Stepping Out or Stepping Back

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.”

Matthew 14:28-29

 

“But God, If you show me the path, then I will take the next step!”

That’s our common refrain.

We say that we are walking by faith but really, are we?

Shouldn’t we be taking the next step even if we don’t see where it leads?

If our eyes remain focused on Him we can be sure of that next step.

Follow Him and let Him blaze the trail.

Peter didn’t wait for solid ground to appear.

He stepped out on the water.

 Sure, we read the rest of the story and scold Peter for his unbelief but would you have been Peter stepping out in faith or would you have been one of those who remained safely in the boat?

Jesus had the authority and the right to scold.

We do not.

Unless you have successfully walked on water!

God is inviting you out on the lake.

No, not within the safe confines of the boat.

His invitation is into the midst of the wind and the waves.

Will you step out or will you step back?

Every step forward brings you closer to Him!

He Makes All Things New

“See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:19

 

 

Have you ever purchased a ‘rebuilt’ part for your automobile?

Sometimes replacing the failed part with a brand new component can be prohibitively expensive so the option offered is a rebuilt part.

They are less expensive, but without the same guarantees a brand new part comes with.

God is not in the ‘rebuild’ business.

He doesn’t take your efforts and works and add to them.

He doesn’t take what has been and simply throw in a rebuild here and there.

He makes all things new.

Listen to this:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:

The old has gone, the new is here!

II Corinthians 5:17

You and I are new creations in Christ Jesus.

It’s not the ‘old man’ with a new façade.

We are born again into His Kingdom.

What an exciting truth to realize.

God doesn’t fix up the clunker.

He makes us a new creation.

God is not a tinkerer.

God is The Creator.

Have you placed your life, your future, your church in His hands?

Strength in Numbers

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

When we go through challenging times, we often withdraw instead of reach out for help.  We do it for various reasons.  We might be embarrassed or too prideful or just don’t want to bother anyone.  But, whatever the reason, scripture clearly teach us that we are stronger and better equipped to handle difficult times when we have others who will stand alongside us.

Listen to the benefits described in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 of having someone in your life that you can rely on in your time of need – “Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor.  If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

A better return for your labor - When you have someone who will labor alongside you in kingdom ministry, you can accomplish much more than if you were alone.

Someone to pull you up - When you stumble and fall into sin, that person will pick you up and help get your feet back on the path of righteousness.

Someone to kindle the flame - When your heart is starting to grow cold, that person can show you how to once again demonstrate love and compassion for others.

A comrade in arms - When you have to stand and fight against the enemy of your soul, that person can battle on your behalf through prayer and petition.

Just like the animal that has fallen behind the pack and is left alone, we are a prime target for the enemy when we go through life alone without other Christians intimately involved in our lives.  If you don’t have someone like that in your life, ask the Lord to bring people across your path that will link arms with you and make you stronger.

Starting all the way back in the garden, God never designed us to walk alone.  He knows there is strength in numbers.

Fall in Love All Over Again

“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

Hebrews 10:35-36

 

We live in a ‘throw-away’ society.

Use something once and throw it away.

We are even a nation, sadly, which throws away our children.

We have regarded as valueless those things we ought to highly value.

The writer of Hebrews recognized this and admonishes us not to throw away our confidence.

“Confidence in what?” you ask.

Our confidence in Christ!

It is so very easy to be distracted by things – both good and bad.

Our time and attention is pulled away from the valuable and focused on the mundane.

Do you trust Him as you trusted Him the day you invited Him into your heart?

Does that joy still bubble up inside when you spend time with Him?

Do you remain confident that He loves you, that He is your friend, that He’ll never leave you?

Or has your confidence in Him waned?

Have you allowed a ‘throw-away’ societies influence to cause you to throw away your confidence in Christ?

He restores confidence too.

What a blessed thought (no, more than that, it is a blessed reality) that is!

If you find yourself less confident in Him than you once were – tell Him.

Ask Him to restore that confidence you once had.

Spend time with Him and fall in love all over again.

Share the Good News!

Today's blog post is contributed by Denise Friedman:

Have you ever had something so great happen that you just want to tell everyone you encounter?  Maybe you just got the deal of the century when you were out shopping so you call your friends so they can take advantage of it as well.  Perhaps you have finally found a successful weight-loss program, and you want everyone to know they too can be successful in this battle.  It could even be something as simple as the perfect cleaning solution to remove that stubborn stain.  Likewise, when something amazing happens such as getting a new job, having or adopting a child, receiving a positive medical report, you want to let everyone know.

