Overwhelmed, undecided, and confused is the best description I have of someone who's trying to figure out the call on their life. The purpose and the direction of where you're being directed is hard for the heart to figure out. As the Word tells us the heart is deceitfully wicked and truly goes towards what is pleasing to the person not God. I wonder often if we take that into consideration when we follow our hearts towards whatever God is calling us to do.
Prayer, fasting, and the Word of God are the three major things that I have found that will get you to answer the question... "what is this calling on my life?". To understand the voice of God and the direction that He is pulling you towards you must combined these three things to confirm your direction. It works and trust me never will you go wrong with these three things directly all your decision making.
The draw and call of God is sometimes overwhelming. How do we make sense of spiritual things and doing kingdom work with those things that we see everyday? We can't and that is why we must not follow a feeling. We must follow the voice, Word, and godly councel.
I can't tell you that I have made the right decision in every direction in my life nor can I tell you what tomorrow may bring for me, but I can tell you that the Word of God will give you faith to stand on your promises, prayer will give you the strength to follow after things which are godly, and fasting will give you the mind of God to understand what He is trying to speak to you. Within these three you are always going to get godly councel and you will always get a spiritual man or women to confirm this.
Now I'm sure you've heard all of this and wonder why I'm writing it again well I'm writing it to say that if you don't have faith and believe in these things you tie the hands of God to truly give you the revelation you are asking for. It took the doubting men and women in the wilderness 40 years to see their promise and I don't know about you but I don't want to be a doubter of what has been spoken.
Know that you are not alone while you figure out what is next in your life. Know that you are not alone when you doubt of what He is trying to tell you. We all have the must know now syndrome this medical disorder that is only curable with a big dose of GOD. As Mary Poppins sings "a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down"... well I will sing "a spoon full of God helps the frustration go away".
I encourage you today to take a look at your frustation and see what it is over. Are you frustrated cause you don't know or are you frustrated because you think you know and it isn't coming to pass. Trust me all things will come together. Just enjoy the time you have learning and getting to know who God really is. Enjoy knowing that God's will is not always a time line and not always in our ways but in the works of the soil. God makes sure the grounds are ready when we may not see the underlying issues he sees when really is going on in the depths of our soil.
February 4, 2011
February 3, 2011
Love... Passion... One Heart?...
Through out the Word of God we see and find the many ways and examples of love. We see the love of God, self, others, and the most important the love of souls. Ever single story throughout the Word of God truly has to do with love. It has to do with where our true heart is and where our passion lies. How the butterflies of a new found beauty can make us feel as if we have just won the jackpot.
Valentines day at this point in my life means really nothing. I usually spend the time with a good book and a cup of tea. Receive some cards from my family and maybe a little gift but besides that it isn't the day of "love" for me. However, even though it isn't for me doesn't mean that I don't recognize it as a day to give to those to show you care. Not because it is a national holiday but because you truly want them to understand what they mean to you.
As we become a world in love with pleasing ones self I find myself desiring more and more to have the heart of God. I have been able to hear of the wonderful heart of people in other countries who truly put themselves last and lift others up before themselves. How they prove that God's love lives within them.
Jesus said when he spoke to the woman with the issue of blood. Her reaching to Him in faith of healing could have cost her, her life if it would have been any other man. However, she was given an example of what love is and that is when you are in need those who care give and Christ has that heart.
Love is not vain nor is it full of self, it is if true love something that goes deeper than the two involved. It influences all that come in contact with it. Christ's love shows us that it impacts and it changes others when it is true.
This month I challenge you to see where your love lies and see if you give love for what you can get or you give it because you want others to see that you care. Not the kind of love that gets noticed nor the kind that makes you puffed up the kind of love that shows that what is important to you is the only true valuable thing you have and that is... God.
Valentines day at this point in my life means really nothing. I usually spend the time with a good book and a cup of tea. Receive some cards from my family and maybe a little gift but besides that it isn't the day of "love" for me. However, even though it isn't for me doesn't mean that I don't recognize it as a day to give to those to show you care. Not because it is a national holiday but because you truly want them to understand what they mean to you.
