Need a hand?

If I had to be totally honest, I would say that the only time that I really pray earnestly is when I come across a situation that I cannot handle myself. Don't get me wrong, that's not the only time I pray. On a daily basis, I pray that I make a difference in the Kingdom of God. I've been know to pray for those around me. But the only time where it's prolonged and with fervor is when I need guidance... and then it's usually revolving around work.

I know the Bible says "Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man." Psalm 60:11 AND Psalm 108:12. It also says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1. In the New Testament it says "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in the time of need." Hebrews 4:16 - but since the Bible is God's story and not man's what if each one if these is in direct relationship to the advancing the Kingdom, and our fight to remain in the Kingdom of God?

When was the last time that you truly prayed for God to help you reach the lost? When was the last time you prayed to understand how to live out God's word? When was the last time - at the hint of sin, you boldly ran into the throne room of God and screamed  help me not sin?

Don't get me wrong, God is interested in our day to day needs. However, in the final analysis, our jobs will go away. Our problems will end some day. The things that endure are the things that we do for the Kingdom of God.

My challenge for you today is to pray with a Kingdom mindset. Pray that God will help you reach the lost, and stay safe from sin.

Personal Inventory

Every once in a while, I like to do a personal inventory to make sure that my life is in order. Things on my checklist are things like: when was the last time I reviewed my personal budget, when was the last time I made sure my cell phone plan was the best that is offered, when was my last dentist appointment, when was my last physical.

Those are the big things, but we also do this on a more regular basis in our lives: have I done laundry, have I paid all of my bills, did I record the TV program that I wanted to watch later?

Some of us even take a spiritual inventory - do I go to church on a regular basis, do I pray, do I read my Bible or at least try to do a devotion.

This morning, in my prayer time, I felt the need to take that a step further. How does my life line up against the way Jesus lived?

Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10

So, today's checklist revolves around what does abundant life look like?

Is abundant life wealth?

And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." - Matthew 8:20

Is abundant life having those around you that you can depend on?

When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, "[Jesus] came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, you could not watch with me one hour?" Shortly after that, all of those closest to Him scattered.

We can go through a whole list that shows that the abundant life that Jesus is talking about is not fully rooted in this life.

Jesus says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5 ESV)


Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together." (John 4:34-36 ESV)

The last this that Jesus said before he ascended into heaven was


And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

Abundant life is bearing fruit. Making disciples. Teaching people who God is and His way to salvation through Jesus.

In the early church, people were called Christians because they did what Jesus did. Talk about the Father and tell people that Jesus is the only way for them to be reconciled back to God. My challenge for you today is to do a personal inventory and whether or not your life is truly an abundant life bearing fruit. If you aren't, don't worry, it's not the end of the world. Simply ask God to help you. He promised he would.

Friendship

It's been about 6 years since I've been "home". For the last 6 years, I have been on the road as a consultant and have spent at least 5 days a week away from my home. The one thing that happens when you're away is that you begin to lose contact with people. 

The first thing that you miss when there's this lack of connection is friendship. Sure, you have acquaintances, but really there is this deep desire that I had to be known and to know others.

I genuinely longed to be able to sit down with people that knew me well enough to speak into my life in areas where I might be out of balance, people that cared enough to tell me that I may want to consider doing something about my weight, people that just cared.

Friends will tell you the truth. They share what's on their hearts, their hopes, dreams, aspirations. There is nothing more refreshing than spending time with a good friend.

Jesus says "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15 ESV)

Jesus is plainly saying that his desire isn't for us to simply be mindless servants that are doing things because we're told to. He wants us to be friends. God's desires and plans for our life are not hidden or essoteric. He wants to make his thoughts known to us!

Let's spend the rest of this week exploring our friendship with Jesus. Really take the time to tell him what your dreams, hopes and fears are... but don't let it be a one sided conversation... listen... and see what God's plans are for you, see where He is helping you and what His plans are for you.

Like father, like son...

