Let Him See

And Elisha prayed, & said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see."  Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, & he saw.  And behold the mountain was full of horses & chariots of fire all around Elisha.  (2 Kings 6:17 NIV)

Oh to see things from Gods perspective.  We see the problems, circumstances, struggles, & enemies when God sees the solution.  He says "What are you worried about I have sent all of these angels to fight for you?".  He brings us through battle after battle & yet we doubt because our focus is on circumstances instead of the Lord of all Creation.  I think that's part of the maturation process, learning to see things as Christ sees them.  So what battle are you facing today?  I encourage you to open your eyes & see things from Gods perspective.  See the angels surrounding you.  See the hand of Almighty God moving on your behalf.  See the fiery chariots & horses there to fight for YOU.  The fight might be lopsided but it might just be lopsided in your favor.

Enter

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus (Heb. 10:19 NIV)

When you pray, did you know that you are entering His presence?  My next question is HOW are you entering His presence?  Do you enter with confidence & faith or is it more of "I know you probably wont but I hope you do".  Christ by His shed blood has made it possible for us to enter into Gods presence.  That same blood is why we can enter with confidence because there is power in that blood.  If you are Gods child, the power of that blood is for YOU.  We often believe that God will do it for someone else but not for us.  Today I want you to remember to enter into Gods presence with confidence in the blood of Jesus Christ.  Know that He shed His blood for you so that you could enter with confidence.  God loved you enough to send His only Son to shed His blood for you so why would He not want to show His power through your life.

Go Away

Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, & he will flee from you.  (James 4:7 NIV)

Ever feel like things are coming at you in waves.  You get through one wave & are feeling good about the victory when suddenly here comes the next.  It could be a trial, struggle, temptation, or sin that you've been dealing with.  Two keys, first submit to God.  Give it over to God & let Him take it & deal with it.  Acknowledge His authority & lordship over your life.  He is your power source.  You have to stay connected to Him.  Secondly, you have to resist the devil.  If you are Gods child, he has no authority in your life.  Christ has already paid the price for you.  Remind him of his place & the end result of his story. Remind him of Who you belong to & that its time for him to go.  You have to stand strong.  Gods word promises that if you Satan will flee from you.  God has already provided your way to victory, Ive reminded you of what you need to do, so go out & claim the victory.

I Will Give You Rest

"Come to Me, all of you who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. (Matt. 11:28 NKJV)

Anybody out there tired?  Anybody feel like  you've been beaten down & you just need to catch your breath & get your second wind?  Christ is the place to go.  You can go to Him & rest there in His strength & in His arms.  Too often we try to go on our own & that's what wears us down.  If we would just rely on Him & trust in Him, our burden would be so much lighter.  As in one of my favorite books, "Pilgrims Progress" we spend too much time carrying around that backpack of the past, our fears, worries , & failures.  If we would take that backpack to the cross & leave it there, Christ will dispose of it for us & we can walk much lighter.  Sometimes, we get tired & its hard to take that rest but we can always  go to the One Who gives us rest.  If youre feeling tired & worn down claim this promise for your day & rest in our Redeemer.  He will refresh you.

Whats their need

Jesus went throughout Gaililee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, & healing every disease & sickness among the people. ( Matt. 4:23 NIV)

Christ is our example.  This was an example of His ministry.  A model that I would think would be good for us to follow.  First He went.  He went to the people were who needed Him.  As Christians we need to be in the world making a difference.  How do we do that?  Follow Christs example.  He preached.  He healed.  He met their needs.  Our preaching carries a lot more weight when we're showing enough concern for them to meet their needs.  God can multiply our abilities, talents, & resources to do just that.  If we will be about following His example, He will use us to do great things.  I believe God is wanting to unleash His power through believers who trust Him enough to allow Him to work through them.  Would you like to be one of those believers who had the power of the Holy Spirit moving through them?  Lets set about following His example & watch what He does.

