Just wanted to let everyone know that my wife and I will be leaving tomorrow for South Africa and won't be back until mid February. I don't know how much Internet access I will have there so I'm not sure when I will be able to post another entry again.
I would ask for your prayers as I am away. I pray that I will hear and experience God in a new and refreshing way. My wife and I will be visiting our youngest daughter, son-in-law and two wonderful grand kids and I'm truly looking forward to that, but I will also have opportunities to minister to people in that precious Name of Jesus as we go into places with many needs. I pray for God's strength and wisdom as I encounter the situations that God puts before me.
Until I write again, keep up the good fight of faith. Keep your eyes on the Word, follow it wherever it leads you, and do whatever it tells you to do. If you'll do that, God promises that you will be prosperous and have good success. (Josh 1:8). You'll also be living in the shadow of the Almighty with His hand of blessing upon you. And as God blesses you, go and be a blessing to that one that God puts before you. Now that is truly living the abundant life. Live it to the full!!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
My Journey of Faith Shared With You
As I pointed out in my last post, I'm sensing that God wants me to use this blog in a more intimate and expanded way of sharing my journey of faith with you, so that you can learn God's way, by seeing what He is doing in my life. I'm concerned about doing this because I will have to open myself up and reveal things that I would rather hide, and I realize you will see me as I really am, a work in progress, and within that work includes failure, frustration, anger, confusion, short comings and a whole bunch more. But I sense God wants me to share what He is doing in me. Up till now He has only had me share the revelation of His word that He has given me, and I have enjoyed that, but now God wants me to add more to that. It's possible that some of you may think much more highly of me then you ought to, because of the revelations I have shared with you. If you are like me, you place such people in a special category and you think they have something from God that you don't. Now the risk is, that as I reveal myself to you, you will see me as I really am. That I may disappoint you or that I'm not the man of faith that you thought I was, but at the risk of this happening, I'm going to step out and follow God's lead and trust Him with everything he wants revealed through me. I know that God's intent in all this is to help you with your journey of faith, but by helping you, He will be helping me as well.
Let me start with this first thought so that you know where I'm coming from. The very first time (and this was many years ago) I laid my eyes on what Jesus said in John 14:12 as a new baby believer, I could hardly contain myself. I didn't doubt it for a second. I just grabbed a hold of it and embraced it. Jesus said, "he who believes in Me (well, that would be me), the works that I do he will do also." I'm telling you, that took my breath away. I had never heard another person ever utter such a thing. I went to church for a whole year after being born again, and I never heard any man or women proclaim that they could do what Jesus did. It took me several years of looking at and meditating that word from Jesus before I could accept it as truth. Why am I sharing this with you? Because my whole journey with Jesus these last 29 years has been nothing more than me learning how to do the works of Jesus. And let me tell you right up front that satan doesn't care how much bible knowledge you learn, he only cares if you step out and do something with what you learned. He will try anything to stop you, just like he did Jesus and His followers. Satan will let you play church all you want, but it's when you step out and be the church, that changes everything. Satan has challenged me every step of the way in this desire of mine to do what Jesus did, but I'm still in pursuit as of today. I've quit many times, I've thrown it down, I've said ugly things to God in my apparent failure of trying to do what Jesus did, but He would always revive me and get me back on that path of acting just like Jesus.
I've learned much about doing the work of Jesus over the years. From day one I've had in my heart the desire to minister to the hurting and those in need. I've spent years doing just that. I even helped pastor an inner city church in Columbus, Ohio for over four years and ministered to numerous people over that time. So you would think I'm well qualified to minister and do the works of Jesus. But let me tell you, you never just arrive at a certain level of ministry and just stay there automatically. You fight to keep the ground you have taken against the enemy.
Now just this past Thursday evening, I was helping with healing prayer ministry at my church. I arrived prayed up and what I considered full of the Holy Spirit. I moved confidently before a small 4 year old boy that I had previously prayed for and his mom was there holding him with hope in her heart that God would heal her son of autism. I began to pray boldly in the faith, but as I prayed, this boy became loud, crying, and moving all over the place. It was then that I realized that I did exactly what Peter did when he stepped out of the boat and walked on the water. He started well, but he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. The very same thing happened to me. I got my eyes on that boy and took them off Jesus and began to sink. I finished praying as best I could, but I walked away drained and feeling very inadequate. It felt as if everything I believed drained out of me. I've never seen Jesus like that when I see Him in the word ministering, how did He do it? Well that's the part I'm learning.
When I left that prayer time I was asked to go to someones house to pray for his young daughter who was having severe problems with her bowels and was very constipated. When I got there she was in much discomfort. There were three of us praying, and as I laid my hands on her to pray for her, she began to cry out in pain. I prayed in faith as best I could, but I don't think I recovered very well from the earlier prayer time. Again by the time I got to my car and drove home, I felt powerless and totally useless as God's servant. I was even angry with God that He would put me in such a situation like that and not prepare me, for I felt powerless. I walked away from that situation not feeling much like doing the works of Jesus
It took over 24 hours for God to get my attention and begin to minister to me and He began to reveal to me that it didn't look quite so bad from His side, that I had actually done what He asked me to do. He reminded me of a new song I have just heard by Hillsong. The song says "the same power that conquered the grave lives in me". I realized I took Him to those prayer situations, and He used my hands as well as my mouth to accomplish His work. I believe His word is at work in both of these situations and that we will see the fruit born out of those prayers.
