Watch the throne

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Colossians 3:1-2 "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth."

In this day and age most of what you know and come to understand has come from what we have seen whether through news, entertainment or reading. Throughout our days we see a wide variety of things that subconsciously shape our perspective on the world around us and give us a view point through which we are able to interact in our environments. Although this is a natural action for the believer it is imperative that we do more than just see naturally, we must see from the correct view point.  

The scripture in Colossians tells us that we ought to focus on the realities of heaven. Reality is defined as "the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them." Heaven's reality is that God is sovereign and His will is what takes place. Now since we live in this world but we are not a part of this world then we must adhere to our reality. We as children of God must take the reality we understand in which our God is alive and active and His will and power supersede everything else and bring that here to our everyday lives. 

In these days and times where the perspective of man is more humanistic than it has been since periods prior, we the free children of God must redraw the focus of the world's population off of ourselves and directed back to the throne. 

Scripture tells us of times in which the people forgot or lost sight of God. We have the people's election of King Saul, the occurrences of Malachi the 3rd chapter and the period in which Apostle Paul warns Timothy in 1 Timothy 4. In each of these times you will see the turning of the people's attentions, efforts and thought away from God and unto themselves. I ask you, how can a lost people save themselves? 

We cannot afford to lose sight of God in this season, we cannot with the enemy on a rampage, lose sight on our saving grace. In this hour we must "Watch the throne", we must look to God for instruction, correction, revelation, inspiration and most importantly redemption. 

Apostle Paul prays in Ephesians 1:18-19 "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him...." this is the same prayer I speak for those of us that are reading this posting. May our eyes be caused to readjust and help us to understand the hope, power and greatness we find in our Father God and His Christ. 

We need a hero!

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"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:17)

How is it that we define what a hero is? Is a hero someone who is selfless, someone who does things for others without thought of repayment, or is it someone who risks their lives for others like a firefighter or police officer? 

One definition says "A hero or heroine refers to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self-sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity." 

When we think of the world in it's current state, do we think of God first? Or do we think of what the world is missing out on while in their unbelief? As I sit back and just think of the current affairs going on in the world I see a great many things. I see advancement both economically and socially, industries attempting to thrive in business and commerce but most noticeable is the fear and hopelessness that seems to be taking over and reshaping the world. 

The bible tells us in Proverbs 13:12 that a hope deferred makes the heart sick. When we have lost hope in our lives, our business both professional and personal, and in ministry our heart, our epicenter grows sick, cancerous even. Through this heart condition it is my belief that we allow the normal trials and legitimacy of life to consume us to the point of losing faith. Shockingly, most of the time this goes unnoticed, it is not till the very moment that we are need of Him do we notice that we have misplaced our focus on Christ. 

In these last days we are in need of a hero, we are in need of a restoration of our hope in living again.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 says " What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again." 

Bring the two scriptures together and we see that once before God saw a people lost of hope and falling in love with themselves. The Father looked down and saw that people had lost sight of Him and because of this loss were losing their grip on destiny. During this time, being the loving God that He is, He sees the need to reclaim and reestablish what is His. Instead of punishing the world for it's unbelief and its resulting sin God sends Christ into the world to save it.

Brothers and sisters we are all in need of a hero, we are in need of a dose of hope. We need to be revived from the conformity of this world and renewed in the hope that the master's plans shall prevail. In not so many words we are in need of refocusing on what really matters in life and that He who gave it to us. 

Hypothetically speaking, how could batman, superman or spiderman do what they do less they had a people who not only had a need to be saved but who let them serve in this capacity? We have to do what we know is right and submit to God so that He will be able to move on our behalf. Let us not stand in the way of the very thing that we need and truthfully desire. 

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Suvivor

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Webster defines the word survivor as " a person who survives, especially a person remaining alive after an event in which others have died." For most, life has been a series of obstacles that have required this mentality or character attribute. Many of us have had to endure incredible hardships and adapt to environments and situations that have been entirely unfavorable. Life has dealt us cards that other wouldn't be able to handle but in the midst of this adversity we have missed the detriment in the word "Survivor". In order to survive one must adapt, learn and become innovative in a situation or environment that is not to the favor of its subject. This all sounds good but where does this leave the believer, where does this leave the person who has been born again fearless with unlimited power? 

² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

The model that the world follows is that of its forefathers, the mentality of this world is to make lemonade when life has given you lemons. For the one that has been given power to change the world, power to reshape circumstances and occurrences being a survivor is a hindrance, even worse it limits the possibility of becoming better. 

Apostle Paul rights in this letter that we aren't to conform to the pattern of this world, its no coincidence that this letter is going to the center of an empire that is reshaping the world to who's influence is still seen today. It's imperative that we as believers allow the Holy Spirit to rewire our minds to think like the king and not as commoners.

The bible says so many great things about the body of Christ but if you notice, positively speaking, the everything we are and are to do is written in a progressive and increasing context. Being a survivor goes against who we are by supernatural nature, we are not to survive but to overcome, conquer, defeat that which keeps us bound to limited thinking and achievements.

Who you rather just make it, or would you rather be able to find peace in escaping mediocrity of social and economical limitations? I for one am not a survivor, I'm a conqueror, I'm royalty, I have overcome!  

Me, Himself and I AM

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13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. (Philippians 2:13)

Take a minute and think about your relationship with Christ, I'm sure what comes to mind is how He has been working in you, for you and before you. How sweet it is to be loved by Him?! Truthfully the relationship most of us have with Christ is intangible but at the same time so powerful, we can't touch His love but oh do we feel it and see it working on our behalf. Metaphorically it's just like a volcano, a seemingly normal exterior with nothing special to describe but then on the inside molten lava, raw power stewing and moving. 

