S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G or Existing

I was reminded today of the need to be constantly stretching my relationship with God. If I am to live on the edge... to live dangerously for God and put my full trust in His ability, I must remove myself from my comfort zone.

How often do you go to church not really expecting to learn anything new that can be applied to your life. And of those times, how often are your expectations confirmed. I wish to challenge you (and me) to think outside of the box. Go with great expectation and KNOW that God will deliver direction and purpose!

Satan is alive and well and is lulling us into a sense of contentment and satisfaction going through the same old routine. Both my wife and I have an intense heart for missions, both local and worldwide. Even when we are working in our mission field, I have noticed that we must not become complacent. We must be ready for change. God will lead us in one direction for a season and then lead us in a different direction. I am working on being able to comprehend when God changes my direction. I must not become too burdened with 'stuff' that it is hard for me to change.

My wife is already in full-time missions. Will there come a time when He too will call me to that field? I feel that the answer is 'yes' and I must be ready.

What are you doing in your mission field? Is God stretching you to reach out in new areas or are you merely existing?

Get Up Off of Your Duff and DO Something!

Some call it an epiphany, I just call it waking up and smelling the coffee.

I got the message from God yesterday that I have been thinking too much of ME lately and not enough about Him and what I need to be doing for His Kingdom.

You see, I've been plagued with tension headaches for the past four weeks. They usually come in the late morning and little medication takes them away. It has been a cycle that has created an 'oh, woo is me' attitude that has placed my eyes on me instead of on God.

It is time that I change that. It is time that I lay these headaches at the cross and get back to God's business. Time is short and I have so much to do. OK, today I move forward and get off my duff!

I heard a great quote yesterday and it applies here. "We need to quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death." (Mark Batterson Wild Goose Chase) As I sit here writing this morning, the sun is just about to rise above the horizon. My heart is beating and my lungs are breathing in and out, therefore God has given me purpose for today, He has a job for me to do.

What is your purpose of life? Is it to focus on yourself or to focus on others? Please take the time to reply and I would like to see your views.

God's Judgement on Jerusalem

I have been reading the book of Joshua in the Bible the last several days. What an incredible job that God gave Joshua to do. Jerusalem's impending doom and destruction was at hand. God basically told Joshua to phophecy to the people about the upcoming destruction. Yet, God also tells Joshua 'oh and by the way... they won't listen'. Wow, how is that for an encouraging word.

The bottom-line though is that Joshua is FAITHFUL to what God called him to do.

God judges the people of Jerusalem and they end up in captivity for 70 years after a 2 1/2 year siege on the city. Why? Because they have forsaken their first love. They have turned to idols for worship. The priests of the day told the church goers only what they wanted to hear. They included 'idol' worship even in the services. The people longed for debauchery, lust, greed and the like.

How might that compare to America today? What are we wanting to hear in a church service instead of the voice of God? Good music... the hymn played correctly? Words from the pulpit that underscore what we are doing and give credence to it? Or do we want to hear the WHOLE truth from the Word of God... the Bible?

What are we saying to others... are our ears itching to hear tidbits of tantalizing information about celebrities and friends, or do we want to hear God Himself?

What are our eyes longing for... more and more violence that we see on TV and in the movies? More and more bed-hopping and lust that is so common today? Or do we want to see Jesus face-to-face?

It is time to wake up and smell the coffee, folks. I envision that America is not long for this world in the path that we are presently on. We look A LOT like the citizens of Jerusalem in the days of Joshua. Will we as a nation wake up and REPENT (i.e. turn around)? Or will we continue down this path to destruction?

The day is near...

The Prophets are Speaking

I was reading from the book of Amos in the Bible this morning. A verse that really popped out to me was Amos 3:7. It says 'surely the Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets'.

I started thinking about that verse and how it relates to us today. Does God have prophets today that are 'revealing His plan' or were they all in Biblical times?

I do believe that He has as many prophets today as He had during Biblical times. There are men of God that have true insight of the spiritual realm of God and the spiritual warfare that is ensuing around us. Take some time to read the works of Chuck Smith, Mark Balmer, Skip Heitzing, Franklin Graham and Joel Rosenberg.

God is speaking to us today not only through His Word, the Bible. He is also speaking through modern day prophets.

Am I listening? God will guide my actions of the do so that I am most productive for Him if I am #1) listening, and #2) obedient.

The Blessings of Living in the United States

I sat this morning in awe of what is around me. I have a roof over my head. I live in a warm and muggy climate but I am comfortable. My wife was out in the yard with a friend. My daughter and a wonderful young lady were tossing some hoops with a basketball. I sit here knowing in my soul that my other daughter and her husband are safe in Botswana on a trip.

