A Limitless Mind - Part 1

Recently I have been reading a book about the power of the mind.  The writer expounded on the minds abilities for memory recall, strategy, and dreams.  It brought to consideration how in this age of technology, the way we use our mind has greatly limited us.  We rely on technology to do for us what God created us to do.  Consider how the great pyramids were constructed, or how a primitive Noah was able to construct a ship capable of handling cargo that outweighs what many vessels carry today.  The writer of the book also offered insight on how the mind tends to function in today’s society.   

The explosive growth in media has created a generation of people who concentrate on how they “feel” and how they "live", compared to what they observe through television and other media sources.  

We live in a world where we feed on reality shows rather than creating our own reality.  

 In so doing, we unwittingly incarcerate our minds and render them virtually powerless 

to function in the real world.

In my last blog, I write about vision – seeing your life in the whole as God sees it.  Vision takes into consideration your past and your present, so that you can utilize them to project into your desired future.  The problem us that to fully embrace your future, you must be able to correctly utilize the power of your mind.

In considering one’s future from a Christian perspective, many tend to think of that future as a destiny that God has planned.  It is our job to figure out what He wants, what He tells us to do and to do it.   We seldom consider that in the development of our future, 

God designed us to be the architect.  He created us with purpose, 

but we do not easily consider that his purpose takes into account the reality that He desires us to create our future. 

It would be a cruel God who would make us in His image, give us free will, creative ability 

as well as the ability to dream and desire, and then design a life that would never allow us to utilize those gifts to in the development of our future and destiny.  There is a consistency throughout scripture that demonstrates that God wanted man to use his gifts and abilities to advance His kingdom – 

that man was actually designed to walk in dominion 

in his earth and create his future.

The ability to do this is thwarted by several things.  One, it is easier to escape responsibility for what you live through when you can point to God and say, ”He did it.”  Two, from the beginning, the enemy has tried to convince man that we were not like God at all and had to do things to become like God.  His deception created a though t process that has been interpreted throughout the years that if you try to create your future, you ignore the plan of God, ergo, you are living like Eve and that what you create is carnal and in opposition to God.  This lie keeps many from ever fulfilling their purpose.

A major limiting factor is the mind.  How we think, and how others think can create the damage to our future.

The benefit of serving a limitless God is best realized when you let Him lead you beyond your dreams.

How we limit ourselves.

Sometimes we get such a specific picture of our desired future that we lose sight of what 

God is capable of doing.  I have seen people put “wish lists” into motion that are so specific

 that they miss what God may have for them if His provision doesn’t 

consider every detail of their desire.

Its like a woman who believes God to present her a husband who is 6 feet 4 inches, dark skinned, full head of hair, worth 10 million dollars, prays three times a day, rubs their feet every night and never disagrees with them.  Then they miss they guy who adores them from afar, never realizing that he will better fulfill every desire and purpose in her life.  People often create a “utopia” lifestyle in their mind which dictates persons, places, and times and in so doing they limit their ability to see the blessings in the places, dates, and times God places in their path.

Another way we limit ourselves is either by making too small a goal or too great a goal.  Either one can stop you in your tracks.  The former, although draped in the cloak of practicality, is really birthed from a perspective of fear.  Fear of failure, fear of people and just fear of the unknown has cancelled a lot of futures for a lot of people.  The latter, seemingly reaches new dimensions in visionary perspective, but is often driven by personal desire far more than kingdom purpose.  In either case, the end result is that each places certain limitations on one’s ability to respond to what God has in mind.  Each develops a picture in your mind as to what is supposed to happen in the future.  Because your creative processes are at work and because it is tied to your destiny, it is difficult to “let go” of the picture.  You wind up focusing on what you create in your mind rather than working in concert with God to create something far better.  As a result, you stop moving forward, your unrealized dream stagnates and your life begins to experience atrophy.