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!( 2 Corinthians 5:17)

The most encouraging part to this walk is that truth actually comes to pass, what the scriptures tell us we get to watch happen right before our own eyes. In Christ we get to shed our old selves and start over in the lap of His power. Christ uses what we've been through, what we have experienced and what we have learned and then forms that into a new person, isn't that amazing? As time goes on and the relationship continues to grow its like we forget that we were once separate, we forget the osmosis that has now taken place in our lives.  

20 My old self has been crucified with Christ.[a] It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.( Galatians 2:20)

As a child of God it's no longer I am but "Me, Himself and I am" that lives within us, we become the resting place of the God Head. Just imagine in a life that was once victim to the whims of the world there is now power inconceivable, limitless potential, and the blueprint to the master's plans. 

Be encouraged believer, son or daughter, God saw fit to chose you, to instill His belief in you, to call you to be one of His own. Be encouraged beloved that today is just one day in destiny and God is surely working to perfect everything concerning you. Know what power is fueling your drive, what strength in backing your ambition, what author wrote the book on you... 

Wake up child!

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When you turn on the television and listen to the news, it isn't hard to tell what times we are in. It really takes little discernment to understand what is going on both in the spirit as well as in the natural (John 10:10) As people seemingly just in the mess, helplessness is easy to fall into. Thinking, feeling and wondering what role do we play in all of this. 

The bible tells us many things about ourselves such as who we are in God, what we have been made to do for Him and His kingdom, and what power has be afforded us. What we must understand isn't solely these things but we must also understand how to utilize what we have been given. In other words children of God, it's our time to wake up, be attentive and be active. 

Acts 1:8 "8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

This scripture has been used over and over to explain what happens after we have received the Holy Spirit but we often miss something. The verse says that we are to be witnesses of Christ, that after we have received the Holy Spirit and His power that we are to show the world Christ. Well what did Christ do in His time, what was His objective in the world, what was He sent here to do?

In the time that Christ spent on Earth His main job was to redeem a lost people unto the Father, He was to sacrifice Himself so that a high price may be paid to equate for the world's sin. What good would it have done for Christ to do all that and not cause any change, it would've been like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. 

Children, believers, followers and disciples we have been given the same power that Christ used in His time to do the exact same thing. We are not only saving the lives of the lost but we are causing change in the world so that the effort perpetuates itself.  This may seem like a daunting task but look who we have backing us up, our power source is unlimited and just waiting for us. We are His agents in the world and He seeks to use each and every one of us for His glory. And as an added benefit we have millions of people to assist us, fellow brothers and sisters in faith, Christ had 12 and we have 3 million!!!

So I say to us all its our time to wake up and get involved in this world, we cannot be a catalyst for change and never make a move. We must pray and intercede for the world we live in, we must live lives that portray the existence of Christ and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, and we must be the change that our Father wishes to see in the world....

U.N.I.T.Y

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Currently the world has a population of approximately 7 billion people and of these people almost 3 billion people are of the Christian religion. This in and of itself is an amazing number, that the ministry of one God-Man (Jesus Christ) has converted this many people in 3000 years. It's amazing that the spreading of the gospel, the revealing of the truth and the increasing of faith over this time span has brought these many people to the truth. 

Have you ever wondered why it was so necessary for our population to grow? Why was it so important to God and His only begotten son Jesus that the world be converted and exposed to the truth. The obvious answer is that He wished that no man would perish (2 Peter 3:9) but think about it what's the game plan?

The word of God describes us as an army but also as brothers and sisters following the first brother of many (Romans 8:29). One of the reasons I believe that God designed us this way is because He knew that we would need each other. He knew that this walk makes us foreigners in our own land, causes us to stand out, and makes, by the world's standards, insane. The importance of the spread of the truth is that many lives would be saved but also from the unity of one another. 

The scriptures speak about the benefits of unity, as well as how He views the relationship and covenant between us (Proverbs 11:14; Matthew 18:20 etc). Together we can accomplish so much, we can do so much more and the effectiveness of this gospel can be strengthened by the unity in our witness (John 13:35)

Imagine how much easier the weight of this walk would be if we had people that we could depend, people that we could lean on when the spiritual and natural war has us battled scarred and bruised. How much more desirable would this walk be if there was strength in numbers (Romans 15:1-6) 

I believe it is the desire of God that all His children would be there to support one another, I believe that He is pleased when we use the power that He has given us to help one another, when selfishness has no room in our hearts, and where selflessness has became our main goal to give to others more than we have for ourselves. God being the creator and embodiment of love would reasonably desire for His children to give like He did, He gave His best not because He wanted to gain but because He loved us enough, subsequently He received His lost children and relationships with people who otherwise would not have believed. 

Now as we are approaching new times in the body of Christ and in the world as a whole it is imperative that we stand up for one another as well as stand in the gap for one another. Prayer goes a long way in regards to being there but so does a literal helping hand, a hug, a phone call and even a word of encouragement. 

Unity is defined as the state of being in full agreement, just imagine if we the people of God embodied this statement, if we were in a continual state of agreement, if we were together in all things for the right reasons. I once read that you'll never see demons fight each other but they come as a unified front, they come together for the task that they have been sent out to do. The demonic forces are effective because they complete a task together for the sake of the whole.  Surprisingly enough we can learn something from these fallen angels... Unity gets the job done, one man cannot change the world, the one who could ascended already and His disciples were charged to come together and complete the work He started....

UNITY IS THE KEY FOR THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST TO CHANGE THE WORLD AND BRING THE LOVING TRUTH TO A DYING WORLD... Question is, will we join together despite any reason we have not and complete what Christ has called us to do?! 

Please share, comment, spread and be on the look out for the next post. And as always be blessed..