Post for November 13, 2012: Inspiration
This year, our Men’s group is going through the third series of lessons in The Men’s Fraternity, titled “The Great Adventure”. At the end of the fifth lesson, one of the discussion questions asked us to share a dream or two with the others. I shared my dream of being an inspirational writer who would help draw others closer to God. They asked me how that was going and I told them I had started a blog, but had been challenged lately seeking material to write about. Our group leader asked me to write something and bring it to our next class. After a fair amount of ribbing regarding how inspiring my effort would be, someone else suggested I ask what God would have to say to inspire the group. Class ended and I had my assignment.
I woke up in the middle of the night and thought to ask God what He had to say. It may sound odd, but I often find that the middle of the night is one of the best times for me to talk to God. I think for me, it’s because the busyness of the day isn’t running around in my head and I can hear from Him better. It’s also easier to have an informal conversation. So I said, “Lord, what do I write about to help the class draw closer to you?” Jesus said this, “I love you”, and “I have a place for you.” When He said those words, I felt such a sense of completeness come over me. I felt solid and anchored and strangely satisfied in my soul. The closest analogy I can think of is the way you feel after you’ve eaten a substantial meal. Not stuffing yourself to the point of discomfort, but that point where you can feel the weight of the meal inside you and a sense of fullness spreads through your body. You have satisfied your need for food and you are content. That’s how my soul felt.
With those words, Jesus addressed two of our most basic needs: the need to be loved and the need to belong. We find it first in our families as we grow up, but as we mature, the desire to be loved takes on a different meaning and our development as an individual causes us to seek an identity outside of the family. So we look for love in others and we try to fit in with those around us. But all too often, we go through life feeling unloved and alone because we haven’t sought the love of our Creator, nor felt the sense of belonging that comes from a relationship with Him. In Genesis, we learn that God created man for fellowship with Him. Even though man betrayed that trust, it didn’t remove the desire within us, and it certainly didn’t change God’s desire for relationship. Quite the opposite happened. God so loved us that He sent Jesus to die in our place, to pay the price for our reconciliation with God.
If you’re feeling alone and out of place, call out to Jesus now. You will know you belong to Him, He will fill the void in your soul and He will bring you Peace.
P.S.: I don’t usually add post scripts to these writings, but there were a couple of other things that happened while writing this that need to be included. First, when I was receiving instruction from God, I could sense anticipation on His part. Then He said, “I’ve got great things for you to do!” At first I took it personally, but after reflection, I believe it’s what God has for every one of us. He is not a God who thinks small and none of us are disqualified from mighty deeds in His eyes!
P.P.S.: Just one more thing and then I’m done. It was two nights later, and I again woke up in the middle of the night. I said, “Hi Lord,” and He responded with “Hi Chris!” with such excitement in His voice that I had to ask why. He said, “I know our future and it is glorious!” My human side took over and I started to mention the uncertainty everyone was feeling. I was quickly corrected when He said, “There’s no uncertainty in Me!” It made me think of how we miss out on so much because we fail to trust in the God who exists outside of time and who knows the end of all things. I look at this as a call to all of us to take our eyes off the world and put them back on God! It’s time to live the adventure God has prepared for us! Remember what it says in Philippians 4:13: “I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me! Now, get out there, be amazing and live the adventure God has for YOU!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
The Pharisee in me
Post for October, 2012: The Pharisee in me
(Note: I was going to post this in early October, but a couple of things intervened and this is the first opportunity I've had to put this out there. My apologies.)
Writing this isn’t pleasant for me, but if I am not honest with you, my testimony is worthless. Last week I gave in to offence and anger due in large part to my expectations. Here’s what happened. My wife and I were attending a church service and towards the end of it, the Minister conducting the service, (who has a prophetic gift), came up to us and said “I have something for you, but now is just not right. Will you be here tomorrow night?” We said yes. Going home, I was flying inside. First because of the service and second because, God had a word for us and we would receive it tomorrow! That night I had dreams of being blessed and I just sailed through the day. That evening we got to the meeting early and found good seats on the front row. During the service, the Minister informed us that he would be laying hands on everyone there and providing an impartation. Things were just getting better and better! At the end of the service, we cleared the chairs from the room and folks lined up to receive the impartation. My wife and I were standing together and my excitement was building as he drew nearer. What did God have to say to us? What would be unleashed in our lives through the impartation? The moment was at hand…he stood before us. He put his hands on our foreheads and said something like “Receive in the name of the Lord.” Then he moved on. No personal prophecy for us, and even worse, I felt nothing from his touch. I was stunned, and then I was angry! I felt lied to and cheated. I was angry with the Minister, but even angrier with God. Then I sank into depression, because I knew in my heart that I could never really turn my back on God. I remembered the passage in one of the gospels where a large number of Jesus’ disciples have just left Him. He’s looking at the 12 who stayed and asked them if they were going to leave too. I think it was Peter who responded, “Where else would we go Lord, You have the Words of Life!” That got me to tone down the angry rhetoric in my head, but didn’t do much for the hurt feelings. That got me thinking of the Pharisees and how much my actions were like them.
