Written on 26 December 2022.

Know Peace

It's been quite the build up: you’ve put out decorations, you’ve planned events, you’ve purchased gifts, and many of you have prepared meals. Let’s take the next few moments to ensure you can enjoy Christmas.

One of the first decorations I think about during this season is the nativity set, a miniature manger filled with characters from the first Christmas story. Although they’re intended to paint the picturesque night of Christ’s birth, as a kid I saw them as nothing more than toys.

When I was very young the nativity was the perfect site for Old McDonald’s farm
When I was a bit older it became a base for Army men
And then a few years later it became the ultimate toy… Jurassic Park - sheep are the perfect snack for a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

I was thinking about all those years and all the different ways I’d rearrange the nativity and it got me thinking: When Jesus isn’t the center of the nativity, the story changes quite a bit.

The staple of every nativity is Jesus; He’s the center of attention. Every other character is fashioned to look upon Him. And rightfully so, I mean without Jesus this isn’t the greatest blessing; it’s a barn. Without Jesus there is no reason to celebrate, it's just a stable. Without Jesus this isn’t the story of a God who loved us so much that He stepped out of eternity into humanity so that He could become one of us and die for us all so that He could always be with us.

Nativities, like life, are designed for Jesus to be the center. And when He isn’t the center the whole focus changes. For example:

If the wise men were the center, the focus moves from a savior to the pursuit of our successes. Wise men were the most accomplished and wealthy of their day. They had everything yet they were still searching for something.

That’s so many of us. We have so much yet we’re unsatisfied; still searching for significance in promotions, connections, and collections. The wise men are the picture of the man who focused his whole life on climbing to the top of the ladder only to realize, once he was at the top, that the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall.

If Joseph and Mary were at the center, then the focus moves from a redeemer to our relationships. Relationships are great; God created them for us to enjoy. But for some people that’s all life is about. They’re searching to fill a deep longing for intimacy that only God can give. You can see it in the rotation of relationships: friend after friend, boyfriend after boyfriend, spouse after spouse. Anytime we place an expectation meant for God on someone else we’re guaranteeing that relationship fails.

Finally, imagine if the shepherds were the center. The focus would move from Christ’s sufficiency to our insecurities. During the first century, shepherds were the bottom of the society. They were seen as less than, not good enough. They wore a label that constantly reminded them of their issues. There’s no doubt there are some who can only see their label of addict, divorced, unemployed, alone, abused, or broken. The focus of their life has become what’s wrong with their life.

You see, like the nativity scene, life doesn’t work when Jesus isn’t at the center.

Pursuit of success alone leaves us unsatisfied.
Relationships are rewarding but also limited.
And too many let life revolve around their regret; wasting all the good God still wants to do in their life.

The message of the nativity is ONLY Jesus should be the center piece!

Only Jesus can deliver true significance to your soul. Only in Jesus will you find a relationship that lasts forever. Only Jesus knows all your failures; loves you in spite of them and makes an incredible future from them.

This is not just an opinion; it’s a spiritual truth wired into your very being. We were created by God and He designed us with a sort of indicator for when Jesus is not at the center of our life. When there is an area of your life where Jesus is off center a warning goes off. Do you know what it is? It’s a lack of peace.

The short of 2 Peter‬ 1:2 is that the more you know Christ, the more He is the center, the more peace you have.

In life, worry is a warning light. When you worry about finances, it's because Jesus isn't the center of your finances. Some worry about family issues. There is no peace because Jesus isn’t the center of your family. For others, the place of anxiety is your marriage or school. For some it’s work. It doesn’t matter the place. Stress and fear are indicators of a place Jesus isn’t center.

So, how do you make Jesus the center? Anytime you send prayer UP; God sends PEACE down. There are over 790 verses about the peace of God in Scripture. Whatever problem you have, God has a corresponding peace.

For those with a broken heart, He gives us comforting peace.
For those with a confused heart, He gives us guiding peace.
For those when we have a guilty heart, He gives us forgiving peace.
God has a peace for every one of your problems.

