Sunday, December 30, 2012
To do or not to do more for God?....
To be in ministry does not mean that I try harder at doing more for God. As if it were about what I do and not about what the Father does. It means that I place all of my hope in the will of God to sanctify me to make me more like His Son Jesus. It means that I make my number one priority my relationship with Jesus, because if I let that slip I find that my efforts in ministry are backed with nothing but an anxious heart and a over committed life.
Spend more time with Jesus and less "doing things for God" and watch God pour out His Spirit. Then you'll see His mighty power do marvelous things through your efforts, but go around thinking you just need to do more for God and watch yourself get discouraged as you hit roadblock after road block as the passion of your heart dwindles, because you have neglected, Jesus, your first love.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
It's the Small Things Really....
Ever get so caught up in the desire for the next big thing?
You wish your life was more exciting and you don't see the purpose in the normal, hum drum kind of day. To you, its the mountain top experiences that matter, but our character and integrity show who we really are on the most average of days. It is what I do with the little that has been entrusted to me that will snowball into greater things in the long term.
It's the minor details of the most boring day, that if we were to put aside, over the long haul would have grave effects on our life and the lives of others.
Neglect washing your dishes and before you know it your entire kitchen is full of crusty cheese and sticky spoons. Don't wash your son or daughters basketball jersey and oh man, they have just become the stinky kid on the team. And seriously, no one wants to be that kid! It's the little things that we do, that no one notices that show who we really are. It's not the big moments when we get that award or do that great thing in front of a bunch of people. Who wouldn't want to give their best in that moment? It's the small, unnoticed things that reveal who we truly are.
Don't get too caught up wishing for the next big thing, when today has so much to offer you. Everyday, is a gift from God, therefore, everyday, deserves our very best for the one who created us.
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Saturday, December 8, 2012
The Redo Button
Ever wanted to press the redo button on your life?
Yeah, me too.
I remember when I was in college and the coach called me up to pinch hit in the varsity game. I was so excited and nervous at the same time, wow this was my chance to prove to my coach that I could compete at the varsity level.
I remember the pitch, it was the perfect pitch, but I cast my hands just slightly and ended up popping the perfect pitch up. Ugh....I failed.
I went home and thought about that pitch and how I cast my hands over and over again wishing that I could just hit the redo button, have that at bat one more time and take a line drive into left field instead of a pop up.
Many of us live with deep seeded regrets. My at bat is not that big of a deal, although it stung at the time it doesn't bring me anymore pain, but maybe your regrets do. Maybe its painful for you daily, because of something that you said to someone or something that someone did to you that caused a tearing apart of a relationship. Maybe it was a decision that you made that caused your life to go a completely different direction and you wish desperately that you could hit he redo button.
If you live your life full of regrets you'll find out that you will become a very unhappy person. The truth is that our past can imprison us if we let it. It happens quickly and before we know it we're held captive to what we wish we would have done or said or not said.
We let it define how we enter into new relationships or situations, we put up walls to protect ourself so the same thing doesn't happen again to us. Or we live in fear of making the same mistake so we risk taking chances and never live with true freedom, but in bondage to our past regrets.
So, how do we get past fear and into freedom from our past? How do we go about life being ok with our mistakes realizing that they're apart of a bigger plan?
If I could be really honest with you for a moment I have many fears. I still kick myself for saying or doing things that I know are stupid, but I have come to a greater understanding that my life is not under my control. There is one who wants to heal me from who I once was and wants to make me a new person and free me from the regrets of my past and the ones of my present.
You know,its a funny thing really. A lot of us want a redo button and that is exactly what Jesus Christ offers for those who would call out unto Him to rescue them from their wrongdoing and selfishness. Claim Him as Lord, put Jesus in control of your life and in that moment He presses the redo button. All your sin, gone. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" -Isaiah 1:18.
Then, the transformation starts to begin. For me, when I began my journey with the Lord Jesus I knew that my life would never be the same. I knew that something was different about me.
"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone and the new has come"- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Now, ten years later I've seen Jesus heal me of my past regrets and my present ones too. My joy and hope are found in Him alone. Yes, my life might be exactly how I would have drawn it up, but I am content in God's plan for my life. Whenever I try to take control I just make a mess of it anyways.
Want to press the redo button? That's good. You need it. It's ok to admit that you don't have it all together. In fact, until you do admit that you need forgiveness because of the ugliness of your sin you'll never truly be made free. Your life was never meant to be lived alone. We have to come to an understanding that we are a rebellious people. We want control and we want our own way, but God offers a way for rebellious, selfish people to be made right with Him and have a new beginning. For we know that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved"- Romans 10:13
Without a redo button we remain lost in our sin, but Jesus Christ came, lived a perfect life without sin, paid the penalty for sin by satisfying God's wrath on the cross and conquered death proving that He was everything He said that He was and now He offers you a new beginning. The thing is that you've got to let go of your life. He's got the redo button, you need His forgiveness, won't you call out to Him?
Jesus said, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for prisoners" Luke 4:18Tuesday, December 4, 2012
A Call to Self-Denial
When I think about the gospel I am brought to an understanding that it calls me to denial of self.
The gospel reveals to me that I am self centered and conceded, yet Jesus Christ calls unto me to tell me that He desires to make me new. His wants to mold and shape me into His image to give me aspects of His character and of His selflessness.
If I would only get out of the way the unexplainable could happen as the risen Christ takes this insecure, selfish and impatient woman and fills her with hope, courage, a servants heart and joy in the waiting.
Oh, how I wish that we true of me every moment of everyday! Lord Jesus, I need you! Transform me, for in you I desire to abide, moment by moment, but my flesh wants to rebel towards your transformation. It is quick to run to old habits and selfish ways, but Lord Jesus, crucify my flesh! As you call me unto yourself take the old me and make me a new creation!
If anyone should come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me- Matthew 16:24
The gospel reveals to me that I am self centered and conceded, yet Jesus Christ calls unto me to tell me that He desires to make me new. His wants to mold and shape me into His image to give me aspects of His character and of His selflessness.
