"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." Proverbs 16:9.
We use calendars to plan out our day, plan out our month, plan out our year, and even plan out our life, but if it isn't the Lord's plan those plans are going to change. Have you ever looked back over your life and seen how much your plans have changed? How the direction you thought you were on might have done a 90 or 180 degree turn. When did you realize or have you realized that God was and is leading your steps?
Jesus had appeared to the disciples twice in the locked and confined room before he breathed on them and gave them the Holy Spirit. They finally felt His presence on them and got up the nerve to walk outside and see what the world had become. And in the fashion of most men or a lot of men who have been cooped up and left hungry they wanted to stretch their legs and get something to eat. Now they didn't have McDonald's to just go through a drive-thru, these men decided to go fishing. "Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said." (Sounds like a bunch of men to me, maybe even some women.) "So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night." John 21:3.
Okay, did I forget to mention, these weren't any men just going fishing, these were men that before Christ had come for them, they owned a fishing business. They were probably overly frustrated and even hungrier. They were probably thinking, What has happened to our ability to find fish? This sea has always been full. But morning broke and they looked toward the shore and saw someone standing on the beach. "He called out, "Friends, have you caught any fish?" "No," they replied. Then he said, "Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get plenty of fish!" John 21:5-6a. Peter was probably thinking, Who is this man trying to tell me how to fish?! I know how to fish and there is nothing biting today. However, they had just been filled with the Holy Spirit and He must have encouraged them to take that step. "So they did, and they couldn't draw in the net because there were so many fish in it." John 21:6b. Then John looked back to the shore and immediately realized that the man on the shore was his Lord Jesus.
You see, the disciples had made plans to go fishing and nothing was caught, but when they followed the steps the Lord called out to them they were blessed with abundance. We can try to do things our way all day long, but until we follow the plans the LORD has laid out for us nothing will seem to go right.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. Take your next step in the direction the LORD has called you and prepare to be blessed.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
City on a Mountain
"You are the light of the world - like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:14-16
As I was praying this morning I went into a silent prayer where I just sit at the feet of Jesus allowing Him to speak to me. In this time, he revealed first to me an ocean with peaceful waves washing upward toward a mountain. As he guided me up the mountain there at the top was the 3 crosses, I'm guessing representing His death between the 2 criminals, the light between the darkness. There at the cross were people congregating and others coming up to the group already at the scene. These people seemed to be conversing and fellowshiping, discussing what had happened and telling the others. They looked as though they were praising their great God and Lord Jesus. Then it was revealed to me that the people that were already there were Jesus' disciples. They had already been in the presence of Christ and had gained wisdom from Him. He had given them the Holy Spirit and they had become the light of the mountain that was bringing others near, to learn and glean as well.
Those who are followers of Christ are disciples, they must be the light of this world like a city on a mountain for all to see, so that when others come to them to see the light they will see the Glory of our heavenly Father and praise His Great Name. We must let our good deeds shine out from us not in boastfulness, but in humbleness as the Spirit works from our inside out. We must do the work that God has called us to, reflecting the image of Jesus who already left the blueprint of what we should be like. For God was the Developer of the city, Jesus was the Foundation, the Holy Spirit is the Project manager, and we must be the Light.
As Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after the resurrection, they were hidden in a locked room. Essentially, they were hiding the light Jesus had left them with under the basket, but "He spoke to them again and said, "Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you." John 20:21. He said, go let your light shine out, stop hiding it behind these closed doors.
We as Jesus' followers, as disciples, are the light of the world (a very dark world); we can't hide it behind the doors of the church we must be the city on the mountain, and Jesus has told us to let our light shine out for the world to see. We must go and do as He has already done!
