California!

What’s up everybody!!!!  We want to send word back to the east coast of all the incredible encounters we had in California.  It was a true honor to link shields with Roger Joyner and the Burn crew in Oroville, California!  The city of Oroville has a large number in poverty and they are contending for renewed hope in their region.  We believe God is raising up the Tabernacle of David in Oroville, and believing hope-deferred would be eradicated and renewed hope and the testimony of Jesus would triumph in the region.

The highlight of our journey was spending quality time with the Oroville BURN.  It was a blessing to encounter a crew who is as passionate and hungry for the presence of God as you all are.  It encouraged our heart to see a company of radical lovers of God tarring through the late night and crying out for restoration in the early morning.  These people are true contenders to see justice, love, and mercy established in their land. 

While in California, we also had the opportunity to visit Bethel in Redding.  Our hearts were encouraged as we sat under the ministry of Bill Johnson, Kris Valloton, and other honorable fathers of the faith.  As great of an experience this was, I can honestly say the highlight was to plow and pioneer a resting place for God in Orville.  Something legendary happens spending countless hours with people who have pioneering hearts.  I’m thankful for the regions in our nation where a Kingdom culture has been established such as Redding, CA.  But I can honestly say I desire to see greater things than these in regions such as Oroville and Rochester.  Why?  Because we are standing on the shoulders of leaders such as Bill Johnson.  THEIR CEILING HAS BECOME OUR FLOOR!!!!!

Lastly we had a great opportunity to visit San Francisco, with Roger and his wife Gabriel.  These two led JHOP (Justice House of Prayer) in San Francisco for two years.  On our way to the city Roger gave testimony of their time in San Francisco.  The cry in his heart became contagious as a spirit of travail fell upon the car and we wept for the city.  Entering into the city limits we spent most of our time in prayer as we visited the AIDS memorial and the Castro District, the largest homosexual community in our nation.  Our cry has become,

“Lord, raise up your house of prayer in San Francisco!  Raise up a company of people who carry an anointing to break the back of HIV!!!  Let us see a movement in our day that would contend for the deliverance of those who wrestle with homosexuality, and a community of  believers who will love San Fransisco into their destiny!”

Returning home we have great expectancy in our heart to see further break-through within the Rochester region.  This is why we are alive on the Earth!  This is why Jesus has entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation!  We won’t bow our knee to mediocrity!  Nor will we tolerate a form of Godliness with no power!  We are lovers at heart, and warriors by trade!  It has been such an honor to love and cry with you all.  We are who we are today because we have found a company of people to live with and a company of people to die with.  I’m convinced that the  keys in fulfilling the destiny of our lives fall in the hands of our brothers and sisters.  Please continue to unlock our dreams as we fervently and persistently unlock yours.  With an unyielding love, we look forward to reuniting our hearts with yours.    

One will put one thousand to flight but two, ten thousands,

Love Always,
Brandon and Crystal 

maximize your mornings

So I've recently started something new that I've probably been feeling that I should start while I was pregnant with Arista.

If any you ma's and pa's out there are as busy as I am with three little ones then I'm sure you'll be able to relate to this post! You know you're a mother when showers are commodity, solitude is when your going to the bathroom, and sleep depravation becomes the least of your health concerns. Life demands so much in motherhood. We're the family nurse, teacher, caretaker, cleaning lady, accountant and pastor. Bored with life? Add children to the picture and guantee you'll never get bored again! But in the mist of all that life demands, when does God get HIS time? Is it that God gets put on the back-burner until the children are grown? I dunno, but if my husband decided to do that to me while he took care of the demands of life, I KNOW I would have a LARGE problem with it. But how often do we do that to God?

Simply, when God said we should pray without ceasing I think it meant that it would be as constant as breathing. We stop breathing, we die. We stop praying.....well, we die. One is physical, the other is spiritual. But just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy. How do we get to a lifestyle where praying becomes like breathing? How do we choose to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh? I am convinced that its my morning hours with the Lord, when the sun is about to rise, that is critical to my day and my lifestyle of breathing prayers.

My voice shall You hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto You, and will look up! Psalm 5:3

What does this mean to me? It's God drawing my heart in the morning hours, before my children awake the dawn, to draw near to Him! And there is a longing in my heart to walk with God. I know I can't be the mother God has called me to be without Him living His life through me. But I found every excuse in the book to not get up any earlier than I was. But then I came across this mom's youtube video and was inspired to action!