Why then, do so many of us hesitate when it come to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ?  When we are healed, He is the one who brought the healing.  When we were saved, He is the one who called us into His kingdom.  After all, the Bible declares -

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. – James 1:17

Don’t we want everyone to experience the love of Jesus in our lives?  I encourage you today to start sharing what God is doing in your life.  Your testimony is so incredibly powerful and I assure today someone needs to hear it. Start today by writing your  story.  I challenge you to share your story with at least one person today.  Give glory to God, who makes all things possible! You will be amazed when you see God’s power in action!

Rubber Saints or Crystal Christians?

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father.

    We are the clay, you are the potter;

    we are all the work of your hand”

Isaiah 64:8

 

I remember a toy from a while back called “Stretch Armstrong”.

It was a male action figure made of some type of rubber material.

You could stretch and twist his limbs any which way and they would not break.

Compare that toy with some crystal water goblets we have at home.

They are lovely to look at but very, very fragile.

They come out only on special occasions and must be handled with kid gloves.

Unlike Stretch Armstrong, they do not bend or twist.

They are delicate pieces meant to be handles as such.

You know where I am going with this…

Which are you in the hands of God?

Are you pliable and able to be conformed to His image?

Or

Are you delicate, lovely to be looked at, but unyielding to any type of pressure?

Do you surrender to His hands shaping and forming you or do you prefer to stay as you are?

Maybe, like the crystal goblet, you ‘present well’ to others but God does not find a vessel willing to be shaped by His hands. You come out on special occasions like Christmas and Easter but are certainly not someone who would change their schedule (let alone their life plans) because God requires it!

On the other hand, maybe there is some elasticity in you…you are like Stretch Armstrong in the hands of God.

Your prayer is that you would always surrender to His shaping and forming of your life even when He stretches you in ways you had not anticipated.

Can words like ‘durable’, ‘flexible’, ‘conformable’ describe you when it comes to doing Gods’ will?

Maybe your answer is: “I try to be but I have to admit, sometimes I am more like the crystal than I want to be.”

That is a wonderful place to start as you pray and ask God to make you more pliable to His work in your life.

Lord:

We desire that change that forms us more closely to your image and not simply change for changes sake.

 May we surrender and not resist the forming and shaping you desire to accomplish in each of us.

We surrender to your will.

In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

In the Company of the Weak

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

 

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.

Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential;

not many were of noble birth.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;

God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”

I Corinthians I:25-27

 

It goes against human reasoning, doesn’t it?

You are in trouble so you try to surround yourself with the strong.

You are lacking persuasiveness so it would stand to reason that you align yourself with men and woman of influence.

You desire to be wise so your mentors are the best and the brightest of the world.

But when it comes to the Kingdom of God human standards do not cut it.

Those who are strong, influential and wise in their own eyes do not impress God.

They will bring you down and not lift you up.

The call of God is to those who are not wise, influential or of noble birth.

He then fills them with His wisdom.

He makes them to be influential and, of course, there is no more noble birth we can have than being born again into God’s family.

These are not works of the flesh but are grace works of the Holy Spirit.

So, yes, if you need wisdom seek out those who have received it from above and not those whose only wisdom comes from an Ivy League sheepskin.

Need strength?

Come alongside those wise enough to know their strength comes from Him and apart from Him they are the proverbial 98 pound weakling in the things of God.

If they find their strength in Christ alone then don’t be afraid to count yourself…

…in the company of the weak!

Is your view horizontal or vertical?

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta -

About this time a year ago I lost my job.  I remember driving home and immediately thinking about all the things I needed to do to help sustain me during this upcoming season of my life.  But, instead of looking vertical (to my heavenly Father), my first inclination was to look horizontal.  My horizontal thought process went something like this – I need to make some calls, get my resume polished up, take a hard look at my bank account and tighten the budget.

Sure, those things are all good and important, but they all had one shortcoming – they were horizontally limited.  What I needed to do first and foremost was look vertical.

In Luke 21:28, after describing the difficulties that will accompany the end times, Jesus said “Now when these things begin to occur, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption (deliverance) is drawing near.” He instructed us to look vertical.

Jesus is teaching us an important truth here.  When difficulties come, look vertically to the only One that can redeem us in the midst of our hardships.  After losing my job, once I looked up, my mindset changed and I realized my job transition wasn’t due to being outplaced by my employer.  It was due to being “divinely-placed” by God.

Are you going through a difficult time?  Look up because your deliverer is coming to rescue you.

