A friend asked me recently, “Why would I want to be a Firstling?” I
said that is a very good question! Some people think that because
they believe in Jesus Christ they have a “get into Heaven” free card,
or those who have been sealed by the hand of an Apostle have the same
“card” as well. This is just not that case. It is not enough to just
believe, Apostle James said; “You say you have faith, for you believe
that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this,
and they tremble in terror.” James 2:19 (NLT)
Anything in life that matters takes work. Faith takes work. Building
a relationship with our Father, Big Brother Jesus and the Holy Spirit
takes a life time. It is a daily battle at times. And the goal we
all seek is HOME. Our Heavenly Home! Right?!
Some may think that because of the way they live their life that is
cause for them to get into Heaven but Apostle Paul said; “For it is by
grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can
boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9 (KJV)
But then The Apostle James said; “What good is it, dear brothers and
sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions?
Can that kind of faith save anyone? So you see, faith by itself isn't
enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James
2:14 & 17 (NLT)
Hmmm, that would seem a contradiction wouldn’t it. But in fact the
point is that you need faith AND you need to work as well. This is
not working for ourselves it is “doing good works” for others.
Some may think that once they get into Heaven they will sit back on
their cloud or in their mansion and they will eat and drink and now
have the time to relax and reap the rewards of their faith. But
Apostle Paul said; “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we
eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in
the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17 (NLT)
What is it that we are doing while we are here on this earth in this
end time? What is it that drives us to our goal? Do we really
understand what it means to be a Firstling, Overcomer, King or Priest
and the Bride of Christ?
Since I have been a little boy I have heard all of these buzz terms
and through my life certain definitions have come across my heart.
Firstling - the first of its kind to be produced or to appear. (Dictionary.com)
Overcomer - to prevail over (opposition, a debility, temptations,
etc.); surmount: to overcome one's weaknesses. (Dictionary.com)
King - a male sovereign or monarch; a man who holds by life tenure,
and usually by hereditary right, the chief authority over a country
and people. (Dictionary.com)
Priest - a person whose office it is to perform religious rites, and
especially to make sacrificial offerings. (Dictionary.com)
Bride of Christ – Apostle Paul said; “For I am jealous for you with
the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one
husband—Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:2 (NLT)
But what do all of these meanings comprise?
We are to become the ultimate SERVANT!
Servant - a person employed by another, especially to perform domestic
duties. 2. a person in the service of another. (Dictionary.com)
To be a servant means to do what is asked of you without question. It
is to give of yourself freely for others, think nothing of yourself
and to give of your strength for their sake. It is to perform a task
with not expectation of payment or reward whatsoever. So then why
would anyone want to be a Firstling or a Bride of Christ? This may
perhaps sound like a lot of work to some people? And in fact it is!
Jesus was the greatest example of a servant! Now do we want to really
be like Jesus?! We will not have to give our life in death to serve
Him or others. But what we will need to do is sacrifice our own
freewill. Put aside what WE think. When we give that up we show our
Father that we trust him completely. Can we really TRUST HIM
COMPLETELY?! Do you have that kind of faith that no matter what
happens to you, you will “stay the course” and allow Him to lead you
to where HE needs you to be so you will become WHAT HE wants you to
BE?!
When you chose to serve the Lord you must understand all of this
completely. “My son, if you come to serve the Lord, prepare your soul
for temptation. 2 Set your heart aright, and constantly endure, and
make not haste in time of trouble. 3 Cleave unto him, and depart not
away, that you may be increased at thy last end. 4 Whatsoever is
brought upon you take cheerfully, and be patient when you are changed
to a low estate. 5 For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men
in the furnace of adversity. 6 Believe in him, and he will help you;
order your way aright, and trust in him. 7 You that fear the Lord,
wait for his mercy; and go not aside, or you will fall. 8 You that
fear the Lord, believe him; and your reward will not fail. 9 You that
fear the Lord, hope for good, and for everlasting joy and mercy.”
Sirach-Ecclesiasticus 2:1-9 THE APOCRYPHA.
This life that we live here and now IS the training and teaching of
tasks that we will perform once we arrive in Heaven. “Let us be glad
and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for
the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.
