Our Independence

Today America celebrates her Independence! The struggles, sacrifice, and strength of those who came before us, and those who serve to this day, made and continue to make this country great! We share a commonality and sense of pride, knowing we can do whatever it takes to stand on our own two feet.

Joined with independence comes a lessening of dependence. The stronger one becomes, the less one feel a need for anything else. However the strength of America was formed with the Hand of God. Our Founding Fathers were quite clear: "One Nation under God, indivisible..."  They surrendered unto His leadership, guidance, and know how. They called upon His power, "wondrus" working power, and set upon their backs to do the will of the Father in establishing a Free Union, where a man, any man, could serve our Heavenly Father completely, without worry nor fear.

Through independence, we've grown away from the very thing which made us great in the first place: Our Dependence upon God. Today it's my prayer, as we enjoy our various festivities, celebrate, and sit in awe at the many displays of fireworks lighting up the nights sky, we pause and remember the One who gave us our great strength. Let us learn from those who traveled before us, and see, only in our weakness is His strength made perfect. To the One who makes the thunder roll, made the mountains high, and paints the skies, let Freedom in Him ring once again throughout this land, Let Freedom Ring!!!

Overlooked Furniture!

There were different pieces of furniture in the Tent of the Tabernacle of Moses.  We are familiar with most: The Ark of the Covenant is the one most people know, The Table of Shewbread, mostly known because of David, The Golden Candlestick, speaking to us that God is our supplier in all, however we tend to overlook one: The Golden Altar of Incense.

Looking at this piece of furniture in relation to the others located inside the tent, we see it was the highest piece in the actual tent.  This points us towards Christ’s ministry of Intercession as His highest ministry now in behalf of the Church in the 2000 years of the Church Age or Dispensation of the Spirit.   We know from reading the Scriptures the Golden Altar of Incense had four horns upon the four corners which spoke to the power, authority and kingship of God. 

But I want to focus on the burning of incense upon the Golden Altar.  This represents the prayers of the Saints ascending up to God, through our Savior Jesus, who offers them as a sweet savor unto our LORD.

However that is often where we leave it.  If we fast forward to Luke 1:1-23 for we know the Old Testament is only a foreshadowing of Christ in reality or our New Testament, we see Zacharias ministering at the Golden Altar of Incense.  Why is this important?  Zacharias received the revelation of the forerunner of the Messiah while he ministered here.  In the same way, the Church will be made ready for the Messiah’s second coming as it enters into full ministry at this piece of furniture, the Golden Altar of Incense or Prayer.  We need to recognize just how important this piece of furniture is in God’s mind.

Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of Prayer” (Matthew 21:13) and the Bible teaches us we are to pray in the Spirit (Jude 20) and to pray by the Spirit (Romans 8:26).  The true incense will arise from the heart of the believer, ascending into the Heavenly Sanctuary.  What makes it a sweet savor unto God is Christ our intercessor whom our prayers pass through.

When we send up Incense to the LORD, our entire nature and being must be involved.  We must be saturated with the fragrance of a Prayer Life, and the fire of the Spirit will cause our Incense to ascend.  God does place a high premium on prayer.  Have you been to The Altar of Incense lately?

Are You Starving God?

If God got hungry what would He eat?  Could the infinite one be satisfied with a mere steak and potatoes?  Would a glass of water quench the thirst of the One who made heaven and earth?  How could something so small fill and satisfy the One who is bigger than we can even imagine?

He is very hungry and desires to eat hardy!  Just think again if the One who made the heavens and earth were to eat how much would it take to feed Him?  What would God eat?  Searching scripture, I found God’s food!  In Psalm 50:13-15, He clearly says “Do I eat the meat of bulls? Do I drink the blood of goats?  Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God and keep the vows you made to the Most High.  Then call on me when you are I trouble and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”  (NLT) 

What a God we serve!  All He desires to feast upon is our thankfulness to Him for all the many blessings He gives us!  We must move from casually saying thanks or ignoring the blessings all together, to openly and reverently thanking God for His providing, sustaining, and maintaining us in all things that allow us to go about our day and most of the time never even give thought towards.  And the best part He ends it with a promise for if we continue to give Him thanks, He promises that when we are in trouble, He will rescue us, so that we may give Him more glory!