So I started getting up a couple hours before my children awake since last Monday. And apart from my Sabbath day, I've done ok. Not all days have worked out as planned but I've certainly seen fruit in my own thoughts and heart during my day, both toward God and my children. So this has inspired me even more to encourage other moms who feel this draw from the Holy Spirit to help them start as well. I'm starting an accountability group on FACEBOOK. So if you're a MOM looking for some extra inspiration in this area I encourage you to join this group! HERE we'll be able to check in during the morning hours, share about how are mornings are going, and share prayer requests with one another. Simply, its a place we can inspire one another to grow into all God has called us to be as mothers. Certainly if you are not a mother, the group is not limited to only moms. Its for ANYONE who wants the encouragement to MAXIMIZE THEIR MORNINGS, so we can consciously choose God first in our day. Let's maximize our mornings together!

Day 14

So I'm on the second week of eating no processed foods. And things have been, yes, difficult, but also really refreshing. Check out DAY 1 to see why I'm doing a no-processed foods fast.

But I do have a confession. I have tweaked it alittle :-)

I had some friends/family make me dinner in the last week or two of being pregnant. And I always think that is so thoughtful, so I decided that my dinners would be flexible. Although now I know its possible to eat an unprocessed diet, it still is a lot of work.

The hardest part has been my breakfast. I've really given into the whole cereal and milk thing every morning. Mainly cuz its fast, easily assessable and provided for me by WIC. My mornings now have mainly consisted of organic yogurt and fruit, and occasionally oatmeal with natural peanut butter (also WIC provided) and raw sugar. I did attempt home-made wheat bread last week...which turned out just "ok". Bread makers I find are not usually the best way to make your bread. Though they do a great job on the dough its best just to use your own oven when it comes to the baking. The bread I made was hearty so it tasted more bagel like than bread like....still none-the-less, great for toasting. I really wanted to make my granola this week, but things have been just getting plain hard awaiting the coming of the baby.

BUT I'm super excited. It can be any day now as I am 39 weeks and 1 day today. And God has been extremely faithful in extending grace to my body and this new diet. I was surprised to find I had actually dropped 2 pounds from my last mid-wife appt, and I think its the unprocessed foods for sure.....baby bump at this point is only growing! And God has been speaking really clear to Brandon a lot lately on strategic ways on going about prayer for this city. This has been a huge break-through for us and those involved in the BURN. We first recognize the importance of our roles as intercessors, but it never stops there. We must also continue to ask God to teach us how to pray, and how to ultimately be purposeful in our prayers so they carry out long-lasting fruit.

So overall, we have found this fast to be really incredible for our family. Brandon's been talking long-term goals as well since we both have felt extremely healthy while on this diet. Lord knows! :-)

Thanks everyone...for those who stand with us, pray with us and love us. We really have been blessed with an amazing family of God...both here locally and those who stand with us over distance. We have such a high honor for those whom we are relationship with. We believe covenant is certainly the "breaking" anointing that brings about Christ's transformed love in us and others. Love IS where it's at!

ever hurt by the prophetic?

We had come friends up for the weekend, which was really refreshing. What was interesting was some of the conversations I had this weekend about the prophetic, with different individuals. I think its in no question that I believe God speaks to us, and I believe its for everyday. In fact, the I believe the rhema word is all too often neglected in alot of people's relationship with God. But as I shared different experiences I have had with prophetic people and heard different stories from others, I heard a common thread of things that lead people hurting, mislead and confused, more than built-up, encouraged or full of direction.

This is by no means a blog to lash out or tear down prophetic people (I would be discrediting myself if it were). Know in my heart I believe without the voice of God in the hearing of our ears, we have little to no direction in our personal lives. And I am also a firm believer we need each other in the Body of Christ to grow in the things of God. But far too often I am finding many who are left isolated, hurt and confused, with even a deep darkness clouding their own view of God because a prophetic person gave a word that was either off or without love.

I could share countless bad experiences I have encountered over time but that wouldn't be fair either because my "good" experiences have far out-weighed the bad. And accuracy within the prophetic has even far out-weighed the erred. But I wanted to share some things that have helped me over time, especially in a ministry that is very driven on the prophetic, and have aided me in giving and receiving what God is saying.

1. LOVE. if I could sum up all the things I have learned it would be in this one word. Paul makes it quite direct that is we have no love, or if love is not what is driving us (but even have every gift of the Spirit), then we have absolutely nothing. This is what will weigh and judge every Word given! Are we more about "being right" or are we compelled by love to share the truth? This is also of utmost importance when we are a receiving a Word - especially one that may be hard to swallow.

