Peace and Joy, Part 1: The Fountain of Joy

Do you need more peace and joy? My answer to that question is a resounding "Yes." I believe I have discovered a key to experiencing more peace and joy. Often the answer to a problem is right under my nose, which is why I may miss it.

Sometimes it is shocking to look back at attitudes I have had in the past on a subject, in this case peace and joy. I remember my constant irritation with a grade-school classmate who skipped onto the bus every morning, overflowing with exuberance, wearing an enormous smile. How could she be so joyful at 7:00 am? What was wrong with her? To me, she was weird. No one else on the bus was like her.   

Searching for the Fountain of Joy  

Now I am on a mission to figure out how to be that fountain of joy, not just at 7:00 am but 24/7. There are books, tapes, seminars, and webinars available to help me live in constant peace and joy. To date, it doesn't appear these products have produced long-lasting positive results. Looking at the history of the early Church, as recorded in the New Testament, I see they demonstrated a level of joy in the midst of difficult times that is worth investigating. What was their secret?

It may be that part of their secret was their focus on just one thing—the Kingdom. Jesus told them to seek first the Kingdom and everything else would be taken care of. (Matthew 6:35) Their steadfast obedience to this command kept them from distractions. 

Another aspect of the power of their focus was they understood the Kingdom was not in the future or somewhere "out there" but was actually within. The enemy tries to put our attention on the external circumstances because he knows the Kingdom is already within us. If he can convince us to focus on the outside, it will hinder us partnering with the power of the Kingdom on the inside. It is a game changer when I realize I already have what I need and want. Selah!

It's Not Too Late for a Fresh Start

What has 2017 been like so far? Have you made progress with the projects you planned to begin, and the new habits you so eagerly desired to establish? I will be the first to admit that the beginning of my year has not been smooth sailing: paperwork, projects and surprise deadlines have all made an appearance in my calendar! And yet, I feel the voice of the Holy Spirit encouraging me that He is an expert when it comes to fresh starts, including this one.

Last year I remember encouraging my followers: February 1st is the new January 1st! As I reflect on how this year has begun, the same rings true. We all need time to prepare, and I have chosen to view February as a month of preparation. It is not enough for me to have great ideas about what I will do this year: I am taking time to get God’s wisdom on how I can move towards the vision He gave me for 2017, one step at a time.

As I talk with my Heavenly Father about the year ahead, I am reminded that fresh starts rarely begin with fireworks and the strike of midnight - as much as I enjoy those things! Rather, they begin with a quiet but confident “yes”, and small steps that take me in the right direction. Our God is not so excited about our big plans as he is about the moments when we patiently choose to keep moving in the right direction. Like the disciples leaving their nets to follow Jesus or the boy who offered his bread and fishes, one small “yes” can result in extraordinary things when we are partnered with God.

Today I encourage you to book some meetings with God. Be honest with Him about your hopes, fears and dreams for this year - he is not intimidated! Then ask Him to show you what small things you can do today to keep moving in the right direction. If you need guidance, why not use my e-workbook Prep7? I think it is a great tool to help you re-focus and converse with God about what He has in store for you. You may also want to talk with your friends and family about their plans for the year. Encourage each other to find where God’s grace is, and take the small first steps.

I would love to hear back from you about how God has helped you to get a fresh start in the areas you need it most. What made a difference for you?

Have You Made Your Christmas List?

I still remember the excitement I felt as a child when the Christmas catalogues arrived in November. What fun, going page-by- page, circling item after item with a red felt tip marker. I laboriously scribbled my Christmas List on notebook paper, giving product and page number to ensure my parents bought the right item. Their response was, "It would take a miracle for you to get all this for Christmas!" From my perspective nothing was impossible.

Christmas is a season that can re-awaken in us, as adults, wonder, awe and expectation that anything can happen. The birth of Jesus Christ ushered in an eternal season of the miraculous. Who ever heard of a virgin giving birth to a baby? The rest of the Christmas story is filled with the supernatural; angel choirs from heaven, angelic dream appearances, and bright spotlight star guidance.

Christmas is still a season of miracles. We are never too old to make a Christmas List. Why not make a list of every miracle we desire for our family, our friends, our nation, and ourselves? I believe our Father delights when we, as His children, come to Him as the giver of every good gift. Let's take off the limiting lenses we have put on as adults.

I encourage you to make your Christmas Miracle List. No matter how impossible the request is, write it down. We need to be like Ralphie in the movie "A Christmas Story". He wanted that Red Ryder BB Gun more than anything in the world. It seemed like an impossible request, but he believed, in spite of discouraging comments. You have probably seen the movie and know the outcome. Remember the joy on his Dad's face as Ralphie went behind the tree and found the gift?

Our Heavenly Father experiences great pleasure in giving us gifts above and beyond what we have even imagined. So go ahead and make your list. Enjoy a Merry Miracle Christmas!