God wants you to be involved in the design of your future, but He also wants you to respond to His leaning.  Consider Joseph, in the Bible.  He had dreams about leadership.  He voiced those dreams to his family in a way that made it clear to them that he could see himself leading the heads of what would become the tribes of Israel.  Visionary? Yes.  But his timing and his communication were arrogant enough to offend his brothers and even cause his father to question him.  For his efforts, he was sold into slavery.

He could have let the picture in his mind limit him.  Instead, he continued to see the picture of leadership, even though the circumstances were drastically different and even working in apparent opposition to him.  He was now a slave, but became the leader of the slaves.

It went further when he found himself in trouble with the wife of Potiphar, the man who had purchased him.  He went from living as a slave to living as a prisoner.  He could have let his mind betray him.  He could have sat in the prison, mad at his brothers and bitter with God for his circumstances.  But again, he held firm to what God had shown him concerning himself.  He was destined to be a leader.  In due season, he was in charge of the other prisoners.  He was also bold enough to set the stage for audience with Pharaoh, by communicating with those he helped to remember him to their king.  Ultimately, God opened a door for Joseph to minister to Pharaoh, but that door was also pushed open by Joseph’s willingness to create opportunity.  After capitalizing on the opportunity to interpret the dream, Joseph demonstrated leadership finesse by offering instruction to Pharaoh on how to prepare for the upcoming famine.  For his efforts, he was made the most powerful man in Egypt under Pharaoh.

Ultimately, the dream given to him by God was fulfilled, but not in a way he or anyone else could have possibly imagined it.  There was no way for him to foresee that his leadership role would be fulfilled as a servant to Pharaoh and Egypt.  Had he held onto the dream as he first saw it, he would likely have pined away in a prison for all of his days, waiting for God to present the opportunity for him to fulfill his destiny with his family.

To live with a limitless mind, you have to understand that your mind has limits, but God’s mind is limitless.  

You have to be willing to allow God to press you beyond the limits of your mind.  His ways are higher than your ways.  His thoughts are higher than your thoughts.  You will encounter opposition that will seemingly stop you in your tracks.  However, if you allow God to work through that opposition, you may find that it is really strength training, and that all that you face will ultimately lead you to a better version of the picture you painted – your true purpose and destiny.

Vision

It has been a long time since I have taken the opportunity to blog.  I have been traveling a great deal, both in and outside of the United States.   Life is about priorities and in juggling all that has occurred in my world over the last couple of months, I have had opportunity to write.  I just have not had opportunity to edit or to post.  Here are some of the musings of the last month.  They are a reflection of what I have been teaching our congregation at Bethesda Church, and in my travels.

I have been teaching a lot about vision and purpose.  The common definition for vision within the framework of Christian teaching is that vision is a picture of your desired future.  But, vision has to encompass more than picture of your future.  One consideration of this is that the Bible teaches that “where the is no vision, or revelation, people perish – or a better interpretation is, ‘cast off restraint’.”

This is a clear lesson that simply stated teaches that if you do not have a clear picture of what you are to accomplish, you will not hold yourself to the proper boundaries that will effectively steer you toward your destination.  If this is true, then “vision” is more about “revelation” than just a goal to be accomplished.

A better definition of vision is that it is a picture of the whole of your life.  It is a revelation of the whole of who you are, as designed by God.  In short, 

vision is seeing yourself as God sees you.  

It takes into consideration your past, your present and your future.  Common faith teaching instructs us to put the past behind us – to put it “under our feet”.  For many believers this simply means to ignore the past and forget it because it has been forgiven and hence, it has been forgotten.  It is not a true picture of how God operates, nor how we should operate in the life He gave to us.  To put your past behind you does not necessarily mean to ignore it – for to ignore it you also have to ignore the lessons learned through your history.

Instead, it is better to conquer your past.  Learn the lessons it has offered while at the same time being more and more determined that you are better than your past.  To conquer your past means that you force it into subjection and make it work for you.  

