God’s Will in the Little Things

So, God has been dealing with me for a while now on the topic of obedience.  As I have been studying Jeremiah and Exodus, I’ve come to realize that obedience is all about what God has designed and directed. It has nothing to do with my own wants and desires, other than to please Him. Who does He want me to become? What is He expecting from me? At the end of the day, He desires that I be holy.  

Pastor ministered this morning about the fact that we are always looking for God’s Will in our big decisions, but in order to get those answers, we have to live each day in His Will. The Lord told Moses and Aaron in Lev 11:44, “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.” That is His Will for us – that we be holy (set apart for God’s service, sacred, separated from the common). Everything else comes out of that. If we're successful in business or wealthy or have it all together by worldly standards, but we're not holy, we are NOT in His Will. 

We are expected to be different from the world. The closer we get to God through Jesus, the stronger our relationship with Him as we walk out this life. The stronger our relationship, the more we know God’s heart and the more we are changed to look and behave like Him. As we study His Word, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2). As we are transformed and we walk with God, we know His voice and follow His leading. We stop attempting to align His Will with ours and we surrender our will to His (Prov 3:5-6). As we follow His leading and are obedient in the small things, the everyday, God brings us to bigger things (Luke 16:10).

So, as Pastor said today, if you’re looking for God’s Will in the big stuff, start with small things today. Who is God making you today? How can you be closer to Him today? If what you’re doing draws you away from Him, ask Him to remove it. We can make as many plans for our future as we want, but tomorrow is not promised (Jam 4:14). All we have is today. Use the time wisely.

Partial Obedience is Sin

I began this entry a while ago and I left it after a few sentences. Apparently, that wasn’t the time for this one. I needed some additional experiences with our Heavenly Father to do it justice. 

How long has it been since you looked at your life and yourself? I mean really evaluated where you are in Jesus. I am one who regularly seeks feedback to see where I am and how I’m doing. I really thought I was doing okay. I don’t blatantly sin. I donate consistently to church. I give to those less fortunate. I believe in the truth and integrity. I believe in loving God with all of my heart, mind and soul. I believe in loving other people as myself. I believe in being fair and consistent. I believe God is Master and Lord. But, do I really? 

I’ve asked myself that question recently because the Lord has been working on me. And I was disappointed with the answer. James indicates that if we know what is right to do and we don’t do it, it is sin to us (Jam 4:17). Recently a pastor said, partial obedience is sin. God doesn’t want partial obedience; He wants our total surrender. That has resonated with me more and more over the past week or so when I realized I thought I had a choice about how I do things and when. 

For example, I know I need to exercise or work out most days, not necessarily to lose weight, but because it is good for my body – it strengthens my heart, lungs, muscles; it helps to lower blood pressure and glucose levels, etc. Exercise is good for our bodies. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, so it should be a well-kept temple. When we neglect the bodies, God gave us to steward, we are neglecting God’s property – remember we don’t belong to ourselves. When we know something is right to do and we don’t do it, it is sin to us. In this regard, I have been sinning and therefore in rebellion to God. Yes, it’s about exercise and I didn’t really feel like doing it. I don’t like it. But since when did God consider my likes or wants when He gives me direction? He doesn’t. 

I have been operating as if I have a choice in what I do or don’t do. And the reality is that I do have a choice, but it wasn’t the one I thought. I have the choice to obey God or not obey God. If I ask Him to order my steps, but when He does, I say no to Him or decide I know better/different, but that is sin to me. I either do what He says when He says it or I don’t. My likes or desires don’t weigh into the direction or guidance God is giving. If we look at any of the stories in the Bible, we don’t see God qualifying His directives or promises based on what anyone liked. I’m sure Moses would have liked not to lead a rebellious people (Num 14), but He took up the mantle and led millions of Israelites to freedom. Jesus prayed that the bitter cup of the crucifixion would pass Him by (Matt 26:36-46), but He was willing to go to the cross for us knowing what He would face and how we would throw His gift back at Him. I’m sure Paul did not want to be beaten or shipwrecked or almost killed (2 Cor 11:25-33), but He understood that what God had for him was better than what he could provide for himself. The impact of being obedient in each case changed the world. 

What about you? What has God called you to do, but you decided now wasn’t the time or it made you uncomfortable? To what directive or call have you told God “No”? Take a long hard look at yourself. Are you being obedient to God? Or doing things because they align with your own will? If it’s the latter, repent. Repent, quickly! Motive matters. Obedience means doing what God calls us to do even when we don’t agree or it makes us uncomfortable or we don’t know how God will do a thing. The fact is that we don’t need to know – we just need to obey. Turn to God and get on board to do what He called you to do. Think of what He can do in and through you. Remember, obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings punishment and judgement (Deut 28). Obedience is the better choice!

God’s Way or Destruction?

Many of us like to think of God as a gentle father who never gets angry and never chastises His children….He supports them in anything they want to do and forgives with no sense of consequences for the actions they take in violating His rules. Unfortunately, that is a different God than the one I serve. The God (3 in 1) who I serve is a just God who holds us all accountable. He is a good, good Father. He loves us with a love we can not measure or fully understand. He loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die in our place when we didn’t give a care about Him…when we were in fact His enemies (John 3:16). He is also a God who is Holy and because of that, He requires that His own be Holy. 1 Peter 1:15 states it this way, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.” What does Holy mean? Holy means to be set aside in the service of God, or dedicated to His service. Obedience is a huge part of that. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

All of this leads into the topic – God’s way or destruction. Those are the only real options we have personally or globally. Over the past few months, I’ve been studying the prophets Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel. They were contemporaries but three very different prophets with three very different experiences associated with the fall of Jerusalem. However, they all experienced the fall of Jerusalem because God’s people were disobedient and did not follow God’s leading and instruction, so God used their enemies to bring about His judgement on the nation. He didn’t stop there. Because the nations He used, were so prideful many of them were utterly destroyed. 