If I would only get out of the way the unexplainable could happen as the risen Christ takes this insecure, selfish and impatient woman and fills her with hope, courage, a servants heart and joy in the waiting.
Oh, how I wish that we true of me every moment of everyday! Lord Jesus, I need you! Transform me, for in you I desire to abide, moment by moment, but my flesh wants to rebel towards your transformation. It is quick to run to old habits and selfish ways, but Lord Jesus, crucify my flesh! As you call me unto yourself take the old me and make me a new creation!
If anyone should come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me- Matthew 16:24
Monday, November 26, 2012
Think you're pretty great?
Jesus Christ is not just a bandage for the wounded. Nor is he just a friend for the lonely.
He is the God-man incarnate, who's destiny was put in forth before the creation of the world to not merely bandage your wounds, but to heal you completely, restore you and make you brand new through the life giving work of the Holy Spirit.
Although, He is a friend, He is so much more than that. He is our advocate who speaks in our defense, because before God we stand guilty. Yet, through Christ death and resurrection we are forgiven and free.
However, if you do not know Him as Lord and Savior, you are His enemy, not His friend. If you claim Christianity, but are not a follower of the risen Christ you are fooling yourself and you are still dead in your sin.
Many an individual has gone through life believing that they are really something. We believe the lie that we've got it all together and that life with us in charge is the way its suppose to be. We might not say it out loud, but inwardly, in the depths of our selfishness we think we're pretty great.
God does not think that you are great. This is a hard truth for some of us to realize. For only He alone is great and we are undeserving of His mercy and grace, yet He chooses to lavish it on us anyways.
Go on thinking that you're great and you'll realize that you've missed salvation. For a man will always think he is great until he views his life in light of the cross of Christ. For when we do we realize that we are a rebellious people in desperate need of forgiveness.
Do not compare yourself to sinful man, you'll always find someone more sinful than you. Compare yourself to Jesus Christ, the perfect one, who died to set humanity free. Then in your realization of who you truly are, respond to God, put your life in His hands, let go and follow Jesus.
It is in the letting go that we find life. Hallelujah.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 1 John 2:1
He is the God-man incarnate, who's destiny was put in forth before the creation of the world to not merely bandage your wounds, but to heal you completely, restore you and make you brand new through the life giving work of the Holy Spirit.
Although, He is a friend, He is so much more than that. He is our advocate who speaks in our defense, because before God we stand guilty. Yet, through Christ death and resurrection we are forgiven and free.
However, if you do not know Him as Lord and Savior, you are His enemy, not His friend. If you claim Christianity, but are not a follower of the risen Christ you are fooling yourself and you are still dead in your sin.
Many an individual has gone through life believing that they are really something. We believe the lie that we've got it all together and that life with us in charge is the way its suppose to be. We might not say it out loud, but inwardly, in the depths of our selfishness we think we're pretty great.
God does not think that you are great. This is a hard truth for some of us to realize. For only He alone is great and we are undeserving of His mercy and grace, yet He chooses to lavish it on us anyways.
Go on thinking that you're great and you'll realize that you've missed salvation. For a man will always think he is great until he views his life in light of the cross of Christ. For when we do we realize that we are a rebellious people in desperate need of forgiveness.
Do not compare yourself to sinful man, you'll always find someone more sinful than you. Compare yourself to Jesus Christ, the perfect one, who died to set humanity free. Then in your realization of who you truly are, respond to God, put your life in His hands, let go and follow Jesus.
It is in the letting go that we find life. Hallelujah.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 1 John 2:1
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Love or Obedience?
Above all else, Jesus Christ desires our obedience. In our obedience we communicate to Him that we love Him, but if we believe that Jesus Christ wants us to love Him above all else we won't always see it necessary to obey Him. We will bask in pools of grace while forgetting the call of God to be Holy.
Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.- John 14:23-24
"This is love for God: to obey His commands and His commands are not burdensome" 1 John 5:3
Jesus makes it quite clear that the one who loves Him is the one who obeys Him. Your allegiance to Christ is made evident, not in your religious creeds or church attendance, but in your commitment to Him. If you do not obey Him, then you do not know Him. If you have no desire for fellowship with Him, no drive to turn from sin and towards His righteousness then you are still lost in your sin, unforgiven and before God you stand condemned.
Do not fool yourself into thinking that just because you attend church or just because you prayed a prayer that one time that you have salvation. Whether or not you have true salvation is revealed in your obedience to Christ today. Are you walking with Him? Desiring to be changed by Him? Are you abhorring sin in your life, striving to overcome the old life by the power of the Holy Spirit? If so, then good, keep fighting dear Christian! But, if not, then you have been deceived into thinking that you actually know Him.
You see, when you truly turn from your sin and towards the saving work of Jesus Christ you can do nothing but be changed. You know that you will never be the same because the risen Christ has been made Lord of your life and has invaded your very being.
Obedience to our Lord is what matters. If we love Him, then we will obey Him. It's really that simple.
Examine your life and ask yourself, do I truly know Him? Have I truly turned over control of my life to His Lordship? Is He King and Master over my life? Have I in my brokenness turned from my sin and towards the saving work of the risen Christ?
I hope that you have today. If not, then I beg of you, let go of your life and watch Him transform you.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Love: More than a feeling?
How much do you want love?
What would you do to get it? Would you take great risks? Would you sacrifice something great in order to have it?
Many of us find ourselves right in the middle of all of these questions at some point in our life. We might have taken a great risk for love or sacrificed something great in order to reach that pinnacle of "being in love".
Maybe we thought that we met "the one" only to find out in the end that they weren't really "the one", but just someone that we got wrapped up in far too quickly. We believe that love is a feeling, but love is not a feeling, it is so much more than that.
Yet, our culture and our media teaches us that love is feeling. It says be with someone who makes you happy and not just some of the time, but all the time and if they don't make you happy all the time, well then you can call it quits. No big deal. Isn't that an unrealistic expectation to put on someone though? Aren't we making it about ourselves when we say its your responsibility to make me happy? Is it, really? Or are we just projecting the selfish desire of our own selfish hearts onto someone who's looking to you to make them feel happy all of the time too. In the end what we do is grow to resent that person, because they can't give us ultimate, lasting, 24/7 365 happiness.
