These signs shall follow…

I have been going out and praying for the sick, casting out devils and preaching the kingdom of God. This is something new that I just started doing, because this is what Jesus instructed us to do. I have seen some great results so far! I encourage you all to keep hungering after God, because I do believe He wants to use you in these last days. I believe we are coming near to the end of things, so what an honor it is that God called us worthy to be alive in this day and age. He has a call and a purpose for you, I encourage you, rise up, seek God whole heartedly so that you will be positioned to be used mightily for the kingdom of God! Here is a short video I made of just my first couple days of stepping out to be a witness in the streets of Milwaukee WI.

I recently started a new ministry for this, would love for you to go like and follow my story http://www.facebook.com/wakemycitymovement

The End Is Near

‘Wake My City Movement’ –

Be aware that there is good and there is evil, and you are either for one or for the other. The devil will disguise himself as an angel of light, he will disguise himself as a good cause, but really it is working against Jesus and the salvation He wants for us.

Please Subscribe so we can connect and stay in touch. This is just something I had on my heart with all that is going on in the world. I hope it speaks to you! Share with your friends and family
love Jon

We are at a day in age where idols and so called super stars are leading a generation. But where are they leading them, they lead them to love evil more than good, they lead them to love self more than God, they lead them to wage wars against what God stands for, they disguise themselves as fighting for freedom, for fighting for love, but how does hate and segregation lead to love
They lead them down a broad road that leads to destruction, but listen, the message is evil disguised as good. Be discerning of the times, be discerning by what spirit you speak from. Dig deeper than the shallow message that hollywood and media put out there. There is good and there is evil, there is truth and there is an ultimate line, an ultimate choosing. Eternity is at hand and this life, this day you choose.

I would love to encourage your Christian walk and faith and take this journey with you! Be blessed!

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The Struggle is Real

The Hopeless Christian

A lot of times in life we have our peaks and we have our valleys. We have our times when nothing could seem to go better and we have our times when we struggle with doubt, questions, and a feeling of inadequacy. We find ourselves wondering is there hope in this seemingly hopeless situation. Is there a light at the end of this dark tunnel that I am going through right now? Isn’t being a Christian supposed to be easy, supposed to make everything better?

Here are a couple things to remember when you are going through a hard time.

1. Jesus had told us you will have trials and tribulations in this world, but he said take heart because he has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

– Yes we have things that happen in life to us, that don’t make sense. Some times things just happen, sometimes you make bad decisions for your life, some times you remove yourself from light, sometimes there may be an attack on your life because the devil wants to steal your joy, kill your ambition for spreading God’s kingdom and salvation, and destroy your opportunity at a life full of peace. But when we learn that with God we too are more than conquerors. God gives us the tools we need – His Spirit, His Word and Faith and the local church a community of believers to help encourage you – to be an overcomer. It is up to us to decide to put ourselves in better situations, even if it takes you out of your preconceived comfort zone.

2. God gives us direction in how to leave a life of anxiety and worry behind us and its so deep yet so simple. #TRUST

-It’s so easy to try and create our own path in life. To take matters into our own hands, as if we have it all together.

– Proverbs 3:5,6 ” Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.”

He tells us to seek his will, to seek him first, to trust in Him and in that trust comes our path in life to take. It can be a very hard thing to do, because with that comes patience on our part. In this day and age, we want everything to happen right now. I feel ya on that one, it can be hard, but just TRUST that God has a plan and when we put him first, you have him working things out for you better than you could have even imagined. That trust leads you step by step, he doesn’t show you the end right away, because obedience and trust in him are key to pleasing him by faith. With out faith it is impossible to please God.

-Phil 4:4-8 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

He tells us to lose the worry and pray to him about it and begin thanking him for your answer to your prayer and thank him for everything good in your life now and that he has already done and is going to do, that is where you find peace, is in his presence, is in your TRUST in him. He gives us simple instruction to clear your mind of negativity and focus on him and his attributes, and to TRUST him.