They knew the Law and the Prophets. They knew they were God’s chosen people, and they knew the Messiah was coming to save them and establish His kingdom here on earth. I think they had an expectation that Christ would praise them for their righteousness and exalt them when He restored the Kingdom of Israel and freed them from Roman control. Instead, they were chastised, challenged and ridiculed before the common people. Nor did Jesus take them aside and explain to them what was really happening. Small wonder they took offence. In similar fashion, my expectations were not met, nor was there any explanation. I, like the Pharisees, lost sight of the fact that God is God. His ways are not our ways and He is under no obligation to explain Himself to us.
But that is not the end. A day later, I was at our Men’s Night Out dinner at our local church. We were singing worship songs and I could feel my heart softening. I was still hurting a little, when I heard His voice inside my head. He said, “Let it go, Chris. I still love you and I always will.” And that was the end of that!
We may never know God’s reasoning, but we can always be certain of His Love.
(Note: I was going to post this in early October, but a couple of things intervened and this is the first opportunity I've had to put this out there. My apologies.)
Writing this isn’t pleasant for me, but if I am not honest with you, my testimony is worthless. Last week I gave in to offence and anger due in large part to my expectations. Here’s what happened. My wife and I were attending a church service and towards the end of it, the Minister conducting the service, (who has a prophetic gift), came up to us and said “I have something for you, but now is just not right. Will you be here tomorrow night?” We said yes. Going home, I was flying inside. First because of the service and second because, God had a word for us and we would receive it tomorrow! That night I had dreams of being blessed and I just sailed through the day. That evening we got to the meeting early and found good seats on the front row. During the service, the Minister informed us that he would be laying hands on everyone there and providing an impartation. Things were just getting better and better! At the end of the service, we cleared the chairs from the room and folks lined up to receive the impartation. My wife and I were standing together and my excitement was building as he drew nearer. What did God have to say to us? What would be unleashed in our lives through the impartation? The moment was at hand…he stood before us. He put his hands on our foreheads and said something like “Receive in the name of the Lord.” Then he moved on. No personal prophecy for us, and even worse, I felt nothing from his touch. I was stunned, and then I was angry! I felt lied to and cheated. I was angry with the Minister, but even angrier with God. Then I sank into depression, because I knew in my heart that I could never really turn my back on God. I remembered the passage in one of the gospels where a large number of Jesus’ disciples have just left Him. He’s looking at the 12 who stayed and asked them if they were going to leave too. I think it was Peter who responded, “Where else would we go Lord, You have the Words of Life!” That got me to tone down the angry rhetoric in my head, but didn’t do much for the hurt feelings. That got me thinking of the Pharisees and how much my actions were like them.
They knew the Law and the Prophets. They knew they were God’s chosen people, and they knew the Messiah was coming to save them and establish His kingdom here on earth. I think they had an expectation that Christ would praise them for their righteousness and exalt them when He restored the Kingdom of Israel and freed them from Roman control. Instead, they were chastised, challenged and ridiculed before the common people. Nor did Jesus take them aside and explain to them what was really happening. Small wonder they took offence. In similar fashion, my expectations were not met, nor was there any explanation. I, like the Pharisees, lost sight of the fact that God is God. His ways are not our ways and He is under no obligation to explain Himself to us.
But that is not the end. A day later, I was at our Men’s Night Out dinner at our local church. We were singing worship songs and I could feel my heart softening. I was still hurting a little, when I heard His voice inside my head. He said, “Let it go, Chris. I still love you and I always will.” And that was the end of that!
