The Fog of Unbelief

There May be no great weapon, that can be used against the people of God than unbelief. In Matthew 9:24 Jesus is talking to the father of a young boy that had an evil spirit in him,” Jesus asked the boy’s father how long has he been like this? From childhood, he answers. It has often thrown him into the fire or water to kill him, but if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us, if you can? Said Jesus, everything is possible for him who believes. Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, I do believe help me overcome my unbelief! I think about that, he was a father fighting for the life of his Son and the God of the universe was standing right there and he still doubted. Often times Jesus says the same thing to us, “If I Can” Our problem is that we don’t get it there is nothing impossible for the God who made everything. I can see it Jesus standing there and looking at the man saying if I can, do you know who I am that when I speak the worlds came into existence. We I speak that storms are stilled, the dead are raised, the death hear, the lame walk and the lost are saved. So If I can is not the question, the question is do you believe. How can it be that we trust so much in ourselves, but so little in that God that made us and gave his life for us because he loves us. So when you feel like giving up on your faith in God, or wondering If you can trust in God, stop take a moment and ask yourself this what could be too difficult for the God who holds the worlds in his hand.So just as the father of the young boy did we should exclaimed I do believe help my unbelief.

Shower

This morning a friend of mine sent me pictures from a slum in Africa, as I looked at the pictures I was taken aback by the conditions, in which some people have to live in. There were so many questions that flooded my mind. Why do we allow people to live like this? How can they carry on? And why does God not intervene? My heart was broken for those people and then I realized that God has worked in my heart through the pictures. He caused me to see people how He sees them. I want to go and do something, to do anything to make a difference. Later as I was standing in the shower I just thanked God for the ability to take a shower. I know that many in the world don’t even have clean water to drink, and here I am clean water running over me and God reminded that He cares for those in the slums of Africa. He reminded me that one day He would make everything right. He reminded me that He is a God that sees and hears the cries of all those that are suffering. As I stood there he also reminded me that he has given us the duty to care for the poor, and to take the message of hope to the lost. I don’t know how, but God used pictures to speak to my heart and to challenge me to not forget those that the world has forgotten. So this morning I am thankful to God for a shower, I am thankful that for me God has seen fit to allow me to enjoy hot water running over me. I’m also thankful that God did not just allow me this morning to take for granted this gift, this shower, this feeling of enjoyment. This morning God used my time in the shower, to speak to me, to hopefully change and to give me a heart like His. So yes, I am thankful for a Shower.

Reference Point

Dennis Kin law in his devotional book (this day with the master) states
“Contrary to much modern thought, the key to self is not in the self. Without an external point of reference point of reference that will not move, we simply wander and lose our touch with reality”

I am taken back by the time in my own life that I have lost touch with reality. I have made life all about me, what I want and what I deserve. I convince myself of how important I am and my own point of reference becomes myself. The problem with my reality is this, when life becomes too much for me to take, when I can’t win the battles that war inside of me, when my own self caves into the pressures of life where can I turn when I am not enough? If my reference point is internal, when I’m defeated there is then no hope for me. So to have a point of reference that is outside of myself, and strong enough to do that which I cannot, becomes of the utter most importance. If I cannot save myself then logic tells me I am in need of a savior. This is the truth that so many have rejected, they know in their hearts that they are not able to rescue themselves, but are unwilling to turn to the only true God who can do what they cannot. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:1 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins. “ So if we were dead we needed someone to make us alive, someone to save us, and that is what God did for us. In Ephesians 2:4&5 the Bible states But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ. The reference point is God for he alone has the power to make those who are dead alive. He has given us the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ, and by doing so we choose life. We come to understand that this Jesus is the only reality that can save us from ourselves. So take a moment look to Jesus and ask him to save you, you will find at that moment you have life everlasting.