As I was praying this morning I went into a silent prayer where I just sit at the feet of Jesus allowing Him to speak to me. In this time, he revealed first to me an ocean with peaceful waves washing upward toward a mountain. As he guided me up the mountain there at the top was the 3 crosses, I'm guessing representing His death between the 2 criminals, the light between the darkness. There at the cross were people congregating and others coming up to the group already at the scene. These people seemed to be conversing and fellowshiping, discussing what had happened and telling the others. They looked as though they were praising their great God and Lord Jesus. Then it was revealed to me that the people that were already there were Jesus' disciples. They had already been in the presence of Christ and had gained wisdom from Him. He had given them the Holy Spirit and they had become the light of the mountain that was bringing others near, to learn and glean as well.
Those who are followers of Christ are disciples, they must be the light of this world like a city on a mountain for all to see, so that when others come to them to see the light they will see the Glory of our heavenly Father and praise His Great Name. We must let our good deeds shine out from us not in boastfulness, but in humbleness as the Spirit works from our inside out. We must do the work that God has called us to, reflecting the image of Jesus who already left the blueprint of what we should be like. For God was the Developer of the city, Jesus was the Foundation, the Holy Spirit is the Project manager, and we must be the Light.
As Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after the resurrection, they were hidden in a locked room. Essentially, they were hiding the light Jesus had left them with under the basket, but "He spoke to them again and said, "Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you." John 20:21. He said, go let your light shine out, stop hiding it behind these closed doors.
We as Jesus' followers, as disciples, are the light of the world (a very dark world); we can't hide it behind the doors of the church we must be the city on the mountain, and Jesus has told us to let our light shine out for the world to see. We must go and do as He has already done!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Eyewitness News
I can see it now...the headlines would have flashed up on all the News stations, pop-up alerts would have come up on my iPhone, and the front page of the New York Times would have covered the story: "Prophesy Fulfilled: Man Pierced for our Sins". Why would this have been so big, why would we have believed? Because this was eyewitness news, and when there is a witness at the scene of a crime we do believe.
Jesus had died on the cross naturally, nothing had to be done to his body to quicken the process. Jesus freely gave up His Spirit when the time was right. However, it was the Passover and the Jewish leaders didn't want any body hanging on the cross during this special Sabbath making the Roman soldiers kill and remove whoever was left.
"So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was dead already, so they didn't break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out. This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account; it is presented so that you also can believe." John 19: 32-35.
Why was the breaking of bones or the non-breaking of bones and the piercing of the side so important that it had to be witnessed first hand? So you can believe Jesus was the prophesied Messiah! But why should or would you believe in Jesus as the Messiah because of this? Because this was fulfillment of the Scriptures and the prophesy that you had already heard for years and years as a child. "These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, "Not one of his bones will be broken," and "They will look on him whom they pierced." John 19:36-37. As an Israelite you would have been told these stories over and over again. They were written all through your history books. "They must not leave any of the lamb until the next morning, and they must not break any of its bones. They must follow all the normal regulations concerning the Passover." Numbers 9:12. "Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died." Zechariah 12:10.
Jesus was the final lamb sacrificed for the Passover. None of his bones were broken and ultimately He cleaned them and us from the sins of the past, present, and future. God poured out His Spirit of grace on the family of David because Jesus was of the lineage of David, but He was also the Son of God, the only Son of God, and He was pierced for them to receive this grace. This news hit the stands quick and made every headline. When Jesus rose again people began to believe in droves. They would have all known the stories told to them as a child and the questions left unanswered. Because now these unanswered questions and open-ended stories were answered and completed. In Jesus death we now have life. Don't you believe?!
Jesus had died on the cross naturally, nothing had to be done to his body to quicken the process. Jesus freely gave up His Spirit when the time was right. However, it was the Passover and the Jewish leaders didn't want any body hanging on the cross during this special Sabbath making the Roman soldiers kill and remove whoever was left.
"So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was dead already, so they didn't break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out. This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account; it is presented so that you also can believe." John 19: 32-35.