Know the Power

I want to know Christ & the power of His resurrection & the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, & so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  (Phillipians 3:10 NIV)

As Christians, I think we often underestimate the power that we have available to us.  We have the same power as was used to raise Christ from the dead.  I think we have not even come close to seeing what God can do through us if we would only let that power work through us.  I think part of the reason for that is when struggles & difficulties come we give up too soon.  God uses those struggles to grow us, refine us, & to make us more fruitful for Him.  We have to remember that as we go through those struggles, we still have that same power available to us.  Instead of being defeated & turning back too soon, we need to access that power that comes from Almighty God & move those mountains.  There will be struggles in life but God promises to use them for our good.  So when they come, stay faithful & use the power & watch what God does with you.

Keep on Speaking

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, don't be silent.  For I am with you, & no one is going to attack you & harm you , because I have many people in this city. (Acts 18: 9&10 NIV)

Today I think it has become increasingly easy to be quiet & not share Gods word with others because we can feel concerned with what others might say or do in response.  However, Christs words to Paul apply to us today as well.  We need to keep sharing Gods word.  We need to live it, speak it & walk it.  The world needs Gods word now more than ever.  There are many out there misrepresenting it & its up to us to speak the truth.  We can do this because we know that Christ goes with us.  If Christ is with us, we have nothing to fear.  Also, the world will tell us that there aren't many Christians left but just as God says here in His word He has many of us left.  We need to work together to continue speaking His word, encouraging each other, & doing the work Christ has given us to do.  I encourage you today, don't be afraid, keep speaking, keep working.  God has a great work for us to do & remember, He goes with us.

Why work

We continually remember before our God & Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, & your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess. 1:3 NIV)

So salvation is a free gift from God.  We don't have to do anything to receive it.  This fact brings up the question then of why work.  In todays society this can be a popular idea of why work when you can get it for free.  The answer to that question is because of our love for our Lord & Savior which causes us to want to do what pleases Him.  It is because of our love for others that we want to share Christ with them.  The world today is in desperate need of hope & as Christians we have that hope to share with the world.  We don't (or shouldn't) work to get something but its out of love (the two greatest commandments) that we work.  And the last thing it talks about here is endurance.  If youre getting tired & sometimes feel like youre not seeing results, remember where our hope rests.  It rests in the Most High God, the Creator of the Universe, Jehovah Jireh, & Jehovah Rapha.  So I want to encourage you to get your second wind & keep working.  God will bring about the results if we show His love & continue to do His work.

Sing

About midnight Paul & Silas were praying & singing hymns to God, & the other prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25 NIV)

So there was Paul & Silas in terrible conditions in prison, & they were praying & singing.  Yes, It says praying & singing, not complaining & crying.  They weren't having a good day but they knew they had hope because of Jesus Christ.  The thing I find interesting is that it says here that the other prisoners were listening.  They were probably amazed about two people in prison praying & singing.  The point is that the world is watching.  How are Christians responding to bad circumstances?  Are we praying & singing or grumbling & complaining.  Are we joining in with the gloom & doom of the news reports or are we praising God because He is still on the throne & in control?  Are we acting differently than the rest of the world?  You see the other prisoners were listening because Paul & Silas were different than the others.  The other prisoners wanted what they had.  Can the same be said of us today?  So eyes off of the circumstances, & back on your true Hope & get that song back in your heart & out of your mouth>

Papa

This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life.  Its adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next Papa?" (Rom. 8:15 Message)

This was the perfect verse for me today.  There are times in life when you just cant wait to tell your mom or dad something because you know as a child they can take care of it.  As you get older, you often cant wait to tell your spouse about something because youre looking for support.  I even now find myself wishing I still had my grandparents to ask something & learn from their wisdom.  In ministry, I often wish I has my grandpa, (a pastor) to ask Him how he handled certain things.  I will also admit that this week I have been feeling kind of beaten down.  But this verse says we shouldn't be timid as Christians but that we should be expectant.  The reason we can do so is because we can still run to our Father (papa), climb up in His lap & watch with child-like faith as He gladly helps us.  Even though I no longer have my grandpa to ask those questions to, I can go to anytime, anywhere.  If you don't know that relationship with Almighty God, I want to encourage you to take care of that today.  There is no greater comfort than His loving arms.  So if youre tired & lifes battles seem to be beating you down, know that your Heavenly Father is there with arms open to strengthen you & fight those battles for you.

