A Sinking Ship...

God often speaks to me by comparing very practical things in life to things we go through in life. And today He was showing me how our life is like a ship or boat. But the analogy He was showing me today is that to many of us are traveling through life on a sinking ship.....and we are ignoring it. By that I mean that our ship is taking on water and instead of doing what it takes to repair it and get it running smoothly again, we are just take buckets and trying to remove the water. Doing what we have to do to keep it afloat, but never fixing the problem. Of course the picture I am trying to paint for you is the fact that our life is the ship and all the trouble and sin that we allow into it is the water that we are taking on. The problem is, we are just learning how to live with the trouble and sin in our lives instead of doing what it takes to make it stop. 

If you were on a boat that was taking on water you would have 3 choices really. One choice would be to keep a bucket close by and just keep filling it with water and throwing it overboard. When you choice this method you are going to be always be working to stay afloat, you are constantly going to be working around the problem and you ARE going to be exhausted. One reason you may choice this method is because you don't want to admit the problem is really as big as it is, and you think you can just "mange it". 

Choice two would be the just give up and let the boat sink. Unfortunately so many people make this choice. All the areas where God used to be such an important part of their life they have let other things take over and over time have just completely lost their relationship with Him. Sin, heartache, trouble....whatever, has taken over your life and because you have become exhausted trying to "keep the ship afloat", and you just give up. Just like there isn't a ship out there that was ever meant to sink, there also isn't a life out there that was ever meant to fall apart. The choice to "let it sink" comes from ignoring the problem(s) for too long, and now they just seem to big to deal with. But nothing is to big for God....nothing!

Choice three is to figure out why your ship is taking on water and fix it! This choice takes you opening your eyes to the fact that there really is a problem.....then saying "I must do something about this before it's too late". This means you are going to have evaluate things. You are going to have to go looking for issues in your life. You are going to have to admit there are problems. And you are going to have deal with them! Some "holes" in your ship will just need a patch, but some things will need a major repair. The important part is that you are not letting them take you down. And the best way to deal with this is to know "The Maker" of your ship. Know that God is creator of your life and He knows better than anyone how He designed your life to be. Yes you may have let some things bang up your ship over time, but it is never to get it fixed before you become exhausted or just give up. No matter what lies the enemy has told you, nothing is to big to fix, and you were not designed to be a sinking ship. 

All of us are traveling through life on our own ship. People and things are going to come aboard yours and exit yours as they come in and out of your life. But I can promise you that as long as you choose to be the one who steers your ship, it is going to need repaired again and again and again. However, when you let God steer your ship....or direct your life....it will not get steered in the wrong direction. The waters you travel in will be safer, the things you come up against will not harm you and the things you allow to come aboard will be good, not harmful. I hear people use the excuse that "we only get one life" to justify all kinds of their bad choices. But I also believe we only get one life, so why not make the best of it and lead as many people to Christ through your life as you can. And one of the best ways you can do that is to let someone see restoration in your life. Let others know that you were on a sinking ship, but you gave up on trying to manually keep it afloat and you just let God fix it! 

He restores, He can make all things new, He can bring you peace, He can fix what seems unfixable and He can use your life to reach the lives of others. But you must humble yourself and admit to Him that you NEED Him...or you need more of Him. No matter how good or bad your life looks, the need for Him doesn't change. We all need Him!

God, grant us the wisdom to see our need for You in our lives. Help us to recognize the things that want to sink us and give us the strength to steer clear of those things. If we have let things into our lives that we shouldn't have, give us eyes to see the damage they are causing and help us remove them from our lives. Help us to humble ourselves before You and let You take over steering our lives in the direction that You want us to go in...even when it goes against our own fleshly desires. In Jesus name, Amen.

Praise Him for the Good!!

If your family is anything like my family then you may still have a couple of get togethers that haven't taken place yet. However, for the most part it's safe to say that Christmas has come and gone. At least the "holiday" of Christmas. I know for my family, and a few other families that I know, this Christmas had a completely different feel to it. For some it was due to a change in the home and for some it was due to a loss of a loved one. However, there were also some that were told the loss would come before Christmas and it didn't, which has turned into a blessing and the family got to spend one more Christmas together. Praise God for that! But it still has left Christmas with a different feel to it.
That feeling that each of us may be going through as this Christmas comes to an end has nothing to do with gifts either....at least not the kind under the tree. It's all about being with family and those that you love! And when you spend Christmas either without someone, with someone you weren't sure was going to be there or with someone new, it brings new meaning to Christmas. Some have been granted extra time and some have been granted new times. And in both of those situations the gift that you give and receive the most is love. And when love is the main gift of Christmas, I think it is finally being celebrated the way God intended for it to be.
I remember December of 2008 when we lost my dad. Yes there was a sadness that came with that Christmas, but there was also a new sense of love. The entire family came together way more than any other Christmas and we loved on each other way more than we ever had. Even with the feeling of loss, there was still a stronger feeling of love. And not just the love we had for each other, but a greater sense of God's love too. Knowing that He was the ultimate comforter and healer. I pray that He has been that for many this year as well.
If it's been a hard year, then if we're not careful I....we.....could all allow our focus to go to the things we don't have or how much things have changed this year. But instead, I am focusing on all the great things God has brought into my life for this Christmas. All good and perfect gifts come from God. (James 1:17). I will praise Him for the good, I will let go of the bad and I will trust Him with the future. I will declare now how much better 2015 is going to be because I am going to find new ways to serve Him and trust Him with it.
The attitude we choose to have in any given situation can change the entire situation. Take on God's attitude, take on God's love and look at things through His eyes. Thank Him for all the good that came with this year/Christmas and praise Him for the year that He has waiting for you. Let Him develop the attitude in you that will make this a good year!
God, no matter what we have gone through this year, help us to see all the good that You bring into our lives. Help us take on an attitude of gratefulness and let our lives reflect Your goodness. Allow those around us to see that we do not let our lives be defined by the bad moments that can and do happen, but instead we look for and thank you for all the good ones that come from You. In Jesus name, Amen

A different kind of Christmas...

This is the time of year that we are going to be around the people we love the most, as well as people we haven't seen for a while. Some gatherings are going take place that are going to bring people together that have "friction" in their relationship. For some, this is going to add a layer of stress to your holidays that you are not looking forward to.
The main reason I mention this is because this is also going to provide to you an opportunity as you end one year and start another. An opportunity to fix something that may have been "broken" for quite some time. An opportunity to take a Christlike path of forgiveness and mercy. Like I have said in past posts, this doesn't mean that you are telling the other person that hurtful things they may have done are just ok, but it could be the start of a much needed healing process. In some families there could be some very big hurt that is still an open wound over this Christmas. And seeing those people again is going to be like pealing the scab of that wound back again. Causing pain, discomfort or maybe even anger. But whatever you are feeling, please don't lose sight that those feelings are a choice....just like forgiving is. We never know what tomorrow may bring, but I have never met someone yet that when tragedy strikes, they were glad they never said sorry, or glad they never forgave that person or glad that it had been years since they were nice to each other.
Make this Christmas one that has more meaning than any other because it represented healing. Jesus came into this world to change it. What an amazing thing it would be to allow that change in one of your relationships to start to take place while we are celebrating Jesus himself.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things". This may be a piece of scripture that you have heard many times before, or it may be the first time you have ever read it. But either way, I'm asking that as you read it, you examine it with your heart and ask yourself this...."If I was as wrong as I could possibly be in a given situation, is this verse full of words that I would want someone to consider as they tried to forgive me?" If so, then consider letting these words sink deep into your heart and let God humble you and teach you how to love someone that has been hard for you to love in the past. Let this be the Christmas where the gift that is given is healing, restoration, peace and joy!
God, as we come together with friends and family this year we trust that You are going before us. So we ask now Lord that You help healing begin in the areas where it is needed. Please humble us and soften our hearts toward any situation or person that we have allowed hardness to settle in on. Teach us how to demonstrate love as Christ did. Choosing to forgive, choosing to make things right, choosing to put our own feelings aside and be used by You to make a situation or relationship better. Let us walk way from this Christmas feeling like we did our part to help healing and restoration happen, and not walk away feeling defeated and having even more regret. Let us be wise enough to see that that is what the enemy wants for us, not You! In Jesus name, Amen

The Gift....

As we start this week of Christmas I can't help but count down the days in my head until it gets here. Mostly because I keep hearing my kids talk about how it's "8 more days"..."6 more days"...."4 more days". And the closer it gets, the more excited they get. But also as an adult I still get excited too. But I've found it's a different kind of excitement than when I was a kid. I get more excited over the gifts I'm giving now, instead of the things I may be getting. And I can say that when I get excited over what I'm giving....Christmas just feels more like "Christmas". Don't get me wrong, as a kid the excitement of getting gifts was fun, but now that I am at a place where I can provide that excitement for my kids it's even better!