I’m sure that we have all been there. We lose sight, we get bored, we let ourselves think maybe we screwed up to big this time and God won’t and can’t use me anymore, we’ve given God 6 months of our life and we think everything is supposed to be awesome now but they haven’t changed enough so we quit. These are just a few things, among many others, that can hinder us from living a life filled with hope and with peace. I have been to the valley and I have been living life to the happiest, I can tell you one thing. You don’t have to have everything in your life be perfect, you don’t have to be a millionaire to find peace and happiness. That one true peace and hopefulness, that life of complete faith and TRUST in God is where that guaranteed truest of forms of peace and happiness come from. When we learn to put God first, and for real, not just I go to church, but put God first for real, when you wake up to conversations with him, you pop in a worship album and sing to him, you study his word and think on it, there my friend is where true peace, joy and hope for a better life come from.

I challenge myself and all of us to learn to trust God and that his plan and his time for your life are better than life without God and they are better than your own plan for your life. Let’s seek him first in all that we do and He will use us to change the people and the world around us! God bless, love yall, been a while – Jon

Christian Hypocrites?

To those who look at christians and won’t have anything to do with them or church because they think we are all a bunch of hypocrites. It’s true, no one is perfect and does everything they say they will, christians and non-believers alike. That is humanity, we all don’t measure up to the standard, but that is what the gospel is all about. Jesus meeting us where we are at and lifting us up with his grace, mercy, love, forgiveness and hope. Don’t use that as an excuse to not believe or to not go to church. People aren’t perfect and christians alike are still trying to get it together too, we all have ups and downs, but God in his faithfulness will stay true to you. Look and trust in Jesus’ faithfulness rather than trusting in what other “christians” are acting like. Look and trust in God’s word and love, rather than judging God by imperfect people. Don’t use the excuse I won’t go to church because there are hypocrites there, since when did that become a real thing, I’m sure you don’t say I’m not going to the bar, because there are hypocrites there, I’m not going to the mall to shop because there are hypocrites there. A word to you is to look to Jesus and not the christian person, because just like you, we fail, we fall, we make mistakes, we don’t act as we should all the time, we could never be perfect, but Jesus has come to be the link between us and God, come to give freely salvation to those who ask from him forgiveness and grace for this life.

As christians, when we fall, get back up again and trust God as we endure life and hardships, he will be your grace and strength in your weakness. The Bible even says the righteous will fall seven times daily but he will get back up again. He will keep moving forward toward Jesus. It doesn’t mean you go screwing up on purpose, but it means when you do, you get back up and keep your gaze on Jesus above all else.

One Church

I am here to talk to you today about working together in Unity. We as brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ need to realize that we are one people with one purpose, to share the love of Jesus with the world and to glorify him. To many times in the body of Christ, believers and Christians tear each other down. Whether it be gossip, rumors, talking down to or about one another does no good, but just causes strife, pain, and hurt emotionally and spiritually. Sure we may have our differences in style, age, personality etc. but that does not give us the excuse to patronize one another. We as believers may be part of different denominations, but the truth is, there are born again Jesus followers in most likely every one of them. Some of us may “know” more than others, some of us may be better servants than others, some of us may be baby Christians and some of us may be mature Christians. My whole point is that we as a universal body of believers need to, forgive me for the cliche, need to just get a long more. What do you think could happen if believers came together to spread the love of Jesus, rather than wasting their time trying to tear each other down. I think a lot more would be accomplished for the cause of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 “12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

Ephesians 4:1-3 ” As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Romans 14:19 “So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.”

My challenge to you today is to look for the good in people. Look for the good in your fellow believers. Remember that they are your brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ and how you treat them is how you treat him. Yes you may have messed up and treated people horribly in life up until now, but God is a God of forgiveness and mercy. Confess it to him and repent and begin to turn your life around. He wants you to, don’t feel so ashamed that you think you can’t go to him for his love and mercy are far more than we can imagine. Treat others well!