She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear." For the
fine linen represents the good deeds of God's holy people.”
Revelations 19: 7 & 8 (NLT)
So I ask once again, do you really want to be a Firstling and a Bride
of Christ? Life is choices. The time is NOW! No more excuses, we
are either ALL IN! Or we are ALL OUT!
I stand behind the statement made by Joshua thousands of years ago;
“But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will
serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the
Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you
now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."
Joshua 24:15 (NLT)
Friday, June 8, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Power and Authority
A friend after reading my article about Sin offering said;
Hasn’t Jesus already died for our sins and hasn’t the Lord forgiven us
for all past present and future because of what Jesus has done? How
do we win his favor? I thought God loves everyone.
What I am now going to say about all of this is not going to make me
very popular with the main stream Christians but it IS the truth.
When Jesus came and established His church He said; Now I say to you
that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will
build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
Matthew 16:18 (NLT)
It is at this time that Jesus told Peter that he will be the head of
His church, later He asked Peter; After breakfast Jesus asked Simon
Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? "Yes,
Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs,"
Jesus told him. John 21:15 (NTL) Jesus asked him this question three
times because he wanted Peter to understand the enormity of this
question and soon-to-be task.
Then a short time later the Holy Spirit was sent; Then, what looked
like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.
And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began
speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this
ability. ACTS 2:22-23 (NTL) And the Apostle ministry was established!
In this current time we live in there are many churches out there that
say “BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AND YOU ARE SAVED” “HE FOREGIVES ALL OF
YOUR SINS WHEN YOU JUST ASK HIM” I’m sorry but it is not that easy and
I will pose this question; Where do all of these other churches and
ministers get their power and authority from? Jesus established ONE
WAY through the Apostles ministry and that has never changed.
Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God
without being born of water and the Spirit. Baptism does not make you
a child of God, it makes you His friend, Holy sealing is a separate
act from baptism, and they are not one in the same. Last time I check
Jesus was baptized. Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River
to be baptized by John. MATTHEW 3:13 (NTL) And after that He was
sealed; After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the
heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
dove and settling on him. MATTHEW 3:16 (NTL)
So if the Son of God had two separate acts performed on him then why
do others think it’s all inclusive?
If you are in prison you can “believe” you are free. But until
someone who has been given the power and authority to set you free
does so you will still remain bound.
Jesus gave the “keys” to the Chief Apostle Peter; And I will give you
the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in
heaven." MATTHEW 16:19 (NKJV)
Forgiveness of your sins takes much effort on our part. We are not
forgiven automatically because Jesus died for us. I can’t say I have
a four year degree in college never having gone to a college ever, but
say my Dad went to college! You can’t just say to Him in a blanket
statement; “FORGIVE ME LORD” and then you are done with it. You need
to ponder over what you have done wrong, why you did it, how you are
going to make an effort to stop doing it again and then spelling it
all out to Him. You also need to ask Him to forgive you for the
things you are not even aware that you did wrong and really repent and
then ask to truly be forgiven.
I have gone to many churches and when it comes time to celebrate Holy
Communion there is NO mention of the forgiveness of sin, (which by the
way are TWO separate acts that neither one negates the other) there is
NO pronouncement of forgiveness and many times I have witnessed NO
consecration of the bread and wine. So in fact your sins have never
been forgiven and you are not eating the body and blood of Christ.
If in fact you have asked the Lord to forgive you and you were sincere
in your pleading to Him then what has really happened to you at that
moment of prayer is the Lord lifted your sins from you and put them on
a shelf, you have “atoned” (to make amends or reparation, as for an
offense or a crime, or for an offender) for you sins and they are
still yours and they are NOT paid for by Christ. Only when a minster
who has been given the power and authority through the Apostle
ministry pronounces forgiveness are they really paid for by Christ!
And only when the elements are consecrated through the Apostle
ministry are they changed into the body and blood of Christ.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6(NKJV). WHAT DOES
THIS MEAN?! He established ONE WAY through His Apostles. So why are
there so many churches out there that tell everyone you DON’T need
Apostles today? Well probably because they don’t have the power and
authority to do anything in Christ’s name! They can “believe” all
they want that they do but is does not make it so!
