One Prayer

Romans 10:1 (NCV)

"Brothers and sisters, the thing I want most is for all the Jews to be saved. That is my prayer to God."

What if you only had one prayer left? and what if you knew your prayer would get answered, what would you pray for? I can just imagine the Apostle Paul looking at the outskirts of his city and suddenly tears start to run down his cheeks, why? because he knew that these people needed to be saved. His prayer wasn't a selfish prayer, like many of our prayers, but his prayer was one that didn't concern him but others, those around him. See in our lives we meet many people, cross paths with strangers, even have to deal with people that we just don't like, but what if we took our selfish desires and aimed our prayers for these individuals that don't know about Jesus Christ? Paul's prayer wasn't just to see some of the Jews be saved, but it was to see ALL the Jews be saved. I know there are a lot of “what if’s” but here is a last one: what if we would pray that same prayer? a prayer that says i want to see "ALL my family saved" "ALL my co-workers saved" "ALL of my city saved" how would our world look like? Last night P.Dan spoke about UNITY, and how in only 2 instances were the people in one accord (Genesis 11 & Acts 2) their UNITY allowed them to experience miracles, great achievements, a move of God. I Believe that today we are being called to pray, and not merely for ourselves, but for our families, friends, co-workers, city, world. if we came together with one thing in mind (that ALL man shall be saved) can we really see and experience another "one accord" experience? It's up to you, me, US!

Foolish Wisdom?

Proverbs 7:21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
she seduced him with her smooth talk.
Solomon was the wisest of all men and he spends much time discussing with his son the ways of a woman good and a lot of bad. Women have a great power to lift a man up to greatness or destroy him. Solomon had seen this with the relationship of his father, David and his mother. He knew what sadness adultery creates and the regret of sin. Because of his father’s murdering of Uriah, the nation was in constant war, and his older brother had died. But even more Solomon had a lust for women and he too was lead away from the Lord with his relationships.
Wisdom is only good when you follow her instructions. The bible says to know what is right and not do it is sin. This is so true. As women not only do we persuade men but we persuade ourselves into believing lies. We compromise God’s word to fit what WE think is best for us. We are to submit every thought to God and wait for His instructions. God has a plan for us if we would only get out of the way.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you.” God first and your needs will be met.
“Delight yourselves in the ways of the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” We you are delighted in God, your desires will be aligned with His and He will bless you with them. God knows what is best for us and His timing is perfect.
1 Peter 3: 3,4 “ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.” It is not about what you can do but WHOS you are. Fall in love with Christ and become more like Him and you will always have joy.
Lord, I thank you for your word today. Forgive me for not keeping You first. Help me to prioritize my life so that I may be a blessing. I commit my heart, my desires, and life back to You. Amen

Welcome to Oklahoma...

Well as you all may know i have made it to Oklahoma safely, thanks for all your prayers. Anyways you might be wondering what that sign is, don't worry i was wondering the same thing. As soon as we got off the plane the first person i saw was this tall cowboy who's jacket said "chuck" right then and there i knew this was going to be a long trip. I decided to go to the restroom and was welcomed with the sign above, "tornado shelter!!" I don't know about you but that gives me no kind of rest. Anyways on the way here to Oklahoma we stopped at Denver where this old gentleman came up to me and asked me, "hey you go to the University of Hawaii?" I was wearing my UH sweater, that Amanda (miss you) gave me, i told him that i didn't but i was planning to attend there in a few. He was just so happy and excited, we talked just a little bit more and as he left he put out his hand and left me with a "shaka." It's funny how God will place specific people, signs, or things in your life to remind you about your dream. So remember "keep your memories inside of you, keep your past behind you, and keep your dream in front of you!" This concludes my first day here in Oklahoma, it's getting late (1:20am) so i'm calling this a night.  Gnite every one, love yall and miss yall!

Good News

1 Thessalonians 3: 7Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 8For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.

Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica and shares with them why he was not able to visit and why he sent Timothy. He was under so much persecution that even though he wanted to see them he couldn’t. He says that the news that they are strong in their faith encourages him. He goes as far to say that “now we really live”.
Good news does so much for everyone who hears it. It makes you smile, lifts your heart, brighten a day, eases pain. It can even bring laughter and a song. Paul had endured so much in his life and just the word that the people he loved and poured into were doing well, lifted him.
1. What good news are you sharing? The gift of salvation is called the “good news” and it is, however, it is a “good secret” if no one hears it. In our society we can share about the most vulgar things and it is acceptable. You share Christ, and you are judging people’s lives. No, you are not.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword , and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit , of both joints and marrow , and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart .
The good news is powerful and change lives. Share Christ with someone it will not only make an impact on them, but on you as well. My life is all wrapped up in Jesus, from my childhood, to my marriage, to Isaiah and Leia’s miracle births. It is next to impossible not to share what God has done in my life.
2. Encouragement can be in many forms. A funny joke or picture (any of Troy’s stories or email titles), a praise report, a smile, a simple text. Spread the light in little ways for the go much deeper than you think. We I hear how a youth that we ministered to is still servicing God and in ministry themselves…I energizes me. It reassures me that it is worth the cost.

