Holy Encounters

There are times that have much more significance in our lives than others. Moments that God is doing something, these times are called Holy Moments. They can be Holy hours, or Holy days or Holy seasons. Dennis Kinlaw in his devotional (This day with the Master) writes about these moments. In the Bible we see these moments, Moses and the burning bush, Peter walking on water, Paul on the road to Damascus, They are the moments that changed the course of peoples lives, and we should pray that God would give us all a Holy Moment, or hour or day, or season. Yes we all need encounters with God that are so impactful that everything changes. When was the last time you asked God for a Holy Moment? Have you put yourself in a situation that allows God to interact with you in such a way that would cause a Holy Encounter? The one thing about these encounters is that they all happen when people where looking for God. Even Paul thought he was serving God, and yes God have to correct his understanding of God and what it meant to serve him. But what are we doing, are we willing to get out of the boat and try to walk on water. Or are we willing to stand for God even if we might have to face the fiery furnace. Yes Holy Moments are waiting for all of those who are seeking God, If only we would seek God with all our hearts. Today is a good day to ask the God of Creation for any Holy moment, hour, day, or season. To ask for an Holy Encounter

One Small Step

Often I find myself overwhelmed by all I want to do and been in life. Often times every decision I need to make seems to have so many challenges. Nothing seems easy and the road ahead appears to be too difficult for me to travel. Why is it that the things of God always seem to be the hard things to do? Why is it that good things are often time hard things? I know that Jesus said in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” But why does it always have to be so hard. I know that often time I want more than anything to love God and follow Jesus, but as soon as I make that choice, it seems something happens that pulls me away from Him. Whether it is my own sin, or the busyness of my life or worries, or something else it seems that something happens to pull me away from Him. And because of my inability to love God with my whole heart, I then ask myself did I really even mean what I said? do I really want to love Jesus. That when I must trust the God of the Bible and the Lord of my life. Yes I will have those times when I think and feel that it’s too hard. Or when I feel I'm just not good enough, but it's at that moment that I must take One Small Step of Faith and trust what I know to be true. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Yes Life is hard and following Jesus makes it harder, but it also makes it worth living. So when you feel like giving up, just ask God for the strength to take the One Small Step, the step of faith to keep on fighting.

For to me, to Live is Christ

I’m sitting here with friends, it is Christmas morning the gifts have been opened the coffee has been poured and the egg casserole was good. But still in me there is loneliness. I know that I am loved in this place, but for some reason I feel alone and that loneliness has been growing the past several months, even as I read the word of God I still feel alone. I now must face my deepest fear, the fear that even though I am loved, this love my not be enough to comfort the pain of my heart. I now understand what Paul meant when he wrote in the book of Philippians 1:21-23 (For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.) You see there is no one or no thing that can replace my desire to see Him, my God, my Savior, my Lord. After many attempts to find someone or something to fill the void in my heart, I have come to understand that no one or no thing can do it, that the void can only be filled by the one who made me. It is God alone that can make me whole. I love this life only but I now know that one day I will see Him (Jesus Christ) and only then will I have the peace and joy that I so desperately seek. Yes this Christmas morning I have come to understand that I not only need a savior, but I want to be with him. I am only in this world to tell others of what he has done, to share with them His great love, and to encouraged them to turn to Him. I am not here to love the world more then Him and with that I now can say as Paul “what than shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” But for now my heart also feels God has much to do with me here. Both to work on my own self, which there is so much too work on and to encourage all of you all to do the same. So that we will complete what he has for us here, for His glory and our betterment.

