Knowing God

On an afternoon walk, a common way that I like to connect with the Lord, I heard Him speak to my spirit, "I want My people to truly know Me for all that I am, not just a portion."

He showed me how we all have different people in our lives for different purposes. We go to the doctor for our physical health. We have our pastors and accountability partners who help us grow spiritually. We have people in our lives that are strictly for business purposes, connections that help us gain wisdom in the area of business, discovering ways to prosper. We have friends who are there for us emotionally. We have friends who are there for us just for a good laugh...

The different people in our lives play a different role... In most cases, we do not know these people in the fullness of who they are... They meet a certain need - vice versa, but it's a limited relationship that lacks intimacy.

God so desires a deep, abiding relationship with each one of us. That is why He is challenging us to know Him as the All Sufficient One. Many times we focus primarily on Him being a faithful God, our Healer, our Comfort, or the One who provides. He is all of those things, but we have to stop limiting Him to a part of who He is and making Him just another "person," another "go to" that is only given access to a portion of our lives. He so desires our intimate acquaintance. In knowing the depths of who someone is, true intimacy is then birthed.

I want to encourage you to study the Word and gather tools to assist you in navigating through the Scriptures. There is so much more to God than we have even begun to tap into. He is the "I AM." In Him our every need is found. In Him we can do all things. In Him we are complete. In Him is life. In Him we live, and move, and have our being. We need Him! And the beautiful thing is, He longs for and desires us...

(Acts 17:28, John 1:4, Colossians 2:10, Philippians 4:13, 1 John 4:19)

Study tools: :)
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/devotionalSeries/C24/
http://truthmedia.com/training/attributes_god/

Love Your Neighbor

 

 

"Love your neighbor as yourself," embodies so much more than a rule to live by or an act to prove our love for God. There are blessings in obedience, but ultimately all guidelines that God lays out for us are laced with an eternal perspective much bigger than ourselves. God is about furthering His kingdom. We are the hands and feet of Christ in the earth to accomplish just that.

Think about this! Those who lowered the Apostle Paul through the window to escape the death threat on his life were actually letting down 13 books of the Bible! You never know the affect you have when you do something to help or encourage another... Remember, your act of love could reshape one's entire future ~ and generations following!

Prayer for Fathers

We thank You that you are a faithful Father who we can always count on to meet us right where we are. You engage in our world. You concern Yourself with the things that matter to us and are always looking out for our best interest in those things. We can trust You.

Many of us, Lord, haven't had that example in an earthly father. We ask that You send down Your healing to the brokeness that we are living out day after day because of that missing void in our lives. We all need to be fathered and when that ingredient is missing, life just isn't what You ordained it to be. But in Your goodness - You chose to be a Father to us. May Your pure love fill all the cracks within us that need to be filled.

We pray for fathers to be awakened to the great call that they have. When a child sees their father - the way he lives, the way he acts, the way he treats others, the way he treats them - they should see a man who is mirroring his life after You. We pray that fathers would have a passion for their children's spiritual health by demonstrating Your perfect love and fervently teaching them Your ways and how to hear Your voice.

Father, we ask for Your blessing on the men who have willfully taken the role of father seriously whether it be with their  biological children, those they have "adopted" as their own, or those who have access to be a positive influence and role model in a child's life. Grant them strength and wisdom to finish the race strong. We pray they would be reassured how worthy their call is and that what they have committed to will not be in vain. You have placed a generation within their hands, and we know that You are smiling down on them. Amen. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7SH9eP7Q_o

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...

Fatherless

 

 

 

Alone and abandoned; the smiles you fake

He brought you into this world, but you feel you’re a mistake

Can’t recall when he last held you or was ever truly there

Emotionally he’s absent; he seems to never care

You strive for his approval; long for his concern

He lets you down as always; you wonder when you’ll learn

Nails of sadness pierce your heart---day after day

You feel forsaken…you hope it will change

 

I can see the emptiness---with you I have cried

I understand the loneliness of being denied

I share in the pain of being forsaken

I relate with the nails and the abuse you have taken

 

I want to carry every burden that is weighing you down

I want to give you hope and a smile for your frown

I want to assure you, you are here for a reason

These sorrowful times are only for a season

 

You felt you were fatherless, but your real daddy is Me

For I’m the one who formed you before you ever came to be

I have great plans for you…I’ll mend your broken heart

If you give your life to Me, I will never depart

 

Sweet child, I love you---more than you can understand

Despite your brokenness, please trust Me and take My hand

I’ll lead you down the path of Truth that will surely make you free

No matter what comes down that road, you can always count on Me

 

Though trials come into your life, and it seems there is no way

There is a peace I have for you---to get you through each day

Please don’t listen to the lies you hear---that your life is not worth while

For I don’t regret creating you…I’m proud that you’re My child

Memorial Day Prayer

Father, we thank You for Jesus - the One who willingly laid His life down for our eternal freedom.

