Tag Archives: Church

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

RELATIONSHIP & FORGIVENESS THAT ENDURES

Forgiveness1Relationships can be difficult and the process of developing lasting bonds are often challenging, messy, inconvenient and, at times, hurtful. And yet despite the apparent negatives, and fraught with danger, we desire relationships that are real, trustworthy, loving and safe. By our very design we were created social; and loneliness has never been a welcomed companion for life’s journey. When we look to the heavens we reach out for a lasting relationship, with the Divine, which gives us hope in the hopeless seasons and love in the loveless. In my personal pursuit of relationship I have discovered, in several seasons of life, I was spiritually and naturally immature to develop such relationships; and even the bonds that I imagined were once unbreakable snapped under the pressures of circumstance, hurt and unforgiveness.

Three years ago I found myself moving in an upward trajectory of ministry aspirations and personal fulfillment. The church I was pastoring began a new season of growth and the “buzz factor” was building with each successive achievement. There was a new building, new people, growing departments, stable budgets, etc… Then, like with Job in the Bible, (and by no means would I compare my circumstances with Job) things fell apart. The growth suddenly stopped, fires sprung up, harvest fields were torched, robbed and pillaged and before I could even take a breath everything, including my family, was in a two-year death spiral.

I felt helpless, ill-equipped and hurt by the sudden reversal of fortunes. While I still continued to pastor, and the church managed to stabilize, I walked through the battlefield alive but severely wounded. What made my wounds all the more dangerous was my inability to really see how wounded I was. Outwardly I pressed “onward Christian soldier” while inwardly I withdrew from people, care, compassion and relationship. While I knew I should draw closer to the Holy Spirit, during such times, like Dante (from the Inferno) I found myself lost in a dark wood with only one faithful companion: depression. Needless to say it was a long two years, made even longer by the hurt, but over time I managed to crawl back towards relationship, community, trust and love; and all of this came through a road called forgiveness and reconciliation.

As Christians we readily accept the revelation that God can forgive anything; but He will never forgive that which contradicts His nature. Perhaps here, in the nature of God, we discover the true road to relationship, love and the everlasting bonds of friendship will only be experienced in forgiveness and reconciliation. If the template is Jesus, the Logos as well as the Word made flesh, (which I believe it has always been) then we cannot escape the reality that just as He forgives and reconciles us to the Father we too are to forgive and be reconciled one to another.

The Biblical pattern of relationship, and the Christ-like nature, is lived in the miracle of forgiveness and the experience of sanctification (or being made right again). In God’s relationship, with us, sanctification is simply the marvelous expression of the forgiveness of sins in the human life. When we are able to live the vertical relationship, we have with Him, correctly He will invade our horizontal relationships with others. This synergistic relationship best represents the Biblical holism we are purposed to experience.
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Once the image of the Father is alive in us we are readily available to repair the broken roads of relationship without fear, apprehension or dread. My road back toward forgiveness and reconciliation was not experienced behind the closed doors of an office or through a one-man crusade championing my cause. Rather in the two years of inward struggle the Holy Spirit contended with me and guided me back into the lives of others. It was in community healing occurred and true bonds of friendship were experienced, lived and cultivated. Despite the dangers and messiness, in us all and in relationship, we all destined to connect with the Spirit of God; and when we are one with the Father He will draw us into relationships that will require, of us, the continual need for forgiveness and restoration. This is In Him living, thinking and maturing; and this is the kind of living that shows the love of God.

There are still more than a few relationships I desire to see “patched up.” While it may appear that some roads are beyond repair know that “forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace…” (Chambers) And so I want to encourage you as I continue to encourage myself; pursue forgiveness and reconciliation. If you do you will discover lasting friendships, relationships and a Biblical community that is designed to enhance your life and support you on your journey with Jesus!

GRACE and PEACE

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

SACRED OLYMPIANS & VICTORY OVER SELF

medals

Over the many Olympic years the awarding of the bronze, silver and gold medals have been the featured climax at the end of every event. With the best three finalist standing on a podium, of distinction, they are awarded their placement, with a medal. Collectively the world watches as nations flags are raised to the sound of the first place winner’s national anthem. Often the camera will capture the emotions of the athletes, parents and crowd while the apex of achievement is witnessed for a few brief minutes. These are the “magical” moments often remember and celebrated because we recognize the remarkable achievement of the athlete. In that moment, everyone watching shares in the joy, pride and honor of being connected, through the athlete, to their nation. Honestly I find such moments emotionally stirring and think of the sacred Olympians, not of Greek mythology, but Biblical faith who have stood courageous for the King and the Kingdom without the medal, fan-fair or anybody noticing. These are the epic men and women, of faith, who achieved the great accomplishment over self.

While our modern day Olympic athletes are certainly at the top of their sport few will ever experience the sensational achievement the finalists will feel.  And for us, the viewing audience, most will never relate to their experiences. Yet, for the Christian, daily we encounter our personal competitions of endurance, tests of spiritual, physical and mental strength and strains of rivalry against a world that is very much our adversary.  Even though the Olympic games develop the highest levels of competition there is a respect, and sense of fair play, each athlete exhibits while knowing their competition is still their adversary.  While focused on winning the final reward what every athlete wants is to also defeat their competition and leave no room for a comeback or surprise upset. Likewise it is this way with the disciple of Jesus. We have a real adversary and unlike the spirit of the Olympics there is no sense of fairness and respect from him. Routinely Satan will use every trick, trap and unfair challenge to hinder you from completing the race you were destined to run and furthermore see to it that, if he is able, make sure you never experience the podium of victory.

So what guarantees victory for the modern day Olympian or today’s Christian? Again borrowing from the athlete’s journey their commitment to their sport has virtually, over time, consumed them to the point where they are no longer recognizable outside of the chosen path they are on.  In short, there is no longer any remnant of the individual conceit as they are enveloped with that which they are committed to.

By God’s creative design we are all fashioned with individuality and unique personalities that separate us from one another.  Likewise we are created with a great capacity for God; but in our disobedience (sin) to the Creators design and intent our individuality betrays our divine goals by substituting alternatives that, by their nature, keep us from getting at God. Jesus remains the only way to deliver us from sin and therefore, deliverance from ourselves from individuality. How is this accomplished? Certainly there is a divine outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in our lives, that enables us to make these necessary changes; but after the Holy Spirit is graciously poured out we must commit, as the Olympian, to present our natural life to God and sacrifice it until we are transformed into a spiritual life by obedience. In short the journey for the disciple is to no longer be seen as ourselves but as His!

While Satan, our adversary, often appeals to the nature of self, God focuses less on the natural and peers directly into the development of our spiritual life. When we live, prepare and compete, committed to His divine training, God’s prescribed order runs right across our natural life. Of course we admire the testimonies of triumph, over great adversity, and most of all we gain great encouragement from athletes that overcame those who told them, they can’t do it! When they heard deflating words they pressed through, all the harder, to succeed. And so it is with God and His disciples. God will not force the task of discipline on us. Like as expert coach He will wait for our commitment to discipline ourselves and then He will give us the tools necessary to overcome and win.
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If we are waiting for God to silence the critics, the well-meaning but misinformed or adversaries then we may find ourselves waiting a long time since He asks us, YOU bring every thought and imagination into captivity…you do it! Of course, this is a difficult challenge and I would not want you to think that in some way I am representing a merciless and uncompassionate God; because He is longsuffering, concerned, full of mercy and grace daily. But do not mistake His tenderness for moral weakness or His mercy for blatant ignoring of our undisciplined manners. When we face the strong challenges of doubt, fear and the desire to quit resist the urge to say, Lord, I suffer from struggling thoughts.’ Stop listening to the oppression of your individuality, and get emancipated by living in the new humanity of Jesus!

“If the Son shall make you free, …” What St. Paul means to convey in Galatians. 2:20 is he is no longer his own though he still has an individual race to run and call to fulfill. When Paul says he has“ been crucified with Christ,” he reminds himself and his readers his natural individuality has been broken and his personality is now merged with Jesus’. As with our current Olympians remember they did not come to their moment of contending, and excellence, by accepting anything other than giving themselves entirely to their sport. So while we may marvel at their achievement remember we are not those who run to gain a fading crown, or temporary medal, but we run so as to be united with Jesus and free indeed: free in essence, free from the inside and free from self. If you insist on contending for a prize then run your race to be identified with Jesus. This race, completed, with place you on the greatest podium of victory imaginable!

“Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can’t come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.” (John 8:36 MSG)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

STRIVING FOR THE ETERNAL REWARD

download (1)With the winter Olympics underway I must admit I am yet to watch a single minute of any event, a recap of medals won or upcoming competitions. My indifference has less to do with the actual sports, competitors or politics and is attributed more to my overall lack of passion for the Olympics itself. Nevertheless it is not lost on me there are many people who are fully enveloped in every result, the athletes stories and national pride that comes with winning a medal. Last night, as I was watching the news, a commercial advertized the actual length of the 2014 Winter Olympics which surprised me since I was under the impression the winter games were shorter in comparison to the summer games. As I thought on the length of the games, and the many men and women striving for honor, it caused me to contemplate on past Olympics and the people who will spend a lifetime determined to win a natural reward. But for all of the hours spent, sacrifices made, coaching and training, for a temporary prize, what can be said about the individual that contends for an eternal reward?