The lessons learned become tools you use to fulfill

your future and your destiny.

When God created you, He knew who you were. Even before He formed you He understood your capacity and the destiny He had for you.  He also made you in His image, which means you by nature have creative ability.  I will share more on this in the next blog, but for now, simply consider that He knew what you would face in your past and in His grand design, He allowed that you could use the lessons of the past to prosper in your life.  ALL thing work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

When God sees you, He sees your “omega” from your “alpha” He sees your end before He sees your beginning.  He also gave you the ability to function in the same way.  As you consider what you want to fulfill in your life, or what you feel led to fulfill in your life, you can better see the end from the beginning.  You can see your past in different terms and find the true value in what you have lived.  You begin to develop vision.  It is a vital step in discovering and fulfilling your purpose.

In the next couple of blogs, I will continue this line of thought.  For now, consider the things in your past that seem to hold you back.  Consider the things you have tried to “bury” or run from.  Rather than running from them or ignoring them, make them work for you.  Your past is now YOUR servant.  It is under your feet. 

See your life as God sees it.  Find the value He finds in you.  When you do, you will be amazing at the revelation you find.  You will discover vision.

Measuring the Value of Your LIfe

How do you measure of your life?  There are seemingly countless opinions about how one can measure his existence.  There are even those who question if a man should.  I am a firm believer that a man should measure the value of his existence.  If he doesn’t, how can he truly know the value of his life on the earth?  How can he know that his life makes a difference?  More to the point, 

how can he know that his life has purpose?

The Bible teaches that man is known by his fruit, or by the product of his life.  

Some measure that by the physical accomplishment that they have had on the earth.  They consider what they have built, developed, or acquired.  Others tend to be more philosophical in their approach.  They measure their life based on the relationships they have developed, the internal emotional or spiritual growth they have experienced or the intellectual knowledge they have accumulated.

The reality is that none of theses alone are equal to the measure of a man.  

Each of these represent a portion of how one

should measure himself. 

I have seen great men of business fail in marriage after marriage.  In a recent book he published, Donald Trump devoted an entire chapter to pre-nuptial agreements.  His understanding is that if you enter a marriage and you succeed in business, you can pretty much expect that marriage to fail.  Therefore you should never enter a marriage without an agreement that will protect your value.  My question is, “What about the value of the relationship?"  Isn’t it possible that the relationship should merit more value that the earnings?  Perhaps a marriage simply IS a business arrangement, designed for companionship, comfort and convenience.   Frankly, that is the thing I look for when I adopt a dog.

I also consider great and powerful men – businessmen and even ministers who build huge empires.  I look at their families – their sons and daughters and I see great strain on the relationships because all of the value is placed on what they are accomplishing in front of others.  Very little value is placed on the development of their children.  

How do you measure your fruit without considering the fruit of the relationships you build in your own offspring?  

They are your legacy.

On the other end, I see people who seem to have great relationships with their family.  They are close to their spouse.  They have friendship and mentorship in their children.  Yet, when it comes to their ability or even desire to produce in the world, they are seriously lacking.  They say that they want the best for their children, but hardly produce enough to put fruit on the table.   Their measure of life is in the relationships with their family and friends but their frustration is that there is always a great struggle on their life.  And, that struggle always costs those to whom they are closest.

In the Bible, Paul talked about living all things in moderation.  He wasn’t simply referencing what to consider as being sin or not sin.  He was offering instruction on how to live life.  Each part of life is important and each part plays into the value of life.   Moderation in Paul’s terms speaks of balance in your life. 

This means to measure the fruit of your life, you must consider the fruit in every part of your life.  Your relationship with God, with your family, and with others can and should be measured.  The product of your life, how you provide for your family and your future, and how you equip yourself financially to be a blessing to others is measurable fruit.

God’s Word teaches that the fruit that we bear is the evidence of His life in us.  

What we produce in these areas of life become the proof that His life is in our life – that we are living for Him.

