Author Archives: kingdombizness
If you always walk in truth……
Something we have always said since we established our relationship with Yahweh is: “If we always walk in truth, we will never have to worry about the footprints we leave behind.” H. Jordan So many men and women have fallen from grace at the pinnacle of their profession, sport, or in their personal relationships. When the enemy comes – and he will come – we want him to find nothing in us.
The enemy tries to get kingdomers to compromise their integrity all the time – whether it is using the company’s office supplies for their personal use or cheating Uncle Sam on their tax returns. Even the smallest of indiscretions or deceit leaves an open door for the enemy to enter. He seems to enjoy waiting until the most opportune time to expose – a time when the disgrace will have it’s greatest impact.
We have always purposed – if there is even the slightest question of integrity – we always want to do what is right – even if it is to our detriment. If we become aware of any lapse in judgment, we quickly repent and try to make the situation right. We have full confidence that Yahweh will always provide for us.
We are not on our own. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” John 16:13 We have set ourselves to give His Holy Spirit full access to every part of our lives and since He is the Spirit of Truth, we trust that He is more than capable of keeping us blameless before the enemy if we honor Him.
We long to honor Yahweh, as well as those great men He has placed in our lives, with every decision we make. Holy Spirit keep us, convict us, and save us – all for the glory of Yahweh in the earth.
When Yahweh’s heaven meets our earth…
Something we have realized throughout our Kingdom walk is that, as much as we have experienced so far, Yahweh is so much more. Most people see Yahweh as a far off; limited in His ability; waiting for someone to mess up so He can punish them; elusive; or detached. To us, He has been a faithful father – generous, interested, funny, kind, and insightful. We believe that Yahweh is for us and, if allowed, wants to infuse, infiltrate and saturate us to equip us to rule and reign on this earth. He so wants us to join Him and walk out a life full of purpose. When we begin to see the magnanimous response from Yahweh to our yielding of the most basic principles, we will begin to see that His vision of redeeming the earth is not only plausible, but also overwhelmingly inevitable with committed and faithful sons.
When you think about the process of salvation – we give up just our natural life – in return – Christ comes to abide in us and all the resources of heaven by Holy Spirit are made available to us. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory…” Ephesians 3:20
When you think about the tithe and offering – we give our 10% (tithe) and sow our offerings. Yahweh’s measure back: “Give, and it will be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over…” Luke 6:38 “And try Me now in this, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” Malachi 3:10
In every area of life, as we have yielded ourselves to Yahweh, He has so overtaken us with blessing, favor and life. We so want each reader’s faith to be increased as well as their view and estimation of who Yahweh wants to be in their life. When we begin to understand that our obedience – even in the smallest measure – is met with a more generous heavenly response, we will begin to demonstrate to this world a life abundant.
Stewardship vs. Ownership
“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1
“A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” John 3:27
Understanding our position as stewards over what our Heavenly Father entrusts to us has kept us from stumbling many times in our Kingdom walk. Whether it was a promotion we didn’t get or a crack in our windshield, we learned not to sweat the circumstances we had no control over. Were we disappointed in either situation? Yes. The times when aggravation and frustration overstay their welcome, are the times we realize we might just be taking ownership of the situation and need to repent to Yahweh and release it back to Him. Our response should always be – Yahweh you know! When we truly believe that our steps are ordered, we will understand our faithfulness will ultimately produce perpetual blessing. Our reaction and state of mind will either position us for increase or we will eventually succumb to the frustration of our own futile mind.