This all is incredible but what additionally is incredible is the peace that I have in my heart knowing that we are all safe, fed and clothed. I didn't have to go and look for a good source of water this morning. I didn't have to think about where my next meal is coming from. I didn't have to worry about others close by that are wanting to kill me.

I am at peace.

I can't help but think of the incredible large list of things that we take for granted living in the United States. Sure, there are some that are dealing with disasters due to the floods in the Midwest or the fires in California, but that is a small part of this nation's population.

Other countries around the world aren't so blessed... hunger, starvation, sickness, strife, nakedness, thirst, war, hate, and just a lack of hope for tomorrow. How can the people of this country just ignore their fellow man. How can we place our own desires, the environment or our own greed ahead of someone in another country that will not live through today without our help?

God placed me here for a purpose and I know for a fact that it is not to satisfy my own selfish desires. All I have is Gods... ALL of it. If He were to take it all today to help others to live or to give them hope, I pray that my attitude of giving will allow me to place it ALL in God's hands.

How can I do any less for my fellow man.

I pray that anyone who reads this will stop and think about how God wants to use YOU today.

Happy Independence Day...

Devotions - Spiritual Hunger or Just Routine

OK... I'm all torqued out because I didn't do my devotions yesterday. I really meant too but I let the early morning get away from me and I just never got back to it.

You see, I'm a routine kind of guy (just ask my wife). I get up at 5:30 in the blessed AM and drag myself down to a cup of coffee that has already been brewed. I look at the weather (I'm also a weather nut) and then I do my devotions.

My devotions take place in three parts. I first look back at yesterday and write my down my thoughts of how I feel the day was spiritually. It takes discipline as don't want to just write what I did like a diary but instead look inward at the condition of my soul.

I then turn to the Bible. I'm reading through the Bible chronologically (you can get the schedule at http://eword.gospelcom.net/year/31/cjan01.htm). I add to that a chapter from Psalms and a chapter from Proverbs. I write notes as I read on what I'm seeing and application to my walk.

I then write down some prayers for today. Again looking at application and certain struggles that I'm facing.

So that's it. It is a good 'routine' but since I am a routine kind of guy, am I going through this process for the right reason? When I miss a day like yesterday, am I upset because I didn't spend time with God to start my day or am I upset because my routine was changed? I need to always strive for that hunger that is deep within my soul to be closer to God. Then just as our physical hunger drives us to eat, my spiritual hunger will drive me to communing with God.

What do you think?

Answers in Prayer... Coincidence? I Don't Think So!

Last Sunday an old friend came to mind. He was my very best friend through most of High School and my first year in college. We were like Mutt and Jeff, we were just always doing things together. Our college years separated us and for the last 20+ years, I have not heard from him. I made several attempts to find him but failed each time.

This past Sunday something different happened though. You see I have been putting a lot of study in to prayer (the TWO-way conversation between myself and God Almighty). I've known about talking TO God for a long time... all of my life really; but it only recently that I have come to know about seeing how God 'talks' to me.

Back to my friend. I lifted up a prayer for him last Sunday. I didn't know where he was, or even if he was living. I just felt the need to pray for him so I did. On Tuesday evening I got an email on my Blackberry from my friend! He simply said that he found my email address with a Google search on the Internet and he was wanting to say 'hi'!

He is completely on the other side of the country and now married with a young daughter. Since that first email on Tuesday, I have now seen pictures of his daughter and have spoken to him for close to an hour. What a wonderful conversation it was! I look forward to others and hopefully to once again rekindling a friendship that had long gone cold.

There are so many that would say that this was just coincidence... I thought of him and he emailed me. I am truly coming to understand the incredible power of God though. He wants and desires to have a two-way relationship with us. Yet so many times we treat Him as if He were a genie in a bottle. When we want something, we go and ask and plead with Him for it.

No, this wasn't coincidence. Yes, it was answered prayer but answered prayer sometimes is 'no' also. If we are in a right relationship with God, He indeed answers all our prayers. What I'm trying to relay to you today is that you focus first on your relationship with God and following Him wholeheartedly throughout each day. Secondly... look for the multitude of ways that God speaks to you. It may actually be audible. It may be a thought in your mind. It may come as advice from another. It may even come through a donkey speaking to you (see Numbers 22:27-31. This is a riot. I can only imagine what Balaam was thinking)!

Don't limit God in your mind and in your heart. He is without bounds or limits. His ways are not our ways and its 'OK' to not understand or find reason to the ways that He speaks to us. Just enjoy the conversation with your Creator.

Carpe Diem!