Made New....

This morning in my prayer time I was thinking about how much people struggle with their past and accepting the idea that God has forgiven it and they can actually move past it. As I was thinking about this I was thinking of how we live in a world that doesn't like to let our past go and maybe that is one reasons we struggle so much with this idea. As crazy as the examples might be, we truly do live in a world where if you have a rough past, your going to pay for it for a while in your future. For example, if you messed up your driving record with tickets, or worse, your going to pay a higher insurance for years to come. Your going to have to "prove" your a good driver again. If you messed up your credit, your going to have to either not get loans, or pay a higher interest rate for years to come, even if you now have the best paying job and pay every bill on time now. And in our human relationships, if you hurt someone and lose their trust, it's going to take a while to gain that trust back. This is the way we are programmed and it is the world we live in.
However, God doesn't fit in the same box as everything else. Unlike almost everything else in your life, God does not make you keep paying for your past once you have repented for it. He looks in our heart and the moment we confess our mistakes, ask for forgiveness and accept His grace and mercy, He puts our past behind us and will never remind us of it again. The enemy will try to, but what you must realize is that is NOT God...that is the enemy. God wants us to walk out of our past mistakes and into a future of hope. Other than the fact that this goes against most other things in this world, it is also difficult for us to do this because it requires us forgiving ourselves and realizing God wants to make us a new creature. And we can't drag our past along with us and be a new creature. New means new....new doesn't really mean somewhat improved or a little better than before or even new on the outside but still messed up on the inside....it just means NEW. To really put that into prospective think about Jesus giving His life for you. I would hope we all would agree that He did not do that just to "kind of improve things for us". He did it to give us a new life. So that means when we finally fall at His feet and accept that gift, we have to be willing to start a new life with Him.
Yes your past sins may have some earthly consequences that you're going to have to deal with for a while, but again that is not God. Those are just earthly consequences. Let God make all things new for you and stop letting the enemy replay the slide show of your past over and over in your mind each day. Christ's blood fully covered your past....believe that, walk in that and let other's see that. It is through our lives that other's who need Him will see the change that happened to you and want what you have.

Be willing to be willing...

If you know me personally, then chances are you know one of my interests and hobbies in years past has been body building. When people find out I have done this they always have a ton of questions. I find it interesting how many people are intrigued by what it takes to compete in a sport like that. And my number one answer to anyone who asks is, discipline. Most people think you go to the gym, get as big as you can and then you go compete. But once I begin to tell them what all it takes they are usually pretty shocked. There are a couple things about body building that very much remind me of my walk with Christ. One is discipline and the other is to be willing to "be willing". By that I mean in body building you have to be willing to do what it takes to win.(and NO, I do not mean cheating or steroids) I mean you must be willing to be willing to do the diet, put the time in the gym and stay discipline. Anyone who approaches me about an interest in body building always gets the worst and hardest parts of it from me first. Because once I tell them about how strict the diet is and how much commitment you have put into your work outs, if they are still interested, then I know they really are serious. However, I have had so many people give me the answer of "forget that" once I give them these details.
I think our walk with Jesus is the same way. I think the day we commit our lives to Christ He really does want to have a sit down talk with us to say, "you really do understand what you are committing to, right?". But unfortunately a lot of people accept the gift Christ has to offer, they just don't want to accept the commitment. They are not willing to be willing to do whatever God asks of them. Unlike body building, what drives us to be discipline and willing to be committed to Christ should be LOVE. Body building is a hobby....my walk with Jesus is my life! I have often thought if I could do this kind of commitment for something I am just interested in....how much more could I be committed to Christ who IS my life, my all...my everything?
Do you ever ask yourself "am I willing to be willing to do whatever Jesus wants from me?"..."Do I show Jesus that kind of discipline in my life?". If not, why? When I look at what He has to offer me, what I have to offer back to Him seems so small. But I want to give Him all of me, because that is all I have to give. I want to have a heart so driven and so in love with Him that giving my all still doesn't seem like enough. I want to be willing to be willing to give all the Jesus asks of me at any time He asks it.
Thank you God for all that you give to me each day of my life. I am sorry for the times that my willingness has not been what it should be. Help me to keep a heart and mind that is willing to be willing to do anything you call me to do! Dying for me was the most You could do for me Jesus, so fully living for You is the least I can do! In Jesus name, Amen.

Trust your gut...or your God?