Headlines or Heaven

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:25-28

 

 

“People will faint from terror…”

That statement almost sounds like it could be snatched from today’s headlines or a banner across a webpage but they were words spoken by Jesus some 2,000 years ago.

How relevant the words of Jesus are (have been and will be too!).

They are timeless because they were (and are) true words spoken by The Truth.

So…instead of turning to ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, BBC or any of the other media outlets how about getting your ‘news’ from the most reliable source in all of creation.

Jesus told us that certain travail would be on the earth but then He redirected our focus.

Our focus is not to be on the events.

He said: “…stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

When our globe is swallowed up in crisis after crisis, He has been, is, and will remain, our hope in times of trouble.

Nothing happening yesterday, today or tomorrow catches Him off guard.

He is not fretting about the outcome.

He has given us a choice.

Our attention can be riveted by headlines or by heaven.

 Who or what has captured your eye today?

I find strength and great peace from the scriptures, the Word of Truth.

Can you say the same of the six o’clock news?

Lift your head heavenward – especially in this hour!

 

http://youtu.be/czxd5oa-gi0

 

 

 

 

Handing off the Baton

“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what

had been promised, since God had planned something better for us

so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

Hebrews 11:39-40

 

 

How did the ‘handoff’ go?

Did you receive the baton?

Imagine running in a relay race with the baton handed off to you from Noah, Moses, David, Samuel, Gideon or some other Old Testament saint.

You see the Old Testament saints have run their race and the baton has been passed to us.

We are the church and we are not running this race alone.

It is as if there are bleachers full of those who have gone before cheering us on in our efforts.

You must continue on in this race!

Hold firmly to the baton!

Be sure of your footing!

Can you see the finish line?

No, we are not alone in this race.

Never have been and never will be.

Certainly Jesus said He would never leave us and never forsake us and that promise is kept through the Holy Spirit in us, but there is also that “…great cloud of witnesses…”

They have run their leg faithfully and finished well and have passed the baton on to you.

They do not leave the stadium uninterested in the completion of the race but now sit in the stands watching, cheering and encouraging you and me in our leg.

Can you hear David yelling: “Don’t be afraid of the giant!”?

I can just hear Jeremiah and Timothy encouraging the younger ones in the race.

Let me close with the first verse of Hebrews 12 –

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,”

Do you have the baton firmly in hand?

Can you hear the cheering?  

Do You See The Army?

“No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs,

 but rather tries to please his commanding officer.”

II Timothy 2:4

 

 

Someone once said – “One with God is a majority!”

God is building an army.

It is not one that finds its strength in bombs, ground troops or intimidation.

The strength of God’s army is God Himself.

God showed, through the life of Gideon, how it works.

God had Gideon intentionally ‘thin the ranks’ so that their victory would not rest in their numbers.

It would not rest in their skills, strategies or superior fire power.

It would rest in God alone.

It is no different today.

Gods’ army will not succeed on high tech gadgets or ‘shock and awe’.

We humble ourselves before Him.

We recognize and see ourselves as He sees us.

God can use just a handful of people when those people position themselves in His hand.

Will you be a part of His army?

Will you humble yourself before God?

Will you stay in the place of surrender?

Humility?

Surrender?

Those hardly sound like fighting words we would expect from an army.

 Yet, that is exactly the soldiers God is recruiting.

Will you let His might and power flow through you?

Whose Report Will You Believe?

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”

Luke 6:12-16

 

 

Traitors are made, not born.

What a frightening thought to have a legacy as a traitor.

Judas was one of the twelve chosen by Jesus as an apostle.

But just as Jesus chose, so too did Judas.

I don’t think Judas woke up one morning and said: “I’m going to be a traitor.”

Then how did it happen?

Walking beside Jesus, in the very shadow of the Son of God, how does one become a traitor?

Could it be as simple as who we have ears to hear?

Who we listen to?

Have you ever been in someone’s company as they spoke but not really listening to what they were saying?

Maybe you heard them but it was not accompanied by understanding.

I think, over time, Judas developed a listening ear.

But there was a problem because he was listening to the wrong person.

Jesus not only spoke the truth, He was the Truth.

Every word He spoke was truth.

The devil is a deceiver.

He is a liar.

I believe Judas, even while in the company of Jesus, began to believe the lies of the enemy instead of the truth.

It was a process.

When we consider this possibility it should reinforce for each of us the importance of meditating on, and living in the Truth.

We need not fear the enemy when we submit ourselves to God and His Truth.

But it is not a ‘once and done’ deal.

