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Can’t you see?

17 Sep

Can’t you see?

Matthew 12:46-50   While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

My heart hurts when I hear and experience these things. Of how the stories become too common to those who draw near to the Lord and their lives are changed. They desperately want to share with those closest to them the love of Christ. But many times a deaf ear is turned to Christ’s saving grace through the testimonies of those sharing it. It can be those closest to us that see the change in us; yet deny the possibility of the change in them. It hurts us deeply when those closest to us live for this world and not for Christ.

When Christ really grabs ahold of you to the point that nothing else matters, there is no turning back to the world. The world behind you wants to remind you of where you came from; the life of sin; the life before Christ. Even Christ as God living sinless in the flesh was unaccepted before those closet to Him. Luke 4:22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” It hurts when those closest to us cannot forget the past, or worse yet cannot see the gospel we are trying to share with them. The stories I hear of those close to God seem to all have family members that either deny Christ, or simply have a facade for their faith. These stories all are extremely painful, and graduate level discipleship. Christ is asking us to keep our eyes on Him, even when those closest to us are falling away.

Christ even spoke directly to this struggle in Luke 4:24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. We must continue to share our faith with those closest to us, but yet we must also understand we are not in control and cannot argue them into Christ. We are told we must put Christ before ANY thing else in our lives if we are to be His disciples. Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. Only He can do the work He must in their heart; and they must respond to that call. We are only called to be a living example and testimony to His saving grace, unending love, and hope He has placed within us.

 
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Posted by on September 17, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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The Broom

16 Sep

The Broom

1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

1st Timothy is believed to be the Apostle Paul’s last letter when he was in prison about to be executed for his faith. His letter to Timothy is to encourage him and speak to him regarding how to lead the church. Paul had lived an incredible life; a life transformed from murdering Christians to leading them. He had an incredible testimony of the saving grace of God. He realized his depravity before Christ, and his struggle to pursue Godliness after Christ. There comes a day in your growth as a follower of Christ you come to realize the weight of your sin. That conviction you feel tugs a heart to repent, and ultimately leads to worship in thanksgiving.

16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Paul realized how long Christ had put up with his persecution of Christians, but he also realized the example of grace that his salvation showed. There is nothing that you have ever done that you cannot be forgiven for. Paul realized the reason God showed him grace as that example. Satan will be in your ear telling you that your sin was too great, but Christ is tugging at your heart telling you He will forgive. Whom will you listen to?

17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. There is a great work of worship in a heart that realizes the life before and the life after Christ. Of how we did not deserve what we were freely given (Grace). Of how we were not given what we truly deserved (Mercy). A heart that sees these things is a humble heart that is moves to thanksgiving and praise. A heart that sees a life everlasting with it’s Savior is a heart that is swept into worship? Do you see the before and after in your life? Do you feel that need to give thanks? If not; prayerfully examine your relationship with your Savior. He will open your heart to that realization painfully, and you will come away with an inexpressible joy swept by His grace.

 
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Posted by on September 16, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Fasting?

15 Sep

Fasting?

Matthew 6:17-18  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 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.

Have you ever fasted? Have you heard the term, but yet not understood it’s meaning? Fasting is simply denying yourself the pleasure of food as a means to consecrate your body and focus on God. You replace that physical hunger with His Word and prayer. I know from personal experience the rewards of extended fasting. You will gain a closeness to God you have never experienced before, and when the fast is over you will desire that closeness again. Fasting was prevalent throughout the Bible, but our self indulgent society hasn’t the mindset for it today.

