Why aparthy can destroy you

Even Christians can become apathetic.

Jesus passed along many lessons during his short ministry. One of them was compassion. That was followed up closely by forgiveness. How have you been doing in those areas?

I feel like I put out quite a bit of effort every day. Some days are better than others. Something that I really have been struggling with lately is my tendency to be apathetic about certain things I can’t control. Is that a problem? Not on the surface, but if I look deep inside myself, it is my number one problem.

I’m sure you have heard the stories about how you should always treat people nicely, on the off chance they are angels in disguise....or Jesus Himself. I have taken that lesson to heart many times. However, other times I dump it in the gutter depending on my mood or current financial situation. What is your experience like with that stuff?

The core problem is that the longer you stay in this world, the less you tend to care about that which you cannot control. In truth, we should all be praying for just about everything every second of every day. Is that possible? Of course. In fact I think I pull that off usually. But is it a perfect system? Probably not, because this place only resembles heaven once you have really been in the spiritual war for a while. After you have escorted enough demons home, and ushered fresh angels in, you really do feel like a citizen of heaven. Then some human problem knocks on your door...and in walks sin. Not every time, sometimes almost never. But it is still there.

So....you have to clean the system, routinely. Without a nice scrubbing on a regular basis, your prayers become tainted. Not tainted in the overly evil way, but in the way that is just powerful enough to derail your prayer. We all want effective prayers, right?

Keep those morning, lunch, and nighttime prayers coming. Make sure to ask for a healthy and pure body, mind, and soul. If you want to, ask Jesus to do it every second. That is probably the most effective method.

You wouldn’t want to step back into the warzone without your halo, would you?

The Impossible is Possible in Christ Jesus

What strikes your fancy? Do you want to stop wars? Do you want to heal the terminally ill? How about helping your friends and family through ordeals they might be facing?

You have more power than you think you have. You can travel in amazing ways. You can create in miraculous fashion. You can heal like a disciple of Christ would heal. You can do the impossible!

My little five year old daughter is always asking questions. I tell her about Jesus and praying. Every now and then she catches me talking about deeper subjects, but usually her questions are something like, "Do you help people, Daddy?" or "Dad, how do YOU work with God?" Deep questions really. I want to answer them truthfully, but at five she really wouldn't understand. You see, my work is off the charts, and yours can be too.

Right now you are probably locked into your present state of growth. The fact is that there is much more that you could be doing. Through the Holy Spirit you can move in incredible ways, change things in miraculous fashion, and most of all, create more value for the Lord. I know, value. It is such a business term, but it is the best way to phrase it. God wants value out of you. You are an investment in his eyes. He wants you to grow and prosper so you can better serve Him. Don't think so? Try not growing, and see where that takes you.

Folks, I really want the absolute best for you. But on top of that, I want you to get ready to move at a moment's notice, and move in miraculous fashion. I know that lots of folks talk about end times, but I'm not going to pretend to know when or how all of that will go down. I do know one thing though. It is better to be prepared than to be left mired in the sins of this world. I'm not perfect, but I'm actively trying to work with the Lord to create in the fashion that He wants me to create.

Anything is possible! Lie down, close your eyes, and pray for an hour straight with nothing else bothering you. Do things that you think could not be done.

This is a special life you are living. Do not cut yourself short!

Beware the jobs that pay well but dont satisfy christ

Some of you might have followed my job odyssey over the last two years. As you might have noticed, I was holding my opportunities to a very high standard. It took quite a while, but I learned some wonderful lessons from the experience.

Money is great! I’m interested in money generally. I feel like the more I have the more I can help. Thirty four years on this planet seems to have proven that. But the problem with that mantra is that for some people there is no way to achieve it without something I would call a “wasteful job”.

What is your most important asset? It is not your cash, and it is not your family or friends. God beats it, but not by much. Your most important asset is your time! You get a limited amount, it can be easily wasted and usually is, and there is no way to get it back once its gone. Most people waste entire decades! Hopefully I can help you avoid that.

Reaching out to people is a lost art. Having been in many different churches of different denominations, I have discovered that some churches do much more outreach than others. Why does this bother me? Well, first of all, the Internet allows quite a bit of power. When I look at these megachurches, like Rick Warren at Saddleback, and Joel Osteen’s operation, I can’t help but think they really are not working the Internet as much as they should. Let me explain my logic to you.

Do you know how much a prayer ad costs on the Internet? Either through Google, or Facebook, or now Apple? About fifteen cents. So...for fifteen cents, you can target sections of the world where Christianity is sparse. In fact, those parts of the world are even CHEAPER usually. How much did YOU spend on frivolous stuff today? More than fifteen cents probably.

Take a moment. Assess your life. Ask yourself if you are really carrying out the mission that God, and YOU, have always desired for your life. If not...it is time to start a prayer blog. The tools are free and the ads are cheap. There is no reason to delay!