We may never know God’s reasoning, but we can always be certain of His Love.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Today I get to write from the perspective of a victor on the battlefield of life instead of a cheerleader on the sidelines urging on others in the fray. I had a breakthrough the other day and I wanted to share it with you all because I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person alive who deals with this. My hope is that I don’t lose you in the back-story and that this is coherent enough to help somebody else.
Last year, my wife and I began to read and learn from the materials produced by Dr. James B. Richards of Impact Ministries, http://www.impactministries.com/. We had been feeling “stuck” in several areas of our lives and were looking for some insight into why as well as how to break free. We read one of his more influential books titled, “Wired for Success, Programmed for Failure”. One of the tenets of the book is that the beliefs of our heart influence our sense of self-worth and act almost like a thermostat to regulate our lives and keep us within a range where our external lives line up with our internal image. If our success or our personal relationships threaten to take us out of our idea of what is “normal” for us, we do things subconciously to restore us to that “normal”. (Honestly folks, get the book! There’s way too much information backed by lots of research and his personal experience for me to accurately sum up in a few sentences!) As I processed that information, I began to see times in my life where I had sabotaged previously happy relationships. When I looked at my career and finances, it occurred to me that I had always obtained good employment and enough money to pay my bills and obligations with a little left over for enjoyment, but I never really prospered.
Eventually, I got fed up enough to actually seek out the root of my problem. My first assessment was that I was undeserving of success and happiness; a typical case of low self-worth. But this time I went deeper, because I realized that there had to be a trigger event. I found it. What it was doesn’t really matter because it’s mine, but suffice it to say there was guilt and shame on my part compounded by condemnation and hurtful words by someone in authority. Okay, I knew what the source was, but I still felt powerless to deal with it because I couldn’t forgive myself for my actions. That’s when the Holy Spirit stepped in. He reminded me that Christ died once for ALL SIN for ALL PEOPLE for ALL TIME! What right did I have to reject His gift of forgiveness when He paid such a heavy price for it?! So Tuesday night before I went to sleep, I asked God to help me forgive myself and receive the forgiveness for my sin that Christ died to provide.
Wednesday morning when I awoke, I felt different inside and I did something that day that I had been unable to do as late as Monday of this week: I asked someone to consider advertising their business in our Chorus’ September Show program. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but in the past, I had failed every attempt at sales because I didn’t believe I had anything to offer. I compounded things by taking the rejection personally and then feeling guilty when I didn’t try to sell! The physical stress and fear over selling anything brought me to a point where I couldn’t even approach people I knew well and I could barely talk to my own family!
Okay, so I’m doing better, but what should you take away from this?
- If you’re “stuck” in any area in life, you may unknowingly be the cause.
- Look for your trigger event(s).
- Receive God’s forgiveness for every sin and learn to forgive yourself!
- If you struggle with self-forgiveness, ask God to help. His Love prompted His sacrifice in the first place and He will not leave you to struggle and flop around in your mess…but you need to ask Him!
DISCLAIMER: It pains me to have to do this, but here goes… I am not, nor ever have been, a licensed therapist, counsellor, psychiatrist or doctor of any kind. What I have written here is based upon my personal learning and experience. The steps I have listed should NOT be considered as “medical advice” in any form. Your life experiences are different and your results may be as well. I do declare that Jesus Christ is the ONLY ONE who can heal everyone in body, mind and spirit.
Live in His Forgiveness
Live in His Freedom
Live for His Glory
God Bless You All
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Post for August 9, 2012: If you want to abound…
About ten days ago, I woke up and these words literally popped into my head. “If you want to abound, look up, not around.” I hadn’t even had time for a conscious thought, let alone the formation of a sentence. I’ve been thinking about it a lot since that day and the more I think about it, the more “right” it sounds. When I look around me, what I see for the most part are people with problems, not solutions to the problems I have. But when I look up, I am reminded of God, His Love for me and His promises to Bless, Prosper and Protect me. I am reminded of the wisdom found in His Word and of the power of prayer. My heart grows lighter and my attitude and approach to whatever is before me changes. It’s like the lyrics of the worship song…
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace”
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace”
I confess I am not able (yet) to maintain an attitude of worship, or be constantly, consciously aware of His presence. However, I have learned a few things to do that help me recover my peace when I’m stressed. First, I look to nature. It never fails to fill me with a sense of awe and wonder when I think about the intricacies and the beauty of His creation. We are especially blessed here in Anchorage, because we have the Chugach Mountains that rim the city to the East and are constantly in view. I see them every morning on my way to work and I also get to watch the seasons change upon their slopes. They are a constant reminder of God’s majesty. When I’m stuck in my office and need some inspiration, I go to the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, (http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/). Within moments, I am lost among the galaxies, stars, and planets, giving praise to the God who has created all this yet chooses, no actually desires to have relationship with you and me! I never fail to feel blessed and I know my problems are no problem for our God!