I don't think it's by chance that it works this way as we get older and hopefully wiser. That the excitement of Christmas would become more intense over the giving than it does the getting. I mean, the entire celebration of Christmas revolves around a gift that was provided for us, Jesus Christ. Nothing given or received this Christmas could even begin to compare to the gift that God gave us. Yet, I think we can tend to walk right through this season and forget to stop and really think about that. I can easily picture God in heaven getting excited each time someone realizes the gift He gave for them...when they accept that gift and truly appreciate the meaning behind it. 

I don't know about you, but I have been on the giving end of a gift that when it got received, the receiver wasn't nearly as excited about the gift as I thought they would be. And I remember thinking to myself "maybe they don't understand the thought I put into that gift", or "maybe they don't understand how hard that gift was to find"...or "maybe they don't realize how much it means to me to give them something like this". But the truth is, all of those things won't change the way the gift is received if the person who is receiving it doesn't see or understand the love behind the gift. If to them, it's just another gift then nothing I can do will make this gift any more special to them. God's gift to us is very much like this. He already put all the thought, care and love into the gift, but if the condition of the heart that He is trying to give it to isn't right, then the gift just won't mean the same. 

No matter where you are in life....either already a Christian, or someone who has not yet received the gift of Jesus Christ...ask yourself during this season what the gift means to you? Is God trying to prepare your heart to receive what He has for you? Or, was your heart there once, but you have allowed that gift to have less meaning than it used to? Either way, God wants to help you be a place where the GIFT...the life, death and resurrection of Jesus....has it's fullest meaning to you and will change your life in every possible way. This is not a gift that should be like any other that you have ever received. It's meaning should impact and affect you, your heart and your life like nothing ever has. If that has not happened to you yet, ask God to prepare your heart to understand the amazing love, grace and mercy that he has wrapped up in the gift of Jesus for you.... and then receive it.

God, You have given us a gift like no other. Please help us to fully understand and appreciate that. Help our hearts to be opened up to see the love....the amazing love, that you put behind Your gift. Do not just let us receive it like we would any other gift this Christmas, but instead let it be life changing just as You intended for it to be! In Jesus name, Amen

It's All How You Choose To See It

When you are in the midst of something, the way you see it can be so clouded by the emotions you are going through, the pain you might be in or even the level of stress that the situation is causing. These are all the feelings that the flesh likes to bring into the situation to stop us from seeing that God is actually there with us. However, once the situation starts to take a turn for the better and you can look back and reflect on the entire journey, you can choose to either have a really negative attitude toward everything you have experienced, or you can look back and find every single place that God provided, carried you through or helped you make the right choice to make the situation better.
Today is my birthday, and as I reflect back from Dec. 19th, 2013 to Dec. 19th, 2014 it is crazy to see what all has changed in my life. Things have taken place this year that could have caused me to just give up, throw in the towel, become extremely angry and bitter, put up walls all around me and refuse to get close to someone again. And I have had many people tell me that if that was my reaction they would totally understand. But I know that is not the reaction God would want from me. That is not the Christlike attitude He would want me to demonstrate to those who have watched me walk out this past year. And that is not the reaction that was going to create healing and allow me to walk into the better future that God has for me.
While I have gone through my journey I have been able to watch a few other people go through some hard things as well. And again, in the midst of it, it was easy to stand there and question where is God in this? How is He going to see this person through? What is He going to do to restore their life to something good again? And what I got to see is those who relied on him and kept their faith got to see exactly what God had in store for them. And those who blamed God, grew angry and bitter and let their circumstances rule them, unfortunately got to see what happens when you remove your faith and God from your situation.
Joshua 1:9 tells us not to be frightened or dismayed because the Lord your God is wherever you go! And that is the truth. That does not depend on circumstances or how dark things may look around you. The Lord God is with you! It is your choice to look for God in your situation, or to choose not to. If you choose to see all the negative and look at everything that is not going the way you thought it should, that will be all you see. The enemy will help you focus right in on those details. But if you sing praises to God and look for His hand in your situation every single day, you will see that! And when you can tell others how amazing God has been for you while you have gone through this storm, your testimony will speak louder than 1,000 messages on a Sunday morning. Tell people how good God is, how you see Him at work in your situation and how you are trusting Him no matter what your circumstances look like. And tell the enemy you will not see things through his eyes and he does not rule over your future...only God does. Even when things are dim, tell the enemy your trust God!
There is no better feeling than to have supernatural peace and supernatural joy in the midst of your storm. ONLY God can provide that....and He wants to and will...when you allow him to. It's up to you as to how you choose to see the things around you.
God, put in us a Christlike attitude. One that will allows us to rely on You, look to You for strength, choose to praise and trust You no matter what is going on around us. If Jesus could to that during his journey to the cross, we can do that in our trial too. Help us demonstrate You to those around us that are watching us go through things. Help us to build up our own faith and use our trial to build up the faith of those around us. We CHOOSE to praise You in this storm...or the next one...or the next one. We WILL defeat the enemy with an attitude of PRAISE! In Jesus name, Amen

What's The Mission Statement For Your Life?

Do you believe God has a plan for you? I don't mean a general and very vague plan that would fit the life of thousands of followers if you tried to make it. I mean a very specific plan (or calling) that you know you were designed to do. One that fits the gifts and skill set that God has placed inside of you. We all have one, but do we really know what it is? There are many verses that support the fact that God has plans for us.....Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, Isaiah 58:11 and Proverbs 16:9 are a few well known ones. The general theme behind these verses is the same. That God has a plan, He wants to reveal it to us and as we follow it, and His will for our life, He WILL take care of us. But those have to be more than just "power verses" that we quote, they have to be God's words that we believe.
Many years ago the I.T. department I work in hired a new manager. And when he came into the company he looked at the way we were doing things and began to make changes to make us a better department. One of the things he pointed out in the very beginning was the we did not have a mission statement. He didn't come to us and say "here I made one up for you guys" either. Instead, he asked us to think hard about what our jobs were, what service we wanted to provide to our company and how we could say all that in one simple statement. So over the next few days we did just that, and as a group we came up with a mission statement for our department. Please note, the first one we came up with was not the first one we went with. We had to really tweak it a few times to make sure it was not to vague, but also not to specific for what we were trying to say we do as a department. It was one of the first times we looked inward at our department and really thought about WHAT it is we are here to do. It was a great learning experience too!
Today, I felt God asking me to write a post challenging everyone to ask themselves if they have a mission statement for their life. Even if your church has one, you cannot be satisfied just fitting into that. You need to ask yourself what has God specifically called me to do to advance His kingdom here on earth? We each have one, there is no doubt about that. But until you sit down with yourself and God and truly try to put it to words, you may never really realize what it is. Just like in my department....we came in and did out jobs every day, but it wasn't until someone asked us to put it into words that we really realized what our "jobs" really were. It became way more than punching a clock and collecting a check at that point. It became something we personally put ownership to and found ourselves trying to live up to. When we said to our company "here is what we are going to do for you, and here is the level at which we will do it", and there became and expectation to follow through on that. Without that expectation it was really to easy to just "get by".
Without direction, a standard and a bold statement about what you feel God has called you to do, how will you ever know if you are doing it? It may take some time of really asking God to reveal it to you before you can just put it into words. But when you feel Him speak to you I would highly suggest writing it down. When it's all said and done you may have a page full of things you have heard God speaking into your heart... and then you will have to take those things and build a statement out of it. But please don't take this lightly. This will be you saying to God..."I hear you, I know what plans you have for me and I am going to put this to words, and DO it". There is not doubt in my mind that clarity and direction will soon follow if you are willing to dedicate yourself to discovering what God build you to do.
God, we do not deny the fact that Your word is very specific about You having plans for our life. So we ask now for You to reveal to us in a very specific way what they are. Do not let us be satisfied by just falling under the "work of the church", but instead, let us know that a body can't function correctly unless each member of that body is doing it's specific job....and you have one for us! We humbly thank You for trusting us to carry out Your work. And we know that You won't call us to do something unless You also equip us to do it! In Jesus name, Amen

Let Him Prepare You...Don't Do It On Your Own!

