It is not often that I will be sitting somewhere the day before and God will just start to reveal things to me that I know I'm supposed to write about the next day, but that is exactly what happened to me during worship at church yesterday. So let me share with you the things God was showing me...
As I had my eyes closed during worship I can remember us singing a song about God's love and I can remember just feeling God's presence filling the place, but I couldn't even begin to tell you the name of the song was that we were singing. However, as I stood there with my hands lifted and eyes closed I could see rain coming down on us all. And by "us all" I don't mean the people at church that day...I mean everyone in this world. It looked and felt so real too. And what God was saying to me is that His love falls on us ALL like a warm rain. But as this "vision" continued I could see some people just enjoying the feeling of the rain falling on them. Just moving about and doing their normal things as they felt this rain falling on them. But I could also see some people trying to get out of the rain. Some were using umbrellas and some were standing under awnings and store fronts. They were doing anything they could to get out of the rain. Some were even running to their cars and stuff as if they thought they could move through the rain without it getting on them. And the thing God was saying to me as this continued was that His love is for everyone...but not everyone gets that or wants it. And that was the sad part of the vision. To see some people some people avoiding it.
I know a lot has gone on this past week and if you have watched the news then you know what I mean. I have avoided posting anything about decisions that our government made because I have just been lifting this all up to God. But today I want to say that no matter who you are and no matter where you are....God's love is for you. But the one thing I remember about the vision God gave me is that it was impossible to not be affected by His love falling on you. In the vision those who let His rain (His love) fall down on them were soaking wet from it. It was impossible for them to not be affected by it. Once it was on them, it changed them. And I could remember literally standing there during worship and feeling like I could feel rain drops hitting me. The reason I want to make sure that I said this is because we need to realize that it is impossible to not be changed by God when we really accept Him. The bible makes it very clear about how God feels about sin...and once we receive Christ into our lives (really receive Him), we are to try to walk out of that life of sin that He rescued and redeemed us from. Saying I can be a Christ follower, and yet still walk in the same sin as before, is just crazy. Christ didn't die just to make a way for us....He died to change us. And whatever the sin is that we are struggling with in our lives, once we encounter Jesus, that struggle should become less and less because He is emptying us of ourselves and filling us with Himself. If Jesus knew no sin, then it only makes since that as you allow the sinless One to fill you, then your life WILL be changed. For someone to deny that they need to step out of sin to walk with Jesus would be like denying that you have to stop dating others to get married. The relationship would never work unless you were willing to fully commit....why should we treat our relationship with Jesus any different.
As I stated at the beginning of this post, God's love is for ALL. But, how you choose to allow that love to change you is between you and God. The bible makes it very clear that Adam and Eve hid when sin came into their life. They were unable to accept and experience God's love the same way. When we purposefully allow a sin to stay in our life it will have an impact on how we can receive and walk in God's love too.
In my vision there was a reason that people were trying to avoid the rain. When water runs over something it has a natural tendency to cleanse it....when God's love falls on us it also has a natural tendency to cleanse us. It is the refusal to want to be cleansed that was causing people to not want His rain...(or His love)...on them, because it just might mean that He will reveal something in their life will needs cleansed.
Whatever the intentional sin is that you are holding onto in your life, God already knows it. It doesn't matter how much you defend it or pretend like it's ok, because when you are alone with God...when nobody else is around....when He comes calling out your name in the "garden" like He did Adam and Eve's, that sin will impact how you can receive Him. And anything that tries to convince you otherwise is deception straight from the enemy. So give it ALL over to Him and let His love cleanse you of EVERYTHING that the enemy has convinced you is "ok" to keep in your life.
God, Thank You that you don't hold Your love back from anyone. Thank You that you continue to try and pour Your love out on us. Please help us clear away ANY sin that we have kept in our life so that we don't have to hide in shame when you call out our name. And Holy Spirit, please remove the deception from our minds and our hearts that we can hold on to certain sins.....and that there will always be another day to deal with this. Open our eyes, ears, hearts and minds to the pure ways of God so we can allow His love to cleanse us. In Jesus name, Amen
Monday, June 29, 2015
Friday, June 26, 2015
Helping God Help You!
Have you ever had someone come right up and offer you something that you have always wanted? Just walk right up to you on the street and offer you the house, or car, or job....or whatever that you have been desiring? Probably not. Chances are anything you have in life you have worked to have it. Hopefully that is a value that was instilled in you at a very young age. I know it was for me and it is something I have tried to teach my kids. But what about as a Christian? Do we believe that the things we ask God for are supposed to just fall into our lap....or are we supposed to work for them?
I have met so many people in my life that want God to show up in a big way in their life, but then when I've asked the question "are you doing your part to make sure God can do that for you?" I get looked at like I just invented some new idea. I've met people who are asking God to open doors to a job or a career advancement. For God to put them into the perfect home. For God to provide a better or more reliable car. For Him to bring an amazing spouse into their life. Or even for direction in the ministry they should be involved in. And many times the person isn't really doing anything more than praying about it. But why? Why is it that all we do sometimes is cry out to God for Him to move in our lives, but we don't do anything to help Him move? When I read about Abraham, or Moses, or David I read about men who put things into action. Yes they relied completely on God for direction and they were obedient to God when it came time to know when to move and when not to, but they did not just sit and pray. When we are seeking God to do things in our lives we have to willing to get up and walk through the doors that He is opening. For instance you can't be praying for God to open doors to a job and yet you are not applying at places. I'm not saying God does not just put things right in front of us sometimes....I know He does. I have personally seen Him do this. But what I am saying is that most of the stories I read in the bible, and most of the times that I have watched God move in my life and the lives of people I know, their actions were an act of faith that they were going to do what they could do...and trust God will do the rest. I believe God will direct your footsteps, but I strongly believe that He also wants you to get up and walk! More than likely your not going to get a call from someone offering you the job that meets all your needs. Someone is not going to park that car in front of your house and hand you the keys. And the spouse God has for you is not going to knock on your door and introduce themselves to you. But I do believe that when the heart is pure, the motives are right and we are faithful with what God has already provided to us....then we can go to God about these things and know that He will help us. Matthew 6:31-33 tells us that if we seek the kingdom of God first He will supply our needs. Not our "wants"...but our needs.
In Joshua 6 we read about how God gave Jericho to Joshua, and in there you won't read that God told them to sit tight and He would take care of it all and they could just walk in. But what you will read is how God gave them a set of instructions and put them into action. And even if they didn't fully understand the point of why God wanted them to walk around the city....they did it. And their action, which was done out of obedience, showed God that they really wanted it. And God provided as He said He would. Just like He will with you and I.
So whatever it is that you have by crying out to God for, ask Him what action He needs out of you. If there is more that He wants you to do, He will show you when He knows your willing to do it. Sometimes He wants to teach us too...not just provide for us. So open yourself up to allow Him to show you, or teach you, whatever He wants to as He is answering your prayers. Show Him that your heart is pure in your requests and you are willing to do what is required from you in order for Him to move in your life.
God we thank You that you delight in providing for us. And I pray that we are always grateful for what you have already provided for us. Holy Spirit help us to keep our hearts pure in our desires. Help us to be willing to do what is required of us. And help us to be "teachable" as God leads us into the things that He has for us. And let our lives always reflect Your goodness to others. In Jesus name, Amen
I have met so many people in my life that want God to show up in a big way in their life, but then when I've asked the question "are you doing your part to make sure God can do that for you?" I get looked at like I just invented some new idea. I've met people who are asking God to open doors to a job or a career advancement. For God to put them into the perfect home. For God to provide a better or more reliable car. For Him to bring an amazing spouse into their life. Or even for direction in the ministry they should be involved in. And many times the person isn't really doing anything more than praying about it. But why? Why is it that all we do sometimes is cry out to God for Him to move in our lives, but we don't do anything to help Him move? When I read about Abraham, or Moses, or David I read about men who put things into action. Yes they relied completely on God for direction and they were obedient to God when it came time to know when to move and when not to, but they did not just sit and pray. When we are seeking God to do things in our lives we have to willing to get up and walk through the doors that He is opening. For instance you can't be praying for God to open doors to a job and yet you are not applying at places. I'm not saying God does not just put things right in front of us sometimes....I know He does. I have personally seen Him do this. But what I am saying is that most of the stories I read in the bible, and most of the times that I have watched God move in my life and the lives of people I know, their actions were an act of faith that they were going to do what they could do...and trust God will do the rest. I believe God will direct your footsteps, but I strongly believe that He also wants you to get up and walk! More than likely your not going to get a call from someone offering you the job that meets all your needs. Someone is not going to park that car in front of your house and hand you the keys. And the spouse God has for you is not going to knock on your door and introduce themselves to you. But I do believe that when the heart is pure, the motives are right and we are faithful with what God has already provided to us....then we can go to God about these things and know that He will help us. Matthew 6:31-33 tells us that if we seek the kingdom of God first He will supply our needs. Not our "wants"...but our needs.
In Joshua 6 we read about how God gave Jericho to Joshua, and in there you won't read that God told them to sit tight and He would take care of it all and they could just walk in. But what you will read is how God gave them a set of instructions and put them into action. And even if they didn't fully understand the point of why God wanted them to walk around the city....they did it. And their action, which was done out of obedience, showed God that they really wanted it. And God provided as He said He would. Just like He will with you and I.
So whatever it is that you have by crying out to God for, ask Him what action He needs out of you. If there is more that He wants you to do, He will show you when He knows your willing to do it. Sometimes He wants to teach us too...not just provide for us. So open yourself up to allow Him to show you, or teach you, whatever He wants to as He is answering your prayers. Show Him that your heart is pure in your requests and you are willing to do what is required from you in order for Him to move in your life.
God we thank You that you delight in providing for us. And I pray that we are always grateful for what you have already provided for us. Holy Spirit help us to keep our hearts pure in our desires. Help us to be willing to do what is required of us. And help us to be "teachable" as God leads us into the things that He has for us. And let our lives always reflect Your goodness to others. In Jesus name, Amen
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Is Your Time All Yours..Or His?
We live in a time where it seems like so many things require so much from us. We are supposed to be one of the most "connected" generations that has ever lived. But doesn't it feel like we are semi connected to a ton of things instead of really connected to the things that matter some times?
This morning I could really feel God saying to be careful to the things that we give ourselves away too. There are things that come along in life that can just suck up all of our time or energy, but for what? Something new that I started really doing this year was taking an "inventory" every so often of the things that have my time and attention. It's something that has to be done at least once a month because I've found that as soon as I clear some things out of the way that are taking up to much of my time, something else will come along and just fill the spot I've cleared. And it has been very important for me to take those things to God and ask Him "does this add value to my relationship with you, or even my own life?". Even being careful not to just say yes to every person that comes along and asks for my help with this or that. I'm wise enough to know that as much as God wants my time...so does the enemy. The more the enemy can keep me "busy" the less time I have to be doing what God wants me to do. And even when I don't know the exact direction of my life, I have found that as long as I keep taking things to God I can stay at peace and stay confident that I am moving in the right direction. It's when I start feeling that everything is fighting for my time and attention that I step back and say "Is this how God would want my time being spent? Would He want every hour of my day full and scheduled?" I honestly don't think God does. I think first that He definitely wants us to leave time available to spend with Him, even when He spontaneously calls (which does happen). And second I think He wants us leaving time open for a divine appointment that He might have for us. For example, if I am always in a rush to be at the next thing, then how many times am I walking or driving right past a situation (or an opportunity) to help someone in need? I know for fact that there have been times that I've wanted to stop and help someone, but due to needing to be somewhere else I have let the thought go through my head of "someone else will help them, I really can't right now". And when that happens I can't help but feel that I possibly just missed an appointment that God had set up for me.
I'm not writing today with some biblical principle about how you are to spend your time, but I am saying however it is being spent, you should ask God if He is happy about it. Even if you can justify that everything you spend your time doing is all for good, it still might not be leaving time for Him to guide you and direct you because you're already to "booked up". Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 talks about there being a time for everything, so please be careful not to be filling your time up so much that God can't show you what things He has for you in this time of your life.
Take time today to look at your schedule, your daily planner or even your calendar for the next couple of months and ask God if He is pleased with how your spending your time. Have you left room for Him to reroute you today if He desires to? Could He get you to go out of your way to have a divine appointment today, or would you go right past it because you are on way to something else? Let us all try to apply Proverbs 16:9 to our lives today as we "plan our way, but leave room for Him to establish our steps".
