Promise Driven God

Father, teach us who You are. For when we understand You further, we are more able to enjoy Your presence. Allow us to remember and know that Your words do not come from feelings, but from careful and concise study of Your word. Hearing Your voice will not always be easy because You speak when You choose to speak, not when we want You to speak. May we learn to accept this as true. We love You Father, but circumstances show that You love us more, and we thank You so much for that great love. In Jesus name, Amen.

Is God unchanging? We are told yes by theologians and pastors, but aren't there some confusing underlying implications to that premise? For example, does God change his mind after we pray? Let me narrow this question down a little bit; does God break promises? If God says yes to one person, and another person asks for the opposite thing to happen, will he have to say no to the second person? Let me again narrow this question down; does God break a promise so that he can punish evil? I've brought up several thought provoking questions in this introduction that I hope you will think on, but the question I want to focus on is the last.

Does God break a promise so that he can punish evil? Think of it this way, when God promised the Israelites that they would enter the promised land, did they ever fall away? Yes. Were the punished by God? Yes. Did God break his promise to them? No. God punished and fulfilled his promise to them. Surely though, God held back true punishment from his people. Yes, they suffered in the dessert for forty years, but they still entered the promised land. God would have had every right to take that promise from them too because of how they had disobeyed him, but he didn't.

"And Jehoram walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and since he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever." - 2 Chronicles 21:6-7

Here we have a man who was evil in the sight of God, but God partly restrained his wrath because he had made a promise. Later in the chapter, we see Jehoram being punished, but not to the extant that he deserved. For he deserved for his kingdom to be wiped out, but his kingdom was meant to be a means by which God would fulfill the promise to his son David.

The point is that God has always been gracious to us, he has withheld his wrath from us by way of his son. Why does he not wipe the evil out from the world though? Why has it not disintegrated under the hand of God? I'm not talking about the people who have accepted Jesus and still struggle with sin, I'm talking about those who are completely and utterly evil and feel no remorse for their evil. The answer to this question is found in Romans 9:

"What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory." - Romans 9:22-23

God has endured these evil people so that we, his children, can see his glory even more. You will say "how does that makes sense mike? How do I see God's glory more when there is evil?" If you walk into a dark room and you turn on the light, are you not more thankful for the light? If you walked into a cave without a flashlight, would you not crave light and search for it? If you walk into a dark world, when you see the light, will it not be so much more glorious? Do you understand my brothers and sisters, that God has endured the evils of this world in order that we may see how much better he is and how much more he has to offer.

God is good when there is evil, God is good when there is good. God has planned for both of them because in the end, it all leads to something beautiful. We may not like a particular color in the painting, but when applied in the right spot of the painting, it may make it look more beautiful than it was; suffering is the same. Though at first glance, it doesn't seem glorious, we cannot compare "the suffering of this present age to the joy that is coming".

In, Not Of

Our great Father who is so full of love, bless us this day. Show us your grace even further. We are so unsatisfied when you do a wondrous work, for we want to see another. We are never content with the amount of love you have shown us; we want to see more. Oh, please put the ability in our hearts to be content and rejoice in what you have given us. For this is the product of true faith. May we not focus on what we can get from you but what we have gotten from you. You are love, you are God, and we adore you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Have you ever bought pants that were too small? You didn’t think they were too small when you first bought them because you had been convinced by some friends that they looked good. You got home, and after a few days, you realized how uncomfortable they really were. The pants didn’t change at all, your perception of them did. What about shoes? Have you ever done this with shoes and then realized how uncomfortable they were (high-heels ladies)? 

These pants or shoes are much like how the Christian fits into the world. When we are born, we grow up usually thinking the world is pretty nice. We will try it on, be told it looks good, and continue wearing it. Until we realize how uncomfortable it is. The Christian is uncomfortable in the world because it’s not where they fit. They now have a renewed mind, whereas the world has a filthy mind. How is the Christian to learn to be comfortable in the world? 

This is asking the wrong question. For there is a difference between buying the pants and wearing the pants. In other words, there is a difference between being of the world (wearing the pants) and being in the world (buying the pants). The Christian is not to wear the pants, but to put some money into the pants and buy them. The Christian is not to do as the world does and live as the world lives, but to care for the world enough to tell them the gospel.

Please learn this lesson my beloved brothers and sisters. We must be in the world, but not of the world. In closing:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” - Romans 12:2

Commit Yourself

Father, here our prayer tonight. We suffer for You in our lives; we rejoice for You in our lives; we strive to love everyone for You. Every effort we have, every attempt we make, every thing we do, may it only be done so that glory will be given to You. We want to understand You because we want to honor You. We don't understand You because you are so much greater than us. We pray today for love to lavished on all Christian's Father, that Your heart would have mercy and grace on them. We also pray for unbelievers, that you would change there hearts, because you have the ability to do so. In Jesus name, Amen.

Do you ever wonder why the Bible talks about wanting Christians to sacrifice their lives to God? Surely it couldn't mean that we are supposed to kill ourselves for the sake of Christ. Oh, my friend, but it does. We are indeed to sacrifice ourselves; to kill ourselves off that we may finally live with Christ. We are not supposed to kill our body, but who we once were. We are to kill off all unrighteousness and evil for the sake of Christ, this is what it means to truly sacrifice yourself to God.

Christian's are to live in such a way that represents that we have sacrificed part of who we are. If someone has cut off their arm, are you going to notice? Yes. How much more easy would it be to notice if someone sacrificed there very person! It will be noticeable when we have killed off the flesh, and have begun to live in the spirit. For no man can come to God in the flesh, "no one in the flesh can please God". Only by the grace of God, in the spirit, can man finally come to God. And only when God puts a clean spirit in you will you begin to change.

For we are all born with an indwelling evil spirit "none is righteous, no, not one." The only way that this spirit can be killed is by the grace of God and the only way we can get a clean spirit is also by the grace of God. Man must always have a spirit to remain a man. The difference between the believer and the unbeliever is the cleanliness of their spirit; not based off their deeds, but based off who the sacrifice was. For the believer, the sacrifice must be Jesus; for the unbeliever, even if he sacrifices his soul, it is not enough, for it is unclean. God only receives perfect sacrifices, therefore, man needs Jesus.

Remember always my friends, the grace of God is the only way to God. Never rest on the imperfect grace of man to get to God, but rest in the arms of God and he will change you. Such an act is the only acceptable sacrifice to God. May we cry out to the Father with Jesus,

"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!"

