Wednesday, January 23, 2013

All Alone?

How often do you trust God to handle the small things, yet when it comes to much larger issues your faith grows dim?  Why do we doubt his ability to handle the BIG things, the tough decisions, the scary situations?  I have been on a journey to finish my nursing degree, and as I’m in my last semester of nursing school, I find myself afraid and doubtful that I might not finish, that I won’t be able to get a job after graduation, and that I might fail the NCLEX (RN licensure exam)…  However, this morning as I was reading about the Israelites entering the promise land, I was reminded that no matter what the situation is God will see it through.  I shouldn’t stop trusting God just as I’m about to reach my goal!  As I look back on all that God has done for me, I remember that He has ALWAYS taken care of me, so why doubt now!

 Numbers 14:5-9
“Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel. Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

In Numbers chapter 13, the Lord instructed Moses to send 12 men to explore the land of Canaan – the land that the Lord promised to the Israelites.  When the men came back they gave reports of fortified cities with walls 20 feet thick and 25 feet tall, surrounded by guards, and the cities were filled with formidable men – 7 to 9 feet tall!  You can imagine how this looked to the Israelites – pretty intimidating right?!  Because of this fear, 10 of the men spread their own hesitations throughout the entire Israelite community.  They began to doubt that God would enable them to enter the land.  How could they - their armies were not near as big or as strong as what they were about to face in battle…  Yet, they forgot about all that God had already delivered them from!   God continued again and again to rescue them: freedom from the Egyptians, crossing the Red Sea, providing food and water in the wilderness…  Even after all of that, they failed to trust God to enable them to enter the Promised Land.  

                                                               Numbers 13:31-33
“But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

How often are our lives like that of the Israelites?  Constantly complaining about our situation and forgetting of all that God has done for us.  Sometimes we let reality take over and forget what God can do in and through us.  I know I should have faith that God would _______ (fill in the blank), but I really don’t think that it’s possible and maybe I should just do it my way…  When things seem out of control, we are quick to find a solution.  The Israelites solution was to go back to Egypt (Numbers 14:4). Yet, if they would have looked at the larger perspective, they would have realized what God was about to do for them.  Instead of moving forward they moved back and the consequence for that generation of Israelites was not entering the Promised Land (Numbers 14:26-38). 

Instead of complaining and focusing on our present trials, trust that God has a perfect plan.  He has taken care of you this far, won’t He continue to do so.

Matthew 14:28-31
“Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.  But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?””

Spend some time thinking about the areas in your life where you lack faith.  Give those areas to God, and trust that He will get you where you need to be!  Learn from the Israelites - their lack of faith got them nowhere!  Remember: that never once did you ever walk alone, never once did God leave you alone – GOD IS FAITHFUL!

Deuteronomy 31:6
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” 

“Never Once” by Matt Redman
Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Friday, January 18, 2013

Conformity...

What's with Leviticus?  Why do I need to know all of the different animals that are clean and unclean?  Why should I read through instructions on how to offer sacrifices?  This information does not seem relevant to me!  HOWEVER...  This book is able to help us, today, understand the laws and regulations of Bible time.  Leviticus is a reminder that God is holy and calls us to be holy.  How many times does the word "holy" appear in the book of Leviticus?  71 times (NLT)!  Wow, do you think God was calling his people to live a holy life?  What does it mean to be holy?  To be holy is to be set apart, to be different, to be unique. 

Leviticus 11:44-45
"For I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves with any of these small animals that scurry along the ground. For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy." 
 
Just like the Israelites, we have a choice.  We can choose to be set apart, to be different, to be unique, to be "holy", or we can compromise with the world and let sin control our lives.  God gave the Israelites laws and restrictions to help guide them in remaining holy.  What laws and restrictions do we have today to help guide us in staying set apart?  The answer is simple, God's word - the ultimate guide to living holy in an unholy world.  Unlike the Israelites, we are surrounded by unbelievers everywhere we go, but God doesn't expect us to be holy all on our own.  With Jesus, we are called to live in the world, but not of the world! 
 
1 Peter 1:11-16
"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. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy.""
 
Our focus should be on becoming conformed, inward and outwardly, to God's standards - to what God calls us.  We are to be completely devoted to God, set aside for His use, and set apart from sin.  We are to be holy, just as our Father is holy!  
 
Colossians 1:21-23
"This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it."
 
