24 hr God

God can move in 24 hrs.

Yesterday I set out to find the will of God in my life...again. I have come to conclusion that I am to be in ministry. Fine. Ok.

I have come to the conclusion that I must plug in somewhere despite what my opinions are of the church and mainstream Christianity.

That being said, I have meandered through the last two days with no vision whatsoever. It has been difficult. But Terry has been there to prod me. And the Spirit has kept me moving forward asking the right questions by delivering divine appointments and circumstances that draw me on.

I have had a divine appointment with a friend who used to run hard after God but is dealing with issues right now. We ran into each other at a coffee shop that I have never mentioned to her, neither have I seen here there before, but I was able to listen and not judge her, so she was able to get some of it off of her chest.

All that being said I have been at this place with God before where I reach a boiling point. I have to do SOMETHING to move forward in the things of God.

When I called Natalie to ask what it is that she may need with her youth group, she was excited, but it didn’t really feel right. Then I called Michael Lynch to ask him what he thought. I told him that we had to do something. He had some great ideas right off the bat.

Next, I just looked up ministries that had events on Tuesday night around 7 p.m. I found that the church I had been attending, Tree of Life, had prayer at 6:30 p.m. Then I found that Victory Church had a “30 and up singles” group at 7:00 p.m. Well, torn by my commitment to my friend, Randy (who attends Tree of Life), to plug in and the prospect of meeting new Christians at Victory, I decided that honoring my commitment was correct.

So, I drove to Tree of Life church. I arrived and found out that they had moved the prayer group to Wednesday nights. Praise God for making the decision for me!

Quickly I ran across town to meet up with this purported “singles” group. As I was walking across Victory’s mega-campus of a church, I passed the chapel that was built for the young people ages 18 – 25, called Quest. Though I had visited once, I didn’t remember that they met on Tuesday nights.

I wanted to go, but I am 27 going on 28, and I decided to honor my commitment to attend this “singles” group. Call it determination or bull-headedness. I don’t know which is better.

When I arrived at the singles group, I was despondent. It was all grey hair complaining about their ex-husbands abusing them, and the male white-hairs were just sitting quietly. Yet, Bob, the leader, was a nice fellow. They asked me to sign in, which I did, and there I sat, praying for a way out.

Bob had left the room but return suddenly asking my age.

“27,” I responded pleasantly.

“Grant, I think you may find Quest more of what you are looking for. They have a band, and they go up to 30.”

Not believing my ears and not wanting to looked too overjoyed, I asked, “Bob, do you think I should go?”

Ever so pastorally he said, “Yes, Grant. I think you should.”

I said my farewells and walked (sprinted) to Quest.

Upon arrival, my memories of cheesy-fake, youth-group-for-adults fear faded. The skit was cheesy but funny. The worship was spot on. They rocked (though I always feel that leadership does not let worship go on long enough! As was the situation here; they cut it off just as the spirit was moving and people were entering in. But, oh well.)

And the message was the first relevant message I had heard since being in Lakeland (and I told Glenn so afterward). It was about destiny. They taught out of Esther 4 about sensitivity to our destinies.

As I left that night I was excited. (And Bob was waiting outside to see if I enjoyed it. I thanked him, but will call the church and "tell on him" about his kindness.)

They were then meeting at Chili’s and perhaps I should have gone but I didn’t. I went home to get some rest.

The words God has given me lately (“bring the intensity”) were ringing in my ears, and the journey for the day seemed fulfilled. I lay in bed awake for an hour. I was in awe of what God has been doing. I wanted to get up and pray in the morning.

When I awoke this morning (after hitting my alarm off twice), it was still dark out. Usually when I sleep in, it is too close to sunrise to get a good work out in as well as pray out by the lake in the dark, but not this morning. I was totally rested and ready for my day. I could feel focus and direction take one step closer to me.

I worked out and then went in to prayer. However, unlike my usual declarations and such, all I could do was pray in the spirit, pray in tongues. I just prayed in the spirit the whole time. Every time words seem to come into my mouth, they seemed insufficient as if they would cut the misty morning dew. So, I refrained. I just prayed in tongues. Somehow, it works to bring peace about my day and direction as efficiently as praying and visualizing.

Then, I ran upstairs to read my Word and journal. I opened to Romans 8 to read about how the Spirit makes intercession for us when we don’t know how we ought to pray. And it did. I feel totally ready for my day. Anything could happen, but I feel an aggressiveness now. There is much that needs to be done and many calls to make, but somehow with a place to turn my ministry focus toward I feel that I can begin to form vision. Without vision the people perish, therefore with vision people start to live!

It is time to bring the intensity!

Real ID Tumult!

For the conspiracy theorists out there, here is a nugget. The REAL ID ACT of 2005 was recently piggy-backed on some innocuous House proposal. Fortunately, this Act to require a national identification card is meeting a ton of resistance.

The Homeland Security department feels that it is necessary for "higher security," and is looking to require it my Mid-2008.

The small-government constituents, including many state governments, believe that this is crossing the line in many aspects.

For a balanced look at the REAL ID, check out this link.

Tell me what YOU think by leaving a comment below.

U 1st Financial!

Everyone has GOT to check out this video.

If you have a mortgage, you can pay it off in 1/2 of the time, and pay less than 1/3rd in interest!

My personal friend is saving $207,000 in interest alone! And, the price that they quote you is guaranteed! I have decided to hang my hat with this company, so I can get you a free quote that is guaranteed.

It is amazing. Check it out at www.discountnow.biz

U.S. Government Bans Vista, Office 2007

Wow! Progressive steps I would say!