Be a Sinner

Great God, why have You decided to cast sufferings upon Your children? For our minds are often too insignificant to understand such things. Though we do not always understand why You have chosen for some to suffer, may You still grant us comfort when it is our appointed time. May Your sovereign hand guide us through the thorn bush. As we try to escape, may we not do so frantically and hurt ourselves further. We know that You are good when life isn't and we know that You are good when life is. We pray for our brothers and sisters who are ebbing away from the faith, that You would not let them fall but would grant them endurance. In Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Think of the worst sin you've ever committed. What was it? Lying? Stealing? Cheating? Adultery? Murder? Pornography? Drugs? Alcohol? Hate? Lust? I know that many people view all sins as equal (I am one of them), but for now, let's use our human standards to think of the worst sin we have committed; because God knows we make our own standards up. After you have thought of your worst sin you have committed, what do you feel? Despair? Hopelessness? These are a few words that come to mind when I think of my worst sins. I feel like a couldn't undo what has been done, and this is true. However, I can do what needs to be done: change.

We were never called to be perfect people. We were called to desire Christ with our whole being. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer says "You are a sinner, so be a sinner, and don't try to become what you are not. Yes, and become a sinner again and again every day, and be bold about it." What? Did you read what he just said? He said be a sinner and be bold about it. But listen to the what he says next: "But to whom can such words be addressed, except to those who from the bottom of their hearts make a daily renunciation of sin and of every barrier which hinders them from following Christ, but who nevertheless are troubled by their daily faithlessness and sin?" Bonhoeffer is saying you are a sinner, so be a sinner. Admit when you sin and move on with your life. Though these words will be easily twisted by the self-decieved Christian. They will think "Oh, I can do whatever I like and be bold about it". This is not the point Bonhoeffer is making. Only to the man who has the genuine spirit of God within his soul, can this point be made and offered as a loving testimony to the joy of Christ's sacrifice.

Here is the reality for those who have the spirit of God dwelling within them: "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Forget about your sins and move on. My child, by the grace of God you have been forgiven, so move forward eagerly in your faith and pursue the calling God has put on your life. No longer dwell on that which reveals the very fact that you need a savior, but dwell on your savior. Jesus didn't die so you could continue feeling guilty about the things you have committed, he died so that you could be released from being a slave to those things. May the power and grace of God overwhelm you today my friends and may the love of God grant you perseverance and hope.

Against All Odds

Our great God of all, why did You not cast us aside the moment we sinned? Why did You not turn from us when we turned from You? Why did You pursue us when we pursued evil? Because of Your great love. You have loved us beyond measure, beyond the reaches of the ocean and the stars, Your love stretches. You reach to the broken, the weak, to those who have lost hope and we thank You for being such a loving God. You have done what only You could do: You have saved us from ourselves. You knew that after we sinned, You must not let us live forever or else forever we would live in our broken condition, thank You for not letting us suffer like that; one lifetime is enough. We praise You and thank You for all You have done and are going to do. In Jesus name, Amen.

What would you think of a basketball game where team A had five players on at all times and team B had ten players on at all times and all players were of the same skill level? Or what about a war where everyone is equally trained, but one side has 400,000 people and the other side has 800,000 people? It seems pretty obvious what the outcome of these two situations would be. Unless, the lesser team gets incredibly lucky, they are faced with inevitable defeat. In 2 Chronicles 13, we find a similar story of a war between two leaders. One named Abijah with "400,000 chosen men", and Jeroboam with "800,000 chosen mighty warriors." Notice the difference in the text? Not only did Abijah have half as many men as Jeroboam did, they were only men! Whereas Jeroboam had experienced, mighty warriors. Good luck Abijah.

Although man-power between the two armies was far from fair, Abijah declared his loyalty to God. Now you may be thinking "okay, for sure Abijah will win" and he does. He is victorious and kills 500,000 of Jeroboam's men before they give up. "Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 Chosen men. Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers" (2 Chronicles 13:17-18). This story shows that it isn't the man power that determines a war. We can take that even further and say it isn't the man power that determines whether a project will succeed or fail; it isn't the will of man that decides what will happen; it isn't the strength of man that determines anything. God alone is the great determiner.

What is greater than 800,000 men? God. What is greater than depression? God. What is greater than anxiety? God. What is greater than death? God. We are called as Christians, to step out in faith as Abijah did during this time of war. We should be stepping out of our comfort zone, to minister to people, and to do the will of God as "little Christs". Just as we see in this story in 2 Chronicles, it greatly pleases God when his people step out in faith. What does this require of us? It requires that we surrender ourselves to him; it requires that we possibly give up our swords, and walk around the building yelling until it collapses; it requires obedience to do, not that which you want to, but that which God has called you to.

Someone will say "if it pleases God to have faith in anything, would it be wrong to have faith that God will catch you if you jump off of a building for fun?" As ridiculous as this question seems, it makes a good point. Shouldn't there be a line drawn for faith we can have in God? No, there shouldn't be. Here is where the line lies: the line is the difference between trusting in God and testing God. The former is a declaration of your faith to God, the latter is a way of seeing if this "god" is someone to be trusted. God loves those who believe without seeing, and those are the people he blesses (John 20:29). He does also bless those who have seen and have believed, but again, the question must be asked as to whether that person believes because they have seen. And if they have, a serious self-examination needs to be done.

The point is that it pleases God when we are faithful under circumstances that seem to not be in our favor. If it is a calling from God, it will always succeed. Always remember that my friends. God be near you today and speak to your heart and may you pursue everything you do in faith and love. Blessings to you.

Is God Near?

Father God, we need you this day, just as every other day that we live. We thank you that you have woken those of us up to serve you once again, though many of us desire to be with you already. For in imperfect, it is difficult to serve the perfect. Daily, we grow weary and want to serve you, but find ourselves lacking. Oh, how great is Your grace and how greatly You are to be praised! We pray for those who are suffering for Christ's name, that you would comfort them and Your mighty hand would be in control. We pray for those who are joyful, that they would remain so as long as You ordain. We ask that your will be done, and that our will aligns with Yours. In Jesus name, Amen.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes it doesn't seem like God is with you? I'm sure you have, every Christian experiences doubts or times of trouble where it seems as though God has completely abandoned you. My question is why does it feel so much like God has indeed abandoned us when the Bible tells us the opposite, that he is always near?

