Trash vs. Gold

I can just hear your thoughts.  "Trash vs. Gold?  There is no comparison.  Gold is where it's at.  Who wants trash?"  When you look at these two pictures there is no comparison.  I would go for the gold too.  But here is the problem.  Many of us feel that we are more like the second picture than the first one.  Many of us feel trashy, or at least not much better than trash.  Many of us try and try and may even try and make others think that we believe we are valuable, but deep down, we often don't.  We lie to ourselves.  But if most of us are honest we would have to agree that we are not anywhere close to gold, but much closer to trash. 

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you have probably heard the saying: "God doesn't make junk."  But the problem is that we believe it, but yet tell ourselves that we may not be junk, but are not much better than junk.  But have you ever thought about what God has says about each of us in His Word?  Have you searched the scripture to see what he has to say about your worth?  It is in there.  First look at Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship..."  Now let's look at the word workmanship for a moment.  Some versions have instead masterpiece.  What is a master piece?  According to Webster's dictionary it is  "a work done with extraordinary skill; especially: a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement."  In other words, it is worth great value, worth much not only to the maker, but to all who look upon it.  Often masterpieces are a one of a kind and are priceless.  Not garbage, not junk, but worth tremendous value.  Look back at Ephesians 2:10, some versions say we are God's creation.  

Before we go any further, let's look at what the original word and meaning of the word translated as workmanship, masterpiece, and creation.  The original Greek word here is poiema.  It is the same word found in Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made..."  The inference here is that everything made by God has been made to declare who God is, and declare His power and nature.  Did you get that?  YOU have been made to show the rest of creation who God is and how powerful He is and What he is like.  That does not say junk or barely better than junk to me.  That says value.  That says that we are ALL made to not show each other that God is God and and that He makes us in such a way that we are valuable to His plan and purposes.

I don't want to stop there.  I want to go further.  When I found that Eph. 2:10 has also been translated as God's creation, my thoughts went back to Genesis 1:26 and 27 which says: "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."  Did you see that?  We are created in God's image and likeness.  He didn't just say it once; in these two verses He said it repeatedly.  Look at it again and count the number of times.  1)"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image,  2)in our likeness, ... 3)So God created man in his own image, 4) in the image of God he created him; 5) male and female he created them."  Did you get it?  Not once, not twice, but 5 times God stated that he made us in His image.  When God repeats something over and over, especially right in the same passage, its important.  It's important because we have lost that sense of value because of sin, because of the sin of others. 

You are worth it.  You are worth ALL that He has done for you.  In fact, He values you more than gold.  How can I say that? Let's look at Revelations 21:18-21:  "The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.  The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.  The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, ..."  These verses describe the city He made for us, or as we know it, Heaven.  Did you see what the city was made of?  Precious stones, giant pearls, with the pavement being gold.  Yes gold.  Not just crowns, but the streets we will walk on will be gold.  We are that precious and valuable to Him. 

Even better than all of this, He allowed Himself to die in our place on a cross so that we could have the opportunity to discover our value, our worth.  He loves all of us enough to do this.  He made us valuable and so we always will be valuable.   Knowing all of this, why would we want to do things that make us less valuable in our estimation?  Why would we not want to be follow Him and be his friend and follower?  After discovering all of this, I like Paul want to say even more now than ever "I want to know Christ" (Phil. 3:10).

Lord. I pray for all those that read this that may feel they have little to no value.  I ask that something I have said here will impact them and change their life in way that helps them see how valuable they really are.

Whats your value?

We have all heard the phrase "God doesn't make junk."  I have heard many people quote this, but the truth is many of us think we are just a little better than junk, that we have little value to others, and especially to God.  Why does this happen?  IT happens to different people for different reasons but it is a major reason why many people are ineffective for the kingdom of God.  Many of us feel less value than someone else such as their pastor, or a national or international leader.  Just because someone is popular in the worlds eyes does not make you more valuable to God.  God has no favorites and views us all the same.  We are valuable no matter what the world says, no matter what our emotions tell us or our feelings.  He made us for a reason and has given us desires to do certain things for a reason.

