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Today is October 20, 2018

The Lord has been speaking to me about an outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit upon the church. These gifts will be activated in a powerful move of the Spirit. People that had no idea they possessed a gift will see God’s power at work through them. These gifts were lying dormant for many years. But God is going to call them into service very soon. Pray that the Lord will activate your spiritual gifts each day. Pray that God will use you to do the work he has called you to do. Pray that you will begin to see yourself and others as God sees you. Be who God created you to be, be yourself, your true self! Amen!

Another thing that the Lord has been speaking to me about is remaining humble. Every time I think I have arrived or truly have mastered something, God brings me back to reality. It’s about submitting to God’s will and giving up my own will. It’s about remaining usable and listening to his voice instead of the world. We all are being bombarded with information at an alarming pace. This information is entering our minds and becoming part of who we are. Once it enters into our being, we can’t remove it, it becomes a permanent part of us. Much of this information is not positive and will not benefit us. In fact it may hurt us, or slow us down spiritually. We have to be careful what we let enter our spiritual space. If we want to remain useable by God, we need to filter what is going into our spiritual space. We need to allow time and space for what God has prepared for us each day. We need to remain receptive to hearing his voice. 

Today is October 31, 2018

I was reading Acts chapter 11 a couple of mornings ago, and the Lord pointed a few things out in this passage. The first verses that popped out at me were verses 15 and 16; “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: “John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” These verses are describing an event similar to the day of Pentecost. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was being poured out onto these gentiles just as it had been poured out on the disciples. If this was taking place in the first century church, we should be able to experience this same baptism today. These scriptures prove that the day of Pentecost out pouring of the Holy Spirit was not a one time event. 

The second place the Lord called my attention to was verse 24; “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” The verse is describing Barnabas when he was sent by the church in Jerusalem to Antioch. The part that the Lord pointed out to me was the phrase “full of the Holy Spirit”. Now, if Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit, were others only half full, or three quarters full? Is it possible for one believer to be more filled than another believer with the Holy Spirit? I know from experience that as I grew spiritually and earnestly searched for God, I began experiencing the touch of the Holy Spirit more frequently and more intensely. For most of my life as a believer, I only occasionally heard the Holy Spirit and saw God move in a powerful way. But, since experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit this has all changed. I hear the Lord speaking to me every day and I see God moving in power much more frequently.

Today is November 17, 2018

I apologize for my inactivity, I was sick last week and did not get everything done I had planned to do. 

What I want to share with you today is what the Lord has been laying on my heart. As Christians we are to carry on the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, we are to do what he did and walk the path that he took. God’s path often takes us places that are outside our comfort zone. Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire , you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” God did not say we would not face challenges, but rather that when you do face them, he will carry you through to the other side. Why does God bring challenges into our lives? He uses these situations to teach us that we can rely on him completely. He uses these situations to build our faith and trust in Jesus as our savior. God takes us outside our comfort zone to stretch us spiritually. It is during these times that we grow the most. Every time you trust God completely and step out in faith, you take a step in spiritual growth. This is how we walk the path that Jesus took and do what he did. So, as Christians we need to not get comfortable or complacent, but continue taking steps of faith on the path of righteousness. I want to encourage you to not shy away from challenges, but to trust the Lord to carry you through to the other side. Because once you make it to the other side of the river, you can look back and know; God carried me through to the other side. Each time you take one of these little steps your faith grows stronger and God can use you in new ways to grow his kingdom. Numbers 6:24-26 “May God bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” May the Lord bless you today! Amen.

Today is December 1st, 2018

Isaiah 11:1,2 KJV And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: (2) And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 

Isaiah is prophesying about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this verse. These seven Spirits are the same as those mentioned in the book of Revelation. 

Revelation 5:6 King James Version (KJV)

⁶ And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Matthew 3:16 King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

In Matthew 3:16 we see the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy. The seven Spirits of God rested upon Jesus. Immediately after this Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he fasted forty days and forty nights. The devil came to tempt him and when this time of tempting was done, Jesus returned and began his ministry. Why was it necessary for Jesus to go through this forty days and forty nights of fasting, and then be tempted by the devil? This time was set aside to prepare Jesus for his ministry. Fasting and prayer bring the spirit and soul of a person into obedience to God’s will. When a person’s spirit is completely submitted to the Lord, then the person can be used to effectively do God’s will. The time of testing or tempting reveals to God if our heart and character are ready for the assignments he has for us.

I have spent the last couple of years in the wilderness, being tempted and tested. I know this time is necessary because the Lord has an important assignment for me. Only after we complete our time of testing in the wilderness are we ready to carry out God’s plan for our lives. As the book of James says;

James 1:2-4 King James Version (KJV)

² My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

³ Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

⁴ But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

You need to emerge on the other side of the wilderness, having passed through these challenges before you are ready. Don’t try to get ahead of yourself and skip this important preparation time. Jesus knew how important this preparation time was and the Holy Spirit led Jesus through this wilderness experience. It is so important to do things in the proper order for anything to be successful. God is a God of order and we need to follow this order, step by step.

1. First step is to pray for God to pour out the seven Spirits of God upon you.

2. Number two is complete 40 days of fasting and praying.

3. Number three is complete the time of tempting and testing

If you feel a calling by God, I urge you to set aside 40 days of fasting and prayer to prepare you for the ministry God is calling you into. My 40 days is starting today December 1, 2018. 

Be encouraged, God has a plan for each of us. He knows what you need to prepare you for what lies ahead. Stop walking in the flesh and begin walking in the Spirit. Live the life God has planned for you today!

