IDENTITY CRISIS
The LORD has been telling me to write “it down and make it plain” Habbakkuk 2:2. At first I thought it was just organize my thoughts. Or to get me to concentrate, amongst many other things. So I began jotting…in my phone or in my notebook. However it was very hap-hazard! In order to combat this, my wife encouraged me to start a blog! And it was for everyone, but there was a intent focus on men, and our position in the KINGDOM! Now what’s the point of this story? I didn’t realize that this was HIS way of starting me out into my calling, which is to Preach HIS Word! This has been a struggle for me from the very beginning. HE told me I was to preach HIS Word back in November of 2009…and I’ve been running ever since. See, I had/have an identity crisis, which is not recognizing who GOD is and who I am in HIM! And allowing satan to be ever present(hmmm…we’ll talk about that shortly)! For the purpose of this blog post I will keep this short. But for a more in depth look into this, check out the video soon to come on the UHIM – Under HIS Influence Ministries YouTube channel. So with that being said, lets dive in shall we! identity [ahy-den-ti-tee, ih-den-] noun, plural identities.
There are many names of GOD! And they all represent something different. Whether it was a new revelation of HIMSELF to the Tribes of Israel or showing us how HE is there for us, these Names ALL represent The KING! The LORD is The ALPHA and OMEGA. The MASTER of ALL! HE is ALL Knowing, EVER Present. The SOURCE of All Resources! It’s important that we recognize this and put it into perspective. Why? Because in comparison…who is satan in this equation? Well satan is the being that we give too much power to! He is the accuser of the bretheren. He is a liar and a thief just to name a few. But you know who he is NOT…GOD! And you know what else? HE is the angel that thought he was so great and equal to or better than GOD, that he got himself kicked out of Heaven. And here’s the crazy thing, he knows how this story ends. He knows that JESUS was victorious from the cross to the grave to HIS resurrection. That JESUS lives today and has ALL power, while he himself is powerless against the Word...the truth! So what about you and I? Who are we? Well we are the ones who were made in HIS image(Genesis 1:26). The ones to whom HE gave dominion over the Heaven and the Earth. The ones who HE sent HIS only begotten son for…to die on the cross for our sins and give us Everlasting Life(John 3:16). And because of this, we are called to spread the GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST throughout the earth! We are to be Heaven’s Ambassadors on Earth. He loves us that much. So the next time you find yourself in trouble, or you think everything is over. You feel like you’ve exhausted all your possibilities…remember your identity! Remember who and WHO’s you are. Then remember where satan fits in this equation. He CANNOT do anything without GOD’s permission(JOB 1:6-12). HE placed us above and NOT beneath! We are the head and not the tail! Again, I can only talk about myself. These thoughts reflect my struggle in recognizing my identity. But HE called me to preach HIS Word…in and out of season. That means whether its accepted or not. Whether I feel like it or NOT. If I fall, I have to get up and keep on pushing! I’m just an imperfect Ambassador to the KING…HE called me…HE’s calling you too!
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-The truth SHALL set you free! -Talk abut yourself:doubts, anger, inadequate... -be HONEST and ask the question:Why are you calling me LORD! These are just a few of the notes I jotted down in trying to figure out what GOD wants from me and the reasons why HE should NOT use me! It’s ok to have these hang ups. Let GOD sort them out. You are not, nor will you ever be perfect! So just move in the direction HE told you to move in! Remember...HE doesn’t call the qualified- HE QUALIFIES the Called! This is what I keep telling myself so that I can be obedient! And truth be told, it doesn’t matter what I think or do...HIS Word will manifest in my life no matter what! So it’s probably better to just get on board sooner than later! In the words of Devon Franklin...”as long as you’re operating in your purpose...calling, even your mistakes work together for your good!” This is great news for you and I. This means keep on going, keep pushing through! Keep taking steps forward. If you fall...make a mistake...get up. Keep pursuing! That is all today. Haven’t posted a blog in a while, but this has weighed heavy on me. The feeling of not being able to live up to what I know HE told me to do and be! Well, it’s a process...this is how HE qualifies you...allowing you to go through the process. The process of Life. It refines you. This process of life allows you to help tell your unique story...to help and serve others. To allow someone to see that there is a possibility to come out of WHATEVER they are going through. And that GOD uses everything for your good! As usual...I can only talk from my point of view. I’m questionable at best, but I’m gonna start taking some more steps into what HE told me to do. And when all is said and done...Im gonna let GOD work it out. And hopefully I’ve helped someone(s) along the way. And HE will say well done my good and faithful servant! If HE called me, HE’s calling you too! 🗣LETS GO!!! It has been some time since my last post. If you re-call, that post dealt with FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real! And this fear explains why I haven’t posted since. The fear of being a 42Faker.