In each of these cases, the nations were like many of us, they wanted to do what we wanted to do with no negative consequences and because it was them and they thought they had accomplished these defeats in their own power, they thought they could get away with it.  How many empires have fallen in history along these same circumstances – a leader and nation rise up to conquer “the world” and then in their arrogance and pride are brought to their knees. They forget no matter who they serve, it is the one and only living and true God who created the universe and has control of every outcome. Pride is a deadly sin and we’ve seen the consequences of it time and time again throughout history. 

Whenever we get prideful, we forget that we can do nothing in our own strength. We lose sight that the very breath in our lungs is not ours, but His. Pride leads us further into disobedience – we become our own god or authority. We believe we guide our own path and that is dangerous. Take a look at King Saul (1 Sam 15), who after being anointed by God for the role was partially obedient which led to his ultimate destruction. To be clear, if we are not being fully obedient to God’s Word, Will, and Ways, we are being disobedient. There is no middle ground. There is no grey. We are either obedient or disobedient. God is merciful and He is patient and He is kind. In some cases, He will give us time to grapple with what He has directed us to do, like He did with Gideon (Jud 6:33-40). In some, He pursues us in our disobedience, as He did with Jonah (Jonah 1-3). In others, He will destroy us immediately like with Uzzah (2 Sam 6:1-7). 

The fact is that we get to decide our ultimate outcome – eternity with God or not. We can choose God and His way or we can choose our own. If we make the mistake to choose our own way and make ourselves king and lord over our own lives, we are on the road to destruction and are basically asking God to take His hand off us. He will (Rom 1:18-32). We must never forget that God is not mocked, we will reap what we sow (Gal 6:7). If we sow disobedience, we will reap consequence….Not because it’s what God wants for us, but because it is what we ourselves sought. DON’T DO IT!

God is loving (1 John 4:8) and He is faithful (Lam 3:22-23). He is a forgiving God, but He requires us to acknowledge our sin (1 John 1:9). We are not perfect and we are not good in and of ourselves. He is the one who makes us righteous and sets us apart. Don’t ever forget how much you owe to the Lord – breath, life, the ability to move, to think, to gain wealth. Every good and perfect gift comes from God (Jam 1:17). His way is better than anything we or anyone else can come up with. CHOOSE HIM!

Who are you judging?

It’s so easy to judge others and see where they fall short (Matt 7:1). Oftentimes, we judge others knowing nothing about them beyond superficial facts, if that. It’s much easier to see where someone else has issues than to face ourselves. I can usually look at someone else’s life and see where they have made mistakes or need to make better decisions. That is much easier than looking at my own issues. But that is what we are allowed to do – judge ourselves. God is gracious and kind and gives us a chance to hold ourselves accountable. 

In fact, scripture puts it like this – “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor 11:31-32). This passage calls for us to examine our own lives and reflect on our activities and attitudes to take appropriate action. Instead of condemning others for their sin, we need to reflect on our own, seeking God to show us what inside of us is unlike Him so we can repent and surrender our will to His (Gal 2:20).

This prevents us from getting too confident in ourselves. If we don’t look at ourselves and recognize our faults and need for a savior, we can become prideful and arrogant in our service to the Lord (Prov 16:18). It can lead us to replacing the Lord with our service to Him making it an idol. To honor Him and give Him the glory due His name we must be humble and self-aware (Prov 22:4). We must never forget that we are not perfect, Jesus is. We are not worthy, Jesus is. We are not righteous, Jesus is. He gave us His righteousness and took on our sin and paid the price for it (2 Cor 5:21). We must never forget that He paid the price instead of us. We owe Him everything. 

So, who are you judging? Yourself or others? Are you pleasing God where you are? If not, change it. No time like the present. Don’t put it off. Don’t put Him off.

You’re in the Church but are You The Church

It’s been a while since I last wrote an entry and I’m not sure if I just got busy or I stopped listening for a while, but I couldn’t not write this one. Lately, with everything going on around the world, I’ve been sad and disappointed. Many religious leaders and people who claim to be followers of Jesus have acted like anything but Him. When Jesus was asked about the greatest of the commandments, He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Then he added, “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matt 22:37-39)

When I read that in my bible, what it tells me is that loving those around me, my fellow man, is second only to loving God. Not power or money or prestige or anything else. Jesus also told His followers (The Church) that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). I find it very hard to believe that anyone loves God if he doesn’t love those he sees daily, whatever his or her sex or race or class. However, I regularly read about those who proclaim to love Jesus denigrating others whether migrants or minorities or any others – that is not Christ-like, in fact, it’s the opposite. That is not love. It divides and it tears down – the very opposite of what Jesus and His disciples or apostles taught. Paul taught us in Phil 2:3 to not “...be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves.”

Anyone can say anything. They can claim to be something they are not. But the proof is in the pudding. Our actions and behaviors do not lie. If we don’t look and act like Jesus, we are likely not of Jesus. The scripture says a tree is known by its fruit (Matt 12:33). In our case, a Christ-follower is known by the fruit of the spirit and if those fruit are not present, then it’s appropriate to question what spirit is present. The fruit of The Spirit are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). If someone is exhibiting something different, that is evidence the Holy Spirit is not present because I’ve known Him a long time and He does not sit idly by while we sin or exhibit behavior opposing Christ. He guides and directs us and chastises us when we step off course. 

One of the biggest tragedies is that many people believe if they attend church and do what they consider good that makes them right with God. That couldn’t be further from the truth. First, we are not good. Period. Second, there is nothing we can do in ourselves that makes us right with God. It is only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus and what He accomplished that we can be saved (Eph 2:8-9). There is no way for us to buy our way in or work hard enough to gain a place in God’s family/His Church. It is a free gift of God to us. But, once we are saved, because we love God and revere Him as the Creator of the heavens and earth, the only Wise God, our Heavenly Father, we seek to please Him. That is when the work comes in. Not to save us, but because we are saved. We work, as we are called, out of obedience to fulfill His plan and purpose in the earth. 