What does it mean to you

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, for He taught with real authority- quite unlike their teachers of religious law. (Matt. 7:28-29 NLT)

Did you know the Bible was meant for you?  Yes, you personally.  Too often we get hung up on trying to explain the Greek & Hebrew or the laws & the thee's & thou"s.  Now I think those are important things & I thank God that there arte people & books that can explain those things but I think theres something more.  We need to know how Gods Word applies to us. Christ Im sure explained all those things when needed & He had all the knowledge there was on Gods word but He made the Word apply to people.  Gods word should impact your everyday life.  It should make a difference in our lives.  It should impact our priorities, how we are with others, & our view of God.  His Word is meant to be shared.  When you do, make it applicable to the person you are sharing it with.  Make it what God reveals to you.  I could never share Gods Word, especially in front of people if I had to reveal what all the words meant.  But I have to rely on God to reveal it to me & to be able to explain how that applys to them. Some might call it simple or "country preaching" but that's my calling.  When you study Gods word ask God to reveal to you how it applies to you.  It will be music to His ears.

Open Door

I know your deeds.  See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.  I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word & have not denied my name. (Rev. 3:8 NIV)

Think about open doors & closed doors for a second.  Closed doors often seem like a terrible thing to us because it often represents a "no" to something.  But think about a closed door to your home.  Often that door is closed for your protection.  But here God says He has placed an open door before the people & this door no one can shut.  That means that as hard as people may try to stop Gods work or whatever obstacles & forces come against it, nothing is capable of shutting a door that Christ has opened.  I believe God has placed before us an open door. Im praying for it everyday.  Sometimes it feels like there are strong forces trying to push it closed on us, but Gods word promises that they are not strong enough.  Take advantage of the open door, let God hold it open against the opposition & just keep sharing it.  As I think about my journey through ministry, my desire is to work full time in ministry, & I know that God has placed that open door before me to do just that if I will keep His word & keep sharing Him.  So your strength might be shrinking & you might be getting tired but Im encouraging you to get that second wind & allow God to take care of the door.

Humble Pray Seek Turn

If My people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves & pray & seek my face & turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven & will forgive their sins & will hear their land.  (2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV)

If we want things to be different in our land, here is the instructions.  We have had politicians & political parties tell us they have the soloution.  We have had economic experts that promise they have the secret to turning things around.  Weve heard if we just had more money thrown at the problem or if we could just better educate people about this problem, then things could be better.  I still haven't seen a turnaround from any of those groups.  I know it might not be politically correct or a popular idea, but maybe its time to try what God says.  Heres the first place we probably lose a lot of people, humble ourselves.  Humility can often be in short supply.  Once we realize its not about us but about God, then we need to pray to Him.  He wants to hear from His people.  Next, we must seek Him.  Instead of constantly trying to push Him out, we need to be inviting Him in.  We need to invite Him into our lives, our churches, our country, & the world.  And last, heres the real toughy today, turn from our wicked ways.  We don't like to be told things are wrong or things are sin.  But we need to turn from those things that are displeasing to God.  Search your life & see if theres something in your life that is displeasing to God.  Weve tried the other ways & they haven't worked.  Its time to go back to Gods Holy Word & follow it.

Hold To His Teaching

So then brothers, stand firm & hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. (2 Thess. 2:15 NIV)

In todays world, we need to make sure we are holding to Gods word.  In order to do that we must know Gods word.  There are to many people making subtle changes to Gods word, watering it down, & trying to change it to meet their desire. Gods word needs no help.  It has not changed & it will not change.  Our responsibility is to share it with others just as it is.  The world needs Gods word just as it is written to meet the needs of this struggling word.  It is life changing.  Spend time in it & spend time passing it on to others.  Use it as your guide in life so that you know what God wants you to be doing.  Know that it applies to your life.  Its for you!  Gods word will transform you if you will let it.  Don't let yourself be deceived by ones who try to use part of it or try to twist it to meet their thoughts.  Gods word does not change with the latest polls or society trends.  Stand firm on Gods word & you will never go wrong.

