Friday, January 30, 2015

The Love of God

Ephesians 4;1-4, "Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future." (NLT)

The Spirit of the Lord has been reminding me about the genuine and authentic Love of God during my times of Prayer over the past several weeks. It is very easy for that cardinal principle revealed in the Word to fall off the top tier of our understanding and become covered over by all of the problems, challenges, and difficulties that we face on a daily basis. Even as a Minister/Pastor I must remember that the motivating factor or call from God is to love people and care for their spiritual well being. Let us be honest, there are times that this type of action is harder to live out than it is at other times in our lives. There are people that are more lovable than others. There are times that the situation requires an "extra" release of God's love in our lives due to the actions or decisions that was made by an individual. BUT isn't it during those moments that people would need to sense and feel the Love of God at work in our lives as well as through our lives?

I encourage you to remember those times in which you needed people to share the Love of God with you. I encourage you to remember those times that you appeared unlovable. I encourage you to remember those times that you needed the forgiveness of God and those times in which you needed the forgiveness of people. I believe that God is calling each of us to love Him and to love people with and through His love. Trust me, I fully understand those words are easier said than done. I have seen it from both sides of life. BUT I have also seen the true Love of God at work in such a way that it brought forgiveness, restoration, healing and even a closer bond with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We love to refer to ourselves as the "family of God" but there are times that God calls us to fulfill the directives that He has given to His Family. The scripture text today reveals a small but very important portion of those directives.

John 13:34-35, "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (NLT)

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

We Belong to God

1 Corinthians 6:19, "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself," (NLT)

Each believer has their own unique relationship with God. Each of us are endowed and blessed with certain abilities, talents, gifts, callings, opportunities to serve, etc. Each of us have a specific "place" in the Body of Christ and that "place" is very important to the overall working of the Body of Christ. The different members of the Body of Christ were never meant to compete with one another but to compliment one another. Here is an example from the physical body that we inhabit. Have you ever seen the eyes competing with the ears for control of the sight of an individual? No, the ears realize that they do not have the same ability as the eyes but neither can the eyes fulfill the role of the ears. They work together in tandem so that the individual can both see and hear.

But there is one principle/element that each of us in the Body of Christ have in common. Each of us belong to God and not to ourselves. Each of us are called to be servants within the family of God. Each of us are called to work together for the common good of the spreading of the message of the Kingdom of God. Charles Stanley reminded us of this great principle in the following statements. "Our part is to bear witness to the breadth and depth of His love for all people. Once you grasp the fact that God looks on His children—every one a former slave to sin—with unconditional devotion, you can’t keep quiet about it. Believers are special in the eyes of their God and King. We are a sacred people and a holy order. What are you doing with your life? As a believer, you are not your own anymoreYou are a privileged servant of the Most High God."

Let us remind ourselves of the wonderful opportunity to share the Love of God with people that God places in our lives on a daily basis.


Friday, January 23, 2015

God's Desire to Give

The following passage of scripture has spoken to my heart in many ways and on many occasions through the years of my spiritual journey. I understand that this blog post will in no way give a proper exegesis of this passage. But I do desire that the reading of this passage will strengthen your resolve to seek God as well as renew your hope and confidence in the promises of God. I am convinced that God has a desire/plan to share His "good things" with His family. His promises are true and precious. We are not intruding when we ask, seek and knock. God Himself has invited us into His presence so that we can receive those "good things" that He has prepared for us. Read this passage with joy, thanksgiving, worship and anticipation of those "good things" are reserved for you. 

Matthew 7:7-11, " “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (NKJV)

Does anyone desire to join me in offering a shout of praise to our God for all that He has made available to us through Jesus Christ?

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Personal Examination

Mark 8:36-38, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (NKJV)

Many of us find it a lot easier to examine the life of our friend, neighbor, family member or even our brother or sister in Christ rather than examining our own life. We need to be honest with ourselves and confess that it is challenging to take a deep inward look at "me." It is during those moments of introspection that we learn the most about ourselves.

We even hear the coaches and players on sports team remind their team members that each man/woman needs to take a honest look at themselves and evaluate their personal performance. They will even distance themselves from the players who talk about the "others" without referencing their own need to improve. I want to guard against that spirit taking control of my spirit as I evaluate my spiritual journey. 

