Isaiah 30.21

Isaiah 30:21
your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left.NASB95

I am reading in my devotion this morning and it is talking about God's whisper. The example the author is talking about is when he asked God one day "God, if there is something you would like me to do then please say so, it doesn't matter what it is I will do it." So I read this devotion and as soon as I am done I notice I am really hungry. So I got up to go to the kitchen and no sooner had I stood up did I hear the whisper. Really it wasn't a whisper it was loud in my mind. I hear "sit down and finish your time with Me" Can I say that I almost ignored what I heard and went to the kitchen to feed my face, but I didn't, I sat back down and this is what I got. I continued to read further and this is what I saw and heard. Isaiah 30:23 Then He will give you rain for the seed(God will give us words)
which you will sow in the ground……………………….., I find it very cool that the other day He has me write about Proverbs 18 about listening then He gives this to me today about God's whisper. If we don't slow down and let the other person speak and finish and listen. The one thing we could miss is our voice drowning out what Holy Spirit is trying to say. So here is the big question. How many times do I or we hear the whisper of God and choose to walk the other way, maybe even dismissing it thinking that "Oh … that wasn't God or whatever you tell yourself"

 

 

Proverbs 18.13

Proverbs 18:13
He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.NKJV

Proverbs 18:13
Answering before listening is both stupid and rude. The Message When I read this , I had to set and just wonder how many times (I don't do this all of the time) I have answered someone or told them what I thought … basically interrupting them…. Before they were through. It saddens me to think that I believe that my voice is more important than theirs. When I cut someone off in the middle of the conversation I feel I have already passed judgment on them because what I have to say is based on what I perceived that they are saying, but if I don't let them finish how will I know? I know there is a level of discernment but you still need to let them finish. If I have passed judgment then how can I love this person?

 

I want to become a model for people to follow not an expert who thinks he can fix people. That is not my job ………. To fix people. I have enough of Kevin to get fixed to last me a long time. Trying to fix someone else takes away time and energy that I could spend on hearing Holy Spirit for myself.

2 Chronicles 14

2 Chronicles 14:11
Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, "Lord, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O Lord our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; let not man prevail against You."NASB95

Today put God between you and the enemy and get out of His way. Whatever difficulties that you are facing, you need to ask yourself. Am I in the way? Or am I out of the way? Reality is you might think you are out of the way when really you are right in the thick of it. 2 Chronicles 15:4 "But in their distress they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him.NASB95
So get out of the way and He will find you, draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.

Luke 2.11

Christ has come and this is a day to rejoice! Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.NASB95

Could you just for a moment imagine opening up your bible to find the last book in it was Malachi. No hope, no comfort and no salvation. Thank you Jesus that you are there in the world's most famous journal. As I reflect on the last few days. It has been tough post surgery. I have tried to stay focused on the prize and I would like to say the pain was too much. Then I have to think about what Jesus went through on the cross. My pain is nothing compared to what he went through. Here is what the message says... Hebrews 12:3-5 When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. The Message
I am very grateful, but it would be easy to feel sorry for myself. When I think about the five inch gash and the three in gash in my gut it pales in comparison to Jesus on the whipping post. To think, I have pain meds, Jesus did not.

I am supposed to go to Waco today, but I don't want to, because I hurt. So I have a choice, I can hurt at home or hurt there. Either way I am going to hurt. So I am going to Waco. I want to thank everyone for calling and checking up on me it has been overwhelming. I wish everyone A Merry and Joyful Christmas and a prosperous 2011.

Smile today they are contagious

Nehemiah 8:10
Then he said to them, "Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."NASB95

 

 

Use me God

Ever heard the phrase "Use me God, Use me!"

