I BELIEVE!!!

My beautiful girlfriend Claudia wrote this and it moved me to sit in His presence grateful for the fact that I share the same beliefs she does! So, I celebrate her by sharing it here on my blog.

As you read it, I ask you what do you believe?!

I believe that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distances. The same goes for true love.

I believe that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take it's place.

I believe that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I believe that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want him or her to doesn't mean they don't love you with all he or she has.

I believe that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe that you shouldn't be eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I believe that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe that your life can be changed, in a matter of hours, by people who don't even know you.

I believe that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I believe that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon...

Is Submission To God A Loss Of Freedom?

Many people believe that if they submit their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, they will lose their freedom; they cannot do anything that they want to do in life. A tragic flaw in this reasoning is that a person who is not under the lordship of Jesus is not free. The Bible says that you are in bondage to sin, to the lusts of your own flesh, to the whims of an evil spiritual opponent who wishes you destroyed, and to a world that is alienated from the one who brings true freedom. Or as Bob Dylan put it:

You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may the Lord
but you're gonna have to serve somebody.
(http://bobdylan.com/songs/serve.html)

This myth then precipitates another lie: You can be a disciple of Jesus without a radical submission to Jesus in every area of your life. This desire to have it both ways took on a very seductive heresy a few years ago when we heard about Jesus being our Savior but not our Lord. This is a lie. If He is not Lord, He is not Savior.

Simply put, you cannot serve two masters! In both Matthew and Luke this statement references serving God and money. Jesus says you will inevitably love one and hate the other. The same is true of serving God and Satan. ultimately, one will bring a comfort and devotion and the other will be completely uncomfortable and unwanted. Which will be the one that brings you comfort and devotion? God or Satan? In choosing God there is freedom. Im choosing Satan there is bondage of every kind. Look into the eyes of those whose choice is not God. You will see a deep, dark, torture. Their life is never peaceful, their spirit is never at peace.

Prayer for Today: Help me Lord to know that there is no loss of freedom, yet a full measure of freedom, in submitting to you in my life. Be my Savior and let me live in the protected, provided for, reality that a life with you brings!

A Hard Truth!!!

I struggled for several weeks with whether I should really answer a question that a friend, wanting my opinion, posed to me. I didn't struggle with the wisdom I would share. Nor did I struggle with my ability to communicate the truth in a way for it to be understood. My struggle wasn't even about my friend’s reaction or our relationship long-term. My uneasiness was focused on the lifestyle adjustments that this new wisdom would require. It would require him to do one of the hardest things in life to do. And that is, change.

It was a hard truth that needed to be heard, but it would be much harder to implement and live by.

This is the same reality that we face in the area of holiness. Many of you that are reading this today know that holiness is not a denomination, nor a cultural phenomenon. It is a biblical mandate that still holds true, despite its branding of being out of date, out of style, or even that it requires what I call 'spooky religious' behavior.

The mandate of holiness is a hard truth that can be hard to discuss and converse about, but it still requires change, accountability, consistency, maturity and obedience.

New believers don't believe that it's attainable. 'Churched' Christians minimize it as old fashioned. Carnal Christians ignore it. And rigid (Pharisaic) Christians use it (the concept) as weapons to belittle and manipulate others.

With all of this division, God’s Word still carries the expectation and requirement that holiness is the standard, which leads us to the question: If God’s Word expects it, how do we actually live that out in our daily lives?

1 Peter 1: 13-16 provides clear instruction on this process of moving toward holiness. Indeed, it is a process that is more marathon and triathlon than sprint and quick jogs. This passage shows us in a very practical way how to begin to live out holiness in our daily life.

Peter writes to believers, in a simple approach, that we must:

1. Prepare Ourselves (v. 13)
2. Purge Ourselves (v. 13)
3. Position Ourselves (v. 14)
4. Purpose Ourselves (v. 14)

We prepare our hearts, minds and bodies to act in a way that pleases God. This requires an intentional plan of action that puts us on alert to doing God’s will. It is the same effect as when we drive a car and immediately our sense of lawfulness arises and we begin to check our speed, confirm that we are buckled in, ponder our tag expiration, etc. When we prepare for holiness, we alert ourselves to the presence of God.

We purge our hearts, mind and bodies of things that don’t reflect the character and nature of God. The good news is that God doesn’t require us to complete this process alone. He has offered the Holy Spirit to be an active part of our lives and thus enable us to live according His Word.

We position ourselves on the hope that the grace of Jesus Christ provides. This provision is one that is of faith, hope and love – all of which are unconditional. We position ourselves to live holy lifestyles when we extend to others what we have been recipients of.