God, Thank You for the gift of time. Every moment of every hour of every day is a gift from You. Please help us to always give our time back to You and use it in a way that pleases You. Help us to have a heart that is willing to drop our schedule when You call and either spend time with You, or allow You to change our plans so don't miss the most important appointments in our life....the ones that you have set up. In Jesus name, Amen
This morning I could really feel God saying to be careful to the things that we give ourselves away too. There are things that come along in life that can just suck up all of our time or energy, but for what? Something new that I started really doing this year was taking an "inventory" every so often of the things that have my time and attention. It's something that has to be done at least once a month because I've found that as soon as I clear some things out of the way that are taking up to much of my time, something else will come along and just fill the spot I've cleared. And it has been very important for me to take those things to God and ask Him "does this add value to my relationship with you, or even my own life?". Even being careful not to just say yes to every person that comes along and asks for my help with this or that. I'm wise enough to know that as much as God wants my time...so does the enemy. The more the enemy can keep me "busy" the less time I have to be doing what God wants me to do. And even when I don't know the exact direction of my life, I have found that as long as I keep taking things to God I can stay at peace and stay confident that I am moving in the right direction. It's when I start feeling that everything is fighting for my time and attention that I step back and say "Is this how God would want my time being spent? Would He want every hour of my day full and scheduled?" I honestly don't think God does. I think first that He definitely wants us to leave time available to spend with Him, even when He spontaneously calls (which does happen). And second I think He wants us leaving time open for a divine appointment that He might have for us. For example, if I am always in a rush to be at the next thing, then how many times am I walking or driving right past a situation (or an opportunity) to help someone in need? I know for fact that there have been times that I've wanted to stop and help someone, but due to needing to be somewhere else I have let the thought go through my head of "someone else will help them, I really can't right now". And when that happens I can't help but feel that I possibly just missed an appointment that God had set up for me.
I'm not writing today with some biblical principle about how you are to spend your time, but I am saying however it is being spent, you should ask God if He is happy about it. Even if you can justify that everything you spend your time doing is all for good, it still might not be leaving time for Him to guide you and direct you because you're already to "booked up". Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 talks about there being a time for everything, so please be careful not to be filling your time up so much that God can't show you what things He has for you in this time of your life.
Take time today to look at your schedule, your daily planner or even your calendar for the next couple of months and ask God if He is pleased with how your spending your time. Have you left room for Him to reroute you today if He desires to? Could He get you to go out of your way to have a divine appointment today, or would you go right past it because you are on way to something else? Let us all try to apply Proverbs 16:9 to our lives today as we "plan our way, but leave room for Him to establish our steps".
God, Thank You for the gift of time. Every moment of every hour of every day is a gift from You. Please help us to always give our time back to You and use it in a way that pleases You. Help us to have a heart that is willing to drop our schedule when You call and either spend time with You, or allow You to change our plans so don't miss the most important appointments in our life....the ones that you have set up. In Jesus name, Amen
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Who & How Is Your Reach Reaching?
One of the things that is expected of us as Christians is to reach out to the world. Mark 16:15 sums it all up by saying "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone". And some of the best ways we can "preach" the good news is by the life we live. Allowing people to see God at work in your life, in your attitude, in the peace that you carry or in the love that you show can be more powerful than any words that ever come out of your mouth. But when we do speak, then The Good News that we are be preaching should be the good news of Jesus Christ. How He came and died to make a way for us to have a relationship with God and live an eternal life with Him. But one of the problems is we forget what the good news is the we are supposed to be preaching, so instead, we just preach AT the world. Now as I say that I want to be very clear in stating that I do believe God's Truth is important for the world to know. Everywhere Jesus went He boldly spoke the truth...but He also did it in love. However, there were times like in Matthew 21 where Jesus got angry with a righteous anger because of what He saw the people doing. And I believe there are things going on in this world today that if He appeared in the flesh right now we would see Him righteously angry about again. However, the place I have tried really hard to change myself in, is not letting things or people provoke me to anger. It is my place to care...yes...but it is God who will pass the judgement on the things that do not please Him.
So as we go out to reach the world we have to be very careful to not let the things that bother us (and rightly so) ruin our ability to witness. Love is what will win people to God and the truth is what will open their eyes and set them free. We can't beat the world over the head with the truth and expect them to see the love in that. It just won't work. But I also don't want to be standing in front of Jesus some day and get asked why I didn't try harder. The world is only going to get reached one way....by us. By the people who know and follow Jesus showing the world why we love and follow Him. If you are a Christ follower your life should look like it. For to many years mine did not and that was the main reason I didn't desire to go out and reach people. I was to ashamed of the fact that if they took a hard look at my own life, would it look like something that was rescued by Jesus? Probably not. But once I came to a place of complete surrender to Jesus and I experienced what it really mean to love Him, to be in relationship with Him and to be set free from the sin of this world by Him....that was when I realized that I can't go through the rest of my life without trying to get others to experience this amazing change.
God will bring people into your life that will need what you have received from Him if you only ask. He will also give you what it will take to witness to them and talk to them about His love. The Holy Spirit was sent here to be our guide our helper. But you have to be willing to submit to Him in order to be led by Him. Today ask God help you preach the good news to the world with your life. Ask Him to give you the words when they are necessary, but mostly ask Him to help them feel His love from you.
God, Thank You that You trust us to reach the world. Help us to not get so caught up judging the wrong that is going on around us, but instead to just show Your love. It is my prayer that people will be set free that way that You have allowed me to be set free....and experience the true purpose that You have for their life. In Jesus name, Amen
So as we go out to reach the world we have to be very careful to not let the things that bother us (and rightly so) ruin our ability to witness. Love is what will win people to God and the truth is what will open their eyes and set them free. We can't beat the world over the head with the truth and expect them to see the love in that. It just won't work. But I also don't want to be standing in front of Jesus some day and get asked why I didn't try harder. The world is only going to get reached one way....by us. By the people who know and follow Jesus showing the world why we love and follow Him. If you are a Christ follower your life should look like it. For to many years mine did not and that was the main reason I didn't desire to go out and reach people. I was to ashamed of the fact that if they took a hard look at my own life, would it look like something that was rescued by Jesus? Probably not. But once I came to a place of complete surrender to Jesus and I experienced what it really mean to love Him, to be in relationship with Him and to be set free from the sin of this world by Him....that was when I realized that I can't go through the rest of my life without trying to get others to experience this amazing change.
God will bring people into your life that will need what you have received from Him if you only ask. He will also give you what it will take to witness to them and talk to them about His love. The Holy Spirit was sent here to be our guide our helper. But you have to be willing to submit to Him in order to be led by Him. Today ask God help you preach the good news to the world with your life. Ask Him to give you the words when they are necessary, but mostly ask Him to help them feel His love from you.
God, Thank You that You trust us to reach the world. Help us to not get so caught up judging the wrong that is going on around us, but instead to just show Your love. It is my prayer that people will be set free that way that You have allowed me to be set free....and experience the true purpose that You have for their life. In Jesus name, Amen
Monday, June 22, 2015
Tests vs Tempations
If you are reading this then I am assuming you still have breath in your lungs. And as long as you have breath in your lungs then you are going to face temptations. Today as you head out the door for work or to start your day you are going to face temptations. Some are going to be so small that you won't even realize that it was a temptation, but some will be so big and hit that part of you that the enemy knows is a struggle...and making the right choice will truly be a challenge. To some that may sound silly, that making the right choice could be a challenge for some people. But if you have a past, if you have been rescued from an addiction, or even if you have walked away from certain things because of your relationship with Jesus, then the enemy knows that he can "taunt" you with things that can cause you to pause and consider the choice. But the good news is God will provide the strength to beat that thing EVERY single time if we rely on Him. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
But what about tests that come your way? What is the difference between a test and a temptation? Does God tempt us to see if we will make the right choice? Do the enemy test us? And how can we tell the difference? Well the first thing I want to address out those questions is the difference between the two, because once you understand that, it helps answer the other questions. A test or a temptation...what's the difference? Well a temptation will always have one purpose....to get you to fall to something that will pull you away from God. However, a test will always give you a chance to stay where you are, or to draw closer to God. Tests don't take you down the wrong road if you fail them, however temptation always will. (James 1:13-18) Here is an example....If a married woman/man were to make a pass at you and you have been lonely, the the enemy is tempting you to make a bad choice. God is not tempting you to make a good one. How do you know, because if you make the wrong choice then the results (the sin) will pull you away from God. That is never God's intentions. However, let's say things are financially tight for you and it is time to tithe this Sunday. As the plate is getting passed you have 2 choices...you can give and trust God to provide in this financial area, or you can choose to not give and lose the chance to see God increase your faith. Neither of these are going to pull you away from Him, but whatever choice you make will either give you a chance to see God's faithfulness, or not. When the enemy tempts us he is hoping we fall to that thing and it drags us away from God. One way it can do that it by causing guilt and shame which creates a wedge between us and God. But according to God's word He will provide a way out. So that temptation could backfire on satan and you could end up thanking God for helping you see that way out making the good choice. That is a gamble that satan takes. But in a test, God will give you the choice remain where you are, or grow. But neither is a "fail". God is always providing ways for us to grow just like the enemy is constantly providing ways for us to fall. And once you understand the difference it helps you be able to distinguish what is happening each and every time. When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac is says that Abraham trusted God so much that He either figured God would provide another sacrifice, or He would raise his son back from the dead after the sacrifice was made. But either way Abraham knew God would move. And when Abraham passed the test and God knew He could truly trust Abraham's heart, God did provide a different sacrifice and their relationship grew immensely. (see Genesis 22)
The enemy is going to tempt you...and God is always going to provide a door of escape. I pray you always look for that door. And occasionally God is going to give you a situation that can help you grow in Him. And I pray that you always do. Even trials that the enemy tries to bring into our life can bring you closer to God. 1 Peter 4:12-16 tells us that if we suffer through a trial we are becoming partners with Christ because of how He suffered. And when we draw near to God in those sufferings then we give the world a chance to see His glory.
Don't be deceived by the enemy one more day. See when he is tempting you and look for that door of escape. But also know when a test has comes your way and God is giving you a way to FULLY trust in Him. Walk in that trust and see how much more He can grow you in those situations.
God, Thank You for your doors of escape during a time of temptation. We trust You and Your word! In our humanness we know the enemy can get us to slip, but help us be wise to his ways and rely on You to help us not fall. Thank you for the the grace and mercy that covers us when we do mess up too! Also God, thank You for chances to grow with you. Holy Spirit guide us in those times so that we will make the choice the grows our faith, our trust and our relationship with Jesus. And help us always boast about ALL that God is doing in our lives. In Jesus name, Amen.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Establishing It In Front Of Him First
There are certain things that we must practice in front of God before we can ever walk in them in the natural world. Unfortunately, many times we get this out of order and then we wonder why something just feels "off" in our life. Being a man who walked through life with things completely out of order at one time, I get this all to well. I once was a man who was very involved in ministry, but had a home that was not being ran right and living a life that could have fallen apart at any given minute. And the stress that I was causing myself due to not having my life in order was something I hope to never forget as a reminder of a place I never want to go back to.
There are things that as a Christ follower should be very important to you, and not just in the eyes of others, but in the eyes of God first. Character and Integrity are two things that the enemy would love to come after and destroy once you choose to follow Christ. Why does he care about these two things? Because if he can destroy your character and/or integrity in the eyes of others then he knows he will also destroy your ability to witness or do ministry work for God. But there is also another way that the enemy will come after these two things, and that is by getting you to start sinning in secret. When you come to know Jesus you may already have a damaged character or be lacking integrity due to the way you were living your life. However, both of these things are things that God can restore as He rebuilds your life and renews many things inside of you. If God is the one that is rebuilding these things inside of you then people will take notice on the outside without you having to prove a thing. However, if the transformation that is taking place is more out of your own doing, and what appears to be happening on the outside is not a true representation of the things God is doing on the inside of you, then that will show too. And the enemy will wreak havoc on your life in secret. Tormenting you with the things that you have going on in your life that the people around you know nothing about. In 1 Samuel 16:7 the Lord says to Samuel "...The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart". I believe this verse is important because it can be used as a friendly reminder and as a warning. No matter what you do in your life, God see's the heart. He sees the good in a man's heart and He sees the bad. What ever the motive that the people around you can't see, God sees. So if you really want to be a person of good character and integrity then the one you need to "look good" in front of first is God, no man.