As an example, I have a friend that as a young man was molested and raped and because a few others saw him as a person of little to no value, he also began to listen to those lies that told him that he was a low class person.  He believed that God really doesn't make junk, but life and others and told him that he was not worth much more than junk.  One day God broke in and changed all that.  He heard a pastor teaching about purity and realized that the reason he had felt inferior was because of others actions and that it was all based on a lie.  That moment revolutionized his life and he is now happy and ready to allow God to create a new person and value in him so that he can fulfill the purpose and call God has on his life, no matter what that looks like.

If you are reading this and you are feeling inferior to others or feel like you have little to no value to anyone, especially God, then you believe a lie.  I challenge you to ask Jesus to show you your value, not in the eyes of the world but in His eyes.  That is where true value lies.

Psalm 8  (NLT)

 

1O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Your glory is higher than the heavens.

2You have taught children and infants

to tell of your strength,

silencing your enemies

and all who oppose you.

3When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—

the moon and the stars you set in place—

4what are mere mortals that you should think about them,

human beings that you should care for them?

5Yet you made them only a little lower than God

and crowned them with glory and honor.

6You gave them charge of everything you made,

putting all things under their authority—

7the flocks and the herds

and all the wild animals,

8the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,

and everything that swims the ocean currents.

9O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

How much does God love you?

Many have pondered this question for a long time.  Does God REALLY love me?  We all know the Bible tells us and we know the story of the crucifixion and yet we still wonder.  We all have our own reasons why we question this.  Sometimes it seems like it is just a nice saying or something we wish would happen.  We look at the circumstances of our lives and we wonder how true it really is.  We experience setbacks and we feel alone sometimes.  But we keep telling ourselves that God loves us, or at least we hope He does. 

I have heard many sermons on this topic but somehow it never quite becomes a part of me, or something that I truly believed.  That is until recently.  I was at a church service and the lyrics of the song being sung at the moment went something like this  "Oh I’m running to Your arms, I’m running to Your arms, The riches of Your love, Will always be enough, Nothing compares to Your embrace, Light of the world forever reign."  I just happened to be holding my two month old son who was asleep in my arms.  I looked down and I could tell I loved him, but did he know it?  How does he know it?  Suddenly I saw a picture in my mind of me holding my son. or so I thought, but when I looked down in this picture, it wasn't my boy, it was me relaxed and asleep in those arms.  I suddenly realized that God was allowing me to see myself as He does for a moment, resting in His arms.  As I looked at this picture, I knew how much I loved my son and how much I wanted the best for him and to protect him from harm.  I want the best for him, and I knew that there was going to be times when he might not think that what I am allowing him to go through is actually love.  As I looked at this picture, I was aware that if i loved my son that much and only knew what was happening at the present right where we are, then how much more does God love me who not only knows me as I am now, but knows the future and what I need to experience to make me a better man of God after the current situation is over and in the past.  I was overwhelmed with how much He truly does love me and in the current situation when it seems dark that He is holding me close and is using the present to shape my future for all eternity. 

As the service progressed, I became more aware of how much God loves each of us and that He allows things for a reason and those things are to perfect us.  We will never be perfected until we come to be with Him in His heavenly realm.  So If I love my son as much as I do, and would do anything to make his life better for him and want to protect him, how much more would God do the same for me, His son?  Things may be tough right now, but God knows what is coming against me and is working to correct that and not only make it better for me, but to make it work for His ultimate good for all mankind and so that His purpose is fulfilled more than my own plans and visions for my life.

God does this for every one of us.  None of us are exempt from this love.  He made us and knows us much more deeply and intimately than we know ourselves our own children.  Who knows what terrors would come upon us if He did not love us.  We may experience horrible things in our lives and wonder where He is, but God loves us enough to die for us and even to suffer the consequences of our sin, and unfortunately the sins of others.  But I can truly say that He truly does love us with a deep and everlasting love. 

