Wishing You A Happy New Year

2012 is almost here!

Are you ready?

Praying that your year will be blessed. May you continue to experience the goodness and love of God. I hope that you grow closer to the Father's heart for you.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this blog. I look forward to sharing more with you in the year to come. It's been a fun year of sharing my thoughts with you.

I leave 2011 with these thoughts from Psalm 71:14-16:
"...I will hope continually,
And I will praise You yet more and more.
May mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only."

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The Word Became Flesh...

Just a couple of more days until Christmas. While the world may celebrate a season of giving gifts and time with family, we choose to rise above the materialism, commercialism, and routine of the holidays. We will celebrate the birth of the Christ.

Here's some tips to helping you keep Christ in your Christmas:

#1 - Remember that He would be called Emmanuel - "God with us"

#2 - Jesus Christ was the Word become flesh (according to John 1:14). The "Word" in the Greek is "Logos" - "Divine Expression".

#3 - John 1:18 also tells us that Jesus declared God to the world. The word "declared" in the Greek literally means to lead forth into full revelation. It metaphorically mean to draw out in narrative. Jesus came to reveal, manifest, and interpret God unto man. In Him we have the full revelation of God!!!

#4 - In our Christian tradition we refer to Jesus as God-incarnate. The incarnation is basically the personification, embodiment, manifestation, and materialization of God in living form. Jesus told His disciples "If you have seen Me you have seen the Father." (John 14:9).

#5 - The Bible also tells us that He will be called Jesus because He will save His people from their sins. We sing the song: "There's just something about that name" - this is why!!! At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.

Don't allow the coming of our Lord to be clouded with the image of a young lady holding a baby. Don't get caught up with the thoughts about the actual date of His birth (I know we could spend a lot of time arguing these points). I want you to take some time to consider that the reason for His coming was to fully reveal the heart of God to the world, demonstrate a life filled with the grace of God and empowered by the Spirit of God, and to give His life as a ransom for ours.

Over the next couple of days we will be celebrating the miracle of God coming in the form of man. We will give thanks for this incredible gift of eternal life. And we will lead our families in praise to the God who loved us enough to send His Son into the world.

Many Blessings to you all & Merry Christmas!!!

Taking Another Look at Peace and Rest

I need to make a correction concerning the blog from yesterday. It was actually 1st posted in August. Today we will be looking at a blog entry from September. Hope you have enjoyed some of my "greatest hits" (LOL!). Be blessed.

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder...Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end..." [Isaiah 9:6-7]

Typically, we only hear the above portion of Scripture around Christmas time. This is part of Isaiah's prophecy concerning the coming of Jesus. And...there's something here for you.

I was listening to a sermon by Steve Thompson the other day and he shared these verses. What he said next is worth hearing: "The reason we have difficulty in sustaining a supernatural life is because of the lack of rest and peace at the core of our lives." Isaiah told us plainly that the government would be upon His shoulder - not ours. He also said that the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. Religion is good at keeping us busy but it can never bring us rest.

Have you ever noticed that some of the most spiritual people are usually not the busiest people? They're not lazy; they have just figured out something that we have been missing. And what we have been missing is the power of peace and rest.

Most of us could testify to the fact that our busiest seasons are usually our less spiritual seasons. We may be getting a lot done, and burning the midnight oil but we are normally running on adrenaline. I think a lot of folks have taken the phrase "an idle mind is the devil's workshop" and created a business mentality. It's like saying if we aren't busy enough then the enemy will have his way in our lives. The fact of the matter is that it's quite the opposite.

When we learn to rest in His peace then we will be able to hear His voice. When we learn to be still and know that He is God, then we can experience His presence. I want to encourage you to look at your calendar. If it is anything like mine then it's full of appointments, ballgames, orthodontist visits, and etc. Is there time for rest? Is there time to collect our thoughts? Is there time to simply sit in the presence of God to hear what He has to say in our lives?

Think of the words of Jesus: "Come unto me all you who are burdened and heavy laden. I will give you rest." Doesn't sound like a man who is preoccupied with keeping you busy. Of course, He saw what the religious leaders had done to the faith. The people in Israel were under a heavy burden of dogma, activity, and tradition. Jesus came to set us free from anything that would get in the way of a love relationship with God.