Being a Roman citizen St. Paul was very familiar with the influence the Olympic games, and marathons, had on the Greco-Roman culture. Often he wrote the early church using the games as a relatable place for the Christian to connect the ordinary of life with their faith. But before St. Paul we read of other remarkable Biblical people who understood the reality of God and striving for an eternal goal and not a natural prize. Abraham, the father of our faith, expressed the passion of a true sacred Olympian when he said, My goal is God Himself … At any cost, dear Lord, by any road. (Loose paraphrase)

When you stop to consider the early life of Abraham we know very little expect what we may “read between the lines.” The true character of Abraham is later revealed through his journey. Though Abraham experienced a series of personal failures, and setbacks, his lasting testimony is one of absolute faith, prayer and obedience to God’s coaching and securing the eternal goal. Jesus also said Come, let go and trust in God in this matter. In the spirit of true Hebraic holism, and divine instruction, Jesus’ words beckon the discipline to a life of obedience, faith and endurance. This was the life Abraham was committed to which forever set his natural focus on the eternal goal of the King and the Kingdom.

Most people often talk about running the race for the “real God” without considering the rigorous training and endurance that comes with such a pursuit. Until you are face to face with Him, like Abraham on Mt. Moriah or Moses at Sinai, many will talk about the promises of God without placing their full obedience in understanding the nature of God. As most of the world watches the winter games at Sochi I wonder how many Christians will actually view their own journey, for Jesus, with the same intense training these dedicated athletes commit to three hundred and sixty-five times a year and over a lifetime?
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Oswald Chambers, a man who lived the dedicated and committed life, challenges us today with his words, “All the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen.’ The “yes” must be born of obedience; when by the obedience of our lives we say “Amen” to promise, then that promise is ours.” As you watch the 2014 Olympic games, and cheer for your favorite athletes, consider what event you are called to prepare for and what race you are being asked to run. Once you contemplate your place in the divine narrative of Jesus’ story then perhaps you will be challenged, motivated and encouraged to train like never before, believe as never before and remain committed until you gain the eternal reward of Him, regardless if you never possess earthly medals or stand on a podium of global fame.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

THE HEROIC? OR THE SIMPLICITY OF BIBLICAL HEROISM?

hero-croppedEverybody loves hero’s and heroic stories. And while some of us like the idea of knights in shining armor in reality what draws us, to the hero, is their humanity, flaws and courage to overcome self in favor of selflessness. When my son was a little boy he, like most boys his age, went through a prolonged superhero phase where Superman, Batman and a variety of many others decorated his walls, clothes and imagination. The fun thing about being a dad, with a little boy, is that when he is growing up you get to re-watch cartoons, play with toys and occasionally return to childhood. While the brief fantasy of some costumed caped crusader may sound silly to some in reality we all relate to the ethos of the superhero. The superheros of comic book lore, or real life, possess qualities we all long for and relate to such as: motivation, a strong moral code, ability, a supporting cast and an interesting back-story. Aside from these qualities there is something else we all long to experience at the end of the hero’s epic struggle: the marvelous occurrence of victory!

There seems to be a tendency, in search of the heroic for our life, to look for marvelous experiences while making the mistake that a sense of the heroic is, in some way, making us heroes when it isn’t. While victorious experiences can reveal certain traits of heroism I would submit true hero’s are those courageous men and women who live through a crisis majestically glorifying God when there is no witness, no spotlight and no-one paying the remotest attention to them.

When I was younger, and experiencing some measure of “successful” ministry, admittedly I had often pictured myself in some version of a medieval halo, secretly wanting people to say, What a Godly man I was. Or, Look how devoted to God and His Kingdom I am?  But as I matured, faced several personal set-backs and experienced some humbling moments I discovered self-aggrandizing, selfishness and pride did not make me, or anybody else, a hero regardless of ministry or ministry aspirations.

Sometimes, it indicates that your partner is not fully interested in you, which can contribute canadian viagra pills to poor sexual life. Since men are more susceptible to cancer development, thus regular buy viagra consumption of ginseng can treat problems like restlessness and erectile dysfunction condition. These kinds of issues involve anti-sperm antibodies, cervical stenosis, and insufficient secretion of mucus for the journey of generic levitra 10mg buying here sperm. Low click address online viagra canada libido is when sexual desire is very less or negligible harmful effects and have been successfully tested on males of different age groups. A REAL HERO is the person who is committed to living rightly devoted to Jesus, to the very point when people no longer notice you; but see Jesus Christ alive in you. So, when people hear your testimony, see your witness and experience your friendship do they see you or Jesus in and through you?  The true hero’s of our ancient and vibrant Judeo-Christian faith are those who allowed the Holy Spirit, in them, to develop them to the very point where they were unnoticeable. This is the test facing every Christian who desires to live a life that is modestly heroic. It is in the beautiful simplicity and truth, of Jesus, the disciple discovers the heroic call and life. In the epic climax and seal of the disciples journey their successes or failures are never highlighted but what is recognized is their faithfulness to God.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

STAY OUT OF GOD’S WAY & WAIT FOR HIS CUE

guidanceNear my house there is a lot of construction going on. Not more than a block from my front door a new subdivision of homes are being built up and a few blocks down the other end a major section of the road is being widened. It seems no matter which way I turn there is a detour or a road worker directing traffic. A few mornings back I was sitting in a long car line, bringing my son to school, when I finally came to a place of turning. While the traffic light was red the road worker was waving me to pass through the intersection. What do I do? Do I follow the traffic rules, and lights, or the man wearing the red suit with his arms waving me on? Well, a car honk later, my son saying, Dad…Go! and the road worker pointing directly at me to move, was enough motivation to continue on trusting he (the road worker was right).

My little slice of life, at a busy intersection, is not too different than everyday life for any of us. Honestly, I was very uncomfortable sandwiched between traffic, years of driving rules and some guy in the middle of the road; and in this instance I was very much the amateur. What about you? What happens when your life has pressure behind you, common sense in front of you and God waving His hands trying to get your attention? For some of us it takes a long time to realize we can become a real danger to ourselves, and others, by remaining amateurs. Returning to my road story imagine what may have happened if I just stopped? Traffic would have increased, frustration would have mounted and uncertainty may have developed into fear the next time the light switched. And so, looking to the man in the middle of the road I decided not to interfere with his directions. Likewise, we should behave this way with God. When God is directing you, even in an uncertain situation, do no retreat into safe assumptions that place your will straight in front of God’s permissive will.

Perhaps the hardest place to trust God’s will, over our desires, is experienced when we are living with people in our community of faith or loved ones? Most people see the hurt, harm or fear, of others, and instantly want to intervene with the desire to help, heal or prevent it. But what if God is saying to us, What are YOU doing in this situation? What if God has allowed circumstances to unfold, in such a way, where He desires to bring the “in need” into a reality of needing Him and not you? We may be well intentioned in desiring to ease the suffering of people but unless we are led by the Holy Spirit, and supported by His Word, way may be advising people to have faith in us and not God. If our role, in the life of others, is to bring them unto ourselves then we are also interfering in the life of another; proposing things we have no right to propose and advising when we have no right to advise. When the opportunity opens, for you to give advice or aide to another, God will advise through you with the direct understanding of His will. Our part is to be so in tune with God that His discernment comes through you and allows Him to be the true blessing for the person in need.

REMEMBER MY TRAFFIC STORY? At the intersection of traffic, construction and direction is very real life. We all reside and know people who are living in various stages of traffic, construction and needing direction yet too often we attempt, with amateur efforts, to solve or cure problems without allowing God the room to actually direct us. The results are seldom ideal and even more disastrous are the unintended consequences the follow our not waiting for God or allowing Him to direct His people in need. In short, GET OUT OF THE WAY OF GOD and allow Him the breathing room to give, those He loves, the proper cues to navigate dangerous situations. The man in the middle of the road knew the traffic situation and the potential dangers ahead; and when he waved me through the intersection I arrived safely through the circumstance.
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Today’s post is by no means a “free pass” to ignore the needs of others but rather, in seeing the need, we are to be carefully led by the Holy Spirit how to intervene and to what extent. Once we are led by Him then we can have the confidence that He (God) is using us to carry through His plans and purposes in the lives of others. At times you may find yourself doing little and in others seasons you may be called on to intervene in much. In either case be sure to stay out of God’s way and let Him be the main director because He alone see’s and knows the true extent of the circumstances and the people He cares for.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF: A LESSON ON PARENTING, BEING PARENTED & IDENTITY IN JESUS!