Your character and integrity are two things you shouldn't really find yourself having to defend. When you live right before God these two things will speak for themselves. And if you find yourself in a situation where your character and integrity are under attack, then go to God first and ask Him to reveal any truths in the attack. If there are some, then allow Him to humble you and correct it. If God shows you that the attack is false and you know you have been walking in His will then your character and integrity will speak for themselves. Your walk with Jesus, your life choices, your obedience to The Lord will prove your character and integrity. And if you have already been doing this correctly before God when nobody is looking, then the false accusations will prove themselves as just that....false. But please take the warning given to us seriously in Psalm 10:9 where it says "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out". I know this verse is true because I once walked a crooked path, and through great surrender and humility I took myself before God and asked Him to make my path straight. It doesn't mean mistakes won't be made. But it does mean that God will have full access to your heart to correct those wrongs and you will no longer run in pride, guilt or shame. I will always let Him be the one who builds my character and my integrity now because I know He cares the most about it being done right!
God, Thank You that You see our flaws and love us enough to want to correct them, not turn us away because of them. Please help us to examine ourselves today and give You full access to our hearts so they can be corrected. Remove all pride, guilt and shame that stands in the way and strip us down to the person You need us to be so You can produce a change in us that will point others to You. Help us to bring honor and glory to Your name in ALL that we do. In Jesus name, Amen
There are things that as a Christ follower should be very important to you, and not just in the eyes of others, but in the eyes of God first. Character and Integrity are two things that the enemy would love to come after and destroy once you choose to follow Christ. Why does he care about these two things? Because if he can destroy your character and/or integrity in the eyes of others then he knows he will also destroy your ability to witness or do ministry work for God. But there is also another way that the enemy will come after these two things, and that is by getting you to start sinning in secret. When you come to know Jesus you may already have a damaged character or be lacking integrity due to the way you were living your life. However, both of these things are things that God can restore as He rebuilds your life and renews many things inside of you. If God is the one that is rebuilding these things inside of you then people will take notice on the outside without you having to prove a thing. However, if the transformation that is taking place is more out of your own doing, and what appears to be happening on the outside is not a true representation of the things God is doing on the inside of you, then that will show too. And the enemy will wreak havoc on your life in secret. Tormenting you with the things that you have going on in your life that the people around you know nothing about. In 1 Samuel 16:7 the Lord says to Samuel "...The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart". I believe this verse is important because it can be used as a friendly reminder and as a warning. No matter what you do in your life, God see's the heart. He sees the good in a man's heart and He sees the bad. What ever the motive that the people around you can't see, God sees. So if you really want to be a person of good character and integrity then the one you need to "look good" in front of first is God, no man.
Your character and integrity are two things you shouldn't really find yourself having to defend. When you live right before God these two things will speak for themselves. And if you find yourself in a situation where your character and integrity are under attack, then go to God first and ask Him to reveal any truths in the attack. If there are some, then allow Him to humble you and correct it. If God shows you that the attack is false and you know you have been walking in His will then your character and integrity will speak for themselves. Your walk with Jesus, your life choices, your obedience to The Lord will prove your character and integrity. And if you have already been doing this correctly before God when nobody is looking, then the false accusations will prove themselves as just that....false. But please take the warning given to us seriously in Psalm 10:9 where it says "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out". I know this verse is true because I once walked a crooked path, and through great surrender and humility I took myself before God and asked Him to make my path straight. It doesn't mean mistakes won't be made. But it does mean that God will have full access to your heart to correct those wrongs and you will no longer run in pride, guilt or shame. I will always let Him be the one who builds my character and my integrity now because I know He cares the most about it being done right!
God, Thank You that You see our flaws and love us enough to want to correct them, not turn us away because of them. Please help us to examine ourselves today and give You full access to our hearts so they can be corrected. Remove all pride, guilt and shame that stands in the way and strip us down to the person You need us to be so You can produce a change in us that will point others to You. Help us to bring honor and glory to Your name in ALL that we do. In Jesus name, Amen
Thursday, June 18, 2015
His Gift To Us...
It's deeper than the deepest sea
and higher than the sky
It's wider than the galaxies
enough for one to die
It's more than our hearts can hold
to much for our human mind
It could fill this earth a thousand times
if He barely even tried
You could take every language
ever spoken by a tongue
And still have trouble trying to say
How much He has for one
The thing that I'm describing
is a LOVE beyond all love
Given freely to us
from our Father up above
No sin can take it from you
not one thing can separate
A love so pure, a love so strong
a love countless in all ways
It's for any who accept it
equally He gives
This gift that He created
for anyone who lives
He created man to fellowship
He created man to love
And gave us all that He had
Nothing we were worthy of
He left us with the Holy Spirit
a helper and a friend
To linger here and guide us
until He returns again
So the question that I ask you
as this poem I do end
Will you accept His gift of love
and share it with your friends
and higher than the sky
It's wider than the galaxies
enough for one to die
It's more than our hearts can hold
to much for our human mind
It could fill this earth a thousand times
if He barely even tried
You could take every language
ever spoken by a tongue
And still have trouble trying to say
How much He has for one
The thing that I'm describing
is a LOVE beyond all love
Given freely to us
from our Father up above
No sin can take it from you
not one thing can separate
A love so pure, a love so strong
a love countless in all ways
It's for any who accept it
equally He gives
This gift that He created
for anyone who lives
He created man to fellowship
He created man to love
And gave us all that He had
Nothing we were worthy of
He left us with the Holy Spirit
a helper and a friend
To linger here and guide us
until He returns again
So the question that I ask you
as this poem I do end
Will you accept His gift of love
and share it with your friends
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
A Deeper Level of Commitment
Yesterday I had the day off, and one of the things my son and I love to do in our free time is ride mountain bikes. This year a friend of ours started riding with us as well and we have really been trying to step it up by hitting trails and riding in places we never have before. And a lot of these places have challenged us to increase our skill level. However, yesterday I stepped into a completely different place in riding by moving to what's called a clip in peddle. If you don't know, a clip in peddle requires you to wear a special kind of shoe and your foot actually connects to the peddle. It gives you tons more control in jumping and riding. It is a little more dangerous because you have to learn how to disconnect quickly when you stop or if you're about to wreck, but it made riding yesterday feel like I just started all over again....in a good way.
Well this morning as I started my day God immediately brought our riding yesterday back to my mind. He was using what I learned yesterday about clipping in for the first time and comparing it to our walk with Him...that new level of commitment. And I immediately got what He was showing me. When you ride a bike normally your first reaction when anything starts to go wrong is to bail. Your brain tells you to get off the bike and "save yourself". It is just a very natural reaction, but there's not a lot of commitment in that thought. And unfortunately it is how we approach many things with Jesus as well. Sometimes our level of commitment has not matured enough to say to God "I said I'm in this thing with you, and I am". However, we read in Numbers 30:2 that it says "A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do". And from that I see that God takes our commitment to Him pretty serious. It comes back to the saying that God's ways are far above our ways...and God's understanding is far above our understanding. He wants us to keep our commitment so He can show and teach us new things that otherwise we wouldn't see. See it wasn't until I committed to riding a mountain bike that I was clipped to that I understood the level of commitment it would take, and the new level of riding it would create in me. Just like with God, when we step into a new level of commitment it enables Him to move more powerfully in our lives and as I stated, show us things we couldn't have seen before. He has to get us past that point of "bailing out". And for each of us that's a different place. Maybe it is stress, or a certain temptation, or even a certain calling that causes us to say "God, I just can't go that far with you. This is too hard". But Psalm 37:5 says "Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and He will help you". Lots of powerful words in one small verse. Commit...everything....to the Lord...trust....He will help you. It can't get much more clear than that. It is ALL about commitment and trust, and then watching what He can do in you and in your life when you do.
It was scary clipping in and taking off on the bike for the first time. One of the most challenging parts was figuring out how to clip into the peddled once I was already in motion. But once your in...your in! And you will LEARN to ride more aggressively and more confidently because of this new level of commitment. By the end of the day I was taking jumps I wouldn't have even attempted before because I knew my feet where not coming off the peddles. Commit yourself to God in a new way today and see how much more confident you become in Him and how much more He can you use you. When you discover that none of it is because of you anyway...it's all because of what He can do through you, you will step out in faith and do things you never could have imagined. And His light will shine even brighter, and people see you give Him all the honor and glory for the new place you have come to in your life. The obstacles that the enemy used to be able to trip you up with won't have nearly the impact on your because you're commitment to God, through pure love, has taken you to a new level to be able to rise above the things of this earth. And His love and power will alive in you in a whole new way. And trust me when I tell you that the excitement that comes along with that can't be described with words. Just like clipping in and riding is something you have to experience in order to understand it....so is coming to a new and greater place with God. He loves you and desires you to trust Him wholeheartedly with all the areas of your life!
God, Thank You that You continue to call us to a new level of commitment. That You know there is always a deeper place to bring us to with You, and You are constantly trying to get us there. Holy Spirit open our eyes, our minds and our hearts to trust and believe in You more. You are our helper and when we commit to more with God You will see it through. May other's see You are working in our life and let it challenge them to go deeper with you as well. In Jesus name, Amen
Well this morning as I started my day God immediately brought our riding yesterday back to my mind. He was using what I learned yesterday about clipping in for the first time and comparing it to our walk with Him...that new level of commitment. And I immediately got what He was showing me. When you ride a bike normally your first reaction when anything starts to go wrong is to bail. Your brain tells you to get off the bike and "save yourself". It is just a very natural reaction, but there's not a lot of commitment in that thought. And unfortunately it is how we approach many things with Jesus as well. Sometimes our level of commitment has not matured enough to say to God "I said I'm in this thing with you, and I am". However, we read in Numbers 30:2 that it says "A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do". And from that I see that God takes our commitment to Him pretty serious. It comes back to the saying that God's ways are far above our ways...and God's understanding is far above our understanding. He wants us to keep our commitment so He can show and teach us new things that otherwise we wouldn't see. See it wasn't until I committed to riding a mountain bike that I was clipped to that I understood the level of commitment it would take, and the new level of riding it would create in me. Just like with God, when we step into a new level of commitment it enables Him to move more powerfully in our lives and as I stated, show us things we couldn't have seen before. He has to get us past that point of "bailing out". And for each of us that's a different place. Maybe it is stress, or a certain temptation, or even a certain calling that causes us to say "God, I just can't go that far with you. This is too hard". But Psalm 37:5 says "Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and He will help you". Lots of powerful words in one small verse. Commit...everything....to the Lord...trust....He will help you. It can't get much more clear than that. It is ALL about commitment and trust, and then watching what He can do in you and in your life when you do.
It was scary clipping in and taking off on the bike for the first time. One of the most challenging parts was figuring out how to clip into the peddled once I was already in motion. But once your in...your in! And you will LEARN to ride more aggressively and more confidently because of this new level of commitment. By the end of the day I was taking jumps I wouldn't have even attempted before because I knew my feet where not coming off the peddles. Commit yourself to God in a new way today and see how much more confident you become in Him and how much more He can you use you. When you discover that none of it is because of you anyway...it's all because of what He can do through you, you will step out in faith and do things you never could have imagined. And His light will shine even brighter, and people see you give Him all the honor and glory for the new place you have come to in your life. The obstacles that the enemy used to be able to trip you up with won't have nearly the impact on your because you're commitment to God, through pure love, has taken you to a new level to be able to rise above the things of this earth. And His love and power will alive in you in a whole new way. And trust me when I tell you that the excitement that comes along with that can't be described with words. Just like clipping in and riding is something you have to experience in order to understand it....so is coming to a new and greater place with God. He loves you and desires you to trust Him wholeheartedly with all the areas of your life!
God, Thank You that You continue to call us to a new level of commitment. That You know there is always a deeper place to bring us to with You, and You are constantly trying to get us there. Holy Spirit open our eyes, our minds and our hearts to trust and believe in You more. You are our helper and when we commit to more with God You will see it through. May other's see You are working in our life and let it challenge them to go deeper with you as well. In Jesus name, Amen
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Our Limitless God Still Heals
Healing is an area that many Christians struggle with. In today's world it is not very widely accepted that God still heals today the same as He did when Jesus walked on this earth. For many it's not even a lack of faith as much as it is a lack of being taught the truth. If we stop teaching that God still heals..that the name of Jesus still has the power to heal...then how can we possibly expect people to believe or pray for it. But one the things that surprises me the most are the limitations we put on God. If we come through a very painful situation do we still believe that God can heal us emotionally? Or if we walk away from God and return to Him do we still believe that God can heal us spiritually? Or when the body needs it, do we still believe God can heal us physically?