I want to ask you a question. Would you ever "use your sons or daughters to get something done for yourself?"  That almost sounds selfish and that is not who God is. He is not self seeking, agreed? Do you think they would ever say Daddy use me?  I am going to use my child to get what I want. If you are led to go into the mission field is it so you can be used by God or to walk in what you have learned from your Father, to serve not to be used. I think because your Daddy loves you and that you love him that you are going to do the things that make your Daddy proud because of who you are in Him!  He is not going to use you,   He is going to stand back and watch because you have listened and learned to walk in His ways, to learn his statutes, His commandments, His ordinances and His testimonies.  This is my Son for whom I am well pleased!  You are not going to get in the way because you have learned to speak when He tells you to speak and you do what He tells you to do. Just something to think about.

1 Kings 2:2-4
"I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. "Keep the charge of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 so that the Lord may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'NASB95

"I'm about to go the way of all the earth, but you—be strong; show what you're made of! Do what God tells you. Walk in the paths he shows you: Follow the life-map absolutely, keep an eye out for the signposts, his course for life set out in the revelation to Moses; then you'll get on well in whatever you do and wherever you go. Then God will confirm what he promised me when he said, 'If your sons watch their step, staying true to me heart and soul, you'll always have a successor on Israel's throne.'

 

Always be ready

Always be ready! Are you? Are you ready for that one person who comes up to you and says "can you tell me exactly what it means to be a Christian and how I can become one?"
1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, NIV
Personally, I have never had anyone ask me that specific question before, but you know he is out there. I would hate for someone to ask me that question and then I do my best job at explaining what I know and then they said they had to go and then they looked at me and said "Oh well, thanks for trying" that would be a sickening feeling. So my question is Are you ready for that question? Are you prepared? That person is coming.

1 Peter 3:15 through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.The Message
I think there are a few things we can do to prepare for this time. First, know your story and be able to share it in 3 to 5 minutes. Speak the truth in love and show compassion. I think it would be good for your relationship with the Lord to be in a good place, People can tell if you are approachable. Speaking on your relationship with the One. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best. Where are you today? I can say for myself that I am a 7 today. I have been better and I have been worse. Have a great day!

2 Timothy 2.3

As I read my devotion this morning it took me to 2 Timothy. The first thing I see is the title to Chapter 2, it says "Be strong in Grace" My first thought was "I am going to be tested today" my next thought is "oh great, what is coming now" so now I begin to read Chpt 2 in the nasb and as I am reading I come to a scripture that I have memorized in another version. This version 2 Timothy 2:3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. NASB95
This made it a little more personal. I just have to remember that whatever circumstance comes my way today I have the opportunity to allow it to mold me into a reflection of our Lord or not. Grace, Grace and Grace. I assure you, I will not be the only one that will be tested today, look forward to your test. You might not even know it until it is over. Know who you are today!

Amen

Guard your heart

I heard someone say once that worry is fear with teeth, that has always stuck in my mind. Do you ever wonder if you worry hard enough that you might actually change the outcome of some circumstance in your life? A circumstance that most likely you have absolutely no control over. Maybe you are going to have surgery …… like me on the 23^rd. Don't think for a minute that I have not worried about the outcome of this routine surgery. As I get closer to the date I find nervousness and I hear the thoughts. What if something goes wrong? What if I die? Things happen you know. Guess what I WILL BE A SLEEP! Can't do a thing. I can get prayed up. I can take that the thought captive; I know I am not in control. Philippians 4:6-7
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. The Msg.
So here is what I know, I have a choice …. I can take that thought as a warning shot across the bow of my ship and take aim and shoot back with a folly of prayer or I can worry about something I have no control over. Give it to Him because He has giving us a promise
Philippians 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.NKJV

When man makes you a promise and he breaks that promise or tries to break his promise, this is what you hear "but you promised!" We hold Man accountable and man will fail. Our Lord does not fail and his promises hold true, after all, He is wise, He is willing, and He is able.
Matthew 6:33-34 Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.The Message

Amen

 

