In Spite of Me DAY 19 of 40

The goodness and mercy of God is overwhelming at times especially when we realize how faithful and how true He really is.

Want some life changing revelation? God is who He says He is.

Go ahead think on that for a few minutes, because I'll be honest many who say they believe it, don't. This simple truth has been blowing my mind lately.

The truth is that God's character is constant and unchanging, simply put, why fix what ain't broke? If God is perfect then why would His character change? We're in need of change because we are imperfect, flawed, in need of sanctification.

Here is what I have found remarkable, God said that through us lives would be changed, miracles would happen, demons would be casted out, prayers would be answered, and the remarkable part... it happens.

This amazes me not because God is doing what He said He'd do, but because God still does what He said He'd do in spite of my flaws, in spite of my insecurities, in spite of who we are. God is true to His word, He uses His body to be the hands and feet of Jesus. He allows us to be apart of His miracles (He does them not us), He gave us authority to cast out demons and they aren't afraid of us, but they tremble at Jesus inside of us.

I'm in awe of the fact of how God continues to move and use me, us, Christians, people. In spite of me He works through me. In spite of you He works through you.

We serve a faithful God,
Be Blessed,
J. Tate

Prophesy and Obedience DAY 18 OF 40

In my reading time the past two days I was reading through 1 Kings and yesterday in 1 Kings something specifically caught my eye in 1 Kings 13 (take the time to go check it out).

We'll get back to that in one second though. I am a believer in prophesy. I believe that God gives people words to speak to the church, to individuals, etc. I've been in churches where no one knew me at all and the pastor comes to me and gives me a word that calls out directly something that God was already speaking to me about. I've had people come and give me encouragement for a specific situation I was going through that they knew nothing about. Also, simiarly I've had God tell me to go speak to a person that I've never met about something that I had no clue about only to find that the person was walking through that exact situation.

On the opposite side I've had people come give me a "word" that made no sense, meant nothing to me, and didn't have anything to do with anything I knew about. So when I say that I believe in prophesy I must add that I also believe people miss it, I think they make mistakes just as anyone else while using their gifts, I think some people think they hear something from the Lord and in reality it was just themselves feeling something, but I am definitely not on the side who throws out the whole load simply because there is a few bad sticks. We've all missed it, we've all messed up, and we all still need Jesus as much as we did the day of our Salvation. So.. onto scripture.

Let me go ahead and set the stage for you (in case you're not going to go read it lol). Solomon has just died, Rehoboam became king and then just as swiftly screwed it up, now Jeroboam is king of Israel and is also making a mess of things, so God sends a man of God, a prophet. As the prophet goes to give the Word of the Lord, God had given him very simple, but direct rules.

"Do not eat bread nor drink water while there, nor return by going the way you came" (v9)

I'm just going to stick to using the scripture that is necessary for what I want to talk about, but I encourage you to read the whole passage. After the prophet has done what He was sent to do and given the word to Jeroboam he begins to leave in a different direction (being a obedient to what God had said) and on the way another man meets him and asks him to come back to his house for some bread (v15) the prophet responds appropriately saying "I can't return or go in with you, I can't eat bread or drink water, for I was told by the Lord... (you know what he was told)" (v16)

THEN THE SHOCKING HAPPENS... The man responds...
"He said to him, "I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, 'Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water'. He was lying to him. (v18)So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water." (v19)

This man came presenting something that seemed pleasant, he lied, the prophet knew what God had told him, but rather than sticking firm to the word from the Lord that he was given, he was tempted by a more pleasant option.

Matthew 7:15
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."

The prophet died. I write this blog because I believe that many are deceived by false prophets who offer a more pleasant solution than the truth of God's Word and because I believe the scripture when it says God desires obedience over sacrifice. He is a God who delights in obedience and lack of obedience can often be fatal (yes even today).

The enemy has lied to the children of God making them believe that they do not personally hear the voice of God.
John 10:27
My sheep know my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

I do believe in prophesy and I do believe it is a great gift that God has given us, but I also believe that if we listen God will speak to each of us individually. I believe we hear His voice, the veil was torn and we have direct access to see God for ourselves.