So, the question for you is, are you The Church? Are you truly a follower of Christ? I’m not talking about what you claim to people. I’m talking about whether you actually have a relationship with Jesus for yourself and are taking on His characteristics because the Holy Spirit is on the inside of you. Does God know you? Or will He say when you are judged that He never knew you? How tragic would it be to live your life claiming Jesus and then end up in Hell for eternity because you were so busy trying to impress people and obtain things that you missed it. A few decades on this earth gaining stuff you can’t carry anywhere and don’t really need would be an awful consolation prize for an eternity of misery and torture, but that will be the reality for many. The great thing is that while you’re still breathing there is time. Don’t waste it. Choose Jesus. Be The Church. There is no better choice.

Do You Look Different?

This week has been a rather emotional one for me. I’ve been pretty self-reflective. We’re studying Exodus in family bible study and I’ve been reflecting on how the world looks today and our part in it – the lack of impact the church has on society. How we don’t look different from the world? Question for you – if the people you work with were asked if you are a follower of Christ, what would they say? That’s what I’ve been asking myself and I must admit, I find myself lacking in some areas. What about you? 

On Thursday, President Jimmy Carter was laid to rest after 100 years here with us. As I listened to the eulogies and his history, I was convicted. He spent his life taking care of others – our country, his family, some of the poorest people in the world – because of his love for Jesus and his faith in him. He held to his convictions and his faith in Jesus. He made decisions consistent with his faith and opposing what society would agree with. He had the courage to do God’s will and not that of public opinion to his career detriment. It was evident, he loved the LORD. He was a strong example of a follower of Christ. Much stronger than some pastors and ministers.

I was convicted and found myself lacking - I have work to do. I have been given so much and while I do give, I don’t give everything I can. I can be extremely selfish with my time and talents and for what? Laziness. My own comfort. Busyness. There are probably a dozen other excuses that I have for not giving my all. None of them important enough to disobey God’s purpose and plan for me. I am to be set apart (Col 3:12-17). I am to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of my mind (Rom 12:2). I should look different from the world around me (1 John 2:15-17). People should know without a shadow of doubt that I am different from the world. 

We are to be salt and light in the world (Matt 5:13-16). If we really love the LORD, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). When we keep His commandments, we keep them all the time…. not just when it’s convenient or comfortable. Yes, we mess up and sin, but our desire should be to please God (2 Cor 5:9-11). The only way to do so is through our faith in Him (Heb 11:6). If we have true faith in Him, we will trust Him and do what He says, knowing that it will be better than anything we can come up with on our own. So, do you look different from the world around you? Or, have you compromised to fit in or enjoy personal desires? The closer you get to God, the closer He will be to you (James 4:8). Remember His love for you! Remember how doing it on your own doesn’t work well! Seek Him and obey Him. Love Him and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). There is blessing in surrender to Him. Be different! 

His Mercies are New Every Morning

Every day is a new opportunity to reflect on the goodness of God. Today, I’ve been in my first real blizzard. I didn’t really know what that would be like. Last year, we had a large snowstorm but this has been different. It has been snowing since last night and I have snow drifts in my backyard that are 2-3 feet high. I wasn’t expecting this and I’m definitely not used to the winter weather here in Kansas City. I wanted different circumstances since I dislike the cold and can take snow or leave it.

I also began reading Lamentations at the beginning of the year. I don’t know about you, but the prophet Jeremiah, has been wearing me out. His experience during the siege of Jerusalem had to be one of the most horrific ones ever. The way he describes the consequences of Israel’s sin was beyond anything I could even imagine. I wasn’t emotionally prepared for its weightiness. Then I got to Lamentations 3.

It begins with distress over what can only be described as feelings of abandonment and punishment (Lam 3:1-20), but then something amazing happens. Jeremiah remembers there is hope (Lam 3:21-23) no matter how bad his situation is. Even though people are dying of hunger and suffering at the hands of their oppressors, He remembers God’s faithfulness never ends. His mercies are new every morning. That gives me a reassurance that I’m not sure I realized I needed.

Great is the LORD’s faithfulness! He is good to those who depend on Him and search for Him. Even when we are in awful situations that are painful and challenging, it is good to wait quietly on the salvation from the LORD. When we recognize the LORD is our portion and inheritance, we will lean more into Him for everything and not try to depending on ourselves – we can do nothing without Him (Lam 3:24-26). We can stand on the fact that even when we sin and are chastised, He will not abandon us (Lam 3:31). The LORD is faithful and our repentance brings us back into right fellowship with Him (2 Cor 7:10; Ps 32:5).

Let us never forget that the LORD’s mercies are new every morning. Let us be quick to obey and when we mess up, let us be quick to repent. Be blessed!

All Things are Possible!

It’s been a while and I’m not completely sure what has been the hold-up for me in writing this blog. I don’t want to say I’ve been rebellious, because that’s not what I’ve felt. I think I began to feel like it was me writing the blog and not me being a vessel for God to write through. Maybe I just needed a break. Either way, today I felt like the Lord had something to share through me, so here I am sitting at my computer sharing with you what he is sharing with me.

Today I went to church and was blessed by the message. The main theme was that change is hard, but we can change with Jesus. How true that is! I know I’ve attempted to make changes in my life and when it gets hard to continue, I’ve often times reverted back to old behavior in multiple areas of my life - Exercise! Eating! Sleep! Reading my bible! Writing! There are others that I just won’t name here, but you get the idea. 

The minister today said something that stuck with me – “change is a one-time decision with a daily commitment.” Wow! I sat with that and it’s still working on me. How many things have I given up on because I thought it was too hard? I realized today that it wasn’t too hard. I didn’t give it my all. I didn’t continue when I didn’t see the results I wanted. I stopped. And I wonder how much further along I’d be if I had stayed firm with the really good eating habits of years ago. Or if I’d kept writing that novel I started over a decade ago. Do you have things in your life like that? I don’t know if I’d call them regrets, but I definitely wonder if I somehow took the easy road and would be healthier, more mature, or developed had I stayed consistent. 