When I ask myself this question, I began to wonder why I asked it. Let me elaborate. Think of David in the Lion's Den, a popular story that every baby Christian hears in sunday school. Most Christians have heard it so many times that it has almost lost its' effect on us at all. Our sunday school teacher says "David got thrown in the Lion's den" and we think, "eh, don't worry, he'll be fine". But, I guarantee you this is not what Daniel was thinking when he got thrown into the Lion's den, what better time for him to think he had been abandoned by God than right before he was supposed to die? We know Daniel remained faithful, but I don't doubt there was at least a little fear on his part. Or what of Joseph? The man who lived as a slave, lived in prison, and none of the things he went through had to do with any wrong on his part. Most, if not all, the suffering he experienced in his life were the direct result of someone else's sin. Do you think Joseph was fearful sometimes? Doubted sometimes? Yes, I think he did. For he is only a man, the only thing that kept him faithful was God next to him. And what about Paul? Peter? Stephen? What about these men who ended up being martyred for Christ? Do you think they were ever fearful at all, or depressed? I don't think they doubted because of the solid evidence of Christ's resurrection that they experienced first hand, but I'm sure they had other difficulties. Paul talks of a thorn in his flesh that he prayed to God three times and asked that it be removed, and God said no.

There is a huge set of Christian's and Jews who have suffered greatly for there faith and who have somehow persevered through it. The problem with the question "why doesn't it feel like God's near by when I'm suffering" is that it's focus is on the wrong thing. Why doesn't it feel like God is near by? Because it's suffering! Suffering, by definition is hard and can cause doubts, depression, and all these things. We have trouble feeling the presence of God when we are suffering because we are suffering. Suffering is not a natural thing that humans are meant to go through, it is the result of a fallen world, and therefore it is even harder to see God when this unnatural event occurs.

How then do we know that God is with us when we go through our sufferings? We know God is with us when we have endured the sufferings and come out stronger in our faith. If this has happened to you during your sufferings, God was surely with you. No man can suffer on his own and remain faithful to God, that is only by the power of God that such a thing happens. Thank God for your sufferings, because when he is with you through them, you will come out a stronger Christian.

"Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." - John 12:27-28a

Listen for Your Calling

Oh Lord our God, come down and dwell within us this day. Allow us to show the grace that you have given to us. To represent the love that you have bestowed upon us. To carry your glory to the ends of the earth and reveal it to your other children that need to hear the gospel preached. We pray for help in our endeavors today. We pray that you would strengthen the body of Christ to help it become more as one, and less as many. That it would truly become a body, and not a people. May we take your word and proclaim it by your power. In Jesus name, Amen.

Have you ever done something really awesome for God? Something really monumental that you pursued? Maybe it was a missions trip; maybe it was an organization you were trying to start; maybe it was an opportunity to teach that you took a hold of; maybe it was the encouragement of a brother or sister in Christ. All christians should take on something to pursue for Christ's sake, whether it's a missions trip or an encouragement of a brother or sister. My next question is have you ever had it fail? Have you ever begun a work for God that you felt called to and it collapsed on top of you one brick at a time? Yeah? So have I.

Why does this happen? Why would God call us to something and then that calling, when we pursue it, completely fails? God is not a God who likes to trick people, is he? He doesn't just want to keep us busy, right? No, he is not trying to trick you nor is he just trying to keep you busy. The first question to be asked when we began pursuing something for Christ is "is this the will of God?" Well how does God answer this question? Because the rest of our whole journey in pursuing God rest on the answer to this one question. If it is the will of God, it will happen, if it isn't, it won't. This is the one question that needs to be answered. So how does the Christian listen for this answer?

When it seems that God is calling us to a work for Christ, how do we discern whether or not it is the calling of God upon our life? We discern by doing, not by waiting. We discern by continuing in our walk of faith until we are either so pulled by God to that one thing that we can no longer resist the pull and must act, or we are so pushed away from it that we have no choice but to not pursue it. When we feel God may have called us, continue in your walk of faith, serving God daily, staying in the word daily, and keep the possible calling in your prayers. As you go throughout your daily life, you will be either called to it more strongly by the power of God through his word or called to other things to pursue for God. The latter situation can be hard to discern because people like to take the easy way out. They like to say "Oh, God isn't calling me to that", but only say such a thing if the other path you have chosen to take is a stronger calling for Christ's sake. For example, if you feel called to start a church somewhere, but you would rather sit on the couch and eat potato chips your whole life, the latter is not a decent excuse to not start a church. But if you feel called to start a church somewhere, and then later, God seems to lead you to pastoring an already existing church, the latter option is more than acceptable to pursue. In other words, do not use your laziness as an excuse. Pursue that which God has called you to.

Listen to God when you feel a potential calling upon your life. My brothers and sisters, I urge you, do not be hasty in deciding what you will do, but do not be lazy as you are trying to decide. Continue in the faith, serving God and walking with him daily, but do not sit back and do nothing waiting for his audible voice to get you off the couch. God is an active God for an active people and we should respond to him actively. May we, the body of Christ, be encouraged and strengthened daily by the power of God and may we clearly hear is calling on our lives.

"The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established." - Proverbs 16:1-3

Running Towards the Father

Our great Father who is in heaven, we need your grace today. We need your strength in this moment and to continue throughout the day God. We want to experience you by being with you, and be with you by persevering in the faith. Thank you for your mercy upon our souls when we have failed you. When we have fallen into the temptations of our flesh, for the times we have knowingly disobeyed you God. We love you and we are glad you know our hearts, because you have made our hearts clean, but on the outside we often look so dirty. In Jesus name, Amen.

Do you ever feel like God is speaking very clearly to you or has spoken to you about something very clearly and you simply don't want to listen? You know for a fact it's God, but you say "no, I don't want to". Have you ever knowingly disobeyed our Father? Don't say no to this question, that would be a lie. All of us have experienced saying "no" to God when we know for a fact it is God calling. We all have "fallen short of the glory of God" in this way, and many others.

What are we to do after we have said "no" to God? Jonah said "no" to God and he even tried to run away and tried to kill himself and wanted to kill himself. Talk about saying no to God! Jonah was very avidly trying to pursue not doing what God called him to. Guilt often times takes over when we have said "no" to God. How are we to get rid of this guilt of having said no to God? How do we get over ourselves and focus on God again after we have so obviously denied him as Peter did? In order to get over the times we have said no to God, we must say yes to God. What did Jonah end up doing? He went to Ninevah. What did Peter end up doing even though he had denied Christ? He was crucified for Christ at the end of his life.

So how do we overcome our guilt? We change our ways. We don't overcome our guilt by simply saying "it's okay, God loves me anyways". No! We overcome our guilt by saying yes to God next time he calls. God will change his Children. We may run, we may try to hide, but it will all fail if we are truly a Child of God. If you are a child of God, give up on running away, and start running towards.

