Evan Olsen - Intercessory Missionary

Why Homosexual Marriage is Wrong

Fri, 11 May 2012 11:54:13 -0400

On Wednesday, President Obama made an unprecedented stance as a sitting president on homosexual marriage. The national discussion on the issue is verbose. President Obama’s comments have infuriated and alienated believers and conservatives, while rejoicing others.

As the discussion intensifies, believers are forced to make a choice: come into agreement with what God says about homosexual marriage, or agree with man. But what does God say about homosexual marriage, and why is it against His Word?

In order to understand the perversion that homosexual marriage is, we must understand the original intent of marriage. God designed heterosexual marriage for many blessings. Personal benefits aside, marriage acts as a testimony to the Earth of His marriage covenant with mankind.

Marriage is a testimony to the Earth of God’s marriage covenant with mankind.

Ephesians 5 says that heterosexual marriage is a reflection of Christ’s relationship to the Church. I believe it also mirrors how God has made a marriage covenant with mankind through Christ becoming a Man and dying on our behalf. When God became a Man through Jesus Christ, He forever intwined Himself with humanity. Christ has literally become one flesh with mankind.

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Eph 5:31

Homosexual marriage is an attempt to attack the very character of God and His relationship with mankind. It is attempting to redefine that which is to reflect God’s character. This is the most important reason why homosexual marriage should not be a standard in America. When a nation attacks God’s character, He will respond.

Marriage is the foundation for godly families.

When we compromise on our definition of heterosexual marriage as the Bible states it, the building blocks of society, which is family, are destroyed. For instance, the greek word for economy (oikonomia) is deeply rooted in family. It literally means “household (or home) management.” When our families are destroyed, so also is our economy, morals, vision, and purpose.

As believers, we must understand that homosexual marriage is more than a bad redefinition of what love is. It is an attack on the very character and nature of God. He doesn’t give arbitrary commandments to us, but His commandments are to protect us from going against His character and nature.

Following God's Path

Wed, 02 May 2012 19:37:03 -0400

I wish things were black and white all the time, especially in regard to what my future is. The truth is that my future is bendable. I’m choosing and rewriting my destiny every day.

In Psalm 139 it says God wrote a book for my life before I was born. He dreamed about what I would do, who I would be, and with whom I would spend my life with. He placed me in a family and with friends that He knew would be great for me. Yet my life doesn’t automatically follow the path that God has written for me.

I must choose His ways. I must walk in His path.

There are other paths, sure. I could blaze my own trail if I wanted to. But I know God’s path for my life leads me to places that would fascinate my heart and mind. His path goes by a beautiful canyon with tumultuous rapids and waterfalls. It even weaves through a garden that would put the hanging gardens of Babylon to shame.

His path is perfect; His ways are best. I must walk in His path.

How can I know where His path leads? Sometimes it dark and cloudy, and I can’t see it. How do I know I’m walking in God’s will?

“Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Ps. 119:105

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” Ps. 32:8

The best way to follow a trail made by someone in a thick forest is to keep up close to them. If you can keep them in your vision –– or better yet, you are right behind them –– you won’t get lost or confused about which way the trail bends. It’s the same with following God. Being close to Him is the best way to know which way He is leading you.

How do you follow God? Keep up close behind Him and never lose sight of which way He turns.

Free Resource: Cash Separators for Wallets

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:01:00 -0400

Today I’d like to give away some free resources for those who use the grandma-patented envelope system.

The envelope system is simple: Each envelope is an individual budget for things like groceries, eating out, gas, entertainment, etc. It contains a certain amount of cash which you use only for its intended purpose.

When the money ends, so does your ability to purchase within that category until next month.

In my experience, it is a little difficult for a man to carry around 5 envelopes, so I created these dividers to go in my wallet. These dividers will also work for ladies’ wallets. I recommend printing on cardstock.

Download here: .pdf format, full .psd for creating your own dividers (Photoshop required)

Can Music Make You Feel God's Emotions?

