Is America a Christian Nation?

Is America a Christian Nation? NO!

Is America a Blessed Nation? Certainly, YES!

According to Jesus, the only way to God the Father- is though Him. (John 14:6) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." In order for America to be a 'Christian' Nation- the very statement implies that every person must be a Christian. We know however through scripture, this is not possible. For it to be possible- every American would have had to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9) 

So is America a Christian Nation? NO! There are many souls left to be saved and much work left to do in this Nation! We are a Nation of Christians- having 75% claim to be so, but unless our government takes the mandate that we all "profess" Christ- we are not a Christian Nation, but a Nation of Christians!

In continuation of this study, I being a naturally positive person- must argue that even though we are not a 'Christian' Nation, we are a 'Blessed' Nation. How can I make this statement, with all certainty? January 20, 2009 was a day of ground breaking history, Barak Obama became President- and our nation became witness to many 'firsts'. This Nation became 'Blessed' once again, during the President's Inauguration Day Prayer- by Rick Warren.

    

"Let us pray. Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you. It all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God. The Lord is One.” And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made. Now, today, we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge point of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven. Give to our new President, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders. Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race, or religion, or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ. Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you. We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care. I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus Jesus, who taught us to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."- Rick Warren, Jan. 20 2009 Inauguration day prayer.

    

If you are a follower of Christ and His teachings you know God answers prayer. I do not know what America's 'Blessed' status was before this prayer was prayed, I have only heard random rumors like 'the nation was founded on the Gospel of Jesus Christ', but then in the same breath we hear that Benjamin Franklin- one of our Founding Father's- was a 'Free Mason', and acted in a non-Christian like manner. If History lies somewhere in the middle- than we can only look at where the Nation stands right now. 

The scriptures that defend my positive statement of living in a 'Blessed' Nation are as follows: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (Matt. 18:20) and "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (John 14:13)

Whoever it was that invited Rick Warren to pray over our country, was a brave man. I doubt that they would have known that he would pray a prayer in the name of Jesus- over our country, but he did. "...Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you. It all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story...I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus Jesus, who taught us to pray" 

Over 38 million people watched the President's inauguration. According to scripture, only three had to agree. Only three had to agree in Jesus' name that we are a Nation devoted to God. Only three had to agree that 'History was His story', only three had to agree to 'The Lord's prayer', only three had to agree that Yeshua changes lives. Upon their agreement our President has been blessed, along with our Country. "... Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders. Help us, O God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race, or religion, or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us." 

Who is Yeshua? Yeshua is "yeh·ho·shü'·ah" - 'Jehovah our Salvation'. Through the prayer of this man- Rick Warren- this country has been blessed, prayed for and repentant. We know though our own walk, that God answers prayer. We have prayed for healing, and received it. We have prayed for finances, and had our bills payed. We have prayed for salvation, and been saved. On January 20, 2009- our country, and President were blessed, and asked in Christ's name for forgiveness. The REAL question then becomes- Can you be 'Blessed' and not be a 'Christian'? 

Inspirational Footage: Walter Hawkins Marvelous

Enjoy this moment of praise and worship...

Speaking in Tongues

Where Did Those Tongue Things Come From? 

Azusa Street Revival and The Holy Ghost

Being filled with the Holy Ghost, with evidence of speaking in tongues at four-years old, doesn't make a kid very popular in the natural. As a matter of fact, unless that said kid knows where those tongue things come from- she won't use them. She won't speak in them. 

Who's that kid? Me! I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was 1981 and I was in Sunday school, wearing my best white dress. A little lacy white dress, that we had gotten at the Thrift Shop. I can remember this dress especially well- because it was the one I wore to church- all the time, any old Sunday.

The Sunday I received Christ wasn't any old Sunday however- when the youth teacher asked us to "accept Christ" and join in the sinners prayer, I did! And I was gifted with the evidence of speaking in tongues! Though I was only 4, I can still remember the Spirit falling, resulting in my personal evidence of speaking in tongues. 

Speaking in tongues is a very common practice among Charismatic/Pentecostals today. It hasn't always been this way- as a matter of fact back in 1981 while others were readily speaking in tongues, I didn't know what they were used for. Speaking in tongues was made available, but not expanded upon. After all what are you going to teach a 4 year-old to do? 

It took me 26 years to understand why speaking in tongues was necessary. "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue, speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the Spirit He speaketh mysteries" (1 Cor. 14:1, 2). 

