Today I find myself responding to the heart of God because I have this same feeling in my heart which just affirms to me that The Father and Jesus are living there, just like they said they would. (John 14:23)
I was reading Matt 5:6 which says, " Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled". Then I asked myself why there are so few people in the body of Christ who don't hunger and thirst after the things of God. I've been in leadership in the church for many years and I witness this lackadaisical desire among many to follow after Christ.
I am currently a leader of a home group along with my wife and have done so for about five years. It's a wonderful group filled with wonderful people, but the commitment that Jesus requires to follow him as a disciple by giving God first priority in your life is somewhat lacking there, just like it is every where else I look in the church because I don't see the hungering and the thirsting that Jesus talks about. What I do see is people giving priority to the things that are happening in their life, life's issues (and they can be big time issues), over the things of God. Let me be the first to say that I am as guilty of what I am saying here as anyone else is, and I think that is what hurts me the most. I understand why people put there things ahead of God's things, but that still doesn't make it right. God speaks to this very clearly in Mark 4:13-20. You need to read this and meditate it especially verses 18 and 19. And then in verse 20 He tells you what happens to those that hunger and thirst after Him.
Our church is currently taking a spiritual journey through this Lenten season. We have done this for about the last five years. We are supposed to be doing this together through our different home groups so that we can grow together. But I've watched from a distance these past years and have seen the desire of the people on these journeys wane more and and more each year. The commitment to the Home Group during this journey is much more than normal. During Lent we meet once a week, and all other times twice a month or less. To commit to a seven week journey with the group takes a real commitment and discipline to be there every week. Every person has to set their priorities with what they will do with this time and only they know if they have put something ahead of God or not (you need to look at Luke 14:26 right now. If your bible uses the word "hate" in this verse that word means "to love less). God knows when you can be there and when you can't.If you are not hungering and thirsting after the things of God, it's hard to stay on the path of the disciple.
God then took me to Luke 14:15-24, The Parable of the Great Supper. God has an invite out for us to come to His table and eat with Him. But so many make excuse not to come. And the excuses that make God angry, yes I said angry, are the kind that are listed in these verses. God understands when life's crises happen and you have to tend to things, but it's all the other things that we put before God that does not please Him.
As I sat contemplating these things the Spirit of the Lord said to me, "They are content knowing that Heaven is their home and that they have escaped Hell and the Judgement to come, but they have no desire to follow Me. They are not willing to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. They are not willing to leave their familiar surroundings for new and unknown territory. They have no desire to learn how to live victoriously over this world's system but would rather live according to it. They have no desire to change into the person I desire them to be. They will reap what they sow and they will not enter into the promise land, but they will remain in the wilderness for the remainder of their days. I give man the choice on how he desires to live his life. With Me, or without Me, the choice is his, but the results of his choice are his as well. When things don't turn out well for man because of his choice, he will blame Me instead of himself. This should not be so but it is. Choose you this day who you will serve. Me or you. The Kingdom way or the world way. Whatever you give yourself to that is what you shall reap. I desire to bless you, what is your desire My child? The choice is yours".
I really didn't want to share this with you and I was just going to keep it to myself for my own learning of God's ways. I knew He was speaking to me about things that I have given priority to over God and I knew He was speaking directly to me. I was judging what I was seeing by how God is judging me. He was allowing me to see things through His eyes and I became angry, just as it makes Him angry. But God reminded me about the purpose of this blog site and my commitment to Him concerning this site. I told Him I would reveal the Truth here, no matter the cost to me. So that is why you are reading this today. I plan to heed His voice, how about you?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
It's Time To Believe-I Mean Really Believe
As I was reading Ps 76 out of my Living Bible today, I never got a chance to get past verse 5. The Spirit of the Lord just stopped me there and I began to meditate that verse. Then revelation began to pour forth like a fireworks display and I got so caught up in it, I forgot that God was teaching me something so I grabbed my paper and pen (I'm pretty old fashioned) and began to write. God started out by teaching me, but then He switched to His prophetic voice and began to speak through me, for this was more than a personal teaching for me, but He wanted to speak to His whole family of believers everywhere in the Body of Christ. You'll be able to tell where God goes from teaching me to speaking to all of us.
