A Healthy Blend...All For The Same Purpose!

It seems like when I meet other Christians and I start to talk about their church and my church I find out that some churches are all about the supernatural side of God and some are all about operating in the natural. But I want to ask the question, why does it have to be one or the other?
All throughout the bible I read time and time again about the miracles that Jesus did, the supernatural things that took place. There is no denying the healings that He performed and the signs and wonders that He did. From a woman being healed just by touching him and a little girl being raised from the dead (Mark 5), to thousands of people being fed with only 5 loaves and 2 fish (Matthew 14), to a demon possessed man being set free and made right in his mind (Mark 5) and another man being healed and regaining his sight (Mark 8). And these are just a few miracles that took place while Jesus walked the earth. But you can't just stop there. We also know by looking back at the old testament that God parted the Red Sea for Moses (Exodus 14) and another time Moses struck a rock and water came out of it (Numbers 20).....again, just a few of the many supernatural things mentioned in the old testament. So it's virtually impossible to accept the bible and yet ignore the fact that God has, God does and God always will operate in the supernatural. And we need to be thankful for this because without the supernatural we also would never be able to receive the Holy Spirit or the gifts that He allows us to operate in. (Acts 2 and 1 Corinthians 12). God does things in the supernatural every single day of our lives. He doesn't need you to believe that He does in order for Him to be able to, but He does need you to believe in order for Him to grow your faith.
But the bible also talks a lot about the things we are supposed to do in the natural, and how they are just as important. For instance, you must be a light to others (Matthew 5). Without being a light (in the natural eyes of the world) how do we expect to show others who Jesus is and how powerful He is? God wants us to help the poor, the needy, the hungry, the sick and even reach out to those in prison (Matthew 25). All of these things being things that are done in the natural. He expects to us to be wise with our money and tithe to Him because all that we have came from Him anyway (Mark 12 and Malachi 3). And He expects us to reach out to all the nations and physically go and tell them about Jesus (Matthew 28). So being outwardly driven in the natural and living a physical life the brings honor to God in the eyes of others is equally important as accepting, understanding and operating in the supernatural. God does not want us to pick a side and He doesn't want us to pretend that we only need to worry about one or that other. Being a believer and follower of Jesus Christ requires the acknowledgement of both and opening yourself up to either so God can be God in your life.
A verse I ran across recently really jumped out at me. It was Matthew 11:20 where it says Jesus began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done because they did not repent. What does this mean? To me it means we must not forget the point of it all!! We must not get so hung up in the supernatural side of God (or even the natural) that we forget that it's really about the salvation. It was, is and always will be about the salvation. A person can be healed and that would a great thing....a person can serve and tithe like they should and that would also be a great thing...but if either of those people don't make it to heaven or help other's make it to heaven then the entire point was missed. Jesus did come and open up that ability to do mighty things in His name, but the most important thing Jesus came for was to make a way for us to have a real relationship with God, receive complete forgiveness, be totally set free from the bondage and the control of sin on our lives... and to spend eternity with Him. If you lean more on the supernatural side, or the natural side...ask God to meet you where you are help you believe and receive both sides....and ask Him to help you ALWAYS remember that is about people finding their way to Him that really is THE most important thing!
God, thank You that You are not limited by the supernatural or the natural! Please open up our hearts and our minds so we are not limited in our beliefs or confined by them. Help us to keep in mind that every aspect of our lives should be pointing to you, and showing others who You are is the most important part of it all. Holy Spirt, help us remember that salvation is the goal....and that is achieved through introducing the love, grace and mercy of God to the lost. In Jesus name, Amen

Take Time To Praise

Today's blog isn't going to be a long one....but today I felt challenged to ask anyone who reads this, "Do you take time to praise" when it comes to God?
If we are not careful it is so easy to see God like a bank machine that we just go to when we need stuff. We bow our head, we thank Him for a couple of things, and then we go into our needs and wants. Don't get me wrong, I know all our requests are not always just for us. You may be praying for loved ones, for others needs, for healing and restoration in lives. All of these things are good things, necessary things, and things God definitely wants us to bring to Him...but how often do you just go to Him to just enjoy Him. How often do you just spend time telling Him how much you love Him, how much you appreciate Him, how much you enjoy being in His presence? Our "love" relationship with God should far outweigh our "request" relationship with Him. I couldn't imagine being in a relationship with someone and the only time I ever hear from them is when they are complaining to me or asking for something. That just because the person knew I would "do" for them, they just constantly asked of me, but I rarely get to just hear from them how much I meant to them. Let's not do that to God...
One of the things I love about the book of Psalm is how much God is praised. Even if you don't know how to go to God and express your heart, you could begin by just reading Psalms out to Him. Use these praises to defeat the enemy when He tries to drag you down. When life feels heavy, praise God. When things are not going just as you planned, praise God. When you are waiting for breakthrough, praise God. The more you can praise Him, the more you are driving the enemy out of your life and giving God the honor and credit which is due to Him.
Please remember that in just one day's time God has done enough for you and I to be worth a lifetime full of praise. The things He does for us can't always be seen with the natural eye, which is just one more thing to praise Him for.
I want to leave you with Psalm 150 as a beginning to offering praise up to Him today:
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament (the heavens)!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!

God, Thank YOU for all of Your goodness. Thank YOU for all that You do and all that You are! I honor Your greatness today and I lift Your name on high. You are my King, You are my Deliverer! I will tell others how good You are today and I will praise You more than I ask from You. Forgive us when we have allowed our hearts to seem ungrateful and help us to always reserve a place in our heart for you to dwell.....a place of praise! We give you thanks God for all that you do that we can see...and especially the things You do that we can't see. I love You God! In Jesus name, Amen

Be Aware...But Do Not Fear!

Many times the bible references how the enemy is always coming after us. How we must be aware of this because the enemy wants to catch us either off guard or in a moment of weakness. 1 Peter 5:8 says "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour". This is a direct warning from God that you can't just put yourself on cruise control once you accept Jesus and think life it going to be great now.
I recently was talking to someone about how much harder their life "felt" after they found Jesus. They didn't understand why. To which I explained, "you were of no threat to the enemy when you were doing everything his way. But now you are letting the Holy Spirit guide you, and ultimately that means you are going to be led into doing God's work. That is something the enemy feels very threatened by". This is something we all as Christ followers must keep in mind. Yes God's protection is with you, but you must also pray for God's wisdom to be with you. The enemy IS going to throw things at you that he knows will be a weakness to you or he is going to try to bring chaos into your life. He does not rest. He does not give up. He has one goal as we see in John 10:10, and that is to kill, steal and destroy. Please know, this is not a message of doom and gloom to you, but it is one to tell you that you can't walk around unaware. You must keep yourself near to God and near to other believers...and you must keep yourself in The Word. Prayer and God's word builds up your inner man and keep you less vulnerable to satan.
This past weekend I heard one of my pastors make a great point. If you think the enemy is just interested in taking you down, think again. He is not smart enough to know the plans that God has for you, but he does know that God always has a purpose for our lives. So what if he could take you out without taking you to hell? Yes, this would still satisfy Him so He could stop you from touching other lives. Ultimately his goal is to stop people from following God, stop them from doing God's work and through that get them to fall so they will not spend eternity with God. We've got to get past this mindset that satan just wants to tempt me and see if I'll sin. No, he wants to destroy your life...and he would love nothing more than to do it in a way that you didn't even see coming.
There is a verse in Job that has always stuck out to me, and it's Job 1:7 where satan tells God that he has been walking back and forth on the earth. What was satan doing, looking for a life to destroy. But satan tells God in verse 10 that he can't touch Job...he says "Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land". Satan couldn't get to Job because Job was being covered by God. If you are not relying on, and trusting and believing God to protect your family, then today would be a good day to start. Being under the shelter of God's protect and God's favor is the safest place you can be.
If you're not sure how to start praying for God's protection then Ephesians 6:10-18 would be a great scripture to start in. The first thing you need to realize is that the battle you really fight is not against the people around you, but against everything satan can send your way. And the best way to fight back against something like that is by building up your spirit through God as Ephesians tells us.
God, I thank You that You are far more interested in our protection than You are our comfort. Help us understand why life can feel like it gets harder when we follow You, and how You are here to offer help and protection. Help us not to fight the fight against the enemy in a way that he would desire, but instead come to You and allow You to fight for us. Help us to remember that in our weakness You are made strong. Holy Spirit, help us to walk in God's will so that we can KNOW we have God's hedge of protection around us. And let us never cower down to doing God's work just because the enemy threatens us....for Your Word says in Isaiah 40:29 that You give power to the weak, and to those who have no might, You increase strength. Thank You God! In Jesus name, Amen