Are you ready to rest? Would you love to simply enjoy His peace for a while? As you think about the answer to those questions, allow me to share a quote from Kris Vallotton that will take this a little further: "Sometimes God is more interested in what He is doing in you rather than through you."

Revisiting Receiving From the Spirit

I posted this blog in September of this year. Enjoy!

"But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means." 1 Corinthians 2:14 {NLT}

There is nothing quite as difficult as trying to understand spiritual truth with the natural mind. In fact, it is impossible. Logic - the area from which most of humanity operates cannot grasp the ability, power, and moves of the Holy Spirit. Logically, we want to contextualize the work of the Spirit. We would love to have a handle on how He speaks, how He prompts us, and what He's going to do next. However, trying to box in the work of the Spirit only limits Him.

Paul made it very clear to the church at Corinth that anyone not operating in the Spirit of God (those who are not spiritual) will never understand the truth that God wants to bring forth. God is continually revealing His hidden wisdom to those who are willing to receive it (Go to 1 Corinthians 2 if you need a scriptural reference). The question is whether or not we truly want to operate that way.

Here's why we struggle in this area:

It's Frustrating - the natural man is more natural. That is why it is much easier to function in the natural. Trying to function in the spiritual from a natural prospective will only leave us frustrated.

It's Useless - remember the religious men who tried to cast out demons in the name of the Jesus that Paul preaches? They were overtaken. The reason why they were overtaken was because they lacked the Spirit of God at work in their own lives. They were simply operating out of hear-say. This is one of the most dangerous things that we see in the church today. We know the verbiage but we lack the power of the Spirit at work. Not only can we not receive the things of the Spirit, we can't release it either.

It's Presumptuous - While I believe each of us were created to live in a spiritual reality, not all of us do. Failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate in the Spirit gives us the idea that we can do it all in our natural ability. When God begins to move in a person's life, He does enhance natural ability. But He also gives us supernatural ability to walk in the things that He has ordained.

How do we change this?

Ask - It is that simple. God wants to reveal Himself to you.
Seek - The truth that you are looking for doesn't always show up at your door. You have to seek it out.
Knock - Jesus promised us open doors.

If you and I are willing to get before the Lord and seek His face, He will meet with us. It's not about your spirituality. It's not about you own ability. It's simply about us making ourselves available to Him. If we are willing to be empty vessels that God can pour into then He will pour into us.

One Person's Intimacy (Revisited)

Here's a blog entry from July of this year. I pray your heart is stirred...

Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus...all of these lived with an intimacy toward God that had never been displayed. Each of them had a profound impact upon God's people.

Corrie Ten Boom, He Cares for You, wrote:
"My Father prayed because he had a good Friend with whom to share the problems of the day. He prayed because he had a direct connection with his Maker when he had a concern. He prayed because there was so much for which he was thankful.
"...When I was a little girl I was sure that Jesus was a member of the Ten Boom family. It was just as easy to talk to Him as it was to carry on a conversation with my mother and father. Jesus was there. I was closer to the reality and truth of Jesus' presence than the one who makes fellowship with the Lord a problem by reasoning and logical thinking."

Sounds like Corrie Ten Boom had a father whose intimacy with God became a catalyst for her own. What she learned from him is a lesson that each of us should hope to pass on to our children. Our personal intimacy with God will impact our families, our friends, and all whom we meet. God intimacy?

Think about the names that I mentioned earlier.
Abraham (whose originally name was Abram) walked a unique path with his Maker. God told him that all of the nations of the earth would be blessed through him. Have you ever considered that your own intimacy with God had that type of impact?

Moses was God's chosen vessel to lead Israel out of bondage. While he may not have been Israel's choice, God had a unique relationship with this servant. Scripture tells us that God spoke to Moses (at that time) in such a way that was very personal - face to face. This man's intimacy with God allowed to see things no one else saw, hear things that no one else heard, and do things that no one else had done.

David was given the title "a man after God's own heart." There was no committee meeting to determine this title. He didn't apply for the position. This title was given to him by God. David's worship of his Creator impacted a nation and continues to serve as an example to us all. This intimacy with God led to the downfall of a giant, rise to a nation, and a lineage that produced the Savior of the world. By the way, it's the tabernacle of David that God says He will rebuild.

