“This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.” (Joshua 1:8) “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor 13:13)
There are three things that more than anything else I know of, seem to determine where we end up in life. They are the things we think on, the words we speak and the actions we take. This is a profound truth and will be the object of much study for me in the months to come.
Each of those three things are choices we make each day and involve a deliberate action. There are three other things that are unseen that also greatly affect the outcome of our life and they loosely parallel, what’s in our mind, what’s in our mouth and what motivates our actions. They are first of all, hope which is an anchor for our soul (Heb 6:19) and in its simplest form is a positive attitude about the present and the future. It arises from the things we think about and the beliefs we choose as a result of those thoughts.
The second unseen parallel is faith. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:13 “We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;” Faith before it runs toward the challenge, speaks. It declares the outcome. This is a big topic for subsequent blogs. Faith however, without works is dead (James 2:17) and thus action always follows. But Galatians 5:6 says that faith works by love. It is motivated and empowered by love and love voluntarily labors. (1 Thess. 1:3)
And what does that labor produce? The harvest of what you think, what you expect and what you say. I will leave that with you for now and look forward to developing these thoughts with you in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, change your thoughts, change your life. Selah.
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised;” (Heb 10:23) “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Rom 8:24-25)
Many of you today are in a crisis of faith. You stand at the edge of what you can see, gazing into a hope that God has deposited in your heart. Between you and that hope is a chasm of seeming impossibility. There is no known way across that chasm. Your natural eye sees no possible path, but God always has a path prepared for those who trust in Him.
The word for “faith” in Hebrews 10:23 above is the same word translated as “hope” in Romans 8:24-25. If what you need is in plain sight, it doesn’t require faith to obtain it, but if what you see is something that is actually unseen, it requires faith/hope to bring it into the realm of the seen. For most of us, we see the prize afar off, even though it doesn’t exist yet in the natural, but what we don’t see is the path or the step by step plan to attain the prize.
Many times God doesn’t give you the step by step plan because He is going to be doing a lot of things behind the scenes that you will never comprehend and could never execute on your own. So He simply asks you to take a step of faith into the unknown, then another and another until you reach the other side. It requires the ability to trust Him when you can’t see where that step will take you, but you take it anyway. You must believe. Make no mistake. The fear is real. The risks are real. But sometimes it seems that only when we are willing to lose everything do we gain everything. To get a good visual of what this looks like, take a look at this compelling 2-minute video clip and have a faith-filled day!
P.S. On a side note, don’t forget to register for tomorrow’s webinar with Debra Thompson Roedl. We’re already close to having more registrations for this event than have ever attended one of our events. What is unique about this event is that it’s a webinar: you’ll actually be able to watch Debra’s presentation & her computer screen during the event. This is our first one. Don’t miss out! Click here to register now.
We read in Numbers 13 and 14 a most disturbing story. It’s about “seeing.” Moses had sent twelve spies into the Promised Land and they all saw the same thing with their physical eyes. But with their spiritual eyes, they saw something completely different. Ten of the men saw land that “eats its inhabitants.” Those that weren’t eaten, were of great stature and those that weren’t of great stature were even bigger! They were giants! The ten men saw themselves as grasshoppers by comparison. Can you hear the exaggeration? Land that eats its inhabitants? Grasshoppers by comparison?
The children of Israel listened to the bad report and immediately they wanted to go back into slavery where Pharaoh hated them as did all Egyptians and where they were treated with great cruelty and they began to pick a new leader who would take them back and negotiate something with Egypt! Can you imagine?
But what did Joshua and Caleb see? When they looked at the giants, they saw bread! Provision! They say fields that were already planted, houses that were already built, barns that were already full. They were excited and knew that if God delighted in them, He would bring them into a land that flows with milk and honey. The only condition was to not rebel against the Lord. Apparently that was too much and they rebelled. What form was that rebellion? It was simply unbelief. God let them die in the wilderness, never entering into the promise He had for them.
So my question to you today is, what do you see? Are you seeing God’s perspective or the enemies’ vision? Are you going to believe God or your lying eyes? Yes, sometimes your eyes will deceive you. Here’s a clue… whenever you are faced with an adversity, wait on God until He shows you the opportunity. Then believe God and secure your opportunity. Have a blessed day my friends.
