Month: December 2023

Faith!

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“I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:24

Jesus meets a man whose son has a tragic sickness. The man says to Jesus, “if you can, help my son?” I find is fascinating that even though the man seemed to question the ability of Jesus to heal his son, Jesus uses the moment to teach us all something truly valuable. For Jesus responds to the man by saying,

“Everything Is Possible For One Who Believes”

The man then responds to Jesus, saying, “I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief?” Sounds like us, doesn’t it? We come to Jesus needing a miracle, while at the same time saying “help me to believe you will actually help me?” I found a cure for such timid faith years ago. That cure is to choose to stand firm on God’s promises and let go of all doubt. Jesus Himself said “everything is possible for one who believes”. So, who am I to question the Son of God about His words. Faith is a choice, so choose it. I promise that you will soon cast your timid faith aside as mountains begin moving in your life.

I’m Always Listening

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“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you,” Jeremiah 29:12

For nearly a decade Verizon Wireless ran a series of commercials on television with a man talking on his cell phone in all manner of situations and saying “can you hear me now?” The point was meant to declare that if you had Verizon, you could get a cell phone signal just about anywhere you went. Today I have better proposition for you. God can hear you EVERYWHERE and ANYWHERE you happen to find yourself.

With God, You are Never Alone

God is so near to every person on this planet, quietly waiting in the stillness to be invited to draw near and fill every single empty void in your life. In Jeremiah 29 God makes a promise that if we call on Him He will listen. Amazing things are about to happen for you when you pick up that phone called prayer, and call the Lord.

Positioning

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“Then the Lord said, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5 & Acts 7:35

I remember being completely alone in a church when I began to pray. At that particular moment I was going through a difficult time at work so my heart was heavy and looking for answers. I distinctly remember being broken enough that my heart was completely open to whatever God’s solution was for me. Then I heard His voice in the back of my mind say, “remove your shoes and come to the alter”. At first I felt a bit foolish in this public albeit empty place, but I did what I heard God say. My shoes came off and I walked forward and knelt at the alter. Thirty minutes later I left that church with more hope than I had felt in months.

Positioning Is Everything In Life

and even more important in your prayer life. How you approach God is many times even more important than what you say. For when you position your heart completely open to Him, miracles do happen. 1 Samuel 16:7 says it all, “Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Directions

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“Let Thy will be done….” Matthew 6:10

God is a God of purpose, not randomness. As long as I’m drawing breath there is something to be done, something to accomplish, someone to encourage, someone to lift. Every morning is an opportunity for us to say,

Whatever You Have For Me Today Lord, I Gratefully Receive.

When we pray, “Thy will be done,” we are giving God permission to take the steering wheel of our lives and point us in the right direction.

Merry Christmas!

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“…and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Seven hundred years before Jesus was born in a manger, there was a prophet named Isaiah who wrote stories of a Savior that would come into this world, and indeed save and redeem mankind. God has an immense capacity for patience. Not that instant gratification is lacking with God, not by any stretch of the imagination for stories of instant miracles abound in the Bible. Yet there is something incredibly faith building about waiting on the Lord.

Our Savior Arrived Just In Time.

Just has He will arrive for you, just in time, for today is that day. Say yes to Jesus and the words Merry Christmas will take on a whole new meaning for you. Think about it, our lifetime may be short in years, but our eternity is forever. After all, what were you planning on doing seven hundred years from now? I’ll be with Jesus. Care to join me? Merry Christmas!

His Presence

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“Because Your love is better than life” Psalm 63:3

In Psalm 63 King David wrote, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.” Notice how David is not asking for anything other than God’s presence. He’s not seeking rescue, or answers, or miracles. David simply craves God’s presence as he would crave water in the wilderness. He prays this way because he understands that,

God’s Presence Is Better Than Life.

When you feel anxious, or nervous, or scared, or lonely try doing as David did and reach out to God, and simply ask for His presence. God will not disappoint you, for the atmosphere will shift and you will quickly begin to understand for yourself why David prayed the way he did.

Answered Prayer

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“You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss.” James 4:3

Unanswered prayer is really not unanswered. What you believe might be a “no” is really God seeing into your tomorrow in how to best to answer your request. If we knew our tomorrows the way God does,

How Different Would Our Prayers Look?

The greatest prayer you can ever pray is, “not my will, but Thine be done.” That is how you are certain never to ask “amiss”. God wants to bless you with the best! So when you open your mouth, give to Him the desires of your heart, then simply trust Him with the answer.

A Christmas Carol

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“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

On December 19, 1843 Charles Dickens released, “A Christmas Carol” one of the most beloved stories in history. I love one of Dickens most famous quotes, “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.”

Become A Blessing to Others

In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said that whatever we do for others who have a need, treat it as if we are doing it for Him. This puts a new perspective on the words, love your neighbor.

Keep Moving!

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“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him (Jesus) who loved us.” Romans 8:37

Comedian and television star Jerry Seinfeld once said, “To me, if life boils down to one thing it’s movement…”

…to live is to keep moving.”

Paul, the author of the book of Romans, lays out an intriguing thought to demonstrate that no matter the odds, no matter how hard we get hit in life, we can keep moving forward. Paul says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Yet in all those these things we are more than conquerors for nothing can separate us from God’s love”. That also means nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from God’s promises, of which we have described dozens in this post over the past few months. Take heart and keep moving forward. Your have the King of kings in your corner.

Dead Ends

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“Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?” Exodus 14:11

In the book of Exodus, God rescued the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt and led them toward the promised land. The triumphant mood soon hit a brick wall at the Red Sea, with no way to cross, and the Egyptian army bearing down after Pharaoh changed his mind about their pardon. You’ve seen the movie. You know the story’s ending. God parted the waters and they went on their way.

What Does Your Dead End Look Like Today?

Indeed, there are times in life when we all seemingly face a dead end. We toil and spin (yell and scream and cry) just like the children of Israel did in Exodus 14:11 about our predicament, when the answer is right in front of us. Look up! Give your dead end to God, then watch as the miracles unfold.