I want to see people who are confident that they hear the voice of God and are obedient to see it through, people who won't give up on the things that God has given them, who don't look for short cuts, but rather pursue holiness, righteousness, and obedience. Imagine that powerful church and bride of Jesus.

Just some thoughts,
Be Blessed,
J. Tate

Taken by surprise DAY 17 OF 40

I'm on day 5 of no tv, no movies, no secular music and i've almost completed my 2nd week of studying through the Word what it means to seek God diligently.

So of course it's now time for confession lol. This is what I has been revealed about myself, something I perhaps have long known, but only recently really taken seriously. I often find myself in a place where I am more passionate about doing "ministry" than I am about loving God.

I enjoy the ministry that God has allowed me to do, starting all the way back in highschool... with starting a club, leader in youth group, on in to college doing Wesley, Encounter God, leadership teams, camp counselor, ministry teams, trailer park ministry, starting 24/7 prayer, being on staff at LIHOP, being a youth minister, young life, mission work,teaching the Word, etc . . . as many of you reading this could also make a resume' out of just simply ministry. I love it.

Perhaps I love it to the point that I would be willing to do it even if God didn't show up.

Ouch.

As I've spent these last two weeks waking up at 4:30a.m. to meet w/ God, to seek Him, to find Him, I've found out more and more each day, that... I love Him.

My every day should be about Him and my love for Him, He is the REWARD... It's not what He'll do for me, or in this case what He'll do through me, it's all about Him. Because of who God is the ministry will follow, but at no point should I be pursuing ministry and loving ministry more than I'm loving God.

If I'm never able to touch another life, if I'm never able to prepare another sermon, if I never lay hands on another and see them healed, if my forever was just me and God, I would be satisfied.

Praise God that I have the rest of this life spending time w/ Him and doing those things, but I still want to so diligently seek God that I get to know as much about who He is as I possibly can while in this lifetime. Thank God He's allowed me to find things that I love to do and He allows me to be apart... and may it never be me doing what I love and allowing Him to be apart.

He is it. He is the sole purpose, my reason, my reward, my Daddy God, nothing and no one shall take His place. He is the one true God who commands to be first place in my life and that nothing shall take precedence over Him.

I pray that love sheds abroad in our hearts and abounds strongly, that God will have His rightful place as Lord of our lives.

Be Blessed,
J. Tate

Will you be challenged? DAY 16 OF 40

It has now been almost 2 weeks since I decided to cut facebook out of my life as a desire to more diligently seek the Lord. I have logged on two times since that decision and I must admit, I don't miss it at all.

I have turned that "facebook" time into seeking time and the Lord is faithful, when you seek, you find. I've found Him MORE! Praise God!!!

I now have a new burden, a new challenge, and I want to share it with you, my friends.

I will be giving up all forms of tv, movies, secular music, and entertainment for the next 2 wks.

A friend of mine that I have known for years is now in her older twenties and more on fire for God than I have ever seen her. As she spoke to our youth she talked about how she had done a 1 year entertainment fast. She gave up tv, movies, secular music, all of it for an entire year.
When the year ended and she plugged the tv back in she said she was sickened by the things she used to watch. The drunkeness, adultery, fornication, cursing, at one point all of that was just normal, but here after a year of diligently seeking the Lord, fasting, sacrificing, obeying, the things that used to be "normal" were now what they had always been... sin.

She made a comment that hit me in the gut and has challenged me to the core, she said the enemy has so desesitised us to sin that we find it as entertainment.
We laugh at the lewd jokes, the promiscuity, the cursing and we even set a standard that has become lower than calling sin what it is.

Let me give an example: A friend of mine called me the other day and said hey there's this movie out let's go see it, and she said okay I already checked the pluggedin (plugged in online is a great tool it's james dobson based movie reviews letting you know exactly what you're going to go see and if it is appropriate) and she said well it's got some of this that's nto good, and some of this, but overall it seems like it's okay. I responded with great let's go see it!