Jesus asked two very important questions to those who were listening to Him. He begins the questions with the words "what will" and then proceeds to lay out two scenarios that need to be considered. Let us remind ourselves of those pertinent questions that should affect the way we live our lives.  "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Jesus then goes on to remind us of the ultimate price that the actions of denial will have in our spiritual future. We must stop putting off our personal time of introspection. We must stop putting off the continuing development of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is time to "step up to the plate" and take full responsibility for our walk with Christ!!!

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Transforamtion

Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (NKJV)

I truly believe that God desires to do a "personal" work in our lives. I believe that we can become so fixated on the needs in the corporate church that we fail to realize that the true work of God is an individual process and not a corporate process. Each of us as individuals are to present ourselves to God in sacrificial living and allow Him the opportunity to transform us as He so desires. Now, that does not take place at the corporate level but at the individual level. 

I would like to share some words that I wrote to some brothers and sisters in Christ a few days ago. I truly sense that God desires to re-awaken us to the need of developing our relationship with Christ. 

The Bible teaches us that the Word of God is "alive and powerful." I was reminded during prayer this morning that only God can bring true transformation into the life of an individual. True spiritual transformation does not come through the abilities, knowledge, charisma of a leader, or even the leadership skills of any individual. God may use all of the above to add strength to our journey but the continuing development of our relationship with our Heavenly Father will produce the desired end which is a life that has been changed through the presence and guidance of God.

I am convinced that God desires to do a great work in the heart of His people in our world today. O God, let your work start in me and then spread to the unsaved, hurting, wounded, discouraged, disillusioned, etc. in our world. God desires to work "in us" so that He can work "through us." 

Take some time today to talk to God about the development of YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!!!

Monday, January 19, 2015

Weekend Review

It is always amazing as well as a blessing to witness God confirm those principles that He has raised up in your (my) heart. Over the past few weeks God has continued to remind me about the importance that each of us as individuals have in the eyes of God. I would encourage you to read Romans 8:31-35 at your convenience and identify the number of times that the Spirit places the word "us" in the passage that Paul is inspired to write. Please remember that YOU are important to God and that He is fully aware of all that is taking place in your life.

I saw the importance of individuals in the Sunday morning service at New River. I was given the awesome privilege to pray with a young mother and her child. I was given the privilege to pray with foster parents who just received three children (brothers) into their home. Let me add that these children are all under the age of three(3). I was praying with a couple when their daughter reached for me. I received her out of her Mother's arms into my arms. I proceeded to walk around the altar praying for her future life journey. I was amazed that as I continued to pray the more she began to cling to me as though she was receiving the strength of the prayer. I prayed with a woman in whom God has done an awesome work over the past 1-2 years. But recently her and her husband have encountered some health issues. These issues have attempted to hinder her relationship with God. You may be thinking, "Why does all of this information matter to me?" It matters because it confirms the principle that God was interested in each of these individuals including the children!! Let me hasten to add that there were other "individuals" who received the ministering presence of the Spirit into their lives during the service.

We can never allow that principle to disappear from our lives and we can certainly never allow that principle to disappear from the family of God. This motivating factor/principle that comes from God will keep us focused on our call/opportunity to share the Bread of Life with each and everyone that God places in our path of life. We may need to stop looking for opportunities to make an impact on groups of people and start focusing on making an impact on this world one person at a time. Most of us will never be involved in large crusades that affect thousands but we will have opportunity to affect the person behind the counter at the grocery store. We will have opportunity to affect our neighbor and even our co-worker (s). WE WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO AFFECT THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE WITH US!! 

Stop waiting on the crowds and start looking for those individuals that God has placed and will continue to place in your (my) life.

#EVERYONEisIMPORTANTtoGOD!!

Friday, January 16, 2015

Seeking after God

I Chronicles 7:8-9, "Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever. “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever." (NKJV)

This scripture passage confirmed to me an inspiration and reminder that I received during prayer last week. I felt God reminding me that I needed to be very careful during my time of seeking Him. It is so easy to become influenced by the flesh even during prayer time. Each of us have needs in our own lives and this list of needs grows even larger when we factor into our prayers the needs of our family and friends. I want to make something very clear before I proceed with the remainder of this post. I do believe that God encourages us to bring our needs, cares, worries, frustrations, etc. to Him in prayer. BUT we do need to be careful and not allow that to become the full focus of our prayers.