Maybe some of us have had our heart broken, because that gaping hole that was crying out for love caused us to seek it from a person who couldn't love us unconditionally. The feelings faded and the excitement of a new relationship wore off and here we were left with this person that we got way too emotionally wrapped up with right from the start. Ever been there? Yeah, me too.
Could it be that love isn't a feeling? If it were then our relationships would be based upon something that changes with the wind. Today I love you, but tomorrow I'm mad at you, so now I'm not sure. See what I mean?
Maybe real love is grounded only in something that is unchangeable, steadfast, filled with hope and lasting joy? Maybe real love involves commitment and sacrifice.
Maybe we're running around, burning the bridges of love, because we've never experienced this real and lasting love. A love that doesn't change with the wind, but grows stronger with each passing day. A love that cost someone a great price. A love that reached beyond limits for you. I like the sound of that love, don't you?
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.- 1 John 3:16
Ah, there it is, real and everlasting love. It's sacrificial, it loves without limits and it cost someone a great price. It's that kind of love that no earthly person can give you. Sure, people can love us to some degree like this, but ultimately this love is only found in Jesus Christ.
You can spend your life chasing after love or you can stop, turn around and pursue love from Jesus Christ. Ask Him to take control of your life and to set you free with the great love that he displayed for you by dying in your place so that you might have freedom, life and forgiveness from all your mistakes.
I spent too much of my time chasing after love that faded, looking to a person to fill that gaping hole in my heart for love, but when I stopped chasing and laid my life down at the feet of Jesus Christ I found a love that was greater and that reached higher than any love I have ever known.
I don't want to chase after love that can fade. I want to chase after a love that is unchanging and everlasting, but what about you?
What would you do to get it? Would you take great risks? Would you sacrifice something great in order to have it?
Many of us find ourselves right in the middle of all of these questions at some point in our life. We might have taken a great risk for love or sacrificed something great in order to reach that pinnacle of "being in love".
Maybe we thought that we met "the one" only to find out in the end that they weren't really "the one", but just someone that we got wrapped up in far too quickly. We believe that love is a feeling, but love is not a feeling, it is so much more than that.
Yet, our culture and our media teaches us that love is feeling. It says be with someone who makes you happy and not just some of the time, but all the time and if they don't make you happy all the time, well then you can call it quits. No big deal. Isn't that an unrealistic expectation to put on someone though? Aren't we making it about ourselves when we say its your responsibility to make me happy? Is it, really? Or are we just projecting the selfish desire of our own selfish hearts onto someone who's looking to you to make them feel happy all of the time too. In the end what we do is grow to resent that person, because they can't give us ultimate, lasting, 24/7 365 happiness.
Maybe some of us have had our heart broken, because that gaping hole that was crying out for love caused us to seek it from a person who couldn't love us unconditionally. The feelings faded and the excitement of a new relationship wore off and here we were left with this person that we got way too emotionally wrapped up with right from the start. Ever been there? Yeah, me too.
Could it be that love isn't a feeling? If it were then our relationships would be based upon something that changes with the wind. Today I love you, but tomorrow I'm mad at you, so now I'm not sure. See what I mean?
Maybe real love is grounded only in something that is unchangeable, steadfast, filled with hope and lasting joy? Maybe real love involves commitment and sacrifice.
Maybe we're running around, burning the bridges of love, because we've never experienced this real and lasting love. A love that doesn't change with the wind, but grows stronger with each passing day. A love that cost someone a great price. A love that reached beyond limits for you. I like the sound of that love, don't you?
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.- 1 John 3:16
Ah, there it is, real and everlasting love. It's sacrificial, it loves without limits and it cost someone a great price. It's that kind of love that no earthly person can give you. Sure, people can love us to some degree like this, but ultimately this love is only found in Jesus Christ.
You can spend your life chasing after love or you can stop, turn around and pursue love from Jesus Christ. Ask Him to take control of your life and to set you free with the great love that he displayed for you by dying in your place so that you might have freedom, life and forgiveness from all your mistakes.
I spent too much of my time chasing after love that faded, looking to a person to fill that gaping hole in my heart for love, but when I stopped chasing and laid my life down at the feet of Jesus Christ I found a love that was greater and that reached higher than any love I have ever known.
I don't want to chase after love that can fade. I want to chase after a love that is unchanging and everlasting, but what about you?
Friday, November 2, 2012
Love, Acceptance and a Nintendo 64
Have you ever wanted something really bad?
I mean, really bad.
When I was a kid it was a Nintendo 64. When I was a teen it was love and acceptance. Then as I grew into adulthood it was marriage, success, and a name for myself.
Often times the desires for those things will cause us to do things that just don't make sense and quite frankly, aren't very wise. We find ourselves so infatuated with that desire that in our tunnel vision we make life far too much about ourselves, focusing on what we don't have instead of what we do have.
As we reflect on this month of being thankful. I wonder, what are you not thankful for in your life, because inside of you burns a desire to just have that one thing. You'll do just about anything to get it and you believe that without you can't truly be happy.
I'm not saying that things like love, acceptance, success, marriage, or even a Nintendo 64 are bad things. It becomes unhealthy when we believe the lie that if we don't have those things than we are incomplete. In our pursuit of that one thing we lose focus on what really matters and we do stupid things to get it.
Maybe you've pursued love in all the wrong places? Maybe you married not because you really were committed to that person and loved them, but because you were desperate and lonely. Maybe you've neglected your family, because success at your job became more important than spending time with them. You might say that you love your family most, but what we love most gets revealed by what we invest the most time, effort and money into.
Maybe in order to be accepted by others you've comprised your morals and beliefs so that you could "fit in". You go home at night feeling like a total failure, knowing that this is not who you are, but you put a mask on once again and do it the next day.