Lots of Christians do not know the Power they wield

7:17 PM | Posted by Author |

Folks....when you believe....and you are committed....there are no barriers to what you can do!

Let's go over a typical day for....me...since I have no one else to use for something like this. I spend the day creating change in MILLIONS of situations. Not a few....not one or two people....BUT MILLIONS! Not through my own power...but through the energy and skill and talent and faith that Christ has provided me with. I'm a power-packed praying maniac who moves mountains. And I know I do! Which is part of the fun.

I spent lots of time last weekend helping a very important family. Last year I was able to spend time with an old friend...and it was as if 18 years had not even gone by. She was incredible and fun and faithful...and I just loved my time with her. So when her sister needed some advice...I was happy to help. That is just one of the situations though. That is what I'm trying to point out.

There are the physical, in this world situations, and then there are the other challenges that God applies your efforts to. You offer what you have, and He takes that and uses it PERFECTLY! PERFECTLY! You say to Him, use me Lord, for working for you is my greatest joy! And HE DOES IT!!!!

Please, everyone, stretch yourselves. Open your mind to the possibility that you can do lots of miracles every day through our fabulous Lord and Savior. I guarantee you that the rewards are endless.

Demanding the best

What’s the difference between Christians and non-Christians? Christ demands the best from us. Non-Christians run through life not even knowing the difference between heaven bound and a box in the ground.

My life in high school included lots of religious debate, mainly with pseudo-Christians, pseudo-Buddhists, and pseudo-Jews. Obviously the reason I preface everything with pseudo is because kids would usually say, “Yeah, my parents drag me to services, but I’m not really into it.” Then they would proceed to talk about their car, girlfriend, or the latest hot movie.

Why is this a problem? Kids don’t take benchmarks seriously, unless it revolves around a tangible reward. Heaven is a very non-tangible reward....to kids. They can see it, but their understanding of it is usually weak, and if challenged, they cannot really explain what it is. Why is this a problem?

Its the carrot. You guys have heard me talk about the carrot before. Heaven is the carrot that Christianity holds in front of the donkey (you) to get you to move that first hoof forward. Don’t take this as a knock. Its not. Its really just an accurate representation of a typical human being. As humans, we chase our food, we chase our sex, and we chase our money. Getting out of that cycle takes a really big reward, and heaven is the only one that fits the bill. Why is that?

Its the best. Its the best that can be offered. There is nothing better. Perfect circumstance. Perfect existence. Perfect joy. No pain. No enemies. No nothing, except exactly what makes you happy. And yet, guess what? The best forego heaven. The best sign up for tours of duty.

Do you really think the most effective souls are just circling God, enjoying His warmth and love? No. They are sent out on missions. Why? They request them. They care about the cause we all work for, and so they are sent to make a change in the system. What’s the system? A more accurate question is what’s not the system.

Understand one thing about your time in a physical state. Understand that its short, its not yours, and you will be held accountable for how you spent it. Levels of heaven? Levels of hell? Folks....no one really knows. No one. Wipe out the chance in the equation and just do the best you possibly can.

God needs the best. Be the best. Be the Jesus in the room.

Are you always running in crises mode

What’s the deal? Why do you do it? Did your own choices put you into this kind of life? Or did circumstances force it on you? Wondering how to escape? Jesus is the god of u-turns. That’s all He does! Everything about Christianity comes back to the transformation that occurs when you really start believing. I hate to break it to you, but if you’re in crisis mode 24-7, then you are missing the real joy of Christ. Cut out an hour of your day. Start there. Reserve it for more sleep or more fun. Is a relationship creating the stress? There are always other options. I have seen good marriages and I’ve seen bad. I believe in staying with your spouse till the end, but I don’t believe in constant suffering due to spousal discontent. God loves happy marriages, but He does not believe in abuse. If you are getting abused physically or emotionally....seek professional help. I love working with people who think things will not improve. They are really only experiencing an imprisoned perspective. The world has tricked them into accepting average. No one needs to be average. We can all have enjoyable lives filled with prosperity, love, and a great relationship with God. This world can produce constant win-wins! There does not HAVE to be a loser, although lots of people have become convinced of that. Interested in really turning up your success level? Interested in exiting crisis mode permanently? Start by looking through our archive. After you can see the kind of information we routinely provide, we hope that will convince you to send more people our way, so the circle of joy and success and love can continue to grow!

The key to the Kingdom

...any guesses? Its beliefs, but not quite in the sense that you might be referencing it. The key to the kingdom is wrapped up in a conversation that my daughter and I had today. She is five years old, three months from six.

Maddy: Daddy, how do you talk to God?

Shay: He is a friend of mine. Don’t you talk to friends?

Maddy: Yeah, but I see my friends. I never see God.