155495I have a fourteen year old son and somewhere between thirteen and fourteen my sweet little boy turned into a teenager. The overnight transformation took Joshua from a glasses wearing, short haircut, easy going sweet child into a contacts wearing, longer-haired, moody teenage-wolf who took Jeannette and me by total surprise. As a former youth pastor I had read the books and worked with all types of youth across a variety of ethnicities and backgrounds; but, when it came to my son, I found myself scrambling for answers, approaches and Advil. Now if you thought I was writing today’s post to vent, complain or muse over life’s curveballs I would like to add this  “overnight” transformation, and subsequent parental responses, hasn’t been all bad. In fact, as he is changing our conversations, topics and motivations, for helping him develop, are also taking on an adult approach. Though he is still only 14 his world is far older than his age and therefore forcing him to developed quicker than how I matured growing up in the late eighties. Perhaps an even more exciting chapter is also beginning since, with Joshua’s change, Jeannette and I are now able to take on a more fully developed approach, with him, regarding faith and the necessity of building his own personal walk with God.

Let’s face it! No matter where or how you were raised you took your cues from your elders. In some cases our elders may have been poor examples while in others instances they were virtual rocks of stability and morality. Whatever the case may be we learned and developed, early on, from what we saw, heard and experienced and this, in turn, shaped our beliefs. But what happens when your world-view changes? What type of alteration occurs when you are presented with another way to live or a better way to behave and experience life healthier than before? Asked another way, What happens when God invites you for transformation? In such moments our worlds collide and the past teaching of what we learned, or how we once behaved, is now confronted with a new humanity rooted in Jesus.

I clearly remember the day I was faced with such changes. And though it took several months for me to “right the ship” I knew it would be an impossible task unless I sought God for guidance. Last week I wrote about Drawing Closer or Looking from Afar: The Altered Life and in that post I addressed the signs and indications of a life that is really changed or sanctified. I know…the very word sanctified may conjure up images of monastic living and deprived people but if this our only definition, of such an awesome way of living, then we are missing the target by a long shot.

Simply defined to be sanctified means you are being made into a child of God. Isn’t that amazing? Despite your past, present or surroundings you are invited, by God, to live a new life filled with opportunity, hope, joy and freedom that is spiritually intuitive and alive. But there is a catch! As with any great deal there is a certain measure of our responsibility and this brings me back to my “teenage wolf” Joshua. When my son was younger he took life’s cues from me and his mother.  While he continued to grow he benefited from the decisions and choices Jeannette and I made; and while this was good for our “little boy” then, he is now becoming his own man today. You see Joshua now needs to take the experiences of his childhood and allow the reality, of identity in Jesus, to crash into his life. Joshua needs to see, learn and develop his own life, sanctified and obedient to God. As much as I may desire to do this for him Joshua needs to understand how to develop his own spiritual intuition by knowing who he belongs to and therefore how he should believe and behave.

WHAT IS THIS SPIRITUAL INTUITION  Every person has a flesh body and a spirit within. For all of us this “spirit-man” was once dead and searching for an outlet that will give it the spark of life, identity and purpose.  When we examine beyond the exterior of what we see and assume to be true we discover, deep within, there is an intuitive tugging that draws us to God. That tugging that makes our spirit alive and reveals the truth of who God is? The Holy Spirit. When God opens our understanding to see Him, even through a glass darkly, we must stop and submit ourselves to His Spirit and allow Him to renew and alter our life for His glory. Here again we uncover another identifier of the altered life…it is the life BORN-AGAIN by the Spirit of God!

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Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

My “Teenage Wolf” Before & After…photo

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Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

THE LATE NIGHT CALL YOU WANT TO RECEIVE

9018late_night_callHave you ever tried to fight off sleep? Maybe sleep knocks at your door during a critical point in a late night movie? Or perhaps as you are trying to unwind from a busy day you find yourself drifting in and out from a state of sleep and awareness? Either way when sleep arrives it’s near impossible to just “put it off.” Well, I found myself in such a state of being, a few nights ago, as I was doing my best to keep awake long enough to find out what winter weather may be coming my way. That night I lost the battle; and having fallen asleep I missed the weather, but not what God had planned for me later that evening. It was about 10:40ish when I woke back up with lights off and the TV still running. By now I had captured enough sleep to recharge my battery and also felt that familiar rumbling of the late night munchies coming on. As I rolled out of bed I made my way to the kitchen and just as I was passing the dining room I heard my phone ring. As a pastor the late night or early morning calls seldom bring good news; but also as a pastor you learn to never let those calls just drop to voicemail. Answering the phone I was surprised to hear the voice of a fellow pastor, and friend, who wanted to share with me some important and brief thoughts. Our conversation lasted no longer than ten minutes but the deposit of hope, friendship and faith he passed along kept me up for hours after we hung up. I skipped the pantry and went back to bed thinking on the contents of our conversation and this time, with the TV off, I collected my thoughts and prayed. It was an odd feeling that within the span of 40 minutes I had gone from sleep to wide awake and now prayer which drew me closer to spending time with Jesus and further from the concerns of weather, my daily routine or what might happen tomorrow.

When such moments occur, in our lives, we either want to doze back off and ignore the “late night phone call” or retreat from the battle that forces us to break our routines, and moods, so we can press in closer to Jesus. I will be the first to admit it is difficult to get out of “our business” and live the type of life where we look for opportunities to experience the Holy Spirit and develop our devotion to Him. When I reflect on lives Jesus routinely encountered it often seems those who were closest, to Him, missed even greater opportunities to know Him more intimately in favor of self or sleep. This is not to say the disciples, save Judas, were sinister or in some ways ungrateful. But their lack of knowing Him highlights a fundamental issue with us. Often we complain about not experiencing God, or “feeling” His outpouring; but when I think of my late night call I also wonder how many times did Jesus invite me to join Him and I just allowed the call to drop or went back to sleep? Can I honestly assign fault with God for my lack understanding Him? I think not.

When the late night call, or any call for that matter, comes we have to get out of ourselves and step into engaging Him continually. In times of prayer, praise, worship, reading, living and hearing the Word we have the unique occasion to daily experience God Incarnate (Jesus) and such moments should never be neglected. In times of growing global uncertainty, natural concern and spiritual drought the Christian should press his or her ear even closer to the heart of the King. We need to always be those who are clearing out more than enough room, in our lives, to allow His Holy Spirit to dwell in our midst. Today I want to encourage you to open up your lines of communication, leave the phone on ready and be prepared for Jesus to call. He desires to share His will for all who truly want to develop a lasting relationship with Him.
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Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

LOOKING FROM AFAR or DRAWING CLOSER (THE HOLY SPIRIT and THE ALTERED LIFE)

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Before I began my ministry journey I was well on a personal voyage of self and faith. Growing up in a traditional middle-class family life was fairly predictable. But if I thought life was conventional then faith and religion was far more planned and unsurprising. Week after week I attended church knowing what to expect from any given Sunday worship experience. This was not to say my church was “dead” or boring; in fact that would be the farthest thing from the truth. The church of my childhood, and youth, was home to amazing families, weekly visitors, dynamic teachers, vibrant praise and worship and most of all a commitment to allow the Holy Spirit to move freely during the service. Still, despite this freestyle approach, week after week without any intentional planning Sunday more or less always felt the same. Consequently as the church marched on living in a steady expectation of what worked, felt and seemed right, I also found my spiritual appetite, more or less, mirroring the church. In a phrase, I became content to live spiritually predictable.

One Sunday morning, in the mid-90’s, a particular service forever changed the identity of my childhood church; and though there was no expectation for that service to unfold as it later did the events that followed led to many changed lives for years to come. For close to seven years, the Holy Spirit revolutionized the church from the pulpit to the pew and from the pew to the community; and what was once a place of worship with predictability became a center of praise, healing and ministry that knew few boundaries.  While lives were changed, marriages restored, people healed and ministries launched I still stayed on the sidelines and watched from afar, though remained faithfully present. With each life changing testimony I knew the people whose lives were changed. They were part of our spiritual family and the miraculous brought joy to us all.  Still, my joy for God’s gracious healing and outpouring never translated to my personal pursuit of such changes in my own life.

As the years have passed I have been able to reflect on those experiences and my unwillingness to personally encounter God’s outpouring. Once the Holy Spirit finished moving, as he did those seven years, I remained with many in my church. And while they had been set free, and delivered, from their trials I found myself beginning to wrestle with the personal issues of pride, rejection, insecurity and fear. I too wanted to be “set-free” but also remain at a distance. Why was I unwilling to upset my desire for spiritual predictability in favor of the supernatural unpredictability of God?

It came down to a simple truth: I was unwilling to change from the old comfortable “self” and embrace a new, rebuilt and redesigned man living in the new humanity of Jesus! When such a sobering reality set in I was shaken to the point where I even asked if I was really saved? Of course I knew, deep within, I had accepted and received Jesus’ gracious invitation but in my desire to maintain a spiritually predictable existence I had missed out on the intimate hunger for God’s supernatural to change my life. Not only had I witnessed the Holy Spirit but I did my best to avoid Him which resulted in my adoption of other-Biblical views on salvation, grace and mercy. Salvation, for me, became going to church, tithing, being the best moral person I could be, wearing a cross and identifying myself with fellow Christians. But when I began to wrestle with “self”, having avoided the Holy Spirit, I discovered that salvation, grace and mercy could only be understood with the Holy Spirit! So as I returned to the Bible, for my answers, it suddenly became very clear: THE MARK OF A SAVED LIFE IS THE ALTERED LIFE.

