Finding Purpose In The Storm

Why Are All of These Terrible Things Happening? Am I being punished? Will this ever end? 

Many people ask themselves these questions many times, especially during the most turbulent times of their lives when things just don’t make sense, especially when things appear to be growing worse, and when God feels distant and seems silent. As a small child I remember my mother rising early and ending the day with the Lord on her heart. Jesus Christ was her mentor, her example, her friend, her companion no matter what she faced. The anointing was evident in her face, her countenance, her tenacity to continue, and the time she took each night to teach me about the Lord through Bible readings, songs, and games we played. This was the first time I learned that no matter what we have to face in life or how egregious the circumstance, God still sits on the throne and has a wonderful plan for all of the struggle. 

When the storms Increase in Velocity so does God’s Mercy. 

There are times in our lives when we are doing all the right things, when we’re trusting and believing that the same God who brought us through hard times in the past, will deliver us as quickly as He did before, or in the same manner. We cry, we wait, we pray, and we trust, but still there seems to be no relief, no answer. As the storms increase in strength and seem to never end, we begin to wonder if we are being punished, targeted, or forsaken, and many of us begin to doubt the true existence of God because we fail to fully understand beyond the five senses why a loving God would allow seemingly unbearable pain. It is hard to conceptualize how God could suddenly turn His back and walk away during the darkest moments of our lives leaving us to fend for ourselves in very painful moments. We may feel abandoned, but we are not alone in our sufferings, the Lord Jesus felt this exact way before His crucifixion. He felt separated from God like we often do when we feel pressured or uncertain. He felt anxious and forsaken after having an oneness with God, but continued to be obedient in spite of how he felt. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) 

If we rely on our feelings we will often be misled, because feelings change for a variety of reasons and therefore have nothing to do with obedience. Jesus went to the cross anyway. Furthermore, God doesn't always promise us that things will turn out the way we planned, expected, and anticipated, but He did promise that no matter what we have to face He will always be there with us, even when we don’t feel His presence. He knows every situation, sees every teardrop that falls from your eye, and He has a resolution and a plan to bring you out, in His time. God is the solution to every problem, and has a time limit to every trial. 

Trials and tribulation arrive to strengthen, test, and teach, and the only choices we have through the inferno process, are to either become bitter or better. 

The purpose of trials as painful as they are force us to higher ground, otherwise we would remain stuck in the valley and never reach the mountain top which is God’s intended destiny for us. Sometimes God will allow pressure to force us out of our comfort zone, and we must be willing to stand a little discomfort in order to receive what He has in store for us. Storms in the form of adversity, persecution, job loss, a nasty divorce, bereavement, a wayward child, a broken relationship, a sick loved one, and persecution in any form, is the stretching process we must endure in order to move into God’s intended destiny for our lives. Like a skilled artist, God creates a masterpiece. He never makes mistakes, nor does He crumble His work and toss it into the trash. God continues to build on what He started until it is just right, because only He can see the finished product. Therefore, storms are designed to bring us into a new dimension and transition us to another spiritual level. You may be saying, “Well, I just can’t take another thing right now.” God is saying, yes you can. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. God knows when and how to stop the pressing block before it fully crushes you. If you feel crushed right now, just know that it is God’s way of squeezing you hard enough to reveal your true character, the real person you are on the inside and what you need to work on. It doesn't always mean that you are being punished or chastised, but there is a great lesson to be learned in every trial. Storms cause us to reflect on any sin that may be present in our lives, any bad attitudes we have, or any grudges we continue to harbor. Storms do not dim the way, but produce light in the path of darkness, and there is a light at the end of every tunnel, and it’s not always a train. You can and will survive your storm. 

God’s Mercy is Renewed Every Morning 

As I rise in the morning hours drinking my morning coffee with God, and before I begin my day, I ask for a heaping portion of the renewed mercy He has stored for me this day. God is merciful and full of grace especially during the times we need it the most. He promised to never leave nor forsake us. He promised that no weapon formed against you will prosper, and if God said it then He meant it! Nothing that you are facing at the present moment is a surprise to the almighty that is in control of ALL things, and He has a perfect outcome for you if you remain steadfast and continue to persevere through the torrential storms. Many of us give up and throw in the towel when we fail to see things changing, but God is always up to something and always working every situation out on your behalf. “God’s thoughts for you are thoughts of peace and not evil.” Jeremiah 29:11. Intensity of pain means you’re getting closer to your breakthrough. For example: Right before a baby is born, the mother’s pain is greatly increased, and the physician doesn’t tell her to stop or give up, but coaches her to push harder until the baby is born. Whatever God is trying to birth through you, will bring you great joy if you keep pushing through it. Now, is not the time to stop, you’ve come too far in your journey to throw in the towel. 

God never said that perceived weapons of mass destruction would not be formed; He said they would not prosper. 