Have you ever asked yourself..."Should I just trust my gut?"....or heard others say words like that? If so the question I would follow that up with is, "Does your gut line up with God's word?". To many times we make a decision based solely on feelings...and feelings can change. Feelings come and go, feelings can be unstable and feelings can be driven by good or bad emotions. Most people do let their feelings play into the decisions they make, but I would warn you to not let that be the only thing you are banking your decisions on. Wisdom...most importantly Godly wisdom...is always going to help you make the best decision. The bible is full of verses that talk about wisdom, but James 1:5 is probably one of my favorite when it comes to praying about decisions in your life. It says "If any of your lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." This means God wants us to go to him and ask for help....ask for wisdom...ask for a clearer picture when tying to make a decision. Put some time in prayer before you make decisions...any decision really. Ask God to direct your foot steps and He will. There is no better feeling than getting direction and knowing it before you decide something. But if you don't ask, He can't really guide you. He will try, but more than likely since you are not asking for His help your going to miss His signs too. Proverbs 2:6 says "For The Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding." When you have knowledge and understanding of a situation you are bound to look at it from another angle other than just your "gut" or your feelings.
God, help us to not make quick decisions that do not include your direction for our life. Help us to patiently come to you for guidance and give you the freedom to work in our life. Please grant us your wisdom, knowledge and understanding when we come to you so we will know the decisions we are making line up with Your will in our life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Your Don't Have To Fail....

Every chance you get in life to do something wrong is actually a chance to do something right. Have you ever thought about like that? Each time in life we are offered a temptation it is not a just a chance to fail, but it is also a chance to prove that you can do what is right. The difference between the two choices is WHO are you living for? When a temptaion rises up in your life you can live "in the flesh"....you can live for the moment...you can satisfy that thing inside of you that says "what would this hurt", "who would know", "it's just_______". On your own failing and falling to temptation seems to be the easiest thing to do. However, if you really are living your life for God, then you already know who would know and who you would hurt....HIM. But the thing is, in this moment I not only don't want to hurt God, but I want to make Him proud. I want to take this moment of tempation to not show Him I have grown, but for Him to show me I have grown. I have grown in knowledge and wisdom because I know I can't do it on my own. That is how I have failed so many time in the past....thinking I could do it on my own. However, the place He has grown me to is that I can now stop and say "I'm not strong enough to make the right choice here, so please give me your strength, your wisdom and make my thoughts Your thought right now God". I know my capabilities do not measure up to His, so why just rely on myself? He says in Mark 11:24 "whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it shall be yours"....so why wouldn't I believe I can pray for strength in a moment and recieve it. Some translations say "whever you desire in prayer"....so the key is, what do you desire? Do desire Him to help you beat things you know you fall to in your own strenghth? Then He will!

God, make our thoughts Your thoughts....our ways Your ways. When temptation rises up in our life help us to see it as a chance to ask, believe and receive...not a chance to fail again like the enemy wants us to believe. Thank you Jesus for always being there when we cry out to you! In Jesus name, Amen.

The Most Important Relationship In Your Life...

If someone were to ask you what the strongest part of your Christian walk is, would there be one part that would stand out...and one part you know needs work? Would it be your time in the word, would it be your prayer life....maybe you are extremely obidient, so your answer would be your ability to submit. For some people there is one area that is strong....and one area that is weak. However, just like any relationship, there is usually room for more! If your view on church, God and Jesus is still not a relationship, but something you do, then I would suggest you start with your thoughts of Him. Jesus and your Christianity should not just be one "more" label in your life. It should BE your life! God does not just want us in our word more, want us in more time of prayer, want more obidiance from us....He wants more relationship with us. He should be the most important relationship in your life. The one that gets the most time, most attention and most devotion. Not because He commands that from us, but because He IS your life...He is not just in your life. The last thing God ever wanted was a place in your life, a time slot...another apppointment in your day. But a lot of the time that is what we give Him. And on the days we give Him "more" time we pat ourselves on the back and say it was a good day with God. And on the days we blow it we say that the enemy really got in the way today. However, if each "day" is spent with Him...all day, not just parts of the day, then it leaves very little room for the enemy to move in. If you're married and the only time you planned to make for your wife/husband in your day was at 6:00am for 15 min, then at noon for 15 or 20 min and then late at night for maybe another 30 more min, I don't think that relationship would feel like a relationship at all. Your spouse is typically a part of your day, if not because you are talking to them throughout the day, then it may be because they are in your thoughts all day.
We can't put God in a "place" in our lives and then expect Him to move in miraculous ways in our lives. He will move in the way we have given Him room to move. Ask Him where He is missing in your life and then listen to what He has to say to you. Take Him everywhere you go and see how much better your relationship wth Him gets. He is always waiting to be invited, but it is up to us to involve Him, invite Him into ALL of our business, ALL of our thoughts....ALL of our time.
God, help us not to compartmentalize our lives. Help us make time for you all throughout our day and give you room to move in everything we do. We invite you to walk with us everywhere we go...offering correction and direction all throughout the day. I pray that as you walk with us we are allowing you to lead the way. Jesus, You are the most important relationship in our lives and we are sorry for the times we have not made You feel that way. Thank you for not giving up on us! In Jesus name, Amen.