Know Him

Oh that we might know the Lord!  Let us press on to know Him.  He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in the early spring." (Hosea 6:3 NLT)

The most important relationship we can have is one with our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.  Its the relationship that makes everything else & every one of our other relationships better.  If we will put in the time getting to know Him, learning about Him, & trusting Him it will be the best investment we will ever make.  Sometimes you can have someone in your life who you really invest a lot of time in getting to know only to have them ignore you.  Jesus Christ is not like that.  He promises to respond to you & draw close to you.  You can have that closeness.  You can have that Friend who is like no other.  Spend time seeking Him.  Study His word.  Talk to Him daily & all through the day.  Talk to Him in the good & the bad times.  Be honest with Him, He knows anyway.  Learn that you can trust Him no matter what.  Satan will try to distract you from getting closer to God but press through those distractions.  Seek Him above all else.  Without Him everything else is meaningless.  You will never have a better friend.

Be Ready To Answer

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness & respect, (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

Todays world is in desperate need of hope.  Too often we look to athletes, celebrities, politicians, & political parties as our hope.  Those people even with their best efforts will let us down & should not be where our hope lies.  But if Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives, we have hope.  Not only hope but hope that does not fail.  Since we have that hope, we should go through life looking like we know that Hope.  When the rest of the world is worried about the economy, world situations, sickness, etc., we need to know that our God is not dependent on what is going on with those things.  He is Lord of all.  If we face life victoriously, others will wonder why we aren't stressed about the things that bother them.  That is when we have the opportunity to share about our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.  Share your hope with them.  Do it with love & respect.  The world is looking for hope & its up to us to show them where our hope comes from. Its up to us to show them how we can have hope in hopeless situations.  Jesus Christ is our hope.  He died on the cross & was raised again so that we could have that hope.  Remember, our Hope never fails.

Word or Deed

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Col. 3:17 NIV)

If we lived by this verse how would it change our words toward each other, our activities during the day, & what we saw as important.  If before we spoke (or typed) we thought about whether or not God was being glorified by our words, would we speak (or type) differently?  If how we acted towards others was done because it brought glory to God, would we act differently towards others?  Far too often we think we have a right to act or speak in a certain way but is it pleasing to God?  Could something so small as changing how we speak & act towards others, really make a huge difference in our relationships or even the world?  We are to bring glory to God in all we do.  And we are to give thanks to the Father through Christ.  Have you ever tried to complain while giving thanks to God, its actually pretty difficult.  Once you actually start thinking of all the things that God has given you, the complaints become less & less because you see how many blessings you have to be thankful for.  Try it today.  Make a list of all the things you can think of to be thankful for (even the ones you take for granted each day).  Im going to guess you will make quite a list>

Its Not Me

I have been crucified with Christ & I no longer live but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me & gave Himself for me. (Gal. 2:20 NIV)

When we choose to make Jesus Christ our Lord & Savior, our life is turned over to Him.  Our desires are not our own anymore but we seek Gods desires for our life.  We have surrendered our will to His.  That probably not a real popular thought for many today because the world wants to tell us that we should be able to do what we want.  They ask us why we would want to give up control of "our" lives.  It is because of the second part of this verse.  We do so because of our faith in the Son of God.  We know we can do all things through Christ.  We know He works out all things for our good.  We know He makes our crooked places straight.  When we cant see the right way or how something can work out, He knows exactly what we need to do.  So you see its really an easy decision.  We do so because we trust Who we have surrendered our lives to.  If you will make that decision today, it will be a decision you will never regret.  He loved you enough to give His life for you.  If He loves you that much I think its alright to trust Him with the rest of your life.

No Greater Joy

I have no greater joy than than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.  (3 John :4 NIV)

What a true statement.  Whether it is your actual children or ones you have helped to know Christ.  To know that they are growing in a relationship with Christ & growing in the knowledge of His word.  There is not a better investment of time than to teach your kids about Christ.  Too often people spend time teaching their kids things that will have no eternal value & yet wont take time to teach them about Almighty God.  Those other things are important but on Judgement Day, they will all be worthless.  Growing up today, kids need a firm foundation in Gods word to deal with the struggles & false teachings that they will come against.  Living that example before them will produce such great rewards.  If you are walking in the truth & showing them that Christ is a priority to you then it helps to make Him important to them as well.  what greater comfort could you have but to know that all is well with your childs soul.  If you have that assurance you know what Im talking about.  If you don't, theres no better time than the now to start.