The God who created you, loves you beyond measure and would do anything for you, is waiting.  Will you feed Him, as He has provided food for you also?  Even Jesus, as He hung on the cross, one of the last things He said was, “I thirst!”  God desires to feed on your praise.  Are you starving Him or feeding Him?

Facing it with Him!

When you have really started to face life, and begin to set your face like flint against the onslaught of constant fear of being hurt, making a misstep, letting those you love down, or just to face life in general, it is easy to become discourage, to retreat into a dismal cave filled with alcohol, drugs, and sex, or even to go as far as committing suicide, because we will do anything to escape having to face our fears.

I too have faced and am facing many decisions in my life that could cause me to retreat in various ways for various reasons.  As a matter of fact, I used to retreat into my cave filled with alcohol, (that was my drug) and sex.  Life had a dismal and bleak outlook, and even though I thought I was happy and I even portrayed a “happy me” the reality is I didn’t know what true happiness was.  I had a false sense of security, a hidden denial in myself, and lack the confidence that only could come from one person.

As my life began to change, and I was born (see “It’s my birthday”), I began to spend more time reading my bible.  The time grew and grew until it almost totally consumed my day.  I learned scripture, some for the first time, and others I gained a deeper knowledge, and a development of humbleness for what the LORD was actually doing in my life.  How He had always been there, even though I didn’t acknowledge it, nor see it, and He was truly the only reason I was even still alive.

Well as you know my “birthday” just recently passed, and as tradition has it, you receive gifts on your birthday.  This one was no exception in the fact that I received a gift, but it was immensely different in what the gift was and whom it came from. 

I have spent so much time with God that I truly looked for something from Him.  You see I am doing well at facing life and I am proud to say the cave has been blocked from entry.  But I still have challenges every day.  That is called LIFE.  Even if everything in your life is perfect, like you eat chocolate and never gain weight, or every day someone gives you a million dollars, life alone will tear at you and break you down to the point you will want to run into a cave. 

This year I asked God for a gift from Him.  And He gave me one.  He directed me right to His Word, and this He embedded into my Spirit: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. “Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. You shall seek them and not find them—

Those who contended with you.  Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing.  For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.” –Isaiah 41:10-13

When you look at life and it starts to stare you down and proclaim its intimidating words to you such as, “you can’t make it”, “I will beat you”, and “No one is going to like you” or any other words that makes you no longer be more than a conqueror, get back up and speak aloud these words of God in the face of your situation.  The LORD promises He will make it work out for you and that you shall be an overcomer, and all you have to do is STAND! 

Hallelujah!

A New Look at Our Shepherd

The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want.  Psalm 23:1

We are all familiar with this scripture and some even quote it most often when we are faced with an impending situation for which we are not sure the direction we should go.  In this we are, at the very least, verbally acknowledging we need Christ to lead and guide us.

While studying the Old Testament Shepherd, I discovered many remarkable things about this very common, but often lonely and despised craft.  The Shepard was usually alone, and was left with the sole responsibility of protecting the entire flock from wolves, bears, lions, and a host of pitfalls, traps and situations, all while many different sheep would often stray, as if they knew better the way to go than the Shepherd.

What was the Shepherd’s recourse?  How did he maintain His flock and teach them to stay close to Him?  We know about the rod and the staff the Shepherd carried.  One was used to ward of predators, and the other was used to pull back a sheep from and impending dangerous cliff or pitfall, or simply to bring the sheep closer to the Shepherd when the sheep strayed too far.

Every so often, the Shepherd would have a sheep, which despite repeated warnings and continued being reined in, the Shepherd would take the sheep and break its leg.  Sound harsh?  No doubt it was painful for the sheep.  But then the Shepherd did something amazing.  He would place the sheep over His shoulder and carry the sheep.  The sheep, which no doubt felt every step and jolt the Shepherd made as He walked the rugged hillside, would learn to sync up with the Shepherd, to minimize his pain.  He would even become so in sync with the Shepherd; his heartbeat would beat in rhythmic cadence with the Shepard.  Once the sheep healed, he was let down to romp and play again, but he never strayed to far from the Shepherd, who demonstrated He how much He truly loved the sheep.

Does this reflect events in your life?  Have you strayed a few times?  Has our Shepherd broken your leg and placed you over His shoulder, placing His heart next to yours? 

The sooner you sync up with His will, the sooner you will be whole and well.