When I was in my morning prayer today God was bringing it to my mind that we can't let pieces of our armor down. By this I knew he was referring the scripture Ephesians 6:10-18. (I will touch base on more about that scripture further down in the post) One of the things God kept bringing back to me was how in Roman times there were many battles that were won and lost simply due to armor that a person, or a group of people, had back then. It wasn't necessarily that a person had to be the best fighter to win a battle if they had better armor. The lack of good armor could open up weak spots in a battle and it was the job of the other person in the battle to discover and take advantage of those weak spots to beat their opponent. This is very much how the enemy tries to defeat us today and this is why God tells us in Ephesians how important it is to always be prepared.
In the first part of Ephesians 6 (verses 10-12) The Word points out very clearly that we are NOT to be strong in our own strength, which is what so many of us try to do. But we are to be strong in the Lord's strength. And the reason why is because we have no idea what we are up against, but He does. Oh we might think we do because of what we see in the physical realm....the circumstances before us, but verses 11-12 tell us that we are up against the devil. Then verse 12 goes on to say that we are not really wrestling against the flesh and blood we see before us, but we are wrestling against the darkness of the enemy. Think about that for a moment.....How many times in a storm you have gone through has it just been one thing after another piling up on you. Or have you watched someone who hurt you do something that may have seemed so out of character for them. Or maybe like Job, you have felt like something was out to just take you completely down? This is the darkness of the spiritual battle that you are really in. The enemy wants to wear you down, mentally break you down and ultimately take you down. He will go about finding your weak spots and attacking you there. But verses 13-17 tell us what we are to do to build ourselves up for such a time. How each piece builds us up (in God) and prepares us for whatever the enemy throws our way.
I can testify to this working because this piece of scripture is one of the things that brought me through my storm. It IS the thing that I went back to God again and again about and said "Your truth, Your gospel of peace, Your shield of faith, Your helmet of salvation, Your Word as my sword....God these are the things that are going to get me through this". And then I spent time with God building those things up. I let Him remind me that no matter how dark times looked, I had His salvation. I let Him show me how to be humble and live in His truth, even if that meant confessing when I hadn't been before. I let the gospel bring me peace and used the Word to stand up against the enemy when he tried to tell me that I should just give up. And then just like verse 18 says, I went to God in prayer. Not just prayer for the sake of prayer....but prayer as in crying out to God. Crying out for help, crying out for answers, crying out for strength and crying out for Him to show me His will for my life so I could walk in it! Knowing that these cries, that where coming from my heart, where the cries that God desired to hear because it was a time in my life that I was finally being the most real with Him and letting Him be the most real to me.
I have said this before in past posts, but there are 1 of 3 places you are always in. You are either just coming out of a storm, or you are in the midst of a storm, or there is a storm coming your way. So be prepared! When you are living in God's will the enemy wants to take you down, but when you are ready for the fight because you are staying close to God and living out Ephesians 6:10-18, then the enemy will not be able to find that weak spot in your armor. And you can begin to defeat him in your every day life before the battle even starts.
God, You are ALL we need to defeat the enemy. Your Word says that when we use the name of Jesus, satan must flee. Help us to allow You to make us strong and not to go into the battle alone thinking we can do this on our own. That is the pride and the ignorance that the enemy would love for us to fall into. Thank you for Your word that prepares us. Help us to remember that no matter how dark the storm looks, You are the one that calms the seas today just like you did over 2,000 years ago. In Jesus name, Amen

Don't Try To Earn It...&...Don't Abuse it!

There are two gifts that God gave us that are directly tied to each other, but at the same time separate of each other. The first gift was the life, death and resurrection of Jesus to make a way for us to be forgiven of our sins. The 2nd gift was grace. God could have very easily sent Jesus to die for our sins and said this will only work for you one time. If you mess up after that it's too late, but He didn't. He gave us the gift of grace, which is the unmerited favor of God. Unmerited meaning not deserved. It is very important for us to realize both of these things in order to understand God's heart and how amazing grace really is. God's grace is God's undeserved favor. There is nothing we can do to deserve it, there is nothing we can do to earn it and there is nothing we can do to lose it. It is His gift to us and it is gift like no other.
One of the problems we have as humans when it comes to grace is the fact that it is hard for us to wrap our head around the concept that we don't have to do something for it. We work for almost everything we have and sometimes we have the attitude that if someone wants something from us then they are going to have to earn it too. If they want our love, our respect, our trust...anything...then they better give us something in return. Not everyone thinks like this, but everyone has at least thought like this at one time in their life. So when we try to grasp that God is saying to us..."I have grace waiting for you....you don't have to do anything to earn it... just receive it", that is very hard for us. Plus, because we "can't" earn it sometimes we let pride get in the way and we don't even feel like we should receive it. We can't humble ourselves enough to just go to God and say...."I know I don't deserve Your grace right now, but Lord I need it now more than ever". That is the heart God is looking for.....for the person that knows it cannot be worked for and it cannot be earn....but you cannot live without it.
Romans 11:6 says "And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work." This verse is telling us that both works and grace have their place with God, but they are not a part of each other. If you have had the mentality that you have to work to earn God's grace than please realize today that this just is not true. That is the idea the enemy wants you to have because he knows you will never be able to work that hard....and you will never feel like you have fully earned God's grace. God has work for all of us to do, but it is to advance His kingdom, not earn your way into it.
God's grace has been misunderstood and misused for far to long and it is time for us to understand it, grasp it, demonstrate it to the rest of the world and actually shows others it is something you just can't live without. At the same time, God's grace is not a dry erase board that you can fill up with sin today because you know He will erase it all when you say your next prayer, just so you can go and fill it back up with more sin tomorrow. God's grace, and fully understanding the immense love behind it, should change your heart. It should make sin look different to you....less attractive. When you know someone loves you so much that they are willing to forgive you for the things you do that hurts them, then honestly that should cause you to want to hurt them less and less because of the love you have back for them. Grace is there because God knows we are going to mess up, it is not there so we can mess up. If you know today that you have either misused God's grace, or been trying all your life to work for it, then let today be the day you ask God to fully reveal His grace to you and change your heart, mind and attitude toward it.
God, Thank You for Your amazing grace. Thank You for Your amazing love. Help us understand how to receive both the way You intended for them to be received. And help us, as Your people, to give grace and love to others the way You give it to us. Direct and Correct us in the areas where we have misused or tried to earn your grace. In Jesus name, Amen

Push Through....

Today's blog isn't a long one, but I pray it's one that someone needed to read....

When you're up against opposition push through. The enemy wants to take you down the worst when he knows you're on the right path. When you put your focus on God and you set forth to do His will, expect the enemy to throw everything he can at you to distract you or derail you. He will come after your weakness, he will bring in temptation, he will try to bring hardship in your life. He wants you to lose hope, he wants to give up, he want you to become discouraged...but it's in these times that we find out how strong God truly is IF we rely on him for our strength. The enemy is not the only one that knows our weaknesses, God also knows all of our weaknesses and when we confess those to God and ask for strength, we've already begun to defeat the enemy. Jesus was spending 40 days fasting and praying when the enemy came after him...and he thought he knew Jesus' weakness. (see Matthew 4) He thought he knew where and how to attack Jesus, but Jesus knew how to stand up against Satan during the time when he was weak. It wasn't that He defeated Satan because He was Jesus, He defeated Satan because He knew how to handle the situation. He used the Word that he buried deep down in His heart and His mind to speak out to Satan and put him in his place. The enemy doesn't have any new tricks and tried to take Jesus down at a time when He knew it was critical...a time when he felt very threatened by what was going on in Jesus' life. This is the same thing the enemy does the us every day. He wants to take us down when he knows were being most affected for God. Be aware that it's not just your life that you wants to take down. He knows that he if he takes you down then you won't reach the people that your supposed to...that God needs you to. In the name of Jesus, push through and put the enemy in his place! When we speak in the authority of Jesus Christ the enemy has not choice but to flee. (see James 4:7)

God, we know that You ask us to bury Your Word in our heart so when (not if) the enemy comes after us we can use it to defeat him. Help us be discipline enough to do that! Help us see the tactics of the enemy and be humble enough to come to You for strength in the areas where we know we are weak. Give us Your wisdom to recognize the attacks of the enemy. And even if he trips us up, let us know that you are there to stop us from completely falling down! Thank You for that God! In Jesus name, Amen

What Are You Eating?