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 07:32:00 -0400

Music is a powerful entity — a force like gravity. It drives both the Christian and secular world. Some people say they live to make and listen to music.

Think about it.

Have you ever heard a song and instantly remembered where you were and how you felt when you first heard it?

Music is one of the only tools that can make you feel emotions without your knowledge. It can change your whole mood, even if it’s just instrumental.

Music can make us feel:

Sad
Happy
Hopeful
Contemplative
Nostalgic
Angry

Interestingly, if instruments didn’t exist, music still would. It can be made just by singing and clapping. It’s innate. We can’t get rid of it!

I believe God designed music for the great purpose of helping us feel and encounter His emotions. It has been so distorted — and diverted — from its original intent, but I know God has a plan to use worship as a catalyst for reviving and restoring hearts.

Imagine musicians that spend time encountering God and His emotions, and from that place create music that they feel reflects His heart. Using music as the catalyst God created it to be, God could convey His emotions through these musicians.

How has music affected you in the past?

Ways To Develop Prophetic Musicianship

How to Maximize Your Time With God

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 23:04:00 -0400

Our time we spend with God is paramount. Reading the Word and praying are essential. It’s how we know God. Given the importance of this time period, it should be a high priority to get the most out of our time with God.

The funny thing is, whenever I want to spend time with God, I am generally the most distracted. And tired. How does that never fail to happen? Sit on the bed, open the Bible…and conk. It’s most definitely spiritual narcolepsy.

But really, if the time we spend with God is the primary way to know God, why wouldn’t the devil do all he can to distract, confuse, or disrupt this time of meeting? And how can we practically fight to keep this time?

Here is a short list of what has helped me:

Schedule your time with God, daily. Some people desire to spend more time with God but fail to plan it into their schedule. Check out this post if you need help making a schedule.
Turn off cellphones, computers, DISTRACTIONS! Seriously, it’s not that important for you to answer that text right away.
Turn on worship and pray in the Spirit. Worship and prayer are the same to God, so turning on worship is both enjoyable and effective.
Get a Bible reading action plan. It’s common to desire to read and study a lot of books and topics but to rarely follow through. Desires must transcend into action, and a systematic plan is a great way to help achieve goals.
Pray-read the Word. Don’t just read the Word to increase your head-knowledge, but pray what you are reading. “..knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” 1 Cor. 8:1

Take ahold of your time with God and get serious about meeting with Him to know Him and love Him. Don’t just give up when you read a chapter and feel bored. God’s not boring; it’s we who are boring. Take time to let God change your heart to love His Word.

Prayers to Strengthen The Inner Man (F-E-L-L-O-W-S-H-I-P)

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:00:05 -0500

In the desire to learn how to increase our prayer life we sometimes don’t know where to begin. It can be discouraging having zeal and then running out of things to pray for. I have definitely experienced this. A prayer list is great, but what exactly do we pray over those we have on the list?

I believe the best prayers are ones that are from the Word. This is a list of scriptures that will help give you dialogue material to speak with God. This list is Mike Bickle’s, with my own additions.

View all Prayer Resources

F– Fear of God

I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. (Jer. 32:40)
The Lord…you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. (Isa. 8:13)
Unite my heart (to Your heart and Word) to fear Your name. (Ps. 86:11)
His delight is in the fear of the LORD… (Isa. 11:3)

E– Endurance

Being strengthened with all power…may have great endurance and patience… (Col. 1:11 NIV)
May the Lord direct your hearts into…the patience (endurance) of Christ. (2 Thes. 3:5)
It was written, “Zeal for Thy house will consume me (Jesus).” (Jn. 2:17, NAS)
Zeal for Your house has eaten me (David) up… I wept and chastened my soul with fasting that became my reproach. I made sackcloth my garment… (Ps. 69:9-11)
Phinehas…was zealous with My zeal among them… (Num. 25:11)

