5 Days To The Cross: Day 2

As I stated yesterday, I have found myself in deep thought about what this week would have been like for Jesus. I know we have some facts in scripture that point us to what events took place each day leading up to the cross. But I also tend to wonder what thoughts and feelings had to have been going through the mind of Jesus as well. The point of this blog is not to speculate, but more the challenge you to slow down enough this week to think about it as well.
We know from the scriptures that even though we 3 days out from Friday, the day Jesus would be put to death, He is still trying to teach truth and spread God's word. That in itself amazes me. That a man about to face all that He was about to face was still so focused and so concerned about those around Him understanding the TRUTH. And of course we know that as He began to teach that truth in the temple He was approached by those who wanted to disprove Him. And they tried to trick Him into saying things that would give them evidence in court to have Him killed. As you think about think about that, please remember that at the same time this is all going on, Jesus knew these are the very people He is about to die for. God's word states in Matthew 21 that they were questioning His authority, trying to do anything they could to trip Him up. But His answers just kept making them look bad and was making them even more mad. (Cause we all know the truth can have that affect on people a lot of the time) But again, I find myself thinking about a man who knew what was coming to Him over the next few days. He could have taken this opportunity to give answers that were not gong to make them mad. He could have said things to them that would have led to perhaps less brutal death that He was about to face. But instead, we see a man more concerned about the truth being very clear, than how those words of truth were going to have an affect on Him and how He looked to the crowds.
So God's word says they (the chief priests) left the temple and went to the house of Caiaphas to discuss how they would kill Jesus. And we know that Jesus had to have known this, but yet He continues on with such focus. Knowing He is being plotted against to be killed....and knowing that one of His friends was about to betray Him and aid in the plot. We know He traveled to Bethany that day and stayed at a man named Simon's house. And this is where the famous story in the bible takes place...where as they met, a woman came and poured a very expensive perfume on the hair and feet of Jesus. And as His very confused friends watched this happen and questioned why He would allow this, He tries to explain to them that this was all preparation for the death that would soon take place. Using what she did to again to teach them (and us) another lesson...(Matthew 26)
I'm glad we have so many facts to look back on to see what Jesus' last week was like, but again I find myself thinking more about the emotions and thoughts that were going through Jesus. And as I do, I find myself even more amazed at who Jesus was. Teaching and preaching right up to the final days of His life.
I know Jesus is the son of God....and people can claim all they want that it was this "supernatural" thing that allowed Him to be this way. But I know that God's word also says He was fully man (Hebrews 2)....and because of that, when I see Jesus, I see a man who was willing to walk into death because He loved me that much. I see a man who was willing to speak an unpopular truth right up until the end. I see a man who at any given second could have escaped it all by doing or saying what the "crowd" wanted Him too. I see man of integrity and love and grace and passion. I see a man worth trying to be like each and every day of my life.
God, as each day of this week goes by I want to Thank You more and more. Cause I know that at any given time you could have taken Jesus up with you and said that none of us were worth what You were about to endure. But You didn't! You see a worth in us that we can't even imagine and You were willing to let Your son die to show us that worth....and that LOVE. I pray that people will find Your love, forgiveness, grace and mercy as they truly understand what it is that Jesus did just for them. In Jesus name, Amen

5 Days To The Cross: Day 1

As the week before Easter (or resurrection Sunday) is here I find myself thinking about what this week would have been like for Jesus. I know we have the scriptures to reference some of the things that took place on the Monday before his crucifixion. But I also think about what the "man Jesus" must have been going through and what the "son of God Jesus" must have been thinking...
We know through the scriptures that even with Jesus' death being only a few days away there were still things He was trying to teach the disciples. We know that He used the object of the fig tree to talk to them about faith. And we know that He made His way to the temple and was angered by the things He found going on there. People were buying and selling in the temple and profits were being made in what Jesus referred to as "His father's house". And we also know that Jesus took time to heal those who came to him. All just days before He would go to the cross....
These are all facts that we know went on because they are recorded in His word, but I find myself wondering what feelings were going through Jesus. I mean, it is days before His death...He knows what is coming, and at the same time He knows that His time with these men that he has been trying to disciple is also coming to an end. I'm sure there was great concern for how much they understood. What all they had gotten from Him. The job ahead of them to carry out His work. And the human side of Jesus (which there was one) knew the days with His friends were coming to an end. And the supernatural side of Jesus already knew already knew how each one of these friends were going to handle the days ahead. He knew the ones that would stand by him, and the ones that would betray Him. That alone would be so much to have to deal with. Now, on top of that, He also knew that with each passing hour this horrific death was getting closer and closer.
I stopped today and thought about the people I have known who have bravely faced death. People who knew they salvation was secure and they were going on to a better place. These were people who had fought battles with a disease that was finally leading up to death. And days before it happened they knew it was coming. Again and again I have known people who bravely approached those days because they knew the end of this life meant the beginning of eternity with Jesus. And that was something to rejoice. However, I have never known someone who knew they were going to get brutally murdered days before it took place. Have you ever stopped to think about what Jesus knew about His own death? Not just that death was coming, but that He knew the brutality behind the death that He was going to have to face. The beating that was going to come before the death. The human physical pain that He was going to have to endure.....He knew all of this. And yet when we look at the scriptures, four days before His death and He was still passionate about the things that were going on around Him. He was still teaching and He was healing... I can't say that I know a single person in my life (including myself) that would even be able to focus enough to get out of bed if they knew what was going to be coming in the next 4 days. But He did...
Again, I can only say some of these things out of my own imagination of what these days would have been like for Jesus. But there is one thing I can say for sure. As each day drew closer He could have said "Father I can't do this for these people....they don't deserve it"....but He never did. And so as each day draws closer to Good Friday I will remember a man that loved me....and loved you....so much that even knowing what awful things lied ahead for himself, He pressed forward for us. That is a love I can't even wrap my head around.
God, Thank You for Jesus. I also can't imagine what you had to endure this week as you watched the way this world treated Your Son. But You made a way for us anyway....Thank You so much for that! I pray God that people will find Your love this week. People will discover Your amazing Forgiveness, Grace and Mercy this week. And I pray that people's lives will be forever changed by discovering who Jesus Christ is, and realizing exactly what it was that He did for them. When I think about what You gave, giving my life back to you to you seems so insignificant....but I know you don't see it that way. I know that You think I was worth dying for...and I thank You so much God! I love you, I praise you and I honor You! In Jesus name, Amen

To Truly Lead, You Must Be Willing To Follow Him (Men)

"For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior." Ephesians 5:23

This is a very serious verse in the bible. In fact, for men, this should be one of the most serious verses we ever read. Men, you are the head of your family just as Christ is the head of the church! 

Today's blog is really directed at the men out there. Especially the ones who call themselves a Christ follower. I may be a little bold....I may be a little blunt. But I can also tell you that I will be directing every word I write at who I used to be, who I am and who I still hope to be one day. But I feel like there are things that God wants ALL men to get...and I'm just not sure we're quite getting it in today's society.

Men....you are called to lead. God makes that very clear in His word. That is not to say that there cannot being amazing women leaders in this world, because there can and there is. But what I am talking about today is understanding the responsibility that God has placed on our shoulders as men IN OUR HOMES. 