Today is December 8, 2018

This morning I read Proverbs chapter 3 and the Lord spoke to me through these words. The first 18 verses reveal what the benefits are of wisdom. When we hear the word wisdom, what do we think of; man’s wisdom or God’s wisdom? 

Proverbs 3:1-18 New Living Translation (NLT)

Trusting in the Lord

3 My child,^[a] never forget the things I have taught you.
    Store my commands in your heart.
² If you do this, you will live many years,
    and your life will be satisfying.
³ Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!
    Tie them around your neck as a reminder.
    Write them deep within your heart.
⁴ Then you will find favor with both God and people,
    and you will earn a good reputation.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.

⁷ Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
    Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
⁸ Then you will have healing for your body
    and strength for your bones.

⁹ Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the best part of everything you produce.
¹⁰ Then he will fill your barns with grain,
    and your vats will overflow with good wine.

¹¹ My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t be upset when he corrects you.
¹² For the Lord corrects those he loves,
    just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.^[b]

¹³ Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,
    the one who gains understanding.
¹⁴ For wisdom is more profitable than silver,
    and her wages are better than gold.
¹⁵ Wisdom is more precious than rubies;
    nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶ She offers you long life in her right hand,
    and riches and honor in her left.
¹⁷ She will guide you down delightful paths;
    all her ways are satisfying.
¹⁸ Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
    happy are those who hold her tightly.

Footnotes:

1. 3:1 Hebrew My son; also in 3:11, 21.
2. 3:12 Greek version reads loves, / and he punishes those he accepts as his children. Compare Heb 12:6.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I like how the New Living Translation reads.

1. The first thing the Lord mentions is: to never forget the things I have taught you and store my commands in your heart. If we do this God says you will live many years and your life will be satisfying. Wow, isn’t this what everyone wants?

2. The second thing God says is, never let loyalty and kindness leave you. God says we should tie them around our neck and write them deep within our hearts to remind us. If we do this God says we will find favor with God and people and earn a good reputation. Wow, again isn’t this what everyone wants?

3. Next the Lord says we should trust him with all our heart and don’t depend on your own understanding. And, if we seek God’s will in everything we do. He will show you which path to take. Again, God tells us what to do and what we can expect as a result.

4. Next the Lord says we should not be impressed with our own wisdom. But instead fear the Lord and turn away from evil. If we do this, we can expect healing for our body and strength for our bones. Wow, another awesome promise.

5. Next the Lord says we should honor the Lord with our wealth and the best part of everything we produce. If we do this, we can expect our barns to be filled with grain and our vats overflowing with good wine. Wow, it just keeps getting better!

The next few verses talk about how to receive discipline and correction from the Lord. We need to remember God knows what is best for us and He is doing this because he loves us.

The rest of this passage summarizes who wisdom is and the results of finding wisdom;

1. Joyful is the one who finds wisdom
2. Wisdom is more profitable than silver and gold
3. Wisdom is more precious than rubies
4. Wisdom offers us long life, riches and honor
5. Wisdom will guide you down delightful and satisfying paths
6. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her and happy are those who hold her tightly

We really need to pay attention to this passage, it offers us the promises and benefits of wisdom. It tells us plainly what to do and what we can expect. 

Why is it that we don’t always do these things? Because we live in a fallen world and we are descendants of Adam and Eve. We do the same things that our ancestors did, we never seem to learn from their mistakes. That is why the Lord added verses 11 and 12 about discipline and correction.

As verses 5, 6 and 7 say: we often rely on our own wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Boy, does that get us in a lot of trouble. Our own understanding can really be a stumbling block to finding God’s will for our lives. We rely on what we have been taught by humans rather than relying on the Holy Spirit of God. Can we really be that arrogant to think we are more wise than the God who created everything.

If we humble ourselves and admit we don’t have all the answers, and then trust God. He gives us play by play  instructions on how to live life and get the most out of it. This passage tells us what to do and what we can expect God to do in return. Please go back and read this passage again. Meditate and focus on what the Lord is telling us in this passage. Then start living your life following these principles and see what happens.

Blessings to you on this day that the Lord has created. Thank you for reading my blog.

Today is December 15, 2018

It is hard to believe that we are in December and Christmas is only a little over a week away. I will post a Christmas message next week.

This morning I turned to the book of 2 Chronicles in my bible. I opened to the book to chapter 18, I had just read this same passage a few weeks ago. When this happens, I know the Lord has something he wants to teach me through these verses. Hebrews 4:12 NIV says “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” God uses his word to speak to us; many times he will use the same verses to speak something completely different, a different meaning from the same words. I have experienced this many times and know that God’s word is alive and active. These words of the Lord were inspired by the Holy Spirit of God and written down by men. God uses men and women to accomplish his will. That is what I want to talk about in today’s blog post.

In 2 Chronicles 18, Ahab king of Israel  and Jehoshaphat king of Judah are discussing going to war against Ramoth Gilead and the country of Aram. Jehoshaphat says “First seek the counsel of the Lord” before going out to do battle with the Arameans. So, Ahab brought out 400 prophets to give them the counsel of the Lord. They asked the prophets; “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?” The prophets replied; “Go, for God will give it into the king’s hand”. But, Jehoshaphat asked, ” Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?” He must not have believed the 400 prophets were prophesying God’s will. Ahab answers; “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” So, Micaiah was brought before the two kings. Ahab asked him, ” Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, shall I not?” Micaiah answers; “Attack and be victorious, for they will be given into your hand.” King Ahab answers; “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” Verse 16 says; “Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, “‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'” The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?” Then Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with the multitudes of heaven standing on his right and his left. ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit cam forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘ I will entice him.’ ” ‘By what means?’ The Lord asked. “‘ I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. ” ‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’ “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

We know from the rest of the chapter,  that Ahab and Jehoshaphat did not heed Micaiah’s warning, and did go to war against Ramoth Gilead. And also, that king Ahab was killed in the battle. 

