MOST COMMON OBSTACLES TO INDIVIDUALS

I have been asked by some readers to make some comments of most “common obstacles to people and cities”. I think those are two separate questions actually that require two different responses, though over lapping, of course. Therefore, I am going to give a stab at the first part of the question as it pertains to Most Common Obstacles to Individuals.

Wow – where do I begin with this! Yikes, I could write a book on this subject! But I am going to keep this brief and only hit a few of the major issues that confront us in our growth and maturation process in God.

NOT LIVING FROM THE HEART

Honestly speaking, most people do not really live from the heart. They tend of live from the soulish arena of life – knowledge, stored emotions and memories, projecting their future from their past, facts and information etc. They have half-baked hearts and over active souls. This is why every year I take a time to ask the Holy Spirit to soften my heart…

Perhaps this is why the writer of Proverbs says, “Lean not on your own understanding (soulish interpretation), but in ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path (steps, direction etc.)”. This is also why Jesus answered His disciples that the greatest commandment dealt with the HEART first: LOVE the Lord You God with ALL your HEART (then comes the soul and strength) and loving others from the HEART.

So, in all reality – it is a LOVE WAR of the HEART. Winners with God are HEART people FIRST – successful people in the world might be strong in the soul and mind but really miss out of what really matters.

So, live each day from the HEART – Learn to Love!

NEXT, FORGIVE AS A LIFESTYLE!

More heart stuff. Yep! The disciples came to Jesus and asked Him for many times do they have to forgive their brother. Note: they did not pose the question about their enemies; it was their brother (those closest to you). Jesus said something like – until it is done and over with (7 times 70).

The lack of forgiveness keeps us in bondage. We are the ones who are kept in jail. We are the ones that end up with locked up emotions. Where unforgiveness is present, it breeds an offspring of many other alien forces – judgments, strong opinions, criticism, negativity, even certain illnesses.

But forgiveness does not start when you feel like it. In fact, if you wait till they deserve it or you feel like it – it will never happen. It begins with an act of the will, surrendering the people and circumstances to the Lord and asking Him to cleanse you and heal your own broken heart, mind and emotions.  I also recommend pronouncing a blessing for others as well. Greater is the power of the blessing than the power of the curse. (See my book Deliverance from Darkness for a whole chapter on that subject.)

So the opposite of this is be Blessed to Be a BLESSING instead!

DON’T LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER!

Many years ago, when I was more of a singer than a preacher, I used to sing John Denver’s song; Sunshine on My Shoulders Makes Me Happy!  I really did – that a few other good ones like Bridge Over Troubled Waters and many others. I loved it. But there is a principle here.

Jesus said that if you looked over your shoulder, you were not fit for the Kingdom. I think we all need to take our rear view mirrors off our lives for a while. Regret has historically been one of my worst enemies. Living with the “if only’s” hanging around my head. If only I had done this. If only I had done this better. If I could only relive my yesterday. No – stop it! (Wow! I got a little intense on that point.)

Stop living life from the rear view mirror! Jesus said to look straight ahead!

The best has not passed you by! I make myself say out loud, “THE BEST IS YET TO COME!” So I am working on this one a lot myself these days. Sonshine on my shoulders really does make me happy.

Remember, yesterday’s dream about your tomorrow is your today’s opportunity. Live today as it counts. Be present tense. Find God in the little things. Don’t look over your shoulder. SMILE at the future.

Okay – there are a lot more keys like worship, community, giving and others. But these three for now – rose to the surface as I sat down to write and muse about what really matters. Live from the Heart; Forgive as a Lifestyle and Do Not Look Over Your Shoulder! Hope this helped some!

Speaking Words of Wisdom!

James W. Goll

MY FAVORITE CITY ON EARTH

Greetings to You Far and Wide!

I am composing this from favorite city on the earth: Prague, Czech Republic. Why do I say this? Because of it's amazing beauty, it's amazing history, and my personal history. Let me give you a look into the personal history.

In 1990, right after communism had lifted, I came here on my first momentous trip with Mahesh Chavda. The favor of the Lord rested on those amazing gatherings. Mahesh did evening healing meetings and I would share in the day time on intercession. The leaders did not know I was coming. They told Mahesh that they want to meet one of the "Kansas City Prophets". Mahesh told them - "He is one!" They took three steps back and thought I could tell them everything they had ever done! It is quietly hilarious and a divine set up. Favor and Fear were instantly granted!

This in turn led to a very significant and consistent time of ministry in the 90’s where I came here often working with a network of churches called Christian Fellowship, the Moravians, Christian Missions Society and others.  I brought various teams with me over the years; introduced the prophetic to them; taught a lot on prayer, learned to use the metro and ended up coming here something like a dozen times! One time, around 14 years ago, our entire family spent a whole month in Germany with Michal Ann and I ministering at a Training Center in Hannover. I then brought Justin to Prague on a train trip from Germany to Prague when he was like 13 years old. We attended an opera in some language we could not understand - but hey, we were in Mozart's favorite city! Good memories…. to say the least. 

I was blessed to revisit this country, after an absence of several years, and visited with some of the new leadership of the church in Prague a year ago on way to the Global Day of Prayer in Herrnhutt, Germany with my daughter GraceAnn. As a result of that visit, I was invited back to minister at their yearly annual conference. Thus I am here right now. Just had lunch with one of the leaders of their version of the Czech House of Prayer.

I will minister at a church this Sunday AM and will be the main speaker at the Christian Mission Conference Sunday night on Prayer and Revival. It is actually my birthday - July 3rd - my first time in my lifetime not to be with any family for my birthday. But hey, I am in my favorite city on the earth. I will be rejoined with my friend of years, Joel Staab of Wing and a Prayer Ministry, who has recently relocated to this land after years of work in Africa. Czech Republic was where I first met Joel many years ago and as a result of that ministry time I ended up inviting him to come and live with our family in Franklin, TN. He stayed for several years before returning to his calling in the mission’s field. Michal Ann always said our home was the Good Samaritan's Inn because someone in our family was constantly inviting someone to come and live with us. Ha!

So this trip is a type of “full circle” for me and a nice 59th Birthday present to be here in Prague. I will miss July 4^th of course which is Independence Day in the U. S. But July 5th and 6th it also a holiday here in Czech Republic – they celebrate the lives of the founding Christian apostles of their nation - one being Jan Hus. Interesting! I never knew that connection till this trip! Awesome!

So Cheers to You from my Favorite City on the Earth!

Blessings to You!

James W. Goll