The enemy is never going away, so it is a waste of time stressing over every negative thing that comes our way. Satan will do anything and everything to distract you from God's purpose and plan. His goal is to stress you the point where you have no strength to even utter a simple prayer. Don't waste time fighting people or thinking about things you have no control over. Whatever it takes, your biggest fight is in keeping your mind on God at all times, and not trying to put out the little fires the enemy starts. Let the captain handle it all. God is the greatest fire fighter and while you continue to trust Him, He will fight on your behalf. Furthermore, for the sake of Christ, we will have trials and tribulations and we will encounter and suffer many afflictions. However, this period may be a testing time and only temporary, a time when you really need to dig your heels in prayer, fasting, thanksgiving, and praise. God wants to talk to you. He wants your attention. He is using the floods you are presently facing to move you to higher ground. How else could He get our attention? It is hard to hear that gentle sweet voice of God when your mind is cluttered with problems. Whatever you focus on will become bigger and more powerful. Make sense? 

Then why so much pain? Haven't I been through enough? 

The real questions are....Is God setting me up for something beyond my wildest dreams? Is He orchestrating His mighty plan and using my suffering for my good and His glory? Could it be that the most painful and difficult afflictions be a sign that the enemy, that negative intelligence, is scheming to stop the promise through the process by wearing us down and sucking out our energy? Be aware that persecution, afflictions, disappointments, heartache, and set-backs are designed to strengthen and bless you in more ways than you could ever imagine. While trials never feel good, they all work together for your good. Stay the course and never give up. Victory is near to those who continue to trust in God's wisdom even when it seems like nothing is changing. God is always at work. Keep praying, keep believing, keep praising Him, and keep trusting. 

I want you to visualize the firm hand of Jesus gripping tightly to your right hand and walking right beside you through the fire whenever fear rears its ugly head. Picture the Heavenly Father sweeping you off of your feet and carrying you, whenever you lack energy to carry on. 

Be blessed and keep living with your purpose in mind.

Too Blessed To Be Stressed

How many of us, if we are honest, live stressed-out and anxious/worried about tomorrow? If you answered yes to that question, you are not alone. When we live our lives projecting tomorrow’s outcomes we forfeit the grace God supplies to us daily, not in lump sums. How many of us try and store God’s grace for us? We believe with enough planning and control we can predict outcomes as well as secure our future. But we could not be more wrong. How many of us have tried to get a close handle on our lives by predicting the outcomes of our lives. We try and analyze and figure-out every possible outcome and situation until we become exhausted and frustrated. Life happens and we cannot live on tomorrow’s provisions for today.

Living in the past or projecting the future will cause stress, anxiety, worry, fear, fatigue and possible illness. Some of us try and live in the past because we have not “settled” our past or properly let-go and healed our hurts as well as past failures. Some of us try and figure out future outcomes because we live in fear and at the root of that fear is a lack of trust in God. We might say we trust God but deep down where no one else can see, we felt we have been let down by God, forgotten by Him, or discouraged in the waiting process. So we take matters into our own hands because we feel God has not come through for us. We don’t want to admit this because we might look bad or maybe others may not think we are really Christians, or for that matter even love God. I will be the first to say that I love God, the Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit and I am a born-again believer but I have struggled in this area of control and trust. At times the control and trust waxes and wanes but underneath it all, I have struggled to make sense of some very difficult matters in my life. I hope I am not alone in this. I have prayed for certain things, people, and desires for years and sometimes they have become worse, and other times it is a slow trickle to the desired outcome I want, and then there are those prayers and cries that seem to go unnoticed. I said seemed to go unnoticed, because do our prayers really go unnoticed or is it not the time or maybe something that would not be in our best interest? I have so many questions, I am sure like you that I don’t know the answers to. Such as the inability to have children, desiring to be married, sickness of a child/family member, health issues, or even the pain a parent feels for their prodigal child. I have felt many of these personally and I can say for me that is why I developed a need to be in control, secure my future, and to analyze my life because nothing seemed to be in control, so I took control. I projected my future because I lived in fear. Fear of the unknown, fear things will not get better, fear that it will always be this way. Fear causes you to think and behave irrationally. Life seemed uncertain and unpredictable to me so I had to take over and mange my life.

Taking life as it comes and living in the present day is a great way to allow your fears to take a backseat. Living in the past will also cause you great stress, so being and living in the day you have is very healing. Why be anxious for the things you truly do not know will or won’t happen, or why live in regret and past failures? This is not easy to do if you have tried to control your life or try and project possible outcomes of your future. This will not be easy, but let’s start with surrendering. Surrendering all forms of control, figuring-out, analyzing, and living in past regrets. This also entails trusting God with your life and the lives of others you love. This step requires faith and letting-go.

If you live one day at a time, God will supply you the grace you need for that day, to handle the problems and situations that happen that day. However, you can’t take today’s grace and store it for tomorrow. God supplies what you need for that day, not on yesterday or tomorrow. Think about how stress-free you will feel when you live in the present.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."
Matthew 6:34, The Message

Choose Love

“We know that the fields are white and ready for harvest (John 4:35). God is imploring us as laborers to go into the field, but do we have what it takes to go?

The flesh is at war with our spirit, wanting to have its own way. It prefers to take the path of least resistance, which yields the least constructive results. How much easier it is to choose an hour of television than an hour of reading or learning or certainly an hour of prayer! But we reap what we sow, and those who sow to the flesh do not get a good harvest, much less an eternal one (Gal 6:8).