This is a very interesting passage, because it gives us a snapshot of the inner workings of heaven in Micaiah’s vision. It reveals how God can use spirits to work through people to accomplish his will. In this case a lying or deceiving spirit in the mouths of the 400 prophets. And, only through the Holy Spirit of God was the truth revealed by Micaiah. Yet, the two kings did not heed the warning. 

Often, this was the case in scripture, the people did not heed the warnings of the prophets. God would then use another kingdom to carry out his judgements against the people of Israel and Judah. 

Does God still work like this today? Does he use other people and even spirits to accomplish his will? 

Numbers 23:19 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ God is not human, that he should lie,
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Psalm 55:19 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ God, who is enthroned from of old,
    who does not change—
he will hear them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.

These verses say God does not change. So, the answer is; yes, God can and will use any means necessary to accomplish his will. And. he often uses people to make it happen. God is in control of everything including the devil and deceiving spirits. They can not do anything without his permission. Many times God’s will is done in a way we as humans would never have dreamed or conceived in our minds. But, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. 

So, what are the take a ways from this passage? 

1. God’s will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven
2. God works in ways we can’t always see or understand
3. God uses whatever means necessary to accomplish his will, including using people and spirits.
4. The Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to us

Today we as Christians have the Holy Spirit living inside us, and scripture says he will lead us into all truth. If, you want to know the truth about the circumstances or situation you are in? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to you. 

Life can be complicated, but God is in control of everything. If we learn to trust him and seek him for the truth in every situation, life becomes less complicated. 

Remember, God is using each of us in some way to accomplish his will. When we are at one with him, and not fighting him, this process is much less stressful. 

Blessings to each of you today! Thank you for reading my blog.

Today is December 24, 2018

Love is the Reason

Much has been written and preached about why Jesus came to earth. Three weeks ago, I began praying for a message for this morning. Almost immediately the Lord gave me the title “Love is the Reason”. I continued to pray, seeking God’s direction for the right scripture. Our text this morning is a familiar one, John 3:16-21.

In the text preceding our scripture this morning, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. Nicodemus has a tough time with this concept. He says to Jesus, “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus explains that he is talking about a spiritual rebirth, not a rebirth in the flesh. Jesus goes on to say that Nicodemus was a teacher of the law, but he still could not understand this concept. Jesus says that he must be lifted up, just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, (Numbers 21:9) that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

Jesus concludes his discussion with Nicodemus in our text this morning.

John 3:16-21 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verse 16 is one of the most famous verses in the bible. This verse is to further explain to Nicodemus how believing in Jesus would cause him to have eternal life.

1. For God so loved the world
   1. What great love this must be, to give up one’s son for all mankind
   1. God’s compassion, grace and mercy
   1. Romans 8:38-39 New International Version (NIV)³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. That he gave his one and only son
   1. This helps explain the deepness of God’s love
   1. Just as Abraham was tested to sacrifice his son, God followed through and did what Abraham was tested in.
   1. Jesus was born, lived on the earth as a man, was lifted up and died on a cross for all the sins of mankind
   1. God gave Jesus as a gift, which represented how much he loved us
3. That whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life
   1. Jesus summarized the gospel message in this phrase

In verse 17 Jesus says that he did not come to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. We already stand condemned as sinners, waiting for our sentence, but Jesus stood in for us and took our death sentence. He paid the price for our sins and all we need to do is believe in him.

What do we believe about Jesus?

1. We believe that he is the Son of God
2. We believe that he was born of a virgin
3. We believe he lived on the earth as a human being
4. We believe he died on a cross for our sins
5. We believe he lay in a tomb for three days
6. We believe he was resurrected back to life by God’s mighty power
7. We believe Jesus is alive today and seated at the right hand of God the Father

Verse 19 says that this is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil. The people did not want their evil exposed and wanted to continue in their evil lives rather than repent and believe in Jesus.

Jesus illuminated the need for a savior. His purity and righteousness exposed our evil hearts. God’s love was revealed in Jesus and Jesus revealed God’s love through his life. Why is it that those who do evil hate the light? Their deeds are exposed and laid bare for all to see. Adam and Eve hid themselves from God. Those that walk-in truth seek the light, they seek to be transparent before God, because they have nothing to hide.

I want to look at another scripture this morning that John wrote about God’s love.

Please turn to 1 John 4:7-12

1 John 4:7-12 New International Version (NIV)

God’s Love and Ours

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Let us love one another, for love comes from God. God is Love and God’s love is made complete in us. This is Love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Verse 11 says: “Dear Friends, since God so loved us, we ought to love one another.

God chose to send his Son Jesus into the world to show his great love for the world. Jesus said that when you see the Son, you also see the Father. Jesus was God in the fresh, he represented everything that God is, especially his love.

Jesus gave us the blue-print for what a Christian life should look like. Jesus never turned anyone away, he always showed great compassion for people in need. He loved children and told others to have child like faith. Jesus loved people and loved ministering to them. His life reflected God’s love for mankind. He loved them so much, that he made a way for them to be reconciled to him. He wanted us to be with him in his kingdom, to enjoy each other’s company.

Does the world see God’s love through you? Are you a reflection of Jesus’ love for others? When people see you, do they see Jesus’ love? Do you want to live in the light or in darkness?