The Tormented Christian...

There are many tormented people walking around in the world today. If you need an example of that just read the headlines or turn on the news. We have people who have turned to drugs, crime, assault and murder as ways to cope with stuff every day. Because the earth is the dwelling place of satan (Revelation 12:7-12), there will always be evil in this world, sin in the world and tormented people in this world. If that were not true then there would have been no need for Christ to come and die to make a way for us to have salvation. Salvation by definition is deliverance from sin and it's consequences. So if there were no evil, there would be no need for salvation. However, what about the people who find salvation and yet still walk around tormented. This is something I see every day of my life....and it's very sad. Yes the person has found Christ and found forgiveness for their sins, but they have never found a way to stop the enemy from tormenting them.
So many Christians walk around "defeated" in the mind and in the spirit because they have never figured out how to put satan in his place. They let him continue to torment them with their past and their mistakes, and the lie they will never overcome either. But what they fail to realize is that Revelation 12:11 says that once we receive Christ and leave behind our past and our old ugliness that Christ has saved us from...it our story that helps us overcome satan. It says "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony...". Once we accept the gift that God has for us (eternal life through Jesus Christ), then the enemy no longer has power over us. We just need to know that, proclaim it, believe it and walk in it! If you have received Christ in your life, your past, no matter how bad it is, is forgiven and satan has nothing to hold over you. Romans 8:1 says "therefore there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus". Condemnation is the expression of very strong disapproval or the act of condemning someone to punishment. DO NOT let the enemy convince you that because of your past you still need to be condemned to punishment. Jesus paid that price so you would not have to walk around tormented anymore. His love covered it...His love took care of it...His love took on our condemnation. So if you have received Christ in your heart, and you still feel tormented then maybe it is time to receive Him into your mind. And let the love the Christ set you free, once and for all!
A tormented spirit or mind is nothing you have to live with. Every Friday night at Freedom House in Chillicothe there are deliverance rooms open so people can come for prayer for mental, spiritual and physical healing. People are set free from torment week after week through Jesus Christ. Please reach out to someone or go do a place that offers prayers of healing and deliverance. By God's design the words "tormented Christian" shouldn't even exist because Christ came to set us free from that!
"The thief comes to kill, steal and destory: I come that they may have life and have it more abundantly." John 10:10
Honor Christ today by living an abundant life through the gift that He has given you!

Prayer for today....

Father, today give your people a desire to reach out to those around us. The world is full of hurting people and Your followers have the answer for help them. Give us the wisdom to to look at the situations around us through Your eyes and the boldness to speak out the name of Jesus.
Help us with our own struggles Father and convict our hearts to rely on You for all of our needs. When we feel the need to control, help us submit to the Holy Spirit.
Remind us that we are Your hands and feet and there is work to be done in our communities, city, state and nation. Empower and equip us with Your gifts and faith and give us the confidence to use them. Help us not rely on there always being a tomorrow to do the things You have called us to do, but instead be excited for the journey You have set for us today!
God, most of all help us submit to Your will in our life. I pray we take the time to meet with you in the secret place and give You full access to our heart. Search the hearts of your people God and correct and direct us as only You can.
In Jesus name, Amen

Being Available....

If you are reading this blog right now then there is a real good chance you woke up today. And if you woke up today then you already have 1 thing on your list to be thankful for. Each day I start my day by thanking God for all the things He has blessed me with. I try very hard to think of things that people around the world are not going to have, that I take for granted...like a roof over their head, a soft bed, hot water and breakfast. Then the next thing I do is offer this day (that He gave me) back to Him as a gift to use it how ever He needs to. Which is what God has pressed on my heart for today's blog.