I challenge to open up your heart and mind to experience that love that can only come from our Heavenly Father, the One who made us.  Even if you don't feel it, he really does love us and is holding us close to Himself.

Yes God DOES Keep His Promises

God's Promise Fulfilled

This blog is a follow-up to my previous blog titled "Does God Keep His Promises?"  In that blog I talked about how God promised me a son.  Well the day has come.  He is 8 days old today and is very happy and healthy.  After a bit of trouble on his birth day, he arrived healthy and squirmy.  He is a true miracle in every sense of the word.  He did not arrive easily like you would expect.  He came with some hard stressful times.  But that is usually the way God's promises are fulfilled.  I have learned that when God fulfills His promise it will happen in a way that only He could make happen, and it never happens the way you imagined it.  To sum it all up, I have put it this way:

When God makes a promise you can be sure He will come through in ways that far exceed your expectations or imaginings.

Lessons learned from the Feline persuasion

This may seem silly, but I have a cat that has taught me a thing or two that has helped in my spiritual life, and I pray that these insights help readers.

The first observation  I noticed was this:  my cat love being near me, sometimes on my lap, sometimes on the couch next to me, and other times just in the same room.  The lesson I learned is that this is the way we should view our relationship with God.  We should desire to be in His presence and close to Him as much as possible.  This is what we were made for.  How many times in the Bible do we read that God is jealous for us, that He longs for His children to be close to Him?  Sometimes we read it in story form and sometimes we read it in plain language that God desires for us to be near Him and wish for us to be obedient to His voice and Word above all other things.

Another observation I have made is this:  my daughter had a string that she using to play with the cat.  It was actually quite hilarious.  An 8 year old cat playing like an 8 wk old kitten.  After a while, she placed on my bedside table when she was finished.  After a couple days, the cat found it and dragged it out and dropped it and looked at it like she wanted to play, so we did.  Then I put it in a drawer so she would not see it, thinking that maybe out of sight might mean out of mind.  But no, she saw where we put it and would, and actually still does, will go that drawer and either look it and meow or paw it and meow.  She will do this until I take it out and play with her.  If  I don't, she will look at me and give me a pathetic meow as if to say "Can't we play?"   The lesson I learned is that she asked and kept on asking, she sought and kept on seeking, she knocked and kept on knocking (Mathew 7:7-8).  She is like the persistent widow in her asking.  She doesn't give up until she gets an answer to her plea.  Many times we are not like that.  We ask God once and if our plea does not get answered, we sulk away and never ask.  I am not saying we are like that, but I know many who are.  I have even done it.  Let's try and be more like my cat, and be persistent when we enter Gods throne room until we get an answer.  Sometimes God delays in answering because it's not the right time or because he wants to see if we will keep asking.  Sometimes He does answer but our ears are clogged with our life circumstances.  Ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking.

The final observation I will make here is the fact that my cat is so sure that I will meet her needs (i.e. feed her, clean the litter box, keep her safe, etc.).  She never worries about food or water or even attention and love from us human folk.  If a cat, who is a creature, does not worry about those things because we take care of them, how much more will our God take care of our needs?  Many times we worry needlessly about things.  Jesus even taught us about this in these words:

         "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?   Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O men of little faith?   Therefore do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?'   For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.   But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.   Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day." (Matthew 6:25-34) 

God is our provider, not our efforts.  At any time God can allow circumstances to allow you to discover that it is not your efforts, your intelligence, your hard work that provides for you.  That may be needed, but God is the ultimate provider.  So if  we know how to take care of our pets and those under our care, how much more can God, the creator and sustainer of all things, take care of all of us.

I pray that as you have read this, you take some comfort in what God can do and does when we seek Him.  I also pray that if you struggle with any of these areas, that you learn how to fully depend on God our Savior, friend, provider, and Lord.  The most important of these lessons is found in Matthew 6:33 which states: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well."