The American Heritage Dictionary defines “diligence” as marked by persevering, painstaking effort. The Latin derivative, diligere, means “to esteem”-a word combination of “to love,” and “to choose.” An interesting view! Are we choosing this kind of “love” for ourselves and for the sake of those around us? Vine's Expository Dictionary of the Bible defines “diligent” as business gains gotten by work, endeavor, pains, earnestness, and zeal. In other words, there is a mindset of determination and completion of hard work that yields the fruit of diligence. Consider scriptural admonitions to develop this character trait:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15).

The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor (Prov 12:24).

The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty (Prov 21:5).

The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing...(Prov 13:4).

Diligence is man's precious possession (Prov 12:27b).
(Another translation reads, “Substance of a diligent man is precious.” There is tangible substance in diligence!)

The Hebrew word for diligence, charuts, means “sharp, pointed, determined, and earnest.” It has the connotations of incisive; as in having sharp teeth, and determined and hardworking as in digging a trench or mining gold. No passive or unintentional action here!

Think of the fruit of revival we could bear if we apply ourselves to diligence. In light of the proverb just examined, such fruit would include rulership over enemy destruction in people's lives...natural and spiritual wealth, abundance, and wisdom. What worthy gain from applying oneself!

Combine diligence with discipline, and the results are exponential. The American Heritage Dictionary defines “discipline” as: “Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement; self-control.” Vine's Expository Dictionary declares it “an admonishing or calling to soundness of mind; self-control.”

Quite simply, the choices we make on a daily basis will determine in the long run who we are and who we become in Him. Our choices will even help determine the advantage others have in the same way. Choices toward self-control and determined effort can open up the harvest to those who might never hear or know the Lord, and bring the knowledge and sweet savor of Jesus in such a way that hastens His return. May that be our goal!

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:15-16).”

Get Out Of The Way!

We get in God’s way when we refuse to give Him His proper place in our lives.

In any survey concerning spiritual convictions, most North Americans will say that they believe in God, but the quality and integrity of that belief is shown in the degree to which they permit God to exercise His presence in their lives. There are those who call on God quickly when in a crisis situation, but the rest of the time they prefer to run their life their own way. There are those who believe in God for what they can receive from Him. Like the children of Israel, they hold on to God when things are going well, but when their weak faith does not pay off, they shake their fist in God’s face. There are also those superficial Christians who acknowledge God’s everyday attributes; His love, power, and grace, but when they are facing life’s demands they worry and fret.

Now all these have one thing in common. They do not let God have a place or action in their lives. They get in God’s way either by their ego and pride, or whimpering complaints. This all points to a major flaw in the exercise of our religious belief today. God has become something to be possessed and used for personal advantage. In this thinking we fail to see that life consists not in our possessions but in our being possessed. We flaunt our high standard of living and say, “all belongs to us” but we don’t go further and ask the question, “To what do we belong?”

To allow God to have His purpose with us involves openness of mind and heart. This begins when we seriously ask ourselves, “what purpose is my life? To what do I give the highest allegiance of my soul and will?” The Apostle Paul testifies, “I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me”, Galatians 2:20.

REVELATION : RELATIONSHIP : AUTHORITY : AUTHENTICITY : IDENTIFICATION : POWER

Before he was John the Revelator, he was John the Beloved. Before he was caught up into Heaven on the Lord’s Day, he laid his head on the Lord’s breast.

John’s power was a result of the authority he received from the Christ. His revelation was a result of his relationship with the Christ. That authentic revelation was revealed through authentic power.

There is vulnerability in the Church today caused by a lack of authenticity. We have lost the element of surprise – that is, that unique manifestation of power demonstrated by the Christ - as we attempt to establish His Kingdom in the earth. This element of surprise comes from our authenticity; our authenticity comes from knowing our true identity; our true identity comes from truly knowing our Father. In essence, we must truly become Sons of God.

Sadly, there is very little authentic power evident in the Church today. There is more emphasis on the spectacular than the supernatural. There is more concern about how many people are sitting in the seats than there is about setting those same people free from the things that bind them. This is a product of insecure leaders who build churches full of co-dependent people. These co-dependent people, in turn, feed the insecure leaders. And the cycle continues.

In order to find our true identity in the Father, it must first begin with relationship. That relationship will lead to revelation, and the authority you receive and operate in will release power. The supernatural power demonstrated by those with authority will validate the authenticity of who they are and identify them rightly in the earth, as Sons of the Most High God.

The earth is waiting...

Desperately Seeking a Saviour

Psalm 24:6, "Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob."

There are a few characteristics that identify a person who is seeking after God.

A God seeker is willing to go after Jesus regardless of the cost. Throughout the Scriptures, we find people who were desperate for God and disregarded the comments and the scorn of the crowd. One such person is blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52. The people tried to shut him up, but the Bible records that he cried out even louder. It did not matter to him the price that had to be paid. He wanted a miracle.

A God Seeker will go after Jesus regardless of how painful the present circumstances may be. Perhaps you are like the woman with the issue of blood, described in Mark 5:25-34. Like her, you have exhausted all your resources. She was suffering-it is THE time to seek the Lord.

A God Seeker is willing, not only to go after Jesus, but also to obey His words. John 9:7 records the story of a blind man who came to Jesus for healing. Jesus instructed him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. He did, and received his sight. He had sought and found Jesus, but the had to follow His instructions.