How often do you start your day by simply being available to God? It can only happen if you are starting your day by being available to Him in a time of prayer. I don't mean with a "Godly" to do list, but simply saying "here I am". So many times I think God would rather hear the words "here I am...what do you want me to do today?", then to plan every detail of our day out. Even when our intentions are good we can fill our day so full of "activities" that we have completely shut out any chance for the Holy Spirit to "interrupt us". How often do you invite God in to interrupt your day? I think one of the reasons we hesitate to be that open with God is because the enemy has convinced us that we are not "qualified" to do some of the things God might request of us. Fear has always been the enemy's best tactic to keep us from being all that God would  have us be. The very idea that there is someone you could run across today that needs to hear exactly what God has placed on your heart sounds crazy to some people. We feel so unqualified that we use that as an "excuse" for why God would not want to use us. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you make yourself available to God He will work out the details. He will put you in the place He needs you and He will provide the words/gifts needed in that moment for you to carry out what He has called you to do. When you doubt your abilities to do what He has called you to do, you are truly doubting Him. When we step out in faith we allow The Lord to empower us...and when He does this 2 things happen...His work gets accomplished and our faith gets strengthened. Test it and see!

I will be the first to say that God has used me in ways I am by no means qualified for...and for no other reason than praying the words out of Isaiah 6:8, "Here I am! Send me". Tell God you are going to make yourself available today. Don't put limits on what that means, but instead be open to "anything" He would ask of you. I know that word "anything" is a scary word to some, but He will amaze you by showing you what He can do through you, that you can't do on your own! 

A Time for Healing....& Revelation

The word "healing" means something different to every person that hears it. For some that word may represent a physical healing, for others it may be emotional and for others it may be a relational healing. For some it may remind them of something they went through a long time ago, and for you it may be something your currently going through. This morning God had me thinking about healing....as your going through it...and after. What do you take away from it? How did it change you?

If you had a physical accident happen to you and you had a bad cut on your arm, would you try to figure out what happened, whose fault it was and why it happened while the cut was still open and bleeding? No, you would tend to the wound first and get it to a place where healing can begin...then after the wound has been tended to you may go back and try to figure out what happened. But it would be ridiculous to try to figure out all these factors while your standing there bleeding. Well, the healing God wants to bring us through is much like this. There is a time to allow God to work on your wounds and begin your healing....then there is a time to let God reveal to you all the factors that caused the pain your going through. But I feel it is extremely important to allow a time for both of these things to happen. There is a time for falling at the feet of Jesus and crying out for help and healing, and then there is a time to ask God for revaluation. One reason it is important to give each of these processes their own time is because God may need to reveal some things to you that would just be to hard to face while your still in the midst of the pain. Part of that may be your "ownership" of the circumstances you are in. I know that's not something we like to hear, but just like any physical accident, you may have to go back and look at what "you" could have done differently to help prevent this. Allowing God to show you this can (and should) prevent it from happening again. Unless you want to be a person that goes through life experiencing one similar trial after another, one pain after another, one heartache after another...let God reveal things in you...and change them. Pray for anyone else involved in your pain, but let Him change you. We cannot change someone else...we can only pray for them...but we can choose to allow God to change us, or not. When a wound starts to heal, and we have allowed God to teach us through that wound, we are more likely to never have to feel that kind of pain again (thanks to God).

God, thank you for your healing, but also thank you for pointing out in us the things we have done to cause our own pain. Thank you showing us that healing needs to come first, so we can be receptive to what you need to reveal to us, about ourselves. Help us not grow cold and bitter toward the cause of the pain, but learn from it.....how to love better, how to forgive (ourselves and others) better, how to rely on you better. Thank you for what your word says in Romans 8:28...that you truly can make ALL things work together for good for those who love You, and are called according to Your purpose! In Jesus name, Amen.

Who's will...What way?