The fear of being/feeling inadequate to do that which I have been called to do! I mean, how can I “help” someone if I’m struggling? Then it occurred to me that this was the reason for the blog in the first place. For men to come together and lift one another up. There is strength in our weakness. As long as GOD is the center of our lives. So part of the solution to this is to keep writing and pushing thru! And what better way to get back into the game than by writing about me. The only way I know how not to be a 42Faker. With that said, we’ll title this: inadequate! in·ad·e·quate inˈadikwət/ adjective adjective: inadequate
After injuries and dis-contentment...no longer interested in the “career”! Wondering why I look better on paper than what’s happening in my life! The feeling of INADEQUATE can best describe where I am in my career, calling, and Life in general! So what to do? Am I going to operate in FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real? Or am I going to believe and operate in what GOD told me to do? And how do I do so EFFECTIVELY? The answer to me seems complicated, but it is yet so simple. Matthew 6:33 says: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33 NLT. So ultimately a decision has to be made. There can be no ambiguity! This doesn’t mean I won’t stumble along the way. This doesn’t mean mistakes won’t continue to be made. But in the words of Steve Harvey: “life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do about the 10%”. We have to seek HIS Face [Jeremiah 29:12-13] with our whole heart. And Jeremiah 29:11 says he has a plan for our lives. John 14:12-24 AMP says:“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name [ as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name [as My representative], I will do it.” HE told me to be HIS representative: so I’ll leave you with this bottom line. I wrote this to be transparent and say if GOD has called me with all my inadequacies, he can use you to. GOD wants men to stand up and declare HIM LORD of LORD and KING of KINGS. No one is perfect but HIM! I am an imperfect Ambassador to the KING...HE’s calling you too! 🗣 LETS GO MEN As usual, anything I write here is pretty much directed to me with a hope that it helps you too! With that said, fear and anxiety have been on my mind tough! So I thought I’d talk about it for a bit.
Let’s start with some definitions. Definition of fear 1 a : an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger b (1) : an instance of this emotion (2) : a state marked by this emotion 2 : anxious concern : solicitude 3 : profound reverence and awe especially toward God 4 : reason for alarm : danger Or the bootleg version I took from my old pastor [Wayne Chaney Jr]...fear is = False Evidence Appearing Real! I personally love that one! Definitions 1,2,4 and bootleg = bad fear! Definition 3 = GOOD FEAR! Today’s post will be about bad fear! Part 2 will discuss GOOD FEAR! Now let’s dive right in...shall we! Let me be honest. I know the way bad fear should be addressed. Timothy talks about it in his 2nd self titled book of the Bible in the 1st chapter/7th verse: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].” 2 TIMOTHY 1:7 AMP http://bible.com/1588/2ti.1.7.amp Or we can go to Philippians 4:6-7 which states: “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].” PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 AMP http://bible.com/1588/php.4.6-7.amp These 2 passages address how we should handle the fear and anxiety that can take over our spirits and pretty much paralyze us into submission. But let’s be for real for a minute. How many of us while we are 🎧🎼In the Middle of It🎼🎧 [Isaac Caree] can say that we’ve taken the time to reflect on these passages and allow them to work in our circumstances🤔? If you have done it consistently...I applaud you. However for me, I have been questionable. So while for the "little things" that I feel like I can trust and have faith in GOD for...I will quote these scriptures with such ferocity like the 🗣ROAR of a lion 🦁. But when my situation/circumstances become too big for me to fathom...the spirit of fear and anxiety begin to take over. And then I limit the GOD I serve because of my small mindedness! Again, I’m just talking to myself. And there are soooooo many more scriptures that I could quote until the cows 🐄 came home. But what good would it do if I/we don’t have the right MINDSET ? 