I feel our relationship with the LORD is similar – if we consistently flex our faith muscle, how much deeper would we be with Him? How much stronger would our relationship be? One thing is sure – the more we invest in a relationship, the stronger it will be. And the more we trust the LORD and what He calls us to, the more He will give us to do. The minister said today that God calls ordinary people to His extraordinary purpose. I’m a witness of that. In fact, my whole life reflects that. 

But I wonder about those things where I have not been consistent. Would the LORD have trusted me with more, had I done the work? I don’t expect I will know the answer to that until I stand before Him and have to give an account of my life. I know I can’t change the past, but with Jesus’s help, I can change the future. I can do what I haven’t done before and see how He takes my actions and turns them into results. Faith without works is dead (Jam 2:14).

The LORD is the God of the impossible, so I need to have confidence that if He can do the impossible, He can do that with me. Scripture says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Phil 4:13) even the hard things or maybe especially the hard things. That means I don’t have to try – I can do. May be hard, may take a while to learn, and may require me to get a little bit better every day, but I CAN do. As Yoda says, “Do or do not, there is no try.” 

Having a firm belief that we can do all things, takes the limits off. No more, I can’t do that because... Yes, we have some limitations to our skills and talents, but many of them not born to us naturally can be learned. Yes, it takes work, but if God calls you to something, don’t question why you. He made us – He knows us better than we know ourselves. He also knows where He wants us. He gives us the power to do what pleases Him (Phil 2:13). Take the next step as He directs even if it’s scary. He will never lead us to anything that is not for our good (Rom 8:28). We may not always like all the aspects of a thing, but God knows better than we do. Trust Him to do the impossible in and through you. 

As we end 2024 and begin 2025, let go of fear and step into all God has for you. Jesus came that we could have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). Don’t squander it - live it to the fullest. All the best for a 2025 that blows your expectations away. 

Are you a Disciple or just a Believer?

So, I’ve been dealing a lot lately with discipleship and what it really means. In the past, I was a big believer that because trees are known by their fruit, if there was no fruit that looked or was like Jesus, others couldn’t possibly be saved. I know, it’s judgy right? It is. I’m coming to understand that believing Jesus is God’s son and that God raised Him from the dead, doesn’t automatically change our behavior and produce good fruit. Our time with the Word of God and in prayer, loving God and others as ourselves, produces that fruit (Gal 5:22-25). Being a disciple of Christ produces that fruit. 

Yes, we are a new creature when we accept Jesus (2 Cor 5:17), but if we don’t spend time with God, we will never start to look like Him. Have you ever seen a mature married couple of many, many years together? People say they begin to look alike. I’m not sure that’s completely true, but it works for this analogy. The more time we spend with the Lord and the more time we spend obeying Jesus’ instructions to us, the more we look like the one who saved and sent us. 

Salvation is amazing and I am forever grateful for it. It is the free gift of God – that He sent His only begotten son to die so our sins could be forgiven (John 3:16) and we can have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). However, we are being sanctified (i.e., becoming more like Christ) as we walk out our life with Christ (Gal 2:20). That doesn’t happen overnight. We are born in sin and that nature scars us. The only way to truly heal is to allow God to do a work in us. Thankfully, He who began a good work in us is faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6). But we can influence how long we stay in the lessons – if we get it the first time and get out of ourselves, we may not have to repeat the lesson. I’ve been there and I didn’t like it. In most of the cases where I’ve had to live through the same lesson over and over, it’s because I wanted to do it my own way in my own time. 

Following Jesus is not convenient and it’s sometimes hard. But doing hard things shouldn’t scare or discourage us if they are worth doing. Discipleship is one of those things. Discipleship costs. To be a disciple, we must deny self, pick up our cross and follow Jesus (Matt 16:24-25). We may have to sacrifice our TV or video game time. We may have to stop shopping nonstop. We may have to step away from friends who draw us away from God. We may have to run from that one thing that we’re addicted to. Seeking God first and recognizing that Jesus is Lord and that we can do nothing without Him goes against everything society teaches us to do and be. But it’s what followers of Jesus are called to. 

As you think about your walk with Christ, spend a little time reflecting over what’s most important to you as evidenced by your actions……not what you say or feel. What do your actions tell you about what’s most important to you? If Jesus doesn’t get much of your precious time, is He really Lord of your life or is it still you or someone else? So, are you a disciple or just a believer? This is one only you can answer, but it’s an important one. While it may cost to take up our cross and follow Jesus, it is more than worth it. He is worth it!

Are you Praying Enough?

So, I know this is a loaded question, but it’s one that needs to be asked. Of late, I’ve been hearing a lot about prayer and praying – in devotionals, at church, in conferences. Prayer is a topic everywhere. And the more I look around me at the world we live in, the more I realize that I’m definitely not praying enough. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:16-18). Of course, I pray when I think about it and I pray when something is going on, but I look for God to move quickly and then I move on to the next thing. 

As we have been studying Genesis since the beginning of the year, I’m reminded regularly that God does not operate on my time table (look at Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). I have to operate on His timetable. He is a good God and great is His faithfulness (Lam 3:22-23). He is faithful to fulfill His promises (Heb 10:23), but that doesn’t mean that He owes me anything or that my prayer is just to get something from Him (transactional)…..or at least it shouldn’t be. 

Our prayer life is really about relationship with God. It’s the way we communicate with Him. So, for example, I talk to my mom every day, almost without fail. Yes, if I’m traveling or sick, I may not speak to her and my dad, but generally, they are a priority for me every morning. If my physical parents are a priority to speak with every day and they are hundreds of miles away, how can I ignore or take for granted my heavenly Father who is always with me? I can sadly admit that it’s pretty easy to do. Life happens and all the things that are going on throughout the day take on an importance they should never have. In this, I must repent. 

