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Wrestling

23 Nov

Wrestling

2 Corinthians 11:12-15     But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

I am mentally exhausted. Part of me wants to write about the reason why, part of me does not want to share. If this blog is truly sharing my journey with Christ, then I must share whatever road he has me going down, for on each journey I seek to point you to him. I am living proof of the power of God’s grace and mercy. I have been given a gift in both of them that at my hearts core I seek to share the hope and understanding with you that it is available to all of you. There ain’t nothing special about me; I am nothing but an ol’ country boy with a heart for God. But in that understanding, comes the understanding that my enemy knows this also.

Last night I went toe to toe with one as such described in the scriptures above. Spiritual warfare on a tangible plain that was evident to all. It provoked me in a way I have not been provoked. It was scary to say the least; it was very real. Me and one other person somewhat grasped the spiritual warfare of what was unfolding. The details of the encounter are not important, and to be honest, even seem a blur this morning. What I seek to share with you is the reality of your life as a Christian; in that reality that you have an enemy. Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. When you answer that tug God has placed on your heart, repent of your sins, and make Jesus the Lord of your life, you step out into traffic in this world. You are no longer under the ruler of this world (Satan), you are a child of God forever sealed into eternal paradise. But that does not mean it will be an easy ride for your time here.

I have only experienced one other encounter such as this; it left me just as confused as this. Satan and his angels are the greatest manipulators, great deceivers, and very intelligent in their tactics. God will protect you through them, you are secure in Him. Through them you will come to see a deeper need for Him; you will come to a desire to pursue Him more in his Word and prayer. The more time you spend daily with the God in prayer and his Word, the greater your discernment becomes. The greater your discernment becomes, the less likely you are to being deceived. In this dark world in which we live, discernment is as vital for survival.

 
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Posted by on November 23, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Rubber Bands

22 Nov

Rubber Bands

2 Corinthians 1:3-4   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

I am mentally exhausted….the past couple months have been a whirlwind of emotions, incredible highs and lows. I, in trying to describe what things have been like, have told others to pick an adjective and likely I have experienced it. The amazing personal thing to me, knowing my own struggles with anxiety, is that I have not experienced an anxiety attack. Now don’t get me wrong, worry has abounded, but their is a huge difference in the two; apples and oranges let’s say. I have been a Thanksgiving recipe for an attack with these strains, but yet none have come. In all of it, I have been seeking God; in all of it I have been praying, even with a few daily fasts. In all of it He has been my rock, my fortress, my comforter, my hope, my security, my enabler, my guide, my father, my God. I have been told through Godly wisdom that the reason for my missing anxiety attack is that I am in the center of God’s Will for my life; Satan can’t touch me. That is far from a prideful statement, it is a humbling example of what you can have too when you truly seek God. It is a means that I can share of the hope that lies within me; a tangible way I can articulate the power of God in my life to those that are struggling with life. It is the power of God in my life; it is the power of God when you truly seek him every, single, day; every day to remain in his Will for your life for that day. If you will do this one thing, He will do the rest. Matthew 6:33 Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

There are so many in my circle of friends, family, and influence that are really hurting right now. So many of them have had great big things land in their laps this week. Some closest to me have been at their wits end with the daily demands and troubles of life. It can be great mental strains and even physical strains. Many of them are truly hurting inside, and I am so thankful that so many of them are so strong in their faith. My sermon last week was one about the trials of life and how they serve as distractions to take our eyes off Christ; we have countless examples in each of our live that we can recognize as such. But when in the middle of them, when we receive the comfort of our faith in them, we are blessed by and through them. We are able to see God in them, and witness of our faith through them, This scripture above is the witness to what God does in each of them.

 
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Posted by on November 22, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Bigger than MNF

20 Nov

Bigger than MNF

Mark 6:7-12    Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. 8 He sent them off with these instructions: “Don’t think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple. 9 10 “And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave. 11 “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.” 12 Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different.(The Message)

‘They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different”; the power of the Gospel in a life transformed by the hearing of it, by the hearts response to it, by the work of Christ in and through it. Jesus was giving his disciples their marching orders; it was time to put feet on their faith and go out into the streets and share the hope that lied within them. The were to go and make disciples. They were to go and spread the hope found in the Gospel that Jesus Christ was bringing to the world that was lost in sin. Our world today is just as far as lost in depravity as the day the disciples went out; we are not in-errantly good, we are at our core evil. In the New King James version of this text, listen to the words of Christ in regard to those that will not hear the Good News. 11 And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. Most of us know that those cities were destroyed by God by reigning fire down from heaven on them as condemnation of great sins.