For many in this time this is a hard pill to swallow, I ask WHY?
Jesus was very specific about the way He taught. He kept everything
very simple and basic but within what he taught He also established
certain criteria and the WORLD/MAN has taken what He established and
they have changed it so EVERYONE CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES. They
have been lying for MILLENIUM to these people and in time the truth
will come out, it is coming out now, and many will find that they have
been “going through the motions” only to find that in the end none of
what they have been practicing will get them to the goal.
You cannot change the path and then not follow the directions given to
you expecting to end up at your final destination! Jesus left behind
specific direction. Anyone can change them, and anyone can say all
they want, the truth is in what Jesus Christ said not what man says!
This seems pretty simple to me. God wants all men to be saved (1
Timothy 2:3-4) but not all men WANT to be saved the way Christ
established, and this saddens me very much.
Jesus warned to be aware of false prophets; Beware of false prophets
who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.
Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good
tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good
tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit.
So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and
thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its
fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. "Not everyone who
calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only
those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
MATTHEW 7:15-21 (NTL)
Sometimes we think a false prophet is the one who stands on the corner
and preaches against God. But Jesus said “beware of harmless sheep”.
What does a false prophet do? They lead people away from the truth;
they give them a false sense of security. They take the truth and
twist it to fit their needs ALL IN THE NAME OF GOD. They take the
simple and they complicate it. Just because they stand behind a
pulpit and preach in a church does not mean they are true to Our
Father. Be careful…
So how do you find God’s favor? By following the way He established
through His Son!
Hasn’t Jesus already died for our sins and hasn’t the Lord forgiven us
for all past present and future because of what Jesus has done? How
do we win his favor? I thought God loves everyone.
What I am now going to say about all of this is not going to make me
very popular with the main stream Christians but it IS the truth.
When Jesus came and established His church He said; Now I say to you
that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will
build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
Matthew 16:18 (NLT)
It is at this time that Jesus told Peter that he will be the head of
His church, later He asked Peter; After breakfast Jesus asked Simon
Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? "Yes,
Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs,"
Jesus told him. John 21:15 (NTL) Jesus asked him this question three
times because he wanted Peter to understand the enormity of this
question and soon-to-be task.
Then a short time later the Holy Spirit was sent; Then, what looked
like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.
And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began
speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this
ability. ACTS 2:22-23 (NTL) And the Apostle ministry was established!
In this current time we live in there are many churches out there that
say “BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AND YOU ARE SAVED” “HE FOREGIVES ALL OF
YOUR SINS WHEN YOU JUST ASK HIM” I’m sorry but it is not that easy and
I will pose this question; Where do all of these other churches and
ministers get their power and authority from? Jesus established ONE
WAY through the Apostles ministry and that has never changed.
Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God
without being born of water and the Spirit. Baptism does not make you
a child of God, it makes you His friend, Holy sealing is a separate
act from baptism, and they are not one in the same. Last time I check
Jesus was baptized. Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River
to be baptized by John. MATTHEW 3:13 (NTL) And after that He was
sealed; After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the
heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
dove and settling on him. MATTHEW 3:16 (NTL)
So if the Son of God had two separate acts performed on him then why
do others think it’s all inclusive?
If you are in prison you can “believe” you are free. But until
someone who has been given the power and authority to set you free
does so you will still remain bound.
Jesus gave the “keys” to the Chief Apostle Peter; And I will give you
the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in
heaven." MATTHEW 16:19 (NKJV)
Forgiveness of your sins takes much effort on our part. We are not
forgiven automatically because Jesus died for us. I can’t say I have
a four year degree in college never having gone to a college ever, but
say my Dad went to college! You can’t just say to Him in a blanket
statement; “FORGIVE ME LORD” and then you are done with it. You need
to ponder over what you have done wrong, why you did it, how you are
going to make an effort to stop doing it again and then spelling it
all out to Him. You also need to ask Him to forgive you for the
things you are not even aware that you did wrong and really repent and
then ask to truly be forgiven.