Two Wave Vision

The other day I had a vision while worshipping God.  In the vision I was standing on what appeared to be a sand bar, but only drier.  Behind me and in front of me was a wave, both coming towards me.  In the vision I was holding out my hand and yelling at one of the waves to stop coming after me, my attention 100% on it.  The other wave was bigger and coming just as fast.  I knew immediately what they represented.  The one I was yelling at represented the past;  the good, the bad, and the ugly.  It represented where I had come from, spiritually, my heritage, where I have worked, where i have went to school, etc.  It also represented past sins or habits that I had dealt with and gotten rid of.  The other represented the future and what God has for me there.  This included spiritually, financially, occupation, family, everything about the future. 

What surprised me was that I was focused on the past, and not on the future.  The past threatened to crash back over me, especially those areas that I would never choose to revisit, and my attention was on the parts of the past that I liked as well, wishing for them again.  I realized that I was in the in between no mans land that was no fun for anyone.  I know this was an accurate picture of me since currently I am unemployed and have been looking for work for some time with no success and the old habits from the past due to stress wanted to overwhelm me.

 As I looked at the picture, I was reminded of the Israelites in the wilderness.  Where was there attention focused?   It was focused on Egypt, where they had come from and the bondage and hard life it represented.  They rarely focused on the Promised Land, or the future where God was leading them.

Lots of people are like this.  They find themselves in a hard place and discover it isn't where they want to be, they say they want the future where God is taking them but their thoughts and emotions are looking back to what they had, the comfortable life (although it may not have been easy, it was something familiar).  They know that a better future could be in store, but they long for the past.  They are tired of the hard place and think it best to go back. So they yell at the wave tell it to stop and are even tempted to go back all at the same time.  Sounds confusing, but it is true.  I have been there.  If you find yourself in this place, you might feel that you have done something wrong or that God has abandoned you or is [playing games.  You listen to your emotions more than the words of God in your heart and in His word.  You may even feel that you are the only person to have ever gone through this.  I have good news for you.  You are not the first nor will you be the last.  God took you out of your past into no man's land so that He could both prepare you for the future coming and prepare the future for you.  In faith we must believe and trust in God that what He is doing is the right thing and that He is not playing games.  We must look to the future and not focus on where we have been.  Paul puts it this way:

" But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:7-14).

So what does this all mean?  Look toward Jesus and what he has ahead for you.  Do what you can to know Him more and more and become more conformed to His image.  This will not be easy because everything within you will want to turn back and return to the comfortable past life of things you know.  So be strong and courageous and allow God to do the work in you that He desires.  When the future promises come, you will be glad that you endured the sandbar of difficulties.

God's Promises

I have a question to ask you as I start. Do you believe that when God promises something that it will be kept?  I can hear many of you saying "Well, of course He does."  But many times we do not live as if we believe it.  As with anything, the believing comes in the action not the word.  For example:  You can say all day long that you believe a chair will hold you up when you sit on it, but until you actually sit on it, you are not acting on that belief and proving to yourself and others that you believe it.

I ran into a situation recently and found myself in a rough spot.  Suddenly a verse came to mind: "When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him." (Isa. 59:19, NKJV).  I remember praying and reminding God that His word says that when the enemy comes against us, You will come against him.  I also said that I needed God to do this for me right now.  I was desperate.  As soon as I did, I felt the presence of God sweep by me and the onslaught of the enemy was gone.  My thoughts cleared up and returned to normal.  I was amazed to say the least.  I remembered thinking that "God's promises really work."  I didn't do anything special, all I did was prayed that scripture and believed and the situation was gone. 