L– Love

The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit… (Rom. 5:5)
I pray, that your love may abound still more…in knowledge and all discernment. (Phil. 1:9)
May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God… (2 Thes. 3:5)
Set Me (Jesus) as a seal on your heart…for love is as strong as death…its flames are flames of fire… Many waters cannot quench love, nor can floods drown it. (Song 8:6-7)
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in my love. (Jn. 15:9)
…That the love with which You loved Me may be in them… (Jn. 17:26)
You shall love the Lord…with all your heart…soul…and mind. (Mt. 22:37)
That you…may be able to comprehend…what is the width and length and depth and height… to know (experience) the love (affection) of Christ… (Eph. 3:18-19)

Let me see and love myself through Your eyes. Thank you for who I am to You.
- You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought… (Ps. 139:13-15)
- …that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (I am His inheritance)… (Eph. 1:17)

Father, “I agree with Jesus’ command and prophecy in Mt. 22:39 that I will love others.” Let me abound in love by seeing what You see and feeling what You feel about others.
- …You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Mt. 22:39)
- This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (Jn. 15:12)
- May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another… (1 Thes. 3:12)

L– Light of glory

A great light from heaven shone around me… He said to me, “I am Jesus of Nazareth…” I could not see for the glory of that light…I came to Damascus. (Acts 22:6-11)
And he (Moses) said, “Please, show me Your glory.” (Ex. 33:18)
Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. (Ps. 4:6)
His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. (Rev. 1:16)
Send out Your light and truth! Let them lead me…bring me to Your holy hill… (Ps. 43:3)
Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved! (Ps. 80:3)
You shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending… (Jn. 1:51)
I pray, open his eyes that he may see. Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man…the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (2 Kgs. 6:17)

O– One thing life focus

But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part… (Lk. 10:42)
One thing I have desired…all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord. (Ps. 27:4)
I have set the Lord always before me…He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. (Ps. 16:8)

W– Count me worthy

We pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power… (2 Thes. 1:11)
Watch…and pray always that you may be counted worthy (prepared) to escape all these things (sins of v. 34)…to stand (in victory) before the Son of Man. (Lk. 21:36)

Help keep me free of compromise that I would walk blameless body, soul and spirit.
- May the God of peace sanctify you completely; may your spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless (without compromise) at the coming of our Lord… (1 Thes. 5:23)
- That He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before God… (1 Thes. 3:13)
- We…plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. (2 Cor. 6:1)

We agree with David’s prayers to walk in purity.
- Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast (resolute, unwavering) spirit in me. (Ps. 51:10)
- Your people…offer willingly to You. O LORD…keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments… (1 Chr 29:17-19)
- Save me, O God! The waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters…the floods overflow me. (Ps. 69:1-2)

We agree with David’s holy resolve to set nothing impure before his eyes.
- I will set nothing wicked before my eyes… (Ps. 101:3)
- I have made a covenant with my eyes; why should I look on a woman? (Job 31:1)

Lead me from the storm of temptation, rescue me from its deep waters, and cleanse me from secret faults (Ps. 19:12; 69:1-2). Search me and show me my heart (Ps. 139:23).
- Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Mt. 6:13)
- That You should keep them from the evil one. (Jn. 17:15)
- Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret (unperceived) faults. (Ps. 19:12)
- Search me, O God, and know (reveal) my heart; try me, and know my anxieties…(Ps. 139:23)

S– Speech – Sustained communion with God requires restrained conversation with man.

If one does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body. (Jas. 3:2)
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. (Ps. 141:3)
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable… (Ps. 19:14)
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit…Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting…(Eph. 4:29-5:4)
I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. (Ps. 17:3)
I said, “I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me.” (Ps 39:1)

H– Humility

Take My yoke…and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart… (Mt. 11:29)
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself…Let this mind be in you which was in Christ… (Phil. 2:3-5)

I– Insight unto intimacy

May give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him… (Eph. 1:17)
Ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord… (Col. 1:9-10)
Father, “Give me insight that I may walk under the Spirit’s leadership that we may partner together in every issue in my life including my finances, schedule, emotions, circumstances, physical body (diet, health), relationships (in the home, office, ministry), my future, fears, addictions, etc. Give me new ideas in each area of my life”.
- The Holy Spirit…will teach you all things… (Jn. 14:26)