👈🏾 That whole mindset thing won’t be going away anytime soon! You remember these right? As a Man thinketh so is he...death and life are in the power of the tongue! So the point and purpose of this blog post is to acknowledge that there will always be fear and anxiety present in some part of our lives. But we have to realize that we serve a (THE ONLY) GOD that NOTHING is impossible for. So it goes from thinking the right thoughts about our circumstances and then saying what GOD says about us (quoting these scriptures to yourself). Then acting on HIS Word(DOING)! And the way we act on it is by Studying and BELIEVING what HIS Word says and then moving forward in spite of fear and anxiety. And since we serve a GOD who is capable of the incapable, all we have to DO is believe! But these things are all action based. This neutralizes the paralayzation that fear and anxiety bring. And now we can move forward. I know this is easier said than done but it takes practice. The BIBLE says that “I can do ALL things through CHRIST that strengthens me” Philippians 4:13! “And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]. This bares repeating: I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose--I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” PHILIPPIANS 4:7, 13 AMP http://bible.com/1588/php.4.7,13.amp If we study HIS Word, we not only find the aforementioned verses, but we can find another 2 that I like from the book of Romans the 8th Chapter that state: “What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us].” ROMANS 8:31, 37 AMP http://bible.com/1588/rom.8.31,37.amp That’s cold on em’ right there folks. If we study(action/doing) to show ourselves approved...we can then talk to ourselves, say what GOD says and attack this fear and anxiety head on. And just as the verses state...who can be against us if GOD is for us? And that we are MORE than conquerors! It’s time for us to whoop this devil into shape and say goodbye to the evil spirit of fear and anxiety. That means a decision has to be made in our minds today! If we are made in HIS Image, then we have HIS Spirit. We must not and cannot worry! It is impossible for HIS Spirit and the evil spirit of fear and anxiety to be in cohabitation with one another. One of them has to go. As I always say...I’m talking to myself. I/we must decide today! Right now! And I choose HIS spirit within me! Therefore, fear and anxiety are evicted within me. They have to GO! 💪🏾🙏🏾 Make up your mind today! [False Evidence Appearing Real] I am an imperfect Ambassador to the KING...HE’s calling you too! 🗣 LETS GO MEN! Sooooooo here we go! I have been in a battle with myself over the last week or so as to how I would prepare and write this blog post. Even as to what I would title it.
If you’ve read the last two blog posts, you know we’ve been talking about our MINDSET in terms of our Thoughts and our Speech. This installment is DOING! So titles such as “Do the Do!” Or 🎼”Do it to it Til your soul is free”🎼 (I rather like that one) came to mind. 😀But as I began to talk to the LORD last night, and he shut me up before I could even finish what I was saying...’GET TO IT AND DO IT’ is what sticks out in my mind. As I was in the shower last night and trying to gain some insight on My life, before I could even finish a thought or a statement or finish my plea...GOD had an answer for me. And in essence, it was GET TO IT AND DO IT! I remember back in November of 2009 when GOD woke me up at 3am and told me to read Jeremiah Chapter 1! This is when I knew HE was calling me to preach HIS Word! And it has taken this long for me to accept what was pre-ordained for my life! ACCEPTING is even DOING! 🤷🏾♂️ So as I was in the shower and began to come up with all kinds of excuses and complaints to present to HIM, GOD said “GET TO IT AND DO IT”. HE reminded me of James Chapter 1:22 (KJV) that says - “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, or the NLT version that says - “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Are you serious player! HAAAAAA!! Probably not the best response to the LORD, but as I started coughing, I really believe HE choked me so I could not finish the words that were about to come out of my mouth - death and life are in the power of the tongue 👅 Proverbs 18:21 if you remember 🤔. HE told me I can either keep DOING what I’m doing and that will cause me to stay where I am, or DO what HE says and And HE will DO Exceeding Abundantly above all that I ask or think! Ephesians 3:20(kjv) Then HE reminded me of James Chapter 2 which states - “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:17, 20 KJV