"'You are my witness,' declares the Lord, 'and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.'" - Isaiah 43:10

Living Sacrifice

Oh Lord, how precious is Your name. You are the King, the Lord, the Messiah, the Love, the Hope, the Redeemer. You are everything to a lost world and everything to a found world. There is no one above You nor is there anyone who can measure up to Your greatness. We praise You as our Father, our Lord, and our King. Because of Your grace, we will one day get to experience Your ultimate presence once again. For in adam all die, and in Christ, we are made alive. We thank You for Your sacrifice, we thank You for Your love, we thank You for Your many names, and above all, we thank You for who You are. In Jesus name, may we reflect Your glory. Amen.

As I read through the Old Testament, hoping to find something to write this blog post on, I came across a passage that read "And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered" (2 Chronicles 5:6). As you might expect, that italicized statement took me by surprise. I would venture to guess that some people may be so surprised by this statement that they would conclude "What? No way, that is just an exaggeration." Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. There is one thing that can be drawn from this passage without argument: there were A LOT of sheep and oxen being sacrificed.

I began to meditate on this piece of scripture and I thought "Why do they need to sacrifice so many sheep and oxen?" Do you have the same question? Well I think the question goes even deeper than that; Why did they sacrifice any animals? After-all, the sacrifices didn't cover their sins, Jesus did. There are some who hold the view that Jesus only covered the sins of those who came after him, I'm not one of them (Hebrews 10:4). So what was the point of all this seemingly pointless killing? Did the Jews even know or was it just a blind tradition that was being followed?

The Jews didn't sacrifice animals because it was a covering or atonement for their sins. They didn't sacrifice because Jesus' sacrifice just wasn't enough for those before him. The Jews of the Old Testament sacrificed animals without blemish as a way to worship and acknowledge God's godliness. They sacrificed animals to God because he was God and they weren't; this exercise reminded them of that. The sacrifice of animals reminded the Jews that they were the creation, not the creator. The sacrifices also showed their repentance of their sins to God. It represented a turning away from unrighteousness and a acknowledgement of their unrighteousness.

If then, these people who were followers of God were making sacrifices; not so that they would be redeemed, but so that God would be acknowledged as God, what sacrifices do we need to make in our lives today? You see, we don't sacrifice our time, our money, our whole lives to God because it redeems us and grants us salvation but because it reminds us that we are the creature and God is the creator. When we sacrifice ourselves to God, we must remember not to do it out of a prideful heart, because this defeats the purpose of the sacrifice. God is sacrificially glorified because he is the creator and we are to be sacrificially glorifying Him because we are the created.

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." - Romans 12:1

Our Detailed God

Our Glorious Father who reigns over all creation, hear our prayer today in the midst of our weakness, our suffering, our joys, our excitement, our anxiety, hear the prayer of your children this day. We come to you and ask that you would remind us yet again this day of who you are, and thereby remind us of who we are. We ask that you force us to remain faithful to you and to glorify you by enjoying you Father. Lavish your love on our bodies and our souls this day, do not let us grow weary, and grant us what it is your infinite wisdom knows we need. In Jesus name, Amen.

Have you ever worked under a boss who always micro-manages? I remember I used to work under a boss who had a philosophy that if you were working, you needed to be watched. I didn't like this boss very much, to say the least. I hate being micro-managed. It seems that when we are micro-managed, the person who is doing the micro-managing doesn't trust us. That they don't have faith that we can accomplish the goal they have told us to accomplish. Perhaps for some people, micro-managing is great, but I am not amongst those people.

A micro-manager is someone who looks at every detail of what you are doing, and tells you it has to be done a very specific way. Most people have different ways of doing things and getting a similar conclusion. For example, my boss may tell me to close the drawer, so I shut it using my foot, where as he may have used his hand to shut it; same result, different methods. Now we have run into a question: is God a micro-manager?

If we look back to the old testament scripture where Moses is getting instructions for building the ark or where the israelites are getting instructions from God for building a temple, it sure seems like God is micro-managing. Was God actually micro-managing or are we just understanding it wrong? I tell you the truth brothers and sisters, no matter how much you like it or not, our God is a God of details. He is not a God who only looks on the actions, he looks on the heart; he is not a God who only sacrificed his son, but sacrificed his son in the most gruesome of ways; he is not only a God who watches what happens, but planned what happens. Our God is a God who cares about the little things as well as the big things in life.

What can we learn from this? What lesson is there to take from the fact that we serve a God who genuinely cares about the details of our life, our faith, and our death? It means that a follower of Christ must also focus on the details. If you have a boss who focuses on the details, you better focus on the details as well to please your boss. God is kind of the same, except he is a Father. Our Father focuses on the details of our life, and because we, as his children, desire to please Him, we also need to focus on the details of life. For example, is what you are doing a calling from God or just busy-work? Is it something God has set upon your soul to accomplish or is it something to keep you busy for a while? Discernment there is very important. You can do something good that is outside your calling. Another example, why are you doing what you are doing? Because it glorifies you? Because you want to show off? Or because you want to bring glory to God? Lastly, is what you are doing righteous? Is it pleasing to God?

These are some practical questions the Christian can ask when faced with difficult decisions of life. Ask if God has lead you there and if your intentions are in the right spot. The great God we serve is a God who cares, not only about what we do, but about how we do what we do. He doesn't only want us to feed the homeless, he wants you to do it humbly and for his sake. He doesn't only want you to teach, he wants you to do it to the glory of God. God cares about the little and big, the important and unimportant. I, for one, am thankful that He does, because I'm not all that important.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." - 1 Peter 5:6-7

Asking With Your Heart

Father God, we call you Father because you care about us, because you love us, because you provide for us. Jesus, we call you savior because you have died for our sins and in so doing given us the gift of eternal life in your name. Holy Spirit, we call you Holy because you are set-apart from the rest of creation and you live in us and set us apart from the rest of creation because we are a redeemed creation. We love your wondrous works O God, and may we never forget the lengths you went to in order to grant us redemption and love. May your glory be reflected back to you through us, your instruments. In Jesus name, Amen.

We have often heard sermons on James 4:3 where it says "you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." This is a very important verse in the Biblical text. James is very boldly saying that sometimes we pray and do not receive because we haven't asked with the right intentions. As I'm sure most Christians know, God looks on the heart rather than what is being done. If God only looked on the action, the Pharisees would have been very righteous people, but God knew the intent of their heart and condemned them for their actions. It doesn't matter what your asking for unless your heart is in the right place.