Shay: That’s the best thing about Jesus. Ever since He started walking with me, I see Him all the time. When I get up, when I drive, when I work, when I play....He’s always around.

Maddy: Even though you can’t see Him?

Shay: Once you’re good friends with Him, you’ll see Him too.

Maddy: When will that happen?

Shay: In the future.

Maddy: Third grade?

My daughter is so awesome. She treats everyone very well and works at helping the world as best she can. She’s in a private Christian school. They discuss faith-based topics in class. She often comes home with questions about faith. I look at it as a great opportunity for her to start out life ahead of the game. Even if she has a different faith as an adult, or no faith, she will go through her younger years knowing that the most powerful force on Earth works on her behalf.

We live in a small house. Maybe 1500 square feet. But its on a decent sized piece of land. So we have a very large backyard. For a long time I have seen some interesting things back there, and in the house. I tell my girls, my wife and daughter, that angels hang out with us. They not only protect us, but they congregate, and they do whatever it is angels do.

I’ve been feeling the presence of angels for a long time. So much so that one of my best books is about them. I don’t talk to them, or worship them, or anything like that. But they are there, and they remind me they are there. They have put a couple things around our property to remind me that one day I’ll be working for God too, but in a different way than I do now. I don’t pledge to have all the answers, but the comfort of knowing God’s servants appreciate my family and what we do on His behalf is very gratifying.

Teach your kids about the Christ! Make sure they start off life on the straight and narrow path. Regardless of mistakes made further down the line, they will always benefit from hearing about the best moral standards that exist. Being close to Jesus at any time of life is a really big deal! I continually pray that everyone eventually gets to know how awesome it is to have God Himself walking around, caring for their loved ones, and rejoicing when they start discussing their blossoming faith.

The future is what the future is. But kids should start off with Jesus. That is the best way to provide them with a stable foundation for the rest of life.

Gods Voice

No one gets it. If you think you get it, maybe you do, because without that belief, you don’t stand a chance at getting any farther.

When did I start hearing God....pretty young I guess. That’s what weekly church from age five will do. And I listened. I really did. I paid attention. I had a religious studies class. I spent good time with good people. And over time I developed what I still consider to be....a decent connection to God’s voice.

I hear Him maybe....once or twice a day. Sometimes He starts things, sometimes I do. He always speaks to me really, but I need to be able to filter out everything else in order to pick up on Him. Obviously it is easier when you’re relaxed, maybe getting ready for bed or something. But I kind of prefer to have Him just jump into my thoughts. He’s more useful that way. And that’s okay. He WANTS to be useful. He WANTS to help. He created us so the entire system can LEARN more. He might know everything already, but He still enjoys teaching His kids, as I’m sure you parents can appreciate.

Some folks just look at Him as their conscience. That’s kind of lacking, in my opinion. I guess you can do that angel/demon discussion as much as you want, but you won’t really get the real info. Debating a topic is not nearly as fun as learning how to create miracles. And somehow I’ve managed that. Through my connection to Christ I can really do some phenomenal things...because I’m not the one doing them.

Just listen carefully, folks. That’s the only instruction you need. I guess some church services and some bible study helps, but people do it without that anyway. And some are better at this than others, but the truth is that God reveals Himself to all things at all times. The only people who don’t receive Him are those who voluntarily choose not to.

I love working with Him. I really love the master/servant relationship. It works so incredibly well. How would you like to have a boss who trains you while you sleep? How would you like to have a boss who knows exactly how you feel, and then ADJUSTS the WORLD to better fit your mission. That would be....NICE....don’t you think?

God is amazing. Hearing Him can make you fall to your knees in tears some times. But you know what? The nicest thing about discussing things with God is that the dialogue never ends. And after a while you won’t want it to. Because it ends the worst pain we ever experience...and that’s loneliness.

Avoid settling

Have you ever sat down in church and wondered if you were even in the right place? Did you spend an hour or two hours listening to readings and talks, but feel like your time would have been better spent somewhere else? Well, if you haven't, I have.

Ministers and pastors have to put a lot of work into doing their jobs. They work with people all week, they handle the administration of the church, and some pastors are also married. What do you think that means from week to week? It means that the true message, the powerful information, sometimes gets mucked up in the normal grind of life.

I'm not here to go on and on in a criticism of full-time pastors, but I do believe in this: If a pastor does not produce a quality message on a regular basis...reconsider where you are spending your time. After doing church for years and years, I took some time off. I did a lot of reading, I created lots of projects, and when I was ready to come back, I did. Now, I was 18, and I would never suggest that anyone avoid church regularly, but the idea is normal. Just like businessmen need sabbaticals and leaves of absence, so too do people need to experience other messages. The most popular Christian denomination in the world, Catholicism, has several churches in every large market. If one priest does not work for you, switching is a piece of cake.