The Relationship

What state are your relationships in?  Do you have a bunch of “friends” whom you rarely check on, speak to, or listen to what they have to say?  Does that mirror your relationship with Jesus Christ?  He desires to check on you (be with you always), speak to you and to listen to you, but we rarely take the time to hear Him.  We become too busy with work, home, activities, and so many of the worlds distractions that we neglect the one thing that holds all that we need, a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ!

A friend of mine asked me “So why have you been talking to me lately?”  I declared part of my conviction from God that through my relationship with Him, I am now free to have a relationship with others!  He removed the distractions that I had and enabled me to focus on what is really important, but I first had to focus solely on Him. 

What are you focused on and how are your relationships?  Maybe we need to rediscover THE RELATIONSHIP, so we can grow our relationships with others.

Scripture references Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 28:20, Mark 4:9, Exodus 20:3, 1 John 1:7

Are You Becoming Bitter, or Better?

In Genesis 37, 38, 39, 40-47, we find the story of Joseph who as we know was sold into slavery and left for dead by his very own brothers.  It is an amazing story of one man’s determination to take whatever came his way and still look to serve and to honor God in all he did.

Let’s face it.  He had sufficient enough reasons, enough to become bitter: to give up, to become mad, hateful, and resentful: to start to question the who(s) in his life, the what(s), in his life and definitely the why(s).  He could have started to doubt God’s providential care, provision, and ultimately, when the opportunity came for God’s power and purpose to be shown forth in his life, Joseph could have been so bitter that God would not have gotten the glory from the situations and circumstances that GOD had led Joseph through.  And we would not have this incredible story of overcoming.

Thank God, for us, that Joseph did not become bitter, but rather he became BETTER!  He used his circumstances and situations and trusted in God, fully.  No matter what came his way, betrayal of his brothers, enslavement, rise to authority, fall from position because of a lie, being forgotten by those he helped, and then ultimately the rise to power and the opportunity to do good to his brothers, who had done so much wrong to him in his life. 

You see the circumstances and situations that happened in his life were ultimately NOT about him.  They were about the saving of nations, and lands, and family.  If Joseph would have become bitter, Egypt may well have perished, the land would have stayed barren under famine, and his family would have surely died. 

What has happened in your life that you don’t feel is fair?  Do you feel betrayed by the very ones closest to you?  Are you wondering, “why God, why?”  Well maybe it’s not about you, but rather those around you, your land, and most importantly your family that may or may not have hurt you. 

It’s ok to forgive.  It’s ok to move forward.  Become BETTER not bitter, and look for the opportunities that God is trying to bring to you, to show forth His power and glory in your life.  And maybe, there is another BETTER “Joseph” in the making.

Limiting People To How You Met Them

Scripture Reference: Genesis 27:19 "Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”

This is one of our first encounters of Jacobs’s character.  Although we were previously introduced to him in the bible, we get a real look into his make-up and fiber of who Jacob is in this scene.  Jacob has already gotten Esau to agree to give him his birthright.  But now we see, with guidance from his mother, he clearly defines his upbringing and teaching of being a "trickster".  Something he would wrestle with all of his life.

However as we progress through his life story, we see him begin to change after a true encounter with the LORD.  He not only was able to overcome his scandalous name and ways, but was able to impart to his children life lessons which would give birth to the destiny of the Jews and ultimately the linage of the Christ who died to save the world.

What if they would never had seen him as anything but a "trickster", even though he legitimately changed his life?  Did he still have struggles and wrestle back and forth during the remainder of his life?  Yes.  However he refused to be defined by his past and rather depended upon God for his future.  And you don’t hear of people in his life continuing to call him "trickster".  They moved beyond what he had done and look forward to what he was becoming.  By doing so they also received part in the blessing which would become Life-everlasting!

Who are you holding hostage according to their past?  Who has had a true life-altering experience with God and now look to make a new name for them in HIM?  Can you go where God is taking them and receive part of the blessing attached to them?  Or will you continue to hold them guilty and limit them by how you met them?

Vision Ailment. Three Different Healings?

There are three different accounts of Jesus healing men of blindness, but all in different ways. They each had the same condition, an inability to see; so why not heal them in the same manner?  Is our Heavenly Father trying to show us something; a deeper truth in view of him?

