He Is THE Answer....And All Need To Know That

Yesterday a video feed came across my Facebook that really touched my heart. I shared the feed on my wall, but I also went onto the man's Facebook wall that did the video to just find out more about who he was and how he was spreading God's word. His name was Clayton Jennings and he definitely delivers and anointed word from God. But the thing that stood out to me the most about him was not just the words that he spoke, but also the way that he spoke them. This is not a day and age that we need to be standing up and yelling out to everyone that hell will be the place they end up if they don't repent. Because even though that is 100% truth, it is not 100% effective to win a soul to Jesus.
I believe that we are living in a time that people are searching for something more than ever before. We have people struggling more with emptiness, identity crisis, pain, abandonment and so much more. I see it in ministry all the time. And we, as Christ followers, are walking around with the answers to ALL of their problems inside of us. However, if we do not figure out how to deliver that answer like Clayton Jennings has done, then we might as well not have the answer at all. What is his secret? It is LOVE... Jesus reached the people that He did because He spoke truth to them in love. And Clayton delivers that same message to people today...in love. He tells them what Christ has already done for them, then he tells them what Christ still wants to do for them. How the love and acceptance of Jesus can change their lives. He tells them how much Jesus loves them right where they are, and how much He wants to get them to such a better place.
Over the past 2 years I have been going through a major transformation. And I think the reason that a man like Clayton Jennings stands out to me isn't because of anything he is doing, but it is because I see everything he is allow Christ to do through him. This is my heart's desire too. I just told a friend the other day that I feel like I am on the "launch pad" for God right night. I'm surrendering all I can to Him right now because to be honest, my hearts desire is to be where Clayton Jennings is. I want to be a part of something so much bigger than "church" as we know it. I want to get out to where the people are that need to hear about Jesus and I want to reach them. I believe God has been having me write these blogs because it is my way of reaching people right now. And it is my prayer that someone, somewhere, is getting touched by something God has me write. But today I am asking for your prayers because I want this to just be the beginning. I want to do more for Him. I want to go out where the people who are hurting, and searching, and lost, and in need are. I want to take the message to them instead of waiting on them to come searching for it. And I'm not talking about in a mission field far away, but I'm talking about right here in our own country. Right here in our own back yards. And I pray that more people will allow God to speak to them to go and do the same.
I have put this out there before in my blogs and I want to again. My email address is wordsworththought@gmail.com and I invite anyone to write me with comments, questions or prayer requests. I'm not saying "I" have all the answers, but I promise you I know "The One" who is The Answer and therefore I can point you to the right answers. And I may not have experienced all you have, but I have been through a lot too. And I want to make it very clear that NO MATTER WHAT you have been through....Jesus Christ is the THE answer. His blood, His love, His grace and His mercy covers all, heals all and ACCEPTS ALL. His death on the cross was as much for you as it was for anyone else in this world. And never let anyone tell you otherwise. He loves you...you who are reading this right now....He loves you. He loves you so much that He doesn't want to leave you where you are....He wants to heal your heart and show you what it feels like to walk in true freedom. Freedom from the bondage of this wold and the chains that have been holding your down for years. And ONLY He can do that. No other religion in the world can offer you what Jesus can offer.
God, thank You for men like Clayton Jennings that are out in the world telling of Your love, Your goodness..and most of all Your forgiveness. Thank You for the desire you have placed in me, and it is my prayer today that You will put that same burning fire in others right now! Holy Spirit, please touch the life of someone reading this today and let them see the love that You have for them....the desires that You have for them...and give them the strength to reach out to someone who can help them find You today! Please let them see their own need for you in their life.....In Jesus name, Amen

Please feel free to follow me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/chad.burnett1. And please feel free to reach out to me at any time. It is my desire to help other's find what I have found and be on fire for Jesus!
Also, I'm sure Clayton Jennings would love to have you follow him as well. He can be found at http://facebook.com/claytonjenningsdotcom. Go see what amazing things he is doing to tell people about Jesus. 

Walking In Wisdom

I can think back on so many things in my life that went wrong simply because I wasn't applying wisdom to my life. I don't mean my own wisdom (actually that probably is what I was applying), but I do mean God's wisdom. When we walk in our own wisdom we tend to use things like our flesh, earthly desires and selfishness to rationalize if something is "good" for us. We often don't stop and weigh the consequences of things BEFORE we do them. Instead we do things and then deal with the consequences left behind by our actions. We are left dealing with people we've hurt, problems we've caused, situations we are now in (even if we didn't want to be)...or hardships that we helped bring onto ourself. I believe it's when we stop and consider God's will, God's path for our life, God's principles or how God wants us to demonstrate Him to others....it's when we stop and think about those things first that we make some of our absolute best decisions.
One of the reasons I used to make such poor decisions in my own life is because I wasn't spending any time with God or in His word. So to think I could apply His wisdom into my life was craziness. It would be like never studying French, but thinking I could go in and pass a French test. It's not going to happen! In order to apply something I have to "have it" first. This might sound silly, but you can't apply paint to a wall if you haven't dipped your brush into the paint first. Well, you can't apply Godly wisdom to your life if you yourself aren't dipping into God's word and God's presence.
We know that God wants to give us guidance and wisdom because James 1:5 says "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him".  So this means if we don't feel like we have Godly wisdom to apply, then we aren't spending enough time asking for it. But I can tell you from my own experience that when you begin to ask for it, expect God to tell you that some boundaries and filters need to be put in your life. The first step of wisdom for me was putting things in place to make sure I never step back into the world that God rescued me from. In fact, wouldn't it be crazy for a ranger who lives next to a cliff to not put up fence to protect his cattle? How many cows would he have to let walk off the edge of the cliff before he said "I should probably put up a boundary there to stop this from happening again"? Same thing goes for our life. We look at God's Word and we find the areas of our life that are open to temptation, or toxic relationships or darkness and we use God's wisdom to prevent ourselves from going there. These are not restrictions to take away our freedom any more than a speed limit sign is a restriction to take away our ability to drive. They are there to make things better and safer for you and everyone around you. God's plan.....God's will...is also there to help make things better and safer for you....and so many people around you. Ephesians 5:15-17 says "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is". And what does "circumspectly" mean? It means "thinking carefully about possible risks before doing or saying something". So tell me God wasn't trying to tell us to slow down and think before we do ANYTHING. He loves us to much not to warn us! And we should show our love back to Him by applying His wisdom and His will to our lives.
God, Thank You so much for the love and care you have for us. Thank You that Your Word guides us, directs us and protects us. Let the first piece of wisdom that we receive through the Holy Spirit be to get into Your Word more! Help us to be able to understand and apply Your wisdom into our lives so that we can make sure we are walking more in Your will with each new day. In Jesus name, Amen

Who Are You Trying To Fool?

For many years of my life I was more worried about what I looked like on the outside than I was on the inside. No I don't physical appearance, but I mean looking like I had it all together. I'm talking about living in such a way that everything always appears good on the outside, but you wouldn't dare want to show someone what is going on on the inside of you.
There are many reasons we put up this facade to those around us. It may be that we are so full of pain that we wouldn't want someone to know exists. It may be that we are so full of shame that we don't someone to see. It may be that we have a complete lack of self esteem so we put up this fake act to make it appear that we are confident. Or maybe we are so damaged on the inside that we just put on a happy face today and hope that nobody can see how fake it is. Or, like me for so long, it may be that you are just so empty on the inside that you have to fill your life with so many other things just so you don't have to deal with your own emptiness. What ever the reason(s) you are trying to fool those around you is, there are 2 people who really know what is going on inside of you ALL that time. You are one of those people....and God is the other. (yes I realize God is not a "person") And no matter how hard to try to fool, trick or please those around you....you cannot fool yourself or Him. But the funny thing is, we do convince ourselves that we can even fool God sometimes. How do we do this? Maybe we try to overcompensate the "good acts" that we do on the outside of our life in hopes that He won't see the ugliness that is really in us. Maybe we throw in a selfless act in every once in a while in hopes that he will overlook our real selfishness. Or maybe we just say yes to every person that "needs" something so at the end of the day we can try and say "see God, I'm a good person". But nonetheless, we are not fooling Him. God does not look at our acts and determine the person that we are because of them. He looks at our heart. And He knows when we allow Him to deal with our heart, then the person that we really are will determine our acts. We will quit doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons. In fact, we will quit doing anything and everything that is not in his will. God wants the things we do to sow into His kingdom. He does not want us doing what we like to call "random acts of kindness"...but instead He wants us doing very purposeful acts of kindness. Very meaning for acts of service toward others. He does not want us doing things to please man, but He wants us doing things to please Him. And when we do HE will pour out His favor on our lives. Things will start to take a different direction not because we are trying to be a people pleaser and so we can have everyone convinced our life is good, but because our life really is good and people can really begin to see that. When this happens people won't want what you have because that way your life looks on the outside, but instead they will desire what you have because the way you operate on the inside. And there is a big difference there. People can see peace, love and joy inside of someone. Not the fake kind that comes from the right job, enough money, the right house or even the right "clout"....but the kind that comes from allowing Jesus to change you and fill you on the inside. The kind of peace and joy that is alive on the inside that makes you smile and praise God even if all those things fell apart tomorrow.
One of the things I love about John the Baptist is that He knew his purpose was to exalt Jesus. He could have made more of himself, but he was not here to make himself look good. And from what we read about him he was even a bit strange on the outside, but on the inside.....on the inside He was driven, determined, full of truth and a love for God and Jesus. He wasn't out to please "man", but to exalt Jesus! I think He said it best in John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease". When we allow Christ to shine in us, we do not lack! There is no ugliness in us, no emptiness in us, no shame in us, no more pain in us, no more disappointment in ourselves in us...and our self esteem issues....well when we realize our identity is in Jesus and then we esteem Him, not our selves...so even those can go away! We do not desire to fool, fake or please man anymore. We live each day to honor God and He finds new ways to show us love, grace, mercy and blessings!
God, Thank You that you see us for who we really are....and You LOVE us! You know every detail of our lives, but you desire us! You knew who we would be and the things we would do, but you sent Your Son to die for us. You have always made a way for us! Please help us to see that YOU are the only one we need to please. And help us to not fool, fake or please our way through life, but to allow true change to take place on the inside of us so that our outsides will reflect the people you have made us to be. In Jesus name, Amen

His Mercy Keeps Us Usable!