Now the question arises, what's the right place? Where should my heart be when I ask God for supplication? Where should my heart be when I'm asking God to bless the food on my table? Where should my heart be when I'm asking that God speaks through me as I teach? My dear friends, I will tell you where your heart needs to be; it needs to be where God's heart is. Your will, as much as is humanly possible, needs to align with God's will. When you ask God for a blessing over your food, it should be a form of praise and a declaration that God is sovereign over your food and has provided it for you, that is where your heart should be. When you ask God to speak through you when you teach, your heart should be focused on those you are trying to reach, for God "wishes that all would come to repentance." You should wish for this as well when you teach biblical truths. My point is that when you pray, do not simply say a prayer you have memorized and has become devoid of meaning, but bring meaning to prayer by praying with your heart and your head.

Does this mean that your family member died because you didn't pray with the right intent? Or that your friend has cancer because you didn't pray with the right heart? No! I blatantly refute any such perverted theology. However, if God said no to a prayer of yours, does this mean that your priorities in life were different than God's priorities? Yes, absolutely. We are all guilty of such prayer, and it is not necessarily wrong to pray for something God says no to. It becomes wrong when you distort your image of God and fall away because he said no. This may seem contradictory to what I have been saying the whole time. One moment, I said you should align your will with God's when you pray, and the next I am saying that you should ask for things even if your will isn't aligned with God's. Let me put all of this more succinctly. When you pray, align your will with God's will as much as possible through theology, fellowship, and the Bible, but expect that your will can never be on the exact same page as God's because you do not know the beginning from the end as God does. Strive to align yourself with God's will, but expect imperfection in doing so. Pray for what you think will bring glory to God, but accept that which will bring more glory to God.

I must answer one more question. How do we align our will with God's? Think back to one of your relationships and how it started out. In the beginning of the relationship, you didn't fully understand the habits of that person, the thought-processes, or the overall analysis of who they were. As the relationship developed, you began to understand why they did what they did and why they thought what they thought, and eventually you may even be able to predict some of the things they would do because that was simply who they were. It is the same in our relationship with God, we must grow closer to God to understand who God is, thereby being able to partly know the will of God, but never the full will of God. As Paul says "For now we see in a mirror dimly but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." - 1 Corinthians 13:12.

"God answered Solomon, 'Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you." - 2 Chronicles 1:11-12

Waiting Patiently

Our heavenly Father, we praise you for the works you are going to do in our lives today and the works you did yesterday. We thank you for our sufferings, our persecutions, our ability to endure in the faith, and your love you have so graciously given to us. We pray for those who are suffering for Christ, that they would rejoice in those sufferings and be made strong by the power of God. We pray for those who do not know Christ, that through the body of Christ and your Grace they would come to knowledge of who you are and accept you as their savior and Lord. Honor and Glory belong to you O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

There are those people who believe that God is constantly speaking, we just have to listen so that we can hear what he is saying. I think that this is an incorrect view that is held partly because people want to believe they can hear the voice of God whenever they want to, they just have to listen. The Bible, however, doesn't teach this. The Bible teaches that God speaks when he wants to, when he has a divine mission or appointment for us. In other words, God speaks on his own time, not ours.

There have been many times I have prayed and asked God to speak to me, and have heard nothing. Some people will say that I didn't pray with enough faith, or I didn't really ask with all of my heart, which has some backing. James says "you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly." However, if we look at the request I made, I think we will find that perhaps not every time it was asked with the right heart, but trust me my friends, there have been times in my sorrow when I cried out to God and heard nothing. Has God abandoned us? Has he given up on us when we don't hear him? Or does he love us enough to be by our side in our anguish but not speak clearly because it does not fulfill his will for us and may even end up being destructive to us? I believe the latter is partly the answer.

I have found throughout my life and my walk with God that he speaks in the moments that I'm not asking him to: when I'm exercising, when I'm going to the store, when I'm working, when I'm doing homework. Have you ever experienced this brothers and sisters? Why does God sometimes speak when we aren't ready for him to, and doesn't speak when we ask him to? This seems like God is just trying to frustrate us. I tell you, my brothers and sisters, the intention of God is not to frustrate you, or manipulate you, but to discipline you as his Child. God speaks in the times we aren't ready for him to speak so that we will learn to always be ready for him to speak. God spoke to Abraham in the midst of a polytheistic culture and told him to leave that place and Abraham responded in obedience even though he had his whole life set up where he was. God called on moses from a burning bush when moses was working with sheep, and moses left what he was doing to enter into the presence of God.

God shows us that he is in control by speaking when he wills to speak. For his timing is far better than ours because we cannot see the whole picture as God can. We only see what is happening now, but God see's everything that has happened, will happen, and is happening. God has perfect timing, and as his children, we need to learn to trust in that diving timing. "Be silent and know that I am God" he says. Be patient when you wait upon the Lord with perseverance and strength and remain in the faith and the promise of forgiveness God has given us through his son Jesus Christ. When God speaks, give up what your doing and listen. When he doesn't speak, read the word of God to be encouraged, enjoy fellowship with your brothers and sisters, pray without ceasing, and in all you do, be glad, because God is good and God is there, even when you can't hear his voice. Look back to the times you have heard his voice and remember the times that God moved in your life. That was the purpose that alters were built in the old testament, the people would pass by an alter and remember that God had worked in their life at that time and that was a reminder to remain faithful to the Lord.

God loves and disciplines his children. He is near even when he feels far away. Our imminent yet transcendent God speaks and will continue to speak, but on his own time. The question isn't are you ready for him to speak? The question is Will you listen when he does? 

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him" - Psalms 37:7a

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry." - Psalms 40:1

"but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

He is by Our Side

Our great Father in heaven, thank you for the missionaries you have sent out to preach the gospel. Please give us all the ability to proclaim the gospel wherever we are and wherever you have called us to. We thank you for the strengthening given through Christ Jesus and pray that temptation would not arise this day but that we would be lead and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Oh Lord that dwells within us, light a fire in us that cannot be put out and cannot be dimmed, may we remain with you all the days of our lives. Blessed is your name. In Jesus name, Amen.