I encourage you to meditate on this.  Consider each are of your life and determine to measure the productivity if it.  Then, ask yourself if what is being produced is pleasing to God.  It is a good way to know that you are operating in His purpose.  It is how you can understand the value of the amazing life He gave to you.

Timothy 

Dominican Republic Trip - Last Day

Today is Wednesday.  The MISSION POSSIBLE team has finished their work and it is time to play a little.  Today, after taking a few moments to acquire a well-deserved rest, they will board the bus and head to the beach.

Yesterday, we traveled to another remote village.  It was probably the poorest area we have encountered.  We ministered to children at another school and also carried supplies to them.  Taking supplies to the last school proved to be a great blessing, so the team pooled their resources and made a purchase of supplies for this second school.  The trips to the school have proven to be a great experience.  The children and school leaders were able to feel the love of God and be encouraged.  The team was also able to feel God’s love and offer encouragement and hope to people who have little to nothing

Everyone has found the trip to be a learning experience.  Regardless of how prepared you think you are for a trip such as this, once you hit the field, you discover there is no way to truly prepare for it.  In any situation, you encounter the unexpected, but when you are in such a place, there is no way to consider what the unexpected will be.  There re just elements that one’s mind cannot fathom.  It has truly been a walk of faith.

We also went to a nursing home in a nearby city.  Again, with a team offering, we purchased diapers, toilet tissue, bleach, and food supplies for this home.  IT was a beautiful place and in some ways, nicer than the convalescent homes we have in the states.  A nun who is very dedicated and proficient administrated it.  We sang and danced with the residents.  We prayed with them and basically just loved on them for two hours.  One 86-year-old man who has been in a wheel chair for 76 years, challenged me to a wheelchair race.  He won both heats and was overjoyed that his record is untarnished.  There was another, who sang a beautiful song to honor our visit.

One of the residents was a bright-eyed, feisty woman of 111 years of age.  I thought that was amazing.  Then I met Juan.  He did not want to open his eyes because he was starting his siesta but he spoke with me and prayed with me.  His mind was very sharp.  He is 120 years old.

Finally, we ministered again at Templo de Spiritu Sanctu in San Pedro…this, after ministering to the local pastors yesterday.  The message we bring is very new to them and they are looking for change. AS a result, they have opened their doors to us.  I have ministered on television in two cities and leave this morning to minster on an international broadcast.  Last night, as I ministered to the adult congregation, Anton Green took the youth into another area and ministered to them on creativity in worship.  His impact was very strong.  

There is so much to tell and so little time for you to read…suffice to say this has been an awesome experience and one the team hopes to repeat.  Pray for us as we travel home.  We will see you soon.

Blessings.

T

Live from Dominican Republic - MISSION POSSIBLE update

Today is Monday.  The MISSION POSSIBLE team has been very busy.  Over the weekend, we traveled to a remote village of Haitian refugees to an orphanage.  We had the opportunity to minster to the children about the love of Jesus.  We encountered a young woman who had adopted a small boy who nearly died as a result of a flood.  I was especially moved as she told her story and I considered that a woman who had lost everything and had nothing was willing to embrace the responsibility of becoming a mother to this boy.

After ministering in the orphanage, the team spread throughout the village and visited the homes of the people.  We were asked by the people to pray for God’s blessing over their homes for their marriages and for the future of their children.   These refugees migrated to the DR after losing everything in the Haitian earthquake.  They have nothing and are living in little more than shelters, yet the biggest concern they have and the prayer they requested is the same as the concern that people have in the U.S.  It proved to demonstrate that the enemy understands the power of family and that there is a consistent attack on the family unit.

We have ministered in three churches.  The first was Zion A.M.E. in San Pedro on Saturday.  On Sunday morning, the team ministered to the children at the Iglesia Circulo de Oracion, or the Circle of Prayer Church.  Sunday afternoon, I had the privilege of joining a pastor in a televised broadcast in San Pedro.  Then, Sunday evening, we ministered at the Templo de Spiritus Sanctu. The Temple of the Holy Spirit.