Ps 76:5 (Living Bible) says, "the mightiest of our enemies are conquered. Not one can lift a hand against us" (unless we let him-this was the first thought when I read this, so I know it was God inspired). Also, this is the old Living bible translation and I would of never seen what God wanted me to see if I had not been looking at this translation. It expounds so much more than the KJ, NKJ, NIV, NLT, MESSAGE, and just about anthing else you would look at. Now don't get all tensed up about Bible translations. Put those religious spirits in check. God chose to speak through a donkey, so He can speak through anyones translation. The problem is, no one is listening to Him, just what others are saying about Him.
God began to teach me by saying (now this is not an audible voice, it's and inward witness in my spirit).......... The devil is defeated. Jesus destroyed the works of the devil. (1 Jn 3:8) I (that's me)am in Jesus, and Jesus' victory over the devil has become my victory over the devil as well. When the devil shows up to peddle something to me from the curse, I submit myself to the Word of God, hold fast the Word, resist the devil and watch him flee from me (James 4:7) because the Father has given me the right to be found in Jesus, therefore I have His Name and authority to reign and rule over my enemy (and Jesus' enemy) and command the devil to cease and desist and to depart from me. I have the right to enforce Jesus' victory over the devil and receive the benefit of that victory.
Christians ask, " If God says I'm healed, then why am I sick?" Because you have let a defeated enemy steal something from you that belongs to you. (Healing belongs to you for you have been (past tense) redeemed from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13-14, 29) and sickness is part of that curse). We must be prepared to enforce Jesus' victory over the devil in our own lives when the devil comes against us. Don't wait for God to do something about it, (what more does He need to do, He sent Jesus in your place and defeated your enemy, it's finished, the victory is Jesus' and ours), He is waiting for you to step out in faith and exercise your authority over the enemy and resist him, so that Jesus once again gets to see His enemy flee from Him. If you are sick, don't ask God "why did You let this happen to me?".
Now this is where God switched from teaching me personally (and trust me, I needed to hear it) over to speaking through me to the body of Christ.........The real question that God is asking you is, "why did you let this sickness overtake you? Why didn't you fight your enemy the devil in My Name (Jesus) like I told you to? Why didn't you believe Me when I said to you, "Jesus took your infirmities and bore your sicknesses (Matt 8:16-17), and by His stripes you were (past tense) healed (1 Pet 2:24)? Why didn't you believe Me when I said that your enemy is defeated (Col 2:15)? Why did you not believe Me when I said you must live by faith and not by sight (Heb 10:38 & 2 Cor 5:7), but only be moved by what I say (Jn 14:21-24). Why are you so fearful? Where is your faith? Oh you of little faith, when are you going to turn towards Me and believe Me. Have I not declared that My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge? (Hosea 4:6) Why don't you know My ways? Why do you listen to men who talk about My ways, but don't know Me at all? They speak wrongly of Me because they don't know Me. Why do you know what these men say about Me, but you don't know what I said about it? Why have you accepted the lie, but you won't accept My Truth? I AM who I say I AM, I've done what I said I did, and I will do what I said I would do. Are you going to change your ways and believe Me, or are you going to hold onto lies that have been spoken about Me? I have made a way for you to live victorious on the earth over your enemy, satan. My Son Jesus has defeated him and I have made a way for you to walk in that victory. (Be Born Again) But you will have to believe Me over what some man has said about Me. I AM El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One, the God Who is more than enough. I have provided for every need you will ever face, but you will have to believe Me every step of the way to walk in My Son's victory. Today I ask you to change your ways and believe Me. You think you believe me now but you don't. Draw near to Me. Spend time with Me and I will enable you to believe Me. That's the only way it's going to happen. You can be as free in life as I have declared you are in My Word, but you will have to believe Me to walk in that freedom. If you don't know where to get started on this journey with Me, just ask Me, I'll show you. Now I didn't say ask another man how to do it, I said ask Me and I will show you the Truth. But it will take courage to believe Me, but I've provided that to as well, for My Spirit lives in you and it's time to yield to My Spirit, and to turn away from your flesh and what you think about it. It's time to trust ME. Come and follow ME.............so ends the word of God as it was spoken to my heart.
Now I know this word was spoken directly to me, but you will benefit from it also, for this is the reason God had me start this blog. I know exactly what He is saying to me this day, and as soon as I'm done typing I will start immediately doing what God has shown me this day. I personally thought I was doing pretty good at this and that's what I get for thinking. God says this day to me, "Let Me show you how to really do this" and I say Amen to that. I'm ready to learn, how about you.