I have gone to many churches and when it comes time to celebrate Holy
Communion there is NO mention of the forgiveness of sin, (which by the
way are TWO separate acts that neither one negates the other) there is
NO pronouncement of forgiveness and many times I have witnessed NO
consecration of the bread and wine. So in fact your sins have never
been forgiven and you are not eating the body and blood of Christ.
If in fact you have asked the Lord to forgive you and you were sincere
in your pleading to Him then what has really happened to you at that
moment of prayer is the Lord lifted your sins from you and put them on
a shelf, you have “atoned” (to make amends or reparation, as for an
offense or a crime, or for an offender) for you sins and they are
still yours and they are NOT paid for by Christ. Only when a minster
who has been given the power and authority through the Apostle
ministry pronounces forgiveness are they really paid for by Christ!
And only when the elements are consecrated through the Apostle
ministry are they changed into the body and blood of Christ.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6(NKJV). WHAT DOES
THIS MEAN?! He established ONE WAY through His Apostles. So why are
there so many churches out there that tell everyone you DON’T need
Apostles today? Well probably because they don’t have the power and
authority to do anything in Christ’s name! They can “believe” all
they want that they do but is does not make it so!
For many in this time this is a hard pill to swallow, I ask WHY?
Jesus was very specific about the way He taught. He kept everything
very simple and basic but within what he taught He also established
certain criteria and the WORLD/MAN has taken what He established and
they have changed it so EVERYONE CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES. They
have been lying for MILLENIUM to these people and in time the truth
will come out, it is coming out now, and many will find that they have
been “going through the motions” only to find that in the end none of
what they have been practicing will get them to the goal.
You cannot change the path and then not follow the directions given to
you expecting to end up at your final destination! Jesus left behind
specific direction. Anyone can change them, and anyone can say all
they want, the truth is in what Jesus Christ said not what man says!
This seems pretty simple to me. God wants all men to be saved (1
Timothy 2:3-4) but not all men WANT to be saved the way Christ
established, and this saddens me very much.
Jesus warned to be aware of false prophets; Beware of false prophets
who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.
Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good
tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good
tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit.
So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and
thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its
fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. "Not everyone who
calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only
those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
MATTHEW 7:15-21 (NTL)
Sometimes we think a false prophet is the one who stands on the corner
and preaches against God. But Jesus said “beware of harmless sheep”.
What does a false prophet do? They lead people away from the truth;
they give them a false sense of security. They take the truth and
twist it to fit their needs ALL IN THE NAME OF GOD. They take the
simple and they complicate it. Just because they stand behind a
pulpit and preach in a church does not mean they are true to Our
Father. Be careful…
So how do you find God’s favor? By following the way He established
through His Son!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Sin Offering
Recently this topic has come up across many of my friends so I thought
I would expound on it.
Maybe you are asking yourself when you would need to do something like
this. Well if you feel in your heart that you have crossed over that
“Line” with the Lord and have fallen out of His favor or grace and the
guilt of your actions is almost consuming you for what you have done
wrong in your life then this would be a good step towards finding His
favor once again.
A sin offering is unlike any other offering. It has nothing to do
with thanks or a petition or need. It goes beyond saying you are
sorry to the Lord. You can’t just say to Him here is my sin offering
and be done with it.
There is some preparation. A sin offering is something you present to
God from your heart. It is very quiet moment that you and He share
when your heart is ready. You can’t hurry through the process; you
must take your time.
You pick a dollar amount that you feel will cover this (the monetary
size of the offering doesn’t really matter) Then before you place it
into the offertory you pray to Him.
1)You admit your guilt.
2)You tell Him in DETAIL all you have done wrong, you hold nothing
back. You reach into the depth of your soul and you bear it all to
Him to the point that you are embarrassed that you are even telling
Him. (He already knows He just wants you to acknowledge all of this
to yourself).
3)You repent and apologize for your actions.
4)You ask Him for forgiveness.
5)You thank Him for His kindness.
6)Then you place your offering and let go of all of it.
7)He forgives you and remembers it no more.
I have done this many times within my own life and it is not easy to
do…but He has always been kind and gracious with me.
