Wonderful Reminder

It is hard to believe that it has been a week since I last shared some of my thoughts with you. I used to believe that I managed my time very well but in recent months I have began to question that belief. Has someone removed some of the hours in a day? Is there still 24 hours in a day or have I managed to loose some of them along the way? But there is also another possibility looming in the back of my mind; I may actually be getting slower in accomplishing my tasks or goals. As a Pastor my list of priorities can change quickly which can cause a change in my schedule and routine. I will have to admit that I am person who enjoys my daily routine and I do become uncomfortable and somewhat out of joint when I need to make adjustments quickly (My wife will verify that comment without hesitation). I need  to stop writing along these lines or it will appear that I am doing a "self analysis" on my own personality. I will stop now and let you make your own decision regarding my personality. LOL

I do have a purpose in my sharing today. Over the past few days I have been reminded of the faithfulness of God. Oh, I understand that I should know that all of the time; that is one of the characteristics of God. But thankfully God sends those special moments in which He nudges us to take a moment and SEE what He is doing in the lives of people. Several recent conversations with different individuals have reminded me of the faithfulness of God when it comes to His promises. I have heard of "what could have been" situations. I have heard of "this is how I used to live my life" situations. I have heard of "this is what they thought I had" situations. I have heard of "I was diagnosed with but I am being healed through prayer and medicine" situations. It is about time for a "Is there a witness in the house?" All of us have faced those moments and some of us may be facing those moments but we can sing this line from an old song, "My God is real, He's real in my soul..." I declare to you today that God is real and that He is real in my soul and I also declare that He desires to be real in your soul. 

The Presence of God

A few days ago I had written about a word of inspiration that the Spirit had shared with my wife in a recent time of meditation. I am constantly amazed at the presence of God and His ability to share with us what we need at the moments that we need it. I heard someone say, "God is never early and He is never late. God is always on time." Have you found that to be true about our Heavenly Father? I have witnessed the Spirit reach people at their darkest moments as well as their moments of greatest victory. God is interested in our spiritual development and not just our spiritual comfort. I enjoy the comfort that comes from God but I must also learn to accept, receive and practice spiritual development. God teaches those of us who will accept His teaching in our lives. There are times that my flesh will seek to rebel against those things that God is teaching me but my heart realizes that God knows what I need at that moment in my life.

 

The Spirit reminded Ann of this wonderful principle during her time of interaction with God. "I am present (emphasis added) in all your moments." The initial reading of that statement may not bring a strong sense of revelation but the full understanding of that principle can be very encouraging and strengthening. It is a wonderful blessing to remember that we are not alone in ANY situation or circumstance. This would include both the good and bad moments of our lives. God celebrates with us when the blessings arrive and He comforts us when those challenging moments arrive. Paul reminds us in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the love of God. It is with a great source of courage that we can move forward on a daily basis realizing that God has promised not to leave us nor forsake us. He will travel the road of life with us and for that promise we can rejoice today.

 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

Faith, Part 3

Romans 10:17, "So faith comes from hearing, that is hearing the Good news about Christ." (NLT)

Active faith will require a conscious decision on our part to make sure that we are listening to the right source of information. Our world is full of mis-information as well as it is full of the correct information. The enemy of our soul seeks to interfere with our faith through filling our mind and spirit with incorrect information that will take us away from God rather than drawing us closer to God. My response to these attempts of satan will lead me to victory in Christ or they will lead me to defeat. I want my soul to win the battle rather than lose the battle.The choice is literally in my hands as I choose to listen to the Good News or I choose to ignore the Good News. Which choice will I make today? Each of us are faced with that decision on a personal basis. No other person can make that decision for us and neither will God force us to make that decision. I must willfully make the right choice and allow the Spirit to place the Word of God into my heart in such a manner that I refuse to turn back or turn away from my walk with Christ. Was it not Joshua who said, "that as for me and my house we will choose (emphasis added) to serve the Lord." What choice have you made and what choice are you making on a daily basis?

Testimony: I witnessed  people make choices in service yesterday. They had to decide whether they would listen to information or mis-information. It is not always easy to discern the choice between truth and lies. Even Jesus said that the wolves would be dressed in sheep's clothing. But just remember that the wolf is still a wolf no matter how impressive and convincing his costume appears. We must hear and respond to the Voice of Truth and understand that it is the "Truth" that will set us free. I witnessed a young man who heard the "Truth" declare that his sins could be forgiven. I witnessed a lady hear the "Truth" say that the battle was not hers but the battle was the Lord's. I witnessed a husband and wife hear the "Truth" say that God was aware of their heartfelt concerns over a situation in their lives. I witnessed a young man hear the "Truth"remind him that he would not be alone as he begins his basic training later this week. The "Truth" still speaks loud and clear even in the midst of all of the noises coming from the wolves of this culture. 