If you know my story, or have read my blogs long enough, then you may know I had a marriage end in a very painful and unwanted divorce in 2014. It was quite possibly one of the worst things I have gone through outside of the death of my father. And I can tell you that the ONLY thing that got me through it was drawing near to God, admitting I was too weak to get through it on my own, and then allowing Him to do a work in me and through me as I walked through a very dark valley. However, having said all that, let me say this, through the pain...God has taught me a lot!

The other night I got to spend some time around a camp fire with some great Christian men. And because one of them is about to get married, those of us who have walked that path were giving Him some Godly words of wisdom to take with him into his marriage. And as I sat there and listened to what we all had to say, there was one theme that was very clear. Be led by God...then be ready to lead and be ready to take responsibility! See, as men we love to take credit when the good stuff is going on. But man do we hate it when the bad stuff falls on our shoulders. And unfortunately, as leaders in our homes, it all falls on us. Let me be very transparent with you.....I am divorced because of to many years of not leading like I should have. Oh sure I would take on the responsibility of making the "tough decisions" in our home. But because my heart was not in the right place with God, I was making Godly choices for our home and my family. And I think the enemy can use the "good" in your life to get you to believe you're doing just fine. Until things start to come apart at the seams and you take a step back and finally say "man, I've been doing this all wrong". But sometimes we don't get to take that step back until it's way too late. Not too late for God...there is NO such thing. But maybe too late for both sides to fix things. Again, it takes two people in a marriage to get it to work right. Two people willing to fully submit to God. But if you have been leading the wrong way for too long and you try to fix that, the other person may not want to make it work anymore. Then you are left with the consequences that you have been helping to create for many years. 

I did not lead the way I know and understand God wanted me to, period! I made selfish decisions with something God entrusted me with. I controlled something that was never mine to control, it was always His. I did not treat the covenant with my wife AND God with the love, tenderness, seriousness and respect that I should have. And I had to watch something die right in front of my eyes....my marriage. My story is simple at the roots...I could have led better, but I didn't. And I lost something and someone I loved very dearly because of it....my marriage and my wife. And now I am left, after the fact, with a very deep, loving and pure relationship with God... and a regret that I didn't find it years earlier.

So men...ask yourself today "am I leading...God's way?". And I don't mean...I have a good job, pay the bills, provide....I mean, is my home in line with God's word. Cause if it's not, then it is time to fall at the feet of Jesus and ask for forgiveness for not taking care of something He entrusted you with. And then it's time to ask God to CORRECT and DIRECT you so you can lead. Because until He has your whole heart, complete devotion, complete love, complete trust, complete obedience and complete attention.....you will not be able to lead as He is calling you to do. And you don't want to be figuring that out when it's too late...trust me.

Please...please men...if you need help in this area, DO NOT let pride get in the way. Find a Godly man with Godly wisdom and ask him to help mentor you. Give him permission to speak into your life and point out things that you need to give to God. Sometimes we are doing it wrong because we didn't have the best examples in our own life growing up, but that doesn't mean God can't show you another example and teach you NOW.

God, I want to make this prayer simple....CREATE GODLY MEN. Raise up a generation of men that refuse to do things the worlds way. Create in men the desire to please you first....and let that flow down to the way we lead our families. Please Holy Spirit, do a work in us to make us Christlike....it is the ONLY way we will be able to do this right. And THANK YOU GOD that our past mistakes DO NOT need to determine what YOU can do with our future. In Jesus name, Amen 

Just Get Real...

I have to think that one of the things that we do that damages our relationship with God the most is when we act like He doesn't know everything going on in our life. How many times in your life have you felt like you were actually hiding things from God the way you can hide them from the people around you? Why is it that we allow ourselves to think this is possible? And trust me as I write this, I am talking about myself here too. I can think back to specific times in my life where I tried to convince myself that I could actually hide stuff from God. Talk about acting out of pure ignorance. I mean, He is the all seeing.. all knowing God, and I was going to play a game like that with Him? But I also know where my heart was at those times in my life, and I'm not sure now if I really was trying to hide "things" from him....or if "I" was just trying to hide from him. 

Let's face it, God is not about playing games! Why we do this with him is still beyond me. It is our human nature to hide things that make us feel shameful....and when we act out in sin, shame is a direct consequence of that sin. But that shame does not come from God, it comes from the enemy. God desires openness with us and a direct line of communication with Him. He desires us to come to Him and just "get real". When sin first came into the world what was the first thing man did...we hid from God. (see Genesis 3) Man had a direct communication with God. They walked together and talked together. They were completely open with each other. And then sin came into the picture and the first thing they did was hide from Him. And when I read this story in the bible I love how God interacts with them. He asks them questions. Not sure if you have ever thought about that, but this is God, do you really think He needed to ask them questions? No, but He wanted them to be open with Him.....to be real with Him.  And His actually questions to them that day pertain so much to us today when we think we can hide from Him. He said "where are you?", "who told you that you were naked(or who told you how you are)?" and "have you eaten from the tree...?" All of these are questions that God certainly knew the answer to, but He needed them to come to Him with their sin. He needed them to understand that He still wanted to talk to them, but there would be consequences of their sin...BUT they did not need to hide from Him. Now fast forward to Jesus. A man who knew no sin took on the consequences for our sin to once again make a way for us to talk to God again. And what do we still do sometimes when we sin? We go right to the same response as Adam and Eve and we try to either hide our sin....or hide ourselves from Him. 

The enemy convinced man to buy his lies in the garden and he has not stopped trying to convince us to buy his lies since then. God does NOT want you to walk in shame. He wants you to come to Him no matter what sin you have in your life....before...and after you have entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Do not allow sin to have the power to create space between you and God. When we try to hide things from God, we cannot come to Him FULLY. We will always be holding back something and that will hinder the work you can do for Him and the blessings you can receive from Him. 

So today I am challenging you to get real with God. Get in front of Him and be as real as you have ever been. Lay anything and everything at His feet and feel His love, forgiveness, grace and mercy in a way that you maybe never have. And the from this day forward, when you mess up, (and you are going to mess up) take it to Him immediately so you can keep that open and honest line of communication with Him. Nothing pleases God more than when we give Him FULL access to our heart! Proverbs 23:26 says "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways." It doesn't even sound like it could work this way, but when we don't hide things from God...and are as real as possible with Him..we don't feel worse about ourselves, we actually feel better. He exchanges what should feel like guilt for the feeling of His forgiveness. He exchanges what should feel like shame for the feelings of HIs grace and mercy. And at a time when the enemy wants nothing more than for you to feel "ugly in your sin"....God will make you show you how beautiful He sees you.

God, thank You for loving the sinner and hating the sin. Thank You for never shutting us out of a relationship with you because of what is in our lives, but instead drawing us in closer at a time when we feel like hiding. Your love covers all shame, all guilt and all sin. Help us to KNOW this and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us so we can stay as real as possible with you. In Jesus name, Amen 

The Signs Are All Around You...

There really is nothing better than being blessed by the Lord. No matter how the blessing comes to you, there is just something about knowing that in that moment the Lord of all the universe wanted to take a moment to pay attention to you. How amazing is that! And one of my favorite ways to be blessed by Him is for Him to teach me. For Him to take a situation and allow me to see something in it. It doesn't have to be some deep and amazing revelation either. I love it when I am just spending time with Him and He takes something very practical and decides to teach me from it. And today I had one of those moments with Him.....so I'd like to share it with you...

