Spirit-Filled Life Without Purpose

You Have God Inside of You

If you don’t know your calling and purpose in life, you are doing it wrong. You will not thrive and succeed without knowing, and living as the person you were made to be. Success in life here on earth means you’ve done what God had planned for you to do. Think of Moses, he was supposed to enter the promised land but wasn’t able to because of his rebellion. And what about King David being unable to build the temple? Everything you do must be done for the Lord. And everything you do must be working toward your purpose, and destiny, as you serve the Body of Christ. If you are an eye in the Body don’t waste time trying to be a hand. Do the thing you were made to do wherever you are at.

I understand this is all easier said than done. I may even be making you mad. But I’m telling you the truth. There is good news though. God wrote your Book of Life before the foundation of the world. He loves you and wants you to learn here on earth to prepare you for your life to come in eternity. You will be judged for what you’ve done with the calling, talents, and gifts you’ve been given. God gives us all enough grace to do what we can with whatever we are doing. Allow yourself to grow, mature, and discover your strengths. Reframe your mind to be okay with failure. Failure is merely an opportunity to learn. God gives you grace, so give some to yourself.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. -- Romans 8:28, New King James Version (NKJV)

I Discovered My Purpose & it Wasn’t Easy

My church had been going through Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” and I was determined to know my purpose. I went on a hike one day striving to know what I was supposed to be doing. I even wrote a book about it titled, “Hardwired for Purpose: Blazing Trails to Follow God’s Lead.” That book took years to write and process mentally and emotionally. I expected the hike to be a relaxing time with God in nature; sitting beside a babbling creek. I thought I was going to sit there and get my life purpose while doing a Bible study. I had a backpack full of supplies. I had a couple of Bible translations, a Concordance, water bottles, a blanket, pens and highlighters, and my journal.

So I drove to the mountain trailhead where I wanted to hike and found a wonderful spot to rest. God said to keep going. I kept hiking up the trail to another spot that I liked and God said to keep going. I hiked about five miles up that mountain before I could finally stop. The place God wanted me to go wasn’t even on the trail. It was straight up the shale mountainside to a single pine tree in the distance.

In my book, I share all of the details of that hike, including revelation I received. God is so good. It was a hard day, but I learned so much that it was worth it . And best of all, I found my purpose in the sum of Psalm 96. Now, I know what to do, and I just need to work out the details as I continue my walk of salvation.

I encourage everyone to find their purpose and calling. Knowing what God has planned for you offers hope and a future. You receive promises from God in your purpose for growth and joy, and you can be sure that if you are still here, He’s not done with you yet.

A Song of Praise to God Coming in Judgment
Psalm 96 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
²Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
³Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
⁴For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
⁵For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
⁶Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
⁷Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
⁸Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come into His courts.
⁹Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
¹⁰Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved;
He shall judge the peoples righteously.”
¹¹Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
¹²Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice
¹³before the Lord.
For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with His truth.
— Psalm 96, NKJV

March 16, 2023 0

Hope Deferred

Hope Realized

There’s nothing more hopeful than knowing the true love of God. But to understand God’s love we must love others as we love ourselves, yes, ourselves. It’s not easy to love that reflection in the mirror. We remember the past or the fear of the unknown future as we gaze into our own pain-filled eyes. Our eyes may lie, so we must also know the Word of God which is Jesus.

God’s Word can and will change any attitude we may harbor. We can read the Word. We can be persistent in our search for healing and wholeness. We can believe God loves us because His Word says so, and we can have faith that He wants the best for us no matter how we suffer.

I can say without a doubt that through my suffering I’ve discovered joy, and I hang onto hope every day; every time I take medication, every time I faint in public, or fall in the kitchen and break bones. The Lord sees how we persevere and rejoice in our sufferings. And somewhere, somehow, in the middle of it all, we mature. Reality, true reality, finds our hearts and minds. We come to know we can count on God’s promises in His Word.

God, Jesus, loves us more than the drops in the ocean or sands of the sea. He forgives us as far as the East is from the West. We are God’s children, and He wants the very best for us.

Within all the lessons we learn the Lord takes us to higher and higher levels of glory. So, we can hope for a future that is good and an eternity that is better.

January 11, 2023 0

Jesus Is Closer Than You Know

Photo by Sergio Rodriguez – Portugues del Olmo on Unsplash

Jesus’ death on the cross was so we can have relationship with Him. He is not unreachable or too far away. In the book of John, chapter 3 verse 16, we see the intention of His death on the cross. John 3:16 ESV – 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Next in verse 17, John 3:17 ESV – 17″ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him,” God’s will is for us to have life. Life with the Godhead, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is real and tangible. He wants us to participate in the affairs of the Kingdom of Heaven through relationship.

