A different Generation Within The City

There's a generation across the earth who are being awakened to real love and faith and who are starting to walk in it. Rising up with hearts as one; our value nailed to the cross that we would find value in the broken and the hurting and the lost.

A great planting of the lord, whose leaves are ever green and shall never wither, even in dry season, it bears fruit.

FROM APOSTLE'S DESK

God's voice

God's voice

No one gets it. If you think you get it, maybe you do, because without that belief, you don’t stand a chance at getting any farther.

When did I start hearing God....pretty young I guess. That’s what weekly church from age five will do. And I listened. I really did. I paid attention. I had a religious studies class. I spent good time with good people. And over time I developed what I still consider to be....a decent connection to God’s voice.

I hear Him maybe....once or twice a day. Sometimes He starts things, sometimes I do. He always speaks to me really, but I need to be able to filter out everything else in order to pick up on Him. Obviously it is easier when you’re relaxed, maybe getting ready for bed or something. But I kind of prefer to have Him just jump into my thoughts. He’s more useful that way. And that’s okay. He WANTS to be useful. He WANTS to help. He created us so the entire system can LEARN more. He might know everything already, but He still enjoys teaching His kids, as I’m sure you parents can appreciate.

Some folks just look at Him as their conscience. That’s kind of lacking, in my opinion. I guess you can do that angel/demon discussion as much as you want, but you won’t really get the real info. Debating a topic is not nearly as fun as learning how to create miracles. And somehow I’ve managed that. Through my connection to Christ I can really do some phenomenal things...because I’m not the one doing them.

Just listen carefully, folks. That’s the only instruction you need. I guess some church services and some bible study helps, but people do it without that anyway. And some are better at this than others, but the truth is that God reveals Himself to all things at all times. The only people who don’t receive Him are those who voluntarily choose not to.

I love working with Him. I really love the master/servant relationship. It works so incredibly well. How would you like to have a boss who trains you while you sleep? How would you like to have a boss who knows exactly how you feel, and then ADJUSTS the WORLD to better fit your mission. That would be....NICE....don’t you think?

God is amazing. Hearing Him can make you fall to your knees in tears some times. But you know what? The nicest thing about discussing things with God is that the dialogue never ends. And after a while you won’t want it to. Because it ends the worst pain we ever experience...and that’s loneliness.

The key to the kingdom

The key to the kingdom

...any guesses? Its beliefs, but not quite in the sense that you might be referencing it. The key to the kingdom is wrapped up in a conversation that my daughter and I had today. She is five years old, three months from six.

Maddy: Daddy, how do you talk to God?

Shay: He is a friend of mine. Don’t you talk to friends?

Maddy: Yeah, but I see my friends. I never see God.

Shay: That’s the best thing about Jesus. Ever since He started walking with me, I see Him all the time. When I get up, when I drive, when I work, when I play....He’s always around.

Maddy: Even though you can’t see Him?

Shay: Once you’re good friends with Him, you’ll see Him too.

Maddy: When will that happen?

Shay: In the future.

Maddy: Third grade?

My daughter is so awesome. She treats everyone very well and works at helping the world as best she can. She’s in a private Christian school. They discuss faith-based topics in class. She often comes home with questions about faith. I look at it as a great opportunity for her to start out life ahead of the game. Even if she has a different faith as an adult, or no faith, she will go through her younger years knowing that the most powerful force on Earth works on her behalf.

We live in a small house. Maybe 1500 square feet. But its on a decent sized piece of land. So we have a very large backyard. For a long time I have seen some interesting things back there, and in the house. I tell my girls, my wife and daughter, that angels hang out with us. They not only protect us, but they congregate, and they do whatever it is angels do.

I’ve been feeling the presence of angels for a long time. So much so that one of my best books is about them. I don’t talk to them, or worship them, or anything like that. But they are there, and they remind me they are there. They have put a couple things around our property to remind me that one day I’ll be working for God too, but in a different way than I do now. I don’t pledge to have all the answers, but the comfort of knowing God’s servants appreciate my family and what we do on His behalf is very gratifying.

Teach your kids about the Christ! Make sure they start off life on the straight and narrow path. Regardless of mistakes made further down the line, they will always benefit from hearing about the best moral standards that exist. Being close to Jesus at any time of life is a really big deal! I continually pray that everyone eventually gets to know how awesome it is to have God Himself walking around, caring for their loved ones, and rejoicing when they start discussing their blossoming faith.

The future is what the future is. But kids should start off with Jesus. That is the best way to provide them with a stable foundation for the rest of life.

The impossible is possible in Christ Jesus

The impossible is possible in Christ Jesus

What strikes your fancy? Do you want to stop wars? Do you want to heal the terminally ill? How about helping your friends and family through ordeals they might be facing?