Each of us need to make sure that we are listening to the Voice of the Chief Shepherd!!

Reminder

Our Bible Study teacher last night reminded the class that God watches over us every moment of every day. Nothing escapes the attention of God and nothing ever catches God by surprise or off-guard. We can place our confidence and trust in the  "All Knowing" God who cares about His children. 

The Spirit led me to a passage of scripture this morning in the book of John. John 14:27, "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid" (NLT) 

This morning I felt led to share this passage with some individuals that are facing some challenges at this time in their personal lives. But as the day has progressed I have felt led to post this passage on the blog. Each of us need peace and rest in some area of our life. We realize that we are unable to provide this for ourselves but we do know that God is still the "peace speaker" in the midst of our circumstances. God is very much aware of all that we face and He is able to step into the midst of our situation and bring calmness to our heart. It is through courage and faith that we accept this provision from our Heavenly Father.

Faith, Part 2

Romans 10:17, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (NKJV)

 

During prayer this morning the Spirit reminded me of my need to listen for the Voice of God. Is it possible that we can become so busy talking to God that we fail to listen to what He has to say to us? This can obviously happen if we feel that we have a lot of information that we need to share with Him or if we feel that He does not truly understand the seriousness of the situation that we are facing (I speak from personal experience). Thankfully God understands our humanity and allows for this type of action and response on our part. He knows that our faith can be easily shaken during difficult moments but He also knows that it is during those same difficult moments that our faith is strengthened as we identify God at work in our lives. The Spirit of God will teach us to learn from those moments of trying circumstances.

 

The word "hearing" grabbed my attention this morning and this verse came into my spirit as I took some time to listen. I want you to take a moment and focus on listening. I am not wanting you to focus so much on my words but focus on what God desires to say to you as you are reading these words. I truly believe that God has a desire to communicate with His children. After all, it is God who has chosen to open the door of fellowship with fallen humanity through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus is the Mediator between God and man. We are given the awesome privilege to fellowship with God, our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. That statement of fact can raise a shout of praise in our heart.

 

I want to share something that I think is worth hearing today. A few weeks ago during a time of meditation, prayer and reflection the Spirit spoke into the heart of my wife, Ann. She shared some of these thoughts during a healing service that we led a few weeks ago. This is one of the inspirations that the Spirit desired for Ann to hear as well as to share with others who would take the time to listen. Hear the Voice of God; "I am nearer than you think."  Take a moment and let that sink into your spirit. God is closer than we can imagine. God is closer than we can even identify. God is closer than the devil wants us to realize. Even when you feel alone; God is present at every moment of every day. God is present even when you feel that He has forgotten you or given up on you. Hear the promise of God; Hebrews 13:5b-6, "...For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶ So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (NKJV) (Emphasis added)

 

Will you make the effort to listen today?

Faith

It is always a blessing to see individuals who willfully choose to release their faith during difficult times in their lives. Our heart-felt worship is also a release of faith as we offer our words, our songs, our music and our lives to our Heavenly Father. Yesterday our Worship Leader at New River reminded us that no one but me can offer my worship to God. I may be able to pray for you but I can not worship for you. The Father desires to hear the voices of His individual children bringing their praise, adoration and worship to Him as "fruit from their lips." Is it possible that sincere worship may be the ultimate release of faith regardless of our circumstances? The release of our faith should be a part of our daily lives and not just "something" that shows up when we are facing troubles or trials. I am learning this principle as I travel this road of life. 

Have you taken the time to worship God today?

Releasing our Faith, Part 3

Many of you are preparing our hearts for our local church worship services on Sunday morning. There are many of us who hold various responsibilities in the worship service. These include responsibilities such as teaching, preaching, music, singing, audio and visual assistance, ushers as well as all of the "behind the scenes" activities that prepare us to go "live" on Sunday. All of these ministry efforts need to be offered to the Lord in faith. We must believe that God is at work in our lives and that He will be present in our services to touch the people who are sitting in that church building on Sunday. 

There is NO such thing as a"routine" Sunday. People with various needs will walk through our doors on any given Sunday and many of them are in desperate need to hear God speak to their hearts. Will we lead in faith and with faith or will we choose to just go through the motions because we have failed to allow the Spirit to strengthen our faith through our time of preparation? I certainly do not mean this in a harsh manner neither do I want to place a burden so heavy on us that you or I are unable to bear it. BUT people are counting on us to be connected with God through His Spirit and His Word. It is our opportunity to lead these precious people into the presence of the True and Living God who possesses the power to make a difference in their lives. OH THE JOY TO SERVE THE FAMILY OF GOD IN THE POWER AND PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!!

Be courageous and strong in the Lord and realize that God has given us a wonderful message to declare and that we have the opportunity to declare that message through our service to the family of God!