Too many of us are running around trying to be someone that we're really not. We're like vacuums, sucking the life out of everything that we can find, hoping that maybe, just maybe, this will fill us up and give us that lasting joy and satisfaction.
This makes me think of an encounter that Jesus has with a woman at the well. She was a Samaritan and Jesus was a Jew. Now, Jew's are not suppose to associate with Samaritans, they viewed them as "half breeds" and dogs. But, Jesus had a different view and that shouldn't surprise us! Jesus reaches out to this woman one day at the well and He offers her living water. He tells her that if anyone drinks from the water that He gives they will never be thirsty and in them will become a spring that wells up into eternal life.
Oh my goodness, did you just get the best mental picture in your head of what Jesus is describing? I did. I bet this woman did too. The woman then asks where she can get this water and Jesus tells her that He is the living water. Meaning, that if we come to Him, confessing our sin and asking Him to take control that He will fill us with joy, newness of life, peace, hope and purpose. He will wash all of our sins away if we in our brokenness would cry out to Him realizing that we in and of ourselves are broken and rebellious people in desperate need of rescue. Jesus Christ wants to give you life and life to the full. He wants to give you a hope and turn your mourning into dance. He wants to take that empty feeling from you and fill it with joy, real and everlasting joy.
Stop running, won't you? I know from personal experience that a pursuit of anything other than Jesus Christ will leave you empty, disappointed and wanting more. Find your hope in Him and watch Him set you free from the trap of needing something more to be complete. All other things can be taken from you, but Jesus Christ has existed from eternity past and He will always exist. He can never be taken from you.
What I really want is Jesus, how about you?
Friday, October 26, 2012
Are you insulted? Good!
"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."- 1 Peter 4:14
Ever been insulted because of the name of Christ? Yeah, me too.
Fear not though dear friend, because God's Spirit rests upon you and in that there is hope, joy and life eternal. In the Holy Spirit there is power to overcome the accuser, to rise above the insults and to put on Christ Jesus.
"The fear of man is a snare, but those who trust in the Lord are safe".- Proverbs 29:25
Care too much about what other people think about you and you'll be caught in a snare, but put your hope and trust in the LORD and find safety and rest there. The Greek word for safe is sagab which means an in-accessibly high place. Yes, its true if you are insulted for the name of Christ, yet bank your hope upon the LORD, He sets you in a high place, free from harm. This doesn't guarantee a pain free easy life, don't get me wrong, its often times quite the opposite for the Christian, but it does mean a steadfast peace awaits those who trust in the Lord.
Fear not what man can do to you, for their words are trivial, but fear God, serve Him, find your identity in Him and watch the power of God lift you up, fill you with peace, and the power to rise above the insults through the Holy Spirit.
Praise God!
Ever been insulted because of the name of Christ? Yeah, me too.
Fear not though dear friend, because God's Spirit rests upon you and in that there is hope, joy and life eternal. In the Holy Spirit there is power to overcome the accuser, to rise above the insults and to put on Christ Jesus.
"The fear of man is a snare, but those who trust in the Lord are safe".- Proverbs 29:25
Care too much about what other people think about you and you'll be caught in a snare, but put your hope and trust in the LORD and find safety and rest there. The Greek word for safe is sagab which means an in-accessibly high place. Yes, its true if you are insulted for the name of Christ, yet bank your hope upon the LORD, He sets you in a high place, free from harm. This doesn't guarantee a pain free easy life, don't get me wrong, its often times quite the opposite for the Christian, but it does mean a steadfast peace awaits those who trust in the Lord.
Fear not what man can do to you, for their words are trivial, but fear God, serve Him, find your identity in Him and watch the power of God lift you up, fill you with peace, and the power to rise above the insults through the Holy Spirit.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.- James 5:17-18
When you pray, do you pray in earnest?
God wants to do something new within our midst, but His people are far too busy and distracted to pray. For if we would, we would see the ground shake with the glory of God, mountains move, the lame healed and the lost get found.
We might not admit it to our brothers and sisters in Christ, but part of us wants to believe that such miracles were reserved for only those in Jesus' day. Could you and I really pray as Elijah did? Could we pray with such faith for God to do what only He could do? Maybe we could pray that when, at least, when others are around so that we look spiritual, but in our hearts do we truly believe that God can do the impossible.
Would we be like Joshua, who asked God to make the sun stand still and it did, for 24 hours. As we know, without God's divine intervention it's impossible for the sun to stand still. What in your life seems impossible, but fear keeps you from praying with such earnestness and trust for God to do it?
We so often put more faith in doctors, medications, support groups and self help books then we do in the power of God through Jesus Christ. For within us, if we know Christ, lives the resurrection power, yes, the very same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in you (Romans 8:11). For this is power beyond measure and sadly, power that is often untapped due to fear and distraction.
God wants to rend down the heavens (Isaiah 64:1). To show the display of His glory and might through His people. Do you want to see such a movement of God that its unexplainable through human understanding? Then pray, pray that God would manifest Himself in our communities, in our lives, in our families so that relationships would be restored, the lost would be found and the name of Jesus Christ would be proclaimed unto the ends of the earth!
Do not be afraid to ask God for what seems impossible. He desire's to display His glory through human impossibilities. Yes, that's right, through you and me. Do not let your own limitations keep you from believing that God can do more than you can ever ask imagine.
When you pray, do you pray in earnest?
God wants to do something new within our midst, but His people are far too busy and distracted to pray. For if we would, we would see the ground shake with the glory of God, mountains move, the lame healed and the lost get found.
We might not admit it to our brothers and sisters in Christ, but part of us wants to believe that such miracles were reserved for only those in Jesus' day. Could you and I really pray as Elijah did? Could we pray with such faith for God to do what only He could do? Maybe we could pray that when, at least, when others are around so that we look spiritual, but in our hearts do we truly believe that God can do the impossible.
Would we be like Joshua, who asked God to make the sun stand still and it did, for 24 hours. As we know, without God's divine intervention it's impossible for the sun to stand still. What in your life seems impossible, but fear keeps you from praying with such earnestness and trust for God to do it?
