Pressing On

No matter what someone else or the enemy throws smack dab in the middle of our "race" ~ God's plan still remains intact! Might be a few extra hurdles to jump over and obstacles to maneuver around, but God turns it around for our good... developing godly character and endurance in us that becomes the needed strength for us to press on to the prize!

Father, even in the midst of the temptations and trials, we can have the confidence that you are working it all out for our ultimate good because Your Word declares it so.  We trust You. We believe in Your love, a love that wants the best for Your children, a love that sees the end from the beginning, a love that doesn't see a situation in a temporal sense but by the eternal. 

We so often only see what is right in front of us; failing to remember that even when we can't see it You ARE working behind the scenes!  Help us, Lord, to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus!   As our example, He endured the race that was set before Him even to the point of death. What appeared, in the natural, as a tragedy was actually a victory!  Lord, help us not to limit our sight on circumstances, setbacks, or on a single chapter in our lives... We commit to press on despite  the current "backdrop" in our race KNOWING that the scenery is going to change and ultimate victory is ours through Jesus!

Amen!

"God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12

"I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." Philippians 3:14 

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

We Surrender

CHORUS

We surrender to You, Jesus

We make You Lord of all

Move within Your church, Lord

Let Your presence fall

We surrender

With hands uplifted

We surrender

To Your lordship

Over the earth

Take our life

Use it for Your glory

Let revival

Now be birthed

(Chorus)

Down on our knees

We surrender

To our part

In Your perfect plan

We’ll forsake

All of our wicked ways

Please, Lord, heal our land

(Chorus)

In brokenness

We surrender

We lay aside all pride

Forgive us for not making You Lord

Over every part of our lives

(Chorus)



What Does Father Mean to You?

What does “father” mean to you?  For many it is one who has caused you great pain in life or one you never even knew. If this is you, I hurt for you and understand that void...  I understand the warped sense of "father" you have carried, and you know what? God understands too.  The very fact that He has a Scripture just for you: "He is a Father to the fatherless." (Psalm 68:5), clearly shows He wants everyone to understand the TRUE meaning of a father and experience the beauty of it in their lives.

A true father will get down to the level of his children; engaging in “their” world with a heart full of love for them not for what they do, but because they are his; a gift entrusted to him.  He exercises patience in times of rebellion and yet spurs his children on to become who they are called to be; what they are capable of becoming in this life.

Isn’t it amazing that God, the Creator of everything, wants us to call Him “Father?”  Having Him as Father makes Him a living, personal being who is concerned with our day to day challenges, joys, fears… And just like any good father loves to hear his children call him by name, our Heavenly Father is longing for the same... 

When you call on Him, with open arms, He meets you right where you are... You don't have to fear being turned away or put off for another time... Climbing into the safety of "Daddy's" arms is the best place to be...

You can’t hug someone who is resisting you.  You can’t share your love and the secrets of your heart with one who is continually speaking…  It’s time we let down our wall and quiet ourselves for a love encounter with Him.  He is waiting on us because He counts it a great joy to love on His children...

Discovering Your Assignment

You don't decide your assignment; you discover it. (Ps 139:16, Jer 1:5, Jer 29:11) Our assignment is geographical. Where you are is as important as what and who you are. You can be the right person in the wrong place. Jonah was the right person, but he surely wasn't going to accomplish what he was called to do in the belly of a fish :)... Lord, enlighten the eyes of our understanding...

Worth

Never content

The longing never filled

Looking for love

In a person to fulfill

You long to feel worth

To fill an aching void

Then in times you hide away

Rejection – to avoid

You think through your mind games

Your protection is found

But within this vicious cycle

You only remain bound

I’m aware of your struggles

I know where the hurt lies

Beyond your tough façade

I see the inner cries

Nothing I’ve created

Was made to quench your thirsty soul

No one in your life

Can ever make you whole

These idols in your life

Will one day come crashing down

And then you’re faced with the reality

It’s in Me – your worth is found

A Little Piece of Heaven on Earth: A Message to Husbands

Unhappy marriages, unfulfilled spouses, couples drudging through life “together” but never unified like marriage is intended. It’s an epidemic that all too often breeds the “need” for secret lives and affairs. Why do I call it a need? Because the fact is, God has placed within us the need to be loved, adored, cherished, desired, respected… All are God given needs. When a need is not met, what happens? Some part of us either dies or we look elsewhere to have it fulfilled.

A while back I was walking and casually talking with the Lord.  He showed me a glimpse of a young boy who was feverishly digging through a dumpster for food.  His parents neglected him; failing to provide for his necessities.  The Lord began to speak to me how He puts needs in every single person.  Not only does He place the desire within us but an innate longing to have it fulfilled.  When the needs are not met by the proper person, in most cases, He said, “You will search through the garbage heap to find it.”

Your wife has deep needs that have been deposited inside of her that you, her husband, have been called to meet. There are things she longs for, yearns for, and absolutely needs in her life. Will you be the man of her dreams? Will you “ruin” your wife in such a way that she never has eyes for another? Will you provide the refreshing “well” her heart requires so she doesn’t eventually dehydrate and go drinking from a polluted cistern?

Before moving on, I want to clarify here that I am not in any way condoning your wife to have an affair if you are not meeting her needs.  Wrong is wrong no matter the reasoning.  If I fail to feed my child and he goes to the store and steals food, does that make his stealing ok? No, but when a need is unfulfilled it puts one in a place of weakness; a playground for Satan to take advantage.  I’m reminded of 1 Corinthians 7:5 in regards to sexual relations between spouses.  Paul warns us, “Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree… Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. “ Should we be spiritually fit enough to ward off these temptations? Of course!  My desire is to simply help protect your marriage from the enemy’s invasion.

In order for your wife to be fulfilled in the intimacy department, you must remember you must touch her heart and her mind before you ever touch her body. To learn how to touch her heart, you will need to study her. Keep your eyes and ears open for ideas and cues as to how you can make her life easier or simply bring a smile to her day. Study her preferences, her responsibilities, learn what makes her tick. When you have a passion for something, what do you do? You study it; you purposefully place yourself around it.

What you love to study, you come to love even more. That is the way God wired us. Note all kinds of details about her, from what foods she likes to the quirky facial expressions she makes that only you will be able to translate, to the one birthmark that only you will see. As you seek to learn what pleases, excites, honors, encourages, refreshes, and helps her – your love for her will only increase.

Husbands, you have the power within you to cause your wife to blossom or cause her to wilt. You can quench her thirst or you can leave her dehydrated and looking for something to pacify the need. When you "lay your life down" to show you genuinely love and care about her, you will be well on your way to "a little piece of heaven" on earth. A fulfilled wife is a happy wife, and a happy wife has no desire to look elsewhere.

Trust Him

Jesus was speaking to a multitude of people, saying things that didn’t make sense to their natural mind.  Much of it seemed quite bizarre, leading some to think that He was a crazy man.  At the conclusion of His talk, the Bible says:

“From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.  "Do you also want to go away?" Jesus asked the Twelve.  Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Notice that Peter doesn’t stop there, but goes on to say, “Also we have come to BELIEVE and KNOW that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  (John 6:66-69)

When we come to the realization that Jesus is who He says He is, we can fully trust Him when He tells us something or directs us in a way that doesn’t make sense to us.  We can trust Him even when the multitude mocks and when those who once followed Him walk away. 

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

TRUST HIM!  And trust that His plans for you ARE good! (Jeremiah 29:11) J