So if you want to abound, look up not around!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
July 23, 2012: Passive Christianity?
I listen to a lot of Christian music on the radio. It helps keep me upbeat, positive and a little more focused on God. There’s a song that’s been on the airwaves for awhile that has a catchy refrain but the more I think about it, the more I think it’s missing the point of being a Christian. Here are the words to the refrain. (I believe the group is Building 429, but can’t remember the name of the song. My apologies to the band if I’ve mistaken them for another group.)
“All I know is I’m not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
I am not where I belong.”
There’s nothing in either of those statements that can be interpreted as, “Sit tight, chill. Don't do anything. I gotta go up to heaven for a little while, but I’ll be back for you shortly.” Although I do have to say that I can understand where they’re coming from! When I consider the world around me, there’s a strong urge to grab my lampshade and hide out until I hear that trumpet sound! But, I believe in a God of purpose. I believe in a God who sees the end from the beginning and who prepared the plan for mankind’s salvation before He ever created the world. I believe in a God who has given me skills and abilities to fulfill His plan for my life. And I believe He has a plan for everyone. Even you!
I also believe that it is precisely at times like these when Christians everywhere need to rise up and show the world the tangible Love of Christ that lives in us! So how about if we throw off the rags and the cares of this life and reveal the Peace and the Hope that we have in Christ to a world hungry for the real thing!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Post for July 6, 2012: For, Against, or With
It wasn’t too long after I came back to Christ that I decided I wanted to “do something great for God”. My motives were good, my ideas were biblically based, and my heart was sincere, but nothing really happened the way I envisioned it. I was frustrated and discouraged, but I didn’t quit the church because I knew in my heart, even as Peter responded in John 6:68 after many of Jesus’ disciples had left him and Jesus himself said to the twelve. “Do you also want to go away?” Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”, (NKJV). However, I did withdraw into myself and pretty much limited my involvement in ministry to prayer and financial contributions. The thought of stepping out for God was quickly squashed by the memories of past failures.
Has that ever happened to any of you or am I the only one? If so, how did you respond?
Something that has only recently become really clear to me is that when I say I want to “do something great for God”, if I haven’t sought His desire, His plan for my life, then I’m stepping out of His Grace and Empowerment and trying to do it on my own strength. Now if I do something on my own, I may have some results, but they won’t be supernatural because it’s my effort and in essence, my attempt to glorify myself before Him through my works. God will not honor or support that. As He says in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is My name; and My Glory I will not give to another,…” I don’t know that He actively opposes such actions, but His support and His Presence will be lacking and you will know that He is not with you.
When you come right down to it, there really is nothing we can do for God in our own strength. We couldn’t keep God’s commandments on our own and we sure couldn’t redeem ourselves from the curse of the law. God had to send Christ to fulfill the law and be mankind’s propitiation for sin. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast.” But here’s the encouraging part! Reading on in verse 10, Paul says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Isn’t that cool?! God already has something for us that we have been specifically equipped and prepared for!
So here’s the deal. If you want to do something great for God, try doing something great with God. Partner with the Creator of the Universe and see where it takes you! I know it will be far beyond what we can think or imagine! And just in case some doubt tries to sneak in there, remember that as believers, we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2Cor. 5:21) and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil. 4:13)!
Be Blessed!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Post for May 14, 2012: Then and Now
Wow! Hard to believe it’s been almost two months since I last wrote something. There’s been a lot of stuff going on in and around me. Fortunately for you, the reader, you get the condensed version! Rather than try to string things together into a coherent whole, I’ll just lay things out in subject paragraphs. I hope some of them speak to you.
