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IF NEED BE

28 Aug

IF NEED BE

1 Peter 1:6-9    In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith–the salvation of your souls.

This month has been a time of highs and lows, more than usual, higher and lower than usual. I experienced my first sermon, more emotions than I can articulate, but the pinnacle was a spiritual high like none before. What I took from the sermon that He gave me was that He would never forsake me; He was there to deliver exactly when and what I needed the most. After that incredible day has come waves of emotion; some building, most seeking to tear down. I have endured painful words, and found mental struggles to be great; things that I hold dear have come to be difficult. Satan is coming at me in that area of anxiety and depression; it is my thorn in the flesh as Paul describes; but even in it, there is a purpose through it from God.

As I awoke this morning, my daily verse from YouVersion was 1 Peter 4:16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. God has that incredible way to speak to us when we truly seek Him. Even in your daily devotionals He can deliver just the right word at just the right time. If in my struggles with anxiety and depression, God can be glorified, than in that fiery trial Satan’s evil works are used for good. 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. In the scripture of 1 Peter 1:6, do you see the purpose of God there in between the comma’s; IF NEED BE. There are many purposes of God behind all that is in your life, all that you struggle with can be used by God. There is nothing that cannot draw you closer to Christ. You either rebel and run away drowning your sorrows in some way, or you draw closer to Him as a result of what you are facing.

The IF NEED BE, is between you and God. Many preachers preach that trials are the punishment for sin. I concur, but I also realize we are always lost in sin no matter at what level we pursue righteousness. The trials that we face are just part of the Sanctification process of God; His way of seeking to make us more like his Son. What makes it different is how we respond in them. Do we go to Him, do we point others to Him in how we are dealing with it? The world will teach worldly ways; medication, self-helps and fixes, blame, denial, and every other road except heavenly. When you are facing a mountain, or your mountain seems to be crumbling, go to the One who made the mountain. In and through Him is where you find hope for the ability to climb or find safety from all the rocks falling around you. Then you are able to share how He helped you to deal with that trial to someone else enduring it also; God is glorified in and through you.

 
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Posted by on August 28, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Lord I need you

14 May

Lord I need you

Matthew 6:6 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.

It has been a rough couple of days. As many of you know, I openly struggle with anxiety and depression. I borrowed the label from the apostle Paul, and call these struggles my “thorn in the flesh”. It seems as though it is a messenger of Satan that torments me also. He loves to attack when I have my defenses down, when my eyes are on the world and not on God. When I spend little time in the Word, and when I am not prepared for battle. I am not a worthy opponent for my enemy, but I find strength only in Christ to fight this war that is on a plain I cannot comprehend. 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. There is no strength found in medication, there is only strength found in Christ for the spiritual war. It is found in the secret places with only you and God; the time spent alone in His Word and prayer; his strength that is planted in your soul for these battles. You are victorious when you rest in Him; you are fighting a war you alone cannot win, but is only won in the understanding you are fighting a defeated enemy in Christ.

It gave me peace to sit in my secret, quiet, place this morning with God. It gave me peace to know that He allows all the trials of my life to draw me closer to Him. In this I come to deepen my understanding of my daily need for Him. I come to comprehend the depth of my lostness without my strength found in Him. I am nothing without Him. 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. In this quiet place I find peace; I find the ability to talk to God, to share my struggles and my need for Him; to share my hope that is found only in Him; to praise him for all that He has given me through Christ’s sacrifice for me. All that I have is found in, and through Christ. Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

My heartfelt plea in this small ministry that God gave me, is for you to come to seek to be a disciple of the One whom died to give you eternal life. To live a life of sacrificial love for the One whom sacrificed His life for you. To seek the life after, with a heart so focused, that this world holds nothing for you. To have a heart for God and the things of God, to the point you realize you cannot live without God. Your life may get harder, for your enemies desire is to take your eyes and heart off God. He knows the power that rests in the heart of a disciple. God uses all these trials that He allows in your life against Satan. He strengthens you when Satan seeks to defeat you. You are nothing without Christ, but you are everything through Him.

Praise Him in this Chris Tomlin video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rR_Rdb1CTE

 

 
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Posted by on May 14, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Not about the bunny

27 Mar

Not about the bunny

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

I almost wish I could just open up my heart today. I am having a rough week in the spiritual sense; I had wanted this week to be special, to spend a lot of time with God. I feel God drawing me near, yet my enemy in this world is bringing the great distraction of busyness, and tormenting my soul. The inner wars create anxieties, but they have become expected, and I have become accustomed to my thorn in the flesh. I still draw near, and I still feel the weight of what this week represents. Do you? Do you place more emphasis on the birth of Christ than the death and resurrection of Him? The virgin birth is but a detail of the power of the blood that was in that child that morn. That blood in that infant had the power to save your soul, and this week represents all that the new birth of your life in Him, through Him, on that Cross contains.

