SEVEN DAY CHANGE

One week ago, an amalgamation of prayers came to an apex which transformed my life from being handicapped, to being completely healed by Godly people who represented my entire Biblical community. It seems like an eternity ago, yet it was only hours since miracles happened, because there were many. In a physical state where I was so dizzy from vertigo, nausea and strife from a stroke which split into twelve embedded blood clots on my brain I was completely encumbered by chronic symptoms, only a miracle could change my life.  The miracle happened. 

What has taken place in the past week has been nothing short of amazing.  Sunday night, getting to attend one of my local churches in Franklin, Slow Burn I was given the chance to share among a core group of believers the awesome handiwork of God. Pastor Clint Thomas asked me to come forward and what an honor to open up to this group of lovely people. Later, I would individually share face to face the wonder of it all to friends and still, it seems almost surreal. Its been such a humbling journey because why would God elect to heal one over another. God's ways are not our ways, are they?  However, disease and sickness is not from God, I believe it is from evil and darkness. 

Each of us are uniquely handicapped in our lives, we have a dark side which is a barrier between us and God. We have to decide to make a difference, we have to choose what kind of person we will be minute by minute.  Will we honor God or not? Will we obey his commandments or choose to sin, this is our journey.  When we have a nature which is about missing the mark, it makes everything more dark. Many times I fail from the goal, but I have this incredible God who keeps forgiving, keeps on loving me in spite of who I am inside.

For many years, I had friends, heroes and even mentors I thought could do absolutely no wrong. When I looked at them, I only saw the good, the beautiful, the righteous and the true. They were almost statuesque and iconic in their stature and I never believed there would be any part of them, less than perfect.  Sometimes we place a parent, a boss or a pastor on such a high and lofty pedestal, they are wrongfully judged when any mistake happens. How harsh are you on your "models of the best" and do you forgive them when they fall, because...they will. 

What I have been learning more this week than any other week in my entire existence is that we are all broken people who are in desperate need of God. This has been spoken before, but living it...well that is what makes this blog different.  Its like seeing through a new pair of glasses. I will never be perfect, but I can strive to do the right thing 24/7 but the reality is that no matter what happens to me, no matter what change takes place, I am fallible and I just wished I could be perfect. We have a loving God who sees us through  the perfection of His son. Wow, I can't even fathom this concept truly. 

Here is s simple truth worth sharing. 

Christ did so much for each one of us, He blessed us beyond what we deserve and He alone is the author and perfecter of our faith. The name of Jesus is more powerful than ever before as you can call His name into the atmosphere and the world WILL and CAN change. 

Friday night I watched again Curt Landry Ministries online at 7:45 in his streaming video (which is 3 hours) and his powerful message of truth once again convicted me of my own shortcomings, my own failures and made me realize the root of my faith was truly born in a man who was Jewish and who loves me, even today. He had been praying for me and shared the miracle which transpired a week ago today and i wept. Truly, how this whole thing took place began in prayer.

Many of you know how impacted our lives were when Michael and Stormie came to our home. This couple continue to be on my lips every single day, along with the friends who so faithfully have called me. Did you know I still have not even talked to ALL my family yet? I'm really sorry I have been slow to reach out after this entire process except online but the overwhelming response has me amazed.  Michael was healed through the prayers of Rabbi, an apostolic team of prayer warriors and the V team asking God for a miracle and now, he was part of our miracle day!

What do you think could happen to your life, if you chose to change in the next seven days? What if you took your existence and you placed your world at the feet of the throne of Christ, what kind of difference would you make, how would you live and what decisions would rule you as you moved forward in life. We are an imperfect people and we all need a real touch of forgiveness.

If you have falsely been too harsh on others, would you make this up to them? If you have been too hard on your own life, would you give yourself a coupon and realize God's love is more powerful than you could ever imagine! Don't let guilt and shame rule your life, rise above it and move forward into a new tomorrow knowing the God of the entire universe is in love with you, supports you, believes in you and wants the best for you. Choose wisely.

A supernatural experience can take place in your life, but you can still fail. A miracle can happen which alters the course of your destiny, but you still are weak. No matter what your circumstances are, a daily walk is still a minute by minute collection of elements where you have the choice to decide who you will be. In the struggle of mankind, we have always been enemies,...to ourselves.