The point of today's topic is not to prove to anyone that God still physically heals, but it is more to say that you can't accept one kind of healing and discount the other. IF we accept that God is the healer, and that the the name of Jesus carries power to heal, then we can't put limits on what kind of healing that can be. However, the one healing that I see people give up on the most, is the healing that can take place in their life.
We live in a world that expects things now....like now or 5 minutes ago. We joke about our 1st world problems like our food being too hot, or our air conditioned houses being to cold, or the service at the restaurant being to slow as they cook our steak. But the fact is, we have become a people that expect things our way and in our timing. And when that doesn't happen we will walk away. However I just don't see one place in the bible where God ever did things in the timing and way that the people wanted. He did them in a way that He wanted because there was always a purpose to the way He did things. It was either to create belief in Him or deepen faith in Him or so on. But it had a way bigger purpose than bettering one person's life. When we pray for healing and God delivers that to us, we also need to remember that it should be to bring honor and glory to Him, and for other's to see how amazing, loving and powerful He is. So it is so important for us to remember that things happen in His timing. The only control we have over that timing is by making it take longer. When we try to control or manipulate a situation instead of surrendering it to God, we are putting our hands in His work. And we are limiting His abilities. Healing of a life that has been messed up by this imperfect world in the perfect example of that. Healing from deep hurt and pain that may have come over years of life will take some time. It is often referred to as "peeling back the layers of an onion". God knows what layers to pull back first and He knows how quickly or slowly to do it so healing can properly take place. Try not to rush it, try not to become frustrated with it, and try not to interrupt the process. Just place your trust in Him and allow Him to increase your faith as He puts the pieces of your heart and your life back together. Depending on what you are being healed from, it might take a little bit of time. Think about a cut. A cut can happen in a split second. And wouldn't it be great if the healing could happen just as fast! But it doesn't. The healing of a cut takes time. And depending on how you treat the cut will depend on how quickly it can heal and how healthy it will be after. If you allow that cut the stay dirty, exposed and untended to it will not only take a lot longer to heal, but it could become infected and get worse. When God wants to heal your life of emotional pain, or addictions, or abuse, or disfunction, or so on...the best way is to let Him tend to the wound properly. He will want to clean up your situation, He will want to put His covering over the areas that are exposed and He may want to completely pull you out of some lifestyle or situation you are in so healing can take place. He is just tending to your wounds so they can heal properly...so don't fight it..let Him.
I have learned that complete submission is the fastest road to healing. And I don't mean "fast" as in "the fast track to healing". I mean fast as in allowing it to happen in God's timing without me causing set backs. There isn't anyone, including yourself, that wants to see you fully healed and fully restored more than God. He knows the power behind a healed life.....and so does the enemy. So be wise to things trying to prevent your healing and listen for and submit to God's ways. The healing and restoration that takes place will be real and it will be beautiful. God is a God of hope....He is a trustworthy God.....and He is STILL a healing God. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
If there is one promise (and there is way more than one) that we can stand on as followers of Christ is is Hebrews 13:8..."Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever". So if we can read about what He did in the bible, then we can count on the fact that He can still do it today. Don't let your mind be the one thing that puts limits on God's power in your life. Trust and Believe!
God, Thank You that You are never changing. Thank You that You are the great healer and You are still healing emotionally, spiritually and physically today! Help us to humbly come to You and ask for and receive the healing You have for us. And help us to walk in that healing so that other's faith can be increased by witnessing our changed lives. We love You and we honor You with our faith. In Jesus name, Amen
The point of today's topic is not to prove to anyone that God still physically heals, but it is more to say that you can't accept one kind of healing and discount the other. IF we accept that God is the healer, and that the the name of Jesus carries power to heal, then we can't put limits on what kind of healing that can be. However, the one healing that I see people give up on the most, is the healing that can take place in their life.
We live in a world that expects things now....like now or 5 minutes ago. We joke about our 1st world problems like our food being too hot, or our air conditioned houses being to cold, or the service at the restaurant being to slow as they cook our steak. But the fact is, we have become a people that expect things our way and in our timing. And when that doesn't happen we will walk away. However I just don't see one place in the bible where God ever did things in the timing and way that the people wanted. He did them in a way that He wanted because there was always a purpose to the way He did things. It was either to create belief in Him or deepen faith in Him or so on. But it had a way bigger purpose than bettering one person's life. When we pray for healing and God delivers that to us, we also need to remember that it should be to bring honor and glory to Him, and for other's to see how amazing, loving and powerful He is. So it is so important for us to remember that things happen in His timing. The only control we have over that timing is by making it take longer. When we try to control or manipulate a situation instead of surrendering it to God, we are putting our hands in His work. And we are limiting His abilities. Healing of a life that has been messed up by this imperfect world in the perfect example of that. Healing from deep hurt and pain that may have come over years of life will take some time. It is often referred to as "peeling back the layers of an onion". God knows what layers to pull back first and He knows how quickly or slowly to do it so healing can properly take place. Try not to rush it, try not to become frustrated with it, and try not to interrupt the process. Just place your trust in Him and allow Him to increase your faith as He puts the pieces of your heart and your life back together. Depending on what you are being healed from, it might take a little bit of time. Think about a cut. A cut can happen in a split second. And wouldn't it be great if the healing could happen just as fast! But it doesn't. The healing of a cut takes time. And depending on how you treat the cut will depend on how quickly it can heal and how healthy it will be after. If you allow that cut the stay dirty, exposed and untended to it will not only take a lot longer to heal, but it could become infected and get worse. When God wants to heal your life of emotional pain, or addictions, or abuse, or disfunction, or so on...the best way is to let Him tend to the wound properly. He will want to clean up your situation, He will want to put His covering over the areas that are exposed and He may want to completely pull you out of some lifestyle or situation you are in so healing can take place. He is just tending to your wounds so they can heal properly...so don't fight it..let Him.
I have learned that complete submission is the fastest road to healing. And I don't mean "fast" as in "the fast track to healing". I mean fast as in allowing it to happen in God's timing without me causing set backs. There isn't anyone, including yourself, that wants to see you fully healed and fully restored more than God. He knows the power behind a healed life.....and so does the enemy. So be wise to things trying to prevent your healing and listen for and submit to God's ways. The healing and restoration that takes place will be real and it will be beautiful. God is a God of hope....He is a trustworthy God.....and He is STILL a healing God. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
If there is one promise (and there is way more than one) that we can stand on as followers of Christ is is Hebrews 13:8..."Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever". So if we can read about what He did in the bible, then we can count on the fact that He can still do it today. Don't let your mind be the one thing that puts limits on God's power in your life. Trust and Believe!
God, Thank You that You are never changing. Thank You that You are the great healer and You are still healing emotionally, spiritually and physically today! Help us to humbly come to You and ask for and receive the healing You have for us. And help us to walk in that healing so that other's faith can be increased by witnessing our changed lives. We love You and we honor You with our faith. In Jesus name, Amen
Monday, June 15, 2015
Smile, It's Only Rain...
If you have ever visited Ohio or lived in Ohio then you know that our weather can be a bit spastic at times. The sun can be out one moment and it can be raining the next. It can even be raining on one end of town and be bright and sunny on the other end. And this past weekend was definitely like that. There were a few events planned over the weekend that could have been completely ruined by the rain, the people pushed through and made it a great time. And as I was thinking back over the weekend I felt like God was once again showing me a very valuable lesson through all of that.
The enemy would love nothing more than to bring a storm into your live that will take your feet right out from under you. And I feel so strong about that, that I have written several blogs about storms and how to stand strong in them, overcome them and heal from them. However, what about "the rain"? What about the things that enemy likes to bring your way that aren't quite a storm, but are just a little bit of rain on your day. The things he likes to catch us off guard with and just ruin our day, week or even month with. What do we do when the "rain" comes?
Like I said, I was a part of some events this weekend that the rain could have completely ruined, and one of those was a youth group car was to raise funds for their youth group. And as we set things up it looked like rain was coming. The radar showed a low chance, but the clouds said something different. And after we got completely set up, signs made and started to flag down the drivers who were passing by.....the rain began. And not just a little rain, like a down pour. And I watched a group of kids who could have been completely discouraged about the rain, smile, laugh and have fun in it. I watched them continue to ask people if they wanted their cars washed as we were getting poured on...and have fun doing it. And I watched God pour out on them as they raised over $100 by pushing through, and yet only washed one car. Person after person donated money because these kids stuck it out in the rain. The people laughed at the kids for standing out there and even though a lot of cars didn't get washed, a lot of smile and laughs were passed out that day. And it was a blessing to be a part of it. And another event was a grad party for a great kid from out church. The family planned this huge gathering and celebration and they were not going to let bad weather stand in the way....and neither were the people that were their to celebrate his accomplishment. The rains came and people stayed, and smiled, laughed and fellowshipped their way through it!
Rain could have easily ruined these two events if the people involved would have let it. But they pushed through. And that is exactly what we have to do when the enemy tries to ruin a good day, week or even month for us. I know we've all been there. From a time when there were more days than dollars in a months and it was financially stressful. Or just a bad start to a day where you woke up late, hit every red light on the way to work, and got stuck in traffic. When these times happen, stop and think about what he enemy feels so threatened by that could happen if you have a great day, week or month? Who will you witness to as you smile today? Who will you show Jesus too as you let small things roll off your back? Who will be surprised by your response if they have to give you bad news and you show them the love of Christ by not letting it be a big deal?
Small things don't affect everyone, but for some the enemy knows exactly how to push your buttons. But by your own choice and strength through Christ, today could be the last day you allow him to "rain" on your day. Romans 5:3-5 says "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love". So the next time the rain comes, smile your way through it and give God the glory for the fact that you can!
God, Thank You that you can ALWAYS give us a reason to smile. Even on the worst of days, when the storm clouds over our life look dark, You still bring a light in that overcomes all darkness. You are THE reason to smile each and every day of our lives. Holy Spirit, keep the peace and joy alive in us that comes from knowing Jesus and let the world see something different in us. Help us to be truly set apart and smile through the rainy days of life. In Jesus name, Amen
Friday, June 12, 2015
We Were Not Meant To Merely Exist
I just wanted to take some time to encourage you today. I felt God pressing it on me that as people who claim the name of Jesus....as Christ's followers....we were not meant to merely exist. We claim that we belong to the most powerful name above all names (Philippians 2:9-11) , and yet some days we feel like it was everything in us to just get by. We were meant to live a servants life (Galatians 5:13), just as Jesus did, but we were not meant to live a defeated life. Jesus did not live defeated and even in His death He was not defeated...nothing that was done to Jesus was done without God and Him allowing it.
Many times in life we face very tough situations. And many times those situations almost take us out. But I believe it is because many times we are so focused on the circumstances that we miss God in it. I have talked to people who have been through far worse things than me and they glorified God by showing His strength and His power as He brought them through it. Never once did they boast about how "they" got through it, but more about How God brought them through it. When Jesus was in the boat with the disciples and the storm came, He did not show them how to "buckle down" and hold on as they passed through the storm. He made the storm stop! (Mark 4:35-41) And I'm not saying you can stop every storm (or trial) that comes your way(because we do live in a fallen world), but I am saying that we see a few lessons in the story about Jesus calming the storm that we can walk away with. One is that the storm had no affect on Jesus. It says He was asleep in the midst of it. A physical storm that the bible says was so strong that the waves were crashing over the sides of the boat and it was filling with water, and yet Jesus is at such peace that He is sleeping. That in itself is a lesson on it's own. Are you going to let the storm affect your peace, or are you going to keep your peace through the storm? However, like us, the disciples became fearful and called upon Jesus. Again, a lesson to be learned. They did not say don't bug Him with this, they called upon Him. Something we should do in the midst of the storm rather than try to do it all on our own. And then comes my favorite part of this story....it says Jesus woke up and spoke to the storm and it stopped. Then He turned to them and asked them "Why were you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" See, Jesus didn't tell them they should have just "hunker down" and got through this. It was as if He was saying "I'm with you and you're still scared, why?" They had Jesus...what else did they need? He proved to them yet again that they didn't need anything else, and neither do we.