If you have ever parented, then you know that sometimes one of the things we have to do is overlook something bad and not just show your child grace in the moment, but actually do the opposite of what they expected. Meaning that they have done something disappointing and expect a punishment to be coming their way, but instead they may get a just a talk....or they get to experience you overlooking the disappointment and crediting them for something good going on in their life. This is a measure that goes beyond grace. This is a chance to show them the mistake was just that, a mistake...and it does not disqualify them from doing good and making good choices. It fact, it is when your child recognizes their own mistake that you are can parent the best. Because you don't have to point it out to them, they already pointed it out in themselves. And now you have the chance to teach instead of punish. I've said all that because I have experienced this kind of love from God so many times, yet each time He does it I am amazed all over again.
This past week was a tough week for me. I can't put my finger on exactly where things went wrong, I just knew I was feeling defeated in my mind and was not living up to the potential that God has placed in me. I didn't go out and commit some big carnal sin, but I did feel distant from God for a few days. Some things inside of me needed dealt with and to be quite honest I probably was "hiding behind a bush for a couple of days" (like Adam in the garden when God came looking for him) instead of just allowing God to deal with me. However, like God so lovingly always does, He had His Holy Spirit continue to speak to me about some things I needed to hand over to Him and allow Him to deal with that I had going on in me. That in itself is amazing out of Him. How He loves us enough to not just step back and wait on us to come begging for closeness again...but He continues to come into our "garden" to let us know that He wants to walk and talk with us. And yes, I do believe will can go to a place where we can still walk and talk with God as Adam did. It may not be in the physical sense like Adam did, but I can still spend time with our Creator just like Adam and Eve. And that is not something I take lightly. The Creator of everything we see takes time to not just listen to me, but speak to me as well.
So like I said, I didn't have a week where I felt super close to God, so my natural "human" instinct is that I have taken a step back and I need to step back up so God can use me. However, this is the place where God still amazes me all the time. He really doesn't think that way. He really says "I have plans for you, and a purpose, and I am going to continue to push forward and show you those things. I am going to continue to use you if you continue to show up to be used. I don't care what kind of week you had, I want to show you that it's all about your heart. And just like David and Moses and others in the bible, you can be used you as long as you continue to keep your heart with me, recognize when something isn't right, repent and surrender to me again". You see surrendering to God is not a "one and done" thing. Things are fighting for our attention, our thoughts, our money, our desires and our love all the time. So when we realize that things have taken some of our attention away from God, we don't need to hide and think He can't use me until "I" fix this. We need to repent, allow Him to work these things out of us, and continue to stay at a place to be used. Above all else keeping our heart close to His.
God did use me in a powerful way this weekend. And when it was done I wept at the idea that He really does love me enough to overlook the ugliness inside of me and still use me. Yes, I have to keep my heart close to Him so I can hear Him speaking to me....and yes, I have to stay willing to be used if I want to be. But when He uses you instead of chastising you, you get to see the real meaning of mercy and love.
God, thank You for seeing our hearts.....always seeing our hearts. Please help us keep our hearts in alignment with so that when our thoughts or actions go astray, You can correct us and draw us back onto the path You have for us. Stop the lies of the enemy that tell us we are unusable, and let us see that our identity is in YOU. Help us to submit to You the moment we know something doesn't feel right and not hide our faces from You. For we know Your Grace and Mercy is new every day and for that we praise and thank You. In Jesus name, Amen

Father You're Worthy

Father You're worthy
of all of our praise
all of our worship
for all of our days

Father You're worthy
of all of our heart
we hold nothing back
not one single part

Father You're worthy
of all of my time
I give it all to you
let nothing be mine

Father You're worthy
of the things I possess
I give from my heart
I give nothing less

Father You're worthy
of all of my soul
it longs for your presence
it longs to be known

Father You're worthy
of the thoughts in my mind
take each one captive
leave not one behind

Father You're worthy
of the song in my heart
And I sing it out to you
with each day that I start

Father You're worthy
of the words that I speak
may I bring your name honor
to each person I meet

Father You're worthy
of all I can give
so I offer myself
with each day that I live

Father You're SO worthy
that words can't express
You gave us Your one Son
You gave us Your best

Keep The Fire Burning...

We are a people, and especially a generation, that can't hold onto anything for too long. We either get bored with it or it loses is "sparkle" to us so we have to go in search of the next "big thing". Somewhere along the last few generations we have lost the ability to stay driven and passionate for things. I am not saying everyone is this way, but I am saying if you look around it is a mindset that society has adopted. We are marketed to more in this day and age than ever before, and even in that they are having to constantly find new ways to market to us because something that worked and grabbed out attention a few years ago just doesn't work today. Fast food chains have realized this and have to keep adding new things to their menu to bring you back, or they are re-marketing things to try to "wow us" with them again. Gadgets and technology are even worse because they have to keep up with a generation that expects something bigger, better and faster every 6 months or so. And the beast that they helped create is the same beast that is hurting them now. If they can't create something new to again "wow us" every 6 months then we will just walk away from that company and go to someone else who does have the latest and greatest. So the same people who made us feel like we HAD TO have the newest and best thing, is now having to constantly come up with the newest and best thing just to stay in business. And even though change can be good....the constant "need" for change can be bad.
I have a dear friend who recently found Christ. And I personally have never seen someone get so on fire for Christ so fast. God has imparted something into this person that allowed them to just skip what takes some Christians years to get to. It is amazing to see and such a blessing. It has challenged me to get even closer to God because I see the hunger in them. However, since she found Jesus some people have told her that this "honeymoon stage" doesn't last forever. WHAT!!?? What a horrible thing to tell a new believer. This person has just been rescued and redeemed from a life that was leading them to hell...and now they have secured a spot with Jesus in heaven forever. That is worth getting super hyped up about! That is worth being ON FIRE!! And that is not a fire that ever has to go out or burn less. I immediately told her DO NOT believe that lie. The fire that is burning so strong in your right now never has to burn any less hot than it is right now. In fact, the closer you get to God and the longer you walk with Him, the hotter this fire should burn. But you have to keep feeding that fire! You have to keep stoking those coals! And you have to protect the flame from water being doused on in from the world around you.
Jesus is not the "next big thing". He is not something we should get excited about for a little bit and then become bored with. What He did for us is not something that we should have to keep coming up with new ways to "market it" so we can keep people interested in it. The message of the gospel has survived for thousands of years because Godly men and woman have stayed on fire for Christ and made sure the truth and the good news has been passed from one generation to another. And now that torch is in our hands. We have to burn HOT for Jesus now. We have to stay passionate about who He is, what He did and how He is THE answer for a lost and dying world. If that fire burns down it is not because Jesus is any less than He has ever been, it is because we are not keeping our fire burning hot for Him. If you take a small piece of a fire, like a small burning stick, and remove it from the rest of the fire, it will burn out. It has to stay IN the fire to stay ON fire and to keep burning. You have to stay constantly connect to Him to keep burning too. And I can tell you from experience that getting filled up, and then pouring back out into others is one huge way of doing this. Allow God to fill you up, then go out and pour that into others. Get connected to Him and then go help others get connected. Worshiping Him is what we were made to do. We were designed to have and fulfill a purpose. Seek your God given purpose and go do it! Keep the fire burning hot for Him and do not let anyone or anything steal that from you!
God, I thank You that you lit a new fire in me almost 2 years ago. I thank You that it is still burning strong and that not one storm, nor change in circumstance that has come my way has put the flame out because YOU placed it there. Help Your people seek to burn hotter for You today than ever before and shut down the lies that just going to church and living an ok life is acceptable. Holy Spirit create a longing and a desire in us to love more, reach more, serve more and burn more brightly than ever before! In Jesus name, Amen

God, Keep Our Hearts Humble...

