Digging Deep
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation 6and my God.
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep 
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.
8By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
9I say to God, my rock:
”Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10As with a deadly wound in my bones,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
”Where is your God?”
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Sometimes life can be tough. Real tough. From families losing loved ones, people losing jobs or facing the possibility, or those facing life threatening physical conditions. These can be hard situations to deal with. Sometimes the unknown of what is going to happen can leave people feeling very lost and alone. Maybe there are those who are reading this right now, and you don’t know what you are going to do and the circumstances present a “no-win scenerio”.
David went through more than one of these situations as well as many of you out there. The words of David hold many keys to dealing with hard times and suffering. In my own life, I am facing some pretty steep odds that are not in my favor. I am a pretty smart guy, but even with all the intellect and intelligence I have, my ability to reason, and plan, and figure out things is of no use. It is when we are at the end of ourselves is where we find God. It is where we must trust Him, completely, cause there is no other way or option.
I look at David and I see a guy who isn’t afraid of a fight. I see a real man, a man’s man. A guy who overcame overwhelming odds who in the end made it to where he was destined. once you start reading the Psalms, that perception quickly fades. You see a guy who faced despair, depression, times of lack, and times when he was corrected. You see a guy who learned that his strength was not in his fighting prowess and skill, but it was in the art of surrender.
I’m not going to lie to you. It’s not the place where I want to be, nor I’m sure, most of you. Having to trust God goes against everything we are taught growing up. It goes against logic to simply wait on the Lord. If you are a go-getter and an achievement oriented type person, surrender is never an option. ”There’s always a way” you think, but sometimes there really isn’t and our own lack of surrender is what is holding back our greatest victory.
I was watching an episode of “Band of Brothers” not too long ago. These soldiers were in the woods, and they had dug foxholes. The commander in charge was constantly telling them to stay in or near their foxholes. All of a sudden, the German troops would open fire on these woods with artillery and the soldiers would jump into their foxholes, and most of the time they were safe. There were guys who wandered around to talk to guys in other foxholes, but didn’t stay in their own, and when the shelling started, most of those guys met their deaths.
Sometimes you have to dig deep and stay where you are. Sometimes there is no comfort in the mouths of others. Surrender requires absolute submission. When to go and when to stay are no longer your choice. It is the choice of the One you are submitted to. The desire to run is not an option. This option will lead to greater hurt, greater pain, and even death. Surrender is not a option, it is the only option.
David talks about how God’s love is steadfast and His song is with him in the night. While those who would destroy him ask “where is his God?”, he tells God what they are saying and allows God to answer in His might and power. God did not fail Him, and he was delivered from his enemies. How much more, we His children, heirs of salvation and eternal life will we overcome? It will come when we surrender. When, like Jesus, we stand in our garden of Gethsemane declare “not my will, but Yours be done. It was after this we see the angel of the Lord came to Jesus and ministered to Him. He was completely surrendered to the will of the Father. There at the point of complete surrender. There at the place of death to our self, He will meet us there. He will deliver. He will heal. He will be our strength and our salvation, but not until then.
Kevin
In You (Jesus)
Easter went by so fast yesterday. There is always so much anticipation and preparation that goes into Easter, that it kinda reminds me of Christmas. We so look forward to it and it is over just as fast.
The one big thing I take away from Easter is summed up in one word: submission. Jesus lived a life that was completely submitted and focused on doing the will of God the Father. His heart was completely in tune with the Father’s to where Jesus said He earnestly desired to eat the passover with His disciples. He knew the suffering He was about to face, but He faced the greatest onslaught of temptation probably ever known to man to where it caused Jesus to sweat blood, yet He did not waiver.
God wants us to willingly give our hearts wholly to Him, but I think that people don’t think they get anything in return. In reality, we receive the greatest gift of all. We receive Him. I wrote this poem this morning that expresses what I receive by giving myself wholly to Him:
In You
In Your Presence there is peace
In Your Praise there is joy
In Your Word there is power
In Your Love there is forgiveness
In Your Mercy there is a second chance
In Your Eyes there is a burning passion for Your people
In Your Hands there is provision
In Your Feet there is a firm foundation
In Your Arms there is comfort
In Your Nostrils is the Breath of Life
In Your Shadow there is rest
In You I find what I need.
In You is the answer to every prayer.
In You is the hope of every dream.
In You is my acceptance, validation, and confirmation.
In You are the beginning and ending of my days.
In You is the song I so desperately want to sing.
In You is a love I find so hard to put into words.
In You is the truth that stands through the test of time
In You is the strength to climb every mountain
In You
Kevin
The Escapism Mentality
escapism 1. the state of having wandering and imaginative thoughts in order to escape from reality. — escapist, n., adj.
2. the practice of engaging in activities that enable one to avoid having to deal with reality, as the persistent attendance at science-fiction films, reading of fantasy literature, etc.
Life can be tough sometimes. No doubt.
Life can be unfair. Yes, this is true.
Sometimes we need a break, a sabbath time of rest from our labors where we can recharge our mental, physical, and spiritual batteries.
People have come up with a myriad of ways to escape from the constant stresses and struggles of everyday life. Some folks go mountain biking, some play games online, some veg out in front of the tv. Everyone has their “thing”. All these things can be beneficial when done in moderation.
This is not the kind of escapism I want to talk about today. I’m not even talking about the excesses that many indulge in today. The kind of escapism I am talking about is one of a different kind. A “spiritual” kind. This one can be just as dangerous as any other excess that people are involved in.
Please follow me closely, cause I do not want to misunderstood here.
In times of trouble, (hopefully when things are good too) we draw closer to God. As God’s children, we should draw near to Him because we want relationship with Him. This is good.
The problem is when we get ourselves in a bad situation and we have the escapism mentality that God will pull our butts out of the fire.