Filling The Void

Lately it seems like God has been putting a lot of people in front of me that are going through something, and that "something" has caused them to realize they have a major void in their life. I don't think it is a coincidence that when a hardship comes into our life we realize something is missing. It's the hardship that sometimes makes us realize we can't do this on our own and causes us to search for something deeper in our lives. I hate to keep saying "something", but a lot of times when you realize the void is there you really aren't sure what it is yet...what's missing? But as you begin to surrender yourself to the Holy Spirit you will realize that what has been missing the entire time is either God, or a deeper relationship with God.
When you're not walking with God and you realize something is missing in your life. And the feeling you have can feel a lot like looking at a puzzle and trying to figure out which piece fits there. We will find so many things to try to fill that void with, but nothing seems to work. Just like looking at that puzzle and saying to yourself I know a piece is supposed to fit here, but which one. So you begin to pick up piece after piece to put into that spot. Sometimes you will see a piece and swear that has to be the one. It looks like it would fit...it's the right shape, it's the right size...but it's not the right piece. You can turn that piece again and again and keep trying, but if it's not what is meant to go there, it just isn't going to work. Trying to fill the void in your life with something other than God is much like this. The enemy will show you things that seem like they will fill the void. They look attractive and they may even bring you a temporary moment of happiness, but you will quickly (or sometimes not so quickly) find out that the void is still there. That "thing" that you tried to use to fill the void was not what your soul was longing for. And sometimes when we've chased the wrong thing for too long the void fills even greater and we walk away from chasing the wrong things feeling even more empty. Why does this happen? It happens because our creator knows what we need and put a longing in us to have a relationship with Him. And we have tried everything else to fill the void that only He can fill and without Him our spirit (the very thing that wants to connect with Him) can no longer be satisfied.
One of the best examples I was thinking about when it comes to filling the void in our life with God was a flower pot. A flower pot is meant to have soil it in. And soil is what a flower needs to grow. A flower needs other things to grow as well, but soil is the very thing it must have. You can fill a flower pot with water, but it's not going to work. You fill it will sunlight and it's still not going to work. You can fill it with rocks, sand or even straight fertilizer, but the flower isn't going to grow correctly. The void in that flower pot must be filled with the correct soil if you want the flower to grow as it should. Filling that void with anything else just won't satisfy the flower's needs. Our hearts are much like this. The love of a man or woman is not going to do it. The use of a substance is not going to do it. The next big purchase is not going to do it. And even the love of our friends or our children is not going to fully do it. It's the relationship with God that fills the void of our soul. And once you begin to fill that void with God He longs to take you deeper and fill you with even more.
If you are going through something and realize you fill empty. If you realize you have tried for to long to fill the void in your life with to many "things" and nothing seems to work. If you are sick of feeling empty with failed attempts at finding peace and joy....then please turn to God. God and a relationship with Jesus are what your soul is longing for, even if you don't fully realize it yet. Don't let the lack of knowing who God is stop you from speaking out to Him and asking Him to fill you up inside. Accepting that He is your creator, He knows what is best for you, and He gave the gift of His son so He could be in fellowship with you is a revelation that the enemy never wants you to figure out. So today stop chasing things that will just end up leaving you empty on the inside and look to the only One who really knows what it takes to satisfy your soul.
For more on how God can satisfy your soul please check out these scriptures: John 10:10, Isaiah 58:11, John 6:35, Proverbs 19:23, Psalm 145:16, Psalm 107:9, Psalm 65:4, Psalm 37:4 and Romans 15:13
God, thank You that You are the creator of our soul and You know what it takes to fill the void inside of us. Thank You that You never stop trying to reach that spot inside of us that is reserved for You. Holy Spirit help those that are searching to realize that nothing can take the place of a relationship with Jesus Christ and give them wisdom even beyond their understanding to turn from what they are chasing and give their life to You. In Jesus name, Amen

The Other "F" Word

Sometimes I think we can get so distracted by the major sins that we see around us that we forget about the ones that the enemy will sneak in on us under the radar. If someone asked you to list out some things that you know God would consider a sin, or things that you know would be very dangerous to allow into your life, it might be quite easy to come up with 10 things right off the top of your head. But how many of those things we would be the internal things that we hold on to that can simply eat us alive without anyone even knowing?
I titled this "The Other "F" Word" because just like I just mentioned, we can easily point out the sin in some situations because it just jumps right out at us. And if you heard someone drop THE "F" word typically that is that one word that will grab our attention and make us go.."whooooo, did they just say that?". But the "F" word that God put on my heart today does the most damage when we DON'T us it is...Forgiveness. This is a topic that God has brought back to me a few times in my blogs and even when I go back and look at them I feel He has given me different perspectives each time. So I pray today He does that once again.
When I think about how the enemy can use forgiveness to get us in a trap, I think about a person who hits the lottery and now has more money than they know what to do with, but still wouldn't give someone $10 no matter how bad they needed it. Why do I use that example? Because when we come to Jesus with all of our mess and all of our sins what is the one thing we need so desperately, forgiveness! But what is the one thing that is so hard for us to hand back out to others...that same forgiveness. Don't think this isn't the works and the plan of the enemy, because it is. He would love nothing more than to get you to not be willing to hand back out the very thing that God handed to you. Talk about causing a stunt in your growth with God. How can God move you to that next place with Him and draw you closer if He can't get you to give out grace, mercy, love and forgiveness? They are THE foundation of the relationship you have with Jesus. Without the hope that Jesus will always offer you grace, mercy, love and forgiveness what hope do you have? None! It is because we know that He offers this to us and we can't buy it, earn it or work harder for it....all we can do is go to Him and ask for it. So we do, and we find forgiveness. Then the time comes (and it will again and again) that you need to offer it to someone else...what does the enemy do? He gives you pride. He give you entitlement. He gives you self righteousness.....and He tells you that they are wrong and you don't owe them anything. But what he doesn't tell you is the damage you just started on the inside of yourself. Hardness of your heart. Bitterness, anger and resentment. All of these things can creep in on you when you hold back the very forgiveness that was freely given to you. But the enemy hopes you won't notice it until the damage is deep. That's why he makes you feel like you are so right in holding back forgiveness. But God says...no...give it...always give it.
When I talk to people about this subject I always make sure I explain it this way. Choosing to forgive someone is NOT saying that what they did to you is ok. No, instead it is saying that I choose to give this to God. I choose to allow His justice to take place over my own. I choose to release this person to Him and all of these feelings this has caused, and I ask for healing of my heart. I also choose...yes choose...to pray for blessings over them so they too can find the forgiveness through Jesus that I have found. In Matthew 5:44 is says we are to "love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you". But in Luke 6:27-28 it says it like this "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you". I think those words really get my attention....To those who are willing to listen.....So on this topic the question I will leave you with is this.....If Jesus is talking to you about forgiveness, are you willing to listen?
God, we can't thank You enough for the forgiveness that You give to us. It is where our hope comes from! Please help our hearts line up with yours on this topic and give us the strength and love that it takes to offer grace, mercy, love and forgiveness to the people in our lives. Restore any damage to our hearts that has been caused by our unforgiveness and restore relationships in our lives when we release unforgiveness to you...and choose to forgive those that need it. In Jesus name, Amen