Worry or self-discipline

Is worry a sin? Hmmm…………. I think so. What does the bible say? Philippians 4.6 says don't be anxious about anything ………………. Romans 14.23 says ………………..Everything that does not come from faith is sin…… Do you ever say "I am concerned about something" "I have some issues I am working through" "I have lot on my mind right now" These phrases make you sound smart, like you're an important person with big things going on. What they don't do is make you sound like a worry wart. You are just sugar coating the fact that you are worrying. Call it what you want but the truth is this, worry is SIN! Isn't this fun! So here is where I am at, I am over weight …. About 50 lbs. Now granted I am 6'2" 255 but that extra weight is in the wrong places. I have been thinking about this for the last year
(another one of the phrases that makes me sound smart, but really it is worry) as I watched myself slowly gain the weight and not exercise. So here is where the worry sets in. I am not 30 anymore, I am 49 so I have to do something, exercise and eat better before circumstances in my life dictate that I do, and I don't want that. So what is worry? Worry is the sin of distrusting the promises and power of God. It is choosing to dwell on, to think about, the worst case scenario. It is faith in the bad things rather than faith in God (quote from the book Christian Atheist)
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.NLT
So dose self discipline and worry go hand in hand? I think so…. At least for me they do. If I had self –discipline with my eating and Dr. Peppers then I would not be overweight. So may lack of self-discipline has led to my overweight and my silent worry. My lack of self-discipline has led to numerous issues in my life that I worry about. (or really issues that I don't trust God about)
Matthew 6:25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?NKJV
"life" is translated from the Greek word psuche (sue-kay) which also translates to the word soul. That passage takes on a whole new meaning. It actually means every aspect of your life, it means Bushido (The way of the warrior) this warrior trains every part of his body. The mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. It means yesterday, today and future life (soul). Jesus says ……. Don't worry! So, I leave you with this. He who knows what to do and does not do it, that is sin to him. I have work to do …. Do you?

Nothing like having to look at yourself to see who you are.

TGIF

TGIF Today God Is First by Os Hillman

 

As I was going through some documents that are saved on my computer, I came across this one and it really resonated in my spirit. It is interesting because when I feel like everything is going wrong or I feel like the Lord has pulled away from me, It is more my fault than anything. Just something to think about. I have to be carefull and not give the enemy to much credit for the problems that I actually cause myself, The article below does have a lot of truth

 
"One day the evil spirit answered them, 'Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?'" - Acts 19:15
Are you a threat to the kingdom of darkness? If satan and his demons had a board meeting and your name came before the board, what would they say? Would they say that you are one of their most feared enemies and they needed to keep many demons harassing and opposing you? Or would they say, "Gentlemen, this person poses no threat to our activities. Leave him alone. He needs no help from us." There are millions of church-going believers sitting in pews Sunday after Sunday who pose little threat to the kingdom of darkness.
If we truly believe that we war against rulers and principalities that cannot be seen, then we must realize that their mandate is to hinder any believer who is seeking to walk in the fullness of God. However, "greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 Jn. 4:4b KJV).
If you are seeking to fully follow the Lord, you can expect harassment from the enemy. God permits temptation because it drives us deeper into the soil of God. These times reveal God's power to keep us and walk us through the temptations. Our message becomes fruitful when it is born out of obedience and suffering for His name. Do not consider it strange if you find yourself fighting major battles the more obedient you become to the Master. God desires each of us to become a feared enemy of hell in order to affect satan's domain. When you begin to feel harassed, chances are you are beginning to affect the kingdom of darkness, and satan doesn't like this.

So, how many demons do you think are assigned to you? Better yet how many demons has the enemy pulled away from you since you are not doing what you are suppose to be doing? Hmmmmm?

    

Psalm 115

Psalm 115:11
All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! He is your helper and your shield. NLT

Psalm 115:11
You who [reverently] fear the Lord, trust in and lean on the Lord! He is their Help and their Shield. AMP
As I am reading this morning I go to Psalm 115 because I am going on Quest 115. This was something I felt last night in our staff meeting. I knew I was going there this morning and I was not disappointed. When I got to this passage it made me wonder just how much I trust the Lord. Is my trust in the Lord a direct correlation to how much I fear Him and if I fear Him, then does that mean that I have trust in Him? But then comes the next promise for those who fear Him, He will bless you. It gets better, His mercy is great for those who fear Him! So I guess the big questions are …….. Do you trust Him with everything or are their parts of your life that you keep for yourself, because you feel you can do a better job?

