Setting our sights on God…

•March 27, 2009 • 4 Comments

Here’s a teaching from my most favorite author, Patricia D. Modeste. It’s called “Getting Focused for the Journey… Setting our sights on God” and it blessed me immensely. I hope it blesses you too…

 

As Christians, we all know our time here on Earth, in these modest shells we call bodies, is temporary. We know that we are just pilgrims passing through this life to get to our eternity.

We are on a journey to glory… His Glory.

 

If you have ever read the book “Pilgrim’s Progress” (“ The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which is to Come”) by John Bunyon, you’ll know what I’m talking about. It is an excellent story and prime example of our journey and the problems we face along the way.

**The main character, Christian, burdened by the weight of his sins, seeks salvation and must travel from his hometown – the City of Destruction (the world) to the Celestial City (Heaven). 

** Along the way he faces many obstacles, hindrances and foes, who either try to “help” him but only lead him astray, try to get him to turn back, or seek to destroy him outright.

** But in the midst of all this, come many friends and allies – they are those who guide, direct, advise and step in to help him. Some he recognizes, others go unnoticed and unused.

 

Isn’t that just like us in our own journeys?

Our Heavenly Father knows this life He has called us to is not easy. He knows this world (this neighborhood) has changed – that it has gone downhill since He first got here. He knows this world is not the kind of place you want your kids hanging around in. That’s why He has called us out. He knows the many trials and tribulations we face -the enemies, the obstacles, the dangers we face as we travel (race) toward Him.

 

He has supplied us with all the essentials for our journey … and so much more.

 sailing_boat_at_sunset1

Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (New King James Version)

He has given us the map and guidebook – The Bible; the compass to navigate by – Himself (God); the vessel to take us to where we are going – Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; and the power or fuel to keep us going – the Holy Spirit.

Yet with all these things, why do we still get lost? Why do so many perish along the way? 

Because we lose focus. We shift our eyes from our destination and concentrate on the bad weather we encounter, or the twists and turns of the roads along the way. We’re so preoccupied by the obstacles in front of our faces, that our vision becomes obscured, and the  “the evidence of things not seen (faith)” becomes lost to us.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:1-3 (NKJV)

 Like the sailors or travelers of old, we have to constantly and consistently, readjust our focus. They shifted their gaze from the course ahead of them, lifted their eyes, searched the heavens, set their sights on the North Star, and found direction. We have to do the same.  Look to our guiding light, set our sights on the Father, and receive His direction.

Very often the direction we receive depends on how we view God; on how we hear His Words; or how we feel His hands– in our circumstances.

A.     Some of us tend to view God, as an “ in spite of” God. He is our Father, who steps in to rescue us from the clutches of the Big Bad Devil. He is our Father, who steps in to clean up our messes. He is our Father who steps in to smooth out all the wrinkles and rough spots of our lives. He works all things for good, “in spite of” the enemy or ourselves.

Doesn’t His Word say;

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28, NKJV)

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20, NIV)

B.     Some others view God as a “because of” God. He is our Father, who envisioned our whole life before we even born; Our Father who promised (to Himself), to give His all for us; A Father who planned a life of every good blessing, lacking for nothing, for His children.  He planned for the best college, provided the ideal job, made the perfect mate. He even knew exactly what our first car would be, or picked just the right dress for our prom. Nothing is too good for His own.

He is the Father who would (and actually could) move heaven and earth to make sure not a single hair on His child’s head is harmed. He is the Father who poured His own strength into a young teenager and caused him to bring down a bear, a lion and a giant that had the mighty army of Israel, shaking in their “sandals” (1Samuel 17). He is the Father who heard the heartfelt prayer of one of His and “turned back the hands of time”, as a sign of His promise (Isaiah 38). He is the God who became the most helpless form of His own needy creation, so that He could be what we most needed – salvation. He took upon Himself that which He hated most (sin), for us, whom He loves most. He gave up His perfect Son, as the greatest gift imaginable to redeem His prodigal children.   

Doesn’t our Father promise in Psalm 91: 14-16; 

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
       I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
       I will be with him in trouble,
       I will deliver him and honor him.

 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

 How we get through our journey in this life depends largely on what we see. There are roadblocks and detours, friends and foes, dangers to avoid and obstacles to overcome, blessings and consequences

      What we see before us depends on how much we trust God and His love for us.

How much we trust God depends on what we know of God. Is He the God of Damage Control or Jehovah Adonai (the God who is the Master), who is in control? Is He like Glinda, good witch of the North, who can only work good if not hampered by the bad, or is He Jehovah El Shaddai – the All Sufficient, Almighty God, whose works are evident in all things?

So which is He ? Is He the God of “in spite of” or “because of”?  Does He have to be one or the other? 

Grace and Peace

Eyes to see like Jesus…

•March 24, 2009 • 2 Comments

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, Lord of the heavens and the earth, we ask You to guide and bless the Discover Life Church Costa Rica 2009 Missions team as they go forth to preach the gospel.

Endow them with the gifts of generosity, humilty and concern.

Send your Holy Spirit to envelop them, that He may strengthen them in weakness, comfort them in triacompassls and direct their efforts.

May He open the hearts of their hearers to receive Your message.

Give them eyes to see as He sees and empower them to love the unlovely, the rejected and the outcasts, as Jesus did.

Let Your revelation enlighten all minds for the salvation of souls, and let Your love heal every heart and body for the happiness of each person.

Share with them great endurance and patience, and

thankfulness to the Father, who has qualified them to share

in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

May they consciously acknowledge You and serve You by living the teachings of Your Son.

In Christ Jesus be the glory throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.