I was once again enjoying one of my mornings with Him as I was driving to work today. And as I was going down the road God started to make each sign I passed stand out to me. These are signs I have passed on my way to work for 17 years now. And by signs I don't mean advertisements, I mean all the signs that warn us, restrict us and inform us. Each day we pass hundreds of signs that give us instruction or warn us about something. And the longer you drive, the more you just "get used to" seeing these signs everywhere. And because of that we can almost become unaware of how many we really pass and all the things they are telling us. Things from a speed limit, a speed change, kids playing, curve ahead and even signs that warn us that under certain weather conditions this road can become dangerous. And these are just a few of the many many signs that we pass each day.

Today what God was saying to me is that we can become oblivious to all the signs that He tries to show us in a given day as well. He is constantly trying to show us the dangers of the places we are about to go. Trying to warn us of the temptations that lie ahead. Trying to tell us that we are about to head down a road where conditions could change. Obviously God speaks to each of us differently so there may be ways (or signs) that He is trying to show you that I'm not being shown, and vise versa. Unlike the highway, where we all get the same set of signs, God personalizes the signs that each of us are shown each day. He knows your hardships, your temptations and your past.....and He knows mine. And He wants to do ALL He can to keep us going in a direction that is going to keep us in His will and on His path. However, just like the signs on the side of the road, it is our choice to look for them and obey them. And depending on how we handle these signs, there will be different consequences. For example, if I choose to speed today or ignore the stop signs on my way to work, the ticket I get from a police officer or the wreck that I get into will be my negative consequence. However, if I choose to look for and obey each sign I pass, then getting to work safely without being pulled over will be the positive consequence of my actions. See everything we do has a consequence. Sometimes I think we only see consequences as a negative things, but that's not true. There good consequences to our good choices (our God choices) each and every day of our lives. 

God showed me today that He supplies the signs. He always has and He always will. But it is up to us to use wisdom to see them and obey them. They are there to keep us safe, to help us show Him to those around us and to allow us to benefit from all the GREAT consequences that He has for us. He loves us enough to put them there.....and He loves us enough to leave it up to us to make the choice to pay attention to them. But today He just wanted me to know how much better life can be if we take the time to look for them all throughout our day.

God, Your love amazes me more every day. You pay so much attention to the details of our lives and most days go by without us even thinking about. I personally am sorry for that Lord. Holy Spirit give me eyes and ears to pick up on every sign that You are putting around me to guide, direct and correct me. And give me a heart that will heed each warning and keep within Your will. In Jesus name, Amen 

Carrying Out The Right Plans...

I think one of the hardest things about being a Christian sometimes is not letting your own personal agenda get in the way of God's plans. It is so easy sometimes to just set our feet to a path because we feel like we are doing God's work, without getting clear direction from Him that this IS what He has actually called YOU to do. One way I think this happens (with good intentions) is by looking at the life of another Christian and seeing the path they are on, or the work they are doing, and then trying to replicate that. It's very easy to think "this is what God would want me to do", without actually getting confirmation from Him. However, it is so critical that each one of us know exactly what God has called us to do.
Each follower of Christ has different gifts and talents. (see Romans 12:6) Some of which may have been released already, and some which you may not have even be tapped into yet. So it is very important that the path you are on, and the work you are doing to advance God's kingdom, is in accordance with the gifts and talents that He has put in you. And if you are not sure what those are....seek God! Ask Him to reveal your gifts and His plans for your life. Proverbs 16:9 tells us that He establishes our steps, so who better to ask than Him. And sometimes it takes patience for Him to reveal His plans to you. So be sure not to jump ahead of the Lord. Everything is in God's timing. Psalm 27:14 tells us to be strong and wait for the Lord. I don't think the words in this verse are just coincidence....where it tells us to "be strong". God knows that sometime waiting takes more strength than doing. And to be honest, that was one of the toughest things I had to learn in 2014...to wait. But God's timing truly is best and even though we may not know why we are waiting, He does. It may be that He is still building you up for the plans He has for you. It may be that He is using this time to strengthen your trust in Him, by waiting. It may be that He is lining up other things that you can not even see. No matter what the reason for the wait is, but sure to do as directed by God...even if that means to wait.
Each of us have "our own plans". I know this because we are all human beings. And as such we have been given beautiful minds that allow us to think, be creative, make plans and carry them out. However, do not let your mind get in the way of your faith. Proverbs 19:21 says "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand". See, God knew we would struggle in this area and He gives us instructions on how to not let that mind He gave us take over.
Everything I do and everything I put my mind and my hands to, I want to be blessed by God. But the one sure way to make sure that happens is to stay in constant communication with Him and do when He says to do...and wait when He says to wait. I am not to mimic the life of my fellow Christian brothers and sisters, but instead I am to see the specific path and plans that He has laid out for me. No matter the topic, God needs to be involved in it. It can be so easy to convince ourselves that this is not something God would even care about, so I'm just going to do it this way. Not true! God cares about every detail of our lives and wants us to make Him a part of those details. From the little to big things.
If you know you have been going through life making choices without confronting God, or waiting on Him, let today be the day you change that. Seek God and LET Him show you that His agenda, His path, His plans and His blessings are far better than anything you could imagine for yourself. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God not only has plans for you, but they are to give you a future and a hope. If you ask me, that's a pretty amazing guarantee from the Word of God and I'll take that over my own plans any day!
God, Thank You so much for planning out every detail of our lives. Please help us to trust You more and to wait upon Your Spirt to guide us into those plans. Forgive us for the times that we have jumped ahead of You and done things You never intended for us to do. And help us to realize that when we wait on You, not only will we benefit from it, but so will Your kingdom. In Jesus name, Amen

The Same Old Way...Or Something New?