Compare and Despair: One of the reasons it has taken me so long to write again is that I found myself comparing my writing and thoughts against the daily inspirational emails I was receiving from Andrew Womack, a Minister/Teacher of the Gospel for over 30 years, (you can check him out at http://www.awmi.net ). I did not measure up in my estimation and was considering abandoning the blog. I’d lost sight of my original purpose which was to write about my personal relationship with Christ and the insights I receive as I try to grow in Him. Each of us has a gift to give this world and no one can give your gift better than you! This past weekend I had the honor of interceding in prayer during the Windwalkers International “Awakening” Conference here in Anchorage
“No one in My Kingdom is insignificant and neither is the part I give them in My Plan!”
Remember that you have a destiny and a calling that no one else can fill and when all else fails, remember the value placed upon your life as well as your immortal soul.
Grace, Grace and More Grace! I finished reading a book by Pastor Joseph Prince last week titled “Destined to Reign”. Fantastic! He really opened my eyes to the totality of God’s Grace and I have honestly not felt so spiritually free and uplifted in years! I urge you to check it out and discover it for yourself. What really resonated with me was what he called the “Ministry of Disqualification”. Personally, I have been praying for years for miraculous healing in several areas of my body. I haven’t received it yet despite receiving prayer from powerful healers. I kept wondering why, because I know God doesn’t change or fail, and I know His Word is forever true. The only answer I kept coming back to was that there was something wrong with me. This led me down a road of internal condemnation and failed attempts at doing something to earn my healing from God. This was the same sort of teaching Pastor Prince had been doing in his church. God challenged Pastor Prince on this one day, “Stop disqualifying My people! My blood has already qualified them. Stop disqualifying them!” (from Destined to Reign, © 2007, pg 272). Pastor Prince went on to write that once he stopped pointing out what began pointing out to them what was right with them because of Jesus; healing miracles broke out in the church. The first time I read these next few words, I broke down and cried because I really needed to hear this. They still bring tears to my eyes as I write them for you now, (again from pg 272 of Destined to Reign, © 2007).
“There’s nothing wrong with God, nothing wrong with the Word and through the Blood of Jesus, nothing wrong with you! Receive your miracle!”
Christ's sacrifice has already qualified us for ALL of God's promises. There is nothing you or I can or need do beyond believing in Him and in His sacrifice. It's amazing how lighthearted you get once you remove the sel-imposed burden of performance and rest in Christ's completed work!
I was going to write about the Windwalkers’ Awakening Conference today, but will save it for another post. I need more time to organize my notes and present you with something more than random observations.
Be Blessed!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Mary & Martha
Post for March 22, 2012: Mary and Martha
Most of us have heard the story of the two sisters and how Jesus commended Mary for choosing to spend time with Jesus instead of serving Him and the Apostles. Well, every once in awhile, the poetic muse strikes. The idea for this poem came to me as I was lying in bed trying to go to sleep, but couldn’t because I was thinking about all of the stuff I needed to do the next day. I suspect many of you can identify with this…
Mary in a Martha World
The alarm clock cries out and shatters my sleep
There’s no time to pray, got appointments to keep
I shower and shave, grab a quick bite to eat
Pet the dog, kiss the wife, then get out on the street
I dash to the office, sit down at my desk
Confer with my calendar to see what comes next
Two meetings, a luncheon, reports that are due
Phone calls to return, not one minute for You
Into life’s maelstrom I feel I’ve been hurled
I want to be Mary in this Martha world
No email, no Facebook™, no Twitter™, no text
But time in Your Word, finding solace and rest
And worship and praise, let my heart-songs arise
For time spent with You is my most coveted prize
The day passes on with no slacking of pace
From office to home’s not the end of the race
There’s dinner and dishes and bills in the mail
The day’s winding down but I’m running full sail
There are clothes to lie out and some lunches to pack
And maybe some TV before I hit the sack
I know it’s Your company I should be keeping
But look at the time, Lord, I need to be sleeping!