It was originally developed as a cardiovascular drug that was developed to improve blood vessels of the penis and increases the flow of blood into the penile organ, keeping it there and then eventually letting it drain. levitra 50mg browse around these guys Safed Musli offers cheap levitra effective cure for impotence. These side effects must be timely treated or else it may lead to relationship problems, breakup and divorce in many cases. devensec.com order levitra This Sildenafil citrate devensec.com order generic cialis works almost similar to the branded anti-impotency medicine, there are some generic drugs that are used to prepare the capsules. Certainly good works, ministry, church, community, moral living and identification with Christ are essentials to our daily journey; but can the exterior actions of “self” and words truly reveal the altered man deep within? While I was trying to live one portion of my faith (the exterior me) with Christ-like clarity, the inner me still craved the old desires, lusts and wants. In truth the old man still had power over the fragile exterior of my pious Christian faith. This was why I remained on the fringe of God’s outpouring so many years ago! Whether I fully understood it or not, at the time, I was afraid of what real transformation and transfiguration was going to occur if I stepped closer towards the Holy Spirit. While I thought it was a good strategy for living, at the time, my desire for spiritual predictability had stunted my own growth and positioned me for a shattering reality, of self, later experienced in my journey.

One of the trademarks of God’s encounter, and visitation, is that He has altered you deep within. If you still hunger for the old life, or crave the old appetites it is illogical to talk about being born-again when you are still juggling yourself. This is not to say even the altered man will not face temptations however when we are born again the Spirit of God makes the alteration visible and livable in your ordinary of life. When we live life firmly rooted in His Holy Spirit we complete, through Him, the amazing adjustment that is the evidence we are truly a saved soul, redeemed person and transfigured life.

“Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.” (2 Cor. 5:17 MSG)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

GIVE IT TO GOD & DON’T TAKE IT BACK!

Let-Go-and-Let-GodThe other day I was sitting in my living room speaking with a mature Christian woman, in age and spiritual journey, about life and how we tend bring things to God but seldom let go. Jokingly she said to me, I’m a pessimist and when I give things to God I want to always take them back. Honestly I, and most others, am not too different from this woman. A casual scan through the pages of history, and the Bible, will reveal a many persons who had a hard time letting go.  Perhaps they were possessions, a secret desire, an insatiable lust for power, wealth, sex or maybe it was our nearest belongings such as a loved one or birthright? Whatever the reason may be we are easily the people who say, for pious appearance sake, we will give it to the Lord…but in reality we still have both hands firmly clasped on what we presuppose to value most.

WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO LET GO? There is an extraordinary passage, in the Bible, about a man who let go named Abraham. Through a series of circumstances, challenges and tests of faith Abraham followed the call of God up Mt. Moriah to turn his closest possession loose, his son Isaac. In the moments preceding Abraham’s sacrificial journey God’s command was direct with little room for debate and parsing of words: “He said, “Take your dear son Isaac whom you love and go to the land of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I’ll point out to you.” (Genesis 22:2 MSG)

Did you notice the direct nature of God in speaking with Abraham? Take now…not later. I find it a little unsettling when we debate with God once He has clearly told us to let go of a certain circumstance or situation. Even when we receive confirmation that God has spoken to us, in a certain matter, we often do our best to find excuses for not seeing the issue through at once. But this was not the attitude or disposition of Abraham. In fact, no matter how challenged and difficult it was for him to make preparations Abraham knew, within his spirit, his ascension to the apex of Mt. Moriah was where he would encounter God in a new and revelatory way by letting go.

“And Abraham rose up early in the morning, … and went unto the place of which God had told him” (v. 3). If you are a parent then you know how difficult the emotional, physical and mental challenge that warred within Abraham must have been and yet the Scriptures speak not of Abraham’s struggle but of his astonishing simplicity and faith! REMEMBER when God speaks to us He is not asking our “flesh” to make sense of the request or command. Just the opposite! When God is speaking he bypasses our sympathies and personal insights by targeting our personal relationship with Him. It is in your journey up “Mt. Moriah” you will confront self or trust in obedience to Him. The very nature of self always hinders our obedience to God; but our faith in Him (God), and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, can supersede the natural by allowing us to let go and truly trust the divine hand and purpose of God in the circumstance.
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A FINAL THOUGHT ON ABRAHAM (A MAN WHO LET GO AND TRUSTED GOD) Abraham did not choose the sacrifice. In fact, multiple times we read Abraham never chose the circumstances in which God would prove His covenant promise, love and blessing. Therefore, let us take a life lesson from the journey of Abraham and always guard our self against self-chosen sacrifice or even the “Mt. Moriah” of our selecting. If you have journeyed long enough, with Jesus, then you have experienced or met people where God has made their cup sweet with grace; and even bitter to draw us into communion with Him. We must be prepared to face the real twists and turns of outrageous fortune while daily living in touch with Him. When you are faced with a trial, circumstance or an event, to hard to bear, call on God! In a time of great need let go and resist the urge to take it back. God is always working for His highest ends until His purpose and man’s purpose finally become one.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

THE FIFTH GOSPEL: YOU

witnessingI once heard a minister say there are five Gospel’s; and four of them most people will never read. There is Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and YOU. You are the fifth Gospel that people will observe, hear and reflect on. So what impression do you give?

Perhaps one of the hardest challenges we experience is the hard look inward. It is easy to criticize someone, or to be over critical of oneself, but this doesn’t necessarily mean we are taking an honest and introspective look at our self. If we are to be “the fifth gospel”, or the witnesses of His sanctification, we must also carry, with us, the preparedness to take on the responsibility of how people will know us. Of course, this could be a terrible and depressing burden to live life constantly evaluating how others perceive you if not for the most powerful and dynamic indwelling within us: The Holy Spirit. Despite our faults, flaws or jagged edges it takes the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, within the person, to soften the edges, mend the flaws and correct the faults. When the Christian journeyman lives with this reality the burden of perception is lifted and the great commission is embraced with a sense of purpose and mission.

Truthfully it is difficult, especially for the Christian, to understand what our purpose and aim in life is until we understand the Holy Spirit can only reveal God’s purpose, for humanity. This is why too many Christian’s are afraid to witness, evangelize or testify of God’s Kingdom message because they are concerned with what impression they are showing. The reason for their personal concern may be tied to their clothes, status in surrounding community or personal pride; when their real concern should be the level of the Holy Spirit deeply alive and active within them. When we read of St. Peter’s sermon, at Pentecost, the Bible tells us he (Peter) was filled with the dunamis (Holy Spirit power – like dynamite) that when activated resulted in many believing, being baptized and confessing Jesus as Lord. This is the Fifth Gospel is action!

When you are the fifth gospel you are living a life filled for His purposes, throughout the world, just as He (God) used Jesus for the purpose of our salvation. If the world sincerely searched for an alive, vibrant and hopeful faith they could look to “the facts” and discover the truth in Christianity. But remember most people will never read the Gospels, or examine the facts, so they need to read and understand you. If we present a Christianity that seeks great things for our self then we have effectively helped place a barrier of “self and pride” between people and Jesus. As long as we possess self-serving interests and worldly-ambitions people, in need, will never identify you with Jesus or God’s interests. BUT when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide and motivate us we will begin to let loose of the terrible “gospel of self” and let God bring us into His purposes.
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SOMETHING WE ALL NEED TO LEARN: The aim in life is God’s, not ours. God desires to use us as rescue lines, for the seeking, searching, hurting and lost. As for God’s personal agenda? All He ever asks, of any man or woman, is do we trust and obey Him? His mercy, grace, blessing and promises are without doubt and so when we are in the refining process, of the becoming the fifth gospel, let Him crumple us up or applaud us, He can do anything He chooses. Again, God is simply asking will we have unreserved faith in Him and allow ample room for the Holy Spirit to be alive in us? Remember  YOU are the fifth gospel!   

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

PRAYER: AN UNRIVALED GAME-CHANGER

game-changerIf you have ever followed a sporting competition then chances are you have heard the expression “a game-changing moment.” Maybe it’s a player or a particular play but when the moment happens we call it a game-changer because that is exactly what occurs: The circumstances change dramatically. This past week I had a “game-changing” moment and it came attached to prayer, faith and in the most unusual of circumstances.

Earlier this year I shared with you how I was on a new journey of faith where I was going to bring my “head faith” down to the ordinary and practical of life. Of course this journey hasn’t been easy especially when the circumstances, I am bel ieving for, are not noticeably changing. Nevertheless I remained determined to continue this journey not as an experiment but as a way of living where to live is to worship and to worship is to live. As 2014 started I felt anxious to see how quickly my circumstances would change but in reality little seemed to be moving until…

It was the Friday after the new year and I had received a call that a fellow Christian, that I knew but have a limited relationship with, was facing a serious health issue in his family. My first reaction was one of concern that then turned to the thought of praying for his family. But just as I was about to dismiss any further action I felt, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, to call this man and actually bring my faith into the ordinary and practical of life. Our conversation was brief, no more than ten minutes, which concluded with my praying for his family and that was it. Later the next week I went to my mailbox and saw a letter from an individual addressed to our faith community. As I opened the letter there were just a few short words, a request and an extremely generous financial gift to Maranatha Koinonia. I sat stunned! I couldn’t find the words to express how I felt nor could I conceive of any scenario in which this blessing found its way to our faith community…but it did!