We are not holy, until we choose to be.  By accepting Jesus and claiming His reconciliation - we can be holy!  So, the question is: Will you stand before God as holy and blameless without a single fault because of His cleansing? OR Will you stand before God carrying your sin because you choose to become of the world?
 
"Marvelous Light" by Charlie Hall
Into marvelous light I'm running
Out of darkness, out of shame
By the cross You are the truth
You are the life, You are the way

I once was fatherless
A stranger with no hope
Your kindness wakened me
Awakened me, from my sleep

Your love it beckons deeply
A call to come and die
By grace now I will come
And take this life, take Your life

Sin has lost it's power
Death has lost it's sting
From the grave You've risen
Victoriously

Into marvelous light I'm running
Out of darkness, out of shame
By the cross You are the truth
You are the life, You are the way

My dead heart now is beating
My deepest stains now clean
Your breath fills up my lungs
Now I'm free, now I'm free

Sin has lost it's power
Death has lost it's sting
From the grave You've risen
Victoriously

Into marvelous light I'm running
Out of darkness, out of shame
By the cross You are the truth
You are the life, You are the way

Into marvelous light I'm running
Out of darkness, out of shame
By the cross You are the truth
You are the life, You are the way

Lift my hands and spin around
See the light that I have found
Oh the marvelous light
Marvelous light

Sin has lost it's power
And death has lost it's sting
From the grave You've risen
Victoriously

Into marvelous light I'm running
Out of darkness, out of shame
By the cross You are the truth
You are the life, You are the way

Lift my hands and spin around
See the light that I have found
Oh the marvelous light
Marvelous light, marvelous light
 
 

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Feeling Ordinary?

Have you ever woken up and felt completely tired and worn-out on "life"? Do you ever feel like the Israelites, wandering aimlessly through life and continually complaining about how terrible things are? It's so easy to get pulled into that frame of thinking. Yet, are you taking time to see how God is working around you, in you, and through you?

Throughout the entire book of Exodus, we can be reminded that God is in control! If God can deliver the Israelites from Egypt, provide food for them in the wilderness, forgive them for making and worshiping idols - then won't He also care for you in the same way. The last half of Exodus is instructions on how to build the Tabernacle. It's amazing how very detailed the instructions are! The Tabernacle was where God resided on earth. "Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle." (Exodus 40:34-35) God no longer needs a Tabernacle to reside in, because He lives in his church - the body of believers! That means God lives in those of us who have a personal relationship with Him - who have surrendered our lives completely to Him. So, that brings us back to the instructions that God gave the Israelites to build the Tabernacle... God knew exactly how to design and create His Tabernacle - His home. Go back and read through those instructions (starting at Exodus 25), keep this in mind: If we are now where God resides, don't you think that God knew and does know EXACTLY how to design and create you?! God knew and cared about every little detail of the Tabernacle. He was invested in it! God cares and knows every detail of your life, no matter how small, He is invested and interested in YOU! You are SO important to Him!

Matthew 10:29-31
"What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."

1 Corinthians 3:16-17
"Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple."

The Israelites where given instructions on how to build the Tabernacle - much like God gives us instructions on how we are to live our lives. The question is: how obedient are you? Moses was careful that every detail and instruction was followed explicitly. Moses made sure that the Tabernacle wasn't just similar to the instructions, but that it was an EXACT replica of what the instructions stated. Shouldn't we too be that fastidious about our obedience to God?! God doesn't call "half-disciples" or "half-Christians" - He wants our all! We are to live surrendered to Him. When God calls you do to something, don't complain about it or say you can't do it. Trust that God knows you - EVERY DETAIL of you and He will enable you to do what you can't do on your own! So be obedient, do what you calls you to do, do it joyfully, do it completely, and do it exactly how He tells you to.

Romans 14:8-12
"If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God.’” Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God."

2 Corinthians 5:14-15
"Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead,they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them."

Know this: You are a special creation, you are uniquely designed and created, and you have a purpose! You must live completely surrendered to God – obedient to every detail that He calls you to! What will you tell God, when you asks you to give a personal account of your life? Will you be ashamed or thankful that you lived obediently?

I Surrender All
All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Becoming Desensitized

When have you been in trouble and cried out to the Lord to rescue you? Is that prayer made in desperation; a way to hopefully free you from the immediate situation that presents itself? I too have been guilty of this! Today, God reminded me of the importance of not just turning to him in the bad, but faithfully serving Him always!

