The Light Switch

Let me begin this Blog post with the entry in my "Jesus Calling" Devotional the other day.

January 6 (emphasis mine) - I AM ABLE to do far beyond all that you ask or imagine. Come to Me with positive expectations, knowing that there is no limit to what I can accomplish. Ask My Spirit to control your mind, so that you can think great thoughts of Me. DO not be discouraged by the fact that many of your prayers are yet unanswered. Time is a trainer, teaching you to wait upon Me, to trust Me in the dark. The more extreme your circumstances, the more likely you are to see My Power and Glory at work in the situation. INstead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying, try to view them as setting the scene for My glorious intervention. Keep you eyes and your mind wide open to all that I am doing in your life.

Ephesians 3:20-21; Romans 8:6; Isaiah 40:30-31 (NKJV); Revelation 5:13

As I read through this devotional a couple of times, the phrase trust Me in the dark, kept jumping out at me. As I thought about the meaning of this I began think about my kids response to the dark. Allow me to explain: 

When we come home and it is dark in the house, no one will go upstairs until either my wife and I go up first and turn on a light or two.

Funny thing is, I will often walk upstairs and walk right past the closest light switch to one of the rooms further away. I do this on purpose because I know the kids are behind me waiting for me to turn on the light. I want them to see that there is nothing to fear, even in the dark, when you know where the light switch is.

In our lives, when everything seems dark, God desires the same thing from us. 

He wants us to trust Him and to not be worried or afraid because He knows where the light switch is!

So next time you find yourself in a dark room reaching for the light switch, why not take a minute and thank God that He knows where the light switches are in your life.

He guides us even when it's dark.

It is a Soldier

It is the Soldier, not the minister: Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter: Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet: Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer: Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer: Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician: Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Thank you to all of our veterans and all of the men and women who are currently serving our nation in the armed forces. We appreciate your sacrifice for our freedom.

Forgiveness

Do ever have those moments?
You know those moments of stupidity, when you do something that you know you shouldn't do but you go ahead and do it anyway?
Truth is we all have those moments.

That's why we need a Savior who understands our weaknesses and offers His forgiveness for our sins.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Jesus, our great high priest, longs for us to come to Him with our weaknesses. He longs to be our strength.

What assurance do we have that if we come to Him He will forgive us?

I'm glad you asked!

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are like crimson, they shall be like wool."

Psalm 103:2-3 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

Psalm 103:10-12 He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Micah 7:19 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

So why is God so anxious to forgive us of our sins? Because of His great love for us!

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ dies for us.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

1 John 4:9-10 NLT God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

So maybe after reading this blog post, you're thinking, "Why all the scriptures about forgiveness and God's love?'
No reason in particular. Sometimes we just need to be reminded how great God's love is for us and that He is always waiting to forgive us and for us to grow closer to Him.

How about one more scripture?
Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes form God.

Walking With Jesus

The other day I had this old song stuck in my head:
"Just a closer walk with thee - Grant it Jesus is my plea - Daily walking close to thee - Let it be, dear Lord, Let it be."

That song got me to thinking. Is daily walking with Jesus what we really long for? or are we too busy to even notice God throughout our day.

A few years ago I heard a pastor say, "Many start out walking with Jesus and end up working for Him."
His point was that we start out walking close to Jesus, but then we let busyness get in the way and instead of walking with Jesus, we just work for Him.

God is more interested in who I am than what I do.
If I spend all my time working for God and helping others find God, but haven't spent time with God myself, I am missing what is most important.

Last week as I read in my "Jesus Calling" devotional notice what it said:
LINGER IN MY PRESENCE A WHILE. Rein in your impulse to plunge into the day's activities. Beginning your day alone with Me is essential preparation for success. A great athlete takes time to prepare himself mentally for the feat ahead of him before he moves a muscle. Similarly, your time of being still in My presence equips you for the day ahead of you. Only I know what will happen to you this day. I have arranged the events you will encounter as you go along your way. If you are not adequately equipped for the journey, you will grow weary and lose heart. Relax with Me while I ready you for action.
(Jesus Calling Devotional, October 29)

Pretty incredible thoughts, don't you think?
So here's my question for you: Are you walking with Jesus or working for Him?