Into life’s maelstrom I know I’ve been hurled
I want to be Mary in this Martha world
In life there will always be tasks to be done
But let me keep first place for God’s only Son
For Peace, Joy and Love, all shall be my reward
Whenever I’m Mary in this Martha world
I’m here but a moment with You evermore
My Savior, Redeemer, my Jesus, my Lord
© March 22, 2012
Christopher D. Kilday
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Fall in Love
Post for March 11, 2012:
Our Men’s Group at Church was wrapping up the second series of videos in the Men’s Fraternity curriculum, “Winning at Work and Home”, by Robert Lewis. Our final assignment was to prepare “Ten Key Moves” based on the instruction that we thought would help us succeed in these areas. As I have done frequently in the past, I was letting my thoughts “percolate” until the night before our last class. I had come up with a few “ho-hum” ideas, but nothing that I felt was inspiring. I went to bed and in the morning, when I woke up, I thought to ask the Holy Spirit for some ideas. What He said was, “Fall in Love.” At first it seemed a little odd, but the more I thought about it, the better it got. I ended up with four areas in my life where “falling in love” will make a huge difference. Here they are:
1. Fall in Love with God. “God is Love”, (1John 4:16) and “We love because he first loved us”, (1John 4:19). God is the source of all love and He created us with the capacity to love. It is right and fitting that He should be our first and deepest love. It is also the first commandment according to Jesus in Mark 12:30 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.” Really, how could we not love Him after all He has done for us? (reference John 3:16). Spend time in worship, spend time in His Word. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)
2. Fall in Love with Yourself. I don’t mean in a self-centered, egotistical way, but if you don’t love yourself, you will never be able to truly show or give love to others. You can’t give away what you don’t first possess. One way to do this is to learn and reinforce who you are in Christ. For starters, check out the list from my January 1, 2012 post.
3. Fall in Love with your Family. Robert Lewis states that the Paradox Principle, “Die to Live”, is the key to success at work and at home. Conventional wisdom believes that when we live for ourselves, then we are happy and successful; but is that really true? When we live for ourselves, there is no depth of understanding and no appreciation for one another. We attempt to manipulate the marriage and family relationships for our own benefit or we ignore the needs of our spouse and children while we focus on our own interests. Emotional walls go up and your love dies a lingering death due to neglect. Life together becomes a series of joint obligations and fiscal responsibilities. Where is the joy, the meaning, the purpose in living like that? But, when we live more for others and less for ourselves, we give love and we show understanding. What we have given, we will also receive, and the doorways to true emotional intimacy are opened. Now there’s a life to die for!
4. Fall in Love with your Work. Each of us has a unique set of skills and abilities to go along with our passions in life. Entering a career field that isn’t consistent with whom you are is one of the saddest things you can do and it will be a source of great frustration throughout your life. Security is no substitute for the dreams God has placed in your heart. The good news is that it is never too late to change. Invest some time (and maybe a little money) and discover where your interests and your skills align and make a plan to get your “dream job”. The old saw is true…”Find a job you love and you will never ‘work’ a day in your life.”
Fall in Love with God. Fall in Love with Life. It’s why we were created and what we were created for.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Post for January 24, 2012: It is Finished!
I was sitting in Church Sunday morning thinking about this vision. I was planning to write it up for an Easter blog post, when I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Why wait?” I thought for a second or two, but really had no legitimate excuse, and I’ve found it’s always a good idea to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. So, here we go.
A number of years ago I was interceding during the worship service. I was up on the platform with the musicians and the presence of God was strong. I had closed my eyes while praying, and suddenly, I was somewhere else and I was seeing people and things as if my eyes were open. I was moving through a crowd of people, parallel to another man. This man was dressed in an iridescent white gown and I thought it must be Jesus. Then something very strange happened. One instant I’m moving through the crowd parallel to Him, and the next I am in His body, looking through His eyes. I look down and see the front of the gown. His arms are bent at the elbow and the palms of His hands are face up. I look at them and I can see the ground through the holes in them. I also see several drops of fresh blood pooled in each palm. Then I am outside of His body again.
Now Jesus is walking alone across an open area towards a gold platform with an angel kneeling in worship at each end of it. I can see it as if I’m only a couple of feet away from Him. He walks to the Mercy Seat, shakes His hands over it, leaving some of His blood on it. He says, “It is finished!” Then He starts to mount the gold stairs next to the Mercy Seat to take His place at the right hand of God the Father. Instantly, my perspective changes and I am now in a vast open space. The Mercy Seat appears miles away and I sense millions of people around me rejoicing in unison, but I don’t hear a sound. All of Heaven has joined together to witness this event and everyone is singing one, long, perfect note in a heavenly scale that my mortal ears cannot hear. The moment ends and I am back in the service, tears running down my cheeks in awe, reverence and joy.