Let me know the secrets of Your heart (Ps. 25:14). What are You thinking and feeling?
- Show me Your ways…teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth… The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him… (Ps. 25:4-5, 14)

We ask for the Spirit’s insight into God’s end-time purposes (Dan. 11:35; 12:10), eternity, the New Jerusalem, the judgment seat of Christ, and hell.
- The Spirit…will guide you into all truth; He will tell you things to come. (Jn. 16:13)
- O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. (Dan. 9:22)
- The anger of the LORD (end-time judgments) will not turn back until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly. (Jer. 23:20)

P– Peace and Joy: Father, strengthen my heart with supernatural peace and joy that overpowers fear and anxiety that I would not sin. Sin grows fastest when fear or anxiety works strongly in us.

The peace of God…will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope (confidence) by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15:13)
Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. (2 Thes. 3:16)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear (cowardice), but of power (courage) and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Tim. 1:7)

Why I Endorse Rick Santorum

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:28:00 -0500

Yesterday I sat in a room filled with hundreds of college students and Tallahassee residents listening to Rick Santorum speak from his heart about why he is running for president, and why America needs to change. My heart and mind were moved to agree with his beliefs. It solidified my thoughts that he is the man for president in November.

Here’s why.

I believe the fundamental problem we face in America is not budgetary, and it’s not wars; it’s not healthcare, and not even over-reaching government. These are merely symptoms of a deeper rooted disease: the lack of morality due to the break down of the institution of family. Every single issue our Nation is facing can be rooted back to morals being thrown out the window for the sake of personal desires.

What has a lack of morals produced in America?

Abortion (Approximately 1.21 million in 2008, 50,000,000 in America since 1973)
Divorce rates soaring (40% in 2008)
Social unrest leading to riots/flash mobs
An entitlement mentality decrying personal responsibilities

If the problem we face is a moral one, how does a politician fix it?

Simple: He doesn’t. At least, not completely.

What America needs most importantly is for hearts to change and return to morality — the morality found in God’s Word. We need the hearts of the fathers to be turned to their children; we need a revival. This can really only come through prayer, but having the right man in office would help. This understanding of focusing on family and God is what Rick Santorum spoke about yesterday –– it’s what solidified in my mind that he’s the real deal and the candidate who would help steer America where she needs to go in this season.

I appreciate what Senator Santorum said yesterday about the constitution and its original intent being to protect the rights that God Himself gave us. Without God giving us freedom and laws, we’d have no rights or morality.

What can fix America’s problems?

God changing our hearts –– We need the hearts of the fathers turning to the children through a revival only bought through prayer (Mal. 4:5-6).
Having a president that understands the above statement, and focuses his energy on providing an atmosphere for it.

I understand these points are not conclusive, but I believe they are paramount. At least regarding the elections. I believe Rick Santorum has had a strong and consistent focus on family, God, and life. His focus on the family is the strongest out of the other GOP candidates, especially his fervor to end abortion in America. Rick Santorum and his wife have parented 7 children, and they understand the value of human life.

“The Constitution is there to do one thing, to protect God-given rights. That’s what makes America different than every other country in the world. No other country in the world has its rights based in God-given rights, not government-given rights. If our President believes that rights come to us from the state, then everything government gives you, it can take away ” -Rick Santorum

When Worry and Fear is All You Can Muster

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:06:20 -0500

Allow me to a bit vulnerable in this post. I have lately been fraught with worry, anxiety and fear. I’ve been pondering where this came from (cause it seemingly came out of nowhere), and I’ve spent a good deal of time praying, reading the Word and psychoanalyzing myself. I guess a large part of the fear is simply worrying about ‘tomorrow’ and the thought What on earth am I going to do with my whole life?

“Worry puts question marks where God puts periods.” John R. Rice

But in all the soul-searching that I have done, I have found no solace or understanding, until today.