The first example is clear. The blind beggar, Bartimaeus, who sat by the way on the road to Jericho, cried out for Jesus to heal him. In this case, Jesus simply spoke, "Your faith have saved you", and he was healed. Mark 10:45-47

The second example, Jesus takes the man by the hand, and leads him out of the city. Once they reach a certain place, then Jesus spits on his eyes. He then proceeds to ask the man what does he see? The man's response? "I see men like trees..." This is the only place where Jesus prays for a man more than once. Then Jesus lays His hands upon the man's eyes and his vision is fully restored with no more obstructions or obscurities.

The third example in in Jerusalem. Jesus heals a man by spitting on the ground and making mud. He then places the mud over the man's eyes and instructs Him to, "Go was in the pool of Siloam". Once the man had done this, he then could see clearly.

When a person is blind, their entire world is dark. They cannot see light. Which brings us back to scripture. More than once Jesus is referred to as "the Light of the world". Matthew 4:16 says,  "The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death, Light was dawned." 2 Corinthians 4:6 reads, "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shown in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." These all point to Jesus. Could this be the project of salvation being taught here? 

Bartimaeus  needed light and speaks to someone needing Jesus in their life. This is when we receive new life and Spiritual Light from Christ, the moment we believe.

The blind man being led out of the city speaks to the sanctification  process; the gradual separation from worldly things (the city). It is not instantaneous but rather a journey to be embarked upon daily.  With Jesus leading the way, as our Shepherd, He brings us into all truth and understanding. New believers will often times look at new things from their old perspective, hence seeing men as trees. When we still harbor worldly practices, it takes time to see things from Christ's point of view, or what grieves the Holy Spirit.

The third story covers the evangelistic aspect of our salvation. We are the dirt. With spit, the water from the mouth of Jesus, we are use to carry the Word of hope to others. We are like the clay vessels in Jeremiah 18. Jesus use this clay or mud as His project.

We need Jesus to enable us to first see the Light.  Then to grow in understanding of what we see, Jesus must gradually diminish our human light, and increase His light in us. And finally we are to show forth His Light, as we tell others of how He has been so good unto us.

Let's begin to see people in these different stages of Light and recognize instead of criticize. For we all need Him to remove our blindness in His way!

The Heart Beat of Our Shepherd

Can You Feel it?

Psalm 23 starts off, “The LORD is my Shepard, I shall not want.” It was one of the first Bible verses I was made to memorize as a child.  I often wondered why Jesus always referred to Himself as a Shepard. Over the years I have learned more and more about what a Shepard did and there have been some amazing revelations Jesus has given me.

Psalm 23 also says, “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” The rod part I get, it was used to ward or beat off wild beast that came to steal the lambs and carrying them off to certain death.  But how was the staff a comfort?  It’s that one you usually see pictured that has a hook on it.  The staff was used to bring way-ward sheep back.  So if the sheep wandered too far off, the Shepard used the hook on the staff to bring the sheep back closer the Himself, where there was safety.

But sometimes, the Shepard would have a sheep that would stray too far, too often.  At this point other measures had to be taken to insure the sheep’s safety.  The Shepard would actually take the sheep and break on of it legs: Yes on purpose.  This would render the sheep unable to move about, and as you know, a Shepard was constantly on the move for pastures that would feed the flock.

Now you may think it was cruel what the Shepard did to the sheep.  After all, he hadn’t gotten into that much trouble, he simply wandered off a few too many times, but always the sheep thought he would be alright and could come back.  However that is not where the Shepard wanted the sheep.  He wanted him near Him.  So after the Shepard broke the sheep’s leg, He would then take the sheep and place him over His shoulder so that the sheep’s body was startled and the sheep’s heart was right over the Shepard’s.

As the Shepard walked on the hilly countryside, the constant movement would cause the sheep pain; after all his leg was broken.  So the sheep, not being able to stop the movement, would learn to sync up with the Shepard’s movement, even down to His heartbeat.  The sheep would become so in sync with the Shepard that the pain soon disappeared and the sheep could clearly hear the Shepard talking with him and giving him the life-saving instructions about how to never stray too far away from the Shepard again.

My life was like that, I was that wayward sheep that just kept getting a little too far away.  Then one day my Shepard, Jesus, came along and broke my leg.  He carried me upon His shoulder, and it was just me and Him.  I learned to sync up with His heartbeat, and while I don’t have everything down perfect yet, I know how not to stray too far from the safety that My Shepard provides me.

Today I thank Jesus for breaking my leg, and making me to sync up with His heartbeat.  And in me, the beat goes on!