Leaning to humble ourselves can be one of the hardest lessons we have to be taught in life. And I don't mean humble as in not walking around prideful and arrogant. I am talking about the kind of humble where you ALLOW God to check your heart, point out what He sees in you that is impure, and allow Him to work it out of you. This does not just take an obedient heart, but it takes a heart that will allow itself to be humbled again and again and again.
God loves you...He loves me....and that is the best news I can tell you today. Because it is that love that allows God to want to work on us and in us, instead of just washing His hands of us when we mess up. God also loves us enough to not throw to much change at us at one time. Have you ever noticed that sometimes right when you feel like He worked something out of you, you turn around and find out that He needs to work something else out of you. Be thankful that He does not try to just get everything out of us at one time that He does not like. If He did, we would probably become very overwhelmed at all the "sinful things" that live in us. We always have to remember that God hates sin, but He LOVES the sinner. So it is only His desire to flush the sin out of our lives so that we can become a better person. Who else would know what is best for us other than the creator of us? And God knows that when we allow ourselves to be prideful, those changes are going to be SO much harder to accomplish.
I was once heard a Christian counselor tell someone that they needed to become less prideful so God could work on them. When this person heard this they were in shock. On the outside this person seemed to be a compassionate person. They seemed to be humble. There was no arrogance about them. They did not think they were a great looking person....and they did not think they had all the answers. The problem was, this person's understanding of what "pride" meant was very skewed. And it was skewed by the enemy. The pride that the counselor was talking about was the kind of pride that stops you from looking inward. It stops you from seeing if there is something in you that God doesn't like. It tells you that you are just fine the way you are...and it convinces you that you don't have a pride issue. The enemy wants us to look in the mirror and think "I'm not prideful". The more we believe this, the more our hearts can get into a dangerous place. God needs our hearts to stay submissive to Him. He needs them to stay "correctable". The enemy will try to get us to look at everything except ourselves. He will have you compare yourself to someone else. He will have you compare yourself to the "old you" and he will try to convince you that your "better", and better is "good enough". Not true! Jesus is the standard. He is the only person you should compare yourself to. He had no pride...His heart was pure...His life was blameless. Whether you can fully ever achieve that is not the question...it is a matter of trying. The let God's grace fill in the gap where you fall short.
So the bottom line is this, pride is a heart issue. It doesn't alway have to be evident on the outside, it can be something the is between you and God. He desires to get pride out of your heart so He can reveal things to you, reveal things about you, and create change in your life....for the better. Pride and humility can not exist at the same time or in the same place. So today ask God if you have pride in your heart that has ever stopped Him from being able to point something out to you that He desire to see changed. The last thing we ever want to do is hinder God from working in our lives. And sometimes we can do this without even realizing we are. The enemy would love to create a wall between you and God that you don't even realize is there. What better deception is there than that?
Here are some scriptures on pride if you would like to see more about what the bible has to say about it. (Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 29:23, Proverbs 16:8, Galatians 6:3)
God, we thank You that You want to change us on the inside. And I pray right now that You keep my heart at a place where I always welcome that change. Point out in me the things that need to be worked on and keep me humble enough to welcome those changes. I know that the love You have for me is why You want to change me. Please allows other to see the same thing. In Jesus name, Amen

Faith & Hope...Working Together!

One of the most important things in your walk with Christ is a strong faith. With a strong faith you can stand unshaken through any storm of life. You can make it through things that you would not be able to do on your own. You can KNOW that God has got you and rest in the peace that only He gives you. Faith by definition means, a strong believe in someone or something....or belief in the existence of God. But if you have faith in God, then you know faith is more than just a strong belief. It sustains you when nothing else can. It is THE thing that lets you be able to rest in the midst of a bad situation. It is KNOWING that you can trust God for everything, not just some things.
Hope....Hope is also important in your walk with Jesus because hope is exactly what Jesus came to offer us. Hope for things to come. Hope in a future with Christ. Hope for something we cannot see in this world. But also, hope in our future because we are walking with Christ. The definition of hope is, a feeling of expectation and for certain things to come...or a feeling of trust. For example, if I trust you, then I could fall backwards into your arms and hope that you will catch me. Now in that same example I also have to have faith that you actually can catch me. So you see, there is a difference between faith and hope, but they must work hand in hand together. Faith says I BELIEVE you are capable of catching me....and hope says that I TRUST you will catch me.
I think so many times faith and hope are used like they are the same thing, but they are not. However, I do believe you need one to have the other. I cannot say I have a strong faith but I feel hopeless. And I cannot say I have hope in my future, but I don't have faith that God can make it better. We must place all of our faith and all of our hope in Jesus. It really is not an either or thing. Romans 12:12 says "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer" and Romans 10:17 says "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word of Christ". I love these 2 verses because to me they deliver 2 amazing messages. One, that hope is something to rejoice in. Meaning that no matter what things look like around you, with God they will only get better from here. So when tribulation comes (and it will because we live in a corrupt world) we are to be patient and pray. How can we do that, because we have hope! And then the verse about faith is saying that if you want to increase your faith, then you have to position yourself to hear from Christ. You cannot be distant from Jesus and expect to have a strong faith. It specifically mentions hearing from the Word of Christ. Faith comes by listening for and hearing from Christ. You can say you read the Word, and you may have a lot of head knowledge from the bible, but if you are not hearing from Jesus then how is your faith being increased? Jesus has to have room in your life to show you He is real. And the only way to allow that is to rely on Him. Faith is increased when we live by it. Having complete trust that no matter how big the mountain looks in front of you, in His name it can be gone! Not by your own works, not by a ton of effort on your part....but by your faith (or belief) in the power of Jesus Christ at work in your life.
Our faith offers us hope. That is a hope for something better than this world has to offer. An that is a hope that everyone should have. Demonstrate your faith to those around you and let them see the hope that is alive inside of you. Yes, hope for a better future in Christ here on earth, but really hope for something far better than this world has to offer. Today I pray that your faith keeps hope alive inside of you!
God, I thank You for the hope we have in You. And I thank You for a faith that we have because of Jesus Christ. You are the creator of faith and hope...and IN You we are offered both! Please God help us see that. Help the faithless find faith in You and help the hopeless find hope in You. Let us realize that as Christ followers both of those things have to be alive in us so the world around us can see what you have to offer them. Let NOTHING steal either of these things from us. And right now in the name of Jesus I rebuke the attacks of faith, hope and love on Your people! You sent Jesus to die to offer all of this and more to us...so Holy Spirit help us walk in that today! In Jesus name, Amen

Be Sober...Be Vigilant!

As I write today's blog I want to be very careful to state up front that I am not saying that you should always be "expecting" bad things to happen to you. Nor am I saying that anytime something good happens that you should have the attitude that something bad is about to happen. Not at all! However, what I do want to write about today is always be alert and aware of the enemy's existence in this world and not become tired, forgetful or even lazy to his plans to destroy all you have. And there is 1 verse in the bible that I could revolve this entire blog around. 1 Peter 5:8 says "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour". This verse alone says all I want to point out today!
When we begin to walk in the direction that God has for us we get the enemy's attention. It is when we make this change in our life that he takes notice to us and starts to see us as a threat to his plans. Because up until the point that we make the choice to follow Jesus, we are pretty much abiding by the world's ways and that is the slumber that the enemy hopes people fall into. Whether your life was a wreck before Jesus, or you were just one of those "good moral people", you were not communing with God, therefore you were not much of a threat to satan. You were not a voice for Jesus. You were not looking for ways to fulfill His purpose for your life. And you were not becoming a vessel for God to use to reach others. So once these things begin to take place in your life, you now have the potential (and should be) to destroy the kingdoms the enemy is trying to build in this world.
There are so many comparisons I can think of right here to show what I mean that I am actually struggling on which one to use. A good general in a war would be crazy to not look for attacks at any time, from any side, from his enemy. A good shepherd would always be on the look out for a wild animal to come after one of his flock. A good offensive ball player knows that it is the job of the defense to take the ball away from him. So in these scenarios the person does not live in fear of what "could" happen to them. They operate always being "aware" of what could happen. They stay alert. They stay ready. They stay trained up and ready to respond if (or when) an attack comes. So as a Christ follower we too should have this same kind of attitude. The more connected you become to Jesus, the more you desire to chase after Him and do His will and the more you become a tool for God to use, then the more the enemy is going to want to take you down. So the more prepared you MUST keep yourself for attacks from Him. I think too many times we get into the mindset that it won't happen to us....and to be honest, that is exactly the "relaxed" attitude that the enemy would love for us to have so he can catch us off guard. A shepherd that falls asleep on his watch might as well not be there at all. He must be alert and ready. You and I must be alert and ready. And this is accomplished by staying connected to Jesus. Staying in His Word. Spending time in the secret place with God and building up your spirit man. And staying in fellowship with other believers who can pour into your life as you pour into theirs. You are a threat to the enemy achieving his goals to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). And that is not something to take lightly!
I wanted to also leave you with more verses about being alert. One, so you could read up on them yourself, but two, so you could see that it is mentioned quite a few times in the bible, so it is something we should know God is warning us about. (Ephesians 6:18, 1 Peter 1:13, Mark 14:38, Matthew 26:41, Luke 21:36)
Please don't wait until Sunday to offer praise and worship up to Jesus. Find time in your day to do this, to get into His Word, to be alone with Him and to seek out His will for you today! These area all things that will keep you strong! So when the enemy throws something at you, it may come unexpected, but he won't catch you unprepared.
God, Thank You SO much that Your Word warns us and helps us to be prepared for attacks from the enemy. Help us to realize that it IS up to us to stay alert and ready. And may we live lives that makes the enemy feel threatened because it is then that we know we are being the most effective for the Your Kingdom. Please Holy Spirit give us eyes and ears to be able to see the attack when it comes at us, and give us the wisdom to know how to battle the enemy when he does come at us. In Jesus name, Amen