I know the scriptures you may quote at me about God delivering people out of various situations in the Bible. I believe He still delivers us out of situations of our own making. The problem is when we expect there to be no consequences for our actions. We treat God like our “get out of jail free” card in the board game Monopoly. We throw down the “god” card and everything will be ok. We coat some Jesus over our problems and act like they don’t exist. This is escapism at it’s most dangerous.
God set forth the law of sowing and reaping ( Galatians 6:3-10). If you sow kindness, you will reap kindness. If you sow seeds of unforgiveness, you will reap bitterness. If you give, it will be given back to you. So on and so forth.
I have reaped the fruit of a lot of bad decisions in my life. He has delivered me from some situations that seemed impossible, but certainly not all of them. Does that make God bad? Heck no!! Does it mean He doesn’t love me? If you think that way, then you don’t know God at all and you need to read your Bible.
Did God heal David and Bath-Sheba’s baby even though David repented of adultery? No. Did Moses get to enter the promised land even though he did everything right except one act of disobedience? No, he didn’t get to enter. Was this harsh of God to act in this way? No. This was the law of sowing and reaping. When you sow seeds of sin or folly, they will return to you.
God may not deliver you so you are forced to make changes that you never would have made if God bailed you out.
Whether God delivers you or not, our hearts should constantly be drawn to Him. Not because we want God to help us, but so we might have the grace and strength to face whatever life throws at us, or we throw at ourselves because of our bad choices. He is always good. Always.
Kevin
This Is A Prayer We can All Pray
Thought this prayer of Thomas Aquinas was just incredible and wanted to share it with you all. I think it is still just as relevant today if not moreso in this day:
O merciful God, grant that I may desire ardently, search prudently, recognize truly, and bring to perfect completion whatever is pleasing to You for the praise and glory of Your name.
Put my life in order, O my God. Grant that I may know what You require me to do.
Bestow upon me the power to accomplish Your will, as is necessary and fitting for the salvation of my soul.
Grant to me, O Lord my God, that I may not falter in times of prosperity or adversity, so that I may not be exalted in the former, nor dejected in the latter.
May I not rejoice in anything unless it leads me to You; may I not be saddened by anything unless it turns me from You.
May I desire to please no one, nor fear to displease anyone, but You.
May all transitory things, O Lord, be worthless to me and may all things eternal be ever cherished by me.
May any joy without You be burdensome for me and may I not desire anything else besides You.
May all work, O Lord, delight me when done for Your sake and may all repose not centered in You be ever wearisome for me.
Grant unto me, my God, that I may direct my heart to You and that in my failures I may ever feel remorse for my sins and never lose the resolve to change.
O Lord my God, make me submissive without protest, poor without discouragement, chaste without regret, patient without complaint, humble without posturing, cheerful without frivolity, mature without gloom, and quick-witted without flippancy.
O Lord my God, let me fear You without losing hope, be truthful without guile, do good works without presumption, rebuke my neighbor without haughtiness, and—without hypocrisy—strengthen him by word and example.
Give to me, O Lord God, a watchful heart, which no capricious thought can lure away from You.
Give to me a noble heart, which no unworthy desire can debase. Give to me a resolute heart, which no evil intention can divert.
Give to me a stalwart heart, which no tribulation can overcome.
Give to me a temperate heart, which no violent passion can enslave.
Give to me, O Lord my God, understanding of You, diligence in seeking You, wisdom in finding You, discourse ever pleasing to You, perseverance in waiting for You, and confidence in finally embracing You.
Grant that with Your hardships I may be burdened in reparation here, that Your benefits I may use in gratitude upon the way, that in Your joys I may delight by glorifying You in the Kingdom of Heaven. You Who live and reign, God, world without end. Amen.
Thanks for reading.
Kevin
Coming Off the Mountain
Luke 9:
28) Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29) And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30) And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31) who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32) Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33) And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”— not knowing what he said. 34) As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35) And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” 36) And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
When God manifests Himself to us, there’s nothing better. To have a mystery of God revealed or have a piece of God’s character become real and made alive is a wonderful and powerful thing. When He reveals Himself to us, He draws us closer to Him and we feel closer to Him.
What happened on the Mount of Transfiguration was one of the most dramatic revealing of Jesus’ true glory, power, authority, and relationship to the Father while here on Earth. Can you imagine seeing the Son of Man call upon Moses and Elijah to have a powow with? To see His glory manifest itself like the sun even through His Earthly body? This is a wonderful and dangerous situation. So dangerous that God the Father Himself intervened. You say “Dangerous? How?’ Let me explain.
When God wants to manifest Himself to us or brings illumination of scripture, or an incredible worship experience, it is an awesome thing. The problem is when we don’t want to come off the mountain. We want to pitch our tents when in all reality our destiny lies on a rotting, bloodstained cross.
Moses went up to the top of Mt. Sinai and for 40 days, God gave him the commandments, but he had to go back down the mountain. There he faced one of the greatest challenges of his life, leadership, and relationship to God. He received the greatest revelation of God to be revealed for hundreds of years. He was faced with God Himself offering to wipe out the people of Israel and start fresh, just Him and God. Moses chose to lay his life down, if necessary for those people. He had a choice to stay on the mountain or go to the cross.
The Father knew that Jesus’ destiny was the cross, and He would not allow anything to come between His Son and His destiny. It blows me away that the Father chose in that moment in time to personally intervene in the situation. The only other time in the New Testament that God the Father chose to reveal Himself was when the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus Christ and He declared Christ as His Son. Wow!
It is easy to bask in His presence and glory but not so “glorious” to be stripped(humbled), beaten(face correction or persecution), or die (to our desires and self). Our flesh wants to be glorified, but its ultimate destiny is the cross. We must come down from the mountain. We must walk through the valley of the shadow of death if we are to ever know His life! Our destiny lies on the old rugged cross. The power of His resurrection lies there as well! His ultimate plan, His glory is truly manifested when we die to ourselves and the shadows fade away and we are truly one with Christ in all things!