 We also thank You for the men and women who have served and are currently serving our country. Like Jesus, they have committed themselves and their time for the sake of freedom. They have unselfishly laid down their lives for us and even a future generation yet unborn.

We thank You for the Holy Spirit who is our Comforter. Comfort the families who have lost their loved ones while battling for our country's freedom. We are so thankful for the price they've paid. Comfort the families whose loved ones are away. Give them strength and courage to face each day.

We lift up those who are on the battle lines now and those who could be called at any time. We pray for their protection and safe return. We pray that their purpose in fighting for our peace not be in vain.

 We pray for the servicemen and women who do not know You. Send laborers into their path. May the blinders be removed and their eyes be opened to the Gospel message. We pray Jesus would become their hope and comfort, and that they would then unashamedly share their experience with Him to others. We pray for a domino effect to happen - that the saving message of Jesus would spread like wild fire!

 

We pray that the United States would come back to You. We pray that revival would be sparked in the hearts of all - that a great awakening would strike the land and Jesus would be glorified in America. Bless our country, Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK0T4pVHP28&feature=related

Post a message to our veterans:

 http://www.proudtobeavet.com/Pages/thank-you.aspx

Pride

What is one thing that we rarely see in ourselves, but it is clearly seen by others?

Pride.

It takes a really hard look and a sincere asking of God to shine a light on it (just like He had to do with Paul on the Road to Damascus). It's a painful experience falling off of a "high horse" and being blinded by the very light that frees us, but the outcome far outweighs the temporal pain because...

 …pride destroys.

Pride is a repellant for a healthy relationship. Its very presence shuts those around us down. It sprays out unspoken venom that says "You're inadequate and will never measure up to my perfection. Your opinion does not matter. You will always be a little lower than me. Don’t oppose my thoughts or I will reject or withhold from you.”

Prideful people won't admit it, but they don't want to hear about someone else's success. It repulses them. They choke on seeing anyone else succeed or possibly stand out brighter than themselves. They can frequently talk about themselves and their accomplishments but if someone else does "they are too into themselves." When sharing about yourself or another person, a prideful person will overtake the conversation by either "upping" the other person or somehow turning the whole conversation back to themselves where the initial subject matter somehow vanishes.

Prideful people belittle, argue, always have an opposing argument (not allowing others the right to their own opinions without snide remarks or looks of disgust), cause dissensions, make light of other's pain, lack compassion, struggle with sincere apologies, always an excuse for their wrongdoing, and silence is a rare act. (1Timothy 6:4, Proverbs 11:12)

Let's see what the Bible says:

 1. It is an abomination to God; will not go unpunished (Proverbs 16:5)

2. It is deceiving (Galatians 6:3)

3. More hope for a fool (Proverbs 26:12)

4. Brings destruction (Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 18:12, Proverbs 29:23, Psalm 31:23)

5. God Himself opposes us (James 4:6)

6. Lack understanding, unteachable (2 Corinthians 10:12, Proverbs 15:12)

7. Not approved of God (2 Corinthians 10:18)

8. Lacks love (1 Corinthians 13:4)

9. Clean in their own eyes, but not God's (Proverbs 30:12)

10. Become fools (Romans 1:22)

For the sake of your reading time, I will stop there, but the Scriptures are seemingly endless on the subject. Fact of the matter is, if we don't pay close attention and deal with the pride in our lives, God will. Rather than having the very One we need on our side, we place ourselves on His opposing team. Remember Lucifer? He was cast out of God's presence because of what? His pride. God resists the proud. I don't know about you, but I do not want Him pushing me but rather pulling me to Himself.

This unapproachable, unteachable bubble we are encompassed in will ultimately kill everything around us. The very one we exulted above others and their feelings will be all we are left with (Proverbs 12:9). It's scriptural and it's no joking matter. Better to humble ourselves than to be humbled by God. (Luke 14:11)

Father, our pride keeps us from hearing You. It keeps us from learning. It keeps us from healthy relationships. It shuts others out. It causes us to ignore the needs of others and become calloused to their pains.  It blinds us from seeing others as You do. It makes us zero in on their wrongdoings and have a “they deserve it” mentality. We fail to realize that we too deserve nothing in and of ourselves, but because of Your mercy, you have blessed us anyway.

We choose today to humble ourselves, to compare ourselves to Your perfection rather than to the accomplishments or lack thereof of others.  We want a true change in our hearts, Lord… not a false humility where we get in the “ditch” and go the other direction with a “Woe is me. I’m a worthless sinner.” We know that is not Your will either. We can be confident in You and what You do through us as long as it is never at the expense of hurting others or making light of what You are doing in them as well. We need Your help, Lord. We submit to Your ways and ask You to reveal to us when pride rears its ugly head. We want it completely eradicated from our lives in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

"One with true humility willfully washes the feet of those who chose the muddy path – remembering that they too have been washed." ~etb