A Prayer For Today

God, I thank You for all that You do and all that You are! I thank You for all that You do in my life and Your presence in my life. I praise You and I honor You with my life. I KNOW that you are a good and just God!.....But today I come to you with a heavy heart. I lift up my family and so many others I know that are under a spiritual attack right now. We know Your Word says that we do not battle flesh and blood, but against the rulers and darkness of this world. (Ephesians 6:12). So Father help us to take our battles to You and trust You for help and guidance. Give us wisdom God to not "fight" our way through these things, but to lean on Your for understanding and peace. Help us to not allow the enemy to steal things from us that ONLY You can provide (John 10:10), but instead help us to stand firm on your promises. Your Word says that You are faithful and true God and that is THE truth that we stand on today. Father help us not become overwhelmed and consumed with the circumstances around us because that is exactly what the enemy would want us to do. Help us to know that circumstances can change in a split second, but Your truth never changes. YOU....and Your Word is the same yesterday today and forever. And we praise you for that! Help us rejoice in that even in the midst of the storms we walk through. God I ask that you be with our families. Be with those that we just have to trust into your care because our words are not having in impact on them. God help us not exhaust ourselves in the physical battles, but to relentlessly bring our prayers to you over and over and over for those that we love, those that we know are hurting, those that are lost, those that are stumbling and those that the enemy has confused. We pray for clarity of their minds and we pray that their hearts would be turned toward You. Holy Spirit occupy their hearts and guide their footsteps. Help them to hear Your voice and open their eyes to the truth. In the name of Jesus we rebuke all attacks from the enemy on their lives and we pray for protection over them. God give us the attitude of Christ so we can be a light to them during this time of struggle. And God teach us during this time....let not one moment go to waist, but allow us to see the lesson and the things that you need us to see, so we can grow (in You) from every experience we go through. Help us to chase after you and let nothing distract us from being where you want us to be. Help us to seek out and follow the path that you have laid before us. And help us to see that we NEED to praise You through the storm, because no matter what is going on around us,You are still a good God and your grace, love and mercy is new for us every single day of our life. That and that alone is enough to give us a reason to be joyful. God, please lift up our heavy hearts today and remind us to cast our cares on your. God I trust you....I honor You....I praise You.....and I love You! In Jesus name, Amen

Don't Drink The Poison

As I have stated in past blogs, when I find something in God's word that is very clearly stated it really jumps out to me that this is God, the creator of heaven and earth, giving me a set of instructions. I'm not sure we see it that way enough. I know growing up I did not, and if you watch the moral decay of the world around us, it is very clear that others do not take it serious enough too. However, if you were standing in the middle of your living room today and a voice came down from above and gave you a very clear command, how many say "I don't feel I really need to do that". But we will read the Word of God and clearly ignore the commands that are handed down to us. We use excuses like "these are different times", or "they didn't have to go through what we go through today"...or we even try to change the meaning behind something the bible says to make it fit into our world. However, there are several verses in the bible that say God's word never changes and in never loses it's meaning. (Mark 1:25, Psalms 12:6-7, Deuteronomy 4:1-2) I say all that today because the topic that I felt pressed on my heart is not an easy topic for people, but it is one that is clearly addressed in God's Word. I even believe it is a topic I have written on before. But until we understand how much damage this topic can cause inside of us....and how much restriction it can put on our life....and how much access it allows the enemy to have to us, we should keep talking about it and allow God to work on it in us and through us. And that topic is unforgiveness.
There are 3 passages in the bible that cover forgiveness with such seriousness that it screams out to me just how important it is to God. Mark 11:25, Ephesians 4:26-27 and Matthew 6:14-15 all talk about the importance of forgiveness, the consequences of unforgiveness and the foothold we give the enemy over us when choose not to forgive. And I do use the word "choose" very carefully there. I think God's Word makes it very clear that we can choose to forgive someone, or we can choose not to. Forgiveness is not something anyone can force you to do....or a decision anyone can take away from you. However, it is something that is so much easier if you allow God to help you with it. And over the past year of doing ministry that is the one thing I have seen people struggle with the most. They try to do it on their own and they just can't. Sometimes it is because the pain is just too deep. Sometimes it is because the person is just to stubborn. And sometimes people feel like they are giving up all the "power" if they forgive the other person. And all of these things are very real and valid feelings. Which again is why when we try to do it on our own it is so hard. All of our own feelings get in the way and we just feel like we "need" to hold on to that unforgiveness. But again and again I have seen the damage that it has on the person's life who is holding onto it. Not to the person they choose not to forgive. And again and again we have sat in ministry and watched God reveal that to people. And when they finally get it, it is a beautiful thing to watch that walls come down. To see them release it to God and fully trust Him with it. To see someone actually physically, physiologically and emotionally let go and let God.
There are 2 things that we share with someone in ministry when we discuss forgiveness that I want to leave you with today. One is what it does to you....and two is what we are really saying when we do choose to forgive.
Unforgiveness is like a poison. It makes it's way into us and causes damage on the inside of us. What it does to our hearts is cause bitterness, anger, sadness and hardness of the heart. It causes us to build up walls and makes it very hard for God, or someone else in our life, to get through to us in the same way they used to. These are not my words, but it has been said that "unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting it cause the other person to die". It does not, it is slowly killng you. It may have an impact on the other person, but you are the one it is hurting.
So what are we saying when we make the choice to forgive? What are we saying to God and what are we saying about what was done to us? Are we just writing it off like it never happened? No, not really, but we are releasing it. We are saying to God that I know you are a just God, and I trust your justice over my own. I know holding onto this is NOT something you would want me to do, therefore out of trust and obedience I am going to release this to you. I know it does not make what that person did to me "ok", but I trust that how you will deal with that is much better than how I will. So I choose to let go of this right now and release this to you. And then once we release it, we ask God to heal anything in us that was caused by what was done to us, or the by the unforgiveness we were holding on to. And He will. He loves you and He wants to see you fully restored and walking in freedom! And letting go of unforgiveness is a HUGE step in that direction.
God, Thank You for Your word which makes it very clear to us that forgiveness is very important to You. Help us with this topic today God because it is not an easy one for us. Please heal the pain, sorrow, anger and bitterness that has set into anyone that has had to deal with forgiveness and unforgiveness. And teach us today how much more at peace we can be when we release this to You. Allow us to have the strength to honor You with this, and be obedient to Your Word. In Jesus name, Amen

What Do YOU Hear God Saying To YOU

If you have experienced someone coming up to you and delivering a word from God it is quite an amazing feeling. A word from God, delivered through someone else, can come in many ways. It may be in the form of them telling you something direct they heard from God for you. It may come in the form of them sharing a dream they had with you. Or it may come in the form of them praying over you and things were delivered to them during that time of prayer. But no matter how it comes to you, there is something special that you feel when you know God is saying something specific to you through someone else. However today I want to challenge you to hear directly to hear directly from God Himself. If this is something you have struggled with then I pray this blog will help you today.
There are so many scriptures that reference hearing from God. (John 10:27, Romans 10:17, Jeremiah 33:3, John 8:47...just to name a few) In fact, I believe you will find more in the bible about hearing from God than you will about talking to God. We have all grown up hearing that famous saying that "we should listen twice as much as we speak, that's why God gave us 2 ears and only one mouth". And as funny as that saying is, there is a lot of truth to that. A lot of people feel like their time "with God" must be filled with them speaking and speaking and speaking and crying out and then speaking some more....to God. And Even though I fully believe God wants to hear from us, He wants us to thank Him and praise Him in prayer, and He wants us to cast our cares on Him.....I also believe He wants us to shut up long enough sometimes for Him to get a word in there too. Not sure if you have ever been in a conversation where you sit down with someone and the next thing you know 20 minutes has gone by and they have done all the talking and you pretty much haven't said a word. Then they look down at their watch and realize they need to go and the next thing out of their mouth is "hey, it's been great talking with you". To which you look back at them with a blank face because there really hasn't been much "talking" on your end....just a lot of listening to them. Have you ever walked away from your prayer time and felt like God was looking at you the same way. Has the "buzzer" ever gone off because your 15 minutes of prayer time is up (yes there was some sarcasm in that...ha) and you walk away saying "man that was a good time praying to the Lord"...but God is saying "wait, I still have so many things I wanted to say to you"? I think the reason this happens to so many Christians is because they fear quiet time with God. If things get quiet then they feel like their prayer time is being waisted, or they feel like it wasn't "prayer time" at all. But that is SO not true. Some of my best prayer time has been spent with me not saying a word. Some of my best time with God has been spent with me on my face before God just listening to anything and everything He wants to say to me. And I have spoken to people who really do fear that kind of time with God. They are afraid their mind will race or they will lose their focus or they will even dose off. And I am hear to tell you that in the beginning each of those things are probably going to happen at one point or another (because the enemy is going to be fighting you). But you also have authority over your mind and your thoughts and you can pray against that. You can call every thought you have to be obedient to Jesus (2 Corinthians 10:5) and you can tune in and focus on God. And the more you do this, the easier it will become. Remember that other old saying "practice makes perfect".....well in order to practice you have to "do"...not talk about doing.
So let me go back to what I said in the beginning....about how great it is to get a word delivered to you through someone. How do you think those people are getting those words? It is not that they are "super spiritual" and you are not. The bible says that what God will do for one He will do for another, He shows no partiality. The only difference between them an perhaps you is that they may be giving God a platform to speak 'to them' and 'into them' more than you are. But it doesn't have to be or stay that way. Today, start to give God more time. Try to shut everything else out and give Him a chance to speak to you. Create an environment where you can focus on, and hear Him. Meaning, driving down the road with the radio off may not be the best way to start. Yes you can get to the place where you have become so close to God, and so in tune with Him, that you do hear Him in those moments. I fully believe everyone can get there. But in the beginning be purposeful in setting aside time....and a place...where you just want to hear from Him. Then get all sin and/or unforgiveness out of your heart and give God clear access to speak into you. You will be amazed at what happens when you do.
God, Thank You that You take the time to speak to us. Thank You that you are not a God that sits off a million miles a way, but that you desire intimacy with us. You desire those quiet moments where we can hear Your voice. Help us Holy Spirit to be purposeful in creating the time, place and environment where we can not just speak to God, but we can hear from Him too. Then help us to be obedient in the things that are revealed to us in those moments. In Jesus name, Amen

If It Could Cause Someone To Stumble...It Is Sin!