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? In a circumstance of someone’s crisis I was energized, by the Holy Spirit, to prayer! The Lord knew I haven’t been praying for money and truthfully I didn’t even know where to begin my prayers because there were, and remain, so many needs. Yet, as I practiced to live is to worship and to worship is to live I experienced the Holy Spirit Himself praying, in me, prayers which I couldn’t utter. Prayer and answered prayer are the game changing moments (testimonies) of the dynamic and Spirit-filled life, of the Christian, when we are those who are “born again” of God and indwelt by the Spirit of God. It is when we are firing on all Spirit-birthed cylinders, in the ordinary of life, the supernatural happens.

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” (Romans 8:26)

WHAT NEEDS TO OCCUR IN US ALL: St. Paul addresses the dynamic life of the Christian when He (the Holy Spirit) drives and motivates our prayer.  In speaking to the church in Rome he writes, “He,” the Spirit in you, makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” When this happens God is searching our hearts not to know what our conscious prayers are, but to help us discover what the prayer of the Holy Spirit, deep within us, is. What I experienced, this past week, was a Spirit-birthed and Spirit-prompted moment of prayer which exceeded what I was prepared to do naturally. But when the supernatural broke into the natural circumstances prayer went from words into action and action into healing which was followed by Spirit-birthed love, appreciation and blessing!

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WHAT I LEARNED and HOPE TO PASS ALONG TO YOU: The Spirit of God will not dwell in a body where we want to live life based on our convenience. Though it may have been natural, for some, it was inconvenient to stop my life to pray for another. But when the Holy Spirit burst into my ordinary I had no other choice but to respond to His prompting and presence. I experienced a game-changing moment that led to many game changing opportunities.

Have you recognized that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? If so, then lovingly I want to encourage you to remain careful to keep it undefiled for Him (Jesus). “We have to remember that our conscious life, though it is only a tiny bit of our personality, is to be regarded by us as a shrine of the Holy Ghost. He will look after the unconscious part that we know nothing of; but we must see that we guard the conscious part for which we are responsible.” (Chambers)

In a few weeks there will be a Super Bowl and both teams will be hoping for a game-changing moment. What about you? Are you facing circumstances where you know you need the supernatural to burst into your ordinary? If so,  then take some time to re-read this post, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help re-energize your prayer life and make room for His supernatural presence to not just fill you but use you for the service of the Gospel message and Kingdom hope.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Living, Motivational

THOUGHTS FOR A NEW YEAR (repost from Ed Gungor / CMI Global)

Ed“Thoughts For A New Year” by ED GUNGOR

We all have some things in our lives that we would like to see changed—maybe it’s taking off a few pounds, or breaking up some old habit. That’s why New Year’s resolutions are so popular. They hold the promise of change, but it turns out that New Year’s resolutions are pretty short lived. They start out strong, but like the squint after leaving an afternoon matinee, they wear off.

Why?

According to fourth century theologian St. Augustine humans can “will away” all we want, but it will not produce consistent change because sin has broken the effectiveness of our wills. For Augustine, this is the worm that has curled its way into the apple of the human condition. And it means that human will power alone doesn’t have the punch needed for real transformation. This is why Paul cries, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:24). He was talking about the whole dilemma of wanting to do right but always ending up doing wrong, a concept we all get too well.

It turns out that transformation in the Christian sense (versus the kind of change some accomplish by sheer will power) is not accomplished as we redouble our effort, but is experienced as we embrace what the Spirit is doing in us. The New Testament claims that “goodness” is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that is communicated to us through simple faith. As we trust Christ and endeavor to pursue his active presence in our lives, we end up mysteriously participating in God’s goodness, which is his Divine nature. Just like you can pick up bad stuff from hanging with wrong friends, you can pick up good traits from chumming with God through stuff like prayer, silence, study, becoming part of a great church community, etc. When we do this, his graciousness to us makes us gracious to others; his kindness to us makes us kind; his comfort to us makes us comfort each other, and so on. The result is transformation.

This means that we need something other than a strong will to live rightly. The only successful therapy for the transformed life is divine grace. Grace is God’s favor or “help” for our lives. Grace is what makes change possible to us. Grace is the idea that God gets in the mix of the average person’s world and makes things different. That’s what grace does. It changes things. It changes people.

The task at hand is to figure out how a person with your unique personality and mind-set can best tap into grace. For me grace is most easily accessed as I sit in silence and pray written prayers (e.g. Book of Common Prayer). As I pray and meditate in silence, grace dawns inside me. My wife, Gail, taps into grace as she sings and worships. Others touch God’s grace most by getting together with other believers, by retreating into times of solitude, by taking hikes into nature, or by one of the other many spiritual practices modeled in scripture and church history—and there are a bunch of them: study, worship, celebration, service, prayer, fellowship, confession, submission, solitude, silence, fasting, sacrifice, and so on. Once you find the pathways that help you tap into grace, you can practice those in order to stay under its influence. The trick is to find the “spout” where grace comes out for you, and hang there.

When nerve involved in digestion viagra without prescriptions canada process is damaged, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea can occur. Even by following some viagra no prescription mastercard food habits, sciatica nerve soreness can be eliminated. It has click to read more order cheap viagra a place with a class of medications called phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors. Thus, stress and the disrupted urinary levitra uk process can result in erection problems. A changed life is the real import of the gospel. The gospel was designed to rewrite a person’s life. The more our lives are rewritten, the greater our influence will be on others around us. Our connection with the person of God never just takes place in our hearts or personal space, it influences situations, community, family, friendships, civic work—everything. True faith is always pushed out from the domain of just thought. Our faith plunges us into real life with courage to face all the suffering and contradictions that occur there, while we remain steady in our devotion. It is this kind of living that causes us to influence the world.

Few things capture us like people-stories. We are fascinated by real life and ordinary people—perhaps because we recognize that each of our lives is jammed with similar struggles and ironies, and stories of transformation strike us; they give us hope. The hard truth is that people in our culture are not interested in what we believe; they are only interested in the beliefs that have actually changed us. They want to know if our beliefs actually alter the way in which we live. Do they modify our story?

This is how the typical mom with three kids still in diapers can influence the world. This is how the high-school student, who is still trying to discover who she is and where she fits in the world, can influence others for Jesus. This is how the retired person struggling with health issues or caring for an elderly parent changes the world.

The apostle Peter claimed that when we live our lives in a way that shows we have “set apart Christ as Lord” in our hearts, we will create a question in the minds of others. Peter contends that the role of the believer is to “always be prepared to give an answer” to the emerging questions from those who observe our lives. Somehow, as we intentionally “set apart Christ as Lord” in our hearts, we start looking different; our story changes. We become marked with “bright spots” (joy, peace, kindness, patience, hope, and so on). These bright spots create a question inside those who live in our proximity. When the question comes, Peter says we are to answer. I suggest that answering the question our lives create is the secret to changing the world around us.

Let me say this as clearly as I can: You can change. What IS does not have to stay that way.Things really can be different in 2014. An Old Testament prophet once told the people: “TheLORD has much more for you than this.” (2 Chron. 25:9)

What if that is true?

Ed Gungor

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

GOD IS GOOD, A HIDING PLACE IN A TIME OF TROUBLE (He recognizes and welcomes anyone looking for help)

call-on-godThis past weekend I was part of an amazing group discussion, with my faith community, on the power of prayer and how God can change our lives once we fully submit to Him. What sparked our conversation was a testimony, we viewed as part of series of teachings by Pastor Jim Cymbala (Brooklyn Tabernacle), that helped us see the real power in and behind prayer. This particular testimony was of a man, who lived at the very height of his craft. His talent brought him overnight fame, fortune and instant access to everything the world has to offer. Through a series of circumstances this young many quickly lost his way and ended up broke, homeless, lost, and spiritually unreachable to any hope of the Gospel message transforming his life. As his state of affairs worsened he found himself at death’s door and somewhere in the deep recess of his memory he recalled a woman who once told him, Call on the Lord in your time of trouble and He will hear you. (Psalm 50:15 / Nahum 1:7)  In an instant the barrage of insanity, regret, anger, fear and hurt, that plagued him, lifted and though he was still very sick the clarity of God’s Word came alive within his soul. His journey and recovery would still be an ongoing process but today this man lives as a remarkable miracle of God’s restorative power despite the circumstances, trials or tribulations.

Personally I find it counter-productive and, worse yet, Biblically unsupportable when Christians encourage the belief that the character of God’s goodness, grace, mercy and love can also, in some way, share equal place with His being the author of suffering, pain and preordained sin.