AWE

There are few words in the English language that can make one stop and think of something or someone bigger than ourselves. But the word "awe" is one such word. Just think about it, when was the last time your were in awe? Was it a star filled night, your first glance of the Grand Canon, the birth of your own child, lighting flashing, or an eagle flying. Yes when you think about it, it is always something out side of your self. We are never in "awe" of ourselves, I believe this is true so that we take our eyes off of ourselves long enough to see the greatness of the God who created all that bring us to a point of awe. For me the story of the birth of a baby, two thousand years ago, a guiding star, three kings, angles singing, and an angel announcement (I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people) is an awe moment. There is nothing in me that gets why a good God would come to save me. Why he would come as a child, be born in a manger, not in a palace, live a a sinless life die on a cross for me. I'm am taken back every time I think of the story, and I'm in awe of what God has done for me. There are few things that can bring one to a point of awe, but it is most sad when the one thing that should does not. God is always worthy of Awe because of who he is and what he has done for us.

Revelation of Love

Love lights the darkness
And casts out all fear
Here in this present darkness
Perfect love is near

But how can I find it?
How can I see this love that sets me free
How can I find God
Or when will He find me?

A revelation of love is what my heart needs
A fresh break through the lull of my complacency
Just to be amazed by the Babe who came to bring restoration
God open my eyes to see and receive love's revelation

Love invites repentance
In the light of His grace
True love brings the Kingdom
True love is God's face

But how can we find it?
How can we see this love that sets us free?
How can we find God?
When can we see our King?

A revelation of love is what our hearts need
A fresh break through the lull of our complacency
Just to be amazed by the Babe who came to bring restoration
God open our eyes to see and receive love's revelation

When the blood and the cross and a zeal for the lost
Cannot bring us to our knees
God break our hearts once more
With the story of a baby King

A revelation of love is what this world needs
A fresh break through the lull of our complacency
Just to be amazed by the babe who came to bring restoration
God open our eyes to see and receive love's revelation

God open our eyes to see and receive love's revelation

Song by Jeff Polen check out his Music at Polenband.com of Jeffpolen.com

Thanks

If there is one thing I am convinced of, it is the fact that I have much to be thankful for. The other day I had the opportunity to speak at a recovery home. Each person there is a recovering addict and I realize that they are really not much different than me. The biggest difference is that God protected me from being in the same place they are now. Coming from a family that had many drug and alcohol problem, I was not immune to the same factors that many of them had faced, and was only one choice away from a life of drugs and/or alcohol. So as I sat there and shared my heart with each of them, I was also thanking God for His mercy in my own life. I am not saying that I have not failed in other areas of my life. I have, but God is working and restoring even those. It was also a reminder to me that if it were not for God, and a continual trust and reliance on Him, my life could be that of drugs, alcohol, or even sexual addictions. So I am thankful not only for what God has done in my life, but also for what He is doing, and what He will continue to do. So yes, I have so much to be thankful for, and I told each one at the recovery home, that they have much to be thankful for as well. For they each have the opportunity to allow God to be the restorer of their lives. Many of them are well on the way and it will be awesome to see how God will use them. Others are still caught in the lie, that they cannot change, but with God I know all things are possible. So I am thankful that the God who has saved me, and is restoring my life, is able to do the same to all that will seek His face. I give you all the Glory and I am forever thankful to you the God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Cross

Have you ever notice as you driving or riding in a car, how often you see a Cross. I live in a small town in Ohio and often as I'm driving the country roads I notice the Cross. It may be on a billboard, out in the middle of a field, painted on a barn, on top a hill with light around it to illuminate it at night, or standing tall on a church steeple. But one thing is sure the Cross is everywhere. Like it or not it has become a symbol of America. As I read scripture I also see the Cross, but there is a difference. The Cross of the bible is not just a symbol, it is by Jesus death on the Cross that we have victory over death. In Colossians 2:13-15 it states
(When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the Cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross.) So although the Cross often times is very visible in our culture, it is the power of the Cross that is missing. For the Cross was never meant to be just a symbol, but it was to show us the Savior and turn us to Him. For without the death and blood of Jesus Christ the Cross has no power to save. So don't just look at the Cross, remember why we have it. God use the Cross to save those who would turn to him, by giving his Son Jesus Christ as a payment for our sins. So the next time you see the Cross, stop and take time to thank God for the Cross.