Finally, we purpose and commit to living holy regardless of the adjustments, change and awkwardness it takes. The tension that comes from pursuing God is well worth enduring and embracing. This hard truth may hurt our toes, but it’ll help us walk better.

Scripture Of The Day: "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do." - 1 Peter 1: 14-15 (NIV)

By Overseer Christopher J. Harris

This week's topic: Holiness

YOUR LIFE IS AN ALTAR!!!

As I travel my path, the best I can provide as a guide to others, is that they truly understand how powerfully placed they are. It is when we don't really believe that God has erected us in our current situations and environments because He is doing something there that we diminish the power of the altar He has built out of our very lives.

Have you ever considered why the attack on your life and ministry amplifies as the intensity with which you press into the realm of the spirit increases? What if I told you that your life, much like that of the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizes God’s presence? The fact is, the devil trembles as the sound of your voice engaged in prayer echoes through the heavenlies. He trembles because you and I are walking, living, breathing altars.

In ancient times, and still today, altars served the purpose of being a place where sacrifice and offerings were presented to a deity. Due to the intensity of worship that was performed at these structures, they functioned as flags, signifying territory and ownership. In other words, altars spoke to their environment and dictated the lordship of that territory. Hence, there was a consistent struggle in the Old Testament as Israel’s polytheistic neighbours sought to replace the altars of God with the altars of Baal and Ashteroth amongst others.

Know this: where altars are erected, principalities wage war. Therefore, God instructs the Israelites in Deuteronomy 12:2, “Ruthlessly demolish all the sacred shrines where the nations that you're driving out worship their gods—wherever you find them, on hills and mountains or in groves of green trees. Tear apart their altars ... obliterate the names of those god sites.” (The Message)

When we walk in holiness, undefiled by the systems of the world, we stand as altars erected strategically throughout the land, draped and dripping with the blood of Christ. The presence of our lives then, as altars, tells the enemy that we will not hand over this space or territory without a fight. We are altars erected in our homes, on our teams, in our places of work, our cities and our nation. YOU ARE AN ALTAR OF GOD! A symbol, a reminder, of His presence and His intentions to destroy the enemy that is gripping and controlling those around you.

However, broken altars surrender territory; hence we must guard our altars diligently. In other words, when we walk in unrighteousness and allow sin to corrode our spirits, we surrender precious territory to the enemy. We must NOT compromise. What if you walked into a church, with a friend, and the cross had a naked woman, or a buddha hanging next to it? The cross would lose some power to the other images placed along with it.

Today, do not take it lightly; your life is an altar that affects the atmosphere around you. You are a symbol of hope, and power, and change. Therefore, live a life of holiness.

Scripture Of The Day: “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” - Psalm 29:2 (NKJV)

(Thanks to: Kerri-Ann Haye-Donawa)

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!

“O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”
2 Chronicles 20:12

Have you ever been there? At a place in life where the troubles and problems before you are so great and so numerous that you don’t know what to do?

In the Old Testament, good and godly King Jehoshaphat found himself in that uncomfortable place. The enemies of Judah had banded together to make a super army … and they were coming to wipe God’s people off the map. The circumstances were dire and destruction seemed certain.

Jehoshaphat did not know what to do except pray and get his eyes on the Lord. And that is exactly what God wanted him to do. When he took his eyes off his problems and put them on the Lord, God responded in mighty power.

IN YOUR PROBLEMS

Are you facing great and frightening problems today? Is it cancer? Is a layoff coming? Is the marriage ending? Is some destructive addiction taking you down? Is the devil coming at you with both barrels?

What do you do when life seems to be caving in all around you?

You join with Jehoshaphat and honestly say, “God, I am powerless in this problem I am facing, and I don’t know what to do. But I choose to take my eyes off my problems and put them squarely on You.”

You see, you and I are not able to handle the problems of life, but God is able. And God will arise in your trouble IF IF IF you will just look to Him and trust Him, no matter what.

THE POWER OF PRAISE

In the story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, it is interesting to note that God told him:

1. Do not be afraid because I am with you.
2. Do not be dismayed because I am able.
3. Do not think this is your battle because it is Mine!

How’s that for an answer to prayer! So, the people gathered the next day to face the enemy. Judah’s army was ready, but they did not have to fight. In fact, it was the choir who led the army out to the battlefield. And when the choir began to sing and praise the Lord, the Lord responded to their praise (their praise was proof of genuine faith) and routed the enemy before their very eyes. WOW!

What to do when you don’t know what to do? Get your eyes on the Lord and praise Him! There is great power in praise! Praise shows God you know He is in control, and you trust Him.

