“This is How I Fight My Battles”…

SCRIPTURE: “But because my servant Caleb has a different attitude and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land which he explored, and his descendants will possess the land.” (Numbers 14:24)

OBSERVATION: Caleb was a warrior.  When he was young and untested or scarred with life lessons, Caleb lived wholeheartedly for God!  He was a man of a different spirit.  His attitude and loyalty to God set him apart from others.  God blessed Him and his family for generations because of his life chapters this side of heaven.  He is one of my heroes and mentors.

APPLICATION:  I made a personal decision when I was a kid to live for legacy.  Even at an early age, I knew the difference between people who were living to impress vs. people living to bless.  Hearts learn more from what is caught than taught.  People can say whatever they want, but hearts will only remember how they felt in the moment.

Caleb’s ATTITUDE and LOYALTY was what impressed God.

In this context, Moses had led the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt.  God split the Red Sea and made a way where there was none for His people as their enemy pursued to kill them.  They all witnessed this miracle. And yet, here they were, at the borders of their so-called “Promise Land” shaking in their Tevas out of fear and disbelief at what God was asking of them.

Moses sent 12 spies on a 40 day expedition to bring back a report of all they saw.  It was everything they were hoping for… except, enemies inhabited every square mile. The 12 men came back with proof of how fruitful the land was, “A land flowing with milk and honey”…

So what’s the problem?

Well, this land wasn’t only inhabited.  It was inhabited by formidable enemies renown in size and military might.  The Hebrews?… a bunch of emaciated slaves, farmers, families, untrained for war.  There was no way for them to have victory on their own!

The knocking knees and winy little whispers bringing the report back to Moses confirmed… they were once again, surrounded.  Surrounded by circumstances of certain defeat.  Hearts began once again to grumble against Moses and God.

It was in this moment that Caleb and Joshua rose up and made a stand between Moses and the Millions.

To make a long story short, this moment started the clock for 40 years of wondering in the dessert for the Hebrews.  None of them stepped foot in their promised land except for… you guessed it!  Caleb and Joshua.

Now at 80 and coming full circle to the start line for finally taking the land, Caleb was one of the first men to rise up. I can imagine his Brave Heart speech, demanding the toughest challenge with the best land his eyes saw so many years ago. Caleb must have been a man not to be messed with, because no one stopped him.  At 80 years old, he and the men who followed him kicked ass and took possession of their promised land. So cool!

ATTITUDE and LOYALTY.  These are what caught God’s attention.  And were the prerequisites of being blessed!  Legacy was granted because Caleb followed his God WHOLEHEARTEDLY!

I have passed my Point of No Return… My feet are now on the very Promise Land Jesus spoke over me years ago.  I’m encouraged that my life will only get better from here as I follow my God in the race that is set for me.  It won’t be easy at times and I will have my own battles to face.  However, I want to be the first to rise and demand the best of my God-given promises when the opportunities present themselves!

Nothing is too difficult, nothing too hard for You Jesus. 

This is how I fight my battles.  This is how we fight our battles…

PRAYER: Jesus thank You for men like Joshua and Caleb that I can learn from thousands of years later and apply life principles in my life.  I want to be counted as a man of a different spirit like Caleb.  I want Legacy!  I want to be a man who follows you wholeheartedly with my attitude and loyalty to You.  Even when I stand alone at times, I choose to believe you over circumstances.  When I’m surrounded?… let me rise up and remind myself and your people who You are.  You are the same yesterday, today and forever.  The victory is Yours!  This is how I fight my battles…

“Come Alive!”…

SCRIPTURE: “And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: Blessing and honor and glory and power, belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” (Revelation 5:13)

OBSERVATION:  Revelation is a book about the past, present and future.  Let me give you a hint… read the end of the book.  God wins!

APPLICATION:  Today, I’m sitting in a coffee shop taking some quiet time.  I’ve taken my kids home to Oregon visiting family.  It’s been a good vacation.  I’m sitting here reading God’s word, listening to worship music, clearing my heart and mind of distractions so I may hear God’s direction for this new year.  It’s been a busy few months.  Life tends to keep you busy if you let it.  I don’t want to be a man who is led by the waves.  I want to harness the wind and cut through the waves with purpose.  I want to lead a life that counts.

In the leadership of life, comes seasons of waiting.  This is the heart and art of being patient without compromising.  There is a fine line between the two, sometimes imperceptible.  Today, I am a more patient man from choosing faith & followership. It’s been a unique journey that I alone can call mine.