I listened to a man named Mickey Robinson share how he came to know God. He was killed in a plane accident and saw Hell and then Heaven. His story is gripping and compelling and well worth the nearly ten minutes it will take you to watch this video. One of the things about his story that helped me was how in an instant he knew things. There was no “one hour study class.” There were no hindering, cumbersome words. There was just a knowing. And it was instantaneous. He saw and he knew - all at once.
Here’s the good news, you don’t have to die to experience that. God causes me to “see” things in an instant. It’s more like a flash. Often times a single picture flashes in my mind and I instantly know why He showed me the picture, what it means and how to explain it to someone else. When I try to share that flash of revelation with others it may take several minutes to communicate what I caught in a flash of light.
I think of it as a better way of seeing. It’s something I didn’t use to have at my disposal. As I seek Him daily, I find I get more flashes, and more little movie clips that play in my mind to teach me eternal truths that greatly help me and I in turn pass them on to you. Many of those flashes teach me business lessons or solve problems that I’ve been struggling with for too long. I thought this video might awaken a desire to see what you would otherwise miss. Give yourself a treat today and watch this nearly ten minute video, then pass it on to your friends and loved ones to see.
“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power….” (Eph 1:18, 19)
You have two sets of eyes. Your physical eyes allow you to see the physical world but your spiritual eyes allow you to understand it. Paul calls them “eyes of understanding” and they allow you to “see” the great hope of His calling on your life. That is to say, they allow you to understand the mountain of hope that comes with the great calling He has for you. Think of the hope you would feel if a team from the NBA or NFL came to your high school and said they wanted you to play for them when you graduate. Or perhaps the New York Philharmonic Orchestra or a major book publisher approached you to tap your talent. Imagine the great hope that comes to a young person in a situation like that! The calling God has for each one of us is like that, but even better.
Spiritual eyes allow you to see the hope that your calling brings. But with calling comes the question, “How?” When you see the fullness of what God has called you to, you will definitely wonder how getting that done will be possible. If you don’t have that question, you may still be looking at your own idea for your calling. So Paul prays secondly, that we would see not only the hope of that great calling on our lives but also the provision to bring it to pass. I am speaking of the glorious wealth of inheritance He deposited in us to get the job done. God has deposited His Spirit in you and with that everything you need for life and godliness. He has uniquely gifted you to fulfill a magnificent destiny if you would but have eyes to see not only the destiny but also the inheritance within to get the job done.
Thirdly, Paul knows I suspect, that people will struggle to accept that there is any good thing in them, but he speaks not of the flesh in which dwells no good thing, but of the spirit. So Paul prays a third thing, that your spiritual eyes would see not only the hope of your calling and the inheritance He deposited within you, but also the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe. Ahh… there’s the caveat… to those who believe. But when you begin to see with your spiritual eyes as Paul prayed, hope builds, faith comes, power is released and destinies are fulfilled.
I still have more to share about “seeing” with our spiritual eyes, but a good starting point is right here where Paul prayed. Ask the Lord to reveal to you more of the calling He has for you. Many of you feel you know that, but ask God for more details, more imagery, more vision. Spend time with Him on that for it will build hope. Then ask Him to help you see His inheritance within you. What has He put in you? What does that look like? He will reveal it. Then ask Him to reveal afresh to you His exceeding power and let belief spring up in you.
I have been speaking for the last few weeks about “seeing” and I have not been speaking about what you can “see” with your natural eyes. My wife says I have the gift of interpretation because when I see something with my natural eyes, I also see something entirely different with my spiritual eyes. What I will share with you today can impact your life in a very practical, tangible and financial way.
Take, for example, the Bible. When I read it, not only do I find the words of life to guide my spiritual development, but I also see a manual for conducting my business. One of the areas God opened my eyes to in that regard was related to increasing my sales as a sales rep. A sale is made much more on what the customer has to say than what the seller has to say but most sellers do most of the talking so they put themselves at a disadvantage. They have never discovered the seven questions Moses wanted answered before invading Canaan and how they apply to business.