How many times, when you are suffering, have you come out of it? A weird question? I don't think so. We all go through seasons of more or less suffering but the reality is that this life is full of suffering and sure, we come out of some specific sufferings of life, but do we ever, before death, come out of suffering? God has clearly told us in his Word that we will be facing persecutions my friends and these persecutions and sufferings as a whole are part of the fallen world we live in. Whenever we come out of a specific suffering, we get hopeful and tell ourselves that it's all over and done with when the reality is that there are more sufferings to come tomorrow. Does this seem like a depressing thought? Maybe your saying to me "yeah mike, I know, but can we just not talk about it and pretend that eventually life is going to turn out how I hope." I wish that we could merely walk away from the problem always hoping for a better tomorrow, but we can't.

Why do you think the Bible says to "not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Jesus said this because we will be destroyed from inside out if we try to take on all the troubles of life at once, but he also doesn't say to ignore that there will be trouble to come. In fact, in other places he says to expect persecution. There is a balance between completely ignoring suffering and expecting every day to be horrible. We are called to take every suffering one at a time that we may be able to endure what is thrown at us. The question still must be answered "how are we to truly find meaning in life if we are constantly being bombarded with suffering and the only thing we have to look forward to without fail is suffering?" Well I must point out that there are surely other things we can look forward to, such as blessings bestowed by God upon his Children, and the forgiveness of our sins, but when it comes to suffering, we must always remember one thing (and it's a cliche), God is by our side.

The Bible tells us over and over again that God stands by our side through our suffering, but what does that actually mean? How can we apply that to our Christian walk, and what good is God being by our side? I must admit that when God is by your side, he may tell you to commit to a task that will only cause more suffering, but right after, he will say "take courage, I am by your side." You see, the fulfillment of being able to make it through sufferings doesn't come in the form of butterflies and daisies, it comes in the very fact that the God of the universe is for you; it comes in the very fact that God says "If I am for you, who can be against you?" So what does it mean practically for the Christian it times of suffering? It means that you can pray to God, he will hear you, and he will answer. Not necessarily how you want it answered, but he will listen and answer. Ultimately it means that we have the strength of God pushing us forward in the "running the good race of the faith". If we have the strength of God pushing us forward in our God-ordained tasks, than literally nothing can get in our way. Be encouraged brothers and sisters, you have God next to you, and he is embracing you in your times of suffering.

Yes, we are going to suffer in life, and no, suffering will not cease until the elect have reached paradise.  This part of the story is very unfortunate for us. However, God is near and God is love. When suffering, come to God by prayer, fast if you must. Talk to brothers and sisters and ask for encouragement, seek fellowship, ask that God will grant you perseverance. God is near you, he created you, and he loves you, so let's get to work for him.

"Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me." - Psalms 118:5-7

Resting in God's Hands

Father God, hear we are. Your children, ready to serve, desiring to serve, hoping humbly that you use us to serve. We know that you have granted all of our provisions, our needs, our money, our being. You are the God of all the earth, the great three in one; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We praise you for making us, for calling us "very good." For allowing us salvation and bestowing your love upon our souls. There is nothing above you, none who can out-do you. You are the beginning and end, the alpha and the omega, the first and the last. We love you because you have chosen to love us. In Jesus name, Amen.

I wonder how big God's hands are. I suppose it would make sense that they are infinitely big, but what good does knowing that do for us? We can know that God is infinitely big, we can say "yeah, God is bigger than anything else in the universe" nonchalantly. Do we not realize the magnificence of that proclamation? Do we not realize what the greatness of God means for the whole human race? Are we missing the obvious implications?

If God is bigger than anything in the universe, than he is bigger than all of the galaxies combined, right? Which means he is bigger than the Milky Way (our galaxy), which means he is bigger than our solar system, which means he is bigger than our sun, which means he is bigger than Jupiter, which he is bigger than Earth, which means he is bigger than the United States of America, which means he is bigger than us. This is the conclusion we must run into daily to truly grasp the beginning of understanding God: we small people serve a big God. These two revelations are directly correlated. Once you realize how big God is, you will immediately afterwards realize how little you are.

Why does God love us? Because he has chosen to love us. Why do we love God? Is that a serious question? I don't mean to be facetious, but after realizing how huge God is, doesn't that question seem a little ridiculous. The only response to "why do we love God?" is "why not?" What reasons can we think of for not loving God? I sure can't think of any, except it means I have to give up on sin and actually pursue goodness, which my flesh doesn't want me to do. We praise God because it reminds us of how big he is and of how little we are. Why does God want to remind us that we are little? Because when we realize we are little, we realize God truly is gracious in his love for us. I don't think twice about killing an ant or a spider, but God sacrificed himself for us.

When we are held in the overwhelmingly big hands of God, we know he cares for us. He has picked up his fallen creature with his divine hand, and that means he cares. When I pick something up, it means, in one way or another, I care about it. God saw that we were fallen, and chose through his glorious grace to pick us back up and hold us in his hands. What does it mean to be held in the hands of God? It means that God has cared for you so much that he chose to pick you up, and when you try to jump out of his hand and fall, he will restrain you with his love and care for you to not hurt yourself. That is what the love of God is like.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the he gave is only son so that whoever believes in him may have everlasting life and not perish."

John 10:29 "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."

Most Holy Sanctuary

Our great Father who is so greatly to be praised, will be you come and be in our presence this day? Not just for the hour, or moment, but for the whole day? And may such a presence with our Lord be renewed every morning. Come visit us, speak to us, show us who you are and show us your great love. We understand so little about you Father, but want to understand so much, give us but one more revelation about who you are to think on, that we may enjoy you further. Praise your holy name and allow us your presence. In Jesus name, Amen.

I have a bad habit of reading my Bible, enjoying the time I'm in God's presence, and then going about my day like nothing had happened. My prayer for you, friends, is that you will be refreshed by your daily reading of the Bible that I hope your engaged in. However, not only do I pray you will be refreshed by the wondrous word of God, but I pray that you will be changed daily to be more like Christ by the word of God. The purpose of reading and meditating on the word of God is not only to know God better, but to take steps towards being a better follower of Christ. The Christian shouldn't only want to know God, but to follow him.

My brothers and sister, set your mind and your heart on the things of God when you awake from bed. Every day, set up a sanctuary in your hearts as a place to go and think on things of God, let your heart be changed by the grace of God, and sit in reverence of who God is. God's children are honorable vessels to be used to honor God, wake up with that duty in mind. Let us all arise in the morning with the desire to hear our savior speak and the ability to listen to him when he does. Do not only set up this sanctuary for your time set aside to be with God, but run to it over and over again all the day long. When you are weary, go to the sanctuary. When you are excited, go to the sanctuary. When you need wisdom, go to the sanctuary. This is obviously not a physical sanctuary, but it is a place set aside in your mind for the praise and worship of our God.