All you have to do is ask!

Where in your life are you lacking peace? Where do you need to be honest and say, ‘What I’m doing isn’t working’? Where do you need to make Jesus the center-peace of your life? Take a real look and then ask God for help. Send the prayer up, and He will send peace down.

The Rhythm of Christmas

Think about clapping a simple beat. Then imagine hearing a drummer performing a more complicated sequence. When we hear these different beats, we’re experiencing rhythm. In terms of life, think about the pace, the rhythm your life is following. The pattern. The sound. The tempo. You can tell a lot about where a person has been and where a person is going by their rhythm.

If you could experience the ultimate rhythm that God has for you, the pattern He has set for your life, you could avoid a lot of drama, trauma, anxiety, and anger. The problem is, a lot of us don’t realize we’re going through life in a certain rhythm. We sometimes see our lives as a series of unrelated, random beats. We don’t learn from the past like we should. We don’t get on track for the future like we wish we could.

We’re all playing to the beat of a certain rhythm, and that rhythm will determine the results of our lives. But here’s the amazing thing. Rhythm can change. You can have tempo changes, meter changes, pattern changes. And although you may feel powerless to change your reality, if you change your rhythm, the result of that adjustment can change your reality.

God is the source of rhythm. Everything God created has rhythm - our bodies, our world, our universe. He intended us to live by His beat and pattern but man chose to march to the beat of their own drum. We got out of rhythm. We took the drumsticks from God, and the result was chaotic. To change that reality of chaos, God changed His rhythm.

When a drummer plays the drums, they have to know when to strike the drum and when to rest. Between the old and new testaments of the Bible, there were 400 years of silence. God changed his rhythm from religion based in law to relationship based on the work Jesus did on our behalf. Relational rhythm is what the rhythm of Christmas is all about. God gave us a new rhythm, first found in the heartbeat of Jesus. The rhythm of Christmas is about Jesus and allowing Jesus to set the rhythm of our lives through our relationship with Him.

Rhythm is meaningless without context. It’s kind of like a word. If I say the word “ring” you don’t know what I mean. That could mean a lot of different things, depending on its context. The same is true with rhythm. If I give you a rhythm you have no idea where it starts and ends, or how it’s supposed to fit into a song. Jesus is the context to God’s rhythm. Without Jesus, God’s rhythm seems like nothing but patterns, a religious rhythm - “do this and don’t do that.” But with Jesus, you see God’s love and His plan, and you realize that God’s plan was, is, and will always be relational.

In Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) Jesus said, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” He says “Come here and I’ll show you a pattern for your life.” He wants to show you love, mercy, and forgiveness.

Take the command, “Love your neighbor as yourself” for instance. What if my neighbor is a terrible person? Without Jesus, that command can seem nearly impossible. But with Jesus, I’m reminded that I’m not perfect either, yet, Jesus died for me. I didn’t deserve it. So Jesus gives the command a certain context, where now it becomes achievable.

Jesus knows the patterns that propel us into power and purpose. Jesus is the foundation of our lives and existence. A drummer sets rhythm in a song and this rhythm keeps everything organized and held together. Take rhythm out, you’ve got chaos. Colossians 1:15-18 (MSG) says, “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.” That sounds like rhythm, does it not? Jesus sets the rhythm and through Him, we find our purpose. Our lives go from chaotic to organized and secure when we revolve our life around His rhythm.

Maybe as you look at your life you say, “There’s no real purpose, no organizing rhythm.” God says, “I’ll let you in on my rhythm. There is a place for my pace in your soul.” That’s the rhythm of Christmas. Jesus was born of a woman. He experienced the rhythm of man. He was born under the law. The law was a system of rules and regulations that no man could keep. Yet, Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly. He had perfect rhythm. Christ’s heartbeat changed the world. As we follow the beat of the babe from Bethlehem, we give Him the drumsticks of our lives and allow Him to set the pace for our soul.