I've come to realize that though prophecy is a powerful gift, which requires high sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, prophetic people are also very sensitive people in nature. I will be the first to say that it took a long time for me to learn to not be moveable in the case of an offense. in fact, even though prophetic people can cause offense, they often struggle with being offended. Which leads me to another suggestion:

2. Humility. i encourage people to have an opinion. In fact, let that opinion be loud, clear and heard! far too often I see silence as the one of the largest injustices to all the injustice in the world. Righteousness and justice are executed through our actions and our voices. But if being heard out-ways the desire to see people free, we have really committed an injustice against ourselves. So I now say, have an opinion, loud and clear, but always makes sure its coupled with love and humility. The ability to put someone above yourself is what Christ did for us. If we don't learn how to do this than we aren't representing Christ at all.

3. Learn to hear God for yourself. This can be tricky as all of us are in completely different places when it comes to hearing the voice of God. And a lot of times its even learning the language and way God speaks to you uniquely. But this will certainly be your best friend when someone is giving you a word that may be a little off. There were times when someone gave me a word that I knew was off, but because I was listening as well to God i was able to feel the freedom to not respond to the word.

There are a lot of good, well meaning individuals, who can still be very wrong in what they are saying. yet, there are very abrasive and obtrusive people who will be dead right in what they are saying. the truth is, we will come across many different circumstances were we need the prophetic, however it is being filtered through the person giving it.

4. Be unoffendable. Jesus was never shocked by the responses he got when he shared. And he certainly was never offended. yes, at times he was offensive, because the truth doesn't always feel good. But it would be of great value that we learn as believers to not be so easily offended. It would help all of us in a mature way. i realize this is very hard for our American culture because from childhood we are taught we have rights, we must be treated fair and we have the freedom to do what we want. But this earthly and american kingdom and the Kingdom of God are at war with one another. And we must fight the urge to always "protect our rights". Jesus was treated very unfair, even unruthlessly judged and put to death. We will have a lot more joy in our situations if we learn to appreciate suffering and even offense.

5. Don't spectate. This is different than judging the word with the Scriptures. This is the hardest one for those whom have been hurt by the prophetic. Instead of working through the hurt, feelings of rejection or mis-interpretation of God, they become people who totally turn away from the prophetic. They spectate and dissect the prophetic word, trying every capability to tear it down before its had a chance to minister to them at all. The problem with this is you will put God in a box. Whether the word isn't from God or came straight from heaven, you have already made up your mind that it is flawed. And furthermore, the voice of God in your own life can even begin to become muffled, unclear and even confusing. It is best we work through our feelings of hurt, discontentment with the prophetic and confusion so we can lean toward an even greater capacity to hear God for ourselves.

There is so much I could write on this particular topic and depending upon what others share I may write more. But I wanted to share some of what has been happening in my heart lately. I've ran into many people recently who have been severely hurt by the prophetic and I know God has been using it to teach me a lot, including some of my own hurt. My purpose in sharing this is not to discredit the prophetic, but to show how we can better communicate and receive what God is saying to each of us.

Many blessings and love to you all!

cancer sucks

Meet Conner James

This young man, 11, has been battling brain cancer. I am only one out of the thousands who are praying for Conner. And longer than any of us his family, Nathan and Kristy, have been contending for their son's life. But they are growing increasingly tired. And though the grace of God has been abundant in their lives, I am telling you their story so you may join with one voice, praying fervently for this young man's life.

Conner's story is interesting. This is not Conner's first time of encountering cancer. Conner was first diagnosed in 2007. After surgery and 6 weeks of radiation he was fine. It came back in March of 2009 and him and his family have been fighting since.

Conner is in the hospital today receiving the beginning, yet another round, of chemotherapy. Will you trust God with us? If you would like to join us in prayer, please visit us on FB. Conner's life depends on a miracle. "For nothing is impossible with God!" (Luke 1:37)

Would you like to help in other ways? There are two things currently happening for the "Conner" family.

If you love coffee as much as I do, then you'll love this little fundraiser. And if you care about nutrient-rich whole foods, you even love this more! The coolest thing about this instant coffee is it is infused with ganoderma lucidum. I've tasted the coffee myself and really enjoyed it....but I warn you - with all those antioxidants you may be feeling more energized than normal. No worries! It's side-effects are great if you have children:-) Here's what FOX News said about ganoderma infused coffee. For every box sold, $10 will be going to Conner's family and toward Conner's desire to go to Hawaii.

Visit Conner's Cafe Blog for more information!

Also there is going to be a christian worship concert in benefit for Conner for only $5 per ticket. You can order your tickets online HERE. Colin Ministry & Church Radiant will be holding the Concert April 30, 6:30pm. Halos of Love Worship Band will be playing.