He wants us to walk with Him and to know Him intimately each and every day.
why not stop what you are doing right now and spend a moment with Jesus.

Who Are You?

Today a I read and re-read my daily devotional "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young, the same question kept going through my mind. 

"Who Are You?"

Read what Sarah wrote in "Jesus Calling" and hopefully you'll be able to answer that question for yourself.

BEWARE OF SEEING YOURSELF through other people's eyes. There are several dangers to this practice. First of all, it is nearly impossible to discern what others actually think of you. Moreover, their views of you are variable: subject to each viewer's spiritual, emotional, and physical condition. The major problem with letting others define you is that it borders on idolatry. Your concern to please others dampens your desire to please Me, your Creator.

It is much more real to see yourself through My eyes. My gaze upon you is steady and sure, untainted by sin. Through My eyes you can see yourself as one who is deeply, eternally loved. Rest in My loving gaze, and you will receive deep Peace. Respond to My loving Presence by  worshipping Me in spirit and in truth.

As I read this devotion this morning, it was exactly what I needed to hear from the Lord.

"Who Are You?"

I am who I am, because God says that is who I am. I am not what people say or think about me.

So many times we get caught up in trying to please everyone around us, when all that really matters is are we living our lives to please God.

Remember Paul's words: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Gal. 1:10)

Today, may you focus on pleasing God and not men. May you find your true identity in God's view of you and not someone else's.

May you come to understand, that we will all give an account of our lives to God so it is more important to live your life to please God rather than trying to please everyone around you.

God rewards faithfulness!

Hebrews 11:6 An without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Man pleaser = idolatry.

God pleaser = who I really am.

Who Are You?

Teach Us To Pray

Recently we finished a series of sermons based on the Lord's Prayer.

We called our series, "Teach Us to Pray."

The title of the series comes from the disciples asking Jesus to teach them to pray.

If there was ever anyone who could teach us to pray, it is Jesus.

We used the Lord's prayer recorded in Matthew's Gospel. We also used the King James version. 

Our reason for using this translation is simple: this is the way I memorized the Lord's Prayer as a kid. 

When I try to quote the Lord's Prayer from a newer translation, I end up messing it up and confusing everyone. So we memorized the KJV as a church.

Below is a short summary of our 6 week series. I hope it challenges you to begin daily interacting with God through prayer.

Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

1 – 9 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

We start our prayer with thanksgiving. Thanking Him for who He is.

2 – 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

We are asking God to establish His reign and to reveal His will.

3 – 11 Give us this day our daily bread.

Our Father wants us to rest in His daily provision and depend on Him to take care of us in every area of our lives.

4 – 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

God wants to forgive us and He wants us to learn to forgive others the same way He forgives us.

Remember: You will never have to forgive someone more than God has forgiven you!

"Forgiveness isn't saying they were right, forgiveness is freeing me from the hurts of my past, and empowering me to live free."

5 – 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

God wants to help us overcome temptation. Ask God to make you strong in the face of temptation and to help you live a pure and holy life.

"Why does God test us? To see what’s in us? No, he already knows.

He tests us so that we might know what is in our hearts." John Bevere, A Heart Ablaze, pg. 49

“God TESTS us to make us STRONG… the enemy TEMPTS us to make us WRONG!

6 – 13 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Our priority in life should be to build His kingdom, through His power for HIs glory. Anything less means we are living for our on glory and not His.

It is my desire that the people who follow me as I follow Christ learn to have a habit of daily intreating with God. I believe that we need to make spending time in prayer a daily priority.

Jesus prayed often. If prayer was a key for Jesus life, it should be a key for our lives too!

I hope this blog entry has helped you in your pursuit of knowing God.

Just Thinking...

Just wanted to take a minute and write about something I saw as I was reading my Bible today.

Isaiah 43:11 NLT "From Eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done."

As I read this verse I stopped and just sat in awe.
God is B-I-G, big! And powerful. Yet just as big and as powerful as He is, He is also personal and cares so deeply about us that He holds us in his hands.

Check this next verse out.
Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much. 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

He loves us so much!

Just taking a minute to share something that caught my attention.