Why was the breaking of bones or the non-breaking of bones and the piercing of the side so important that it had to be witnessed first hand? So you can believe Jesus was the prophesied Messiah! But why should or would you believe in Jesus as the Messiah because of this? Because this was fulfillment of the Scriptures and the prophesy that you had already heard for years and years as a child. "These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, "Not one of his bones will be broken," and "They will look on him whom they pierced." John 19:36-37. As an Israelite you would have been told these stories over and over again. They were written all through your history books. "They must not leave any of the lamb until the next morning, and they must not break any of its bones. They must follow all the normal regulations concerning the Passover." Numbers 9:12. "Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died." Zechariah 12:10.
Jesus was the final lamb sacrificed for the Passover. None of his bones were broken and ultimately He cleaned them and us from the sins of the past, present, and future. God poured out His Spirit of grace on the family of David because Jesus was of the lineage of David, but He was also the Son of God, the only Son of God, and He was pierced for them to receive this grace. This news hit the stands quick and made every headline. When Jesus rose again people began to believe in droves. They would have all known the stories told to them as a child and the questions left unanswered. Because now these unanswered questions and open-ended stories were answered and completed. In Jesus death we now have life. Don't you believe?!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Glory in your Weakness
When do you feel your weakest? What is a part of you or your make-up that you think will never be able to help you and only hold you back? Did you ever think that your weakest link may be your greatest asset?
Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9b. At this point in time, Paul has been talking about a thorn in his flesh, that keeps holding him up, and frustrating what he is trying to do, but all of a sudden he realizes that this weakness can actually be used to glorify God because Christ is working through the weakness.
The power of Christ will work through your weakness too, and it will show even greater strength than the best asset you were born with. His glory and grace will shine out for the world to see through these weaknesses because when the power comes from us the world will think it is of us, but when the power comes from our weakness the world will see it is of Christ working through us.
As a student my worst subject was English and writing, I was definitely a right-brained individual. Give me any math problem or science question and I could complete it with very little effort, but give me a writing assignment and I would cry until it was complete and turned in. I had a very hard time putting my thoughts to paper and then trying to make my thoughts line up to even sound coherent. So, as you can see, when I began to write I never once thought it would be good for anything, and I honestly never thought anyone would get anything from it. To this day, I still battle with this weakness. Daily I still battle with not being good enough to write and if I'm confessing, I actually write everyday even if I don't post it because I don't believe what I write is worth anything to anyone. However, this weakness of mine is a place that Christ can show his great power and the Holy Spirit encourages me with this Truth.
In this I want to also encourage you to allow Christ to work through your weakness, so that His glory may be seen the world round. You never know what He will do in the midst of your weakness. "So now I am glad to boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me." 2 Corinthians 12:9c.
Let Christ make your weakest link your greatest asset. "For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10b.
Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9b. At this point in time, Paul has been talking about a thorn in his flesh, that keeps holding him up, and frustrating what he is trying to do, but all of a sudden he realizes that this weakness can actually be used to glorify God because Christ is working through the weakness.
The power of Christ will work through your weakness too, and it will show even greater strength than the best asset you were born with. His glory and grace will shine out for the world to see through these weaknesses because when the power comes from us the world will think it is of us, but when the power comes from our weakness the world will see it is of Christ working through us.
As a student my worst subject was English and writing, I was definitely a right-brained individual. Give me any math problem or science question and I could complete it with very little effort, but give me a writing assignment and I would cry until it was complete and turned in. I had a very hard time putting my thoughts to paper and then trying to make my thoughts line up to even sound coherent. So, as you can see, when I began to write I never once thought it would be good for anything, and I honestly never thought anyone would get anything from it. To this day, I still battle with this weakness. Daily I still battle with not being good enough to write and if I'm confessing, I actually write everyday even if I don't post it because I don't believe what I write is worth anything to anyone. However, this weakness of mine is a place that Christ can show his great power and the Holy Spirit encourages me with this Truth.
In this I want to also encourage you to allow Christ to work through your weakness, so that His glory may be seen the world round. You never know what He will do in the midst of your weakness. "So now I am glad to boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me." 2 Corinthians 12:9c.