In the book of John, chapter 17, in the following verses we see the conversation from Jesus to his Father. It is tender-hearted and insightful to Jesus’ intention about our life with God the Father and Jesus. I am bringing this up because in the next paragraphs we will look at what man thinks is important for relationship with Jesus. Not what the God head had planned before the foundations of the world. Here are some verses out of chapter 17 from the book of John.

John 17:22-26 ESV – 22 “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

These verses are stating the very essence of the heart of God and what Jesus expressed to his Father about us. It states boldly, that he gave us his glory! The glory of God is His manifested goodness for us. He is a good God. I would recommend that you read that entire chapter. In this verse, we learn that, the word of God, (Jesus is the word) sanctifies us. The Truth (the word) are/is factual. It is the real thing. The more we read and take in His word, the more we become like Him and know and understand Him. We also become closer to Him. As we eat the word, just like food to our soul and spirit, it strengthens us and changes us into His very nature. We have a need to shed and have the old man changed. We have the ability to become like our Father.

In the following passage, the verses state how Jesus was calling out the religious men of the day, that they thought that there ways were above and beyond God’s ways. They were clearly only interested tradition of men and not a relationship with Jesus. This exchange is in the following passage in the book of Mark chapter 7 verses 1-9.

Mark 7:1-9 ESV – 1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” 9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!

The Pharisees had made their own religious rules of how people should act or behave instead of relying on the power of the scripture (the word of God) to walk with Jesus. In the next verses, Jesus points out what defiles a person is what comes out of their own hearts. Jesus is all about our hearts. He is not about trying to keep ridiculous rules. Rules that are just performance based behavior. Jesus is more interested in us talking with him and knowing we want to be a part of his family. The Family of God.

I promise you all the religious traditions of the world will only frustrate you and your heart will not be at peace. Jesus is as close as inside of you when you ask him to come into your heart and life. Ask Him, He will make himself real and tangible. He created you. He knows everything about you! There is nothing too big or too small that he doesn’t care about in your life.

October 11, 2022 0

I Just Published My Creativity Book

Hardwired for Creativity: Art Supplies for the Mind

A Handbook of Godly Wisdom, Strategies & Freedom

Available here at Amazon.com

Hardwired for Creativity is a teaching memoir and educational workbook, focused on encouraging and supporting growing creative students before and beyond the knowledge of formal art principles and techniques. Creativity is expressed in a variety of ways, like painting, writing, performing arts, crafts, woodworking, business management, and employee development.

This book is divided into two Sections. The first Section is divided into four parts: cultivating creativity, developing creative work, thinking differently, and acknowledging others. Section two is full of creativity-related topics, such as brainstorming, project management, critiques, research, intuition, and procrastination. All these topics are important to developing creative work and a creative lifestyle.

Emergent students, artists, and creatives need tools of everyday understanding to successfully sustain balanced lives of creative structure and freedom. This book is dedicated to the exploration of these everyday topics through a variety of pedagogy, like qualitative research, and the creatives’ life experiences.

September 6, 2022 0

How Do We Love ?

Love, the Motivation of Our Lives

First Corinthians Chapter 13:1-13

The Passion Translation

If I were to speak with eloquence in earth’s many languages, and in the heavenly tongues of angels, yet I didn’t express myself with love, my words would be reduced to the hollow sound of nothing more than a clanging cymbal. And if I were to have the gift of prophecy with a profound understanding of God’s hidden secrets, and if I possessed unending supernatural knowledge, and if I had the greatest gift of faith that could move mountains, but have never learned to love, then I am nothing. And if I were to be so generous as to give away everything I owned to feed the poor, and to offer my body to be burned as a martyr, without the pure motive of love, I would gain nothing of value. Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.

.Perfect Love

Love never stops loving. It extends beyond the gift of prophecy, which eventually fades away. It is more enduring than tongues, which will one day fall silent. Love remains long after words of knowledge are forgotten. Our present knowledge and our prophecies are but partial, but when love’s perfection arrives, the partial will fade away. When I was a child, I spoke about childish matters, for I saw things like a child and reasoned like a child. But the day came when I matured, and I set aside my childish ways. For now we see but a faint reflection of riddles and mysteries as though reflected in a mirror, but one day we will see face-to-face. My understanding is incomplete now, but one day I will understand everything, just as everything about me has been fully understood. Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love—yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.

