“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.“
Matthew 5:4 MSG

Here we are, already four weeks into 2018!

For many, this is that time of the New Year when the shine and sparkle of “new beginnings” starts to fade—when the excitement of new possibilities begins to wane.

It can be easy to feel discouraged when so soon after the starting line it seems you’re already falling behind.

You are not alone.

By the end of January, 80% of those who’ve set new goals for the year ahead have already given up on them!

They have already lost hope that change is possible…because they don’t know how to live on the boundary of breakthrough.

“Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4 NIV

In last week’s 4 Points Broadcast, we talked about what to do when you don’t know what to do.

You learned how to find your footing when you fall—how to get your legs back underneath you when it seems you’ve lost it all.

Listen now on demand to learn how to navigate in times of transition or frustration.

If you’re feeling stuck, now is the time to make your declaration of dependence—now is the time to declare your trust is exclusively in God!

In our 4 Points Bible study, we’ve been studying some incredible truths Jesus unlocked in the Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes represent a declaration of dependence on God.

“God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory.”
Philippians 4:19

God knows what you need. He sees you right where you are.

When the rug is pulled out from under you, God will help you find your footing.

You are never, ever alone. God will not leave you comfortless: He will always come when you call. (See John 14:18.)

“The Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
Deuteronomy 31:8

The Beatitudes are an acknowledgment of everything we go through in life; they are given to encourage you and let you know you’re going to defy all the odds.

They are promises outlining all that is possible with God…all so you’ll be able to testify that God turned you around and firmly planted your feet on the ground!

This is God’s Word. His Word secures your breakthrough just when you feel you’re suffering a break down!

What you’re going through has to do with where God is taking you!

The American Heritage Dictionary defines breakthrough as “a sudden, dramatic, and important development that leads to the achievement of success in spite of previous challenges, opposition, barriers, setbacks, or failures.”

In this Beatitude, where Jesus states “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4), He is talking about breakthrough—that breaking point where you’re going to break through.

Yes, you may go through the mourning process, but you will awake comforted; because even while you are sleeping, God is working on your behalf.

“Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.”
Psalm 30:5

You are no less a person of faith because you have an emotional moment. God made you a spiritual being, but He also made you an emotional being.

Just because you have those emotional moments doesn’t mean God has left  you!

Here is something I’ve come to discover:

We are all perfectly imperfect.

And I’ve learned that it’s in our imperfect moments that the perfect power of God is made available.

This Beatitude affirms that in such a moment you’ll be able to call on the Comforter…and the Comforter will most certainly come.

God is always there in the midst of your pain.

He is always right there with you. Hard times don’t have to harden you, but they can strengthen you. You can learn to say “try me” rather than asking “why me?”

Come to understand that the issue is never you, rather the issue is with your problem-solving strategy.

Problem-solving strategies are necessary when you’re in the midst of transition…because when you’re in that in-between place of defeat and victory, that process defines your transition.

Grief is nothing but transition. 

We often make a mess of our life in the midst of transition.

We all have those moments when we ask “What is wrong with me?” We question our identity, sanity, relevance, significance, strength, intelligence, faith, and conviction.

But God is not afraid of the question…

“Ask, and it will be given to you.”
Matthew 7:7

The problem is not whether you’ll get an answer; the problem is with the kinds of questions you are asking.

Don’t curse the answer, change the question! 

Rather than asking, “Why did this happen to me?”…ask, “How can I get through this?”

God is a God of strategy.

And He is the God of all comfort. When you’re in the midst of mourning, that’s where God is going to comfort you with strategies.

If you ask Him, He will give you the solutions you need.

Right there in the midst of your loss, that’s where you’ll find you are living within the boundaries of your greatest breakthrough.

Listen now on demand to discover how you can know when you’re in the midst of transition, the five promises that will see you through it, and the five things you can do when you don’t know what to do.

Click here to learn how to live on the boundary of breakthrough! 

“Let what is fair roll down like waters. Let what is right and good flow forever like a river.”
Amos 5:24 NLV

This week in the United States, we commemorate one of our nation’s most influential history makers: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

King’s history-making legacy began with a God-inspired dream.

He dared to dream of a society governed by truth and justice—where righteousness flowed through the land like a river.

This is what the prophet Amos proclaimed God wanted more than anything else.

“Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That’s what I want. That’s all I want.”
Amos 5:24 MSG

Dr. King allowed God to dream through him.

He took the dream God seeded in his heart and boldly declared it on August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

He gave hope to millions during a dark time of conflict and confusion. His words are as relevant today as they were more than half a century ago:

“Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'”

This country was founded on a dream. It is in the DNA of this nation to dream of a better, more just future for every person. 

