Groaning Earth International

So, today is Valentine’s Day.  Which means there are a lot of posts about love.  People post about their significant others or children.  People post, wishing they had a significant other.  Some people even post, bitter, that their significant other isn’t what they want them to be.  All of that is great but it’s very much about us and our own lives.  Love is meant to be spread abroad.

We have been filled, with the very love of Christ Himself, but what are we doing with it?  There is a lost and dying world all around us.  Brokenness everywhere we look. There’s a nursing home down the road with plenty of unloved individuals.  There’s a widow next door that’s unloved.  There’s an orphan that’s been abandoned.  You are surrounded by the unloved.  We have the answer and we don’t share it.

…I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  (Matthew 16:18 ESV)

As a child, I thought this meant that the Kingdom of Heaven had strong gates.  That no matter how bad things got, hell couldn’t knock them down.  My understanding was so backward.  In reality Jesus has established a church to knock down the very gates of hell!!  They can’t hold us back.  They can’t stop us.  Yet, we typically stay holed up in our own lives, unwilling to advance.

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV)

We have many weapons but I believe the strongest is love.  All of hell, can not counter love.  Love pulls in, love draws, love embraces, love accepts.  Love can pierce the very hardest hearts and the darkest hell people live in.

Love is what they need and love is what we have.

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16:15 ESV)

We have direction to take this across the world.  So, why don’t we?  Our motives are skewed. We don’t have genuine love for others.  We need a deeper revelation of Christ’s love.  We love Him because He first loved us.

Someone is waiting for us to be, His first love to them.

Don’t be afraid.  Step into the darkness and pain, of the hell people around you are living in. Take the love you’re filled with and boldly confront the hell surrounding you!

Happy Valentine’s Day. To Hell With Love!

What comes to mind when you hear the word devoted?  Maybe, it’s the old couple you know, that after 50 years of marriage, are still devoted to each other.  Or maybe, it’s the pastor or evangelist that you would consider deeply devoted to Christ.  What about your life?  What could be characterized as devoted?

But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. (Joshua 6:18 ESV)

But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things… (Joshua 7:1 ESV)

Now what comes to mind?  I know we’ve all made New Year resolutions.  We’ve all made promises, to ourselves and others, we haven’t kept.  What about our vows and promises to God?  What have you devoted to Him in your life, that you have not followed through with?  Maybe, it was to give more if He gave you a raise or a job.  Maybe, it was the forgiveness you promised.  Maybe, it was the bad attitude.  It could be, the thing that you said you weren’t going to watch anymore, or ready anymore, or do anymore. 

What have you devoted to destruction in your life and have broken faith in regard to?

We let ourselves off the hook for so many things.  Let me tell you this.  It means something to God.  He doesn’t forget the promises and vows that we’ve made to Him. It’s also affecting us, whether we realize it, or not.

Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. Get up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, “There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you.” (Joshua 7:12-13 ESV)

I know how it feels, to be in the middle of a battle and have no confidence to fight with.  I have been robbed of my stance of victory because of my unfaithfulness.  I can’t stand before my enemy because there are devoted things in my life, that have to go!  I’m fighting alone because I have broken faith, and now, have no faith to apply to my positional victory with Christ.

Your victory depends on your ability to boldly stand in the victory of Christ.

So now what?  Begin destroying the things in your life you’ve previously devoted.  Ask Holy Spirit to reveal devoted things you have forgotten.  Don’t lose heart.  Start anew.  Be faithful.

Get up! Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow!

In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. (Matthew 21:18-19 ESV)

I’ve often pondered this passage and why Jesus cursed the fig tree.  Another account in Mark even indicates that it was out of season and shouldn’t have had fruit.  I’ve read commentaries about how the fig tree represents Israel and their un-fruitfulness. I’ve read other op-eds regarding how we are to be fruitful in season and out.

There’s truth to all of these, but for me, The Lord began to reveal something more personal.

Why was Jesus to perturbed that the tree was not bearing fruit?  I mean, there must have been more fig trees down the road.  There were always people following Him; they would likely have something to eat.

Could it be, that when Jesus saw the fig tree, He saw it through different eyes?  Here was a living organism, created by His own hand.  Created, designed for a specific purpose and planted on this earth at a specific time.  He recalls when it was spoken into existence by His father through Him.  Yet now, it’s not living in it’s created, intended purpose.

This was that fig trees day.  This was that fig trees moment.  The creator of the universe was walking by in need.  Yet, though the fig tree was alive, bearing leaves, nourishing itself, it had no ability to bring nourishment to the body of Christ.