Nothing Speaks Louder Than The Heart

All of my life I have grown up hearing this phrase..."actions speak louder than words", and it really is such a powerful little statement. But this morning God was pressing on me that,  yes, to us actions do speak louder sometimes, but to Him it's all about the heart.
I was thinking about a person who goes on trial for something and how they can get a harder sentence or a lighter sentence based on what the judge feels is the reason they did what they did. What was the reason behind their actions? And as I thought about that, I thought, what if we did the same thing for acts of kindness or the good deeds that we do. What if we could truly see each others hearts the God does and the reasons behind why we do that things we do? As I was talking to God about our hearts this morning He brought me back to 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, which says "If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing". I just felt like God was saying, you judge each other based on the actions you see on the outside, but I judge you based on what I see on the inside. It's so true too...When we see someone do something ugly or messed up we just assume they are an ugly or messed up person. But God knows what got that person to where they are. He knows the good and the bad in our hearts. He knows that someone can be doing tons of good on the outside, and still be ugly on the inside. And he also knows the hardest criminals who are sitting in a prison somewhere for a crimes they did, can have a fully broken heart and be ready to surrender it all to Him. That He could do more with that heart than the person out "doing" good deeds.
He loves us with a love that words cannot describe. And because of that, He sees past our outer appearance and our actions (both good and bad) and looks at what drives our hearts. Which is why His ways are higher than our ways and His thought are higher than our thoughts. He truly sees what we cannot and blesses those with a pure heart.
So as you move through this day and the days to come, ask yourself what drives you. It is not an easy question to answer some times. Is it the desire to impress? Is it the desire the be recognized? Is being kind or nice a struggle deep down inside that nobody even really knows about? Or maybe even the opposite is true....maybe because of events that have happened in your life you live very guarded and have a hard time giving anything...your time, your money/gifts or giving of yourself, but deep down inside there is an amazing heart that God sees. If so, if that might be you, let Him be the one that pulls that back up out of you again, or even for the first time. Trust Him and love Him enough to serve Him with all of your heart and allow Him to strip away the pain, hurt, confusion or hardness on your heart so He can get you to do things purely out of your love for Him. Along with that will come a real joy and peace that words can't describe.
Jeremiah 17:10 says "But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve". So as hard as it might be, when you talk to God ask Him to search your heart and show you the things HE desires to see changed in you. His correction and direction will align your hearts with His. Which as a Christ follower should be the ultimate goal.
God, thank You that You see our hearts, and love us anyway! Thank You that of anyone who has the right to judge us, it's You....but you constantly hand down grace and mercy. Your love is like no other and it's my prayer that as we drawer closer to Jesus that love flows through us and out to others. Help us LOVE more and judge less...not just in our actions, but in our hearts! In Jesus name, Amen

Surrendering Control

If I control my life

I've seen what I can do

Allow sin and this world

to pull me far from You

If I control my life

I've watched the mess I make

When I do the things that hurt you most

and the hearts that I can break

If I control my life

it's kingdoms that I build

Not for You, but this world

and I'm empty ever still

If I control my life

it's blessings that I miss

As I fight for things I want

and miss what You can give

If I control my life

I take control from You

And damage everything You've built

to make me look like You

But it's when I give up my control

and lay it at Your feet

I find the peace I'm longing for

and the rest my soul so needs

When I surrender to You my life

And let you have control

You do the things I cannot do

and Your blessings now will flow

When I surrender to You my life

it's other lives I touch

And the things I thought I needed bad

I now don't need so much

When I surrender to You my life

I see what YOU can do

And giving up all that control

let's others see You too

So I give You my control God

and ask You take it all

Let nothing be worth keeping

that could cause me still to fall

In love I do surrender

and surrender just to You

Please guide me Holy Spirit

As it's Your work I now do!

Today Is A Day Of Hope!

If you are reading this then that means you got something today that not everyone got, or was guaranteed....and that's a new day. Some people thought today would come and it did not. Some people put things off for a day that they never got to. Some people let the enemy rob them of joy, or walking in God's purpose yesterday, and they told themselves they would do it better today. For those of us who got this day given to them...let's do something with it!
Each day that we are given is another chance for us to do something we didn't do yesterday. And I don't mean living in constant regret for things we didn't do yesterday, but instead living in excitement that we have another chance to do it right this time, to do it better this time or to just do "it"...whatever it is that God is asking you to do. We all know that in this world we have good days and we have bad. God doesn't want that for us, but we let sin and the world we live in impact us more on some days than we do others. And when that happens the thing I try to do at the end of that day or the beginning of the next is to ask God to help me do "today" better than I did yesterday. I clear up anything that I need to be forgiven for from yesterday's mistakes and I ask Him to help me not walk in shame, but seek out His will for my life today. There may be something I missed yesterday because I didn't walk in His fullness. It may be a blessing He had for me, it may be a job that He had for me, or it may be a lesson that He had for me. But no matter what it was, I want to recognize that TODAY I want to receive it.
We know that we are not supposed to let the enemy get the best of us, but we also know that sometimes he does. Sometimes it's by way of circumstances...sometimes it's by way of other people. And when I look back on yesterday I can usually know instantly where the day started to take a downward slope. If you have those kind of days learn from them. Don't let the enemy have 2 days in a row in your life. Tell him that he may have gotten under your skin yesterday, but today's a new day!
There is something that as Christ followers we should wake up with and celebrate....and that's HOPE! We need to carry that hope everywhere we go and we need to offer it to as many people as we can. Because we are under the blood of Jesus, we know that today His grace and His mercy is new for us. (Lamentations 3:22-23) We know today is another day that God will be faithful in our lives. It truly saddens me to think that there are people who will wake up today and today will just look like another hopeless day to them. They will be completely controlled by their circumstances and they will be tossed around by life today as if they were being beaten by the waives in the ocean. Those are the people I want to introduce to Jesus, and I know that today is the day that can happen.
As you start your day ask God what are the divine appointments that He has for you today. Where would He like for you to carry His light and who does He have for you to offer hope to today. And please remember that no matter how bad yesterday looked....and no matter what things may still lay ahead....You still have God on your side. And along with that comes love, grace, mercy and hope! Nothing in this world can take that from you.
I'm not sure anyone could have described hope better than Paul in Philippians 1:21-25 (NLT) when he said "For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith". This is how I want to see each day. Thanking God for another day to do His work, but knowing if this is my last day then I will go to be with Him.
God, thank You that You are a God of hope! You can give us something that no one else can...something that nothing else can fulfill....Your love and Your hope! Help us to appreciate this new day and see it as a chance to seek You more than we did yesterday, to reach more people than we did yesterday, to draw closer to you than we did yesterday and as a new day to receive Your blessings in our life. It is my prayer that we honor You with this day that YOU have given us. Thank You God! In Jesus name, Amen

Invite Him In...