As my friend spoke this conversation came to mind and I realized how desensitized I have become. I was willing to watch some sin, because at least it wasn't as bad as it could be.

GOD HATES SIN.

I want to know God more. I've been asking for almost 2 wks for God to show me ways that I can more diligently seek Him, asking Him to show me how to find Him and fellowship, to know Him as much as possible and then this message came forth.

She never asked us to do an entertainment fast, to be honest her message wasn't even on it, but the Holy Spirit spoke so loudly to me as I became broken of how I have enjoyed being entertained my sin.

We watch these things so desensitized that we don't even ask ourselves would the Holy Spirit watch this! We don't even ask until someone is completely nude, or the 5th F word, or maybe if they slip a GD in there we may cringe, but Lord knows we don't turn it off or walk out of the theatre.

We've become okay with watching sin as long as we don't act it out, but I ask if God hates sin, do we honestly think He can stand His bride being entertained by it?

I'm convicted to my core, I'm broken hearted, I have wept in repentance and change is taking place.

I refuse to find sin entertainment when I know very well that if any of the people I cared about acted the way the characters do in some of the things I watch, I'd weep for them. I'd minister to them, I'd confront their sin, I'd be praying for them, but yet I've come and I've watched it as entertainment not once thinking about what I was doing to Daddy God.

Ask yourself if there needs to be change, we need to call the devil what He is a liar who has sneakily convinced us that watching sin is appropriate and allowed.

Will someone else stand up with me? If we truly want to be engulfed in the presence of God we must seek to be like Him, HATING SIN and loving righteousness.

Be Blessed,
J. Tate
PS: I encourage you to really test what you watch and what "entertains" you, check it with scripture as I have been doing so it has really opened up my eyes. Thank God for His forgiveness and mercy!


"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4)
"the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." (Romans 8:7)
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isa. 5:20)
"Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" (Isa. 59:2)
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (James 1:27)

Thankful DAY 15 of 40

OCTOBER 8TH, 1987 I was born, this day 23 years ago.

From the very beginning the enemy tried to steal and kill as he battled to take my life with sudden infant death syndrome. During that time 80% of infant deaths were caused by SIDS, 75% of infants that had SIDS were MALE, and over 95% of babies that were diagnosed with SIDS died. Most often it was found out they had SIDS after death.

This has been a shocking statistic from me since the time my mom began to tell me about my survival when I was in the 7th grade. As my relationship with the Lord has grown all this has done was cause my faith to rise, my boldness to increase, my determination to soar, as I realize that the Word of God is true, the devil is out to steal, kill, and destroy, but my God is greater and He has plans and purposes for my life.

All this to be said on my birthday there is only one earnest and honest reaction I can have, thankfulness and gratefulness.

I'm thankful because I have life, at 23 years old I breathe on my own, I have 2 legs, 2 arms, and I'm healthy. I have both parents, loving family, friends, mentors. I'm not in lack, I have a job, a car, bills that I can pay, you could even say I have some excess, with a tv, leather furniture, a bed, air conditoning, running water, food in my refrigerator, and homes to go to if I ever have need of any of these essentials.

The truth is if the enemy had it his way, I'd be dead, as the first attempt on my life wasn't the last and many other attempts to steal, destroy, take faith, take love, take what God has for us but I do have THE God. THE God who came to earth, stood under temptation, trial, and testing, he gave His life away (it wasn't taken), and He rose. Oh He rose, and He lives, He makes intercession for me before the Father (Hebrews 7), He's Savior, Best Friend, Redeemer, Caretaker, Lover, my example, grace, love, mercy, forgiveness, and the words could go on forever, and though I've known it for years, I'm still grateful. The story of the cross and its powerful resurrection never stops being awe stirring, it never stops being the very thing I need everyday, it never stops being what saved me and continues to save me and sanctify me, and I can't stop being thankful.

Through many ministries, travels, missions, discovery channel, etc. I've seen enough to know that I'm beyond blessed, if God never gave me another thing, He's given more than I deserved, more than enough, more than I could ever repay. In 23 years I can stand with the Psalmist and say "I was young and I'm still young (he says old), but I've never seen the righteous forsaken".

