Deeper, Higher, and Ever Closer To God

BRIDLE THE TONGUE

2012-01-07T01:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those“bite your tongue” days? I definitely have,and I’m sure you have to. What I wouldhave said may have been truth, but it would not have been kind.

The Bible says to “speak theTruth IN LOVE” (Eph 4:15). Some words may be truth, but if they’re not spokenin love they should not be spoken at all. The wisest man who ever lived wrote, “A soft answer turns away wrath,but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Prov 15:1). You can either place wood or water on the fire. Wood feeds the flame and makes it burn higherand hotter while water helps to douse and put out the flame of anger. If you choose to put wood (harsh words) on thefire (an argument), you may find yourself getting burnt.

The Bible tells us, “…he whorestrains his lips is wise.” (Prov 10:19)and “…a man of understanding holds his peace.” (Prov 11:12) “He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he whoopens wide his lips shall have destruction.” (Prov 13:3). Your words can getyou in more trouble than the things you’ve done.

“Hethat will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil(speaking injurious words), and his lips that they speak no guile (deceitfulwords):” 1Peter 3:10

When I choose to bridle my tongue,I will not have regrets today for what I said yesterday.

“Letthe words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thysight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-25T12:47:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:

and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called....

Wonderful,

Counselor,

The mighty God,

The everlasting Father,

The Prince of Peace.

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

1Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Just as Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19), we also need to ponder on the things of God and keep them in our heart....not just at Christmas but throughout the coming year. He was more than a baby in a manger...He is the King of Glory, the Savior of the world!

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING

2011-12-08T23:51:00.001-08:00

I’m a little late on posting a Thanksgiving blog but betterlate than never. After all, we are togive thanks year round.

Do you know when the first Thanksgiving was celebrated?

If you’re like most, you will think back to the pilgrims andtheir celebration in autumn of 1621. But did you realize there was a Thanksgivingcelebration that occurred earlier than that? A Thanksgiving celebration that took place even before Christ was born?

1 Chronicles 16 details the first corporate Thanksgiving celebrationwhich took place in Jerusalem after the Ark was returned to Israel. All the people gathered as the Ark was setonce again in the midst of the Tabernacle. David delivered a Psalm of Thanksgiving into the hand of Asaph and hisbrethren which they read before all the people. The Psalm of Thanksgiving concludes with all the people saying, “Amen!” andpraising the Lord (verses 7-36).

I’m sure you’resitting there thinking, “Ok, so they gave thanks to God together. How can that be considered the firstThanksgiving? ”

Thanksgiving is a time when we gather together with familyand friends, share our long list of things we’re thankful for, but most of allit’s known for FOOD…turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, corn, and so muchfood you come away from the table more stuffed than the bird was.

David and all of Israel also celebrated this Thanksgivingwith food….

1Chronicles16:2-3

2 And whenDavid had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings,he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

3 And he dealt to every one of Israel, both manand woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and aflagon of wine.

Flagon comes from the Hebrew word אשׁישׁה ash-ee-shaw'meaning: something closely pressed together, that is, a cakeof raisins or other comfits (see Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance H809).

At the first Thanksgiving, David gaveeach person a loaf of bread, some meat, and.....a fruit cake? Hmmmm,sounds like the first fruit cake was really given at Thanksgiving rather thanChristmas.

Jesus at the Center of it All

2011-11-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

Jesus at the center of it all….Jesus at the center of it all.
From beginning to the end, it will always be,

it's always been You, Jesus....Jesus!

As we sang this song today, in my mind I saw the sun burning brightly as the universe revolved around it. It’s not by chance that the worlds revolve around the sun. We need the sun for warmth and for light…without the sun, it would be really cold and dark. The sun helps the flowers to bloom and the plants to grow…things that are needed to sustain life. It also gives us Vitamin D which strengthens our bones so we can walk.

It’s not by chance that our life is to revolve around the Son. Jesus keeps us warm with the fire of the Holy Ghost so we don’t grow spiritually cold. He is light in this dark world….without Him we would be in spiritual darkness. He causes things in our lives to bud and bloom producing fruit and all good things needed to sustain us. Jesus gives strength to the weary so we can walk in the newness of life.

Jesus is to be the center of it all…does your world revolve around the Son?

You Are In His Hands

2011-11-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 49:16 "See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands."

I am not forgotten and neither are you ~ those nail scars are a constant reminder to God (and to us) of His great love for us. No matter what you go through, no matter what you face remember you are not alone. You are inscribed on the palms of His hands and when you're in God's hands, no harm can come that He doesn't allow. And if He does allow it, trust Him to work all things for your good. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom 8:18) In time, His plan will be revealed as we're formed into His image.

FAITH

2011-08-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 11:6
"But without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder
of them that diligently seek him."

Without faith it is impossible to please God. God wants us to believe in Him ~ believe that He is able and willing to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or think (Eph 3:20). God has given each of us a measure of faith (Rom 12:3). We need to build on it, exercise our faith, and give faith a chance to work....start with the small things and build up.

