Heaven

Been reading a book and finished it this morning. Never read "90 minutes in Heaven" still haven't. What I read was "Heaven is for real" by Todd Burbo. It is about a boy that is four years old who dies on the operating table and he goes to Heaven and then is revived. I am not going to go into details because it is really good. I finished it this morning. I read the last 10 chapters this morning and I was in tears for most of the time. It is very interesting because lately I have had a very unsettled feeling in my gut about getting old and dying. I know I am not that old, but the thoughts still come. Don't you think about it occasionally? Anyway I received peace about that this morning a very calm spirit. Thank You Jesus!

A memory was brought back to me while reading, it was a memory that I thought that I had dealt with and I still believe I have. It was the memory of my previous wife Karen and our miscarriage of Taylor in 1993. I have had people tell me "you will see him again when you go to Heaven" Yeah I know, No big deal right? I think sometimes we just kind of brush those remarks off. The quote in the book says this…… Colton (4 yrs. old who is the one who went to Heaven during surgery and came back, this is part of the conversation he had with his sister while in Heaven) says, "She just can't wait for you and Daddy to get to Heaven" (He is saying this to his mom after he said "I have two sisters" He did not know about the other sister, he did not know about the miscarriage.) I felt that is what I was hearing Taylor say to me right then. It broke me big time. I wanted to call Karen and tell her right then. I will tell Karen another day, because today this was for me.

Amen

Matthew 18 33-35

Forgiveness or un-forgiveness:

Don't you hate when something is bothering you and you just can't place it? You talk about it amongst yourself and you end up making it worse! What I am trying to say is bitterness, anger, un-forgiveness. They do not have a place in your heart if you are going to walk with Jesus. What does Jesus say Matthew 18.33 Shouldn't you have treated the other servant as mercifully as I treated you?' 34 "His master was so angry that he handed him over to the torturers until he would repay everything that he owed. 35 That is what my Father in heaven will do to you if each of you does not sincerely forgive other believers." I am in my men's group last night and we are talking about this very subject. I got called out. I have men in my group that love me enough to call me out instead of saying. "I am sorry did you pray about that" or "Wow that is a tough place to be" or " here is what you need to do" but instead I hear" Brother? You know what this group is about you are walking in unforgiveness." I thought "Really" screw you I am not. Then I set there for moment a quick moment and heard "yep you sure are" So I received what was spoken to me

Now what do I do? I took it to the Lord, that is what I did. I prayed about this several times last night in bed and then this morning I walked around my house and prayed about it. I finally got peace and then I was able to write. Last night was when I realized after I got in bed that this week I was turned over to the tormentors and didn't like it.

When does a deceived person know he is deceived?

2 Cor 4:17-18

Yesterday, this word was giving, God said, "Good eyes! I am sticking with you; I will make every word I give you come true."
Jeremiah 1.12 This is a word for everyone! Believe it and walk in it. Today I get this ¹⁷ for our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. 2 Cor.4:17-18 I am so guilty of this myself. It is so easy to focus on what is right in front of you. You know the "woe is me attitude." Do you know this person? The complainer. Nothing ever goes right, nothing is never enough. I have been this person. In the last three and a half months there were several times I was this person. I was not easy to live with. Instead of the mind of Christ, I was the complainer, the griper or whatever you want to call me. I had my good days but the bad days were more frequent. So the word today is a good word for me and I receive it. Could this word be for you as well? I would stop right now and ask Holy Spirit, Where is my focus?

I have 17 and 18 underlined in my bible but have never seen this. It says our present troubles produce glory that vastly outweighs them and lasts forever.

Peace

 

So what did you hear when you asked Holy Spirit?