This last church is very special to us.  The pastor and the people there have touched our hearts.  Their mission and purpose is very similar to the one we demonstrate At Bethesda Church and I believe that there has been established a relationship with these people that will be long standing and productive for the kingdom.

For the fun stuff - there’s always fun stuff – we took a little time to see San Pedro.  We went a short distance along the coast and just observed the cultural differences.  The ladies have fallen in love with “JAMBO” – San Pedro’s version of Wal-Mart.  We have enjoyed the local cuisine – empanadas de jamon y queso (ham and cheese), and also empanadas de pollo y queso (chicken and cheese).  Last night we ate in a restaurant and I thought Ms. Eva would simply rapture as she located her favorite – Goat – on the menu!  Adding to the fun stuff, Elder Reed has joined the dance team and is pretty good!  I cannot wait for Bethesda to see that.

Finally, I cannot fully express my thanks and respect for the COI team who is hosting us.  Elson, the leader is an incredible organizer and through his efforts, this journey has been very productive and successful.  His team, Diana, Efrain, Harolyn, Frederico, Luis, and Carman are a true blessing.  They are a testimony to MaryAlice and the entire COI network.

We are leaving now to o to a school in the city.  Please continue to pray for us.  More later.

T

Expecting the Unexpected - Live from the Dominican Republic

This week I have the privilege of escorting MISSION POSSIBLE – Bethesda’s new short-term missions group into the Dominican Republic.  The group is led by one of our elder teams, Glenn and Charm Reed.  I am thankful for their dedication and the leadership they demonstrated in getting the team through the first part of the journey.

I am also excited about the encounters we have had and the new friends we have already made.  I believe that God sent us here to make a difference. 

That sounds like a “blanket” statement.  

Of course if you are going to go through the expense and effort of traveling to another land on a mission, you are expected to make a difference.  What I am referring to though is the immediate development of friendship and continuity we found with the people here.  I feel very at home with the people in this place –as though we have already been connected for a long time.  It is something that I consider to be very special and a great honor.  I cannot wait to see what the next week will bring.

I have been reading about “synchronicity”. Without going into detail, there is something that occurs when you are willing to release yourself in obedience to God, that seems to place you in the right place at the right time with the right people.  This action creates an environment wherein you can do things that under everyday circumstances might not have been possible.  I like to call it “divine appointment.

I believe that this trip has already proven to be full of divine appointments.  There were two other mission teams on the airplane to Santo Domingo, traveling for much the same purpose as us, but in different places around the country.  I sat flanked between two different long-term missionaries, who did not know each other but were from the same city in South Carolina.  They are also laboring in the DR.

We even encountered a popular rock band from the 70’s, who were in the airport waiting to catch the same plane as us for the first leg of their journey.  They do not show any great indication of sharing our beliefs – and actually joked about being perceived as our “opposition”, yet in conversation, 

                                    they demonstrated genuine interest and even perhaps a little excitement 

                                                                   that our team was coming to reach out to “our fellow man”.  They offered us well wishes, safe travel, and great success on our journey.  More surprising, they talked openly with others as we stood in the airport line about the work we were setting out to do.  I found it unexpected and encouraging.

That is a great combination.  On such journeys, you anticipate the unexpected.  You expect it.  You also expect that your efforts with be very encouraging and faith building.  But the thing that was cool was that in expecting the unexpected – I never expected to find encouragement where I found it.

For me, it has kind of changed the game a little bit.  I came here expecting to connect with great people doing great things.  I came “expecting the unexpected”.  I also discovered today that I had a pre-conceived notion about what the unexpected would be.  That has changed now.  We are here for a Kairos moment – a super-naturally charged happening. But I am not going to limit myself to find the joy in the “expected” areas.  I think that as we travel, we will encounter hidden joys that will add in great measure to what we accomplish here.