How can you exercise your faith?
By talking of His wondrous works (Psalm 105:2).
Testify, tell others about what God has done and is doing. We all have testimonies ~ share them! By doing this we build each other's faith.
Read books or listen to testimonies of what God has done in other people's lives.

Faith brings peace ~ peace because you know that the One who is greater than any situation you may face is in control of every situation you are going through. Keep your eyes on Jesus! Don't let circumstances or negative conversations (faith squashers) diminish your faith. Sometimes you have to encourage yourself in the Lord by quoting Scriptures such as, "God's Word says if I pray the prayer of faith, the sick shall recover" or "God's Word says my God shall supply ALL my needs."

The next part of this scripture reads, "he that comes to God must believe that He is...." He is what? He is our healer! He is our provider! He is our comforter! He is our protector! He is everything you need!

The last part of this verse reads, "He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." We seek for Him by studying the Bible and by praying daily. God wants us to have more than a religion....He wants us to have a relationship with Him. He wants us to know more about Him. And as we learn more about Him, our faith will grow because we will understand how great He is!

JESUS WON’T PASS YOU BY

2011-08-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

Mark 6:45

And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship,and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida,while he sent away the people.

I find it interesting that Jesus sent the disciples on vacation (or so it looks like) while He took care of crowd control. If we look in the preceding verses, we find that the disciples had just finished the busy task of dispersing food to the hungry crowd of over 5,000 men plus women and children. Reference Mark 6:41-44 + Matthew 14:19-21

Notice the verse states Jesus constrained them. Constrained means He compelled them; it was necessary…Jesus realized the need to get away once in a while. There will always be someone to minister to; someone who needs your attention or needs something from you. You have to take time to get away and recharge your battery so that you can more effectively minister.

Mark 6:46

And when he had sent them away,
he departed into a mountain to pray.

Even Jesus took time to get away to pray and regain strength both spiritually and physically. Notice He took time to get away from everyone around, even His disciples. He exampled the need of getting into your prayer closet alone.

Mark 6:47

And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

It was growing late when they reached the middle of the sea. Meanwhile, Jesus was alone in the mountain praying. From this place of prayer, He could see the disciples and the storm they were encountering out on the sea. No matter what you face in life, Jesus is always watching over you. He sees you where you are and knows exactly what you're going through.

Mark 6:48

And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

The 4^th watch is thought to be around 3am in the morn… it is thought that they started out around 6pm. What should have been a few hours trip had taken them 9 hours just to get halfway across.

Jesus is watching from the mountain and sees them fighting against the storm that is buffeting them. They are trying to get out of the storm on their own…by their own strength and power….yet they are not making much progress, if any. How many times do we do that when we encounter trials and situations? We try to figure out how WE can fix it...what WE can do to change or make things better rather than calling on JESUS and asking for His help.

None of the Gospels record the disciples praying for help although I'm sure by now they were to the place they definitely were. Remember, Jesus had His eyes on them the whole time....He could see exactly what they were going through. And now He decided it was time to step into the situation....so here comes Jesus walking on the water with waves rising and crashing around Him and the winds trying to buffet Him. Yet the elements could not harm Him for He was its Creator robed in flesh.

To Mark, it looks like Jesus is ready to walk right on past leaving them to fight and struggle on their own until they cried out in fear. While Matthew records Jesus as coming directly to them. Matthew realized Jesus would not pass them by. He was confident Jesus would never leave or forsake them (Mt 14: 25-26).

Jesus would NOT pass them by! And He will not pass us by either when we’re in the midst of a trial. He’s watching from a distance, allowing us to go through things so we can grow stronger in our faith and walk with Him. Eventually, He will say enough is enough and come walking on the waters (situations) that are threatening to drown us.

We do not know His purpose or His plans for our lives so until we see and understand we need to rest in the assurance that He is our Loving Father and He’s looking out for us. If he cares for the grass and the birds in the field, how much more do you think He cares for you?

Mat 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Mat 10:31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Luk 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

When storms arise, some may question whether are in the will of God or not. After all, if Jesus really said it, if this is really the Will of God, then we shouldn’t be going through all this hardship, right? Wrong!

1Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

God allows us to go through trials so that He may receive Glory out of it. People watch how you react and handle situations. Are you becoming BITTER or are you becoming BETTER? Do you have a VICTIM or a VICTOR mentality? Are you submitted praying “not my will but Thine be done” or are those merely words while you are fighting against the storms and trying to do things your own way without considering God’s?

Mar 6:49-50
But when they saw him walking upon the sea,
they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up and focused on our problem that we are not spiritually discerning. We feel God has forsaken us and we are all alone with waves crashing around us ready to overtake us. We don’t recognize that Jesus has just stepped on the scene… all we see is the trouble surrounding us. They were still unsure it was Him even after He spoke to them. Peter had to put forth a fleece to confirm that it really was Jesus (Matthew 14:28-31)

Mat 14:28 AndPeter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

Mark 6:51-52
And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

For they considered not the miracle of the loaves:
for their heart was hardened.

