For 2010

Robert Ricciardelli:

Observations and Ponderings 

For 2010

I love to ponder the possibilities and creative ways we can please God and serve others. I love to reflect on how things are, and "what if" we changed them. How can we further align ourselves toward His Most Excellent Ways? We only know in part, so it is always good to check what we think we know often.

These observations and ponderings can be purposeful to challenge existing paradigms, while firming up Kingdom foundations. Many of these are happening all around us, but what if they were not just the exception, but were consistently happening? What will Father do as His children grow up in becoming more like Him? My prayers are to continually stimulate possibility thoughts towards ways that bring forth His Kingdom through our lives.

Here are my Observations and Ponderings as we move into 2010:

Pray for our leaders rather than complain about who we have or don't have in office. God is on the throne and will have His way, regardless of who is in office and we are called to pray for His will and for His purposes to be accomplished for our nation.

Give to Caesar (government) what is Caesar's, and give to God what is His, which are our very lives. Jesus was consumed with His Father's Kingdom being brought to the earth; we must focus on that rather than political processes, and give that burden to Him. Do what you are called to do, and leave the rest to Him.

May the Lord begin to raise up new leaders who will stand for righteousness in the realms of government—for the Daniels and the Josephs to be raised up and take their place in leading nations with Father's influence, presence, and wisdom in governmental offices.

Father is shaking all foundations that are not built upon the Rock of Himself. How are we responding to the shaking all around us?

Be active in using what we do have, and quit wasting time worrying about what we don't have.

We will not fear any longer, we will not fear life or death, because we are in His hands.

"Stop it, just stop it" in our negative thought patterns. "Stop it, just stop it" thinking that way, in Jesus name!

We must understand and activate true repentance in every area of our lives; truly turn away instead of just feeling sorry for our patterns of sin.

We must forgive every wrong committed against us in the past and more swiftly in the days ahead.

Let's allow His presence to eradicate bitterness from the depths of our souls.

We must understand and apply His freedom from every deliberate and unintentional wounds from our past.

Choose to never live as a victim again, because the revelation of Christ and His grace suffices daily for us. Live as a victor and flee from the victim mindset.

Forgive ourselves, and move on past the shame simply because Jesus has forgiven us, and His work in forgiveness is complete.

We will accept and believe with all of our heart, soul, and mind that Jesus loves us, accepts us, and is for us, every moment of every day.

HE ACCEPTS US AS WE ARE to the point that it overwhelms the fact that we do not accept ourselves sometimes. You are growing but you are also complete in Him NOW.

We will live the way of the Cross, knowing persecution and trials will come. We will die more to self, because it is the narrow way He asked us to follow.

As we die to self more, Christ lives through us more, and every single need will be met as our joy is made complete in Him.

Rest in who we are in Christ, rather than running around doing activities He never called us to do. Being rather than doing!

God loves us, and it has nothing to do with our past, or our future performances. Rest in Him daily!

Pastors and leadership teams around the world need to train and release every member of their church into the ministry that the Lord has called them to. This training and releasing goes beyond the four walls of organized church.

Citywide transformation can begin to take place when each individual realizes his or her purpose and calling, and is released to fulfill it in everyday life.

We need to pick up our mats and walk in obedience after the Lord's deliverance, rather than come back for prayer and healing for the same things week after week.

God's true leaders will seek to always serve beyond ever having to be served. Leaders will train and lead others in the vision God has for them as individuals, and trust the Holy Spirit to move on them to support community or corporate vision. Faith must arise in leaders.

The Lord owns everything we have and asks us to steward everything He has given us. We must ask Him how much to give and to where, always willing to give 100% if He were to ask that of us.

The orphan spirit in many is looking for fathers who will love them, and disciple them to their Heavenly Father. The Father's heart will rise up, and we will begin to see kingly and priestly fathers in the order of Melchizedek, in the ways of Christ.

Children of God must understand and operate more fully in the authority that Jesus Christ sacrificed for them to have. It is He that performs it through their lives.