Kevin
Passion for the Promise
Joshua 14 (English Standard Version)
6)Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. 7)I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. 8)But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9)And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’ 10)And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. 11) I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. 12)So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said.”
This passage of scripture really spoke to me today. I don’t many people who have not been affected by the problems with the economy. Even my wife was laid off from her job so we are feeling the crunch like many of you out there. What really spoke to me this morning was the passion and faith of Caleb.
We all have things that we are praying and believing for God to do in our lives, our family, or friends. Whether it’s physical healing, finances, or salvation, we all have something that we are claiming God’s promises for; asking God to directly intervene in.
How many of you have passion for God’s promise?
How many of you, like Caleb say “I am still as strong (passionate, dedicated to, expectant) today as I was the day that God promised He was going to …….(you fill in the blank). “No matter how long it takes, no matter what I have to go through, I am going to hold fast to His promise and know He will do what He said He will do.”
I know this is hard sometimes. I am right there with you. I truly feel your pain, but we who claim the name of Christ have a hope beyond our natural means, an expectancy that is seen through the eyes of the Spirit, and not with our natural eye. We have a God that works above the systems of this world and can intervene in any given situation at any given moment. We have a hope that goes beyond our own ability to make happen, manipulate, or coherce. We are in the midst of a stormy sea where only God can reach out and help us to walk on the water. Life is not easy. It is hard to go where we have never been or believe for things that we don’t have any ability to attain, but this is what true faith is all about!
Caleb lived 45 years before he came face to face with his promise, but in that day, God gave him the strength at 85 years old to go into a land that was inhabited by those younger, bigger, and stronger and took what God promised Him. In 45 years he had plenty of time to doubt God, but he didn’t. He believed just as passionately as that day 45 years ago.
Will you?
Kevin
Imagery in Prayer and Worship
One of the greatest untapped resources that God has given us is our imagination. Think of the imagination it took to make all creation. From the largest galaxies, to the atom, molecules, the strange underwater creatures that glow that after thousand of years we are just now discovering. This took imagination on a scale beyond our imagination. So, if God gave us the gift of creativity and specifically our imagination, why would we not use it to glorify Him, to grow closer to Him, and help others to do the same?
I think there are many who pray to and worship a nameless, faceless God. This was never meant to be the case since God had fellowship with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Our sin brought a separation between us and God. Where man once walked and talked to Him like we are here, we no longer have that type of interaction but God did not leave us with nothing. Has anyone of you ever a relationship with someone you have never seen before? I’ve talked to people online before but once I knew what they looked like; it helped me connect with them better. It brought a new dynamic. God gave us a picture too. He gave us two things: His Word and our imagination. Let’s look at an example:
Psalm 18
1I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3I call upon the LORD, who is (D) worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
4(E) The cords of death encompassed me;
(F) the torrents of destruction assailed me;[a]
5(G) the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6(H) In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I cried for help.
From his (me) temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
7Then the earth (J) reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8Smoke went up from his nostrils, [b]
and devouring (K) fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9He (L) bowed the heavens and (M) came down;
(N) thick darkness was under his feet.
10He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on (O) the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his covering, his (P) canopy around him,
thick clouds (Q) dark with water.
12Out of the brightness before him
(R) hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13The LORD also(S) thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his (T) voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14And he sent out his(U) arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and(V) routed them.
15Then(W) the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your(X) rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of(Y) the breath of your nostrils.
16He(Z) sent from on high, he took me;
he(AA) drew me out of(AB) many waters.
17He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were(AC) too mighty for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the LORD was my support.
19He brought me out into(AD) a broad place;
he rescued me, because he(AE) delighted in me.
20The LORD dealt with me(AF) according to my righteousness;
according to(AG) the cleanness of my hands he rewarded
Can you see the imagery taking place here? This is how David saw God moving on His behalf in the circumstances he was in. He saw God in this way. God allowed this imagery to be placed in the scriptures so we could understand different aspects of who He is. The scriptures give us an image of Him that we can trust of who He is. We should be careful to stay within the context of the scriptures cause I have heard some really far fetched stuff, including people being intimate with Jesus and things of this nature so we do have to be sure that the way see Him doesn’t go outside of scriptural contexts. When I pray or I am in the midst of worship, I picture in my mind that I am standing before Him worshipping or talking or being hugged or comforted by God. All these things are scriptural, and they allow us to see the charcter, the greatness, and the love of God and therefore helps us to have a greater connection with Him.
So I want to challenge you during your prayer, and your personal and corporate worship time to use the scriptures to draw on a picture of God. His scriptures were given to reveal Himself and His plan for your life. If you have never done that before, it might seem a little weird at first but I believe that it will bring a whole new dynamic to your relationship with Him.
Afraid of Worship? (The Peception Factor I)
As a worship leader, it is our responsibility to not just lead some songs, not to lead you where you want to go, but it is lead you to places that you need to go. Sometimes there are certain arguments have to be overcome to help you accept the path. Some can be explained through teaching and preaching, other times it may take the Holy Spirit speaking to you and revealing the truth to you.
Perceptions can be formed over a few minutes, or over a lifetime. They can affect the decisions we make and how we see things. As followers of Christ, these perceptions that we have built in our minds can affect how, if and why we worship.
Abuse
I know of people that have been mistreated by their earthly father in terrible ways, and therefore have a problem with accepting God as their heavenly Father. It can greatly affect how they pray and worship. These kind of hurts may take professional counseling in some cases. If you feel that your relationship with God is impeded by this type of abuse and mistreatment caused by someone close to you like a father, I would recommend that you go see a counselor and possibly get involved in a support group to help bring restoration to that part of your life that was scarred. While you are seeking healing for your soul, listening to songs that talk about God being our healer and the restorer of our souls will also help to change our perception of who God is. We must attack the lie that we are always going to struggle in our relationship with God and our worship of Him because you were abused.
