Thoughts

Jesus,

I pray for a supernatural release of your pressence upon my town God. I pray for hearts to be turned back to you and for the lost and broken hearted to find rest in your arms! God breathe into us a passionate love for the things of your kingdom. God I pray that even now... walls would be broken down... bondeges would be broken... and and footholds of the enemy would be shatterd! Humble us oh God! When the world looks at us... let us be a reflection of who you are. Help us see in the supernatural even more than in the natural. Lord, open our eyes to the oppertunities you provide us with everyday to show you to people. And break our hearts for what breaks yours. Let everything that we are be directed for you and you alone!

Amen!!

Why?

As believers we are constantly asked one question: "Why". This is such a simple question but there can be so many answers. The question is simply asking, "what is the motive for your actions?". Why do we go out of our way at work to make sure that we go the extra mile even though we may never be thanked for it? Why? The world looks at the things that we do and scratches theirs heads because the concept of a servant goes against anything that they are normally taught to believe. Christs love should be the very thing that drives everything that we do. So when someone asks why. Just simply reply: "Because the love of Christ compels me to."

No Matter What...

"I praise the Lord, who is my rock.

He trains my hands for war
and he gives my fingers skill for battle.
He is my loving ally and my rescuer.
He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.
He makes the nations submit to me.
Open the heavens Lord and come down.
Touch the mountains so they smoke."

Pslam 144:1-2 & 5

"For you kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule throughout all generations.
The Lord always keeps his promises.
He is gracious in all he does. The Lord helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads."

Psalm 145:13-14

"He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
He counts the stars
and calls them by name.
How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!
He understanding is beyond comprehension!"

Psalm 147:3-5

Yesterday I got a disturbing phone call from a family member. He informed me of the hopeless situation he is in and as I sat there... this rush of emotion came over me. I tried my best to hold myself together, to be strong long enough to get through the phone call. As I hung up the phone... tears came streaming down my face uncontrollably. I just sat there weeping and asking God what I was supposed to do. It was getting late to I went home took a shower and got a good nights sleep.
This morning as I was spending some time in the word. I was reading through these portions of scripture. As I was reading this I could not help but remember the verse: "I am the same yesterday, today and forever." Because the fact of the matter is, he never changes. We do. When things get hard... generally... we change in effort to protect ourselves. But God, he never changes. God is not so limited that he would be blown over my the first storm that comes along.
It is so important that no matter what happens we remember that Jesus is good regardless of what we are going through. That in itself is reason enough to rejoice. It is reason enough to praise him because his love never fails!
So what am I supposed to do now? I don't know, but in this most trying time when the winds of life blow up against me harder and harder... I can lean on him. He is the rock that cannot be shaken and our helper in our time of need.

Fan the Flames

"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and
self-discipline."
2 Timothy 1:6-7

I was reading in this text this morning and Paul is writing a letter of encouragement to Timothy from his prison cell. This one question came to me when I read this: "What does it mean to live in power?"
To often do I find myself living in a way that just skates through. Never engaging, and never speaking into the lives of others. I find myself asking God to strengthen my gifts, yet I do nothing to partner with Him in that. If we really desire for those things to truly be raised up strong in us... don't you think it is time to start engaging? I want my life to be evidence of Jesus and the authority he has given me over hell. Can you imagine what would happen if ever follower of Chirst walked in that authority in everyday life? What if we all walked everyday with a constant mentality of eternity?
So what does it mean to live in power? I think that 1 Cor. 13 sums it up. In everything that we do... let love be the motive. Let the love of Christ be the very thing that is compelling us in everything that we do.
Picture with me a woman that is harassed by her boss everyday. One day she walks into his office and lets him know that he is appreciated and then hands him a Starbucks. Instantly the atmosphere changes.

Love changes things.

So my challange to you is to put this to the test. Try it. One week of truly walking in love and authority in Christ in everything you do. You might be peasently suprised with what will happen.