It is hard to make and impact on those around you if you just are constantly hanging on and merely existing through everything life throws at you. We need to walk in victory because of who we serve, not because of who we are. Circumstances will come and go, they can change day to day, but the constant that we have is that the God we serve does NOT change. I don't want my testimony to be that I made it through, that I survived. I want it to be that I came through something victoriously and God turned me into something better through the process. That I touched lives as the storm went on around me and I have a testimony because of it. I want it to be that the very thing the enemy meant to destroy me with ended up being a time for God to shine even brighter and people to see Him even more alive in me than before. I don't want to merely exist at the end of each day, I want to know that because of who is in me, I made an impact today.
If you have been feeling or living defeated, then today is a good day to turn that around. Tell the enemy that the game is about to change. That you do serve and belong to the most powerful name that ever was and ever will be, and it is time that you move from the defense to the offense! It is because of Jesus that we are anything...but it is IN Jesus that we are everything! Be everything He intended for you to be today!
God, Again I thank You that because of Jesus we do not have to live defeated lives. Not to sin, not to circumstances and not to this world. Help us be bold about our faith, rely on you and not do things in our own power, and not walk in fear when the storms come our way. And then give us the courage to share our stories of victory with others so we can encourage them and glorify your name! Holy Spirit help us to not merely exit, but be BOLD in the Lord. In Jesus name, Amen
Many times in life we face very tough situations. And many times those situations almost take us out. But I believe it is because many times we are so focused on the circumstances that we miss God in it. I have talked to people who have been through far worse things than me and they glorified God by showing His strength and His power as He brought them through it. Never once did they boast about how "they" got through it, but more about How God brought them through it. When Jesus was in the boat with the disciples and the storm came, He did not show them how to "buckle down" and hold on as they passed through the storm. He made the storm stop! (Mark 4:35-41) And I'm not saying you can stop every storm (or trial) that comes your way(because we do live in a fallen world), but I am saying that we see a few lessons in the story about Jesus calming the storm that we can walk away with. One is that the storm had no affect on Jesus. It says He was asleep in the midst of it. A physical storm that the bible says was so strong that the waves were crashing over the sides of the boat and it was filling with water, and yet Jesus is at such peace that He is sleeping. That in itself is a lesson on it's own. Are you going to let the storm affect your peace, or are you going to keep your peace through the storm? However, like us, the disciples became fearful and called upon Jesus. Again, a lesson to be learned. They did not say don't bug Him with this, they called upon Him. Something we should do in the midst of the storm rather than try to do it all on our own. And then comes my favorite part of this story....it says Jesus woke up and spoke to the storm and it stopped. Then He turned to them and asked them "Why were you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" See, Jesus didn't tell them they should have just "hunker down" and got through this. It was as if He was saying "I'm with you and you're still scared, why?" They had Jesus...what else did they need? He proved to them yet again that they didn't need anything else, and neither do we.
It is hard to make and impact on those around you if you just are constantly hanging on and merely existing through everything life throws at you. We need to walk in victory because of who we serve, not because of who we are. Circumstances will come and go, they can change day to day, but the constant that we have is that the God we serve does NOT change. I don't want my testimony to be that I made it through, that I survived. I want it to be that I came through something victoriously and God turned me into something better through the process. That I touched lives as the storm went on around me and I have a testimony because of it. I want it to be that the very thing the enemy meant to destroy me with ended up being a time for God to shine even brighter and people to see Him even more alive in me than before. I don't want to merely exist at the end of each day, I want to know that because of who is in me, I made an impact today.
If you have been feeling or living defeated, then today is a good day to turn that around. Tell the enemy that the game is about to change. That you do serve and belong to the most powerful name that ever was and ever will be, and it is time that you move from the defense to the offense! It is because of Jesus that we are anything...but it is IN Jesus that we are everything! Be everything He intended for you to be today!
God, Again I thank You that because of Jesus we do not have to live defeated lives. Not to sin, not to circumstances and not to this world. Help us be bold about our faith, rely on you and not do things in our own power, and not walk in fear when the storms come our way. And then give us the courage to share our stories of victory with others so we can encourage them and glorify your name! Holy Spirit help us to not merely exit, but be BOLD in the Lord. In Jesus name, Amen
Thursday, June 11, 2015
The "-" Dash
There are only a few things about life that are 100% certain. One is, if you're on this earth, then you were born. Two is, we will all die one day. And three is, God always has and always will love you. Everything beyond that can change in the blink of an eye. And if you have ever lost a friend or a loved one then you have stood there looking down at a tombstone that represented and entire life with something that looked like this"1963 - 2006". An entire life summed up in one small statement. Representing 2 out of those 3 things I mentioned. When the person was born, and when they passed. But what about everything in between?
The dash "-" is what I wanted to challenge you to think about today. Each of us will have a dash between 2 dates one day representing every single event that took place in our life.....good times, bad times, moments of pain and moments of joy...all represented by a dash "-". It is an odd character to represent so much. It isn't a longer dash if you lived a longer life or a shorter dash if life ended to soon. It is just a dash...and it is our life. That dash can represent 20 years, 48 years or 97 years, but it will still be just a dash. But what we did/do with those years is what matters. I will be the first to say that I wish I could have some of those years back. I wish I did more with ones that are gone, and I hope to do more with the ones that are left. But we cannot always assume there will be more left. That kind of ignorance/arrogance is exactly what the enemy would love for us to focus on. That "I" will always have tomorrow to do that. But tomorrow is no guarantee. (Proverbs 27:1) To many people spent their last day on this earth yesterday thinking that they would have today to do something they needed to do. That tomorrow they would right that wrong. Tomorrow they would talk to God. Tomorrow they would allow God to talk to them. Tomorrow they would ask for forgiveness....tomorrow they would ask for Jesus. Tomorrow they would follow God's calling on their life. Tomorrow they would seek His purpose for their life. Tomorrow they will talk to that person about what God can do for them.......Tomorrow.
There is a phrase that I've seen on Instagram several times now and it holds so much truth. It says "A year from now you will wish you would have started today". The one thing I want to encourage you in today is to not let your dash represent regret. Don't let your last days (if you get last days) trying to fix a bunch of things in your life that should have already been taken care of. And the number 1 thing I am talking about is where you stand with Jesus. Have you taken Him serious? Have you taken His death for your life serious? Have you taken the word "eternity" serious? Have you ask Him why He put you on this earth and if you are fulfilling the purpose you were specifically designed for?
We quote John 10:10 a lot when we talk about how the enemy wants to destroy our lives for it says "The enemy comes to kill and steal and destroy...", but I want you to remember the last half today as you think about what your dash will represent. The last half says "...I (Jesus) came that they may have life and have it abundantly". We grow up hearing how great eternity with Jesus is going to be, but I believe God wants your life here...your dash "-"...to be full of meaning and purpose. The dash is the legacy that you are leaving behind for those that go after you. What will yours be? Will you leave a worn out path that leads them to Jesus? So when they are lost, tired or confused about their own life they will know that they can find the path you were walking on and know it will lead them in the right direction...that it will lead them to Jesus?
No matter how many years your dash "-" represents, let them be years that you know were well spent in the eyes of God, not the world. They will not all be perfect, but that is why He offers us His grace and mercy. But He sees what we chase after, what we pour our time into, what we pour our energy into... and no mater what that has been in the past, let it be a life LIVED for Him starting today. Because when the long race of life is over, no matter how years it was....it will just feel like a dash.
God, Your Son is the way, the truth and the life. Thank You for making a way full of truth and life for us. Thank you for creating us to live for and honor you in the years that our dash represent. Help us to see the importance of giving those years to you and making a difference for you on this earth. Holy Spirit help us to seek you in how we spent our time and energy so we can point as many people as possible to God before our days here are done. We thank You, we love You and we honor You. In Jesus name, Amen
The dash "-" is what I wanted to challenge you to think about today. Each of us will have a dash between 2 dates one day representing every single event that took place in our life.....good times, bad times, moments of pain and moments of joy...all represented by a dash "-". It is an odd character to represent so much. It isn't a longer dash if you lived a longer life or a shorter dash if life ended to soon. It is just a dash...and it is our life. That dash can represent 20 years, 48 years or 97 years, but it will still be just a dash. But what we did/do with those years is what matters. I will be the first to say that I wish I could have some of those years back. I wish I did more with ones that are gone, and I hope to do more with the ones that are left. But we cannot always assume there will be more left. That kind of ignorance/arrogance is exactly what the enemy would love for us to focus on. That "I" will always have tomorrow to do that. But tomorrow is no guarantee. (Proverbs 27:1) To many people spent their last day on this earth yesterday thinking that they would have today to do something they needed to do. That tomorrow they would right that wrong. Tomorrow they would talk to God. Tomorrow they would allow God to talk to them. Tomorrow they would ask for forgiveness....tomorrow they would ask for Jesus. Tomorrow they would follow God's calling on their life. Tomorrow they would seek His purpose for their life. Tomorrow they will talk to that person about what God can do for them.......Tomorrow.
There is a phrase that I've seen on Instagram several times now and it holds so much truth. It says "A year from now you will wish you would have started today". The one thing I want to encourage you in today is to not let your dash represent regret. Don't let your last days (if you get last days) trying to fix a bunch of things in your life that should have already been taken care of. And the number 1 thing I am talking about is where you stand with Jesus. Have you taken Him serious? Have you taken His death for your life serious? Have you taken the word "eternity" serious? Have you ask Him why He put you on this earth and if you are fulfilling the purpose you were specifically designed for?
We quote John 10:10 a lot when we talk about how the enemy wants to destroy our lives for it says "The enemy comes to kill and steal and destroy...", but I want you to remember the last half today as you think about what your dash will represent. The last half says "...I (Jesus) came that they may have life and have it abundantly". We grow up hearing how great eternity with Jesus is going to be, but I believe God wants your life here...your dash "-"...to be full of meaning and purpose. The dash is the legacy that you are leaving behind for those that go after you. What will yours be? Will you leave a worn out path that leads them to Jesus? So when they are lost, tired or confused about their own life they will know that they can find the path you were walking on and know it will lead them in the right direction...that it will lead them to Jesus?
No matter how many years your dash "-" represents, let them be years that you know were well spent in the eyes of God, not the world. They will not all be perfect, but that is why He offers us His grace and mercy. But He sees what we chase after, what we pour our time into, what we pour our energy into... and no mater what that has been in the past, let it be a life LIVED for Him starting today. Because when the long race of life is over, no matter how years it was....it will just feel like a dash.
God, Your Son is the way, the truth and the life. Thank You for making a way full of truth and life for us. Thank you for creating us to live for and honor you in the years that our dash represent. Help us to see the importance of giving those years to you and making a difference for you on this earth. Holy Spirit help us to seek you in how we spent our time and energy so we can point as many people as possible to God before our days here are done. We thank You, we love You and we honor You. In Jesus name, Amen
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
You Don't Have To Do It All
As I've stated in the past, I love it when God teaches me through an object lesson, and last night He did just that. My son, my friend and I all went riding on some mountain bike trails yesterday. And as much fun as it was and as much as it felt great to get out there enjoying nature and all of God's creations, it also was a lot of hard work. The hills were tough to climb and some of the trail was a bit dangerous. But the down hills and the jumps were still a lot of fun. And as I laid in bed last night recapping the day in my mind, I could see that God was trying to show me something about that day and life.
Even though you go through something like this and in the end you sum it all up as a good time, in the moment you realize this is a lot of work. Each hill we climbed was so tough on the legs and all you wanted was to be at the top. And each downhill seemed effortless (except the steering and braking) and you wished the whole trail could be just like this. And what God was showing me is this is how we look at life sometimes too. Especially when we come up on the "hills of life"...and they are hard. But why are they so hard? On the bike they are so hard because I am everything. I am the motor, I am the one steering and I am the one trying to find the easiest path up the hill. It is all on me, and that is what makes it so difficult. Take the same hill and put me on a motorcycle and the results would be completely different. And every time we come up on the hills of life, the difficult times, and we try to do it all on our own it is going to be way more difficult than it has to be. Hard times are going to happen. We live in and imperfect world and we are imperfect people. That combination means hard times are sure to come at us. But if we face those 100% on our own, doing everything in our strength using only our abilities, our wisdom, our energy and our imperfect way of thinking...then at the end of the day we will be exhausted. Every time we got to the top of the hill on the trail we were worn out. It took everything out of us to get through that section just like it takes everything out of us to get through a hard day when we do it on our own. But had I had a motorcycle instead of a bicycle, getting to the top of the hill would have felt completely different. The assistance of the motor would have made a world of difference. No it would not have taken me completely out of the picture. I still would have had a lot to do with getting to the top, but it would not have all been done in my own strength. God also doesn't want you facing the hardships of life all in your own strength. He wants to assist you in every decision you make, if you let Him. Philippians 4:13 says He is our strength. Deuteronomy 31:6 says He goes with you and will not leave you or forsake you. Isaiah 41:10 says He will uphold you with His righteous hand. And 1 Corinthians 10:13 says He will help us when we are tempted. And these are just a few of the scriptures that promise us that God will be there for us when we rely on Him. He is faithful and He desires us to seek His help, wait on His leading and follow Him through the hardest of times. Not only will He get you through the tough times, but He will make the peaceful times of life even more peaceful.