Moses was sent by God to free the Israelites from the Egyptians, yet Pharaoh's heart remained hard time and time again! Do you remember Pharaoh's response after each plague? Pharaoh would repent, confessing that he was wrong and begged Moses to have the Lord end the plagues, and he would let the Israelites go (Exodus 8:8; 9:27-28; 10:16-17). However, as soon as the immediate trouble had ended, the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 7:13; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 12, 34-35; 10:20, 27). Did God intentionally harden Pharaoh’s heart? No, God gave Pharaoh multiple opportunities to heed His warnings. Yet because Pharaoh was stubborn he refused to listen. Pharaoh choose on his own to resist God. God hardening his heart was only a confirmation of what Pharaoh freely choose. How many times do you ignore God's warnings? The more you resist and ignore God, the harder and harder it will be to hear his voice! Now is the time to act!

Romans 2:5-11
"But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism."

Have you ever noticed that the more we allow negative things into our lives – we become less aware of its presence? For example, television and movies... I think of the movie "Click" with Adam Sandler. If you've seen that movie, were you completely deaf to the foul language that filled each and every conversation? Were you aware of the sexual innuendos that covered the screen? Now, I know this because I've seen about half of the movie. But I am blessed with parents that are sensitive to the Holy Spirit and obedient to his voice, because of that we recognized these things and walked out of the movie theater while the movie was still playing! How obedient are you to the Spirit?  Have you become desensitized like Pharaoh?  Not hearing the Spirit’s still soft voice.  Do not be dominated by sinful nature, but be filled with the Spirit of God, becoming sensitive to His voice!

Romans 8:5-8
"Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God."

 “Slow Fade” by Casting Crowns
Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
  

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Storms of Life

Faith...  God really seems to be stressing the importance of faith to me.  How much faith do I have?  How much faith do you have?  Sometimes, it feels like my life is a lot like Joseph's.  God has given me promises, but at times it feels like this waiting is causing my faith crumble...  How do I keep it from falling apart?  I just keep trusting; I keep practicing faithfulness - knowing that God WILL fulfill His promises to me!  When I feel like falling apart, I run into the arms of the Father, and He strengthens me!  Where do you turn when your faith is on the brink of demise?  Today, God has again shown me a man of GREAT FAITH.  Even through the many trials he faced, he never lost his trust, and God was faithful!   

Joseph was destined for greatness.  Yet, as we look back at his life, it sure didn't seem like it was ever going to happen.  Because Joseph's father favored him, his brothers were filled with jealousy.  Due to that jealousy, Joseph's brothers devised a plan to get rid of him.  He was sold into slavery (Genesis 37:12-36).  Yet even in the mist of these terrible circumstances, Joseph remained faithful and trusted God.  "The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master." (Genesis 39:2)  Yet again, Joseph was tested, as he was thrown into prison for false accusations against Pharaoh's wife.  Joseph still remained faithful!  "But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden." (Genesis 39:21)  "The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed." (Genesis 39:23b)  Wow!  Joseph had great faith, He choose to let God use him wherever he was.  Within the prison, God spoke through Joseph to the other prisoners by interpreting their dreams.  Joseph could have taken credit for those dreams, but instead he took all the focus off of himself and gave God the glory "And they replied, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can tell us what they mean.” “Interpreting dreams is God’s business,” Joseph replied. “Go ahead and tell me your dreams.”"  (Genesis 40:8)  When the cup-bearer was released he neglected to tell Pharaoh of Joseph and what God had done through him for another two years!  Yet again, Joseph still trusted God and remained faithful to him!  Finally, when Pharaoh had dreams of his own, the cup-bearer remembered Joseph.  So, Pharaoh sent for Joseph to interpret his dreams.  God spoke through Joseph, and because of Joseph's faithfulness, he became the second most powerful man in all of Egypt!  "So Pharaoh asked his officials, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?” Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.”" (Genesis 41:38-40)  

The lesson we can learn from Joseph is quite simple.  However, it is much easier said than done!  Our trials today are much different from what Joseph went through, but the principle of the matter is the same.  When life throws trials and tribulations your way, where do you turn?  How long can you withstand the storm?  It's easy to start out with faith, but as time keeps passing by and nothing seems to change, will your faith dwindle or will it remain strong?  Instead of Joseph growing despair - he faithfully obeyed God and did what was right!  We may not always see the effect that our faith has, but you can be absolutely CERTAIN that God will honor our faithfulness!  Joseph practiced a lifetime of trusting God, which gave him great faith!  Faith grows, as we use it, little by little getting stronger; much like weight lifting, the more we exercise it, the more it grows! 