 

Grace and Peace

Because He loves me…

•March 18, 2009 • 3 Comments

 14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
       I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

 15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
       I will be with him in trouble,
       I will deliver him and honor him.

 16 With long life will I satisfy him
       and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 91:14-16 (NIV)

In this Psalm Almighty God speaks and makes seven promises:

 

I will rescue him
I will protect him
I will answer him
I will be with him in trouble
I will deliver him and honor him

I (will) satisfy him with long life

(I will) show him my salvation

 

What a list of promises!

But these promises are NOT for just anyone and everyone. No, not at all!

They were never meant to be.

Did you catch what the Lord says – “Because he loves me”.

The promises are for those who love Him, cling to Him in faith and envelop themselves in His Word.

 baby-in-hands2

 

20 The LORD watches over all who love him, 
       but all the wicked he will destroy.

Psalm 145:20 (NIV)

This shouldn’t be taken as God’s promise for all his followers at all times in all situations.  

The God we worship and serve is an all-powerful and loving God.

And even though He is able to intervene with deliverance and escape, He doesn’t always.

It’s not our place to understand why, but we give thanks when He does and continue to praise Him when He doesn’t.

In every situation, especially “in trouble”, we can live with the confidence that God is present, providing strength and sustaining us (Psalm 54:4 NIV).

 

I will be your God throughout your lifetime
      until your hair is white with age.
   I made you, and I will care for you.
      I will carry you along and save you.

Isaiah 46:4 (NLT)

 

Grace and Peace

 

Left me in tears…

•March 8, 2009 • 3 Comments

Just a quick entry today. I heard this song by Mercy Me a couple days ago and it left me in tears.

Tell me if you like it as much as I did.

Grace and Peace

Time to Cowboy up

•February 27, 2009 • 2 Comments

A couple weeks ago, Pastor Ken stopped by my job to say hello.

I was happy that he took time out of his day to visit me.

So overjoyed, that I immediately began introducing him to my co-workers; even to my “christian” boss.

leadership1I was like a kid whose famous rockstar cousin came to school with him.

That evening, as I was driving home, I began to feel convicted.

Why don’t I feel the same way about Jesus? Why don’t I go around gushing about Christ to my co-workers. Why don’t I personally introduce The Savior to my “christian” boss?

“If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Luke 9:25-27

Maybe… no, not maybe… definitely, I am going to take that feeling that  I have in my heart, that love I have for Christ the Lord, and I’m going to be exuberant about it.

It’s time to step out of the herd. Cowboy up.

Who’s with me?  

Grace and Peace

Savior, Please

•February 17, 2009 • 2 Comments

Savior, please take my hand
I work so hard, I live so fast
This life begins, and then it ends
And I do the best that I can, but I don’t know how long I’ll last

I try to be so tough
But I’m just not strong enough
I can’t do this alone, God I need You to hold on to me
I try to be good enough
But I’m nothing without Your love
Savior, please keep saving me

2008_06_wordle_nt1
Savior, please help me stand
I fall so hard, I fade so fast
Will You begin right where I end
And be the God of all I am because You’re all I have

Hallelujah
Everything You are to me
Is everything I’ll ever need
And I am learning to believe
That I don’t have to prove a thing
‘Cause You’re the one who’s saving me

Grace and Peace

Tomorrow is a Thief

•February 12, 2009 • 2 Comments

It’s been a couple months since I last put an entry in this blog. I read an entry in Bob’s blog and he was making fun of almost all the DLC bloggers… and he was right. I have been procrastinating.

Luke 14:16-24 teaches us some important things about Procrastination:

16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’

 21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. 24 For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of mprocrastinationy banquet.’”

 

Do you know what the most dangerous word in the bible is?

TOMORROW

The word ‘tomorrow’ is a THIEF… it robs dreamers of their dreams.

It robs the talented of their greatest achievements. It keeps us  from being all that God wants us to be and keeps us from having all that God wants us to have.

Has the Lord given you the opportunity to do something for Him?

Have you made excuses? Have you procrastinated?

Will you get another chance?

Grace and Peace

How small are we?

•September 11, 2008 • 2 Comments

How small are we in the grand scope of the universe and yet the Creator of all the heavens loves us … In fact he loves us so much He sent His only son to die for our sins.

Now think about this for a second … the One who created the universe loves us – you and I.

That just blows my mind!

How big is the universe? In fact, just imagine how much bigger the Sun is to the Earth. Now wrap your mind around the fact that there are bigger stars than the sun in the universe.

Hebrews 11:3, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

click on this pic and wait to see the largest star

The largest star scientest have observed is called VY Canis Majoris, a hypergiant star located 5,000 light years from earth.  It is approximately 2,600 times the radius of the Sun.

That’s nothing compared to the Creator who made it.

I John 1:3 says, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made”.

Rest assured that the Most High God that made this awesome universe loves us and only wants us to love Him back in return.

Grace and Peace

Psalm of Comfort

•September 5, 2008 • 3 Comments
As the deer longs for the water-brooks,
so longs my soul for you, O God.My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God;
when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while all day long they say to me, “Where now is your God?”
I pour out my soul when I think on these things;
how I went with the multitude and led them into the house of God,

With the voice of praise and thanksgiving,
among those who keep holy-day.
Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul?
and why are you so disquieted within me?
 - Psalms 42: 1-7
Grace and Peace
 

Oxymoron….

•September 4, 2008 • 3 Comments

An oxymoron is defined as is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms.

How about a reggae singing hasidic Jew as a prime example. 

Meet Matisyhu Miller (born Matthew Paul Miller) of White Plains, New York.

I came upon his music and I really dig it … Not only is it a groovy reggae beat but it praises the God of Abraham.

Check him out … tell me if you like him.

Grace and Peace