Survive Crisis

Good Morning!! Anyone who has had any kind of life crisis knows a peaceful life can be jolted, by something as common or unforeseen, as a car accident, a fierce storm or a disease.  At first a strong sense of disbelief dominates. "This can't be happening!" we tell ourselves. But when the immediate crisis is over, and the awful events can no longer be denied,...the mind begins to replay our actions and reactions, endlessly. I found myself questioning everything I had done or said,...or all that I failed to say, or do. With the flashbacks came the "what Ifs"...just another way of blaming ourselves, and focusing on feelings of helplessness and stupidity.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.—1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
I'd like to share a few simple guidelines for surviving a crisis in your life. First take a hand in your recovery. While disturbing feelings are running their course, it helps to remember that, like broken bones, your spirit needs time to mend as well. As soon as possible, try to resume the normal duties of life,...no matter how irrelevant they seem. Balance a checkbook. Run the vacuum cleaner. It's tempting to let others protect you, but carrying on with the ordinary routines of cooking meals and paying bills is stabilizing. Even if you find yourself helpless, you can hasten your healing by refusing to given to the feeling powerlessness. There is nothing like getting back into a healthy routine, to sustain us through a crisis. It demands hours of concentration, hours in which we can't ask where things went wrong or brood about the consequences of a mistake. Work can be an aspirin, a tranquilizer, and antacid rolled into one. By forcing your attention away from the crisis, work weakens the grip of memory and regret. Just don't replace one bad thing with another,...pray on it.

The most effective response to any crisis is to pray.

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Dear Father God, we come asking You to make us people that you planned for us to be. We stand together, putting our selfishness away and asking You to use us, to help further Your kingdom. Help us to rely on Your strength and love when crisis comes. Help us to be the gift to others, that You meant us to be. Let us eat hungrily of Your word,...and rest in Your love. Help us learn how to claim and receive all the promises You have made to us. We offer ourselves to You now, asking that Your will be done. Amen.

"The contents in our hearts, and the things that go in them, are more important than any outer packaging."

Septic Hearts

Good Morning!! If you are like me, you've had, or are having a tough time taming your tongue,...and controlling your temper. With pushing,...sometimes a little, sometimes a lot,...and the most vile things come flying out of my mouth. "What is wrong with you?"...as the sound of her words echoed through my mind they begin to penetrate my heart. I heard the small whispering voice of the Holy Spirit convicting me. Why did I act like that? The excuses I offered myself seemed justified. But don't I have Jesus in my heart?... Why wasn't His love flowing from me? I begin to pray and soon came to understand that the yelling and cursing was just a symptom of a deeply-rooted problem,...a septic heart. My heart and my mouth are closely related. If we really want to stop that kind of behavior, and expressing God's love, it is vitally important that we begin filling our heart with the things of God.

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.—Matthew 12:34 (NIV)
You must realize that you heart is being, or has been poisoned by the toxins of: anger, resentment, unmet expectations, unforgiveness, bitterness, or dreams that have not been fulfilled. I have discovered some simple truths, that have helped me begin to detoxify my heart. The toxins are not completely gone, but I take the "antioxidant" of His Word daily,...to combat their effects. Try it! And you don't need a spoon full of sugar to help this medicine go down.

If we get satisfied with God each morning, then we won't need seek satisfaction from things of this world.

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Lord, You are slow to anger,...make that our desire as well. Help us to submit totally to Your control so that we can be a reflection of Your love to our family,...and all  those who cross our path. We want to surrender the things in our hearts that are not of You. We realize it is impossible for us to allow Your love to flow from us, with hearts that harbors past hurts and sin. We want to make a new start today in our relationship. Amen.

"The contents in our hearts, and the things that go in them, are more important than any outer packaging."

The Helper - Part 2

Good Morning!! Yesterday we discussed feeling like an ordinary Christian with no power, joy and peace in your life. Yet, we know that God never intended it to be that way. Therefore, our Lord sent a "Helper" the Holy Spirit. So who is the Holy Spirit?...Well, it's easier to tell you what He is not.
 