http://bible.com/1/jas.2.17,20.kjv So basically GOD told me last night that I can complain and plea. Whine and cry...while I’m reading HIS Word; and so called quote-un quote believe in HIS Word. But if I don’t show my WORK...it’s all for NOT - “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” James 2:18 KJV http://bible.com/1/jas.2.18.kjv So let’s get to the nitty and the gritty shall we? We talked about our thinking 🤔 💡! Which leads to what we say 🗣 ! This then leads to our actions. What we DO!!!! And GOD says without faith it is impossible to please HIM - Hebrews 11:6! And as stated above, we are fooling ourselves if we don’t DO what HIS Word says! However, if we DO what HE tells us to DO , HE will DO what HE says HE will DO! ‘QUID pro Quo’! GOD will NEVER EVER DO what we are supposed to DO!!! So if we believe and have faith, it will show in our actions...DO is a VERB! GOD says SHOW ME! This is what I want to drive home today. We have to think 🤔... say 🗣... and last but not least...DO! These are three concepts that work hand in hand, and together = a victorious Mindset ! With GOD...ANYTHING is possible! Let not fear and intimidation by the enemy(satan) decrease us! It says in 2 Timothy 1:7 - “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” http://bible.com/1/2ti.1.7.kjv. Lets activate our faith by being DOERS of HIS Word! Let us as men who are created in HIS Image act like so! THINK - SAY - DO ! GET TO IT AND DO IT! I am an imperfect Ambassador to the KING. HE’s calling you too 🗣 LETS GO MEN! The previous post about MINDSET began with our thoughts. As I believe this is the substratum or foundation of starting a New Thing! Or going into a New Dimension. However, we can't just Think our way into a new dimension, we have to Say and Do!
So today we will discuss the SAY. "You will have what you say" These are the words of JESUS from Mark 11:23 If I may use words from a book I enjoy reading called 'GOD'S CREATIVE POWER'...Christianity is called The Great Confession! Think about this for a second. It's the ABC's of/for being saved. Admit/Acknowledge, Believe, Confess...Romans 10:9-Amplified Bible (AMP) - 9 because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. So ironically enough, we have to open our mouths to confess...to say what HE says about us, but instead...we open our mouths and condemn. Not just others, but ourselves! Proverbs 6:2 says - Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth. In essence, you have been trapped by the words of your mouth. Now, back to 'GOD'S CREATIVE POWER'! Words are containers. They carry FAITH or FEAR! You speak faith, you produce faith. You speak fear, you produce fear. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue - Proverbs 18:21. If we look at the book of Genesis and recognize that GOD Himself SPOKE the world into existence! Everything created came from the very mouth of GOD! And if we are created in HIS Image... how is it possible that we say the wrong thing about ourselves, or we say nothing at all! To drive this point home I will use two more quotes from "GOD'S CREATIVE POWER'..."For GOD's Word to be effective, MEN must speak it...No Word of MINE is void of Power, only powerless when it is Unspoken!!!!!! WOOOOOOO-WEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! I'm preaching even if you don't think so! HAAAA!!! I'm definitely talking to me! You literally speak life or death into your circumstances y'all! We can have what we say, but instead we say what we have! Let that marinate! 🤔 💡 Bottom line is this...We must get our minds right! When this occurs...we will think about ourselves the way GOD thinks about us. Then we will begin to say what HE says about us! And what HE says we can have! This will ultimately lead to what HE says we can DO! I'm going somewhere ya'll. Bare with me as I get it together! I want us to grow together and flourish together! I encourage you right now to say what GOD says about you! As usual, I'm talking to myself. When I look at my children, especially my sons...I want to be the best example I can be! And though I fall short daily...I'm Glad I serve a Forgiving GOD that has spoken Victory over my life. Which means it's ALREADY been done! All I have to do is say what HE says, then I relay that to my family! It's IMPORTANT we understand this. Watch yo' mouth! I am an imperfect Ambassador of KING...HE's calling you too! LETS GO MEN! The topic today is MINDSET ! This is a fundamental must in progressing in/and for the The KINGDOM! To be about The FATHER's Business.