God said, "Good eyes! I am sticking with you, I will make every word I give you come true." This is a word for everyone! Believe it and walk in it. Jeremiah 1.12

Romans 6.9

Oswald says on April 12

If it is difficult to get right with God, it is because we will not decide definitely about sin. Immediately we do decide, the full life of God comes in. When I read this devo this morning it was not really speaking to me until I got to this phrase... I guess I was ready to receive it this morning. So if you have that struggle … overeating, lying, lazy, sexual sin, finances, you depravity …. Whatever that may be. You have to make a decision if you are going to continue down that road. Which dog you going to feed? Which road you going to take? Here is what scripture says. Romans 6:9-11 because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. AMP so after readying the quote and the above passage it is plain to see. Freedom is a choice. You can continue to believe what Holy Spirit says in Roman's or believe that it does not apply to you. Then you believe the lies of the enemy. You don't have to be the sharpest spoon in the drawer to figure this out. You just have to believe and have faith

FAITH = Fear is Annihilated as Incarnate Truth is Heard

 

 

Do you know Me?

Do You Know Me?

 

 

This is a long read but well worth it. My friend Kyle Hargrove wrote this and I asked him if I could post this on my blog. He said Go For It!

It's difficult to even contemplate. Have you ever thought about the hundreds of thousands of ways our lives are impacted every day because of our relationships with other people? Wow! Just sitting here thinking about it has my brow furrowed in wonder. If you do give it some thought, my guess is that you, like I, would determine that it is a rhetorical question – one to which we already know the answer. Truth is, there is no way to answer the question with any degree of accuracy. What we can say, however, is that our lives would indeed be a dry, barren desert – hardly worth living – were it not for the good, and even the bad that our relationships are guaranteed to bring. There is nothing like it. When you and another person find common ground and begin to familiarize yourselves with one another, you can almost hear the pieces of the puzzle clicking together.

Discovering common friends and interests, realizing the similarities between your families, and spending enjoyable time getting to know a new friend is almost like a rebirth of sorts. God sometimes sends us new relationships just when we need them most. Remember getting to know your newborn child? An adventure every moment of every day. I remember making a new friend when in my early 20's. We began to discover first off that we were comfortable with one another. After we determined that we had numerous common interests and passions, a bond was sealed and we have been friends for life. Though he now lives in another state and our contact is very limited, we can pick up where we left off anytime we make contact. We have seen the best and the worst of times together. We've been through births, deaths, marriages and divorces, frozen pipes, hurt feelings, ski trips, survival treks, and even years of no contact. I feel that I know this man inside and out. I know the good in him, and I know his faults. Trouble is, he also knows mine!!

Let me tell you about someone else I know – someone who also knows me inside and out, upside and down, good side, bad side, funny side, sad side, over and out, sometimes better than I even know myself. She is my partner for the rest of my life. She eats, sleeps, plays, works, laughs, cries, worships, sings, worries, mothers, cleans, cooks, vacates, and recreates with me. No doubt that she loves me – or that I love her equally. All the things just listed that she does, I do as well. Our relationship is one of reciprocity. Not perfect, but the best ever. We work hard to maintain the philosophy of give first, take last. When implemented, it never fails. As I have shared with clients for more than a decade, those who focus on giving first, are never disappointed with what they receive in return. Those who are constantly worried about "what's in it for me," are never satisfied with what they get.

Truth is, however, this relationship poses a problem for me. Though I crave the intimacy that my wife gives out of an overflow, it sometimes makes for trouble in my walk with God, and consequently, my willingness to take on the leadership role in my house. I sort of feel like Adam in the Garden of Eden. God has commanded that this role be mine – not hers. I can picture myself looking upward, hiding behind a bush, wearing only a fig leaf, in desperation, pleading with God. "But Lord, I am having so much trouble doing what you expect. And while we're on the subject, it's not me, it's this woman you gave me!" Now that you have this image burned into your mind, please withhold any comments about the fig leaf. It's just part of the story.

Here's the problem. And research shows that I am among the majority of Christian men when this topic is at hand. Men often struggle when it comes to praying with their wives. Our intentions are good. Our motives are pure. But the end result, far too often for many of us, is that we neglect to spend that precious time talking to the Lord with our best earthly friend. We fail to initiate that time together, and have a dozen excuses at the ready. It's too late, or we're too tired, or we'll do it tomorrow, or we've already done it once this week, or we don't feel good, or we have a headache, or we have to get up early, or blah blah blah blah blah.