It too is a process.

Believe God’s promises concerning you and not the enemy’s lies.

 

http://youtu.be/WxEZ9p9E5qk

What Kind of Wineskin Are You?

Today's blog post is contributed by David Trotta:

“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” (Mark 2:22)

I’m sure many of us are familiar with the above verse.  Jesus uses the example of a wineskin to encourage us to be flexible in our thinking to accommodate a new move of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 

I know this is kind of an obvious question, but did you know that all old wineskins were once new wineskins?  When a new wineskin is first used, it is flexible, which allows the fermenting process to finish.  But once used, old wineskins often have to be discarded.  They can no longer be used to hold new wine, because they are already stretched out and cannot be stretched again.

As Christians, we were all new wineskins once.  At some point, we surrendered our life to God and allowed Him to expand our hearts and minds with an understanding of who He is.  But tragically, as time goes on, we often lose our flexibility and become like old wineskins, unwilling to be stretched again.

How about you?  Would you consider yourself a new or old wineskin?  Are you flexible enough to receive a new move of the Holy Spirit in your life?  Or, were you flexible a long time ago when you first asked Jesus to take up residence in your heart, but since that initial stretching, you have become rigid and resist any new move of God that doesn’t fit into your theological box?

The river or flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives will always stretch us by moving in new and exciting ways.  Isaiah 43:19 says “Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Will you heed to what God is doing in your life, even if it looks a little different than what you’ve experienced before?  Will you commit to being a new wine skin every day, so that God can continually pour His Holy Spirit into you afresh?

Trust and obey . . .

Today's blog post is contributed by Denise Friedman -

As we continue to see the Holy Spirit flowing around us, we are learning this is an active process on our part - we have responsibilities.  Yesterday we learned we have a responsibility to join what God is doing, not just watch.  There are two additional responsibilities I would like to share so we can be sure we don’t miss what God has for us.

First, we have a responsibility to test what God is doing.  By this, I mean we need to test to be sure it is God.  At times, it might look like God is asking us to do something a little crazy, so we need to be sure to filter it through Him.  Sometimes, it might look like God is asking others to do something a little crazy.  It is not our job to judge.  This might be challenging at times after all, don’t we know best? Surely God wouldn’t ask me to do that!  What that person is doing can’t be God!  We are called Children of God, not judges of God (or others).  Test what we are asked to do, absolutely, but if it is God, we are to trust it, not judge it.

The other responsibility you have is to flow with what God is doing, not just doing what you prefer.  This can be so difficult at times.  Maybe you love to teach others about God.  However, you might be in a setting where the focus is worship.  At this time, your responsibility is to worship.  Perhaps you join a small group or Bible study and at one meeting, everyone is asked to pray out loud!  I know, I know, this might be a stretch for you.  God knows it too.  You honor Him by flowing with the Holy Spirit and setting your personal preferences aside at that time. 

Both of these areas require a great trust in our Leader and leadership! When we trust our Leader, God, has plans to prosper me, and not to harm me, plans to give me a hope and a future (Jer 29:11), we can trust what he is asking us to do, will advance His Kingdom on earth.   When we believe we are following our leadership, as they imitate and follow Christ,  (1 Cor 11:1), we can be confident as we set aside our personal preferences to flow where the Holy Spirit is flowing.

As the title of today’s message suggests – Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey

Spectator or Player?

Today's blog post is contributed by Denise Friedman -

Are you witnessing God’s Holy Spirit moving in your life or the lives of those around you?  Did you realize that you have a responsibility as you see the Holy Spirit flowing in and around you? Today I want to share one thing you are responsible for during this time.

First, you have a responsibility to join what God is doing, not just watch.  Many individuals love to “people watch” and it is sometimes fascinating to see what other do around us.  However, when you are watching, you are not part of the advancement of the Kingdom on earth. 

Since football season is just beginning, let me use that as an example.  Imagine watching your favorite team all year.  Each week, you root for them, noting the great plays, grimacing in pain as a player is injured, expressing upset when the team loses.  As it gets closer to playoff season, your role as a fan becomes more intense as your team wins more games and eventually makes it to the Superbowl.  The day of the big game arrives and you watch with great anticipation. Your team wins the Superbowl with an amazing victory!

Imagine after that game, you speak to everyone you know about your victory and tell them how you won the game.  Sounds kind of silly doesn’t it?  You did not step onto the field once.  Step on the field, you didn’t even attend a practice with the team.  There is no way you can claim to be part of that victory, all you did was watch from your living room!