Fasting is not a diet, but it is meant to be only between you and God. The scripture above is speaking of that relationship and the sanctity of it. God knows your heart, and why you are doing this to honor Him. If the heart of the fast is a true pursuit of Him, He will reward you with a spiritual awareness and eyes that see Him more clearly. This passage falls right on the heels of how Christ taught us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer. Matthew 6 is a powerful chapter speaking of the relationship you were created for. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I confided with someone about a fast once and they asked me how it was going. I replied, “I am missing the food, but loving the fellowship.” The more your body craves food, the more your heart craves God. Many of us have heard the scripture of “enough faith to move a mountain.” Do you know the verse following? Matthew 17:21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” God sees and will honor that sacrifice you are making for Him. The time and depth of your fast depends on the desire of your heart for God. If you truly want to have your mind and heart opened to a closeness with God, try a fast. Spend time preparing for it in prayer and see where God leads you. Your spiritual walk will forever change. You cannot do an extended fast and see God on the same plain as you did before it. Your relationship with Him will never be the same, for you honored Him with a sacrifice of yourself.

 
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Posted by on September 15, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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14 Sep

Discipleship 101

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

There is a revival happening at our church right now. They Holy Spirit is stirring in people’s hearts and the outpouring of love and good works is picking up steam. Many people are wanting to know how to serve God in their communities; to share their love for Him and the good news He brings to a dying world. To know how to be more than a spectator in the stands, but to be a player on the team. They want to get in the game of becoming disciples of Christ. It is exciting to witness and be a part of what is going to become a great move of God I believe.

Are you living a life of a disciple? Do you possess that desire to show what Christ has done for you and how your life has changed? We all have a testimony of our lives before and after Christ. This sin filled world has it’s grip tightly on the lost right now. Satan has deceived many through his evil ways; and even those that may feel good about themselves stuck in religions that preach tolerance and that all ways lead to God. They need to hear the truth, and they can hear the truth when you reach out into those you see every day. Your circle of influence is where God can use you today. When God places someone before you, and you feel that need to share, move forward with it. Don’t be scared; He will guide you along the way. When you don’t, you grieve Christ’s Spirit living in you. Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 2: 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. There is an outline from God in scripture of your testimony. God loved you so much that He pursued you while you were a sinner just like everybody else. We all have lived for the lusts of this world, but now we can share how we were saved from them. Our good works can be that co-worker who we can’t stand; but we now swallow our pride and share Christ with them. They can see the change in you, that they want to know what makes you different. That simple step in your growth as a disciple will draw you closer to God and He will give you more opportunities to become a light in a dark world.

 
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Posted by on September 14, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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The steering wheel

13 Sep

The steering wheel

Matthew 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

As I prayed this morning it was a prayer of thanksgiving. Of the grace and mercy I have been shown; of forgiveness and salvation; of how the realization of these gifts has drawn me to a focused heart that desires a closeness with Him. The realization of a life before Christ, and the life after Christ will pull you to worship. That life before was depraved and full of sin, but that was before; and this is now as a person who desires to hear the words, “well done good and faithful servant.”  I want to be close to the One who delivered me, the One who saved me, the One who gave His life for me, the One who Redeemed me.

Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Right there is the gospel of Christ in one sentence. Sin, sacrifice, and forgiveness for a humble repentant heart. This drives me now. It drives me to a place of worship for the act that delivered me from the pit of hell I was headed to. It drives me to a place of desire to know more, to feed on the Word He has given me. It drives me as a breath of life to my lungs every day. It drives me to seek Him when all else seems lost. It drives me to share with you every single day a changed heart; a heart that desires you to have everything I have experienced and all that is available to you too.

My heart is no longer driven by pride, but by humility in the understanding of my life before Him, and how underserving I am, yet of the great love He has for me. I want you to know all this is there for you too. I want you to know that you can have peace in an out of control world that is dying in sin all around you. I want you to know that He can place in your heart an eternal desire that drives you down this road of life headed into eternity with Him. Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. You have all that you need lying just within your grasp. All it takes is a humble repentant heart that desires to know Him and serve Him. Letting go and letting God become the steering wheel of your life will become the path to paradise.

 
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Posted by on September 13, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Wait for it….wait for it

12 Sep

Wait for it….wait for it

Philippians 4:6-8 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.

Why should I pray about that decision? If I gather all the facts, analyze the possible outcomes, I should be able to make an educated decision. I should be able to use the resources I have to make the best possible decision. I….I….I….. where in there is God? I have looming over me now big things as I am sure many of you do also. Possibly those game changers of life, or where you move your next chess piece in this game of life. Do you rest on your ability alone, or do you seek  wisdom from others at all? Very rarely is a prideful spirit rewarded in the end.