Not By Sight

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for & certain of what we do not see.(Heb. 11:1 NIV)

In life we tend to get so caught up in what we can see. We can see the circumstances around us.  We can see the financial report.  We can see the medical report.  We can see the troubled relationship.  This verse tells us to look past what we see to what God is doing.  He is working on our behalf, making a way where there is no way.  Hes bringing rain in the dessert.  As "impossible" situations come against us, we need to start seeing through Gods eyes.  We might not be able to see the way but He does.  This year if youre wanting to turn things around, start using your eyes of faith.  God says to call the things that aren't as if they are.  Start meditating about that situation the way God sees it.  Start speaking that situations as God sees it.  Quit speaking words of defeat & change the station to words of victory.  Know that nothing is impossible with God.  If someone tries to tell you something is impossible, tell them that God has it under control. They may look at you funny but imagine their look when God does the impossible.  Start believing in a God Who can do the impossible because that is Who we serve.  Don't pay attention to the nay sayers because it only matters what God says.  He has big things in store for those who believe!

Set Free

And you will know the truth, & the truth will set you free." (John 8:32 NLT)

A relationship with Jesus Christ is the key to freedom.  He came to earth to die on the cross for our sins & rise again so that we could be free.  He took our sins upon Himself on that cross so that we would not be bound by them any longer.  All we have to do is accept Him & the gift He has made available to us.  He set us free from anything that is holding us back from having a closer relationship with Him.  He wants us to live in freedom.  What are you letting hold you back?  What has Christ freed you from that you are still holding on to?  What is keeping you from Gods best?  Is it an addiction?  Maybe its the past.  Maybe your letting a sickness, debt, or fear keep you shackled.  Don't fight the battle in your own strength.  Fight the battle with the truth which is what God says about your situation.  Get in Gods word & see what He has to say.  Spend time praying & listening to God & see what He tells you.  His word is truth.  Truth can overcome circumstances every time.  Don't live another day or second living in anything less than what God has promised you.  Anything other than what God says is just noise.  Don't be distracted.

We Can't Fathom

Great is the Lord & most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom.  (Ps. 145:3 NIV)

Sometimes I think we have lost sight of Gods power.  We think things are just too big, can never change, or that God just isn't concerned.  God is still great & He is still on the throne.  He still is a God of miracles.  We cant even imagine the power of Almighty God.  We tend to pray help me get by prayers because we think that we don't want to ask for too much.  If we can think it, we are not even scratching the surface of what God can do.  He can take impossible situations & make them not only possible but make them happen.  We need to start really believing in a big God.  If we want God to move big, we have to start believing big.  Praise Him, believe in Him & ask Him to move in new & mighty ways.  Ask Him to use you & work through you.  If youre in need of a need met, healing, or restoration & you don't see how it could happen, remember that we cant fathom the greatness of God.  He is enough.

Its FromGod

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. (2 Cor. 3:5 NIV)

Has God ever asked you to do something that you thought was just too big for you?  You thought there was no way that you could ever do that.  Here is the message for today.  Quit relying on you.  Without God, we cant do anything.  With God, we can do all things.  People will tell you that you cant possibly do that, youre just dreaming.  They might even laugh at you for suggesting that you could do something that big.  They would be right if we were relying on our own power.  But as Christians we rely on God to give us the ability.  His power has no limits.  If God moves through us there is nothing that we are not equipped to do.  If God has placed something on your heart to do, don't let anyone discourage you from that.  If they try to tell you that you cant, tell them its alright, God can.  It all comes from God anyway.  God gives you things to do that are bigger than you so that you will rely on Him.  So if you start feeling like youre too weak, small or inadequate to do something remember its not from you, its from God.