Thanks for the Bread

Dear Friend,
I’m writing to say thanks. I wish I could thank you personally, but I don’t know where you are. I wish I could call you, but I don’t know your name. If I knew your appearance, I’d look for you, but your face is fuzzy in my memory. But I’ll never forget what you did. If you’ve ever read Max Lucado’s book, In The Eye Of The Storm, you can recall the story.
A young man was working in a Texas oil field where on a hot day, one of the bosses came out to a group of rough men. Right there he invited them to a church meeting, believing against all odds that not one of them would come. They may laugh at him or make fun of him. But what he did not know, is that his courage and his love for God would later help a young man who was deciding if he could come back to the faith of his youth.
That’s the wonder of our lives, we may never see what good we do when we listen to God’s leading, but our obedience can and might become the bread of life for someone else. I can recall in my own life how others, without them even knowing it, have given me the courage, the desire, the hope to continue on when l wanted to give up. I’m not sure where I would be if not for those who have been a friend to me and have loved me, through their actions and kind words. Just think, when was the last time you invited a person that has no interest in God or the Bible out to your church, or Bible study. I know what you’re thinking. They don’t care about God. Well, that may be true now, but what happens when they are all alone and they are looking for a place to turn, they are asking if there is a God, or can God love a person like them. It might be at that moment that God speaks to them and they remember what you did or said, and because of your action and your words, they give God a chance.
You see, God will meet them in that place and change their heart. I love when Jesus said in the Bible, “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE”. All we have to do is give people THE BREAD OF LIFE. He will do the rest. So today let your words and your actions point people to JESUS, and you may one day receive a card, a note, or a letter that starts with Thanks for the BREAD.

A Heart of Discernment

One of the things I have noticed in life, is that life is hard. There are so many things that can happen in just a day, and somehow we have to deal with all of them. If we aren’t careful, we will start to focus on the issues of life and stop living life, and that is an unfulfilling way to live life. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that issues in life aren’t important, and we should just blow them off. What I’m saying is that they cannot be the central focus of one’s life. When the storms of life come and the everyday worries are standing right in front of you, what are we to do? How can we deal with the issues, while still keeping them as a subplot to our lives and not the center of it? I believe we can find the answer in the story of King Solomon (you can find the story in the book of First Kings chapter three.) After his father David died, the Lord spoke to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Now I know what you’re thinking, he could ask for money, or long life, or power, or so many other things but he did not. What Solomon said was:
“7Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."
Now, I don’t know if you got it or not, but what I get from Solomon’s request was that there are so many issues he has to deal with, and if he doesn’t have a heart of wisdom to guide him, the issues will overwhelm him and that’s not the life he wants to live. So he asked God to give him a discerning heart to deal with the problems that he would face, so that he can continue to keep God first in his life and in turn have a full life. We so often let the problems of life take all of our focus and energy so that there is no time for life itself. We should ask God for a heart of wisdom so that we can deal with life in such a way that allows us to live in the way we were created to live. I’m not sure if God will bless us with the blessing that He gave Solomon, but He will bless us with a life that pleases Him, and after all, that’s what life is all about.

Exhale

Have you ever had the sense that your life is moving so quickly, and no matter what you do, you just can't seem to get it together? As a Christian, those are some of the most difficult times. You know in your head all the right things to do, the right verses to say, and the right prayers to pray. But nothing seems to help. Its as if you can't catch your breath and you just fight to survive. So what is God doing during those times? Does He see your pain or heartache? Does He feel your loneliness? Where could God be when the storms of life have you overwhelmed? If you have ever asked that question, there are many who asked that question before you and the answer is still the same. God is right beside you. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 28:20 " And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Now, you would think that the disciples should have known this truth, since this was the last thing Jesus told them before He was taken from them. As for you and I, we need to remind ourselves of the same words. Yes we will get tried and at times feel alone, but our God has made us a promise that He is faithful to always be there for those who love Him and have accepted Him as Lord. So when you go through these times of loneliness and doubt, take a moment and Exhale and remember the words of Jesus. I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS

God with A face

As i sat in biblical training the other day, pastor Larry said that our God has a face. I thought about that, so many others religions talk about god, but there god does not have a face. In Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 it says (He is the image of the invisible God.),this verse is talking about Jesus. In others words God with a face, I love it,that when God wanted us to know what he was like, he did not just tell us, but he God put on humanity and gave us a face. You see God wanted us to know him. I often wound what people of other faiths think about their God, I wounder if they wounder what he looks like, how he would interact with them. If he would laugh, or cry. Would he be kind and patience, would he take the time to talk with them and walk with them. But that whats my God did. He became man so that I could see him, I could know him. I am so thankful that my God has a face, Jesus even said it If you have seen me you have seen the father. God thank you for send Jesus so we can know what you are like and how much you love us. Thanks for giving us a face.