Betrayal
This is another issue that plagues believers and their worship experience and that is the issue of betrayal. In paticular, a betrayal by someone in the church. This ranges from a betrayal of a friend in the church to in a lot of cases, someone in leadership. I could get into the topic of whether or not a person has truly experienced betrayal or just heard something they didn’t want to, but that is for another post. Wounds of a friend or person you trusted or admired greatly are tough to get over, but not impossible. The thing that brings separation between you and God is unforgiveness. It will hinder your prayers and your worship. It will keep you stuck. Many church folk are stuck in no-man’s land because they have allowed the unforgiveness of past hurts to plant their roots deep into their hearts. Jesus, in His first prayer that He taught His disciples, made sure that He talked about this topic:
Matthew 6:9
“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 this day our daily bread, 12)and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
14) For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15) but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Powerful words of Christ. He understood that unforgiveness brings separation and hinders our relationship with God. The reason you have held on to your unforgiveness is because you don’t have a true understanding of Christ’s forgiveness for you. When you grasp a revelation of his forgiveness, and what He has forgiven you of, it becomes almost impossible to hold on to your unforgiveness. Understanding His forgiveness gives us the freedom to forgive.
Confess your unforgiveness to someone you can trust that will hold you accountable. Begin to saturate your heart on music that glorifies His forgiveness. Meditate on scriptures that talk about men like David who sinned big but understood that he was forgiven big.
I am not saying that forgiveness is always easy, but you have to make a decision whether it is worth your relationship with Him or not.
(to be continued)
Kevin
Latest Update from Pastor Michael in Haiti
Here is the newest blog post from Pastor Michael in Haiti:
http://michaelkyker.com/2010/02/25/the-low-down/
Kevin
Afraid of Worship?
I have had the privilige of leading worship for Journey Church (www.journeychurchnow.com) for the past few months. It has been an incredible experience so far. It had been a very, very long time since I had done so, but when we are obedient to God He equips and qualifies us for what He has called us to do. I never cease to be amazed at how He uses the weak things of this world to glorify Himself and make His name great!
When I made a decision that I was going to serve God, I had a really hard time worshipping God. I think I need to define that for everyone. I used to love singing fast, loud, songs about His goodness, His power to save, how He set me free and so on. There were songs that were great talking ABOUT Jesus but when it came to singing songs TO Him, it felt kinda weird and uncomfortable.
Some of this is because of the songs we sing. I have heard some songs that would still make me feel uncomfortable. We are not taking Jesus on a date, ok? Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and God is our Father, but I am not putting on a dress and kissing Him like I’m going on a prom date. When you are looking at a song, sometimes you need to see who wrote it. God is many things to many people. People who write songs write from their perception of God. If the song is written by a woman, they may see Jesus as a father, husband, or mysterious love interest. Men can tend to see Him as a father, king, or a mighty warrior. Perception can fuel our views of how see Him.
The problem is when our perceptions have been tainted or twisted by past hurts, abusive parents, betrayal, or a perceived “lack of interest” on God’s part to intervene in certain times of our lives when we feel like He should have.
In the next few posts, I would like to address some of these perceptions and give some practical things you can do to break through these perceptions and gain some freedom in your worship. Things may not change overnight for you, freedom from a lifetime of mispreceptions of God can be, but are not always conquered in a day. We will also look at some other things to help you in your worship experience as well. So stay tuned!
Kevin
Jonah VII (Asleep)
5) Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.
There are as many reactions to disaster and devastations and hard times as there are people. People react in so many different ways. We can see in recent events with the terrible earthquake that has just devastated the island of Haiti, the different reactions to this cataclysmic event. We see pictures of people crying out to God,pleading for help. We see thugs and criminals trying to take and control the tiny amount of food and resources that can be found by force and sheer inhumanity, committing muderous acts against innocent men, women, and children. We see those whom despite the lack of tools or equipment, digging with their hands, holding on to some hope of finding their lost relatives that are buried under tons of rubble.
In the case of the text from which we are reading today, we shall see something just as devastating on the spiritual landscape of America. There are no dramatic pictures to reveal the destruction. There’s no CNN reporters doing exclusives on what exactly is going on. They may report on the aftershocks, but the underlying problem is much, much deeper than some news agency could percieve or report.
These are days of great uncertainty. Fear permeates our televisions with stories of terrorist plots, soaring energy prices, a dwindling economy, and not a lot of answers on how to fix it. We have seen great political swings in the past couple of years. People desperately turning to anyone who might show the leadership that will solve their problems and calm their fears.
Just like the mariners, people are turning to their gods to find some refuge or escape from the mounting pressures around them. For some it’s alcohol, drugs, pornography, sex, anger, and all sorts of other things that people use to medicate the turmoil that is not just on the outside but on the inside. I have never seen so many drugs advertised for depression and all kinds of other “conditions” that we never realized were “conditions”. Many would risk the side affects of these drugs that are unimaginable to find some happiness, solace, or peace.
In hopes that the government will save them, people are tossing freedoms and liberties that our forefathers of our country, fought and died for, for the hope of security and safety. This is not a political statement, as much as it reveals a condition of the heart. Just like the men on that boat were willing to throw away cargo that could have been worth a fortune, possibly priceless items, for the slight opportunity of safety, security, and self-preservation.
In the midst of this storm, tempest, fear and anxiety that our world faces, the answer to the problem, the hope for humanity, the one who can do something about what is happening in our world today……………………………sleeps.
To Be Continued.
Kevin
Jonah VI (In the Storm)
Jonah 1
4)But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
I remember a day that is one of those days, that you remember the rest of your life. I was sitting in a waiting room at the hospital with my father. My mother was having exploratory surgery because the doctors couldn’t diagnose why my mother was having pain and digestive issues. It was what seemed like another day. There wasn’t a great deal of stress about the surgery. It was about 30 mins into the surgery, and me and my dad were just shooting the breeze, when all of a sudden my mom’s surgeon came walking into the waiting room, very grim faced. “Can you come with me please?” he asked, so we got up, now feeling pretty nervous, and walked to a type of consulting room near the operating room. He had a diagram on the door of the inside of the human body. He said “When I opened her up, I found cancer everywhere!” and he proceeded to put his hand on this diagram to demonstrate how it was attached to every organ in my mother’s body. Like Jonah, I could suddenly feel a great wind begin to blow and the tempests were overwhelming me. My life, in an instant, was rocked and flipped upside down and every which way and the day she went to be with Jesus, every belief that I was raised with, who I thought God was, everything I thought I was, was eternally changed!