This Christmas let’s remember why God sent his Son Jesus into the world as a baby.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Love is the Reason for the Season!

Let’s give each other the gift of love this Christmas season.

Merry Christmas!

Today is January 1st, 2019

God’s Prophetic Word for 2019

God spoke the word “transition” to me a couple of days ago. As I continued to pray and seek the Lord what this word meant, he began speaking to me.

I was reading in the book of Isaiah, in chapter 43 and verses 18 and 19 jumped out at me;

Isaiah 43:18-19 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ “Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

God is doing a new thing! We have entered into the 12th hour. The Lord is going to do some incredible things in the next 12 months. Just as the these verses say, “I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” God is going to open up and allow roads into places that the word of God has never been before. The fullness of time is approaching and the word of God will be spread through the streams in the wilderness. God is going to use some unusual circumstances and situations to bring about his will being done on earth as it is in heaven. God will use people in a powerful way through breakthroughs in technology to deliver the word of God into the wilderness.

The scripture says it will spring up or spring forth. This is all going to happen quickly and some people, if they are not paying attention could miss this incredible miracle.

The fields are ripe for harvest. This season we are entering into, will be like no other time in history. God is going to do things we have never seen before to accomplish his will on earth. And his chosen people, followers of his Son Jesus Christ will be his instruments he uses to get the job done.

Please spend the next few days in prayer to seek God’s will. God has a plan and a purpose for each of his chosen ones. Prepare your heart by submitting to God’s perfect will for your lives. Be obedient to what God is calling you to do. God will make a way in the wilderness and provide streams in the wastelands. God will make it possible to do things that seem impossible. He will make a way where there seems to be no open door.

Please keep your spiritual eyes and ears open, so you don’t miss these incredible miracles God is going to do. Today is the transition time between, these two seasons. The time of preparing is coming to a close and the time of harvesting is approaching.

Numbers 6:24-26 New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ “‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

May the Lord bless you in 2019! Thank you for reading my blog!

Today is January 5, 2019

Today I want to share with you something the Lord has been speaking to me about recently. God has created each of us with a unique combination of gifts, talents and abilities.

Psalm 139:13 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹³ You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

So, God put each of us together in our mother’s womb, no two are exactly alike. Even twins are created with a different combination and are not exact copies. In my work as a butcher, I can see that God created each animal differently. They are similar, but each one is different. Some are big, others small, some are thin and others are fat, some are tough and others tender.

God is a god of order, and everything has a purpose and a place. God has a reason for everything he does, both great and small. Each of us was created with a purpose in mind. Finding this purpose, our true calling in life, is so important to living a fulfilling life.

Ephesians 4:1 New Living Translation (NLT)

4 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

God has called each of us for a special assignment, a special purpose. This unique calling is because of how God created each of us differently. God knew what combination of Spiritual gifts, talents and abilities each calling would require.

As Paul says in Ephesians 4:1; we need to live a life worthy of our calling. In order to do this, we need to know what our calling is for this life. That can be very difficult if you don’t hear God speaking to you. God speaks to us in many ways and everything that happens to us has a purpose. We have to pay attention to everything and view it through our spiritual eyes and ears to perceive the meaning. God can speak to us using almost any situation. Paul says this is living by the spirit in Romans chapter 8. Every decision we make needs to be made seeking God’s guidance and council.

I am going through this process right now, seeking God’s calling and will for my life. There are often times when God asks us to wait and this can be difficult to understand. But as it says in the book of Ecclesiastes there is a time for everything. Being in God’s perfect will requires us to be in his perfect timing as well. God’s timing is important, because as I said earlier, God is a god of order.

As I ponder what God’s will is and what my calling is for my life, I am reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6.

Proverbs 3:5-6 New Living Translation (NLT)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take. New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I am trusting and waiting for God to show me which path to take. I covet your prayers during this time of waiting. I know God will show me which path to take, I just need to be patient and wait. Please pray that I will have patience and faith that God will reveal his plan.

If you don’t know God’s will or what your calling is in life, I challenge you to seek God with all you heart. God has a plan for your life and it is important that you live the life God has planned for you.

Matthew 7:7-8 New Living Translation (NLT)

Effective Prayer

⁷ “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Thank you for reading my blog and for your prayers!

Today is January 19, 2019

This morning I was reading Luke chapter 24 and verses 36 through 49 spoke to me. This is the account of Jesus’ last meeting on the earth with his disciples prior to his ascension into heaven.

Luke 24:36-49 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. 44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jesus appears in the flesh to his disciples. He makes the point that he is flesh and bone, not a spirit. To further prove this point, he eats a piece of broiled fish in their presence. The disciples are afraid and startled by the sudden appearance of Jesus. He encourages them to look at his hands and feet, he tells them to touch him and see that he is real.

Jesus addresses their doubts and fears as soon as he appeared to the disciples. He then tells them that he needed to fulfilled everything that is written about him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.

Then the Lord does something amazing, he opens their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. Jesus summarizes what is written in scripture: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. Jesus then declares that they are witnesses of these things.

Jesus tells them,” I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high”.

We as Christians often have doubts and fears, just as the disciples did. It was important that they see and hear Jesus in the flesh to boost their faith. They also were the eye witnesses that would record these events for future believers. This eye witness account should be a blessed assurance that Jesus is alive and that our sins are forgiven.

Jesus opened the disciples minds so they could understand scripture and he instructed them to remain in the city until they are clothed with power from on high. It was important for them all to be together when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them. Not only did they witness this happening to one another, but the people of Jerusalem were witnesses to this as well. The message of salvation needed to be preached first to the Jews in Jerusalem before being spread throughout the world.