Over the past couple of months God has really been showing me how much our physical health compares to our spiritual health. He's been revealing to me the many different ways that they mimic each other. Your physical health being made up of physical things that you can touch, taste, see and feel that will make a difference to your physical body. And your spiritual health being made up of things that you think, obedience, attitude and consecration that will make a difference to your spiritual body. As God has been showing me these things I have wondered why I am just now seeing this. I have been involved in fitness for many years now, why haven't I seen this in this way before? And the answer to that was because I was spiritually unhealthy for years and refused to see what God was probably trying to show me the whole time.
When we look at ones physical health it is very easy to see on the outside if someone appears healthy. We can see if a person is overweight, too skinny or in good shape. We can look at the things they do on a daily basis that is causing them to be this way. We can see the foods they are eating that are good for them and the things they won't stop eating that are bad for them. And we can help them get into better shape. We can help them learn how to exercise right, eat better and do things to improve their overall physical health.
The spiritual health is also something that can be considered healthy, or unhealthy. And usually your lifestyle will also go along with how healthy your spiritual life is. The things you are putting into your eyes and ears, the places you go and the friends in your life are usually very good indicators of where you are spiritually. Just like with the physical health, spiritual health takes discipline and intentional changes to become better. And if you are not doing things on a daily basis to maintain that relationship with God, that spiritual healthiness, then it can go down hill quickly just like someone's physical health when they start making very unhealthy choices.
It's funny, because we can do things like not smoke, not drink and not do drugs and say we are healthier than someone else because we know they do do those things. We can hang out with people who are in worse physical shape than we are so we don't feel like we're in "that bad" of shape. And we can intentionally not go to the gym if we know we have let ourselves go so we don't have to face people who are in better shape then us. But none of those things are actually improving your health. They are just masking a problem. Well, don't we do the same things about our spiritual health. When we know we are not in a good place, don't we make excuses, point out other peoples flaws, shift our friendships to people who are on the same level (if not worse) than we are. Don't we avoid church when we have let ourselves go and we have guilt and shame in our spirit? None of these choices are going to improve your spiritual health either. They are just masking a problem.
Your good health, whether physical or spiritual, greatly depends on what you are doing to maintain that good health. What are you physically eating (good food or junk food) and what are you spiritually eating (things of the world or the things of God). The worst part about our spiritual health is we can sometime get away with hiding it from everyone before it all falls apart. Unlike our physical health, which can typically be seen, and then maybe a loved one or close friend would talk to you about it. Well, God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit are the close friends that are trying to talk to you about your spiritual unhealthiness, but are you letting them. Look at what you are feeding your spirit and ask yourself if this is going to promote good spiritual health, or bad? Is this going to bring me closer to God, or push me from Him? A trainer will have you do a food diary for a week to see how bad your diet really is, would you be willing to do a spiritual food diary for a week and let God show you how bad your spiritual diet is?
Just like an obese person can wake up one day and decide to change it all...you can do the same thing spiritually. You can leave your bad past right where it is, ask God to make a change in you, and start fresh today. If you had people in your life that just wanted to remind you of how overweight you used to be after you made a change, would you let them. No.....So once you let God start to do a work in you, don't let the enemy or people around you remind you of your ugly spiritual past either. It is between you and God...and once asked, it is forgiven.....and as long as you are doing everything He is asking of you, then you are on the right path. Your unhealthy "spirit man" is dead and gone. God says you are made new, so live each day like a new healthy spirit.
God, thank You that we can be made new. Thank You that we can step out of a very unhealthy "spiritual body" and into a new healthy one. Help us be discipline in our spiritual health and aware of the things that we are feeding ourselves. May the Holy Spirit be our guide and may we allow Him to direct and correct us into the place that You desire for us to be. In Jesus name, Amen

Forgiveness...Which Side Are You On?

This time of the year can be such a blessing to many people. It can be a time that we truly think of all the things we are thankful for. It can be a time we see friends and family that we haven't seen for awhile. And it can be a time to give and receive to and from those you love. However, this can also be a very painful time of the year for some. It can be a time that they are reminded of a separation between them and someone they love. It might be a new separation or one that has been going on for far too long. The holidays can be time of awkward gathers where people who are holding hurt and unforgiveness try to gather and sometimes pretend like nothing is wrong. Or choose to sit out on the gathering because it is not worth the struggle they know they will have to go through. These situations are real and there are thousands of people who will be affected by this kind of relational damage over this holiday season.
Almost any time there is separation, or relational damage, there is also something else very common ...and this a problem in the area of forgiveness. Almost any time I have sat with someone in a time of prayer and this topic comes up one of the first things I hear is, "you don't understand what they did". To which I will typically follow up with, "You're right, but I don't need to understand what they did to understand how forgiveness works". There are always 2 sides to forgiveness and chances are every one of us are sitting in one, or have sat in one of the two places many times in our life.
One of those places is the need to forgive someone. Someone has done something directly, or even indirectly, to us or someone we love and it has created a place of hurt in our heart which has turned into unforgiveness. Unforgiveness, when left alone, can turn into hardness of the heart, a place of bitterness and can cause us to build up walls even when we don't realize it. Unforgivness is such a quiet destroyer. It is one of the things that can cause so much damage, yet at the same time cause us to feel so justified. But are we? Are we ever justified to do something that God specifically said not do to? There are literally too many verses in the bible to list out that deal with forgiveness. Ephesians 4:32 says "...forgive one another, as Christ has forgiven you". Mark 11:25 tells us "when you stand in prayer, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so your Father may forgive you...". And Matthew 6:15 also says "...if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive you..". Each of these verses very bluntly point out that God expects us to forgive IF we expect to be forgiven. You cannot go to God and ask for something as you stand there and tell Him you are not willing to do the same as your asking for...forgive.
The other place we can find ourself in, is the need to be forgiven. Another place that each and every one of us have been in our life. This is a tough place to be because it requires you coming to grips in your own heart that you may be wrong. You may owe someone an apology. And the fear that your apology may not be received. James 5:16 tells us that we need to "confess our sins to one another, that we may be healed...". Luke 6:27 says "...love your enemy, and do good to those who hate you". And Colossians 3:13 instructs "...if one has a complaint against another, forgive each other...". I especially like the verse in Colossians because it doesn't say if they are right in their complaint, it just says if someone has a complaint. How many times have you been in that place? Where someone says you hurt them and you didn't even realize you did....you may still need to say sorry, and you may still need to be forgiven.
You see, both forgiveness and the need to be forgiven touch on the same two things....and those are pride and being humble. Pride will prevent you from forgiving someone or asking to be forgiven, and in order to do either of those you will need to humble yourself. The one thing I tell anyone that I talk to about forgiveness is this...when you choose to forgive you are NOT saying what they did is ok, you are just saying I give it to God and trust Him with it. I release it! I do not need to be in control of it any more. And I trust God's justice system more than my own. And when asking someone to forgive you...you are saying telling God that you will humble yourself before Him. You will do what His Word instructs you to do because you trust His will and His way. You are being obedient.
Neither of these things might be easy at first, but if you trust God He will not lead you wrong. Internal healing will take place. And relational healing will as well if both parties are listening to God. But again, that is not for you to decide. You are just to do your part and let God do His. Trusting and believing, as well as offering or asking for the same grace and mercy that He offers us.
God, humble our hearts in the area of forgiveness. Help us be as Christlike as we can be when it comes to this topic. Give us strength and wisdom to not allow the enemy to sneak into our lives through an open door of unforgivenss. We know what Your Word says, now help us to live it. In Jesus name, Amen

Not Seeing and Still Believing....That's Faith!

There is a pretty famous idiom that says "seeing is believing". And unfortunately we have grown up thinking that. That we will believe "whatever" when we see it happen, or see it in front of us, or are receiving the benefits of it. And then as if that isn't warping out thoughts bad enough, we also live in a world where what we see isn't necessarily real. With CGI (computer generated imagery) and Photoshop we can make anything look real now. So we have also become a society of skeptics. Even when we do see something that may be incredible, the first thing we do is doubt that it's real.
I believe that the enemy loves the place that the world has gotten to because it is helping him create disbelief all over the place. We're in a time when we can pretty much see anything on the big screen or television now. So things that you used to seem like a "miracle" or "supernatural" are being falsely produced in Hollywood. And things that are happening for real, because God is still doing miracles and healings, are being doubted. We almost dare not talk about a healing that happened or something miraculous that God did because if people can't see the proof they just don't believe. And sadly enough I'm not even talking about people who don't know Jesus, I'm also referring to the church. Whether it be that God came through for someone in a financial way...or through a physical healing....or worked something amazing out in their life in His perfect timing...the first thing a lot of people do is doubt. Seriously, if we in the church are doubting the power of the God we serve, then how are we demonstrating our faith to those outside the church?
Because of the ministries I have become involved in throughout 2014 I have been able to first hand see some pretty amazing works of God. I have first hand witnessed a little girl born deaf in one ear regain her hearing through a healing. I have watched people who have been seriously oppressed by a demonic presence in their life get set free. And I have personally experienced God doing things financially for me that on paper the numbers never should have worked out. And the only reason any of these things happened is because the faith was there. And I don't just mean my faith, I mean the faith of the little girl that was healed and her family, the faith of the people who showed up for prayer and got set free, and my faith that if I stayed faithful in my giving to God (tithing) that He would faithfully take care of my family and I. All of those things involved "believing before seeing". And believing before seeing IS faith. It is saying to God that I am going to pray for what seems to be the impossible and I AM going to believe that you are a God that can do it! Then we lay it at His feet and trust Him. We don't hold on to the thing we are praying and believing for and tell God what the answer needs to look like. We tell Him that we trust that His ways are best and we want the answer according to His will.
God wants to show us how powerful He is when we call upon His name. He knows that when we let Him show us it will build our faith even more. And then when we go and tell out story, it will build the faith of others. If you are sitting on a story of how God showed up big for you...don't. Tell your story and don't worry about others needing "proof" of what you are telling them. Let your belief show and stand firm on what you know.....and stand on God's word. You don't always have to "see to believe"...but with God you do have to believe if you want to see it.
God, thank you that you are the same miracle working, healing and providing God today that you were 2,000 years ago. Forgive us for the times we have doubted that. Help us increase our faith in you, even before we see the results of our prayers. Then give us the courage to go and tell others without fearing that they will not believe. Your Word says that we are to plant the seed and you will water it. Help us do our part. In Jesus name, Amen

To Be Used Is Not The Same As Serving

The difference between being used and serving is really a matter of the heart. Anyone can let themselves be a place where they can be used, but serving is more of a lifestyle. So today I hope I can prompt you to look into your life and ask yourself..."Am I serving God with all of my heart....or am I just letting Him use me when it's convenient?" The danger, and the difference, I think can be explained in 2 different passages in the bible.