We so often put more faith in doctors, medications, support groups and self help books then we do in the power of God through Jesus Christ. For within us, if we know Christ, lives the resurrection power, yes, the very same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead lives in you (Romans 8:11). For this is power beyond measure and sadly, power that is often untapped due to fear and distraction.
God wants to rend down the heavens (Isaiah 64:1). To show the display of His glory and might through His people. Do you want to see such a movement of God that its unexplainable through human understanding? Then pray, pray that God would manifest Himself in our communities, in our lives, in our families so that relationships would be restored, the lost would be found and the name of Jesus Christ would be proclaimed unto the ends of the earth!
Do not be afraid to ask God for what seems impossible. He desire's to display His glory through human impossibilities. Yes, that's right, through you and me. Do not let your own limitations keep you from believing that God can do more than you can ever ask imagine.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
A Prayer For This Generation
Lord Jesus, tonight my heart is so very heavy for young people. My desire is for you to do what only you can do. Father I am desperate for a movement of your Spirit that will awaken our hearts to true repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
My prayer for teenagers is that they would submit all of themselves to you. That they would devote their lives, their hopes and their futures unto your will. God I pray that they would desire to be bold witnesses for your Kingdom. Use them in their schools to make a great impact for the gospel. Grant them courage when they feel weak. Use their lives in such mighty ways God that their schools would have to take notice. When they stop and take notice Father then let it be you that they might see.
God silence the enemy that wants to draw students away from your glory. I ask that you might bring revival in the hearts and minds of young people. I pray against Satan who desires to destroy them and I ask instead that they would listen only to your voice.
Pour out your Spirit in power on this generation of teenagers. Use my hands and my feet, Father, to make known the truth of your gospel to them. Let me not be distracted by the lies of Satan, but let my confidence, assurance and hope rest in you alone. Do what only you can do for your glory in Jesus name. Amen!
My prayer for teenagers is that they would submit all of themselves to you. That they would devote their lives, their hopes and their futures unto your will. God I pray that they would desire to be bold witnesses for your Kingdom. Use them in their schools to make a great impact for the gospel. Grant them courage when they feel weak. Use their lives in such mighty ways God that their schools would have to take notice. When they stop and take notice Father then let it be you that they might see.
God silence the enemy that wants to draw students away from your glory. I ask that you might bring revival in the hearts and minds of young people. I pray against Satan who desires to destroy them and I ask instead that they would listen only to your voice.
Pour out your Spirit in power on this generation of teenagers. Use my hands and my feet, Father, to make known the truth of your gospel to them. Let me not be distracted by the lies of Satan, but let my confidence, assurance and hope rest in you alone. Do what only you can do for your glory in Jesus name. Amen!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The Hope of the Gospel
The hope of the gospel is in becoming a new person. It is a work of both the will of God and of man's will. It is God's will to make you a new creation, but He will not force you, for man must surrender his own will unto the Lord Jesus.
For when one surrenders his own will unto the Lord Jesus Christ He changes them from the inside out.
Christ is preparing you for the day in which He will clothe you in white and present you as pure before His Father. In becoming that new man, you have an inheritance in Heaven that awaits you. There is joy in the anticipation of what is to come, but there is also great joy in this life when Jesus Christ reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lord's in your own heart.
There is a home awaiting those who are forgiven and free in the Lord Jesus. God is preparing a place for them in Heaven for all of eternity. It is then that truly, you transform into a brand new person as you stand in front of your maker, made whole, spotless and clean.
He will not force you to come to Him. You must surrender your own will to Jesus Christ. For when you do, then the change begins. Hold onto your own life and watch it crumble, let go of it and watch the Lord Jesus put it back together.
"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone and the new has come"- 2 Corinthians 5:17
For when one surrenders his own will unto the Lord Jesus Christ He changes them from the inside out.
Christ is preparing you for the day in which He will clothe you in white and present you as pure before His Father. In becoming that new man, you have an inheritance in Heaven that awaits you. There is joy in the anticipation of what is to come, but there is also great joy in this life when Jesus Christ reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lord's in your own heart.
There is a home awaiting those who are forgiven and free in the Lord Jesus. God is preparing a place for them in Heaven for all of eternity. It is then that truly, you transform into a brand new person as you stand in front of your maker, made whole, spotless and clean.
He will not force you to come to Him. You must surrender your own will to Jesus Christ. For when you do, then the change begins. Hold onto your own life and watch it crumble, let go of it and watch the Lord Jesus put it back together.
"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone and the new has come"- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Friday, September 28, 2012
I've Got My Shovel....
The word of God is like a man who took a shovel and started
digging, only to find that this hole had no end. Yet, as he kept digging he found new
treasures, new discoveries and found in the meantime the deeper he went the
more immersed he became a mystery that many had never ventured out to search
for.
Many others have a dug a mere trench, a safe shallow hole,
but the one who immerses themselves fully into the word of God will find they
have dug so deep they sense that they have truly gone beyond ordinary and have
discovered height and depths unseen.
They feel like an explorer who had the courage to venture out to find
new discoveries when everyone else wanted to keep their feet firmly planted on
solid ground.
They find that as they dig deeper into the word of God they
find mysteries become uncovered, they find joy seeps into them in ways they
cannot describe and they realize that they have become closer with the one whom
revealed all of scripture, Jesus Christ.
They cannot help, but fall more in love with the Father and His Son,
Jesus.
For if we truly submerge ourselves in dutiful study of the
word of God we will find ourselves becoming all the more convinced that it is
true and that is the very words of God.
We realize that the word of God is the most beautifully written book in
all of history and we will find from beginning to end that through it cries out
the very words of God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.
I’ve got my shovel, how about you?
Monday, September 24, 2012
Just an average Monday, or is it?
The successes and strains of this world will often draw our hearts away from the sacred and eternal.
Our status, our accolades and accomplishments become the driving forces of all our pursuits. Life becomes all about us and we forget that we were created for so much more.