As Christ followers we carry a power and authority that not everyone in this world can say they have. We have the ability invite God's presence into any situation we come up against and we can KNOW that He will show up.
If you are a follower of Christ then that means you have called upon Jesus once and had the most powerful thing done in your life...you had your sins forgiven and your slate wiped clean. I'm not sure how much you stop and think about that. That you called upon Jesus and He showed up, and in that moment your entire life changed direction. That the same Jesus who stepped down out of heaven, became a man, died and rose again, just had a one on one encounter with you. And because of that you now have access to call up that same name whenever you need to.
I have written in the past about living as a "defeated" Christian. How that is not what God wants for us. That we are to walk in the identity of Christ and know who we are because of whose we are. But today I want to also talk about walking around in defeated situations.
You may feel like you are secure in your relationship with Jesus and you know if life ended tomorrow you would be in heaven with Him, but is that as deep as you go with God? If so you are missing out on so much that God has for you now....here. God does not intend for His people to be controlled by situations or the world around them. Instead He wants us to invite Him into those situations... and then trust, believe and watch what He can do. No, God is not a genie that we call on to grants us wishes or magically pulls us out of situations...especially the ones we have gotten ourselves in. But He is a God who can pull good out of any bad situations and turn things around for His glory. However, to do this He needs us to include Him. Whatever the situation is...sickness, emotional damage, physical pain, relational damage, feelings of hopelessness, depression, rage, hurt....God can come in and change the situation if allow Him.
There are lots of scriptures that talk about calling on the name of Jesus or using your faith to change a situation (Romans 10:13, Matthew 21:22, Hebrews 11:6, Mark 11:22-24, Luke 1:37, Hebrews 11:1). But quite possibly my favorite one is Proverbs 3:5-6..."Trust in the Lord with all your heart,And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths". The reason I love this verse is because it doesn't just say "God can", but it also talks about our part. Yes, God can do anything....but we have to trust, we have to let go of what seems logical to us, and we have to acknowledge Him in ALL of our ways. Meaning we can't live the way we want and then call on Him and "expect". He knows perfection is not possible from us because we are broken people living in a broken world. But He does look at our hearts and knows if the things we do are truly out of a desire to please Him...or a selfish desire or a worldly desire. And in ALL situations His number one goal is draw us to Him...and in the process draw others to Him. Don't limit what He can do by limiting how much glory He gets from it!
So whatever your situation is, if you have not invited Him into it yet, then do that today! Ask Him to search your heart and offer you correction and direction, and then ask Him to change the negative thing in your life into a positive. If that requires healing them pray for that, if that requires restoration then pray for that, if that requires rebuilding then pray for that...but no matter what you are praying for, trust Him and praise Him and give Him recognition as you wait on Him to do it in His perfect timing.
God, thank You that You allow us to invite You into situations. Help us humble ourselves and make that the first thing we do...not our last resort. Let every situation that You move in change us and be seen by others so that YOU get all the glory. Holy Spirit guide and direct us so we are not falling into the enemy's traps and living as defeated people in defeated situations. Instead, help us walk in wisdom, knowledge and truth...bring glory to You God. We love You and we honor You with our faith, our trust and our lives. In Jesus name, Amen

A Cry Out In Prayer

God, I first want to thank You for all that You do for us. For the things we can see, and the things we can't see. Thank You for the protection You provide to us every moment of every day. Thank You for the love, grace and mercy that You so freely offer to us....please help us set aside all pride, and humble ourselves enough to receive it.
God I lift up the hurting people around me. The ones that are in a spiritual battle, an emotional battle and even a physical battle with life. I pray that they will see that they are not battling flesh and blood, but instead are up against the enemy trying to take them down. Give them wisdom to lean on You and draw strength from You. Holy Spirit help them to not grow weary and give up on the fight, but to fight the good fight of faith in a way that is pleasing in Your eyes. I pray for those that are being deceived from seeing the truth. I pray that their spiritual eyes will be opened, that their hearts will be softened and that they will receive the truth and see the love in it.
I ask that you mend broken relationships and heal hurting hearts. That the works of the enemy would be destroyed in the name of Jesus and that "who's right and who's wrong" would be put to the side, and love would prevail. May friendships, relationships, marriages and families be restored and forgiveness be freely given. I pray that the bondage of bitterness and anger that has been built up through unforgiveness would be broken off of people and they would be set free. I pray that the spirit of offensiveness would be broke off of people and they would allow You to do the work in their hearts that needs to be done.
God... finally I lift up our cities, states and this nation. I pray for our local leaders, state leaders and the leaders of this country. I ask that they seek and receive Your guidance and wisdom, and that the people in our government would put You back in the place that You belong in our country. I pray that their will always be bold men and women in the governing offices that will stand up for You and the truth within Your Word. Have mercy on this nation for the sins we have allowed to take place and help use get back on the path that You have laid out for us. Help us to be a people who will fight for and defend the right to keep You at the center of it all....knowing that the right to worship You and honor You is THE most important right we need to protect.
I want to honor You with my words, my thoughts and my actions today God. May they be a light to someone who needs to see You alive in someone's life, so they will find the hope they are searching for. Please give me the words to speak to someone new about Your greatness today. Allow those who are lost to find hope in you...and not continue to be lost in a world that feels empty and hopeless.
I love You and glorify Your name God, In Jesus Name, Amen

Sick Of The Sin...Need The Relationship!

As I write today's post I want to start of by humbly stating that I once was a person who justified all of my sins. I could tell you why it was ok (in my eyes) and how I wasn't as bad as so and so. I could list off the things that other people do that is much worse than the things I do. And of course I could always find you another "Christian" that was doing worse stuff than me. I used so many things to justify the sin I was messed up in because I would not allowed God to open my eyes to it. It was only when I came to then end of myself and surrendered it ALL to Him that my eyes were opened. And when that moment happened I was not only disgusted with my own sin, but I was so bothered by all the others sins around me that I never even noticed before.
I have been asked what was the moment that changed it all for me? And the answer I always give is that my experience with God moved from a religion to a relationship. When it was just religion everything was just about "rules". But once it became a relationship it was now about love. The things I did and didn't do before were all based on how good I could be that day....and if I couldn't be good then the only sorrow I had was out of guilt...guilt of God seeing my sin. But when the motives of my heart were driven out of love, then the things I do and don't do became about showing Him my love back to Him. This did not create a need for perfection in me, but instead it created a want to remain as pure as I can be FOR HIM. And when I mess up I now understand that His grace that covers my mess up is purely out of His love back to me. He knows I don't want to do things that don't please Him and He knows I don't want to abuse His grace. And out of that I have a loving relationship with my creator....and my life has never been the same.
Sin has consequences. If you do not get that then you are living deceived. The biggest consequence it has is the distance it causes between you and God, but all sin also has earthly consequences. Every day people are hurt, families are ruined and lives are destroyed because of sin. God knew the impact sin would have on us and that is why His will for our lives is to pull us as far away from sin as possible. And a relationship with Him is the ONLY way you will accomplish this. You can try it on your own (being good), but you will be exhausted. He offers a love, peace and joy that no sin can ever replace.
As you read this today, I would like to challenge you to think about where you are with God. If you call yourself a "Christian"...or even if you don't. God gave me this example and I want to share it with you as you consider where you stand. We have all heard of arranged marriages. When two people come together through an arrangement and are legally married. It is still a marriage. It still has all the same legal bindings and responsibilities because it is a marriage. Now compare that to 2 people who marry because they fell in love. Their hearts are in it. They want to help, serve and love one another. They care deeply for each other and desire to please each other and never do anything that hurts each other. In the arranged marriage the couple certainly can get to this place, but it definitely won't start off that way. Now, think about your relationship with God. IF you have truly repented and received the gift of Jesus then you can say your a "Christian", and you technically are, but are you living the life of an "arranged marriage" with God....or are you truly "married to Him". As for me, I am married to Him. I want nothing more than to show Him my love and do things that please Him...and avoid things that don't. That is the change that took place for me....I moved from rules to a relationship.... to a deep loving relationship with Him. If you are honest with yourself today, which are you in? Is pleasing Him at all cost at the top of your list today? Or are you still trying to justify the sin that you want to keep in your life? Give Him all of you and let Him show you an amazing life...better than anything you could ever imagine!
God, thank You for the relationship that You offer to us. Please help us not take it for granted or take advantage of it. Your grace is not owed to us, but is offered to us freely out of pure love. May we not abuse it and instead show You our love back to You by living in a way that is pleasing to You. And please help that create a light in us that can be seen by others....so YOU can be glorified and others will be drawn to what you have to offer them...I loving relationship with their creator! In Jesus name, Amen

No Going Back!