Do you notice how those excuses sound like the same ones made to avoid sexual intimacy? That's no coincidence. Women are not as physically attracted to a man who does not fulfill his obligations as the leader of the house – the husband of the wife – or the father of the children. This includes spiritual leadership. And boys, bedtime can be far more adventurous when we get on our knees with our wives instead of getting on our soapboxes against them. Ask any Christian woman. Experiencing spiritual intimacy with their mate increases their desire for the physical blessing as well. But many of our wives have gotten to the point where they're surprised if we do stop and take the time to pray with them. And I'm not talking about blessing the food at the dinner table. The harsh truth? They have given up on us.

Why is it that we seem to have little or no problem praying for our wives, but not with them? Why can we pray aloud in Sunday School or at the table, but not in the bedroom? Why is it that we can teach a bible lesson to 75 people, but can't manage to crack that same bible open at home? I think there are two reasons at least.

First, and most obvious, this requires self-discipline, submission and vulnerability – all traits with which men are not often comfortable. Being the spiritual leader in the household means getting on our faces before God, and submitting to Him – DAILY. It means turning over the reins and following His leadership. It means not being in total control. These expectations are unnatural! But so is God. He is supernatural. And so are the blessings we receive from Him when we submit to His will. Numerous times scripture reminds us that He is at his best and strongest, when we are at our weakest. And that's not a weakened state brought on by hunger or sickness. It's a "willing weakness" that He's asking for. Very, very unnatural for a man.

The second reason, however, is the one that seems to be harder for us to get. Why is it that we have such a difficult time with spiritual intimacy when it comes to our wives? I think it's because they know us. And we know that they know us. They know us better than anyone else. They know our gifts, and abilities, and the best in us, and that's good. But it's what else they know that causes the problem.

They know our faults. They know our weaknesses. They know our sins. They know everything about us that we would not want them or anyone else to know. I've only recently discovered that the unwillingness to make prayer and bible study a priority with my wife, is because I fear she sees me as a hypocrite. It's not a "front of the brain" conscious fear, but one that permeates my soul very subtly. It's hard to recognize. It's difficult to diagnose. And it's still a challenge to overcome even after I've figured it out.

Know what else it is?

It's Satan's best and most utilized tool in the home. God would never put in our minds thoughts that convince us that we are inadequate. But Satan would. God acknowledges our weakness and fallibility. But He forgives those shortcomings and still expects us to do great things. For in Him we are more than conquerors. In Him we are perfect and faultless and blameless. He wants us to go against the flow – break the chain, if you will – and stick out our collective tongues at Satan by breaking out God's Word and praying it into and for our spouses and children. Sort of a justifiable "nanny-nanny-boo-boo."

So often the devil's preferred methods utilize subtlety and a slow erosion of standards and character. Remember that when you see that you are leaving your intentions behind and following through with behavior which is inconsistent, even with your own best intentions.

So, do you know me? If so, it's a good thing.

 

 

 

 

Can you hear Him?

So now that I have had confession with my wife and I am off the crutches, my walk with the Lord seems to be on the rise again. I am not sure I like that … I mean I hate the thought that my walk with the Lord depends on my attitude instead of spending time with Him to help me with my attitude. So…. I am reading this morning in Mark and before I read I always pray and ask for something I can write about. As you can see I don't write every day. My devotion this morning was out of Oswald and I thought it was the 7^th so that is what I read … this is a quote "Say nothing until the Son of man is risen in you—until the life of the risen Christ so dominates you that you understand what the historic Christ taught. When you get to the right state on the inside, the word which Jesus has spoken is so plain that you are amazed you did not see it before. You could not understand it before; you were not in the place in disposition where it could be borne. This explains a lot of things, have you ever noticed when you make yourself read the word a lot of times you don't get anything? It is a common thing. So the big question or one of the questions this morning is this; Are you being dominated by the Risen Lord or is something else dominating you? So here is the second part verse 49 out of Mark says
…………………………………….."Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you."NASB95. Are you in the frame of mind to hear Him when He is calling you?