Jesus walked the most unique path of anyone. In fact, He is the only one that could walk in the earth without sin. His intimacy with the Father allowed Him to view life from Heaven's perspective, affect the world in which He lived, see what the Father was doing, and bring Heaven to earth. Jesus' intimacy with the Father allowed Him to say "Not my will but Yours be done." This intimacy led Him to the cross, paid the penalty for our sin, and allows to experience the fullness of God's love.

What can your intimacy with God accomplish? Let's start with your family. Do you think your kids can glean from your personal prayer life, your understanding of Scripture, your walk in the Spirit? Can you wife gain security in knowing your heart for the Lord as you transfer that love unto her as well? Take this same approach with others. Watch as people experience your personal walk with the Lord. Your intimacy will lead them to ask you for prayer, seek your counsel, and trust your judgement. As we walk in intimacy with the Lord then His grace and mercy spill over in our lives touching everyone.

May all the nations of the earth be blessed through you.
May God speak to you in personal ways.
May you be a man/woman after God's own heart.
And may your life be a revelation of the heart of the Father.
All of this is possible when you learn to live a life of intimacy with God. He has made it available through Jesus. The question is whether or not you will take Him up on His offer.

The Nature of Love (Revisited)

The following is a blog entry from June of this year. Be blessed.

"It is not the nature of love to force a relationship but it is the nature of love to open the way." ~ Papa (The Shack p.192)

Have you ever questioned whether or not God was working in the lives of other people? You know...the ones that you have been praying for that never seem to change. There is one thing that I know for certain: God is always working.

Bill Faye, creator of "Share Jesus Without Fear", talks about this very thing. In his testimony he goes through a listing of people who shared the gospel with him. Most of those people were verbally abused, mocked, and rejected. However, he never forgot the faces or the people that shared with him. In his mind, they were successful witnesses to God. How is that possible? These people were successful because they were obedient.

Friends, I don't want you to ever lose hope when praying for the lost around you. You must trust in the power of the Gospel and the nature of God. God is always reaching out to those who do not know Him. He will never force a relationship on anyone. But every time you come around, every time you share the "Good News", and every time you trust in the Cross - you are opening the way to a relationship.

It seems as though we forget that not every person that came into contact with Jesus chose to believe in Him. In fact...many rejected, many cried out for His crucifixion, and even after His resurrection many still chose not to believe. Yet even in the midst of all this rejection, the way to a relationship was opened.

Take Note of What God Has Accomplished:
> God has reconciled Himself to the entire world.
> God has chosen not to count the sins of the world against them.
> God has forgiven the world already.
> God has provided an opportunity for everyone to be saved.
The death of Jesus has opened the door. What was once only attainable through obedience and sacrifice has been made available through faith in Jesus Christ. The salvation of the lost hinges upon the grace of God at work in the belief of an individual. If they will simply believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and choose to make Him Lord of their lives; they will be saved.

While many of you know this truth, it is good to be reminded of the nature of God's love. All you need to do is be a demonstration of that love. A love that never condemns, never shames, and is ready to accept all of those who come by faith. There is not one person in this world that is outside of the reach of God's love. There is no such thing as a hopeless situation or lost cause. God manifests His love through you, the Holy Spirit does all of the convicting, and Jesus stands ready to save all who call upon Him. That is the nature of love. The question is: Are you ready to demonstrate His nature to those around you?

You CAN Be Whole (Revisited)

Here's a blog entry from May of this year. Enjoy!

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be (Sozo) saved." {John 3:17}

Sozo is a Greek word typically translated as saved in the Scriptures. However, upon further examination of the word you will discover that it means "saved", "healed", "delivered", and "made whole."

Why is this important? The reason why we need to understand "Sozo" is because too often we only understand the salvation aspect of Jesus. In other words, we know that Jesus came to bear our sins upon the Cross. The problem with this limited view is that we typically only enter into the amount of grace that we see available. If all we know of grace is forgiveness of sin then we will be forgiven but continue to live in defeat. What God has made available in Jesus is so much greater than just being forgiven. God has unlocked the potential for all of us to experience abundant life through His Son.

Sozo is an interesting word in the Bible because the New Testament writers did not always use it when referring to being saved. There are other words translated saved, healed, and delivered. Sozo carries with it the idea of God's complete package. When we read about the ten lepers that were healed by Jesus, all of them were healed but only one was Sozo. The one who came back to Jesus was made whole.