Whether it is a job, place, idea, vision, person, pet, or thing, we must understand that Yahweh is the owner of it all – we will be judged on our stewardship over His treasures entrusted to us. We believe that it has helped us to value and maintain all that surrounds us – each other, friends, our career, finances, and all the things given to us. All we have control over is our faithfulness throughout each given day. When circumstances around us seem to get out of control, we must look to Yahweh and trust that “He is working all things for our good.”(paraphrased from Romans 8:28)
Dirty Dog Dish
One of the earliest revelations we ever received and which has stayed true and relevant through the last 27 years all stemmed from a dirty water dish that was outside for our dog. I know that many of you will find it hard to believe that any dog of ours would actually have had to stay outside for any length of time – ha ha. Keeping a bowl outside is pretty hard to keep clean. There is a plethora of dust and debris seeking to find a resting spot somewhere in that container – it’s inevitable. In an attempt to clean the bowl one day, we held the water hose directly in the bowl and were amazed to find that if held there for any length of time, debris and dirt had no chance of clinging to the container – but were displaced out and clean, clear water remained. Holy Spirit began to speak to us about the corruption and dirt that tries to find a resting place in us. We are in the world and will always be subjected to things that we would consider to be unclean. What is incredible about being in relationship with the Father through His Holy Spirit is that when we allow Him to flow in and through our life, He has the ability to displace and discharge that corruption quickly. We cannot completely keep ourselves from being exposed to the dirt and debris of life, but we can trust that as we allow Holy Spirit to flow in and through us, we will always have a clean, clear stream of living water that continually displaces anything not of Him. Visuals, words that we hear, or even challenging events will not find a resting place in us because of the continuous flow. Thank you Holy Spirit for being an identifier and eliminator of those contaminants that seek to find residence in us. Flow in and through us to ensure that we provide to those around us a clean and clear drink of refreshing water.
Short end of the stick….
There have been many times in our Kingdom walk where we have found ourselves in situations where the law of what is right and just could not be found. We are sure that all of us have at one time or another wound up with the “short end of the stick” – so to speak. The best scenario is to be able to recognize the signs, pray, speak words of life and truth, be patient, stay diligent, and rest – knowing that the resources of heaven and earth are “working all things for our good.” (paraphrased from Romans 8:28)
The [not so good] scenario is to continue to rehearse the wrong and unfair dilemmas that have been surrounding us. With each vocalization, frustration germinates and begins to grow. Something Holy Spirit showed us early on in our walk was that when a plant is just beginning to grow it is easy to pluck from the earth. The longer you let something grow, the bigger the roots get and it is more difficult to extract. If left too long, you will need to rely on heavy equipment for removal. Our greatest response must always be to quickly repent and “behave our way out of what we have talked ourselves into.” Our experience has been that repentance doesn’t eliminate the temptation to revert back – in fact – new situations arise to see if the repentance was genuine.
Recognizing the signs and making the right Kingdom response is critical. As we begin to redeem all that has been lost, stolen, or given away, the world will attempt to dissuade, distract, and seek to discourage our valiant effort. If we do not have an accurate assessment of our resources, we will loose heart. When we really understand that Yahweh our Father is for us, Yahshua (Jesus) His son reconciled us back into relationship, and the Holy Spirit is drawing out of the Father and Son and ministering all those resources to us – we will be of great courage and begin to put all things under His feet.
Apostle Ball Jan 18, 2012
We love when Yahweh speaks to you about one thing and confirms and solidifies it in your spirit by an amazing oracle – Thank you Apostle!
Disclosure – had to consolidate and condense – the “….” represent additional sentences in between – couldn’t transcribe everything. We believe we captured the heart of what he was saying – WOW!!!
“People of faith are never moved by the tangible…. The testimony of your faith is what will you do when you can’t see a thing, when you have no support, when you have no encouragement…. Faith is always more than you can see, more than you can receive and more than you can understand…. They wrapped their faith around what they could not see, they wrapped their faith around the faithfulness of God. Faithful is He who calls you – who also will do it. That’s got to be the pattern of your life. You’ve go to believe that – Yahweh – no matter what He has called you to do – He is faithful…. God is bigger than your faith, He’s bigger than your expectations, bigger than your understanding. Don’t ever limit yourself to what you are going after for the moment…. You’re just qualified to take on another lap. Just about the time you think you can’t make it any further, God’s about to load something else on your wagon – to find out are you trusting Him or are you trusting in your own ability? …. If you are not after something that is above and beyond your ability to receive, beyond your ability to see, hear, understand, lay hold of – if you are not chasing that elusive thing – then you’re not walking with God…. Faith never deals with the now and never deals with the past – it deals with something beyond you….And your faith will put in conflict with people who have learned how to live in a barren land and actually would prefer to go back to Egypt – back to their old life – because they have fellowship with those people there – they don’t know about this thing up the road here… You’ll have to sacrifice the fulfillment of the thing that God has given you to get to the next level. You cannot hold on….. It’s always by faith.” Apostle Ball (The Rock of Panama City, FL – January 18, 2012 – sermon.net)
The Voice within the voice….