I started reading a book by Robert J. Morgan called Red Sea Rules which gives 10 scripture-based strategies for difficult times. I’m pretty blown away with the godly perspective I’ve gained about my worries. The Red Sea Rule #1 to making it through a hard season (be it worry, anxiety from situations or just plain bad circumstances) is to “realize that the Lord has either placed us there or allowed us to be there, perhaps for reasons presently known only to Himself.”

The same God who led me in will lead me out. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8). Realizing that God has me right where He wants me brings a great sense of hope. I’m not in this difficult season because the devil has me in a trap that I can’t break free from and God can’t break into. I will rest in the fact that it is God who brought me here, He will keep me here because of His love, and give me grace to be His child (Heb. 12:6, 1 Cor. 10:13). Jesus will turn this trial into a blessing and teach me a lesson about Himself, myself, and life itself.

This poem, which is untitled and unattributed, found in a small volume by V. Raymond Edman, titled The Disciplines of Life, really encouraged me:

When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man,
And skill a man
To play the noblest part;
When He yearns with all His heart
To create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall be amazed,
Watch His methods, Watch His ways!
How He ruthlessly perfects
Whom He royally elects!
How He hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him
Into trial shapes of clay which
Only God understands;
While his tortured heart is crying
And he lights beseeching hands!
How He bends but never breaks
When his good He undertakes;
How He uses whom He chooses,
And with every purpose fuses him;
By every act induces him
To try His splendor out–
God knows what He’s about.

You can check out the book Red Sea Rules here:

Corporate social networking fast — October

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:38:00 -0400

Update December, 2011: I have decided to personally extend this till the end of the year. I will begin posting again in January.

This is an invitation to my community of friends to join in a corporate fast of social networks for the month of October. The fast includes Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or any other forms of social networking (Google+).

What is the focus of this fast?

Greater desire to know and love Jesus
To gain wisdom for the way we spend our time and energy
To break any unhealthy habits with social networking
To help create healthy community through relationships
Sobriety in our spirits

Why fast social networks?

Social networking can be a great tool for relationship building and the furtherance of the gospel, but — as with most things — when used in excess, becomes an extemrely detrimental tool to our lives. The biggest issues being that of time and relational health.

Social networking can keep us from:

Building a strong, meaningful relationship with God
Relationships with real-life friends
Important life activities (work around the house, exercise, chores, etc)

Why it’s important to fast corporately:

Accountability - When we all fast together it is easier to be accountable to each other, rather than giving up because we are alone.
We go farther together - As with most things, we all go farther when we go together. We are able to provoke and egg each other on.
It’s biblical - There are many examples in the bible of corporate fasts (I Samuel 7:5-6, II Chronicles 20:34, Ezra 8:21-23, Nehemiah 9:1-3, Joel 2:15-16, Jonah 3:5-10, Acts 27:33-37).

If you’d like to join in this fast, please let us know in the comments!

Ray Comfort, founder of Living Waters Ministries produced this...

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:40:52 -0400

Ray Comfort, founder of Living Waters Ministries produced this 33 minute documentary that is raw, gritty, a bit offensive, and true.

This ‘guy on the street’ styled documentary shows pro-choice Americans’ views on abortion and their complete 180º change to pro-life seconds. The paralel between Hitler’s Holocaust of the Jews and America’s Holocaust of 50+ million babies is an incredible, thought-provoking argument.

Comfort’s goal is to get the movie out to people, free of charge, including giving out 200,000 DVDs of the movie in one day to the nation’s top universities.

Please visit the movie’s website at: http://www.180movie.com

The universal ache of dissatisfaction (by Josh Hawkins)

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 07:33:05 -0400

The universal ache of dissatisfaction (by Josh Hawkins):

“The root of the problem does not originate with a love of pleasure but rather lies with the posture of our heart in the midst of pleasure. Therefore selling our possessions and living in poverty can never be a final solution to our dissatisfaction. Those who believe so have assumed that our satisfaction is the pinnacle of our existence. Is our joy the final goal of our lives, or do we exist to enjoy bringing pleasure to Another?”