Ps 76:5 (Living Bible) says, "the mightiest of our enemies are conquered. Not one can lift a hand against us" (unless we let him-this was the first thought when I read this, so I know it was God inspired). Also, this is the old Living bible translation and I would of never seen what God wanted me to see if I had not been looking at this translation. It expounds so much more than the KJ, NKJ, NIV, NLT, MESSAGE, and just about anthing else you would look at. Now don't get all tensed up about Bible translations. Put those religious spirits in check. God chose to speak through a donkey, so He can speak through anyones translation. The problem is, no one is listening to Him, just what others are saying about Him.
God began to teach me by saying (now this is not an audible voice, it's and inward witness in my spirit).......... The devil is defeated. Jesus destroyed the works of the devil. (1 Jn 3:8) I (that's me)am in Jesus, and Jesus' victory over the devil has become my victory over the devil as well. When the devil shows up to peddle something to me from the curse, I submit myself to the Word of God, hold fast the Word, resist the devil and watch him flee from me (James 4:7) because the Father has given me the right to be found in Jesus, therefore I have His Name and authority to reign and rule over my enemy (and Jesus' enemy) and command the devil to cease and desist and to depart from me. I have the right to enforce Jesus' victory over the devil and receive the benefit of that victory.
Christians ask, " If God says I'm healed, then why am I sick?" Because you have let a defeated enemy steal something from you that belongs to you. (Healing belongs to you for you have been (past tense) redeemed from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13-14, 29) and sickness is part of that curse). We must be prepared to enforce Jesus' victory over the devil in our own lives when the devil comes against us. Don't wait for God to do something about it, (what more does He need to do, He sent Jesus in your place and defeated your enemy, it's finished, the victory is Jesus' and ours), He is waiting for you to step out in faith and exercise your authority over the enemy and resist him, so that Jesus once again gets to see His enemy flee from Him. If you are sick, don't ask God "why did You let this happen to me?".
Now this is where God switched from teaching me personally (and trust me, I needed to hear it) over to speaking through me to the body of Christ.........The real question that God is asking you is, "why did you let this sickness overtake you? Why didn't you fight your enemy the devil in My Name (Jesus) like I told you to? Why didn't you believe Me when I said to you, "Jesus took your infirmities and bore your sicknesses (Matt 8:16-17), and by His stripes you were (past tense) healed (1 Pet 2:24)? Why didn't you believe Me when I said that your enemy is defeated (Col 2:15)? Why did you not believe Me when I said you must live by faith and not by sight (Heb 10:38 & 2 Cor 5:7), but only be moved by what I say (Jn 14:21-24). Why are you so fearful? Where is your faith? Oh you of little faith, when are you going to turn towards Me and believe Me. Have I not declared that My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge? (Hosea 4:6) Why don't you know My ways? Why do you listen to men who talk about My ways, but don't know Me at all? They speak wrongly of Me because they don't know Me. Why do you know what these men say about Me, but you don't know what I said about it? Why have you accepted the lie, but you won't accept My Truth? I AM who I say I AM, I've done what I said I did, and I will do what I said I would do. Are you going to change your ways and believe Me, or are you going to hold onto lies that have been spoken about Me? I have made a way for you to live victorious on the earth over your enemy, satan. My Son Jesus has defeated him and I have made a way for you to walk in that victory. (Be Born Again) But you will have to believe Me over what some man has said about Me. I AM El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One, the God Who is more than enough. I have provided for every need you will ever face, but you will have to believe Me every step of the way to walk in My Son's victory. Today I ask you to change your ways and believe Me. You think you believe me now but you don't. Draw near to Me. Spend time with Me and I will enable you to believe Me. That's the only way it's going to happen. You can be as free in life as I have declared you are in My Word, but you will have to believe Me to walk in that freedom. If you don't know where to get started on this journey with Me, just ask Me, I'll show you. Now I didn't say ask another man how to do it, I said ask Me and I will show you the Truth. But it will take courage to believe Me, but I've provided that to as well, for My Spirit lives in you and it's time to yield to My Spirit, and to turn away from your flesh and what you think about it. It's time to trust ME. Come and follow ME.............so ends the word of God as it was spoken to my heart.