Have you ever been going down the highway and realized that you have either missed your exit or just passed the last gas station for a while. Your first instinct is that you need to turn around, but then you notice that every turn around spot has a "no u-turn" sign. For me personally, I won't turn around in those spots if it says that. I alway have the idea in the back of my head that there is cop somewhere watching just that turn around spot and as soon as I do, he will pull me over...hahaha. However, I also don't do it because it really is against the law. Why is that? Not because the state of Ohio decided to be jerks and not let anyone turn around, but instead it is because they are trying to protect you and the other drivers on the highway. They know that it's just not worth the risk for you to make that u-turn and cause an accident.
This morning as I was traveling to work I passed one of those signs. And when I did God started talking to me about never going back where you came from. That just like the u-turn sign is there to protect you from getting into an accident....He doesn't want "spiritual u-turns" for us either. One of the things the enemy loves to tempt us with is the familiar. Familiar, no matter how messed up it was, still has a misplaced feeling of safety, or comfort, or even trust. But God doesn't want us staying in, or going back to, the familiar. He wants to take into something better. But stepping into something better often means stepping into the unknown. And that can tend to have some fear that comes along with it that you will need to overcome. Which is again where God comes into the picture. It is His desire to teach us to rely on Him to get through the fear, to take the step out in faith and to get to a place you have never been.
When you are walking in God's will for your life, and He is trying to take you to a place you have never been, never let a u-turn be an option. Going backwards, or going back to the familiar places you know, does not promote growth. Not spiritually, not emotionally and not in the purpose that God is calling you to. 1 Peter 1:13-14 NKJV says "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance". To fully get what Peter was trying to say here you have to understand the language of their culture. However, I really love the way the NLT version translates this..."So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then." In a nutshell, you have found the answers you have always been looking for, Jesus! So demonstrate self control and don't go back to your old desires because now you know better.
Just like the state of Ohio wants to protect you by not allowing those u-turns, God also wants to protect you by telling you not to go back. Not to old ways of thinking. Not to old actions. And even in some cases not to old places or even old friends. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new". To God, once you have found Jesus, the old stuff is "passed away". It's dead and gone. And there is nothing to be gained by going back to something that does not offer life. Jesus offers abundant life, so keep pressing forward with Him! (see John 10:10)
God, Thank You that once we surrender to You, our past is dead and gone! Give us the strength to overcome the temptations to go back to the familiar and help us to keep pressing forward with You. And may our redeemed lives be seen by others so they will also want the new life that you have to offer them. In Jesus name, Amen

No Matter What....You Hold On!

I recently gave a word to a friend, and the word I felt God wanted me to say to them was "hold on". I didn't here these words as you would typically think when you here the words hold on. Like a person at the end of their rope and the only choice that have is to hold on or let go. A desperate person who feels like they are inches away from letting go and losing it all. No, instead I heard these words like "hold on to everything you know". Hold on to God's love. Hold on to God's truth. Hold on to God's promises. Hold on to God's blessings. Hold on to God's Word. Hold on to God's grace. Hold on to God's mercy....and hold on to God's precious gift, Jesus.
We live in a world right now where it seems like people don't have anything to hold on to. Our country is on a slippery slope of changes. Something even as little as 10 years ago that seemed to be a big deal isn't so much of a big deal now. We have loosened our morals to the point that you don't know what your going to hear or see in a TV show or movie anymore, and You really have no idea what you may see walking down the street. Things that used to be a reason to get arrested are just a ticket now (like certain drugs). And even things that would have been completely unacceptable in the church is now being accepted...or at least tolerated. What does all of this mean for those who follow Jesus? Does it mean that we are to "loosen up" too, and begin to accept or tolerate more? Does it mean we are allowed to "loosen up" and act more like the world, just maybe not quite as bad? Does it mean that since everyone else is accepting and tolerating more, then God must be too? NO! I have stood on this word for other topics before and I will stand on it again. Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus IS the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the same. Never changing. Never changing in His ways. Never changing in the things He accepts. Never changing in the things that are considered sin. Never changing in His forgiveness....and never changing it what it takes to accept His gift, turn from your ways and live a life for Him. Never changing from the way He taught it to 12 men in the bible a couple thousand years ago...to the way it should be taught today.
People around you may change. They may change what they are willing to accept, and they may change what they even say they believe. But what you have is between you and God, and you need to hold on to it. It is the one thing that no matter what, it can not be taken from you. It is YOUR relationship with Jesus Christ and it is personal. So HOLD ON to it!
I have 6 passages I want to leave you with when you can feel the enemy trying to close things in around you. When you can feel him applying pressure to you and your even watching people around you give up. Even though these are 6 separate passages from the bible, I am going to build them into one statement that you can take with you and use when you know the enemy is trying to work on you.
Use this to remind yourself how and why you hold on!
Hebrews 13:8-9, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, James 4:7, Ephesians 6:12, Romans 12:12 and Romans 15:13

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods (or things of this world) which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. So test everything, and hold fast what is good. Then, abstain from every form of evil and submit yourself to God. Resist the devil, and he has no choice but to flee from you. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. BUT, we can rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer. Knowing that the God of hope WILL fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

God, Thank You that YOU are our Hope. And even when the world around us is in constant change, YOU are the foundation we stand upon. In Jesus name, Amen.

Today Is A New Day

This weekend I had the chance to pray with some people. And each time this happens I usually am taught something from God as I am trying to help someone through the things they are battling. And this weekend God once again reminded me that so many times in our life we are battling yesterday's problems. And the enemy knows exactly how to get us to do that. He knows that if he can get us to keep looking back at things we will never be able to look ahead. And looking ahead is exactly what God wants us to do. Looking ahead at the hope we have in Him....
Philippians 3:12-14 says "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". Meaning, no matter what the enemy threw at you yesterday, and trust me he tries to throw stuff at us every day...but no matter what it was, today is a new day and we must press on. God has a plan and a purpose for each of us and that is where our focus should be, not on our problems, but on our purpose. Please understand that I am not saying that there are not problems that come along in life that need our attention. You can't go to bed one night and wake up the next day and everything went away. I wish.....But we can wake up the next day and say "I still have goals today...and I need God to help me stay focused on those and see them through...despite anything the enemy tried to hit me with yesterday". (Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.)
Sadly enough, there are problems that come along like divorce, sickness, death and financial hardship that have a lasting impact on us. I know because I have felt things in each of those areas. But they are not things that should just "take us out of the game". God can and will give you the strength to get through anything the enemy brings into your life. But we have to lay it at His feet and not try to do it on our own for Him to be able to do this. This is the part that people struggle with the most because it requires a lot of trust in God. And in the midst of a problem that feels like it is going knock your feet out from under you, trusting and believing is tough. The enemy knows this. That is why he hits you with such big problems or multiple problems at the same time. He wants to stir up worry in you and he wants you to try to take control of the things going on in your life. But God also knows what the enemy is trying to do to you..and He wants to give you rest, peace and joy in the midst of your storm. (Matthew 1:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.")
We can walk around with the fear and the attitude of "but yesterday....". Or we can walk around with a hope and the trust in God saying "however today is a new day and....". We need to speak life into the things God wants for us or has promised to us. Especially the things that you know He has personally spoke to you. For example, when I went through my divorce I heard God say "obey me and honor me with how you handle this and I promise your future will be better than anything you have ever known". That is a promise I stand on because I know it is from Him. There are days the enemy tries to distract me with bad news here, or a problem there, and I know he wants me to react by saying "nothing is "better""....but I won't. I won't because if God said it will be better, than it will. I trust that His timing and His ways are better than mine because God always sees the big picture, unlike me who sees a small window of my life.
God, thank You for the promises You give us to hold on to. The promises in Your Word, and the promises You speak to each of us. Help us to keep our focus on You as problems come into our life and not become consumed by them. We trust You and we place our hope in You because we know You are faithful and true! In Jesus name, Amen