As I was thinking about these verses the other day, I wondered how many people have simply considered Jesus as the cutting off point with God. We know that Jesus has said that He is "the way, the truth, and the life" and that "no one comes to the Father except through [Him]." Since Jesus is the only way to the Father then God can finally get rid of all those sinners. Right? But I want you to consider that God's intention is not to cut off anyone. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us plainly that "The Lord...not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." God has already judged sin at the Cross. The Cross was God's final verdict upon the sin of man. Jesus became sin so that we could be made the righteousness of God in Him. God isn't trying to cut everybody off. He's trying to bring everybody in!

The Good News of the Gospel is this:
1) God has Reconciled the world to Himself
2) He judged sin at the Cross
3) Sin is no longer the issue
4) Salvation is no longer about keeping the Law
5) To be "Sozo" (Saved) comes through Believing and Confessing

The use of the Gospel is not to bring condemnation but conviction. What's the difference? Condemnation is a sentence of damnation (i.e. - "cut off"). Conviction simply show us that we are guilty of falling short of the glory of God. Condemnation says that there is no hope. Conviction causes us to ask the question: "What must I do to be saved?"

Through Christ I don't have to be a slave to sin. I don't have to be a drug addict, an alcoholic, or an abusive person. In Christ I am healed, delivered, and set free. This is not only true for me but for every person who puts their faith and trust in Jesus. Why not be made whole today? You can be SOZO!

LUI - Revisited

Here's a blog entry from April of this year. These re-posts are for the benefit of us all. They are here to remind us of all that God has been teaching us this year and to stir up the work of the Holy Spirit within our lives. I pray that you are encouraged.

"And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit" {Ephesians 5:18}

"Do not quench the Spirit" {1 Thessalonians 5:19}

These are two very interesting commands in regards to the church and the Holy Spirit. The Ephesians verse teaches us to be "continually filled" (according to the Greek) and the Thessalonians verse teaches us to never do anything that would "stifle", "put out the fire", or "suppress" the work of the Holy Spirit. While these verses are working from a different perspective, they each have a common denominator: The Holy Spirit of God.

I don't think the Apostles ever considered having church apart from the Holy Spirit. I truly don't believe that our Lord envisioned a time when the church would never need His Spirit at work in them to bring the nations to Christ. On the day of Pentecost we witness the Promise of Jesus coming upon the believers in the upper room. What you may not know is that this was during the "Feast of Firstfruits." It was a time of bringing in the first of the spring harvest, with the promise that God's provision would never end. What took place on the day of Pentecost was only the beginning. The church, and believers, would continue to experience more of the Spirit's filling throughout the book of Acts.

This is vital to our understanding of what it means to live a Spirit-filled life. How can we expect to live out our faith if we are missing out on the working of the main ingredient. Jesus said it was the Holy Spirit that would guide the believer into truth. It is the Holy Spirit that was to teach and admonish the believer. We have established discipleship programs within the church that basically says if you will read the Bible all the way through, memorize some scripture, and tithe that you will grow. I ask you (the reader), has anyone ever taught you how to be filled with the Spirit? Has anyone in the church taught you what it means to wait for Him to move upon you, how to recognize what He is doing, or how to go deeper in the things of the Spirit? While I believe every follower of Christ should read His Word, commit Scripture to memory, and give; there is so much more available to them than just going through the motions.

I truly believe that we are seeing a generation that expects to see more from the church. I'm serious...we cannot keep going with the same old stuff and expect to impact the world. We have tried being relevant without realizing that the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit. We have tried being relational without understanding that it is very hard for light and dark to co-exist. While each of these goal are admirable, I believe that it is when the church decides to be a revelation in the world that everything will change.

How does this happen?

> Be Filled With The Spirit
> Don't Quench The Spirit

Jesus promised the Father would give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Paul said to be continually filled and then went on to tell us not to quench the Spirit's work. It is evidently clear that what we need to see more of in the church, and in our personal lives, is the Holy Spirit. It's a return to what worked in the 1st Century Church. They didn't have the educational background, the experience, or the finances to pull it off. All they had was the Holy Spirit and a commission to make disciples of all nations. Today...we have been educated beyond obedience, are way too experienced (know how to do it), and have too much money (scared to lose it). When all we need is just some men/women who are willing to walk with Jesus, be filled with the Spirit of God, and take the risk of taking the Gospel to the nations.