Keep the FAITH, and be CERTAIN that God will  reward your faithfulness!!!

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hopeIn those days when you pray, I will listenIf you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
 
"Praise you in this Storm" by Casting Crowns
I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth
   
And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Religion or Relationship

Where does your devotion lie? I'm not looking for the "Sunday School" answer here. Be honest with yourself, what takes up your time, what could you not live without. For some it could be family, children, work, education, sports, friends, pleasure, money, the list could go on... What if, today you were to lose that one thing that you are completely devoted to; that one thing you thought you would never be able to live without. What would be your response?  

Job was a very well-known man in the Bible. He had everything, but in an instant all of that was taken away. Instead of resenting and turning from God for allowing these things to happen; he cried out to God expressing his anger and frustration and STILL choose to remain faithful. I think of the shootings that have taken place, and I wonder how many of those families are in relationship with Jesus. How are they coping: are they clinging on to Jesus, allowing this to be time where they can rely on Him and His strength OR are they blaming God for allowing this to happen. What would you do? We may never completely understand why these tragedies happen, but there is one thing that we can do. We can hold on to the promise that God is here and He loves us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5, Genesis 28:15). This life that we hold on to so tightly is nothing but a breath in comparison to eternity. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18:
"That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever."

So, what or who are you serving? Have you thought about what you are most devoted to? God desires and commands that He is to be the answer to that question. “You must not have any other god but me” (Exodus 20:3). Now, you may think, well that's easy I'm not bowing down, praying to, or worshiping anyone or anything but God. However, how often do we concentrate and rely on other, things or people for identity, meaning, and security... Think about it do you completely rely on God for all of those things. That's a really hard question, which only you can honestly answer. Now, if you're in relationship with Jesus, than you most likely did not set out with the intention of worshiping these things. How can we define worship: the amount of time we devote to things or people can quickly and easily grow into gods that control our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. This can be avoided by making God the central place in our lives! I've always said don't just make God a piece of the pie - make Him the whole pie!  

Now, that's NOT to say that we can't love and be devoted to people, things, etc. We just need to be careful to not let them come before God. Let God be in everything you do; let Him be your everything. It's really not as complicated as you may think. I'm not saying that in order to have God as your everything, you must now dedicate every single second of your life to "religion". It's not about religion, it's about relationship!  Relationship is defined as: “an emotional attachment between individuals”.  Religion is defined as, “a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices”.  Think about some of the most important relationships you have in your life. Are you constantly devoting every single moment to that person? Most likely NOT. That person is probably someone you talk with regularly, someone who's often on your mind, someone who is there for you, someone who influences your life. Can that relationship take place while doing other things like school, work, sports, etc.? Definitely, just like your relationship with Jesus can be #1, while living this life. Just be absolutely certain that nothing comes before God!  

In Genesis 35:2, Jacob told his household: "Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing." Unless, we remove idols from our life, our faith is not true. Like Jacob and his household, we too need to rid our lives of any idols we may have. Nothing should come between us and God!

Give it all to God, and let Him be your EVERYTHING! 

"Everything" by Lifehouse

Find me here, speak to me
I want to feel You, I need to hear You
You are the light that's leading me
To the place where I find peace again

You are the strength that keeps me walking
You are the hope that keeps me trusting
You are the light to my soul
You are my purpose, You're everything

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?
Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms, and You give me rest
You hold me in Your hands, You won't let me fall
You steal my heart, and You take my breath away
Would You take me in, take me deeper now

How can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?
Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?
And how can I stand here with You and not be moved by You?
Would You tell me, how could it be any better than this?

'Cause You're all I want, You're all I need
You're everything, everything
You're all I want, You're all I need
You're everything, everything

 

Monday, January 7, 2013

Getting Back to the Basics

What would be your response if someone were to ask you: are you dead or alive?  The answer seems like a no brainer, right?  I mean you are reading this right now, so you must be alive.  You would be correct, in that physically you are alive.  You have a pulse, your heart is beating, you're breathing; by all medical terms you're alive.  But what about your soul?  Are you hanging on by a thread, barely passing?  What is being alive in Christ?  Is your soul hungry for more and more of God?  Are you staying connected - through worship, prayer, scripture?

It's so easy to get disconnected.  I often get overwhelmed with everything that I have to get done, so I make a to-do list.  Have you ever made a to-do list; how did God fit into it?  Did He make the cut?!  Or did you decide He could wait until tomorrow...  I'm very often guilty of not fitting God in.  On those days when I have a million things to do, yet I choose to make time for Him, it's oddly strange how much more I accomplish in less time!  Do you think that's coincidental?  Not at all! 