In creating this blog and sharing our experiences and inspirations, we wanted to ignite faith in the reader to aspire to embrace all that Yahweh has for each of us. We sometimes assume that everyone has the same interactions and walks throughout their day with the Truth of His Holy Spirit speaking into their lives. That people understand how to hear His Voice within the voices of others.
The most amazing thing happens every time we hear Apostle Ball from the Rock of Panama City speak. (Sermon.net) He could be ministering on something we have heard before, or he could be sharing a story that he has rehearsed for us many times. In every instance, without exception, we have heard His Voice within Apostle’s voice. Apostle Ball will always stir us to honor Holy Spirit more, draw out of Holy Spirit more, and spurs us to honor Yahweh more in everything we do. Apostle Ball has taught us to hear the Voice within the voice. It is the Voice of Truth inside us – His Holy Spirit.
Look to hear the Voice within the voice from ministers of the gospel, spouses, friends, family and even your enemies. He can speak to you in any situation if you honor Him.
What Holy Spirit is able to do in us is to differentiate between what is the truth and what is a lie; what is flesh and what is Spirit; what is Yahweh’s purpose for us and what is just a ploy from the enemy.
In our pursuit of redeeming all that is lost, stolen, or given away, it is His Holy Spirit speaking to us that will guide us and keep us on track to lawfully dispossess our enemy of what was intentionally ours. It is Holy Spirit that will help us to speak, think and dream big without compromising and hearing a grandiose word that is so far out there – it is unattainable. Holy Spirit will help us to become wise, sharp and fruitful. We will not be deceived.
If you have not been filled with His Spirit, just ask – Yahweh is just waiting on the invitation. It was several months after we had committed our lives to Christ that we knew there had to be more. There was a desire in us – a yearning. You don’t necessarily have to be in a church service to receive, but wherever you are – just ask to be baptized into His Holy Spirit. The Helper is ready, willing and able to do abundantly more than we can ask or think. How could we ever thank you enough Holy Spirit? You are beyond amazing!!!!
Don’t be tempted to temper…..
After weathering storms and tribulations in life, we are sometimes tempted to temper our hopes, dreams and visions. After all – the way we thought it would happen only brought disappointment when things didn’t work out. Sometimes we question our ability to hear and our interpretation of confirming signs. Did we believe for too much? Does this world’s system really have the ability to deny the provision and blessing of Yahweh? OR Could our dreams have been too small and Yahweh’s purpose and plan for us bigger than we can fathom right now?
If there is one thing that we have learned over these 27 years – it is that Yahweh is a “rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 A quote from Apostle Ball’s book “Quotes from a modern day Apostle” sums up what Holy Spirit is stirring in us at this time. “I think the great shame, the great reproach upon us, is that we do not ask abundantly. We do not ask in an exaggerated way. Yahweh is wanting to do more. He is wanting to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all we can ask or think. So if we can think it, it is not too much. If we can dream it, it is not too much. Not many of us are in danger of overstepping the bounds by asking for too much. Most of us are not pushing the limits.” (Page 9)
If we are to redeem all that has been lost, stolen, or given away – we need to think big. We need to set our face in the morning, employ our ministering angels, and petition our helper – the Holy Spirit – to give us good ideas, favor and provision for our day. We need to declare the awakening of the earth’s resources to come to our aid. We need to set ourselves to be Yahweh’s tools of redemption for a lost people, government for a chaotic earth, and strength for a mighty revolution for Yahweh’s Glory to be revealed in us!!!