A little over a year ago the city I work in put in a new road that led to the company I work for. I remember when it was complete I now had a place that I always made a left to go to work, and now I had two choices. I could go straight now, onto the new road, or I could still turn left and go the way I had been going for 16 years now. For the longest time I continued to turn left at that intersection and went the way to work that I had been going for so long. There was nothing wrong with going that way. In fact it was a way I knew was safe and would get me where I was going every single time, no questions asked. But I remember one day after the new road had been in place for a few weeks that I thought "I'm going to check out this new road and see what it's like". The road goes through what will eventually be a neighborhood someday, so there really isn't anything on either side of it. I remember the first day I took it because for the first time in 16 years I drove up to the building I work at from a different direction, and it just seemed so strange. Even just to see my building from that side after all this time seemed just weird. However, over the past year this has become my normal route to work, and even though that stretch of the road is probably less than a mile long, it is the most peaceful part of my drive. It is very quite. The road is brand new so it is such a smooth drive. And there is never any traffic. It's just a very peaceful end to my 30 minute commute to work.
You may be reading this and saying "ok, we get it. You drive a different way to work. Where are you going with this?" But I do have a point to all of this. See it wasn't until I was willing to go a different route, to take a different path, to try another way, that I realized there was a better way. And even after a year now of driving this "new way", it wasn't until today that God showed me something about this drive. It's peaceful and probably my favorite part of the drive. Had I never gave it a try I would have never known that. It wasn't like the other way was causing me problems, but that didn't mean there still wasn't a better way out there. See today my "new road" represents a new path just like God wants to take us down. He always has a better way for us, but sometimes we have to step out of what we are used to and try it out. We make choices every single day that determine that path tomorrow will take. And just because something feels "safe" or is what we are used to, doesn't mean that it's the best thing for us. I challenged myself to just go straight that one day instead of turning left. That might sound small and silly, but I broke myself out of the norm. And I discovered that after 16 years of making the same drive, there is a newness to it that I now really enjoy. I found a new peace that I would have never known about unless I went down the new path. God has a peace waiting for each one of us when we go the way He directs us to go. However, sometimes because there isn't really anything wrong with the path we are on now, we don't even think to ask Him or look for a better way.
Today, allow God to challenge you to look at your life and the paths you have taken. Ask Him to show you if the one you are on right now is just comfortable, or if it is really where He wants you. Like me, you may be going right past the better way every single day and not even realizing it. Maybe it's an opportunity He is trying to show you. Maybe it's a new ministry He wants to involve you in even though there is nothing wrong with the one you are in now. Maybe the path you're on does have issues but you have become to blind to see them, and staying where you are just feels safe. I'm not sure what God has in store for you, but I am sure He has more. He always has more! Psalms 16:11 says "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore". God puts us on a path when we accept Jesus into our heart, but that doesn't mean He doesn't have other paths for us as we mature and grow as a Christian. He is all about challenging us and pushing us to go further and deeper with Him. And the number one way to get there is trust. So ask yourself if you are trusting Him, or just the same old ways that are familiar to you?
Here are few more verses on God's path if you'd like to reference them. Psalms 119:105, Matthew 7:13, Proverbs 3:6, Hebrews 10:26 and Proverbs 3:5.
God, Thank You that you set us on a straight path...and then you challenge us along that path. That You always have better ways for us. You don't just set us on the right path and then walk away, but you lead us and ask us to trust You and follow You. With each twist and turn that comes, we know you are there with us. Thank You for that. Help us to hear Your voice today Lord as we ask the Holy Spirit to show us the "better" way that You have for us. And as Christ followers, please help us to always demonstrate a better way for others too. In Jesus name, Amen

Did You Pick Up Your Cross Today?

Yesterday I stated that there are 2 things in a Christian's life that are very important. Of course I know there are more than 2 things, but these were the two things that I felt God pressing on me. And the purpose of talking about these 2 things were to stay healthy and go deeper as a Christian. To be at a place where you are speaking to God, hearing from God and obeying Him all the time. It is critical to stay at a place where those things are a part of your every day life.
The first thing (which I wrote about yesterday) was to cast your burdens on God. This will allow you to see He is trustworthy and allow you to walk in the freedom that He desires you to walk in. However, the 2nd thing that I wanted to write about today, is picking up your cross daily.
Growing up we hear this term "pick up your cross daily", but do we really understand what it means. And without it's meaning can we truly do it? In Matthew 16:24 Jesus says these words “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." And I can remember as a teen and even a young adult thinking what does that even mean. That is, until I fully understood what the "cross" meant to those Jesus would have been saying that to. The cross represented one thing to those people, and that was "death". There was no such things as "cross necklaces" back then. It was not yet a symbol of God's love and Jesus' sacrifice yet....it just meant death. And it meant death in one of the most painful and humiliating ways that a human could die. There was nothing good about it. Imagine having to drag the device upon which you were going to die to a place that you would be killed...all in public. This is what the cross meant to them. So for Jesus to say that "you must deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me" meant one thing. Something has to die. And they knew this. In fact, in the very next verse Jesus tells them (vs 25) "for whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it". This very phrase mean that the life they knew, the life they were used to living....had to die. The new life they were going to walk in would be a whole different life with a whole different way of thinking and would lead to so much more. Including an eternal life that would go far past the physical one that they were walking on this earth. (something they did not understand yet)
So now that the meaning of what Jesus was saying is clearer, how does that apply to us today. I mean to these men, they were following a physical man named Jesus around. To them it meant they have to die to their way of life and follow this man. They did not know how things were going to play out like we get to see when we read God's word. So here we are today...thousands of years later...reading those same words and saying "how do I die?" And the answer is this....you die to yourself. You die to your selfish ways. You die to your selfish desires. You die to the ways of this world. You die to any way of thinking that goes against God's word. You die to ANYTHING that does not draw you closer to Him. I'll be honest, people hate it when I use the word "anything" because they know I mean ANYTHING. I have seen in my own past what allowing things to come between you and God can do...will do! It is not a question of "will they cause a problem"....it is "how long will it take before they causes a problem". Anything that does not build up your relationship with Jesus would be exactly what He was saying to die to. And to be quite honest, why would you want to keep anything in your life that "could" cause you spiritual problems. Whether that be old habits, the things you entertain yourself with, the words that come out of your mouth, the negative thoughts you choose to entertain or even the people you allow into your life. If these things are not things that build up a strong, trusting, faithful relationship with Jesus, then in His own words I would say "die to them". And yes, He said "daily" on purpose. In fact, Jesus never said anything unless it was for a specific reason. So He knew there are things you will have to die to every single day that you wake up. Things that are going to try to enter your mind, your day or your life. And you have to draw strength from God and say no, not today! And when the words "but I want...." enter your mind, please take yourself to the very next sentence Jesus spoke to them that day (vs 26) "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" He left them with a question...what good are the things you desire in this world, if they are going to have a negative impact on your soul? There really isn't room for both....and Jesus new that.
God, Thank You that give us such detailed instructions in Your word. Thank You that you desire such a strong, deep relationship with us so much, that You even tell us the things to do to have it....and the things that are going to harm it. Give us ears to hear You today...and eyes to see the truth as things pass through our day. Holy Spirit, give us discernment today to know what things we NEED to die to in order to go deeper in our relationship with You. Press your obedience into our hearts as we use that to change our minds. In Jesus name, Amen