Psalm 115:13
He will bless those who fear the Lord, both great and lowly. NLT

Psalm 115:13
He will bless those who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord, both small and great.AMP

 

Psalm 103:11-12
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. KJV

 

Matthew 26.40

Just a little something the LORD showed me back in 2009. I came across it this morning as I was reading, so I thought I would share it with you.
Matthew 26.40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!"[1]
Here is what I got from the above passage.  Jesus says (Kevin's paraphrase) You are one of the disciples in the Garden  (Think about this for a moment.  The God of the universe is in the Garden Praying….. he is sweating blood …. it is so intense … picture it in your mind the scene from the passion of the Christ)  (remember he has already told them once too watch and pray)  He walks over to the disciples and says what are you doing?  I told you to watch and pray so you would not fall into temptation.  Why are you sleeping?   The disciples are in the Garden with the God of the universe.  He is telling them to watch and pray.  He is saying …. "Keep your eyes on me and Pray   He is saying   "WATCH ME"  " Focus on Me!!!!!   nothing else.  I AM   ….. I AM   …….. The God of the universe.  I am going to die for YOU and you are sleeping?   You are putting something else before me?   So what is the temptation here?   the temptation was sleep. (some might call it Idolatry)   Something other than the God of the universe became more important and it was sleep.  the God of the universe goes back to pray more and they fall asleep again.  Were they even tired?  they were tempted to fall asleep when they should have been watching Jesus and praying and instead they fell.

So… Are you focused on Jesus Today?  Or are you focused on something else other than The GOD of the Universe

Well … this is my take.  Add or take away.

Proverbs 14.29

Chapter 25 (How to stop the Pain) in relationships we surrender some of our rights as individuals. What I mean is, when you care for one another you must accept the fact that our actions affect others. Quote: As such, we cannot ask people in our lives and then refuse them the right to give input into our lives. "You can be in my life, but keep your opinions to yourself" is not the stuff of real relationships. If you want to grow in any relationship then you must consider how your behavior affects the other person. So think about this for a moment, in your relationship with your spouse or who ever, was it your behavior that caused the friction? Where something that was so simple just blew up? Sometimes we just don't listen to what is being communicated to us, especially when it comes to our spouse. Proverbs 14:29 Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding; a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity. The Message Nothing like feeling stupid when someone is trying to tell you something and you don't want to hear it. "It is not being judgmental when someone points out that our behavior is unscriptural. It is called meaningful input." So you have a choice, you can listen and receive or get mad and go pout or do whatever you do when someone is trying to speak into you. Some of you may feel that you need new friends because you don't like the way your current friends are speaking into you. That is not the answer. So I would say this ……. When someone is speaking into you and what they are saying is making you upset, then I would seek Holy Spirit and ask this question. If what they are saying is true then why is it making me so upset, why am I fighting it, what are you trying to show me Lord? Amen

Jeremiah 17:5
Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man (or himself) And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord.NKJV

Jeremiah 17:7-8
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.NKJV

 

Which one are you? This is as much for me as anyone.

Confession

We had men's group tonight at my house. We meet every Wednesday night and it is always good. We have about five to six that meet. We get in each other's stuff. No posing allowed. Good shot in the arm tonight. Sometimes you just need to confess so you can be healed. James 5:16
Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].AMP It is amazing that when you do what the Word of God tells you to do then his promises come. I confessed rebellion, got prayed over by righteous men and got healed. It is not that I don't know what to do …. It is that I don't do it. I don't have a knowledge problem I had a rebellion problem. He who knows what to do and does not do it, that is sin to him. (Not my favorite scripture) We finished up the night with this scripture out of the Amplified Bible. Philippians 4:11-13
Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].AMP So I have two questions for you. Are you content? Have you confessed and got prayed over and healed?

Amen

 

 

 

 

 

We talked about attitude tonight. I have to confess that my attitude has not been good lately.