Keep Standing

A lot of times people have faith enough to get things going and to follow God right off the bat and for a while, but then we lose faith when we begin to not see results right away. But when u r believing for something that God has told u to believe for I encourage u to keep standing in faith and putting your hand to it, if God said it then u will be so blessed when u see the outcome. Stand strong through the circumstances or when things seem stagnant because God is working it out. I heard it said that people quit digging 3 feet before they reach gold. Dont quit, stand strong and keep pressing towards God and your vision. God will work it out.

Promise, Process, Payoff. Not all of God’s promises come instantly when we pray. We see God’s promises in the Bible and what he did for others, We begin a process of standing on God’s word in faith (do not let your faith go, but believe beyond what circumstances and what you can see that God’s word is true), and in God’s timing you will see the payoff for why God did it in His timing and not your own. #Trust #Faith

life so aware

Hey guys, I want to talk to you today about living a life that is consciously aware of God’s presence in our lives. It is kinda what I named my blog after. It is really easy in life to live every day chasing dreams, watching tv, spending time with friends and family, etc. But something that we need to realize is that God’s presence is with us, God is with us every second of every day. He will never leave us or forsake us. We need to make a conscious effort to be aware that he is there. Talk with him, ask him for guidance, praise him, thank him, these are all things that we can do on a consistent basis even when we are busy running errands and facing the trials of the day at hand. We can choose to walk life with God, and to include him in our everyday decisions and learn to dwell in his presence. When we are aware of God’s presence with us constantly, it will give us the strength to overcome temptations, it will give us the faith to make hard decisions, it will give us the trust that God will get us through it, it will give us the peace that God is working for the good of those who love him, it will give us the belief that miracles are not to far fetched. God is with you! How amazing and awesome is that!?!? When we learn to be aware that God is with us we can be encouraged in life in all areas. When we learn to be aware that God is with us, eternal things become more important than the little let downs that life can bring. If God is for us, who can be against us? Learn to live a life so aware.

John 15:4 “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

1 Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”

God is with us and in us! His presence is all around us! Learn to be aware of the little things and the details that God works in your life and be thankful. Also be aware of the big miracles in your life and answered prayer. Be aware that God is with you when you face trouble, God is with you in every present moment, spend time with him and let him in on every occasion.

My challenge to you today is to make the effort to be consciously aware that God is with you always. Trust in him, cling to him, have faith in him, be thankful to him, love him, be obedient to him, be aware of him!

live and learn

So at the end of 2012, I want to talk to you today about reflection. Not getting down on yourself about all the failures, mistakes, or shortcomings of the year. But about looking at the past year reflecting on it, taking it in and learning from it. Something that I always say as a joke, but also very true is that “You live and you learn”. You mess up once, understandable, but take that experience and learn from it. Learn not to make the same mistakes over and over again. Really apply yourself, your will, and the strength and grace we have to overcome from the Holy Spirit to not making the same mistakes over and over again. Just like in life, when you overdraft by using your bank card when you don’t have any money, you learn not to do it again, or you get kicked in the hinder with a overdraft fee. A lot of times it is easy to get down on ourselves when trying to live this awesome Christian life for God and we screw it up by some sort of sin or mistakes, but since you made the mistake, go to God to ask forgiveness and he will give you a fresh start. Not only that, but you now have an experience in your life to learn from. Remember, God’s mercies are new every morning. He is always there to run to and to forgive any time we screw up (that’s not an excuse to sin, that would be another story, his grace isn’t a license to sin, but his grace is there to make us strong and to overcome.) This is a great time to reflect on the past year and learn from our mistakes and shortcomings and make the decision to change some things around whether that be overcoming an addiction, setting priorities straight, or just simply making more time for God and his call on your life. Yes, forgive yourself for your mishaps, but learn from them to not do them again. Ask God for grace and strength to keep strong and in pursuit of him. Know that when you do mess up, not to run from him further into darkness and sin, but run to him for he is there with open arms to receive you and love you and direct you.