Stop Dragging It All Around

Receiving Jesus in your life will be hands down the single most important decision you make in your life. It is something that should and will change everything about you, if you allow it. It is THE one relationship that you will gain the most from for as long as you live. And it is something that will continue to grow you and change you throughout your life. But unfortunately there are a lot of people who receive Jesus, experience a change, but never really experience ALL that Jesus has for them. Why does this happen? And more importantly what can we do to help prevent this?
There are 2 things in a Christians life that are very important, yet sometimes we get so far in our walk with Jesus and we either forget to fully do these or we just stop doing them as much as we used to. One of those is casting our cares upon God. Psalms 55:22 says "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." God invites us to take our cares to Him. He invites us to not walk around in life dragging around the things that ARE going to weigh us down. But how often do we really do that. Oh, we do it when we first come to God. It is that feeling of freedom when you accept His gift. It is that feeling that made you feel lighter when you walked away after accepting Him than you did when out cried out to Him. If you have ever had a true life changing experience with God then I am sure you know what I mean. Sometimes it's even hard to put words to. You came to him with all this sin, all this shame, all this baggage...everything the world and life ever piled on you. And you laid it down at His feet and said "no more". You cried and said I don't want to do this my way anymore and I don't want to carry this stuff around...please take it from me today. Obviously I am paraphrasing, but I know that is what it was like for me and so many others I have ever talked to about coming to God. But then something happens after we have been walking with the Lord for a while. We start trying to carry stuff again. Sometimes old stuff that creeps back up on us, and sometimes new stuff that has come into our life after getting saved. But nonetheless, we find that there is more stuff. Why? And what should we do? Well, we should do it all over again....and again...and again. God didn't invite us to cast our burdens on Him one time, He invited us to constantly do it. Daily...even hourly if that is what it takes some days. And once you do, He doesn't want to go back and try to pick it all back up again. I've made the statement several times that sometimes we drag all of our "junk" to the alter and say "take this from me God", and then we drag most of it back to our seat with us. Insecurity, pain/hurt (emotional and physical), scars, confusion, disfunction and even our sins. Sometimes we either drag it all to Him and only lay down some of it, or we just drag the things to Him that "we think" He can or will help us with, and we keep the rest to deal with on our own. No...no....no...God wants us to give it ALL to Him. And for more than one reason. One is because He LOVES us and wants us to walk in freedom from those things. But two is because He wants to build up our faith in Him. When we truly lay things down at His feet and release them to Him we will experience healing and freedom that we didn't think was possible, and it will build up our faith in Him.
Because I love fitness, I often see things in training that remind me of our walk with God. And today as God was giving me these words I saw in my mind the way some runners train. Not sure if you have ever witnessed this or not, but some runners will either run pulling a weighted sled behind them, or they use a resistance parachute to create a lot of drag while they run. The reason for both of these things is because these devices will make it very hard for them to run during practice, and then once removed, they will be able to run much, much faster. Today I feel like God is saying that so many of us have been trying to run while we pull all that weight and resistance behind us...from out past, and even from the present. He is saying let me cut you lose from that and show you what running free really feels like. Give those burdens to Me and see how much lighter you will feel...emotionally, spiritually and even physically.
I stated earlier that there are 2 things in a Christian's life that are very important. However, since this blog ended up longer than I intended, I will write about the 2nd thing tomorrow.
God, Thank You that Your word promises us that we don't have to do life alone. That we don't have to carry everything on our own. Not only do you not want us to carry it all, but You ask us to give it to You. That is amazing love. Holy Spirit help us to be strong enough and brave enough to lay down our burdens and walk away from them. Show us what walking in true freedom feels like today....then help us to use our own lives to show others. In Jesus name, Amen

A Life-changing Change

As I have stated before, God will take you...God will take anyone, right where they are and right as they are. There is no need to change before you come to Him, and quite honestly that is not at all His design. Any change we try to make before we come to Jesus will be done in our own strength which completely contradicts God's plan. When God brings change into our life he wants it to start on the inside and He wants it to be something that flows out of us. He knows when the change takes place like this it is ONLY because we have allowed Him to look into our heart and given Him the freedom to do what needs to be done. We are surrendering ourself to Jesus and saying that we have tried it our way and it just keeps misleading us or taking us to a dead end. God's love, God's forgiveness and God's peace are things we will miss out on when we try to just "correct" our own lives. And those things are THE things that make surrendering to Him such an amazing and life changing experience. Without them, we are just performing behavior modification on ourselves and not allowing the heart to be changed by the one who actually created it.
God often gives me examples when he is pressing something on me to write about. Sometimes they are deep and really hit home with me, and sometimes they are just simple and very practical. So today as He was pressing this word about a "life-changing change" He brought the idea of tanning into my mind. When a person goes to tan there is a change that immediately takes place. Even from the first visit the pigment of their skin is darker. The change may not be something that is immediately recognized after the only one visit, and if they stopped there and never went back that would pretty much be the end of the change. But when you really want to be tan you have to go back again and again. You have to allow the process to happen each time you return to the tanning bed. And each time you do, people are going to start to notice the changes to your skin more and more. It is not something you can do once and expect to see a complete change, and then you never have to go back again. The reason I think God brought this process to my mind is because that is how things happen with Him as well. From that very first experience with God things are changing on the inside of you. And the more time you spend with God, in His presence, praising Him, worshipping Him and praying to Him the more you are going to see change inside you. Like tanning, it is not something you do once and your done. You have to stay close to God, you have to keep inviting Him in on a daily basis so you can stay at the place where He is allowed access to your heart. And the more God changes you, the more people are going to notice the change in you. Which gives you the chance to tell others about how amazing your journey has been. I have a story, and I think the way God has changed me has been pretty amazing. But there is nothing that blesses me more than to hear someone else's testimony. To hear how God rescued them, changed them, set them free and the set their life on a new path. It is watching His love, forgiveness, grace and mercy at work right in front of your eyes. And it is a beautiful thing.
Today, know that God will take you just as you are...right where you are. But also know that He has no intensions of leaving you there. He does not want to create a temporary change in you, or a "feel good" experience. He did not send His son to die for you so that He could leave in the state that He found you in. He has amazing plans for your life! And the only way He can reveal those to you, and show you your amazing value in His eyes, is for you to surrender yourself to Him. If you have started that process, but you find yourself still hanging onto things of this world, simply go back to Him and be honest. Just tell Him that you really do want to change, but this world keeps pulling you back in. Then allow Him to show you the things inside of you that He wants you to walk away from. His forgiveness is already there. His love, grace and mercy are already there. You do NOT have to earn it, you only have to receive it. And when you allow that to take place, be prepared for a life-changing change.
God, You provided the ultimate sacrifice and showed us an amazing unconditional love. Please help our hearts to see the value in that today! Help us to desire to serve You with all of our heart, body, mind and soul....everything we are and everything we have. Thank You God that You have nothing but good changes in store for us. And I pray that as we draw near to You those changes become more and more evident in our lives so that others will want what You have for them. In Jesus name, Amen

God Will Get You Through...

It is not by chance that my last few posts were about asking God, in prayer, and then applying the answers that He supplies to you. Or that fact that God is in charge, but He expects us to do our part too. In fact, after writing those 2 blogs, my entire last week was one attack after another from the enemy. It was his goal to knock me off my feet, hit our family unexpectedly and cause deep pain. But instead of running in fear or trying to handle things in my own strength, I asked for wisdom and peace through it all. Then I did nothing unless He opened doors and I DID walk in peace. It was a time that I could have thrown my hands up and gave up. But I chose to fight my way through it all exactly as God would have me to. Not with words, not with actions....but by taking control over the situation in the name of Jesus and asking for His guidance...and walking in the peace that He supplied. Were things all out of sorts...yes. I missed work that I didn't want to miss. I missed writing my blogs for a few days and because my schedule was all thrown off I even missed some of my devotionals and quiet time with God. But what I didn't lose was my connection to Him. And that is the only thing that got me through. God showed me the difference last week between being shaken....and being knocked down. Yes, the enemy tried to shake my world, but He did not succeed in knocking me down. And none of that was due to anything I did in my own strength. It was because I knew where my strength comes from. I asked God to supply some things, and then I looked for and used those things God supplied. Strength, open doors, answers to problems....He even showed me what things were worth worrying about, and which things were not worth my time and energy. Again and again God came through because I kept my focus on Him and not the circumstances. As I have spoke about before, I did not let the circumstances disturb my peace and joy, instead I let God's supernatural peace and joy drive me. Do I think the enemy is done..no. He never is. Do I think I grew from this past week and became even closer to God..yes. Is that victory....absolutely!
So having said all that.....let me show you just how awesome my God is. Earlier I said that my devotions were all thrown off. But instead of letting the enemy riddle me with guilt about that, I just asked God to help get my schedule back to normal so I could get back to spending time with Him. And so today, as I opened my devotionals back up, the topic of two of them was "Thankful in the Midst of Suffering" and "David Praised God through both the good and difficult times of his life". Did God have those waiting for me when He knew I would return? I fully believe so! Does He care about us even to that level of detail? Yes He does. And I believe He is involved in our lives to that level of detail every single day. It's just that most days we walk right through the day and don't look for Him. Sad but true.....
So two of my devotionals were about praising and being thankful through the good and the bad. However, as if that is not amazing enough, my first devotional and my third one this morning (completely unrelated devotionals) were even built around the same verse. 1 Thessalonians 5:18..."Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." How amazing is that!! That is the verse that got me through last week and I didn't even know it. Then God presents it to me in 2 completely unrelated devotionals. It just goes to show that there is no guilt or condemnation in Jesus. He knows I couldn't get to my devotionals as much as I wanted to, and when I came back to them instead of me feeling guilty about it, He had something meaningful waiting for me. And He knew that they would mean even more to me reading it now than it would have last Wednesday. Again, that is how amazing my God is!
God, Thank You SO much for the love that you show us! Thank You for the care you take in every detail of our life. Thank You for not just hearing our prayers, but supplying the answers for us to apply to our situations. You are so good to us Lord....and I will CHOOSE to praise and thank You in the midst of the suffering, the confusion, the heartache...throughout life! John 16:33 says that in this world we will have trouble...BUT, it also says to take heart because You have overcome this world. And You supply our peace! Thank You for that peace, guidance, joy and love! Please today God, supply that for those who seek your face in the midst of their trouble. In Jesus name, Amen