Our vision becomes so small when we make it about one big life event to the next. We live for that "mountain top" experience. Yet, all along the greatest joys in life are found in those average days, what most might consider the mundane. The problem is we're too busy looking for "the next big thing" to see the blessing that this day has to offer.
My life will be good when; I get that job, I go to college, I win that championship, I get married, have a baby, etc. Go on, fill in the blank of what it might be for you. All these things, although good, are temporary. King Solomon calls them, "a chasing after the wind". You cannot catch the wind and you cannot catch true joy, hope and purpose through these pursuits. Not anything that is truly lasting, because unfortunately, all of these can be taken from you.
We forget that God has an eternal purpose for this day. His mercies are new every morning and He desires to do a great work in our hearts today. Unfortunately, many of us are too distracted to see that the Risen Christ wants to do a tremendous work in our hearts, yes its true, even on an average Monday.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
No need for worry
The life submitted to the perfect will of the Father is the life that exudes peace. For in the perfect will of the Father there is no need for worry or grumbling. There is only room for assurance and confidence in the steadfast love of the Father.
If worry troubles you, then yield your own stubborn will to the Lord Jesus. Watch Him transform your worry into His assurance as you exercise faith that trusts in not knowing what God's plan is, but believes that it is for your good and for His perfect plan.
Jesus Christ wants to set your heart at rest. Do not be too busy or distracted to fall into His arms of rest. If you continue on your own way you'll only become more frazzled, worried and discontent. Yet, if you would just turn around and submit, you would find peace for your troubles, hope when life seems hopeless and life eternal through forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ.
He's waiting. Yield unto Him today. Do not let your stubborn and rebellious heart keep you from what Jesus Christ wants to do in you today.
6 Do not be anxious about anything,(B) but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.(C) 7 And the peace of God,(D) which transcends all understanding,(E) will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.- Philippians 4:6-7
If worry troubles you, then yield your own stubborn will to the Lord Jesus. Watch Him transform your worry into His assurance as you exercise faith that trusts in not knowing what God's plan is, but believes that it is for your good and for His perfect plan.
Jesus Christ wants to set your heart at rest. Do not be too busy or distracted to fall into His arms of rest. If you continue on your own way you'll only become more frazzled, worried and discontent. Yet, if you would just turn around and submit, you would find peace for your troubles, hope when life seems hopeless and life eternal through forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ.
He's waiting. Yield unto Him today. Do not let your stubborn and rebellious heart keep you from what Jesus Christ wants to do in you today.
6 Do not be anxious about anything,(B) but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.(C) 7 And the peace of God,(D) which transcends all understanding,(E) will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.- Philippians 4:6-7
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
With Unveiled Faces
When people meet you, do they see Jesus?
For, you and I, as followers of Jesus, reflect the very glory of God. Now, let that thought sink in for a moment. Let it transform your heart, your mind and the very way that you carry yourself as a Christian. You and I reflect a glory that is lasting, it is life changing, it is contagious and undeniable. It will bring hope to the hopeless, joy to the destitute and life to those are lost in sin.
13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face(A) to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14 But their minds were made dull,(B) for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant(C) is read.(D) It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord,(E) the veil is taken away.(F) 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit,(G)and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.(H) 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[a](I) the Lord’s glory,(J) are being transformed into his likeness(K) with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.- 2 Corinthians 3:13-17
As Moses left Mount Sinai after seeing the glory of the Lord pass by him his face glowed with the radiance of God and he covered his face with a veil so that the Israelites would not see that glory fade away. Yet, you and I, beloved, when we receive Christ as Lord and Savior, turning from sin and towards Christ will become image bearers of the glory of God that will never fade. Thats right, unlike Moses who only for a short time reflected the very glory of the God of the universe, we have the very risen Christ living within side of us. His glory and radiance is on our very faces and it will not fade. As He transforms us more into His image we start to see Christ made more and more evident in our lives. And with unveiled faces we reflect the glory of God in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Is anyones heart signing for joy at such a truth, or is it just me? Do not live a defeated life in Christ Jesus, but let His righteousness and His glory shine from you to a world that desperately needs the truth of the gospel. You, beloved are an image bearer of the glory of God in Jesus Christ, it will not fade as it did with Moses. This is truly, wonderful news!
Do not be like those deceived whose hearts out of pride, sin and stubbornness, have covered themselves with a veil and have never allowed the gospel truth to penetrate their hearts, change them and set them free. Turn from your sin, trust in Jesus and watch Him set you free and make you new as He removes the veil from your heart. For when you let Him you become an image bearer of the very glory of God. His radiance shines from you in a way that the world will not be able to deny.
This makes me want to shout for joy! Glory to God who by His grace, came to set sinners free and not just to set them free, but to make them completely different people. Lord Jesus, I am so thankful.
For, you and I, as followers of Jesus, reflect the very glory of God. Now, let that thought sink in for a moment. Let it transform your heart, your mind and the very way that you carry yourself as a Christian. You and I reflect a glory that is lasting, it is life changing, it is contagious and undeniable. It will bring hope to the hopeless, joy to the destitute and life to those are lost in sin.
13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face(A) to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14 But their minds were made dull,(B) for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant(C) is read.(D) It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord,(E) the veil is taken away.(F) 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit,(G)and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.(H) 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[a](I) the Lord’s glory,(J) are being transformed into his likeness(K) with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.- 2 Corinthians 3:13-17
As Moses left Mount Sinai after seeing the glory of the Lord pass by him his face glowed with the radiance of God and he covered his face with a veil so that the Israelites would not see that glory fade away. Yet, you and I, beloved, when we receive Christ as Lord and Savior, turning from sin and towards Christ will become image bearers of the glory of God that will never fade. Thats right, unlike Moses who only for a short time reflected the very glory of the God of the universe, we have the very risen Christ living within side of us. His glory and radiance is on our very faces and it will not fade. As He transforms us more into His image we start to see Christ made more and more evident in our lives. And with unveiled faces we reflect the glory of God in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Is anyones heart signing for joy at such a truth, or is it just me? Do not live a defeated life in Christ Jesus, but let His righteousness and His glory shine from you to a world that desperately needs the truth of the gospel. You, beloved are an image bearer of the glory of God in Jesus Christ, it will not fade as it did with Moses. This is truly, wonderful news!
