Glory

Romans 5

¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

 

As I read this I have a question for everyone to ask themselves. Do you have Glory in your tribulation or are you blaming someone or something or circumstances. Are you doing the pour me? If you are, then are you taking away God's glory from shinning?

God’s seat

I put myself in God's seat again. I became the judge. You would think after finding out 18 months ago how judgmental I was I would be better and I am to a degree. Judgment reared its ugly head yesterday. Without going into detail I judge my son. He called me and asked me a question and I assumed he was asking for this reason and when he came over I found out that what I thought was not the truth, but my judgment that I had place on him. In turn by the time he got to my house I was pissed and had gotten myself all worked up over nothing. You see, I decided why he called. I decided why he needed the money. I decided why he did not ask his boss for money. I could have stopped all of the pain by simply telling myself, I will wait until I get his sided of the story before I make a decision. Therefore eliminating any pain caused by my judgment. A quote from chpt 2 on "how to stop the Pain" "The heart is desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9 God is the only one who can truly know the heart. When people assume to know why, then their reactions are not based on reality; they are based on judgment. That judgment causes confusion, pain, and loss.

Matthew 7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

I attached significance to the situation; I attached a "why" to what he was doing. The moment I attached the "why" to the situation I then gave it all of the power and then I caused all of my own pain

Question? Who has judged someone lately; you decided why they did what they did without talking to them. You did the negative self-talk and got yourself all worked up over nothing. Then when you did talk to them, you were completely wrong and felt like dumb #$%

 

If you don’t change ……. Then nothing changes!

If you don't change ……… then nothing changes. I have written about this before, so I am writing again about it. I am 50 lbs. over weight. I have chosen not to do anything about it! My eating habits are horrible and I have no discipline in these areas of my life. I am not complaining, because that will not accomplish anything, it is really about the first line in this paragraph. I just need to get off my butt! I guess it is just not bad enough yet. If I don't change………. Then nothing changes. That goes for every area of my life. Scripture says your body is a temple, 1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, 20 You were bought with a price [purchased with preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. This is my Goliath! Sometimes I feel this is how my life is supposed to be. Well that is a lie strait from the enemy and I refuse to believe that. If I don't do something then in a couple of months I will weigh more.

If you don't change ……… then nothing changes I have ran into several people over the last couple of weeks who have had the attitude that if this is all there is then just take me home now …… I'm done. This attitude pains me; if you don't do anything to change your circumstances then you circumstances will never change. It is not God's job to change you it is your job. Just like me I can gripe about my situation or do something about it! God does not say anywhere in the bible that this life on earth would be easy. In fact He says to welcome the trials. Look it up! 1 Cor. 10:13, James 1:2-4, James 1:12 just to name a few.

I heard a speaker yesterday and he is a very anointed man. Here a couple things that he said that really struck me.

• If you really have made Jesus the Lord of your life then you will have trouble every day! Realistically I do have some type of trouble every day when I go back and think about it
  
• There is no exit strategy in your life except Jesus. What is your exit strategy?
  
• What would happen if you went back to your Egypt? If I go back to the Old Man or my Egypt, everything goes awry!
  
• God is not going to bless a retreat of rebellion. This one really got me!
  
• The children of Israel were fed miraculously because they were following the Lord. Are you been fed?
  
• If you choose to go back to your Egypt, where would you get your water? The fresh manna? How would you cross the Red Sea? Do you think the Lord is going to part the Red Sea for you?
  

These statements and questions are for me as much as they are for anyone else. I leave you with this scripture from
2 Corinthians 4:8 we are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

.

1 Corinthians 3:7-9

1 Corinthians 3:7-9

7 it's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building.

So I am reading this morning and my devo took me to 1 Corinthians 2 but the nugget came in three, I had actually taken a little break and then got back in the word when I got this. This is something I am guilty of occasionally. I am good at planting and I am good at watering the seeds. I have to tell you that there are times that I think I can do a better job at making the seed grow ……. better than the Lord. Basically what I am doing is getting in the Lords way and then I turn into a growth inhibiter or I kill the seed all together. Like spraying a little roundup. The sad thing is sometimes I don't even realize I am doing it. I am a man and it is my nature to want you to succeed, but I want you to get it on my time not God's time. (Because I know better). Hear me on this, I don't make this a habit in fact it doesn't happen very often, but if it happens once then it is too much. Sometimes you just have to keep your mouth shut and trust the Lord in what you are seeing and hearing for someone.