I'm in Orlando! Presidency 5 Florida Straw Poll

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 23:02:55 -0400

I arrived in Orlando this evening to take part in the Florida Straw Poll, Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and to pray for the presidential candidates. I will also be attending the Fox News/Google GOP Presidential Primary Debate on Thursday.

I’m so excited to be attending this event and to pray over this election season. Our prayers are effective from anywhere, but there is something different about being able to lay your hand on someone’s shoulder and pray for them.

I am asking God for divine meetings and favor. Also, I am really praying that God would use me to encourage the candidates to make bold, unapologetic stands for righteousness according to the Word.

I would love it if you would please pray for my mother and me.

Here’s some ways to pray:

That God would give me boldness to say what He wants me to say (Acts 4:29-30)
That He would tell me what I should say to the candidates (Eph. 1:16-19)
For safety and protection in traveling and during the conference
For God-ordained meetings to take place
That I could be a bold witness to Jesus and take a strong stance for life (righteousness)
Pray Jeremiah 1:7-9 and Daniel 5:12

My story of God's faithfulness -- even in trials

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:49:24 -0400

I am currently sitting on an electrical box outside of a Christian Life Center waiting on my car to be towed. The muggy air is thankfully masked by the slightly cooled breeze. As I was driving here, my car…bit the dust.

While turning, I lost power steering, A/C; my battery warning light came on and my car let out a treacherous squeal like she’d been shot by an arrow in the gut. Turns out it was the Serpentine belt.

Minwé, my car, has had a rough time lately. Last week her A/C died, costing me a pretty penny (a really pretty penny). We’ve had our fair share of problems and fix-its, her and I. But I’ve never doubted God’s faithfulness and goodness.

The reason I call her Minwé is actually an interesting story of God’s faithfulness.

Around a year and a half ago I was praying for God to give me a car. I had heard stories of cars being given to friends and I believed in faith that God could do the same. I began to pray specifically for a Toyota Matrix (love that car). I even had a specific color picked out: midnight purple.

While praying for a car to be given to me, I still saved up money. I wasn’t doubting, but I knew God works in discipline, hard-work and saving as well as in faith. 8 months went by and no midnight purple Toyota Matrix to be found. Do I doubt that God is faithful? Why is it taking so long? Maybe my faith was folly?

At the same time my dad’s mechanic told me of a car that they were selling. It was similar to a Toyota Matrix: a Ford Focus Zx3. The mechanic had replaced the engine with a 70K engine; replaced the tires and fixed the breaks; repainted the entire car a beautiful black, and fixed various other problems.

And it was cheap. The mechanic is also a Christian and gave me a deal: it is actually worth $2,000 more than he sold it to me for. He said his intention was to bless me and my missions work.

I definitely felt this was God’s response to my prayers, an answer to my great need for a car. That’s why I call her Minwé, which is Haitian Creole for “midnight”. Minwé is my Ebinezer — my rock of victory, placed to remind me of God’s faithfulness.

How 3-5 seconds can bolster virtue within you

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:00:06 -0400

How 3-5 seconds can bolster virtue within you:

This article is a gem. It talks about the 3-5 second window we have where we can say yes or no to temptation. It also hits on how we can practically avoid temptation. Oh, and it’s vintage, so it should appeal to you hipsters.

How to make a daily schedule you can stick to (at least, mostly)

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 01:29:00 -0400

168. That’s how many hours we all have in a week. If you average 8 hours a night for sleep, it leaves you with 112 waking-hours. In that amount of time, you could do a lot of things. Like: make 12,320 vinyl records, quilt 5.5 quilts or read the entire Bible roughly 1.6 times.

Needless to say, we all have a lot of time in life. Yet, the most common complaint is, “There’s not enough time in the day.” I’m guilty of this complaint, and it is usually an excuse for poor planning. The issue at hand is that we don’t schedule and prioritize our time according to our life vision and goals.

It’s great to write out a life-vision and life-goals, but if they don’t translate into every-day-action, then they are useless.

When the way we spend our time reflects what we ultimately want to achieve in life, we don’t feel aimless and distracted, our morale is built up by a sense of achievement, and strain is reduced on our relationships.