Part 2 -Accelerating “through” being Thankful
Part 2 of previous post. Something we blogged about earlier and that Apostle Ball repetitively emphasized was the importance of being thankful. When we are in the crux of the battle – rehearsing all the good things and being thankful for all the great people in our lives – brings us “out of the fog” and into a state of faith and hope. We find that our spirit becomes more aligned with His Spirit and once again our resolve is renewed and our confidence boosted. The situations may not immediately change, but our perspective does. We believe that the times we have truly looked deep and chose to be thankful – even in the midst of despair – we have accelerated “through” the circumstances. Remember – situations will come to pass – how long it takes maybe up to us.
We love how Yahweh will so confirm what He is speaking. We saw this interview of a gentlemen named John Kralik – here is an excerpt from his website for his book (http://365thankyounotes.com/book-simple-act-of-gratitude.php):
“A Simple Act of Gratitude is a book that tells the story of an inspiration, the writing of 365 Thank You Notes, and how my life was changed by the people who received them.
In December 2007, I had reached what I viewed as a nadir in my life. While my life seemed full of debts and disasters, I ached for the things and the security I felt I deserved. On January 1, 2008, as this dissatisfaction pervaded my thoughts, I took a walk in the mountains above Pasadena, where I was inspired to write one thank you note a day for the next year.
Although it took more than a year to complete the writing of 365 thank-you notes, I continued writing them until 365 were completed. And then kept on. I learned to be grateful for the life I had, recognizing that the love I had for my children made my life already richer than the many people I envied. I learned to be grateful for my law firm, my practice, and for the love of friends and family that surrounded me. I became thankful for the many people around me who dealt with challenges far greater than the ones facing me, with courage and style. I learned to recognize the many people in my life who had protected and cared for me.
A Simple Act of Gratitude tells the story of how all these things happened, and could be traced to the willingness to be grateful, in fact to the grace I received from writing 365 thank you notes.”
We have not read the book yet, but were so inspired by the lengths he went to find something to be thankful for. He talked of being thankful for the barista at Starbucks who knew his name and prepared his coffee. We know that we all can find something to be thankful for – let’s divert our thoughts and attention in that direction – we many soon find our battles won and no scars on us.
The enemy has become so predictable
Over the last 27 years a pattern has emerged. Inevitably, before we are overtaken with incredible blessing from Yahweh, the enemy sends a barrage of attacks to rob our peace, finances and hopes. He wants to try to disqualify us from being overtaken with the provision from the Father with bitterness, anger, and frustration – his only weapons. The blessing of Yahweh can only be stopped by our own unbelief and it is our choice to stand and remain that will enable us to persevere through and claim what is rightfully ours. So many believers give up and in just before their greatest gifts and rewards are received. When we begin to understand that the enemy cannot keep the blessing of Yahweh from us – he can only persuade us to disqualify ourselves – we will meet each challenge with the courage and resolve to maintain our course and be steady on.
It’s during these times that we have learned some of these attacks are not as bad as they appear to be at first. As the dust has settled, what seemed to be catastrophic has turned out to be somewhat manageable. At times, the first words we have received – we take “with a grain of salt” (skeptical) – as the scenario is played out – the picture has always changed. Whatever the battle has cost – when we come through – the expenditure has always been reimbursed and abundance added on. Yahweh is all about – “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over” Luke 6:38.
In order to redeem all that has been lost, stolen, or given away, we will have to be able to endure the bullying tactics of the enemy. As we position ourselves faithful over all he sets our hands to do, we can stand confident in Him. He has given us His Holy Spirit – so we are not alone. Let us have clean hands, pure hearts, resolve of spirit, confidence, passion, steadfastness, and endurance.
