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Monthly Archives: July 2013

Where does your heart lie?

17 Jul

Where does your heart lie?

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

God is stirring my soul……I know not yet what his plans are for me, but yet I feel him at work in me. My yearning is to bring you along side me, to walk together in this journey of faith. Our world is running headlong away form God and I want you to turn with me and run to God. I am so tired of what I see around me; I am so tired of my own daily failures in so many areas. I prayed to God this morning for the closeness I have felt at times with Him; those days usually in Fasts that I know I am walking in the Spirit, abiding in Him. A time when my spiritual awareness is heightened, when my focus is on God, and him alone. Oh, how this world and the ruler of it succeed in their abilities to take our eyes off God. There are countless ways that seemingly take our eyes off Him, many ways may be seemingly good, yet move the focus towards ourselves and not our Savior.

I seemingly seem to be having trouble focusing; the elevated stresses and strains of life are plaguing my memory. My hearts desire is to draw closer to my Savior; to walk in his Spirit abiding in Him each day. To be in the center of His Will for my life, and to use my life to draw glory to Him. To be a better father, husband, and leader of my family. To point them to the One who can offer them what I cannot. To point others to what I have found in my soul from the daily time in His Word. To show others that the only change they will ever find in their lives is found in Christ, and found in seeking Him every single day. More than a one time prayer, but a heart that is after God. A heart that lives as in Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye first, the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. All those things that you say that you want from God, what are you doing to find the answers to them? Are you spending daily time with Him in prayer and His Word? Are you living for the world 6.5 days a week and expecting all from Him for a small time on Sunday?

What does the word abide mean to you? Abide is a state of being; being in Christ. His Spirit comes to live in you as a result of your repentant heart and Salvation. When He comes to dwell there, do you spend your time repressing the things that He is showing you? Do you deny those sins that He is revealing to you? Do you let Him do his work inside you, and change you from the inside out as only He can? Testimonies to the power of Christ are born in lives transformed. Rescued and delivered from sin; eternally forgiven, and eternally rewarded for those that truly seek Him. We are called to live our lives as disciples; to deny ourselves and live an obedient heart for His Will for our lives for each day. An abiding heart is an obedient heart; and each day brings a test of obedience; of where your heart lies.

 
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Posted by on July 17, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Way out there

16 Jul

Way out there

Colossians 3:1-2     If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

I sat here in pre-5am silence; the road closure and the early hour brought a rare stillness this morning. It has already passed; God blessed me with that quiet time with him today; awakening me earlier than usual. So much is on my heart, so many avenues my mind travels down even in the early mornings. I could fill up much more than this page of the things going on in my life; no different from yours, just my own list. This time of year the work load is my biggest battle; it commands my attention and creeps in even in my early mornings with God. It is not the only thing that tries to steal my focus, but it certainly steals my joy in these moments of prayer and scripture study. It is only one of the many distractions that Satan uses to take our minds off the things above; all of them are distractions from him, all of them are meant to get us to take our eyes off Christ and to the stresses or worries of what is seemingly troubling us.

Paul repeatedly points to the centrality of Christ in his letter to the Colossians. There were doctrinal errors and false teachings that were creeping into the church. There were many that were being led astray by these false teachers. Paul then gets to the practical application side of things in Colossians 3; he tells us of how we are to live as Christians. He speaks of the “old man” before Christ, and the “new man” in Christ. He speaks of how we are to not live our lives as before, but to pursue holiness with a life focused on the eternal, and not the temporal. Satan always tugs your mind to the temporal; the problem at hand in an effort to steal your joy in your hope for eternity. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

It is so simple what Paul is truly saying; “You are a new man in Christ, act like one.” God has laid such a burden on my heart these last couple of weeks towards sacrificial living; the true life of a disciple.Satan has planted all the distractions to take my eyes off it. The battle rages, but the war is won. Paul is pointing to the life that is lived in that pursuit of holiness, is a life that leaves behind the pursuit of sin and the pleasures found in it and of this world. Do you live for the temporary or the eternal? The eternal focus demands a true heart’s desire for Christ and the things of God. Satan can easily take your eyes off the eternal if your not spending daily time seeking God in his Word and prayer. Make today a day that you live for tomorrow……..eternally.