Lord, I thank you that you word is a live and life changing. I love that you have designed us to encourage and share how awesome you are and be there for others. I pray that I will be an encouragement to someone today. amen

God Encounter

i love how God just catches you by surprise! from the littlest to the biggest things you know God is at work in your Life. Some things i enjoy doing is reading and meeting new people. Today as i was in Borders i met up with this guy who was in the christian section. We started off with some small talk and later it evolved to finding out that we had some similar passions especially in things concerning the church. He is a young rising business man and asked me if i could hook up with him and his team. At first i thought, "What do i have to offer these people? i have no ounce of business skills..." i could've rejected the offer but hey what do i have to lose. I've been praying for a new job and this might be it. God is faithful! he definitely looks out for his children. I was reminded of these scriptures found in Psalms 37:4-5 "Enjoy serving the Lord and he will give you what you want, depend on the Lord; trust him and he will take care of you." Now i ask for your prayers in this because all though the thought about a new job sounds good i don't want to be out of the will of God. What we think is coincidence, God calls "My Master Plan." How great it is to know that God seeks out the best for you and me.

The Channel Swimmers

We'll I just got back from Hawaii with Pastor Dan and what a time it was. On the way to the islands I read an article in one of the magazines provided by the airlines. The article was about the channel swimmers of Hawaii. Channel swimmers swim long distances, in fact island to island, they use the current of the ocean or specific channels as routes. Little did I know how this article would speak to me while on the trip. We arrived in Oahu around 11:15AM and were on our way to spy the land shortly after. It didn't take long for Pastor Dan and I to see where God was leading us. We drove around Ewa beach for a few hours checking out the neighborhoods and the schools. Since it was late afternoon kids were getting out. There were children everywhere. Each one of those kids represented a family, a family who might not have hope, might not have a dream but most of all might not have Christ in their hearts. As we continued to drive Pastor Dan echoed the same words that I have been hearing from my wife for months now "The people are here, there here." The land is primed for a mighty move of God. In a large portion of the area there are new developments and houses going up everywhere. The charge I take upon my life is turning those houses into homes, homes built on the word of God, strong families, people living with purpose and living out their full potential. So much emotion was going through my body. I litterally felt sick. I had excitement, saw great potential, afterall this was a dream that I have held onto for 10 years now, but there something else. I also felt a huge amount of fear. I realized what Caleb probably felt when spying out the promise land. Then the article that I read on the plane came back to my memory. I felt like a channel swimmer. The channel swimmer begins their swim from island to island at midnight utilizing the best time for current. All the swimmers know before diving in is: the distance, the darnkness and the sharks. Any person who has gone on to do anything great for God has had to face a great disance, has had to face uncertainty and has been unforcomtable. We continued to drive around Pastor Dan asked me "Ant, what are you feeling?" I told him my head is hurting, my stomach is turning, I see potential but have fear all at the same time, the feeling was overwhelming. Pastor Dan smiled and with that letting me know that's all normal, it's part of the territory, part of the call, part of chasing after a dream. The difference between someone who lives their potential and someone who just lives is whether they will dive in or not. Will you follow God as far as he wants to take you? Will you allow why and how to stop you? Will you live what you know to be true of you, "the picture of what God has placed of you in you?" I don't know how many folks read this blog but my prayer is that wherever your at in life today be encouraged to become all that God has called you to be. If your feeling overwhelmed, fearful, almost like what God has called you to do should be someone else, your in the perfect place. Gods dreams are big not small, because they have huge implications, have huge affects and He is trusting you to live it out. Just dive in.


Story about the channel swimmers (Page 1 is the portion of the article that I was referencing)
http://www.hanahou.com/pages/magazine.asp?Action=DrawArticle&ArticleID=674&MagazineID=42&Page=1

Time to Start Over

1 Samuel 12:20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.
David had just lost his son that he had with an affair with Bathsheba. Sin always reaps pain, and David was reaping what he had sown. Now that the child was gone David realigned himself with God.