After all this time of ministry to hurting people, I realize I'm still moved way too much by what I see and feel instead of being moved by the word only. I feel like I should have learned this many years ago and truthfully I did, but I still have to do what I learned and I'm believing the Holy Spirit will be there to help me with this very thing next time out. The most important thing for me is to keep at it and that's just what I'm going to do.
If I'm going to live for Him, Then I'm going to live like Him. As He is, so are we in this world. (1John 4:17)
If I'm going to give up my life for Him, then I'm going to take His life and live like He lived. What I see Jesus do, that's what I choose to do.
Let me start with this first thought so that you know where I'm coming from. The very first time (and this was many years ago) I laid my eyes on what Jesus said in John 14:12 as a new baby believer, I could hardly contain myself. I didn't doubt it for a second. I just grabbed a hold of it and embraced it. Jesus said, "he who believes in Me (well, that would be me), the works that I do he will do also." I'm telling you, that took my breath away. I had never heard another person ever utter such a thing. I went to church for a whole year after being born again, and I never heard any man or women proclaim that they could do what Jesus did. It took me several years of looking at and meditating that word from Jesus before I could accept it as truth. Why am I sharing this with you? Because my whole journey with Jesus these last 29 years has been nothing more than me learning how to do the works of Jesus. And let me tell you right up front that satan doesn't care how much bible knowledge you learn, he only cares if you step out and do something with what you learned. He will try anything to stop you, just like he did Jesus and His followers. Satan will let you play church all you want, but it's when you step out and be the church, that changes everything. Satan has challenged me every step of the way in this desire of mine to do what Jesus did, but I'm still in pursuit as of today. I've quit many times, I've thrown it down, I've said ugly things to God in my apparent failure of trying to do what Jesus did, but He would always revive me and get me back on that path of acting just like Jesus.
I've learned much about doing the work of Jesus over the years. From day one I've had in my heart the desire to minister to the hurting and those in need. I've spent years doing just that. I even helped pastor an inner city church in Columbus, Ohio for over four years and ministered to numerous people over that time. So you would think I'm well qualified to minister and do the works of Jesus. But let me tell you, you never just arrive at a certain level of ministry and just stay there automatically. You fight to keep the ground you have taken against the enemy.
Now just this past Thursday evening, I was helping with healing prayer ministry at my church. I arrived prayed up and what I considered full of the Holy Spirit. I moved confidently before a small 4 year old boy that I had previously prayed for and his mom was there holding him with hope in her heart that God would heal her son of autism. I began to pray boldly in the faith, but as I prayed, this boy became loud, crying, and moving all over the place. It was then that I realized that I did exactly what Peter did when he stepped out of the boat and walked on the water. He started well, but he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. The very same thing happened to me. I got my eyes on that boy and took them off Jesus and began to sink. I finished praying as best I could, but I walked away drained and feeling very inadequate. It felt as if everything I believed drained out of me. I've never seen Jesus like that when I see Him in the word ministering, how did He do it? Well that's the part I'm learning.
When I left that prayer time I was asked to go to someones house to pray for his young daughter who was having severe problems with her bowels and was very constipated. When I got there she was in much discomfort. There were three of us praying, and as I laid my hands on her to pray for her, she began to cry out in pain. I prayed in faith as best I could, but I don't think I recovered very well from the earlier prayer time. Again by the time I got to my car and drove home, I felt powerless and totally useless as God's servant. I was even angry with God that He would put me in such a situation like that and not prepare me, for I felt powerless. I walked away from that situation not feeling much like doing the works of Jesus
It took over 24 hours for God to get my attention and begin to minister to me and He began to reveal to me that it didn't look quite so bad from His side, that I had actually done what He asked me to do. He reminded me of a new song I have just heard by Hillsong. The song says "the same power that conquered the grave lives in me". I realized I took Him to those prayer situations, and He used my hands as well as my mouth to accomplish His work. I believe His word is at work in both of these situations and that we will see the fruit born out of those prayers.
After all this time of ministry to hurting people, I realize I'm still moved way too much by what I see and feel instead of being moved by the word only. I feel like I should have learned this many years ago and truthfully I did, but I still have to do what I learned and I'm believing the Holy Spirit will be there to help me with this very thing next time out. The most important thing for me is to keep at it and that's just what I'm going to do.