16,578

Last year the LORD allowed me to see another birthday. Most people fret or shun away from their earthly time markings, but for me it afforded me opportunity to once again reflect.

Today I did not reflect so much upon past mistakes.  I did not ponder key wins or losses.  I did not take time to place blame for where I am now, nor did I seek to give credit to myself for where I am currently.  Accomplishments.  Didn’t matter.  Failures.  Didn’t matter.  Standing out to me most importantly was a number, 16,578. 

Moses once said, “O teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”  Psalm 90:12.  Through the ups, and the downs, through the storms and the rain, the heartache and the pain, from the mountain-top experiences, to the valley lows, in all His appointed times He planned for me, little did I know He was teaching me to number my days. 

Now as I enter into the next phase of my life, I pray LORD, apply my heart to more wisdom and understanding, for “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Proverbs 4:7

Today I challenge you not to wait until your birthday, but start today to number your days, and seek after, reach for and obtain the wisdom of GOD, in every situation in your life.  And be careful to give the LORD honor and praise for He ordained your steps just as they happened to bring you to this expected time and place.  Psalm 37:24 He loves you like no one else can or ever will!

16,579, HERE I COME!

Dead Batteries

I have an expensive watch.  It keeps time, tells the date, is water proof to three atmospheres.   I get compliments on it all the time.  However I seldom where it.  It’s one of those watches you need to mess with every so often to keep it running.

This morning I went to wear this watch, but it would not work.  After messing with it a few times I decided the battery must be dead.  All this expensive mechanism, precise orchestration of moving parts, and interacting ability, all stopped because of a lack of power.

Our lives are often the same way.  Our power source is Christ and His Word.  But when is the last time you were really connected to Him?  When is the last time you allowed Him to move you, “mess” with you by eliminating your will and allowing His will to be done?  Or do we continue to get farther away from our Source, thinking we will run forever, not knowing the entire time we loosing power, and ultimately dying?

Today I challenge you to reconnect to your Source.  If you are tired and worn out in any area of your life, pray this prayer with me:  LORD, I am without power, and failing miserably.  You created me to have meticulous movement, ultimate ability, and great achievement, but without Your power I have been rendered ineffective in all  I try to do.  Today I purposely reconnect back to You.  I acknowledge You as my Source and Strength.  I will reconnect with you through Your Word, through Prayer, and yes through my sacrificial giving of my tithes and offering, so I may be obedient unto Your Word.  I thank You for Your love and forgiveness and always accepting me, Your child, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now go read John 14:6 and follow Him

You're in Jail

You’re in Jail.  You have committed crimes worthy of death.  They take you before the judge and the judge presents to you the Law. He presents two sides: “this is how you were to behave, this is how you did behave.”  A large lump develops in your throat. Your breathing becomes short for you know death awaits you. 

The Judges ask you “How do you plead?”  And as you try to muster up the courage to say guilty, the doors of the courtroom fly open.  In walks your Father,  whom you have not seen all your life. He says, “Judge, allow me to take my sons place!” The judge quickly agrees and they arrest your Father in your place! The guards whisk him away into bondage.  You on the other hand are rushed out of the courtroom, and onto the stairs in front of the building.  No one is there for they are all inside gasping at what just happened.

You are at a lost. Your whole life has been spent incarcerated, and now you are in a city you don’t know.  You can’t believe what just happened. You know it should be you going to the death chamber, but instead you are now free.  You can no longer go and see your Father physically but the feeling of what He did for you remains with you always.

As you begin to walk down the street, unsure of where to go, you come across a man who says, come with me. You are undeniably drawn and you go.  When you get arrive, you find people in fellowship, laughing, connecting, loving, teaching, and sharing, they welcome you with open arms.

You are brought into the fold and you begin to learn where you went wrong, why what you did was punishable by death. You begin to learn about your Father.  You now feel welcomed, accepted, loved and cared for.  But it doesn’t stop there, you are so filled you are compelled to go back to the steps of the courthouse.  However, now you are not looking for your Father. You are looking for the one, who just was thrown out of the courtroom like you because His Father took his place also. And you begin to compel this man to come to the to experience the same love you experienced.

As for your Father?  He’s not dead.  For He now lives inside of you. Have you been that convicted felon who was set free? Did you know your daddy took the death sentence for you? Do you need to be shown how to be a true man or woman of God? Can you help show another how to have their Daddy with them always? Wherever you are now, Go Farther, now!