How many of us, are just like that?  We appear alive and thriving from the distance.  Yet, upon closer examination, things aren’t as they appear.  When a demand is placed on our lives, there is nothing produced, that would be beneficial, to the body of Christ.  We read, we pray, we “burn” for The Lord while people all around us are starving and dying.  We nourish ourselves but have no ability to nourish others.

…I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. (Revelation 3:1-2 ESV)

We were created for this time, for this moment, for a specific purpose!  Are we not, living a cursed life and withering away if do not fulfill it?  How long can we live, filling ourselves with the things of God and not reach out to help the struggling?  I’m not even talking about the lost.  I’m talking about the ones in our churches we look down on because they just “don’t get it”.  The ones bound by their failures and crippled by their pasts. The ones we criticize and condemn instead of loving.  We are revived, modern day pharisees, with charismatic lingo, to cover our white washed tombs.

Is that you?  You’ll know, because of the offense that rises within you or the conviction and weeping that rushes your spirit.  You’re not alone.  It was me too, but it’s not too late.  You can walk in a life of blessing and fruitfulness starting today.  It’s in you.  Let it burst forth!  Be, who you were created to be.  Choose life!

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live… (Deuteronomy 30:19 ESV)

It’s been a while since my last blog about wilderness living.  It reflects where I was in life.  I couldn’t write about crossing over until I had crossed over myself.  Isn’t it just like God to orchestrate the crossing over at the beginning of a new year?

‘Now rise up and go over the brook Zered.’  So we went over the brook Zered.  And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them.  For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from the camp, until they had perished.  “So as soon as all the men of war had perished and were dead from among the people, the LORD said to me, ‘Today you are to cross the border of Moab at Ar. (Deuteronomy 2:13-18 ESV)

In this passage the root of Kadesh-barnea means “Wilderness of Wandering” and Zered means “Exuberant Growth”.  For me these verses were very significant.  I am 38 and this is the year I crossed over into exuberant growth after a lifetime of wandering, in a wilderness created by the previous generation.  Only, before I could cross over, old issues had to be dealt with once and for all. Fortunately the hand of the Lord was against them!!

Whether it’s been a life long walk in the wildernes for you or just a season, it’s time to cross over.  It could be leaving the security of a job in pursuit of your dream; entering into a relationship after divorce or heartbreak and allowing yourself to love again; forgiving those people that have hurt you in the past and held you back from your future.  Regardless of what it is; today you are to cross the border!

It doesn’t matter how anointed you are in the wilderness!

You have a giant slaying anointing but the giants are on the other side.

Go ahead.  Review all of the reasons that say you should stay right where you are.  The root of those reasons is the same.  The enemy of your purpose wants to keep you paralyzed and in the wilderness.  It’s not just about you.  It’s about the generation following you and the freedom of those you are to liberate!

Isn’t it interesting how many times God tells Joshua “Be strong and courageous”?  You’d think after everything Joshua had witnessed he would be the boldest man on the planet.  Yet, this new land, was like nothing he’d every experienced.  Yes, the promise is like nothing we’ve ever known.   Yes, there are giants.  Yes, it’s a different land. Your purpose on this earth, is on the other side.  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 ESV)

As you cross over into this new year and into the next season of your life I want to bless you with a passage that has been very impacting to me.

May the LORD, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, as he has promised you! (Deuteronomy 1:11 ESV)

Have you ever felt like you’ve spent your entire life living in the wilderness? I know I certainly have. Even in the good moments of your life, you really can’t escape where you are. You may have known Egypt, and are no longer in bondage, but this is certainly not the promise you’re living.

Imagine the generation, from the children of Israel, that was born in the wilderness. They weren’t born into the bondage of Egypt, and yet this is certainly no promise land. Earthquakes swallowing people, poisonous snakes, leprosy, plague, men getting speared for bringing women to their tent, just a few things that seem like common occurrences.

They were born into the wilderness, when they should have been born into the promise. At no fault of their own, they are living a life they didn’t choose, because of the sin of the generation before them.

I’m sure you can identify with that. How many things in your past, that you had no control over, have shaped who you are today and the life you are living? You were molested, abused, mistreated, not protected, neglected, the list goes on and on. Many things you’re not even aware of, have created a belief system about yourself, and has left you wandering in the wilderness. You’re life is a product of your past circumstances and belief systems.