Enter with Thanksgiving

David hungered and thirsted for God’s presence because he knew from experience that God and fullness of joy dwelt together. Life apart from God was stressful, scary, and dangerous. My life has had stresses, but nothing compared to his! Having had a taste of the Presence at an early age, I have been pursuing God ever since. I have discovered an important key to access that joy. There are other keys, but today I am going to focus on only one, and encourage you to try it.

I have struggled to fulfill the exhortation to give thanks and praise. Having grown up with a Dad who was a pessimist, although he saw himself as a realist, I was trained to see the negative rather than the positive. Only uneducated simpletons saw life through rose colored glasses, and I didn't want to be classified as one of those! This early training left me in the school of mind renewal for decades. I witnessed others who excelled in positivity, joy, thankfulness and encouragement, while I failed to pass.

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit has continued my tutoring. He knows my desire to be in the Presence of God and has convinced me of the value of thankfulness, the key to Presence. He reminded me of the words from Psalm 100:4: “enter His gates with thanksgiving.”  This is not a suggestion, but a requirement for entrance into His realm. Not just any key will open the gates. The only way to open the lock on these gates is with the key of thanksgiving.  

Of course, my mind wanted to know why. The Holy Spirit was gracious to give revelation. He showed me that gates are the boundary to God’s kingdom. The atmosphere, language and currency of that kingdom is truth. Only things based on truth are allowed to enter. Pessimistic, judgmental, and critical thoughts or words are based on lies, not on truth. That means I am not allowed access into His Presence with words and thoughts based on lies, but only with words of thanksgiving and praise based on the truth. Pessimism doesn't praise. I realized I had a choice: stay negative and remain outside His Presence, or give thanks and enter in. I am learning to enter his gates every day with thanksgiving!

As a tool to grow in gratitude, I keep a daily journal, which I call “Daily 12”. This is a list of 12 things for which I am thankful. This exercise helps prime the pump and open the gates. Recently I have started daily Instagram post titled “Every day - Entering with Thanksgiving.” Check it out if you need a daily shot of thankfulness!

I would love to hear from you: how do you cultivate thankfulness in your day-to-day life? What things are you most thankful for right now?

I'm Praying for You!

Great comfort comes in the midst of a hard season when a friend says, "I am praying for you." Even receiving a text with those words changes the atmosphere. The Bible is replete with exhortations concerning prayer as well as testimonies of answered prayers. When a crisis happens we don't need a reminder from the scripture in order to call a family member or friend and say: "Please pray for me!" It is as automatic as breathing. It is comforting to know we have a Friend in Heaven who is always available to pray for us.

Recently I was dealing with some issues and was feeling alone, overwhelmed, and discouraged. One day, out of the blue, almost audibly, I heard Jesus say: "I'm praying for you." The tone of His voice was like warm oil, covering every raw, exposed emotion. I was completely taken off guard. In that suddenly of God, I was transformed. In less than a twinkling of an eye peace returned to my mind and heart. His words were with power during His earthly ministry, and they are still able to stop the winds and waves of any storm in my life today.

While on earth, Jesus modeled a life of prayer, going into the mountain in the evening to spend time in prayer. During the day He prayed as He met people in need of healing, deliverance, forgiveness, and provision. The prayer was always directed to His Father, just as He taught the disciples to address their prayer to the Father. He knew that the one who answered His prayers was our loving Father in heaven.

Not only strangers, but also friends were the beneficiaries of the prayers of Jesus. In the midst of the sacred Passover Meal, the night of His betrayal, Jesus confronted Simon Peter with a word of knowledge. The Holy Spirit had shown Jesus that Satan was going to attack Peter, trying to shake his faith. Jesus said to him: "I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." (Luke 22: 31-33.) Peter was shocked, adamantly rejecting any suggestion of denial. We know as we read those words, that the prayers Jesus prayed for Peter were answered. He made it through this dark patch and has strengthened the Church through the centuries with his writings.

Jesus has continued His intercession for the Church. He had only 3 years of public ministry, but has had over 2,000 years of 24/7 prayer ministry since His resurrection. It is good to know from Scripture that Jesus continues in this activity. However, it is even more powerful when the truth of this intercession intersects with a need in our own life. The revelation I had recently of the reality of His awareness of my needs and constant prayer for me every day has been life changing. I pray today you will hear His compassionate voice say to you: "I am praying for you."

What's Next?

April 9th has been a significant day in history on more than one occasion. Googling the date pulls up many events. Here are just a few:

• Henry V crowned King of England - 1413
• Sir Walter Raleigh departed England for Roanoke Island (now North Carolina) - 1585
• The Civil War ended – 1865

All of these events took place with much fanfare. Another event, a prayer meeting, took place on April 9th, 1906 in a run-down house in Los Angeles. No one knew about it except those who were inside, but in a short amount of time people all over the world were talking about that meeting on Azusa Street. The reason this small gathering of no-names made the front pages was because the headliner was the Holy Spirit. The recent Call convocation on April 9th, 2016 got lots of press with over 100,000 people registered.  For a period of time on the 9th, Azusa Now was the top trending topic on Twitter and Facebook.