Location: Church Radiant 744 Elmgrove Rd.

There will be live music and refreshments.

Tickets are a $5 donation. T-shirts will be a $10 donation.

I think Jesus hates cancer just as much as we do. To him, "cancer" is just a name. But HIS name is above ALL other names. And I am believing life for Conner - JOHN 10:10!!!!

city of Truth

I'm believing God for the city!

this is the inner city of Rochester (do you see Kodak?)

What am I believing God for?

abortion-free city

healthy families

reformation

revival in hearts

pentecost in homes

churches awakened

love in the streets

It's not too great for God.

"Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime;

it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds.

He gives showers of rain to men,

and plants of the field to everyone...." Zechariah 10:1

We ask for rain, Lord.

Even though winter is close, we don't have to have a dormant heart.

Your New Jerusalem is you and whatever city you live in.

This is what the LORD says: "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem [Rochester]. Then Jerusalem[Rochester] will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain." Zechariah 8:3

The Outworking of Love

Teach me Jesus how to love. How to lay down my life, for You and for others. help me Yahweh, to do what you've asked of me, to give of myself in the way You desire - and to do it with joy, knowing you are pleased with those actions. 1 John says not only to love in word, but also in deed and truth. Help me to do that Jesus.

Those who live in Life, love life and love their brothers. But those who hate only know how to hate because they do not know Life, only death. But I choose Life. I choose to love even those who hate me because in that, there is life.

Help me Jesus to abide in You. Abide in me so we may be One, and in that oneness I cannot condemn myself because there is no condemnation in You. In fact, you said that if my heart condemns me, You are greater than my heart! And greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world. Would You live Your life through me Jesus? May all my concerns, cares of this world and the fear of what people think, crumble at the tree, in which all those things were crucified with You. because, really, You said i am a stranger in this world and they would not know me because they do not know You.

How good and perfect You are Lord. you are the vast fullness of Love and there is not one thing more lovely and pure. May i be the lovely and pure vessel You desire to live out in me. Your way Jesus. the flesh is weak, but the spirit is willing - you are much greater than my heart. My heart may fail, but Love does not. And you have already over-come every obstacle, so I choose to trust. My life is really Your life and Your life is really mine. Master me Jesus...

Amen.

Radical love

(something supernatural part 2)

You see, it is not enough for us to obey God on our own - we need to become a contagious force for change and bring others with us in our quest to win back this world for God. Radical people will do radical things - especially those who have the burning zeal of God within them like the prophets, judges and kings and queens throughout Bible history. Radical people aren't afraid to do what needs to be done, even if it hasn't been done before. And they know that, in order to accomplish the task in front of them, they will need the help of others working toward the same goal."

The Cry of Mordecai By Robert Stearns

Being radical doesn't mean being stupid, but it may make you look like you are. Ha ha! Really. I find the closer and deeper I get with Jesus, the more He speaks about doing things that outside the "norm". Even the Church starts to turn their head a little bit. But it's that kind of zeal and radicalism that is going to lead an End-Time Army. It's not going to be the spectators that sit and judge what is happening in the Church Sunday morning. It's not going to be the Church that kept things "seeker-sensitive" instead of SPIRIT-SENSITIVE. It's not going to be the individual who cares more about the things in this world or is easily anxious about the burdens of life. No. It's going to be the Church that is radical in their love for Jesus. Why? Because it' the very warning Jesus gives to the Church in Matthew 24. Many hearts will grow cold and far from love because of the increase of wickedness - and thats not just wickedness in the world, that is also wickedness in the Church.

How crucial is radical love for Jesus in this hour?

It IS crucial!!! His love cries with urgency. We are able to love God because He first loved us. The love of God cries out to us, wooing us to love Him back!

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

John 2:17-19

The bigger picture IS the last hour. The "last hour" is not an actual hour. God does not live in time or space. Rather, it is an urgency to live ready for the return of Christ! We are living in the last hour because we are awaiting our Groom's return. And every day, every minute is one moment closer to His return. He has been preparing His Bride to be a part of an End-time Army for centuries. Who is so radical enough in their love for Him that they would say "YES!" We are in the hour in which we should always be living - readily awaiting the return of Christ.

But what keeps us from that disposition? It is our love for the things in the world - the desires of the flesh, the desires of our eyes (heart) and the pride of life. Even fear is a form of pride. Fear chokes us sometimes when God is ready to catapult us forward! Some times it takes an act of radical love for us to be free to live in the Spirit and be obedient no matter the cost. God will give you a revelatory gift when you choose to not love the things of the world. He will be more nearer and speaking more than ever when you give up everything else. And that is not even a fair swap at its greatest! For He truly gave up everything for us, and we could never out-give Him.