God's will vs our free will is always an interesting topic to discuss with people. It is hard enough to talk about this with a nonbeliever and explain why God's will for our life is always what's best, but it also amazes me how many professing Christians go through each day of their life without considering if they are acting in their own free will or God's will. As I was thinking about the clear difference and how this started way back with Adam and Eve and the decision to listen to the temptation of the enemy, my mind went to the results of acting in either our will or God's. In certain situations the outcome alone will show you if you were acting in God's will, but there are certain situations where the outcome makes it hard to see the difference. Especially if the temptation is clouding our judgement.
Because this is the way my mind works sometimes, I was comparing wills to simple math. And how if we didn't know 2+2=4 how would we ever know if we were doing it right. Because we can lay 4 things down in front of us and see that inside of that are 2 groups of 2...the evidence is right in front of us, so there is nothing left to question. The answer is always 4 so it is very obvious if we are doing it wrong. Well every time we make a decision there is also an obvious right and wrong answer....but how do we know? The bible! Every time we act within our own free will (or our flesh) there will be something that does not line up with God's word. The reason why is because our human side gets in the way of our decision. There will be some sign of selfishness, greed, desire or want....something in it for us above anything else. And that does not line up with God's word. But when we act in God's will the beauty is that He has a way of making it work out for us. When we act in a way that is selfless, giving, sharing and thoughtful toward others, God can take that and use it to bless us...and others. It is exactly what the enemy does not want us to figure out. Greed is the seed of the enemy. Greed makes us worry about what we will get out of a situation and causes us to act in our own free will instead of seeking God's. But selflessness is a virtue of Christ, and when we act selfless we will put God's will above all else.
Obviously taking any decision before God in prayer will help us see His will and His way. We open ourselves up to hear from Him and for Him to reveal things to us that we may otherwise overlook. If you can't see if you are acting in your own free will or God's will in a situation, take to the bible and take it to prayer. He will show you there is an obvious answer, but you have to be willing to see the situation through His eyes to see that answer. But I promise you this, if you act in God's will the blessings that come from it will affect so many more people than just you...and that is exactly how God designed it to be.

The Joy of The Lord.....Is Strength!

It seems like any time you hear a message on joy the verse that gets quoted the most is the last part of Nehemiah 8:10 where it says "...for the joy of The Lord is your strength." And as much as I love that verse and fully believe it (because I have lived it over the past 8 months), I also believe there is another side to joy. Have you ever stopped to think that the joy you put forth could be someone else's strength too? As I have walked out this trial I have been going through over the past 8 months I have looked up to people who have gone through something way worse than me. I work with a woman who has lost a child and a spouse. I have known her for around 17 years now and I have watched her walk with God through this process. As much as I am sure she has had bad days, I have witnessed her having good days...even great days. And as I have gone through my trial I have had the opportunity to sit in her office and tearfully tell her how much her strength has meant to me. In her humbleness she shared with me that she felt like she could be stronger. But I was able to share with her what it meant to me to watch her remain close to God despite what she has gone through. I have never asked her, but I am sure she could name someone that she looked up to for the joy and strength they remained in as they walked through a trial of their own. And over the past 8 months I have also had people tell me that the joy, peace and strength I have displayed in my life has encouraged them. My point is this....when we stay where God wants us to stay, close to Him, drawing from Him and letting other see Him in us...we are not the only one who benefits from that. If, or when, you get hit with a trial, think of someone who you have watched walked through a storm and remain close to God, then remember that you are that person to someone you know. God can use our storms to strengthen us...and others. I do not say this as an added pressure if you are in the midst of a storm, but more as an added blessing. Let God carry you...you never know who is being blessed and encouraged by watching you. And yes, you may have bad days, but do not let them overtake you. Keep going to God and asking for joy, peace and strength and then go boast about ALL that He does for you. See Him in the little and the big things of your life and talk about Him to those around you. Your God given joy could be someone else's strength and you may never know it!
God, give us eyes to see your blessings in the midst of our storm. Help us to walk in a supernatural joy and show a hurting world that you really are enough! Let the world see through our life that you can calm the storm, you can bring the peace and you can give us a reason to smile even on the worst of days. In Jesus name, Amen.

One Nation, Under God....