On my only mission trip I spent about 10 minutes with our evangelist with us. He really poured into me this urgency of the Gospel, and it was a key point I took home from our trip. How can we talk about the Panthers win for a week, and not about the Gospel for eternity? How can we talk about the weather, and not who controls it? How can we stand before God and account for all those lost opportunities that we missed, that may have been those that stood before us last opportunity? My prayer is that God would stir your heart with excitement and urgency for the Gospel. My prayer is that you seek to share your faith today with someone new. What if you did not see them tomorrow, and you and they missed that eternal opportunity?

 
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Posted by on November 20, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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The Last Chapter

19 Nov

The Last Chapter

Ephesians 1:13-14    In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 1 leading up to this passage is packed full of the sovereignty of God with big words like predestination, adoption, dispensation, mystery, and the list could go on. In those passages is wrapped up God’s plan for humanity lost in sin, and the saving power of the Gospel of Salvation by his Son at the cross. There is so much packed into those passages, you must just simply take your time to read them. After those passages, the author Paul writes and prays for the readers to have spiritual wisdom; for God to grant the readers understanding. He knows his writings connected by the “Therefore”(vs.13) are weighty and powerful. This is not a passage in the Bible to be skimmed over; one needs God to open our minds to these truths.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth–in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

The Bible is not a book to be read to get finished and see how it ends. The book of Revelations is a book of the prophecy of the end of time, yet as a believer in Christ, all the world will suffer will not matter if you believe in Him and the rapture of the saints whom are His disciples. Slow down and read the Bible word for word. When you get perplexed, begin to truly study His Word. He will reveal the truths found in it to a heart that is ready for it. The more time you spend daily in this study and prayer, the more He reveals to you. The Holy Spirit that comes to live inside of you found in that promise of verse 13, is who opens the truths of God to you. Without Him, the Bible is just another book you speed through to get to finish and see how it ends. Without Him, you will not like the last chapter.

 
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Posted by on November 19, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Turn from______________

18 Nov

Turn from______________

Acts 2:11   Has a nation changed its gods,which are not gods?But My people have changed their Glory for what does not profit. (ESV)

Israel were God’s chosen people. God had delivered them from slavery in an incredible way. God had guided them through the desert for 40 year and provided for their needs. He had taken them into a land of milk and honey, yet in all of this they fought among themselves and began to worship other gods. They were a stiff-necked people; they are the pinnacle example of the mercy of God. Their people group still exists today as the evidence of a loving God that will not break his eternal promises, a God that shows mercy when total wrath is what is deserved. They are the proof, that we are to all look inwardly at ourselves for the evidences of His mercy.

I relate to Jeremiah so much. I know in my ministry I am called to one of repentance. I had my idols, my pride, my life that was far from God. He humbled me greatly, and continues to do so in so many ways. In my testimony I have seen and feel that need for a repentant life; more than a repentant life for Salvation, but a lifestyle of repentance to pursue an abiding relationship with Christ. I and you fail daily, therefore we should repent daily. What if today were your last, and you carried those un-repented sins to the feet of Jesus? What would you say? What would He say? King David gives us the example of a humble heart seeking God’s forgiveness in Psalm 51 where he repented of his sins with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,[a]
And blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

 
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Posted by on November 18, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Sermon Link

17 Nov

Here is the link for my sermon today.

Love to have you all join us one Sunday.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7hp1ncidc02bm2b/11-17-13%20Sermon.docx

 

 

 
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Posted by on November 17, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

It

15 Nov

It

2 Corinthians 4:5-7    For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

It ain’t about you.
It is all about Him.
It is the power over sin.
It is what you cannot accomplish.
It is what He did accomplish.
It is the perfect sacrifice.
It is an Atonement.
It is your bail money to get out of Hell.
It is the Light in a very dark world.
It is a free gift from God.
It is the grace of God.
It is the mercy of God.
It is unimaginable sacrifice.
It is the answer to the Law.
It is what you can never attain through the Law.
It is being elected by God.
It is that tug that you feel from deep within.
It is how you respond when you feel that tug.
It is from an eternal well from which you will never thirst again.
It quenches the fire from which the lost only want a drop to cool their tongue.
It requires humble repentance, not works based penance.
It makes you go against what the world teaches.
It teaches selflessness and sacrifice, not pride.
It makes you a new person on the inside, for those on the outside to see.
It readjusts your priorities in life.
It makes you see what truly matters in life.
It makes you want to share what you have with everyone.
It presses you to a life of service to the One whom gave you life.
It will give you a hope that the world does not have.
It will give you a hope the world cannot steal away.
It will keep you “up”, when the world tries to knock you “down”.
It is an endless list of what it can do in your life that you nor nothing else can ever do.
It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It…..is eternal.