Now I know this word was spoken directly to me, but you will benefit from it also, for this is the reason God had me start this blog. I know exactly what He is saying to me this day, and as soon as I'm done typing I will start immediately doing what God has shown me this day. I personally thought I was doing pretty good at this and that's what I get for thinking. God says this day to me, "Let Me show you how to really do this" and I say Amen to that. I'm ready to learn, how about you.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Growing Up With God and Sharing It With You
As I said in the beginning of this year, I sensed the Spirit leading me to share more of my personal walk of faith with you for the intended purpose of helping you with your walk of faith. I can't say that I enjoy doing this, because it requires me to expose those areas of me that I would rather keep hidden. It exposes weaknesses in me that I wished were not there, but wishing won't help me one bit, but transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit will. As He reveals things to me that need change, I'm responsible to accept what He is showing me and then doing it. My sharing this with you is a part of that change that the Spirit is working in me.
As you know, I returned home from South Africa a few weeks ago and my spirit has been very alive since the first day I set foot in Africa. It's hard to explain, but I have just been more sensitive to the voice of the Spirit and He has been pouring revelation into me concerning the Kingdom of God. I've become more aware of the Kingdom and how we are to live in the Kingdom (by faith) and by what principles we live by there and the language that is used in the Kingdom. Do you know what the language of the Kingdom of God is? It's the Word of God. You speak the Word in the Kingdom and whatever that word declares will come to pass if it comes forth from a heart of faith. The worlds language will not work in the Kingdom of God. For many years I tried to live in the Kingdom with the world's language on (fear, doubt, unbelief,unloving, uncaring, etc.) on my tongue and I couldn't understand why I was having such little success in my walk of faith. Then God led me to Joshua 1:8 and I got my first glimpse of what it takes to live successfully in the Kingdom of God.
I shared all that with you to let you know that I've been at a great place with God ever since the trip and He keeps revealing new things to me. I should know by now that when I get in this good place with God, the devil will show up and try to put a stop to it and I shamefully say that he has been more successful at this in the past than I would like to admit.
Without going into too much detail, yesterday was the day the devil showed up. I've been growing leaps and bounds in my faith of late, and the devil was ready to do to me what he has always done to me in the past and that is to get me offended over something and that is exactly that strategy he used once again.
I got an email from my Pastor that was addressed to me and a small group of other people who are involved in the healing prayer ministry at my church. This ministry was birthed from my Pastor's heart a little over a year ago. This particular church is very young in it's growth in the areas of the Gifts of the Spirit and Healing, so this was a big step for them. Because of my background and how God has trained me these last 30 years, I had a full heart of believeing God for Healing and Miracales and immediately felt called of God to help lead in this new ministry at our church. I was excited about it and enjoyed doing it. It gave me the opportunity to teach and minister to the sick and we've seen God do some wonderful things over this past year.
But this email came the day before our next healing prayer time saying that the format of the meeting will change and that a new Pastor to our church will now be leading the healing prayer meeting, with the hope that those of us that are on the rotating schedule of leading these meetings would still be there to follow this Pastor's lead.
It was like an arrow was shot right through my heart and I immediately took that email very personal. I could feel the anger rising in me (and as soon as I felt it, I knew better, for I knew it's source) and I got offended. I can't tell you how many times the devil has done this to me and up till now it has worked every time, and I would experience a serious set back in my walk of faith and become useless in the Kingdom of God (which was the devil's object all along).
Well here I am full of faith and revelation of the Kingdom and the devil assaults me and has his way with me and I'm just about to jump on my computer and fire an email back to my Pastor and give him a piece of my mind. I was already starting to feel good by thinking of what I was going to say to him. I was determined to serve my notice to this ungrateful man and quit. (Just exactly what the devil wanted all along). But the Spirit of God had enough of my heart to stop me from doing this so I just sat around most of the day and spewed to myself and kept enlarging this whole thing. Finally God got my attention that evening and began to minister to me. It helped, but I still went to bed out of sorts.
I arose this morning and the devil was waiting for me to open my eyes, and as soon as I did, here he came again with that accusing tone and started to rile me all up again. But I had enough sense to grab my Bible and get before God and His word. He began to minister to me by telling me to look up the word "offended" in my concordance which I did. As I looked at the word, it began to minister to me (this is the purpose of the Word). I softened and began to hear the voice of the Lord. He painted the whole picture for me. I saw Satan's every move and his intent for it. Then God had me lay my eyes on Matt 15:14 and He spoke to me loud and clear through the first three words of that verse. It says,"Let them alone". Now that might not do much for you, but you should of heard that in the ears of my spirit. It was strong and it jolted me and I experienced that fear of God that is so necessary for the Believer to have a right relationship with God Almighty.