If I'm going to live for Him, Then I'm going to live like Him. As He is, so are we in this world. (1John 4:17)
If I'm going to give up my life for Him, then I'm going to take His life and live like He lived. What I see Jesus do, that's what I choose to do.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
It's a New Year--Let's Go Higher
I'm sitting here today thinking about the New Year that stands before us. A new beginning of anything is always an opportunity for a new start, or to make a change from one course of action to another. I'm reflecting back on the previous year with the help of the Holy Spirit and I'm evaluating my walk of faith with the Lord Jesus. Was it pleasing to Him? Did He observe real and genuine faith?
As I honestly look back, I know that I have grown in Him and I am pleased with that, but I also see many short comings and failures in my ability to live by faith, but instead of being discouraged, I'm challenged by the Holy Spirit and I hear Him calling me up to a higher place in my walk of faith.
The thing I'm thinking about right now is the difference between me and God. The word declares in Malachi 3:6, "For I am the Lord, I do not change." And also in James 1:17, "the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (no change)", and one more in Hebrews 13:8 to declare this truth that God never changes, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever." It's obvious from the word that God is never going to change (and thank God for that), and it's also obvious that if anything is going to change, it's going to be me and not God for His word declares in 2 Cor 3:18, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord(as we look into the word we see ourselves as the reflection of Jesus, that what we are supposed to look like), and being transformed (changed from what I used to look like, to looking like Jesus) into the SAME image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
As I look back on 2008, I am not satisfied with where I am at in this journey of faith. I am determined in 2009 to make great strides in my faith walk, because I plan on sticking closer to Jesus then I ever did before and I know that by doing this He will increase my ability to believe, because He said that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17) and I choose to hear more of what He has to say to me by spending more time in His presence. Jesus is the author and finisher (developer) of my faith (Heb 12:2). Jesus is not going to change, but I am. I want to be more like Him in every way, therefore I'm going to have to do it His way and not mine.
I'm also asking God how I can better use this blog site. I want to be able to communicate what God has on my heart so that I can encourage and help you on your journey of faith as well. I would like to hear more from you, the reader of this blog site. I would like to interact more with you in your struggles and in your development. I may try to share more of my daily experiences in this faith walk that I am in, the good as well as the bad. I want you to share in my journey so that It can help you in yours.
I pray for each one of you that read this blog, that God's hand of blessing be upon you this new year of 2009. I pray that you take new steps of faith this year. I pray for your well being, that you may be prosperous and successful in everything that you put your hand to, and that you walk in perfect (Divine) health each and every day. This is yours and mine inheritance, so lets you and me reach out and take ahold of more of it this year.
I would really like to hear from all of you from around this world and share your experience with me, for we are one body in Him and we are brothers and sisters and I would love to know more of my family, those of you that God has called to walk out this journey of faith. Let's you and I walk it together.
Be Blessed this year and that will happen if we trust The Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit every step of the way.
As I honestly look back, I know that I have grown in Him and I am pleased with that, but I also see many short comings and failures in my ability to live by faith, but instead of being discouraged, I'm challenged by the Holy Spirit and I hear Him calling me up to a higher place in my walk of faith.
The thing I'm thinking about right now is the difference between me and God. The word declares in Malachi 3:6, "For I am the Lord, I do not change." And also in James 1:17, "the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (no change)", and one more in Hebrews 13:8 to declare this truth that God never changes, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever." It's obvious from the word that God is never going to change (and thank God for that), and it's also obvious that if anything is going to change, it's going to be me and not God for His word declares in 2 Cor 3:18, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord(as we look into the word we see ourselves as the reflection of Jesus, that what we are supposed to look like), and being transformed (changed from what I used to look like, to looking like Jesus) into the SAME image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
As I look back on 2008, I am not satisfied with where I am at in this journey of faith. I am determined in 2009 to make great strides in my faith walk, because I plan on sticking closer to Jesus then I ever did before and I know that by doing this He will increase my ability to believe, because He said that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17) and I choose to hear more of what He has to say to me by spending more time in His presence. Jesus is the author and finisher (developer) of my faith (Heb 12:2). Jesus is not going to change, but I am. I want to be more like Him in every way, therefore I'm going to have to do it His way and not mine.
I'm also asking God how I can better use this blog site. I want to be able to communicate what God has on my heart so that I can encourage and help you on your journey of faith as well. I would like to hear more from you, the reader of this blog site. I would like to interact more with you in your struggles and in your development. I may try to share more of my daily experiences in this faith walk that I am in, the good as well as the bad. I want you to share in my journey so that It can help you in yours.
I pray for each one of you that read this blog, that God's hand of blessing be upon you this new year of 2009. I pray that you take new steps of faith this year. I pray for your well being, that you may be prosperous and successful in everything that you put your hand to, and that you walk in perfect (Divine) health each and every day. This is yours and mine inheritance, so lets you and me reach out and take ahold of more of it this year.
I would really like to hear from all of you from around this world and share your experience with me, for we are one body in Him and we are brothers and sisters and I would love to know more of my family, those of you that God has called to walk out this journey of faith. Let's you and I walk it together.
Be Blessed this year and that will happen if we trust The Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit every step of the way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)