Why is this important? In the Old Testament, once a year the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of a spotless lamb on the Mercy Seat. This was a yearly atonement for the sins of Israel Man. Kingdom of Heaven
I believe that a number of us in the Body of Christ are stuck at Christ’s Death and Resurrection. We rejoice that our sins have been forgiven and that we now can have eternal life through Him, but we do not move on and actually live in His Victory while we are here on earth. We don’t believe John 14:12, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” (NKJV) We don’t have the faith for Mark 16:17, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (NKJV) And we don’t value 1Peter 2:24, “…-by whose stripes you were healed”, thereby living powerless lives of infirmity and lack.
If we are to impact others for Christ, they must see the fruit of our relationship with Him in our lives. For that to happen, we must believe that there is more to Christ’s Victory than forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Heaven. We also need to know that nothing more needs to be done for us to participate in His Victory. Christ’s blood rests eternally on the Mercy Seat of God at the foot of His Throne. It pays for every sin and makes every promise in God’s Word available to us. Therefore, let us boldly declare the promises of God; speak with the authority Christ has given us and move in the power of His Name, for “IT IS FINISHED!”
Friday, January 20, 2012
Post for January 20, 2012: Be vs. Do
I had a dream last night. In it, my aunt and I had competing Landscaping companies and we were both trying to be the first to drive to another city and get the work we had heard was there. I had gotten far enough ahead of her that I couldn’t see her anymore in my rearview mirror. I was moving along at a good pace on this two lane road that was going up a mountainside. As I neared the top, there was a sharp curve to the left and I had to come to a complete stop because there was a huge, and I mean huge, hole in the road. It took up both lanes of the road, was at least eight feet across and at least six feet deep. I couldn’t drive around the hole because the mountain was on the left and sharp drop off on the right. I pulled my truck over to the side of the road and was unloading my equipment and moving it by hand around the hole. As I was maneuvering a piece of lawn machinery around the hole, I thought, “I sure hope my aunt is able to stop in time and doesn’t fall into the hole.” Then I woke up.
Here’s what I believe the Lord is trying to teach me from that dream. Oftentimes, we get it into our heads that we’re going to DO something for God and we get so focused on the opportunity we envision ahead of us that we miss the ones right at our feet. As a landscaper with the necessary tools, couldn’t I have filled in the hole and made the road level, the path straight for someone else? Wouldn’t that have been a blessing to others? But no…I was selfish and in a hurry. I wanted to get somewhere else to DO something else that I figured would benefit me. I barely had a second thought for a blood relative and fellow Christian let alone anyone else.
This also got me thinking about Jesus. Have you ever noticed that in a lot of the Gospel accounts, Jesus is simply travelling somewhere and someone stops Him because they had a need for a miracle and He provided it for them? I don’t recall any of the Gospels reporting Jesus saying, “Come on guys, today I’m going to the leper slum and do some serious healing!” No, He’s travelling from one city to the next being Himself, and things just happen. Blind Bartimaeus cried out loud enough to stop Jesus in His tracks and Jesus restored his sight as he had requested. The woman with the issue of blood pressed through the crowd and made a claim upon His virtue as He was walking. To me this speaks volumes about His character. He didn’t DO things so much as BE who He was. As people voiced their need to Him, He had compassion on them and met their need. I do not recall anywhere in the Bible where Jesus denied someone healing or deliverance when they approached Him and asked Him to heal them or set them free.
One more thing to consider: if you have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, then you are in Him and He is also in you. Let us try to follow His example, move in His empowerment, and BE the people God created us to be. Let us use our abilities and talents to help and bless those we meet in this life. As we model His example, I believe He will shine through us more brightly than ever before and isn’t that what we’re aiming for?
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Post for January 10, 2012: Coincidence? I think not!
Sorry this is late. I’ve spent several frustrating days because I was trying to write with my head and not my heart. Rereading my introduction also reminded me that my intent is to write about my relationship with God; keep things on a level people can relate to. I’ve been told that the best witness for God that we can give is our own testimony, so here goes…the short version of how I got here.
The year is 1989. I’ve been apart from God since 1968 when I made the mistake of judging God by the hypocrites who claimed to serve Him. I’ve also been divorced for over 3 years and my ex-wife has moved to Colorado Texas Texas rather than stay in Alaska Texas
Fast forward to October, 1991. The relationship is not over, but it is not flourishing, (totally my fault). I’ve been in my own apartment since December of 1990; have not found work and have run through the $90K in my retirement account in addition to selling some property I had in Alaska Alaska
Meanwhile, back in Texas
But this is not the end of the story.