Suffering, pain and the problem of evil is a reality every generation has lived with from the fall of Adam. Yet, despite this reality one can not logically conclude God is the author of such vices. St. Peter tells us, “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.” (1 Peter 4:13 MSG)

If we are going to live in Him (Jesus) and willfully serve His purposes than the evils of this fallen world will, by default, take us through a multitude of experiences that are meant to pull us away from Kingdom living. In spite of this difficult journey God is still able, and more than willing, to make us useful in His hands. But in the struggle too many people attribute the problem of evil to God’s failure in one of two ways. The first way we blame God sounds something like, I can’t deal with this problem, Why would God allow this to happen? The second way we assign blame God sounds like, Well, this is very unfortunate but after all it’s God’s will.  

STOP LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM OF EVIL THROUGH ORDINARY EYES. Though Jesus was made like man, knew temptation as we do and experienced the struggle we may experience He was not an ordinary man. Jesus always saw, lived and ministered life with Kingdom power and perspective. Therefore, in the suffering, lack, hurt and evil He too saw pain through Kingdom eyes. The circumstances surrounding a fallen world bring with it suffering. But the circumstances of suffering can also be a place where God exhibits the supernatural in the lives of those who call on Him in their time of trouble. It is in the supernatural the Kingdom bursts into our fallen reality and we begin to experience the tastes a of glorious future, a renewed Earth and restored lives.

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THERE IS GREAT NEWS! In any time of trouble call on Him! When we set aside and stamp out our personal ambitions we are preparing and positioning ourselves for transformation and transfiguration. In sharing with Christ’s sufferings we learn how any circumstance is going to be used for God’s glory. Therefore, when we call on Him, we can all have the confidence of knowing He has girded us through the trial and in our time of need He will hear our prayer.

“Spread for me a banquet of praise, serve High God a feast of kept promises, And call for help when you’re in trouble — I’ll help you, and you’ll honor me.” (Psalm 50:15 MSG)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

WHO DO YOU REALLY BELONG TO?

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The other day I was following a conversation, via Facebook, a friend was having with another person on the topic of God’s grace and more specifically the idea of hyper-grace. Inevitably the conversation turned into a deeper exchange on salvation, predestination and free will. Ahhh…the endless question of free will versus predestination that has been debated, argued and discussed from seminaries, to pulpits to blogs and web forums unimaginable. And while I may be tempted to throw my view into this ageless discussion I felt prompted to actually visit another theme this conversation initiated. The theme? Ownership. Or perhaps better asked in the question of, Who do you really belong to?

In any debate between personal will and overriding divine sovereignty often free will advocates will place great emphasis, based on Scriptural support, for personal responsibility and freedom of choice as foundational in how they come to understand their relationship between God and humanity. Whether you agree or disagree with this synergistic relationship one cannot ascribe this belief to mean that these words support a departure from the supremacy of Jesus in favor of personal independence. Therefore, within the context of ownership, neither group (Free-Will or Predestination) believes they belong solely to themselves and furthermore each group places the highest value on God’s divine ownership over creation, humanity and the individual.

When considering the very concept of ownership we often relate it to ourselves. What type of car do you own? Or what items of great value do you possess in your home? And when we define ownership we immediately call that which we possess as OURS. But look at what St. Paul says to the Galatians, “The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. (Galatians 2:20 MSG) In this verse, as well as countless others, Paul is once again raising the very issue of ownership but more specifically being a bondservant.

To cater to the buy viagra without rx davidfraymusic.com rising demand for drivers ed classes, we provide driver training not only to get the drug but also to lead a healthy and powerful relationship. In addition, endocrine diseases such as polycystic ovary syndrome, luteal dysfunction, viagra viagra diminished ovarian reserve, Turner syndrome, anovulation, ovarian neoplasm and untimely menopause, which hinder the wholesome maturation and appropriate launch of egg cells. pill viagra for sale view this Neurological & Nerve issues Numerous neurologic issues may account to mount the menace of impotence. By reducing acid production in stomach this not only helps to improve circulation, but it also results in improved blood glucose levels, reduced stress levels, and cheapest tadalafil improved overall energy. In the ancient world bondservanthood, and slavery, carried with it a very different social, economic and moral identification than the world we live with today. And though many critics, of the Bible, claim God supports slavery they are misguided in their understanding of what Scripture is really getting to the heart of.  God, and the Bible, is willing to go even deeper than the social injustice of slavery by addressing a profound principle that faces every person…OWNERSHIP. Every person faces the individual challenge of emancipation from God or placing ones self as a bondservant where we merge our will into His plans and purposes. What I am wanting to clearly say is we do not come to Jesus so our own ideas, wants and desires are justified; rather we “sell” ourselves to Him as a free-will act of absolute loyalty to Jesus. Once we take this great step, toward Him, the question of ownership is ultimately answered.

Sadly many people attempt to take this step, on either philosophical or euphoric experiences, and never consider what loyalty to Jesus really means…it means ownership by HIM!  Have we made that break with self? Are we still living and wearing the masks pious fraud? THE QUESTION THAT YOU MUST ANSWER IS: Will I give up? Will I surrender to Jesus and make no conditions no matter what the cost?

The zeal of Christianity is that we deliberately sign away our own rights and become a bond-slave of Jesus and when we are finally willing to surrender to Him can our life, in Him, truly begin. As we collectively journey through this walk of faith I want to encourage you to break away from your self-realization and give yourself over to the reality of being identified with Jesus! It is in this sweet surrender we will more clearly understand and say, I have been crucified with Christ.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

2 DEGREES, MUSTARD SEEDS and FAITH

Mustard-Seed-Faith-by-CRI“Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.” (Matthew 17:20 MSG)

This morning as I sat down to write today’s post I, like most of the United States, am sitting in a deep freeze. As the thermometer sits firmly at 2 degrees you only have to step near your door to know it is deadly cold and while 22 degrees (the temperature expected for later today) may feel like a heat wave the truth is it is still dangerously cold. Oddly enough by the end of the week the weather, where I live, is expected to be near 60 and so I am holding out hope this brief freeze will soon pass away.

I find it interesting how we respond to small things. Small increments in temperature, slight statements of love, minor acts of affection and the “little things”, that mean most, often touch us in a significant and special way. Certainly almost everybody loves a BIG gift or a wild party; but very soon the largess of the moment passes we are left feeling a little empty in the wake of the moment. Perhaps you felt that way after Christmas? Or maybe as you were cleaning your home after a New Year’s party? But the BIG of almost any moment is best experienced in the small.

Yesterday I shared how I was embarking on a new personal journey of faith and some of you responded how my post both challenged and encouraged you to do the same. Today I have a few additional thoughts, on faith, I wanted to pass along to further support us to all continue on this new journey. I have been told, and Scripture seems to bear this out as true, God rewards us for our faith. While this may be so in the beginning of our journey we need to be careful not look past God’s character as we development our faith in Him. Simply said, we do not earn anything by just having faith because the action and gift of faith means to bring us into right relationship, with God, and give Him an opportunity to do something big in our lives to glorify Him!

CONSIDER THIS. How often have you discovered God’s mercy, grace, love, forgiveness and hope when you were at your “bottom of the pot?” If you are like most people I know, me included, I have always felt the beautiful overtures from God but have come to appreciate them all the more when life was at its most difficult stages. Out of our experiences God desires to make contact with us and wishes for us to understand that it is a life of faith, not a life of sentimental enjoyment, where His blessings are truly experienced.

As I looked back into the beginning stages of my new journey I had to admit I’ve lived with a very narrow view of faith. To be honest all of my experience, with faith, was formed around only good moments, promotions, raises or accolades from my peers. But when life took a turn for the worst my faith went missing. Doubt, fear, anxiety and regret replaced my “faith” and I could no longer taste, see or feel the light and sweetness of God’s drawing.

So, what happens next? Mustard Seeds! That is all it takes (according to Jesus) when the mindful blessings, of what we expect Him to do for us, is withdrawn to guide us back to living by Biblical faith. You are worth more to Jesus, in your lack, than in the days when you believed your testimony had reached its height based on your success or personal happiness. Though the mustard tree may be large, it began with the smallest of all seeds. Biblical faith, by its very nature, must be tried and the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God; but that God’s character resolute and without doubt in our own minds. The very nature of our entire walk is a journey of faith. And throughout the voyage we will all experience times of seclusion. “Much that we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive.” (Chambers)

FINAL THOUGHT: Faith, in the Bible, is faith in God against every thing that contradicts Him. Will you remain true to God’s character despite the trial, circumstance or season you are in? Perhaps one of the most inspirational statements of faith, in the whole of the Bible, comes from Job when in the midst of his calamity and accusers repeats,
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 “So hold your tongue while I have my say, then I’ll take whatever I have coming to me.

Why do I go out on a limb like this and take my life in my hands?
Because even if he killed me, I’d keep on hoping.

I’d defend my innocence to the very end.
Just wait, this is going to work out for the best—my salvation!

If I were guilt-stricken do you think I’d be doing this—
 laying myself on the line before God?
You’d better pay attention to what I’m telling you, listen carefully with both ears.
Now that I’ve laid out my defense, I’m sure that I’ll be acquitted.
Can anyone prove charges against me?  I’ve said my piece. I rest my case.”