Seeing that one thing alone can make the difference of life and death in your business. It can literally mean the difference between gaining or losing a sale, between making an above average income or struggling to make ends meet. I have taught this to corporations and watched them add nearly $10 million in unanticipated revenue to their top line in about six months. It is a profound strategy which the Lord allowed me to “see” and yet so many are content to keep the scales on their eyes and keep doing what they’ve always done while hoping for a different outcome. I believe differently of you.
It grieves me to know however that many of you are struggling in your business or your sales and you could be helped if you would invest a little in yourself first. So here’s what I am going to do… I am going to GIVE YOU the Moses Questioning Strategy as a FREE gift! It’s a three hour audio teaching series plus PowerPoint and it’s yours without charge. Well sorta… There is a string attached because I do have a few folks working with me who like to get paid for their work, but I pray that God will allow your eyes to see the possibilities that await you when you read through this very special offer… Click here to learn how to get your Moses Questioning Strategy without charge.
Yesterday I caught Joel Osteen on television telling a story about Patrick Henry Hughes. He was born with crippled limbs and without eyes. Naturally his parents were devastated and wondered what they had done to deserve that. When Patrick was old enough to sit up, they put him on a piano stool and he began to learn the notes. At age two, he was taking requests. By grade school he was playing old standards and by high school he was playing the blues. When he got to college he was an accomplished pianist and trumpet player.
Recognizing his tremendous gift, the college band director asked Patrick to play in the marching band which entertained thousands at the University of Louisville football games, etc. In order for this happen, his father gave up his day job and worked the graveyard shift at UPS so he could be at every practice and wheel his son in formation, spinning and turning with the rest of the band while his son blew the trumpet with gusto.
What happened with Patrick is truly amazing, how he developed a gift God gave him that could easily have been missed. What also happened, was that a blind boy inspired vision in his parents. His mother “saw” the potential in him as she taught him piano. His father, instead of mourning the fact they could never play ball together, got a vision to play music together. The band director received vision when he “saw” the gift inside this young man. The gift by the way, was far more than a music ability. As much as anything, it was how Patrick interpreted life. When asked to describe his disabilities, he said, “Not disabilities at all, more abilities.” I believe we tend not to see things the way they are but rather we see things the way we are. That should tell you a lot about Patrick and about yourself.
Patrick’s example is removing the scales of self-imposed limitations that are blinding countless sighted people from “seeing” and fulfilling their vision. What’s inside you? What’s holding you back? What’s your excuse? Gain some vision from this courageous young man, Patrick Henry, and from his family and begin stepping into the vision God has equipped you best to fulfill. As Helen Keller once said, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” By the way, now when his parents ask God what they did to deserve Patrick Henry, they say it with tears of joy!
If this story and video helped you at all today, please share it with your friends, family and business associates. Who knows who you might help in the process?
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today:” Exodus 14:13
We’ve been talking lately about “seeing,” but not so much with your natural eyes, though they may aid in the process. I am talking about seeing in a higher dimension. We already know there are sound frequencies at a higher and at a lower frequency than humans can hear but animals can hear quite clearly. Just because you can’t hear them, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Animals can sense tornadoes and earthquakes enough in advance to save lives, if we are paying attention.
On occasion I have seen into that higher dimension and on all occasions it has made a significant difference in the outcome of the circumstance in which it occurred. As a young copier salesman in Tennessee, my boss accompanied me on a call to close a sale at the courthouse. Our equipment had been on trial for some time and had performed unbelievably poorly. The decision maker was not leaning in our direction and there was a competitor in the lobby begging for the opportunity to compete.
We had superior equipment and his bad experience was an anomaly but he didn’t know that and was resisting (understandably) our attempts to close the sale. We were giving many assurances but he wasn’t hearing us. Unexpectedly, my eyes were opened to see in the spirit realm. I wasn’t looking for that. I had never experienced it before and would have been suspect of others making such a claim. Nevertheless, I saw perched on this man’s shoulder a black “cat / monkey-like” figure, only far more hideous, chattering constantly into his ear. Surprised by the vision before me, especially as it occurred in a business meeting at the courthouse, I left the room without explanation.