1) “David got up.” You can’t stay in the same place or position if you expect your situation to change.
2) “ he washed”. He took a shower and got dressed. Get ready for what is next. Put the old mindset, bad memories, even old things that will remind you of the bad times away. “changed his clothes”, get a new attitude and prepare yourself for a new day.
3) “he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped”. Go to where God’s presence is and worship Him. The bible says, “submit yourself to God…” You can’t have a better day let alone a better life, apart from God. Worship is acknowledging that He is wiser and more powerful than you. That you can’t do it on your own and need help.
4) He went home and ate. He started to live again. He didn’t go back to his sad depressed state. He moved on and than in verse 24 he is able to comfort his wife. Only when you begin to heal are you useful to help someone else.

David went through many pains in his life, some induced by others and some of himself. All in all, David knew his source of strengthen was in God alone. If you are in a place where you are so low you couldn’t go any further down…don’t you think it’s time to head back up?

Lord, I thank you for this word and how simple and practical you are in helping us be restored and useful. I pray for the hurting souls today that you may give them the courage to take that first step towards You. I praise You for always been there for me, even when I let you down. Help me to be a useful blessing today in Jesus Name, Amen.

The Creative Mind

1 Chron. 14:14 so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, "Do not go straight up, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army." 16 So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

The Philistines had come to make war with David and Israel and God had given David victory. However, they came back to try to defeat David again. This time God gives David a new battle plan to defeat his enemy.
God is a god of new things. He does not always operate in the same way. He is the Creator and is ever changing. Satan does not attack the same every time and God does not defeat him the same way either. The element of surprise is one of the greater tactics. God wants us to think creatively. Remember in the Italian Job, at the end when the bad guy tries to make a deal with Ukrainian and he has already made a deal with Mark Walberg, and the Ukrainian says “ you are right no imagination”. He was out smarted because he could not think far enough out, no imagination, no creativity.
God has given us a mind like His and He desires for us to grow and create. Christianity should not be boring because God isn’t. Live outside of the box, as a matter of fact, crush the box and live with no limits. Worship creatively, pray with imagination, talk with passion, live out vision. Be more than what You think you can be.

Lord, thank you for your word. I want to live a life that is abundant and crazy fun. Help me not to make my life or ministry work. Let me love living for you and may it infect all those around me. Let me unleash the creative mind You have given me. Amen
_Da Mama (Tara)

"Don't Rest On Your Laurels"

11 So David and his troops went up to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “God did it!” David exclaimed. “He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!”
1 Chronicles 14:11

The word today says that when David was anointed king over Israel an old enemy of David's came after him, the Philistines. The enemy did not come with just a few, v.8 says the Philistines mobilized "ALL" their forces after him. This is so true of our own lives that when we move to a new level with God the enemy will try to stop you from achieving or becoming even greater.
Why does the enemy want to stop you? Because the enemy knows that there is even greater potential than the level you just arrived at. Crazy that the enemy realizes our potential and sometimes we do not, but that's another journal.

So what did David do? David went out to meet the enemy and to do battle with him. Think about it for a minute, David had to battle all his life, as a shepherd fighting animals trying to attack his sheep, fighting against people not believing in him, fighting against the giant, fighting against armies for a king who wanted to kill him. Finally David is in his position of his promise as King, does he stop fighting, NO. What this teaches me today is that no matter what level you get to, how anointed you are, how many victories you have, the enemy will always try to stop you from going after more. You can't rest on your laurels, "yesterdays victories" because if you don't realize it, your in a real fight even now. Things have been different at church lately, you can see an atmosphere shift taking place, the worship team is moving to a new level, new opportunities are opening but we can't rest on yesterdays victories. There is more territory to take, more people to influence and greater potential at stake. The church as a whole has been in defense mode for too long it's time to rise up, go out invade the enemies territory, and let God use us to burst through like a raging flood. Stay sharp, stay swift, stay in the spirit. David inquired of God constantly, because he did not want to lose site of God's plan. I feel spiritually that God has CWC as a whole in the locker room right now and the game plan has already been drawn up on the board. The players are understanding their position, their getting their protective gear on. Assignments have been given, it's time to knuckle up with the enemy. Don't ever rest on yesterdays accomplishments or you'll jeopardize even greater ones ahead.

As the Day of Prayer gets started today Lord I pray for a shaking in the land. I pray that you would awaken the church to her potential and might that we have in you. I pray you would mobilize angels ahead of us today that the prayers of the saints would move your heart and rock the enemies territory. I pray that we would realize what's at stake, realize what we have, realize what has to be done. Go ahead of us Father In Jesus Name, amen.