Philippians 4

Something I have not thought about in a long time. Praying for the Holy Spirit to rest on me when I am at a coffee shop or restaurant or a family gathering. You know …. Praying in a way so the Holy Spirit would fill that place and radiate from me. Don't talk about God. Don't pray out loud for people to hear you, but just be Jesus with skin on and be Joyful.

Romans 8:26-27 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.NLT
I will have to admit that lately I have not been doing this …… praying. You have to understand that praying is communicating with the Lord and reading scripture is listening. Have not been doing that very well either. You know …. You skip a day, then you skip two then all of a sudden a week goes by and you wonder why you are in a funk. Imagine that! So that is where I have been …. Just kinda doing my own thing and it is just not working. When you stop reading and you stop praying then you reap what you sow. One more thing I just realized, my gratitude tank has been on empty. Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.NLT So there you have it, that is where I have been.

Grace pt. 2

So here is the follow up to grace, I failed miserably. No sooner had I wrote my post did I get put to the test that night. Bekah had auditioned for Sing Song at Abilene Christian University as a freshman and she made it. Freshmen don't make, but she did. My precious daughter Bekah texted us at 11.00 with the awesome news, but I could not see the forest for the trees. I was dead asleep, but she did not know. I was not happy, because I knew I would not be able to go back to sleep. (it took me almost two hours to go back to sleep.)
James 1:19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.NLT
I did not listen, I was quick to speak and quick to become angry. In other words there was no grace at all from me and I was judgmental. I would hate to think that the Shepherd who had one sheep wander off kept quiet when he found the lost sheep. If it was at night I am sure he would have gone to wake up people to let them know the good news. If you don't every fail at the test, how do you expect to get better. I had someone tell me today that when you get a revelation from the Lord about something that you should be prepared that you are going to get tested about it. That seems to be the norm lately. Romans 12:3
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.NASB95

It has been a hard two days, but we are better now. I apologized and Rebekah and I had good conversation today. I thank those men who spoke into me the last two days. It was well received and correct …….Kevin

 

Grace

Every had one of those days? The day where nothing goes according to ……….Whose plan? Traveled 45 minutes to a job to do something really stupid and totally unnecessary, only to find out later that I have to go back because that stupid thing we did was not right. Or to arrive at the next job to work to realize that what we needed to do had to wait another day. To arrive at the next job to install three doors, only to realize after we ripped out the first door and (trashed the jamb) that it was the wrong size. So we had to put the jamb back together (which was difficult and re-install the old door.) After further observance we figured out that all of the doors were wrong. They got messed up at the factory. So I got the lucky job of telling the clients that the doors were all wrong and we had to order new ones. But before I told them I asked the Lord if they would show me as much grace as you have shown them. That is what happened……… GRACE!
Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.NLT Acts 20:32
"And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.NLT Romans 1:7
I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.NLT
So after everything that happened yesterday I got to see firsthand the grace of God on me. I have to tell you …….. That job had the potential to completely derail me for the rest of the day, but it did not. Once again I had a choice, walk in my depravity or experience the Grace of our Lord. I figure that in the so not distant future I will have the opportunity to show someone the Grace of God like I was shown yesterday. So here is the big question……… Are you showing your spouse, children, co-workers ……… anyone, the same amount of grace that the Lord shows you? Or are you playing God and withholding that grace because you don't think they deserve it. Guess what? If you are then you have become the wicked servant. If you are showing Grace, then may you have peace.

 

 

1 Peter 1.6

My wife is leaving to serve on Heart Quest today and there is always a little bit of fear in me. I know I need to take that thought captive, but still it is there. I have battled all morning to avoid getting in the word. Does that ever happen to you? You know you need to read but you avoid it at all costs. You walk by your bible and you feel the tug, but you put it off? Or maybe this……….. You tell yourself you will read in a minute and before you know it you don't have time and you are out the door. I actually made myself get in the word and it only took three hours to get there. So I hear James 5, but it was 1 Peter that nailed me. 1 Peter 1:6
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.NLT
So I continue to read and then I get to verse 13 1 Peter 1:13
So think clearly and exercise self-control. ……………………………………. 1 Peter 1:13 I didn't have to read any further. Enough said.