In rhythm, timing is everything. If you’re a drummer in the band, you set the tempo and the band is in sync with what you play. People knew that God was going to send a new rhythm to reconcile and redeem the world. God told us this through the prophets. The word “rhythm” is derived from “rhythmos” which means “a measured motion.” God measured out all of his options before putting His plan into motion. He thought long and hard, because there was a divine dilemma. What would God do about the sin problem in the world? Would he wipe us out? Or would he bring us back into rhythm? Then, on that first Christmas, he put that measured plan into motion as God showed the greatest display of rhythm the world has ever seen. When Christ was born, His heartbeat signaled a new rhythm that would revolutionize the world.

Jesus lived for 33 years. But on the cross, after He perfectly followed the beat of the law during His life on earth, the heartbeat of heaven came to a halt. It appeared the beat had suffered the ultimate defeat. But on that third day, it began to beat again – so loud, so majestic, so full - that Jesus burst forth with resurrection power. There was a rhythm that changed the world. A rhythm found inside the heart of a newborn child that grew to become a man. This rhythm would stand up to religion. It would defeat the devil and sin. It lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death. And then, it stopped. And then, it rose again. Je-sus. Je-sus.

When you can’t feel anything else, you can always feel the beat, His beat. Je-sus. Je-sus. Je-sus. No rhythm, no life. Know rhythm, know life. Do you hear God’s heartbeat?

Fulfill Your Calling

As some have said, ‘A career is what you are PAID to do, but a calling is what you were MADE to do.’ At Motor City Church we have engineers who volunteer with our Parking Lot team and we have Kidz volunteers who are accountants and communications specialists. When you find your calling and start operating in that calling, there is satisfaction that brings a sense of fulfillment like nothing else. In addition, your calling builds God's house and this is what makes a difference in our church, our city, and our world. Your calling is a central piece to what God wants to do in this world.

The church almost collapsed at the beginning when people weren't serving. We find the account in Acts 6:1-4. This was a pivotal point in church history. Instead of a church that changed the world, it almost became a food program. But because of foresight, the church survived and thrived as seven men took on the food program so the apostles could work to pray and teach the Word. By fulfilling their calling, these seven men focused on a detail that was needed and others were able to contribute with their own callings which resulted in an established, functioning ministry that impacted all of history. Their CALLING allowed the Gospel to CONTINUE. We are in partnership with God and as we respond to our calling, the next wave of God’s plan can surface.

Let me tell you four facts about the future of God’s plan:

You have a part to play. When you believe ministry is only done by professionals, people who are paid staff, you forfeit your calling and frustrate God's plan for you. Ephesians 4:11-12 teaches us that Jesus gave gifts to the church in the form of apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Then it explains, these have the responsibility to equip God’s people to do the work of the ministry. Paid ministers and staff are there to help you fulfill your purpose.
You have to play your part. It’s time to step up. We've got a high unemployment rate in the church. The only way to ACTIVATE your calling is to DEACTIVATE your excuses. Excuses will keep you from the extraordinary things God wants to do through you. Don’t let age keep you from making a difference. You are not too young and you are not too old. You will always be busy. And everyone has failed in the past. Proverbs 24:16 says the godly fall but get back up again. You'll never be content until you create a space to live out your calling. God’s not looking for ability. He's looking for availability. Serving helps build God's house. Put away excuses. The church needs you.
Your part is essential for the church to build its destiny. I bet the seven guys who took on the food program in Acts never grasped the gravity of what they did. The youth leader from my high school years was faithful to teach God’s word to our youth group. Six men from that group went into ministry. I am sure he never realized the impact he was having on the body of Christ. As we serve, we may not feel like we are doing something essential but we are.
Every part requires a servant’s heart. According to Matthew 20:28, Jesus measures greatness by service. These seven in Acts who willingly picked up this ministry to the widows did not care about being seen. Forget about being famous. Go for being fruitful. Don’t worry about getting credit for what you’ve done. Focus on glorifying God. Like the off-duty fireman who saved a woman’s life by pulling her from a burning car, help pull people from a life that does not know God and from eternal separation. Fulfilling your calling helps pull people from the fire. Go for eternal rather than earthly reward. You're going to give your life for something. Service is the pathway to real significance.

