“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.”
Isaiah 30:15 NLT
http://bible.com/116/isa.30.15.nlt
Our country is in turmoil. Recently, the turmoil is the result of back to back natural disasters. Prior to that you can add racial unrest, political division, and terrorism to the list of tumultous issues we are facing as a nation. I truly believe the only way to make our way through these crisis points is the amazing power of Jesus.
This world is turned upside down. I really mean that literally. Men wanting to be women. Women wanting to be men. Hate has replaced love. We legally kill millions of babies. We pay our sports heroes more than our military heroes. We want our government to fix all our problems yet hate to pay taxes. We want to save the planet but care little about saving each other. We preach tolerance unless we disagree. Yes, our planet is a wreck, it's a topsy-turvy life we lead.
God has given us the solution to our problems. But, we won't listen. We refuse to turn to him. We refuse to lift our eyes to him. Even through the turmoil and persecution of his followers, the love of Jesus stands strong. He will not give up on you. The storms of life do not keep him from desiring you. They do not keep him from standing up for you in your time of need. In my own life, the storms have been completely silenced by the power of Jesus. He is my ever present help in times of trouble. Praise a God for his Love, power, and strength. Amen!
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Amazing Hope
“So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.”
Hebrews 6:18 NLT
http://bible.com/116/heb.6.18.
I had a wonderful weekend. Nearly 500 of my CMA family got together to celebrate our ministry and 30 years of State Rallys. It was a time of celebration, it was a time of worship, and it was a time of great fellowship. CMA Indiana is a force for the kingdom and I am motivated to step up my commitment to bring the lost to know the Lord. I was inspired by what my fellow CMAers are doing and what God is doing across our state.
This annual weekend event always reminds me of the glorious promises of our Lord. I trust in the Lord always. I trust in him for his amazing hope. That even in the midst of uncertainty, we rest on his promises. He is with us. He will protect us and he will give us a vision of the hope that lies before us. Praise God !
Hebrews 6:18 NLT
http://bible.com/116/heb.6.18.
I had a wonderful weekend. Nearly 500 of my CMA family got together to celebrate our ministry and 30 years of State Rallys. It was a time of celebration, it was a time of worship, and it was a time of great fellowship. CMA Indiana is a force for the kingdom and I am motivated to step up my commitment to bring the lost to know the Lord. I was inspired by what my fellow CMAers are doing and what God is doing across our state.
This annual weekend event always reminds me of the glorious promises of our Lord. I trust in the Lord always. I trust in him for his amazing hope. That even in the midst of uncertainty, we rest on his promises. He is with us. He will protect us and he will give us a vision of the hope that lies before us. Praise God !
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Get off the SUPER-HIGHWAY of Life!
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:28-29 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.11.28-29.nlt
Stephanie and I have been camping nearly every weekend. Camping is an escape. It helps us remove all the clutter in our lives and enjoy some peace. We don't take a tv with us and "device" time is limited. We actually take time to be with each other and there is a lot of downtime. It's awesome!
God wants us to slow down. He wants our lives to include ample amounts of rest. He wants to remove our burdens, even for a short time so we can be strong in our faith and our witness. The most common theme I hear from students, coworkers, and ministry partners is I AM TIRED. I know I am a hypocrit when I say this.
Matthew 11:28-29 NLT
http://bible.com/116/mat.11.28-29.nlt
Stephanie and I have been camping nearly every weekend. Camping is an escape. It helps us remove all the clutter in our lives and enjoy some peace. We don't take a tv with us and "device" time is limited. We actually take time to be with each other and there is a lot of downtime. It's awesome!
God wants us to slow down. He wants our lives to include ample amounts of rest. He wants to remove our burdens, even for a short time so we can be strong in our faith and our witness. The most common theme I hear from students, coworkers, and ministry partners is I AM TIRED. I know I am a hypocrit when I say this.
WE ALL NEED TO FIND SOME TIME TO SLOW DOWN AND RELAX!
God wants us to rest. We just have to accept it from him. So many times WE refuse to accept the rest he is giving us. We miss the opportunities and we miss the blessings that come from just finding some time to relax and SLOW DOWN. Our souls can not function with our rest just like our minds and bodies need rest. It might not be camping. It might be riding your motorcycle. (I took a long quiet, ME ONLY, ride this past Saturday before returning to the campground) It might be reading a good book, studying the Bible or listening to some fantastic Christian music (Try Third Day!) BUT find some way to step back, relax, and get off the superhighway of life. Your family, friends, and coworkers will certainly appreciate it.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
I'm not going back!
“To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.”
Isaiah 61:3 NLT
http://bible.com/116/isa.61.3.nlt
I have been in mourning over the past 3 months. No it's not the death of a loved one, it's not the typical loss. But, I have been in mourning over a situation. Slowly I am healing. I have not gained back what I lost but I have been able to move forward. I'm not going back. I don't want to obsess over things not of God. My thoughts, my outlook has changed. I am now focused on the future and the mighty plans God has for Stephanie and I. I know it sounds weird to some, but I believe it has all been part of Gods plan. Yes, I needed to go through this loss, this pain, so I would look at the future through a different lens. We are three years away from retirement and plans need to be put in place to transition to our "Encore Careers".