Notice that Jesus did not send them out to preach the gospel alone and unprepared. He told them to wait until they were clothed with power. We as believers are clothed with this same power and the Holy Spirit will open our minds to understand scripture, just as Jesus did.

Jesus isn’t asking us to go out into the world alone or unprepared. He has sent the comforter to go with us and to cloth us with power from on high. The stronger our faith, the more the Holy Spirit can use us to do God’s will.

Luke picks up the story in the book of Acts and we see the amazing ways the disciples were used by God to spread the gospel. These men who were afraid and doubtful, were now bold and fearless. That is the power of the Holy Spirit, transforming ordinary people into extraordinary instruments of God.

To those of you who have been praying for me, thank you! Your prayers are making a difference. God will use me, just as he used the disciples to do extraordinary things in his name.

I will be preaching at Pleasant View Mennonite Church in Holmes county, Ohio next Sunday January 27th. Pray that God will use me in a powerful way. Thank you for reading my blog!

Today is January 26, 2019

We are in the middle of a very snowy and cold winter here in Ohio. This past week had it’s challenges, with weather and car issues for me. But God is faithful to carry us through any and all challenges. No matter your situation, if you give it to God and have faith, God will carry you through to the other side of the challenge in your life.

Psalm 23:4 King James Version (KJV)

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

What is it that removes the fear; “for thou art with me”. What is it that comforts me; ” thy rod and thy staff”. God’s rod and his staff represent his unmatched power and control over every situation we face.

This brings to my mind the story of Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14:22-34.

Matthew 14:22-34 King James Version (KJV)

²² And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

²³ And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

²⁴ But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

²⁵ And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

²⁶ And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

²⁷ But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

²⁸ And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

²⁹ And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

³⁰ But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

³¹ And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

³² And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

³³ Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

³⁴ And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

The first thing I noticed is Jesus went up on the mountain to pray and hear from his Father. Jesus sent his disciples on ahead of him in a boat on the lake.

Later that night Jesus went to them walking on the water. The lake was a challenge or obstacle that stood in their way. Jesus didn’t see it as an obstacle, but an opportunity to bring glory to God. Jesus didn’t try to find a earthly solution to cross over the body of water. He chose a heavenly (spiritual) solution to cross the body of water. But he spent time in prayer prior to undertaking the spiritual solution to the challenge they faced.

The other challenge the disciples faced was the wind was against them as they attempted to cross the lake. When they saw Jesus walking on the lake they were afraid and didn’t recognize him. Isn’t this how we often react to God working in our lives? We don’t recognize him walking on the water and react in fear.

When Peter realizes it is Jesus, he says; if it is you Jesus tell me to come to you on the water. And Jesus replies “come”. Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water, then he noticed the challenges around him and he took his eyes off of Jesus. He focused on the earthly challenges instead of the spiritual solution.

Peter cries out; ” Lord save me” and Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. Jesus was close enough to Peter to reach out his hand and save him. He is always right there with us, close enough to save us.

Jesus then says; ” you of little faith, why did you doubt”? All it took for Peter to walk on the water is faith. All it took for him to start to sink under the waves was doubt. Faith is powerful, yet it is invisible; we can’t see it, feel it or hear it Yet it is the spiritual solution to our earthly challenges.

The more faith we have the more awesome the solution to our challenge will be. Faith is the fuel to power our spiritual motors. Faith is the spiritual solution to our early challenges and will carry us to the other side of the challenge we face.

God showed up in a mighty way this week and carried me to the other side of the challenges we faced. I praise God for his faithfulness and his almighty power.

Be encouraged and have faith that Jesus will reach out his hand and save you. He is saying “come” right now, so get out of the boat and go to him. Allow him to quiet the storm around you and speak peace to you.

I hope and pray that this spoke to you, like it spoke to me. Thank you for reading my blog! May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Today is February 9, 2019

A few weeks ago I preached about what a true sheep (disciple) of Jesus looks like. I have also been teaching a bible study Wednesday evenings on this subject. I am going to share some of the material from this study with you today.

The scripture I used in the sermon was Matthew 25:31-46, in which Jesus was describing the separation of the sheep from the goats.

Matthew 25:31-46 New International Version (NIV)

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jesus often referred to his followers and disciples as sheep. There are over 200 references to sheep in the bible. In today’s scripture the Lord is separating his sheep from the goats. This was a common practice in Palestine, because sheep and goat flocks were often intermingled. The shepherd would allow the sheep and goats to be together during the day and separate them at night. The reason this was done, is the sheep could withstand the colder night temperatures better than the goats. The goats would need to be huddled together to keep warm.

Can you imagine what this would look like? Jesus comes in all his glory with all the angels of heaven with him. The nations, basically all people gathered before the throne of Jesus. Then Jesus separates the people as a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats.

Jesus says” Come you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

Jesus says his sheep are blessed by his Father and this blessing is our inheritance, the kingdom prepared for us.

Jesus then tells us why some people were sheep and others goats. He says “for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

I find it interesting that Jesus says this instead of saying, the sheep believed in me as their Lord and Savior.

The sheep answer Jesus, asking him when did we see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and gave you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or need clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?

Jesus calls the sheep righteous and they were not aware that they had done these things for Jesus.

Then Jesus gives us the reason these people were considered righteous and called his sheep.

Jesus says” truly I tell you whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me.

Wow, so the reason these people are considered righteous and his sheep; is they cared for the other sheep.

We know that the goats did not care for others in the flock.

The result; the goats go away to eternal punishment and the sheep to eternal life.