Those three words deflated all the stored up anger in me and left me feeling breathless and totally ashamed of myself and what God told me next even made it worse (for the moment). He said, "this is the first time you have listened to Me when being attacked by your adversary the devil when he has come against you this way. You've always given into your flesh but this time you have followed My Spirit". On one hand I felt bad for the fact that I've always failed at this in the past, but I then immediately felt encouraged from the fact that I had finally given way to the leading of the Spirit concerning this type of attack. Then God said one more thing to me. It was the healing balm I needed. He said, " now because you have chosen My way for responding to this trial, you have now become more useful to Me for I can now trust you with more of the things within My Kingdom", and I must say that truly pleased my soul.
So I stand here before you all, having shared this struggle of mine with you, knowing what I must look like in some of yours sight. But I came out of this the better for it, and I pray that it helps some of you as well, for we are not ignorant of the devil's devices.
For me, I'm pressing on. I'm at a new place with God today. A place I've never been before, and I like it. You'll find me tonight at the Healing Prayer Meeting with a new and fresh anointing and a determination to tread on the devil's head, for that is where you will find him, under my feet, where he belongs.
Pray for me!!
As you know, I returned home from South Africa a few weeks ago and my spirit has been very alive since the first day I set foot in Africa. It's hard to explain, but I have just been more sensitive to the voice of the Spirit and He has been pouring revelation into me concerning the Kingdom of God. I've become more aware of the Kingdom and how we are to live in the Kingdom (by faith) and by what principles we live by there and the language that is used in the Kingdom. Do you know what the language of the Kingdom of God is? It's the Word of God. You speak the Word in the Kingdom and whatever that word declares will come to pass if it comes forth from a heart of faith. The worlds language will not work in the Kingdom of God. For many years I tried to live in the Kingdom with the world's language on (fear, doubt, unbelief,unloving, uncaring, etc.) on my tongue and I couldn't understand why I was having such little success in my walk of faith. Then God led me to Joshua 1:8 and I got my first glimpse of what it takes to live successfully in the Kingdom of God.
I shared all that with you to let you know that I've been at a great place with God ever since the trip and He keeps revealing new things to me. I should know by now that when I get in this good place with God, the devil will show up and try to put a stop to it and I shamefully say that he has been more successful at this in the past than I would like to admit.
Without going into too much detail, yesterday was the day the devil showed up. I've been growing leaps and bounds in my faith of late, and the devil was ready to do to me what he has always done to me in the past and that is to get me offended over something and that is exactly that strategy he used once again.
I got an email from my Pastor that was addressed to me and a small group of other people who are involved in the healing prayer ministry at my church. This ministry was birthed from my Pastor's heart a little over a year ago. This particular church is very young in it's growth in the areas of the Gifts of the Spirit and Healing, so this was a big step for them. Because of my background and how God has trained me these last 30 years, I had a full heart of believeing God for Healing and Miracales and immediately felt called of God to help lead in this new ministry at our church. I was excited about it and enjoyed doing it. It gave me the opportunity to teach and minister to the sick and we've seen God do some wonderful things over this past year.
But this email came the day before our next healing prayer time saying that the format of the meeting will change and that a new Pastor to our church will now be leading the healing prayer meeting, with the hope that those of us that are on the rotating schedule of leading these meetings would still be there to follow this Pastor's lead.
It was like an arrow was shot right through my heart and I immediately took that email very personal. I could feel the anger rising in me (and as soon as I felt it, I knew better, for I knew it's source) and I got offended. I can't tell you how many times the devil has done this to me and up till now it has worked every time, and I would experience a serious set back in my walk of faith and become useless in the Kingdom of God (which was the devil's object all along).
Well here I am full of faith and revelation of the Kingdom and the devil assaults me and has his way with me and I'm just about to jump on my computer and fire an email back to my Pastor and give him a piece of my mind. I was already starting to feel good by thinking of what I was going to say to him. I was determined to serve my notice to this ungrateful man and quit. (Just exactly what the devil wanted all along). But the Spirit of God had enough of my heart to stop me from doing this so I just sat around most of the day and spewed to myself and kept enlarging this whole thing. Finally God got my attention that evening and began to minister to me. It helped, but I still went to bed out of sorts.