Ask, Receive and Apply

As I was making my drive into work today God had laid some people on my heart to pray for. He also had laid some situations going on in my own life that I was in deep prayer about. But in the midst of that prayer He also began to speak to me about the prayers that we pray. Most of us (if you grew up in church or have been in church for a while) have heard that when it comes to God, you simply ask and receive. And this statement is 100% true, but that's not the end of the statement. And that is what God was working with me about today.
One of the things I pray for often, over myself and other, is strength, knowledge and wisdom. I often ask God to give me strength to get through a situation....or give me wisdom about a situation. And this morning I felt God speaking to me as I once again asked for those things. It was like He was saying "I supply it all the time Chad, to you, to others...my strength and wisdom is right there". And because God knows exactly how my brain functions He immediately put an image in my mind of a person laying in front of a well. The person was completely dehydrated and literally so close to death. They were leaning against the well and almost looking over the edge of the well at the water below. And as I pictured this in my mind, I of course had the thought of "how crazy would it be for this person to die of dehydration when all that water is right there. What are they waiting for?" And this is when I heard God say "They are waiting for me to give them the water." And in that moment I was almost in tears as I realized what God was saying. He was saying it would be sad for that person to die, when all they had to do was get the water that I had already supplied to them. And I knew He saying that this is how we handle our prayers to Him so many times. Whatever we are dealing with...a temptation, a situation, a hardship, our emotions, a physical pain...whatever it is, we will go to Him and ask for strength, wisdom, knowledge or healing, but then we don't look for and apply what God is supplying to us. We ask for wisdom (knowing God will supply it) and yet we don't apply it in a situation, we use our own. We ask for healing, and yet we go around continuing to complain about the problem, instead of receiving the healing and walking in it. We ask for strength, and yet we keep putting ourself in a vulnerable place the we know can call us to fall to own weaknesses. We ask and ask and ask God....but we sit at the well and stare at the water. He is saying "it's right there, just reach out and get it. I supplied it, now you apply it!
Today God didn't give me a bunch of scripture to reference or a bunch of words to write. He just simply wanted me to get the idea across that He will supply what we are praying for, but sometimes there is a part that we HAVE TO do to receive what He is supplying. Obviously I don't know anyones situation that may be reading this blog today, but I do challenge you to ask God "What am "I" supposed to do? Are you waiting on me God? Have you supplied, but I just have not applied?" And then LISTEN for God. I can't stress that enough. Our prayer time should be spent listening to God just as much, if not more, than talking to Him. When we spend time listening, we learn how to hear Him. And when we learn what He sounds like when He speaks to us we learn that He speaks to us more than we ever realized. And that is a beautiful thing!
God, Thank You that you do supply our needs when we bring them to you. Help us to release all control to You and fully trust you with whatever we are praying about. Help us to look and listen for Your answers to our prayers....and then help us to apply them! Please Holy Spirit guide us so that we are moving our lives in the direction of God's will, so we can KNOW that Your answers lay before us, because we are moving in the right direction. And God, please help us filter out ANYTHING that the enemy is using to block us from hearing you or receiving blessings from You. In Jesus name, Amen

Is He In Control, Or In Charge?

I heard a message one time that challenged my thinking on whether God is in Control......or God is in charge. All my life I grew up hearing the phrase that God is in control, and all my life I just believed those words to be true. But it wasn't until recently that I began to really think about that.
We know that God gives man free will. We know that His word says He will not impose or force His self upon us. As much as He loves us and wants the best for us, He will allow us to make the decisions that we want to make. I've been in many conversations about why does God do this. Why does God allow us to do things that He's knows will not be good for us. And my answer is always the same. Because that too is God's way of showing us that He loves us. If you had a dog and you whipped and beat that dog until it listened to you, or you mistreated it every time it did something wrong, even if it did as told, would that be love or just acting out of fear? Or if you trained it correctly, with the right kind of loving discipline when needed and the right kind of reward when needed, wouldn't that dog then be loyal to you and love you? That is the difference between the dog knowing you are in charge, therefore it acts accordingly, or the dog knowing you're in control, therefore it does what it's told.
God gave us a mind, and He allows us to use that. But He also gave us a heart. And He knows that was controls the heart, controls the mind. Proverbs 19:21 and 16:9 both talk about how a man tries to make his own plans, but God is trying to direct His steps. God wants us to give Him our heart so we will lovingly listen to His wise instruction, not stubbornly do things our own way with our own mind.
God does not want to control us. He sent His son as a gift to us. And out of love, out of choice, He wants us to decide to accept that gift. He does not want to force His hand upon us like the dog that has been beaten into submission. His love for us will create the loving discipline we need, but even when that takes place it is still up to us how we will respond to that discipline. Will we be the rebellious child who responds by saying "no, I want to do this my way because my way is better for me", or will we be the child that allows ourselves to be taught through correction and responds "I may not like this thing that I am going through, but I will look for the lesson in it"?
When I heard that message on whether God is in control or in charge I will never forget the line that stuck out to me the most. "If we say God is in control, then that means we can blame Him for every single bad thing that happens, because he controlled it. And that just is not true". We can't blame God for every bad thing that happens because man has been given free will. And when man uses that free will in ways that do not line up with God, bad things happen.
God is still in charge of this world. God will decide who will walk into heaven on the day of judgement and He has shown through His word that there is only so much He will tolerate. And when someone is seen as "in charge" there is a level of respect that should come along with that. So we should respect the power that God possesses. We need to! We should also have a healthy, loving fear of God. In the bible we see that when God encountered people, there was a fear that came with that. They understood the amazing power that was God! And not all fear is a bad thing. Proverbs 1:7 says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction". It would be very wise of us to understand God's power, but to also understand God's love. Then we will understand why He was able to send Jesus, to overcome death and to promise us a way to be with Him in heaven for eternity. Because He had the power to do that. But we will also understand that He had to love to also do that!
God, Thank You that you do not want to just control us. ThankYou that you love us and allow us the choice and the freedom to love you back. Help us to know the difference between you being in charge, and you being in control. And teach us to respect, fear and understand Your power, but at the same time accept, understand and feel Your love. Help us to allow Your Holy Spirit to guide our hearts and transform our minds Lord. Thank You for all that You are and all that You do. In Jesus name, Amen

What If I Mess Up?