Jesus has called me off the map, following Him on trails less traveled.  Most recently He has led me to areas where there have been no trails.  I truly have been trailblazing for 19 months.  But through that experience I’ve learned priceless life-lessons.  Most of what I’ve learned cannot be expressed yet. There are deep wells within me that have been hewn by nailed-scarred hands.  Soon.  Very soon, these caverns within me will break forth with living water and will not stop.  Jesus is about to glorify His name.  This has already happened personally and among my peers.  But the final step is to publically glorify his name.  This will happen in 2015.  Jesus will make it count.

As I sit here and write this I think about all that has happened in my life.  I’ve been sleeping in my bedroom at my parents home.  I’ve slept in this room from the time I was 4 years old.  Coming back to Colton has a way of turning the dials back to zero.  I went on a 5 mile run yesterday on the same road I’ve ran for over 20 years.  I think about all the friends I grew up with.  I think about all the life stories they have led.  Some victorious and some tragic.  I wonder where my life story stacks up among them?  Not for comparison sake, competing with them.  Rather, what is my life story and do I like where I am? Yes & No.  Is my answer today.

I want my life to count for legacy.  Since I was a young boy, I’ve dreamed about being married, being a dad and living a life that counts for legacy.  This has been violently attacked in every way.  And yet, here I am.  I am still running the race.  I am still seeking God.  I am still writing.  I am still loving and leading my amazing 3 kids.  And someday I will be married again. But until then, I choose to pray and prepare as God told me to back in April.  Jesus is still leading me and leading me into better days.  I dare say, Jesus has my best days ahead of me!  I have so much more ahead of me than what is behind me. This is where most people spin out.  They get stuck in the present and past while neglecting all God has for them in the future.  That won’t be me.

Yes, I will take a very detailed inventory of my past and present.  But I will use this perspective to pray in God’s best for my future.  I choose to learn from my past and remember well what my God and what my Enemy has done for me.  Wisdom is not forgetting life nor hiding from it.  Wisdom is forgiving and remembering well what life has brought you.  I’m choosing to take God at His word and believe He has blessings instead of curses for me in my future, beginning with the new year of 2015.

So I literally call out to my future and speak life in Jesus name.  The war is over.  Lines have been drawn.  I am victorious because of my God, Jesus Christ.  I stand at the property edge of my promised land seeing a vast expanse of beautiful land, rivers, mountains, valleys and more.  All are mine to explore and make mine.  A place where I can finally be fruitlful.  This is my Rehoboth!  It has been given to me by my God who has and will prove Himself faithful to me when I choose to follow Him.  Even when it hurts.  If I follow Him, He will always lead me into His best for me.  And so doing, He will bless me with legacy.

So today, I recognize a restlessness within my heart.  This is because I’m so expectant of blessings.  I know I’m at the precipice of something new!  It is in this season that I choose to be patient knowing that timing is everything.  God has brought about the victory.  Now I wait for the signal to run into my blessing and enjoy all that has been given to me.  I’m literally like a kid on Christmas morning!

As this waiting season comes to a close, I choose to stand up beside my King and watch these giants flee from the land promised to me, my kids, my future wife, our familiy and our legacy.  God is just beginning to bring blessings to this man who has been through war, is scarred and yet proven faithful.  It’s God’s joy as a loving Father to bless His kids.  He seeks throughout the earth looking for hearts who are wholly comitted to Him.  He’s not looking for perfect people.  He’s looking for passionate followers.  He’s looking for faithfulness.  He’s looking for hearts that won’t lose heart in the heat of battle. He’s looking for hearts that won’t grow hardened after the war is over.  He’s looking for those He can trust with more, in order to bring blessing to others.  He’s looking for sons and daughters.  He’s looking for you and me.  Yes, you.  Yes, me.

PRAYER:  Jesus, you sit on a throne in heaven with all power, glory and honor.  And yet, You chose to be born a baby and live among us without sin.  You chose to die in my place on that cross.  You defeated death and made a way for all to enter into heaven by accepting You as our Savior & King. Today, I choose to trust You and stand beside You.  I choose to give all my life to You.  My past, present and future.  I choose to speak life into my future.  I choose to believe You at your word. You have brought victory in my life.  Make it count Jesus.  May 2015 be my best year yet!  Glorify Your name privately, among my peers and publically from this day forward.  I call out to dry bones, come alive!  Breathe oh breath of God, now breathe!   We call out to dead hearts come alive, up out of the ashes let us see an army rise!  We call out to dry bones come alive!  Come alive…