God is there for you to seek in His Word and in prayer for any decision you make. Those impulse decisions feel good for the moment; many times until the first payment comes due. But slowing down and truly seeking God for help with them requires a heart prepared to hear and heed His voice. 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 concerned with the outer appearance of the worlds perspective is not a heart that is transformed by the inward direction of God. A heart that seeks God’s Will for their lives is a heart that slows down and waits on His moves. Waiting is a graduate level Christian walk in a world bent on the immediate satisfaction.

When we makes steps on our own without going to God, we have many times moved outside of His Will for our lives. He may be wanting to see if we will seek and wait on Him so that He may reward us with a blessing that we realize came from Him. We all want a sign in the sky that says “Here is your answer from God”. The great prophet Elijah had just called down fire from heaven, only to flee for his life and hide in a cave. He was at the end of his rope. He too wanted that sign from God and the earth shook all around him in display.  But;“ and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:12). Hearing God’s voice to you will be in the quiet times you spend with Him and through circumstances He places in your path that speak directly to what He showed you in that time. Seek Him and set your heart for Him in whatever you face, and be prepared to be obedient to what He shows you.

 
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Posted by on September 12, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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9/11

11 Sep

9/11

Deuteronomy 5:1-4 And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire.

I have lay away thinking of how to write of the events of 9/11. This is a day in our history that should never be forgotten. We have leaders of our country speaking of us as, “we are no longer a Christian nation’, all as a ploy to forget. Our nation has become so soft the future as a world leader is very unlikely; for our desire to not offend will leave us vulnerable for attack. The events and the loss of life on this day just over 10 years ago should still be fresh in our minds. Today is a day to honor those that died at the hands of evil, and they should never be forgotten.

Moses was entering his last years and he understood the importance of passing down your heritage to the next generation. The generations behind him had not seen the great acts of God and God’s delivering them out of slavery. They had been born out of slavery and into freedom, so how would they know unless they were told? It is a parents responsibility to pass our faith and our lineage onto our children before it is lost. 2 Corinthians 12:14 For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. The generations after Moses failed in this history and faith lesson. Israel forgot God’s deliverance and fell into great sin as a nation.

Spend time today reflecting on the events that morning 11 years ago. Of how as a nation we suffered an attack by evil and thousands of innocent lives were lost. Of hero’s that paid the ultimate price in the sacrifice of their lives for others. Of the countless acts of courage in the face of death. Of how your life can change in an instant, and of how the importance of your eternal security plays into that unknown. We can easily find ourselves facing evil today, just like we did that dreadful morn. Our Father I pray for peace and comfort for those families who lost loved ones that day. I pray that you will use the events of that day to draw others closer to You. I pray that those today will see the evil in this world and the need for a Savior. I pray that they understand their is only one God, and only one way to You. John 14:6 I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through Me. Amen.

 
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Posted by on September 11, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Duplexes

10 Sep

Duplexes

Exodus 20: 3 You shall have no other gods before Me.

Oh, but I don’t Lord. I will get back into church and my pursuit of You after I ______________. After I get the project done, the game played, the work completed, the rest I need, the..the..the… It was a while into my walk as a Christian that I began to see and somewhat understand this scripture. I felt good about myself and trying to better my life by going to church and seeking God. But God also began to reveal what I was placing BEFORE Him, and that I was giving Him my left overs. Much more than just Sunday, or even if you think about it only a couple hours on Sunday, is putting 164 hours a week ahead of God.

Pastor Jack yesterday so passionately conveyed that everything we have comes from God in a heartfelt plea. Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. There has to be a point in your walk as a Christian that you come to this realization. Without this realization you will never move forward in your growth and worship. You must realize there is no “me” in all your achievements, but Him in the provision of them. The longer the me stays in your mindset, the pride of those thoughts chain you down from growing in your relationship and faith that eternally saves. Pride kills any chance of becoming a true disciple of Christ. I believe Jacks quote was, “His place in your heart can never be a duplex.”