I arose this morning and the devil was waiting for me to open my eyes, and as soon as I did, here he came again with that accusing tone and started to rile me all up again. But I had enough sense to grab my Bible and get before God and His word. He began to minister to me by telling me to look up the word "offended" in my concordance which I did. As I looked at the word, it began to minister to me (this is the purpose of the Word). I softened and began to hear the voice of the Lord. He painted the whole picture for me. I saw Satan's every move and his intent for it. Then God had me lay my eyes on Matt 15:14 and He spoke to me loud and clear through the first three words of that verse. It says,"Let them alone". Now that might not do much for you, but you should of heard that in the ears of my spirit. It was strong and it jolted me and I experienced that fear of God that is so necessary for the Believer to have a right relationship with God Almighty.
Those three words deflated all the stored up anger in me and left me feeling breathless and totally ashamed of myself and what God told me next even made it worse (for the moment). He said, "this is the first time you have listened to Me when being attacked by your adversary the devil when he has come against you this way. You've always given into your flesh but this time you have followed My Spirit". On one hand I felt bad for the fact that I've always failed at this in the past, but I then immediately felt encouraged from the fact that I had finally given way to the leading of the Spirit concerning this type of attack. Then God said one more thing to me. It was the healing balm I needed. He said, " now because you have chosen My way for responding to this trial, you have now become more useful to Me for I can now trust you with more of the things within My Kingdom", and I must say that truly pleased my soul.
So I stand here before you all, having shared this struggle of mine with you, knowing what I must look like in some of yours sight. But I came out of this the better for it, and I pray that it helps some of you as well, for we are not ignorant of the devil's devices.
For me, I'm pressing on. I'm at a new place with God today. A place I've never been before, and I like it. You'll find me tonight at the Healing Prayer Meeting with a new and fresh anointing and a determination to tread on the devil's head, for that is where you will find him, under my feet, where he belongs.
Pray for me!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
I'm Back
Just wanted to let everyone know that I am back from the most exciting experience of my life. I had a certain expectation level of what it would be like in South Africa, but this trip far exceeded it. God was so good to me and my wife. He provided opportunities that were just breath taking and He revealed Himself to me many times through what He had created there. I never grew tired of looking at the mountain ranges and the green rolling plains. I can see how peoples hearts are turned by God to desire more than just to visit a place like that, but to actually live there for the season that God would determine in His perfect plan for your life.
I saw a new land, but I also saw a new people. New faces, and whole new culture. Languages and food that was totally different from what I was used to, but I found the change very exciting and I so enjoyed the new experiences.
I did find out one interesting thing about my faith there. I came to realize that the so called strong faith that I believed I was walking in before I went on this trip was very much grounded in my familiar surroundings. My faith felt much stronger at home. In South Africa everything was brand new and I wasn't familiar with anything and I had a sense of fear on different occasions that I hadn't felt in a long time. Once I got my focus back on God, He spoke to my heart and said, " I've not changed. I'm the same God that you know in Ohio. You may have changed your location to unfamiliar territory, but I'm the same God and what I said to you in Ohio, is the same thing I'm saying to you in South Africa". Oh, that was good news to my ears and I felt my faith rise back up to where I'm used to it being and I spent the rest of my days there walking by faith in the God that never changes.
I hope everyone is doing well. I must stop for now, but I will be back soon to share some revelation God has shared with me.
Be Blessed!!
I saw a new land, but I also saw a new people. New faces, and whole new culture. Languages and food that was totally different from what I was used to, but I found the change very exciting and I so enjoyed the new experiences.
I did find out one interesting thing about my faith there. I came to realize that the so called strong faith that I believed I was walking in before I went on this trip was very much grounded in my familiar surroundings. My faith felt much stronger at home. In South Africa everything was brand new and I wasn't familiar with anything and I had a sense of fear on different occasions that I hadn't felt in a long time. Once I got my focus back on God, He spoke to my heart and said, " I've not changed. I'm the same God that you know in Ohio. You may have changed your location to unfamiliar territory, but I'm the same God and what I said to you in Ohio, is the same thing I'm saying to you in South Africa". Oh, that was good news to my ears and I felt my faith rise back up to where I'm used to it being and I spent the rest of my days there walking by faith in the God that never changes.
I hope everyone is doing well. I must stop for now, but I will be back soon to share some revelation God has shared with me.
Be Blessed!!
Monday, January 19, 2009
I'll Be Gone For Awhile
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!!
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!!
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.
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