The Throne Was Vacated

The Throne was vacated to sit empty for a while.  A Holy Spirit descends.  Angels Hush.  A virgin is found.  A womb in habited.  An egg fertilized.  The Divine Artist of old, which created the heavens and the earth, removes His cloak of glory, and wraps Himself in human flesh.  He forms His own body.  Skin covering Spirit, Veins filled with the precious blood of Love.  Bones not to be broken, yet a heart already shattered.

He once again comes to walk the garden He created.  Yet this time, the garden has thorns, poisons and countless bitter wounds.  Discourse rules.  Sickness prevails.  Betrayals last.  Fear dominates. Guilt shames.

Clouds now hover in darkness, beast roar and groan.  Competition reigns.  Blindness destroys sight.

Once again a Tree appears, on a hill, far away.  The battle ensues.  The snake strikes.  The offer: lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.  Nothing new has come.  Still the same questions we face today, “Who’s will?” 

A choice is made.  Tears are mingled with blood.  Then, relationship is restored.  A bridge erected.  And a smile returns, “It is good” is uttered once again.

Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 1 Corinthians 15:22

Christ' Passion of the Cross

In Acts 1:3 we learn that Jesus “showed Himself alive, after His passion…” or after His crucifixion on the cross.  Why did He say it was His Passion? 

In the Greek the word passion is translated pathos.  It’s represented in the root word for our pathological.  This means being to such a degree that is extreme, excessive, or abnormal.

This goes beyond a mere feeling or desire, Jesus actually had an abnormal, excessive, extreme love for us all.  In Isaiah 53:10 which for tells of what God is about to do to Jesus, He says, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”  We find that Jesus loved us so much that it pleased Him to be beaten for my sins, wounded for my transgressions, and chastised so that His peace may be upon me.  No matter how many times I would mess up,  not get it right, turn my back on Him, walk away from Him, hurt my loved ones, get prideful , talk back, break His commandments, lie, cheat, steal, covet, kill with my tongue, gossip, backbite, blow a fuse, inject drugs, run to an illicit relationship, prostitute myself out for money, friends, things, job advancement, or any other number of things, that He would be abnormally, excessively and extremely pleased to redeem me with His love.  What kind of God loves me like that?

My God, My God, what a mighty LOVING God you are!

Do you Believe on God or Believe God?

While traveling to Atlanta, there was a medical emergency on the plane. As the flight crew scrambled to assist the man who's blood pressure had fallen placing him nearly unconscious, I sat in my seat wondering, " How can I help?"

Immediately the enemy attacked me. Reminding me of how I loved medicine and how I failed to peruse a medical career. He told me if the many opportunities I've waisted not getting the life saving certifications such as CPR classes, which may or may not have helped here. He reminded me how this is not the first time I've nit been prepared to help and tried to tell me it wouldn't be the last either.

Before the incident I had begun working on a message about Believing on God or Believing God.  We often believe there is a God, but when it comes to believing God to do what He said He would do, we often fall very short. Do we truly have faith in the life we live? Makes me wonder, are we trying to save God from looking bad or ourselves from looking bad?

I was reminded of the Apostle Peter's words to the beggar outside of the temple,  "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." (Acts 3:6 KJV). I did not have the medical training. I had not taken the courses. I had failed in times past.  But God said "Give him what you do have!" ME!"

I began to pray and was immediately swept up in the Holy Spirit. I could then hear others praying also.  I'm not sure what all happened. I can tell you this, the mans blood pressure immediately returned to normal. He look cohesive and was smiling once again. Disaster adverted.

Upon landing their was a medical crew awaiting him. They checked him out and told him he was in good shape and should enjoy his trip. My take away here? It's time for us to believe God. His Word tells us we are over comers, more than conquerors, and able to do anything through Him! Yes we believe in God, but it's time we Believed God, too!

The Master, Sigh's

Scripture Reference: Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, "Ephphatha," which means, "Be opened!" Mark 7:34

We know the story well.  Jesus takes a man with a speech impediment away from the crowd, as not to make a spectacle of His healing.  But did you catch what He did?  Something we usually pass right over without a thought.  But there is it in plain sight, "He sighed."