When we would get to the top of the hill we would know that a downhill path was coming soon. And because we would be so out of breath we would use that time to catch our breath. But God doesn't want you to use the peaceful times of life to "catch your breath" just so you can prepare for the next challenge....He wants you to find rest in Him. And when we can rely on Him and trust Him during the hard time, the rest and the peace we find in Him when the in the quiet times are so much better.
If you feel like you have been peddling uphill for far to long and life just doesn't seem to ease up and you're constantly exhausted, then maybe the best thing you can do is surrender to Him in a way that you never have. Trusting Him for that guidance, wisdom, strength and peace. It's when we stop taking control of every situation that we actually give Him the ability to help us. Sure you will still have to do your part, but when you're not the one doing it all you will see the difference.
God, Thank You for the lessons in life that You teach us from simple everyday things. May our eyes always be open to allow You to show us new things. Help us to see the things in life that You need us to surrender control to You on, so we can find out how much of a difference it makes to really trust you. It is my prayer that we will honor you with our surrender and let you shine even brighter in our lives so others can see the difference that only You can make. In Jesus name, Amen
Even though you go through something like this and in the end you sum it all up as a good time, in the moment you realize this is a lot of work. Each hill we climbed was so tough on the legs and all you wanted was to be at the top. And each downhill seemed effortless (except the steering and braking) and you wished the whole trail could be just like this. And what God was showing me is this is how we look at life sometimes too. Especially when we come up on the "hills of life"...and they are hard. But why are they so hard? On the bike they are so hard because I am everything. I am the motor, I am the one steering and I am the one trying to find the easiest path up the hill. It is all on me, and that is what makes it so difficult. Take the same hill and put me on a motorcycle and the results would be completely different. And every time we come up on the hills of life, the difficult times, and we try to do it all on our own it is going to be way more difficult than it has to be. Hard times are going to happen. We live in and imperfect world and we are imperfect people. That combination means hard times are sure to come at us. But if we face those 100% on our own, doing everything in our strength using only our abilities, our wisdom, our energy and our imperfect way of thinking...then at the end of the day we will be exhausted. Every time we got to the top of the hill on the trail we were worn out. It took everything out of us to get through that section just like it takes everything out of us to get through a hard day when we do it on our own. But had I had a motorcycle instead of a bicycle, getting to the top of the hill would have felt completely different. The assistance of the motor would have made a world of difference. No it would not have taken me completely out of the picture. I still would have had a lot to do with getting to the top, but it would not have all been done in my own strength. God also doesn't want you facing the hardships of life all in your own strength. He wants to assist you in every decision you make, if you let Him. Philippians 4:13 says He is our strength. Deuteronomy 31:6 says He goes with you and will not leave you or forsake you. Isaiah 41:10 says He will uphold you with His righteous hand. And 1 Corinthians 10:13 says He will help us when we are tempted. And these are just a few of the scriptures that promise us that God will be there for us when we rely on Him. He is faithful and He desires us to seek His help, wait on His leading and follow Him through the hardest of times. Not only will He get you through the tough times, but He will make the peaceful times of life even more peaceful.
When we would get to the top of the hill we would know that a downhill path was coming soon. And because we would be so out of breath we would use that time to catch our breath. But God doesn't want you to use the peaceful times of life to "catch your breath" just so you can prepare for the next challenge....He wants you to find rest in Him. And when we can rely on Him and trust Him during the hard time, the rest and the peace we find in Him when the in the quiet times are so much better.
If you feel like you have been peddling uphill for far to long and life just doesn't seem to ease up and you're constantly exhausted, then maybe the best thing you can do is surrender to Him in a way that you never have. Trusting Him for that guidance, wisdom, strength and peace. It's when we stop taking control of every situation that we actually give Him the ability to help us. Sure you will still have to do your part, but when you're not the one doing it all you will see the difference.
God, Thank You for the lessons in life that You teach us from simple everyday things. May our eyes always be open to allow You to show us new things. Help us to see the things in life that You need us to surrender control to You on, so we can find out how much of a difference it makes to really trust you. It is my prayer that we will honor you with our surrender and let you shine even brighter in our lives so others can see the difference that only You can make. In Jesus name, Amen
Monday, June 8, 2015
Forgiving You!
Today's topic is personal and more of a struggle than some would like to admit. It is something that God has put in front of my face again and again over the past week with some people that I have been doing ministry to, and it is something that I also once struggled with. But it is something that is critical in order for God to heal you, redeem you and use you to reach others...And that is forgiveness toward yourself.
The one thing that gives the enemy a place in our life is unforgiveness. It is a door he will try to keep open for as long as he can. He knows he can create so many things out of unforgiveness. He can keep anger stirred up inside of you. He can keep bitterness inside of you. He can get you to distance yourself from people and put up walls....and on and on. The enemy knows that unforgiveness can be the root of so many things without you even realizing it. But what about when the unforgiveness is toward yourself? The bible speaks a lot about the importance of forgiveness and the damage of not forgiving others, so imagine how much worse that can be when the "others" is yourself. It will make you view yourself as unworthy. It can cause you to live in a state of frustration and/or anger without even knowing why sometimes. It will cause you to not receive love from others because you can't even love yourself...as well as not be able to love others correctly because in order to properly love others we must know how to love ourselves. What if we took Ephesians 4:32 and put ourselves in it in place of others? It would read "Be kind to "yourself", tenderhearted, forgiving "yourself", as God in Christ forgave you". Pretty amazing huh? Sometimes it is easier to explain to someone that Christ died for them because He loved them SO much...that He died to forgive and wash away their mistakes(sins)....yet it is not so easy to convince ourselves of the same thing. Why is this? Because you have to live with yourself. You know your every thought and every secret.....but remember, so does He. And when you give it all to Him, He chooses to LOVE and FORGIVE you anyway!
Mark 12:30-31 says "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength...and...Love your neighbor as yourself...". We can accept the first part, knowing we are to love God. And we even get the 2nd part, that we are to love our neighbor. But do we really get the last part "as yourself"? When the enemy can keep us from fully forgiving and fully loving ourself, he can keep us from fully forgiving and fully loving others too. However, if Christ came to die for every sin you would ever commit, and you accepted that gift from Jesus, then that means the past is covered. It is taken care of by the very drops of Jesus' blood and is not held against you any more. If the God of the universe was willing to send His son to die for the sake of your forgiveness, then please don't let that go in vain by not extending that same forgiveness to yourself.
If this is an area that you know you struggle with then please ask God to help you. Ask Him to teach you and show you your worth in His eyes. Ask Him to help you see how His forgiveness works so you can apply it to yourself. Understand that unforgiveness toward ourself is a tactic that the enemy uses to keep us from experiencing the fullness that God has for us. And it something that we sometimes live with and don't even realize it. If you have given your past to God, then really let go of it and live in the redemption that He has for you. I told someone this the other day to explain how God sees them....Before we accept Christ in our life God looks at us and sees all of our sin standing between Him and us. But after we accept Christ's gift...Christ's sacrifice....and Christ's forgiveness, it is like Jesus pushes all of the sin out of the way and HE stands between us and God. So when God looks at us He looks through the pureness of Christ and that is how how He sees us. When you look in the mirror allow Jesus to stand between you and the mirror and be the filter for which you see yourself.
God, Thank You that you provided a way for us to be forgiven. Please help us to fully accept that and forgive ourselves. Once we accept your gift, Jesus, help us to see ourselves the way you do. Holy Spirit help us to not let the enemy use unforgiveness to hold us back or hold us down one more day. And let our redemption story be heard by others so they can see what God can do in us and through us. In Jesus name, Amen.
The one thing that gives the enemy a place in our life is unforgiveness. It is a door he will try to keep open for as long as he can. He knows he can create so many things out of unforgiveness. He can keep anger stirred up inside of you. He can keep bitterness inside of you. He can get you to distance yourself from people and put up walls....and on and on. The enemy knows that unforgiveness can be the root of so many things without you even realizing it. But what about when the unforgiveness is toward yourself? The bible speaks a lot about the importance of forgiveness and the damage of not forgiving others, so imagine how much worse that can be when the "others" is yourself. It will make you view yourself as unworthy. It can cause you to live in a state of frustration and/or anger without even knowing why sometimes. It will cause you to not receive love from others because you can't even love yourself...as well as not be able to love others correctly because in order to properly love others we must know how to love ourselves. What if we took Ephesians 4:32 and put ourselves in it in place of others? It would read "Be kind to "yourself", tenderhearted, forgiving "yourself", as God in Christ forgave you". Pretty amazing huh? Sometimes it is easier to explain to someone that Christ died for them because He loved them SO much...that He died to forgive and wash away their mistakes(sins)....yet it is not so easy to convince ourselves of the same thing. Why is this? Because you have to live with yourself. You know your every thought and every secret.....but remember, so does He. And when you give it all to Him, He chooses to LOVE and FORGIVE you anyway!
Mark 12:30-31 says "And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength...and...Love your neighbor as yourself...". We can accept the first part, knowing we are to love God. And we even get the 2nd part, that we are to love our neighbor. But do we really get the last part "as yourself"? When the enemy can keep us from fully forgiving and fully loving ourself, he can keep us from fully forgiving and fully loving others too. However, if Christ came to die for every sin you would ever commit, and you accepted that gift from Jesus, then that means the past is covered. It is taken care of by the very drops of Jesus' blood and is not held against you any more. If the God of the universe was willing to send His son to die for the sake of your forgiveness, then please don't let that go in vain by not extending that same forgiveness to yourself.
If this is an area that you know you struggle with then please ask God to help you. Ask Him to teach you and show you your worth in His eyes. Ask Him to help you see how His forgiveness works so you can apply it to yourself. Understand that unforgiveness toward ourself is a tactic that the enemy uses to keep us from experiencing the fullness that God has for us. And it something that we sometimes live with and don't even realize it. If you have given your past to God, then really let go of it and live in the redemption that He has for you. I told someone this the other day to explain how God sees them....Before we accept Christ in our life God looks at us and sees all of our sin standing between Him and us. But after we accept Christ's gift...Christ's sacrifice....and Christ's forgiveness, it is like Jesus pushes all of the sin out of the way and HE stands between us and God. So when God looks at us He looks through the pureness of Christ and that is how how He sees us. When you look in the mirror allow Jesus to stand between you and the mirror and be the filter for which you see yourself.
God, Thank You that you provided a way for us to be forgiven. Please help us to fully accept that and forgive ourselves. Once we accept your gift, Jesus, help us to see ourselves the way you do. Holy Spirit help us to not let the enemy use unforgiveness to hold us back or hold us down one more day. And let our redemption story be heard by others so they can see what God can do in us and through us. In Jesus name, Amen.
Friday, June 5, 2015
Standing On God's Truth...Not Our "Made Up" Truth!