 

Who do you obey?

^26 But ^gthe ⁷Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will ^hsend in My name, ⁱHe will teach you all things, and bring to your ^jremembrance all things that I said to you. John 14-17 are 4 chapters of the Gospels that are my favorites. So it was no surprise this morning when I woke to here John 14. So I read and it really spoke to me. You hear the Holy Spirit … I hear the Holy Spirit. So you can do like I did and hear Him and disobey for two months or hear Him and obey. After my confession I have had a huge burden lifted off my shoulders. I wish I had obeyed sooner. So what is Holy Spirit telling you or better yet, what has He told you to do? and you deliberately disobeyed Him? What I mean is … You heard Him and you know you heard Him and you just turned your back on Him. That is what I did and it did not work well for me.

 

I can remember growing up and my father telling me. (17yrs old) "Son, when you go down to Dallas for that concert, do not do anything to get thrown in jail," "Okay dad no problem." The consequences of the sin are bigger than the sin itself. I got thrown in jail.
When I got home I was disciplined. My vehicle was taken away and I was grounded for six weeks. I didn't have a cell phone or they would have taken that as well. My point is if you choose to walk in disobedience then you better be ready for the discipline. He disciplines those He loves and He loves you.

Confession

Confession is good for the Soul. Anyone read James lately? I have not but I know what He says about confessing and being healed. James 5:16
Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.The Message. Over the last two to three months, )not sure how long actually )I have felt that I needed to confess some particular things to my wife. Things that only the men I walk with know about. Evil things! I listened to a message the other day by Robert Morris on Pride and Purity. Lets just say that those messages hit my about as hard as I hit the concrete 8 weeks ago today. So Sunday night I confessed to my wife and I am on my way back up the mountain. My attitude has changed, My outlook has changed and the way I see my wife has changed. Sometimes it is the smallest things in life that have the biggest results. So my question is this…….. do you have anything you need to confess and who do you need to confess it too besides the Lord?

3.00 in the morning

I fought it this morning. I woke up at three this morning knowing it was the Lord ….. I lay in bed. 3.30 I lost that battle and got up and went and set at my computer and still fought it. I DID NOT WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU THIS MORNING!!!. I uploaded more pictures to my website still fighting that pull I was feeling in my gut. I hear John 17 so I read, but it was John 18 that nailed me where Jesus says Shall I not drink from this cup of suffering the Father has given me? Now I know the Lord did not break my leg, but I also know that He could have immediately healed me right then and there if He had wanted too. So I just have to wonder what exactly was or is going on. So I chewed on that for a minute or two and then this one came to me. Hebrew 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. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. The Message. Can I tell you …. I don't really believe in the last 7 ½ weeks that I have gone over the story of Jesus in my mind once. Many people have asked me this question to the point where I am sick of hearing it. What do you think the Lord is trying to show you? My response has been "Hell I don't know" and I probably won't know for a couple of months or maybe even years, but I am sure I will see it sometime. It has been really hard the last couple of weeks to understand just exactly what is happening? I have lost a bathroom remodel and a kitchen remodel because my leg was broken. The kitchen remodel was my job, but they decided without talking to me that I could not do the job and I am a general contractor. So they hired someone else. They approached me first and didn't even give me a chance. That hurt deeply. I have also been working on a $41000, 00 addition estimate I got it all done and when I am ready to present the numbers (and it is looking really good that I am going to get this job) She has a stroke and they find out she has leukemia and now they are giving her less than a year to live. So that job is dead at least for now. So …. What is God trying to show me? Hmmm

So I ask, Lord I just bleed all over the place how can I end this? Immediately these passages come to me. Proverbs 3:5-7
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.AMP

 