I would expound on it.
Maybe you are asking yourself when you would need to do something like
this. Well if you feel in your heart that you have crossed over that
“Line” with the Lord and have fallen out of His favor or grace and the
guilt of your actions is almost consuming you for what you have done
wrong in your life then this would be a good step towards finding His
favor once again.
A sin offering is unlike any other offering. It has nothing to do
with thanks or a petition or need. It goes beyond saying you are
sorry to the Lord. You can’t just say to Him here is my sin offering
and be done with it.
There is some preparation. A sin offering is something you present to
God from your heart. It is very quiet moment that you and He share
when your heart is ready. You can’t hurry through the process; you
must take your time.
You pick a dollar amount that you feel will cover this (the monetary
size of the offering doesn’t really matter) Then before you place it
into the offertory you pray to Him.
1)You admit your guilt.
2)You tell Him in DETAIL all you have done wrong, you hold nothing
back. You reach into the depth of your soul and you bear it all to
Him to the point that you are embarrassed that you are even telling
Him. (He already knows He just wants you to acknowledge all of this
to yourself).
3)You repent and apologize for your actions.
4)You ask Him for forgiveness.
5)You thank Him for His kindness.
6)Then you place your offering and let go of all of it.
7)He forgives you and remembers it no more.
I have done this many times within my own life and it is not easy to
do…but He has always been kind and gracious with me.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Spiritual Faith for Monetary Expectations
I have come to find that within my own faith I am very strong when it
comes to the spiritual aspects of my life. I never doubt the unseen,
which by many is not so easy now-a-days. I have on occasion doubted
the seen, which makes me a little backwards.
I have always had an easy time believing that God can change anything that has to do with spiritual faith; He can move a heart, open an eye or cause a situation to happen that would strengthen ones faith. But when it comes to the “monetary” side of my faith (job, car, relationships and financial needs) sometimes I have doubted.
Recently I have been looking for a new job; as a matter of fact I have been looking since November 2011. God told me to start looking at that time. He said apply to the craziest jobs you think you will never get. And in time I will lead you to where I want you to be and you will receive a salary greater than you expect. Last time I checked God has never lied! A friend told me that God made 7,000 promises in the bible and He kept them all!
Sooo, I started to look. I applied to 10-20 jobs a month and nothing. I kept looking, but this time, instead of getting discouraged I held to the belief that if God could create everything we see and experience with one sentence of “let there be…” I KNEW He could easily get me a job.
Month’s pasts, I kept applying and still nothing, not even an interview, then out of the blue a headhunter sent me an email about a position, the next day I interviewed and the same day they offered me the job. I prayed that morning as I drove to the interview and I said to My Father, Thank you for the new job! Then I said; did you see what I did there? I thanked You up front before anything happened because I know if it’s the right job I’ll get it!”
A friend recently asked me the question; “Why is it so hard for me to trust Him? I know He will always take care of things, He always has, but I still struggle! Why can’t I trust Him whole heartily?”
My response was; “We trust Him whole heartily when it is spiritual, but when it is something in the natural we forget He is still MAGICAL. He can do anything when we have faith! You are just being human!”
We read in scripture time and again when the Lord performed miracle after miracle in the physical world and it baffled the minds of those in that time. Have we forgotten how magical, how wonderful, HOW POWERFUL OUR FATHER IS?! Nothing is too hard for Him!
So often I hear of people complaining that HE HASN’T HELPED ME YET, and I cringe. If you ask our Father or Big Brother Jesus for help, YOU DO NOT have the right to dictate to them a timeframe and an answer! Does that make sense?! Who are we that we would think we know better than They?!
Did you see what happened to me recently with my job search? Every day I thank Him for helping me. The job He wanted me to have was not available for 5 months and as soon as it was HE HAD SOMEONE CONTACT ME that I never met or even knew. They saw my resume on a job board and He moved their heart to contact me. I never applied for that job. Have I told you how AMAZING Our Father is? Hmmm? Have I?!