While this may be acceptable as a football fan, God does not intend for us to be spectators in His Kingdom.  He wants us in practice, preparing.  He wants participating in the game.  At times, this may involve just setting on the bench, encouraging our teammates, and that is our expected role.  However, at other times, He wants us on the field, fighting for victory!

Today, ask God how He wants you to join his kingdom, not just be a spectator!

Be courageous



Today's blog post is contributed by Denise Friedman

Yesterday we were standing on the threshold of what God has planned for us.  We found ourselves at the door, which has been opened for us.  Some may be ready, willing and able to take that step across the threshold into whatever God has planned.  That is great! 

Some of us may be a little hesitant.  We might be unsure, not because we don’t trust our Father to give us good gifts, but because we are not confident in our ability, or in exactly what this new endeavor will  look like.  God may be asking us to sacrifice something which quite frankly, we may not be ready to consider letting go of at this time.  We sincerely want to follow Holy Spirit’s guidance, but maybe we are frozen, kind of like when you have a dream you are being chased and your legs won’t move.

My prayer for all of us in this place is that God will fill us with the courage we need to take that first step.  Courage to confidently step out of our comfort zone and into something completely unknown to us.  Courage to leave behind whatever it is God is saying needs to be out of lives in order for us to move ahead.  Courage to just say “Yes Lord, use me!”

If you find yourself in this group needing courage today, I encourage you to pray this prayer with me, “Heavenly Father, I thank you for showing me what my next step is.  Lord, I ask today for you to fill me with your courage so I am able to accomplish all that you have planned for me.  God, I need courage because what you are asking me to do is so big, I know I cannot accomplish this on my own.  Thank you for your faithfulness to use me to move Heaven on earth!  I ask this in the name of your precious son, Jesus – amen!”

Crossing the threshold

Today's blog post is contributed by Denise Friedman:

For everyone who asks, receives; the one who seeks,  finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish will give him  a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to five good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!–Matthew 7:8-11

Have you been seeking God for something in your life?  Have you been sincerely pressing in to receive something from Heaven?  Have you been waiting for a promise God gave you to be fulfilled?  The scripture above assures that when we ask in the will of our Father, we know we will receive, when we seek, we will find, and when we knock, He will open the door for us.

Perhaps you are on the threshold of something big happening in your life!   You might be one step away from walking into the destiny God has planned and purposed for you.  If you are standing at the threshold, be bold enough to take that step.  I realize that similar to the photo below, you may not know what is awaiting you on the other side of that doorway.  I realize that you might not be able to see clearly exactly where that step will lead.  Be confident in this – your Father longs to give you good gifts.  He will not ask you to step into something that is not His will. 

As you stand at the threshold, thank your Father in heaven for the wonderful gifts he is about to pour out upon you!  Go forth in confidence.

 

 

A Lifestyle of Worship

Today's post is contributed by David Trotta:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1)

As Christians, we often think of worship as something we do on Sunday morning with other believers through the singing of songs and giving of our tithes and offerings.  Both those acts of worship are critical in demonstrating our love for God and His Lordship over our lives.

However, as we read in Romans, true and proper worship involves much more.  It involves continually offering our bodies as a living sacrifice, not just on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week in the many choices we make.  Every time we sacrifice our wants and desires for what is pleasing to God, and say “not my will, but your will be done,” we worship Him.

For example, we worship God when….

We turn away from looking at provocative picture in a magazine or on an Internet website.

We choose not to react in anger when someone cuts in front of us on the road.

We choose to respond with love and kindness after being hurt or mistreated.

We put in an honest, hard day’s work at our place of business.

We stoop down to pick something up for someone or hold the door for an elderly person.

We set aside our fears and insecurities to share the gospel with someone or ask to pray with them.

We purposely “unplug” from the busyness of life to spend time with our Heavenly Father.

We sacrificially demonstrate love to our spouses.

We choose to be transparent and put away any pretense when interacting with others.

We choose to regard someone else’s needs above our own.

Will you join me in cultivating a lifestyle of worship to God through the many choices we make every day?

Guide Me

“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,

and my hope is in you all day long.”

Psalm 25:5

 

My family and I recently toured the home of William Seward, the Secretary of State to Abraham Lincoln.

The tour was led by a docent who expertly guided us through each room sharing the significance of Seward’s life and contributions at a critical time in US history.

Had we walked through the rooms without a guide we surely would have missed much that was available to us on the tour.

We, like others in our group were able to ask questions and have them answered by our knowledgeable guide.