Make a difference today. Our Belong class at Motor City Church includes a gift assessment. Come and find out what your gifts are. If God can use anything He chooses, He can use you! Find out where there is a need and use your gifts for God’s purposes.

Stretching Your Faith

We are in a season we call Heart for the House here at Motor City Church. There are many ways we can show our heart for God’s house. Many serve on the Dream Team, our volunteer teams, and many tell others about Motor City Church. We also show our heart for the house through our giving during the year. But, once a year we get together and imagine what we could do to help bring about the vision for the future.

One of our vision statements is “Make A Difference.” Difference makers build a legacy that will affect our children and our children’s children. It’s important to invest our time, talent and treasure on behalf of others. God actually designed the human body to release endorphins when we give to others. He designed us to get joy from helping others. Psychology has even proven that humans have a need to be significant. As we look to the vision God has given for MCC, we incorporate service, evangelism, and finances to fulfill what God has designed us to be, to make a difference.

As we give, Hebrews 6 assures us, “For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love for him by caring for other believers. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.” God does not forget what we have done to help and serve others. What we do for ourselves dies with us, but what we do for others lives beyond us. I say it often, church is not about us. The church exists for others. As a church we organize ourselves to make a difference in the lives of others.

As we are in a special season of giving, I am reminded of my first significant step of faith to invest financially in my church at the time. I was in a service much like the one we had at MCC today and God told me to give $500. I had $503 in my bank account at the time. But when God speaks to you about a seed, He has a harvest in mind. I let go of what was in my hand and God let go of what was in His hand. A week later Christine was asked to be in a Walmart commercial! Not only did she get paid for the commercial but she got paid every time it aired. We ended up with more than $15,000 from that commercial! The $500 we gave was a huge stretch of faith for us. It was all we had. It takes faith to please God. But, we have to learn to use faith. Faith is a muscle. We need to exercise it. And like exercise, we start where we are and we stretch and strengthen and work our way up to new levels. Since that time, I have had many opportunities to stretch and strengthen my faith in the area of financial giving.

As we learn to trust God, we become a distribution center. We are blessed to be a blessing. Think about water pipes that have water flowing through them. They are wet on the inside. A water pipe’s purpose is not to get wet. Pipes are for distribution. But pipes do get wet as part of the process. As we become a conduit of generosity, we will experience favor and blessing because it is flowing through us. Like pipes getting wet, the effect of the flow will be upon us.

Keep in mind, having and giving are two different things. When you can be trusted to give what God has led you to give, it will flow into your hands. I have been in situations where I did not have what God was showing me to give. I gave what I had and then believed for the rest. Just like a farmer, when you give, you are sowing seed. God will supply seed to the sower.

As God blesses you, remember there is a difference between harvest and seed. Many times God will put a bigger blessing in our hands and we spend it on ourselves. We mistake it for the harvest. But it is actually just more seed. I learned this after God blessed us with a much needed car and then we were led to give it away soon after we had acquired it. I discovered God is trustworthy as I obeyed Him and trusted Him. Every time He's raised the standard of our giving, He's raised the standard of our living. As we put the Kingdom of God first, God will add everything else we need. As we focus on building His house, He builds our house.

Each of us gives at different levels but each one should be operating in generosity and give something. We want to give our best to God, trust Him and release what we have in our hands. Something powerful happens when we come together in unity. In unity God commands the blessing and it all counts. We give at different levels but with equal sacrifice. It can be scary and it takes faith. In 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 we learn the story of the Corinthian gifts to the believers in Macedonia. Paul explained the principle of seed and harvest - planting small, reaping small and planting more, reaping more. God provides an increase in our resources to allow for even more generosity. And God will be glorified. Two good things result from this ministry of giving. As I give to the ministry, God ordains it and then uses it. What’s your stretch today? Stretch and know, God sees and won’t forget. Seek first the kingdom of God, and all the things you need for your life will be added to you.