If you are someone who considers yourself a follower of Jesus Christ then you are someone who has been forgiven, showed a grace you did not deserve and who lives under an endless umbrella of mercy.(Lamentations 3:22-23) All of which you did nothing to gain or keep, other than come to the realization that any and all worth you have is only because of the love of Jesus for you. And as a follower of Jesus you should realize that any and all identity you now walk in is through Him. All of these things are amazing gifts from God given to us through the gift of Jesus Christ. And nothing has made you any more worthy of this love than any other person who may cross your path today. It is offered freely to all, it can be received freely by all and it can create the ability to walk in freedom for anyone. There is not one negative thing to anything I just described. Not one.....However, today I wanted to talk about the seriousness of calling yourself a follower of Jesus. If you will allow me, I will quote the cheesy quote from the Spiderman movie...."With great power, comes great responsibility". Only this time the power is not yours, it is the power of Jesus IN you.

When we make the decision to follow Jesus there is only one thing that is put on us...we are to try to advance His kingdom and draw others to Him. To be honest, when you have truly given your heart to Jesus, this should come with little to no effort. People will see a change in you and as you draw closer and closer to Christ in your own life... people will see Him in you. They will be begin to see Him in your talk, in the way you now think (because your mind has been renewed...Romans 12:2) and they will see Him in your actions. The old you should be dead and gone and the new you should be what people begin to see. (2 Corinthians 5:17) And as much as we love this idea, there is also a seriousness that comes with this that we also must not forget...the bible is also very clear that we are not to cause others to stumble. 1 Corinthians 8:9 says "But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble."....and Luke 17:2 says "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin..." Yes, there is a "responsibility" for us to tell others about Jesus, but please be aware that if we are going to call ourselves a follower of Jesus Christ there is also a responsibility to not cause confusion for nonbelievers or new believers. The bible is very clear about how serious Jesus takes this. Romans 14 is full of references of things that "you" may not consider a sin, but if they are causing another to stumble, then that makes them a sin. And if I may be so blunt, I think this is one area that a lot of Christians struggle with. And I know this because I used to be one of them. But thanks to the relationship that I NOW have with Jesus, he has opened my eyes to this in a very big way. We as Christians cannot become so consumed with keeping the things that we "enjoy" in our life that we are causing confusion among others who are watching our lives. When I was a youth pastor I used to tell my teens all the time that YOU may be the only Jesus people are going to see this week. So if we really believe that....if we really believe that our lives are supposed to reflect Christ to others...then let me ask, what are you making Jesus look like to them? There was a time that I made Jesus look pretty worldly. And as ashamed as I am to say that, I would rather speak openly and honestly, and say that I know how I used to be....and warn others to realize if they may be acting the same way. Our lives and the things that "we" are "ok" with may not reflect Jesus at all. Think about it....think about the things you read about that Jesus did on this earth and then ask yourself why should my life look any different? And I am not talking about perfection....I am talking about trying. I'm talking about putting filters on your life. I'm talking about being purposeful in the things you cut out of your life! Yes, we are all covered by God's grace, but grace is not there to be abused. It is there because God knew perfection could not be achieved and we would need His love and forgiveness again and again for our "slip ups".

I had no intensions of getting into a list of do's and don'ts in this blog. So if that was what you were looking for, this is not where you will find it. What you allow into your life should be cleared between you, God's Word and God. And those are the ONLY standards you should be using. Do not look at the life of another and think "if they are ok with that, then I can be too"....they may be creating a stumbling block for you. However, before I end this, I do want to heed one last warning...a very serious one too! Whatever you do...and please hear me.....do not ever use God to manipulate another believer or nonbeliever. I believe Matthew 7:15 would refer to these as false prophets or "wolves in sheep's clothing". I feel for the person who has to stand face to face with Jesus one day knowing that they used the Word of God to manipulate someone into doing what they wanted or believing something that was flat our wrong. If this is something you may have done, please do not wait...repent to God and make things right with that person. You have become a tool of the enemy and you may not even realize it. But God's grace is for you too! Go to Him...confess, receive His forgiveness and walk again in His mercy.

God, again we thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ. Please help us realize what we have received and give us the wisdom to walk away from things in our lives that do not advance Your kingdom. Holy Spirit convict our hearts TODAY with anything that we have allowed in our lives that is not pleasing to you. Help us to see the things in ourselves that could be causing others to stumble and give us the strength to set them down at the feet of Jesus and walk away from them. And help us to right any wrongs that we have created for those around us. In Jesus name, Amen

Your Story Has A Plan And A Purpose

As I start this week I feel very led to encourage people to do some things that are not easy. Things that only you know God is calling you to do. I have found that when we step out and follow God's leading He can do amazing things with us, through us and in us. And even though the impact it can have on others is something we may never know...when it is God calling you to do it, you can guarantee it will have impact and advance His kingdom.
Last night I had the chance to hear an amazing life story (testimony) of someone who has become very close to me. I got to listen to their life's story before they met Jesus, what He did for them...and what life has begun to look like since they met Him. And I can't tell you how much their story impacted my heart. However, I also had the chance to open up and share my entire testimony with them. And when I say that, I mean everything that God has rescued and redeemed me from. God has had me share parts of my testimony with several people over the past year, but it has been rare that He has given me the nudge to share everything from my past. But when He has, it has always been because He has put me in front of someone I can fully trust (in Him), and someone who will show me His kind of love, grace and mercy without casting down judgment on me. And when those things are in place, God can do amazing things with your story as you open up. But what He can also do is allow you to experience even more healing, love and forgiveness as you share your story. It's actually quite an amazing thing to experience.
Some of us are walking around with very powerful stories. Stories that others need to hear. Stories that show the true redeeming and healing power of Jesus Christ. And stories that ARE going to advance God's kingdom. However, some of our stories are not only tough to tell, they are tough for other's to hear. So of you may not yet be asking God what you were supposed to do with your story since you have received Him as your personal Savior, but I strongly suggest that you do. God wants to use you and your story in ways that I promise you can't even imagine. Ask Him to guide and direct you for the right time, place and person (or people) that you are to share it with. Listen for His voice and learn to know when His is telling you step out in faith.
For some people the idea of sharing their testimony of what life was like before they met Jesus, or before they rededicated their life to Him, is frightening. And they can't imagine ever opening up to one person, let alone God calling them to share it publicly. But please know that if it's God that is calling you to share, He will calm those fears. He will have a plan and a purpose for your story being told and His supernatural power will be flowing through you. In the moment that He would nudge you to share it, your concern for how it is going to impact the lives of others will far outweigh your fear, your nervousness or your worry of being judged. And once you have shared it and watched God us it to help others relate to you and feel that they too can be forgiven and set free, don't be surprised if you have a desire to share it again. Always trust God to show you the right time and place. He will create the safety and the trust needed when you are to share. Unfortunately, if He is calling you to share it publicly, then there may be someone there that will cast judgement. But even in that, God may use that moment to reveal things to that person about how they are judging you. When it is God that is calling you to step out, He will always produce something good from the thing He is calling you to step out and do. Never allow the enemy to tell you otherwise. The enemy fears the power of your story when it has God's anointing on it, so understand He is going to create every negative feeling in you that He can to stop you from acting in obedience. In those moments just trust God. Let go and let God....and believing you have been calling for such a moment as this!
God, Thank You that you can take even the worst of our past and use it to positively impact Your Kingdom. Thank You that You have not only brought us out of our past and forgiven and redeemed us, but You have now also created a way for us to relate to others and show them just how powerful your Love, Grace and Mercy is. Holy Spirit today I ask that You speak to the hearts of people who have been walking in fear of allowing You to use their story, and I ask right now for an awaking of all the hearts and minds of people who have been set free. Give them the wisdom to know when you are the One calling them to step out in faith and then provide the courage and strength needed to do WHATEVER it is You are calling them to do. And allow us to see that lives You can be changed when we act in obedience. In Jesus name, Amen.

His Will Be Done...His Kingdom Come...