As I drove into work today I couldn't help but think about this day 13 years ago...as I'm sure millions of other Americans were doing this morning. I was thinking about the tragedy that took place when America was attacked on it's own soil, but I was also thinking about the way our nation turned to God. I would definitely have to say that it is the most I have witnesses Americans turn to God in my 40 years on this earth. It was actually a very encouraging thing to see take place in the midst of such sadness. It was like all at once everyone realized or remembered who God was, how much we needed Him and how any hope for healing was going to come from Him. People began to pray again and not just in the secret place. People were praying in groups and people were mentioning God in every public speech that was being given. It was like a nation made a turn all at once and we were going to start heading in the right direction.....at least it appeared that way. But then I also remember that it didn't take America long to leave that behind again. Sadly that is how we have become in America about most things. Things are only important for a minute and then we are on to something else....but with God? Really? I was hoping and praying we wouldn't do that with God 13 years ago....but we did. It wasn't long before people were arguing about where they wanted God and where they didn't. Like He has a place....like He doesn't belong in everything! It didn't take long for America to try to put God back in the box that they had been putting Him in for years. We even began to argue about our own flag flying in certain places again because the mention of our religion and our flag began to "offend" people all over again....so sad.
And now here we are 13 years later. Prideful Americans who use terms like "we pulled ourselves up and rebuilt"...."we are Americans and we cannot be defeated. You may knock us down, but we will get back up". Those are far different then the cries from 13 years ago when we were begging God to help us....heal us....give us what it takes to get past this horrible day and pull together as a people...."One nation, under God, indivisible..." Well we have proven over the past 13 years we are dividable and we barely recognize God in our one nation. But He is here! He has always been here and we better hope and pray He will always be over America!
It is my prayer today that while we remember the tragedy that took place 13 years ago, we also remember the healing that GOD brought to our nation. The blessings He has bestowed upon us, the protection He has given us and that any ability to rebuild is because of HIM! He is the foundation of this great country and when we forget that we are doing a great injustice to very people who made this country what it is. We are nothing without Him! When we take Him out of "things", those things seem to fall apart. Just look around..... Today, let's thank Him for our great nation and recognize that it would not be what it is without HIM! Thank you God!

Finding a purpose...

As I was praying this morning I was thinking about the purpose that each of us have on our lives. I'm pretty sure I have even blogged about our purpose before. However, the thought I was having this morning was more about how we know what our purpose is supposed to be. Many times we just expect to be sitting in a service and God is going to send someone right up to us with a word for us. Or we hope to be a part of a prophetic service where a prayer is prayed out that we know is directly for us. And as amazing as it is when those kind of things happen, for many people if it doesn't come to them like that they just don't know what to do with their life. People will walk around without direction in their life because they are not spending the kind of time they need to with God so they can get direction from Him.
Imagine starting a job and from day one you rarely talk to your boss. You get a few weeks or even a few months into the job and you realize that because you and your boss don't talk much, you really don't understand what you are supposed to be doing at this job. Yes you might stay busy and even be productive on certain days, but you have no idea if your doing what they hired you to do. However, if you have ever worked at a place where you are in close communication with your boss, then you know what it is like to be getting constant feedback and assignments from that person. You can then feel like you are on track with what you are supposed to be doing and even know when you are above or below the expectations they have for you.
This is very similar to how God operates in our lives too. If you don't go to Him in your secret place (prayer) and talk with Him(talk and listen), then how are you ever supposed to know what God wants you to do? You must be in close communication with God in order to not walk around in life aimlessly. Yes, there are days He will use you to help someone and you will feel good about that day, but what is the purpose He has on your entire life? If you don't know the answer to that question, then I suggest going to Him and seeking it! Spend time with Him and let Him reveal to you the purpose He has had for you since before you were even born. Don't buy into the lie of the enemy that not everyone has a purpose. The world is not divided into 2 kinds of Christians, those with a purpose and those without. God has a purpose for ALL of His children and if you are not seeking His will for your life, then chances are there is some kingdom work that is not getting done because He specifically designed you to do it!
I have referenced Jeremiah 29 before, but the main reason I am using it again today is because it instructs us to call upon Him "in prayer" and He tells us that when we seek Him...seek Him with "all of our heart". I believe that when we seek Him like this, He reveals Himself the most to us!
"For I know I the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart". (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Draw Near to God....