And it remains incumbent upon each American to continue that legacy by carrying those dreams forward.

We need leaders who know how to dream for a change. 

I challenge you this week to reignite the dreams God once sparked in your heart. Begin now to set dream-inspired goals for the year ahead.

Wherever you are in the world, God is calling you to dream again.

And remember that whatever your circumstance, God is using it to fulfill His dream for you; whether a pit or cave or prison or wilderness or pigsty, He will use it to position you for greatness.

Join me this Thursday for the 4 Points Broadcast to learn more.

Now is the time we need ordinary people to rise up and lead extraordinary change.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was such an ordinary person. He was the middle child of middle-class parents who joined the school debate team, sang in the choir, and delivered newspapers.

He went on to college and then seminary, and completed his doctoral studies in 1955. Only nine years later, he won the Nobel Peace Prize. He was just 39 years of age when he was struck down by an assassin.

Today, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial sits on the sightline linking the Lincoln Memorial to the northwest and the Jefferson Memorial to the southeast.

What set King, Lincoln, and Jefferson apart was their capacity to dream. 

I want to help you increase your capacity to dream for the benefit of this and future generations.

In my new book History Maker, you will find the guidance, inspiration, and strategies you need to arise and take your place in creating transformational change.

To that end, I am making History Maker available to our subscribers for only $11.99!

Learn how to dream for a change!

As Paul told Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you” (1 Timothy 4:14).

Now is the time to press into heaven in order to tap into the dream God has for you. You can begin today positioning yourself to take your place in making history.

Because history belongs to the dreamers.

“There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why?
I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”
– Robert F. Kennedy

“Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.”
Psalm 37:4 NLT

Our theme for the year is “Dare to Dream in 2018!”

We’ve been talking a great deal about the power and significance of the dreams God seeds in the hearts of His people.

Because I believe this is so important, I wove stories and lessons from history’s dreamers throughout my new book History Maker. 

A dream is a place of genesis—from where ripples of hope go forth to create the currents of change which shape history.

“There are those who look at things the way they are and ask, ‘Why?’…I dream of things that never were and ask, ‘Why not?’”
—Robert F. Kennedy

Bobby Kennedy was a dreamer.

In June of 1966, speaking to students at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, he famously declared:

“Each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.”

Around this same time in the United States, the Civil Rights Movement was being propelled forward by one man who also had the courage to dream.

Martin Luther King, Jr. boldly proclaimed:

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and that the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope.”

Philippians 2:5

Your viewpoint, perspective, paradigm—that faculty of conscious thought—the way you settle on your thinking or feeling about or toward something; these are the ideas that frame your opinions or your orientation to life.

When we talk about the “Be Attitudes,” we are talking about your inclinations based on your understanding of the position you hold in Christ Jesus.

Everything is an integral part of that word “attitude”—in fact, everything we are in life rises and falls on our attitude.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:6

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

The Kingdom of Heaven is different from the Kingdom of God.

The “Kingdom of Heaven” is God’s rule through man in the earth realm, while the “Kingdom of God” is God’s rule over all of His creation.

God has bequeathed the earth to us, and the state of the earth is predicated upon the state of humanity—so the more we are able to fix the human being, the more we are able to fix the world.

The world doesn’t need fixing, but human beings do.

Once we get the “man”—or humanity—right, then the world will flow accordingly.

When Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” He was making a declaration of our dependence upon God as the ultimate Benefactor. He and He alone is your provider.

“Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
John 15:7 ESV

We’re encouraged to ask and keep on asking; to seek and keep on seeking; to knock and keep on knocking. (See Matthew 7:7.)

A lot of people make a declaration of independence from God. These people call themselves Atheists or Agnostics or Humanists who believe everything is reliant upon what they do.

Your declaration of dependance determines where your life flows and where your life goes in Christ—it’s a declaration that you believe God, you depend on God, you trust God; that your hope is in God.

When we speak of the Beatitudes, we’re talking about a mindset: the attitude that no matter what the circumstances you know you’re going to be blessed—you know that you’re going to be favored, happy, healthy, privileged, esteemed, honored, and enviable!

^“The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.”
Deuteronomy 28:13-15

Imagine what would happen to your mind and emotions if every day when you woke up—and then no matter what happens to you throughout the day—you knew in every moment you were unequivocally blessed.

You knew without a shadow of a doubt that you were favored, happy, healthy, privileged, esteemed, honored, and enviable!

Imagine people looking at you wishing they were you…

and all as you give glory to God.

The Joseph Principle operates upon the foundational truths Jesus taught in the Beatitudes.

