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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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About my magnet

28 Jun

About my magnet

1 Corinthians 2:1-5    And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

I had a talk yesterday with one of my best friends, and the Godliest man I know. He always encourages me, and I always know God is using him to do so. His discernment is incredible; we were talking about God’s calling on our lives and the different calls, but all called to preach. This morning in a favorite devotional, it spoke of being apprehended by God. “We are not here to work for God because we have chose to do so, but because God has apprehended us….What you preach is determined by God, not by your own natural inclinations.” (Oswald Chambers). When God gets that grip on your heart like never before, you come to realize He has you at this moment right were He wants you. As a child of His, Free Will may allow you to wonder from that center line of your life for Him, but the magnetism of His Sovereignty draws you right back to center.

I live in the present tense; my memory and lack of it trouble me deeply. It comes as a result of genetics, abuses, and stresses in my life. It has gotten much worse in recent years. My mornings out here are many times seeking the things I should remember. I felt that pain in our conversation yesterday in speaking of Old Testament stories. I struggle much more than I can ever reveal, but in it I have also seen God renew that desire for the new each day. I cannot rely on any supposed wisdom, for I cannot remember it. That hearts desire for the new word from Him keeps me seeking Him every day. I only want you to see Christ in me, just as Paul says above. I am a “unedjumicated” man; I am enrolled in seminary, but I am far from scholarly. I only seek to know more of God, and the things of God found in deeper study of Him.

There is nothing special about me; all have have, and all I lack, is all God’s Will for my life. My life is found in the pursuit of Him now. My hearts desire is to encourage you to do the same. My life changed when I simply began to read my Bible every day. That act will change you too, for you cannot be unchanged by the Word of God. All that you desire in life is found in that book. All that you desire in life will change in that book. You do not have to go to seminary to become a disciple; you do not have to be educated to preach the Word of God. You only must live your life as found in Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. That hearts desire is the opposite polar magnet that will align you with the magnetism of His Will for your life.

 
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Posted by on June 28, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Have you ever Fasted?

27 Jun

Have you ever Fasted?

Matthew 6:16-18    “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Some friends and myself are doing a one-day liquid fast today. I don’t typically reveal that I am fasting, but today I felt that tug to share, for many of you may not understand. It was only a few years ago that I had never heard of it, much less ever tried it. Today I am before you to testify of it. What is a Fast? A fast is the denial of self in an attempt to draw closer to God. It is typically the denial of food and the pleasures found in it. The hunger pains serve as a reminder to seek God in prayer for nourishment. Simplified, the hungrier you get, the more you pray, the closer you get to God; it works through the power of prayer and God’s understanding of the sacrifice you are trying to make with your hearts desire of drawing closer to him. It is not a diet, and will never be honored as such.

Fasting is all throughout the Old Testament. It was part of the traditions of the Israelites and past down for generations. Christ is speaking of it here in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew above. He is speaking of those that desire the pity of men during a fast, and of how they will receive that pity as their only reward. But He is also speaking of those that privately fast seeking only God, and of how God will reward them. This passage is closely related to the passage before on prayer. Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Prayer and Fasting are meant to be private conversations between you and God. They are never meant to draw attention to you. They serve as a means to get you closer to God.

There is not a rulebook for Fasting. There is a lot of information out there of peoples opinions on the rules of Fasting; it is an act between only you and God. It should be entered into with prayer, for a heart, mind, body, and soul seeking Him. It should be viewed as holy; it is not a flippant act taking with light regard. If you “cheat”, or treat it as such, the One who you are trying to honor is dis-honored. What would you do; what would you sacrifice to draw closer to God? Is your hearts desire for Him great enough to make a sacrifice? Think of the sacrifices He made for you.

 
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Posted by on June 27, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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My hearts desire

04 Jun

My hearts desire

Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

Lord I need you, oh I need you. Every hour I need you.

I awake to find a new day, as the pressures of the day rush in, you are there to comfort me.

I lie there in thought, what will the day bring? What will you bring or allow Lord?

I awake with the enemy pressing thoughts of worldly demands; he tries to steal my focus & joy.

I lie there early in the day, engaged in the war of the mind; the demands press down.

But in my soul, you lift me up; you give me the strength and desire for you in each day.

You give me the expectation of meeting you early each day. You give me hope for the day.

You give me the desire to arise early and seek You with all my heart, mind, body, and soul.

You meet me in prayer and your Word; you give me words of encouragement as your child.

You give me the understanding that all my struggles are temporary; eternity with you awaits me.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

You give me the desire to share with others what I have in you; for hope lies in you.

You give me the desire to share what I have found in you; my prior life that was lost without you.

You give me that testimony to encourage others embattling the same struggles; the hope you freely give; the grace you give; the mercy you give; the love you give; the promises you give; the understanding you give; the love you give; the endless fountain of life as your child you give.

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

You place the desire in me to preach your word to all that will hear; you direct my path.

You give me the breath for the day, you give me hope for finding you throughout it.

You give me the me that desire to love you with all my heart, mind, body, and soul.

All I have, all I need, all I want is found in you Lord. Lord I need you, oh I need you.

 
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Posted by on June 4, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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What did you do yesterday?

02 Dec

What did you do yesterday?

1 John 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Take a look back at yesterday in your mind. Just for one day take a good look at your whole day. From the time you got up, until your head hit the pillow last night or early this morning. What were the activities; how were they prioritized? How was your conduct and speech throughout the day? At any point in the day could someone point to you and know that you are a Christian? Would everything yesterday point the opposite direction? These self exams can be a painful process that the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins. He puts mine in BOLD FONT when I humbly take these retrospectives. The Apostle John clearly states our daily duty as a follower of Christ in one simple sentence above.

My study Bible has the heading, “The Test of Knowing Him” for 1 John 2:3-11. These scriptures speak of keeping the commandments He has given us. 1 John 2:3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. The desire of your heart should be to emulate Christ. To be a better person today than you were yesterday. To show the love you have for Him to everyone at every opportunity. When you live with the first and greatest commandment sealed in your heart; this is your hearts desire. Luke 10:27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ “ The last part of that scripture may be the hard part; loving others. In today’s selfish society showing love and grace can be difficult; but how difficult is it for God to do the same for us?

We will never live a life of perfection; we will fail in countless areas every day. Even when we seek to do good all day we are in constant battles of lust, envy, and great sins in our minds. It is not these sins that condemn us if we have a heart for God. God knows our heart, and knows if these are a battle we face, or a sin we hide. He knows our level of love for our fellow man, or how we hide it. Psalm 44:21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. Pray for that desire; spend time in God’s Word; soak yourself in the things of God and you will begin to emulate Christ. At the root of it is love, and the deeper your love for Him, the more you will find you reflected Him yesterday and the days to come.

 
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Posted by on December 2, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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