 
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Posted by on July 16, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Now available

15 Jul

Now available

Colossians 1:9-12   For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

I attended two church services yesterday and heard two great sermons. The first questioned why we are not impacted by the Bible as we should be. The second questioned why we don’t live our lives sacrificially like we should be. They easily could have been rolled into one; for a person that is moved by the time they spend in God’s Word will be a person that their life changes to an attitude of service to the One who they come to know more of there. You simply cannot spend time daily in God’s Word and not become a changed person; I live my life now by the grace and mercy of God as a testament to the power of His Word. You say you want more; you want to know more of Him and yet you only seek Him once a week. How much return do you expect for your effort? Are you not getting what you should expect to receive?

Paul was hearing of those in Colosse that were growing in their faith. Paul was a great intercessor and began to diligently pray for them to be encouraged and strengthened by God. They did not have the Bible available to them as we do now. Do you grasp how lucky you are with God’s Word most likely sitting around your house right now? Do you know there are many places in the world that that Book could cost you your life? Paul prayed for them to be strengthened, for he knew they were fighting against the world in their pursuit of Christ. We are seeing our country turning it’s back on God and the moral standards He proclaims. We need to be spending our lives with the tools He has given us to stand against the world ourselves. To stand up for our faith against the tide of sin in the name of equality that is sweeping our nation. Will our nation turn it’s back on God to the point that those of us who claim Him will not stand for Him?

Pursue God; pursue Him daily in His Word and let him open your heart to a greater understanding of him. Let Him show you how to live your life as a living sacrifice indebted to the One whom gave you eternal life. Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. A heart that is truly after God will find him in his Word. It will produce a changed life and a life that will be eternally rewarded. It will produce a heart that comes to know and understand more of God and the things of God. All this is produced by God and through the power of his Word. It all starts with a heart and desire for Him that opens the pages of that Holy Book now available to you.

 
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Posted by on July 15, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Transformed

12 Jul

Transformed

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

I have been spending some time in Romans, yesterday coming to this chapter that defines the Christian life and how to live it. Paul presents the summary of how we are to live our lives in just two short sentences; sacrificial love focused only on the One who provides eternal life. Yesterday seemed to bring an internal challenge of a life focused on the present, the problems of the day. Anxiety crept in late in the day, but a late night sermon and focus fought away that demon and rest was gained. This morning the problems of the day loom early, the demon of anxiety tries to awake; the demon tugs to focus on the things of this world and to steal my joy from the day. My mind races at 100mph in these early hours; a war between my ears of good and evil. I have come to expect and accept these battles at times like these; it lets me know I am in the center of God’s Will for me and my life in His Word and this keyboard. All my struggles can be used for good; God can take that which Satan means to draw my eyes away from Him, and draw me closer to Him. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Anything that I openly endure, can all be used to show you God’s mercy, grace, love, and provision for whatever I face. These bouts of anxiety and sometimes depression can all be used to point you to God; to show you how He gives me what I need in all of it. Suffering is only for a minute, and paradise is eternal.

All that I humbly do before you is to attest to the power of a changed life by seeking God every day in His Word and prayer. I lived the life in pursuit of all the lusts of the world for many years. I pursued anything and everything and idolized many things. I lived my life for the moment and the pleasures found in it. God was always a future plan I thought I had, on my timetable. My world changed with a great church and the realization of my sin. The sanctification process began in me, and my life truly changed when I began to read God’s Word every day. I lived my life in pursuit of Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. With that daily pursuit of Him first; arising early, and in prayer and His Word will change you. He will begin to reveal Himself to you like never before. All that you seek will be answered by the One who has all the answers. The renewing of your mind is found in  The Word. The key to a life that is not conformed to the world, is found in the Word. A genuine, humble heart that seeks God will find Him there, and come to understand more of Him there, and come to live their lives in pursuit of more of Him there

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Posted by on July 12, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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A passage that stands out

11 Jul

A passage that stands out

 Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

There are times in the Bible that you wish were more than even the words of Christ that may be highlighted in red. The scriptures that stand alone; key passages that give you key points of how to live your life as a Christian; Romans 12 is one of those passages. You must “get it” to learn to live how God desires you to live. I love how The Message translation describes this passage:
Romans 12:1 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2 Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Anytime that you see a “therefore” in a passage, you must read the prior scriptures to understand it’s meaning. Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.  Amen. Paul summed it up in 11:36, but my ESV commentary points out that the Therefore is really pointing to all of Paul’s argument thus presented in Romans. Christ speaks to John in the Book of Revelation with that same summary that Paul speaks of in 11:36. Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” You must come to a point in your life that you truly begin to grasp how great God is; how great is his mercy for not giving you what you deserve; how great is his grace in giving you what you do not. How great he is as the Sovereign Ruler of the universe; the Creator and the Sustainer. Only in this understanding will come a life that desires to life as a Romans 12 Christian. You must grasp Paul’s argument in the book of Romans prior, to move to that level of sacrifice He desires that Paul speaks of in Romans 12.