If you haven’t already listened to last week’s 4 Points Broadcast, be sure to listen now on demand.

These nine declarations remind me that God has a place for me, a space for me, a grace for me, a race for me, a pace for me—that I’m not forgotten, and that all things are working together for my good. (See Romans 8:28.)

Like Joseph, dare to dream and trust that God will bring it to pass.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
Matthew 7:7 NLT

“Mary treasured all these things, giving careful thought to them and pondering them in her heart.”
Luke 2:19 AMP

This is the joyous season when we celebrate the birth of God’s dream for humankind.

God seeded His Word—His Dream—in Mary and that dream “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

What is the dream God has seeded in you?

God is the ultimate Dreamer—He dreamed of you before you were born.

He had a vision, a dream, of the entire universe before He spoke it into existence.

And He has a dream for you that He planted in your heart before you entered the stage of His story unfolding on earth.

“Before I shaped you in the womb,
I knew all about you.
Before you saw the light of day,
I had holy plans for you.”
Jeremiah 1:5 MSG

As His child “made in His own image” (Gen. 1:27), you were born to dream.

If you’ve lost your capacity to dream, I want to help you dream again.

I want to empower you to play the leading role in the epic story God has purposed for you at this time in History.

Watch The Story of the Dreamer.

God can use the most mundane and meager of circumstances to transform and prosper you.

In fact, the most unassuming and humble of instruments are what He prefers to use for His glory—from a shepherd boy anointed to be king to an ordinary girl who gave birth to the King of kings.

And Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for the Mighty One has done great things for me.”
Luke 1:46-47, 49 NIV

God wants to do great things for you and through you…no matter where you are now or where you’ve been.

Whether you find yourself hiding in a cave, at the bottom of a pit, in the back of a dungeon, or next to a dried up brook, God has a bigger story for you.

He has a bigger dream He wants to see birthed through you.

God is about transformation. He is calling you to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

Don’t let other people tell you how to think.

I want you to break free from the limitations imposed by those around you, or even what you’ve come to believe about yourself.

When you change your beliefs , you change your whole being.

Most of us have been taught to do rather than be…

…to be satisfied with the status quo instead of dreaming for something more.

In my new book, History Maker, I show you how you can expand your paradigm so that you can expand your dreams.

From the book:

Jesus came to give us a new paradigm.

In essence, He was saying, “A new paradigm I give to you, a new way of being. Walk in this, and all you ever need to know will be provided—all your needs will be met, and you will live a life beyond your greatest dreams.”

When Jesus came to earth preaching about the coming of a new kingdom—the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven—He was, in fact, trying to spread a new worldview. He was trying to shift people’s paradigms. The reality they knew was based on dog-eat-dog conquest and exploitation, but He wanted to teach them a reality based on selfless love and personal empowerment…

Why does this matter? Because whatever is keeping you from your dreams is something you don’t yet know, something you haven’t yet done, or a discipline you haven’t yet built into your life. You are missing that key bit of wisdom because your worldview isn’t open to finding or accepting what that might be…

Thus the question is not “What is the one thing I need to know or receive?” but “Am I open to learning, and am I on the right path to discovery and discipline?”

If you are, then what you need will come to you, and the change could transform you from an employee to an employer, from someone on welfare to the founder of a fund that sends others to college and supports nonprofits working to end poverty. The change can be so dramatic that the rest of the world will see you as an overnight success, even though you have spent years in focused pursuit.

We must do everything we can to encourage imagination…to dream impossible dreams and to know that [we] have the capacity within [ourselves] to create something better.
—Vincent Harding

From The Story of the Dreamer:

When life hits you the hardest don’t ask, “Why me?”….say, “Try me!”

You can’t change your past, but you can shape your future.

You can refocus, retrain, and reinvent yourself. Each and every day you have an opportunity to write your own epic story.

Don’t think you have to win every fight to become a champion—because champions aren’t made in the moment, they’re made in the sum of wins and losses that make up a lifetime.

We are all dreamers.

Dreams are the stuff this world is made of.

Dreams influence the choices we make and the actions we take.

We must learn to use our dreams as life’s narrative; to reinvent ourselves and to push forward.

You and I have the power to write history.

Learn how you can write history by getting your copy of History Maker now.

“Everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”
Ephesians 5:13 NIV

In last week’s 4 Point Broadcast, we talked about living the blessed life. 

Living the blessed life will require you to navigate the realm of abundance by taking responsibility for your attitude and actions. 

Simply put, living the blessed life is a matter of managing your focus and energy.

Wherever your focus goes, your energy flows. 

Abundance is all around you in every moment, just as is your heavenly Father.