Do not be like those deceived whose hearts out of pride, sin and stubbornness, have covered themselves with a veil and have never allowed the gospel truth to penetrate their hearts, change them and set them free. Turn from your sin, trust in Jesus and watch Him set you free and make you new as He removes the veil from your heart. For when you let Him you become an image bearer of the very glory of God. His radiance shines from you in a way that the world will not be able to deny.
This makes me want to shout for joy! Glory to God who by His grace, came to set sinners free and not just to set them free, but to make them completely different people. Lord Jesus, I am so thankful.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
A New Perspective
Heather, you're ugly, not good enough, you cannot trust others and you'll never amount to anything. Ever felt that way? Yeah, I used to. These were the lies that I used to believe about myself and others.
The enemy of your soul, Satan, wants to whisper lies into your heart. He wants you to believe that you cannot trust anyone. When your life is hit by devastation and heartache the lie that he whispers is for you to put up a wall, to become callous towards life and towards others. His deception tells you that the only person that you can trust is yourself. His desires for you are never good, but only for your destruction. His purposes for you are not for your healing, but to your detriment he will do everything he can to keep you from experiencing true freedom.
So what are we to do with our wounded hearts? Jesus Christ says, " The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."- John 10:10
Yes, isn't that such good news? Jesus Christ says that Satan has come only to steal, kill and destroy but that He has come to offer us life, real life, abundant life!
Abundant life, for you, really? It's true. For the one who turns to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness and clings tightly to Him, our Lord says that he will give you life and life to the full!
I don't know many people who are truly full. I know a lot of wounded people with bitterness and pain. They walk around with their cup hoping that others will fill it. They look to their status in the community, their possessions, relationships, and the like, to fill them with joy and satisfaction and although it may bring them temporal happiness it does not bring them lasting joy.
Yet, I know a healer. Jesus Christ wants to fill you with more of himself and His attributes, love and joy, peace and kindness, gentleness and faithfulness, self-control and selflessness. His desires for you are always good. Although, He never promises to keep you from the pain, He promises to never leave you and that if you let Him, He will heal you.
As I've clung so tightly to the Lord Jesus these past years and have sought His healing He has given me a new perspective. This is now, by the grace of God, what I believe about myself.
Heather, you are loved, you are a new creation, you are beautiful, valuable, have a great purpose and you can trust others. Most of all you can trust in Jesus, because His desires and purposes for you are to heal you and to set you free.
Satan wants you to be a prisoner, but I say to you, Jesus Christ wants to set you free, will you let Him today?
The enemy of your soul, Satan, wants to whisper lies into your heart. He wants you to believe that you cannot trust anyone. When your life is hit by devastation and heartache the lie that he whispers is for you to put up a wall, to become callous towards life and towards others. His deception tells you that the only person that you can trust is yourself. His desires for you are never good, but only for your destruction. His purposes for you are not for your healing, but to your detriment he will do everything he can to keep you from experiencing true freedom.
So what are we to do with our wounded hearts? Jesus Christ says, " The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."- John 10:10
Yes, isn't that such good news? Jesus Christ says that Satan has come only to steal, kill and destroy but that He has come to offer us life, real life, abundant life!
Abundant life, for you, really? It's true. For the one who turns to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness and clings tightly to Him, our Lord says that he will give you life and life to the full!
I don't know many people who are truly full. I know a lot of wounded people with bitterness and pain. They walk around with their cup hoping that others will fill it. They look to their status in the community, their possessions, relationships, and the like, to fill them with joy and satisfaction and although it may bring them temporal happiness it does not bring them lasting joy.
Yet, I know a healer. Jesus Christ wants to fill you with more of himself and His attributes, love and joy, peace and kindness, gentleness and faithfulness, self-control and selflessness. His desires for you are always good. Although, He never promises to keep you from the pain, He promises to never leave you and that if you let Him, He will heal you.
As I've clung so tightly to the Lord Jesus these past years and have sought His healing He has given me a new perspective. This is now, by the grace of God, what I believe about myself.
Heather, you are loved, you are a new creation, you are beautiful, valuable, have a great purpose and you can trust others. Most of all you can trust in Jesus, because His desires and purposes for you are to heal you and to set you free.
Satan wants you to be a prisoner, but I say to you, Jesus Christ wants to set you free, will you let Him today?
Thursday, August 9, 2012
If there is no Hell
If there is no Hell, then the death of Christ was done in vain. If everyone goes to Heaven already, then there would have been no need for a substitutionary death. Jesus would not have had to die, because there would be nothing that we would need to be saved from.
If there is no Hell, then there is no need for accountability of ones life. Go ahead, live however you please, get as much pleasure as you like, just make sure for societies sake that you stay out of jail. If there is no Hell, then there is no reason to turn from your wicked sinful heart, because God, who is Holy, has now put His holiness and justice aside by allowing sinners, who have lived however they please into eternal glory in Heaven.
If there is no Hell, then I'm going to start living it up a little bit more. If there is no Hell, then I don't see the need to forgive my brother who has hurt me. If there is no Hell, then life is all about me and I'm going to live like it.
Yet, Jesus Christ did die and He did rise from the dead. He was seen by over 500 hundred witnesses after his resurrection. On the cross He cried out, "Tetelestai", which translated means, "It is finished". The Greek word implies that something has been completed, perfected and accomplished in full. Jesus Christ uttered these words right before He took His last breath, because in this one statement He was saying, my purpose, of coming to this world to save sinners, to make a way for them to be made right with God has been accomplished through my death. It is finished, and in that one moment, Jesus Christ took away all sin for those who would trust in His death and resurrection to save them.
God, came down as a man. Don't believe it? Ok, go ahead, disprove the resurrection. Find someone else who claimed that He was equal with God and defeated death. I promise you, you won't find anyone.