Matthew 6:33:
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

Alive in Christ...  Let's begin with the basics, many of you know this, but just in case... First of all, to be alive in Christ, you must be saved - to have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior and invited Him into ALL of your life (John 3:16); to confess of your sin (Romans 3:23 - all have sinned); to turn away from wrong; to live alive.  When I think of ALIVE - I think of power, of passion, of roaring fire!  How alive are you for Jesus?!

Romans 12:43-45:
  "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none.  Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order.  Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation."
     
Just cleaning up life and getting rid of sin is not enough.  It is the first step.  Imagine this, you bring home a puppy and never train it and yet you expect it to be house-trained and obedient.  You know good and well, that just NEVER happens.  You can't just repent of your sins and then expect everything to be spectacular.  You have to take that next step of filling your life with God's Word, with worship, with prayer, with listening, with His Holy Spirit.  Without that filling you leave room for Satan to enter in and to potentially be worse off than before.

Do you want to be connected, to be ALIVE - to experience a passion like nothing you ever thought possible?  Run, run hard, run fast, and never stop persevering to Jesus!  Take the time to FILL your life with Him.  There will be many times when persistence will pull you through, but trust me it's SO worth it!  The more you dig deeper into Him, the more overwhelmed you feel with His LOVE.  And let me tell you - that feeling is far greater than anything I could ever put into words!  Is running a race ever easy?  Absolutely NOT, but the reward is at the finish line!  Will being ALIVE in Christ be easy?  No, but our reward at the finish life is eternity with Jesus!  

Romans 6:23:
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

Philippians 3:14:
"I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

Hebrews 12:1:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."

Don't waste what little time you have finishing today's to-do list!  Make every moment count; put God first and let Him take care of the rest!  Never stop running - look beyond yourself and run into the arms of the Father!   

"Running" by Hillsong:
 
Ready at the line looking out
Looking out to all that's ahead
When every heart
Confesses Your Name
We're pressing on towards that Day
We're never gonna stop
We're never gonna stop

Letting of every mistake
Throwing off the chains of resistant
All that will remain
A passion for Your Name
Burning as we run this race
We're never gonna stop
We're never gonna stop
We're never gonna stop
We're never gonna stop

We are running
Chasing after all that You are
We are running
'Cause all that You are
Is all that we want Lord

Every stride is taken in faith
Every step compelled by Your grace
We're taking up our cross
No matter what the cost
We give it all to go Your way
We're never gonna stop
We're never gonna stop

Onwards we draw towards Your light
Desperate we seek to know You more and more
Further to look beyond ourselves
To Your love
To your love   

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Taking Control

How often, have you gotten tired of being patient and taken matters into your own hands?  Was the outcome what you had expected it to be? 

Many of you know the story of Abram and Sarai (Abraham and Sarah).  However, this morning God revealed to me the significance of this story and how it can relate to my life today! 

God promised Abram and Sarai that they would have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5).  Have you ever tried counting the stars in the sky or the amount of grains in a handful of sand?  You can't do it, there's way too much to count!  Wow - that's some promise that God made!  If God made a promise like that to you, would you be filled with unbelief?  I know I would!  However, Abram's faith in God was followed with his belief that God would fulfill his promise.  Faith in God is confidence that God is who he says he is and that He will always do what He says He will do!  Do you have true faith?

Now, Sarai did not have faith, she doubted God.  Because of her doubt she took matters into her own hands.  She had resolved that she would never have children, and she laughed at God's promise to Abram (Genesis 18:10-15).  Because of Sarai's lack of faith, consequences were to follow.  Sarai's servant, Hagar, gave Abram a son, Ishmael, who was to be, "a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey!  He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him.  Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives." (Genesis 16: 12).  This was definitely not how Abram was expecting God to fulfill His promise to him! 

Because Sarai was impatient and lacked faith that God would fulfill His promise, she took control and the outcome spiraled into a complete mess!  She was unwilling to simply wait and let God work in her and Abram's life.  How often, are you like Sarai - taking matters into your own hands and not relinquishing complete control to God?  I too have taken matters into my own hands, and like Sarai the outcome was nothing that I would have expected or wanted!  When we ask God for something and are not immediately gratified with what we requested, we often take over and interfere with God's plan.       