Yes there are many types of sighs.   Some of disgust, some of relief, some of expectancy, and even some of joy.  However this "Sigh" was a recognition of pain that was never intended, and of a hope deferred.  He knew it was never meant to be this way; the man was not to be impaired, the halt were to be whole, the love to never cease to overflow.  The Bible tells us He was in touch with our infinities.  (Hebrews 4:15)  The Creation was never intended to be inhabited by evil, so she sighs, yearning for the Garden.  Conversations with the Father were never intended to depend upon a translator, so the Holy Spirit groans on our behalf, looking for the day when Man will see God face to face.  Man was never created to be separated from his creator, so he sighs looking for home.  

When Jesus looks into the eyes of Satan's victim here, the only appropriate thing to do was sigh, "It was never intended to be this way." Our ears were never made to be deaf and our tongue not to stumble.  The imbalance of it all caused the Master to languish.

However in Jesus' agony, lies our hope.  Had He not sighed, we would never know He felt the burden of our infirmities, the things which were never intended, and we would be in pitiful condition.  Had He simply chalked it up to the inevitable or washed His hands of the whole mess, what hope would we have? But He didn't.  The holy sigh assures us God still groans for his children.  He groans for the day when all sighs will cease, when what was intended to be will be.

Car Trouble

As many of you know I've been restoring a 1975 Corvette.  Today I had car trouble.  As I sat on the side of the road, my first inclination was to pray.  Sounds “religious” I know, but you didn’t ask what I prayed.  I prayed, “LORD, what is it you want me to see in this and through this?  What are You trying to show me”?  Sound strange to you?  It shouldn’t.  While Jesus was about His earthly ministry He spent all of His time teaching and showing His disciples what they were missing so they could continue to grow in revelation of Him, thereby increasing their relationship with Him.  The only way to get to relationship is threw revelation of what He sees, desires and is trying to show us.

So I sat on the side of the highway, and waited.  He told me to get out of the car and watch all the people passing by me.  I did, there on one of the busiest highways in Dallas, I was standing behind my car watching people go by me at an alarming rate.  Some blew right by me, some slowed a bit, some looked at me, some did not even notice me, and others waved at me, and others even went as far as to point me out to their fellow passengers.  But no one stopped to talk with me.  They were all too busy trying to get to where they were going.

Then it hit me, how many of us are too busy with “where we are going” to even notice Jesus as we pass right by Him?  Have you ever blown by Him because you had an appointment?  Slowed down a bit in life to look at acknowledge His presence but then hurried on by to get to your next thing on your agenda?  Have you ever told your friends about Him, but in reality never really took time to see what He was trying to say to you?  Are we too busy trying to get to where WE are going, instead of trying to hear where HE wants to take us?

Well long story short, I got my car running again and off I went.  I also discovered I was low on oil, so I went to the store and got some: thus preventing a major problem “down the road.”  (As you know oil is the life blood of your car: but that’s a different blog) Thank You, LORD, for the situation, or how else would I know You as Jehovah-Shammah: The LORD is there!

LORD, thank You for slowing me down today enough to notice You and what You want to say to me, and in that allowing me to see a potential problem that could occur down the road, if I didn’t take the time to hear and acknowledge You! 

I Fee Like Going On!

Today I needed a word in my Spirit.  I don’t know about you, but everything is not terrific in my life.  I still have many struggles, bouts, and despairs.  There are times when I feel all alone and that the pain will never end.  Am I the only one?

But thank the LORD that I was afflicted a few years back, or how else would I know what to do?  You see God does not take us through trial, heartache and pain for nor reason.  He is desperately trying to teach us that HE is our source, HE is our provider, and HE is our comforter. No one else will do.

So in my affliction, I called upon the LORD, I sought Him in my heart.  And like a true Father, He came and reminded me of what He has spent a lifetime teaching me. 

Below is a song I learned in church while I was a youth.  The choir would sing this and I heard it so much that it is still with me today.  Thank you, Moms, for making me attend church and exposing me to teaching that would one day comfort my soul. 

And if that were not good enough, for Him to put a song back into my spirit, He also reminded me of the words He taught me throughout the years and especially last year.  Psalm 34, for anyone facing heartache and pain, exemplifies what we should keep at the forefront of our minds when trials come.