I remember when my oldest son was 3 years old. I would take him to the toy store and walk about 3 steps in front of him with my hands clasped behind my back. He would try to do the same thing. Every once in a while I would pick up something that I thought he would be interested in. He would do the the same... looking at it intently. I would put it down, and he would do the same and we would continue on our journey.

He... wanted to be like me. If I sat down and read a book, he would sit next to me. If I went outside, he would come outside. He was learning who I was.

Today, he's 20 years old, and if you saw the 2 of us together, you would know that he's my son. The way he stands, the way he carries himself. His sense of humor. The subtle and sly glances that he gives when there's an inside joke.

This is the same way that Jesus was.

"So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel" John 5:19-20

Jesus made is plain... when you looked at Him, you saw His Father.

Now, we say that we have God as our Father - and that we are His children. My question is - when people see us, do they see our Heavenly Father?

Let us struggle this week to live our lives in such a way that people will know who our Father is!

Note: Although this is a Father and Son reference, this applies to everyone that knows Jesus as their Heavenly Father.

Standing strong

I know a lot of people who are struggling now. Financially, health, family problems, work... It seems like every time I turn around, even in my own life there is some crisis that requires immediate attention and despite my best planning and efforts, there always seems to be something that is out of my grasp to solve.

Seriously... just this weekend, I received a phone call from someone that I hadn't talked with in over a year asking for $100 so their lights wouldn't be turned off. It looks like everyone needs some help, and we're all reaching out to anyone that we can think of for moral support, an encouraging word... anything just to get to the next moment.

Sometimes we forget that we have an enemy that wants to destroy us. We have an enemy that wants us to give up hope and to walk away from God in despair believing that God either doesn't care for us or is unable to change or help our situation.

On multiple occasions the Bible tells us that we can ask God or that we can pray in faith... but what do we do in the meantime while we're waiting for the hand of God?

I just wanted to offer a few Bible verses to consider while we're in this struggle:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. (Eph 6:10)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties upon him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

The important take away in all of this is that God cares. Yes, He wants us to struggle and stand, but he doesn't want us to try to do it on our own. He is there to help us if we really truly believe that He cares and is interested in our life.

So in the midst of all of our struggles and problems, let us remember to ask God to help us. This is not a one time thing... this is a constant day in/day out thing. Let us rely on God's strength and not our own.

Sometimes, running hurts...

There was a time when I loved to run but I was about 20 years younger and 35 pounds lighter. Earlier this summer, I rediscovered the joy of running... or rather... jogging. It was refreshing to get back out there again. The thing about running is that it hurts sometimes. When you're just starting out, your body isn't use to pounding the pavement. There are times when your lungs hurt. There are times when you are absolutely positive that you will not be able to go on... but somehow you do.

Christianity really isn't that different.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so gread a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run  with endurance the race that is set before us..." Hebrews 12:1

Just like I can feel the extra 35 pounds that I carry when I run, when we live our Christian life, we also can feel the weight of sin that we carry in our lives, and we can see how that impacts our relationship with God.

 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.(1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

So... my challenge to you this week is to take a look at your relationship with God. Are you living your life in such a way that you can be the best that you can be or are you trying to carry some excess baggage?

Let us struggle to "train" ourselves so we can run this Christian race well... getting into shape is going to hurt... but it will all be with it when we receive the prize!

Hear, Understand, Do

Everything we do in life can be summed up in 3 simple words: Hear, Understand, Do.

We learned to talk by hearing others talking around us. At first, we babble unintelligibly, but eventually, we begin to understand - then we talk.

We go to school, hear what the teacher says, understand it, then do it.

We go to work, we hear the tasks they have for us to accomplish, we understand it, and we do it.

This pattern is repeated throughout our lives - it's how this blog is written. I try to explain something so you will connect with what I'm saying, I tie it into scripture so you can understand the context, then I challenge you to do something.

This is the same challenge that James gives:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:22-25)

That's my challenge to you this week. Hear what the Bible says about God. Understand how that impacts your life... and do something about it.

Feel free to comment below about what God is challenging you to do, so you can encourage others!