God is preparing us for a new life and our minds will take time to make that shift. God knows it and he knows we probably wouldn't even think about it unless prompted. I just love how God uses our normal, regular, daily happenings to guide our thoughts and actions. I love how he uses people, even our enemies to fulfill his plan for me. People wish me ill, want my destruction, get thrill out of my failures, but God uses all of that for his glory. He is such a force in my life. I just don't understand how people survive without the power of Jesus and the filling of the Holy Spirit. The clarity of purpose, the plan, can only be explained by Jesus.
If you are unsure about life. If things don't make sense. If you don't have purpose or clear direction in your life. Turn to Jesus. His wisdom is perfect and when you ask him in to your life, he will fill you with that exact wisdom. I know this from my very own, personal life experiences. This is not just some made up 2000 year old religion. I know because my life can not be explained any other way. Don't look back. Look straight ahead, see your future and the amazing adventure God has in store for you!
Isaiah 61:3 NLT
http://bible.com/116/isa.61.3.nlt
I have been in mourning over the past 3 months. No it's not the death of a loved one, it's not the typical loss. But, I have been in mourning over a situation. Slowly I am healing. I have not gained back what I lost but I have been able to move forward. I'm not going back. I don't want to obsess over things not of God. My thoughts, my outlook has changed. I am now focused on the future and the mighty plans God has for Stephanie and I. I know it sounds weird to some, but I believe it has all been part of Gods plan. Yes, I needed to go through this loss, this pain, so I would look at the future through a different lens. We are three years away from retirement and plans need to be put in place to transition to our "Encore Careers".
God is preparing us for a new life and our minds will take time to make that shift. God knows it and he knows we probably wouldn't even think about it unless prompted. I just love how God uses our normal, regular, daily happenings to guide our thoughts and actions. I love how he uses people, even our enemies to fulfill his plan for me. People wish me ill, want my destruction, get thrill out of my failures, but God uses all of that for his glory. He is such a force in my life. I just don't understand how people survive without the power of Jesus and the filling of the Holy Spirit. The clarity of purpose, the plan, can only be explained by Jesus.
If you are unsure about life. If things don't make sense. If you don't have purpose or clear direction in your life. Turn to Jesus. His wisdom is perfect and when you ask him in to your life, he will fill you with that exact wisdom. I know this from my very own, personal life experiences. This is not just some made up 2000 year old religion. I know because my life can not be explained any other way. Don't look back. Look straight ahead, see your future and the amazing adventure God has in store for you!
Friday, September 1, 2017
Mutual destruction Of my enemy.
“David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
1 Samuel 17:45 NLT
http://bible.com/116/1sa.17.45.nlt
I have never confronted a giant or someone that wants to kill me. I do have enemies and I do have people bent on destroying me, my reputation, and my message. I am not afraid of my enemies, but I sure don't have the confidence of David.
My normal response is not to shrink back in fear, but to back off in disgust, in sadness, or in reflection. When I am unjustly persecuted and I realize there is no hope of reconciliation, I just let it go. I don't defend myself and I don't recoil in attack. I'm not always sure that's the best approach. Sometimes I just want to attack, to lash out, to punish those that persecute me. That is also not a good idea either. My biggest concern is how will my "lashing out" affect my witness and my ability to serve others. If my attacks in any way destroy Gods plan for my life, if it grows into hate, I need to stop and just let it go. David was led by the Lord to defend his people. I honor that and if called to do so, I will not shrink in fear. I will use the spear and the sword, or maybe the sling and the stone. But I think too often people attack their enemy and that attack is NOT in the Lords plan.
Out of anything I've learned in my life, it's to let go and move on. I could attack and reap mutual destruction of my enemies. It doesn't help me and certainly doesn't help my enemy. I can "turn the other cheek." What I can do is to continue to serve the Lord, to do what he has called me to do and to keep my eyes fixed on him. His love sustains me. His love defends me and in the end I know I win because I get to live in eternity.
1 Samuel 17:45 NLT
http://bible.com/116/1sa.17.45.nlt
I have never confronted a giant or someone that wants to kill me. I do have enemies and I do have people bent on destroying me, my reputation, and my message. I am not afraid of my enemies, but I sure don't have the confidence of David.
My normal response is not to shrink back in fear, but to back off in disgust, in sadness, or in reflection. When I am unjustly persecuted and I realize there is no hope of reconciliation, I just let it go. I don't defend myself and I don't recoil in attack. I'm not always sure that's the best approach. Sometimes I just want to attack, to lash out, to punish those that persecute me. That is also not a good idea either. My biggest concern is how will my "lashing out" affect my witness and my ability to serve others. If my attacks in any way destroy Gods plan for my life, if it grows into hate, I need to stop and just let it go. David was led by the Lord to defend his people. I honor that and if called to do so, I will not shrink in fear. I will use the spear and the sword, or maybe the sling and the stone. But I think too often people attack their enemy and that attack is NOT in the Lords plan.
Out of anything I've learned in my life, it's to let go and move on. I could attack and reap mutual destruction of my enemies. It doesn't help me and certainly doesn't help my enemy. I can "turn the other cheek." What I can do is to continue to serve the Lord, to do what he has called me to do and to keep my eyes fixed on him. His love sustains me. His love defends me and in the end I know I win because I get to live in eternity.
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