I moved out of my parents’ house last weekend. It’s a great time for me to tweak my schedule and take an evaluating look at my life plans. It’s a good idea to make small tweaks to your schedule at least once a month.

While laying out my schedule, it forced me to evaluate which activities are really important to me. Once I prioritized my activities, I found my schedule to be full, but with gaping holes. How can this be? I laid out everything I wanted to do, but there was still tons of time open.

The consequences of not planning your time:

Life will seem tiresome (Eccl. 1:5-8).
Life will seem unfulfilling (Eccl. 1:8b-9a).
Life will seem uncontrollable (Eccl. 1:15).

The benefits of planning your time:

Life will have focus.
Life will be simplified (prioritized).
Motivation will increase (achieving tasks increases motivation).

There are a lot of great tools out there to help you manage your time. Here are a few that I recommend:

iCal/Google Calender - The best calendar apps out there are iCal and Google Calendar. They can create events that repeat weekly and have multiple color-coded calendars. (For example, my home calendar is blue and involves things I do in my personal life, while my work calendar is green.)
2Do for iPhone - This app is amazing. It’s the best to-do list app I’ve ever used. It can sync your tasks with iCal, created projects and checklists, and even have tasks repeat (great for newsletters, paying bills, etc.)
Day planner - Don’t own a good computer or a ‘smart phone’? There’s always the good ole fashioned pen and paper. While I haven’t used this method myself, I have heard others say they have planned their weeks this way for decades. Some prefer it over digital planners.
A few things to keep in mind:
- If you can stick to your schedule at least 75% of the time you have made a huge success.
- Since it is your life you’re planning, it’s totally fine to deviate from the schedule and say, “forget learning Danish — I’m gonna go get a banana split!”

Should Christians Be Involved in Politics?

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 01:38:00 -0400

As Christians living in America, we are duel citizens: we are both Americans and future-inhabitants of heaven. But, should one citizenship completely negate the other? More specifically, should Christians be involved in politics — or even vote?

There are those who believe that God’s ways are so far beyond our day-to-day lives that we should completely ignore that which is around us. In essence, we should solely focus on God so intensely that we ignore things going on around us. After all, those things are temporary, and therefore don’t matter.

I think this logic is dangerous. While it is true that we should focus primarily on God, to ignore our government, society and state of our world is to ignore how far God came to redeem humanity. He isn’t stoic and detached from our world; He is Immanuel: God with us.

So is Jesus involved in America’s elections? Does He care who becomes president?

Here are some key verses in regards to God and government:

“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” -Rom. 13:1

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,
Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” -Prov. 21:1

“…He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” -Dan. 2:21

The scriptures make it clear: God is intimately involved with nations, governments and peoples. They are appointed by Him. I believe the Word concludes that God does care about who is king (or president, prime minister, etc) and so should we.

When we vote we are putting our beliefs into action. Our morals, ideologies and philosophies transcend our little chad punches into our nation’s direction. It’s such a great privalege to be able to be an advocate for God in this way.

What are your thoughts — should Christians vote?

How to Properly Endorse a Candidate

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 06:31:00 -0400

There is so much pressure nowadays to endorse a candidate for presidency ASAP. Our friends and family ask “Who are you supporting?” and you feel the pressure to have an answer, even though we are still a ways away from the Primaries.

But I think a lot of Americans tend to choose candidates based on arbitrary factors. Like, 1) Who do my friends support? 2) Who is most likely to beat the incumbent? 3) Who will help me get a job? (You’re a slacker, McFly.)

While these factors definitely play a role in selecting a candidate to endorse, they can’t be the primary factors or decided upon flippantly.

I’m not new to politics. It started when I was a little kid as I held up signs for Bush senior. Of course, my arguments for Bush went something like, “Cwinton is da bad guy.” This year I am attending the Florida Presidency 5 Straw Poll as a delegate. Fortunately, my rhetoric has gotten a little more advanced.