Kingdomized people will continue to bring godly influence and leadership to all the gates of the city. Kings and priests of God need to lead by serving in His wisdom and strength in government, business, healthcare, media, law, and educational jurisdictions of our cities.

Every Believer must not settle in how they view themselves, while ever seeking the Father to know the full potential of what He sees in them.

Let's accept others and the blessing that they are, rather than being offended by them in their differences.

Choose to see the good in people, pray for the rest in them, and love them regardless, whether or not they change in the ways we think they should. Believe for the best in others.

We must be willing to serve in every phase of our lives rather than being served.

Every Believer must understand the eternal process they are in, and walk without judgment beside those not as far along in the process.

We look at many things as realities that are not. As more exposure comes to false realities, the more we can live in the reality of His eternal Kingdom.

Choose to have an unoffendable heart. When offenses come, let go of them quickly.

Forgive in every situation, and not only because the Father said He would not forgive you unless you forgive, but because it is in your heart to love in that way.

Be excited about the uniqueness of each other's differences, and the value of each expression of God's people.

Spiritual Fathers should have a heart of giving to their spiritual sons that surpass any thoughts of what they would receive in return.

Shepherds (pastors), must be willing to run after the few of the flock that have been hurt, isolated and in need of life-giving expressions of our Savior's love.

God's people should pray and communicate intimately with the Father on a daily basis. Daily, let's be gathering both missionally and relationally in homes, coffee shops, and businesses.

We must live each day as it is our last day, and continue to build each day for a better tomorrow for future generations.

Live and move and have your being in the Holy Spirit, 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week. Oh what a standard to move towards.

Receive every word or deed with the Father's eyes and with His heart. Then Father can also engage you in a response to life and bring forth words and deeds that bring life to others, and bring Him glory.

We must seek to trash every idol in our life to be free in serving effectively in the army of our Lord. The greatest idol that we battle is the idol called "self", continue to lay down self and become selfless in our pursuit of Christ and His Kingdom.

Believers must realize that their obedience to all that they do each day is ministry to God and His kingdom.

Housewives' and mothers are in a valuable full-time ministry in keeping the home, and raising the next generation in the pursuit of the will of God.

People of God need to see more fully the ministry the Lord is doing through His daughters. There is a need for further freedom from limited mindsets regarding the Father's potential and ministry in women. Women have no limits in what the Lord may call them to do, and people must not get in the way of God's desire for them.

The Kingdom of God is beyond race, gender, or age, but is a diversity of expression in His glorious Kingdom. In the Kingdom male, female, Greek, and Jew can work together in the fullness and likeness of Christ.

Business owners and all workers must realize that in Christ, they are full-time ministers in their calling. For the business owner, people are their greatest resource and they can be an effective pastor for their businesses.

Those in business should look at co-workers, vendors, and customers, as potentially part of their household of faith, or sphere of godly influence. Christian business owners can look at their businesses as an impact for the community. Churches, homes, businesses, are redeemed and moving in God's glory throughout the community.

God speaks in relevance for today beyond the written word in alignment of the written word. In other words, many services and ways that the Father has given us stewardship over are beyond Biblical context, but will be in alignment with the Word of God contextualized for today.

So many are operating in the prophetic, as we are a prophetic people. But we are people that can be subjective. Therefore we must find godly ways to enhance prophetic accountability.

The earth continues to be filled with the glory of the Lord and He is just waiting for more of us to get involved.

True wealth is measured in what you give away, and not what you keep.

Love as He loves, speak as He speaks, and do what He does, and we can change the world.

Your opinions are okay, because they are your opinions. It would be nice to be loved regardless of how different we all perceive life.

Appreciate the different cultures and expressions in God's Kingdom, regardless if you understand them, or fancy them.

Understand the commandment to love. Choose to love, even if you do not feel the return of love from others.

Our prayer is that many of these become realities in people's lives, enabling them to go out and make a bigger Kingdom difference.

Robert Ricciardelli 

Visionary Advancement Strategies 

Email: Robert@vision2advance.com 

Website: www.vision2advance.com