God knew it was going to be this way. In fact, He operates so differently because He has the ability to do it all, yet He allows us freedoms, even to choose when it is not in the best interest of ourselves. Living in a community of people who understand barriers, handicaps and forgiveness with love is absolutely essential to a healthy life. We have too many ways we can fill our minds up with negative thoughts, so don't go there. 

I want to confess something to you. My busyness has been my greatest weakness. Often, I was more concerned about others, getting too much done, going too many places, staying entrepreneurial focused that I sacrificed the best for just doing good.  When I spent a small portion in my life working in church in leadership, I didn't grow as much on the spiritual side because of being too involved in good things, not the best things. Being busy or working hard is not the key to growth, in fact it can deter all kinds of growth and be a great distraction for efficiency for Him.

Finding a community of people of faith has been one of the greatest treasures of my life. Family, loved ones and friends have spoken truth into my heart over the past seven days reminding me of what is most important. I see everything different, I view people differently and my heart is filled more with compassion than it ever has been before, because I was just too busy. Its like I am just now learning to love more, I am sorry about this.

Please forgive me for missing the mark here. You are all important to me, but more importantly you are important to God. God loves you and this is why we are in this trail together. This is a calling, a mission and a huge task, to learn to pray more effective, be in Biblical community and serve others. 

VERITAS 300 was an idea actually born because a dear friend of mind, Darrel Campbell saw VERITAS being physically attacked by team members with illness and pending death!  Wisely, he consulted his wife Pam and suggested our core group call a great man of prayer to pray for us. A dear friend, Michael Omartian had just got word of a cancer presence found by his wife on his leg. Another dear friend named Tom Castelli had received word of prostate cancer and it seemed our entire team was under a real spiritual attack.  We needed a "prayer covering" and we called Rabbi Curt Landry to pray over us, which started a lifelong friendship, a prayer covering and a realization prayer changes things. Do you see why prayer is so important?

When we began to pray about the next phase of our journey, we needed prayer first. Too many people had been hurt, attacked, got sick, died and it was time to have a blanket warmly placed over all of our people. This blanket was not about funding, it was about PRAYER.  Sure we need funding for every project we do, but if we have PRAYER as our cornerstone, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. This IS our new reality and it is the very prayer warrior whom Rabbi prayed healing over, whose wife and he came to the home in Franklin and brought healing.

When I was at Council Road Baptist church many years ago, we opened up a prayer room and invited people to pray. When it was new, it was a lot easier to get people to go, but when a newness wears off, we just become passive about why prayer is so important, why we need it and more. We have to be people of prayer and a film is going to be attacked because we are dealing in the enemy's atmosphere and this is dangerous territory.

Israel Hannah once told me prophetically because we chose the name VERITAS we are a target for the enemy to attack through deceptions and lies.  Wow, the greatest city in the world is the city of peace, Jerusalem. However, more wars were fought there than any other city. Do you see why the name carries a weight in the process!

Life comes full circle and it should begin in prayer. 

What can we pray for you about? We have many deep prayers from the 2 dozen people who wrote me and asked on January 24 for there to be a prayer covering for them on our Miracle Day.  Maybe you didn't write us, please do so we can pray for you. Prayer was never supposed to be about one person, but it has always been about miracles for the people of God, for stories to find, for non commercial films to be made, for churches to be inspired and for impact in people's lives to be completed.  Some of you are still waiting for a miracle and still struggling. Some of you had a miracle happen and you are rejoicing. Some of you are wondering if you should even ask for a miracle. 

Ask for a miracle, join with us in our prayer community and write on FB in our VERITAS MISSION FILM page your prayer requests. Hundreds of people will start praying for you. Read your character traits each week carefully if you are part of our VERITAS 300 and practice them with us.  If you want to join you can, just send your email to [email protected] and you will be included for free. Each week, you can grow in Christ with us in our Bible study on character. 

Thank you. 

Thank you for believing, for praying, for praying even when prayers aren't answered, for not giving up. Thank you for loving others, for embracing the handicapped, for recanting racism, for accepting our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and for being willing to listen.  God has a huge plan and I am honored to be in this journey with you. I love you all, more than words could ever say.