Written on 27 November 2022.

Heart For The House

At Motor City Church, we are in the season we call “Heart for the House.” Heart for the House is all about making a difference together by giving our time, talent, and treasure.

Matthew 6:25-33 is a classic passage and ends with, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things (things we tend to worry about) will be given to you as well.” The focus according to this verse is God’s kingdom. Have you ever asked, “What can I do for God?” Yes, we are His kids and He has amazing things He has given us in the past and wants to give us in the future, but we are also His servants and He has a Kingdom focus. What does it mean to have a heart for the things God has a heart for?

God has a heart for the world. We are blessed at Motor City Church to have frequent opportunities to invest in or even participate in ministry to the world, to give to and serve on the world stage. We give to different projects and we have mission connections that allow some of us to actually go out on missions, a place to use our gifts and abilities to impact the world. We may drill a well or build a church or school, but in the end, it is about building an environment where people can experience the love of God. That's why missions exist. They provide an opportunity to advance God’s kingdom and watch Jesus change people. He changes our perspective AND changes the lives of those we take the mission to.

A heart for our community is another aspect of having a heart for the house. People need Jesus. Local outreach creates a space where people have opportunity to work together to create safe space within their neighborhood or within a neighborhood across town. It is love in action. It opens opportunities to help people and to pray for people in person, to bless them and to let them know God loves them. Sometimes local outreach is a fun event that creates a low stress, safe space for people to bring their families where kids are free to be kids and families experience God's love in a caring atmosphere. Do you reach out to your neighbors? Ask God what you can do for your neighbors and expect Him to move. Be ready to listen to God and obey what He shows you.

A heart for the house is not just for the world and community but it’s for the local body of Christ. The body of Christ, the church, is the answer to a lot of the world's problems. This is why it is important to be a part of the local church. Hebrews 10:25 exhorts us not to neglect meeting together. We tend to conflate “gathering together” and “assembling together”. We come to “gather'' most of the time, but we gather and then go home, unchanged by the experience. When we assemble, we interlock and work together for a bigger purpose - like a puzzle - to accomplish all that God has for the house and for the Kingdom. We make a space for people to say yes to Jesus. What are you doing to fit together with others from the house, to assemble and be used to build something together? God is the builder and He is using us to build the vision of His heart.

This same verse in Hebrews tells us to encourage one another. Competition is not encouraging. We need to learn the skill of encouragement. We are called to encourage each other. Encouragement starts with engagement. Get involved in the local body of Christ and get engaged. You will be encouraged and you will be in position to encourage others. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says that “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.” Don't let each other do life alone. Stand back to back, protecting and helping each other. Stand arm in arm to help each other succeed. We are powerful together. We are equipped to fight for the Kingdom together. Be a part of a life-giving community. How are you encouraging other people?

Remember, our enemy, the devil, roars around seeking whom he may devour. Lions wait for their prey to be exhausted. They go after the one that's by themselves.When you live without assembly and family, you're in danger. Thinking of the puzzle analogy, the enemy is going for the edge pieces. When they're in place, they help with the vision, the big picture, the overall perspective. But they are also the ones that get lost or drop off the table. People who interlock and engage are protected and covered by those whom they are connected with.

You are invited to help us build, to join us and to assemble, to come together in one place for a common purpose. There's more to church than just attending. There is connection, purpose, making a difference. Encouraging one another allows us to experience God's presence collectively and then do something with what God has just shown us. Think outside yourself!! The goal of the church is to create space for you to learn who you are in Christ and impact the world around you in alignment with your identity in Him!