A God Seeker maintains an open heart, always ready to embrace new revelation from the Lord. Read the account of Apollos as written in Acts 18:24-19:6. Apollos was learned, eloquent, and people were listening to him. Sometimes, that is a prescription for pride and arrogance, but not for Apollos. When confronted about receiving more from Jesus, he was hungry, not haughty. He was a God Seeker, not a Self-Seeker-therefore, he was open to receiving new revelation from the Lord.

A God Seeker is willing to pay the price when persecution comes. The blind man healed in John chapter nine passed one hurdle when he obeyed the Lord. But, the religious leaders of his day persecuted him and threw him out of the synagogue! The Bible teaches that everyone who lives a holy life will suffer persecution.

Friend, are you truly a God Seeker?

5 Steps to Being a Better Christian

How do you become a better Christian? By not trying to be a better Christian. Why? Our trying to become better turns into striving, which is followed by dead works. No one can add anything to the righteousness received by faith. You cannot add to the Work of the Cross. The moment a person steps into works, he departs from grace and enters into self-righteousness. 

Philippians 1:6 says, “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (KJV). Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (KJV). Hebrews 4:10 tells us, “For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His (KJV). What do these verses have in common? God does the work; we don’t. We cannot make ourselves better. The righteousness of Jesus is our righteousness, period. 

As soon as a person attempts to become better, he begins to make up his own standards of righteousness. He gets a picture in his mind what righteousness should look like, and then attempts to become what sees. That person soon develops a list of dos and don’ts; as well as shoulds and should nots. He proceeds to wear himself out trying to do what he cannot do, much like those who try to follow the Law of Moses. When failure comes, so does guilt, and God has nothing to do with any of it. 

As a person begins to do those “super spiritual things,” whatever they may be, pride tends to set in. The next thing that happens is he begins to pat himself on the back, congratulating himself on a job well done. He compares himself to others, and measures them by his standards. He judges them worthy or unworthy in his own mind. They cannot be Christians if they do not stack up. This is self-deception in action. In the mean time, he cannot figure out why he feels distant from God, and why no one wants to be around him. Forgetting the Scripture that plainly says, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise (2 Corinthians 10:12 (KJV). 

What are some keys to being a better Christian? 

1. Stop striving
2. Surrender
3. Be a follower of Jesus Christ
4. Be His disciple
5. Stop trying to be your own

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (KJV). When we deny ourselves, we no longer insert our selves into the equation. We let Jesus define what it means to be His disciple for us. Put away the list of “Christian duties,” and let the Holy Spirit lead you day by day. It really boils down to believing Him and loving Him. Everything else will fall into place. Consider the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians: O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham (Galatians 3:1-9).

The Question of Godless Morality

From bondage to spiritual faith.
From spiritual faith to great courage.
From courage to liberty.
From liberty to abundance.
From abundance to selfishness.
From selfishness to complacency.
From complacency to apathy.
From apathy to dependency.
From dependency back again into bondage.

A consensus of ethical norms apart from the supervision of God will eventually erode. Power begins to take over in determining our actions. Look at our government today. It is controlled for the most part by special interest groups vying for influence. Every day I receive in the mail a plea for funds to help some group influence our government. What ever happened to electing upright men and women and trusting them to do the right thing without our funding various organizations that seek to influence our leaders to do their bidding?

To an alarming extent, our society has become complacent, a nation inhabited by people concerned only with their own well-being.

But, we don't just need a code of ethics, as important as that is; we need to put God back into our lives. We need to submit to His leadership in our lives, to recognize that only the God who created us knows what is best for us and only God is capable of revealing to us the ethical standards that can ultimately bring the peace we so desperately seek.

How do we do that? It starts with His book, the Holy Bible. God has spelled out some pretty clear principles on how to treat others. Do we love others as we love ourselves? That is not so easy when everyone around us is living out the relativistic ethics of power. The true force of Christianity has never been the use of power plays to conquer the world. From the Crusades of the Middle Ages to the moral majority of the last decade, efforts by Christians to use political or economic power to advance the Kingdom of God have been questionable, if not disastrous. The true power of Christendom has always been the testimony of Christians who are living out their faith in a world obsessed with self promotion--Christians who are in the Word of God and who maintain ethical and moral integrity!

Peace In The Midst of the Storm

In this world you will have trouble. John 16:33 

I wonder if the disciples were shocked when Jesus said this? After all, by this time they had seen Jesus perform many miracles—water into wine, multiplying bread and fish, people healed, and raised from the dead. Why would the disciples expect trouble when God could work miracles? Furthermore Jesus had told them to ask “for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:14). 

The real key is in the first half of the verse, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.” In Jesus we have peace. We don’t necessarily have peace in our circumstances but we can always have peace in Jesus. God could prevent difficulties but rather he often chooses to let us experience his peace in the midst of them. Being at peace in a difficult situation is a miracle in itself because it shows the world we are trusting in God; it also adds to the devil’s demise. 

When we trust God in difficult circumstances we demonstrate our belief in something greater and more enduring than temporary relief from our problems. We believe God is doing a work that has eternal consequence. We are relying on Paul's words which tells us, “What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). 

Nevertheless it is important for us to believe God not only has the ability to perform miracles but does perform miracles from time to time. This gives us the faith to know God is indeed powerful and compassionate. However, whether God intervenes directly in our circumstances or not we know, “His works are perfect, and all his ways are just” (Deuteronomy 32:4). 