Charismatics aren't the first followers and believers of speaking in other tongues. The first time that we see the gifting of tongues was back on the day of Pentecost: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4)

As described by scripture, the Holy Spirit "sat" on the believers of the Early Church, and in response they were filled with The Holy Ghost- they began to speak in other tongues. It is my belief that over the years, through the faulty leadership of legalistic Christ-deprecating men- the leaders of the Church fell out of 'Love' with its people; with its Christ and with its God. The Church leaders veered far from what the Holy Spirit had originally intended. 

The First Church was so full of 'Love' (1 John 4:8 "God is love" ) that lying could not survive in its presence. "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things." (Acts 5:3-5) 

Once Ananias lied he dropped down dead. He and his wife also. They lied in the presence of the Holy Spirit and their lives were consumed. If God is all love how can this be? Imagine with me if you will the old 'rotten apple' analogy. What do they always say? If you put a rotten apple in the barrel- it won't be long until all the apples have gone bad. Let's reverse this for a minute in the case of The Holy Spirit. There was so much Love in the Early Church that the darkened hearts of Ananias and Sapphira could not survive in its presence! It would be like a mealy-rotten apple stuck at the bottom of tens of thousands of perfectly pristine apples! The rotten apple, became void and squished under the immense pressure of all of God's goodness! The First Church was so engulfed in God's Love- that the lie, (in addition to the liars) were killed telling the first lie that was spoken in the Spirits presence! This wasn't "barrel-full" love- this was "Agape" Love! Perfect unblemished fruit stays whole, no matter how much of it is gathered up!

What happened to this Love? To this compassion of the Early Church? Through the years it became fruitless. Men began acting like men again- and chose to live in ways that were de-edifying to the church. The men started seeking notoriety and fame. They started wanting to take credit for the power of The Holy Ghost- instead of allowing God to use them, refusing to give God all of the Glory. It is my belief that tongues started to die out- as it is prophesied by Paul, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away." (1 Cor 13:1-10 NKJV)

The Apostle Paul directs us that without 'Love', it all amounts to nothing and that speaking in tongues in specific will cease! There seemed to be a great amount of time in history that tongues ceased from the traditionally organized church. While speaking in tongues never completely died away, organized religion wouldn't partake in them like in the early days again, until one great and brave man decided it would be fitting to begin to love, again.

His name was William J. Seymour. He was an African American man who was born a child of freed slaves. In 1905 William became a Bible student and began studying the 'Holiness Movement', including the thoughts of speaking in tongues as confirmation of being gifted by The Holy Spirit. He desired the ability to speak in tongues according to 1 Cor 12:31 "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."

I can not begin to imagine the Love that William J. Seymour must have had for his flock- and for His Lord. The Love that he must have felt in order to desire so strongly to be filled with the Holy Spirit- and speaking in other tongues. How much Love must it have taken him, in order to continue preach on being filled with the Spirit and speaking in tongues- with no results! It is said he preached for 5 weeks plus on the evidence of speaking in tongues as the confirming gift of being filled with the Holy Ghost- without he himself being able to do it! 

It was after these multiple weeks of preaching and prayer- and into a 10 day fast that on April 9, 1906, Edward S. Lee spoke in tongues for the first time. A few days later William himself, was given the gift. This period in history April 9, 1906- 1915 became known as "The start of Pentecostalism in the 20th Century." You would think that Pentecostalism would have started in a tent, or in a field- away from society. It didn't however, it all began in a little house- on a little street in Los Angeles. After the Spirit fell, the little house became so packed that the meetings had to be moved outside- but once outside the house porch became so packed that it eventually collapsed!

"Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not..." 1 Cor 14:22

People came from miles around to watch God be manifested. In an instant hungry believers would approach- listen to the Message and be filled with The Holy Ghost. They would speak in tongues and fall to the ground- they would succumb to the presence of the Holy Ghost and never be the same again. Eventually, this little church house had to be moved.