You have more power than you think you have. You can travel in amazing ways. You can create in miraculous fashion. You can heal like a disciple of Christ would heal. You can do the impossible!

My little five year old daughter is always asking questions. I tell her about Jesus and praying. Every now and then she catches me talking about deeper subjects, but usually her questions are something like, "Do you help people, Daddy?" or "Dad, how do YOU work with God?" Deep questions really. I want to answer them truthfully, but at five she really wouldn't understand. You see, my work is off the charts, and yours can be too.

Right now you are probably locked into your present state of growth. The fact is that there is much more that you could be doing. Through the Holy Spirit you can move in incredible ways, change things in miraculous fashion, and most of all, create more value for the Lord. I know, value. It is such a business term, but it is the best way to phrase it. God wants value out of you. You are an investment in his eyes. He wants you to grow and prosper so you can better serve Him. Don't think so? Try not growing, and see where that takes you.

Folks, I really want the absolute best for you. But on top of that, I want you to get ready to move at a moment's notice, and move in miraculous fashion. I know that lots of folks talk about end times, but I'm not going to pretend to know when or how all of that will go down. I do know one thing though. It is better to be prepared than to be left mired in the sins of this world. I'm not perfect, but I'm actively trying to work with the Lord to create in the fashion that He wants me to create.

Anything is possible! Lie down, close your eyes, and pray for an hour straight with nothing else bothering you. Do things that you think could not be done.

This is a special life you are living. Do not cut yourself short!

I'm determined to keep fighting for Christ

I'm determined to keep fighting for Christ

I almost did not write a devotional tonight. Then I got a call from a wonderful friend and minister in Toronto, who wanted to relate to me the success he has been having with the folks I have been sending him for job counseling. The results? Absolutely phenomenal! In less than two weeks, I've sent him almost 20 referrals, and almost everyone is on their way to a better job situation. Does your local church do that?

I am just so fired up! God is working in so many awesome ways. I started the system on a whim, hoping to get a person every few days. But now it is around 10 a day! Gosh, it just shows what can happen when sincere Christians reach out and help those they can. I never expected to even have the resources to pull it off, but after I had the idea, the options started flowing from everywhere. People just...well...showed up! A counselor here, an expert there...even attorneys! Can you believe it?

Well, folks, every day I feel honored to be a part of such wonderful work. Christ is moving in powerful ways. I feel like there is no end to this particular part of the ministry. I have always had a passion for helping others, especially through the Internet, and success like this makes me feel like all the personal sacrifice lately has been worth it. Maybe the reason I don't have a conventional job is because God would rather have me doing this.

I would not be surprised. With the Lord, the real servants never stop working, but then again, we would not have it any other way!

Demanding the best

Demanding the best

What’s the difference between Christians and non-Christians? Christ demands the best from us. Non-Christians run through life not even knowing the difference between heaven bound and a box in the ground.

My life in high school included lots of religious debate, mainly with pseudo-Christians, pseudo-Buddhists, and pseudo-Jews. Obviously the reason I preface everything with pseudo is because kids would usually say, “Yeah, my parents drag me to services, but I’m not really into it.” Then they would proceed to talk about their car, girlfriend, or the latest hot movie.

Why is this a problem? Kids don’t take benchmarks seriously, unless it revolves around a tangible reward. Heaven is a very non-tangible reward....to kids. They can see it, but their understanding of it is usually weak, and if challenged, they cannot really explain what it is. Why is this a problem?

Its the carrot. You guys have heard me talk about the carrot before. Heaven is the carrot that Christianity holds in front of the donkey (you) to get you to move that first hoof forward. Don’t take this as a knock. Its not. Its really just an accurate representation of a typical human being. As humans, we chase our food, we chase our sex, and we chase our money. Getting out of that cycle takes a really big reward, and heaven is the only one that fits the bill. Why is that?

Its the best. Its the best that can be offered. There is nothing better. Perfect circumstance. Perfect existence. Perfect joy. No pain. No enemies. No nothing, except exactly what makes you happy. And yet, guess what? The best forego heaven. The best sign up for tours of duty.

Do you really think the most effective souls are just circling God, enjoying His warmth and love? No. They are sent out on missions. Why? They request them. They care about the cause we all work for, and so they are sent to make a change in the system. What’s the system? A more accurate question is what’s not the system.

Understand one thing about your time in a physical state. Understand that its short, its not yours, and you will be held accountable for how you spent it. Levels of heaven? Levels of hell? Folks....no one really knows. No one. Wipe out the chance in the equation and just do the best you possibly can.

God needs the best. Be the best. Be the Jesus in the room.

God Loves You!

1 God Loves You!

The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"
The problem is that...

---

2 All of us have done, said or thought things that are wrong. This is called sin, and our sins have separated us from God.