It's easy to say that God understands my life and my heart…..and He does…..He gets that I make other things more important than Him. I can only confess that, apologize/repent and commit to doing better. I have to set aside time for just Him and I know it won’t be easy. I know I will be attacked in this area, but that doesn’t change the fact that I need to make prayer the way I do everything. If I really believe that I belong to God and not myself, the things He says are important have to the be the things that are important to me. That’s not an issue with my worldly bosses – whatever they say is a priority becomes my priority. How is it different with God? 

Spending time with Him so that I know Him better…..so I’m not distracted by circumstances or people around me…..so I know without a shadow of doubt who He is and what He can do…..are especially important to my walk with Him. I always said I wanted to have a relationship with Father God like Enoch who walked faithfully with Him and didn’t see death (Gen 5:21-24). And so far, I’ve failed at that. Don’t get me wrong, I spend time with God, but I’m not walking with Him every moment of every day. That’s hard for me to admit, but I know I’m not always seeking His counsel in decision making and I’m not always listening to Him when I want to do something. If I want the fullness of God for my life, I need to seek His will and not my own. I know that….but the practice is not there yet. I have work to do and He has work to do in me (Phil 1:6).

Please pray for me as I pray for you that your prayer life would be strengthened and that your relationship with Father God would be deeper. We all need Him, I just think we don’t realize how much. Blessings to you!

Lessons Learned from Joseph

For the past several weeks, we’ve been learning about the life of Joseph in our study of Genesis. Most people know the story – he was a favored son who was sold into slavery by his brothers and later saved the ancient world by interpreting a dream for Pharoah. Whether you have a relationship with Jesus or not, it’s a great read. Joseph's story begins in Genesis 37 as a teenage dreamer. There are many lessons to take from his life (Gen 37, Gen 39-48). We’ll only discuss five of them here and the first one we see happened when he was just 17. 

1. You can’t share your dreams with everyone, not even those closest to you (Prov 14:16 NLT). You have to pray and be discerning about who you can trust with where God is taking you. Joseph shared his dreams with his brothers and because he was already the favored child, they were jealous and wanted to kill him. Was he oblivious to their jealousy or was he rubbing their noses in his dreams? We’ll never know, but we do know that when it was convenient, their own insecurities and hatred led them to selling Joseph into slavery. Of course, God orchestrated it so Joseph ended up in Egypt, where He was taking him to be elevated in time. However, the brothers’ actions were selfish and lacked compassion. One way or another, God would have moved so that Joseph’s dreams came true, but God gives us all the right to choose the path we will take, and the one Joseph’s brothers took was a sinful one. 
2. Don’t complain – do the work. Instead of complaining about his plight and focusing on what he no longer had, Joseph focused on doing the work. He learned the language and developed his leadership skills. He learned to organize and keep things in order. While he was waiting for what God would do with his life, he was busy preparing. He didn’t try to elevate himself, He waited for God to elevate Him. 
3. There is power in forgiveness (Luke 6:27-37). Even though Joseph was separated from His family for more than twenty years (part of that time in prison), he forgave his brothers for selling Him. He was not bound by the betrayal of his brothers. He didn’t hold anger against Potiphar’s wife who lied on him. He was free, even when he was in bondage. Joseph went on to live a fruitful life in a foreign land and God prospered everything he touched. By not holding on to anger, Joseph was able to take hold of his actions and respond, not react, to the things that happened to him. 
4. A man’s gifts will make room for him and bring him before the great (Prov 18:16). Throughout Joseph’s life, his gifts of organization and his godly wisdom brought him into leadership roles. We see it with Potiphar, the jailer and finally, Pharoah. Joseph diligently and faithfully did the work for whatever position he filled using his gifts and doors were opened unto him. 
5. God is ultimately in control. Joseph knew this and that God’s hand was on His life. Whether in Potiphar’s house, the jail, or as second in command of Egypt, Joseph always remembered God was with him and had His hand on Joseph’s life. Joseph refused to sin with Potiphar’s wife because, it was a sin against God even in slavery. Joseph knew God was with Him even when he was wrongfully jailed. He understood that his abilities were God given abilities. While God doesn’t control our actions, He controls the outcomes. At every turn, Joseph was obedient and he was elevated even in captivity. 

Remember that no matter what is going on in your life or what situation you face, God is a promise keeper. Remember to wait on His timing and not to make it happen yourself as we saw with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It never works out well - there are always adverse consequences (some that will last for millennia). Our sin comes out of our choosing in our own knowledge and selfishness, and not following God’s leading. Let's learn the lessons and live a more fulfilling life. 

God is Still Good

God is good! No matter what we are facing, He IS good (Psa 103:8). That is hard sometimes to grasp because the world can be a treacherous place and bad things happen to threaten our happiness and comfort. We tend to think of anything that makes us unhappy or sad as bad. But if we think about our lives, there are always things that cause great pain at the same time as things involving great joy (thanks Pastor Craig).

I recently lost someone who has been like an aunt to me most of my life and I will miss her dearly, but at the same time I just celebrated my mom's birthday. The fact that I am suffering this loss doesn’t make God any less good. If fact, the fact that I am grieving speaks to the love that I felt. When I consider the experience, I wouldn't wish away the years I had with her to prevent the pain of losing her. 

I recently heard the story of Katherine Wolf (thanks Desperate for Jesus), who provides some interesting perspective around suffering well. And finding joy in what we do Have, not what we don't.  This speaks to learning to be content regardless of our circumstances.  Even when it's painful or we have circumstances we can to choose to be joyful. The scriptures tell us to rejoice in all things (1 Thes 5:16-17; Phil 4:4). We have to remember He is working all things together for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28). He cannot lie (Tit 1:2), which means he is trustworthy. He does what He says He will do.

This is a clear reminder that God IS good.....not because we deserve it, but because that is who He is. We can trust Him! 

Are you selfish?