I look forward to seeing what comes tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.  God willing and wireless connection holding out, I will share with you as we journey.  Until then, expect the unexpected.

The Best Mother in the World

Twenty years (and eighteen days ago) I married the most beautiful girl in the world.  Sorry guys.  I got her.  When we married, I got a lot more than I bargained for – meaning, there were many aspects of life that I simply did not consider during those first months and years.

This morning I woke up early.  I didn’t get up. I just laid there in the bed looking at Cindy as she slept, and I was captivated at how beautiful she still is.  And it’s not just about her looks.  Today on this Mother’s Day Sunday, she is delivering the message to our congregation.  She prepared that (two part – two Sunday ) message this week, while I was traveling.  She prepared it amidst getting the kids up and off to school, then having them underfoot the last two days of the week because they were off.  She prepared it while tending to administrative matters, both for the church and for our home.  The house was clean.  The children were fed.  She even managed to oversee the weekly “cleansing of the turtle habitat” – a nasty little time consuming job.

Like most people, there are days when she confides that she feels off balance.  Yet, I am amazed at her ability to balance the world (especially in light of the fact that she is married to me!).

As I watched her sleep, I pondered all that she has accomplished in her life.  She “nudged” me through school (Ask MY mom what that is all about) while earning a doctorate in pastoral counseling and then a PH. D in clinical counseling.  She embraced that changed that occurred in our life as we made the transition from itinerant ministry to pastoring.  She became an effective pastor and leader of people.  She even managed to find time for a hobby and became an accomplished photographer.  AND, she is a mother to four children.

That’s the part that is amazing to me.  Most men become completely unspooled at having to deal with one hour of tending to their kids.  For them, taking a turn with the kids is “baby-sitting” and it involves their world grinding to a halt because they cannot function with kids underfoot.  For the record, “baby-sitting” is something you do for other people’s kids.  If their yours, it’s called parenting.   

A mother to four children.  As Cindy laid there in peaceful slumber, I remember days that were not so peaceful for her.  The day she discovered that she was pregnant with our first daughter, Heather, was one of those.  Such a discovery is epic, and cause for celebration, but for Cindy, it brought grave concern that she could not handle being a good mother to this new daughter.  She was afraid that there would not be enough love, or patience, or compassion to do the job.  She spent a lot of time in prayer and meditation.  She also wrote out her thoughts and feelings.  Yet, when the moment arrived and Heather saw daylight for the first time, she found herself in the arms of the most loving of mothers.

Cindy has “mothered” our children through great adversity.  Our travel schedule for ministry kept us on the road, 48 weeks a year.  This required her to home school them in their early years.  One of our children is bi-polar, which creates an entirely different set of mothering skills.  And she had me.  Ask any woman and she will tell you that mothering skills are required when dealing with the man in your life.  I disagree, but she is the one with two doctors’ degrees.

All of this to say that the thing she was most afraid of – being a mother – is exactly the thing that she is greatest at.  It is also the thing that has made her what she is today.  Her role as a mother has defined every other aspect of what she does in this world.  As a counselor, she offers practical wisdom, as a mother should for her children.  As a pastor, she nurtures the flock – a skill particularly suited for a mother.  Even her photography demonstrates motherhood, because it usually involves her children, either behind or in front of the camera.

She recently said, that the notion that a woman could aspire to be a “Proverbs 31” woman feels ridiculous and unattainable to women.  (for reference, find a Bible and read Proverbs 31)  For me, I say, it is not ridiculous, nor is it unattainable.  Cindy embodies it.  Is she perfect? No.  But does she have to be? No.  She does live her life with excellence.  And, she expects life to produce excellence around her.  That is the mindset of the Proverbs 31 woman. 

As I look at my wife, lying next to me, I am thankful that I married the most wonderful mother in the world. 

Happy Mother’s Day