I know it has been a while since I have written and it is because if you don't draw near to Him He want draw near to you. You may wonder why you are not hearing the Lord and it is because you are not spending time with Him and that is where I have been. I have not been in a bad place. Kinda just out there if you know what I mean. Not off in Nah Nah Land. I have been reading a devotion every day, but it is just not enough. So yesterday I purposed myself to read and today and look what happens I write … go figure. Thank you Lord!

Switching gears for a moment

I have been reading a book off and on called the 10 second rule that my friend Chuck Koll in Michigan gave me. What a great book. Essentially, what the rule is about is this ….. When you hear the Lord tell you to do something then you have to do it in the next ten seconds or most likely you won't do it. What a missed opportunity if you do not obey. Click the link 10 second rule It means for me that if I hear the Lord tell me to do something it doesn't mean pray about it and see if that was really the lord. It means just do it.

(Nugget from book pg. 107-108 our goal should be nothing less than becoming so familiar with the "mind of Christ" that we can anticipate what Jesus might do in almost any given situation so we can respond immediately.)

Which means no more WWJD it means listen and obey not ask? Kevin

Do you believe this?

John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"NKJV the last four words made me pause.

"DO YOU BELIEVE THIS"?

It is my opinion that to offer your body as a living sacrifice Holy and pleasing to God, (Romans 12:1) you have to believe this or how could you? As of late I have been really struggling with this. Offering my body as a living sacrifice is not something I do well every day, but I am getting better. It is not something I beat myself up with either.

So I guess the big question is this……. Has something come up in your life lately that Jesus has said? "Do you believe this"? Do you trust me in this area or not, are you going to handle this yourself or let me?

For me it has to be the issue with the man that dropped the f- bombs on me. I know what I need to do and I will. This is one of those areas where you see God work all the time, but there is that part of you that wonders … Will you this time?

Have you ever wondered that before?

Will you this time?

Persecution

My devotion took me to Matthew 5 this morning. A chapter I am very familiar with. Last week I had someone that I do not know send me an email and he made comments to me that were not nice to say the least. He had actually dropped some F Bombs on me. I did not do anything wrong, he is just responding out of his wound. It still hurt though never the less. Okay … let's be honest … for a moment it made me so mad I wanted to go to his work and whip his ASS! (Just for a moment) It took me a couple of hours to get over this, and I did. I had to continue to tell myself that it was not personal. I had two different people tell me "It is not you Kevin but the Jesus in you that he is mad at." This morning as I am reading I come across this.

Matthew 5:11-12
"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. NASB95

Matthew 5:44-46 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? NASB95

So my question is this. Have you been persecuted lately and if you have ….. How did you react?

 

1 Cor 6.15-20

I came so last tonight to getting on the computer and looking at something evil.  I was one click away ….. I sat there and thought about the post I sent out wednesday.  I did what I am supposed to do … I got in the word … I fought it, but I knew that is what I had to do.

For me,   the most pressure I feel is when I am alone at home when no one can see what I am doing.  Often times that is when I have my biggest victories.  That is when I have no one to rely on except Holy Spirit …. This is what Jesus says for those who feel alone.

¹⁵ "If you love me, obey^* my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,^*
who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you^[1]

So what is the deal … why am I having this thought process?    I am tired that is what  … what else?   My step daughter is here  from college for a few days and the jealousy is creeping in.    Read James lately ? 

James 3:16
For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. NLT

So I get out my bible and open right to 1 Corinthians 6.    God is so good.  So I am reading along when I get to verse 15 and I am floored.  Thank you Jesus. 

1 Corinthians 6:15-20
Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don't you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two are united into one." But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. NLT
So here is what I say about that "In Your Face satan!!!"