A Great Reply

A great reply to my post

Great questions to ask. I would guess that many of us are like you - I know I am. Here is what Daddy is telling me. #1 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial... you know the verse. #2 and I'm not sure I like this but He said it so I know it is true. How deep do my roots go? When the winds blow hard, am I uprooted or will I bend but not be uprooted? How will I know if I see Him as a Sugar Daddy if I don't ever experience tough times? Ouch, that hurts for me because I have two times of the year for contracts and I am in the middle of one of them. Yesterday, I find out a contract I have had since 2002 was beat by 40%. That stinks - who is my provider? Is Daddy good in my mind as long as all my contracts come back or as long I am healthy? Daddy, I confess that I have not trusted in you but have trusted in myself. I repent of my sin and ask you to forgive me. I thank you that you are a good Daddy and that you don't always give me what I want , but you always give me what I need ( even if it is a little kick in the pants ) . Kee, thanks for being open and honest - you inspire me. Thank you for being my friend! Iron sharpens Iron. Blessings, Chuck

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Philippians 4

Hello everyone, it has been five weeks and a couple of days since I broke my leg. I have at least two more full weeks on crutches or more. It all depends on what the doctor says and how it heals. I have been fairly busy the last two weeks with a couple of big remodel estimates I am putting together. I am writing because I have noticed something. My relationship with the Lord the day before I broke my leg was about a nine. I was spending time in the word and praying and doing what I felt the Lord was having me do. I was Excited about getting up in the morning to see what he has for me. I have noticed … especially the last couple of weeks that I have no fire …. No desire. I get up in the morning and have to make myself get in the word or pray. You would think with all this time I have had that I would be getting closer or hearing better, that has not been the case in fact it has been the opposite So the question I have for myself is this. Does my walk and how close I am to the Lord in direct relation to my circumstances in my life. That is how it appears right at this moment. I really hate to think that my walk with the Lord has anything to do with my circumstances. AS I have typed this He brought this passage to me.

11 Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be l content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. 12 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. 13 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]

Philippians 4

Roman’s and Ephesians

Romans 6:23 (NIV) ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life In Christ Jesus our Lord. I am driving down the road yesterday with a good friend of mine and we are having good conversation. Out of the blue I dropped an f bomb …… just one. I was floored and embarrassed. I don't talk that way. I have heard the phrase "out of the mouth the heart speaks" Yeah……. That tasted real good. I have found myself lately dropping a few S!&* bombs in casual conversation with other believers …. Men I respect. Of course I would never curse in front of someone who didn't know me. (I wouldn't want to damage my witness would I?) Even in my men's group we will have some curse words fly around casually. Really makes me wonder about the other sin in my life. I would never say the Lord's name in vain, but in a way isn't that what we are doing when we curse? Are we thinking ……. Oh that curse word was just a little sin. What does the word say? ^8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1 john 1.8 NKJ How many times did you sin yesterday? Better yet ….. how many times have you sinned today before you read this devo? Did you curse yesterday? Did you think bad things about the person who cut you off or the person who wouldn't let you in? Were you prideful? Were you judgmental? This is just a small list of what I did yesterday that I didn't confess and get prayed over to be healed. I am sure if I asked the Holy Spirit I would have more revealed to me. Here is the good news. Ephesians 2 4-6 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, NASB

Forgiveness

Who have you not forgiven today? Stop right now and ask Holy Spirit, is there anyone who I hold unforgiveness towards? What name comes to mind right now? That is the name that causes great pain, hurt, anger, resentment, hatred or all of the above in your heart. You may even say "Lord I forgave that person a long time ago" Maybe you cannot even say this person's name. I would venture to say that if the Lord brought that name up that you have not forgiven that person yet, because if you had then the Lord would not have brought that name up ……. Right? So praise God that He did bring a name up and Praise God that He didn't bring a name up.

25 "And whenever you stand praying, qif you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 4But rif you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." Mark 11:25-26 NJKV Matthew 18:34-35 (NKJV)34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother 7his trespasses."

Here is the part that really gets me. If you do not forgive …… You will be turned over to the tormentors. So how does that taste?