Don’t give up on your dreams…
We all have dreams, desires, hopes, wishes and expectations. The challenge is to respond the right way when things don’t go exactly the way we thought they would. Yahweh is such a faithful father. Psalm 37:3-4 “Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 20:4 “May He grant you according to your hearts desire, And fulfill all your purpose.” Hopefully we all understand that we are not talking about “name it and claim it – blab it and grab it.” We are talking about the expectation of being faithful over little and more being added. We are talking about Yahweh’s promise to make us the lender and not the borrower. We are talking about Yahweh making our name great in the earth. We are talking about having all our needs met with extra left over for those who cross our path and are in need.
There has been a scenario played over and over again in our walk with Yahweh. While the expectations and dreams have always ultimately been met and exceeded, the journey along the way has been fraught with unexpected turns and “short-term” disappointments. We have had to see past many obstacles and keep our eyes on Yahweh – knowing He has the timing and the ultimate plan already in progress. We have had to encourage each other and not allow – what appears to be giants – to dissuade us from persevering and walking on into Yahweh’s purpose and plan for us.
Our greatest confidence is in knowing that Yahweh is faithful and true. When you have given your first and your best, when you have kept your hands clean and your hearts pure, and when you have set your face like a flint toward the Father – stand fast and firm – there is nothing and no one that can stop the provision of Heaven from you. It may not come exactly the way you envisioned – but it will come – and in most cases – be more than you could ask or think. He has been more than faithful to us. Let’s be courageous and faithful and see the favor of the Lord revealed in the earth!
A Voice of Faith
It doesn’t matter how long you have been walking in the Kingdom, every now and then you will find yourself in a fierce battle with the enemy. His intention is to steal your faith in Yahweh and the peace that His Holy Spirit provides. While you maybe able to stave off an isolated assault now and then – a barrage of continuous disruptions can find even the mightiest among us a little weary. When these situations arise, we have come to understand the importance of finding someone full of faith to speak life unto us and renew our zeal and vigor. There have been times –even with our resolve – that we have sought out a friend we could trust – that would not just sympathize with our dilemmas, but would draw out of the heavens the Kingdom perspective to combat the natural tendencies that bombard our minds. We mostly fulfill that role to one other as husband and wife, but we do have a circle of friends that we count on as mighty warriors in this Kingdom walk.
There have been times we have felt led to email or text an exhortation or word of encouragement to a friend, but we are learning the importance of not just the written word, but also the critical and decisive advantage of someone hearing a strong voice speaking and releasing faith on this earth. We are pretty sure that a tactic of the enemy to rob our younger generation of their ability to change the world is to eliminate their voice. Most teenagers are consumed with texting and Facebook entries. This is an excerpt from an NPR article Teen Texting Soars; Will Social Skills Suffer? By Jennifer Ludden: “In Los Angeles, Harvard-Westlake High School considered an outright ban last year. Nini Halkett has taught history there for two decades and laments the bad spelling and writing that seems to worsen as texting becomes more widespread. As her students are increasingly immersed in texting, Halkett also finds them increasingly shy and awkward in person. ‘They can get up the courage to ask you for [a deadline] extension on the computer,’ she says. ‘But they won’t come and speak to you face-to-face about it. And that worries me, in terms of their ability — particularly once they get out in the workplace — to interact with people.’” http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126117811
As with anything else – if we as Kingdom believers will demonstrate and set the standard, the world – in their time of need – will recognize and seek us out to bring healing to them. So next time – instead of texting or emailing – talk to a friend, leave a voicemail, or as we have learned how to do recently – mms a “voice memo” from your iPhone. Let your voice be heard – resonate words of life to someone…
Do unto others….