Is it possible to say yes to God before you even know what He is asking of you? Is it possible to live in that kind of trust...that kind of desire to please Him...that kind of selflessness...and that kind of willingness to be in His will?
I had gone back and read some of Matthew again today, and I was reading the part where Jesus simply called to Peter and Andrew and said come follow me. And that stirred in my heart these questions today. I mean, I like to think that I try to keep myself open to saying yes to God whenever I feel Him pressing me to do something. I like to think that my desire to be in His will far outweighs my selfish desires. I know there was a time in my life that I was not that open, but I also don't want to become "relaxed" just because I have gotten better. Better can always be even better! There is always room for God to help me be even more selfless. And there is definitely always room for me to be more open to listening for, and following, His will for my life. One reason I know this is because I am human, and my human nature is to be selfish. If you don' think so, just go to any daycare and watch little children play. The moment a child wants the toy that is in another child's hand what do they do...they take it. And what does the child that just lost the toy do...they throw a fit. So it is in our sinful nature to want what we want. So how do we break that? Or actually the better question to ask is how do we allow the Lord to break that in us?
Again as I was reading Matthew today I came across the Lord's prayer. Where in Matthew 6 Jesus is teaching the disciples how to pray to the Father. And He says "  Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." And as I was thinking about this prayer again, and why it was so important for Jesus to lay out how to pray to God, I was thinking about my question of "can we stay at a place of 'yes' with God?". This prayer is a HUGE enabler of that. When we read the words that Jesus was saying it is impossible to truly pray this prayer and not have your heart stay in the right attitude. First praising God "Hallowed be Your name", then the very next line is what really stands out to me..."Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven." To be quite honest, unless we truly mean that, we don't really have any business praying this "perfect" prayer. I don't say that to be mean, but to say "Your will be done" and then not have any intentions of carrying out God's will today is a little scary to me. I don't want to say things to God that I have no intension of sticking to. So if we say these words out of our heart, and we allow God to work on our heart, then what we are truly saying is "God, bring the perfectness of heaven into my life here on earth, as I allow Your will to be done in my life". That is surrender! And That is a very powerful thing to say to God. But it is also something that He can only do when we really mean and allow Him to. He will bring His perfect peace into your life. He will bring His perfect joy into your life. He will show you the path He has laid out for you that will be narrow compared to the worlds ways. And He will use you to advance His kingdom. These are the things that God desires to do for us when we open ourselves up to Him. But be prepared, because when we begin to say things like "Your will God", He begins to say things like "drop what your doing and follow me"..."come do my work"...."step out in faith"...."trust me!".
When Jesus walked up to each disciple and said come follow me, He was really saying come live out God's will for your life. It was their choice to step out and do it. So today can be the day that you start to become a "yes man" or 'yes woman" for God. It can start with a prayer and be followed up by obedience. He will bless you for it. Not just yours, but the lives of others will be changed when we can become this obedient and willing to say YES to God before He even asks us the question.
God, Thank You for having a plan, a purpose and a will for our lives. Please help us not take that for granted. That You care so much about us that You have a detailed plan for each of our lives. Help us Holy Spirit to keep our hearts and our minds in alignment with You so that we can be prepared to say yes to ANYTHING You ask of us. And may lives be changed when we act out of obedience to You. I love You and I honor You today God. In Jesus name, Amen

Conviction vs Condemnation

John 10:10 says "The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full". The thief obviously being satan and "I" being Jesus.
I started with this verse because I want to show the clear different between how the enemy wants you to feel and how Jesus wants you to feel. When we sin, (and we are going to because only Jesus was perfect) the enemy has one goal and only one goal. Actually, let me back up for a second. The enemy has 2 goals....one is to first get you to sin, and the 2nd is to condemn you for the sin. But the one goal of satan's that I wanted to talk about today is the way the enemy wants you to feel when you have "messed up".
It is God's plan for sin to have less and less of an impact on our lives once we have accepted Christ as our savior. He desires us to walk away from the sins of our past that we have been forgiven for, and to start life over with a clean slate. Hence the term "born again". We literally are dying to our old life and being born again. God is giving us the chance to hit the reset button on our life and do things differently. However, the enemy does not want this. He wants every mistake we make, every slip up, every sin that we commit to remind of of our past. He wants to slam the "old you" in front of your face and try to convince you that you haven't changed. He wants to discourage you into thinking that what you experienced with God wasn't real. He wants to whisper lies into your ear saying things like "you will never be better" or "You'll never escape 'this' sin. It has to much of a grip on you". And that my friends is condemnation. The true definition of the word condemnation is "the expression of very strong disapproval" or in action it means "to condemn someone to punishment". The very definition of the word goes against what Christ came to do for us on the cross. Gods word tells us that He came to accept our punishment. (see Romans 3:21-31 and 1 Peter 2:24). So if Christ already took the punishment for our sins, then why after we accept His gift, would He want to punish us more. HE WOULD NOT! Romans 8:1 tells us "Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". Not some...none!! So when you feel guilt coming on, when you feel shame, when you feel like something is trying to drag you back or remind you who you used to be, please know that is not Jesus! Then go to Jesus and ask Him to help you with that. Tell satan that you do NOT receive that. That you are born again....a new creation...through Jesus and just because you may have messed up, you are not who you used to be!
So that brings me to the other point of this blog. If we know Jesus (or God) does not condemn us, then what is conviction and what is the difference. Ahhh...my friend conviction is done out of love. Conviction is the Holy Spirit nudging you to take something to Jesus. Conviction is like Jesus standing in front of you and saying "hey, I want to be a little closer to you, but there is something standing between us and we really need to deal with is so we can move it out of the way and you can experience more of Me". The Holy Spirit will convict you when there is a choice to be made of right or wrong and let you know the choice you NEED to make. One definition of the word conviction is "a strong persuasion"....I love that. The Holy Spirit would love you enough that He would be trying to strongly persuade you to do the right thing, confess that unspoken sin to Jesus, get closer to God, get deeper into God's word....or whatever He personally needs to persuade you to do so that you can get to a deeper level with Christ. When I think of the Holy Spirit convicting me I think of a loving parent saying "I may not be able to stop you from making this choice, but I am begging you not to. If you do it will harm you and break my heart". That is love...that is compassion....that is a Savior saying "I died for you so sin doesn't have to 'rule' you anymore. Walk in freedom!"
Do not allow the enemy to lay guilt and shame on you if you mess up....allow the Holy Spirit to guide you to Jesus so you can lay it down at the feet of Jesus and experience His grace, His forgiveness, His mercy and His love. Know that it was paid for on the cross and you do not have to live feeling condemned another day!
God, we thank YOU that if anyone has the right to condemn us it is you, but you choose not to. Thank You that You love us enough to convict our hearts to do the right thing and that Your Holy Spirit will always guide us back to You. Help us to be wise enough to know the difference between condemnation and conviction, and repent anything that stands between us and You. Always keeping our hearts at a place they they can grow closer to you. In Jesus name, Amen

Obey The Small and Big Things.

Recently I've had things happening in my life that I personally can't take credit for or call coincidence. They are God! I know to a lot of people who will read that will think it sounds a bit "over the top". Even some followers of Christ don't give God enough credit for things that take place in their everyday life. But if He has changed anything in me over the past couple of years, it has been just that. I do look for God. I look for Him the big things, of course, but I also for Him in the very small things. And I firmly believe that God is alway presenting ways for us to be obedient and then watching us to see how we react. These are not small "tests", as some would think, but they are what I would like to call "short cuts" that God puts in our life to get His plan carried out.
God has a plan. He has a plan for you and He has a plan for me. He has an intended path for us to walk down in life and He has purpose for each and every one of us. And I believe that each and every day of our lives He is trying to show us that. I personally have seen those days where it is very clear that God is trying to show me something here and I really need to pay attention. But I have also seen the days where 1 small act of obedience begins to change so many things in my life. One small act of obedience.....I hope you really got that. It's very important for us to recognize when God is nudging us or flat out instructing us to do something. As I have stated in past blogs, spending time alone with Him and listening for Him is the best way to tune into God so you know what those nudges and His voice is like. For it is when we can respond to the little things that I believe God plants short cuts into out lives. Let me give you an example.....If you know God wants you to talk to that coworker and yet you keep putting it off, how many times have you felt just the tiniest crack into a conversation, and yet you did not take advantage of it and begin to tell them all that God has put on your heart. However, something big can happen in your life or theirs, something so big that you know you can tell them what God did for you, or what He can do for them in this time of need. Both of those situations are going to fulfill God's plan for you to tell your coworker about Him. However, the small crack was something God tried to open for you again and again, but instead of hearing God and moving, you had to wait for that one big opportunity to come along. How many weeks, months or maybe even years were lost while you waited for something "big" enough to happen? Now you see what I mean by the term "short cuts". If you would have taken one of those tiny opportunities months or years before, how much further ahead may your coworker be with God today. And that is not a statement to cause regret....not at all. But I am trying to challenge you to become more aware of God and all the small ways He may be asking you something, or showing you something on any given day. THEN, step out and be obedient. It pleases Him, and may be the one thing that puts you on the fast track to the plan He has for you. Sometimes missed opportunities (or as I like to call them, chances to be obedient) just make God have to "reroute" you and create another opportunity later. Don't wait for later and miss out on what God has for you today.
Recently I did something so small, that in the moment I didn't even really know I was being obedient. However, at the same time, God was speaking to someone else and asking them to be obedient too. My act of obedience allowed this NEW believer to act as well. And the results of that have been pretty amazing so far. But it has also opened my eyes to the fact that IF I hadn't heard God and moved, what would have been the impact on this other person's life? Never underestimate how important the things God is asking you to do are. They may have an impact you don't immediately get to see, but I guarantee you they will have an impact.
I have referred to Proverbs 3:5-6 in several blogs because it fits so well in several situations. And today it does once again. When you feel God nudging you to move..."Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in ALL your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight".
God, I honor You and I thank You for giving us opportunities to serve You and to do Your work. Help us to realize that You have a plan and You are ALWAYS working it. Help us to not let anything seem so insignificant that we overlook it when You are nudging us and Your Holy Spirit is speaking to us. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear so we can always be about Your business. Thank You God! In Jesus name, Amen