Mark 11:25 (NLT)25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.*" 21 Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone* who sins against me? Seven times?" 22 "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!* 18:21-22 NLT That is 490 times if you did that in one day, you would forgive that person every 2.9 minutes over twenty four hours. In one year you would have to forgive that person 1.3 times per day. So forgiveness is a process. Some can forgive immediately and some it takes a while, but you must do it.

Eyes open to the spirit

Decided to read Oswald today, it seems to me that there is a re-accruing theme, and I need to take notice. As I think back over the last three and a half weeks, I have tried to focus on the Lord, but my focus has been elsewhere. I have said it before … going through the motions …. Punching my ticket. You know what I mean. I prayed for 10 minutes and I read for 10 minutes and then I can say I did my quiet time. Have you been there? That always seems to happen when you don't have any vision and no enthusiasm. This is something I have definitely been lacking in. I wake up in the morning and sometimes wonder when I say "yes" do I really mean it? My prayer…. "Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the Risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to damp you." 2 Corinthians 6:3-4 (NLT)³ We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. ⁴ In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.

It takes Almighty grace to take the next step when there is no vision and no spectator - the next step in devotion, the next step in your study, in your reading, in your kitchen; the next step in your duty, when there is no vision from God, no enthusiasm and no spectator. It takes far more of the grace of God, far more conscious drawing upon God to take that step, than it does to preach the Gospel.

Every Christian has to partake of what was the essence of the Incarnation; he must bring the thing down into flesh and blood actualities and work it out through the finger tips. We flag when there is no vision, no uplift, but just the common round, the trivial task. The thing that tells in the long run for God and for men is the steady persevering work in the unseen, and the only way to keep the life uncrushed is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the Risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to damp you. Continually get away from pettiness and paltriness of mind and thought out into the thirteenth chapter of St. John's Gospel. Oswald Chambers

Count it all joy

So with the Spirit's work: if it were not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we should not know that it was true and strong; if the winds did not blow upon it, we should not know how firm and secure it was. The master works of God are those men who stand in the midst of difficulties, steadfast, unmovable, -- Spurgeon it has been an interesting ride …. A sort of test you might say, James says to count it all joy…. He does not say count part of it all joy!

He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts are many. If then, yours be a much tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all sufficient grace of God. As for his failing you, never dream of it--hate the thought. The God, who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end. Spurgeon This is what spoke to me Friday. This the first time I had read in this devo in over a year just nailed me.

"Lovest thou Me?" Then - "Feed My sheep." There is no choice of service, only absolute loyalty to Our Lord's commission; loyalty to what you discern when you are in closest contact with God. Oswald Chambers This is what spoke to me Saturday. As I think about this statement it has dawned on me that He has been speaking ….. I have chosen not to listen or told myself that it was me. I know better than that. I know the Lord's voice …… His whisper. You have to stop for a moment and just listen. I would be lying if I said, I haven't had a "whoa as me attitude. " It is getting better though. Could it be a good thing that I broke my leg? That is a tough one. Could it be a good thing that you lost your job? Or can't find work? Only time will tell. Time to make a choice

James 1:2-4 (NKJV)² My brethren, ^bcount it all joy ^cwhen you fall into various trials, ^3
dknowing that the testing of your faith produces ¹patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be ²perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Psalm 5

It has been three weeks since I broke my leg. My life, my daily routine has been completely shaken up and I don't like it. Yesterday, I was complaining to the lord about all of this mess and I hear "what if you had lost your leg completely then how would you be?" The first thing that came to mind was I would be pissed and then thinking about all of the things I wouldn't get to do. That really put things in perspective. I really have it pretty good compared to a lot of people who are suffering through whatever circumstance they are in. I have to say that right now I feel somewhat disconnected from the Lord. Every day I pray, but I feel my heart is not in it. I spend time in the word but feel disconnected from Him. I know that He says "draw near to me and I will draw near to you." This is absolutely true; I think I am just going through the motions. (I really hate that phrase) Below is a quote that really resonated in my spirit this morning along with the passage from Psalm 5:2-3 (NLT)

²      Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,

for I pray to no one but you.