One of my favorite verses/promises in the bible is in James 4 where it says "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you...." The very idea puts a picture in my mind of being curled up on God's lap feeling loved and protected by Him. But it also puts me in mind of my closest friendship where that person knows everything there is to know about me and I could go to them about anything and everything.
The verses before and after verse 8 talk about what that "drawing near" looks like. It is not a list of more rules like some people might see it, but it is a picture of what drawing near to God looks like. I see it more as a God telling us "We can't keep drawing close if you want to keep this stuff in your life. There's just no room for all of that, and Me." God desires a relationship with our heart and our spirit, not our flesh and our behavior. He isn't in heaven putting notches in a piece of wood for every good and bad thing we do. At least that's not the way I see God. Instead He is looking at each thing we do, checking our heart and trying to correct the motive that caused each good and bad thing we did. He desires us to stay at a place where His correction is always welcome and possible. It is kind of like hugging your child after you've spanked them. The correction was necessary, but you also want to draw them into you and make them feel loved. That is the way I see God when He corrects me. But there is also another side of God's love...the side where correction was not needed. I think God delights in showing us favor when we are walking in His will. And I think we are in control of being at a place where God can or cannot shower us with His blessings. We may look at life sometimes and want to question God when blessings don't seem to be coming our way, but I would challenge you to look at all the other blessings that are coming your way instead of focusing on the 1 or 2 that you are waiting for. God's timing is always perfect. His blessings come when He knows we are ready for them. So continue to draw near to Him unconditionally. Rain or shine, thick or thin...show God your love for Him is as unconditional as a human can possibly love. Some days that will come easy and some days the enemy is going to make that as hard as possible for you. But when you continue to draw near to God in the good times and the hard times you are defeating the enemy!
God, thank you for Your word which shows us not only Your promises for us, but Your expectations too. Help us to condition our heart and our spirit to draw nearer to you with each new day. And forgive us for the times we put expectations on Your love for us. In Jesus name, Amen.

Faith....True Faith

Faith is an interesting topic when talking to people. For some their faith goes as far as their words, while others walk every step of their life out in faith. What's the difference? Most people don't want to hear this, but the difference is how much do you really trust God? Here is very practical example of faith: If I built a ledge that is 4 feet off the ground and asked you to walk out on it, you may not give it much thought. You may walk right out on it and maybe even jump up and down a few times without even questioning my ability to build. However, if I built that same ledge 75 feet off the ground and asked you to walk out on it, how much are you going to question my ability then? How much more am I asking you to trust me when going from 4 feet to 75 feet off the ground? You may even ask me some questions about how well can I build, what did I use, where did I get my plans for the ledge that I built? And chances are you may walk out on it, but at 75 feet you may not jump up and down to "test it out". At 75 feet off the ground I am asking you to really trust me to walk out on this thing...to really put your faith in the fact that I know what I'm doing.
Now let's take life with God. You need an answer from God about a decision in your life. One that may be important, but has little impact on the outcome of your entire life. You tell people you are trusting God with it, you have faith that He is going to come through with an answer for you and that you are giving it over to Him. That is the "4 foot off the ground" faith. Not to hard, not to testing for you. However, take a decision like trusting God to see you through a major life changing event. Something like a major move, a financial crisis, a breakup of a marriage, the health of a loved one....things that will alter the way your life is going to turn out. These are the things that require that "75 foot off the ground" faith. They require real TRUST in God! Do your words line up with the faith that God really sees in your heart during these times. If not, talk to God about it. Ask Him to teach you how to fully rely and trust Him. Luke 1:37 says "For with God nothing shall be impossible". That word nothing truly means...NOTHING....but it is up to you to believe that. The thing I have learned about God over the years is that He can only do as much as I trust Him to do. When I trust Him with the small things He comes through and builds my faith so I will trust Him with the big things. And when I trust Him with the big things, I go tell others what He has done so they will trust Him with their small things. It is amazing how much your "faith stories" can be used to build other's faith. It all comes down to trust. Even if you don't like to admit it, you may not trust God as much at you thought you did....but you CAN! He is trying to tell us in 2 Corinthians 5:7 (walk by faith, not by sight) to close our spiritual eyes to everything around you and just trust him. When you do that, you can't see if the ledge He is asking you to step out on is 4 feet, or 75 feet off the ground. Because to Him they're both the same.
God, help us trust and believe you with everything in our life. Help us not to put conditions on our faith and forgive us for the times where our words haven't lined up with how much we are really trusting You. Help us to be honest enough to say to You "I believe, help my unbelief", and teach us to lay it at Your feet and let go! In Jesus name, Amen.

Words....