“He knows you’re going through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.” Deuteronomy 2:7 ESV

He Knows. Nothing has escaped His gaze. Nothing is hidden from His sight.

That in itself is comforting to me. Not only does He know but He has ensured that in this wilderness I have lacked nothing. I have not been swallowed by despair. As a matter of fact I’ve learned to thrive, in a sense, in the wilderness. But that’s not the end of the story!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Be encouraged! Do you believe the word of the Lord concerning you?

“God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Has he said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it?” Numbers 23:19 ESV

You do not have to stay in the wilderness. He will fulfill His word over your life. He hasn’t changed His mind about you.

We’ll talk more later about crossing over. Until then I will leave you with a favorite line of mine from a Karen Wheaton song.

There’s a promise coming down that dusty road!

Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds… …those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.  Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat…. the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.

Matthew 14:19-25 ESV (Emphasis mine)

Our 13 person team is ministering at a conference to about 12,000 people. We don’t know how many for sure because we only registered the 5,000 men. Our leader just got done speaking but he went so long all the restaurants are closed. Now instead of sending the guests home he wants us to feed them. Oh yeah, we don’t have any food. The son of one of the team members didn’t eat his Captain D’s 2pc snack pack, with extra rolls, for lunch. So there is that. After our leader says grace, we divide this snack pack up and we’re standing on the stage looking out at this sea of people. We have about ½ a roll each and 1/6 of a fish. We’re not talking about King Salmon here people, this was the snack pack.

This shouldn’t take long. I have my group of 1,000 to feed over here with half a handful of food. I might make it through 3 people and then I’ll be done but I have nothing to lose. I break off a small piece of fish and bread and hand it to the 1st person. I do the same to the 2nd person and I notice, I have the same amount of food that I started with. Well this is odd. I give the 3rd person half of what I have and I look down to see there’s a whole fish and loaf of bread in my hands! Stunned I look over to see my teammate with his group tossing fish and large loafs of bread to the crowd!! People are laughing and full of joy, while our leader stands on the stage observing, with the slightest smirk on his face.

So many times we read the bible and the magnitude of what we’re reading doesn’t impact us. This had to be the most incredible thing they had ever done. Sure Jesus had done some pretty amazing things but they were a part of this. He used them directly in an unimaginable way. They couldn’t have been expecting what came next. Immediately after, Jesus made them get into the boat and sent them directly into a storm. Coming off the most epic event of their life life now they are fighting to stay alive.

All storms aren’t sent by God but all storms are used by God.

It’s one thing to have faith when you have nothing to lose. What about when everything is on the line? God uses storms to shake us to the very core of who we are. What will be revealed? What hidden motive, pride, fear, or selfish ambition will be brought to light? Will a person full of faith, character, and integrity be revealed? Will gold, tried by fire be revealed? The storms will show us who we really are.

The first key to greatness, is to be in reality what we appear to be. – Socrates

It seems almost cruel to send them directly into the storm after the highlight of their life. Why not send them beforehand? Why use them so incredibly only to tear them back down so quickly? He didn’t even intend to help them in the storm. In Mark’s gospel it says that Jesus meant to pass by them. Could it be that He knew He had given them everything they needed to be victorious? He certainly wasn’t fearful. He was walking on the the very thing they were terrified of.

If we see them rightly, storms are the very thing we need for breakthrough. Storms are a great opportunity for personal growth. Nothing will increase your faith quite like a storm. A successfully navigated storm will be the very thing that launches you into the next season of our life. There’s certainly no need for fear or trepidation. You already have victory. You’re in Christ and it’s under your feet. If you get this understanding, you’ll go from trying to avoid storms, to running charging into them when you see them coming. What do you really have to lose? If your faith proves too small or some uncomfortable things are revealed, He’s always there right beside you. Either way you’re coming out the other side better than you went it.

If you’re not currently in a storm don’t worry. You will be soon. Only next time don’t hide down in the false safety of the boat.

Jump out and take yourself a little victory stroll on top of it!

Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans…. Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran. (Genesis 11:27-32 ESV)

So… what was it for you? Divorce? Addiction? Family tragidy? What derailed your destiny?  For Terah it was the failure to protect his own son. We don’t know why Haran died exactly but he died in the presence of his father.

It would appear that Terah recovered from what must have felt like the epic failure of his life.  Now it doesn’t say that he heard from The Lord but we do know it ran in the family.  Just look at the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  So by some unction, he gathers up his family and sets out for the promise land.