It's time for Living Under the Influence. Any takers?

Marriage & The Gospel Revisited

This blog entry was from March of this year:
I was driving home last night listening to a Focus on the Family broadcast. I was unable to catch the names of people involved or the location, but the discussion that I heard on marriage is worth sharing. To put it plainly: If the gospel doesn't work in your marriage then you have deceived yourself.

I have no doubt that many people will question this statement. However, when we consider the power of the gospel in our lives, how can I marriages not be affected? Is there any other relationship in the world where we need to offer forgiveness, grace, mercy, and truth? Is there any other area of our lives where we are required to love in such a way? Folks, if we love Jesus then we will love our spouse. If we have been forgiven then we can offer it to others. If God has shown us mercy then we should be doing the same.

I was talking with a friend of mine about this very issue. He shared with me an incredible quote: "There should never be irreconcilable differences in a Christian marriage. For a Christian to make that statement is to tell the world that the gospel is impotent." WOW!!! It's one thing to look out in the world and wonder why marriages don't seem to stay together, but it's quite another to look into the church and see that we aren't doing any better.

What are some core truths of the gospel?
Sacrificial Love
Grace
Mercy
Forgiveness
Most of us would agree with this but I wonder how many of us are living them out. If Jesus has changed my life through sacrificial love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness; then I should be offering these same things to others. I should definitely be offering these things to my spouse.

One of the other topics discussed on the broadcast was the idea of a "soul mate." The popularity of this type of thinking has lead people to believe that there is one person out there who can fulfill their every desire and need. This is not a biblical concept. Plato (Greek Philosopher)surmised that a perfect human being was tragically split in two, resulting in a race of creatures sentenced to spend the rest of their lives searching for that missing other who can complete them. However, this thought process is not found in the Bible. Here's how a believer should approach marriage: When we say "I Do" then that person is the one. We are to devote our entire lives to this one individual. We have chosen to be bound to them in the continual pursuit of love.

It's time for believers to get a stomach for the fight. Marriage is to be a picture of Christ and His Bride. Jesus has never given up and will never give up in His pursuit. His love knows no end. His mercy is everlasting. His grace is amazing. We must root out all selfishness in our lives because love doesn't seek its own. We are to die to ourselves daily according to the gospel. Have we done this in our marriage?

I'm praying for a revival in the church...a revival of marriages. May God bring back to life this sacred institution. We need nothing less than the Spirit of God to breathe upon us in this area. May the church, once again, be a safe place for marriages. May we never relent in the continual pursuit.

Still chasing...

Sermon Refresher Revisited

The following is a blog entry from February of this year. I thought it would be good to share considering the events of this past week. During a worship encounter on Wednesday night, several people were touched by the power and presence of God.

One story before I re-post the blog. One of the boys in our church came forward for prayer on Wednesday night. A week or so before he had broken his thumb. The family asked me to pray for healing. He removed the splint from his thumb, I anointed him with oil and prayed, and he began to move his thumb saying that it felt better. The next day, he destroyed the splint. His mother encouraged him to hang on to it so he could "protect" the thumb. He said, "Why? My thumb is healed. The devil can have the splint!!!" You gotta love the faith of a child.

2 Timothy 3:1-5...In verse 5 the Bible says, "having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" Allow me to share some points from the message.

In the latter part of his second letter to Timothy, Paul warns him of the perilous times ahead. He gives a detailed description of what we can expect to see in the world. Men will be lovers of themselves, boasters, lovers of money, etc. These are easy traits to pick out. However, the most deceptive trait of people in the last days is found in verse 5. People will have an outward appearance of godliness but will deny its power. Here's what I believe:

1) They Will Deny the Power of the Gospel
When we read passages such as Romans 1:16 and 1 Corinthians 1:18, we discover that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. If we are talking about those who are simply playing the game...going through the motions...and using hypocrisy to cover up their sin, then you can be that the "Good News" of Jesus Christ will be nowhere to be found. You cannot allow the Gospel to be preached or you will see the power of God manifest itself in the lives of someone.