To digress just a little, this verse in the Hebrew has no punctuation in the original writings.  All punctuation has been added later.  So, that verse can also be read this way: "When the enemy comes in, like a flood The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him."  As I meditated on it, it seems the 'like a flood' phrase can refer to either side of the equation.  It could also be rendered: "When the enemy comes in like a flood,  like a flood The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him."  This seems very accurate in my opinion.  And why not?  God is always able to come against the enemy with a bigger flood than the one the enemy produces.  And this thought also ran through my mind as well, if God is all powerful, just a lift of His pinkie will be enough to come against any flood the enemy can produce.

So what did I learn?  I learned that just because I can quote a scripture and tell others about it, does not mean I truly believe it until I put it into action.  That is why James says that faith without works is dead (James 2:26).  You must put action to your faith in order for it to be alive.  If you don't, it can be argued that you don't really believe it anyway.  So, all this to say, put feet to your actions so that you can be counted a person of faith.  Don't just say you believe something, action follow through with action.  Try it; you might just be surprised how willing God is to keep His promises.

Your Identity

Have you ever wondered who you are?  What you are here for?  If I was a betting man, I would say yes you have.  Many of you would describe yourself by what you do. For example:  "I am a father," "I am a teacher," or whatever your occupation happens to be.  A person is not defined by what they do.  We are not things and therefore cannot be identified by what we do.  If we are a follower of Jesus Christ, our identity must be found in what He says about us.  Many of us get trapped in thinking we are what we do.  If we are to live up to our fullest potential, we must change our mindset to that of who God says we are.  He says many things about us that are contrary to what we think about ourselves. Even Jesus did not define himself or identify himself by what He did.  His identity was found in who God said He was.  Jesus only repeated what God was saying about Him.  In John 8, He tells those criticizing him that He is not boasting about Himself, but God is saying the things He is saying.  If we are to be like God, and be like Jesus, shouldn't we identify ourselves by what God says about us?

 But you may say "That's easy, I know I am not identified by what I do."  Then I challenge you.  Describe yourself by not using phrases that describe what you do.  You may find that quite difficult.  I have learned that I cannot identify myself by what I do.  If I do, and I lose my job, or career, than I start feeling bad about myself.  If I try and identify myself as such and such a career, and I try to find that career, then I might feel rejected if employers don't hire me.  It is not easy to change your mind set to believe that who you are is not what you do or what you enjoy.

God recently made it clear to me that I was to quit the profession I was in.  So without question, I did.  It was not easy.  It was like stepping off a cliff not knowing if something was there to catch me.  I found that I was identifying myself by what I did.  As I searched for a new job (which at the time of this writing I am still searching) I started to get numerous rejection letters and no interviews.  I started feeling bad about who I am.  I started thinking I was a failure and that I went to school for all the wrong things and that all my past job experience was worth nothing.  I can tell you that is a pretty devastating feeling.  But in the middle of that, God quite clearly told me that my identity is not found in what I do or what education I have.  My identity is found in God alone.  I told Him I know that, but then as I reflected on my feelings and how I reacted to rejection after rejection, not able to find a job, I realized that I have been defining myself by what I do.  I started realizing that I am not that person.  Instead I am who He says I am; nothing more and nothing less.  When I realized that (and it's still sinking in) I discovered that as long as I had Jesus and listened to what He said about me, I could do ANY job and be satisfied.  Do I think I will be digging ditches for a living?  No, I believe God is preparing a job that is perfect for all my education, all my experiences, and my personality.  That is a great relief.  It takes the weight off my shoulders.  I AM WHO HE SAYS I AM!!

Below is a list of who we are if we are a follower of Christ. It includes a scripture for each trait.  Read through them. They just might change your life.