Here is a quote from the article:

"In the DOT's case, the ban was imposed because certain applications essential to the agency's function won't run on Vista. For these Microsoft customers, Vista doesn't just fail to deliver more value; it actively detracts from their jobs."

It is about time some national organization shut down Microsoft for their technological hiccups that cost companies and taxpayers money!

Check out the article at http://blogs.business2.com/beta/2007/03/us_government_b.html.

I say that we should start a "Help Me Buy A Mac" non-profit organization with tee-shirts, bumper stickers and all.

Unlimited Finance by Terry Kruse

I am just letting everyone know that we just published yet another one of Terry Kruse's books.

This is a really great, coffee-table book called Unlimited Finance. For the $1 PDF download of the book, simply uncheck the $5 hardcopy version. You will save on about $3 in shipping and $4 on the book itself.

View the rest of his books here: http://www.lulu.com/terrancekruse.

Coming soon are his wildly popular teachings on the Law of Abundance I and II. Check back for more on that right now.

You Must Choose, but Choose Wisely

It is a blustery day out. The lake is a shade of grey that matches the sky except for the chaotic ripples from the wind on its surface.

Despite what some would call a nasty day (I rather like it; its cozy), I am in a happy and positive mood. I am ever discovering the power of our ability to choose our own thoughts; the ability to choose our own attitude. It is something I have learned being under Terry and David's ministry, but the reality of this is starting to really impact every part of my life.

Now, I have heard it my whole life from parents and individuals, yet somehow all but one or two of those individuals actually utilize their ability to choose. I feel that choice is the greatest gift that God gave man that makes him godly. Our creative ability (‘man was created in the image of his creator’, which makes him creative) is the ability to choose; to choose our thoughts, to choose our attitudes. And what we choose manifests in us, and then around us.

This is our godliness, but it seems like so many people scratch the surface it this Law of Choice (often known as the Law of Attraction; you attract to you your thoughts, feeling and emotions.) It seems as if most people choose their attitude, but from the perspective of victims or losers.

They say things like, “I am choosing to be happy in spite of everything going on around me,” instead of, “I am happy and everything is going well for me.” It is as if they focus on the negativity in their life as being ‘real’ and are ‘trying to stay positive.’ Prayer and faith are much the same for most people.

I believe that we create our reality through prayer and faith. I believe that many of the principles that one can understand under the terminology Law of Choice are the missing ingredients to prayer and faith.

I believe that there is a depth where our creative ability goes much father than that. I believe that prayer, faith, and what I am terming the Law of Choice are all the same thing. People’s minds can grasp a Law and principles. They have difficulty grasping what we now know as faith and prayer.

The Law of Gravity is readily understood, and I think that the Law of Choice is just as predictable and regular gravity. We just have to receive it and walk out under its pull.

The ability to choose our own path, our own world, starts with us overcoming our current frame of mind. That is a simple thought, however to practice it is hugely difficult. To overcome our paradigm and take on a new concept of ourselves, a new identity, may be the most difficult part of the Law of Choice.

That is why so many teachers of success like Terry Kruse, Bob Proctor, Norman Vincent Peale and Napoleon Hill all say “Start with your Why!” You must start with your real, big huge dream. The reasoning behind this is that it is a shortcut to a new paradigm.

It is difficult to explain how to change your paradigm to someone who never has. It is easy to take them to a new paradigm by focusing on their dream. When an individual sees themselves in their dream home, driving their dream car, and living their dream life, they are taking the very first steps to having a new paradigm. They are seeing themselves in a new light.

That IS the Law of Choice! You are choosing to align your thoughts (which, on a long enough time line, will ultimately translate into action that will take you there) with your dream self!

So, today, write down your top 100 things you want to do, be, see, travel to or have. Don’t stop until you have 100. Then, write down the Number 1 top goal on a note card or piece of paper.

Focus on it all day. Every chance you get. When something negative happens, glance at it. Allow yourself to sense how that thought can take you from a negative state of mind to a positive state of mind.

Do this all day long, and before bed, just dream about that thing again to get your brain working on it all night. Then, when you wake up tomorrow, tell me how you feel!

The Name

"Now I know that the Lord saveth His anointed;
he will hear him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.
"Some trust in chariots, some in horses,
but we will remember the name of the Lord our God."
Psalms 20:6-7

I was stopped when I read this again (for the 100th time!) I like it a ton, but it finally hit me: the psalmist is not comparing the strength and might of the Lord God with the strength and might of the tools of this world. He is comparing the NAME of the Lord with the tools of this world.

“We will remember the NAME of the Lord,..”

Just the mere mention of God’s name should stop chariots and horses. Trust, confidence and that overwhelming sense of victory should arise at the slightest reference to that name. For the author of this psalm anyway, he had a reckless confidence in just the name of God.

I imagine him on a battlefield with the enemy bearing down with all of their war machines; arrows in hand with the bows stretching taunt, horses frothing and breathing in step with their pounding hooves. Trumpets blasting the sound of the charge barely drown out the din of war elephants sounding the alarm. Chanting from the foot soldiers adds to the calamity.

Then, this one guy, a poet-warrior leaning on a rock watching all of this effort straightens himself and says “Jehova.”

The animals all stop instantly. The war elephants settle and the charging horses slow to a trot and stop. The archers look back and forth at each other and loosen their bows. Generals look at the animals in total confusion, then their eyes drift across the field to this lone warrior-poet-king.

The pagan priest, knife in hand over a lamb, stops cold to see what the newly awkward silence is. He looks over his shoulder away from his false altar. All that can be heard is the bleating of the lamb.

That is the name of the Lord.