And if God is in everything—“by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17)—we know that where He is there is provision, freedom, joy, healing, and whatever you need.

“God…is over all and through all and in all.”
Ephesians 4:6 NIV

God wants to bless you with all goodness, grace, wisdom, authority, and abundance.

He wants to give you eyes to see and ears to hear His promise for you in every situation.

He wants you to step into the blessed life because that is where you will live your best life.

Living a blessed life is about how you engage your energies.

Since your energy flows where your attention goes, you must learn to manage your focus.

When your circumstances are pulling on your attention, focus on God! Focus on what He is saying, what He has promised, and what He has done and will continue to do in your life.

Focus on the possibilities, not on the problems!

Energy follows your focus. And the more you focus on the Source of all energy, the more you will be energized.

There is always an alternative (and infinitely-renewable) energy available to you. All you need to do is plug into the Spirit using the power chord of God’s Word!

The longer you spend in the presence of God with Him teaching you, the more energy you will have.

“Be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit.”
Ephesians 3:16 AMP

The more attention you pay to what you hope for rather than what you fear, the more your mind—and your energy—will be renewed.

You will have energy to pursue your calling, to fulfill your purpose, to serve God, and to follow your dreams.

You’re not going to be tired or depressed or overwhelmed. You will throw off the spirit of heaviness, indifference, and lethargy that leads to depression.

You will have energy to shake yourself awake!

“Awake, O sleeper,
    rise up from the dead,
    and Christ will give you light.”
Ephesians 5:14 NLT

I decree energy and light are flowing to you and through you! 

You’re going to be blessed to be a blessing! I decree and declare you are entering into a season of scandalous blessings!

Yes, God wants to bless you with extraordinary abundance, but you must first learn to navigate the realm of blessing.

You must learn to live and breath and have your being in all the good and grace God has called you into:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
    For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    For they shall be called sons of God.”
Matthew 5:3-9

In the realm of blessing you shall be comforted, you shall inherit the earth, you shall be filled, you shall see God, and you shall be called His son. 

When you see the word “shall,” it means God will move heaven and earth to make that happen.

“Shall” is an irrefutable word of promise. It cannot be changed.

In other words, circumstances don’t dictate to the blessing, rather the blessing dictates to circumstances.

Don’t put your energy into fixing what’s wrong, put your energy into finding what’s possible!

Energy flows where your focus goes.

Focus on building wealth—focus on finding solutions, creating beauty, or putting things in order…whatever you are most passionate about.

Focus on the blessing—and on being a blessing—and that’s where your energy will flow.

And wherever your energy flows, that’s where your life will go. 

Whatever you focus on grows.

So why focus on what you don’t want growing in your life? Why focus on somewhere you don’t want to go?

If you don’t want your life to flow toward poverty, don’t focus on eliminating poverty.

Don’t think about what you don’t want, think about what you do want! Most people don’t even know what it is they truly desire for their lives.

What do you want?

If you want wealth, focus on building wealth. If you want to live in the righteousness of God, focus on the righteousness of God!

I’m not trying to eliminate sin, I’m trying to live a righteous life. Therefore I’m not sin-conscious, I’m righteousness-conscious!

I’m focused on how I can live for God. I’m thinking about what I can do to please the Lord, not what I shouldn’t do that would displease Him.

Focus on the good things you should do, not the bad things you shouldn’t do!

I’m not asking how I can eliminate something negative.

I don’t know who’s sinning because that’s not what I’m focusing on. 

I’m focusing on my right standing with God and what pleases Him.

“So follow the steps of the good,
    and stay on the paths of the righteous.”
Proverbs 2:20 NLT

Whatever you focus on increases in value in your life. So focus on Jesus. Focus on all He came to give you. Focus on all the promises He came to this earth to fulfill.

I decree your days of lack are over. I decree your haters will become your blessers—your trials will become your triumphs—your struggles will become your strategies for making history.

I decree and declare that from this day forward you shall live an extravagantly blessed life!

“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Philippians 4:8 NLT

For all the joy and peace Christ came into the world to give, many are nevertheless preoccupied striving to meet holiday expectations and chasing the promise of a good deal.

This week, as we count down the days until we commemorate the birth of the Prince of Peace—I want to challenge you to keep the peace He came to give.

“My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 14:27 NKJV

The opposite of peace is trouble and fear—disorder and confusion.

Jesus as “the light of the world” (John 8:12) has come into each of our lives to bring the alignment and order that enables us to experience peace.

So whatever is going on around you, in your life or your workplace—regardless of what is happening in the news—get in step with God and you will have peace.

“Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
Matthew 11:29 MSG

There is always another force at work battling for your thoughts and attention—vying for your focus—especially during this particular season.