Love Can Change The Heart

You ever had one of those conversations that even after it's over you sit and think about the things that you talked about. You not only think about things the other person shared with you, but you also think about some of the things that came out of your own mouth. And you know that those were God's words flowing through you. It may even be something you have said before, but this time when you shared it God gave you more or He even showed you something new from the same words. Well last night that happened to me. I had an amazing conversation with a friend and as we were talking about God's goodness and how it changes us, I shared something that I have said before. But this time God gave me more details when I said it and in my own heart He spoke to me using my own words. So today I would like to share this with you and hope and pray that someone will take a closer look at their relationship with Jesus because of this blog and the words God gave me.
I was sharing with my friend that I see to many people walking around with wearing the label of "Christian", but not living the life of a Christian. Now when I say that, I want to be very clear that I am not making a judgemental statement, but more of a statement that saddens my heart. Because the very next words out of my mouth were that I used to be one of those people. I was a person who "claimed" to be a Christian, but I truly didn't look much different than the rest of the world. I was not walking the narrow path (Matthew 7:13-14) by any means. I was running full force down a very wide path with a lot of other people who were chasing their own earthly desires. There wasn't anything about my heart that was changed by going to church, because I wasn't really in a relationship with Jesus. I was just gong to church and followed some "religious" rules.
But last night when I was sharing this with my friend, I said that now that my eyes have been opened, I see a relationship with Jesus in a totally different way. And this is the example I used with her....
No matter how "wreckless" of a life you are living. No matter if you have spent years sleeping around, partying, living the "single life" and just pretty much been focused on living the world's idea of a "good time", something happens to you when you meet someone and truly fall in love. Something happens on the inside of you when another person captivates your heart and you find that one person you want to spend the rest of your life with. The love you feel for that person changes you. It changes the things you want to do and it changes the things that you think are "ok" to do. And once you commit yourself to them, you couldn't imagine living the same kind of life that you were because you know it would hurt them. And that's not what you want to do when you truly love someone. If at the alter on your wedding day your spouse handed you a piece of paper and said these are the things that would break my heart if you did them (which it shouldn't take a list for you to know these things), I would hope that you would do your very best to not do them. Not because they are rules, but because you care so deeply for that person....right? And then I said this....Why do people have such a hard time seeing their relationship with Jesus the same way? Why is it that we can't see that He died for us out of pure love and when we come into a relationship with Him, that love should change us. Just the same way we would never want to hurt a spouse we love...we even more should not want to hurt a savior who we love. Especially one who paid such an amazing price just to be in relationship with us. That kind of love, when it penetrates our hearts, should cause such a radical change in us that it can be seen by all. The way you think, the way you interact, the way you forgive, the way you care, the compassion you feel toward others...and the way you love, should all be changed by the relationship you have with Jesus. And the main reason why is because when you realize how much He loves you despite anything you have every done to hurt Him....it makes you never want to hurt Him again. When you can feel the forgiveness Jesus has to offer...the grace and mercy....the love and acceptance...it should be enough to make you want to be as much like Him as possible. And the change that DOES take place in you is not because someone handed you a list of do's and don't...but it's because someone showed you what perfect love looks like and that alone changed your heart, mind and soul.
God, You do offer us perfect and unconditional love. You accept us just as we are, but then your love penetrates our hearts and begins to change us. Holy Spirit help us allow the change and do not let us fear it. Stop the enemy from convincing us it's ok to stay the same...in Jesus name. Show us that when light penetrates the darkness, the darkness has to give way to the light. So may Your light chase away all darkness left in us. In Jesus name, Amen

There's Always More..

This morning I was reflecting on this resurrection weekend that we just came through. I am still in awe of how much I was in God's presence the entire weekend. And to be honest, I'm not to eager to get back into the work week just because I know the busy schedule of life will come back into play, and I'm not quite done wanting to soak in God's goodness yet.
As I make that statement I realize we don't have to let "life" get in the way of God. In fact, if that is happening we really have no one to blame but ourself. It's not God that is taking a step back as the work week starts, it is I that gets "busy". It is up to me to make sure that I stay as close to Him during my work week as He just stayed to me this past weekend. I even made the a post on Facebook that said let's not just praise and worship Him because it's Easter...but praise him just as equally the other 365 days of the year. But as I stated, it was a weekend just filled with God's presence, and that is really what I wanted to focus today's post on.
From the time I got off work on last Friday I have watched God move again and again. Friday night the ministry I am involved was really like no other night. I witnessed people come in for prayer and walk out feeling lighter and set free from so many things in their life. I watch the God of the universe personally show up for each person we prayed with and be the exact answer to what they needed in their life. And not a temporary answer that made them feel better in the moment. But THE answer that was going to make their life take a different path from that night on. I watched God show up in a room and fill a person who showed up broken and looking for answers. I watched God "be" the answer they were looking for. And honestly there is nothing more beautiful than that.
Then on Saturday I got to attend one of the most spiritual weddings I think I have ever seen. I watched two people who are madly in love with God say vows to each other that were the most God centered vows I have ever heard. I watched two people literally fall more in love at the wedding alter in front of 400 people. Not just saying that Christ will be in the center of their marriage, but in front of 400 people, SHOWING that Christ IS the center of it. From talking about things like dating purity and showing how they have honored God in their dating, to washing each others feet right at the wedding alter to show their love, humbleness and desire to serve each other from that day forward. It was truly a beautiful site. It was probably one of the only weddings I have ever attended where I think you seriously could have given and alter call at the end. No joke.
And then there was Resurrection Sunday...I got to be in God's presence at two different churches and celebrate God's amazing gift to us, Jesus Christ. And at last nights service, on Easter Sunday, I got to give my cardboard testimony with several other people who God has rescued. Seeing testimony after testimony of people who have surrendered to Christ and have been rescued, redeemed and set free because of that surrendering. It was a beautiful thing to witness and be a part of. And an amazing way to celebrate what Jesus came to do for us over 2,000 years ago. But to be honest, before we even got to that part of the service I was in awe of the presence of God in the room. During our worship time I found myself literally struck to my knees and kept there by the overwhelming feeling of His presence. And that is a place I could stay in and never leave. To be surrounded by over a hundred people in the room, but feel like it is just you and God. It is a feeling that I find hard to even explain with words. And in that moment you realize there is always more with God. He is never done with you. He is never done filling you, using you, showing you your worth to Him and taking you deeper. He has more for us every single day of our lives.
I want to encourage anyone reading this today to go deeper. If you're not even sure how to do that, then I would get alone with God and cry out and tell Him that. Create an atmosphere for His presence to dwell and ask Him to join you there. I promise you, He has more for you. He always has more for you. And the best way to find that out is seek it! Do not let the enemy convince you that what you have is "good enough". Don't go into cruise control in your spirit life. I watched people go deeper with God on Friday through prayer. I watched a couple go deeper with God through a wedding ceremony on Saturday. And I felt myself go deeper with God through worship on Sunday. So I promise you, if you invite Him in any situation, He will show up and He will always have more for you.
God, thank You that You are never done with us. Allow us to see that Jesus did not just come, live the perfect life, die an undeserving death and raise again just to "kind of" change us or even to just change us once. But help us to see that Christ opened a door for us to always go deeper with Him and with You. And today I invite You to continue to keep taking me deeper God. And it is my prayer that so many more will invite You to do the same for them. In Jesus name, Amen

5 Days To The Cross: Day 5 - Good Friday

As I thought about what to write about today I began to think back to when I was a kid and I struggled so bad with calling this "Good Friday". I could remember thinking how bad that sounded because I didn't quite understand what made it so good...I mean Jesus died today? However, today I see how not just Good this day is....but how Great it is because of Jesus! He had to die to be raised and live again!
Because of Easter messages, TV shows and movies, this day is probably the day that people know the most about, so I won't go into all the details. We know the words Jesus proclaimed just days before did happen, and we know prophecy was fulfilled....all in one day.
The journey to the cross begins when the priests took Jesus to Caiaphas. Caiaphas would be the first to start the line of questioning to Jesus with the point blank question of "are you the Son of God?". And Jesus would say He was. This angered them and they accused Jesus of blasphemy. They did not have the authority to kill Jesus, so they hit Him with with their fists, slapped Him, spit on him and made fun of Him.
Next they took Jesus to the governor, Pilate, to convince Him to have Jesus killed. Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews. And Jesus said He was. The priests brought accusations against Jesus, but with each thing they said, Jesus would not defend Himself. He would answer their questions, but Jesus knew who He was and what He had done, so there was nothing to defend. Pilate, (even after trying to send Jesus to Herod so He did not have to make this decision), did not want to have to make this choice, so he decided to allow the crowd to make the choice and release 1 prisoner. (due to a holiday custom of that time) After seeing how the crowd loved Jesus just a week before, he thought for sure they would release Jesus, but they did not. Instead they insisted Barrabas (a hated murderer) be released and that Jesus be crucified. Pilate washed his hands of the situation, gave the crowd what they wanted (even against his wife's wishes), and gave Jesus over to the soldiers to be beaten....and crucified.
From this point on, Jesus Christ, a perfect man, a man who knew NO sin, a man who did NO wrong, a man who taught and gave and healed and loved, was treated worse than probably any human in recorded history....They took Jesus and stripped Him naked...as if to destroy any dignity Jesus had. They tied Jesus to a post and literally took turns beating Jesus with a whipping tool we would today call a "cat of nine tails". This "tool" would have had several whips connected into 1 handle with shards of glass or or metal chunks so that as it hit the skin of Jesus, it would have ripped out chunks of flesh from Him. I say this not be grotesque in my description, but so you can imagine the immense pain that Jesus' body would have gone through. And then at some point through all of this they dressed Him in a scarlet robe and mocked Him as a king. Even pressing a crown made of thorns down onto His head and continued to hit Him in the head with a stick. Pressing the thorns deeper down into his skin. They hit Him, spit on Him and mocked him. I'm not one for Hollywood drama, but if you have seen The Passion of the Christ, then I would say it is one time that they could not have "overdone" the beating they showed Jesus receiving. There is no denying that it was brutal....extremely brutal. Even to the point that it is noted He could not even carry His own cross to Golgotha, and someone had to carry it for him to the place He would be nailed and hung on a cross to die.
God's word goes on to tell us that even while Jesus was on the cross He was mocked, and tortured worse. And He took it all until He took His last breath. And in that moment Jesus said the words "It is finished", and He died. And it was...The part on this earth that Jesus was sent to do, was done. It was 33 1/2 years of Jesus life...and roughly 3 years of His ministry...all to come to this moment, to this place. And in that moment, everything that God sent Jesus to do had been done. And the Word says the veil in the temple was ripped from top to bottom. And something that has been destroyed by the first sin in the garden, was now available again. We now had direct relationship with God again. Jesus died and would raise again 3 days later to defeat sin and death. No longer would "the law" and "works" be needed to have a relationship with God. Jesus paid it all so that we could be SET FREE. He took what we deserved, and He opened a new way for us to be IN fellowship with our creator.

