REJOICE TODAY!

Hey bloggers...

I'm posting from A YEAR IN THE NOW again today...thanks for the good reports from those of you who started going through it again on January 1...it really is blessed...

I don't keep the AYITN blog current (www.ayearinthenow.wordpress.com), but the daily entrees are still posted on the CITN site every day...it's still preferable to have your own copy of the book, though...I haven't heard a weather report for tomorrow, but every time it gets really cold, or it snows a little, people start asking if we're going to have church...so before any of you even think of going there, let me say once again that the answer to that question is always YES! We will have both the 9 and 11 servces tomorrow, and they will both be awesome...so put your thermal underwear on and get here for one or both...good things are happening at CITN, but your visible and manifested support is needed just as much as ever...remember, we didn't get a miracle because we didn't need a miracle...we need you...you are the miracle! See you tomorrow...

"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

Today I will live in the now! I will live in the now because I understand and appreciate the energizing power of rejoicing in the now. Today I joyfully celebrate the present, and all of the possibilities that it presents. I exercise my will — I WILL rejoice, and I WILL be glad in this day! Today I choose to wear the garment of praise instead of the spirit of heaviness. I choose happiness! I choose joy!


Today I will resist the temptation to whine, complain, murmur, grumble, mourn, lament, moan and groan, be depressed, feel sorry for myself, feel down and out, feel dejected, feel discontented, feel oppressed, be sad, or even be in a bad mood. Instead, my merry heart will do me good like a medicine . . . I will glory in my infirmities (for when I am weak, then I am strong) . . . I will count it all joy when I fall into various trials . . . I will leap for joy at persecution . . . the joy of the Lord will be my strength!

Today I will laugh, finding the humor in my current situations. I will recognize what is funny, and I will not hesitate to enjoy it. I will not waste today by living in regret, but with joy I will draw water out of the wells of salvation. I will even find the proper way to appreciate the absurd and the ridiculous. I will let God use the foolish things of the world to confound the wise around me.


Today I will enter the Kingdom by becoming like a little child . . . laughing . . . playing . . . having fun . . . not taking life too seriously. I will make the effort to enjoy my day. I will smile at people. I will be a pleasure to be with. People will enjoy my company today because my joy will be both attractive and infectious. I will be a blessing to others.


Today, for the joy that is set before me, I will endure my cross.
I will know the reality of the resurrection and, therefore, will see no situation as hopeless.
Life will always triumph over death. I will celebrate my life. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will live big in me today!


Today I will be optimistic. I will see the glass half-full. I will think positively. I will think on those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report. I will walk in the Mind of Christ. I will be proactive in dealing with the people around me, and with all of their issues. My joyful mind will cause me to think like a winner!


Today I will be thankful to God, and grateful for my life. I will make melody in my heart to the Lord in an attitude of praise and worship. I will be renewed by the refreshing laughter of Christ in my spirit. This is my day that the Lord has made — I will rejoice and be glad in it and, today, I will live in the now!

Father, help me to remember to rejoice today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

FAITH IS!

"NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
(Hebrews 11:1)

Today I will live in the now!

I will live in the now because I understand the now-ness of the God-kind of faith.

My faith has a voice that speaks in the present tense, and today it will produce results for me because of the power of these three words:
NOW FAITH IS!


Today I will live my life according to what I believe.

The faith-realm, rather than the sense-realm, is my reality today.

Because of that reality, I will not be moved by what I see, hear, touch, smell or taste, but will, instead, move through this day guided by the sixth sense, which is (my) supernatural faith.


Today I will create the world in which I want to live by my faith-filled words.

I will do this because I am in the God-class, and because God created His worlds by the words of His mouth.

And, as God maintains His worlds by His words, I will maintain the quality of my world through the creativity and authority of my words.

My words will have power because they will be filled with His Word, and His Word will not return to Him (or to me) void.


Today the pressure applied to my circumstances by my faith will change them for the better.



I will re-shape the seen world by changing things in the unseen world.

I will look to the unseen things because they are eternal, and will prevail over the seen things because they are temporal
(2 Corinthians 4:18).

My faith celebrates the triumph of what is eternally real.


Today I will have the substance of the things that I hope for.


Although hope is in the future, the substantive material of my faith will pull what is out there in tomorrow into my eternal "now."

I will believe I receive when I pray, because faith says, "I have it now."

The future is now because of the substance of my faith.


Today I will have the evidence of things not seen.

I will need no other confirmation than the evidence of my God-kind of faith.

My faith is enough to overcome the natural world today, so that the material becomes immaterial to me – matter will not matter – faith is what is real!


Today I will live by faith because I am justified, and the just shall live by faith. My kind do not live by bread alone . . . or by the air that we breathe . . . or by the life in our physical bodies . . . we live by faith, period.

Because faith IS (not WAS), I will believe and not doubt; I will walk by faith and not by sight.

Today the power of faith will enable me to live the champion's life, and today I will live in the now!

Father, today I will walk in “now” faith, by Your word. In Jesus’ name, amen.

And Another Thing...