On April 14, 1906 only 5 days after the initial outpouring of the Spirit began, a new location was secured. At the price of 8$ a month, 312 Azusa Street- a run down old building had been acquired and named "The Apostolic Faith Mission". This church on Azusa Street would become regarded as the birthplace of the greatest revival of the church in the 20th century. It has become regarded as the birthplace of modern day 'Pentecostalism'. Today there are over 500 million Pentecostal/Charismatic believers continually growing to this day. William J. Seymour's desire to see the Holy Spirit manifest to himself- as in the days of the first church, has brought us back to a spiritual enlightenment- that was intended for us to walk in all along. (Not just in tongues, but in healing as well) 

I chose to write my term paper on The Azusa Street Revival, because it spoke to me. Being a kid who stepped so easily into speaking in tongues- I have taken for granted the hard work and effort it must have taken someone to believe against the 'norm'. I never thought someone had to read the Word- and act on what God said. Until this class, I had always believed speaking in tongues and biblical evidence of the Spirit had always been here. 

When we walk in His gifts- others become drawn to us. People were drawn to Azusa Street to 'see' what the Lord was doing there. They wanted to 'see' God and His works- whether black or white, rich or poor- the Holy Spirit met them, embraced them- and changed them forever! "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Gal 3:28

Where do those 'tongue' things come from? They come from The Holy Ghost! They are an outward manifestation of the Holy Ghost drawing other men unto His Spirit! They are the wonderful gift that He gives us to edify us! In 1906, on Azusa Street tongues were made readily available to us through the Love of The Holy Spirit- and we can now begin to understand what He is up to!

"But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." 1 John 2:20

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: 

but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you,

 ye shall abide in him." 1 John 2:27

Footnote: Smith Wiggelsworth beautifully elaborates his personal view on speaking in tongues- in his profound work Ever-Increasing Faith  (circa 1929): "... I want you to see that he that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself or builds himself up. We must be edified before we can edify the church. I cannot estimate what I, personally, owe to the Holy Ghost method of spiritual edification. I am here before you as one of the biggest conundrums in the world. There never was a weaker man on the platform. Language? None. Inability -- full of it. All natural things in my life point exactly opposite to my being able to stand on the platform and preach the gospel. The secret is that the Holy Ghost came and brought this wonderful edification of the Spirit."   

     

Unlocking Miraculous Blessings

Hook up and drink- the Lord seeks who he can bless!

I had not fed the baby in a long time. The baby and I have an intimate relationship- he eats regularly. However we have been going through transition, [he is growing up] and he has not eaten from me- in a long time. What happens to the milk that regularly flows? It stores up and becomes very very full. At 3:30 this morning, I couldn't tolerate it any longer- I had to release the milk. I took the baby OUT of his bed to nurse him- and MADE him eat. It was when I was wandering around, looking for the pump- that the Lord said "this is how I do things- tell the people to 'hook up and eat.'" I choose my people, they need to hook up for the blessing.

See the Lord's blessings are like that swollen and full breast- stuffed not with milk but with blessing, in abundance to the full- till it overflows. Except that His blessings- His "milk" for us is in heaven and it is ALWAYS swollen. It doesn't get any bigger or smaller the more or less we drink- to the baby, his stomach always gets full with the same amount. Then he stops drinking, the baby contains the governor. 

Hook up and drink! 

I went all around the house looking for the pump- looking for release of the blessing- it ACHED within me. God looks all around this world for someone to extract His blessing. He is searching His kingdom for a vessel to pour it into. When I found my vessel [the baby]- I hooked him up, and let the milk pour free- until it the baby had not anymore room to receive it- and I STILL had more to give!   

The Lord showed me through this, that when we praise Him- we hook up. Through our praises scripture shows us- He 'inhabits' His people. When something 'inhabits' it overtakes. And so when someone is overtaken- they become living life in abundance, to the full- till it overflows. Once the baby hooked up he drank- until he could drink NO MORE- I couldn't force him to keep eating, he couldn't handle it all! I had to pump out the rest! Praise God that He doesn't have to!

So here's God roaming around, seeking who he can bless- full of blessings, looking for relief. Scripture says to 'wait for it- it will not tarry- it aches in its coming' He finally finds someone who will hook up- and then lets them drink until THEY are FULL. When they are full- His blessings overflow- because you can't stop a strong flow- once it gets started pumping. 

Pray that the Lord would expand your stomachs! 

If you don't have an appetite for the Lord- pray that He would give you one. He made you, He can give you your appetite. How does the babies stomach expand? Through eating of the blessing! Starved people, eventually lose the desire to eat. People stuck in bondage to lack- lose the desire for blessing, and they shrivel up and die. 