Lay It Down And Follow Him

For a couple of years now God has brought me back to the story of the rich man in Matthew 19. This story has always challenged me to put myself in the story. I believe there are many lesson to walk away with from this story, but today I will touch on the one God has put on my heart. It's not at all a long story, but if you are unfamiliar with it then please check it out before I go on:
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 He said to Him, “Which ones?”
Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ 19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

 

Here stands a man before Jesus asking what he can "do" to get into heaven. How many times have you heard people (or yourself) ask that same question? We live in a world where we are conditioned to believe that you have to do something to get something(nothing in this world is free). The gift of God's love for free is so hard for us to wrap our heads around. Especially when God finds us in a life of sin when He offers it to us. But it is not about "doing"....instead it is about not doing. It is about surrender. With God it is always about submission, not accomplishments. But the part of this story that has always stood out to me is that this is the only recording (that I know of) of anyone who actually walked away from Jesus in the bible. Jesus offers Him the answers he seeks, but these were not the answers the man was prepared to hear. So the story says that "he went away sorrowful". Was he sorrowful due to not having a place heaven...or was he sorrowful because in that moment he realized that he didn't have possessions, his possessions had him.

This story says that the man had great possessions and Jesus asked him to sell them and follow Him. For us, as we read that we might think "how could you not? Just do it! It's Jesus!". However, I'll ask you what God has asked me many times in my walk with Him...what are you willing to lay down? For this man it a matter of selling everything because Jesus knew that is what consumed this man. I have no doubt if it would have been pride, or something else then Jesus would have said "lay down your pride and follow me". So what is it that Jesus would ask you to lay down if you really got honest with Him? And how many times have you or I said "I just can't lay that down right now God"? We all have something that God knows is "the thing" that has a grip on us. And it's not the grip He wants it to have. It might be the very thing that is preventing you from fully submitting to Him. The only way to find out is to get alone with God and seek the truth from Him...and then obey. Let Him show you how much better your relationship with Him could be if He could only get you to let loose of the very thing that has ahold of you.

The man walked away sorrowful because he knew that what Jesus had just asked for, he was not ready or willing or able to do. But had he just realized that what he was trading it for was SO much better, he would have gladly let lose of "stuff" and chased after Jesus. Whatever God speaks to you about, please know that chasing after God will be better than whatever happiness you think "it" is bringing you. Sometimes He calls us to let completely go of it...and sometimes He calls us to just put it in its proper place in our life. But not matter what that call is, the best thing you can do is be obedient.

God, thank You that Your Word is full of teachings that still apply today. Thank You that it is full of truth that we need to hear. Holy Spirit mend and mold our hearts to receive God's Word and apply it our lives. And give us the strength to make the tough choices when God calls us out....because what You have to offer is will always be far better. I love You and honor You with my obedience today. In Jesus name, Amen

An Outstretched Hand

It seems like there is not a day that goes by that God doesn't show me someone that needs reached out to. Someone who has been hurt or nearly destroyed by the enemy and the sinful world around them. And I know I am not the only Christian who experiences this. There are so many hurt and confused people all around us. Some walk around with it bottled up and some are just looking for anyone who will listen to them. And as Christ followers we have the answers they seek. The answers are not wrapped up in some self help speech or some government program...but in the complete surrender to Jesus Christ. Giving Him the power in their life to get them through and out of the situation they so hate.
The bottom line is...we ALL need Jesus. There are not some days that we need Him worse than others...we need Him every minute of every hour of every day. When we allow Him to flow through us, when we put away the selfish desires that consume us, when we realize the enemy tries to bring so many things in our lives to distract us so we will walk right past the people in need...when we realize these things, we will begin to fulfill our purpose in life. We are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are THE way that word of His love gets out to those who don't know Him. We pray for people and we ask God to move in their life, for God to reveal Himself to them....but do we stop long enough to say I might be the way that is going to happen. I go to a church where I watch many people reach out to others, cry out for the city they live in and intercede for those being impacted by the sin around them. I love the passion in their hearts when we come together to pray for our community. But I also watch too many other Christians leave that up to "the others". Please don't! Please ask God what is your part. Ask Him what more you can do that you are not doing yet. The message of God's love IS powerful enough to change even the hardest heart, but only if they hear it. Let people see God's word at work in our lives before they ever hear it come out of our mouths. Matthew 5:13-16 talks about how our lives should be like salt to the earth. (salt preserves and makes things better!) How we should be light until the world. (light that overcomes the darkness) And how our good deeds should be seen by all. Not so we can get recognition for the things that are done, but so God can get the glory. So we can SHOW the world His love!
As Christians we MUST carry God's joy inside of us. If we ever want people to want what we have then what we have has to look better than their struggles, their sins and even their false happiness that the enemy deceives them with. That is where truth trumps lies every time. When you share the story of God's grace, His mercy and His love...the story of Him sacrificing His own Son so someone could be forgiven and set free, it is almost impossible for someone to stare into the eyes of that truth and love and turn it away. Sure I know that some do reject....but we still have to be sowers of the seed. We can't let those who reject us discourage us to the point that we stop trying.
Today I want to encourage you to think about Jesus as He was placed on the cross. He stretched out His hands to be nailed to a cross. He knew He would be rejected and yet He still stretched out His hands for this world. Let that be motivation to stretch out your hand and help someone as well. It may be someone that you have seen receive help 15 other times, but maybe, just maybe this 16th time will be the one that changes their life. God may call you to reach out to someone who you know will reject your words, but at least when you share the seed is getting planted. When God calls you to reach out to someone please realize that there just might be a reason He has placed this call on you. You might be the person that can get on their level in a way that no one ever has. It might be you that helps change that persons life forever!
God, thank You for the undeserving grace and mercy that you show us. Please help us not become self righteous in that, but take the righteousness that Jesus offers and offer it to the rest of the world. Holy Spirit help us set aside our judgement of people and just reach out to them. And please help every seed we sow take root and grow in the hearts of those who so desperately need you. In Jesus name, Amen

Does He Have Your Best, First?