The winds didn’t cease immediately when Jesus stepped on the scene, but they did once He stepped into their boat. He allows us to go through trials to strengthen us, to teach us things, and to build our faith so that we can learn to trust Him more.

How is it that they could so quickly forget the mighty miracles Jesus had performed? Things that were not humanly possible yet they had witnessed it with their own eyes? Just a few hours prior they had watched in amazement as Jesus fed 5000 men plus women and children with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. They had gathered up all the extra after everyone was filled…12 baskets FULL. It didn’t seem logical or possible yet with God all things are possible.

It was easy to believe then. That was the tingly, feel good service where everyone’s shouting and receiving blessings with joy. But as soon as they left the church service, the storm arose and their faith is gone….they were not understanding that Jesus is still God whether it’s in the good times or the bad. He’s with us when we are blessed and He’s with us when were distressed. He’s still God and NOTHING can separate us from Him! (Romans 8:38-39)

So whether you’re witnessing the miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fish or you are struggling out of the tumultuous sea of trials, remember Jesus IS watching over you and He is with you! He loves you very much!

Mark 6:53
And when they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

You WILL come through this trial and safely reach the shore!

FASTING

2010-03-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

No! No! Anything but that!

The flesh does not want to discuss….*GASP*….

FASTING!

Fasting is a vital yet often neglected area of a Christian’s walk with God. The flesh does not like to be denied something it desires (especially when it is necessary to maintain health and life…food), yet fasting is essential to spiritual growth.

There is no way I can cover everything concerning fasting in a few short paragraphs so I'm going to just focus on the main points.

Fasting has both physical & spiritual benefits. First, let’s examine the physical benefits:

Eliminates poisons and toxins from body
Allows digestive system to rest
Allows body to heal (Read Isaiah 58:8)

God designed fasting not just for our spiritual benefit but also for our health’s sake. The body needs a time of rest and to purge itself of all the bad stuff we put into it: caffeine, sugar, fastfood….you get the picture.

Along with the physical benefits, we also reap spiritually from fasting. Isaiah 58 gives us great insight into fasting:

It will loose the bands of wickedness = loose means to ‘let go free’ - It will let you go free from the fetters sin has placed on your life.
Undo heavy burdens = Undo here means to shake off - you’ll be able to shake off those heavy burdens that have been weighing you down.
Let the oppressed go free
Break EVERY yoke - ‘break’ is to break off or root out
It draws us closer to God by getting this flesh under subjection and humbling it before the Almighty.
It helps us to hear God’s voice more clearly.
It shows God that we are willing to sacrifice something we crave or enjoy to have a deeper walk with Him….that NOTHING is as important as He is to us!
It helps us to see our trial/circumstance through God’s eyes.

These are just a few of the spiritual benefits we reap through fasting.

There are many ways you can fast. Some cannot fast food because of health problems so they give up other things (soda, sweets, media, etc). However or whatever you choose to give up for a season of fasting, I believe God honors the sacrifice.

I'd love to hear your thoughts concerning fasting.

Deeper, Higher, and Ever Closer to God

2010-03-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

This blog is dedicated to all of us who are desiring to go deeper, higher, and ever closer to God in the Spirit.

As we all know, the first step in salvation is repentance (after believing). This is also the first step in drawing closer to God. Paul said, "...I die DAILY!" (1 Cor 15:31) Even Paul, the most renown of the apostles, had to repent daily. You may think, "But I can't think of any sins I've committed." Perhaps you haven't but dig deeper, look a little harder, and ask God to search your inward being and reveal anything, any sin that needs to be cleaned out of your life.

Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

Examine your heart....is there jealousy? hate? unforgiveness? Were we grouchy with someone today? (Counts even if it was being grouchy with the kids) Were we angry about something? Did we gossip? Backbite? Yell at someone who cut us off while driving? Did we retaliate against someone who said something mean/hateful against us or about us? It's so easy to retaliate with, "Oh, yeah.....!!!" then justify it with, "Well, they deserved it!" Would Jesus agree?

Perhaps it's not sins you've committed but things you've omitted. In the hustle and bustle of everyday hurrying and scurrying, have you only been giving God microwave prayers? Or perhaps just a quick "love you, Jesus!" as we hurry out the door...barely a "snack" to satisfy His yearning for us to spend time with Him?

Has Bible reading become obscure? You've rushed through your day without so much as grabbing a morsel from the Bread of Life and now it's time for bed and you're so tired you fall asleep thinking "I'll catch up on my Bible reading tomorrow." We need to look at Bible reading and prayer as we do our daily food - determine in your mind "I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT!"

Perhaps the omitted sin is missed opportunities to witness or share the love of Jesus with someone who really needed to hear it that day. Take notice of the people around you. Ask God to make you sensitive to what His Spirit is trying to say through you to the waitress/waiter at the restaurant, the cashier at the store/gas station, the people you are passing as you're doing your grocery shopping, etc.

Whatever the committed or omitted sin is, repent daily and ask God for fresh wisdom, guidance, and direction for that day.