God allows things to happen in our lives for a reason. God allows us to go through persecution, betrayal, times of loneliness, and yes, even allows us and those we love to suffer and die for what seems like “no good reason”. The moment my mother died, I knew that God has a higher plan that is so much greater than my feeble mind could wrap itself around. It was greater than the “faith” I had to believe for her to be healed. It was greater than the things I used to comfort myself. He was more in control and greater than I could ever imagine, or honestly wanted Him to be. The wind and waves were stronger than my ability to struggle against. I was helpless in the tempest. I felt like I was dying inside, and in all actuality, I was. I was dying to the ways of the past so that I could become alive in the truth of who He is and who I am in Him.
You may be in a tempest right now. You may not understand why. You may be without hope today. I want you to know today that God is there. God allowed the tempest to come for a reason. I know it hurts like hell and feels like you are in hell, but God is accomplishing something greater within you than you can imagine. He is revealing Himself in a way that you can only see in the midst of suffering, pain, rejection, and loss.
1 Corinthians 13:11-12
11)When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12)For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
We see life through smudged and stained glasses. We rarely understand that God does work all things for our good, no matter how bad they are. No matter how desperate they are. No matter how dark the day is. He is doing something exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all you could ask or think to ask for (Ephesians 3:20)
If you need prayer, I would be glad to stand with you. You can leave a comment or email me through the link on this page.
As always, thanks for reading.
Kevin
Jonah (Part V)
Jonah 1
But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
There are few words in the English language more powerful than the word “but”. That word changes the course of whatever is being said, done, or planned. It can take hope and crush it, or take the most hopeless situation and turn things around in a second! It can take the most well thought out plan and change it into something totally different.
In Jonah’s case, “but” took Jonah out of the frying pan and into the fire! Jonah was in blatent disobedience. Little did he know that there was a “but” coming for him. He thought out and decided on a course of action that he felt would take him out of God’s presence and therefore negate God’s plan for him, “but” God’s plan included his disobedience, which included a little “pleasure cruise” to subjection and obedience.
It’s funny how we think that God is the least bit fazed by our bad decisions and choices. We think that God is popping anti-anxiety meds while watching us flounder to and fro and just hoping that we will “come back” to Him and serve Him. I think He laughs when we think so much more highly about ourselves than we truly are, like by our own will or choice, we can determine the course of time and history and decide the fate of those who rise and fall. We dare to tell Him like Lucifer :
Isaiah 14:
13) You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;
14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
I have had many “but” moments in my life. I have had moments like Jonah when I tried to take the reigns of my life and steer into a direction “I” thought would be better for me and it led to brokenness and subjection. I have also been in the midst of some very low points in my life where there seemed to be no hope and God sent a “but” my way and made a way where there seemed to be no way.
Are you facing any “but” moments?
Kevin
Jonah (Part IV)
Let’s get going shall we?
Jonah 1:3-4
3) But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
4) But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.
I know we looked at verse 3 the last time I posted on Jonah but the last sentence bears more study.
So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
I just find it amazing that Jonah was willing to pay money to get away from God! In our day and age, people will pay millions for seminars, books, conferences, and try some of the most weirdest things to get to God. They try to find God in other religions, in people who claim to be god, or people they think have the “fast track” to God. On the flip side of the coin, you have people who know God is tugging on their hearts, but they do everything they can to “feel” like God isn’t there. They try to sin in ways that they think will have them stop thinking that “God loves me” . I have always heard that there were people who were “running from God”when I was in church. I think I have truly had a revelation of what that means. There are those who will do anything to get on that boat to Tarshish, they think they are running from ”the face of God” (Penuel), but what they run into is the very One they were running from. There are things that must be broken from our lives so God can truly be our Lord and Savior. We have to go to Tarshish before we can get to Nineveh.
Nineveh is our destiny! Nineveh is God’s call on your life! Nineveh is the fulfillment of that prophetic word spoken over you many years ago. Nineveh is the consumation of every hope and desire of God for your life. Nineveh is the answer to your most heart-felt prayer. Nineveh is not the end of the road, but the beginning!
Are you fighting what God is trying to do in your life? Are you hiding behind insecurity and fear as if these things are too big for God? I ask this cause I struggle with my own insecurities and fears sometimes, but what I am learning is that He doesn’t need vessels of silver and gold, He needs yielded vessels. He needs people that no matter how they feel, they are going to do what God is telling them to do. No matter how foolish, or flawed, or unprofessional you may look. God is big enough to take care of the rest. It may take some time in Tarshish, but we will look back on that time with joy and realize that you have made it to Nineveh!
Will you join me on that journey?
Kevin
Here is Some Perspective for the Holidays
This video moved me greatly. In times when people are worried about presents and things, there are folks who are simply praying for their daily bread. There’s some perspective we all need at this time of year.
Thanks Carlos,
Kevin
Jonah (Part III)
In the last couple of posts we have broken down verse 1 and 2 of Jonah 1. We have been peeling back the layers of a book of the bible that on the surface looks pretty cut and dry on the surface in the message it’s getting across. What is actually being revealed is a much more powerful, multi-faceted, message. We can see a story of God’s love for His, the story of God’s call of reconciliation to those far away from Him, and the church’s role in the process. Let’s get to work shall we?