No matter how hard I would try, the pain that both Jesus and God had to feel that day is beyond the description of words. Both God and Jesus went through this out of their own free will. Jesus took this upon Himself. He was not forced into this, He ALLOWED it to happen. And God ALLOWED it to happen to His son. So when you think about Grace and Forgiveness...when you think about the fact that you can pray to God in Jesus' name....when you think about the relationship that you may take for granted that you have with God....please remember what was done for YOU.

God....today as I lift up a prayer to you I find myself at a loss for many words. All I can utter when I think about this day is...Thank You and I Love You. In Jesus name, Amen

I would highly recommend taking 9 minutes out of your day to watch the following video. I have seen it several times, and it still tears me up to listen to how Judah Smith describes God's unending, unconditional love for us. Barrabas Video by Judah Smith

5 Day To The Cross: Day 4

As I think about the next 48 hours of Jesus' life I can't help but wonder which day was worse for him. Today, the day that He had to spend waiting of things to begin, or tomorrow once it all started? There is no doubt that Friday would be physically worse than anything...but I can't help but think that today would have to have been some of the worse mental torture.
When we read the Word we know a lot of facts that took place on the last day before His death. We know that Jesus had sent the disciples into the city to borrow a room to have a dinner. To them though, this was to celebrate the Feast of The Unleavened Bread. They had no idea that they were about to have their last meal with their friend. They had no idea that the man they had been walking with for years was about to give them their last teaching. And because of that, I can't help but again think of how His words to them must have been someone confusing. He was talking about taking the cup and it representing His blood, and eating the bread that represented His body. Like I've stated before, we get to read to the end of the Book, so when we read these things they make sense to us. But to be sitting there that day hearing Jesus speak these things had to have been very deep..and somewhat confusing. Then to also think that Jesus sat at a table loving and teaching them all, yet knowing not just "that" one of them would betray him, but He knew exactly which one. And He loved Him anyway. Little did these men know that the dinner they sat at would be a tradition that would carried on for thousands of years...little did they know it would be "the" last supper.
From there we know the group went to the Mount of Olives and Jesus spoke to them about how they would each disown Him. As hard as this was for Jesus to explain, it was probably pretty tough for them to hear. Each of them had walked away from the life they knew just to follow Jesus and after all this time He is telling them that they are all going to quit on Him.  And Peter being Peter even arguing that the others may, but "I" never will. They still just didn't get that Jesus wasn't saying these things "might" happen....He was telling them that this is all about to happen. Yet what does Jesus do? He continues to spend time with them, teach them and love them.
God's Word tells us that by the end of the day Jesus had taken the men to Gethsemane. He had some stay way back and He had 3 go in closer with Him..and then He went in even deeper on His own to pray. And we see where Jesus cried out to His Father asking for another way, but continuing to walk out the path God had laid out for Him. He had asked the men to stand watch and pray, but all they could do was sleep. Three times it says that Jesus came out to check on them...and 3 times He found them asleep. Again, this is my own speculation here, but I just can't imagine the sadness in Jesus to think "I'm about to die for you...and I can't even get you to stay awake and pray with and for me." And I'm sure those men had to have thought back to that night later and think "all He needed us to do was stay awake and pray, and we couldn't even do that". If you were them, how could you not think that later? I find it interesting that we don't get told that Judas came up missing, but we do get to see that He returns with those who had come to arrest Jesus. And the very man that walked with Jesus...watched ALL that Jesus had done...chose to betray Him with a kiss, and gave Jesus over to the very men who would have Him killed. All while Jesus stood and allowed it to take place. Knowing these things MUST happen so the scriptures can be fulfilled. And I find it amazing that it is recorded that Jesus even took the time to heal one of the guards that was there to arrest Him after Peter had harmed the guard. And even though they all witnessed this, they arrested Him anyway.
And so a day that began with friendship and fellowship for Jesus, ends with each of His friends scattering and Jesus being left to stand alone....betrayed, arrested and mistreated for doing what?....Speaking truth in love...Loving and healing people...And not conforming to the world He was in.
What do we see on this final day before His death. A man who loved everyone. A man who passionately taught His friends up until the very end. A man who cried out to God and asked if there could be another way, but accepted it when God said it must be this way. A man who cared for and healed the very man who came to drag Him away. And there is no doubt in my mind that He felt human emotional pain at the end of that day....but He had already chose to love and forgive the very men who were doing this all to Him. In one day I see enough out of Jesus that I could try to spend the rest of my life being just the way He was on that ONE day!
God, I again thank You for the gift that you have given this undeserving world. Your love, Your compassion, Your Forgiveness, Your Grace and Your mercy is beyond our understanding. But it is my prayer that people will receive Your gift and allow it to fully to change their life. Holy Spirit help those of us who have received that gift to be a light to this world, just as we saw Jesus was the day before His death. In Jesus name, Amen

5 Days To The Cross: Day 3

Monday and Tuesday have come and gone and we have seen that despite the horrendous things facing Jesus in just a few days, He has continued to love, heal and teach others. If there is anything we should remember about all of this, it's how it is a clear picture of how Jesus put others before Himself all the time.
When we look at the Wednesday before the crucifixion (or 3 days before) we don't have a lot of details as to what Jesus was doing. It is assumed that He probably could have gone back to the temple. Maybe walked around and spoke to people. Used this time to teach the disciples some more....It's not real clear. But the one thing that is clear, is that this is probably the time that Judas began to break away from the group and talk to the chief priests. And not only did Jesus know this was going to happen...He now has to move forward knowing that it is taking place.
If you have ever been betrayed by a friend or a loved one, then you may know the extreme pain this can cause. It can throw such a curve ball at you that the shock alone can be enough to bring you to your knees. You have what you think is a trusting and loving relationship, and then you find out that all of that trust has been broken. Now take whatever it is that you have been through and multiply that by a thousand. I don't care if Jesus was the son of God, knowing that Judas was plotting to turn Him over to the very people who wanted to see Him dead had to have been excruciating. But again, the focus that Jesus had to move forward and carry out exactly what He was sent to do was amazing. How He was able to put that out of His mind and continue to do ministry knowing this was one more step to the cross becoming a reality is beyond me. In my own imagination I picture times now where Judas has slipped away and the rest of the disciples are asking questions like "has anyone seen Judas?"....and Jesus, knowing where he was, had to get them to not worry about it and continue to do ministry with Him. Amazing....
I also picture Jesus seeing the days turn into hours, and hours turn into minutes. Knowing that time is running out and whatever this group of men that have been following Him around for 3 years are going to get, they better get it now. I can't imagine the stress that is piling up on Jesus during this time and how He is having to remain calm and at peace for the rest of the group. I can't imagine how much strength He is having to draw from God just to get Him through this day. There is much to be learned just from thinking about that. If Jesus could rely on the God to bring Him through and to this(the cross)...then how much more can we also do this when we feel things piling up on us?
Jesus was an example to us all through every phase of His life. But I think there is so much to be learned just by studying this last week of His life that we don't even realize until we stop and really think about it. He was the ultimate example of getting through ANYTHING you could possibly face. And this part of His life is the best example of "I may not like where I am right now God, but I am going to trust you to see me through it".
So as you move through this day...3 days before Good Friday...if things try to overwhelm you, think about tapping into God's strength. If Jesus could do it to face all that He did, and we know the same power that was in Jesus is available to us, then allow Him to be your example and take it to God. There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus was in constant communication with God...and that alone got Him to be able to even endure the things that He did. We all are either going to face, or are in the middle of a situation where we will need more of God's strength...and staying close to Him and in constant communication with Him is how we can do this. Just as Jesus did...
God, please let this week...this day....be a reminder to us that we CAN do all things through You when You give us strength. As hard as it was for Jesus, You brought Him through it. Thank You for allowing us access to that same power and strength. Show us this week the things that we have been trying to hard to do on our own. And teach us how to be sensitive and obedient to The Spirit when we feel You directing and correcting us. And most of all God..thank You for Your gift...Your Son. In Jesus name, Amen