Let Christ make your weakest link your greatest asset. "For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10b.
Monday, June 11, 2012
I Try!
Do you love Jesus? No, Really! Do you love Jesus? He said, "If you love me, obey my commandments." John 14:15. Now I will say it again, do you love Jesus?
This is hard isn't it? I love Jesus, but I will be the first to admit I don't fully obey all of his commandments all the time. But I do try. I try to obey his commandments. I try to love my neighbors as myself. I try to forgive every sin done against me. I try to keep the words coming from my mouth always holy. I TRY! But I need to do more than just try.
I need to always love as Christ first loved me. "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other." John 13:34. For all of his commandments and all of his ways fall under this one command. When we are loving as He has loved then and only then are we proving our love for Him.
Its like a continuous cycle. God loved the world so much that He gave us His only Son. (John 3:16) Jesus died on the cross for our sins out of His love for us and His obedience to His Father. We must now die to ourselves and show that same unselfish love to the world to show our love for Jesus. Then in that love God will love us and Jesus will love us, and He will once again show himself to us. And then the cycle continues.
So, do you love Jesus? Then obey His commands! "Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them." John 15:21.
This is hard isn't it? I love Jesus, but I will be the first to admit I don't fully obey all of his commandments all the time. But I do try. I try to obey his commandments. I try to love my neighbors as myself. I try to forgive every sin done against me. I try to keep the words coming from my mouth always holy. I TRY! But I need to do more than just try.
I need to always love as Christ first loved me. "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other." John 13:34. For all of his commandments and all of his ways fall under this one command. When we are loving as He has loved then and only then are we proving our love for Him.
Its like a continuous cycle. God loved the world so much that He gave us His only Son. (John 3:16) Jesus died on the cross for our sins out of His love for us and His obedience to His Father. We must now die to ourselves and show that same unselfish love to the world to show our love for Jesus. Then in that love God will love us and Jesus will love us, and He will once again show himself to us. And then the cycle continues.
So, do you love Jesus? Then obey His commands! "Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them, and I will love them. And I will reveal myself to each one of them." John 15:21.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Go to the Work!
"All those who want to be my disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And if they follow me, the Father will honor them." John 12:26.
Right now, right this very second, God is doing Something. He is actually working on something that He wants you to come alongside Him and do with Him. He isn't wanting us to come up with something new, God wants us to follow Him and join His Work. God has promised He will always be with us, but if we want God to Honor what we are doing, we must start doing what He wants. We must join Him and not expect Him to join us. When we stop trying to fit Him into the work we are doing, getting off of our egotistical horse, and actually follow after Him, we will see God at work. "The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help live in joy." Psalm 69:32. And when we follow God we will see Him at work and be filled with His joy, a true gladness, that will inspire us and grow us into the disciples He has called us to be. So look around, where is God already working? Join Him and reap the blessings of His Joy and closeness as His disciple.
Right now, right this very second, God is doing Something. He is actually working on something that He wants you to come alongside Him and do with Him. He isn't wanting us to come up with something new, God wants us to follow Him and join His Work. God has promised He will always be with us, but if we want God to Honor what we are doing, we must start doing what He wants. We must join Him and not expect Him to join us. When we stop trying to fit Him into the work we are doing, getting off of our egotistical horse, and actually follow after Him, we will see God at work. "The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help live in joy." Psalm 69:32. And when we follow God we will see Him at work and be filled with His joy, a true gladness, that will inspire us and grow us into the disciples He has called us to be. So look around, where is God already working? Join Him and reap the blessings of His Joy and closeness as His disciple.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Looking like a Fool!
What would you think if I said I don't mind looking like a fool? - We are told not to be fools right? Well what about if I said I don't mind looking like a fool when I am praising God?