2) They Will Deny the Power of the Word
Hebrews 4:12 teaches us that the Word of God is powerful. God said of His own Word that it will accomplish that which He has sent it out to do. Just as we have found people today who deny the power of the Gospel to change lives, we have also found that there are way too many in the church who do not believe in the Word of God. We will see an increasing denial in the power of God in creation, the incarnation, and redemption. In these last days you will find a more humanistic approach to preaching, teachers that will scratch itching ears, and a more socially acceptable version of Christianity. We must remember that the Word of God is the foundation of all that we believe!

3) They Will Deny the Power of the Spirit
Paul knew nothing of preaching the Gospel without the power and demonstration of the Spirit of God (Read 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 & 1 Thessalonians 1:5). In the book of Acts we find that the early church operated in the power of God while proclaiming the Good News of Jesus to the world. Far too many churches operate just the opposite of this approach today. We vainly think that it's all about our singing, our preaching, our programs, and our ministries. How desperately we need to see the power of God in our midst!!!

Here's what we need to remember: "For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." {1 Corinthians 4:20}

In the Greek we read that the kingdom is not in "logos" but in "dunamis". It's not in our words, the expressed ideas of the kingdom, and not just in the Word of God only. This verse tells us that the kingdom is in the MIGHTY, ENLIGHTENING, QUICKENING, CONVERTING, & SANCTIFYING Power of the Holy Spirit. This kingdom is also found in the demonstration of that power.

We already see many today who deny the power of God. We even find them trying to use the "logos" WORD of God to claim that certain aspects of the "dunamis" POWER of God are not the same. But I still believe in Acts 1:8!!! I still believe that we are to be "endued with power" when the Holy Spirit comes upon us. That power coming upon us should transform our lives, our churches, and our mission in life. It is through the power of God that we expect to see nations changed, communities awakened, and people saved. It is the power of God that is needed to impact our families, our schools, and the kingdom of God. If we deny this power then we lose our ability to touch lives.

I guess if all you ever want to do is "play church" then the power of God will only get in the way.

Hearing From the Father (revisited)

I'm doing several re-posts of some of my favorite entries over the last couple of years. This particular blog came out in January of this year. I thought it would be good for each of us to be reminded about the necessity of hearing from our Heavenly Father. Be blessed!!!

The following is an experience that Jonathan David Helser had with his daughter. I heard him share part of this during a worship experience and have since found a note that he shared on facebook. I pray that the Lord will encourage your heart through the reading.

"So I had this amazing experience the other day..... My wife took my little daughter Haven shopping for the first time and let her pick out her own dress. When they returned I was in my room reading in my favorite chair. I heard my little girls feet run up the stairs to her room above me. I could tell by the commotion that she was either wrestling a alligator or that she was changing into her new clothes with the fury of a four year old. Then I heard her little feet come back down the stairs and she burst into my room. Without any words she ran and stopped in front of me wearing the new dress she had picked out. This was one of those moments when time also seemed to stop in front of me. As she stood still and time stood still, I realized it was one of the greatest moments I would ever have as a Father. She was waiting to be defined by my voice. Her little heart was like clay waiting on my thoughts to shape her. So with everything inside me I looked deep inside her and said 'Haven you look more beautiful right now than you have in your whole life.'

"Everyday for the next week Haven would put on her new dress and come find me. No matter what I was doing she would pause before me and wait for my voice to tell her again that she was beautiful. It was like her little heart was saying over and over to me 'do it again daddy.... tell me who I am.'

"Identity is discovered through the voice we listen to. We have all been created to be defined by a Fathers voice. Every girl is made to hear those words, 'You are beautiful' and every boy is designed to hear the words 'well done.' My words over Haven are but a shadow of the radiant thoughts that the Father in heaven has for her. Until we each have an encounter with our Father in heaven like my daughter had with me, we will spend our lives broken in search of our identity.

"The Father is sitting in His favorite chair, just waiting on us to burst into his presence and say 'Daddy, do it again, tell me who I am.'" ~ Jonathan David Helser

Have you ever considered the voice of God to be encouraging and uplifting? OR...do you hear God's voice and interpret it as negative and condemning? Can I give you some insight into discerning the voice of God? God does not deal with His children in a condemning fashion. Romans says that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Even in His discipline of us, God is not condemning us. The Bible says that He disciplines those He loves. In 1 Corinthians, Paul deals with the use of prophecy (sharing a word from God with the body). He says that prophecy is for encouragement, exhortation, and edification. God will not ask us to operate outside anything that He is not willing to operate under. God is encouraging, exhorting, and edifying in all that He shares with us.