The first trait of what true sheep look like is;

1. True sheep care for their fellow sheep

In Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus warns us to watch out for false prophets. Jesus says they will come to you in sheep’s clothing. In other words, they will be pretending to be sheep. Jesus says by their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Jesus says, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

John 21:15-17 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Reinstates Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

In both of these passages the fruit or words and actions we take are of high importance. Jesus says that “you will know them by their fruit” and tells Peter to “feed his lambs, take care of my sheep and feed my sheep.” So, our actions testify what is in our hearts.

The next scripture I want to look at is John 10:1-5

John 10:1-5 New International Version (NIV)

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ² The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

In this passage Jesus is talking to the Pharisees about the Good Shepherd and his sheep. The shepherd enters by the gate, but a thief or robber climb in some other way. Jesus says in verse 3 the sheep listen to his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Verse 4 says; his sheep follow him because they know his voice. Verse 5 says, the sheep will never follow a stranger, in fact they will run away from him because they do not recognize his voice.

So, the next trait of what true sheep look like is;

2. True sheep know the voice of Jesus and follow him.

Another scripture I want to look at quickly is Matthew 7:21-23

Matthew 7:21-23 New International Version (NIV)

True and False Disciples

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

In this passage Jesus says that not everyone who says to him Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Jesus says” many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles? Then Jesus says,” I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!

False disciples or sheep call Jesus Lord, but they do not do the will of the Father in heaven. Our third trait of what true sheep look like is:

3. True sheep do the will of our Father in heaven.

Another scripture I want to look at is;

John 14:23-24 New International Version (NIV)

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴ Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

In John 14:23-24 we find another clue to what a true sheep looks like. Jesus says, “anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” “Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”

Our fourth trait of what a true sheep looks like is;

4. True sheep obey Jesus’ teachings.

So, we have 4 traits of what true sheep of Jesus look like. None of these traits speak about our salvation, but a few of them do speak about eternal life.

So, is there more to being a true sheep than believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior?

Believing in Jesus is required for salvation but is only the beginning. It is also clear that we are expected to grow spiritually and produce good fruit. How do we do these four important traits that define true sheep?

How do we apply what we have learned?

What we are talking about is spiritual growth or learning to be disciples of Jesus.

We are not saved by works, but by Faith, yet it is our works that testify of our faith.

Jesus knows our hearts and whether we are real sheep or not. Our actions and our words come from our heart. So, it is our actions and our words that define what is in our hearts. That is why Jesus said, you will recognize them by their fruit.

In Matthew 7:13,14 Jesus talks about the narrow and wide gates. Let’s read this together.

“Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. “

I believe that many so-called prophesying Christians will be in for a rude awakening on the day of judgement. Are you truly born again, if there is no evidence of a true-life change? The evidence is found in these four traits we talked about this morning.

1. True sheep care for their fellow sheep.
2. True sheep know the voice of Jesus and follow him.
3. True sheep do the will of our Father in heaven.
4. True sheep obey Jesus’ teachings.

If our lives are not producing this fruit, we need to examine our hearts carefully and make changes to get on the narrow road and enter through the small gate.

These four traits define a true sheep or disciple of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to carefully look at your lives and seek the Holy Spirit’s counsel.

Is 2019 a defining moment in your life, a point where you made real spiritual growth a priority?

Please don’t take this lightly, your eternal life depends on this. There is no better time to change your life than right now.

Do you want to experience the Christian life in a new exciting way? Do you want to reignite your passion for Jesus? Do you want to live the life that God created you to live? I challenge you to make a commitment today, to make these four traits a priority.

Our lives, the things we do and say are the evidence of our salvation. They are our testimony of a true changed heart.

Are you a true sheep of Jesus?

May the Lord Bless you and keep you! Thank you for reading my blog!

Today is March 9, 2019

I haven’t posted anything for a month and I apologize for my inactivity. I started a new job 5 weeks ago and my life has been in transition. Joanna and I are also moving in the next few weeks, so that’s another change. Sometimes changes are welcome and needed, other times they are unwelcome and unneeded. But one thing we know for sure, changes are coming. If we don’t handle changes well, our life can seem like it’s on a downward spiral.

Life is full of changes, no one is exempt from changes. So, we had better have a good attitude about change. I look forward to changes, otherwise our lives would be pretty boring. Changes offer the opportunity to learn something new or meet someone new.

If we look at change from God’s perspective, we can see why these changes are necessary. God is in control of everything, there is nothing that he does not have control of. God and his word are the only things that will not changes. But God is truly the author of change. Not all of the changes we experience in life are to our liking. But, if we trust our heavenly Father, it is his will that we go through these changes. Many times we can’t understand why something happens.

Isaiah 55:8-11 says “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and make it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Did you ever think about how God keeps track of all the people on the planet and knows the decisions they will make before they make them?

When we make decisions that don’t line up with his will, what happens? His will is done anyway. God accounts for human decisions that go against his will and still accomplishes what he wants in the end.

So, like I said earlier God is factoring in decisions of all the people on the planet and still able to accomplish his will at the end of the day.

We can’t wrap our minds around how he does this, but I am glad he is able to do it. If God wasn’t in control of everything, everything would be out of control. There would be no order to the universe we live in.

Psalms 145:3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

God is in control of every situation in every second of every day. Every change that takes place on the planet, God is the author of each change that takes place.

There are often consequences for not following God’s will. Sometimes we experience pain, discouragement and frustration as a result.

Changes are inevitable, that is part of life, nothing remains the same forever except God and his word.

Does it make sense that we should consult God before making any decisions?

Of course, it does, but sometimes that is easier said than done.