I woke today with such heavy heart. I'm not one to write about the things that are going on in the news because I don't like to put my focus on the negativity in world. I would much rather stand on the fact that no matter what is going on around me, I know that God still reigns. I now that even in the darkest of places in this world, as soon as light is brought into it, hope is brought into it, love is brought into it and peace is brought into it. But my struggle today is the fact that we are doing a worse job at getting the light into the dark places. Part of that is because people want to turn their backs on God's truth, and the other part is because the church is less influential now than probably ever before. God's word, which was once known as THE TRUTH, is now under attack and being called as hate words. Why is this....because when you want to start going against the truth you have to try to discredit it so you don't feel so bad about going against it. You can't very well accept the bible as 100% the way, but then choose to go another way. And so many things going on in this world today are not by His design. But now, instead of the bible being called The Truth, like it used to be...now people was discredit it or change it to fit their sin. People say things like "show me exactly in the bible where it says "this" is wrong". The days of just knowing what God would consider a sin are almost dead and gone. We live in a society of "if it feels good, do it"....shoot, we have even taken it a step further and now have the mentality of "I'm just going to do it to see if it feels good....I'll deal with the consequences later". And trust me, we will always have to deal with the consequences later. You can pretend there won't be any, but there will. God's word is God's word. It has never changed. Things haven't just all of the sudden become "ok" in God's eyes. In fact, I'm so sick of hearing the lame excuse of "It's 2015...this should acceptable".....really people? Why? Why would something be acceptable today that was not acceptable 100 years ago? Here is why, because this country is in moral decay...that's why! And that is something we should be proud of?? We used to fight to stop wrong things from happening to people, like slavery and lack of civil rights. Fighting for that to stop and fighting for equality to happen among skin color was a good thing. Fighting for woman to not be seen as "less than" compared to men was a good thing. But please explain to me how fighting for abortion, homosexually, legalization of drugs, making divorce easier, prayer to stop in schools or many other things that are a part of our moral decay, will help this country get back to the great country it once was. Actually, please don't try to explain that to me, because I don't want to entertain ideas that are clearly a part of the moral decay I see going on around me. We are on a down hill slope that is so masked by the word "freedom". Freedom, do we even know what the word means anymore? We are seeing the freedoms we once had be squashed and the freedom to do things that were once labeled "wrong" being handed out and protected. When we have become so blind that we can't see that we are exchanging good values for bad ones and calling it a "good thing", then we are at a very very dangerous place.
I'm not here to argue what the bible says about this or that because I don't feel the need to protect or defend the truth. The truth will always protect and defends itself. But I will challenge you with this thought, how are the things we fight for today drawing us closer to God. They aren't....and those fighting for them could care less. We better wake up!! And I will boldly say it is not the world that is failing the church, it is the church that is failing the world! We better stop accepting the decisions that are being made around us and go back to standing on the truth. If there is any statement about it "being 2015" that needs to be said it's this..."It's 2015 and we need God's love, grace and mercy worse now than ever before". Ironically, the more we ignore God's truth, the more we need God's grace and mercy. I'm glad He is God and not me because at some point by now I would have said "enough is enough". But His love goes far beyond our sin. The day of accountability will come for us all. Accountable for what we did do, what we didn't do....what we accepted and what we stood for. I have been on the wrong end of that in my life and I'm so glad I was humbled by Him, set free from that sin and redeemed. I am by no means perfect, but it is only through His grace and mercy that I am where I am today. And our country needs to see that it is only by His grace that we still have His favor on us....the more we walk down this road of moral decay though, the more we are choosing to walk away from that favor and do things on our own. And those who ignore Him now will be crying out for His love, forgiveness, grace and mercy one day. Either in this life or when they meet Him face to face.
God, I can't thank You enough for Your grace..and Your mercy. I can't even imagine how much and how many times we have broke Your heart, yet You continue to pour out Your love on us. God please help us to see that and stop ignoring THE TRUTH. Please help our country get back to a place where we recognize Jesus as the way, the truth and the life....a place where the Holy Spirit leads and man follows....a country that has only accomplished all that we have because of Your blessings on us. Thank You for never turning You back on us like we have turned ours on You! In Jesus name, Amen
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Love and Prayers
Love is an amazing feeling. To be loved or to love someone is probably one of the best feelings in the world. To do something purely out of love is such a fulfilling thing. Especially if you are doing it with no intent of ever being paid back. Purely doing it out of love for someone, or a cause or a calling. Jesus demonstrated the most amazing love, and then He instructed us to do the same toward one another. (John 13:34)
I think one of the most loving thing you can do for someone is to lift them in prayer. Praying is one thing...but praying for others is an entirely different thing. 1 Timothy 2:1 says "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people...". Praying for someone brings the power of God into their life. It fights against the evil that is also at work against them (Ephesians 6:12) and can cover them in God's protection. Prayer can release things in someones life like God's love, strength, power and help. God's word says He will not interfere with a person's free will, but your prayers for them can help them discover God's will for their life. You can pray that a person's heart will be softened. You can pray that their eyes and ears will be opened to the truth and that the truth will set them free from the bondage of sin that they are under.
Prayer is a very very powerful thing. If you do not believe that, then start lifting someone you love up in prayer and watch God move in their life. Praying scripture over someone's life is one of the most effective and powerful prayers you can pray over them as well. Not only are you interceding for that person, but you are using the very God breathed words to do it. Philippians 1:9-11, Ephesians 1:17-20, Ephesians 3:16-19, Acts 26:18 and Ezekiel 36:25-27 are powerful pieces of scripture that you can use to pray for someone to feel the power of God's love and the need for His salvation in their life. When praying this you can insert the person's name right into the scriptures. When Jesus was on His 40 day fast and being tempted by satan it says that He quoted the scriptures to combat satan, so that shows the power of using God's words. Why would you not cover someone you care about or someone that God has put on your heart to pray for with the scriptures if they are that powerful.
Love is selfless....that is what Jesus demonstrated for us the most. And what is more selfless that going into your quiet time with God to batter for someone else's soul or for God to move in their life in times of trouble.
I want to leave you with one piece of scripture that I love to pray over someone when I want them to feel the power of God's love in their life. I believe feeling God's love can overcome so many things. And it can be so hard for someone who is filled with guilt and shame to even realize just how much God truly loves them. But I believe this scripture will release that love in their life.
Again, simply replace "I" and "my" with the person's name as you pray this for them.
Psalm 143:8-12
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.
Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.
For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life.
Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.
In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies and destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.
Let everything you do be driven by love. Let the prayers you lift up for someone be out of love. Let there be no motive and no selfish desires...and God will honor your prayers. I think 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says how important love is with these words. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing".
God, Thank You for the power of Your Love and our prayers to you. Holy Spirit give us the strength to do as The Word says and pray without ceasing. Because we have faith that our prayers to God will bring change into someone's life. In Jesus name, Amen
I think one of the most loving thing you can do for someone is to lift them in prayer. Praying is one thing...but praying for others is an entirely different thing. 1 Timothy 2:1 says "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people...". Praying for someone brings the power of God into their life. It fights against the evil that is also at work against them (Ephesians 6:12) and can cover them in God's protection. Prayer can release things in someones life like God's love, strength, power and help. God's word says He will not interfere with a person's free will, but your prayers for them can help them discover God's will for their life. You can pray that a person's heart will be softened. You can pray that their eyes and ears will be opened to the truth and that the truth will set them free from the bondage of sin that they are under.
Prayer is a very very powerful thing. If you do not believe that, then start lifting someone you love up in prayer and watch God move in their life. Praying scripture over someone's life is one of the most effective and powerful prayers you can pray over them as well. Not only are you interceding for that person, but you are using the very God breathed words to do it. Philippians 1:9-11, Ephesians 1:17-20, Ephesians 3:16-19, Acts 26:18 and Ezekiel 36:25-27 are powerful pieces of scripture that you can use to pray for someone to feel the power of God's love and the need for His salvation in their life. When praying this you can insert the person's name right into the scriptures. When Jesus was on His 40 day fast and being tempted by satan it says that He quoted the scriptures to combat satan, so that shows the power of using God's words. Why would you not cover someone you care about or someone that God has put on your heart to pray for with the scriptures if they are that powerful.
Love is selfless....that is what Jesus demonstrated for us the most. And what is more selfless that going into your quiet time with God to batter for someone else's soul or for God to move in their life in times of trouble.
I want to leave you with one piece of scripture that I love to pray over someone when I want them to feel the power of God's love in their life. I believe feeling God's love can overcome so many things. And it can be so hard for someone who is filled with guilt and shame to even realize just how much God truly loves them. But I believe this scripture will release that love in their life.
Again, simply replace "I" and "my" with the person's name as you pray this for them.
Psalm 143:8-12
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.
Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.
For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life.
Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.
In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies and destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.
Let everything you do be driven by love. Let the prayers you lift up for someone be out of love. Let there be no motive and no selfish desires...and God will honor your prayers. I think 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says how important love is with these words. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing".
God, Thank You for the power of Your Love and our prayers to you. Holy Spirit give us the strength to do as The Word says and pray without ceasing. Because we have faith that our prayers to God will bring change into someone's life. In Jesus name, Amen
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
The Light
This morning God was pressing it on me that we are to be a light to this world. That the people who follow Jesus bring something into every place that they go...and that is His light. We did not obtain this, but it was put into us when we accepted the gift of Jesus Christ. But recently I heard a pastor say something I had never thought of before. If God put the light in us (John 8:12) then we cannot take the light out. Jesus is the light and the truth and once those things have entered into the only thing we can do is choose to let it shine, or choose to cover it up.
If you do a word lookup in the bible on the word "light" you will find it mentioned over and over. You will see that Jesus is THE light and He is the light that is put in us. You will see that until we find Jesus (the light), we are walking in darkness. But once we discover the light we have to choose to walk in it. We have to choose to let Him be a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). We have the choice to let it shine so others can see it (Matthew 5:16), or choice to hide it from the world. But again, God knows that you have discovered the light, the truth, and He knows if you are choosing to ignore it or walk in it.
There is something that is expected of us once we receive Jesus in our life...and that is to let His light shine. The very idea that we could receive it and keep it to ourselves goes against God's plan. It is "the good news"...it is the answer to a lost world...it is to be shared. (1 John 1:5-7)
So today as you walk through your day, as people come in and out of your life, as you have small moments of interaction with complete strangers.....will your light shine? Will Jesus be seen in you so brightly that it cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14), or will you hide the light? I heard someone admit one time that they didn't want to go around telling people they were a Christian because then they felt like if they messed up they would be giving God a bad name or letting everyone down. But I want to say this to anyone who has ever thought that.....Our righteousness is in Jesus, not ourselves. The very idea that we are going to mess up is why we need a savior. Never hide your light out of fear...not fear of what people will think, or fear of not being "perfect". Out of your very love for Jesus do your best to live by His standard, and when you mess up, humble yourself and ask for His grace and mercy to cover you. That is why He offers it! But that is what the world needs to see. They need to see that we have a standard that we are trying to live up to. It is Jesus, it is the bible, it is The Truth! We don't hit the mark every single time, but we don't stop trying either. We live in a fallen world, but we don't use that as an excuse to sin. We try each day to be a better person that we were the day before. Not because we are trying to promote ourselves, but because we are trying to display Jesus at work in our lives. We are only able to do this through surrendering to Him and allowing Him to be our strength.
One of the ways I choose to let my light shine is by letting people see that anything good in me comes from Him and only Him. On my own I have proved way to many times that I can make a mess of anything. I speak truth in love, I'm not ashamed of my faith and I'm humble enough to know that my life has no more value you to that the worst criminal sitting in the worst prison. God's love for me is no greater than His love for them. We ALL need Him...we all need His light in our life! And when I can tell someone that there isn't anything in me that they can't have in them....that IS me sharing His light!
God, Your light is the brightest thing this world has ever seen. Thank You for sharing it with us. Thank You for putting it in us and trusting us to let the world see it. Help us to be proud of our faith and display that light in a way that honors You. Let others be drawn to the light and find something in You that can't be found anywhere else. Your word says that darkness cannot overcome Your light, and that is the truth that brings us hope. Help us offer that hope to the world around us. In Jesus name, Amen
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Forgiven, But Not Forgotten
It's a good thing that we can retain the things we learn in life. If not, then everything we learned to do as a child we would have to keep learning to do again and again throughout life. Even something as simple as riding a bike had to come with correction and direction. And for some of us it had to come with bumps and bruises before we finally got it right. But the beauty is, once you learned to ride a bike you didn't have to learn again. The ability to recall what you learned and apply it the next time you got on a bike is always there.
