Play to Win

Well, my team lost tonight. And, they shouldn't have. There was no execution. Players did not hit the board for rebounds. They were not aggressive on defense or offense. From my perspective, they didn't even look like they wanted to win the game. To me they seemed lackadaisical, as my basketball coach would put it. Now, I could understand, if my team was just no good and had no chance to win against their competitor. But, that is not the case. They have the skill and beat this team before. But tonight, they just did not play to the skill level they are capable of.  I have to exclude one player from this rebuke. He executed. Out of 96 points, he scored 41 for the team.

You know what? The church functions like this a lot. People show up dressed for play, but don't. We have players on the bench not paying attention to the coach. We have players on the court not implementing what the coach has instructed. We have players in the right position knowing what should be done and not doing it. We even have players on the court in the right position, playing someone else's. And, there is the one player, playing to win.

Listen. If the church continues to play Kingdom Ball for the Lord the way the Lakers played tonight, we'll lose. Yes, Christ has the victory and our enemy was defeated at the cross. But, churches close everyday. People fall by the wayside every day. Those are losses we cannot afford. Therefore, hear, listen to and execute the vision of your pastor. Get in your position and play hard. If you are a guard, stop trying to play center. It is a known statistic that only 20% of people who attend church do 80% of the work.  Saints... Kobe cannot do it alone. Jump in the game. Kingdom living is a team sport. It is going to take all of us doing what we are gifted to do with tenacity to win the lost. As we function like the body Paul descibes in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, the score for souls heaven bound will increase and the cloud of witnesses will shout from Heaven cheering us on from glory to Glory.

The Bride

After I said, "yes," to a question most women want to hear, the whirlwind began. Meetings with consultants; speaking with parents, mine and his; shopping; bridal shows; phone calls; fittings; choices of cake, cake filling, icing, and flowers. Announcements sent, church and country club reserved. Photographer, musicians, singers, dancers and D.J. selected. Choreography created and taught. Dresses for bride's maids and tux's for groomsmen. More fittings, newspaper article done and invitations sent out. Massages, skin treatments, manicures, pedicures, hair styled and make-up done. This barely scratches the surface of the preparation and work gone into our wedding day.

What extreme effort. What precise planning. What dedication. What great amount of commitment given in time and thought. What great price. My only prayer tonight is that we all would put as much effort, commitment, time, thought and dedication to the wedding of all weddings, the wedding feast of the Lamb. And, Hallelujah!! The price was paid at Calvary. Be encouraged. Join me in the preparation for our coming King. Send out the invitations of eternity. Adorn yourself with the righteousness of Christ and be presented on that Day without spot or wrinkle.

Time to Fly

Until you are dead and in a grave, it will never be too late to fulfill your purpose and reach the destiny the Lord has ordained for you. Jeremiah 29:11 is irrevocable. Romans 11:29 states, "For the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable." If you have been following the Lord with your whole heart and seek after Him with all of your being, there are desires in your heart He has placed urging you to move toward and into your calling. So, what are you waiting for?

If you want to sing, sing. If you want to act, act. If you want to be a doctor, take the steps to get there. Dreams happen. But you have to take the steps to get there. Every person who I have met, has a dream or aspiration. When I have heard them speak about it, their eyes light up with grins of hope. Unfortunately, the conversations often turn to excuses that are linked to fear. Fear of disappointment; fear of sacrifice; fear of failure; even fear of success plague and keep many from soaring in their dreams and calling in life. Fears grow into insecurity. Then, doubt destroys the dream. 

Stop the cycle of wishing, waiting and giving up. Dig up the dream that doubt has buried. Replace fear with faith. Take the steps to run into flying and soar with the winds of success beneath your wings. Nothing is to big for God. Allow Him to be your compass. He will get you there. Trust Him; believe in yourself. Go for it!! You got this. It's what you were made for.

The Protocol Daughter... Me

You know that story in the Bible about the protocol son? Well, this is part of my story as the protocol daughter. I was raised in the church and brought up with godly principles and biblical teaching. But, you know, I had to do the "try-my-own-way" before the Holy Spirit snatched me by the back of my neck. It was like He was saying, "Hey!! You belong to Somebody. Remember?"

He got my attention alright with an amazing encounter; which I'll have to share another time. Anyway, even though it had only been a few years I was away from the Lord, I had moved faaaaaarrrrr farrr far from Him in my actions and behaviors. For example, I smoked cigarettes. I wasn't a chain smoker. But I would smoke when I went out with my friends and when I was on deadline writing for my university paper. Anyway, after I came to the Lord with fervor and serious commitment, I found myself on my porch reading my Bible... smoking. While trying to turn some pages without dropping my Marlboro Light 100, my Bible fell off of my lap slapping onto the cement of my patio. I picked it up, placed it open onto my lap and guess what verse was right there, jumping at me off the page? I was totally convicted. Praying immediately I asked the Lord to forgive me for not taking care of my temple and I made a decision not to do it anymore with His help.

The Lord has brought me a long way in many things. My prayer is that I would respond 100 percent of the time to His instruction the way I did with the cigarette and other things. I get frustrated with myself when I fall or mess up. But God's love for me is so steadfast that even in my mess up's and failings, He holds me up and doesn't allow my life to be destroyed by my lack of perfection. He still uses and blesses me.