Okay, okay, yes, we are told not to be foolish. "A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother." Proverbs 10:1. But I didn't say BE foolish, I said LOOK foolish, and really the only one you will be looking foolish to is the one who is judgmental, not confident enough in their own faith, or the one who doesn't trust in the Lord at all.
God wants us to praise Him with all of our might, with all of our soul, and with all of our heart, and if that means looking like a fool to others, then DO IT! "Praise God, all you people of Israel; praise the LORD, the source of Israel's life." Psalms 68:26. We are to praise Him because He gave us life, not just breath, but eternal life. Isn't life alone enough to praise Him to the point of awkwardness or foolishness?
Now, I've been to my fair share of college and NFL football games where I witnessed people acting like fools for their team and a lot of the time I took part in it. There was screaming, yelling, going half naked, painted from head to toe in team colors, wearing cheese on your head...come on, isn't that foolish? I've also been to way too many crazy concerts and watched as women decide it would be okay to throw their panties and bras up on the stage or men and some women make mosh pits where they beat their bodies up against one another just to celebrate their favorite group or team. So, if we are willing to look foolish for this, shouldn't we be willing to look foolish for God?
This is not a new question. This has been debated over time. Even in the old Testament, David, newly annointed King of Israel, was rocking and rolling, conquering kingdoms, marrying wives, bringing back the taken Ark of the Covenant. He didn't do all these things quietly, with his hands by his side, his head hanging low...NO....David began dancing and singing, acting crazy, praising the LORD. When as soon as He walked into the Palace his wife Milcah sees him and gets furiously embarrassed over his actions. But, "David retorted to Milcah, 'I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD. So I am willing to act like a fool in order to show my joy in the LORD." 2 Samuel 6:21. David said he had all the reason to act like a fool, he was appointed by God above others and he needed to praise Him, and the good news is, so were we. "He made us his kingdom and his priests who serve before God his Father. Give to him everlasting glory! He rules forever and ever! Amen!" Revelations 1:6.
Okay, okay, yes, we are told not to be foolish. "A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother." Proverbs 10:1. But I didn't say BE foolish, I said LOOK foolish, and really the only one you will be looking foolish to is the one who is judgmental, not confident enough in their own faith, or the one who doesn't trust in the Lord at all.
God wants us to praise Him with all of our might, with all of our soul, and with all of our heart, and if that means looking like a fool to others, then DO IT! "Praise God, all you people of Israel; praise the LORD, the source of Israel's life." Psalms 68:26. We are to praise Him because He gave us life, not just breath, but eternal life. Isn't life alone enough to praise Him to the point of awkwardness or foolishness?
Now, I've been to my fair share of college and NFL football games where I witnessed people acting like fools for their team and a lot of the time I took part in it. There was screaming, yelling, going half naked, painted from head to toe in team colors, wearing cheese on your head...come on, isn't that foolish? I've also been to way too many crazy concerts and watched as women decide it would be okay to throw their panties and bras up on the stage or men and some women make mosh pits where they beat their bodies up against one another just to celebrate their favorite group or team. So, if we are willing to look foolish for this, shouldn't we be willing to look foolish for God?
This is not a new question. This has been debated over time. Even in the old Testament, David, newly annointed King of Israel, was rocking and rolling, conquering kingdoms, marrying wives, bringing back the taken Ark of the Covenant. He didn't do all these things quietly, with his hands by his side, his head hanging low...NO....David began dancing and singing, acting crazy, praising the LORD. When as soon as He walked into the Palace his wife Milcah sees him and gets furiously embarrassed over his actions. But, "David retorted to Milcah, 'I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD. So I am willing to act like a fool in order to show my joy in the LORD." 2 Samuel 6:21. David said he had all the reason to act like a fool, he was appointed by God above others and he needed to praise Him, and the good news is, so were we. "He made us his kingdom and his priests who serve before God his Father. Give to him everlasting glory! He rules forever and ever! Amen!" Revelations 1:6.
David did it; God appointed us; Feel free to look like a Fool for the Glory and Praise of the God of the All Creation!
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