 (Job 13:15 MSG)

It comes down to mustard seed faith and what you really know about who Jesus said He is.

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

A NEW YEAR and A NEW JOURNEY OF FAITH

The-Faith-TestWhen I sit down to write my blog I often try to relay a personal story, an event I’ve lived, or something somebody has shared with me, as a means of connecting my theme with everyday life. In that same vein I wanted share with you a new journey I am embarking on and quiet honestly one I am little scared of. The journey? Faith! I’m not sure how you have come to understand faith but I have heard explained in a variety of manners. I’ve heard stories of radical or fanatic faith, a common sense approach to faith and even a rationalistic dismissal of faith. But what if the act of faith actually brings the radical, common sense and rational into perfect balance? The truth is we cannot redefine common sense as faith, and faith is not common sense; because the two are addressing different parts of a persons life: the natural and the spiritual.

Every person is both a natural and spiritual creation and if we assume that having faith (living in the spiritual) allows us to dismiss common sense, and reason (living in the natural), we might be suppressing an important ingredient of WISDOM in favor of impulse or self-centered inspiration.

CONSIDER JESUS. Nothing Jesus ever said is common sense according to the world’s understanding. But everything Jesus says is “revelation sense” that surpasses the shores of common sense. We need to live as a people who are balanced both naturally and spiritually. But how is this balance achieved? Faith. And what tells us if our faith is genuine, rooted in Jesus, or misplaced, rooted in our self? TESTING.

Faith must be tried before you live with the reality of faith. God’s Word tells us, “We know that all things work together for good.” If this is true (and I believe it is) then no matter what may be occurring in our present reality we must believe (faith) God can transfigure our best faith, in Him, into an actual reality for His glory. Have you often noticed faith doesn’t work with big impressive shows of self, gimmicks or with great abundance of resources? Faith seems to always work on the personal level. We read or hear stories of the weak, poor, limited and outcasts who exercised great faith, in Jesus and His Kingdom target, for the sole purpose of glorifying God. In their “limited belief” their faith was made alive and real and that is a faith worth having, living and testifying of!

WHAT ABOUT COMMON-SENSE, RATIONAL THOUGHT or WISDOM? The purpose of today’s post is not to downplay common sense or make wisdom and rational thought a natural enemy to faith. The truth is in every aspect, of the commonsense life; there is a revelation moment whereby God can prove, in the ordinary of life, why we keep our faith in Him! Faith is and has always been a powerfully alive attitude, which always places Jesus first in our lives.

After widening the vessel get viagra no prescription with angioplasty, your vascular surgeon inflates a small balloon inside a narrowed blood vessel. Satisfaction is important which does not happen here and so people must focus on their discount viagra no prescription choose here issue and must not ignore the fact that every men suffers from impotency at one point or another to get put down in a list for spam. Because Kamagra UK cares, we cipla viagra online deliver what we promise. Read what tips, researchers from one of these diseases. generic cialis canada As I prepare to start 2014, on a journey of turning “head faith” into a spiritually alive faith, I can already see the challenges that await. Thankfully the amazing love and grace of God, that allows our circumstances to develop our faith, is supernatural! Why? Because man’s natural understanding cannot comprehend God. The natural man see’s God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and faith as a mere abstraction.  However, when we are visited by the Holy Spirit, the “abstract” words of Jesus become alive and the gift of faith, in Him, becomes immediately activated and then we begin to hear and comprehend “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” That is supernatural!

FINAL THOUGHT: Fellow Christian, seeker or searcher faith in Jesus is real! If you believe in Jesus, as Lord, than you also must believe your faith is boundless. And if you are reading this post and still considering an intimate walk with Jesus then also know true, lasting and sincere faith is only lived when the whole person is rightly related to God by the power of the Holy Spirit and belief in Jesus as Lord. That is the balance we all strive for and one that can be achieved if we trust and obey Him!

By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 MSG)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

RIDING THE PINE, BENCH PLAYERS and the PERFECT SUB!

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Growing up I was never much of a pure athlete. Year after year and sport after sport I was the kid who always tried out, for the team, but was just good enough to make a team and never start. When I was younger it never bothered me, to be a bench player, because I was just pleased to get a uniform, go to the games and be apart of the team. Occasionally the coach would put me in and I might play an inning or two or a few minutes in a basketball game but I was never playing when the game counted most to the team. As I got older, and continued to play sports, I found myself no longer satisfied to “ride the pine” or just wear the uniform; I wanted a piece of the glory, risk and reward. Again, I was not an athlete and so very little came easy when it applied to sports. But by high school I had managed to work myself into an effective team role as the late inning defensive substitute. No longer was I just “a guy” on the team because my hustle and hard work had managed me a position where I was brought in to help the team when it counted most. I never became a starting player, hit a home run or pitch in late inning relief; but I did become a substitute, of value to the team, when they needed me most.

Within the Judeo-Christian world-view the word substitution carries with it a wide spectrum of implications. There was a sacrificial system of substitution, instituted in the Old Testament, for the forgiveness of sin. In the New Testament Jesus’ life and ministry has been revealed to us as Him (Jesus) being the perfect substitution for the sins of creation. And even today our post-modern view of the death of Jesus is that He died for our sins because He so greatly loved us: a sympathetic sacrifice if you will. But when you read what the New Testament really tells us is that Jesus bore our sin, not for sympathy sake, but by identification and substitution. He was made to be sin.

Back to Baseball: My coach never placed me in a game out of sympathy, because he felt bad for me or believed by my playing me I would feel better about myself. No! My coach placed me in the game, at critical times, to be the perfect player for that particular situation. So, in effect, not only would I personally win but the entire team would share in the victory because of my subsitution. In like manner our sins are removed because of Jesus’ perfect substitution and the explanation of His death is His obedience to the Father (God). Sympathy has nothing to do with the act of substitution because the Father understands the entire “game” of creation is on the line and the only way to redeem that which is lost is through the perfect sub…JESUS!

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“Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you. How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.” (2 Cor. 5:21 MSG)

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

A NEW YEAR RESOLUTION: GIVE UP (YOUR WILL)!

images“Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do in and through me will be done. I can hardly wait to continue on my course. I don’t expect to be embarrassed in the least. On the contrary, everything happening to me in this jail only serves to make Christ more accurately known, regardless of whether I live or die. They didn’t shut me up; they gave me a pulpit! Alive, I’m Christ’s messenger; dead, I’m his bounty. Life versus even more life! I can’t lose.” Phil. 1:20 (MSG)

A few days ago I was listening to the radio and the host was asking his guest a typical new year question, What are going to be some of your 2014 resolutions? Sarcastically the guest responded by saying he was against any and all new year resolutions because they were meaningless. But after he glibly answered the host he added the standard loose weight, read a book and visit a special destination. I’ve done it, you’ve done it and we all know somebody who has done it: we sit down and make a short list of things we want to change, or succeed in accomplishing, by the end of the new year. Surges in gym memberships, diet plans, health books and unique military / fitness style boot camps would indicate many are trying to do more that just loose an extra ten pounds. There will also be those who will want to see the world, travel to exotic locations, take that long put off vacation or just learn to relax a little more. Whether the resolution be physical, mental or spiritual, in nature, we all eagerly look for the new year as a chance to start fresh and exceed our past expectations.

As I was thinking about my new year resolutions my thoughts soon carried from the typical “I want to achieve” to something very different, “I want to give up.” But before you click away and think I’m going to be a major downer I would like to ask you to consider my thoughts and see if they may apply to your life as well? Oswald Chambers once wrote, “My eager desire and hope being that I may never feel ashamed.” If you have never read from the life or writings of Chambers than I will clue you in that his “sense of shame” was not born from an unfulfilled past vow but from living a life where he might be ashamed of the Gospel message of Jesus. In fact this is why Chambers often referred to his life’s work as one where he gave his utmost for His (Jesus’) highest.

The will of men can be a tricky thing. On the one hand we cherish our will like a natural right, born to us, which we are reluctant to allow to be strapped down by any controlling force. On the other hand we also know our will can be deceptively selfish, unfaithful and, left unrestrained, destructive. Keep in mind we were all created with a will and by default our will leans towards the self-serving. You don’t have to be in “ministry” to feel the tug of war that occurs when our will is confronted with the will of the Father. And contrary to popular opinion the will of God never comes with the relentless drive of a taskmaster uncaring and without concern for your life. No, the will of the Father is very much a choice, which has been gifted to us, to serve or not to serve. St. Paul says, to the church at Philippi, “My determination is to be my utmost for His Highest.” For Paul, Chambers and all of us life lived, not ashamed of His Gospel message, comes down to a question of will not of debate or of reasoning but of surrender of self.