Jonah 1
1)Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2)“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3)But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
This is exactly how Adam and Eve reacted once they had sinned. They hid themselves from the Lord’s prescense. There was a breaking of fellowship with God. Our disobedience and sin once created a chasm between us and God. Jesus Christ came and bridged the chasm between God and man, and brought us back into right fellowship with Him. When we become aware of what He has done for us and refuse to respond, in many cases a time of breaking and subjection is soon to follow.
One of the things that really stands out in this verse as I studied it was the root meaning of “Tarshish”. It means “breaking or “subjection” (Gesenius’s Lexicon) Our sinful nature is constantly self-serving, self-centered, and self-motivated. Thanks to Jesus Christ, He has given us a new life, a new nature, new freedom. Where you were once self-serving you are now called by Christ to love others. Where you were centered around your own wants and needs, you are now seeking after the kingdom of God and those things that will glorify God and further His kingdom. This change happens in our spirit right away when we are regenerated and born again, however the change in our outward actions sometimes take some time and take some painful lessons to learn. Jonah had to go through a process of being broken and brought into submission to His will before he finally obeyed God.
As we grow as Christ-Followers, God shows us things in our lives that He wants us to submit to His Lordship. Sometimes these things are not so hard to lay down. Sometimes we refuse to lay those things down. We must be broken of those things. We must be disciplined. We must be brought into subjection to His will.
Some of the hardest people for God to reveal Himself to is religious people. God wants to reveal Himself but due to jacked up mindsets and putting God in a box, they have the hardest time accepting God when He doesn’t fit their mold. That mold must be broken so you can be free to receive everything God has for you and wants you to be. God wanted to reveal Himself to Jonah, but Jonah ran. What he didn’t know, is that he was running straight into subjection and breaking!
God help us to hear Your voice and give us the grace to obey You, even when we don’t quite understand what You are doing. Help us to know that no matter what, that You are working all things for our good.
Kevin
What You Need
I was praying in my car on the way to work this morning, and I was asking God to help me with some things that I felt like I need help with. He began to speak to me and led me to Acts 3:
Acts 3
1)Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2)And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4)And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5)And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6)But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8)And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9)And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10)and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
The beggar asked for what he felt like he needed. God gave him what he truly needed. There could be a countless amount of reasons that God decided to heal him at that moment but God gave him what he needed; the ability to walk. Why at this point? That’s something we can all ask Him one day.
After I pondered this story, He said: “My grace is sufficient. My mercies are new every morning. I will give you what you need when you need it.”
I think that sometimes if we get what we need too soon, it can easily turn to pride.
I look back on how many times I have asked God to back me up on what I thought was what I was supposed to do. I have fallen on my face so many times and I blamed God and would say “I thought you told me to do this! Why are you doing this to me?!” He was giving me what I needed. I needed to fall on my face. I needed to humbled. I needed to realize that God truly gives us what we need, when we need it, and how we need it. We must accept Him as our Lord and not just our Savior and truly put our trust in Him that no matter what, He provides everything we truly need.
Trust Him today. His grace is sufficient. He makes all things work together for your good.
Kevin
Jonah
I am studying the book of Jonah right now. I wasn’t sure what I would learn in a book that is centered around a guy who disobeyed God, got swallowed by a fish, and got spit out on the beach, and then decided to obey Him. What I have found is a book that is extremely relevant to our lives, both individually and as the body of Christ. A story that reflects Jesus Christ’s plan to save us through types and shadows. A story of the Great Commission.
Let’s dig in shall we?
Jonah 1:1
1Now the word of the LORD came to(A) Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
You may ask “why did you stop there?” God’s Word must be meditated on verse by verse. Line by line. We will probably look at multiple scriptures later, but let’s not miss what is happening here.
”the word of the Lord came to Jonah” This is powerful. The phrase “and the word of the Lord came” is used 109 times in the Bible!
Let’s break this down further, “the word of the Lord”. Let’s look at John Chapter 1:
1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2)He was in the beginning with God. 3) All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4) In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Skipping down a little:
14)And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus was the Word, the word of the Lord came to Jonah. Jesus, who was the Word, came to Jonah! That’s powerful! The next word that comes after that phrase is even more exciting!
“came” this word comes from a Hebrew word “hayah”: to become, come to pass. It also means to abide, remain, continue.
Let me unpack this cause I don’t want you to miss this! The word of the Lord, who is Christ, came to Jonah, not only to speak to Jonah but to abide and remain with Jonah! This is a shadow of what Christ does in our lives! He chooses us, His Word (Jesus) comes and abides in our hearts, where He remains forever with us!
Within the very first scripture of this book, the Lord has already revealed his plan of salvation!! How deeply rich His Word is! How great is His love is for us! He sent His Word to us, Jesus Christ, who came and died and rose again, and sent us His Spirit that we may continually have relationship and abide with Him!
It’s amazing how much we miss when we pass over a simple scripture isn’t it?
More to come, thank you for reading.
Kevin
What I Am Thankful For In 09
Just a few things I am thankful for this year.
1) I am thankful for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord. That He chose me from my mother’s womb to lavishly pour out His grace and Mercy while I was yet a sinner.
2) I am thankful for a wonderful wife and great children. I am truly blessed to be married to my best friend and such a beautiful friend indeed! :) I am also thankful for children who constantly keep me grounded and remind me of what is most important in my life.
3) I am thankful for my church family who has in most cases been closer to me than my own blood. They are a constant source of encouragement and love in my life. I am so glad to be on this journey of life with them. I never laughed so much or felt so loved than I have with those that God has brought into my life.
4) I am thankful for my source group that has helped me draw closer to God than I have been in a very looooong time. I am always encouraged to see the growth in everyone’s lives and I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in and through them. I have seen those who needed encouragement turn into sources of encouragement and those who needed teaching and leadership become teachers and leaders. Just awesome!
5) I am thankful for the eldership candidacy process I have been in for almost a year now. It has been very tough and challenging for me. I appreciate the accountability and the covering that the eldership of Journey has been in my family’s life. I look forward to the day that I will join the eldership team of Journey.