Show Me

O Lord, You have searched me & you know me.  (Ps. 139:1 NIV)

Every once in a while, I think its a good idea to ask God to show you where you might need some improvement.  After all He knows you better than you do.  He created you, He knows your thoughts, & He knows where He is leading you.  In our lives , sometimes we don't se what in our life is holding us back from Gods best.  If God will reveal those things to us & we will follow His leading in getting rid of it, we can keep growing more like Him.  That is our ultimate goal.  Ask Him to reveal things that are not pleasing to Him.  He will reveal these things to us but we have to be willing to let Him have it.  And not only that but we need Him to fill that spot with more of Him.  Are you willing to be transparent with God?  He knows it anyway.  Are you willing to let go og things that are holding you back?  You don't need the extra baggage.  God has great things for those who put Him first & who want to get rid of anything that is holding them back from a closer relationship with Him.  Are you ready for Gods best?  Let Him have it & let Him give you something better.

Done Deal

being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. (Rom. 4:21 NIV)

Have we lost sight of Gods power?  Do we fail to believe the promises that God has given us.  Or maybe we just think that those promises are not meant for us.  If God has promised it to us it is a done deal.  The only thing we have to do is be obedient & claim the promises that He has so freely given.  We need to remember the power of Almighty God.  He is Jehovah Rapha our Healer.  He is Jehovah Jireh our Provider.  God doesn't speak in possibilities, He speaks in it has already happened.  Our problem is we don't take advantage of the power that God has made available to us.  Get a bigger vision of God.  We often think too small.  We serve a big God who is faithful to keep His promises.  The key to this verse is being fully persuaded.  Not He might do it, He could do it, or I hope He does it but "I am fully persuaded God is going to do what He promised."  What God can do with a faith like that.  How about we find out!

Have Confidence

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy & find grace to help us in our time of need.  (Heb. 4:16 NIV)

When we speak to God, how do we approach Him?  Do we come before Him not wanting to ask Him for too much?  Maybe we think that we are bothering Him.  Now I want you to understand that I believe we should approach Him with all reverence& humility but I don't think He wants us to approach Him doubting He can do what Hes promised.  I want my kids to respect me but still knowing that I will help them with everything in my power & knowing that I love them.  If I want to do that for them, how much more does Almighty God want that for us. Christ said to let the little children come unto Me.  If we have made Jesus Lord of our life, that's who we are to God, His children.  Go to Him.  Believe in Him.  Trust Him.  Climb up in His lap & say "Daddy, I love you & I need your help".  That's exactly what Hes waiting for.  Approach with confidence.  Confidence that He is who He says He is, He can do what He says He can do, & He loves you.

Be Rooted

So then just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted & built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, & overflowing with thankfulness.  (Col. 2:6&7 NIV)

To live in Christ you have to have a strong foundation or root system.  That comes from time spent in Gods word, time in prayer, time in a bible based church with other believers to help you grow & support you. At this time in history it is as important as ever to know what you believe.  There are different messages coming from all over saying that their way is good.  They're trying to tell you that there are a lot of ways to heaven.  That's not what Gods word says.  You haver one rooted in Gods word.you have to be able to draw on your faith in the most High God when your strength is running low.  There will be times when you feel like you want to give up & that's when you have to know that Gods strength is sufficient.  That will be where thankfulness will come from because you know that God will deliver you & bring you out stronger.  But it all comes from your root system.  Water it, feed it, & let it grow stronger from the blowing winds.  Be rooted!

Just Like Us

Elijah was a man just like us.  He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, & it did not rain on the land for three & a half years.  Again he prayed, & thug heavens gave rain & the earth produced it's crops.  (James 5: 17 NIV)

We read about people in the bible like Elijah, Paul, Peter, David, Abraham & the list goes on & on.  We see the great things that happened in their life & I think we somehow think they were some kind of superhero.  Even today you might think that about Billy Graham & others.  The bible says here that they were men "just like us".  The thing these people had was that they surrendered their lives to God, had faith in Him as God,& they didn't doubt. However, that same God that did those things through them & that same God who answered their prayers, is still alive, working, & still has powerful as He was then.  If we want to see those types of things happen today & we want to see God do great things through us, then we need to surrender ourselves to Almighty God & believe God to do what He promises.  We need to spend more time listening to God so that we can better follow Him.  Those people could have said they were too small to do big things but instead they said God was too big to fail. It's time to believe that again today!