Matthew 7:21-23 is a pretty well know piece of scripture that tells us that says "...not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven...", which is telling us that all who thought they were saved, were not necessarily saved. They did not truly give their life to Jesus. However, the verse also says "Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!". This scripture has always confused many people and to be honest, until I had heard many teachings on it, I was one of those confused people. How can you think you were being used by God, but yet have Him tell you "I never knew you"? And what I have come to understand is this....it's all about the condition of your heart. Yes, God is God. If He wants to you use you in a situation, and in the moment you are obedient or you just so happen to be a place He can use you, then He will do so in order to work out His plan. He may have used you to allow someone else to get closer to Him. He may have used a gift that He has placed in you to give someone a healing. Or like the verse says, He may have used you to cast out the demon in someone else. But the moment He uses you, one of two things are going to take place. You are going to see the good that you just did and allow pride will set in, or you are going to see the good that God just did in you and through you and your going to want to see Him do that again and again. Your heart is going to become a servant's heart. And that is the heart that God is looking for. Who will allow themselves to be used by Him....and who will serve Him?...not just once or twice or when it's convenient, but who will live a life so dedicated to Him, that you serve Him just for the point of serving Him? Not wanting anything in return other than the satisfaction of seeing Him be honored and glorified? Seeing people be set free. Seeing the lost come to know Jesus....

1 Corinthians 15:58 says "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." To me this verse explains having a servant's heart. It is about always doing, standing your ground and looking for things you can do for the Lord. Even a slave will serve....will do, but not out of love or desire. They will do it out of obligation. God does not want us to do His work out of obligation. There will be no joy in that and He knows it. The joy is part of the serving. When the heart wants to serve God, the joy is part of the reward. And it is also a part of how others will see God in you.

If you know that you let God use you, but you haven't quite moved into the place of having a servant's heart, then pray and ask God to search your heart and help change it. He will. He will only do in us the things we request for Him to do. He is not a slave driver....He is a loving savior! If you know the joy was there at one time, but has seemed to have gone away, then ask God to bring it back. Get into his word, get into a devotion on serving, surround yourself with some praise music and ask God to allow those things to penetrate your heart and change your attitude toward doing His work.

God, today, help us serve You with joy. Help us to show others the joy that can be found when we are serving You. And help us check our heart, mind and attitude when it comes to living out a life of service to You. You are more than worthy of our praise God....so help us praise You by serving You with the right kind of heart. Thank you for using us even when our hearts have not been in the right place, and show us how much more we can be used when our hearts have been changed. In Jesus name, Amen

Morals....

Morality has been a debate among people for quite some time. Not because what is morally right or acceptable should ever change, but because people want to justify what they allow into their lives. The book that morals were built on, and should be measured against, has not ever changed over time....just our ability to misconstrue it or justify things is what has changed. I know to some that going to sound harsh, and I really don't mean it to, but if you just pick up a magazine, turn on the TV or take a look around the city you can see that people's view of what is morally right and acceptable is constantly changing.
Subjective morals vs objective morals has been a topic for argument as well. Subjective moral being based on a person's subjective opinion, but not based on an ethics system or things being factually true. Where as objective morals are based on the idea that a system of ethics or a set of moral judgements is always factually true, not based on opinion.
I heard a message on this recently and the pastor told a story about the difference between subjective morals and objective morals. He said that a young adult was saying that he didn't see anything wrong with subjective morals. The pastor then asked the young man if he locked the door to his house at night. To which the boy replied "of course, why?". The pastor said that is what's wrong with subjective morals. You lock your door because if someone decides it is morally acceptable to break into your house tonight and rob you, or worse, cause harm to you or your family, then who is to say that what they thought was morally wrong, based on subjective morals? You see, we can't just go around saying this is now morally right and acceptable when we feel like it because when and where does that stop?
The bible set the standard for what is morally acceptable and right for a reason. Everything that God put into place for us, He did for our own good. If you think of all the things in the bible that are viewed as morally right and wrong there is one common factor. God loves us, and He was trying to prevent us from doing things that would hurt or destroy each other. Some of those are quite easy to see and accept, but others we want to try to put our own spin on them. For example, it is easy to say that murder and stealing from others will cause hurt to people. But then when you get into something like heterosexual vs homosexual, we tend to take the more selfish approach. And we think about what we "want" verses what may cause pain, problems or disfunction. And judgement is not the issue here, so please hear me when I say that. I am not here to judge someone for their moral beliefs. That's God's place, not mine. I don't have to be ok with them, but that does not mean I'm judging the person. And His word promises us that there will be a day for His judgement, and anything we have not repented to him and walked away from in the name of Jesus will be judged. However I will add this....how many friendships or families have been torn apart because someone got involved in a heterosexual relationship? How many have been because someone chose a homosexual lifestyle?
Unfortunately morals will be a debate until the day of Christ's return. Why, because sin was introduced into this world to cause separation between us and God. So why wouldn't the enemy want to keep morals a hot topic. He is causing the separation he desires as well as hurting people, destroying friendships and families and sadly enough getting people to fall into the traps of hell. The enemy wants us to not see eye to eye and he wants us to go against God's word. Those things are all he has to go on. But God's word is built on love. A love that compares to nothing else we can or will every experience. A love that offers forgiveness, grace and mercy for anything and everything you have ever done. Then living according to His word offers a path...a narrow one that not everyone will want to follow....but a path that will lead you to eternal life with Him.
God, please help us weigh our morals against the standard of Your word. Help us to know when and how to turn things around that we have gotten wrong...how to look to You for forgiveness when our moral decisions have gone against Your word. And how to live in your grace and mercy...not abusing it, but loving it and offering it others around us. Help our eyes to be opened so we can see things the way You see things! In Jesus name, Amen

A "Double Minded" Man....

There is a topic that I have felt pressed to write about several times, but tend steer away from again and again. Not because I don't want to admit where I have struggled with this, but because I know it is going to step on some toes of some who may read this. The topic is living a "double life". Or you may even say a "nondedicated life".
For many years of my life I would say my heart, my mind and my actions did not fully line up with God's word. And it wasn't until nearly a year and a half ago that I allowed God to fully bring this to my attention. I let him rip me apart on the inside and show me things about myself that He was not pleased with. Things that I did on a daily basis, and knew that I did. These were not things that I was oblivious to. And now that I have let him work on me and in me about this topic for well over a year now, it is a topic that He has placed on my heart for others. It is kind of like that concept of...you never see a blue Honda Civic until the day you go buy one. Then all of the sudden you see them everywhere you go. Why didn't they stand out to you before? And the answer would be...you never had a reason to see them before. Well that is how it is when God works something out inside of you. You didn't want to see it in yourself before, so you certainly weren't going to point it out in other people lives. Because you know if you do, God is going to point that finger right back and you and say look at your own life....and then you either have to look at yourself, or you have to learn to ignore the problem even more.
Today the problem I am talking about is huge in the social media world and it does not anger me at all, but it breaks my heart. I will see posts on Instagram or Facebook of people cursing, talking bad about someone else or talking about the partying they did last night....and then just a few posts or pictures later it will be something Godly, some way they need God to show up for them or how they are off to some church function. Again, I am not bashing anyone that may post like this, I am simply saying is this really the way you think God wants you to present what a relationship with Him is like? Where is the discipline? Where is the part where your life that is supposed to look different than the rest of the world? Where is the part where you are pointing others to Jesus? Have you stopped and thought that your posts or the way your living just may be the reason someone doesn't want to find out how Jesus can help them? If they are looking at your life and thinking "Jesus did nothing for that person. They say they know Him and their life looks just like mine, if not worse." I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but I'm really just trying to speak truth there. And I am only trying because like I said, there was a time when my mind, my heart and my actions were not lining up with each other or God. What changed that?....Me letting Jesus point things out in me..and then giving Him permission and access to change me. And No that did not make me perfect, but it did make me different. It did make me stop and think "I want to point people to Him....never have someone look at me and reject Him because of what they see in my life when I supposedly call myself a follower."
This is the example that came to my mind as I thought about this post...If you went to work ever day and said how great your marriage was, but then flirted with, hit on or even were physical with some of the people you work with, would people believed you have a great marriage? Or would they look at you and say "He/She is a fake". Would they say you present one thing, but live another? Would they think you commitment to your spouse is a joke? If you get that example, then you will get that people can look at your commitment to Jesus and think the same thing. They can think "if that person loves God, and a relationship with God is changing or has change their life, then why do they still curse, speak trash about others, drink, party, sleep around....(you fill in the blank)?
Revelation 3:16 is the words of God talking about how because we are neither hot nor cold He wants to spit us out of His mouth. Lukewarm is not what He has called us to be. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." And James 1:8 says that a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways. All of these are very serious statements and very bold and blunt statements......"Pick a side(Me or the world), stop acting like a child and become stable in your thoughts and actions". Why is this important... because you say you love God, and the world is watching you! You are either going to point someone to Him...or possibly push them away from wanting to know Him. What are your words, actions or lifestyle doing?
God, Thank You for Your words today! I can only pray that this message will be received in love as it is intended. Do not let the enemy rise up anger or defensiveness in anyone who reads this blog today. Please help us to examine our hearts through your eyes. Do not allow us to buy the lies of the enemy that tells us we're ok because at least we are doing better than someone else we know. Let us see that the ONLY standard we are to measure ourself against is the life of Jesus. Help us strive daily to be as much like Him as we can. He came to point everyone He came in contact with to You....help us do the same. In Jesus name, Amen.