I encourage you to give Him all you got. Let's be radical in our love for Him!

Love,

Crystal

Some cross reference for look-up on the end-time hour - 2 Tim 3:1; James 5:3; 2 Pet 3:3; Jude 18

For PART 1 of Something Supernatural click here.

something supernatural (Prayer at Moriah)

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of things God is doing? I mean, I love it. I love when there's so much revelation on the table you can't stand it. I love when there is an ocean of knowledge God is unleashing. I love talking to God and knowing He is speaking back. I love feeling in love.

I was in great expectation going to Camp Moriah (Poplar Bluff, MO). For those who don't know, Mt. Moriah was where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on the altar. It's also believed to be where the first and second temple of the Lord was built. Moriah means, "God is my teacher", and "ordained by God". That, in and of itself, was so powerful to me. Yet, the Lord made it quite clear to me that "it" was not going to come how I would expect it. What was "it"? Well, to be quite honest, I didn't really know.

here's the thing.... Do you ever read the Word of God and leave baffled by the fact all of its promises and supernatural encounters are not consistently operating in your life? When I read the Word, it seriously challenges me to my core. I think a lot of the Church, along with myself, suffers from the fear of man. Truth be told, that if we believed that God was "faithful and just to perform His Word", then a lot of us would living a whole lot different. It's a wonderful thing to be a mother, meet God in my comfortable home, maybe even fellowship a little during the week with other believers, but simply, I believe God wants so much more for us. So much more! If our love for God was greater than our love for the world (acceptance, approval, being comfortable, sin), revival would probably be breaking out all across the churches of America.

I believe the "it" I was looking for WAS God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God who defeated the Philistines. The God who delivered Israel from the hand of Pharoah. The God who consumed the water on Elijah's altar and brought fire on all the prophets of Baal. The God who brought a great cloud by day, and fire by night. The God who would save Daniel in a lions' den and keep 3 men alive in a sweltering furnace. I wanted to see the God whom promised I could see Him face to face, promising even a greater glory than what Moses experienced in the wilderness. I wanted to see the God who would save my soul by sending His Son as the perfect sacrifice for my sin. The God who would fulfill every Word spoken, never to return void. The God who gives dreams and visions to mere men. The One who can make the lame walk, the blind see and the dead rise! Oh how the Word of God challenges me! Does it not you? Why don't you tear out the page between your New and Old Testament so that you can be reminded that God has not changed. That it was never intended, by God, for man to separate the two. We serve the same God. We change! But He does not. I cannot help but think I am missing God if His Word is not being performed in my life. I needed an encounter.

Here's something I learned while out in Missouri, an encounter that I so desired does not come without a cost. yeah....yeah....yeah...we've all heard it before. But when are we going to wake up to its reality? The cost is you! Its when you give up everything. You give up your being to the obedience of Jesus. It sounds lovely behind the pulpit, but trust me, your flesh will feel like its being murdered. For myself, I am aware more suffering is to come (if i want more, that is). I am thankful to be back in a real bed, using a real bathroom, having access anytime I want to a shower. But God literally plucked me from all natural means and comfortable reality to make me realize what he really desired from me. - And what the cost would be for His Glory.

TO BE CONTINUED....

i plan to share a lot more. and I really pray that those who read are not only blessed, but also provoked by the Holy Spirit to run after God. I genuinely believe that if you are reading God wants to do something supernatural in your life. I will be praying for my readers - for our pearls will not be thrown to swine.

Eviction

The other day we were standing outside Planned Parenthood. Those who are ignorant may drive by and see a facility promoting family planning. Those who have been exposed to the truth of planned parenthood see this organization from a different perspective. Standing before us was an altar of death. An altar that has sacrificed the innocent, the young, the pure, the unborn. An altar that sheds innocent blood. A blood that curses the land. For scripture makes it very clear. The shedding of innocent blood brings a curse to the land.

As we stood there we made a prophetic declaration. Planned Parenthood was receiving her eviction notice. According to the definition of eviction, eviction comes when a party breaks the law. Planned Parenthood has broken the law of God. An ordinance that has been set in place since the beginning. "Do not shed the blood of the innocent." Planned Parenthood was receiving her eviction notice that day for there is bloodshed on her hands.