 
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Posted by on November 15, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Pray for your pastor(No retirement plan)

14 Nov

Pray for your pastor(No retirement plan)

2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

What ministry was Paul talking about? He was talking about the New Testament ministry. God’s New Covenant through the work of Jesus Christ’s shedding of his sinless blood to atone for our sins. The Old Covenant was the Law, or the Ten Commandments, which pointed to our need for a Savior. Jesus came and fulfilled what the the law could not accomplish. Paul was bound by his love for Christ in preaching the Gospel to those that he had once persecuted unto death. Paul knew he was going to suffer for Christ; Acts 9:16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” The Lord had appeared to Ananias in a dream, and sent him to fulfill a vision that He had given Saul (Paul), of healing his eyes, restoring his sight. Paul’s ministry had began with suffering for Christ; he had been struck blind by Christ on that Damascus road.

Intensely personal, I have never been where I find myself today. I am in a place of honor and the greatest humbleness I have ever experienced. The complexity of these two emotions is hard to articulate. My testimony was one of pride, yet now I feel withdrawn from the honor; I do not want to be elevated. Yet the burden on my heart for preaching the Gospel tugs me to climb on the mountaintops and preach. Matthew 10:27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. The intensely spiritual warfare in my mind and those that are close to me is very real; elevated to a place that is painful at times for me and those that endure. Physical pains have increased, this is tangible evidence of this warfare. In all of these Satan seeks to draw my attention away from Christ; in all of these my attention seeks to draw closer to Him; all of these point to the evidence of my NEED for Him.

I humbly write this to any of you that read this: Pray for your pastors. It has taken on an entire new light in my life the pleas I have heard from them through the years. What they battle for your sake, and primarily for the spreading of the Gospel for which they have been entrusted, is a very tough ministry. They share with Christ his sufferings in many ways; yet they hopefully as Paul do not loose heart and preach the only Gospel that saves eternally until their end of days. There should be no retirement plan in ministry.

 
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Posted by on November 14, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Does the grass taste good?

13 Nov

Does the grass taste good?

Daniel 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble. (ESV)

King Nebuchadnezzar had asked Daniel to interpret his second dream; he did not like what he heard. God had proclaimed that he was going to loose his kingdom, his mind, and live like a wild beast for seven periods of time (thought to be seven years). God was not going to kill him, but to leave a portion in him that He will restore. God told him that He would restore him to his kingdom; but in all of this God was pointing out to the king, Who appointed him as king. God is showing Nebuchadnezzar that He is truly the ruler of all in the universe; God is giving him a big does of humble pie in an unimaginable way. He literally went crazy and lived like an animal for those seven years. But God just as miraculously as He cast judgement, restored the king. 34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; 35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

I had given my testimony this weekend at church, and the backbone of it was a man rooted in pride. My youngest son has been reading in Daniel for our Bible story each night, and low and behold in my study in 2 Corinthians this morning I was led there also; I love how God works. Even in the study of 2 Corinthians, Satan has blinded so many of today in the pride of life. There are countless ways that stem in pride that keep us from humbling our hearts and seeing the light of the Gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Even in one of my study Bible’s notes it says, “The unbeliever has a barrier to overcome. Because of Satan’s deception, what the world thinks is obviously true, is painfully wrong.” Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. You are never going to get through to God with a prideful heart; only through humbleness is eternal paradise found. If you are feeling those questions arising in your heart, make a heartfelt plea for God to open your eyes and your  heart to the truth. Be ready for Him to reveal the opposite of what the world teaches. Be ready for the Gospel of Free Grace to open your eyes, your heart, and your eternal salvation through the removal of the pride of life, and the forgiveness of sins.

 
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Posted by on November 13, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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In all of it

12 Nov

In all of it

2 Corinthians 4:7-8    But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed

Lord you have me here
Where you want me to be;
A new place in life
To pour yourself through me.

My enemy comes at me
In so many different ways;
All sorts of busyness
Taking time from my days.

I want to submerge
In your Word only be;
But that is not your plan
You love to challenge me.

Tasks, tests, & trials
That is how I will grow;
Closer to You in all of them
Out of them You will flow.

As I lay there this morning
Contemplation on my mind;
I come to open my Bible
And this was the verse I find.

It is a verse full of struggle
It is a verse showing the pain;
It is surrounded by the proofs
Of in You we shall we remain.

You are the Light within us
Your Light will shine through;
Your evidences pour from us
In all that we do.

5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

 
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Posted by on November 12, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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