Why not take some time today to get into the presence of your Heavenly Father. Allow Him to speak encouragement into your life. Allow Him to build you up. And allow Him to teach you about Himself.

The Goodness of God Re-revisited

Here's a blog entry from around this time last year. I thought it was worth sharing again: Is God really good? That seems to be a major question in today's culture...How can we get to a place where we trust in the goodness of God?

I'm glad you asked...

In 2 Corinthians 5:19, Paul (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) said: "...God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation." He goes on to talk about their ministry as ambassadors for God - sharing this message of reconciliation. It is through our understanding of what God has provided for the world through Christ where we can see the goodness of God. If there is ever a doubt in your mind about His goodness; all you have to do is look at the Cross.

The Good News of the Gospel is this: God has already forgiven men's sins. Jesus died and carried the sins of the entire world. Not only did He take care of the sins of the world but He took the punishment for those sins. When Jesus said "It is finished", God said that we are forgiven. Our salvation isn't a matter of God being willing to forgive. Our salvation is a matter if we are willing to believe.

Reconciliation - 1a) to reconcile (those who are at variance). 1b) return to favor with. The Bible says that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Jesus was the "Christ" (Anointed One) sent into the world to bring about this reconciliation. It was the Christ who bore our sin, shed His blood, took our punishment, and overcame death to conquer sin once and for all. The Bible goes on to tell us that God no longer "imputes" our trespasses to us. In other words, He no longer takes inventory, estimates, or reckons our sins to us. You and I are saved when we believe upon the finished work of Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord of our lives.

Romans 10:9, "...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." It is that simple! We have got to stop with the idea that people go to Hell because of their sins. People go to Hell because they don't believe in the finished work of Jesus. What God offers us in Christ is His righteousness. If we refuse His righteousness, we can never be fully reconciled to God. God has already reconciled the world to Himself - we just need to believe it, accept it, and confess it.

"The message of reconciliation tells us that God did all we would ever need through Jesus. He became our sin so we would not have to stay sinners. He took the curse of the law so we would never have to be punished for our sins. He went to hell so we would never have to pay the ultimate price for our sins. He conquered our sins we He arose from the dead so we would never need to fight the battle with our sin. He obtained our righteousness so we would never have to earn it. He gives it to us as a free gift, thereby, qualifying us for all of the promises of God. In so doing, He is worthy to be our Lord." {James Richards}

Only when we believe and accept the finished work of Jesus can the grace of God empower us to experience the life of God. Once we do that, we have a message to share with the rest of the world: Be reconciled to God! He has already done His part.

Don't Stop Believing...

What an incredible week of testimonies!!!

Can I share what God is doing?

This week alone, I have heard a couple of incredible testimonies:

#1 - A man came to our prayer meeting a couple of weeks ago. He was a new believer, had been diagnosed with cancer, surgery had been scheduled, and he wanted us to pray for him. Our folks gathered around him, anointed him with oil, and prayed the prayer of faith. This week, he went in for surgery and the doctors backed out saying "There is no sign of cancer!"

#2 - Several months ago we had started praying for a man who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The doctors only gave him "months" to live. Just the other day, after going through surgery and extensive treatment, he called a friend to say that he was 100% cancer free!!!

#3 - A pastor that we know in Ukraine had a stoke just a couple of weeks ago. The prognosis wasn't good. After spending a week in the hospital, he was able to return home and was told to return for continued care. When he went back for his check-up, his heart rhythm was normal, blood pressure normal, and was released from the continued care that he was supposed to receive. The hospital does want him to continue some type of therapeutic care but all-in-all he has had a miraculous recover!!!

*These are just a few of the testimonies that I have heard this week and I want to use them to announce very clearly that God is still our Healer!!!

I don't know who or what you are praying for, but don't stop believing. Be encouraged that God hears our prayers and continues to show Himself mighty in our lives.

May you be blessed as you continue in your faith.