Looking At A Picture....Or In The Mirror?

In today's world of social media being all around us we see people posting pictures of the moments of their life. Each day is like a highlight reel of the good moments of yesterday, earlier today or even 5 minutes ago. But not matter what, by the time you see the picture, it is the past, not the present. A picture is always a capture of the past...even if that past was 5 minutes ago. And unfortunately with all the editing tools we have today, we can even make the worst pic look like the best one. We can edit the background. We can edit the lighting. We can edit all the blemishes or scars out of the picture. You can even edit an entire person out of the picture if your good enough. Which means a picture can be modified to not look anything like the real thing...the real moment. It may have been a gloomy day the day that pic was taken, but you can change the lighting in the pic to make it look like a nice sunny day. But that doesn't make it the truth, it just makes it a modification of the truth. The only true way to get a real time, real look at yourself is to stare face to face in a mirror at yourself. This is you. This is who you....scars, blemishes, wrinkles, whatever....anything that life has put on you is looking back at you in the mirror. There's no Photoshopping that moment. It is you, it is now and it sometimes the reason we don't like to look in the mirror.
The point of me saying all of that is because sometimes we would rather live life through all the pictures instead of facing reality. And that reality may be that we don't like the person that looks back at us in the mirror...for whatever reason that be. But this is not the way God wants you to look at yourself. He also does not want us living a "fake" life...like a bunch of Photoshopped pictures. What He would rather we do is look in the mirror and realize that no matter what you think of the person looking back at you, He loves that person. He would rather deal with that person looking back at you in the mirror than the person in the pictures trying to fake their way through life.
Pictures can be nice because they can capture a great moment in time and they can capture a memory that you love. But they can also cause us to constantly look back at what used to be, instead of looking at or dealing with the here and now. God wants nothing more than to help you with the here and now. He knows that dealing with person in the mirror, dealing with the here and now, is really the only way to build a better future. And He is always trying to get us to a better place.
If what stares back at you when you look in the mirror is a ton of regret, maybe some shame, maybe some guilt or maybe even a very unsure person...then God is exactly the one to help you. He loves you more than anyone ever has, or ever will.....just as you are. The reason I can say that and be so sure of it, is because God, and the person who looks back at you in the mirror, are the only two people who know every single detail of your life....every single one. And even in those moments that it's hard for us to love ourselves, He still loves us. It is in those moments that He wants us to just crawl up into His lap and be like that child who just needs a good cry. He wants to hold you and say..."it's ok, if you just deal with it all and let me help you, it can only get better from here".
If you struggle with the person that looks back at you in the mirror, let today be the last day for that. Don't live a fake life hiding behind "good pictures" of your life. His love is for ALL, and it covers ALL. Each of us probably know someone we can reach out to if we are struggling. Don't let pride, shame, guilt or embarrassment be the reason you don't get help today. Find someone who can point you to Jesus for the answers and then let them show you how.
As I have posted before, anyone that is struggling can email me. Anyone who is hunting for answers can reach out. Even if I don't have the exact answer for you, I know that God will help me put you in touch with someone to help you. Please feel free to reach out at wordsworththought@gmail.com . But no matter what, don't let this be just another day of not wanting to face that person in the mirror.
God, please help each and every one of us learn to love the person who looks back at us in the mirror. Not because we are being fake or living in denial, but because we are letting you do a work in us that allows us to see who we really are, and our need for You in our life. Let us give all of our ugliness over to You and allow You to show us just how beautiful you really created us to be. Thank You God for the healing You have waiting for us and help us to humble ourselves enough to reach out for it. In Jesus name, Amen

Spiritual Growth....It Never Stops!

When we come to Christ and accept him into our life we begin a journey. This journey should be one that continues to change your life and the way your life looks from the day forward. Unfortunately some people see that day as just a decision that was made and they continue to walk through life very similar to how they always have. Yes, there may be changes in the person, bad habits they give up, words that were a part of their every day language they not longer us and/or places they used to go that they would not go to. And even though every one of those things are great changes to make once you have accepted Christ, that is not where things should stop. Someone who doesn't accept Jesus into their life can make those same "good moral" decisions in their life. What's the difference? Growth......spiritual growth should be the difference between the day you receive Jesus and 1 year, 5 years and 10 years from now. The way you represent Jesus in your life, share Him with others and your involvement in ministry or whatever purpose He has revealed to you during your walk with Him.
Sadly enough a lot of Christians never evaluate their own lives and ask themselves am I spiritually maturing? Do I look different spiritually than I did this time last year, or however far back you want to look. I love how 1 Peter 2 explains maturing. The Message says it like this "So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God". According to this verse God understands that when we come to know Jesus we are like new born babies. We have to learn all that He has for us just like we had to learn from our parents as babies. But the verse also explains that there will be a day that we must stop "nursing"...some versions even say drinking the "spiritual milk". God wants us to always be maturing....until the day we meet Him. And I love that I have met Christians in their 70s, 80s and 90s who have not stopped trying to mature. They literally have said to me that they want God to use them more, reveal more to them for their lives or take them deeper into ministry. I can only pray that I am still thinking about being used more when I am that age. I think it's amazing! But then there are also people I have met who have walked with God 30 years and not allowed Him to use them more in year 30 then they did in year 2. And that saddens me.
No matter where you are today, I encourage you to not let the feeling set it that "you have arrived". Never stop the Holy Spirit from stretching you more, using you more, teaching you more. God will always take you deeper and grow you more if you give Him the freedom and the space to do it. The only thing that can "stunt spiritual growth" is you. If you feel like you have reached a plato and you're not sure how to get to the next level, begin to pray about. Also ask God to bring a mentor into your life that will help you in that growth. Sometimes we just don't try because we just don't know how. But I promise if you petition God to grow you, and help you see the areas of your life that need growth, He will.
John 15:1-5 are the the words of Jesus telling us how we need to always bear more fruit. If you are unfamiliar with these verses I would highly suggest reading them. Jesus makes it very clear that the moment we become a part of Him, our lives should start to bear fruit. He explains that He is in God and we are in Him, so our lives should reflect that by the fruit that we bear. We can not bear it without Him....so to me, logically to bear more fruit we need more of Him. If you know your life has produced a little fruit, but then seemed to stop, dig into more of Jesus and let Him show you ways it can bear more. Just like a tree should never stop growing and producing, neither should we!
God, Thank You that you find us where we are, but You have no desire to leave us there. Thank You for being so blunt in Your Word, letting us know we should always be trying to grow in You. Help us see the areas of our life that need more of you...and more growth. Do not let us buy into the lies of the enemy that what we are doing is enough....no where in Your Word does it say that. Give us the strength and wisdom required to keep growing and give us the eyes to see the areas of our lives that need to produce more fruit. Thank You for your patience with us...and that You never give up on us. In Jesus name, Amen

I Believe...or...I'm Walking In Faith?

Today God was really pressing on my heart the difference between "having faith" and "living in faithfulness". As I was thinking about this...and what He wanted me to say, and I found myself thinking "what's the difference God?'. And the answer I felt like I was getting back from Him is that the difference is what your life looks like. Anyone can say "I have faith"...but not everyone will walk that out. 

If you were looking for  a certain place to eat and I told you that it is about 5 miles down the road, would you be willing to start walking toward that place just based on the fact that I told you that? Or would you need a little more proof that the place you are trying to get to is really that way? Would how well you knew me play a big role in that trust? The difference between having faith...and living in faith is the part where you just believe....or you just start walking "in faith". Anyone can say they believe that the place is really 5 miles down the road, say thanks and walk away. But what does it say about the person that just takes off walking in that direction. It says they really trust you. So much so that they are going to start the journey before they can even see the end result. 

A lot of people say they trust God. A lot even say they trust God with their life....but do you trust Him enough to say I'm going to start living my life as if the things I feel you have promised me are already in my life? I'm going to start walking to the place you want to get me to....even if I can't see it. One of my favorite faith scriptures is James 2:19 where it says "even the demons believe". Believing is not enough. Believing is important....but it can't stop there. God wants us to trust Him enough that we say "I'm giving my future to you...and I'm walking into it KNOWING that you've got me". He doesn't want us to take one step, then look around and think, I don't know if this is going to take me where I should be. Yes, He wants us to be wise about our choices that will affect our future, but if we are walking in His will for our life, those things should naturally fall into place. God does not want us to be nervous, paranoid or insecure about our future. That is not living out our faith...that is living in fear. Only the enemy wants that for you.