"Something is changing …….. so it is changing"

James 1:2

I am reading this morning's devo and I had to just pause a moment.  Thinking about the line that says you know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.  It made me think about the time I was late getting to church a couple of years ago ( I hate being late to church so I put this pressure on myself) So I am tailgating this car so they would get out of my way,  when I can finally got past them I floored it to make a statement.  So imagine how I felt when I got to church and he and his family pulled up next to me and got out of their car.  What a great witness I was.  It is so easy to hide in our car because we don't think we will see that person anymore, but the Lord sees us.  He sees the text message we leave or hears the message we leave on someone else's phone, He hears what we say in our cars when we are alone, which is what we wouldn't say if someone else was in the car with us.  .  For me,   the most pressure I feel is when I am alone at home when no one can see what I am doing.  Often times that is when I have my biggest victories.  That is when I have no one to rely on except Holy Spirit …. This is what Jesus says for those who feel alone. 

¹⁵ "If you love me, obey^* my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,^*
who will never leave you. ¹⁷ He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you ^[1]

James1: 2 MSG " Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.^[2]

James 1:4 NIV 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.^[3]

 
 

I don't know about you, but if we are being honest here I really don't like the trials that I have to go through.  Last year December I had surgery, February 5^th I was released to go back to work.  February 9^th I broke my leg in my drive way and was down almost three months.  Nothing like relying on other people to get you to places or to help you or to fix you dinner.  At the time I did not see, but I did do some growing during that time and maturing, but I am still lacking,   but I am getting there.    I have a long ways to go.

James 4.17

 

 

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4.17

Proverbs 21.21

He who pursues righteousness and loyalty finds life, righteousness and honor. Proverbs 21.21

Radical obedience always precedes the miraculous.

I am reading in a book called the 10 Second rule. One of the quotes in the book really struck me this morning. It says "It dawned on my me why I wasn't making more progress in obedience. When I would fell a prompting of the Holy Spirit to do something I was reasonable certain Jesus wanted me to do ----- and then choose not to do it --- I was actually rewarding myself for being disobedient. I chose disobedience because I knew perfectly well that obedience would cost me something, at least in the short run – time, money, embarrassment, inconvenience. Or pleasure differed – you name it. If I chose not to obey Jesus, I can avoid all that grief and keep what is mine" I really do not like the thought that I am rewarding myself for being disobedient. My reward is in Heaven "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5.12
So I wonder if the prophets were persecuted for walking in obedience. So I wonder what was the last thing that you felt certain that Jesus wanted you to do and you waiting long enough for the feeling to go away so you didn't do it? The Lord didn't call us to easy, but he did call us to obedience. Obedience today …. Let tomorrow worry about itself. It is easy to walk in obedience when it does not interfere with anything. I returned one piece of door hardware to Home Depot the other day because it had been dropped and scratched. I was dishonest in the fact that I knew they would take it back. As soon as the lady gave me my money back I heard Holy Spirit say "What are you doing?" I fought it long enough to walk out of the store, Knowing that I was going to have to go back and re purchase the damaged knob. The point is … what if the cashier needed to see some brutal honesty that day and I walked in disobedience. The one thing she needed I denied her. I am not sure if that is the case but you get the point.

99 percent obedience is 100 percent disobedience …. Which one are you? Today?

Amazing Love

Amazing Love:

This is short and right to the point. I cannot explain it. I can only say that the Lord spoke to my wife through a movie. Through an act of love from her I am walking in complete freedom…. The desire today has been taking away and I am free. When I say the desire has been taking away that is what I mean. Just lifted …. "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians 9:1-2
Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn't it because of my work that you belong to the Lord? Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord's apostle.NLT

Apostle (uh-pahsʹuhl), the English transliteration of a Greek word meaning 'one who is sent out.' An apostle is a personal messenger or envoy, commissioned to transmit the message or otherwise carry out the instructions of the commissioning agent.

So I am reading in my OC this morning which takes me to 1 Corinthians 9. Sometimes I like to believe I am not as free as everyone else. THAT IS A LIE! I am as free, I am an Apostle, and I have seen Jesus! After I have read the definition or the transliteration it makes perfect sense. The chapter really spoke to me this morning. There is so much in it. The chapter finishes off very well with 24-27.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
NLT

 

I leave you with questions?