What can we learn from Sarai?  Let God work in our life and simply wait.  His timing is absolutely perfect!  God knows all, and sees what lies ahead of us.  Trust and have faith that He has a plan and that even when things seem impossible, He is a God of the impossible!  Even though Sarai interfered with God's plan, God still choose to work all things together for good (Romans 8:28).  Despite the mistakes we make and our hast in making things happen in our time - God can STILL work all things together for good!  "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14)  NO WAY!  If God promised to give Abraham and Sarah a son in their very ripe old age, then who are you to doubt that He will not fulfill His promises to you!  Fear is unbelief, so do not be afraid!  Simple wait and let God work, He will bring into completion all that He has promised!

The famous song in the movie Fireproof, "While I'm Waiting".  Let's serve Him while we're waiting, let's worship Him while we're waiting!

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

Friday, January 4, 2013

Influencing or Being Influenced

As I begin the new year, I'm starting at Genesis and will endeavor to read through the Bible in 6 months.  As I was studying the story of Noah, these words struck me: "Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on the earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God." (Genesis 6:9).  Does that mean Noah was perfect?  Absolutely not, after the Fall (Adam & Eve eating from the tree of the knowledge of good & evil) we will all sin and fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23).  However, Noah wholeheartedly loved God and lived in obedience to Him.  Noah was constantly surrounded by negative influences, does that sound familiar?  A lot like our world today!  Even in the mist of being surrounded by negative peer pressure, Noah still choose to walk in close fellowship with God!  Noah loved God!  How much do you love God? 

"So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth.  It broke his heart." (Genesis 6:6)  I often ponder how God feels now, about our society and the how lives are being lived.  I understand how a broken heart feels, yet the magnitude that my Father's heart breaks for all of His lost children is incomparable!  So, how are you living?  Are you influencing or being influenced

Let's live & love like Noah did!

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  -Matthew 28:19-20

What is your purpose?  Are you just living life, trying to get by each day OR are you living to your FULL potential?  Now, go, make disciples, reach the lost!

I leave you with the lyrics of "Made Me Glad" by Hillsong. 

I will bless the Lord forever, And I will trust Him at all times
He has delivered me from all fear, And he has set my feet upon a rock

And I will not be moved, And I'll say of the Lord....

You are my shield, My strength, My portion, Deliverer, My shelter, Strong tower, My very present help in time of need
Whom have I in Heaven but you?, There's none I desire beside you

You have made me glad, And I'll say of the Lord....

You are my shield, My strength, My portion, Deliverer, My shelter, Strong tower, My very present help in time of need

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Why "waiting purposefully"?

I've been asking God, "why do I have to wait?"  It seems like everyone my age is moving forward... Careers, marriage, children... I feel stuck!  It's so hard to wait!  I've been going to school for what seems like forever...  God-fearing men... Are there even any left?  My heart is heavy when I think about the greatest desires of my heart, and how it seems they will never happen. 

As I spend time pouring out my heart to my Father, I am reminded that it's not my timing!  Ecclesiastes 3:1, "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven."  God's timing, crazy concept...  Waiting is inevitable, we all wait for one thing or another.  I started reading a book entitled, "You're Late Again, Lord".  Through this book I was challenged with the concept of "waiting purposefully".  What does that mean?  As a Christian (being in relationship with Jesus), means waiting should be done purposefully.  How?  By, living every moment for God's glory.  That doesn't mean to stop living normally, it just means to to take captive every moment, every thought, every word and let it be pleasing to God.         
Isaiah 40:31, "But those who wait on the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."  Waiting can be draining, emotionally and physically.  But Isaiah 40:31 shows us that those who wait on the Lord renew their strength.  We go to the gym to gain strength and endurance, yet those results are not instant.  WE HAVE TO WAIT, but little by little we are constantly gaining strength and endurance.  As we wait on the Lord, we gain strength to live purposefully.  As I am waiting, I choose to mount up, run, and walk. 

With waiting comes hope, hope of what's to come!  Here's to hope of what God has planned and how I can fulfill His purpose for my life!!!     

It's not about ME!

Life's HARD!  "What's new?" you may say.  A few days ago I was pondering how I could have a larger impact in this world, with what very little free time I have.  God gave me an idea.  "I want you to write about what I'm speaking and sharing with you."  My response, "How God, I'm not an English major and my writing skills are minimal at best?"  But after praying and searching, I began to realize it's not about me.  So, here I am in obedience, writing a blog.