If someone asked you, “Are you selfish?”, how would you respond? I like to think I’m not very selfish and when I really take a look at myself, I have to admit I’m very selfish about somethings in my life. My time is one of those things. I love “me” time and I guard it like a sentry at Buckingham Palace. Some would say, there’s nothing wrong with that. And I would normally agree, but I will guard my time to the expense of what God may be calling me to do. 

We are called to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength; and then to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). And I find that I may be lacking there. I know, I’m not perfect and I will make mistakes or sin. But I thought I was further along than I am, until I did a bit of self-reflection. I realized that sometimes I “love” God when it is convenient for me or when my priorities are met. I found that sometimes I lose sight of the fact God created me for His glory and not the other way around. 

I sometimes put my own stuff ahead of His calling on my life. For example, I sometimes find myself playing video games, when I should be spending time with Him. Does that sound like a big thing? Not necessarily, but at the end of the day, that is me putting my own desires ahead of Him. I’m not saying He never wants us to have downtime or play time or whatever we need to be rested and able to pour out to whoever He brings our way. But I am saying, our motives matter. If the only one I’m concerned about is myself (which I’ve found is sometimes the case), I’m operating in an incorrect posture because we should be seeking the good of others (1 Cor 10:24). I know that’s hard because we live in a society that teaches us the opposite (Thanks Pastor Craig) – it’s all about us. But it’s not – it’s all about Him. 

To be clear, God does not want us to overdo it. He wants us to rest in Him – He will give us rest (Matt 11:28-30; Psa 127:2). He wants us to be healthy – our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20). He wants us to be ready to pour out or serve others – when we love others, God lives in us (1 John 4:12). In my selfishness, I don’t always make the best decisions for myself. Just like everyone, I want to do what I want to do and that doesn’t always line up with God’s expectations and directions to me. I have to remember that the old me was crucified with Christ and now Christ lives in me (Gal 2:20).

So, I’m dealing with myself on what I am “loving” more than God and what I’m going to do about it. It’s definitely a process and I’m starting with time and then I’m moving to the next area. I invite you to join me. Think about the area(s) of your life, where you are putting your own desires and stuff ahead of God and his purpose for you, then take it to him to help you with it. You are not alone (Deut 31:6). We all have at least a little bit of selfishness and need the power of the Holy Spirit to help us.

The Cost of Sin

We were born in sin (Psa 51:5). All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). God created us in His image but we exchange our understanding for His. That is sin – anything contrary to His nature. Ever since The Fall (Gen 3), we have been looking at God through the lenses of our own faithlessness. We don’t surrender to Him because we don’t really believe He is faithful and will provide for us. Somewhere along the way, we really began to believe that we were providing for ourselves. That if God didn’t come through, we could use our gifts and talents to take care of ourselves. We forgot that the Word is true – we can do nothing without Him (John 15:5). 

Have you ever imagined what sin really costed us? It costed us separation from God (Isa 59:2). Beyond the consequences that come with sin. it costed us our image. We were created in God’s image – set apart from everything else on earth, but sin took that away from us. It costed us our innocence. How many animals have died since creation to give us clothes to wear and cover our nakedness? How much has greed and love for money costed us? How much has selfishness costed us? How many lives have been lost to envy and hate and fear? How many have suffered because we were dependent upon ourselves for our livelihood and not dependent upon God to provide?

I wrote before that we don’t obey God because we don’t really trust Him. So, what did you give up on because you didn’t believe God could provide for you outside of your works? God is a provider and He owns the cattle on a thousand hills – he can keep you fed. What did you tell God “no” to because you didn’t really believe He would come through? God is a promise keeper. If He calls you to something, He provides a way to accomplish it, even when you can’t see it. Where was he sending you that you didn’t go, because you didn’t believe He would prepare the way before you? God goes before us to prepare the way. What are you not trusting God with because in actuality you don’t trust Him to take care of you? God takes care of His own and cares about what we care about. 

At the heart, sin is the result of our lack of faith in God (Psa 37:3-5). That is the root of it all. God is GOOD to us. We may not like the outcome, but I would bet if you look back over your life in Christ, you can point to the things that brought you closer to God and it won’t be the easy things. It’s the things that stretch and cause us pain that make us stronger (Rom 5:3-5). God uses them to build our character and our faith, showing us that He is our source, our redeemer, our protector, our everything. He also uses them to remind us that this is all temporary. We are not meant to stay here. We are visitors and He is coming back to take us home with Him – to the place that He is preparing. 

In the meantime, it is important for us to remember, Jesus suffered and died. We will suffer, too. We are not exempt from pain and problems. They will come, but He will be with us and deliver us (Psa 34:19). 

God is Holy

When you think about God being Holy, what do you think of? Some of us think about God judging us or His wrath. Some of us think of Him having an ego and being distant and not caring for us when life gets hard. But, if God is distant and doesn’t care about us or if all He does is judge us or release His wrath on us, why are we still here? Why hasn’t He destroyed us? Why does He allow us to remain? If the wages of sin is death, we all deserve to be destroyed. (Psa 103:8-12)

Jackie Hill Perry ministered tonight as part of the Desperate for Jesus (#DFJ2024) conference and she asked that question. It caught me off guard, because I’ve asked myself why would God put up with us or why does He love us so. I felt ridiculous, because the answer was staring me in the face. God is Holy – He is different than everyone and everything else (Isa 5:16). He is separate. His very nature is set apart from all things that were created – He is by nature GOOD. Not what we think of as good, by giving us the things we selfishly want or desire. He is GOOD and He is always being GOOD (Psa 100:5).  He works on the things in and around us that matter most – building us to be like Christ and trust Him like Christ trusted Him even until death. 

While we were created in God’s image, we can be tempted and give into the things that influence us. We have such limited understanding, we often reflect the miniscule knowledge from our experiences on God, not understanding what an insult that is to Him. God cannot be compared to anything else we know. He is far above anything we can think. His will is not consistent with ours (Isa 55:8-9).  He is the standard. That is why our minds must be renewed. The renewing of our minds is necessary for us to be transformed into the image of Christ (Rom 12:2) – back to the original. 