Along the way he comes to a place that memoralizes the greatest failure of his life.  How must that have felt?  He’s moving on with his life.  He’s taking his family to a better place.  Then out of nowhere he’s slapped right in the face by his past.  We can only imagine how devastating that must have been.  Imagine how disqualified he must have felt.  Because of this he never stepped into the destiny on his life.  He settled and went on to die in a place tied to his past.

The good news is that the enemy has no power to affect the plans of God.  The enemy doesn’t even have the power to affect you.  We choose how our failures affect us.  All the plans of God will come to pass whether by you or your children or another.  The destiny was fulfilled by Abraham, but how different could life have been for Terah, if he would have overcome that hurdle?

All of us once believed that we would do great things.  Then at some point down the road in life we failed.  Now, everytime we try to set out for that greatness, we’re reminded over and over of those failures.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29 ESV)

He hasn’t changed His mind about you! The destiny on your life can will be fulfilled if you choose it.  Your failures DO NOT revoke the call of God.

So the choice is in your hands.  What are you waiting for?  What will it be?

Destiny derailed or just delayed?

“Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

How does the Great Commission apply to you today?  What do I mean by you? 

You is implicit in this command.  Therefore YOU go and make disciples of all nations…

Many times we read verses like these and don’t really consider the implications of what they mean for us.  How are we responding to our responsibility to all nations?  There is no denying we are responsible for how we fulfill this command in our lives.

Missions is not about a call it’s about a command.

Here are a few ways you can respond

1. Do Nothing – Yes you can ignore the command
2. Go – You can fulfill the command in the literal sense of going
3. Send – You can equip and send others to go
4. Pray – You can support the command in prayer
5. Give – You can support the command in giving

So now the question is, how will YOU respond?

“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed” — Hudson Taylor

About 3.5 years ago I answered the call to move to Hamilton, AL to support what God is doing at The Ramp .  It has been an amazing journey that has impacted me and my family in every way.  I have had the privilege to serve this ministry that is literally impacting the earth.

  What God connects you to is indicative of where He is taking you.

This statement rings so true in my life.  I once thought I would be a long-term missionary in a foreign country.  Since I have been here that old passion for missions has been resurrected in my heart.  How could it not?  Here at The Ramp we have the honor to be connected to and sending missionaries around the world.  So will I be going to a foreign country as a missionary now?  Yes and No.

Over the past year the Lord began to birth in me a new passion and vision for global missions.  I could go to a country as a missionary and make a real impact for God.  I will be doing that in various ways, this is true.  However God’s plan is much greater than I could see or can see even now.  His vision and purpose is about the earth, not a single country and about missionaries, not me.  This leads to part 1 of the exciting announcement.

Groaning Earth International

I am launching a non-profit ministry, Groaning Earth International, whose primary mission is raising support and financing missionaries in the darkest parts of the world.  God has already begun advancing this vision with divine connections and has begun building a network of missionaries.  This is just the beginning and there is so much more to come.

In addition to this here at The Ramp we have launched a Missions Base and a Missions Tribe for the Ramp School of Ministry.  We have partnered with Global Infusion to fulfill our mission of equipping and sending missionaries throughout the world.  This leads to part 2 of the exciting announcement.

I have been asked to lead teams to the nations for the Missions Tribe.

This school year I have the honor of leading a team of 9 missionaries to Guatemala in May, 2013.  We have so many exciting opportunities to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Guatemala.  We have open access to the schools in Antigua and will be preaching the gospel to students.  We also will be distributing food to indian tribes in the mountains who literally live off of plantains and rain water 6 months out of the year.  There is a distinct possibility of ministering to completely unreached villages who have never heard of Jesus.  Finally we will very likely be conducting a youth conference in Antigua for the regional youth who have no outreach pointed toward their generation.

You can watch this VIDEO to see the type of ministry we will be participating in.

Are you excited yet?!?  You get to be a part of this adventure with us!  We need your prayer and support.  I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider your part in advancing the Gospel of Jesus with us.  As David Livingstone said so well “Sympathy is no substitute for action.”

If this mission has already come alive to you and you know you want to support us you can do that now by clicking HERE and following the instructions for giving.

In the meantime I will be spotlighting missionaries from my team here on this blog in addition to missionaries Groaning Earth is currently supporting.  I am so excited about what God is doing through us in advancing His kingdom.  Thank you in advance for partnering with us in this endeavor whether it be through prayer or financial support.

I am thrilled that you are coming along on this adventure!!