Saturday, December 6, 2008

Jesus is the Reason for the Season

Blessings to you, may the Lord shine His light and love in you and through you.

This Christmas season brings with it a whole new barrage of political correctness from those who don't want religious messages. Many object to the word Christmas and want us to celebrate the "winter holiday." Well, this year I have now heard people who have issue with the word holiday. These are the very people who need the Christmas message, who need the gift of love that Jesus brought to us. Each and every day this month we have the opportunity to interact with those who dislike the Christmas message. God has opened the door for discussion on this subject and we have something to share.

These people who react against the message of Christmas are the ones the Bible refers to in Eph 2:12, it says they are without hope and without God in this world. We have the hope of Christ in us and we can always be ready to share this blessed hope. As believers, we have the opportunity to be the light of Christ in these peoples' lives. Instead of taking issue with them and reacting at what they are saying, let us join in prayer for them and share the very love of Christ that can set them free.

For many Christmas time is difficult, there are so many who get depressed because they don't have family and they are alone. On top of that people are losing their jobs, their homes, and their very dreams are crashing down around them. We can make a positive difference as we pray for them and as we share with them. Take time to reach out with love.

John 3:16 - God so loved that He gave.... Let us love others and give to them, give and share and reach out with kindness and reality. All we need to is let the Lord love on them through us.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Cor 9:15)

God bless you all

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Is time to step up our prayers and declare the Victory in Christ!

There are multiple calls to prayer for what is going on in America with the upcoming elections and the current financial situation.

It is a good thing to pray, to join together and seek God for our Nation at this time. We know that God hears our prayers and moves when we as His people join together in His name. There is power in prayer and the more we rally together in the Spirit the more we are going to see the Lord move in America and throughout the world.

However, we need to come to Him in faith, knowing He is able, and not come in fear. Put away the fear that is gripping so many people and causing them to loss hope. We need to make sure we have not been sucked into the fear and the hysteria that is becoming so widespread. Our God is able, He is greater than the circumstances, and in Him we have hope and victory.

Remember, as Christians, we are not of this world, we are citizens of heaven, we are part of the Kingdom of God. This time is not just about the political situation or the financial situation. It is not about Obama or McCain, and it is not about the stock market. This is prime time for revelation and revival.

Lift your vision up, pray big prayers, and help usher in the Kingdom of God.

The Lord is calling us to stand in the gap, to take up the cause of Christ, and make a positive difference in the world today.

It is in times like this that the hope of the Gospel, the truth of the Cross, and the light of Christ can be clearly seen. Rise up and be positive, be bold, be full of faith and confidence in the Lord God Almighty. He is able, and He is victorious. Don't give into fear or be distracted by the petty things and the worldly things all around, instead lift up the battle cry and declare victory in Christ.

Today is a day for victory. As followers of Christ, as believers, as members of the Body of Christ we have the answer. Today is the day for us to be the infuencers and to stop letting all the things of the world influence us.

It is time to rise up, it is time to put away fear and doubt - it is a time to stand in and declare the victory of Christ!

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Prayer - it flows out of our relationship with the Lord

To many prayer and relationship with the Lord is a complicated thing. To some prayer is very difficult because they don't think they pray right or pray enough. However, Jesus portrays a different message about prayer. He demonstrated that prayer is about relationship with God, it is about being with Him and communicating with Him. When we are close with another person, we want to spend time with them and be with them – and we don't need to come up with a reason to do this, we just do it.


Here is a scripture about Moses that helps illustrate a key about relationship with the Lord.


Ps 103:7
He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.


Moses was the one God appointed to lead the children of Israel from Egypt, through the wilderness, and to the land of Canaan. Through this journey of 40 years Moses closely followed the Lord, while many of the children of Israel complained and dragged their feet. This verse gives us insight into the differences in the relationship God had with Moses, and what He had with the children of Israel.


The word "acts" means exploits, performances, and deeds.


This is much different than the word "ways" which means a course of life, or a road that is followed.


For the children of Israel this communicates that they saw the things God did, the miracles, the acts that He performed. This really doesn't demonstrate much relationship, it was mostly about what God did for them.


For Moses the key was relationship, he walked with God. He was the one that prayed, that sought the face of God, and the one who spoke face to face with Him in the tent of meeting (Ex 33:11). Here we see depth of relationship and friendship.

Let's follow the example of Moses and walk with the Lord, instead of just looking for the things that He can do.

God bless you all.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

The Peace of God

One of the exciting aspects about prayer is that as you pray God enriches your life. Praying is one of those actions that works both in you and through you. A life of prayer is so much more than just asking the Lord to move in people’s lives or situations; it is not limited to reading off a list. Prayer is a sacred opportunity, when you pray you are entering into something divine.

As you read about the life of Christ in the Gospels you will notice that His praying, that His prayer life, was extremely important to Him. There were times that Jesus prayed instead of sleeping, or eating. To Him prayer was a lifeline, a source of life; it was an opportunity to have communion and relationship with the Father. As Jesus prayed and walked in close relationship with the Father He was able to experience the heavenly here on the earth. Yes, He did miracles, but there was more, there was the ability to walk in the world without becoming a part of it.

One of my favorite acts of Christ was when He calmed the storm; He simply spoke and brought peace to the situation. I believe this natural act was a representation of His spiritual life, that His relationship with the Father was so close that the clamoring circumstances (the storms of pressure and stress in the world) were not able to impact His life. The communion with the Lord was so real and so powerful, that the things of the world could not displace it.

This scripture from Philippians is one that represents some of what I am presenting to you.

Phil 4:4-7

4Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

In these verses we are exhorted to rejoice, to be gentle, and not to be anxious - and to pray with thanksgiving. The result of doing this is that the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds.

The peace of God being a guard for our minds, what a blessing; that itself is a great motivation to be praying with an attitude of thanksgiving. In this hectic world we live in having the people of God is a miracle in itself.

But this is not the end of the story.

This section on prayer continues with verses 8 and 9. These verses speak of going past thanksgiving, and into a mindset that focuses on the positives.

Phil 4:8-9

8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 9The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

This section of scripture is very popular with many, and rightly so. It encourages us to focus on the heavenly (Col 3:2, set your mind on things above), and let those things be what we fill our thoughts with. Take a few moments and look at these verses in some other Bible translations; it will help to show you the wonder that is being presented.

The first section of verses, addressed above, spoke of the peace of God. As stated this can be a rare commodity in the world today. Knowing the peace of God is fantastic, and something that all people should be able to experience. This is great, yet the second section of verses, 8 and 9, go beyond just knowing an attribute of God. For as we focus on Him and press in and know the God of peace.

This is experiencing communion with the Lord, this is knowing Him, it is not knowing about Him or just seeing the things He does. This is having a relationship with the God of peace.