Eviction also derives from the word "conquer" and "defeated." With this is mind we stood there that day with an assurance. An assurance that this alter of death within the city of Rochester would be torn down. I'm not sure how this will happen. Maybe God would supernaturally dry up the resources funding the abomination of abortion. Or maybe God would mobilize His church to take an active stance outside the facility; establishing a presence of prayer and peace.

I'm not sure how or when Planned Parenthood will come to a close, but I believe with all my heart it will. Not with acts of violence, nor through the good intentions of man. But I believe the alter of death will be torn down through God's initiative executed through His people.

-Brandon

Evoking God's Heart

Have you ever read about the persistent widow in Luke 18? I probably read it or meditate on it several times during the week. It's because I am so undone by this women's persistence to fight for justice on her behalf. She wanted legal protection, and even though the judge was not a God-fearing man, he grew weary in her prevail. Right after this story, a promise is given to us. If an unrighteous judge will bring justice to one who persists in asking, how much more will God bring justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night! Then the passage goes on saying, "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly." Sometimes I think one of the reasons we see so much injustice in the world today is because God is waiting on us. Are we really so undone and broken that we would cry out to God day and night until we see justice? Are we really sold out to God in a such a way that we would lose face, forfeit our reputation and be criticized for being super-spiritual because we authentically desire to see justice and righteousness in our own hearts? We say with our mouths we want God, but do our hearts really count that cost?

I was reading this week from Matthew and as I came upon chapter 6 is goes on and on about looking to earthly things for fulfillment. It's the "treasures" verse. We all know it. But as I was reading it this time, God began to quicken my heart. After everything is said and done He ends this way, "But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (vs. 33) It was like God was sending a reality check my way :) "Don't you see Crystal, that you will only have these things if you seek my Kingdom first!" It was like God was, once again, reminding me that I live for Him, he doesn't live for me. So many times our prayer life consists of complaints or requests, maybe even anxious thoughts. But I was beginning to see the bigger picture. Seek first the Kingdom and then those things will be of no value to you. I thought about the last time I came before God where I had no requests or anxieties. The last time I just sat with God and appreciated Him, just thanked Him and enjoyed His presence. To be quite honest, it had been awhile. Our miracles and destiny come out of relationship with God. Who wants to see their family or their husbands only on the weekend? Not me, I enjoy spending time with my husband everyday. It's the same way with God. God wants all of us, not just moments.

It's like the persistent widow. She was teaching us something about prayer. Her story is in the Bible so that we could learn how to pray. God wants us to pursue Him. He wants us to get down-right dirty in prayer. He wants us to cry out to Him day and night. I personally believe that if the Church would commit themselves to prayer, we would see an out-pouring of God's Spirit like never before. We would see justice come to unborn babies, the sanctity of marriage upheld, the ending of embryonic stem-cell research and broken homes and broken families to know the love of God. That's what prayer does, it brings access to Heaven. Persistent prayer evokes the heart of God!

If you would like to begin praying more often and want to be involved with others who do as well, I encourage you to come to the Rochester's Prayer Center all-night gathering. Their third all night prayer is March 19th @ 7PM @ Bethel Christian Fellowship and you can check it out on Facebook. RPC's vision is to begin praying together, in hope that one day there will be 24-7 prayer in the city of Rochester. This WILL only be possible if the Church of Rochester embraces it. It won't take one man, it will take the people of God. It's time we become like the persistent widow and evoke the heart of God.

belonging to the Lord

Isaiah 44:3-5, "I will pour out water on the thirsty…I will pour out my Spirit on our offspring…they will spring up like poplars by streams…one will say, 'I am the Lord's'…and another will write on his hand,

'Belonging to the Lord'…"

Whether we are struggling or at our greatest potential, He is always Lord. We usually make Him Lord when things in our life are going good, but it's even a greater challenge to make Him Lord when we are struggling.

I've been thinking a lot about this verse, "belonging to the Lord". What does it mean? What would my life look like if I lived it as if it belonged to the Lord? My thoughts toward this convicting challenge have literally shaken me. Its confronted everything I do and don't do. It confronts ever sort of reasoning I could have and every part of my being that fights against the will of the Spirit.

