PURPOSE = PASSION = POWER

You cannot make it as a wandering generality, you must become a meaningful specific. - zig ziglar

I had an interesting encounter yesterday. My wife and I were at the Laundromat doing our laundry (that is another story) and I noticed this other gentleman who came in. Now what was noticeable about him was how he was dressed and how he carried himself. He was out of place for a typical laundry in our area. He was dressed in slacks and a dress shirt. There was the “aura” about him; he possessed a subtle yet commanding presence, he walked with a confidence and purpose.

Now I did not really intrude or attempt to follow up, but it put some thoughts in my mind: How powerful it is when we know our purpose in life. Thus the title for this posting:


PURPOSE = PASSION = POWER

PURPOSE
Understanding our giftings, how God has created you will begin to focus you on your purpose. Knowing the arena in which you should operate these gifts further clarifies your purpose.

PASSION
When you know the authentic DNA you have been created with and how it is to be expressed, it will ignite within you a fire. Knowing who you are and what you are about, is something that no situation of life, nor person, or environment can extinguish. You have come alive with passion.

POWER
Now that you know what you are about and allowing that fire to burn in you it does something very important – it will cause you to focus. Now some things that you used to “just do” become irrelevant. You begin focus on the steps that will allow you to achieve your purpose. This is where the power now happens. Your passion is now FOCUSED on the steps that will achieve your purpose; much like diffuse light is focused to a laser and can cut.

More than ever, in these times we are in, we need to be focusing on our purpose. Let it ignite the passion in your spirit. Let others see the fire of a life on purpose burning bright in everything you do. Make your plans to fulfill this purpose.

“Set yourself on fire and the world will come watch you burn”

Detours & Destinations

On our way to MO a couple of days ago, I did not understand the directions given me by Mapquest, so I took the way I thought should have worked - emphasis on should have! Well, we ran into a detour. So now I am wandering around attempting to find a more direct route to my destination. Finally, I found a road I was familiar with and made it to my destination.

Today I was thinking, how many times the Lord takes us on a detour. We have our lives and plans laid out. We are going places. Yet in the midst of these we hit the orange detour sign. Some are minor, some are major. Maybe it is the lost sale, the change in routine, the relationship break up, job lay off, sickness, disease, maybe even the loss of a spouse or child. The one thing for sure is that they are almost always unexpected and undesired.

The challenge of His detours is that so many times we focus on the detour. We do the www: "why me," "whine" and "worry" about what we are going thru. (come on somebody, can I get an amen!) Oh believe me, I am preaching to myself! In my 48 years of life and 28 years of living for God I have done the www so many times. I am not downplaying the emotions or trauma of some of these detours. They can be rough and down right frightening.

It is so like my human nature to focus on the detour, when I believe it is the destination I should be looking for. Sometimes I may know the destination: other times I may not. Yet if I am His, maybe it is time I just have to trust him (oh now I am preaching - to myself). Unfortunatley or fortunatley in living in His kingdom, I have been thru enough detours that I am begining to learn to focus on the destination: where He is taking me.

I do not like the detour - but I love the destination

It is the holiday season here in the U.S. One of the most stressful times for many individuals. If you find that you are on a detour in life, please try and not focus on the detour. Seek Him to get an idea of the destination - look to see where He is leading you. Oh and check your spiritual shock absorbers.

Lord Bless

Man, I smell the turkey cookin'. Jesus, Family, turkey, and starbucks. don't get much better

Home Sweet Home

When I minister in other countries, there is this barely perceptible, but yet real emotional/psychological thing that happens when I return. It seems that when I arrive back at the first major US airport, there is this sigh and relaxation that passes through me.

After much thought, I believe it is not just because I am going home, but I have arrived back in the US. This is where my citizenship is, this is where I have certain freedoms and rights. In other countries, we are not always sure of all the laws and rights/freedoms people have. I have to remember, I am a visitor in those countries.

Paul tells us that our “citizenship…is in heaven” (Ph 3:20 ISV). As a citizen of the spiritual realm of the Kingdom of heaven, where should I find I feel the most at home? Now I know we must exist in this present world, but how comfortable are we? I enjoy learning the cultures of other lands. I constantly ask why? What does that mean? Yet, I know that in many of those situations, it is not as significant to me as to those who are born and raised there. There is this awareness that I am not of that culture. I am a visitor there.

In my daily life, I must remember that I am an emissary or ambassador of another kingdom, which is where I should feel the most comfortable.

Food for thought – when do you feel the most at home? When immersed in the culture of the world? Or in the culture of the kingdom?

What Do You Smell Like?

We have all experienced this: we can tell when a certain person is about to enter our space because we smell their cologne or perfume before they arrive. I know, you are probably thinking about someone right now (maybe recalling their fragrance). It seems in our lives, this fragrance becomes identified with this particular individual.

This makes me wonder, how do I smell? No I do not mean my cologne (in fact, I have had many compliments on my cologne). Paul tells us “we are the sweet fragrance of Christ,” that is evident in the lives of those around us, both “saved” and those “perishing.” We have a spiritual perfume or cologne that is noticed by those around us.

I remember, years ago, we were traveling through Tennessee and we stopped at a rest area by the Tennessee River. When we opened our car doors, immediately we were engulfed by this sweet aroma of the blooming lilac bushes. This fragrance permeated the entire rest area; there was nowhere you could go that it was not noticeable. It was such a wonderful, almost fairy tale like, place. It was hard to not want to sit, relax and just breathe in the wonderful aroma.

How do we smell to this world? Is my spiritual fragrance one that when individuals come near me, they immediately inhale the fragrance of Jesus? Does my attitude and actions permeate my environment with the sweet smell of grace, mercy and compassion? Do I create for them an almost unbelievable place, which they want to stop, relax and breathe in something that is so unlike this world?

Yes, maybe I need to go and check my spiritual cologne today.

Making A Difference

Wonderful discussion this AM with two friends at Starbucks. The three of us are in agreement that if the church (now I mean the biblical church, not man's) is to impact this world, we must be willing to step out and do things different and act like the church. I have another friend who pastors makes a comment that if we desire to see the book of Acts type powerful revelation of God, we must start acting like the people/church of the book of acts.

I ministered a message this year entitled "The Difference is the Difference." In short, if we want to make a difference, we must be different. If we desire to impact this world with the Kingdom of Heaven, we must act or demonstrate that we are in/part of this kingdom. Jesus' first message was "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." This word repent in the original means to change your thinking. If we want to possess/demonstrate/reveal the kingdom, we must first change our way of thinking. If we change our thinking, we will act different or be different.

If we are to make a difference we must be different.

Apostolic Notes

Just released latest edition of Apostolic Notes, an ezine that we publish about monthly. The topic of this one is "Send It On Down." It deals with the attidude that we are waiting for God to pour out on us some special anointing and we will become instantly powerful, walking in apostolic authority.

However, the biblical truth is we are to walk led of the Spirit in us and by faith demonstrate what we are being shown by the Spirit. Check it out at: www.apostolicmissions.org/senditondown.html