Let’s choose to trust him and avail ourselves of his peace. 

A New Heart

And I brought him to Thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Matthew 17:16

On December 3, 1967, in the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, a team of doctors, led by Dr. Christiaan Barnard, performed the world's first heart transplant. Although the recipient, Louis Washkansky, lived for only 18 days after the surgery, other transplant recipients followed who lived for several years. Heart transplants now are relatively common, with specialists and equipment in many large hospitals capable of performing such operations. But in 1967, Dr. Barnard was venturing into new and unexplored regions of medicine. Until he successfully performed the first transplants and established the procedures for doing so, no other doctors or hospitals could even think of attempting a heart transplant. There was no cure for a severely diseased heart. Just as the man in our text discovered there was no cure for his son's demon possession. Until the Lord Jesus arrived.

The man had brought his son to the disciples, and he had high hopes of a cure. After all, these men were students and associates of the great Healer from Galilee. Surely they would know the methods and procedures of their Master. We don't know what attempts the disciples made to heal the lad; all we know is whatever they tried, it did not work. And the boy and his father were no better off. The lack of a cure meant only one resort: the only One who could heal. Many today are looking for a cure for their sin and guilt, and are going to the wrong places. Instead of going directly to the Lord Jesus, people are flocking to many other fonts of false relief. The cults are prospering as they spread their confusion and false doctrine, just as the mainline denominations of Christendom are spreading their doctrine of religion and good works. Other people are attempting to slake their thirst at the cisterns of pleasure, wealth, power, and philosophies. Like the powerless disciples, these cannot cure. But sadly, they prevent many from seeking the One Who can and will cure.

We who are saved can sing of the sin cleansing power in the blood of the Lamb. We have found that our incurable disease of sin is not incurable after all, not when the case is turned over to the Great Physician. That which is impossible with the efforts and money and ideas of men is gloriously possible when the Lord Jesus steps in.

There are some patients with diseased hearts who cannot be cured, not even with a heart transplant. But there is not one sinner who cannot be saved by the blood of Christ.

Faith Laughs At Impossibilities

      Peter in prison! What a jolt!

      We are too far removed from the actual scene to catch the atmosphere of dismay the Christians of that day felt.

      Peter had moved from Pentecost to prison, from jeers to spears. He was guarded by sixteen soldiers. One wonders why such a defenseless man needed such a group to watch him. Could it be that Herod feared the supernatural, seeing he knew that Jesus escaped such a group that guarded Him?

      Had Peter been hedged in by sixteen hundred soldiers, the problem would not have been increased nor the escape less sure. Peter was bound not only by two chains, but also by the thick walls of the prison, by the three wards of the prison, and finally by an iron gate.

      When Peter is in prison, does the church organize a plan to get him released? No. When Peter is jailed, do the believers offer a plea to Herod or suggest a price to offer the lawmakers for his freedom? No. Peter had released others at the hour of prayer; now others must believe for his release.

      Right through the book of Acts, which might be called The Acts of Prayer, we find prayer and more prayer. Dig into the book and discover this power that motivated the early church. In the twelfth chapter of Acts we find a group that prayed. Though a host encamped against Peter, in this were these believers confident: there was a God who could and would deliver. The one never-failing rescue operation was prayer. There was no hedging about in the prayers of those who made intercession for Peter. Prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him. They did not seem to be concerned whether Herod should die or not. They did not pray that they might escape Peter's fate. They were not asking that they have another exodus to a more hospitable country. They prayed for one person: Peter. They prayed for one thing: his release. The answer proves the point: "Whatsoever ye shall ask,... that will I do"

      Some shabby interpreters of this story have said that when the pray-ers heard that Peter was at the door, they were unbelieving. I cannot accept this assumption. I am sure that they prayed with expectation. I like to think that they were for the moment staggered by the immediacy of the answer. They could be excused if they raised their eyebrows when Peter said, "I got out quite easily with an angel escort " (Next time you pass through the magic self-opening door at your supermarket, remember that the first door to open of its own accord was operated from above!)

      Angel deliverances seem to find no place in our modern theology. Perhaps we would like the Lord to answer our prayers with the least embarrassment to us. After all, who expects that the angelic ranks should be disturbed just to bring deliverance to a praying soul? But supernatural results came for many of the praying saints of apostolic days. The Lord geared a property-damaging earthquake to get deliverance for an apostle. Prayer is dynamite.

      There is no weapon formed against prayer that can neutralize it. Some things can delay answers to prayer, but nothing can stop the full purpose of God. "Though it tarry, wait for it."

      The first requirement in prayer is to believe.
            -Believe that God is and that "he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
            -Believe that God is alive and therefore has power-not only for Peter's deliverance, but for ours.
            -Believe that God is love and that He cares for His own.
            -Believe that God is power and therefore no power can stand against Him.
            -Believe that God is truth and therefore cannot lie.
            -Believe that God is kind and that He will never abdicate His throne or fail in His promise.



      Reflecting on the story of Peter, I am rebuked, humiliated, chagrined, stung. Why? Because there are some great modern saints, Watchman Nee for one, who for years have suffered and been held captive by communists and others. Many of the saints today are shut up in prison. The same fate has befallen some of God's choice witnesses in Vietnam and in the Congo.