1.  The Spirit of God is not an "it", but a person. Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit by using pronouns such as "He" proving that the Holy Spirit is a Person not an "it".
 
2.  The Holy Spirit is not a power like the energizer bunny, because the bunny will eventually run out. Nor is He a force that is "with you" like in Star Wars. The Holy Spirit is the life of Jesus coming to live on the inside of us. We contain not just His power, but the very life of Jesus in us!
 
3.  The Holy Spirit is not a dove. He is part of the Trinity who was involved in creation. In Genesis 1:26 it says, "Let Us make man in Our image." The pronouns are capitalized emphasizing the deity of the trinity, which is, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is not only a person, but He is the person of Jesus Christ. They are one in the same. On this side of the cross, the "Helper" has come. When you receive Jesus as your Savior you also receive the Holy Spirit at the same time, or else the Trinity is a lie. If they are the same person, how can you have one with the other?

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."—Romans 8:15 (NIV)
 
We are not given power to imitate Christ; we are given the very Life of Christ! It's not about imitation, but about an impartation! Everything that Jesus is, His holiness, His faith, and His righteousness is ours too. We do not gain it over time,...we gain it as soon as we receive Christ by faith. However, Christ must not just be our Savior only,...He must be our Lord, as well. We must realize, like the disciples, that without the power of the "Helper" we can do nothing. We have to learn to depend on Christ in us,...that's what takes time.
 

Surrendering to His life within, is tapping into the source that enables us to be a victorious Christian.
Then we will begin to live with purpose,...His purpose. And the benefits are endless!

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Lord, we thank You for forgiveness of sins and dying in our place,...that we might know The Father, and have eternal life. Today, we want to make You Lord of our life. We want to live life with power and purpose. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, and guide each day of our lives that we might glorify You. Amen.

"Our weakness, is where God can prove Himself to be our source of sufficiency."

The Helper, Part 1

Good Morning!! Most Christians go through life barely hanging on. Yet God never intended for us to live a defeated Christian life. When first saved, most are so excited they just can't get over Jesus. Then something happens,...they know Jesus is their Savior, but there hasn't really been much change in their lives. They remain powerless, and their lives are less than joyful, productive and victorious. Have you ever felt like an ordinary Christian? I wonder if that is how the disciples felt. You'll remember that they gave up everything,...family, home, jobs, friends, to follow Jesus. They were totally devoted to Him. Still, some of them failed Him, some denied Him, and some were less than victorious,...but why?

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."—Acts 1:8 (NIV)
The disciples fell short because, at that time, they were following Christ in their own strength,...much like some of us do today. It was not until Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected, glorified and seated at the right hand of the Father that the disciples received the "Helper," But first, you have to come to the end of yourself and realize you need God,...without Him you are nothing. Next, confess that you have been living life your way. Then, ask God to forgive you and fill you with the Helper. Your life will never be the same. You've heard what Acts 1:8 says, but who is the Holy Spirit? More on that tomorrow.

Before the disciples could live and witness as Christ intended, they had to wait for the empowerment of Holy Spirit.

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Dear God, we're tired of living life by our own efforts. We're ready to stop trying to live for You, and allow You to simply live Your life through us. We give You our all. Fill us with Your Helper,...and empower us to live victorious. Amen.

"Our weakness, is where God can prove Himself to be our source of sufficiency."