I felt I heard the Lord say, "Don't settle. Don't settle Crystal. - not for the American dream with the Christian stamp. don't settle for your position as wife and mother or even friend. Desire more! - because even I desire that you would know Me beyond that stewardship." I hear a lot of women say they are called to be a mother - yes...it's true, that even I have claimed those words. But God does not expect "calling" to stop there. In fact, I see that more as an entrustment than a calling. God has entrusted you with His very own, so we may lead our children to the cross and our journey may also make us more like Christ. But calling has little to do with what we do and more to do with who we are. We belong to the Lord. Since the time of Adam and Eve, our purpose was to be in relationship with God, intimately and passionately in love with our Creator and through that, reign and rule over the earth. There was no sense of defeat in that calling. It was experiencing ALL of God without any hindrances (sin). Adam and Eve had no titles. They had no ministries they headed up. They had yet to have children. They had no work they were paid for because everything was provided for them. They never distrusted God and the security of their relationship with Him (until the Fall, that is). they were glorifying God by doing nothing but enjoying Him. - connecting with Him, walking with Him. They belonged to the Lord. They were created for an audience of One and they experienced the glory of God in ways unimaginable. That's what I want. I know there's more to God than I've experienced. my journey doesn't stop with my marriage, or when I have children, or when I start a ministry, or when I get my Christian credentials or even after I experience revival. There is no means-to-an-end when pursuing God and falling in love with Him! Yet, so many of us so easily settle.

why is going to church so unattractive for even believers and nonbelievers? It's because we settle - we look no different than the rest of the world. sometimes it's not hypocrisy that keep people away from the church, sometimes its the very fact that we have nothing special to offer beyond what anyone else can have without God. People don't live in the reality that God desires to be in love relationship with everyone of us for the very purpose of bringing heaven on earth. after the cross of Christ and through His resurrection, we were given an open heaven - access to the glory of God in ways unimaginable. we can have the garden experience. It would be the very thing that would fill the void and search for Truth that we all have inside.

Do you want break-through?

I do. When I remind myself of my true calling - I become so undone...so desperate for more of God. There are no formulas for break-through. everyone's break-through will look different and come differently. I can only share what God has done with me. I offer these ideas because, for many, we want more of God but have no idea where to start.

i believe the first help in getting to know God is getting rid of religious mind sets.

Religion is like kryptonite to superman. Religion can conform the most righteous, reigning saints into mindless zombies, puppets repeating someone else's convictions they don't even understand themselves. - Developing a Supernatural Lifestyle by Kris Vallotton

religion can literally choke our relationship with God. The best way I know to beat religious games is through humility. see yourself without God. the truth - we are ragamuffins...scum. the word of God says our hearts are deceitful and filled with darkness. we are capable of nothing without Him. when we see ourselves without God, pride and arrogance within ourselves will dissolve. It's then we can make a true commitment to make God Lord of our lives. Humility gives open opportunity for God to be Himself in and through you, without the limitation of self. Humility also brings us to a place of being broken and desperate for God. God likes it when we're at that point. ("broken and contrite heart, He will not despise.." "...He gives grace to the humble...")

in your brokenness, connect with God. it's wonderful to have a set time aside to connect with God (and I recommend it), but most of us have a life filled with responsibilities. So how so we connect with God as we're going about our day? I know in our home we have ihop streamed 24-7 on our computer. it's a constant reminder to connect with God. we make praying so complicated sometimes. prayer is as easy as talking to a good friend - just open your mouth and be real and honest with God. it's the best place to start. if you don't have access to the ihop stream, try playing 24-7 worship on a CD player in your home. But remember, the worship playing is only a tool. it's used as a reminder to connect with God - it doesn't do it for you. I know a lot of people who play worship all day, but never connect with God. it has to be purposed. i am constantly implementing the Lord into the things about my day. "...Lord, give me grace...Lord, help me be patient...Lord, how should I discipline Abigail?... Lord, you are good...Lord, give me strength to clean my house before Brandon gets home...restore energy in my lack of sleep, Lord...more of you, Lord..." Learning to pray can come as easy as breathing, but in the beginning it starts as a discipline.

these are just some ideas to jump-start break-through. i know there is also much more involved when over-coming certain obstacles. i could go on and on about how insecurities and fear of man keep us from entering into God's destiny for our lives. but i believe as we connect more with God, those fears have less of a hold because the faithfulness, His promises and experiences with God become more of a sobering truth.

walking with God

i was starring at a portrait of my family on my wall this morning and began to be filled with gratitude for them. i have a beautiful family - a wonderful husband, beautiful daughter, one of the way. It made me start thinking about my life. i have a good job. I'm self-sufficient. I'm not in crisis. i am able to live pretty comfortably. i have a lot of friends. from the outside, I probably look like i've accomplished what most Americans want, and, what most individuals desire - happiness. It's the thought of being loved and accepted, married with children, owning a home and being able to pay your bills. The ideal life that so many of us aspire to live for. what's next when it's attained?