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Unfortunately in our society this is many times our idol; the pursuit of success and stuff. As a guy I know that hobbies can turn into idols for that is a huge part of my testimony. Anything that we put before God can become an idol, or in reality already is if we realize it comes before God and our pursuit of Him. If you can’t see it before your eyes, spend some time praying for God to open them. But realize He will show you, and call you to obedience of the removal of the idol in your life. Once it is revealed, leaving that idol in your life at that level is direct disobedience to the scripture above. Break the chain that is holding you back from gaining all you desire with God through the removal of what you place before Him.

 
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Posted by on September 10, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Don’t give up

09 Sep

Don’t give up

Hebrews 10:28  Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

The book of Hebrews is unique in style, but it is clearly written to address those who had doubted their conversion to Christianity. Many came from the faith of Judaism and the sacrificial system to God under the Law of Moses. The “if you do this, do this” type of faith that God used to point them to Himself. Then Christ came and fulfilled the Law, and under His perfection and sacrifice we now were saved eternally by His grace. Many struggled and wavered on these lines of faith. How could they be saved without any good deeds or works?

An apostate is someone who renounces religion, or worse yet someone who defects.  The sin in verse 28 above was when someone was stoned to death for the worship of idols in Moses’s time. This was apostasy and punishable by death. But what about those of us who come to faith in Christ and then much more than backslide? We are all going to fail; we are all going to sin; we are never going to achieve perfection under God’s sight. But He sees us through Christ’s sacrifice, and a heart that turns from sin is a heart that is pursuing God and the things of God. But an apostate heart that renounces their faith in Christ will pay a high price eternally. Hebrews 29:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

If you are trying to live your life for Christ, and doing the best you can in this world we live in, He sees it and knows your heart. We will all fail, but as His children we can all repent and ask for forgiveness for our failure. Living as a child of Christ is about a pursuit of becoming a better person through the trials of life and His grace we rest in. The words that God spoke to Solomon about the sins of Israel still ring true today. 2 Chronicles 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Live your life in this pursuit; never giving up and denying Christ, but resting in the assurance He is in control.

 
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Posted by on September 9, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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OneMinuteTestimony

08 Sep

OneMinuteTestimony

Matthew 6:33  Seek Ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

I was defined by two things: work and play held together by pride. I was running a decent sized company chasing the american dream of success working from many times 4am to 10pm. I was a workaholic pursuing success and stuff. To escape the pressures of life I escaped on a dirt bike and raced every weekend. This was how anyone who knew me described me. My passion for bikes had become an idol and where I placed all my remaining energy. God allowed me what I thought was success in both. During this period in my life I also had started going back to church, and God started pursuing me.

When you feel that tug in your life for a better life; for a life living for something more than this world can give you, most likely that is God stirring in your soul. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. As I listened to my pastor and started feeling I wanted more, I began the conscious effort of trying to read my Bible every day. As I began that pursuit, God began to reveal Himself to me, and showing me he had been there all along. Satan doesn’t let you go easily; God will allow him to test your faith; but if you remain true to God, He will never allow Satan to give you more than you can handle. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

My life began to change. I downsized my company and I begin to realize how I had made dirt bikes an idol, and I began to place them where they belonged as recreation. I began to see the pursuit of all the success and ‘stuff’ means nothing when you die. You cannot take anything you gain here with you into eternity. It is as building a sandcastle at the tides edge; inevitably it collapses and washes away. Your life can change and matter now if you answer the tug in your heart and open the door to Christ. Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. I have in my life now a peace in an out of control world. Although it still comes at me with anxieties, it cannot rob me of my focus on God and the things of God. You too are living in a world slipping away from God focused on the present material gain. Do not allow yourself to be pulled into that pit of hell as a result. Open the door of your heart; let Christ come in, and change your focus to eternity with Him. There will never be true change in your life until you truly change through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 
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Posted by on September 8, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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