Whether you have thought about it like this or not, it is true. The first time you put your faith to the test was the moment you accepted Jesus as your savior. You told him in that moment that even though you can't see Him, you know He is there and you trust that what Jesus did will cover your sins and make a way for you to spend eternity with Him. That is the biggest leap of faith we can make with God....but for some weird reason, even after that huge leap, we often struggle with fully trusting Him with other areas of our life or our future. If that has been you, then let today be the day that you shift from saying "I have faith"....to "I'm going to start walking in faith". Let today be the start of you releasing all control to God and let him guide your every foot step. Take every decision you have to make to Him and trust every answer you get back from Him. Nobody wants to see you have a more beautiful, meaningful and purpose driven future than He does!

God, Thank You that You are trustworthy! Thank You that we can lay our past, our present and our future at your feet and KNOW that you have them all covered. Help us release to You what we have been holding onto out of fear, and help us stop listening to the enemy's lies about our future. As we trust in you, help our lives speak to those around us as we give testimony of what you have done for us. In Jesus name, Amen.

It's Not About Who You...It's About Whose You Are

As we just came through this Thanksgiving holiday I thought a lot about how thankful I am that my salvation is secure it Jesus. I also thought about how grateful I am that it is secure because of what Jesus did, and not because of anything I can do or have done. I simply came the place in my life where I knew that I needed Him in my life worse than I needed anything else, and I asked Him to take over. But again, as I thought about how grateful I was, I also thought about the fact that Jesus loves me...period. Not because of who I am, but just because He loves me. What a great feeling....
I have had so many relationships and friendships in my life that were really based on what I could offer to the relationship. Who I was in the other person's eyes, and their acceptance of me, being very conditional. That kind of relationship can only last so long because eventually in your humanness you are going to let someone down in your life. And when you do, if that person turns on you, you find out the pain that comes from the feeling of not being "good enough". "Conditional love" is a human thing. We created it, and unfortunately a lot of people get very hurt by finding out that the person they thought cared about them, only cared about them if they could maintain this idea of who they were in the person's eyes. There is nothing at all wrong with trying to be the best you that you can be. But the moment "who you are" takes over "whose you are", you can find yourself in a bad place.
God created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), and that does not just mean our physical appearance. It means our hearts, the things we feel, our spirit, the way we were designed to think....all of these things are made in the image of God. His designed us to be in communication with Him at all times (just as Adam and Eve were), and to be without sin. And had man been able to keep that design, life would look completely different for us all. But even after that was messed up by sin, He did not give up on us. He sent Jesus to live, die and be resurrected to cover the ugliness of sin and again show us how much He loves us. So when you think of who you are, your first thought should really be "I am _________ because God designed me to be this and Christ died so I could be". If you look at your life and you do not know who you are through the eyes of Christ, then it is never too late to change that. Again, there is nothing wrong with the things you do and are interested in that make you different from the next person. (as long as they are pleasing to Him) But those things should not be what your identity is made up of. God's desire is for each of us to know who He created us to be, and the purpose He created us for. Your talents and/or interests may very well be a part of that purpose, but seeking Him first is really the only way to find that out for sure who He wants you to be. And sometimes as He begins to reveal that to you, He may call you out of something that you "thought" made you who you were.
God's love is the purest....it is completely unconditional. Yes you can do things with and in your life that please Him, but you will never do anything to cause Him to love you any more....or any less. And that idea is so hard for us to wrap our heads around. So know that life with God is not about who you were, or who you think you are...its about your heart and it's about being willing to let Him show you who He wants you to be. When you can walk in the freedom that He already sees the best in you, even when you don't see the best in yourself yet, it releases you from the pressure of being who the world tells you that you should be.
I know I have written a lot about identity in my blogs, but it's because I think a lot of people are walking around in an identity crisis. Not to many people really know who they are in Christ and I really hate that for them. He made you....so don't you think He knows you best. Better than you even know yourself.... Being who He made you to be does not mean you will have to walk in perfection, it means your heart will desire what He desires for you. And even when you do mess up, you still know whose you are and you will let Him correct and direct you back onto the right path.
God, Thank You that You have an identity, a design and a purpose for each and every one of us. Thank You that You do love us unconditionally, but never leave us where you find us. You have a plan for us and You patiently guide us into that plan. Help us release ourselves to You so we can walk in the freedom of being who You have created us to be. In Jesus name, Amen.

He wants to heal your pain....

I have never really written a blog at night, but as I was going through some Facebook posts tonight and thinking of some people/families I know, I just felt the need to write this.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are great holidays and they represent great things. Yes, we should be thankful all year round, but I have always loved that we gather each year with family and friends to celebrate the idea of being thankful. And then there is Christmas....another great time with family and friends, and a time to recognize that as we give each other gifts, we will never be able to give a gift as special as the one God gave us, His son.
But again, because of some posts I have read, some families I know....and my own personal experiences this year, sometimes the holidays can be hard to face. The joy that should be there just has a little less "joy" to it than other years. Maybe it's because you have lost a loved one, maybe it's because 2014 has been a very hard year or maybe it's because your family doesn't look like what it did last year or the year before. For whatever reason these holidays may feel like they have a dark cloud over them...and I understand that the cloud is there and it is real and you can feel it deep down inside. I am not here to deny that feeling at all. What I am here to say is that there is one who offers healing for that pain you are feeling. He is more real than the deepest pain and His love really can cover all. He offers hope to the hopeless and healing to the brokenhearted. Psalms 147:3 says "He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up there wounds." You see, if anyone can understand the different kinds of pain we go through, it is God. He sent His son to earth knowing how we would reject Him, how we would bring Him horrific physical pain and ultimately we would kill him. Imagine the pain that had to have caused God, but He did it because He loves us. He wanted to create a way for us to be able to repent for our sins, accept the biggest sacrifice that could possibly be made for us and be guided by the Holy Spirit throughout our life so we wouldn't just be walking around blindly. He did it because He wanted us to have a way to heaven, the place He intended for us to be before sin ever came into the picture. So you see why He can heal you, because He has felt your pain. He has felt the separation from Jesus while He walked the earth. He has felt the pain of watching someone He loved go through something they did NOT deserve. And He has felt the pain of watching someone He loved die. And don't think because it was Jesus it wasn't real...it was! He knew that everything Jesus felt as He was beaten and hung on that cross was real human pain. The worst any one person could ever endure.
So as this holiday comes tomorrow, whatever pain you are facing, know that He loves you and wants to help you get through it. Satan wants you to continue to feel the sting of that pain. Don't allow him to do that to you. 1 Peter 5:7 says "...cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you". Who else do you know that is inviting you to give Him your heartache, your hurt, your sadness and your pain. He wants to heal your heart and let you feel His love.
As I too face these holidays with a family that looks completely different than it did last year, I know that I will be thankful. I will thank Him for how He has brought me and my kids through 2014...how He has been there every step of the way...how has brought new people and great friendships into my life...how He has filled the loneliest nights with His love...and how He has brought peace and joy into our lives when it didn't seem possible. Circumstances did not do this.....my God did. And tomorrow I will spend every moment thanking Him for that. Showing Him my gratitude for His unconditional, unfailing, trustworthy love. I hope you can do the same.

God You Reign!

No matter the circumstance
Or how deep the pain,
God You reign

No matter what people do
Or what they might say,
God You reign

No matter the outcome
Of the next campaign,
God You reign

No matter what leader
Thinks he leads today,
God You reign

No matter if courts
Take prayer away,
God You reign

No matter what riots
Break out today,
God You reign

No matter if marriage
Is made equal by men,
God You reign

No matter if babies
Are taken in sin,
God You reign

No matter what terrorists
Do to cause fear,
God You reign

No matter If atheists
Say Your not there,
God You reign

No matter what happens,
On this hellish earth

Jesus was real,
Jesus was birthed

He lived and He died,
With no sin or blame

To show us a love,
To make us a way

For all of those people,
I named up above

To be saved by His grace,
Forgiven and Loved

So as you are thankful,
This time of year

Be thankful He reigns,
So there's nothing to fear!!

Don't Close Your Eyes...