(As a side note, if you click the scripture, it should open a new screen with the reference so you can read what God says about you.  Also, this list can be found at http://www.ficm.org/index.php?command=textwhoamiinchrist )

I am Accepted...
John 1:12	I am God's child.
John 15:15	As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1	I have been justified.
1 Corinthians 6:17	I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20	I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.
1 Corinthians 12:27	I am a member of Christ's body.
Ephesians 1:3-8	I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.
Colossians 1:13-14	I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.
Colossians 2:9-10	I am complete in Christ.
Hebrews 4:14-16	I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.
	I am secure...
Romans 8:1-2	I am free from condemnation.
Romans 8:28	I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.
Romans 8:31-39	I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22	I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.
Colossians 3:1-4	I am hidden with Christ in God.
Philippians 1:6	I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.
Philippians 3:20	I am a citizen of heaven.
2 Timothy 1:7	I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.
1 John 5:18	I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.
	I am significant...
John 15:5	I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life.
John 15:16	I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
1 Corinthians 3:16	I am God's temple.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21	I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
Ephesians 2:6	I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.
Ephesians 2:10	I am God's workmanship.
Ephesians 3:12	I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Philippians 4:13	I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

God is doing something new

Have you felt what feels like a desert around you lately?  I am not talking about a physical desert, but that may also be the case.  I am speaking of a spiritual desert; a time when it feels like you are dry in your spirit, church feels dull, you don't want to read your Bible, you don't want to do anything spiritual.    It's not a pleasant feeling, is it?  It feels like you have been forgotten or that God has decided to skip over you and go move somewhere else.  You might even hear of other places where God is moving in power and incredible glory.  You might also feel that everything around you is falling apart.  Your job is gone or is no longer enjoyable.  Everyday feels like drudgery.  I have been there too.  But recently, it suddenly feels different.  Something is beginning to happen.  I can't explain it other than something new is on its way.

A few months ago, God showed me a vision.  I was standing on a beach.  The waves were coming in and lapping at my feet. It felt nice, like a day in paradise.  Suddenly the waves stopped rolling in and I saw the ocean receding quickly away from me.  At first I my thoughts were "What did I do? Where is it going?  Why are you leaving God?"  Then I looked farther out into the ocean.  I saw a giant swell racing for the beach, right for me.  As I watched, a giant wave formed, a tsunami headed towards the shore.  Then it hit, and it kept coming.  Wave after wave it kept rolling into shore.  I asked what this was.  The answer came this way:  "Just like when a natural tsunami comes and the water pulls out to sea, so will it seem with my presence.  It will seem like everything has stopped, but in reality it has not, it is just preparing for a new season, a season of inundation, a deluge, of Gods glory and presence."

I was again reminded of this scene recently.  It has felt like a sudden waste land, like God was pulling away.  But in reality, He was preparing to come in like a flood.  The purpose for the pulling away was to build our hunger for what He is about to do.  God is about to do something that we see as new.  But is there anything new under heaven?  According to Ecclesiastes 1:9 nothing is truly new.  Just because we have not seen it before does not mean it is new.  But at the same time it is new, not as in something that has never happened before, but new as in greater, something that hasn't been seen for a long time, something that can only be read about in history books. 

Jesus Himself said before he left:  "The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." (John 14:12).  That is what the new thing is.  It will be greater things, a greater presence, something we have not even thought possible.  God is on the move.  He has already started the new thing.  Look for it. As Isaiah 43:9 says:  "Have you not seen it?"  That means we can miss it if we are not looking for it.  For example, there are many things as you travel down the road that you can miss if you are not looking.  You can miss great and wonderful things. 

Does this mean that everything is about to get better politically and economically?  Maybe, maybe not.  But those are not the important things.  The important thing is God is on the move.  God wants to do miraculous things.  If you are not looking, you will miss them.  Even if you know they are coming you have look for them.  You have to expect the new things, the greater things.  It is easy to miss the beauty of God if you are not looking in the right place and your heart and spirit are not ready. 

How do we do spot them?  We must look.  We must prepare our hearts and spirits for the new things, the greater things, the tsunami.  Get ready, look around, look at your own spirit.  Do not miss what God is about to do.  It will be easy to explain it away if you are not prepared.  Here it comes, the new thing God is already doing.