The wonderful old song says it best:

When you’re up against a struggle, that shatters all your dreams.
And your hopes have been cruelly crushed by Satan’s manifested schemes.
When you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fear,
Don’t let the faith you’re standing in seem to disappear.

Praise the Lord. He can work through those who praise Him.
Praise the Lord. For our God inhabits praise.
Praise the Lord. For the chains that seem to bind you,
serve only to remind you, that they drop powerless behind you,
when you praise Him.

Read 2 Chronicles Chapter 20 today and be blessed as you trust God to see you through.

(Pastor Jeff Schreve)

His Love, New York, & The WIE Symposium

Good Morning fellow 'Hip Girls.' As your guide down the road to a deeper spirituality I am moved by something in particular this morning.

First of all, I MC'd this years WIE Symposium in New York City this past weekend. WIE is for Women. Inspiration. Enterprise. As you can imagine there were plenty of powerful, famous, women present. There were even some powerful, famous, men; ala Ted Turner and Hugh Jackman....ahhh so easy on the eyes and what a lovely man and husband!

Anyway, beauty was everywhere, because in New York City everything must meet a certain criteria for excellence and beauty that surpasses anything else in the world. Truly, walking down Madison Avenue, strolling through Bergdorf Goodman, I was struck by just how BEAUTIFUL and elegant and luxurious the creative aesthetic of this city is. The best of the best in creative vision is all that emerges to the front. The best of the best in thought, service, fashion, and art is everywhere. The city is a collection of the world's finest. And, there will always be a turnout of gorgeous women, Supermodels even, young and younger. Iman, still eclipses them all!

This very complicated and amazing mix of all things beautiful was tremendously eclipsed by another complex, yet very simple, greater beauty. For me there is a deeper truth that is so much deeper, so much more creative, so much more alive than all that I saw on parade.

What I wanted to add to WIE 2011, however, in addition to keeping the business of the day rolling smoothly for my gorgeous and talented friend, June Sarpong, who co-founded the event, was an element of this greater beauty that eclipses all of the most beautiful finery this world has to offer; God's grace and love. I wanted the truth of Jesus Christ to emanate from my eyes and heart like a bright shining light, because after all, why else would the Lord even allow me to be there. I am long past doing things on my own initiative. I don't even care too. I pray first. I listen. I get a yes or a no from deep inside that comes from way up high...and I proceed or back out. Since I heard a yes, I proceeded to hop a flight to NYC for an enjoyable few days in which I was used again, in that gloriously satisfying way that occurs when it's God doing the using. You know like the old song says:

"If it feels this good gettin' used then just keep on usin' me...Until you use me up!"

So, I let His light shine in me and when asked, 100 times what are you working on, I got to explain what inner healing really is. The kind of inner healing that comes from the power of the Word, the mission of Jesus Christ, and the release of the spirit from it's own emotional captivity! Hallelujah!!!

Some women said, "No I mean in television." Laugh. To which I answered "only that which God would have me do." I know they were dissatisfied with that answer. Yet, truly, who cares?! I care that someone was dissatisfied by my answer, but I don't care what I am working on in television. I have a couple things I am actually Executive Producing right now. One very Big thing. But, who cares?! I even have things I am writing and finishing and deals I am brokering for a lot of money, which I like to refer to as a 'bigger tithe!' But, who cares?! Except about the fact that I can give a bigger tithe, anyway.

Really, who cares about exterior beauty, fashion, art, the best of the best in all things luxurious, whose famous, whose not, who wore what, who made what, who designed what, who said what, who was there, who was not there, which restaurant is the most 'in' right now, which car is the fastest, whose dating who, whose coming to the party?! WHO CARES?!

My point? My point is that all that we do, if not done for the glory of God, is worthless! It's idle talk and vanity, at best.

Inside God's will there is no failure. Outside God's will there is no success! No real success. There is just one failed attempt after the next, and a growing hole in the heart, because when getting more worldly success doesn't fix that inner hole, or alleviate those inner fears, or get rid of those inner demons, WHO CARES?!

So, what I am working on is the healing of His kingdom. The sharing of the good news. The binding up of broken hearts and the setting free of captives. I care about what God cares about. And, it's no coincidence that this was the announcement of what Jesus Christ's ministry was all about, because my work, as all of our work should be, is modeled after Him:

"The spirit of the Sovreign Lord is upon me, because the LORD has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up (heal) the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners." (Isaiah 61:1)

I firmly believe that if we are about HIS business, He will be about OURS. There is little we need to pursue, chase after, dress up for, or woo...except Him! This awareness has caused me to make Him the object of my affections in such a way that I am moved to the core by my passion and love for Him. This love places a burden on my heart that all would understand the Love that is theirs too in Christ Jesus.