Are there things in your life that you love to do? I'm sure there probably is. Everyone I know has a passion for something. Whether it be to sit down and read a good book, go out and hike some trails, take a nice long bike ride or maybe its end the day with a nice long bath. No matter what it is that you always are looking forward to doing, there is probably an excitement that wells up inside of you when you finally have time for that thing.
That is how I picture God when we set aside time to be with Him. That He has been waiting for you to come back to Him since the last time you were with Him, and He is excited about it! But do we get as excited as He does? I would like to think that it would excite us to be alone with God, or to at least be in His presence. But when given a choice there are so many other things that get us more excited than that. Now I'm not saying that we shouldn't have things we enjoy and I'm not saying that every free minute should be spent in your quiet place with God. But I am asking if you have things in your life that get you more excited than your time with God. If so, you may need to ask yourself the question "do I have this thing, or does this thing have me?". One of the things I firmly believe is that everything in our life has a priority, even if we consciously don't realize it, it does. We, in our mind or emotions, have an order of importance that we put on things. And sometimes when we get honest and take the time to evaluate what has our time, we realize God is not really at the top of that list. That there are so many other things come before our "time with Him". And we justify it by thinking that just because something has our time doesn't mean it comes before Him, but I would challenge you to reconsider that thought. What has your time, has your attention. And what has your attention has a priority in your life.
Again, I am not saying that God does not want you to enjoy your life or things you love to do. In fact, He is the one who designed you, so if you are walking in His will then the things you love to do are probably passions He has put in you. But they were never meant to come before Him. Everything we invest our time or our energy into should have a place below God. Meaning, if you are going to do the thing "you like to do" today, then you should have already spent some time with God. And if you haven't given Him His time yet, then you really should be giving Him that time first. It is a lot like tithing. God doesn't want what is left over after you have spent all you felt like you needed to, He wants the tithe first. He wants you to consider Him first, and then trust Him to make what is leftover do what you need it to do. Well the same goes with your time. God doesn't want your leftovers. He really wants the best you have to offer, first. And why shouldn't He, considering He already gave us His son, the best He had to offer. When you begin to show God that kind of love and respect, offering Him your best first, He will bless you for it. You will find more fulfillment in the things you do enjoy because you will know that you've placed God above it where He belongs.
God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14), and why shouldn't He be? He created us to be in relationship with Him and worship Him. He gave us His best. He supplies our needs and even the desires of our hearts. I would say He has every right to want our best in return. But again, outside of all of that, I just want Him to feel my love back to Him by knowing that I put Him above all things. And as I finish this blog let me humbly say....do I get it right every day, no, as I am sure many people who are reading this right now don't. But the key is to not just accept that, but to say I can do this better God. I can give You what You deserve...I can give You more of me and the best of me!
God, thank You that You are so patient with us. I don't know how You do it, but Your love for us, Your grace and mercy toward us, and Your ability to never give up on us blows my mind daily. Help us put the things in our lives in their proper place and give You the best of us..first! Holy Spirit, please correct and direct us so that we are walking in full alignment with God's will so we are giving Him the ability to fully bless us in every way that He has planned for our lives. And as we are being filled by Him, help us to pour out to others so they can experience His love too. In Jesus name, Amen

The Lord Giveth & The Lord Taketh Away

If you are a Christian than hopefully you are seeking a life that goes deeper with God every single day. I've grew up listening to messages about seeking God's will, seeking God's face, seeking God's presence...but I never really understood what it might take to get there like I have over the past couple of years. So many times the things we add into our lives are the very things that are keeping us from getting to that place we talk about getting with God. Sometimes we call those things "blessings" because we feel our life is abundant. However I have to come to learn that just because we have stuff in our life does not mean we are blessed. Sometimes it is not until we start to strip away some of those things do we really open the doors and windows for God to truly pour His blessings out on us.

Ironically enough, I have discovered that when I begin to ask God for more He begins to ask me for less. He does not ask me for less of me, but for me to have less things that are taking up the time I could be spending with Him. And when I started to clear some of the busyness and the clutter out of my life I found that I could see Him more in it. When I started leaving time open in my schedule so I could travel to a service and spend time worshiping Him, I found that my time was being better spent. When the TV got turned off and I either spent time directly with Him, or time fellowshipping with other believers, I found my life had more joy. When I began to pray about the things I let my money get spent on, instead of buying something just for the sake of having it, I found more peace in my finances. And even some of the relationships in my life. When I let God have His way I noticed that some of those began to take a different place in my life too. When I let Him tend to the "garden" that I call life I found that He pulled out lots of weeds that just didn't need to be there. And the result of that has been a closer relationship with Him and a stronger faith to share with others. And when our walk with Jesus becomes about anything else other than getting closer to Him and sharing Him with others, it is time to take a closer look at what we really have with Him. We can so easily let God become just another part of our life if we are not careful. So many things pull at us for our time and attention and before you know it your "God time" is just another scheduled time in your day or week. Maybe it is 30 minutes in the morning and a couple of hours on Sunday....but that is not what He wants.
I've found that when I let God be the one who brings things in and out of my life it makes life a lot easier. If I pray for Him to close or open a door and it actually closes or opens I don't have to question it. It's what I prayed for. But I have to be WILLING to let God have control of things in my life or it will never work. We can't ask God to bring things in and take things out of our life that will grow us closer to Him, and then have an "except that" clause. God needs full access to our hearts and in order to get that He must have full access into our lives. Imagine trying to start a marriage and telling your spouse that there is one part of your life that they can't have access to. Saying they have to stay out of that area and can't have any input on those certain things. That relationship sure wouldn't go very far. The person would feel shut out and hurt that you didn't want to share it all with them. Well I believe we are capable of doing the same thing to God, and we shut Him out and hurt Him. But we also limit what He is able to do in and with our lives....and that is one of the worst things you can ever do with God because He wants more for you than you could ever want for yourself. Philippians 4:19 tells us that He wants to supply our every need. James 1:17 says every good and perfect gift is from above. Numbers 6:24-26 says The Lord will keep you, let His face shine upon you and give you peace. Nothing in this world is worth limiting God's ability to do all these things for you. So ask Him today what things may need to either take a different place in your life, or need to go from your life, so that He can be at the place that He needs and desires to be.
God, thank You that You chase us. You love us and want to be with us. That is so hard for me to wrap my head around...but Your love, grace and mercy shows me this daily. Please help us have hearts that will hear and obey when you are correcting and directing our lives because we know You have so much more for us when we give you full access into our lives. As you fill us, please help us to be a light to others so Your kingdom work can be done through us. In Jesus name, Amen

A Call To Obedience...

Obedience is a tough topic because it means something different for each of us. Yes, there are certain things that we are all called to as followers of Christ, but then there are also very personal things that God calls each one of us to. Some of those will be lifelong callings, and some of those will just be things He has called us to today. But God knows our hearts and He knows what will stretch us, grow us, cause us to have to rely on our faith in Him more, and what things will make permanent changes in us. And permanent changes are always what God is looking for. He is not trying to catch us in a good moment so we will do what He wants from us right then, but He is trying to build a heart inside of us that will be so in tune with Him that we will seek His desires FIRST every moment of every day of our life. And as I stated in my first sentence, for some that will be easier than others...but He knows that too.
Obedience is simply love being acted out toward God. (John 14:15) It is us saying back to God, "we recognize that You did the most You could to show us that You love us, so in our love back to You we will be obedient to the things You have called us to as Christians...and the things You have personally called us to". Romans 12:2 tells us that we are not to conform to this world, but to be set apart. That alone is a major act of obedience. To go with the flow of the world is much easier than stepping out of what the world considers the "norm" and standing on God's holy word. But we see in 1 Peter 1:13-16 that Peter is saying that acting in self-control, placing out hope in Jesus and not slipping back into our old ways of satisfying our desires are all acts of obedience to help you live a more holy life. Peter says that you should choose to be holy "in everything you do". Why? To be more like Jesus. He also goes on to say that God has no favorites, He will judge you and reward you according to what you do. This means you shouldn't try to keep up with someone else and call that obedience. You also shouldn't compare you sins to someone else and say your more obedient than they are. God sees YOUR heart and God knows the things He speaks to YOU about. He knows the life you have been pulled out of and He knows the personal struggles you deal with. So He also knows when something He calls you to do is going to be major or easy...and that is why He chose you for that specific task. Like I stated in the past, He doesn't want to leave you where He found you with a ticket to heaven. He wants to completely change and transform you from who you used to be into someone who reflects Him. And He knows that when we act in obedience our faith is increased, our love for Him is increased and the light we shine for Him is increased. All the things that He is focused on the most.
I have heard the term lately that "people need to do what makes them happy" more than I have ever heard before. That is no surprise since the enemy would love to disguise sin with happiness. Yes I said the enemy will use sin to make you happy. Happiness is a temporary emotion that can come and go with the change of any situation. Ever met a happy drunk person....did you see them again the next morning when they were sobering up? What seemed to make them so happy the night before didn't seem to be causing to much happiness later. And that is just one example. The enemy uses tons of sins to entice people into something that looks like "happiness". But God wants to fill your life with joy, not happiness. Joy can stand up through a storm. Joy and peace will trump happiness any day. And when Joy comes from the Lord nothing can take it away. Trust me I know.... satan will try, but God just keeps giving you more joy and peace because you are following His will for your life.
God wants to help us and teach through obedience. And when we open that door to Him, He will make permanent changes in our heart and in our life. Ask Him what He desires from you personally and let Him show you how blessed your life can be when you show your love back to Him through obedience. And when the enemy tries to bring in fear, allow God to supply what you need to overcome that too!
God, thank You that you give us choices. That alone shows us Your true love for us. Holy Spirit help us to choose what pleases God and let our love flow back to Him in our obedience. Help us live our lives by the truth of your word and allow that to guide us to be where you need us to be so we can do Your work. And help our obedience be a light that shines for others to see Jesus in us. In Jesus name, Amen