Because God is Holy, He cannot lie (Num 23:19), therefore He cannot lie to us. Because He is Holy, His Word is true. Because He is Holy, He is Merciful and that is why we are not consumed. There is none like Him (1 Sam 2:2). We take Him for granted, but He still shows us mercy that we do not and can not deserve. You may ask why I say that. When was the last time you looked at God as the standard and saw your weaknesses and sin? How did you stack up? Exactly! 

As you think about God’s Holiness, it should give you great comfort that He can be trusted (Heb 10:23). That He cares about the things you care about. Because Jesus is Holy, He loved us all enough to die for us to pay for our sins that we could be reunited with the Godhead. Even knowing the tremendous costs, Jesus (King of Kings and Lord of Lords) humbled Himself and stepped out of eternity to become a man to die for us – willingly. Because of God’s Holiness, we are not destroyed. Jesus paid the price and was destroyed in our place. Then, He got up with all power in His hands. He is Holy and Righteous and because He is, we are adopted and chosen (Eph 1:4-5). 

Praise God for His Holiness. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts (Isa 6:1-5)!

God's Will, Not Mine

Over the past week, I’ve really given some consideration to what it means to live in God’s will vs. my own. What I realized is that what we’re really talking about is obedience vs. rebellion to God’s authority. We are born in sin and our very nature is the opposite of God’s will.  Sure, we may be “good” people according to worldly standards, but we still have utterly wicked hearts (Jer 17:9-10) and are essentially all about ourselves. Given the right set of circumstances, without Jesus, we are subject to do anything. Even with him, we will on occasion step out of who we are in God in rebellion to seek our own. For every act of rebellion against God there are negative consequences, the biggest one is the separation it causes between us and our Heavenly Father. Rebellion is sin and wages of sin are death (Rom 6:23). We get a glimpse of the consequences to our rebellion to God’s authority in Gen 3 with the Fall of Mankind.

So, God’s Will is obedience to Him and His word and to act when He tells us to……to have such faith that we don’t worry about what the future holds and take the step that is directly in front of us knowing God has already worked out the details. When we move like He tells us to move, we show we trust Him with everything. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is saying “yes” when we don’t even know what we’re saying yes to, because we trust His leading and His love for us. 

When we strive to know Him better and we are transformed as we study His word and learn what His will is for us (Rom 12:1-2), our will changes to be more in line with His will (Psa 37:4). Our obedience is directly related to our level of trust in God and our belief that He loves us and has our best interest at heart, as well as, our understanding that He knows better than we do. When we disobey, we are really saying we know better than God does – just like the teenager who explains to their parents they don’t know anything the teenager is going through. Just like parents have lived what teenagers are facing and have good advice for how to navigate, God clearly already knows everything we are going through and will go through the rest of our lives. 

So, we have choices to make about whether we will seek to do God’s will – love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, body, etc., and love our neighbor as ourselves, or will we seek to do our own will – be all about ourselves and what we can get?  God is faithful (1 Cor 1:9) and He keeps His promises (Heb 10:23), but there are consequences when we go our own way and if we die in our sin, the ultimate consequences of death and hell. Accepting Jesus as personal savior, studying God’s word and following it is the best way to stay in God’s will. His will is that none would be lost (2 Pet 3:9), but that is a choice we get to make. We get to choose Him or not. Can you imagine what He can do with a willing heart and an obedient spirit? Open doors beyond measure and Him getting the glory as you walk out His calling on your lives, since we remember and acknowledge we are nothing without Him (John 15:4-5). 

Choose His will over your own and watch what He will do with your life. 

Faith and Works

How many times in your life have you let fear keep you from moving into something you believed was for you? How many times have you let life’s circumstances deter you from making a change? How many times have you allowed what others said to keep you from taking a risk? There have been many times I’ve taken a risk and it didn’t pan out, but I tried. Maybe those were the right choices, maybe not, However, I know I tried. 

It is impossible to please God without faith (Heb 11:6). So, we must believe in Him and believe that He will do exactly what He says (2 Pet 3:9-11; Rom 4:21). One thing I’ve learned over the years is that I can trust God to take care of me (Matt 6:26). From my first move to Florida to my latest move to Kansas City (which was not in my life plan), I have trusted that God had my best interests at heart. When obstacles come, I know that I will make it through them because I am His child and I am in Christ Jesus. 

Pastor Craig addressed faith this morning in his message based on the movie “Air,” about Nike signing Michael Jordan. It was very insightful to see how faith in the Lord can provide guidance for the way through. A couple of the types of faith mentioned during the message resonated with me. 

The faith to believe there is a way to accomplish something was one of them. I believe I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13) because God’s word says so. I don’t question whether I can – I really only question whether I truly want to. Don’t get me wrong – there are some things God has called me to that I didn’t want to do, but I did them to be obedient to Him. In the same way, there have been things I didn’t know how to do, but I believed He would guide me and He always has. 

Another type of faith was the faith to take a risk. When I accepted the position in Kansas City, I had never been to the area and knew nothing about it but what I’d found on the internet. I had no idea whether I would like it or not. I just knew I was supposed to be here. I had no idea how it would turn out, where I would live, how the job would go, nothing. I only knew two things – God was calling me to it and I was going to be obedient. Within that knowledge was also the fact that I knew if God was calling me to it, he would provide what I needed to do it (Prov 2:6-8). 

Remember, you can trust God, you can stand on His word and His direction. The problem is making sure you’re standing on His direction and not your own. Many times, we decide we want a certain thing and we step into it without waiting on or listening to God to move (Prov 3:5-6). God should be our first call not our last resort. If we listen and obey, we won’t have to make the sacrifices in the future (1 Sam 15:22). God is good, but we must operate in faith to please Him. Make sure your works (actions, decisions, etc.) align with His word (James 2:26). 