      Such perils to other members of the Body demand concern, concentration, and consecration to a committed plan of prayer on their behalf. I fear that prayer has not been made to God without ceasing for these suffering kinsmen.

      Mr. Bunyan shows us his Christian held captive by the Giant Despair in Doubting Castle. The key to his deliverance was Promise. We Christians are in captivity on many levels today personal, domestic, church, and missionary enterprise. But fetters break and dungeons fall when prayer is made by the church unto God-
            -Prayer without ceasing;
            -Prayer that might shatter our status quo;
            -Prayer that drains us of every other interest;
            -Prayer that excites us by its immense possibilities;
            -Prayer that sees God as the One that rules on high, almighty to save;
            -Prayer that laughs at impossibilities and cries, "It shall be done";
            -Prayer that sees all things beneath His feet;
            -Prayer that is motivated with desire for God's glory.

      The praying of the believer can become a ritual. The place of prayer is more than a dumping ground for all our anxieties, frets, and fears. The place of prayer is not a place to drop a shopping list before the throne of a God with endless supplies and limitless power.

      I believe the place of prayer is not only a place where I lose my burdens, but also a place where I get a burden. He shares my burden and I share His burden. "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." To know that burden, we must hear the voice of the Spirit. To hear that voice, we must be still and know that He is God.

      This calamitous hour in the affairs of men demands a church healthier than the one we have. This blatant manifestation of evil in the youth and in the violation of God's commandments throughout the world calls for a faith that will not shrink.

      Can we let our prayer swords rust in the scabbards of doubt? Shall our prayer harps hang tuneless on the willows of unbelief
            -If God is a god of matchless power and incredible might,
            -If the Bible is the unchangeable Word of the living God,
            -If the virtue of Christ is as fresh today as when He first made the offering of Himself to God after His resurrection,
            -If He is the one and only mediator today,
            -If the Holy Spirit can quicken us as He did our spiritual fathers, Then all things are possible today.
      The seas were boiling, the winds were howling, the sails were tearing, the spars were flying, the stars were hiding, Euroclydon was blasting. The people were cringing and crying, sobbing and sighing. One man alone was praising. All were expecting death save Paul. Amidst a scene of hopelessness, if ever there was one, Paul cries, "Sirs, I believe God" (Acts 27).

      As things seem to fall apart these days, I am going to join Paul. I am going to say in faith, "Sirs, I believe God." Will you join me?

Burning Fire or Cold Ash?

We are not so much called to a particular place or task. We are called upon to commit ourselves to God. He then takes us where he wants us and uses us in the way he chooses. We are not indispensible to the mission. The mission will be completed with or without us. 

We often look out upon the harvest field and we see a particular need. We then tend to sell ourselves to the need we are observing. But, there are billions of needs among billions of people in a million different places. We can’t be everywhere at once and we can’t serve in more than one place. Rather than commit ourselves to a place or a people shall we not commit ourselves to Christ and then trust him to direct our lives. It is a deception to believe that the needs far away are greater or more important than the needs nearby. A lost soul is utterly lost whether he is in the jungles of Africa or living in the house next door. 

It seems we sometimes are tempted to compromise the sovereignty of God by relegating it to an inferior position behind our organizational efforts. A high school teacher could assure you that they would be deeply offended if they walked into their classroom every day and their students were clamoring to inform them of what plans they had for class that day. Organization and structure is a necessary part of any ministry but we must take care that it does not squeeze God out of the picture. Paul says that God has “…arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” (1 Cor. 12:18) Utter chaos would erupt if the body parts gave direction to the head but when the parts yield to the head a wonderful symphony of movement can be experienced. We are parts of the body, when we yield to Christ we become efficient kingdom builders. 

God’s operational modus is much different than that of the secular world. We so readily adopt the secular idea of go, go and go. We preach consecration and commitment and we tie those ideas to frantic action. We have to do more, go further and be better. But God says for us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” Strength and efficiency are found in the quietness of God. The idea here is to calm down, put away frenzy and trust God to do what he will. 

Moses was a man called and prepared by God to do a great and wonderful thing. He would deliver the people of Israel from slavery in the land of Egypt. Exodus chapter 2 tells the tragic story of how Moses got in the way of God’s plan for his life. He saw one of his fellows being mistreated by an Egyptian and he took care of business. He defended one of his own. His act could probably be justified to some degree, but his failure was he chose to do it his way instead of God’s way. 

Moses was well educated, he had lived among the Egyptian elite, he understood their culture, he was a fine, masculine specimen and extremely intelligent but in spite of all those things he was not yet ready to be used of God. So, God sent him away for forty years for further training. 

We so often feel comfortable in our ability, but God is not looking so much for ability as he is availability. He wants a heart that will submit to his will, a heart wise enough and willing enough to get out of the way so God can do a great work. In order to get us to that place, God sometimes allows us to experience long periods of feeling useless. We may feel insignificant and unappreciated until we finally realize that God’s way works and our way doesn’t. 
There must have come a time during those forty years of exile that Moses felt like he would never really amount to much or accomplish any great thing for God. But God has a habit of choosing “the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; … the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27) 

God didn’t call Moses out of exile until he was prepared. In Exodus 3 Moses saw a burning bush. He was fascinated by what he saw. I’m not so sure that instantaneous combustion was so unusual in the hot desert but what was so perplexing to Moses was the fact that the bush was not consumed. It just kept burning and burning. 