Well, for many of us, it's bigger aspirations, bigger toys, bigger plans and dreams. But even in our endeavors to find happiness - I find the majority of people who attain all that the American dream offers are never ever happy or satisfied - with their identity, with their lives, with themselves. There's always something bigger and better. I believe the reason we are truly never satisfied is because the "bigger and better" lies in a void that can not be filled with anything that this world offers. It can only come from God Himself. If we are missing our true cause and purpose in this life - walking this journey in relationship with God - then we will never truly be satisfied with the life we are living. there will always be a void felt...and a striving in our souls that will never feel filled. Walking with God challenges us to not rely on ourselves anymore. It allows us to let go and life be what it is. I believe thats why 1 Timothy says, "godliness with contentment is great gain..." Without relationship with God we become discontent because our focus is on the issues of this world. We exhaust ourselves with the thoughts of getting married, having money, building a family, buying a house, what to wear, how we look, what people think, and the list goes on and on. But as we learn to walk with God, peace and contentment comes in the mist of a loud world of worries and aspirations. I'm not saying never dream. Dream big! Because its in walking with God that dreams seem possible. Its where aspirations turn to reality. Its where we stop striving and allow God to be God. This is where I'm at. This is where I want to be. Everyday is another day to choose to walk it with God. It's the road less traveled, but its the better way. it's the only way.

Mastering Temptation: A Spiritual Detox

Today I want to share on the importance of prayer and fasting. I know some immediately may think, "oh no, here we go again...." or "just another thing I can't seem to get..." "blah, blah. blah, BLAH!" But, you may not have heard about praying and fasting in the context that I am about to share.

It's interesting to me that some of the self-control we can exhibit to enhance our well-being and health can be experienced in some of the most basic and foundational spiritual disciplines laid out in the Word of God. Here in this blog I want to focus more on the aspect of fasting, BUT my warning in doing that is that you would not forget the aspect of prayer. Communion with God is the very thing that makes fasting fruitful and take a long-term affect on who we are as a person. Without them working together, fasting will be no more than a religious, dead sacrifice of starving yourself. Your motivation to fast should never be to lose weight, but to engage at greater levels with the Lord. With that said, I believe fasting can be a great way of empowerment through addictions and bringing about breakthrough in anything we desire. What better way to break the addiction to food than to fast from it?

I am convinced, with all the detox diets out there, that a fast of pure liquids is probably got to be the best. It's the best antioxidant, blood-thinning, colon-cleansing, energizing, body cleansing detox diet I have tried....and the best part about it.....it heightens my awareness of God at the same time. There is reason God asked us to fast AND pray together. It would be good for us, not only spiritually, but physically. Long life awaits in exercising a lifestyle of prayer and fasting.

There are many stories and verses in the Bible about prayer and fasting, but the one I want to look at together is in Matthew 6:16-24 NKJ

"¹⁶Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also²² “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!²⁴ “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Fasting from food gives us opportunity to find where are treasure really is. A lot of us have no idea when we eat out of boredom or out of stress. It's when we fast that, rather than turn to food for comfort, we can turn to prayer. Food is not our master, so its time that we master our temptations. You can not start to learn how to live and eat healthy if our temptations for junk food aren't mastered.

The reason I wanted to talk about prayer and fasting before I get into the specifics on enhancing a healthy lifestyle is because its where God had me begin in my personal journey. I was only a couple months into eating healthy (this was in 2005) when I felt like the Lord prompted me into a fast from all solids for 30 days. Along with two other friends who joined me (in which I highly recommend if you ever feel God calling you to a long fast), we began to use our meal times to pray with one another and for each other. I had NO IDEA what this fast would call of me....and it was extremely difficult, but God showed up all the way through it. I had never thought for a moment I would make it, but with the grace of God....all three of us did and it was an experience we will never forget. What I didn't realize until the end of the fast was that God used it to jump-start my desire for health even far beyond what I desired before the fast. I had absolutely no desire to eat junk after the fast and I certainly couldn't stomach it. God had literally answered my prayers for change when He called me to fast for those 30 days.

Now, I am not saying at all that you need to fast for 30 days, but I use that example to inspire you to begin to fast and pray. Whether its from one meal or just for one day. Romans 12 talks about presenting your bodies to the Lord as a living and holy sacrifice, which is a spiritual service of worship! The rest of the world may not understand your choices for food from here on out, but thats ok because God asked us to not be conformed to the world. Even in what we eat and what we choose to put into our bodies can be worship to God. Allow you and the Lord to walk together in this spiritual journey to good health and long life! The body is the Lord's! (1 Cor. 6:12-20)

A video from my church on fasting: elimgospel.org

Why We Fast from EGC on Vimeo.