So, how do you seek his will for your life?

Pray, seek the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind

Study his word, God often speaks to us through his written word

Pay Attention, to what is going on around you, God can speak through other people and situations

Listen, be quiet, stop thinking about work and all the other distractions in your life and focus on Jesus.

God has a plan for each of our lives. He has created each of us to do the work of his kingdom and he has given each of us gifts in different areas.

God created you for a special purpose, with the gifts, talents and abilities to get the job done.

God wants you to diligently seek his will for your lives. He wants to reveal his plan to you and empower you to do the work you were created to do.

Spend time praying and seeking God’s will for your lives. When you find out what your purpose is and what God created you to do, you will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the work.

When you are doing what God created you to do and are walking in your destiny, you will run and not grow weary. When you find your spiritual sweet spot, God can use you to do great things to bring honor and glory to his name.

We know the safest place to be is in God’s perfect will for our lives. Sometimes walking in his will requires patience, Psalms 27:14 says “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He will strengthen your heart; wait I say, on the Lord. We need to be aware of God’s timing and walk with patience according to his will.

The Lord truly is the author of change, he is in control of every detail of our lives.

Find out what God’s will is for your life and start living your destiny.

I challenge you to seek God’s will for your lives and to start walking in his will. Find out what God wants to change in your life and turn the steering wheel over to him.

Instead of resisting change, let’s anticipate and accept change. Let’s look forward to change, because change is how God makes his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. God uses changes to make things happen.

Blessings to you today and thanks for reading my blog.

Today is April 20, 2019

I can’t believe its been over a month since I last posted in my blog. Life has gotten busy. I’ve been at my new job now for around 10 weeks and love it. Joanna and I moved from Wooster, Ohio to Beach City, Ohio three weeks ago. As I wrote last month, that’s a lot of changes packed into a couple of months. But, we are enjoying all of these changes and believe they are blessings from God.

One of the benefits of our recent move is, we are closer to our son and his family. We have been spending more time with them and love being just minutes away. We are enjoying more time with our grandson, who is such a blessing to our family. We are also closer to my parents and our siblings.

I want to talk about moving closer to God and how this can benefit us. When we move from one home to another, we gather our possessions and load them on a truck. When we move spiritually, we need to gather our spiritual possessions and load them on a prayer. In both cases we are moving everything we have from one place to another. By moving, we are hoping to better our situation within our current circumstances.

What kinds of benefits would we want to gain by moving closer to God? Knowing God’s will and his plan for our lives are just a few of the benefits. What else can we expect from a move closer to God? Living in God’s presence fills us with his peace and his love, grace and mercy. We need this to be healthy spiritually. Being closer also means we will spend more time together. Spending more time together means we will begin to know the heart of God. It also means you can get his input on any decision you need to make. We will be in constant communication and lay down any burdens we carrying.

Psalms 141:1,2 “I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”

God wants us to make this move to be closer to him, he welcomes this move. This was his plan from the beginning; for mankind to be in communion with him. Why do we wander away from God, like lost sheep? It is because we are focusing on the here and now, rather than our eternal future. This is easy to do with all that we face each day.

But, if we make a deliberate move closer to God, it will be much easier to stay focused on our eternal future. God has a way of keeping our perspective focused in the right direction when we are close to him.

So, the question is; how do you pack up your spiritual possessions and move closer to God? What are our spiritual possessions? Well, our spirit is made up of our emotions, intellect and our will. What all is contained in our emotions? Wow, that’s a load in it’s self. What about our intellect, what all does that contain? And lastly but certainly not least, what is contained in our will? If you can pack up all that is contained in these three areas of your life and move it closer to God, what would happen? Awesome, incredible and amazing things would be the result.

To do this you need to pack up each area separately, one at a time. Doing more than one area at a time is overwhelming. So, let’s tackle our emotions first. Let’s pack up all the deep rooted emotions that drive our existence. The things that light our spiritual fires. The passions, the hates, the pain, the anger, the love, everything that brings out the good or bad in us. If we don’t pack up everything that means something to us and move it closer to God, we will not be able to work through and resolve each emotional area.

What about your intellect? Your intellect is made up of both knowledge and your ability to reason or figure something out. Some of the knowledge we carry with us is tainted and not complete truth. As we move it closer to God, he will sifted it and expose the areas of untruth. Our ability to think or reason, will also benefit from the move closer to God. Because over time you begin to see the world through God’s eyes and weigh decisions based on God’s heart.

Lastly, packing up our will can be challenging. Bringing our will closer to God is dangerous and can be scary. But, unless we bring our will along on the move, God will never be able to use us to our full potential. Realizing that God has our best interests in mind all the time is a weight off our minds. Giving up our will and being obedient to God’s will is life changing.

I hope this all helps you begin a process that leads to greater spiritual growth. I hope it has challenged you like it has challenged me. Keep moving all that you are closer to God and you will see positive changes in your life. Tackle each area one at a time and see what happens.

Blessings to you today! thank you for reading my blog.

Today is May 4, 2019

I find myself constantly thinking about what is next, what will I do today and what will I do tomorrow. We are constantly making plans and thinking ahead about tomorrow. But what about today?

Are we making the most of the day we are living in right now. What are we planning for tomorrow that we could do today. Each day is a gift from God, and each day is a unique creation by God. Do we realize how precious each day of life is? Are we making the most of each day, each hour, each minute and each second we have been giving? I have to admit, I am not making the most of each second.

So, what can we do to be more deliberate with making the most of each second of life? We like to make plans or have goals to facilitate getting things done we want to accomplish. But God has plans for us too.

Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God’s plans supersede our plans. We need to include God’s plan for our life, when making plans for the future.

Proverbs 19:21 New International Version (NIV)

²¹ Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

What are God’s plans for our lives? How can we include God’s plans in our own planning?

James has few things to say about making plans for tomorrow;

James 4:13-14 New International Version (NIV)

Boasting About Tomorrow

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

James has a way of cutting to the chase, and just saying it like it is, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We need to make the most of each day. If we live each day as if it were are last, how does that change our perspective?

We pray the Lord’s prayer;

Matthew 6:9-13 New International Version (NIV)

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.^[b]’

Do we really mean it when we say “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”? We need to realize God is in control and whether we cooperate with his will or not, his will, will be done. We just need to submit our will for God’s will. If we lay our plans aside and say, “Lord use me however you wish”, what would happen?

We all have a limited number of days, God has determined the number of our days in advance. So, he knows what you need to accomplish each day to live out his plans for our lives. It makes sense to me to submit my plans to the Lord, and give him full control. Living my life with God in complete control puts my spirit at peace. It’s not that I don’t make plans or don’t have things I want to accomplish. I just realize when God intervenes and my plans are put on hold or changed, I don’t get upset, God knows best.

If we pay attention, and look at everything that happens in a day, we can see God’s hand at work. I always say, “everything happens for a reason”. Divine appointments happen each day, we just miss them most days.

I want to encourage you to change your perspective, and look at each day differently. God has a plan for each day of our lives. We need to perceive his hand at work in our lives each day. That requires us to open our spiritual eyes and ears, and pay attention. Paying attention to every detail of our day and looking for his hand at work.

God uses us wherever we are, at work, at home and at church. I work with a gentleman from Grenada. The other day he asked me if I was a Christian. I told him I was, and he said he was a believer too. He said he perceived that I was a believer. We have had a couple of conversations about our faith since then. God has a plan and a purpose for everything that takes place in our lives. I don’t know how God is going to use me, but there is no doubt in my mind that he will use me to accomplish his will. I don’t know how God is going to use this gentleman I met at work. Neither of us know the impact we have on each other and how we are accomplishing God’s will. But, there is know doubt, we met for a reason.

So, making the most of each day, has more to do with changing your perspective and paying attention to what God is doing, than making plans. So, I challenge you to take a step back and look at life differently.

May God bless you today! Thanks for reading my blog!

Today is June 29, 2019

Remember the story in the bible about the day the sun stood still? This morning I read this account in the bible. I had almost forgotten this story. When Joshua asked the Lord to hold the sun and moon still, God did exactly what he asked. Both the sun and moon stood still in the middle of the day for another full day.

This story takes place in the book of Joshua chapter 10;

Joshua 10:12-15 New International Version (NIV)

¹² On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:

“Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
    and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
¹³ So the sun stood still,
    and the moon stopped,
    till the nation avenged itself on^[a] its enemies,

as it is written in the Book of Jashar.

The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. ¹⁴ There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

¹⁵ Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

God extended the daylight hours by about another full day. God honored Joshua’s request because he was doing God’s will and the task at hand was very important to God

Last month I talked about not taking a single second of our lives for granted and trying to make the most of each day by aligning our will with God’s will. How do we know we are on the right track? How do we know if our will is aligning with God’s will. God is in control of every aspect of our lives. That doesn’t mean we can’t make our own decisions or make mistakes. Because, sometimes God allows us to make mistakes to teach us something. God will give you signs and indicators of which direction you should go, if you are paying attention.

If we enter each day submitting our will to God and accepting his will for our lives, it becomes very easy to follow God’s will. You will know when you are moving in the right direction. You will have a peace about where you are at. If you sense resistance or don’t have a peace about the direction you are going, stop and ask God to point you in the right direction. God will answer your prayer, don’t move until you sense God opening a door.

Six months ago I was praying about whether to become a licensed minister at our local church. I didn’t have a peace about it and so I fasted and prayed for 40 days. At the end of the 40 days, I still didn’t have peace about moving forward with the licensing. God spoke very clearly “no”. So, I told the elders and the church I was not going to go through with the licensing. This was difficult to do, because I do have a calling to be a pastor and I was called to this specific church 3 1/2 years ago.

I spent most of the last 6 months praying, asking God to tell me why he had told me “no”. It wasn’t until late April that I got my answer. I was having my devotions one morning, reading Proverbs chapter three, when the Lord revealed to me why he said “no” six months ago.

Proverbs 3:5-6 New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.^[a]

I had one of those aha moments with God that morning. I realized God was testing me and I was not trusting in him completely. Yes, I did trust him enough to say no, when he told me “no”. But I then tried to figure it all out with my own understanding, instead of trusting God. Once I gave it over to God and completely trusted him to lead the way, I gained a peace about moving forward with the licensing. Later that week the Lord spoke “there is an opening door in front of you, step through it”. So, a couple of weeks later I met with the leadership team of our church and told them I was ready to move forward with the licensing.

I now realize God needed to do some more work on my heart before I was ready to step through the door. If we are sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, he will make your paths straight.

When our will and God’s will align, powerful things will happen. Just like they did with Joshua that day he asked God to stop the sun from setting. If what we are asking God to do is aligned with his will, that’s when miracles happen.

Being one with the Holy Spirit reveals the Father’s will to us. We can hear him speaking to us, we can sense when we are moving in the right direction and when we are moving in the wrong direction there is resistance. The closer we walk with God, the easier it is to hear his voice and know his will.

I hope this is helpful, may God bless you today!

Thank you for reading my blog!