The Holy Spirit lives within us brothers and sisters. Therefore we are the Holy Spirits place of residence. The world does not have to be quiet to feel God's presence; life does not have to be easy to feel God's presence, for he lives within us. We just have to listen to what he is saying. We are a sanctuary for the dwelling place of God, what an honor! Let our bodies be, at least, somewhat worthy of being such a holy place. May we focus, throughout our whole lives, on what it means to be a sanctuary to the most high God. It means that we should truly focus on that presence that is within us and follow it; it means that God truly is with us all of our days; it means that God loves us so much that he chose to dwell within us and change us to be more like him; it means also that we have a responsibility to hold up the name of Christ.

We are where the Holy Spirit has chosen to dwell that he may change us from the inside out. My brothers and sisters, never forget that you are the place of God. Let this change your life and apply to everything you do. Wake up every morning with a desire to understand and live for Christ. Set your minds on the things of God, so much so that the devil is distressed the moment your feet hit the floor every morning. Hold up the name of Christ through the power of the Spirit and always return to God. God is righteous, he is just, he will change you into who he wants you to be if you are a Child of God. Remain in the faith and never lose sight of what is important my brothers and sisters.

"Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into the house built for the name of the Lord." - 1 Chronicles 22:19

Give Before Receiving

Our powerful and awesome Lord, hollowed be your name. We are so blessed to be given the gift of your son, for we did not choose it ourselves, but you graciously chose us to be given it. Why have you chosen us who have received? I do not know, but I am ever so grateful that you have made such a joyous decision. We love you Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the grace you have bestowed on us and the way you are working us to change us and make us more like Jesus every day. Continue this work in us until the day we die. In Jesus name, Amen.

The truth is that I love Christmas, not because it's a celebration of the death of Jesus, but because I get to receive gifts from my family. Our culture today focuses on how much you can get out of people. I know that I have often fallen into this sort of mind-set. For Christmas, I make sure everyone knows what I want so that I don't end up with anything I don't want. I usually make a list of things I want so that people will know what to get me, it's barely a surprise anymore. Do not be consumed, my friends, by the stuff of this world, for it is all going to pass away. I admit that, at times, I struggle with just wanting people to focus on me and give me more stuff, but do not be like this, this is not of God.

I told you that our culture is focused on telling everyone to try and get all you can in this life, after all, they say, you only have one life. The Bible teaches the opposite however. The Bible teaches that it is better to give than to receive. We are told by the Scriptures that it is better to lose than to get. Our culture says it is better to get everything you can because you only have one life, the Bible says it is better to give everything you have because you will receive everything in the next life. The Bible teaches that we have received the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, what greater gift is there than this?

God wants us to give to others because we have been graciously given to by him. When we sacrifice something small and see the difficulty in doing so, we can better understand what Jesus had to give up for us. God wants us to understand what he gave up for us, along with be united and encouraging as the body of Christ. The best way to ruin any kind of relationship is to take everything you can from that person, such as energy and time. The person will quickly get worn out and want nothing to do with the person who is taking so much from them. The way to maintain a relationship is for both people to be giving what they have to the other person in that relationship because than everything that is being given away by either person is being restored by the other person in the relationship. This is the way God meant for community to be. This is the way God wanted him to give to us and us to give to him. He gave us Jesus, we should give him ourselves, for this is the reasonable response.

God calls his children to be generous as he has been generous. The best way to lead is by example, and God has done that for his children by giving us Jesus. Let us follow that example is humility and praise of what the great Father has graciously bestowed upon us. Give before you receive, but receive what is given to you. This is a Christians declaration of the trust in God that there is another life to come, and that this life is not all there is.

"It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

Seeking Encouragement

Wondrous Father in heaven, who else are we to worship but you alone? There is none worthy who is able to compare to the glory that you display to your creation. For you have created, sustained, and loved that which you have made, and we thank you for such a joyous thing. We thank you for the love that you have filled us with by the work of your spirit, and the joy you have given us that we may endure the worst of sufferings. We are your children and we desire to be nothing else but just that. Thank you for your blessings and your love and your mercy and grace. In Jesus name, Amen.

Many times, I let my pride get in the way of seeking out guidance. I don't want people to know I'm depressed so I'm not gonna tell anyone about it, or I don't want people to know that I actually struggle with certain temptations, so I think I'll keep that to myself. I never want to share with people my faults, only where I exceed. My brothers and sisters, be humble enough to share your story, to seek guidance, and to enjoy the fellowship of other believers. We, as christians, are not called to be shy with our testimonies, to be quiet when temptation comes, or to put a mask on when we are feeling depressed. In fact, we are called to rejoice in our weaknesses so that God may be glorified.

Let yourself be humble enough my friends, to approach other believers that you may seek guidance, accountability and deeper friendship. My prayer for you is that, in seeking these things, the Christian body will develop and grow closer and stronger in Christ. The Bible says that you will never experience a temptation that is not common to other people, so seek out your friends who are gracious to forgive and ask for help. The christian body is made to support, to encourage, to love, to forgive in the name of Jesus. Let's do so for each other.

The voice of God is not always easy to hear, in fact, it can, at times, be very difficult to hear. Sometimes, when you want to hear the voice of God most, is when it is the most difficult to hear. In these times of spiritual stress, seek out your brothers and sisters that are hearing the voice of God and let them pray on your behalf for wisdom and for guidance and come back to you when they have heard something from God. After they have returned and shared with you, discern what they have shared to see if it is truly from the heart of God, and based on your discernment, act.

The body of Christ is meant to be used as a tool that uplifts other within the body of Christ, at least that is part of it's purpose. May those who are gifted in encouraging, encourage. Those who are gifted in teaching, teach. Those who are gifted as loving, love. May the body of Christ unite and show the world that Christ is love.

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Do Not Be Silent

Our Great Lord, how awesome are you. We praise you with all of who we are, but we find ourselves wanting to praise you further. With what else are we to praise you? We praise you with all of us, with our bodies, with our voices, let us praise you with our lives. We wish to praise you all the day long and never grow weary but this is such a difficult thing to do. Give us strength as we run the good race of the faith, and may we have the endurance of the Spirit to complete the race you have set before us. In Jesus name, Amen.

There have been many times that I have given up pursuing someone who I never thought was going to come to Christ. I have attempted to lead people to Christ who just argued, reviled, and threw insults at me. I say to myself "they are not the chosen people of God" in anger. God says to me "who are you, O man, to choose who is mine and who isn't?" Who are we to say "I will tell this person about God because they seem nice, but not this person because they might hurt me"? God has chosen and we do not know who he has chosen. We have been called to tell people about Christ, it is God's choice who comes, but we must do our part.