I often share a wonderful song, written by John Mark McMillan, called He Love Us. If you lose yourself in the truth of the truth he is singing about you cannot help but understand...

He is jealous for me,

He Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain ANY regrets,
When I think about, the way…He Loves Us

If I can share, or shared, ANYTHING that reflects the power of His LOVE then I have succeeded. So, as the MC of an extremely successful event in worldly terms, my success in it was found in those who listened with curiosity in their eyes, and hugged me back with love and acceptance, and saw something in me that they couldn't explain.

Was it my Gucci leather slacks? No, who cares?! Was it the fierce Chanel over the knee boots and matching handbag I wore?! Doubtful, who cares?! Was it even the amazing Nina Runsdorf diamonds twinkling on my person? Nope, who cares?!

You see I am a child of the King. What it was, was the light of redemption, the ocean of grace, and the realization of how much He loves me that causes me to emanate love for others. That's what you'll see in me, as MC of a TV show, an event littered with the rich and famous, or walking across campus at my sons school in Kansas. Him in me is the magnet that I know attracts anyone to tell me what a great job I do when I am working or doing. It is all of Him that you see surfacing that touches people in an inexplicable way.

I don't take credit for anything except that He loves Us!!! How can I care about anything more than that?! His grace is an ocean, and I sank long ago!!!

Love to ALL Of you today and every day...May His peace and truth bless you...

Always,

Your resident Hip Girl guiding you to truth in your spirituality!

Your Thoughts Have Wheels!

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7a (KJV)

The day started off just fine, but ended with confusion and tears. As a timid middle-schooler, I climbed the steps of my school bus eager to get home after a long afternoon.

Sitting quietly in my seat, all of a sudden I got this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Although my surroundings appeared to be the same, something was not right.

The bus was the normal sunshine yellow. The seats were standard black vinyl, displaying rips and tears from years of students. The floor was littered with the usual misplaced pencils, erasers and wadded-up papers. Yet, I felt out of place.

That's when I realized I did not know any of the kids sitting around me. And I had never seen the bus driver before. Frantically, I searched for anything familiar. My cheeks grew hot and my heart raced with panic as I realized I was on the wrong bus.

Although I WAS headed somewhere, it was NOT where I wanted to go.

I'd been distracted by conversations with friends, thoughts of sleepovers, and how much homework I had. My thoughts were not focused on where I was going. The actions that followed caused me to end up somewhere I did not want to be.

Thinking back on that day, I've considered how our thoughts determine a lot about the direction of our lives. Like my school bus, our thoughts will always take us somewhere, but it may not be somewhere we want to end up.

If we spend time thinking about how our boss does not appreciate us, our thoughts will take us straight to a bad attitude at work and possibly poor performance.

If we focus on how much we do for others and how little we feel appreciated, our thoughts will take us to a place of resentment, with lack of patience and love.

If we spend an entire day fuming over something our husband or kids did, and mentally practice the harsh words we plan to say to them, those thoughts will lead us into a place of arguments, hurt feelings and damaged relationships.

If we dwell on why God has allowed certain problems in our lives, we will transport ourselves into a state of insecurity and unhappiness as we stop trusting God.

If we focus our thoughts on money, career, success and pleasure, we will find ourselves in the land of the lost—feeling frustrated and discontent.

Our thoughts are powerful and require great self control. If we allow them to run rampant, focusing on things that lead us away from God, then we will wind up at a destination we would never deliberately choose.

In today's key verse, God shows us why we should choose carefully what we think about, because our thoughts determine who we are and how we live.

My childhood memory reminds me to consistently ask God to help me keep my mind on Him and on the thoughts He has for me. That way I can live according to His plans and with His perspective, seeking to be acutely aware of where my thoughts may lead me.

Our thoughts really do have wheels. Where are your thoughts taking you today?

Dear Lord, please help me take my thoughts captive, and focus on things that are pleasing to You. Please give me the desire to honor You and abide by Your Word in any area of my thoughts I am struggling to do so. In Jesus' Name, Amen

Application Steps:
Make a list of all the negative or sinful thoughts you may have had lately. Ask God to help cleanse you of those emotions and start anew, with a fresh attitude and a positive, Godly perspective.

Reflections:
Have I been guarding and guiding my thoughts, or have my thoughts been leading me to a place I don't want to go?

Is there anything I need to remove from my thought life?

Power Verses:
Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." (NIV)

Romans 12:2a, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (NIV)

Ephesians 4:23-24, "Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy." (NLT)

This was from an excerpt by, Tracie Miles, and it's an awesome reflection and exercise to help you with those negative thoughts that threaten to drive you into a wall instead of the positive thoughts you need to drive you into your joy filled destiny!