The Bible says "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God forever. The Bible says "The wages of sin is death."
The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,

---

3 God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.

Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. "God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life -- of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."
God reaches out in love to you and wants you to be His child. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name." You can choose to ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to your life as your Lord and Savior.

---

4 If you want to accept Christ as your Savior and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:

"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always."

God Loves You!

1 God Loves You!

The Bible says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life"
The problem is that...

---

2 All of us have done, said or thought things that are wrong. This is called sin, and our sins have separated us from God.

The Bible says "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God forever. The Bible says "The wages of sin is death."
The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,

---

3 God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.

Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. "God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life -- of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me."
God reaches out in love to you and wants you to be His child. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name." You can choose to ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to your life as your Lord and Savior.

---

4 If you want to accept Christ as your Savior and turn from your sins, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:

"Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. I want to serve you always."

sunday school lessons

"My kids can't sit still that long!"
"I can barely make it through the Bible lesson..."
"It's a struggle to get our kids to even go to Sunday School"

Ever heard (or said) any of these statements?  Many Sunday School programs, while providing excellent education, are designed and aimed towards children who enjoy classroom learning.  At 10:10 Kids, somehow we always seemed to get the kids who, well... just don't.  They couldn't sit still for fifteen minutes, much less an hour.  They were bored with the take-home stories.  They fidgeted.  They got into trouble.  They yelled out answers when they were supposed to put up their hands.  Traditional methods just were not working.  With 10:10 Kids, we were able to use the energy of the kids to our advantage.  The kids were never sitting in one place for more than 10 minutes at a time, and we were actually enjoying our Bible lessons!

At 10:10 Kids, we strive to be:
FLEXIBLE No two programs are alike, and we don't think they should have to be!  Choose the elements that work for your program, and let go of the rest.
WIGGLY-KID FRIENDLY Using our unique 10:10 elements system, we believe that children shouldn't have to sit still for more than 10 minutes at a time.  That's right - every 10 minutes you can move onto the next element, making sure your kids never get bored again!
SMALL CHURCH FRIENDLY Our system works for groups of 5 or groups of 50, and is not heavily dependent on volunteers.  You need a few good volunteers, not a large contingent of I-got-dragged-into-being-here volunteers!
OUTREACH FRIENDLY Initially developed in a drop-in setting, we don't assume your kids have the Bible memorized.  If they do, they can still learn life lessons with 10:10 Kids, but if they don't, they won't be left behind in the dust.
AFFORDABLE Because not everybody is a big church with a big budget, 10:10 Kids keeps it simple to stay cost-effective, and accessible for all children's churches and outreaches.

The Holy Spirit

You are here: God >> Holy Spirit Holy Spirit: One of Three Persons of God The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For many of us, this is a difficult concept to grasp. The Bibledeclares that there is only one living God, yet we learn from scripture that He comprises three separate personages. One way to partially visualize this concept is to examine the nature of water (H2O). Water is a single compound that can exist in three states – liquid, ice and vapor. An egg is another picture. It is comprised of the white, the yoke and the shell, yet it is still one egg. Of course, by no means do these examples paint a complete picture of our God, but they are illustrative of the fact that His three “persons” in no way invalidate His oneness. Holy Spirit: Much More that an Ethereal Life Force The Holy Spirit is not a vague, ethereal life force. He is not impersonal or unthinking. The Holy Spirit is a “person” equal in every way with God, the Father, and God, the Son. The Bible tells us that all the characteristics of God apparent in the Father and the Son are equally apparent in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is composed of intellect, emotions and will. In 1 Corinthians 2:11, we see an example of the Holy Spirit’s intellect and will:“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” In Romans 15:30, we see the Holy Spirit has emotion, as represented by the capacity to love:“Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;” Although the Holy Spirit has all the characteristics of God, He has specific roles and functions in our lives. In John 16:13, we see the Spirit of Truth as our guide: “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.” In John 14:26, we learn that the Holy Spirit is our Counselor and teacher:“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” In 1 Corinthians 3:16, we see that the Holy Spirit lives inside us: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” In Acts 1:8, we understand where our power comes from: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." In Romans 8:14, we understand where our direction comes from: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” In Romans 8:26, we learn that the Holy Spirit is there for us in times of weakness and prayer: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” In Hebrews 9:14, we see that the Holy Spirit is eternal. In 1 Corinthians 2:11, we see that the Holy Spirit is all-knowing. In Psalm 139, we see that the Holy Spirit is everywhere. Holy Spirit: Attributes of God The Holy Spirit, Father and Son all comprise a unified Godhead known in Christianity as the “Trinity.” A common misconception is that Christians believe in three different gods. This isn’t correct. While each “personage” is distinct in function, each shares together in the same deity and each reflects the divine attributes of the one living God.