In an hour when so many voices vie for our attention and their words seek passage through our minds, it is the wise man who acknowledges his need of discernment.  Solomon admonishes us in Proverbs to “preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck” (Prov. 3:21-22).  In this sense, discernment is directly related to Biblical wisdom.  It is the “insight to see things as they are from God’s perspective.”

In our daily lives, there are countless things that compete for our attention.  We are constantly making decisions between competing duties, competing character issues, and competing goals.   As often as not, the choice is not between good and bad, but between good and better.  It is the attribute of discernment that helps us to see through the issues to what God would have us do at any given moment in our day.

In our day and age, discernment for daily living is a necessity.  The Words of Jesus teach us to think God’s thoughts in relation to the world and see things through His worldview.  Such a worldview often means that we will be going against the grain not only with those outside the Kingdom of God, but even with those who lack discernment within the Kingdom.  It is to this end that Paul admonishes us “that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:9-11).

Dear Friends,

I have been privileged to coach several young leaders who are all on a journey of revolution by way of introspection.  The Holy Spirit is illuminating vacuums, voids, chasms and courses that must be filled with a new sense of passion for the accomplished will of God.  As a result, at this juncture in the journey, we find ourselves walking a season of transparency and brutal honesty.

We have enjoyed a recalibration of purpose!  A purpose that is baleful with promise.  Yet, we have rediscovered that purpose alone is not enough; we must be purpose-accomplished.

Jesus never judged anyone by their words or efforts, but, like a tree, Jesus judges by the “fruit” that our lives produce. 

We definitely want to be “mission-driven,” but more important, we want to achieve “mission accomplished.”

I have risen early this morning, with a sense of anticipation overwhelming my steps.  The rhythm and sync to my morning has been invaded by a deep longing to hear His tender voice and fellowship His radiant glory.  To be touched by Him is the elixir of encounter.  To be near Him, is the privilege of a son.

Today, on this Father’s Day, may every one of us sit at His feet and hear Him tell again, of the wondrous provisions that His love has provided for us.  To celebrate an earthly father’s tender care and visit his beautiful memories is indeed a cherished moment for any loving and appreciative son or daughter.  How much more joy is there in knowing, fellowshipping and loving our Heavenly Father who has granted unto us perennial blessings that lead us into His everlasting, eternal life!

To you, Happy Father’s day!  I trust each of you are crowned with the delights found in near fellowship to your Heavenly Father.  Proximity does hold a special blessing!  Egypt may offer its pleasures of sin for a season, but in the Father’s House, the provision’s of inexhaustible love and the favor of His “present” grace crown each morning.

That powerful statement was made by Steven Scott while discussing the psychology of verbal abuse.  Too many folk are living life out of control, because they have not dealt with the critical issues that are sub-surface.  It is those issues, which by the way, have more often than not been placed within the framework of our life through words.  Verbal addresses spoken into our spirits often wreak unfathomable damage.

Let me explain. When a person is focused on the illusion of life, the reality of our lives remains unchanged and thus, festers in anger and resentment until all sense of our “true” realities are skewed.  We exist in a world where the undercurrent of discontentment, frustration, stress, disappointment and failure collide upon our psychological shores until we lose our own identity.  Our creativity, productivity, and sense of achievement are limited, and our sense of fulfillment and happiness is compromised.

A mirage will never give you a drop of water.  The illusions of our daily lives are similar, because we behave as if they reflect reality.   Steven went on to tell of his boss who, when he fired Steven, said to him – "Steven, you are the single greatest disappointment in my entire career – you will never succeed in marketing. You’ve got twenty minutes to clean out your desk!”  Since this man was the Senior Vice President of Marketing, Steven believed him.  He accepted his judgment of his capabilities and his person.  In other words, the boss’s illusion became Steven’s belief.  Steven would go on to fail at seven more jobs before he learned how to break free from the illusion that was spoken into his life.  Steven has gone on to achieve extraordinary success but he didn’t do so until he learned how to live in his reality, not someone else’s illusion (judgment).

Today was a great Kingdom day for me personally.  I have joined a select fraternity of brothers, bound by blood and oath.  Wait a minute, before you click off, listen to me. I know that this may sound far out to some, but permit me to explain.

I Samuel 16 tells of a story of two young men who gave themselves to one another in oath!  Brothers band together by blood and purpose.  A friend of mine suggested that David and Jonathan enjoyed a unique relationship because they valued their friendship and brotherly love more than their own welfare.  They committed themselves to each other even if that commitment called for personal injury. 

Today, I found myself in the company of dear friends and before the hour hand struck midnight, I had pledged an oath of brotherly love and mutual accountability with four of my dearest friends, brothers by the blood of Jesus and the words of our lives. We pledge to walk together with each other.  We pledged to share with each other our deepest longings, our most grievous experiences, our greatest fears and most wonder-filled, faith-driven aspirations.