So then a week passes and I still haven’t received their offer letter. I sent an email and they finally responded back with; we can’t hire you now until August and we can’t send you an offer letter until sometime in July. I have two choices; 1) I can get very angry or 2) I accept that everything is in His hands and He will make all of this work out. I chose #2, was I disappointed? YEP!!!
What is my point? When you ask Him for help then YOU have to let HIM help YOU when the time is right! He knows EVERYTHING about your life. He knows you only have so much money to survive on; He will not let you starve! He feeds the birds and you are no less important to Him then they are. He knows how much physical pain you are in and how much you can tolerate. He knows all of your weaknesses and He knows your STRENGTHS better than you.
Please always remember this. Nothing that ever happens to you is a coincidence. It has passed before Him and He has approved it, be it good or not so good! Everything in life is a test of your faith and trust in your love for Him. He wants to see if you will still be strong in your faith when adversity comes, or are going to cuss Him out and walk away. DON’T BE A FOOL! This life we have is but a temporary moment within time. It lasts for a short time but dictates our place and where we want to be for the rest of our Eternal Existence!
I have always had an easy time believing that God can change anything that has to do with spiritual faith; He can move a heart, open an eye or cause a situation to happen that would strengthen ones faith. But when it comes to the “monetary” side of my faith (job, car, relationships and financial needs) sometimes I have doubted.
Recently I have been looking for a new job; as a matter of fact I have been looking since November 2011. God told me to start looking at that time. He said apply to the craziest jobs you think you will never get. And in time I will lead you to where I want you to be and you will receive a salary greater than you expect. Last time I checked God has never lied! A friend told me that God made 7,000 promises in the bible and He kept them all!
Sooo, I started to look. I applied to 10-20 jobs a month and nothing. I kept looking, but this time, instead of getting discouraged I held to the belief that if God could create everything we see and experience with one sentence of “let there be…” I KNEW He could easily get me a job.
Month’s pasts, I kept applying and still nothing, not even an interview, then out of the blue a headhunter sent me an email about a position, the next day I interviewed and the same day they offered me the job. I prayed that morning as I drove to the interview and I said to My Father, Thank you for the new job! Then I said; did you see what I did there? I thanked You up front before anything happened because I know if it’s the right job I’ll get it!”
A friend recently asked me the question; “Why is it so hard for me to trust Him? I know He will always take care of things, He always has, but I still struggle! Why can’t I trust Him whole heartily?”
My response was; “We trust Him whole heartily when it is spiritual, but when it is something in the natural we forget He is still MAGICAL. He can do anything when we have faith! You are just being human!”
We read in scripture time and again when the Lord performed miracle after miracle in the physical world and it baffled the minds of those in that time. Have we forgotten how magical, how wonderful, HOW POWERFUL OUR FATHER IS?! Nothing is too hard for Him!
So often I hear of people complaining that HE HASN’T HELPED ME YET, and I cringe. If you ask our Father or Big Brother Jesus for help, YOU DO NOT have the right to dictate to them a timeframe and an answer! Does that make sense?! Who are we that we would think we know better than They?!
Did you see what happened to me recently with my job search? Every day I thank Him for helping me. The job He wanted me to have was not available for 5 months and as soon as it was HE HAD SOMEONE CONTACT ME that I never met or even knew. They saw my resume on a job board and He moved their heart to contact me. I never applied for that job. Have I told you how AMAZING Our Father is? Hmmm? Have I?!
So then a week passes and I still haven’t received their offer letter. I sent an email and they finally responded back with; we can’t hire you now until August and we can’t send you an offer letter until sometime in July. I have two choices; 1) I can get very angry or 2) I accept that everything is in His hands and He will make all of this work out. I chose #2, was I disappointed? YEP!!!
What is my point? When you ask Him for help then YOU have to let HIM help YOU when the time is right! He knows EVERYTHING about your life. He knows you only have so much money to survive on; He will not let you starve! He feeds the birds and you are no less important to Him then they are. He knows how much physical pain you are in and how much you can tolerate. He knows all of your weaknesses and He knows your STRENGTHS better than you.