One of the number one fears that can paralyze a Christian is the fear of messing up. Especially if you don't have the full understanding of God's grace and mercy. However, even if you do understand grace and mercy, that fear can still sit in the back of your mind and stop you from acting upon a call from God, going deeper with God, or being public about your relationship with God.

When it comes to grace there are usually 2 extremes that are both wrong. One being that if I call myself a Christian there is no room for error. And the other being that because of grace I can "mess up" as much as I want. And I have met many Christians on both ends of that spectrum. However, today what I really want to say is that we can't live in the fear of messing up. And I will wrap that around this one statement. "Are you a living, breathing human?....ok, then you ARE going to mess up." There, now that we have that all clear and out in the open we can take a deep breath and relax a little. And here is another revelation....God knew we were going to mess up too.

Like I stated a moment ago, one side people take on the grace topic is that they can really live how they want because God's grace has them covered. And for that thought, let me use this scenario. If you are in school, or when you went to school or college...if you ever had a parent who said to you "hey, I know your not always going to get perfect grades. It's ok that you bomb a test every once in a while, or mess up your homework every once in a while. It's going to happen. There are tests you will think you were prepared for, but you just won't do well"....then you may understand what it is like to have the pressure taken off of you to be "perfect". However, if that was said to you, it did not mean "hey, you can flunk as many tests as you want, you can screw up your homework every night, you don't even have to try to apply yourself.....don't worry about it". But for some reason, if we take that same logic and apply it to God's grace, some people do see it that way. Yes, God's grace covers all (thank God...literally). It covers all who believe in Him, and it covers all sins. But it is not a license to just blow it. It is not a reason to just live how you want...as careless as you want..not applying yourself to His ways...not attempting to make good choices that will draw you closer to God. And it certainly is not a reason to not try to be ready for every "test" that comes your way! His Holy Spirit is our helper....so lean on Him for help.

So....having said all of that, the point of this blog was about saying "you are going to mess up sometimes. Don't feel like you are failing God". If God knew we were going to mess up even before we did, that removes the guilt of thinking we have "failed Him". As I always say on most topics I write about, it's all a matter of the heart. God looks into our heart and sees that we are truly sad that we committed that sin, or that we could really care less. So the important part is the we don't let the sin cause distance between us and Him. When, not if, we mess up, we just need to go before Him and humbly say "God, You already know what I did, so I just need to say sorry. Your word says I'm forgiven, so I know that's not even a question. But right now I am asking for You're help and You're strength to not repeat this again and again. Remove the parts of my heart that cause me to fall back into sin and draw me closer to You." Then, let it go....that's it. It's done, it's confessed and it is forgiven. Do not let the enemy beat you up over a sin that you have already taken before the Lord. That is why it is so important to take them to God as soon as possible. This removes the chance for the enemy to get into our head and try to cause that distance between us and God. 

The fact is, God sent Jesus to cover our sins, yes, but He also sent Him because He knew we were going to sin. And that is love. To say, I KNOW you're going to do things to hurt me and go against My Word, but I need you to know that before you even do it, it was forgiven. I can't even wrap my head around that kind of love and forgiveness. He amazes me more every day!

God, Help us know that we need to chase after the perfection of Jesus, but not hide from you when we fail to achieve it. Our mistakes are not a reason to give up on trying. Thanks to You, we are not a collection of our mistakes, but we are beautiful as you see us despite our mistakes! You're word says your grace and mercy is new every day. You do that for us because You knew we would need it to be. Thank You so much for the love you have for us. In Jesus name, Amen

He Heals!!!

I titled this blog simply "He Heals!" because those words cover everything that you could possibly come to God with. I don't say that because it's just something I believe. I boldly say that because I KNOW it! I have read stories of His healing in His word. I have heard testimony of His healing. I have watched Him heal people right in front of me. And I am a living, breathing testimony of a healed person!
Whether God "still" heals is not up for debate in my mind. He healed before, He still heals and He always will heal as long as we call upon the power of the name of Jesus. His word says He was, He is and He always will be. (Revelation 1:8). It also says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) So based on those 2 things alone I can let my faith rest on the fact that I KNOW Jesus did heal in the bible, so Jesus will still heal today.
I pressed so hard in saying that because one of the biggest factors in receiving healing from God is believing. The bible is clear that in order to receive the gift of salvation from God then we have to believe every single detail of the bible. We cannot say we choose Jesus, but we don't choose to believe everything we read in God's Word. We have to believe that is was prophesied that Jesus would come to this world. We have to believe that He was born of a virgin. We have to believe that He lived a sinless life....and died and undeserving death. And we MUST believe the He rose again and defeated death. All of this was to make a way for us to have eternal relationship with God. (John 20:31) So, if the bible makes is so clear that belief is that important to receive salvation. Then we need to understand that belief is also that critical to receive healing. Belief.....or faith.....is the backbone to anything and everything Jesus ever taught.
When it comes to healing there are 2 things mentioned in the bible that area a must in order to receive that healing. Belief is one, and forgiveness is the other. In Mark chapter 5 three separate healings take place in that one chapter. And each time we see that the person believed. The demon possessed man ran and fell at Jesus feet because He believed Jesus could do something. The woman with the bleeding disorder believed that if she just touched the garment of Jesus she would be healed. And when Jesus raised the man's daughter from the dead, Jesus told the man "Don't be afraid; just believe". So we see that belief was absolutely critical, but so is forgiveness. There are so many verses that address forgiving other. I will list a few, but I'm only going to touch on one specific passage. (Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 6:14-15, Luke 6:37, Colossians 3:13, Matthew 18:21-22) Mark 11:22-25 is where Jesus is telling Peter about the importance of faith. Saying that if anyone prays and does not have doubt in their heart, it will be done for them. Again talking about faith. However, at the end of that passage Jesus says these words "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them...". Why would Jesus just throw that in? Why, while talking about how important it is to believe, He adds this part about forgiveness. Because Jesus knew that unforgiveness in the heart causes hardness and if the heart has any hardness in it, then it must be removed for God to move. God needs us to have a pure heart....a soft heart that He can work with. (Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 24:7). So to have this He knows we need to forgive. And we can't pick and choose who.....we just need to forgive. We need to say "God I trust Your justice, Your grace, Your mercy and Your love over my own human feelings. So I release this person to You for anything they have done to me, and I choose to forgive them".
Believing and forgiving with all of your heart puts your heart exactly where God needs it, so He can give you the healing that He has for you. God can heal your emotional pain, your physical pain, your psychological pain....He can heal your illness and your physical problems.....He can heal your relationships and your marriage. He is a God of restoration. He is made strong in your weakness and He is faithful. No matter what the need is, He is THE answer. Draw near to Him today and ask Him if there is anything that He needs to show you that may be blocking your heart from being where He needs it to be today, so He can give you ALL that He has waiting for you.
God, Thank You that are a God that heals. We believe this because Your word says it is true. Thank You that we can call upon the name of Jesus and KNOW that you will meet us where we are. I pray today Jesus that people will be healed and set free in the name of Jesus. Jesus, Your life, Your blood....was shed to provide full healing and restoration to us. (Isaiah 53:5) Help us to own that, and walk in that, in our life so others can see Your power at work in us. In Jesus name, Amen

Putting Your Faith To Work!