6) I am thankful for my pastor. Pastor Michael has been incredible leader to serve under. I have learned so much about what a leader is and what it is not. It is awesome to serve with someone who is passionate about the equipping of the saints and not in exalting himself. I am thankful for the time we have spent together on the trail just enjoying life and having fun.
7) I am thankful for my friends. I have a few guys that I can call my friends. I have gone a long time where I could not say that. I am extremely thankful for having these guys in my life to talk to, watch UFC with, and just hang out and joke and have fun.
8) I am thankful for my job. Not everyone can say they have one of those today. I am thankful for favor with my employers. No job is perfect and we work with imperfect people, but I am glad to have them in my life to help me to grow in leadership, patience, knowledge, and wisdom.
9) I am thankful for each day I get to wake up with my wife and breath in another breath in my lungs and feel the beating of my heart in my chest.
10) I am thankful for the security of knowing one day I will see my God face to face and will never know another moment of sadness or stress and I will see my mother again.
Thank you God and thank you to all of you who are a blessing in my life. Way too many to list.
I am also thankful to you who read these posts. They come straight from my heart and you honor me by your readership.
Thankfully Yours Til He Returns
Kevin
Do You Stink?
Florida in the summer can be the next hottest place to hell itself. If you are outside for a minute, you will sweat. That’s just the way it is. On Sundays, Journey Church has an incredible team of volunteers that no matter what the weather conditions are, they are out serving with an incredible attitude! When our outside volunteers come in, you can sometimes visibly tell they have been outside. I am glad to say that I have never actually smelled any of our volunteers after serving outside. It must be something supernatural, praise God! It’s not a glamourous job at times, but God is glorified by their smiling faces and warm welcome.
It is easy to tell that our Guest Services folks are out doing something. What I want to know: “Is it evident that you are working hard to glorify God and advance His kingdom?” “Do you stink?” Check out this scripture:
Jeremiah 48:10-11
10) “Cursed is he who does the work of the LORD with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed.
11)“Moab has been at ease from his youth
and has settled on his dregs;
he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel,
nor has he gone into exile;
so his taste remains in him,
and his scent is not changed.
Let’s break these scriptures down for a sec. This is an exerpt of a prophesy that God gave the nation of Moab to Jeremiah. If you go back to the book of Joshua, God gave the Israelites a mandate to go into the land of Canaan and wipe out every man, woman, and child. At the end of the book of Joshua, we see that Israel did not obey God and wipe out all the nations that they were ordered to, and God told Israel that these nations would be a constant source of problems for them. That was certainly the case. One thing that really stands out from scripture is that Moab never did anything without help. They were weak. When other nations would come into the land they would quickly make treaties, become slaves, whatever they had to do so they would not be led away into captivity. They would rarely fight. They even hired a Babylonian witchdoctor to curse Israel cause they didn’t want to do it themselves! They were a crafty people . God was speaking to Moab because they were cowards and slackers, so much so, that they didn’t even break a sweat to do anything!
Are you one of those people that will do the things that will get you the most attention, but when it comes to doing something “behind the scenes” it’s “below you?” You will preach, but you won’t serve coffee? You will teach a class, but won’t visit a brother or sister in the hospital? Then you have the “Moab mindset”. You don’t have the heart of Christ, who washed His disciple’s feet. The heart of the one who said “if you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me.”
Or are you the slacker? Do you serve God half-hearted? Do you depend on someone else to come to church fired up on Sunday to help get you kick-started? Do you need to be constantly “encouraged” to do the things you are supposed to? Do you have faith the size of a mustard seed? Can you stand on your own two feet or does every storm that comes against you beat you down?
It’s time to roll up the sleeves and get dirty, bloody, and yes, smelly. It’s time to fight, bite, scratch, love, serve, encourage for His glory and His kingdom. If Christ isn’t worth it, then you need to repent and ask Jesus to come into your heart and reveal Himself to you. Let’s do whatever needs to be done to make His name great! Let’s repent of our apathy and ask God to wake up and revive our sleeping spirits, that we may be known as His in word and deed!!
Kevin
Loved by God II
As I began to read His Word and ask Him to reveal Himself to me, He began to reveal to me His purpose for why we were here. I realized according to the scriptures, that God’s plan was not some cosmic chaotic mess that it seemed. God is the master planner. His will cannot be denied. He is All Soveriegn and All-Powerful! For God to be these things, He would have to have a plan so detailed it could not be comprehended totally by our natural understanding! Jesus tried to reveal some of that plan to Nicodemus:
John 3
3)Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4)Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5)Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. 7) Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8) The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Verse 8 really stands out here (not just because I underlined it). Jesus compares the process that God chooses those to whom He has decided to the moving of the wind. I like to take this scripture and transpose “the Spirit of God” into where you see “the wind” cause He is describing the Spirit of God as “the wind”.
Just as the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters of the deep in Genesis 1, even today, He moves across this world drawing those to Himself that He has chosen before the foundations of the Earth were laid!
Ephesians 1
3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4) even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5) he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6) to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8)which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9) making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10)as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
There are so many more scriptures I could share about this, but back to my story.
I began to realize that God’s love was not determined upon whether or not I did certain things, but was given freely because I was chosen by God. I was taught for a long time that salvation was based on my actions (not that we have a free license to go out and do whatever we want with no consequence). I had to a pray a prayer to get saved, had to not drink or smoke, read my bible, pray regularly, give my tithe, and I was good to go. I did good on the smoking and drinking stuff cause I had no desire to do either, but I struggled with prayer,reading, and still have some attitudes and things I have to work on. Many well intentioned men would use condemnation to get me back in line which only really worked for short periods of time.
What I have come to learn is that I am free and you are free to seek Him! There is no long list of prerequisites to be saved or be in right standing with Him! Jesus already did everything that was required and we have an opportunity to experience the love of the God of the universe with no restrictions, no bounderies, no limits! Is that not incredible?! The burden of your salvation was carried on that cross and we are free!! Free to love Him and be loved with no strings attached! It’s this love that moves me to read so we can know Him better. It’s this love that should move us to spend time in prayer, fellowship, and worship!