Please always remember this. Nothing that ever happens to you is a coincidence. It has passed before Him and He has approved it, be it good or not so good! Everything in life is a test of your faith and trust in your love for Him. He wants to see if you will still be strong in your faith when adversity comes, or are going to cuss Him out and walk away. DON’T BE A FOOL! This life we have is but a temporary moment within time. It lasts for a short time but dictates our place and where we want to be for the rest of our Eternal Existence!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Passion
Today, Good Friday, marks the anniversary day that starter redemption for all. We all can read of how Jesus suffered and it brings a new reality to our own lives. He told me recently that He too had many more moments that He wanted to give up than what is recorded. Maybe we think that just because He was the Son of God He didn’t have moments of weakness. He struggled often knowing His outcome and yet in spite of this He stayed the course and went home!
All of us have our moments of weakness and what we would call TOTAL FAILURE! No one is a total failure if they continue to learn, ask for forgiveness, stand back up and keep walking on this path of faith. We are never alone if we continue to talk with Our Father and Big Brother Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to help guide us.
If life were simple then we would all win the lottery because MANY think that would solve most of their problems, but in fact IT WOULD NOT! We dwell in the physical world which is more temporary than you think! That is all we really understand. I am asking you to dwell more in the spiritual and you will find a greater treasure than any lottery could offer you.
What will you find? Again you need to make a connection with Our Father and Brother. When you do this you will be given, love, peace, strength, joy, compassion, understanding, patience (I still haven’t mastered THAT one yet!) Insight, wisdom, confidence, a deeper faith, passion, and a drive to want TO GO HOME!
So through this weekend let us all appreciate the love Our Father and Savior holds us in and tell Them!
All of us have our moments of weakness and what we would call TOTAL FAILURE! No one is a total failure if they continue to learn, ask for forgiveness, stand back up and keep walking on this path of faith. We are never alone if we continue to talk with Our Father and Big Brother Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to help guide us.
If life were simple then we would all win the lottery because MANY think that would solve most of their problems, but in fact IT WOULD NOT! We dwell in the physical world which is more temporary than you think! That is all we really understand. I am asking you to dwell more in the spiritual and you will find a greater treasure than any lottery could offer you.
What will you find? Again you need to make a connection with Our Father and Brother. When you do this you will be given, love, peace, strength, joy, compassion, understanding, patience (I still haven’t mastered THAT one yet!) Insight, wisdom, confidence, a deeper faith, passion, and a drive to want TO GO HOME!
So through this weekend let us all appreciate the love Our Father and Savior holds us in and tell Them!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Bound
For many years I have been misunderstood with why I travel across the country and Canada teaching others about my own faith in God.
Last weekend I spent time with some friends that I haven’t seen for close to 25 years and their children. We were able to pick up right where we left off. The whole weekend we spoke of our faith, the path the Lord has put us on and our future. It was wonderful!
My friend came to me on Sunday morning before church and said I feel in my heart that the Lord would like me to share this with you.
He said I now understand your job Jim. I believe you are sent by God now in our time to teach all of us that we are not Elephants bound with ropes. I looked at him and said, OK? He said trainers take chains and bind Elephants when they are young and they learn they can’t break these chains. As they get older they replace the chains with small ropes and the Elephant believes that he can’t break these ropes, but they can if they only realized how strong they are. You are teaching all of us that we can break the ropes Satan has bound us with and we can stand up against him, his spirits and his demons and we DON’T HAVE TO TAKE IT FROM HIM ANYMORE! I almost started to cry.
Sometimes we forget; “My children, you belong to God. You have won the victory over those prophets who are not true. You have won because the Spirit that is in you is stronger than the spirit that is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (WE)
We are not defenseless against Satan and his forces. We have the power to stand and fight. That power comes from our Father in Heaven. We are no longer blind! We can see him now more than ever. And I can tell you that the more of us who break our ropes and stand against him the more he will be AFRAID OF US!
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 (ESV)
Stop allowing him to victimize you. STAND AND FIGHT!
Last weekend I spent time with some friends that I haven’t seen for close to 25 years and their children. We were able to pick up right where we left off. The whole weekend we spoke of our faith, the path the Lord has put us on and our future. It was wonderful!