This passage of scripture reveals that God had to teach a very important principle to previous generations. It is found in verse 8 of the passage that I shared today. Read these words once more and focus on the emphasis that the Spirit speaks, "...be careful to seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God,..." WOW, what a challenge to all of us. Is it possible that we only seek "parts" of God; i.e, His blessings, His provisions, His healing, His miracles, etc.? Each of us need to "seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God" as well as all of the blessings. I am certainly not against the blessings of God being released in our lives but we need more than His "blessings." We need the revelation of His character, His holiness and His righteousness deposited in our lives. I believe this will happen as we seek God for every part of our life and not just a portion of our life.

Have a great day of fellowship and communion with the Heavenly Father!!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

YOU

2 Corinthians 5:19-20, " that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God." (NKJV)

I believe that the Spirit keeps reminding me about the importance of each of us as individuals during my prayer and meditation time over the past few weeks. I am thankful for John 3:16 and the impact of that verse in my life and in my desire to fulfill the call to ministry in my life. But I am also thankful that I (you) were included in the use of the word "world." Jesus did not die for the trees, the stars, the dirt or the mountains. Jesus died that humanity (both you and I) could be reconciled, brought back in right relationship with God. Now that is worth shouting about on this Tuesday morning. We have a reason to rejoice when we realize that God has already received the price (the death of Jesus on the cross) for our ransom from sin. 

God has given to us the opportunity to declare that "word of reconciliation" to a world that is steeped in darkness and spiritual decline. The "word of reconciliation" is still calling humanity back to God. The "word of reconciliation" is still dispelling the powers of darkness in the lives of "individual" people. Will we (the family of God) accept the challenge to join the Spirit in the process of declaring that word from God? Each of us are called to be "evangelists." Each of us are called to be "ambassadors for Christ." Each of us are called to "let our light shine so that men can see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven."

Do we truly realize the honor of being "called" of God to join with Him in the process of reconciliation? Do we truly see the benefits of working along side of God in the fulfillment of this process? Do we truly see the joy when someone surrenders their live to Jesus Christ?

Let us fully enjoy our journey with God!!!

Friday, January 9, 2015

Encouraging Reminder

Psalm 9:9-11, "The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. 10  And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. 11  Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people." (NKJV)

This portion of scripture spoke to my heart as I read it a few days ago. I shared this via an email as an encouraging reminder a few minutes ago with a group of my friends.  I sensed that this part of the Word of God spoke encouragement to me and I pray that it will provide that same type of ministry to you today. 

Each of us are facing our own unique set of "troubles." These vary in intensity and seriousness for each of us yet when we are facing them they are very serious to us. We are reminded and encouraged to put our trust in God. We can do this as we remember that He (God) will not forsake those who seek Him. 

That is one of the reasons that PRAYER needs to be raised to a higher level of participation in the lives of the people of God. We need to have an intimate relationship with the One that we are going to trust to be in charge of our lives. 

2015 needs to be a year in which we accomplish the goal of developing a consistent prayer life. We must stop waiting on everyone else to do all of the praying for us. We need to learn to pray for ourselves! We need to learn to draw near to the presence of God! We need to learn to offer ourselves to God as a "living sacrifice!" We need to become involved in this form of communication called PRAYER!

ENJOY PRAYING IN 2015!!!

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

2015: Beginning with Prayer

Psalm 27:7-9
"Hear, O Lordwhen I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation." (NKJV)

Many of us are sensing the need for the church to pray and seek after the heart of God for this generation. Many of us are hearing God call us to prayer, meditation, reflection and yes, even fasting. Many of us understand that the call of God is awaiting a response from each of us. We fully understand that the times in which we are living are demanding a response. But the greater question can be expressed in these words; "Will I (we) respond to that call? 

Leaders of Church Organizations as well as Para-church organizations are calling for a time of Prayer and Fasting as we begin 2015. I concur with and support their call to prayer. I am asking God to send a another Spiritual Awakening to His people. In my opinion there are many believers who have drifted into a state of "spiritual sleep." They are unaware of their surroundings and unaware of the subtle attacks of the enemy. We must be alert to the tactics of satan and we must we aware of his attempts to dismantle, overthrow and overwhelm our faith and courage. I still believe that we can win the battle against the foes of darkness. 

I am choosing to respond to God with actions rather than just words. "My heart said to You, Your face, Lord I will seek."

Will you join with me in that call through an active response to God?