Hebrews 10:21-23
21)and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22)let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
We are so loved by Him! I hope you get a revelation of what He has done for you!. Thanks for reading.
Kevin
Loved by God Part I
For a long time, I was a “captive of God and Church.” Let me explain. As a child, I was told about Jesus and how He died for my sins, but I was also told how if I didn’t “accept His love”, I would be doomed to an everlasting, burning, eternity in the lake of fire. Being a fairly intelligent child, I knew that was not something that just didn’t sound “fun”, so I accepted Christ. That was a no-brainer to me. I was supposed to go to church, and pray and read my bible cause that’s what God wanted me to do so I would not go to hell. As I started getting older, the fear of hell was there, but there were desires to do things I was told I shouldn’t do. I felt like I was in a constant war with my desires and what I knew was the “right” thing.
It wasn’t until I reached my late teens that God revealed to me His love that freed me from the fear of hell and propelled me into the loving arms of my savior! I not only understood that He didn’t want me to go to hell, but that He wanted to have a relationship with me! This was the beginning of a relationship that will continue till my last breath and into eternity! However, I was still finding that the tight-rope changed from doing the right things so I wouldn’t go to hell, to doing the right things so I could be loved by God. As I made mistakes (which we are going to do because we sinful creatures, prone to sin) I felt less loved by Him, not realizing at the time I was buying into a non-truth that the enemy was speaking into my brain. The burden of “maintaining my salvation” was overwhelming for me, cause I so wanted to please Him and be loved by Him, but I always felt like my faults and shortcomings were keeping me from Him. I was falling into despair in my walk with God and I had no hope.
But God had other plans……
Stay tuned,
Kevin
After His Heart
I have heard a lot of messages over the past several months, on how God is after our hearts. I know this is true in my own life cause He has dealt with me on a lot of things that He wants to change in me. He is aggressively after the hearts of those He has chosen to call His children. His grace is irresistable and is love knows no boundry! He is not interested in your participation in religion, your “good” deeds, or how many scriptures you have memorized. He is after a heart that is fully His. He will attack every idol in our lives, everything that you hold higher in importance than Him.
Knowing that our Lord is in pursuit of our hearts, my question is are you pursuing after His heart?
Deuteronomy 4:29 (English Standard Version)
29) But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
2 Kings 23:25
25) Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.
God wants to be pursued. God wants to be sought after. He wants us to seek His face and not just His hand (yeah, I know it’s an overused phrase, but it’s true). He wants us to have relationship with Him! I wonder how much sooner those things we struggle with in our lives would be a thing of the past if we would run to Him as He is pursuing us? I wonder if we struggle with things for such a long time is because we are trying to “hide” those things from Him, just like Adam and Eve tried to hide from God in the garden. At some point, everything must bow it’s knee in submission to Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 45:23
23) By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
’To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
This scripture is not just talking about judgement day. Everything that has a place in our lives greater than Christ must be submitted to Him. There is no other god before Him. What an act of love to actively lay down those things that stand between us and Him!
I know that some things are easier than others. There are some things that we can’t do in our strength. We need Him. It is His power that gives us the power to change!
Philippians 2:12-13
12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure
Let’s not just be pursued by God, but let us pursue Him with the same passion that He is pursuing us until all things are subjected to Him. He truly is all and holds, everything we need.
Kevin
That I May Decrease….
I was reading this passage from a book called “The Inner life” by Francois Fenelon (1651-1715) and it really ministered to me this morning. I thought about how we try so hard to “protect” ourselves from God. We have such a difficult time embracing the change that God wants to do in our hearts. We are afraid of correction, accountability, and exposure. It’s almost like we are afraid that if we cooperate with these things, we will lose our own identity, our individuality,and our own life. This could not be closer to the truth! This is why Christ died, so we can have His life! The scriptures say that anyone who tries to save their life will lose it, but anyone who loses their life for my name sake will find it! (Matt(16:25) Check out what Fenelon had to say:
Let us compare our lives with that of Jesus Christ, reflecting that he was the Master and that we are the servants; that He was all-powerful, and that we are but weakness; that he was abased and that we are exalted. Let us so constantly bear our wretchedness in mind, that we may have nothing but contempt for ourselves. With what face can we despise others, and dwell upon their faults, when we ourselves are filled with nothing else? Let us begin to walk in the path which our Saviour has marked out, for it is the only one that can lead us to Him.
And how can we expect to find Jesus if we do not seek Him in the states of his earthly life, in loneliness and silence, in poverty and suffering, in persecution and contempt, in annihilation and the cross? The saints find him in heaven, in the splendors of glory and in unspeakable pleasures; but it is only after having dwelt with Him on earth in reproaches, in pain and in humiliation. To be a Christian is to be an imitator of Jesus Christ. In what can we imitate Him if not in his humiliation? Nothing else can bring us near to Him. We may adore him as Omnipotent, fear him as just, love him with all our heart as good and merciful,—but we can only imitate him as humble, submissive, poor and despised.
Let us not imagine that we can do this by our own efforts; everything that is within is opposed to it; but we may rejoice in the presence of God. Jesus has chosen to be made partaker of all our weaknesses; He is a compassionate high-priest who has voluntarily submitted to be tempted in all points like as we are; let us, then, have all our strength in Him who became weak that he might strengthen us; let us enrich ourselves out of his poverty, confidently exclaiming, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philip. iv. 13.)
Let me follow in thy footsteps, O Jesus! I would imitate Thee, but cannot without the aid of thy grace! O humble and lowly Saviour, grant me the knowledge of the true Christian, and that I may willingly despise myself; let me learn the lesson, so incomprehensible to the mind of man, that I must die to myself by an abandonment that shall produce true humility.
May I decrease so you can increase in me God.
Kevin