• Are you as free as everyone else?
  
• Are you an apostle
  
• Have you seen Jesus
  
• Do you trust Jesus
  
• Are you disciplined
  
• Do you run with purpose
  

 

 

You are not disqualified!

 

 

Surrender

Spending time with Oswald Chambers this morning and his devotion came out of Hebrews 4 so I read Hebrews 4. The whole chapter spoke to me but these two verses especially. Hebrews 4.10 For all who have entered into God's rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. ¹¹ So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. Obliviously the passage is talking about taking a Sabbath. A day off from work and just resting. We can't even do that most of the time. I will put another spin on it, How about just resting in His arms for 10 minutes. For me that is a hard thing to do. That is surrender
……. That is total surrender. How many of us will just flat not take the time to stop and rest? Get quiet? Be still? We are so stinking busy that we rationalize our time with the Lord. How many of you keep a daily planner? You schedule everything … from picking up the kids to school to your daily meeting with the manager of your work to your 10.00 conference call that you have every day with the owner. Maybe even your daily planner has your weekly appointment with your pastor, but nowhere on your planner does it have time with the Lord, why is that? I think for most of us, we just believe that we are going to spend time with Him and rest. The truth is that we just wave good bye in the morning on our way out the door and say I will catch you tomorrow and He just sits and rest and waits for us. Now I am not saying that everyone does this … what I am saying is that it is a common thing. I have done this myself. The flipside is if you do the very same thing every day then does it become religion? I don't think so if you are doing it because you love the Lord.

Here is what François Fenelon the Archbishop of Cambria said in the 17^th century.  He was the spiritual advisor to Louie the 14^th.  He said this in a letter to the King about surrender.  There is more in the letter but this is the main point. Let me tell you what real surrender is.  It is simply resting in the love of the Lord, as a little baby rests in his mother arms.  A perfect surrender must even be willing to quit surrendering, if that is what the Lord wants.  We renounce ourselves, and yet, God never lets us know when it is complete.  If we knew, it would no longer BE complete, for there is nothing that bolsters the ego quiet so much as knowing that it is fully surrendered.
Surrender consist, not in doing great, heroic deeds about which self can brag, but simply in accepting whatever God sends, and not seeking to change it.   Full surrender is full peace. If we are restless and concerned about things that are formally renounced, we have not genuinely surrendered. Surrender is the source of true peace. If we are not at peace. It is because our surrender is not complete.

 

Psalm 139

139:23-24 which says

    Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me and know my anxious thoughts;

And see if there be any hurtful way in me,

and lead me in the everlasting way.

 

The lie I like to believe is looking at porn is okay occasionally. ( I came up with a new term … Porn Binging.  Like an alcoholic that goes on a drinking binge) I know that is not true, but I want to believe it.  This is what my confessional project centers on.    I struggle with discipline in all areas of my life and it starts with the lack of discipline in my life and it has a trickledown effect in every other area of my life.  I have confessed and repented more times than I can count to the point of sometimes thinking  "What is the point?".  I sometimes feel like I am destined to be like this.  I have my good moments when I can go months without looking at anything.  I know the Holy Spirit showed me a couple years ago that my  biggest issue is it is my choice.  I have given you all of the tools to defeat this.  (Okay I just got my world rocked just now, what comes next is from Holy Spirit,  I have never heard this from Him before,  I am in tears)   but you choose not use everything I have given you  So really the choice is not the fact that I choose not to go there it means that I don't choose what He has given me to beat this thing. Now I can say PRIDE  He showed me that as well.  Sheer determination not to do something is like white knuckling it.  when it comes to not snorting cocaine after using for 5 years,  White knuckling will only take you so far…. I know this for a fact.  I have been there.  I have not touched cocaine since May 12^th 1988 but it was not because I white knuckled it.  Hear is another lie that was just revealed to me.  I did not rely on Jesus to save me from cocaine addiction, it was the fear of losing everything … namely my wife and kids.  It had nothing to do with God.  I am not saying god did not have anything to do with that.  In my mind it was sheer determination and going to the hospital that saved me.  I believe that is the root  ………………………………………………  Holy Spirit says yes that is the root!

