Amplify

I am quite certain that the God dropped this word in my heart while I was praying the other day.
Amplify!
Simple. Easy. Quick. As a musician I was pretty stoked about this. I know some things about amplification. As a matter of fact, just the other day a friend was in town and showed me a picture of his amp that went to 11. I am all in favor of going to 11. If it's too loud, you're too old. All of these thoughts popped into my head as I thought about the word Amplify.
As I begin to think about it and talk to God about why this word and what am I supposed to see out of it, I felt that I should go the good ol' dictionary.
I found 4 basic definitions that led to 4 concepts that I wanted share. They seem to build on one another and depend on one another.
Amplify:
1. To increase amplitude (signal)
2. To increase volume
3. To cause to become more intense
4. To enlarge upon or add details

Well, it would seem to me that increasing signal would be a good thing. In audio terms, the more signal you have coming in the easier it is to handle coming out.
Spiritually, I would say that the more signal/communication we have coming to and from God the more things we will see and know.

Second, to increase the volume--pretty simple--TURN IT UP MAN! Sometimes quiet is good. I personally love quietness. I also love loud! It is easier to hear loud than it is to hear soft. I know that these are all earth shattering revelations for everyone but please stay with the class and it will payoff....I promise.

Third, making things more intense. I love sports and really enjoy watching football. There are times that I wish the intensity would come down a few pegs. A little less drama. A little less intrigue. Just let my team destroy the other. I get so wired I have to move or shout or throw something--something soft. Despite all of that it makes you feel alive and energized. It forces you to feel something--anything.

Fourth, to enlarge or add details. I like to know the details. I am big on enlarging vision and going big. For me, it's all in or nothing at all. I wouldn't be a very good gambler. So, these things all romped through my head for several days and I have come to this point. Here is where your patience and endurance pay off--keep reading.

It's all about what Jesus talked about to the church at Ephesus. Stay with your first love. Don't leave Him. Jesus is our first love.

I desire to be right where He wants me to be, doing what He wants me to do, in the exact time He wants me doing it. I am convinced that spending time in His presence is what will cause that to be. I am sure that as I push back the distraction and commit to spend more time praying--the signal is going to be boosted so that I hear Him more clearly. There will be no confusion or division of mind. There will be focus and direction coming through loud and clear. It will be like His voice is described in Revelation--the sound of rushing waters, crashing ocean waves. That is a sound I am very familiar with. It is one of the indelible marks on my life--the sound of the ocean. When I was younger and lived near the beach it was my haven. I would go there often to get away and clear my head and straighten out my thoughts. It was a place of great peace in my life and still is to this day. The rare times I am able to escape to the beach nowadays I find great tranquility and rest. I see anew the greatness, hugeness, and splendor of God. All that to say, the sound of rushing waters and crashing waves is not a quiet sound and it is not a sound that is easily missed. It is loud and clear and triumphant--yet it is so full of peace and joy and strength. I believe these are attributes of the voice of God.

As the frequency of the voice is boosted and the loudness and clarity of the voice is heard, I believe the last 2 parts of the definition come into full view. With clarity and frequency in His presence, comes and intensity of of what we're told and shown. There will be enlarging of vision, expanding of creativity, and attention to detail that would be missed by the casual observer or the occasional passerby.
This is a year that we will see a new fire for God rage through the church--not the buildings but the people. This amplification will be for the ones who go after Him, for the ones who stay with their first love, for those who will make the time to make their relationship with Jesus important.
It is God's desire for all of us to have this.
It is however our choice what we will do.

I challenge you--be honest with yourself and answer these 2 questions...
What God are you amplifying by what you're doing everyday?

What is keeping you from amplifying Jesus?

What steps do you take to change it?

Amplify your life. Amplify your relationships. Amplify Jesus.

Peace and Blessings,
PJ