³      Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.

Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

God wants us to stop understanding in the way we have understood and get into the place He wants us to get into, i.e., He wants us to know how to rely on Him. Oswald Chambers

So as I was writing this, I hear this passage in my mind "you were running the race so well, who stopped you? Here is what it says in Galatians 5:7-8 (AMP)
7 You were running the race nobly. Who has interfered in (hindered and stopped you from) your heeding and following the Truth? 8 This [evil] persuasion is not from Him Who called you [Who invited you to freedom in Christ]. Now that I am processing everything that I have written, have realized that when I journal it slows me down long enough to hear what He is showing me. Thank You Jesus!

Have you slowed down long enough to listen to what He is saying to you? Are you journaling?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trust

How many times do we forget what the Lord has spoken to us? I mean …… do you have an anxiety about what is going on in your life right now…… in the present, because you have forgotten the word He spoke to you in the past. He spoke to you in the past and you received peace and then life went on. Now … days or even months have gone by and the heat has been turned up and the Lord feels distant, almost like your prayers are not being answered, but they are … just not the way you want them to be answered. So here is what I say to that. I want you to be sure that the Lord will speak to you again at the right time and at the right place and you will hear Him clearly exactly what you need to hear and you will have peace again. Walk in what you know and in who you are ….. A Son of the most high God

Love is Patient

Well, this has been a long week and I have not been a good patient. Scripture says, 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. I have failed in the underlined areas …. Mainly with my wife. I want to be easy to live with not hard. Having surgery is one thing, at least I could walk. With a broken leg …….. That is a whole new ball game ……… everything has changed. My office is my couch, thank goodness I have a laptop. For the most part, my lifestyle has changed my character has been tested and it has not been pretty. I have to scratch my leg with a coat hanger. This morning was the first time I woke and said yes! My devo took me to Isaiah 60 20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. So it ends today and I make the best for what I have. Great friends and most important a Loving wife …. My Kelly. I thought today was the 19th only to figure out after my devo and writing that it was the 18th, but the Holy Spirit spoke to me anyway, Oswald Chambers day 19. Below just laid my wide open I did the emphasis

"Arise, shine." Isaiah 60:1

We have to take the first step as though there were no God. It is no use to wait for God to help us, He will not; but immediately we arise we find He is there. Whenever God inspires, the initiative is a moral one. We must do the thing and not lie like a log. If we will arise and shine, drudgery becomes divinely transfigured.

Drudgery is one of the finest touchstones of character there is. Drudgery is work that is very far removed from anything to do with the ideal - the utterly mean grubby things; and when we come in contact with them we know instantly whether or not we are spiritually real. Read John 13. We see there the Incarnate God doing the most desperate piece of drudgery, washing fishermen's feet, and He says - "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet." It requires the inspiration of God to go through drudgery with the light of God upon it. Some people do a certain thing and the way in which they do it hallows that thing for ever afterwards. It may be the most commonplace thing, but after we have seen them do it, it becomes different. When the Lord does a thing through us, He always transfigures it. Our Lord took on Him our human flesh and transfigured it, and it has become for every saint the temple of the Holy Ghost.

Exodus 14

I want to thank everyone for their calls and prayers over my ankle. It has been good as of late to have been in the word and in prayer on a fairly regular basis. Since I had the accident the other day I can still come to Him and not feel like I come to Him only when things are bad. So before I started my devo this morning I confessed to the Lord that I had fear that my ankle was broken. But I was going to stand on your promise that you are the great Healer and stand in agreement with every one that had been praying for me. This is the scripture that started off my devo this morning.

Exodus 14:13-14 But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. "The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent."NASB95

It is very interesting that I have ten jobs working, what I mean is I have ten jobs that I will be doing. I can't help but wonder if this forces me into more of a general contracting mode than being a worker man. General contacting is what I want to do. So here is my question for you? How is your relationship with the Lord? Do you come to Him on a regular basis or only when things are bad?