Did Moses compare himself to the bush? Moses had a ‘crash and burn’ moment in his life and it cost him forty years. Did he look at the bush and say? “I wish I could have just kept on burning. Instead, I was consumed by the flame of my own passion and self assertiveness”. Did Moses look at the burning bush and say, “Lord, make me to burn continually for you. Don’t let me fail. Don’t let me falter but let me burn eternally in my passion and service for you.” John Wesley seemed to get the idea when he admonished his fellow clergy to “Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.” 

God called to Moses by name, “Moses, Moses!” Why does God seem to choose some for greatness and others never are called? Was Billy Graham, Mother Theresa and D.L. Moody more special than others in the eyes of God? Do Charles Stanley, John MacArthur and John Piper have certain, peculiar traits that make them more special in the eyes of God? Of course not. They are affective in service because they made themselves available. Many others will live out their entire lives in mediocrity because they never inquired why God never called them by name. They were sent into the wilderness and their fire was never rekindled. They passed their days and years in a heap of cold ash. 

How did God choose that particular bush? I don’t think it was difficult, I don’t think he spent a lot of time trying to make that decision. I think any old bush on the desert floor would suffice. You don’t need special talents, you don’t need a great education or a stellar record or even an especially winsome personality to do great things for God. You just need to be willing, to be available, and leave the rest up to him.

What Does It Mean To Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus?

It means to recognise the reality of our invisible God Father, Son and Holy Ghost and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. When we look to Jesus in our daily circumstances, our failures and our victories, we acknowledge that we depend on Him, that we need Him and that we want Him to be the number one in our life. 

In this article I want to touch on three important points: 
A) How do we turn our eyes upon Jesus? 
B) What happens to us when we do it? 
C) What are we seeing? 

A) How do we turn our eyes upon Jesus in real life? 
How do we get from this spiritual term and the goose bumps it brings to every charismatic Christian, to a real application in our daily life? 

We turn our eyes to Jesus as we pray! 
Praying alone or in fellowship with other Christians will turn our focus on Jesus. 
As you acknowledge his Lordship in your live your eyes are turned to Him. 
As you discus matters of your live with him your focus is on Him and as you are listening to what he has to say to you concerning certain areas in your life - what you should do and what not. 


We focus on Jesus by having fellowship with other believer’s. 
When we meet in small groups and minister to each other, praying for and blessing one another, giving testimonies of the things God is doing in our lives – we together become focussed on Jesus. 


We turn our eyes to Jesus through the reading and hearing of the word. 
That is what every sermon and every bible reading must accomplish: Making Jesus bigger and bigger in our life. And that my dear readers is my purpose for writing the different articles: encouraging to make Jesus the number One in your life. 


We focus on Jesus when we praise and worship him. 
Every time I praise and worship the Lord on my own or by listening to some good worship music His presence increases in me. Clouds and darkness disappear in the light of His glory and grace. 


B) What happens when you turn your eyes upon Jesus? 
Who wants to be more like Jesus? Tried it? Did it work? Work harder at it! Go to church more often! Give more money! Preach on the streets! No! No! No! 

Just focus on Jesus and you will become more and more like him. You are being transferred into his image by the Spirit of God! 
2 Corinthians 3:18 states: 
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 
Many times we find it very hard to live a godly life. It seems like we never arrive. But the beauty of being a child of God is, that He doesn’t want us to struggle. 

Here is the secret of being a really godly person: Turn your eyes upon Jesus! By doing so, the Apostle Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:3: 
“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence.” 
Spend time with Jesus, focus on Him! By doing that, He Himself will change you from the inside out. That’s living life God’s way. 


C) What do we see when we turn our eyes upon Jesus? 

We see the author of our faith. Hebrews 12:3 “...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...” 

“Author” here means: a leader, one, who makes the first step in a given situation and leads the way! 

Many Christians have no sense of direction in their spiritual life. They know allot about Jesus, but they do not know him as the Leader, the one that leads the way. They are governed by their senses, by what they see and focus on. But they never learned to lean on him, to look into his face. 

Are their decisions coming up in your life? Concentrate on Jesus. Get full of his word, have fellowship with Jesus, talk to him and worship him as the way the truth and the light – and he will direct your way of life. 

Every new step that you take in your spiritual journey, Jesus is going to do the first step to lead you into the right direction. That is His promise. 

And then we see him also as the finisher of our faith. 
Without Him pouring out his mercies every day anew, you will not make it into his presence, into heaven. 

He is keeping you so many times, when you are not even recognising it. In Jude it says, that he is keeping us from falling. So many times we would fall into sin - but he is keeping us from falling. 

If you put your life’s focus truly on Jesus – he will carry you through everything you are facing in your life. 

Trust Him as the finisher of your faith! He is able!!! 

Many times we tend to make the things of God so very complicated. We are so hard on ourselves. We need to understand that the Lord knows that on our own we are doomed to fail. But if we stay connected with and to Him we bring forth much fruit. The Bibles calls that abiding on the vine. 

So, my encouragement for you is this: Trust you Lord Jesus in every moment of your life. You are not the author and finisher of your faith – He is. And He is walking with you. He is also always one step ahead of you, so that you can follow Him. 

