without living beyond our cultural, traditions and our secret sins/hurts. We only desire to reveal and acknowledge, what we think are palatable sins, hurts, secrets, that our societal norms deem acceptable to share. However, God ask for it all, so we can see and feel His all-consuming love. This cannot be done if we are hiding in plain sight with our tangible success or delusional denial of destructive behaviors. You cannot have peace, balance, and faith, with fear, insecurity in the same place; they are mutually exclusive. Perfect love teaches us not to be afraid of our fear, and  takes out the dark to the light when we are willing to reveal; unconditional love never stops...You do not get truth, if you do not give truth, thus curse is not broken. We choose; its tight but right…wink

God is always there

Isaiah 43:2;5 - When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze… Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

God is always there. He is in been, not been, as well as the not yet; God is still present. He is the wide-eyed providing light in the pitch black night guiding our way. He sits on the still calm cooling waters reminding you, it's all good smiling with every ripple. God never takes a vacation, a furlough or a sabbatical from us, although we take extended leaves intermittently from him. Thinking I just need to be away for a minute because of a choice, I made. As we construct our truths with left over perspectives from another age, or maybe we are so fearful of own greatest, we are paralyzed, because we just do not understand the depth of what it was done or said. We need, must understand God  logic does not work, operate on man's standard, but rather God reconcile man to himself. God is there, even when we do not see HIM.

God is there in the words of the poet or the preacher linking, connecting our soul, mind and heart to Him. He is present there in that space seemingly nothingness to you. He is the still small voice reassuring you, you are straining to hear because of weighty issues in your heart, confusion on your mind, and your soul is overwhelmed. We do not quite grasp, we cannot have complete fear and complete faith in the same moment and feel the presence of God. See, He does not take mental break, we do. God is there with loving eyes, outreach arms, and an open heart. We just need trust, and rest in the ‘must’ as a absolute He is…wink

Do you have the buy-in….

Judges 15:11-12 - Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cave in the rock of Etam and said to Samson, “Don’t you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us? What have you done to us?”  He answered, “I merely did to them what they did to me.” They said to him, “We’ve come to tie you up and hand you over to the Philistines.” Samson said, “Swear to me that you won’t kill me yourselves.” (NIV)

Do you have the buy-in?  For anyone leading others, this is important. In the verses above, Samson did what he thought was right, and his people did not buyinto what he did. Maybe he did not tell them because he felt that he did not need to do so, or he knew the people would not go for it. As a result the people decided to hand him over to the Philistines; he did not have the buy from the people but they would not kill him because they still have love for him. How many leaders move forward without the buy-in from the people they lead, and then get upset because the people do not support what they have done? Yes, you might say, but they agreed to be on the team, and I am the leader, thus follow me ,or why did they speak up?. We humans are curious bunch, and we might give a glib acceptance or silence, yet we have no intentions of doing anything. We have this thing of – I can show you better, than I can tell attitude. In this situation we learn in vivid color, two wrongs don’t make anything right or godly. But more importantly, we see no collaboration and not anyone working together.  What we see is parallel play, with no intention to interacting. This is because there is no trust in the leader, as everyone acts selfishly.

You will never get a buy-in from those you lead, if they do not trust you. They will never trust you, when your actions, words, and goals are selfishly motivated, and your track record with them is sketchy. This will result in your being a leader of none, and have a team of choas following leadership. If the leader is self-motivated, focus on my world, what I want, thus, so will the people because we teach not only with our words, but what we model for others to see. If what is shown and what is said, conflicts, we will always defer to what is done. So, if you desire others to buy into your vision begin building their trust and model the behavior you desire. Because even if you come out on top later, the seed of distrust and chaos has been planted festering until it can appear to get you…Having buy in is important.  The irony to all of this is – if we are walking according to God, and follow His leadership, He will reconcile the leader and people unto Himself, thus all shall align…We make the choice, but never the consequences or its impact…