The New Living Translation puts it like this: Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. I have given you three different translations for this scripture, but I cannot speak to your heart. Prayerfully seek God in this scripture on your own; ask him to set you back in reverent awe of him, to produce in you that life that He desires you to live found in this passage.

 
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Posted by on July 11, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Peace in an out of control world

10 Jul

Peace in an out of control world

Romans 11:33-36    Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Yesterday I had a great conversation with another contractor who uses his business as a ministry. We stood out in the parking lot and shared our faith. He asked what one word I would use to encourage someone; His one word was obey, my one word was peace. All throughout the Bible we are shown and must come to understand the Sovereignty of God. Sovereignty is simply defined as a supreme power; God is the definition of THE supreme power. When you read the Bible as a whole, you come to understand the complexity of God’s plan; but at the same time the centrality and simplicity of His plan to offer Salvation to all, and to draw all to Him for eternal paradise. In that understanding comes the peace that my one word describes.

Romans 11 is the apostle Paul’s detailed description of how Israel fits into God’s ultimate plan to save all the world. Paul goes into detail of God continues to offer grace to His beloved people time and time again; His plans even come to use their rebellion to offer Salvation to the rest of the world. Everything that Israel has ever done, and will ever do, all falls under the Sovereignty of God’s design. He either designed it, or allowed it, but it all will work for his purpose. Our simple minds cannot grasp a speck of the mind of God. But when we come to grasp that understanding, their is a release of our burdens to Him; for we know that He is in control of it ALL.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. This passage is one that we as Christians must lean on in difficult situations in life. This is Sovereignty defined; “all things word together”; we cannot understand how the difficult situations in life can possible be for our, or work out for our good. We only see the present tumults or pain in them; we don’t see past them. But with the heart of understanding comes the peace in them. He has a purpose “for good to those who love God” in every situation in our lives. If you pursue Him with all your heart, He will open your eyes to that Peace I am trying to describe.

 
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Posted by on July 10, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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How will they know?

09 Jul

How will they know?

Romans 10:13-15    For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Paul has been presenting that what was once thought only available to the Jews, is now available to all. The Lord God that all had known the Jews worshipped, had come to give Himself up for those not of Jewish decent too. The saving grace found in Him carried no ruse of exclusivity any longer; all could come to know Him and worship Him for what He freely gave to them. 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. This was no private party with a God all throughout the Old Testament that those opposing the Jews had feared; Paul preached a God of love who had came and paid the ultimate price for all to have forgiveness and access to Him. The doors were opened, and all needed to hear; Paul preached the Gospel with urgency.

I love this set of rhetorical questions that Paul presents here; the “how thens”. You say that you believe in Him, but how then did you come to believe? You at some point must have heard of Him, to come to a point of belief in Him. Someone, somewhere, somehow, presented the Good News of Jesus Christ to you. It may have been received with a hardened heart at the time it was presented; it may have fallen on your seemingly deaf ears; it may have nestled in a corner of your soul until God was ready to humble you to remind you of your need of Him. Paul is stressing the importance of spreading the Good News here, to live your life on mission. And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? Have, or more directly, is your life on mission? Do those around you know of Who you place your faith and hope in? How can they share in your joy if they have not heard of Him?

So much over the past couple of weeks of my life has been centered on missions. God has been putting people in my life that have true hearts for missions; for spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth; with hearts like Paul. I have spent some time with a modern day Paul; he is just encouraging to be in his presence; sold out for Christ and spreading the Good News in a country far away from God. I have friends with true mission hearts such as Paul, I saw and experienced the evidences of it and Him greatly as we gathered to prayerfully send off the next team. The presence of the Holy Spirit was great in that home that evening; He was there, and we were blessed because 15b”How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” My heart is full of joy for those that God has put in my circle to influence me; to encourage me to press on, to feel the love they have for Him and the hearts they have for sharing Him with others. How else will they ever come to know Him?