Be Careful What You Say Before God

Have you ever said something and God took you up on what you said, whether it be in prayer or to another person?  Be careful, He just may take you up on it and it may not end up like you thought.

A few months ago I remember telling someone that I would like to have the faith of George Mueller and Smith Wigglesworth.  If you are not familiar with these gentlemen, here is a short synopsis:

George Müller, a Christian evangelist and Director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England, cared for 10,024 orphans in his life (1805-1898).  He would often have no money or food for his orphans he was caring for.  They would often sit down to eat with no food, and would pray that God would bless their meal, and shortly after that someone would knock on his door with a basket of food, or money to go buy food, or a delivery driver would break down in front of the orphanage and instead of letting the food spoil would give it to Mueller and the orphans.  Everything he did was based on faith and asking God for the provision.

Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947), often referred to as ‘the Apostle of Faith,’ was one of the pioneers of the Pentecostal revival that occurred a century ago.  Without human refinement and education he was able to tap into the infinite resources of God to bring divine grace to multitudes.  Thousands came to Christian faith in his meetings, hundreds were healed of serious illnesses and diseases as supernatural signs followed his ministry.  A deep intimacy with his heavenly Father and an unquestioning faith in God’s Word brought spectacular results and provided an example for all true believers of the Gospel. (smithwigglesworth.com). 

Recently I felt God had directed my wife and I to quit our teaching positions at our school with no sign of a job afterward.  My wife had recently discovered she was pregnant.  We finished our contract out and I started looking for a job, whether that be ministry, or secular, I wasn't picky.  After 2 months of coast to coast job searches and rejection letter after rejection letter and only one interview (I didn't get that job either), I started to ask God what I did wrong, or if maybe I had heard wrong about quitting our positions.  The reply back was "Remember when you said you wanted to have the faith of George Mueller and Smith Wigglesworth?"  That stopped me in my tracks.  I did remember.  I never dreamed the road would be so difficult.  Part of me wants to tell God I take it back, but another part wants to see what God has for us on this road.  It has not been easy, but we have seen God supply when we didn't see a way.  I am still looking for a job, lots of good leads, but no answer or reply from anyone.  Our car is starting to fall apart and no paychecks in the future.  Does that mean I heard wrong or spoke out of turn?  I do not believe so.  I believe God is at work but it has yet to manifest itself in the physical realm.

I said all of the above to say this.  Be careful when you say something.  God may take you up on it and when he does, it may not turn out the way you expect or picture it.  Its times like this that our faith might go through tough times.  We may be tempted to do it our way and not wait for God. You must remember  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9).

The other morning, my wife woke up before I did and spotted a full rainbow over our house.  We live in the desert and rainbows are pretty rare and a full rainbow is even rarer.  That was a sign to us that God still knows and will keep His promise.  Not only that, we have watched it rain in the valley, on the mountains, and in town for weeks, with not a drop of rain at our house.  Recently we have had not just a nice rain but a downpour.  Some might even call it a deluge.  I believe this is also a sign from God of things to come.  I am getting excited.

If you are in a tough situation and felt God has directed you to do something and as a result you have said some things, don't give up when times get hard.  Don't give in.  Don't do it your own way.  Abraham did, and he moved before God was ready.  Be careful what you say and keep your eyes focused on Jesus.  He is greater than the promises we make or the things we way.  His ways are perfect and He has plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  It may not feel like it in the moment, but be patient; God is working and waiting for the perfect time.

I have seen God prove in miraculous ways, I have seen God heal others through my prayers.  Does that make me a superhero?  I don't believe so.  I have just positioned myself to allow God to work His miracles in and through me and around me.  I challenge you to find that place as well.  God has something great for you, and the struggle right now is just the preliminary.  The Blessings of God will come in His way and in a way that makes His name famous to those around you and that has a ripple effect spreading out from you so that others may come to know His power because of your obedience. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9).  "So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the LORD!" (Psalm 31:24)