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”

Phillipians 3:13 “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,”

Forget the sins the you have committed, don’t dwell on them and let them drag you down, instead, you have learned from your mistakes, now strive forward towards God and keep your eyes on him. We all have a past, maybe even the past year that we want to forget, and we can do just that, give it to God and let his mercies cleanse you and make you clean, now that you are clean, run towards God and his plan for your life.

My challenge to you today is to reflect on what you have learned from life’s experiences this past year and declare this new year a time of dedication to God and his plan for your life. You have learned you can’t always do things on your own, you need God leading the way. You have learned that certain sins lead to certain results, but with God’s help we can over come that sin. You have learned that you feel emptier inside, because you haven’t given God the time of day when it comes to spending time with him and you aren’t pursuing his call in your life, so set aside that time daily to spend with him and follow where he leads. I challenge you to learn from this past year and decide what is right for you this year as it pertains to God and his calling and desire for you!

Learning to Learn Again

Today I am going to talk to you about being aware that we are human and we are imperfect. We are people who may think we have it all figured out, yet everyday we are learning something new. Some of us get stuck in a rut, stuck in our ways of life without any question of “Who am I, Who is God, What does God want from me, What in my life isn’t working out quite right, How can I be a better person, Does God require a change in my life, Does God require a change in the way I think, Am I going anywhere, Is this all there is, What can I do better”, and so on and so on. Ask yourself “Do I think I have this all figured out?”. Do you find yourself being hard as a rock in what you believe, how you act, in where you are going in life or do you let yourself be led by God’s spirit and let God correct you and let the Spirit teach you.

Isaiah 64:8 “And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”

I believe that yes we are to stand firm in what we believe in, but we are also to realize that we may not know it all, because believe me none of us know it all. If you think you know it all, bravo for having all of life and the deepest depths of God and his word all figured out. The truth is, if we are sincere people, we know that we are sooooo far from having it all figured out, but we are always seeking God and his ways and listening to his voice and what he truly wants from us. We are to be clay and to let God mold us daily into what he wants. Let your heart be receptive to God and to his voice. Learn to understand that there are things in your life that God may want to mold, but if you are as stubborn as a rock, you refuse to be changed by God in that area of your life. You may be older in years in life and think you have seen all there is to see and you absolutely “KNOW” what God’s word says so you refuse to believe God may have some corrections for you in your life, and when you refuse to even think that there is a possibility you are wrong, you are going to stay stuck and be stagnant, not bearing any fruit for God.

“I know one thing, that I know nothing.”   -Socrates

A good saying, We are mere flawed, imperfect human beings. Who are we to think we know it all. Yes we should be striving everyday to learn to know God and his ways more. We should be learning to learn and relearn and become clay and let God shape us. We need to not be that stubborn hard as a rock person set in their ways, because that leaves no room for God’s spiritual growth in your life, or growth in your relationship with God, or growth in God’s call for your life.

James 4:6 “…God opposes the proud
but favors the humble.”

If you have that pride in your life, that know it all mentality, God opposes that. God can’t work with you or on you, if you refuse to humble your ego and humble yourself. It may be a tough thing for us to admit, maybe I am wrong, or maybe I don’t know it all, but trust me it is better than being stuck in a rut your whole life, never growing or going anywhere. Let go of your pride and humble yourself. Learn to be humble and sensitive to God’s voice in your life. Learn to understand that correction in your life or how you think everything is supposed to be is a good thing, it is a “God thing”. God wants us to be humble, so that we can learn and grow and so that he can mold us or help us if we need it. Learn to self-evaluate and ask yourself the questions we said in the first paragraph, to see if there are things God may want to shape into your life.

My challenge for you today is to do just that. Ask yourself, have I been so prideful in what I believe, in how I act, in how I treat others that this is not what God truly wants from me. Have I been the type of person that God can teach or do I think I have it all figured out? I challenge you to put your pride down and humble yourself and to sincerely look to God in prayer and ask him what can I change, how do you want to mold me and what do you want to shape differently in me today? And then when you hear God’s voice, humble yourself and walk in the light of his word and his voice.