In our everyday life we rush thru and often don’t have a heart reflection of our relationship skills. Our fast paced life blurs the finite details of loving ourselves, family, and neighbors. The passage above points to a heart check for loving.

When Paul wrote this, he was writing to the people of Corinth, who were very diverse yet had many pagan beliefs. There were many factions and obstacles towards the Good News of the Gospel. Paul was addressing the outcome of their spiritual immaturity in the form of divisiveness, lawsuits, selfishness, immorality, abuses in liturgy and spiritual gifts. The Corinthians were in danger of possible denial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Today’s culture reflects many of the same things. Love is always the answer to living in peace and growing into the full stature of Jesus. We should strive to love. It is the glue that keeps everything together. Be Love!

March 11, 2021

The Keys of Truth

Greetings,

February 2, 2021

I sat down with the Lord to inquire for today’s topic and He told me about the Keys of Truth. Keys are the understanding, opening and strategy to help you be stronger and grow in your relationship with the Lord. It also helps us walk out our journey and be in fellowship with our brothers and sisters. It helps learn about the Kingdom and how it operates.

You see, all the shaking in the world today and the last year has to do with lies that are being confronted in the way the world operates. We serve a God who is Truth. In a simple understanding, lies can be shaken and don’t last. Everything that is not of God will not stay or work. It’s in our best interest to discern the lies from the truth especially in this hour of history.

In the Hebrew language, the Hebrew word `aman means the following: assurance, establish, firm foundation, believe and believe in, verified, pillars, supporters of the door, sure, lasting, uphold, nourish, confirm, reliable, to be certain and trusted. It means to turn to the right and stedfast.

The word for lies, in the Hebrew word Ka-zav means fail, vain, deceitful and a liar. In the Greek the word pseudologos is used meaning, speaking lies. We know that pseudo means false, counterfeit or fake.

These definitions make it quite clear about their meaning and intent. Lies straight up cause failure and everything opposite of what the truth means.

The first thing He showed me is “Truth is the way out.” It is the way out of being stuck. stagnant, the prison of our own thinking, lies we believe, ( strongholds) and not having a clear direction.
The Truth opens up the door of your heart/mind. Truth has no fear in it. It’s safe.
It unlocks the lies we believe. Your heart is presented with the Truth to breakthrough the lies.
Truth is a firm foundation.
Truth is the Highway for the journey and destiny. The Truth is like arrows that are shot and always hit the target.

The scriptures and God are the only ones with absolute and pure truth. Our hearts get clouded with lies, opinions and vain imaginations. Often lies are caught, passed on, brought in by an outside source, and just plain old not knowing the truth due to our human nature. We also can fall prey to lies because we don’t put the effort into searching out the truth of a matter. It’s hard work to find the truth and apply it.

Here are some supporting scriptures as follows:

Hebrews 4:12 ESV – 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Deuteronomy 32:4 KJV – 4 [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he.

1 Kings 17:24 ESV – 24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”

Esther 9:30 ESV – 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth,

Job 34:12 ESV – 12 Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice.

Psalm 5:9 ESV – 9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.

Psalm 15:2 ESV – 2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart;

Psalm 25:5 ESV – 5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Psalm 43:3 ESV – 3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!

Psalm 45:4 ESV – 4 In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!

Psalm 51:6 ESV – 6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Psalm 86:11 ESV – 11 Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

Psalm 119:43, 160 ESV – 43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules. … 160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

Psalm 145:18 ESV – 18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Proverbs 12:17 ESV – 17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.

Proverbs 23:23 ESV – 23 Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

Ecclesiastes 12:10 ESV – 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.

Isaiah 10:20 ESV – 20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

Isaiah 45:19 ESV – 19 I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, ‘Seek me in vain.’ I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right.

Zechariah 8:16, 19 ESV – 16 These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; … 19 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.

2 Timothy 4:4 ESV – 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

1 John 1:6, 8 ESV – 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. … 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 5:6 ESV – 6 This is he who came by water and blood–Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

2 John 1:2 ESV – 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

I put many scriptures up here and there are more. I encourage you to do a search on truth in your Bible program. It’s so important. Truth is our foundation. It can’t be replaced. Also Truth is a fact. It can be proven.

For Jesus says,

John 14:6 ESV – 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Blessings

February 4, 2021

Podcast: Moses & Guest Seer

Jana and Sharon see Moses and Holy Spirit shows us why we are seeing him as forerunners of today. We also have a surprise guest prophet/seer who joined us to finish out the recording session.