If you have fallen, messed up or feel you have failed the Lord in any way, know that He offers forgiveness to a repentant heart and His grace is sufficient. When the Lord went to the cross, He went knowing that from your salvation, you would still be human and make mistakes. So if you fall or fail, don't give up. Get up. And, allow the Lord's love to shower you with forgiveness and grace.

More Than A Dream

Today, millions in America gave honor to a man who decided to lead a nation against division. A man who said no more to racism and prejudice. Though it has been many decades since the civil rights movement, we still struggle. Change has taken place. But, I dare say that the depth of the dream Dr. King spoke about has not yet occurred.

Dr. King's speech challenged the nation to practice truths that are known and written by our nation's founding father's, who also were believers in Christ. His call was a challenge to justice with righteousness. When disclosing his dream, in his first statement he said, "...that the glory of the Lord be revealed, and all flesh see it together." This was not just about black and white people getting along. It herald a unity and brotherhood of a nation that can only happen by a Holy God. A God, we have chosen to give a back seat to when it comes to decision making for our country. Racism and prejudice still exist. And, righteousness... we are far from it as a whole.

The Reverand, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., had it right. For true unity to prevail, God must reign through leaders who are righteously just. The Father in Heaven is the glue. He is the chord that will bind us together. We have to give our nation back to Him. We have to allow Him to reign. And, when He does, the bells of liberty will ring and true freedom will resound.

Chosen

While serving the Lord in India, I came across a fisherman. His leathery skin looked burnt, on top of burnt, on top of burnt. I was mesmorized by the skill he used with a net to catch fish on the side of his small boat. Not much time passed and he brought his boat back to shore (there were no docks,) grabbed his catch of the day and walked towards me. As he passed by, two things came to my immediate attention. One was the awful smell that was attached to him.  He stunk. BAD!! Man... I almost gagged. The other was the condition of his feet. They were burnt like the rest of his body. His heels bore deep, vertical cracks. His toe nails were yellow. When he was out of sight I thought, "That guy needs a bath and pedicure." At that moment, the Lord spoke to me, "That is who I chose."

Immediately, the disciples came to mind. There I was sitting there convicted about judging the man who walked by me. I mean, I wouldn't choose him. Especially, to lead the church. But, fisherman are who Christ chose as the leaders of the gospel of Christ. The only qualification they needed was there response to the call. No documents. No resumes. No references. No previous experience. That's because the Lord had already qualified them.

It is true that the Lord will qualify the called, to whatever the calling is. He is not looking for us to do things in our own strength. He is looking for obedience. A rendering of our will to submit to what He has for us to do. Many are called and have shrunk back due to believing they are not good enough or have what it takes to do what they are beckoned to do.

Listen. All you need is the call of God. He will work everything else out. Look at the people He chose to do great things in His word. Rahab, the prostitute, turned spy to help the Israelites in conquering Jericho. Or, how about the adulteress at the well who led a city to Christ. Okay... then there was Moses. He was smart. But, he had a lisp and was wanted for murder in the land God told him to go to. Ezekial was a great sinner by his own admission, but chosen as one of the great prophets of the Lord.

What is the Lord calling you to? Are you letting the expectations of others get in your way? Or, are you allowing others to dictate that you can't? Or, do you lack faith in yourself? If the Lord is telling you to do, then do. He knows what He is doing. Trust Him to believe in you. Believe Him, that you are right for the job. And, with Him on your side, you will succeed. 

Our Jurisdiction

My favorite scene in the movie "The Saint," starring Val Kilmer, is when his co-star makes a mad dash for the American Embassy in Russia. As her pursuers are chasing her she screams at the guards, "I'm an American!" The gates are opened and the guards put their guns in the faces of the bad guys and basically tell them to get back.

As you know, your national embassy in a foreign land is just like being in your country. All of the laws that are established in your home country apply in that embassy even though it resides in a place far from home. Similarly, as believers we a operate the same way. The word tells us to put on our armor and part of that armor is shoes of peace. Our Lord and Savior is the Prince of Peace, so on our race and in our journey we are walking with and in Peace. We also know by scripture that we are ambassadors of God's Kingdom, Christ reigns in our heart and we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Put all this together and what do you have?

An embassy.

Everywhere you go; God's law is there. Whatever ground your feet touch; is Holy ground. Inside of you resides the power to set captives free and send the enemy fleeing. We carry the right of passage Home and can help people with their documents of salvation and eternal life that our held in the pages of the Book of Life. Passports? Not a problem. They are sealed by the blood of the Lamb and have no expiration date. Everything we need to let those around us know that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, is inside of us.

I want to encourage all of us to walk like we know Who and What we are representing. When something goes your way and someone says, "Wow your are lucky," or "Things just seem to work out for you," respond matter of factly, "I'm just blessed with the favor of God," or "Oh you know. It's the Lord. As my Daddy, He just wants to bless me," or "Oh. I'm a child of God. Comes with the territory."

You will get some interesting looks. Believe me. But, it is a way to plant seeds and also get a conversation going about the love and blessing of God for those who follow Him. We have the Lord, God Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and earth on our side. So, walk in a way that causes others to pause and wonder what it is that you have. Be bait and start fishing for those who need the refuge and shelter of the Lord. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain, maybe even a soul.