Created for Greatness

In today’s message, the scripture I want to focus on is Joshua 1:8, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”

Joshua speaks of success in all you do. True success is not measured by material things. As you steer yourself purposefully to develop skills based on spiritual laws and principles, you can chart a course for true, good, success. No matter how discouraged you are with the circumstances in your life now, no matter how many disappointments you have experienced, you can do some big things with what you have, because God has a perfect plan for your life. You are like a seed. Inside of you is everything good that God created you to be. And as with any seed it is just waiting to be released into all of its fullness. There is greatness inside of you. I believe success is becoming the person you were meant to be and living out your God-given potential. Fulfillment will come when you get in line with His plan for you. And, when you are aligned with God’s plan for you, that plan will not fail.

Shoot for your maximum potential. Work to create a mindset for the fulfillment of God’s plan for you. Romans 12:2 has been the theme verse for this “Mindset Matters” message series. You need transformation, but you can't transform you. God does the transformation. The vehicle for that transformation is a change of mindset. Most of us want to get to Heaven someday because that is where there are no sorrows and no sickness, where there is peace of mind and security. Well, I believe heaven can be in the here and now. You can enjoy the goodness of God in the land of the living. You have the ability to release the will of God, enjoying God’s will on earth as it is in Heaven.

You're designed for the spirit of life to operate within you. Eden was here on earth. It was created for humans to dwell in. God gave people dominion, but we lost our ability to see things correctly and were removed from that perfect place. Because God couldn’t bear to be separated from us, He sent Jesus to restore us. Jesus brought a portion of Heaven to earth and demonstrated the will of God through His life, through healing and teaching, through His life, death and resurrection. Jesus was the Word embodied and demonstrated truth for us through His life. The Word of God gives us instruction for every area of our life. We need to know God’s word. In fact, the Bible is the original success book.

Hosea 4:6 shows us that people are being destroyed because they do not know God. The right kind of information gives you the ability to see correctly. Wisdom and correct judgment come from knowing the Word. With this knowledge, you can tell the difference between light and darkness, evil and good. You learn to stand on the Word, to live your life based on the truth. Circumstances and feelings will blind you. Learn to open your eyes to the truth as it is, based on Scripture, not what truth seems to be when you look at your circumstances.

Joshua 1:8 says to study continually. Don't be destroyed from lack of knowledge. God gave this book to help you. Meditate on it day and night. Think seriously about God’s word. Ponder it. Only then will you be prosperous. And God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Then you will do well and have good success. Then you will become the person you're meant to be. You do the study and meditation and then this promise follows. This is reflective of our partnership with God. The Word works for those who work the Word. That is how you have a foundation for living, a foundation of righteousness, thoughts that are right, beliefs that are right and speech that is right. As you allow this transformation to take place you will be in a position to receive what is right. This is your prescription, read the Word every day. it will settle in your heart and change your life.

James 4:2-3 reveals the truth, “You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.” Check your heart. Learn to ask God for what you want - or - settle for what you get. It is still your choice. God has so much for you. Don't settle. Make your mind mind. Don't let wandering and unintentional, random thoughts rule. Harness and bridle your thoughts. There is an old saying. “A bird may fly over your head but you don't have to let it build a nest.”

Choose your thoughts. Study God’s word and meditate on it. Introduce good things to your mind. Reject thoughts that do not reflect the truth of God’s Word. Thoughts will impact your feelings and your feelings will impact your behavior. God created us for brilliance. You decide what to let in. We each have a purpose to reach our maximum potential. As you ponder the truth, it subjects your mind to God‘s plan for your life and it establishes you with hope and defeats discouragement that limits progress. “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.” (Hebrews 6:19). Don’t live your life with inhibited hope. Harness your thinking. Get God’s plan, His thoughts. Build on the Word of God. Just like an instrument rated pilot, trust the instrument God has given you. Study and meditate on His Word and then watch Him replace the impossible with the possible. He will transform your thoughts and your life as you meditate on His thoughts. Renew your mind with God thinking. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

Written on 23 October 2022.