So today I want to remind you to “carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life” (Proverbs 4:23 CEV). 

Just as your energy follows your attention, what you focus on increases. 

This is why it’s so very important during these hustle & bustle times—as we race and often tumble toward the end of the year—to keep our minds fixed on the true reason for the season. 

“Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.”
Isaiah 60:1-2

What we need more than anything else in this generation is leadership.

And leadership is not just the responsibility of some of us—but of all of us.

All of us are called to be influencers.

It’s time for every one of us to rise up with the light we’ve been given—to shine with the glory that is risen upon each of us.

Learn how you can take your place in leading change at the Empowerment Summit THIS WEEK in Atlanta!

Isaiah 60:3 ESV

I decree that you are rising to the top and stepping out of the clutter of the common.

I decree that you are finding yourself in an elevated position as a problem solver, a history maker, and an agent of change.

I decree that this generation will record your name as a leading authority in your field or industry…and I decree that you are applying the discipline that will make you best in class.

I decree that you are giving your mind the education it needs, your heart the worship it needs, and your soul the healing it needs.

Join me for 3 destiny-defining days at End Your Year Strong this Friday through Sunday at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta!

“God, our God, will take care of the hidden things but the revealed things are our business. It’s up to us and our children to attend to all the terms in this Revelation.”
Deuteronomy 29:29 MSG

This is a season of revelation—not just information, but unprecedented revelation and impartation.

We are moving from the Information Age to the Revelation Age.

Revelation is defined as “the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world.”

It is rooted in the Latin revelare, which means “to lay bare.”

God wants to reveal the hidden things.

He wants to lay bare principles hidden in His Word for this particular juncture in history.

He wants to supernaturally disclose something the world needs now to His people—to those willing to seek Him and His Kingdom above all else.

REGISTER NOW for the End Your Year Strong EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT November 10-12!

God wants to reveal His plan and purposes to you and I. Why?

Because in the process, God will reveal each of us to ourselves so together we can boldly step out and make history.

We have yet so much potential resident within us hidden in the obscurity of ignorance.

But I say, “Let there be light!”

Ignorance is the presence of darkness in the absence of light.

But whenever you have light, you have insight and foresight and clarity and wisdom—you have vision.

God is able to supernaturally reveal things that otherwise you could not see or perceive. And more often than not, He will use the people He positions around you to call those things out.

However, you must be present and available to His promptings. You must be willing to listen.

You must be willing to see what He is showing you.

I decree and declare that the eyes of your understanding are being enlightened right now.

God is going to enlarge your territory and give you capacity to receive the revelation He is making available in this season.

Surround yourself with people of faith and submit yourself to those He puts in authority over you.

Listen now ON DEMAND to the 4 Points Broadcast where I walk you through each stage of the maturation process. 

Now is the time to grow up into all that God is calling you to become.

It is so important to receive the revelation God is imparting when it comes to the keys and principles of growing up spirtually.

Don’t remain ignorant and immature. 

The effective working of the entire Body of Christ depends on each of its members taking their part in leading change. 

We each need the other to complete the good work God is doing within and among us.

The Church has a critical role to play in shaping history. It is the institutional arm of the Kingdom of Heaven that God put in the earth to transform and shape culture.

“The whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
Ephesians 4:16 NIV

We are Christ’s Body called to demonstrate His love and His will for humanity. 

You and I are the shapers of culture and the makers of history…not you and me independent of one another, but working interdependently together joining forces and locking arms in the service of God’s greatest good.

We are the light bearers. God calls us “a city on a hill that cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14) and with that declaration comes the directive to “so let your light shine” (Matthew 5:16).

You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world…If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 MSG)

The world is looking to the Church for hope and direction.

God’s people are looking to the Church for equipping and empowerment. 

Where there are leadership voids and strife and divisions, it is the people of God who should be bringing light and wisdom into those dark situations.

“You are the light of the world.”
Matthew 5:14 NLT

But we must come together in the spirit of unity with one heart and mind seeking God for the answers we need.

There is so much focus in the New Testament on the importance of believers working together “in one accord” in order to demonstrate God’s love and glorify His name in the earth.

Growing up spiritually requires each of us to take our place in serving and submitting to one another in reverence for Christ (see Ephesians 5:21)—and then demonstrating that reverence for each other and God to the wider world.

Make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. (Philippians 2:2-4 NLT)

Let’s make history together.

Let’s press in together to receive the answers from Heaven our God wants to show us when we seek Him “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

Join me in Atlanta Nov. 10-12 where together we will shift the atmosphere and shape the future.

“Until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:13 NLT