As we become a world in love with pleasing ones self I find myself desiring more and more to have the heart of God. I have been able to hear of the wonderful heart of people in other countries who truly put themselves last and lift others up before themselves. How they prove that God's love lives within them.
Jesus said when he spoke to the woman with the issue of blood. Her reaching to Him in faith of healing could have cost her, her life if it would have been any other man. However, she was given an example of what love is and that is when you are in need those who care give and Christ has that heart.
Love is not vain nor is it full of self, it is if true love something that goes deeper than the two involved. It influences all that come in contact with it. Christ's love shows us that it impacts and it changes others when it is true.
This month I challenge you to see where your love lies and see if you give love for what you can get or you give it because you want others to see that you care. Not the kind of love that gets noticed nor the kind that makes you puffed up the kind of love that shows that what is important to you is the only true valuable thing you have and that is... God.
February 1, 2011
Missions...
My lovely mother just returned from the mission field of Uganda. Her life changing experience came directly from the love and passion of the native people. People whom live everyday fully for the Lord. Who sleep only four hours a night to wake up and pray two hours in the morning and adventure out to do God's work. Who daily work in spreading the Word of the Lord of the ONE TRUE GOD.
Do we as "western" Christian's really know what it means to be a Christian? The Word describes men and women who gave up everything to serve the Lord. Ruth giving up what she could have had to follow a mother-in-law's God. Do we know what it feels like to truly in our heart desire to give it all to God? I'm challenged to say I don't. I'm sad to admit that I have not sacrificed a lot in my life. Going to the mission field was not a sacrifice to me it was a blessing to me. Yes I didn't get paid for the time over there but what is money when we are talking about working for the kingdom of God.
Yesterday I was brought to realize something... Do we prepare ourselves for working for God or do we prepare ourselves for the blessings of God? Going on a mission no matter if it is home or foreign means setting forward in the direction of Christ. To be working towards a kingdom ending and nothing less. In the end we could loss everything when it comes to what is valuable on earth but THAT is what I believe makes us Christian.
If we are to be Christ like, we must give up our lives to the work of Christ. Does it not mean to follow after Christ? Well what did He teach us? He taught us that worldly gain and popularity was not of value to Him that what mattered most was that all were given the opportunity to make it to heaven. Now what are we called to do? We are called to spread the Word to all nations that all may be saved!
So in ending I ask.... what is your mission? Is it home missions, is it foreign missions, is it street missions, is it teaching bible study missions, is it taking care of the house of the Lord missions, is it testimony missions, or prayer missions. I'm talking about missions with a purpose with a focus with a centered vision of kingdom adding and nothing less. I challenge you today... what is your mission what is your heart.
Do we as "western" Christian's really know what it means to be a Christian? The Word describes men and women who gave up everything to serve the Lord. Ruth giving up what she could have had to follow a mother-in-law's God. Do we know what it feels like to truly in our heart desire to give it all to God? I'm challenged to say I don't. I'm sad to admit that I have not sacrificed a lot in my life. Going to the mission field was not a sacrifice to me it was a blessing to me. Yes I didn't get paid for the time over there but what is money when we are talking about working for the kingdom of God.
Yesterday I was brought to realize something... Do we prepare ourselves for working for God or do we prepare ourselves for the blessings of God? Going on a mission no matter if it is home or foreign means setting forward in the direction of Christ. To be working towards a kingdom ending and nothing less. In the end we could loss everything when it comes to what is valuable on earth but THAT is what I believe makes us Christian.
If we are to be Christ like, we must give up our lives to the work of Christ. Does it not mean to follow after Christ? Well what did He teach us? He taught us that worldly gain and popularity was not of value to Him that what mattered most was that all were given the opportunity to make it to heaven. Now what are we called to do? We are called to spread the Word to all nations that all may be saved!