Since Jesus Christ proved that He was God, then Hell is real. Since Hell is real, we have to ask ourselves, where am I headed? Many of us will say, well I'm a good person so of course I'm not going to Hell, but the truth is that our eternity is not based upon how good we are, for if it was then again Christ death would have been pointless.
One must ask themselves, according to God's will revealed in the Bible, how do I measure up? Jesus says, any man who lusts after a woman in His own heart has committed adultery with her. He also says, if a man hates his brother it is the same as murdering them. Wow, fit in there anywhere?
Ever lied? Stolen? Cheated on a test? The reality is that because God is Holy He cannot allow sin into Heaven. There must be an exchange. The exchange must take place with one who was without sin and that was Jesus Christ. "He who had no sin, became sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God" 2nd Corinthians 5:21
One must realize that in and of themselves, there is no salvation, but only through Jesus Christ can true salvation be found. Do not come to Him with pride, for He will have nothing to do with it. The truth is that everyone is deserving of Hell, not Heaven.
Come to Him in brokenness over your own sin, call out to Him to save you and watch Him transform you into a new person. It is only then that you can be assured that after you die that you will have a hope of eternal life in Heaven.
Do not be deceived. Trust in the Lord Jesus today and be set free!
If there is no Hell, then there is no need for accountability of ones life. Go ahead, live however you please, get as much pleasure as you like, just make sure for societies sake that you stay out of jail. If there is no Hell, then there is no reason to turn from your wicked sinful heart, because God, who is Holy, has now put His holiness and justice aside by allowing sinners, who have lived however they please into eternal glory in Heaven.
If there is no Hell, then I'm going to start living it up a little bit more. If there is no Hell, then I don't see the need to forgive my brother who has hurt me. If there is no Hell, then life is all about me and I'm going to live like it.
Yet, Jesus Christ did die and He did rise from the dead. He was seen by over 500 hundred witnesses after his resurrection. On the cross He cried out, "Tetelestai", which translated means, "It is finished". The Greek word implies that something has been completed, perfected and accomplished in full. Jesus Christ uttered these words right before He took His last breath, because in this one statement He was saying, my purpose, of coming to this world to save sinners, to make a way for them to be made right with God has been accomplished through my death. It is finished, and in that one moment, Jesus Christ took away all sin for those who would trust in His death and resurrection to save them.
God, came down as a man. Don't believe it? Ok, go ahead, disprove the resurrection. Find someone else who claimed that He was equal with God and defeated death. I promise you, you won't find anyone.
Since Jesus Christ proved that He was God, then Hell is real. Since Hell is real, we have to ask ourselves, where am I headed? Many of us will say, well I'm a good person so of course I'm not going to Hell, but the truth is that our eternity is not based upon how good we are, for if it was then again Christ death would have been pointless.
One must ask themselves, according to God's will revealed in the Bible, how do I measure up? Jesus says, any man who lusts after a woman in His own heart has committed adultery with her. He also says, if a man hates his brother it is the same as murdering them. Wow, fit in there anywhere?
Ever lied? Stolen? Cheated on a test? The reality is that because God is Holy He cannot allow sin into Heaven. There must be an exchange. The exchange must take place with one who was without sin and that was Jesus Christ. "He who had no sin, became sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God" 2nd Corinthians 5:21
One must realize that in and of themselves, there is no salvation, but only through Jesus Christ can true salvation be found. Do not come to Him with pride, for He will have nothing to do with it. The truth is that everyone is deserving of Hell, not Heaven.
Come to Him in brokenness over your own sin, call out to Him to save you and watch Him transform you into a new person. It is only then that you can be assured that after you die that you will have a hope of eternal life in Heaven.
Do not be deceived. Trust in the Lord Jesus today and be set free!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Life's Big Questions Video
Just click on this link, here and see what they had to say!
Friday, August 3, 2012
Bicycles, Trumpets and the Clear Blue Sky
I couldn't help but notice the sky when I was out biking this morning. As I was on the outskirts of town I decided to get up off the seat and sprint for a little while down a good stretch of road. As I pedaled hard it was as if the sky, with its beautiful blue colors was zooming past me. I felt the presence of God in a stronger way as I was enveloped by the beautiful blue sky. I couldn't help but wonder what He was thinking. I'm sure that He was delighted too. Do you ever have those moments with God, when you can't help, but just smile and you know that He is smiling too? For God loves to delight in His children who delight in Him.
As I got lost in the clear blue sky it reminded me of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
I wonder if when that trumpet sounds that I'll be staring into the sky? I want to be ready, for when that trumpet sounds the Lord Jesus will come and gather His own to be with him forever. Oh, Lord Jesus, I desire to be with you, forever. For, while in Heaven, you and I will get lost in the deep blue sky together. I can't even fathom what that will be like. Until then, I'll be keeping an eye on that deep blue sky, looking for you.
Lord Jesus, soon that trumpet will sound and you will come back for your own. When I think about it something deep within me stirs with great joy and anticipation for that day. In this time of waiting, Father, use my life to further your Kingdom to help others to see who Jesus Christ is. God, glorify your Son in me. Keep my eyes on Christ and when they look elsewhere, by your grace draw me back, Father. In Jesus name. Amen.
As I got lost in the clear blue sky it reminded me of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
I wonder if when that trumpet sounds that I'll be staring into the sky? I want to be ready, for when that trumpet sounds the Lord Jesus will come and gather His own to be with him forever. Oh, Lord Jesus, I desire to be with you, forever. For, while in Heaven, you and I will get lost in the deep blue sky together. I can't even fathom what that will be like. Until then, I'll be keeping an eye on that deep blue sky, looking for you.
Lord Jesus, soon that trumpet will sound and you will come back for your own. When I think about it something deep within me stirs with great joy and anticipation for that day. In this time of waiting, Father, use my life to further your Kingdom to help others to see who Jesus Christ is. God, glorify your Son in me. Keep my eyes on Christ and when they look elsewhere, by your grace draw me back, Father. In Jesus name. Amen.
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