The concept of Good Guy vs. Bad Guy is still alive in the psyche of society. When we flippantly side with a candidate, we pit them against the others — even those of the same party. Things get nasty.

There are a lot of factors that I think about when choosing who to endorse. Here are some tools to help the process:

Prayer - I believe God Himself wants a certain person to be the next president. Through prayer the Holy Spirit leads us into revelation of God’s heart (1 Cor. 2:10).
Research
- Wikipedia - Wikipedia can be edited by anyone and shouldn’t ever be taken as a reliable source. But Wikipedia users are big on citing their sources. Using WikiPedia as a catalyst to legit sources cuts down on research time.
- FactCheck.org - The team at FactCheck does a good job at researching common controversies in a candidate’s history.
- Debates - Listening to candidates debate can sometimes be boring or full of side-stepping rhetoric. Political baboonery aside, these debates can be a good way to get your feet wet on a candidates character and beliefs.
- Trusted friends and family - Find a trusted group of people that share similar political beliefs. Proverbs teaches that there is wisdom and safety in the council of many.

Above all else, have patience and make educated decisions. Don’t feel the pressure to endorse a candidate before you’re ready to. It’s a big decision and one that is detrimental to society if taken lightly.

As to how to properly endorse a candidate (I have to answer to the title), I don’t care — tweet about it.

Why God Desires 24/7 Worship

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 16:29:00 -0400

We just recently finished 24 hours of non-stop worship this weekend at the missions base. It was incredible. Nine different worship teams from local churches and ministries ministered to the Lord Friday and Saturday as we offered Jesus a 24-hour offering of adoration.

I strongly believe that God desires 24/7 worship and prayer to be found all over the earth. In fact, His Word promises it:

“‘After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up…” -Acts 15:16

In Rev. 4-5 we see a glimpse of what happens in Heaven. In the throne-room where God dwells, angels, creatures and elders sing incessantly, “holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty” forever.

Beyond the general affirmations of God’s desire to bring Heaven and earth together (Eph 1:10, Col 1:19, Matt 6:10, Luke 11:2-3), God makes it explicit that He desires earthly worship to mimic heavenly worship. In Exodus 24-25 God meets with Moses on Mount Sinai and commissions him to build a temple according to what he saw (Exodus 25:8-9). This as an earthly homage to a heavenly reality (I Chronicles 28:19).

Why 24/7 Worship?

24/7 worship and prayer simply cannot be understood apart from the purpose that stands as the ultimate end of everything in the Divine heart: the glory of God.

The desire for Jesus’ indescribable glory to be seen must be the impetus upon which night and day prayer is founded and the main reason it continues each passing moment.

We seek to worship 24/7 because Jesus is worthy to be adored forever.
We secondarily petition God to bring justice and make the wrong things right (Luke 18:7).

We, as believers, must focus our time, energy and finances (like king Cyrus) into building a place of 24/7 worship. This is not a new idea. For thousands of years God has found pockets of 24/7 worship.

Today, all across the earth, the Holy Spirit is impressing this reality onto thousands of individuals: Jesus’ unending glory warrants our unceasing praise.

Read the history of 24/7 worship and prayer here »

Recommended Reading:

The Worth of Jesus & Night and Day Prayer, Stephen Venable »

"Loving God, forgive us our many sins: for being judgmental, unloving, focused on ourselves, lacking..."

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:09:18 -0400

“Loving God, forgive us our many sins: for being judgmental, unloving, focused on ourselves, lacking in mercy, hypocritical. We are sinful and flawed; use us anyway, by and for Your glory and purposes that we may all live quiet and peaceful lives. We need You. America needs You.”

- Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback at The Response.

"Father, our heart breaks for America… as a nation we have forgotten Who made us, Who protects..."

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 07:30:00 -0400

“Father, our heart breaks for America… as a nation we have forgotten Who made us, Who protects us, Who blesses us, and for that we cry out for Your forgiveness. You call us to repent, Lord, and this day is our response. We give it all to You. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.”

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Governor Rick Perry’s prayer during The Response - Watch the archive »