Walk in who you know you are today and be free.

 

 

2 Corinthians 10.5

I walked in victory yesterday. I was at my father-in-laws yesterday afternoon working on his unprotected computer. What I mean is, on my personal computer I have an internet filter to prevent inappropriate material from being accessed. Steve's computer does not have this. So there I am working on getting his email and office working when he says that he has to leave for about an hour. I was terrified. I know my flesh very well. As soon as he said that, I heard the enemy say (perfect you can look at whatever you want) so I had a choice, I could get up and walk away or I could kick the enemy's ass. I did not call anyone, but what I did was take that thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,NKJV You see, the Lord had me call a man who lives in Michigan ( At the time I did not know it was the Lord, I called to just say hi) and we talked about this very thing as I sat in Steve's driveway. He reminded me about 2 Corinthians 10.5. The whole time I was there in front of the computer the enemy continued to accuse me. I know who I am and yesterday I walked it out. I am broken right now and I don't even know why, but I know it is God. Thank You Jesus

I leave you with this, 2 Corinthians 10.5 works for everything; it works on anything that comes against you that is not of God. The other area of my life that the enemy has come against me is with my Daughter Nichole. When she got pregnant at the age of 16, every dream and expectation I had was smashed to hell. One day when I was beating myself up … thinking, where did I go wrong raising her? The Lord gave me a word … a promise on June 22, 2008 at 8:30 pm, I was reading in Proverbs 22, verse 6 leaped off the page. All of you with children know this scripture.
Proverbs 22:6 Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.NLT. As soon as I read that I heard the Holy Spirit say "Patience Kevin …… Nichole is not older yet" I have had peace ever since. It gets better … on down I came to this verse Proverbs 22:19 I am teaching you today—yes, you— so you will trust in the Lord.NLT I hear "trust me and my promise" so now when the enemy tries to accuse me about Nichole, I take that thought captive as well

 
 

 

The Email

I have been going through a little email battle with a company that I get a little men's devotional magazine from. I finally got frustrated enough that I sent him an email, (the editor) Tired of being frustrated.  Cancel my subscription please.  Not my individual but the group.  I will send a check immediately for the remaining balance.
It is interesting here because you never know when God is going to show up. (I think I wrote about this a few days ago) Here is what he responded back with. I am so very sorry about your frustration. I am also saddened that the men in your circle of influence who were served by Men of Integrity will no longer receive our spiritual encouragement and challenge. Please do accept my sincere apologies. We really do try our best to serve our customers, and it is we deep regrets that we have not been able to serve you.
So I just sat there and stared at the email for a while and then wrote a response. Here is what I said. I have started a men's group in my home that is not affiliated with a church it is only affiliated with Jesus.  I am not with the other group anymore.  All I wanted was to drop my subscription down to 10 instead of 20 and I could not figure out how to do that on the website.  Don't sweat it, the men in this group don't even know. 

Here is what I know.  That Jesus said in Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."NKJV

So you see all is not lost.  Emails suck because you don't hear the tone of the individual on the other end.  I am not mad; it is just easier to cancel than to keep going back and forth.  I think the Men of Integrity magazine is awesome and I have been reading it for four years.  In fact I have some missing copies.  What can I do to get the missing copies?  Do you have some back issues that you would sell?

You know as I read my email to you and ponder this whole thing ,  Holy Spirit just showed up and got my attention, and I just realized that I have not shown you any grace and certainly not the grace that my Father shows me.  For that I am sorry, will you forgive me.  Will you drop my subscription to 10 instead of 20?  Can you do that? 

 

So here is the deal, do I/we show the same grace to friends, family, businesses, whoever we interact with the same amount of grace that our Father shows us? Or do we pick and choose who we give grace too? Let's go one more ….. Do you Love unconditionally or do you have standards that you go by and you pick and choose.

Kevin