The more you eat- the bigger your stomach grows. Eat! Eat! Eat! Praise! Praise! Praise! Enter into his presence, continually! It is in that praise time that we enter into His presence- and he can feed us, His blessing. The longer you wait- the hungrier you get, what we humans tend to do through our sin and lack of praise? We end up waiting so long we intentionally become starving. When we are starving- instead of praising God for His blessing- we hook up to the wrong source. The imitation god- [who is seeking the world, waiting for he may destroy] in our starvation- we become attached to a source with no nutrients- whatsoever, like sugar water. Sugar water is addicting- but empty, leaving us full- but dying of malnutrition. 

How do you expand your stomach? By increasing the amount of time that you spend drinking! Drink more! Praise Him more! Enter into His presence regularly- and your capacity will grow LARGE- you will not have enough room to hold it, then it will even KEEP coming! Until you are away from it for long enough that it stops pouring.  

Though it seems like it may tarry- it is right on time! Hook up quick! The blessing flow is always right on time- it is a BLESSING. If you have ever nursed a baby, you know that there is a 'letting down' period- the ducts and muscles take time to release. Just like the time it takes for water to pour out of a garden hose.

Babies don't have to eat [they could die, but don't we all hunger for the Lord]- when babies finally do eat, they eat greedily!  

How do you hasten miraculous blessing manifestation? Through your praises! When you praise you hook up to God- the more you praise, and get into His presence the faster the manifestation of His blessings. Remember- He is roaming the earth- looking for whom he may bless!

Blessing in the end-times 

In the end times- [Amos 9:13], so many of God's people will be singing His praises- that we will be showered on in blessings, before we ever hook-up! Christ is returning for a 'glorified' church. How do you become gloried? By praising! Glorified means to be made clearer to God. The glorified church will have made itself so visible to Him that they function entirely in His blessing. Through these constant praises- His blessings begins to pour out- even BEFORE we hook up! Amos talks about the wine flowing freely from the mountain- even before the seed is planted! THAT is the clearest example of operating under an open heaven, we have! And we get that manifestation through our worshiping and praising Him! 

Why Diets Fail, and Doctor's Aren't Always Right

How many suns are there? How many people have the same fingerprint? How about this- are twins ever exactly the same? No!

In the beginning God CREATED, all things. Without Him, nothing that was made was made. (John 1:3) How many men? One! How many women? One! Nothing in the Word ever duplicates exactly, ever.* 

A child is never the same as its parent, a brother is never the same as another. During the creation- the Lord never created the same thing twice, even science can agree on this. Why is this so? Because He is a CREATOR- not a copier.

"Beware of covetousness"

Luke 12 teaches us, why being covetous is bad. When we covet we duplicate, instead of create. And when we duplicate, we are imitating the devil- not God, because after all God is a creator- first.

What did the rich young man 'do' that caused his death? He tried to copy his original way of doing things. He denied God (The Holy Spirit) access to instruct him in his problem, therefore leaving him in a position that he would have to 'copy' his old ways.

"And He thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods." Luke 12:17-18

This certain rich man entered into covetousness in two ways. 

1) He took possession of God's blessing as his own

2) He thought he could duplicate his success!

What then is covetousness? Coveting is saying "I want what THAT person has, and I am going to try to do it in THE SAME WAY they did- in order to get it." You are guilty of covetousness- when you deny the creator the power with in you to create.

If you are a reader and believer of The Word- you know who is the ultimate 'copy-cat' is. Satan. Satan saw what God had done- and wanted to do it too. He wanted not just to duplicate God, he wanted to BE God, he wanted to get the same results of mankind's praise that God had.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God..."Isaiah 14:12-13

There is NO ROOM for duplication in the Kingdom of God! Covetousness is not just 'wanting' what someone else has. The Bible says to 'covet' the spiritual gifts, wanting IS NOT BAD.  (1 Cr 12:31, 1 Cr 14:39). Covetousness is taking wanting to the next level:

COVETOUSNESS=

wanting what someone else has by trying to 'get' it in the same exact way

Is it bad to want a Ferrari, just like Joe's? No! Is is bad to want Joe's Ferrari? Yes! Why? Because if you know God, you know He is no respecter of persons. (Romans 2:11) You know that if He can do it for Joe, He can do it for you! 

When does wanting something cool- become coveting?

When does wanting something cool- become coveting? When you decide to get it the exact same way that Joe got it! When you decide YOU are a better creator than God! Taking Joe's Ferrari, isn't covetous- it is stealing!  (Thou shalt not steal. 8th commandment Exodus 20:15)

So what does this have to do with dieting? And Doctor's? Simple- NOTHING ever happens- or was meant to happen in the same way twice!