Before we can start something new, it is IMPERATIVE that we let go of old thoughts, attitudes, and habits. You CANNOT do a new thing with old stuff! In order to do anything new you must have the mind to do it! It all starts with a thought. When you set your mind to something, usually followed by your thoughts are words, then what you speak out loud, you do. You take action! This means your thoughts, speech/words, deeds/action are in alignment! While first preparing this post, I had scripture for thoughts, words, and action. Because I believe these three topics together encompass what the MINDSET of a KINGDOM Man/AMBASSADOR for the KING should be. And as excited as I am about this, separating these into three different posts and bringing them back together again will be more beneficial. With that lets get into some definitions and scripture shall we? MINDSET - 1. An attitude [Feeling or emotion toward a fact or state of being - an optimistic attitude], disposition [Inherent qualities of mind and character], or mood. 2. An established set of attitudes held by someone. 3. An intention or mental inclination [Natural tendency]. First off as I write this, let me remind those of you that bless my page with your eyes...I am ALWAYS talking to myself with the hope that these words inspire, help encourage, and lift you up! Now there are many versus that come to mind in terms of our thoughts. But today we will look at three and I'll leave you alone! (HAAAAAA!!! How old school preachers used to talk.) The first one is Proverbs 23:7 which reads - For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior] Amplified Version. This means the way you think about yourself is the way you are. what you become. Who you will be. This is why it is necessary to believe what GOD says about you! Get that deep inside of you. For out of your heart flows the issues of life.(Proverbs 4:23) So if you think what GOD thinks, you will then say what HE says about you and do what HE said do! Again, we will get into the say and do later, but this is a perfect example! Next is Romans 12:2 which reads - ...but let GOD transform you into a new person by Changing the way you THINK. Then you will learn to know GOD's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. NLT version. WOOOOO-WEEEEEEE, that makes the hairs on my arms stand up! By simply changing the way we think will allow us to know God's will for us. In turn, knowing HIS will makes us speak it, then do it! Can you see where I'm going? But i have to hold it in. I can't give it all to you just yet! Last but not least is James 1:6-8 which if i may paraphrase read - ask GOD in faith without wavering. Because if you do, don't think you will receive anything. For a double-minded man is unstable in his ways. Basically if you think one way and switch it up, you can expect absolutely Nothing from The Lord! You must have an unwavering Faith! Be firm in your thoughts. So a quick re-cap if you will. First as we think about ourselves are who we'll be - Prov. 23:7 A renewing or changing the way we think will allow us to be transformed and know GOD's will for us. This is pleasing and perfect - Romans 12:2. A double minded man is unstable in his ways - James 1:6-8 As a final thought, i leave you with an excerpt from the book 'Kingdom Mentalities' which says In order to live effectively as KINGDOM citizens, we must develop the MINDSET and identification of royalty, sovereignty, dominion, authority, and power. I am an imperfect Ambassador to the KING...HE's calling you to LETS GO MEN! If you read the author intro or about me page, you know my name and age. A bit about the focus and purpose of this blog. With that said, let's go a little deeper.
I have a wonderful wife of 18 years and we will have been together for 25 years 1 week from today. I have 4 beautiful children whom i love dearly. I have a "great" career...oh and my dad lives with us. He has dementia. And though I LOVE him with all my soul...liking him is going out of the window! Why am I sharing this? Because I feel like I'm losing my mind! And I need to get this off my chest so I don't implode/explode! And to help anyone that may feel this way." What way is this?" you ask. Looking good on paper while being depressed out of your mind! Feeling like where did I go wrong and what did I do to piss GOD off! Now while i want everyone to benefit from this and any other conversation had on this page, I'm talking to men. I want men to express themselves. Don't hold it in being Manly or being Macho...and then die of a heart attack or stroke because you wouldn't or couldn't release! Man that's some BULL!!! The world NEEDS men that believe in GOD! It's time for us to get it together and fight the good fight! For us...for our families...and most importantly...for GOD!!!!!!! Again, the LORD called me to preach (I've been running for along time) with an emphasis on men. So I'm doing my best to be obedient and in doing so, I hope...NO...I know I will help you and myself reach the highest heights that GOD has called us to! After all...we were Made in HIS Image! [Thats cold on em' right there! And we'll certainly talk about this later] So lets call this blog MAN UP/Man DOWN! Because the only way for us to rise up is to humble ourselves (lowly...down) so HE = GOD can EXALT us (lift us UP) I am an imperfect Ambassador to the KING...HE's calling you to! LET'S GO MEN! |