Words are the one thing humans have over any other creature on this earth as a way to express ourselves. The ability to speak and communicate is a God given gift reserved only for us. But words can also be the biggest source of destruction known to man. As I was thinking about this post I was searching the bible for a good verse or two to reference. Problem was, the bible is full of warnings of what the tongue can do when used in a way not intended by God. And the place God was bringing me to as I wrote this was not how many times I have been wronged by someone else's words, but how many times have I wronged others. Shamefully I can admit that my tongue used to be my weapon. I used it because my heart was in the wrong place and I let my mind take over. And looking back it was always because the way I felt was always more important than the person I was unleashing my tongue on. No, I am not talking about curse words...I am just talking about words that hurt, words that tear down, words that discourage. None of these uses of the tongue were what God intended. And the thing I have learned is that the tongue, and the words we use, are a direct reflection of our heart. Over the past year I have allowed God to change me in ways I didn't think were possible. And when I am confronted by someone where I know I would have lashed out, or lashed back at before, and I don't... is when I know God has changed me the most. Thank you God!
Some places in the bible to reference this topic is Proverbs 21:23, Ecclesiastes 3:7, James 1:26, Matthew 12:36-37 and Proverbs 18:21. These are just a few verses that let us know the power our tongue holds. However, the one that probably stands out to me the most is Proverbs 12:18. I like the way The Message translates it...."Rash language cuts and maims, but there is healing in the words of the wise". The reason I like this verse so much is because it shows the other side of the tongue. Yes, it can hurt when used wrong...but it can heal when used wisely. It can show love, approval, acceptance, encouragement and so much more when God is the one driving it, not you.
Today, ask God to point out in you the way you use your words. Do you promote God's love with your words? Do you allow the enemy to convince you to feel justified when you lash out? Do you walk away from a confrontation with regret in your heart over the words you used? If you have been hurt by words, then you are already ahead in your healing process because you have felt the affects of a hurtful tongue. Allow God to change your heart so you choose to either be silent, or use words that encourage, build up or promote love. When you do, the feeling you will walk away with is greater than the feeling of any argument you think you have ever "won".

Speak Life...Walk In Authority

What things are you speaking life into each new day when you wake up...and throughout the day? Do you take hold of the fact that Jesus has authority over all things in your life? Do you speak life into the good things in your life, or do you focus on anything and everything that is, or could be, going wrong? If you have given your life to Christ, then Christ has authority over all things in your life. Luke 10:19 says "Behold, I have give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you". Those are some pretty powerful words, but are you walking in that kind of authority? When we speak life into the gloom and doom of our life we are putting our focus on those things and giving them authority over us and our day. I'm not saying bad things don't exist in our lives, I am just saying that we need to give those bad things over to the one who can truly make a difference and then LET HIM. Thank God for the healing before you see it, thank Him for the restoration before it happens, thank him for the help before it gets there. That is how you defeat the enemy. You look him straight in the face and say "you want me to see only the bad and lose hope...but I refuse". When we take hold of what this verse in Luke really means, we KNOW that we have ALL power over the enemy IN JESUS NAME! It is not by our works or anything we can do...but it is simply because we call upon the name of Jesus that we have the power, authority, hope and faith that whatever "it" is, Jesus has got it. The enemy is powerless when you refuse to let him have power in the name of Jesus!
God, search our hearts and reveal to us the things that we are fearful of, feeling defeated by and not giving over to you. Do not allow us to walk around as "defeated Christians". Convict our hearts if we are not walking in the authority that Your word says we should be. Help us in the areas that our faith is weak and let others see You at work in our lives. In Jesus name, Amen!

Wages vs A Gift....

Have you ever considered the cost sin has on your life? If not perhaps taking a look at Romans 6:23 would be a good place to start. This verse says "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord".
The thing I want to break down about this verse is the use of 2 words...wages and gift. The word "wages" by definition is a payment. And the word "gift" by definition is something that is given to another person. So if we take the definition of these 2 words and we use them in the verse it may look something like this. "The payment you will receive if you choose to live in sin will be death; but God wants to give you eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord if you choose to receive it". When you look at this verse using the definitions of the words it is real clear to see that IF you choose sin then you also choose the payment that comes along with sin....something you earned. However, if you choose God, you earn nothing...you are given something. And what is it that was given....God's only son and a death that He paid to give us this free life. I don't know about you, but any time in my life that I have been given something that I didn't have to work for there is a sense of gratitude that comes along with that...or at least there should be. We can't walk around in life mad because of the penalty of sin if we keep CHOOSING to live in it. But we can walk around grateful for the gift God has for us if we CHOOSE to live for Him.
If you are living for Jesus and you are grateful for the gift He has given you, then let your life show it. Give others the chance to see what God has given you so they too can get out from underneath the weight of sin...and the penalty of it. Sin will always be all around us, but it is our choice every day to live as purely as we can. To me that is how we can show God how grateful we are, by choosing to walk as far away from sin as we possibly can after we have received His gift. Not in our own strength, but by humbly admitting our weakness to sin and then relying on His strength to get us through each day.