If I asked someone to tell me some of the things they struggle with in their effort to live healthy I would hear things like, "oh I need to eat better", "I need to exercise more", I need to cut out pop" or "I need to pay more attention to what time I am eating at night". And all of those would be very valid things. They are all things that if changed would lead to a healthier life. I know this because I have had this very talk with people. They don't have a problem seeing, pointing out or telling me what they know needs changed. What they do have a problem with is the change itself. Even when people know that the choices they are making are leading to bad health, they will continue to make them. Some because it's just easier, some because they like the unhealthy stuff to much and some because they just can't push themselves to do it better. I'm not speculating here..these are very real conversations that I've had with people.
Today I want to be very blunt and very real about our spiritual health. And when I say our, I mean you...me...anyone who is reading this. Let's get real for a minute, and then do something about it.
Just like with our physical health, each of us are doing things on a daily basis that is harming, or maybe even killing our spiritual health. These are sins that we allow to take root in our life and live there. For this blog we will call them "struggles", but I really do mean sinful things.
Each of us have things that we just won't do, won't tolerate and wouldn't give way to in our life. Some of those things are extreme and it's easy to say "I would never do that". For instance, I don't ever see myself struggling with murder... but there are things I struggle with that are just as sinful, and really are struggles. Things the flesh loves, doesn't want to let go of or has convinced you that you "need" in your life to be "happy", or "safe", or maybe even "secure". Obviously something as ugly as murder is easy, but was about something like envy, greed, bitterness, lust, selfishness, unforgiveness, dishonesty, sexual sins......or whatever it may be for you? How much of a grip does something like that have on you that you are just choosing to close your eyes to? How honest can you be with yourself (and let God be with you) to say that this "thing" really is a struggle for me. It really has it's claws down in me and I have learned how to close my eyes to it and let it live in my life, rather that open my eyes up to it's ugliness and deal with it. Cut it out at the very roots and rip it out of my life before it causes any more damage than it already has. And most of the time we have our eyes closed to the damage it's causing too. Just like we say "oh this snack, this donut, this candy or this meal it's going to make me fat"....we will also say "this sin, this struggle, this one time isn't going to send me to hell". Let that idea camp out in your head long enough and I promise you it's going to wreak havoc on you more than you know. You cannot choose to just close your eyes to the struggle (or sin) in your own life that goes against God's word. You cannot choose to just close your eyes to the sin around you that goes against God's word. You must always be alert to what the enemy is trying to bring into your life to get you to be comfortable with. Just like some unhealthy choices over a period of time can make you overweight, some unhealthy spiritual choices can also take you to a place you never intended to be.
I have been meditating on these verses for a few days now. They are bold, they are blunt and they couldn't be more truthful. James 1:14-16 says "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when its full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren." There are not words like "if" or "may be" in this scripture. It is "when you are drawn away by your own desires", "sin will bring forth death" and "don't be deceived". This is a very real warning! The enemy just wants us to relax, close our eyes and pretend like that is for everyone else. He wants us to believe that we have a grip on our "thing" (whatever it is), and it doesn't have a grip on us. Lies, lies and more lies. If a doctor told you to change something about your life or it is going to kill you, point blank. Would you continue doing it and just act like he didn't really mean "death"? I would hope not! You would use that info as a wake up call and change what needed to be changed. Ask God for a wakeup call today and let Him show you what He desires for you to change before it brings forth spiritual death and/or destruction in your life.
There is a song that has been around for a while by Switchfoot called "This Is Your Life" and in the chorus of that song they repeat again and again "don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes". Very powerful and very true words. Don't choose to close your eyes to the things in your life that God wants to expose to you. He knows the more you allow Him to filter out of your life, the closer you will get to Him...and this is His true desire for us all.
God, thank you that Your word is blunt, bold and full of truth. Thank You that You love us enough to tell us what will happen if we stay on the path we are on. Wake us up TODAY to even the smallest things in our life that we have become comfortable with that go against Your word. Help us give our struggles to you and leave them there. Not walk away from You still taking them with us. Get real with us today and give us the courage to get real with ourselves. In Jesus name, Amen.

Click here for the lyrics to the Switchfoot song "This Is Your Life"

Are you ready for "your race"?

Often times Christians don't get into the word or find a good devotional to start due to the lack of time in their day. They may say a prayer to two throughout the day, but they may not be setting aside "prayer time" in their day. I know this because I have had several people tell me they struggle with this, and I too have found myself in that place. We have a tendency to let the things of life take up the time that really should belong to God. And the bad part is, not only are we not giving Him the time that He is worthy of, but we are missing out on what God would like to show us during these times too.
Last week I got invited to do something that I have never done...and that was to run in a 5k. As much as it sounds fun, I also know it is going to be a challenge to do it. Not because 5k is a huge distance to run, but because I am not a "runner". In fact, the last time I really ran was in 2012. So to say that it's been a while isn't exaggerating at all! And to top it all off, the run was in 1 week. So I decided that I'd better spend the next 6 days running so I can be "somewhat" ready for this. As I laid out a plan of what I was going to do I realized that all I can do is take these 6 days and try to build my way up to 3 miles before the day of the race. So I set out to try and build up a little bit of endurance. And that is what I have been doing the past few days....and it hasn't been easy.
I was driving to work today thinking about this run. And the one thing that was stuck in my mind was how much easier this would be if I was just somewhat of a runner. Even if I ran some on a weekly routine it would be better than not running at all, and then trying to go run a 5k. However, because God always finds fun and interesting ways to speak to me, as I thought about this run, I also felt Him saying "this is what people do with me all the time Chad. They do nothing.....no time in My Word, no time in devotionals, no real time in prayer....then life throws something unexpected at them and they find themselves unprepared." The time we spend reading the word, doing devotionals and praying is like prepping for a race. It not only is good for you in the moment (like running), but it is building something up in you for later. And God knows this, that's why He wants us setting aside time to be with Him. But instead, sometimes we get into a situation we didn't expect and find ourselves crying out to Him for help. Much like this race....It would be pretty foolish of me to show up the day of the 5k and think that without any preparation at all, this was going to be easy. No it won't.....And neither will be getting through the tough days, weeks or even seasons of our life if we are not preparing for them.
Reading God's word, doing devotionals and prayer time all build up our inner man. And when we do this it gives us something to reach in and pull out when we find ourselves struck with the unexpected. Don't wait until that day to begin to "really" pray to God. Don't wait until that day to reach for your bible to see what it has to say about what your facing. And don't wait for that day to search for answers...because you're not prepared, and you don't have them. Set aside time to soak up Godly wisdom on a daily basis and let Him pour His strength into you, His knowledge into you and His love into you. Because I can guarantee that we will have to face a day when we will need it. And if you have spent the right kind of time with God, you will be glad it's there.
God, have your Holy Spirit show us where we need to free up time in our life to spend with You. Show us the void that is in our lives because we are not filling it with Your word. And help us be discipline enough to carve out the time, and then let YOU fill it as you see fit. Help us set aside all distractions and devote this time to You so we can soak in all you have for us, and we can spend time praising and thanking you. In Jesus name, Amen

A thankful "Attitude"....

Living with a thankful heart is one thing. To me that means that when good things happen to you, you're the type of person that will immediately be thankful for it. You will recognize the goodness in your life and express your gratefulness. However, I think living with a thankful attitude is a little bit different. This is a place that God has brought me back to again and again.
If your a Christian and a blessing comes into your life, most of the time you don't have a problem giving God the glory for it and recognizing where the blessing came from. We know ALL blessings come from God, plain and simple. (James 1:17) However, what if the thing that God wants you to be grateful for does not look like a blessing? What if it was His correction in your life? What if it was Him keeping you from something because He knows it will not be good for you? What if it was something that you know you personally desired, but He did not desire it for you? What if the answer to the prayer was, "no"? Could you still boast of His goodness and truly be thankful? To me this is the difference between having a thankful heart, and living in an attitude of thankfulness. Meaning, that because you know God wants the best for you...all the time, then when you get told no, or when He exposes something ugly inside of you or in your life, you thank Him for it. Again, this is a place God has kept me in for most of 2014. And to be honest, I want to stay in this place forever. I have had God expose some ugly things inside of me and I have dropped to my knees and said "thank you". I began to pray about a year ago for God to provide "direction and correction" in my life. Well you can't pray for correction and not expect to be corrected. And when I know that I am going through something as part of that correction process, I thank Him for it. Yes, it may not be easy and it may even "sting" a little as I'm going through it, but that is when I stop and think "He loves me this much! He will not just let me wonder off. He loves me enough to keep pulling me back to Him. Even when I don't make it easy". He loves each of us that much!
Living in and attitude of thankfulness means that when life feels like it did for the Egyptians...where it isn't great, but you know He is taking you someplace greater. It isn't perfect, but you know He is working out His perfect will for you. It isn't everything you hoped or wanted, but at this time of your life He is providing what you "need"....not just giving you what you want! And when you can express gratitude toward Him during those times, image how much you will praise Him when He showers you with blessings. And He will! I fully believe that when God sees us being thankful even in the tough "correction" times, He honors that by blessing you. He is a good good God! And it pleases Him when we show Him, and tell others, just how good He is....no matter what is going on in our lives.
I know God has a beautiful future in store for me. There may be a bend in the road that is stopping me from seeing what all He has for me right now, but I trust Him. And I know that when He gets me to the place where I am prepared to turn that corner, He will honor that I have thanked Him for the hard times and the times of correction. As long as I am praying His will over my life and following where He leads me I cannot go wrong. And I will praise and thank Him for everything I go through that gets me where He wants to take me.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you". Now I have never claimed to be a bible scholar, but I'm pretty sure what God means there is EVERYTHING. The good, the bad, the easy and the hard times....give thanks!
God, shape and mold us so we can walk in a constant attitude of thankfulness. Help us not float from one blessing to another, only giving you praise when something good happens. But instead let us see Your beautiful work in our lives at all times. We are sorry Lord that we have not always given You thanks for everything, but today we declare that we are going to change that. You are God, and You are always worthy of our praise and thankfulness. In Jesus name, Amen.