From the social media results it would appear that the world was watching. I believe the world is now waiting and wondering—what’s next?  They have a right to ask. We have a responsibility to give them an answer. Will this be merely a memory, a post on Facebook or a Twitter hashtag? I pray it will it be the igniting of a switch in the body of Christ that propels us forward with God’s plan for Heaven to invade earth.

For the latter to happen I believe we must believe something significant took place on the 9th.  Perhaps some were expecting fire to break out from Heaven, God to appear on the stage and non-stop revival meetings to take place in the LA Coliseum for the next 3 months till all of Los Angeles was saved. The fact that this didn’t happen doesn’t mean nothing happened. From God’s perspective, when we pray, something always happens, whether we see it or not. It is crucial to see Azusa Now through eyes of faith.

I believe Azusa Now was a holy re-set for the body of Christ, not simply for the fulfillment of a prophecy given 110 years ago. It was a re-set of:

• Purpose—to boldly preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God with signs and wonders with expectation and hope.
• Affection—for Jesus and the expression of love for Him in worship, prayer and fasting.
• Relationship—for a new love of the body of Christ and commitment to unity and reconciliation in humility.

Here are 7 action steps I am taking to be positioned to participate as the Holy Spirit reveals the "What's Next?" in the days ahead.

1. Believe that April 9th was the beginning of something not merely a one-time event.
2. Stay plugged in to the Presence experienced during Azusa Now.
3. Plan for the inevitable revival. I have taken disaster-training courses to prepare for natural disasters. I am asking God how to prepare for mass revival.
4. Give thanks for what happened on April 9th, both the seen and the unseen.
5. Live daily from Heaven—keeping in touch with the revival command center for blueprints, deployment, and execution strategies.
6. Keep these weeds out: Jealousy, Offense, Impatience, Looking at circumstances, Immorality, Fear, Laziness
7. Stay focused on Jesus

It is time to get this done! God has been planning this revival since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden. He had redemption in His heart and set the plan in motion that very day.  He strategized, planned, executed, and persisted for centuries. He knew the end from the beginning. That is why He could sit in Heaven and laugh. God has done His part. He is waiting for us to do our part. He has given us the world, the present and the future as well as everything we need for life and godliness through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (See 1 Corinth. 3:22 and 2 Peter 1:3)

Here are some Daily Declarations I plan to make to stay focused. I invite you to join me.

The petitions from this house of prayer will be without ceasing.

The fire on my altar will never go out.

I will seek first your kingdom not my own.

Your praise, not criticism, will ever be on my lips.

The world will know I am a Christian by my love and not by my judgements.

Signs and wonders will follow me all the days of my life.

I will keep my faith anchored in hope not in fear.

Preparing for what's next!

The Waiting Game

Waiting can be the most painful experience any of us face. For children, it is worse than hell itself! The frustrated cry from kids, sitting in the back seat, of "when are we going to get there?" is heard around the world in every language. As adults we may have that same cry, but have learned to use our "inside" voices to impatiently, but quietly, ask God a similar question.

Another word for waiting is that awful "p" word patience. Whether we like it or not, patience is a character trait that God wants to produce in His kids. It is not an optional extra for a select few. He wants all of His sons and daughters to perfectly imitate His Son, Jesus Christ, who is His exact likeness. It is heartening to know God isn't asking us to do something He doesn't do Himself. He is not an unkind parent who says "Do as I say, not as I do."

God never requires something from us without also supplying His power and strength for success. The Holy Spirit in us is the dynamic energy we need for the development of obedient, faith-filled patience. He lends me His strength for the long ride in the back seat.

Consider for just a minute the extent of God's patience towards the human race. He waited for generations until the fullness of time arrived for Jesus to appear. He is still waiting for us as we disciple the nations and bring Heaven to earth. In the midst of His waiting He doesn't lose hope, condemn, criticize, complain, get depressed, throw tantrums, disconnect, or send another flood and start over. He is always loving, always hopeful, and always patient with us.

Paul gave a character checklist in 2 Peter 1:5-8. Here's the list in the order in which he gave them: "And besides this, giving all diligence add to your faith…”

Virtue
Knowledge
Temperance
Patience
Godliness
Brotherly Kindness
Charity

Patience is the key, the turning point that brings us into godliness from which the greatest commandment to love one another is possible. It is impossible to obey Jesus’ words to His disciples to love God, and to love their neighbor as they loved themselves, without embracing patience. We know that from experience. It is difficult to act in love towards someone who is driving us crazy keeping us waiting!

Recently I was talking with God about some “waiting issues” in my own life. He showed me an image of myself in a waiting room. There was one door and periodically someone from the other side would open the door, call someone's name and usher him or her through the door. There were various responses from those in the room whose names were not called. Their faces spoke, even if their mouths were silent: expressions of discouragement, impatience, and anger.

I asked Him to show me what I could do in the waiting room in order to stay patient and not lose hope. With those who currently receive my emails, or for those who subscribe now, I am sharing my list of 25 Things to Do in the Waiting Room.  I hope this will help if you feel stuck and forgotten in the waiting room!