What has worked for someone else, won't happen the same exact way for you! It can't! EVER! A principle can be in play- like gravity, or sowing and reaping: but even those can be altered through the Spirit of creation.

Diets fail- when you covet the results of someone else, and try like the dickens to count each calorie 'just like Mary',  and walk everywhere 'just like Mary', and workout 'just like Mary'. Not only is your diet going to be fail, you will quickly find yourself in covetousness! The only 'diet' that has ever worked- is one that was given TO YOU, FOR YOU- and if you are a believer- BY YOU, through guidance from His Holy Spirit.

Doctor's can't always be right- because EVERYONE is different! If you have a caring doctor- he will treat you as an individual- not the symptoms. And if you have a Spirit filled doctor- he will seek out God in prayer, for what to do for you. The only problem- there aren't too many Spirit filled doctor's out there! For those of you that are- AMEN!

There is a joke going around, "There are really only 2 medicines in this world. A&B pill. That's why no one can read Doctors hand writing!" 

As funny as this is, if your doctor treats you in the same way as someone else- those pills that he prescribes, are going to be just as effective as A or B. You might as well just stay home.

BREAKING FREE FROM COVETOUSNESS 

S.A.L.T.

How do I break free from the spirit of covetousness? How do I get to the point to where I can create? Instead of constantly trying to duplicate? 

1. Stop!: repent, ask God for forgiveness ("Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." Acts 2:19) Ask that God would cleanse you of all evil thoughts, ideas, and spirits. That you might be open to receive from Him.

2. Ask: KNOW what you are believing God for. House, car, healing? What is it you NEED or WANT, then pray God that He would show you a new way of  doing something. ("...seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness [His right way of doing things]; and all of these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33)

3. Listen: listen to the Holy Spirit. (If you are baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost, according to Acts 2:38 "Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.").  

How do you know if it is God who is speaking to you?

1. Does what you heard require faith?

2. Does what you herd require courage?

3. Does what you heard go against reason and rationalization of the world?

4. Does what you heard line up with the written Word?

4. Time out!: don't do ANYTHING, until you have heard from God on the issue. Fight your natural thinking- that says "I have seen it done this way..." I like to imagine a blank whiteboard, in prayer. Erasing everything I think- and not putting any idea on the board, until I know it is an idea from him- no matter how "un-natural" the idea may seem to me. I find if I am trying to hard, the idea will be incomplete, and indefinite. I also find myself asking God- "Are you sure, you want me to do that?" If it is of Him, He always answers "Yes!"

MATTHEW 6:6

"When you pray, go into your room. close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." 

Time out, and wait for Him- where it is quiet, and you can think of nothing- no outside influences.  Isaiah 40:31: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk and not faint."

Wait upon the Lord- be patient- DON'T ACTIVATE UNTIL YOU HEAR FROM HIM. No one ever does the same thing the same way twice! He might tell you to go to the store- when you are believing for healing. The Bible is full of examples of 'un-natural' responses to 'natural' situations. Moses getting water out of a rock, the Israelites being feed from the sky, Joshua defeating armies, the red-sea, Jesus laying on hands, Jesus' resurrection, the walls of Jericho. All of these great miracles of deliverance happened, when someone S.A.L.T.'d. They Stopped, Asked, Listened, and Timed out- until God told them what to do... then they DID IT! 

The Lord wanted me to teach you that you are to be the S.A.L.T. and light of this world. (Matt. 5:13) How do we spice up this world- how do we add flavor? How do we get breakthough miraculously? By 'S.A.L.T.' ing in times of need! We flavor this world when we bring something fresh and new and CREATIVE into it. How can you be creative? You listen to God- the creator of us all- and do what He tells us to do!

So go and flavor up this place! Don't be afraid to do something 'crazy' for God! He loves you, and will never steer you off track! "The path of the righteous is made plain." Proverbs 15:19

*(This is why the Law [God's Law] had to be ratified- because no one human was ever able to live up to it. Even though the actions may have always been the same- the men's heart were constantly different. In sin we constantly try to make things happen the same- because satan is a copier, by nature. Though God created a way of being 'atoned', our carnal hearts could only receive the 'action' as the key to forgiveness- not the 'heart' behind it)