I began taking authority over that demonic presence and praying fervently, whereupon my boss came running into the room I had ducked into to tell me the man suddenly changed his mind and I was needed to go over the numbers to wrap up the sale. Seeing into the spiritual dimension revealed the true problem and the solution became instantly clear. When you are faced with a challenge, ask God to reveal any other forces that may be at work to hinder your progress, then act accordingly.
“And there appeared a great sign in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun… and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered, to devour her child as soon as it was born.” Revelation 12:1, 4
This past weekend I received an unexpected phone call, the implications of which are far reaching and personally painful. I spent much of the weekend with my wife processing it. While having our Saturday morning coffee I looked out over our lanai into the backyard and noticed a raven swoop down to check out a turtle trying to birth some eggs and bury them in the shallow earth. My wife pointed out that the time to give birth had come and in the turtle’s most vulnerable time, the destroyer had come to devour her offspring and the turtle had no choice but to give birth anyway and she could not change the outcome. The scene was riveting.
As soon as the eggs were buried, she turned and walked away and the birds of prey began to feast on her offspring. One by one the eggs were uncovered and eaten like delicacies until they were all devoured. I realize this is normal in nature but as you know I have been asking God to speak to me and cause me to “see” and “hear” what He was saying to me. I was surprised by how emotionally upset I became as each egg was consumed. I wanted to look away but couldn’t. I wanted to blow the birds away with a shotgun, but my neighbors would surely object. It seemed so wrong and yet it was so natural. The mother turtle just slowly walked away, never looking back and the birds picked the site clean in a matter of moments. Then everything returned to normal as if nothing had happened at all and there was peace. It all seemed rather surreal.
But there was a speaking of the Lord to me. It wasn’t easy to hear, nor pleasant to see but God was showing me something very personal. It cut to my deepest core but at after it was over, it was as if I had just had surgery and been stitched up. The healing could begin. My wound had been open for a very long time, but on Saturday, surgery was done and the recovery process began. I came to terms with reality.
I tell you this sketchy version of a very personal story because I want you to begin to pay attention to what God brings across your path. Begin to recognize the “super” in the midst of the “natural.” I have looked out that window thousands of times and never witnessed something like that. When you see something that grabs your attention, it may well be the Lord is speaking to you, but you will miss it unless you wait on the Lord and ask Him to reveal it. Learn to hear Him in unexpected ways. It might just be a much-needed surgery.
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen in eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “For now we see through a glass darkly….” Now up until this week, I thought Paul was trying to convey the idea of peering through some dark colored glass and only vaguely be able to make out figures or images on the other side. That is until I read how James used similar language when he said, “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass.” The word, “glass,” used in both cases is the same Greek word, esoptron, which is commonly understood to be a mirror.
While it is true that any glass in Paul’s time would have been less pure, less clear than today and thus any image reflected in it would also be less clear, I want to draw your attention to another aspect — whether intended by Paul or not. When you look in a mirror you are seeing a two-dimensional reflection of a three-dimensional reality. What you see in the mirror is temporary. It only exists while standing in front of it. When what is real walks away from the mirror, the thing that is real still exists but the image in the mirror no longer does.
Now, think of the image we see in the mirror as being comparable to seeing in the natural realm with our natural eyes… and what we don’t see with our natural eyes without the aid of a mirror (e.g., our face) as comparable to the unseen, eternal or spiritual dimension. The image we see in the mirror is temporal but the object casting that image is the “real” thing. It reminds me of the story Einstein wrote about a world where everyone was a floor tile. They only knew length and width.
One day, one of the tiles got lifted off the floor and for the first time discovered height and depth. He was stunned and shocked and excited to learn about this new dimension that opened up all kinds of possibilities. When he shared his revelation with his other tile buddies, they thought he was crazy, that he was imagining things, that he should be locked up or at the very least glued down to the floor again. As we begin to have our eyes opened to see what is unseen as Paul said, people who only have their eyes fixed on what is seen will want to have you committed. But that doesn’t make it wrong. And yes, I know there are some real kooky folks out there, but let’s not use that as an excuse to remain on the floor and justify our blindness. To be continued…
There is a string attached because I do have a few folks working with me who like to get paid for their work, but I pray that God will allow your eyes to see the possibilities that await you when you 