So in ending I ask.... what is your mission? Is it home missions, is it foreign missions, is it street missions, is it teaching bible study missions, is it taking care of the house of the Lord missions, is it testimony missions, or prayer missions. I'm talking about missions with a purpose with a focus with a centered vision of kingdom adding and nothing less. I challenge you today... what is your mission what is your heart.
January 31, 2011
Doubting Thomas...
Today I was reminded of something that has opened my eyes. Thomas a man of God who was chosen by Christ as one of the 12 apostles, forever lives as the man of doubt. However, today while speaking to my friend about her own doubts in herself she reminded me of Thomas the train. A child’s cartoon character who continues to be known as the “I think I can” train.
I often have referred to him during conversations talking about how she can do it through Christ. The laughter of this character and his trying to make it up the hill quoting “I think I can...I think I can...I think I can”. Sometimes is what we are like while working up enough courage in ones self to make it up the hills and mountains of this life we live.
The apostle Thomas was also a man who doubted but who's one little doubt gave him the opportunity to see just how big Jesus was. His lack of faith in Jesus Christ rising from the dead had given him the opportunity to see the holes in the hands of God. To witness by sight those things we only believe by faith. Talk about God wanting to reassure His people.
Today as I was talking with my friend she told me that she is like Thomas and I forgetting about Thomas the train referred to the apostle Thomas. Whom prior to my Pastor bringing him up had never heard about doubting Thomas but knew the story of Thomas. I than said that she should put her fingers in the holes in His hands. After some confusion I realized something that has spoken directly to me today.
Thomas really doubted in the power of the Holy Spirit just as much as the manifestation of Christ in front of him. As we walk through this life going up and down the mountains of life do we doubt the power of Christ? If we doubt that we can make it over the hills or we doubt that we can get past the trials of the day are we really doubting God? Yes. When we doubt the power there of and deny the mighty God we serve and whom lives in us we truly just make Him out to be nothing more than human.
Today I’m overly excited to know that with every turn of life we know that we have a source of strength that is much more powerful than the ways of the wicked. That we know that no matter what takes place that if we trust in the source which gives us the ability to face each day as it comes that we will be over comers by the Word of the Lord.
I am changed, I am made new, and the strength in which I find new every morning is up in a strong tower. How do I get up there I praise my way up there... to be next to my King. Where sin does not abound and where purity is more than a white robe but a relationship with the most High God.
I often have referred to him during conversations talking about how she can do it through Christ. The laughter of this character and his trying to make it up the hill quoting “I think I can...I think I can...I think I can”. Sometimes is what we are like while working up enough courage in ones self to make it up the hills and mountains of this life we live.
The apostle Thomas was also a man who doubted but who's one little doubt gave him the opportunity to see just how big Jesus was. His lack of faith in Jesus Christ rising from the dead had given him the opportunity to see the holes in the hands of God. To witness by sight those things we only believe by faith. Talk about God wanting to reassure His people.
Today as I was talking with my friend she told me that she is like Thomas and I forgetting about Thomas the train referred to the apostle Thomas. Whom prior to my Pastor bringing him up had never heard about doubting Thomas but knew the story of Thomas. I than said that she should put her fingers in the holes in His hands. After some confusion I realized something that has spoken directly to me today.
Thomas really doubted in the power of the Holy Spirit just as much as the manifestation of Christ in front of him. As we walk through this life going up and down the mountains of life do we doubt the power of Christ? If we doubt that we can make it over the hills or we doubt that we can get past the trials of the day are we really doubting God? Yes. When we doubt the power there of and deny the mighty God we serve and whom lives in us we truly just make Him out to be nothing more than human.
Today I’m overly excited to know that with every turn of life we know that we have a source of strength that is much more powerful than the ways of the wicked. That we know that no matter what takes place that if we trust in the source which gives us the ability to face each day as it comes that we will be over comers by the Word of the Lord.
I am changed, I am made new, and the strength in which I find new every morning is up in a strong tower. How do I get up there I praise my way up there... to be next to my King. Where sin does not abound and where purity is more than a white robe but a relationship with the most High God.
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