The lie was I did it!   I beat the cocaine addiction (that was when there was only one set of foot prints in the sand) and now I feel I can still do it with the lust.  That is a LIE!

Galatians 6:7-9  As I have been mediating on this Wise words from Holy Spirit the last two weeks.  I have come to a couple of conclusions. 

• If I am not sowing to please the Spirit, then there is only one thing left that I am doing and that is sowing to please my sinful nature.  NOT PRETTY!
  
• I will reap a harvest if I don't give up!  I can tell you right now……. When It comes to ME fighting this battle I am weary.
  

Jesus says ….. comes to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest for your soul.  I am truly not sure if I have ever allowed rest for my soul.   I am going to say that I DID NOT WANT TO DO THE CONFESSIONAL PROJECT AND I WAS NOT GOING TO DO IT.  It was either be obedient or not… I chose the latter. 

 

Thank you Jesus

John 7.38

John 7:38 ^tHe who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ^uout of his heart will flow rivers of living water." I got this passage from Oswald Chambers this morning. He talks about the river of God flowing though us and when there are obstacles in our way, God will remove the obstacles or take you around them. At that point He will show up bigger. As I am reading this morning and being quiet. I hear just be yourself and don't try to be something you're not. What does that mean? .Sometimes we try to be something we are not when we are around certain people. Like going on staff on Quest. If you go because of how it may make you look then I believe you are creating an obstacle. You have to be going for the right reasons and just be yourself. I can't tell you how many times I have gone and felt like I wasn't doing anything and then after the event was over. Men would come up to me and say what a blessing I was. Those men would be the ones I did not connect with. God shined through me in spite of myself. So what I am saying is don't be someone you are not. It does not matter if you are on quest or doing life in the real world. Be who God called you to be.

Are you?

I’m Healed

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.NASB95 I am ever so amazed at the Lord. It is 12.33 last night and I am dead tired. I crawled into bed and choose to read a little. Let me recap the day a little. I did some things and I got caught by my wife (and I was glad) I confessed and she prayed over me and I got HEALED! That is what scripture says …. Confess to one another so you may be healed, the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16.
It does not say confess to God ONLY it says confess to one another. How does this work ….. I don't know but it DOES! 30 to 40 minutes later I realized I was better! My mind was better, my heart is better and my soul is healed! Once again, the Lord speaks to me through His word and it penetrated my heart and that is a good thing. So this morning I decided to read a little more so I went backwards to chapter 15 and I got this word and it spoke to me as well. 1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.NASB95 The last thing I heard this morning is the word "Trust" I am going on Quest and I am right in the middle of two big jobs that I really feel that I have no business leaving at this critical time. I had asked the Lord for confirmation about going on this Quest and I received it the next day in a phone call. I have peace about going, but my flesh is gnawing at my flesh. I am leaving these two jobs in the very capable hands of a very good friend of mine who I trust completely. There is still the element of the flesh that wants to be here to oversee. So once again "trust" Yesterday I said "My heart does not feel prepared" After the confession and the prayer and your prayers and the words form the Lord I can say My HEART is prepared to go on Quest Tuesday.

Today my Heart is good. How is your Heart?

Psalm 139: 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Matthew 6.6

Matthew 6.6  But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

I have often said and believe that this passage means to me to go to the secret place close the door and leave all of your crap outside. No distractions…. Crawl up in your Daddy's lap and just listen and let Him hold you. Don't say a word. If you are talking you cannot hear. A friend told me this below today and I believe it is the formula for hearing the Lord.

Pursuing God's voice

1. Silence your body to hear your words

2. Silence your words to hear your thoughts

3. Silence your thoughts to hear your heart

4. Silence your heart to hear your spirit

5. Silence your spirit to hear God's voice

It is all about pursuing Silence.

Right now I am having the hardest time hearing I have so much going on in my mind. I have actually had to take Tylenol pm to sleep on a few nights. I am leaving to go on Quest next Tuesday and right at this moment my heart does not feel prepared. I know once I get on the bus I will be better. Right now I just can't shake that feeling. Please pray for me.

