Heart for God

I am preparing my heart for the revival meetings in the next few weeks. The schedule for the fall is going to be very busy but I am excited about the opportunities to minister in the various churches. As I was preparing some bio information for a Pastor this morning I was reminded about a prayer that God placed in my heart several years ago. He reminded me that I was interested in what others thought about me and what I was doing in the Kingdom of God but it had been a long time since I had asked Him what He thought about what I was doing in His Kingdom. Today God reminded me that I still needed to be asking for His heart to be revealed to me not just in a ministerial manner but in the personal manner of my relationship with Him. How long has it been since you asked God what was He thinking regarding your life and what your life was releasing in this world? Are you more interested in the thoughts of others more than you are in the thoughts of God toward your walk with Him? This is the time to be honest and open with God; we do not need to ignore the heart of God and what He desires to deposit in our lives. I re-commit to seeking after the "heart of God" every day of my life. I desire to hear Him say "well done thou good and faithful servant."

Scripture Passage

During my devotional time this morning the Lord led me to this passage of scripture found in Psalms 9: 9-10, "The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee" (KJV). I can trust God because He is truth; their is no lie found in God. Truth is not just a character trait of God; it is the essence of God. Many of us are facing situations that is requiring us to "trust"; we can depend on the truthfulness of God. He has declared that He will not forsake (abandon) us during those moments of challenge/decision. Be encouraged today and know that God is ready to come along side of you and walk with you on your journey. Give Him praise today for His great and precious promises that have been declared over our lives. AMEN!

Looking Ahead

It is such a joy to be able to serve the Lord. Although we are surrounded by great challenges we can look ahead by faith and realize that God is very present with us at all times. God not only lives in our past but He is living in our future. I desire to learn to trust Him more; I want to be faithful in all that God is calling us to do. Faith will provide the means of my spiritual success; I must walk by faith and not by sight. All of us are facing situations, circumstances and challenges that can discourage us but as we keep our hearts focused on God we can realize that He is leading us down the road of victory. Do not be discouraged today; lift your heart toward God and be reminded that He is Sovereign over all situations. As I am writing I felt led to ask you to pray with me for our nation. Will we allow God to speak to us at this critical time in our history? Will we look not only at our financial challenges but also look at the spiritual needs that are among us? Have we walked away from God and endeavoured to walk in our own strength? O God, open our eyes so that we can see You at work drawing us near to You?

Weekend Review

The services at Bethesda Community Church went very well. Pastor Tony & Linda Cooper are working in the field of this new church plant and the Lord is blessing their labor of love. They are being supported and encouraged by a group of people who have a heart to make an impact in their community through the message of Christ and His mercy and love. Each of us need to pray that God will provide the resources that they need to finish the building that they are leasing to own as well as the leadership they need to fulfill the vision of Pastor Tony. God is sending a move of His Spirit in the lives of those people who are seeking His presence; I want to be among those who are seeking the presence of God. We need to continue praying for our nation; we are seeing that man does not have the ability to meet the needs of our society. Let us look to God and realize that He is still the answer for humanity.

Uncertain Times

God is teaching me that I need to trust Him in these uncertain times. These are unique days to say the least but in the midst of the challenge God is revealing His presence and power. He is reminding us that we are not alone and that He is aware of our journey. He will not walk away from us during our distress or discouragement. Pastor Tony Cooper taught us last night that God desires to fellowship with us and that if we will draw near to Him He will draw near to us. I desire to believe the promises of God's Word which are being released into my spirit. PRAYER: O God, strengthen Your people as we face the difficulties of life. Let us understand that we are weak and that You are strong. Forgive us for pushing You away through our arrogance and pride. Allow us to understand that we are in great need for Your love and direction. AMEN!

"Bail-out or Rescue"

Over the past several days the U.S. Congress has been dealing with the financial crisis that is facing our country. I do not profess to have the knowledge to fully understand all of the matters that are being discussed; but I have spent time in prayer asking God to give our leaders direction in working through this problem. This legislation was first introduced as a "bail-out" for the struggling economy but in recent days the strategy of the politicians has changed and now they are referring to this legislation as a "rescue." NOTE: The legislation passed today in the House and it passed yesterday in the Senate. During today's prayer time for the service in Willard, Ohio the Lord reminded me that He has already provided the true "rescue" plan for mankind. When Jesus died on the cross He opened the door that humanity could be redeemed and rescued from their lifestyle of sin. We do not have to wait for some scheme and plan of man; we have the presence of the risen Savior who is ready to respond to the battles that we are facing. Today, each one of us needs to take a moment and thank God that we have been rescued from the hands of the enemy. We have been delivered from the power of the adversary and now we walk in the freedom of relationship with the Heavenly Father. I look forward to the evening service at Bethesda Community Church with Pastor Tony & Linda Cooper. I can sense the presence of God that is ready to be released in the service tonight. We ask that you cover this weekend meeting in your prayers.

"Great Love"

Wednesday night's service at Brecksville was outstanding. We were blessed to have Pastor Fred Robinette and the Worship Team from the Elyria Church of God of Prophecy. They were anointed as they led us into the presence of God and we were able to celebrate the greatness of our God. During the course of the message God encouraged me to speak these words; "great revivals come as the result of great love." During devotional time this morning I reflected on those words and I was reminded that I (we) must seek for our love to grow deeper and stronger. First, we must love God more and second, we must love people with a deeper love that is filled with compassion and concern. I am convinced that God is ready to fill the church with a fresh and vibrant love that reaches out to this hurting world. Will you join me in asking God to refill and refresh our love for God and our love for our fellow man? During the altar (alter) call we witnessed twelve (12) youth give their heart to Christ and many others move forward for their needs to be met. Truly the presence of the Lord was revealed in the services. Pastor Markham and the congregation are to be commended for being open to the moving of the Spirit. Each night found us walking in the strength of a new and fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. God is at work and I am determined to follow Him with all of my heart. Will you continue to join me on that journey and walk of faith?