More

Wake up!  Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God.  (Rev. 3:2 NLT)

This was a letter to the church in Sardis. This is not anything that a church would want to hear.  I do think today though that God is crying out tithe burch to wake up.  It's time for more.  God wants more  from His church than singing a few songs, taking an offering, having a sermon, & maybe a Sunday school class or bible study.  God wants more than a "fellowship" meal & the newest program to hit the bookstore.  God wants more than excuses from the church about why we're not reaching more people.  Please don't misunderstand me.  I have grown up in the church my whole life & I love the church.  I know many real deal Christians & many real deal churches. But we're called to he nothing less than our best for God.  We're called to follow His leading above all. We're called to reach out to the people who are not in the church building.  We are to present His message just as He has given it to us.  We are called to do more.  God has told us to work until He returns, not to go through the motions until He returns.  I believe God wants to do a mighty work through His church.  Are we available for Him to do that?  Are we more than lip service?  We are asked to serve "the least of these".  We need a passion for Christ & doing His work.  So let's not settle for good when God wants more.

What change

If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie & do not live by the truth.  (1 John 1: 6 NIV)

No more straddling the fence, having your cake & eating it too, or playing both sides. When you make a decision for Christ, there should be a difference in your life.  There should be a change.  It should change your heart which in turn should reflect in your actions. You see it's not doing it because you have to, it's doing it because you want to.  You want to be more like Him. He's your Lord & Savior so you want to please Him.  You want to know Him more.  If you have truly made Christ your Lord & Savior, you cannot stay the same.  He will change you.  He frowns upon lukewarm.  He doesn't want you to stay on baby food.  He wants you to be everything He created you to be.  So I ask you has He made a change in your life?  Can others see a difference?  Do they want what you have? Ask Him to change you.  Ask Him to make you more like Him.  He will do things through you that you cannot even imagine.  Gigot in Gods word.  Get active in a church &/or bible study.  Spend time in prayer. Surrender yourself to Christ.  Live the truth.

Unsettled

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  (Is. 43:19 NIV)

I don't know about you but every once in a while you just feel unsettled.  I have felt that way lately & it feels kind of like a stirring from God.  It's an excitement, anticipation, & a feeling of expectancy. It's that feeling of God getting ready to do a new thing. I believe God still does new things, things that we haven't seen before.  I believe we are getting ready to see that. I believe God is getting ready to do a new thing in my life but I also believe God is getting ready to do a new thing in the church & the world. I believe His Spirit has begun to move & stir people to do His work in a way that we haven't seen. I think it has been bubbling for some time & now I think we are getting ready to see the results. I'm excited.  I hope you are. I hope you are expecting it & I hope you are going to be a part of it.  God has a work for you to do.  He has a work for all of us to do.  Keep praying.  Keep seeking & keep working.  God is ready to do a new thing!

New Batch for Today

Great is His faithfulness;  His mercies begin afresh each morning (Lam. 3:23 NLT)

What a great comfort.  We haven't used up all of Gods mercies.  He has a fresh batch just for our needs each morning.  No matter how we fail, come up short, or struggles we deal with, God pours out new mercies on us each day.  He won't run out.  Take a minute & picture Gods mercies pouring out on you. Picture reaching your hands toward heaven & feeling the rain of his mercies falling on you. Let it refresh you.  Let it cleanse you of all the junk that you collect each day.  We serve a faithful God with a never ending supply of mercy.  He loves you & He has good plans for you.  Rely on His supply of mercy to give you the strength you need for today.  He has plenty to spare.

Through Me

Jesus answered, " I am the way & the truth & the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  (John 14:6 NIV)

As I write this blog, first & foremost my concern is speaking what I feel God has laid upon my heart. I feel that if I had something that I truly believed someone needed to help them out with something & didn't offer it to them, that would be horrible of me.  Having said that, I believe the most important thing someone needs is to be able to spend eternity with Jesus Christ.  This verse says that the way to do that is to go through Jesus Christ.  He loves you.  He came to save you.  He is also the truth.  He didn't say He was politically correct, but He did say He was the truth.  His word is truth.  You can trust it, follow it, & rely on it.  And making Him Lord of your life brings life here on earth as well as eternal life.  Ask Him for forgiveness of your sins.  Believe in Him as the Son of God & make Him Lord of your life.  You can take care of that anytime, anywhere.  It will be the best decision you will ever make.