Thank you Lord for the RAIN!

Kevin

James 1:26-27

Anyone read James lately?

 

As I am reading this morning I can't help but be taken back to James 1:26-27 this is a life scripture for me.  Most of you have heard about the widows and orphans but not in the context that I will show you.  This goes right in line with your devo this morning.  In 2007 I went on an event and one of the passages I memorized was James 1:26-27.  How many times as men, especially those of us who are married are so quick to minister outside of our home before we minister inside our home.  Holy Spirit showed me through a man that I was making my wife and my children widows and orphans in my own home.  I said that is ridiculous I am alive!    He said "I understand that"  "here is what I mean; you are always doing outside of your home …. Church, men's group, Serving on Quest, Helping other people, but when it comes to your family, they get the crumbs or they do not get anything from you.  Well that did not sit well with me …… again.  As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another.  A couple of nights went by and I was sitting at the table and my wife was helping me with memorizing this passage.  I told her what I just shared with you and said "are you a widow in this home?"  She looked at me and said without blinking an eye.  Yes I am pretty much a widow.  Then she said, "I never get the minister voice that I hear you speak to other men on the phone,   I want you to talk to me that way and you never do.  It was a sad day for me but a good day.  Now I look for opportunities to minister to my wife.  

 

So basically to me what verse 26 means is if you don't minister in side of your home then what you do outside of your home is worthless  ( doesn't taste good)

Verse 27 means minister to your family then you will be pure and unblemished in the sight of God and there will be not a widow or any orphans in your home (taste really good)

 

James 1:26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious (piously observant of the external duties of his faith) and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart; this person's religious service is worthless (futile, barren).

27 External * religious worship [* religion as it is expressed in outward acts] that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this: to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows in their affliction and need, and to keep oneself unspotted and uncontaminated from the world.

 

Do You have any widows or orphans in your home?

Humility

Here is what He is showing me. Humility! I have several construction jobs going on. When there are several jobs going I become like the juggler you see on TV who is spinning about 15 plates or so. You know who I am talking about. He is constantly spinning a plate to keep them all going. Right now that is what I feel like. I have fifteen plates spinning and I had about 8 of them crash to the floor and shatter this week. What the Lord showed me today is I am responsible for spinning those plates and if I would pay more attention to the details instead of the big picture then it would be easier to keep the plates spinning and then there would be no broken plates. Which means …… no mess to clean up or unexpected job expenses. He also showed me that I am the cause of the majority of my pain because I did not pay attention to the details. That is always nice when the Lord shows you that it was your fault and no one else's. Hmmmmmm

 

After the week I have had, I actually thought for just a moment (actually a couple of seconds) felt like everyone was out to get me. Is that a lie from the enemy or what!

 

I am alive

I am healthy

I am working

My family is healthy

The Lord loves me

I love Him

My son in law

I wrote about this a few days ago and it really hit me tonight. Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have. Always be Jesus with skin on because you never know who is watching. I had the privilege of meeting a young man about 5 years ago. He is the daddy of my grandson and his name is Dantrell. I have not seen him in like a year or year and half … not sure. Dantrell and my daughter went their separate ways and it was hard on both of them and little Jeremiah. Last Friday we met Dantrell in Denton to pick up Jeremiah and take him to Amarillo to be with his mom. That was very hard for me to see those two saying goodbye to each other. It broke my heart. Tonight I get a text message from him out of the blue and it says I just wanted to tell you that you are the number 1 person in this world that I look up to and I wish my dad was like you. What an Honor. Very humbling. I got some more text from him and I really felt like I needed to call him. So I did …. He was in tears but it was good. I believe God has him right where he wants him. We talked about 30 minutes and I prayed for him. He said he would go on a Quest I just don't know if he can get off work. Please pray for him. I am trying to see if I can get him on August. We will see what Holy Spirit Says about that. The reason I share this is because you never know who you are going to impact with your actions or re actions so be Jesus with skin on and

 

Givem Heaven out there!