Christ repeatedly slams the religiosity of the leaders of that day. Of the pride and arrogance that they carried; of the enslaving rituals that they demanded; of the methods that they preached and the hypocrisy in which they lived. They elevated themselves, and much of their preaching simply had a self serving motive. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Christ had come to fulfill the law that could not be fulfilled under their guidance. Their answer stood before them, not exalted, but in the example of a humble servants heart.

Christ ends his speaking out against the religious leaders of that day in a heartfelt lamentation for Jerusalem. He knows of how they have consistently rejected the signs and prophets that God had sent them. He departs Jerusalem and goes to the Mount of Olives on His way back to Bethany. There He teaches of the end of times, of His second coming; this is known as the Olivet Discourse found in Matthew 24. This week should grab you, it should tug at your soul for what it represents. It should make you question your religiosity and your eternity. This week should draw you closer to Christ; I pray that you answer that tug on your heart to it.

 
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Posted by on March 27, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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It is clear now

11 Mar

It is clear now

1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.

Yesterday I returned to my old dirt bike racing days; just for a time, to let both my boys try their first race. It was a great family day together, and they had a great time. I decided to saddle up too, and try to at least finish the race. Racing is hard to describe to those don’t get it, but it is something that is always in your blood. For me it went as far as turning into an idol, and became a huge turning point in my testimony of giving my life to Christ. It wasn’t five miles into the race  and I had those same feelings again; it was time to give it up, this was not for me any longer; physically, mentally, and even spiritually, I knew I was done. It was most likely my last race. God has even taken away my shoulder muscle to try and make it much more clear for me to understand; but in my mind that pride still tries to overcome obstacles He lays before me.

Paul was steep in religion; he was a highly educated man; he had a personal encounter with the risen Christ; at some point he visited heaven; but God had allowed Satan to give him a thorn in the flesh. 2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Paul most likely could have preached a sermon so elevated many would have come to repentance from the power of his teachings. He could have elevated himself through his wisdom to a level like none other once he came to truly know Christ that he formerly persecuted. He had every thing that every preacher wanted in education and experience. This was the stuff that great pastors are made of, until pride creeps in and destroys their ministry. I do believe God knew that, and allowed Satan to torment Paul, which kept Paul humble. God used Satan against himself in the ministry He laid on Paul’s heart. 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.

I am far from an educated man. I graduated High School because the teachers told me if I would at least show up, they would pass me, and I did, barely. I have never been a reader, or a book learner; I always learned by example, and trial and error. I have found myself at this stage in my life back in school, in seminary no doubt, enrolled in a two year program at Liberty. I am a living example of what God can do in anyone’s life who has a heart for Him. 1 Corinthians 2:1 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 am nothing but an ol’ country boy with a heart for Christ. I love spending daily time with Christ and writing what he lays on my heart. You can have all that He has planned for your life too once you follow the lifestyle principle found in Matthew 6:33. That is a great place for you to start today in transforming your life to as a disciple of Christ; today, for you are not guaranteed tomorrow.

 
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Posted by on March 11, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Consistency

15 May

Consistency

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18   Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

As I struggled yesterday with the anxiety of the start of school, I was reminded of “pray without ceasing” from 1Thessalonians 17. I have written many times of my battles with anxiety and I have come to label it my “thorn in the flesh”; for it only seemed to rear it’s head upon truly seeking God a few years back. I accept that and in those struggles where Satan torments me, it truly draws me closer to God. When you are facing struggles you will not remain idle, but deal with them likely in two ways. Satan desires for you to flee from God and handle them on your own however you choose. God’s desire through them is for you to see His provision and Sovereignty through and on the other side of the struggle. You either run or you draw near.

There comes a point in any struggle where we likely want to throw our hands up in the air and give up. At that breaking point is a key point in your life and your walk with Christ. It is at that point that you let go of that pride you are resting on of handling it yourself. That pride is rooted in fear of the unknown, and Satan uses that fear and doubt as a powerful weapon. But in contrast if we realize that “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7); we can go to God in prayer and His Word for strength to fight that demon of fear. This war is not fought once; but one that is a daily battle for many of us in many areas. The praying without ceasing is the key to overcoming what your struggle is. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Pride is not found in that scripture; but a submissive heart for the will of God to handle what we cannot. Throw your hands up today and give your struggles to God in prayer. He is waiting to carry them for you as many of us have seen.

http://llerrah.com/footprints.htm

 
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Posted by on May 15, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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