My friend came to me on Sunday morning before church and said I feel in my heart that the Lord would like me to share this with you.
He said I now understand your job Jim. I believe you are sent by God now in our time to teach all of us that we are not Elephants bound with ropes. I looked at him and said, OK? He said trainers take chains and bind Elephants when they are young and they learn they can’t break these chains. As they get older they replace the chains with small ropes and the Elephant believes that he can’t break these ropes, but they can if they only realized how strong they are. You are teaching all of us that we can break the ropes Satan has bound us with and we can stand up against him, his spirits and his demons and we DON’T HAVE TO TAKE IT FROM HIM ANYMORE! I almost started to cry.
Sometimes we forget; “My children, you belong to God. You have won the victory over those prophets who are not true. You have won because the Spirit that is in you is stronger than the spirit that is in the world. 1 John 4:4 (WE)
We are not defenseless against Satan and his forces. We have the power to stand and fight. That power comes from our Father in Heaven. We are no longer blind! We can see him now more than ever. And I can tell you that the more of us who break our ropes and stand against him the more he will be AFRAID OF US!
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 (ESV)
Stop allowing him to victimize you. STAND AND FIGHT!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Forgotten?
So often we go through life thinking only of ourselves. In this day and age that is what society is all about. ME, ME, ME! No one has time for anyone else! All we care about is what can I get? How do I succeed? What is my next score? How do I make a name for myself?
There is more to life than just “ME”! There is “US”. How often do you go out of your way for someone else? Offer help, a smile or an ear to a broken heart or a wounded soul? Can’t we spare a minute?
We have become a society that only remembers to think of the past with a day marked on a calendar, and then we act. Patriot’s Day is a few days away. Our Nation will think of that horrible day ten years ago and remember all the details as if it were today.
Everyone’s lives were changed that day across the world, and so many lives were stolen. It is a wonderful thing when a whole blessed Nation stops and thinks of others who lost their lives. But what about days that are not marked on a calendar?
Stop now and think of your life. Many people have crossed your path. Think of your childhood, teachers, adolescence, friends, twenty years ago, coworkers and NOW! How many people have touched your life and how many lives have you touched?
My Dad passed away this past December and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him or think about him. He was family. Friends of mine have also passed away and I think of them as well. But I need to look outside of my personal circle and view the world as a whole.
Many have lost their lives to war, natural disasters and accidents. I need to pray more for all of them. I need to pray for the woman who was struck and killed on the expressway yesterday in Chicago. No one knows why she was there but now she’s gone.
Death is not the end, it is a new beginning. And in our Church we remember those who have passed away and we pray for them!
All of us can make a positive difference in a life now or a life that has passed. All we need to do is make an effort to help someone, to remember someone, to stop and think about the FORGOTTEN!
There is more to life than just “ME”! There is “US”. How often do you go out of your way for someone else? Offer help, a smile or an ear to a broken heart or a wounded soul? Can’t we spare a minute?
We have become a society that only remembers to think of the past with a day marked on a calendar, and then we act. Patriot’s Day is a few days away. Our Nation will think of that horrible day ten years ago and remember all the details as if it were today.
Everyone’s lives were changed that day across the world, and so many lives were stolen. It is a wonderful thing when a whole blessed Nation stops and thinks of others who lost their lives. But what about days that are not marked on a calendar?
Stop now and think of your life. Many people have crossed your path. Think of your childhood, teachers, adolescence, friends, twenty years ago, coworkers and NOW! How many people have touched your life and how many lives have you touched?
My Dad passed away this past December and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him or think about him. He was family. Friends of mine have also passed away and I think of them as well. But I need to look outside of my personal circle and view the world as a whole.
Many have lost their lives to war, natural disasters and accidents. I need to pray more for all of them. I need to pray for the woman who was struck and killed on the expressway yesterday in Chicago. No one knows why she was there but now she’s gone.
Death is not the end, it is a new beginning. And in our Church we remember those who have passed away and we pray for them!
All of us can make a positive difference in a life now or a life that has passed. All we need to do is make an effort to help someone, to remember someone, to stop and think about the FORGOTTEN!
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