There are, my friends, times to back down from telling people the gospel. Some people will do nothing but ignore you, do not waste your time on them unless they choose to listen. Show joy, love, and patience towards them. Some people will get very angry with you for believing something so against what they believe. In this situation, you can either move on, or continue, depending upon the moving of the Spirit within you. If you quit talking to them about the gospel out of fear, you have done the wrong thing. We are called to not be fearful of those who can only destroy the body on earth, we should be fearing him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. The only time, my brothers and sisters, you should quit talking to someone about the gospel is because God has clearly told you to. If God has not clearly told you to quit talking to someone about him, then continue in whatever way is most appropriate to that person.

Pastors often talk about not doing anything till God tells you to do it, well I'm telling you to do everything the Bible commands, including the great commission, until God tells you to stop. I'm telling you to pursue evangelism, teaching, missions, and any other Christian activity you can until God puts a clear calling on your life for something more specific. There will never be a time when you get to heaven and God is angry that you have told so many people the gospel.

Do not give up on sharing the gospel because of fear of what man will say or do. Continue speaking and do not be silent until God has prompted you to let go of what you are currently doing. You may even be persecuted by Christians for pursuing someone who doesn't want to be pursued, well those Christians need to have a self-examination to see if they are really in the faith. Do not be hateful when you share the faith, but in love and patience, tell them the truth without tolerance of views opposing the truth.

Move whenever you get the opportunity and don't sit down till God says you can take a break. Be blessed brothers and sisters.

"Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people." - Acts 18:9-10

Listening With Eagerness

Oh, Great Father that hath lavished Your love upon us. What have you found within us that has made us worthy of such a great gift? We do not find ourselves worthy of Your love, but you have granted mercy upon our souls that we may understand who You are and how You love us. We ask for patience, for forgiveness, for mercy, and for joy as we walk through our day today. Be with us, strengthen us, and do not cease to pour Your love out on us. In Jesus name, Amen.

There have been countless times where I have read my Bible out of duty and counting down the minutes till I have finished. If I truly wish to move past the barrier this barrier of reading my Bible with lack of inspiration to reading my Bible with joy and excitement, I usually have to pray before and ask that God will give me grace to understand his Word. I have an intense desire to understand his word, but not the ability to do so. I only understand the word of God by the grace of God.

My brothers and sisters, I daily set aside time for reading and studying the scriptures, but this time means nothing if my heart is not in the right place. I can learn everything there is to learn in the scriptures, I can understand all of it, but if my motivation isn't to know God because I love him, than I'm doing it for the wrong reasons. My desire is to know God, but it isn't always easy to keep focused on this desire. Sometimes, I get off track and have to remind myself the calling God has given me, and then I'm ever so joyful to be reminded of that calling once I have pursued it again.

Friends, do not be stagnant or distracted as you read the Bible. The Bible is the word of God and it is how he reveals himself to us every day. The Bible is how God speaks to us, teaches us, mentors us, and loves us. If you want to hear God speak, go read the scriptures and listen to what God has to say, if you want to be taught by God, go read the scriptures. Too many of our brothers and sisters today have become lazy in there method of listening to God speak. Some have abandoned the scriptures altogether, some have deemed them unreliable, some have turned to prophets and people for the voice of God, but God speaks through the Bible today.

As believers in Christ, we are called to a higher level of scripture reading. Do not be lazy in listening to God, but make a conscious effort to study, hear, and listen to what God has to say to you daily. When you read the scriptures, read until you have began desiring to hear God's voice and you will began to hear him speak through what your reading. In studying and hearing God's voice, you will grow in your faith, in your understanding of who God is, and therefore, in your spiritual maturity. Listen to God and do as he says.

Come to the Bible with excitement to learn about who our savior and Lord is, to further understand the characteristics our God holds. By faith we come, by experience we stay. Understanding comes through eagerness to learn; faith comes from understanding; and spiritual growth comes from faith. God be with you friends. God speak to you this day.

"Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." - Acts 17:11

Discerning Our Desires

Our God is so holy, so full of grace, so full of mercy, so full of love. We wish to understand the depth of Your love Father. For no love is greater than that which You have bore for us. Speak through Your body for the sake of encouragement, discipleship, and firstly, for the glory of God. Allow us to be beacons of light today that shine in the darkness with courage and hope. We love You Father, thank You for accepting our small love we have to offer. In Jesus name, Amen.

Within myself, I contain desires that are holy, and desires that are unholy. A battle rages within me, not only between the holy and the unholy, but between the decision making process of which to follow. I have often chosen to follow what is unholy in my life, only by the grace of God have I ever chosen to follow that which is holy. I am forced to wonder how a child of God is to seperate these desires. By that, I mean how is a child of God supposed to discern which desires within him are holy, and which are unholy?

The role of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of its' sin, but I'm not necessarily referring to sin my brothers and sisters. I'm referring to those choices we have in life that the Bible says nothing on. Such as, which job should I take, which house should I move to, which bank should I use. I'm talking about those everyday choices that we still need to seek God's guidance on. I believe it was in A.W. Tozer's book that he said "God will never put a desire in your heart which he will not satisfy". As you can see, my child, the problem doesn't lie with merely what should I do, but with, which desire is from God. This is not always an easy thing to discern, for it can be difficult to tell which desires are from God and which are of the flesh. I pray that the body of Christ may be able to discern such a thing with prayer, fasting, and whatever it takes to accomplish the will of God.

I want to urge you, my brothers and sisters, to move forward in your walk with discernment and humility before God. When options arise that require wisdom and the prompting of the Holy Spirit, pray earnestly. Do not sit back, do nothing, and hope that God will say something audibly, it usually doesn't work that way. God wants us to discern these things because when we do, we grow in relationship with our Father and we learn more about his Character and who this great God is. God is not trying to get us angry with him or frustrated with his Word but more in love with him. He desires that, through the discernment process, we will see the Father all the more clearly and understand the grace he has lavished on us. Laziness will cause you to never experience to Father as some others have. Do not sit down and do nothing, for the Holy Spirit is not within you if nothing is taking place. God will work through you if he is in you, if there is no work through you, he isn't in you.

Continue in love and kindness my beloved. Don't let the things of this current world put you down or pervert your judgements made by the council of the Holy Spirit. Be mentored daily by Him as he grows you and matures you as a child of God.

"Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you." - 1 Chronicles 17:2