You Serve Jesus Christ!!

In order to be a follower of Christ you have to believe in who He is, what and why He did what He did and how that impacts you. Meaning He IS the son of God, He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an underserving death and rose again after 3 days. This impacts you by giving you the chance to be forgiven and set free from sin, have a relationship with the one and only God and promises you a eternal life in heaven with Jesus. In short, that is the gospel. That should be the foundation of every person who calls themselves a believer. But that's not all!!! That is the great news about the good news of the gospel. There is more and yet so many people stop there.
Do we realize the power that has been given to us by being able to call upon the name of Jesus? The amazing power that comes from the blood of Jesus that was shed for us? There are numerous verses that talk about what His blood means also and what it did for us. (Hebrews 9:11-28, 1 John 1:7, 1 Peter 1, Romans 5:9, Revelation 1:5, Matthew 26:28) It's amazing that through our faith in Jesus we can overcome anything, cast down the demonic things of this world and proclaim and declare healing...all by using the name of Jesus Christ! Then, on top of all of that, we also have the gift of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us to help us, to teach and to be our guide. (John 14:26, Romans 8:26) And once the Holy Spirit is upon you, you too can operate in the gifts of the spirit which brings God's power even more alive in your life. (Acts 2:38, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10) And all of these things together will allow you to walk in the fruit of the spirit....love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) All of this because of Jesus Christ and what He did for you and me.
Why did I go into all of that? Because every single day I witness people who call themselves Christians and yet they walk around living a completely defeated life with a completely defeated attitude. However we are not a defeated people. We are not a weak people. We are not a people who are being bullied around by this world we live in or the circumstances around us. We are a powerful people who are meant to live a purposeful life. We have the most powerful name of all time to praise and worship, to pray to, to call upon in our time of need....and to call upon to help us change the things around us! Never once when I read about Jesus' time on earth do I read that He was impacted by the things that went on around Him. I read about how His presence always made an impact on the things going on around it. Well we carry that same presence with us....His presence. So let's take that presence and His love and walk in authority. Not authority because of who we are, but authority because of whose we are. We serve a risen King....not a dead savior. Yes He died for us...but the story does not end there. There is a man named Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of God alive and well. And in that is a power that we have been invited to live in, call upon and share with others.
It is my prayer that this will be a mind opening and eye opening word for someone today. That whatever has been robbing your joy...whatever has been stealing your peace...whatever has been making you feel like life or your circumstances are hopeless....whatever has been making you feel defeated...whatever the enemy is trying to use against you to hold you down so you won't see your true potential in Jesus will stop today! We who serve Jesus are the adopted children of a King and we should live like that. Hope, Love, Peace and Joy are for us....so claim them and walk in them today!
God, thank You for ALL that You have ever done and still do for us! Let our minds and our eyes be opened up to what it really means to be a follower of Christ. Help us walk in the authority, love, peace and joy of Your name Jesus, and share that with as many people as we can! I pray that the life and attitude of the Christians who feel defeated and hopeless will be changed TODAY! In Jesus name, Amen!

Surviving A Storm...

As I have talked about in my past writings, all of us have either been through a storm, are in the middle of storm or have a storm coming at some point in the future. The main reason for this is because once you turn your life over the Jesus you become a target on the radar of the enemy. When we were all walking in sin we were not much of a threat to satan, but the moment our eyes were opened to God's truth and we accepted Christ and began to walk out of our old life of sin we became an instrument for God to use to reach the lives of others. This is something satan takes very serious and wants to "try" to put a stop to. Just look at the book of Job to see how badly the enemy wants to get you to curse God and walk away from Him. He will go to whatever extremes he can and that is why it is so important that we recognize his tactics and know what to do in a crisis, a battle or a storm.
There are a few things in life that I will never forget because of their impact on me, and some that I never want to forget because of the lessons they taught me. And the storm that I found my life in throughout 2014 is one of those things. I know some people say "I just want this to be over so I can move on and forget about all this", but I often look back on that storm just so I can remind myself of how much God was truly there for me each and every step of the way. That year represents an unwanted divorce and the enemy slowly ripping apart a family and relationships. Yes there were dark days where it seemed like the enemy was winning the battle, but that is because those were the times that I was too focused on the day and not trusting God with the entire situation. I had days of very strong faith and I had days where my faith was shook. Just being real with you..... But the victory was not in the end results of that storm, the victory was in how God brought me through it and changed me and my life. And that is why I don't ever want to forget it. He was my strength, my shield, my deliverer, my comforter, my provider, my protector and my best friend. He was with me every second of the battle and He didn't just hold my hand, but He actually carried me at times. I know that there was no way I would have made it through that time without Him and all that He did for me. And I can honestly say that He DID make good out of something that the enemy meant to destroy me with. (see Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-3 and Acts 20:24)
The reason I wrote about this today is because I physically drove through the worst storm I have ever had to drive through yesterday. And at one point on the highway my visibility was almost at a zero. The car right in front of me had their flashers on and I literally could not see it. And this entire scenario reminded me of what 2014 felt like for my life. I was in a storm where no matter what direction I looked, I couldn't see my way out of it. My only choice was to trust God...and not a little, but fully. But I thank Him that I didn't have the answers, and that I couldn't see or find my own way out. If I could, I probably would have tried in my own strength and either made the storm last a lot longer than it needed to, be much more worse than it needed to be, or I would have failed miserably at a chance to let God shine in my life. If you have ever been in the middle of a really bad physical storm then you know you have to do some things to get through it. You have to wait it out...you are not going to control the storm. You have to be wise about your decisions or you could make some very dangerous choices. And you have have to seek shelter (or protection), or you literally could get killed. Well the same thing is true for any storm you find your life in. Pray and patiently wait for God's timing. His timing is always perfect it can't be rushed. Release it to Him and try not to control it. Be wise about your words, your actions and even your thoughts. The enemy is going to do all He can to distract you, frustrate you and destroy you...rely on God's strength and wisdom to get you through. And hide under the shelter of God....meaning pray, pray and pray some more, asking God to be your shelter in this storm. He will protect you when you give Him access to your life. And trusting Him in a time like this WILL grow your faith. In a storm the enemy wants to kill you spiritually...and God wants to give your faith new life. A storm is the opportunity for either one to happen. YOU have to decide which one you are going to let happen to you!
God, thank You for not letting me forget how you got me through my storms. Thank You for Your promises to always be there for us. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us in our times of need. Today I lift up anyone who is in the midst of a storm or a battle that seems hopeless. Please show them a peace, a joy and Your hope for their life as they release things to You and trust You. And let their life become a testimony for others to see. In Jesus name, Amen.