So today, early in the morning, Father I declare to my situation, “I Feel Like Going On” and I will, as you have taught me, I will “Come to You, and listen to You, for You will teach me Your awesomeness and love for me.  I love life, and I desire to see good, many days.  So I obey Your command and I will keep my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking lies.  Today I purpose to turn from evil and do good in ALL that I do, and I seek peace will all, and I pursue it with all my might”  Psalm 34:11-14

I feel like going on. Though trials come on every hand, I feel like going on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-qrPYzQ5R0

Time To Grow

Scripture Reference: Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

When reading the bible we need to slow down and pay close attention.  God meticulously planned exactly every Word He wanted to give us and say to us.  We often get caught up in the busyness of life, and of course are distracted by the chaos around us (which is a trick of our adversary to take our focus off of HIM).

But careful dissection of the Word will lead you into a new and deeper understanding of revelation in Him.  Look at this Scripture closely.  Most would say, “Lord, help me to trust in You more.”  However, He is trying to pull a deeper meaning out to us here.

The Scripture actually tells us, “Blessed is the man…whose hope IS THE LORD!”  It is one thing to trust God, but is your hope in Him too?  Do you see the chaos and confusion in your life, but are unmoved?  To do this, we must be able to see beyond our troubles, fears, worries, and doubts, and put our entire HOPE in Him. 

Do you truly trust Him?  Then why not put your total Hope in Him, knowing HE will NEVER let you down?  What would or could happen if you not only trust Him, but also made your Hope Him? After all, He is All Powerful and able to exceed our wildest expectations! 

Are Your Limitations Based On The Past?

Scripture Reference: Genesis 27:19 "Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”

This is one of our first encounters of Jacobs’s character.  Although we were previously introduced to him in the bible, we get a real look into his make-up and fiber of who Jacob is in this scene.  Jacob has already gotten Esau to agree to give him his birthright.  But now we see, with guidance from his mother, he clearly defines his upbringing and teaching of being a "trickster".  Something he would wrestle with all of his life.



As we progress through his life story, we see him begin to change after a true encounter with the LORD.  He not only was able to overcome his scandalous name and ways, but was able to impart to his children life lessons which would give birth to the destiny of the Jews and ultimately the linage of Christ who died to save the world.

What if they would never had seen him as anything but a "trickster", even though he legitimately changed his life?  Did he still have struggles and wrestle back and forth during the remainder of his life?  Yes.  However he refused to be defined by his past, but rather depended upon God for his future.  You don’t hear of people in his life continuing to call him "trickster".  They moved beyond what he had done and look forward to what he was becoming.  By doing so they also received part in the blessing which would become Life-everlasting!

 Are you holding someone hostage according to their past?  Has there been a true life-altering experience with God and now they look to make a new name in Him?  Can you go where God is taking them and receive part of the blessing attached to them?  Or will you continue to hold them guilty and limit them by how you met them?

Show Them Your Wounds!

“And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” - Luke 24:38-39

Here we find Jesus coming to the disciples after He had risen again and made atonement for our sins.  A little background interesting got note here is, they were scared and feared greatly what was going to happen to them, and had locked themselves into a room.  I wonder how many of us are scared of something God has done in our lives and have locked ourselves behind the closed doors of shut down emotions, fear, and anxiety?  But this is not my focus today. 


The disciples were hurt and scared by the recent events in their lives, and opted to secluded themselves from “more potential pain” rather than trust in the Jesus who had told them many times, “Fear not for I am with thee”.  What “room” of seclusion have you locked yourself into, because of past hurts in your life?

The beauty of the Gospel is, in the problem, there is already the solution.  As the Disciples anchored down in their fear, Jesus came to them, and having compassion for them begins to ask them, “Why are you troubled?  And why do doubts arise in your hearts?” In other words, “Why do you fear your hurts and pains, not realizing I brought them about so I could get the glory out of your life?”  What hurts are keeping you from seeing the glorious work He wants to do in your life?

And then He displayed the ultimate showing of love and security.  He said, “Behold, My hands and My feet, that it is Myself.”  Imagine this, the God of the universe, is now showing  them “His wounds”.  He opened Himself up to His deepest pain, the agony of the Cross, in which He was separated from God and paid the full price for us on Calvary.  The place of His greatest pain was also the place of His greatest ministry. In the problem was the solution.

Today, I challenge us, to be more open with my pain and past hurts, trusting Jesus allowed them so He can get the ultimate glory out of them.  My desire is by revealing ourselves, openly as Jesus did, we will come to know Him as the True, Living, and Matchless Savior He is. He not only orchestrates our pains, but also has an ultimate plan to draw us infinitely closer to Him, if we will only trust in Him with ALL of our heart; Even through the pain!