Transformation Power

I have been talking about how our Mindset Matters for the past few weeks. Last week we talked about making lasting changes. Today we're going to flip it a bit. Wrong mindset can hold us back from achieving things in our lives. Well, our mindset also faces the battle of believing for those things we dream of for our lives.

God is a transformer. He wants to transform you into the person He intended for you to become and He has wonderful things in mind for you, beyond what you can even ask, think or imagine. But, as we’ve been discussing, our thinking is the key. God is more interested in changing your thinking than He is in changing your circumstances.

It is no secret that people from all walks of life understand that the way people think impacts their behavior. With that in mind, I believe God exists, that He created us on purpose, for a purpose and that He has a specific plan for us. But, we hold the keys to our destiny. We're not a puppet on a string. We have the power of reason. We plot our own course on our way to destiny. Decisions we make compile to shape our future.

God wants to be your partner and He will share His plan with you if you look to Him. Jeremiah 29:10 says, “I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.” But you have to take the steps. You will make the most of the navigational decisions for your life if you look to God and what He has to say. With God, you can stay on track and stay in God's best for you. When He speaks to you and you follow what He is telling you it is like the teacher who gives you a pop quiz and then tells you to choose “c” because that is the answer. It's easy to pass the test if you have the answers and God never holds back.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 proclaims, “Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.” We have so much power for our lives. I don't believe in luck. I believe in favor. If we are walking according to God’s principles we will walk in His favor. Each of us has a promised land like the children of israel. We can choose to go into the promise ... or we can wander for forty years. Don't let fear keep you out of God’s promises for you. When the Israelites had their first chance to go into the promised land, they chose not to go because of the giants in the land. They had faith. They just had faith in the wrong thing. Don't put your faith in giants. Put your faith in God. Possess your promised land and receive the blessing God has for you.

Release God's best in your life. It is His will for heaven to be on earth. Job 22:28 says “You will succeed in whatever you choose to do, and light will shine on the road ahead of you.” Stop waiting for opportunity to present itself to you. Keep on asking and seeking and knocking (Matthew 7:7-11). God has great things for you. “Whatever will be will be” is no way to live. You have to possess your promise. See yourself there, in possession of your promise. You will never leave the desert if you can't see yourself in Canaan. Ask God for what you want. He gave us thousands of promises in His Word. Claim these by reading them, meditating on them and declaring them. You will be amazed how your life will change - no more just floating through life waiting for things to come to you.

Can you see yourself getting that job? How about owning your own house? As a person desires and judges, so are they. Base your decisions in the truth of God's word. Any time you step out of the way of truth and open yourself to deception, you will get wrong information and your decisions will be affected negatively. Jesus came from heaven to earth, into humanity, to free us from failure to receive heaven on earth. It is the will of God for you to be healthy. It is God's will for you to be able to pay your bills and to have money left at the end of your month and not to be stressed out. Heaven came to earth in Jesus and you can choose to release that into your life.

Walk by faith in God’s Word, and not by your senses. Feed your faith and starve your doubt. The biggest battle you'll ever wage will be to keep the things God has for you in your mind. The devil comes with distractions and lies to steal, kill and destroy. Your position is in God's purpose to give you a rich and satisfying life, heaven on earth, peace of mind, well-being, favor, and life more abundant. Through God, we see things as they are and we are equipped to make good choices.

We have choice in what we want to think about and the power of choices that result from what we are thinking about. We are the ones who have to keep bad thoughts out. What are you believing? What are you putting your faith in? What thoughts are you using to make decisions and choices? God is for you, for your family, for your health and for your future. In Matthew 8:13, Jesus told the centurion that his belief made it happen. Believe and watch it happen. The things you believe in your mind take shape in your life. God will do for you what you believe. This is a principle of Jesus. He promises to supply all your needs. Believe it. With God all things are possible. Faith comes by hearing and hearing, hearing and hearing some more. Position yourself for transformation. Mind your mind.