 
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Posted by on July 9, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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10yr old Russell’s prayer letter

08 Jul

Lord,

I would love if we all loved you and each other. Because this world is so full of hate and despise. Because even

in me and the people who I love, you see Satan in. But that’s what you and the angels are fighting all around us. Satan is hell himself and we know that. That is what you are stopping all around everywhere! But we need to be more like Elisha, or Elijah, I can’t remember. But have all these missionaries you are sending off. Do they feel like your healing hands; see them sending off and cleansing demons left and right. You send them off and cleanse them. Make them angels. And join the battle you fight hidden from our hideous human eyes.

In your name I say,

Amen

The past week the tug for my son’s heart into the mission field has been incredibly strong. He has heard testimonies from missionaries in India; his mothers team from Romania, a team that just returned from Alaska, and last night another team headed to Alaska. His grasp of sin and spiritual warfare amaze me. My prayer is for God to continue his great work in the heart of our child.

 
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Posted by on July 8, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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On Mission to spread the Good News

08 Jul

On Mission to spread the Good News

Romans 10:8-10     But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

My heart is on missions this morning; from spending time with friends headed on mission last night, to my son pouring his heart out to God in a prayer letter after we got home, to where I have been in God’s Word in Romans the past couple of days. Presenting the Gospel to those that will hear; to give hope to those that desire it; to present the understanding that one can never perform enough good works to enter into heaven; the Gospel of Grace. Paul has been pouring out his heart for his countrymen; for their err in seeking to obtain righteousness through following the word of the Law. The Law had been satisfied by Christ, their Messiah had come and now they are to follow Him, not the Law that pointed to Him. Their are two types of righteousness; a works based, and a faith based. Works is based in self and pride; faith is based in the heart and Grace. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you feel that you can in any way, earn your way, you are going headlong against Christ and the Gospel of Grace.

I grew up going to church every Sunday. Somewhere in there I began believing that you went to heaven because you went to church. So whatever I did during the week was ok, or forgiven, if I made it to church on Sunday. Sadly the largest denomination today still preaches this works based faith system. Their is no number of “hail Mary’s” that will ever pay your sin debt; only a humble heart that confesses sins to the Savior of them through Grace will be saved. How could a missionary go into the far reaches of the world and preach a Salvation that required works? The only Salvation that saves is the one accessible to all; one that is through faith in Jesus Christ that came, died, and rose from the dead to pay for your sins; past, present, and future. The gospel of Grace is obtainable to all that will hear, all that God is tugging on their heart, opening that door of hope that is available to all.

What do you believe? Do you think that the better you are as a person, the more likely you are to enter into heaven? Do you think that your good works will outweigh your bad on God’s scales for eternity? Do you think that because you know right from wrong, and that you feel you are just good enough, that God will let you in? God doesn’t let just good enough in, he only let’s in those that have accepted the free gift he gave them in the understanding of the sacrifice of his Son. He will ask you upon judgement day what you did with the knowledge of that sacrifice? How will you answer?

 
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Posted by on July 8, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Have you heard?

07 Jul

Have you heard?

Romans 9:15-21    For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? (ESV)

I timidly tread on this scripture that is steep in theology; I am not qualified to take on the arguments that can be presented here on Election and Sovereignty. I fully accept and rest in the grace of Sovereignty; if it is by Election I rest in that also. What grabs me here is the question found in it; “Why have you made me like this?”. That question is one that we have all most likely gone before God asking. I still in my struggles with sin seemingly go before God with it; I must understand that the sanctification process is a life-long road I must travel. The more time I spend with God in his Word and prayer, the more sin is revealed to me. Even Paul continued to struggle in that realization of sin, of how he wanted to be a better man, but still failed continually. Romans 7:15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

Let me present a simplified question on the topic of Election found in these scriptures. If you are even realizing, and questioning God on life here and thereafter, is that not evidence that He is already in pursuit of your heart, and you are a chosen child? Those blinded to Him never see or question any evidences of Him. That tug on your heart you feel, should make you feel special; you are a chosen child of God. The evidences of the evil in this world today are proofs of Satan’s power that surrounds us. God’s leash on him is stretching out just before time for Christ’s return to pull him back and put him up forever. These days that lie before us are not days guaranteed, but evidences of the need for you to repent of your sins and draw near to Christ for eternal rewards. The gospel is going out into all the world at an incredible rate with the evolution of the internet; missionaries are presenting the Good News to places that have never heard. All of this must happen before His return, and it is happening NOW! God has made you “like this” for a purpose; that purpose is to draw you to Him, and that his glory can be revealed in you. We are forgiven by the blood of the Lamb, and able to share by the word of our testimonies.

I love how a good friend of mine always closes his letters,

Until all have heard

 
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Posted by on July 7, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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