Enjoy your journey through life with Jesus- Keeping your eyes, your focus on Him

A Prayer: Smiling when your heart is weary

Dear Lord,

Help me to remember that on my darkest days, there is always someone who is experiencing something worse. Help me to smile even when my heart is weary, overburdened, and sick with worry. Lord help me smile to help brighten someone else’s day, encourage someone else’s heart, help lift another broken spirit. Help me to remember that the very thing I need and long for I must first give it away. In order for me to have sunnier days, I must learn to brighten someone else’s day. Lord help me to remember how a simple smile can change the chemical reaction in my own body and bring a natural form of healing to the inner most parts of my being. Lord help me smile when no one else is smiling around me, when the world is filled with sorrow, and even when I am not able to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the naked eye.

Lord remove the veil of darkness, and give me hope. Open my spiritually blinded eyes that I may discover he truth, that even when I’m not able to smile, you are still smiling down upon me and anointing everything I touch with my hands. Lord, your grace and mercy is sufficient and you continue to smile and laugh when our enemies mock us, accuse us, and plot against us, because you see that their day is arriving. Lord, you said for me to not let my heart be troubled or afraid. You promised to carry me through every storm, heartache, and everything that threatens the plans you have for me. For you are still in control. Lord, let your light be a reflection in the midst of a darkened path, and when I stumble my way through the darkness, cover me with your protection and give your angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart; be acceptable in your sight. Lord, create in me a clean heart and renew in me a right spirit, that in all of my ways I will acknowledge you and you promised to direct my path. Lord, fight every battle I am faced with, and help me to remember that You are the potter and I am only clay. While people may win battles, they never win the war with you on my side. Help me be still while you mold and shape me into the woman or man I am purposed to be, and bless everyone that crosses my path today, that they may be blessed with the beautiful smile you drew across my face with your own hands.

Help me to remember when my family and friends forsake me, that you will never leave my side, and in those moments when I’m feeling all alone, help me to remember that you are closer. You said that you are near to those who have a broken and a contrite spirit. Lord, tech me how to smile more. For we never realize the power in a smile, or what extending an encouraging word to a stranger, offering a compliment, or a performing a simple gesture could do to make someone else’s day brighter. We never know how the simple things in life could save life until this precious gift is suddenly snatched away from us. Lord, no matter what is going on around me…give me the strength to just smile.

Have You Heard His Whispers?

I remember listening to Bing Crosby sing "White Christmas" when I was a kid. I thought no one in the world had such a rich, baritone voice. Some of the greatest voices of all time belong to Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. Some may even try to put Elvis on that list. 

Ben Franklin wrote often about the great preacher, George Whitefield. Whitefield was a bit of a rebel in his day, choosing to preach in the open air rather than from an indoor pulpit. He would often position himself downwind so his voice would carry further. Up to 20,000 people would come to hear him preach and Ben Franklin observed that his voice could be heard up to a mile away. What a great voice! 

If men can possess such voices, how great must be the voice of God? Have you ever heard him speak? The Psalmist describes his voice beautifully: "The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon." (Psalm 29:3-4) 

Have you heard the voice of the Lord lately? God doesn't often use a loud voice. God doesn't choose to compete with the noisy ambiance that surrounds us. The Lofty Almighty One would never stoop to compete for our attention. He does not fret when we ignore his voice. He is polite, he is patient and he generally speaks to us in whispers rather than shouts. If you seldom or never hear his voice it may be because you can't hear his soft whispers above the blare of the television, i-pods and the cell phones that continuously demand your attention. 

Failure to hear the whispers of God in your life can leave a devastating affect. His whispers change lives. His whispers could change your destiny. If you are not attuned to the whispers of God you could miss his will. You could marry the wrong one. You could miss the right job. You could spend a good portion of your life on a rabbit trail God never intended you to be on. 

After that wonderful revelation of God at Mount Carmel, Ahab came home and told Jezebel what happened. The wicked shrew was enraged. She sent a messenger to Elijah to inform him that he was as good as dead. Elijah fled to the mountains in fright. He came to Mount Sinai where he had an encounter with God. 

This was the same mountain where God spoke to Moses and the people trembled at the voice and presence of God. Elijah began whining to God, "The people have rejected you. They have rebelled and point prophets to death and now I am the only man of God left and they are determined to kill me too." God told Elijah to climb the mountain and wait. 

When trouble comes into our lives, when we are desperately in need of direction, when confusion seems to overcome us it is wise to climb the mountain and wait. " Search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek him." (Psalm 105:4) 

Have you ever been frustrated trying to call someone and they just won't answer their phone. Caller id allows the receiver to identify the caller and a refusal to answer is sometimes taken as a personal affront. "I know they know it's me, why won't they talk to me?" 

God had caller id before the phone company; He knows when we call upon him and he never ignores the voices of his own children. 

Elijah climbed Mt. Sinai and waited for God to speak. "Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came the fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave." (1 Kings 19:11-12) 

God's voice whispered to Elijah, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 

"Lord, I'm the last prophet standing." 

God assured Elijah that there were 7,000 people in the northern kingdom who were still faithful to him. 

One moment, perhaps when you least expect it, the voice of God will whisper to your heart. It may happen today, it may be while you are driving to work or while you are doing house work or mowing the lawn. But it's most likely to happen when you are quiet.