Hey bloggers...I've already posted a thought for today that was in the flow of what I ministered last night about going through process, but after church I wrote a comment on Facebook that seemed to resonate, so I decided to move it here:

Seems like I've been on this theme all day today, but I'm going to say it again...don't ever let anyone make you feel inferior or "less than"...the second commandment is like unto the first...love your neighbor AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF...know who you are! You're valuable...you're special...you're fearfully (awesomely) and wonderfully made...in a word, YOU ROCK! Period. Embrace it...

Then I saw this morning that a friend of mine had posted this (thanks, Howie):

". . . for you to be here now, trillions of drifting atoms had to somehow assemble in an intricate and intriguingly obliging manner to create you. It's an arrangement so specialized and particular that it has never been tried before and will only exist once...for the supremely agreeable but generally underappreciated state known as existence." —Bill Bryson

Love it...hey, does anyone know how many we had in service last night? Can anyone predict how many we'll have this coming Sunday?

Thursday Thought

I Heard it Through the Grapevine...

Hey bloggers...Several of you from the currently-suspended cyber-congregation have asked me through text, e-mail and Facebook what the good news is that I will share tomorrow night ITB, since you will not be able to be privy to the information...so I will go ahead and say something about it here...the bottom line is that, as of today, the immediate financial crisis seems to have been averted...HOWEVER!!!...before everyone starts throwing confetti, I need to say that, yes, it's wonderful that the people of CITN have stepped up in the last few hours to do what they should have been doing all along...and I am certainly grateful for that...but everyone must understand that this has not really been a "crisis" in the conventional sense...this has been the revealing of the need for a paradigm shift in our community...and I will say that I can see it happening...but right now it's a cloud the size of a man's hand...so...SO FAR, SO GOOD...BUT!!! we're supposed to be going from glory to glory, not from crisis to crisis...so, just because we're not out looking for another location today, it doesn't mean that everyone can go back to the way things were...all the good that has happened in the last couple of weeks has been the result of more people (not everyone yet) simply doing their part, and believing in their church...

And, no, this doesn't mean that we're about to go back on streaming just yet...I've really got to build the congregation that meets on the campus right now, so those of you who are out of state will have to do mp3's and CDs and DVDs for the time being...thanks for understanding...

Again, I need to stress that we are still doing everything we can to be good stewards of what comes in, and if this trend of responsibility and cooperation doesn't continue, we'll be back in the danger zone in just a few days...SO...thankyou, tithers, givers, and partners...PLEASE DON'T STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING!

Well, I said more than I meant to...and I want to see a good turn out for tomorrow night, because we're still walking this thing out, and your demonstrated support is essential...but that's the good news...as of right now, there is still a Church In The Now in Conyers...see you tomorrow night! (exclamation point)...

Love you all...

ONLY BELIEVE!

"As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not be afraid; ONLY believe.'" (Mark 5:36)

Today I will live in the now! I will live in the now because I hear the voice of Jesus speak to my inner man the words that He spoke to Jairus, and I will obey those words. I will not be afraid today, but I will ONLY believe. God has not given me a spirit of fear, and my faith in the now will be enough to put me over, no matter what happens.


Today I will not be devastated by any bad news, or negative report that I may hear. I will not overreact, because my heart is established and I walk in the illogical peace that passes understanding. I will believe the report of the Lord. I will overcome all obstacles to my faith by His word spoken to my heart.


Today I will prevail over my emotions, and will conduct myself according to what I believe rather than by what I feel. I will resist the temptation to be anxious or fretful. I will not waste my time worrying, because the Lord, my Shepherd, will make me to lie down in green pastures, and lead me beside still waters. He will restore my soul.


Today I will be calm and steady in my mind. The circumstances around me will not distract me. I will focus on what God is doing in the now, and in the now I will find my confidence. I will rise to the occasion today. I will accomplish my goals for today. I will win!


Today my words will reflect that I ONLY believe. I know that I cannot believe and doubt at the same time, any more than I can travel north and south simultaneously. My words will be words of faith, victory and success today. My tongue, like the rudder on a ship, will guide me through dangerous waters into safety all day long. I will have what I say.


Today I will avoid negative people and their influence as much as possible. I will not believe the words of those who do not ONLY believe. I will attract faith-filled and positive individuals who will inspire me to continue to believe, and will confirm the truth on which I stand. Our speech together will be seasoned with salt.


Today I will understand what the word ONLY means in a whole new way. Because I declare the end from the beginning, I call this day a good day even before I live it. I will not dilute my pure faith with compromise. I will be radical in my ability to believe, and things will change in my life for the better because of it. Today I am fearless! Today I will ONLY believe, and today I will live in the now!

Father, help me to ONLY believe today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

"My Times are in Your Hand"

Just a quick note to CITN...both services were awesome today (yes, I said awesome)...doing the kids choruses was fun, and tapped us all into good memories of happy times...it was a hoot watching the men vs. the women on "Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah"...I was amazed that you all knew exactly what to do on that song...most importantly, I want to thank you all for stepping up in your partnership with the ministry...I have some good news to share with you Wednesday night! (and, yes, that was an exclamation point...)


"But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hand..." (Psalms 31:14, 15a)...Thanks for the joy, unity, and energy today, CITN...remember, your times in 2010 are in His hand...