There is always a constant debate of "works" over "faith" when you talk to people about what God expects from us as His followers. Does He want us to walk purely by faith, or does He also expect some works from us? And I believe one of the reasons this turns into a debate is because of the motive behind the works or the faith. Are we trying to say all we need is "faith" and God will take care of the rest, I don't really need to do anything. Or are we saying that yes faith is the most important part, but God expects some work from us as well?
Today I don't really want to debate whether works are more important than faith or vice versa. But what I do want to say is that I think that you can't have one without the other. I think James says it best in James 2:14-26. This is James' famous "faith without works is dead" passage from the bible. And I don't believe James is stating the its all about work, work, work.....but I do believe is so many words James is saying what we would say in modern day words as "hey, put your money where your mouth is!".
To me, faith or works still comes down the one thing....what is the condition of your heart? What is the motivation for your faith? What is the motivation behind the work you do for God? Are both being driven by your absolute love for God? Then how can you go wrong with either. I do believe there is a time for both and I will give you one example.
It would be very easy for one to sit back and say that things are rough financially, but I believe God is going to see me through. That would be saying that I have faith that God is going to help me. Nothing wrong with that. However, for one to say things are rough financially and as an absolute act of faith I am going to tithe as if they weren't. I am going to put my faith into action. This is a physical show of my inward faith toward God. You see the act of faith is being driven by love? God knows I need Him to show up for me financially, but I love Him enough to continue to give to Him as I wait for His miracle. In this scenario I'm not trying to earn His miracle, and if that is your motive He will see that in your heart. The motive still has to be love. Yes, you have faith, but you are willing to put your faith into action.
Another example would be going out and doing God's work. Acts 20:35 says "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive." So we could stay inside the walls of our comfortable churches and preach the truth and say we have faith that God will bring people to the church and they will find Him there....or.....We can say we are going to go out and be the hands and feet of Jesus and do the work it takes to get people to meet Him where they are. We're going to give of ourselves to others. Again, this act should not be to gain favor with God, or to earn your way into heaven. It should be done out of love and the desire to advance the kingdom of God. And the motive of the heart will show God this. It can not be done to bring attention to ourselves or to look "good" in the eyes of others. It is crucial to not let the good works you do bring in pride or boasting. There are several verses that warn against this. (James 4:16, Jeremiah 9:23, Proverbs 27:2) Instead, always check the motive of your heart and let God gain ALL the glory for any works that you do. Let your faith show through the work that you accomplish for Him.
Let me be clear in saying that I don't believe you can do good works to make your way into heaven. But I also don't believe we should be "lazy" in our faith and slide our way into heaven like that either. I believe we are CALLED to do both. Have faith...do work! And I believe when the heart is right the desire to do both will also be there. But if the heart isn't right you can claim all the faith you want....you can do all the work you want....but God will know if it was really done out of love and a passion to serve HIM. Matthew 7:21-23 tells us that not everyone who did "good works" in Jesus name will make it into heaven. For me personally, I just want to make sure I serve Him in all that I do and let my faith be seen and not just heard.
God, Thank You that you allow us to serve in ways to advance Your kingdom. Thank You that You choose to include us and want us to be Your hands and feet. Please help our hearts to stay pure as we do Your work and put our faith into action. Help us to always keep YOU being the only motive we have for the work that we do! In Jesus name, Amen

Act Out of Faith, Not Fear...

One of the scariest things to do as a Christian is to hear from God about someone else and go tell that person what you have heard. It can be scary enough when we hear from God about ourselves and need to trust and believe that it is God, then act on it. But it can be even scarier when you know your be asked to go speak to someone else about what you're hearing. And I'm not necessarily talking about a word of correction, although I do think God will do that sometimes. But what I am talking about is just hearing from God, and then going in an act of obedience and talking to that person. It's scary for several reasons. "Doubt" is one of those reasons. The enemy will creep in during these times and try to get you to question if what you hear was really God. "Being right" is another fear that kicks in. You will ask yourself "what if this is from God, but I am hearing it wrong, or this is the wrong person?". And one of the hardest things, at least for me, is that fear of "will this be received by the person I am giving it to?". All of these things....doubt, being correct and the person receiving it are all things the enemy wants us to focus on when a time like this comes. But God has all of those things covered with one word.....TRUST.
The number one question I have heard people say when it comes to hearing a word from God and then acting on is this..."how do I know it's Him I am hearing from?" And my answer would be this. What kind of time are you spending with Him? John 8:47 tells us that "whoever is of God hears the words of God". That is a promise that God can speak to anyone who has received Him. So my question would be "are spending time alone with God, talking to, and listen for Him?" If so, then you will already know what it feels like to know God is speaking to you. Of course the enemy will want you to doubt it's Him, but you have to stand of faith that His word says He will speak to us.
Another fear that I mentioned is the thought of "what if what I am about to say isn't correct?" This has been a fear I have felt again and again. And I will admit that I have let that fear stop me before...but I not any more. I trust that if God is giving me a word that I am supposed give to someone, then He will make sure it is accurate. That is not for me to worry about. I'm just supposed to be obedient. I can say this, I have faith in God that even if the word I am delivering doesn't make 100% sense to the person I am giving it to, there is a reason God wanted them to hear it. Can I be wrong and deliver an inaccurate word, absolutely. But I am way more concerned about what will happen if I don't deliver it at all. What could the person, and myself, be missing out on if I am not obedient our of fear?
The 3rd fear I mentioned was "will the person is willing to receive this word?". This is a fear that, if you let it take over, can paralyze you. You must not let this fear control you! The enemy will have you over analyze the word, the situation and the person so that you won't speak it out. But this is where you MUST have trust in God. God knows the person, God knows what is going on in their life, God knows what they need to hear from Him. He has just chose you as the vessel to deliver the word. Again, it may not go the way you "think" it will in your mind, but if you are obedient then the person will at least hear the word. What they do with it is between them and God. I will give you an example of a very difficult word I had to give once. The person I was praying for needed something to happen in their life and they had been praying about it. I had been praying for them as well. And one day God said to tell them "If they want to see this happen then they need to do their part". Now I did not know what "their part" was, and that wasn't important. I was just to tell them this. Yes, I was terrified to go tell this person this. And I knew them very well. I knew their heart and I knew they would receive it. But I was still scared to go say something like that to someone. What if it didn't come out right? What if it made no sense to them? What if it sounded rude? All of these questions and more flowed through me as I prepared to talk to them. But in the end, you know what happened.....it was just what the needed to hear. That very morning during their prayer time they had heard God say to them "I will do my part, but you need to do your part too". So my word to them just completely confirmed what they had already felt God saying to them. Was I scared...absolutely. Did I let that stop me...no. God will bless the obedience. He will supply the ability too. All we have to do is make ourselves available for Him to use.
God, Thank You that even in our own brokenness You want to use us. God you can do whatever you want, but You choose to use us. Help us to be obedient when you call upon us. Help us to not doubt and hold back out of fear, but instead to stand on our faith and trust in You! Holy Spirit please prepare out hearts so we can be used by God. If it is a word that You have called us to deliver, let us do it in LOVE with the confidence that You will guide and direct us completely! In Jesus name, Amen