In 1993, my son came up to visit his Grandparents and me. He could tell I had changed; especially when I apologized to him for the way I had behaved towards him when his Mother and I were together. It was enough to convince him to turn his life over to God. His wife later told me that she would not have married him had he not given his life to God. Because of his influence, my ex-wife and our daughter also gave their lives to God. Through my daughter, her husband is now saved. Both families are involved with the Worship Teams in their churches and between them have provided me with 5 beautiful grandchildren.
But wait, there’s more!
In 1994 an attractive brunette from Fairbanks was attending a revival service at our church in Anchorage
Looking over this, I come to several conclusions. First, God has a plan for my life. Since He is no respecter of persons, that means He has a plan for your life too. He also accomplishes His plan in the most amazing ways. Where others see “coincidences”, I see the gentle Hand of God guiding us where we need to be. I also see that God is a Restorer. I had lost my family, my home, my financial security and my possessions and God has restored all of that and more. God is also a God of second chances (and 3rd and 4th and…Nth chances). My return to Alaska
Bottom line, if you’re feeling lost, if you’ve lost the people and things dear to you, if you need a second chance, lift your eyes to God and seek Him out. He knows where you’ve been, He sees where you are now and He knows where He wants to take you. All you need to do is ask.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Post for January 1, 2012: Once more…with feeling!
I don’t know if any of you can identify with this, but I have not been a big fan of New Year’s Eve. Even before I stopped partying, the advent of a New Year had lost its appeal. That’s because I had almost no hope that anything exciting or wonderful was going to happen. It was going to be another 365 days of “SOS…same old stuff”. I made resolutions that I never kept or gave up on within a month or two: lose some weight, exercise more, learn new skills, read my Bible more, pray more, be a better husband/father/grandfather/employee. You name it; I’ve more than likely resolved to be better at it…and failed.
But things are changing. Earlier this year my wife discovered the teachings of Dr. James B. Richards of Impact Ministries (http://www.impactministries.com). We learned that true change can only come about when the heart and mind are in accord with one another. Too often the rational mind sees the logic in doing something and attempts to achieve it through sheer force of will alone. Some success can be had, but it is usually temporary because the heart holds our emotional identity, (how we deeply and truly see ourselves), and no matter how hard our mind tries to change us, we will eventually return to the level, or limits, of our emotional identity.
True change must begin in the heart. Even though I had accepted Christ and knew that, according to God’s Word in 2 Cor. 5:17, I was a “new creation” and that the “old things have passed away”; my heart still retained some of the lies and hurts life and the world had inflicted upon it. I needed to see myself in a new and better light. I needed the Word of God. As you can see in the following statements and Biblical references taken from “The Bondage Breaker” by Neil T. Anderson, (copyright 1990, 1993 by Harvest House publishers); God has much to say about us when we are “In Christ”. I urge you to read them and begin to see yourself as God’s Word describes you. I can tell you that it is making a difference in me and although I am far from complete, hope for change, hope in the promises of God, and even hope in the New Year is being restored in my life.
I am Accepted:
John 1:12 I am God’s child.
John 15:15 I am Christ’s friend.
1Cor. 6:17 I am united with the Lord and I am one Spirit with Him.
1Cor. 6:19,20 I have been bought with a price. I belong to God.
Eph. 1:1 I am a Saint.
Eph. 1:5 I have been adopted as God’s child.
Eph. 2:18 I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit
I am Secure:
2Cor. 1:21,22 I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God.
Phil. 1:6 I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be
perfected.
Phil. 3:20 I am a citizen of Heaven.
2Tim. 1:7 I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.
Heb. 4:16 I can find grace and mercy in time of need.
1John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.
I am Significant:
Matt. 5:13,14 I am the salt and light of the earth.
John 5:1,5 I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His live.
John 15:16 I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
Acts 1:8 I am a personal witness of Christ.
1Cor. 3:16 I am God’s temple.
2Cor. 5:17 I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
2Cor. 6:1 I am God’s co-worker (1Cor. 3:9).
Eph. 2:6 I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm.
Eph. 2:10 I am God’s workmanship.
Eph. 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Phi. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
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