I celebrate today not necessarily my life, but the giver of life. I didn't earn this, I did nothing to give myself breath today, to cause myself to walk, to talk, to type, I was given this freely, how could I go this whole day boasting in the day of my birth when I know very well who paid for it, and who gave it to me. Through the ups and downs, the hard the easy, the miraculous and the natural, I know who I serve and I know He is a good God who loves me. I pray for more years of living life to the full, to the max, impacting others, and never forgetting why I'm here and who I serve. It's not about me, It's all about Him.

Be Blessed,
J. Tate

BIRTHDAY TIME DAY 14 OF 40

It is that time of year that always causes me to reflect on life, friends, family, etc.
Perhaps thanks to a few key friends in my life a lot of things cause me to reflect these days! lol.

This week has not been bad, but it has been rough between sending students to the office, waking up with crazy weird eye infection, etc. I'll be honest I'm more than ready to invite the weekend in.

23 years old is the first birthday that has felt... almost.... old. Yes yes i know that 23 is by no means old when I fully expect to live at least another 80 years, but it feels different.

I'm not a student for the first time in my life instead I'm the teacher. I'm learning new roles, rules, and responsibilities as a 23 year old. I'm learning God's desires and plans for me were different than mine and more than that He is determined that I follow them! who woulda known?

Perhaps I'm not where I thought I'd be, but I'm definitely where I should be. I've learned things in these past 2 months that shook and rocked my foundations of who I am, things about God, but more so things about me, things I didn't know were inside. Yes that's right some flesh, some sin, some wrong motives, thoughts, some misconceptions aobut who I really am, but I've also found some good, some positives, some things to lean on.

I look forward to my future at the ripe age of 23 I am more than thankful, grateful, and pleased with the places God has taken me. The things He's allowed me to do. At 16 years old I wrote down a list of things I thought God was laying on my heart to do (what I thought was in my life time) and all of those things, but one I've already done or seen God do through me.

We serve a faithful God with plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans with a hope and future, and each year as I grow older as I see more of who God is, as more of His will is accomplished in me, as I grow, as I stumble, as He lifts me up, as He pulls me through fire, I know more and more that my God is faithful, loving, and just. There's no reason not to be excited about my future as long as He is there.

To another year of faithfulness, blessing, prayers answered beyond my wildest imagination, more ministry, more souls won for Christ, more missions overseas taking the gospel to the lost, more loving on children and adults alike, to being apart of this awesome Kingdom of believers, it's all worth it.

Be Blessed,
J. Tate

True Love DAY 13 OF 40

I think it's a well known fact that kids can be well, let's say less than perfect sometimes.

I had my fair share of dealings with kids who were less than perfect this week and one certain child in particular.

As I was having a rather irritating conference with this child I just got so frustrated and bothered. As I walked out of my office when it was over I was mad and just would have loved to never see the child again, and that of course is when the Holy Spirit spoke.

"I love her"

Three simple words and tears filled my eyes. I'd love to give you the glorious Jessika story where I immediately changed my negative emotions, but that's not what happened.

Instead I asked "God I don't understand how you can love her, I don't get it, why, how, how do you love her!"

Once again the reply of the Holy Spirit

"I love her the same way I loved you as I sent my Son to do die while you were yet a sinner"

Romans 5:8 how could I be so ignorant, faithless, un compassionate, heartless? Jesus Christ died for me, for who I am, not just the me inside the church, but the dirty me in the midst of my sin and ugliness. He died for me. That is God's love.

He loves those young ladies I work with everyday, He loves them unconditionally no matter their sin, He loves.

If I am to imitate Christ, I must learn to love as He loves. If I want to be true to the two greatest commandments according to Jesus I must love God, but also love my neighbor as myself.

How much do I truly love myself? Do I really love all those around me as I love myself. To I care for them, show them mercy and grace, as I show those things or want those things for myself?

Oh God forgive me, and open my eyes.

Be Blessed,
J. Tate