Shattered Dream, And Dashed Hopes

Good Morning!! Jesus' disciples had such high expectations that Jesus would be the next political leader to Israel. They had witnessed his power in feeding 5,000 men plus women and children with two loaves and five fishes, they felt the waves beneath their tiny boat subside at his command, they had watched him breathe life into a lifeless child, open the eyes of a man blind from birth, create new skin from rotting flesh on the limbs of lepers, and command a lame man to take up his pallet and walk. They had seen him walk on water, outwit the Pharisees, and win the lost. If ever there was a group of people who lost their dream, it was those disciples,...along with the women that ministered to, and with them (Luke 24:20). Even though Jesus forewarned the disciples of his death and resurrection, they fled when the soldiers came to arrest him, and hid when they hung him on a cross to die.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.—Romans 8:28 (NIV)
In their narrow scope of hopes for a political leader to save the Jews, they missed the bigger picture of God’s plan for a Savior to free mankind from the bondage of sin. While Peter realized Jesus’ identity ("You are the Christ."), he did not understand His destiny. Peter was shocked when Jesus explained that He had to go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed and on the third day rise from the dead.  He even took Jesus aside and said, "Never, Lord.  This shall never happen to you!" (Mark 8:33). Much like Peter’s dream, suffering is never part of our plans.

It is amazing that one minute Peter could be a building block, and the next a stumbling block,...but that’s the trap we all fall into, when we have our minds set on the world instead of on the things of God.

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Father God, there are things about life that we simply don’t understand, but we do know this; You are good and You are kind. We thank You that nothing happens in our lives that is a surprise to You. You have a greater plan than our small vision can imagine, or comprehend. We pray for You to reveal that larger plan for our lives, to us. Help us to pay attention to Your promptings,...and obey Your bidding. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

"Our weakness, is where God can prove Himself to be our source of sufficiency."

A Leap Of Faith

Good Morning!! Peter wanted more, he wanted adventure. When the disciples' boat was being tossed about by threatening winds, they became afraid.  Adding to the anxiety of an already frightening situation, their fear level peaked when they saw a man walking on water toward the boat. The man was Jesus. That's when Peter seized the opportunity for an ultimate thrill.  Peter requested that Jesus call him to walk on water. Peter's desire to walk on water in spite of his fear was based not only on his passion for adventure, but his passion to obey God in an adventurous way.

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."—Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

Matthew 14:29-31 records, "...Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?'" Peter took a risk,...and some might say that he failed in his faith, because he doubted and sank. However, our ideas of success and failure is not be the same as Jesus'. Remember Peter was also the only one who felt Jesus lift him up,...because of that leap of faith.

Peter may have failed in the eyes of the public,...but he was the only one who experienced walking on water.

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Lord, give us strength to live by faith. Help us not to fear the "what- ifs" but to take Your hand and jump when You say "jump." Let us experience the grand adventure of following You. Amen.

"Our weakness, is where God can prove Himself to be our source of sufficiency."

Seeking Gods' Face

Good Morning!! All kind of thoughts race through our minds as we frantically look for that which is lost, that which we have taken for granted,...that which we now need so desperately. The scriptures offer many details about seeking the Lord's face. God reminds us in Jeremiah 29:13 that we must seek Him with all of our heart. We always tell nonbelievers that this could be their last day to receive the Lord because we are not promised tomorrow. We should seek Him in the same way. I think it has taken me a long time to realize what it means to seek His face. When seeking the face of God, I am not actually looking for eyes, nose, ears and a mouth. Seeking the face of God will actually be realized in the unexplainable peace that surrounds our spirit-filled days.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.—Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
Seeking His face will be found in those God given blessings received by such an unworthy servant. Seeking His face will be experiencing unexplainable joy,...even in the midst of a tremendous trial! As I seek His face, I will be doing nothing more than spending time in His presence,...and that alone is a priceless reward,...a mountain top high, like none other. We might not ever have the sense of panic, that drives us to the Word every morning. However, when we  take the time to seek after the Lord and revel in His presence, we won't be filled with fear, when terrifying experiences inevitably come.

We all must start somewhere in our search, and right now you may not have a clue how to do this "seeking". Simply start by immersing yourself in His Word, and telling Him your hearts' desire, and being honest,...then search for friends or mentors, who can lead you on a solid path to His face.

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Father, lead us to Your face. Help us to be obedient in seeking after You. We thank You now, for the ways that You have,...and will bless us in our awesome search of You! Amen.

"Our weakness, is where God can prove Himself to be our source of sufficiency."