Temptation(s) Will Come

Ever thought that being saved would deliver you from temptation and from all the sins that we indulged in prior to salvation? Ever think salvation was a shield to being exposed to sin? Well unfortunately, we still live in a fallen world where the norm is being selfish and all about instant gratification and pleasure. This fallen world would have you believe as long as you like it, it’s good for you. It would tell you, get yours no matter the cost to others. This is why we must have a strategy for how we will deal with temptation, which will lead us to sin. 

According to James 1:14, we are tempted when we are lured and enticed by our own desires. So, how do make sure we are not lured or enticed by our desires? We need to know ourselves and spend time with God. The bible says God will give us the desires of our heart (Psa 37:4). So, if we seek Him diligently, His desires become ours. The more time we spend with Him, the less time we have to indulge the things that will draw us away from God. 

We are not strong (2 Cor 12:9-11). Understanding that about ourselves will help us to know that we can not fight our temptations on our own. We must flee from them (Matt 26:41). If our friends are bad influences on us, then we need new friends. If we have a habit that binds us and leads us away from God, then we need to change our habits and limit our access to make it difficult to participate in the habit. When we indulge in habits or activities that cause shame, in many cases, we listen to our enemy, who tells us we’re not enough or that God can’t love us since we are caught up or bound by something. The opposite is true – Jesus died for us when we didn’t even know Him. Jesus was set on the path of redemption all the way back in the Garden when he was introduced in Gen 3:15. At no time has God not loved us. Even when we don’t choose Him, He still loves us and His desire is that none would be lost (2 Pet 3:9). 

We have to remember that we have a very real enemy who HATES us because God LOVES us. He will use our desires and wants to lead us into sin, which leads to death (Jam 1:15). That is his ultimate play. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) and he will use all his tricks and tools to separate us from God. But the bible is true. I am convinced just like Paul that nothing can separate us from the love of God and if nothing can separate us from His love (Rom 8:38-39), we must always remember that we can come to Him when we are tempted and that He will always provide a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13). 

Temptations will come, but we don’t have to give in. Jesus has already triumphed over sin and death and because He has, we who are in Him can too. Be blessed. 

Blessing in the Struggle

How often do you think about what God has done for you? I know it’s something I think about often. I also think about what He’s doing in me and what He’s calling me to do. I hate to admit it, but I sometimes take what He’s done and Him for granted. Then, I’ll do something or not do something and I’ll need Him. It’s in those times I’m reminded of who He is. It’s in those times when I struggle and lean on Him that I learn who I am. It’s on the other side of many of those situations that I realize how blessed I am……how He kept me. 

But have you ever been in the struggle and you’ve thanked Him because you realized you get to go through it with Him? I know it sounds crazy, but for every struggle we have and go through with Him, we come out stronger. Have you ever thought to thank Him for the struggle because it draws you closer to Him? I find that I have been remiss in this area, too. When we’re in the midst of the struggle it’s sometimes hard to see the good in it, but God uses all things to work together for our good (Rom 8:28). We’re also instructed to rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all things (1 Thes 5:16-18). Regardless of the outcome of our situation, God is still God. He is still worthy.

In the times that I’ve surrendered situations to Him, He has never let me down. It’s not what He does. Situations have certainly not always turned out the way I would have chosen, but he knows better than I do. They have not always been comfortable or easy, but who has ever grown in comfort? Comfort is not where growth happens. Growth happens in struggle (Rom 5:3-5). Even children as they grow experience growing pains. If we are growing in faith and understanding, why would we expect it to be easy? As we follow Jesus, we are to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him (Matt 16:24) – that indicates sacrifice, self-discipline, honesty, reflection, and so many other traits. 

I recognize I’m a work in progress. While my outward appearance may look like I’ve arrived, I haven’t. No one has. We all have areas of our lives that need work. But, it is good to remember that the Master of all is on our side and holds us close. He will finish the work He began in us (Phil 1:6). Let us be obedient and do what he said. Let’s take a step back and seek Him in the middle of the struggle and ask Him to show us the benefit of it, not just to get us out of it. He’s never not working and we can be assured He’s blessing us in the middle of the struggle.  

God bless you!

Fathers

Happy Belated Father’s Day to all the dads, granddads, bonus dads, uncles, brothers, friends, etc., who pour into others and provide a fatherly perspective. You are much loved and much appreciated for all you do and who you are. 

Before I knew who I was, I knew I was my dad’s daughter. He provided my first sense of identity. From the time I could speak and share my name, I realized the name was not mine but his. I’ve carried his name and his protection all my life. He has shown me love and support. He’s provided for me when I couldn’t provide for myself. He affirmed me as his daughter. This is exactly what God does for each one of us. 

God, our Heavenly Father, sets the example for all fathers, but being human, they sin and fall short just like everyone else (Rom 3:23-26). God has always been the Father. He loved us when we didn’t even acknowledge him. When we ignored Him, He still loved us and made a way for us. He protected, provided and defended us. He knows every hair on our head (Luke 12:7) and made us all unique and different – none better than another, but with a multitude of gifts to build up His kingdom (1 Cor 12:25-28). 

What are we doing with them? While we are distracted by the need to be first or better, we lose sight of the fact that we will be judged on our works, not in comparison to others (1 Cor 3:10-15). We carry our own water and it gets weighed – we have to give an account of our own deeds. He is looking for us to do our best with what we’ve been given. His Holy Spirit will empower us when we give it our best (Eph 3:16). 

Our Father and our fathers, who strive to be like Him, show us better ways. They have plans for us to succeed (Jer 29:11). They make sacrifices for us (John 3:16). They love us (1 John 4:19). Whether you’re in a good relationship with your earthly father or not, don’t let the chance to spend time with him pass you by. Don’t have regrets, because none of us know how long we have (Prov 27:1). Take time and do your part. 

At the end of the day, we want to please God. He tells us to honor our father and mother that our days may be long (Exo 20:12). Don’t disobey. Forgive like Jesus did (Luke 23:34). Be blessed.