Something Apostle Ball taught us early on was to rejoice with those who rejoice. If you cannot be happy for those who are receiving blessing, you’ll never sow the seed for the blessing to come to you. Some people become bitter and complain about their situations – only to prolong the agonizing wait. We have talked about it so many times – the law of seedtime and harvest applies to these situations – not to mention “the golden rule” – Matthew 7:12 “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.” It is a great lesson to think about as you go through your day. It can really become natural as you meditate on this law and interact with people and situations. For example: for Christmas we purchased a hostess gift for someone who had invited us to their home. It was an electric grinder for salt and pepper. We noticed that it required batteries – which it did not come with. Thinking about what we would want – to be able to use it right away –we purchased batteries, peppercorns, and sea salt and put them in the bag. We wanted the receiver to not have to look for the items in their home – maybe to be disappointed and unable to use the gift. A little forethought can make someone’s day and sow a seed for blessing to come back and overtake you – so that you can have everything you need.
We know that it can be hard to overcome your mind – especially when times have been tough. You may have been faithful and waiting on your harvest. Sometimes Yahweh tests our hearts. We need to be confident – knowing that our Heavenly Father knows what we have need of and in due time (as Pastor Ron used to say – “He is seldom early, but never late”) we will receive all that He has for us. It all comes down to a choice. Make a conscious choice to be happy for those around you who are reaping blessings in their lives – soon you will find those around you rejoicing with you as you receive all that you have sown for.
Choices
The one thing that Yahweh bestowed upon every human being is the right to make choices. Choices are a powerful and important part of life that dictate the paths that will be laid out before us. Choices can open up great opportunities or limit one’s ability to fulfill a life of blessing and peace. We are not alone in navigating through the choices that we are faced with each day. Holy Spirit is our helper. He makes us wise and enables us to choose wisely as we walk down life’s path. The most wise decision any of us can make is to learn to tune in and hear His voice. As we walk today into a new year of opportunity, I declare the following over us and the decisions that we will make….
Yahweh, thank you for the ability that you have given us to make choices in this life. Help us to remember that our life is a reflection of our stewardship over all that which you have given unto us. May our choices in 2012 be wise and sharp. I declare that we will walk every day and honor you with the first and the best of our provision and increase. I declare that we will, above all else, keep our hands clean and our hearts pure. I declare that we will desire the things of the Spirit above the things of this world. In all that we do Yahweh, we will be generous and cheerful in giving to others as you so lead. Help us by your Spirit Yahweh to be the best husbands, the best wives, the best employees, and faithful sons and daughters in your kingdom as we walk out every day in this new year.
1/2 Full or 1/2 Empty
A challenge in the world we live in today is to have a positive attitude. While the opportunities to be disappointed, fearful, disillusioned, sorrowful, etc. abound, it’s our responsibility to recognize the reality of what Yahweh has for us and not get caught up in the world’s “what if’s.” Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Throughout our walk we have experienced great highs and low lows. It’s in those “low” times that we sometimes have to check each other. We notice that during those times we tend to become more critical and slightly negative. We count on each other to recognize the signs and initiate an intervention. You may not even realize that it is happening. One thing leads to another and before you know it, your conversations are not ones of faith, but have a more negative tone. We have learned to recognize the signs and right then make the choice to rehearse all our incredible blessings from Yahweh – it does not take long – we end up so thankful and full of faith.
If we allow ourselves, we can be burdened with the cares of this life. We are not talking about keeping our heads “buried.” We need to recognize that someone living in a pit needs someone on the outside to throw a rope and pull them out – not someone in the pit with them consoling and providing no solutions. The world is looking for hope and peace. Only by seeing faith working in us and the serenity of His Holy Spirit upon us will the world begin to ask the question – “what is so different about you?”
Honoring Holy Spirit is so crucial. Romans 8:27 “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” We also sometimes quiet our mind by taking deep breaths – as if to inhale the breath of the Father – then with a slow and deliberate exhale – release all the junk that has built up inside. When you find your mind swarming with renegade thoughts – take each one captive and cast it down. (Paraphrased from 2 Corinthians 10:5)
True – there are a great many sad and tragic incidents happening everyday. On the flip side – if we can be cognizant – all of Yahweh’s resources are working on our behalf – positioning us for His purpose to redeem this earth. We are determined to be a light and source of strength to those in need. Yahweh is a great and awesome God. Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.”
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