That, too, would have been unavailable to us if we had not had a guide leading us through the home.

As believers we have a guide leading us through life.

That is, if we choose to follow.

You see this guide does not manipulate, control or dominate.

He only guides those who are willing to follow.

The guide I am speaking about is, of course, the Holy Spirit.

But there can be many ‘guides’ available to us in life.

Yes, even after we have been filled with the Holy Spirit.

We can choose the guidance of the Holy Spirit or we can brush Him aside (remember He won’t force you to be guided by Him) and instead say: “Flesh guide me!”

Maybe you can’t imagine yourself ever saying that but is it evident by your actions?

We can choose to be guided by flesh, peer pressure, ambition, careers, popular culture, money, power, Hollywood or a host of other things.

A church can also surrender the lead to the Holy Spirit or to a board, a pastor, a denomination, a religious culture – to name just a few.

So who is your guide today?

For your life?

Choose the Holy Spirit!

 

Scam Alert!

“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,”

Titus 3:5

 

 

Have you seen those scams that out are all over the internet?

Maybe you’ve had a few delivered the inbox of your e-mail.

They tell you that you have won some sweepstakes or are the sole inheritor of some wealthy person estate.

All you need do is send them a modest sum (modest compared to what is promised anyway!) of a couple hundred dollars to cover this or that processing and the pot at the end of the rainbow is on its way to you.  

Of course there is nothing sent to you and should you fall victim to the scam you will never again see the money you sent!

I think sometimes we forget the fundamentals of our faith and like the victim who sends the money, we attempt to ‘secure’ the heavenly streets of gold by our own labors.

It’s as if we are trying to send ahead some kind of insurance policy to be certain the pearly gates open when we arrive.

While we are created for good works they are to be those good works that flow out of a believer’s relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Yes, He is our guide and that includes guiding us into those works that will bear much fruit.  

Sure, some people can use that as an excuse for doing nothing.

They might say it once or a hundred times – “I wasn’t led!”

But draw near to God and as He draws near to you His Holy Spirit will guide you into a life of service and sacrifice.

It is so much better when He opens a door instead of us trying to pry it open!

Here is my challenge for you today.

Don’t be scammed into “filthy rags righteousness”.

Ask the Holy Spirit what He would have you do today.

Surrender yourself to Him for His purposes.

He will guide you in serving through righteous works that glorify Him and not you.

 

Have you Received Your Inheritance?

“and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share

 in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”

Colossians 1:12

 

 

Suppose you had a wealthy relative who died and left you an inheritance.

Let’s also suppose that you did not know this.

How would you find this out?

It is the role of the executor to distribute the assets to the beneficiaries.

Did you know that we have an inheritance through Jesus Christ?

Are you living in the benefits of your inheritance?

Do you know what you have received?

The Holy Spirit acts as the executor to make known and available those benefits.

Listen to these words of Jesus:

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” John 16:13-15

Do you ask, seek and knock?

Are you intentional about seeking the guidance of the one sent to guide you?

Or do you fly through life by the seat of your pants content to make your own decisions and live with the consequences?

Jesus not only spoke of what the Holy Spirit would do, He also showed us how to walk – day-by-day – with the Holy Spirit as His guide.

Do we suppose we are better than Him?

Of course not!

How much more then do we need the guide, the executor God the Father sent to us?

Ask Him how to walk in that inheritance today.

He will guide you in your walk to appropriate all that Jesus has made available!

God Does Not Lie

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 11:9-13

 

Yes, we did just recently look at this passage from Luke.

But here is an interesting question to consider.

Have you settled the question?

“What question?” you ask.

Do you think that when you are in genuine pursuit of God and you ask Him for something He is out to trick you or somehow deny what you are asking for?

Did you catch that key phrase?

It was ‘genuine pursuit’.

I am not talking about a petition to gratify the flesh or a request that is contrary to His will for you.

You’ve come to Him and asked Him to fill you with more of His presence and power.

(That’s part of His will for your life!)

You desire to know Him more and make that request of Him.

(That’s part of His will for your life!)

You need direction and so you ask, seek and knock.

(That’s part of His will for your life!)

How do you suppose He would answer these requests?

Do you imagine He is waiting to trick or deceive you?

Of course not! That is the character of the devil and not of our Father.

Was Jesus lying when He spoke what He did above?

Certainly wasn’t!

Settle the question.

God loves you and delights to bring you closer to Him.

He gives you the Holy Spirit, as Jesus declares above, and the Holy Spirit will be your guide into all truth!

Have you sought His guidance and direction today?