When I opened my eyes today God had already pressed it on my heart what I was supposed to write about. So many of us want to be forgiven of our past, and rightly so....but do we know what to do with it once we have fully accepted the idea that God has forgiven us? I mean, depending on what all is in your past, there could a lot that you are trying to sort through once healing and forgiveness happens. The most important part is realizing that God has forgiven you...and once you allow yourself to accept God's forgiveness, you the must fully forgiven yourself. This is the place that healing really begins to take place. And God's healing is what is needed to overcome a rough past. But what about the lessons of your past? What do we do with those things? Are we supposed to just walk out of our past and forget about it? I don't think so....and this is where my bike illustration comes in! Walking out of our past requires correction and direction. It requires learning that what we are walking away from was wrong, probably unhealthy (relationally, emotionally, physically, psychologically...this list goes on) and needed to stop. However, just like learning to ride a bike might have come along with some bumps and bruises, you did eventually learn to ride the bike. And that stuck with you forever. Well, your past may have also caused some bumps and bruises too...so the lessons from it should last forever as well. Not haunting memories...not condemnation...but lessons. There is a difference. Memories and and condemnation never let you get over your past....never let you get past your past. But lessons that God can teach you will help you not repeat your past. He wants to protect us from falling back into whatever got us to the place we used to be, and only He can do that in the loving gentle way that He does. Yes, depending on what all was involved in your past, it might be wise of you to put some people in your life that can help hold you accountable and help keep your strong. But don't allow people to be in your life that just want to remind you of all your past mistakes..or remind you of who you used to be. That is not healing or help...that is just the enemy's way of constantly trying to remind you of the old you...trying to hold you down. But once you received God's forgiveness and healing...that person (the old you) is dead and gone and you are a new creation in Christ Jesus! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Forgiveness comes from God....wisdom also comes from God. Together those two things can prevent you from falling backwards into past mistakes. One, because you learned from it, and two because you don't want to take that forgiveness for granted. I remember one time I was in a deep time of prayer and God took me back to my early 20s and showed me all the mistakes I had made throughout my life. I sat weeping as it was like a movie reel playing in my mind of all of the things I had done that hurt Him, and others...and myself. When it was done I felt God say to me "I'm showing you the things that you have been forgiven for not because I want to remind you of who you used to be...but because I want to remind you of who you will never be again". That was a powerful night for me. It showed me that I had stepped out of the old and into the new. I thanked God for showing me all that I used to be so I could learn from it. I didn't walk away feeling condemned that night...I felt refreshed, forgiven and renewed. I had hope and I knew I could trust God to always show me if I was taking steps in the wrong direction. That is why I invite Him to correct and direct me daily. So I never go back to the things He rescued me from and forgave me for.
God, words can't describe the appreciation for the things You forgive us for. You never give us what we deserve...and that's a great thing...yet to many times we take that for granted. Thank You for Your Love, Forgiveness, Grace and Mercy. And thank You for Your Holy Spirit who is here to help guide us out of our past, help us accept all the things You have for us...and teach us not to go back to the familiar things of our past. Help our lives reflect your redemption so others will see how amazing you truly are. In Jesus name, Amen
When I opened my eyes today God had already pressed it on my heart what I was supposed to write about. So many of us want to be forgiven of our past, and rightly so....but do we know what to do with it once we have fully accepted the idea that God has forgiven us? I mean, depending on what all is in your past, there could a lot that you are trying to sort through once healing and forgiveness happens. The most important part is realizing that God has forgiven you...and once you allow yourself to accept God's forgiveness, you the must fully forgiven yourself. This is the place that healing really begins to take place. And God's healing is what is needed to overcome a rough past. But what about the lessons of your past? What do we do with those things? Are we supposed to just walk out of our past and forget about it? I don't think so....and this is where my bike illustration comes in! Walking out of our past requires correction and direction. It requires learning that what we are walking away from was wrong, probably unhealthy (relationally, emotionally, physically, psychologically...this list goes on) and needed to stop. However, just like learning to ride a bike might have come along with some bumps and bruises, you did eventually learn to ride the bike. And that stuck with you forever. Well, your past may have also caused some bumps and bruises too...so the lessons from it should last forever as well. Not haunting memories...not condemnation...but lessons. There is a difference. Memories and and condemnation never let you get over your past....never let you get past your past. But lessons that God can teach you will help you not repeat your past. He wants to protect us from falling back into whatever got us to the place we used to be, and only He can do that in the loving gentle way that He does. Yes, depending on what all was involved in your past, it might be wise of you to put some people in your life that can help hold you accountable and help keep your strong. But don't allow people to be in your life that just want to remind you of all your past mistakes..or remind you of who you used to be. That is not healing or help...that is just the enemy's way of constantly trying to remind you of the old you...trying to hold you down. But once you received God's forgiveness and healing...that person (the old you) is dead and gone and you are a new creation in Christ Jesus! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Forgiveness comes from God....wisdom also comes from God. Together those two things can prevent you from falling backwards into past mistakes. One, because you learned from it, and two because you don't want to take that forgiveness for granted. I remember one time I was in a deep time of prayer and God took me back to my early 20s and showed me all the mistakes I had made throughout my life. I sat weeping as it was like a movie reel playing in my mind of all of the things I had done that hurt Him, and others...and myself. When it was done I felt God say to me "I'm showing you the things that you have been forgiven for not because I want to remind you of who you used to be...but because I want to remind you of who you will never be again". That was a powerful night for me. It showed me that I had stepped out of the old and into the new. I thanked God for showing me all that I used to be so I could learn from it. I didn't walk away feeling condemned that night...I felt refreshed, forgiven and renewed. I had hope and I knew I could trust God to always show me if I was taking steps in the wrong direction. That is why I invite Him to correct and direct me daily. So I never go back to the things He rescued me from and forgave me for.
God, words can't describe the appreciation for the things You forgive us for. You never give us what we deserve...and that's a great thing...yet to many times we take that for granted. Thank You for Your Love, Forgiveness, Grace and Mercy. And thank You for Your Holy Spirit who is here to help guide us out of our past, help us accept all the things You have for us...and teach us not to go back to the familiar things of our past. Help our lives reflect your redemption so others will see how amazing you truly are. In Jesus name, Amen
Monday, June 1, 2015
Which Exit Is Right For You?
A few months back I was driving to work one day and God really placed in on my heart to write about all the signs we ignore as we walk through life. (The Signs Are All Around You..) Signs warning us about dangers, temptations, directions, decisions....and how we need to be on the lookout for the signs God tries to give us. Well, once again today God gave me another object lesson about highways while driving into work.
Have you ever been on a road trip and jumped off on the wrong exit. Maybe it was because you needed to make a gas or food stop, or maybe it was because you thought that was the right exit to get you where you were headed. Regardless, it usually isn't until you have made the wrong decision that you have that "oh no, what have I done?" feeling. Realizing at that moment that this exit is not going to get you where you thought it was, and now you need to figure out how to get back on the correct road. And I don't know about you, but I have made this mistake too. You see a sign that says there is gas or food on the next exit, so you get off on it. Only to find out that the gas and food is another 5 or 10 more miles down the road after you've taken the exit. So now you have to decide if this is really what you want to do, or do you just want to wait for the next one. And truth be told, had you just paid closer attention the signs they would have showed you that the places you were looking for were far from the road you needed to get back to. All of these things can be very frustrating and even somewhat scary if you are driving in an area you are completely unfamiliar with.
Well life can be very much this same way. One we accept Christ in our life we are all headed down the same road. A road of righteousness (in Jesus), a road of serving Him, a road of selflessness and obedience...as well as many other things that being in a relationship with Jesus should cause us to chase after. However, each of us also have very specific callings on our life, which I have also talked about in past blogs. And those callings are going to take us off in different directions than other followers will be called to go. The important part is....make sure you know when it's God that is calling you off into that new direction! God will call you to "take an exit ramp" at some time in your journey with Him. Some people are calling into the mission field, some are called to sever Him locally, some are called to go be evangelist and some are called into full time ministry at their church. Each calling is unique and personal....and between you and God. But you must follow Him close enough to know when it is Him calling you out..and not follow an interest or your flesh. Knowing when to head down that path (or exit) that God has called you to can be just as scary as making sure you are taking the right exit on your road trip. But just like you would trust your GPS if it was saying "take the next exit"...you have to trust God too. And sometimes that does mean stepping out of the comfort zone or your fear, and just doing what God is calling you to do.
As I was looking as some scriptures that reference God's guidance I came across this one that couldn't be more clear. Psalm 32:8 says "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you". I will take God's eye on my life guiding me over "my gut feeling" any day. But the only way I will be able to hear those instructions from God is by keeping my life as a place that I allow Him to guide me. Walking close to God is about way more than a bunch of do's and don'ts. It is a relationship. It is love and obedience out of love. It is trust. And it is surrender. God does have different exits for each of us to take us down different roads in life. Don't be quick to jump on the first one that comes your way, or follow every word that is spoken over you, because 1 John 4:1 says "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone our into the world". But if you have headed down the wrong path then simply be wise enough and humble enough to admit that you have. And if so, ask God to lead you back to the correct road so you can be headed to the place He wants to take you.
Other scriptures about God's guidance are: Proverbs 3:5-6, John 16:13, Psalm 119:105, James 1:5-6, Psalm 25:4-5 and Psalm 37:23-24.
God, Thank You that you have specific detailed roads for us to travel down. Help us to seek You and Your will for our life so that we can be on the path you have for us. Help those who have wondered down the wrong path and lead them back to where you want them. Holy Spirit please give us ears and eyes for only the desires of God's heart so the world around us will not distract us and cause us to head down roads there were never intended for us. In Jesus name, Amen
Have you ever been on a road trip and jumped off on the wrong exit. Maybe it was because you needed to make a gas or food stop, or maybe it was because you thought that was the right exit to get you where you were headed. Regardless, it usually isn't until you have made the wrong decision that you have that "oh no, what have I done?" feeling. Realizing at that moment that this exit is not going to get you where you thought it was, and now you need to figure out how to get back on the correct road. And I don't know about you, but I have made this mistake too. You see a sign that says there is gas or food on the next exit, so you get off on it. Only to find out that the gas and food is another 5 or 10 more miles down the road after you've taken the exit. So now you have to decide if this is really what you want to do, or do you just want to wait for the next one. And truth be told, had you just paid closer attention the signs they would have showed you that the places you were looking for were far from the road you needed to get back to. All of these things can be very frustrating and even somewhat scary if you are driving in an area you are completely unfamiliar with.
Well life can be very much this same way. One we accept Christ in our life we are all headed down the same road. A road of righteousness (in Jesus), a road of serving Him, a road of selflessness and obedience...as well as many other things that being in a relationship with Jesus should cause us to chase after. However, each of us also have very specific callings on our life, which I have also talked about in past blogs. And those callings are going to take us off in different directions than other followers will be called to go. The important part is....make sure you know when it's God that is calling you off into that new direction! God will call you to "take an exit ramp" at some time in your journey with Him. Some people are calling into the mission field, some are called to sever Him locally, some are called to go be evangelist and some are called into full time ministry at their church. Each calling is unique and personal....and between you and God. But you must follow Him close enough to know when it is Him calling you out..and not follow an interest or your flesh. Knowing when to head down that path (or exit) that God has called you to can be just as scary as making sure you are taking the right exit on your road trip. But just like you would trust your GPS if it was saying "take the next exit"...you have to trust God too. And sometimes that does mean stepping out of the comfort zone or your fear, and just doing what God is calling you to do.
As I was looking as some scriptures that reference God's guidance I came across this one that couldn't be more clear. Psalm 32:8 says "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you". I will take God's eye on my life guiding me over "my gut feeling" any day. But the only way I will be able to hear those instructions from God is by keeping my life as a place that I allow Him to guide me. Walking close to God is about way more than a bunch of do's and don'ts. It is a relationship. It is love and obedience out of love. It is trust. And it is surrender. God does have different exits for each of us to take us down different roads in life. Don't be quick to jump on the first one that comes your way, or follow every word that is spoken over you, because 1 John 4:1 says "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone our into the world". But if you have headed down the wrong path then simply be wise enough and humble enough to admit that you have. And if so, ask God to lead you back to the correct road so you can be headed to the place He wants to take you.
Other scriptures about God's guidance are: Proverbs 3:5-6, John 16:13, Psalm 119:105, James 1:5-6, Psalm 25:4-5 and Psalm 37:23-24.
God, Thank You that you have specific detailed roads for us to travel down. Help us to seek You and Your will for our life so that we can be on the path you have for us. Help those who have wondered down the wrong path and lead them back to where you want them. Holy Spirit please give us ears and eyes for only the desires of God's heart so the world around us will not distract us and cause us to head down roads there were never intended for us. In Jesus name, Amen
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