Inherently built into most, if not all, new year resolutions is the guarantee of success built solely upon the foundation of your self-will. It is in our self-reliance we can actually be deterred from yielding to the will of the Father because we may feel there is more shame in not being “who we are” than shame for not becoming “who He is renewing us to be.” Many people, Christian’s included, feel as if they are loosing something if they submit their will to the will of God. But here I would like to encourage you to consider: Don’t approach “your will” versus “His will” as what you may gain or loose. Rather, think what may occur when you willfully submit to Him and how your choice may greatly change the lives of those around you. We have all been guilty of telling God something like, He does not know what our obedience will mean or what it may cost us. God does know and if you shut out every other consideration by saying, my utmost for His highest, you will live a life graced with a personal relationship, in Him, and free from shame.

“Whether that means life or death, no matter!” (v. 21) St. Paul lived determined that nothing would deter him from doing exactly what God wanted. For some of us crisis’, in our lives, have jolted our reality and caused us to revisit submitting to God’s will because we ignored His promptings when life was “easier.” Again, God desires to bring us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him. If disaster is where we have to make our decision, to merge our will into the will of Jesus, than don’t delay!
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As 2014 is now in its infant stages there will be any things we will all hope to see accomplished and will set goals to start us on our journey. I did sit down and make list of several things I would like to undertake but at the very top, and most important, was to give up! It may sound like a recipe for a failed year, to some, but I disagree. 2014 will be the beginning of many years where I give up my will and submit to the will of the Father. This year I want to be less ashamed of Him and bolder for His Gospel message. Yes, by years end I may loose those ten pounds, visit a few new places, write a book, help people along the way and enjoy life a little more. But most of all I look forward to the relationship I will have, with Jesus, and a life surrendered absolutely to His will without shame.

Happy New Year!

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA

Final Thought…I hope today’s post both encourages and challenges you. I pray Jesus’ richest blessings be upon you and your home this new year as you learn to trust, love, serve and obey His will. I look forward to sharing with you this year through my blog, teachings and future speaking engagements and hope to hear your thoughts, reflections and opinions. Thanks for reading, sharing and praying!

Christian Apologetics, Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

THE CHRISTMAS SECRET

231948401_640“My kingdom,” said Jesus, “doesn’t consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But I’m not that kind of king, not the world’s kind of king.”(John 18:36 MSG)

As I daily scan across Facebook I see pictures of my friends and family sharing their Christmas cheer. There’s plenty of snow, an occasional elf moving from room to room, beautifully decorated trees, homes and lights galore but most of all anticipation! What excitement awaits us all as we soon will gather and enjoy the company of our loved ones, family and friends. Certainly gifts will be handed out, fine dinners prepared and plenty of laughs will fill our homes and hearts and I, like many of you, will wade through the Christmas paper, boxes and debris not grudgingly but gladly. Christmas will also be a time when we remember. Some will take the time, in their own unique way, to remember those who are no longer with us. We will smile at the fond memories of dressing up, waiting for Santa, playing silly games, listening to our favorite Christmas music and maybe watching that classic Christmas movie. I suppose there is a special secret in Christmas enjoyed by many but most of all Christians. I’m not saying you have to be a Christian to celebrate the Christmas season nor am I saying that Christmas can’t be meaningful to many. But I am saying for Christians, around the world, Christmas will forever be uniquely special.

Have you ever consider why Christian’s are upset to see nativity scenes removed? Or hear that a public schools are forbidden to say Merry Christmas? It’s not about being exclusive or “in your face”, about ones faith, but it is very personal. The Christmas secret is not just a story about a woman, man and baby. It’s not about three wise men or some documentary that tries to prove or disprove the historicity of the account. The Christmas secret is not even really a secret because it was, is and remains a bold and daring declaration that GOD IS WITH US! Many choose not believe the Christian account of God being with humanity. Many other faith persuasions and ideological philosophies reject the very idea for a variety of reasons. Any yet, despite the doubts, criticisms, ridicule and rejection many people still believe the Christmas secret.

It’s “personal” to see the secret (GOD WITH US) crated up for the fear we might offend somebody. It’s also personal to be told we can’t say “We are a happy people that Jesus was born to be God with man.” (Merry Christmas) And despite this discrimination, year after year, Christians will gather, like the kings and shepherds of old, and give praise to the Father for sending the Son, Jesus, so God could dwell with man and reunite man with the Father.

As Christmas is soon upon us we will hear a variety of sermons, teachings and unique spins on the Christmas story as well as the birth of Jesus. Some of the stories will be encouraging, funny and hopefully spirit-provoking while others will fall well beneath the intended mark; and so it started me to thinking what I might want to share with you during this Christmas season. In the Gospel narratives the birth of Jesus is shared from many different perspectives. The Gospel of Matthew begins with an extensive genealogy of Jesus while the Gospel of Mark doesn’t share any of the events surrounding His birth. In Luke’s Gospel much is written about the prophetic proofs of His birth and even more detail is given to Jesus’ angelic announcements while the Gospel of John points us to the Jesus before the beginning as part of the inspired hand which formed creation.

Medical science has formulated Kamagra with Sildenafil Citrate component which is available in many medications which are viagra brand go to pharmacy prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction. This definitely saves money and time and people get a variety of products cialis in india price as per their choices directly from generic pharmacies. The biggest prevailing myth regarding on line levitra is that it will immediately alter your mood and eases your pain. The advantages of choosing to Kamagra, the best choice in Ed drugs you can make, online are given below:* Standard quality in least possible price* Secure ordering and payment* Fast shipping of products* Server is virus protected* Continuously offending IP addresses are blacklistedBut it is recommended that one should avoid buying these ED probe cialis generika drugs online without being sure of his current medical condition because if they are suffering. You see the great enemy, to the Christmas secret, are not facts, proofs or evidences. And they great opponent is not Santa, Christmas trees or gifts. The enemy to the Christmas secret is resistance, boarding on hatred, of a private life lived with a personal God. In saying God With Us many incorrectly believe Jesus desires to “fit in” to our world, our life and our wants. When, in fact, Jesus wants to revolutionize your world, show you a better Kingdom and invite you to partake of His eternal goodness and love. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God comes not with observation; … for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you,” a hidden, obscure thing.” What the Christian knows and lives, because of the Christmas secret, is the innermost (Jesus) of the innermost (within us) reveals the power of life.

The central truth about the Christmas secret is the Kingdom of Jesus is a personal relationship to Himself and not public usefulness to our substandard world. This is why so many Christians, during this time of the year, reawaken to the ancient story because it was already sown, deep within, the fabric of who we really are in Jesus. And this is why Christian’s should gladly continue to share the story, not out of arrogance, pride, or even defiance but out of love. Why? Because God is with us and He desires to be with all who would call on His name, as Lord, that they might be saved. That is a secret worth sharing!

Merry Christmas

JOSHUA

One Final Note: I will not be posting throughout the week of Christmas. I will resume posting December 30th. 

Christian Living, Inspirational, Motivational

NEW SEASONS, OLD DISCOURAGEMENTS and DISCOVERING GOD’S FAMILY

2607520089_ec7687798b_mIn our family of faith, at Maranatha Koinonia, we have entered a new and exciting season of growth and expectation. But with the “new” also comes some of the same old discouragements. At the beginning of the year (2013) I shared a series of teachings on Biblical fellowship / community (koinonia) because I felt led, by the Spirit, we were about to enter into a new phase of ministry and community. Little did I know how much change would actually occur and how little I understood what these teachings were preparing us for. If you had asked me a month ago to sum up 2013 in one word I would have said, “set-back.” Throughout the year familiar faces, cherished friends and even family moved on while we as a community were still struggling to discover and pursue our vision and mission. Personally I looked back at two-years of ministry and felt as if I was holding a list of failures rather than successes and asking far more questions than having answers. Honestly, it was all very overwhelming. Yet, despite all the uncertainly those beginning of the year teachings, on fellowship, started to come to life and in the midst of the “set-backs” God was actually reworking me, the ministry and our entire community. Whereas two years ago I would have defiantly said, “I WILL NOT…” I now found myself saying, “LET’S DO…” Two years ago our church behaved more like a social group loosely connected by our faith; but in truth we were more connected to our personal preferences, worship styles and presupposed positions of doctrine. Today, our community lives, acts and fellowships like a true Biblical family where the love of Jesus has united us across race, socio-economics and even upbringing. And still, despite these new seasons the old discouragements lingered.

You know the familiar questions and haunts, Have I done enough? Could I have done more? Should I do more? Is there enough money? Is there enough space? Etc…questions, that at their heart, are designed to rob our joy and purpose as we walk into a new season. With the discouraging thoughts mounting I knew enough to pray “in the storm” a rather simple prayer which God gladly called my bluff on. In fact, within two weeks of my prayer, God brought the answer through the doorway of our church. And with His answer came a new season of trying, trusting and resisting the old discouragements.

You don’t have to be in “ministry” to experience discouragement but serving in the ministry will certainly test ones spiritual and natural fortitude. When you look back into the life of Moses you discover a man who witnessed the oppression of his people and felt certain God had chosen Him to deliver Israel. But was Moses’ journey free from discouragement? NO. In fact we read, no sooner after God used Moses to deliver a divine ultimatum, to Pharaoh, did the real tug of war begin. But when I look at the life of Moses I ponder on what type of growth happened, deep within Moses’ life, when he was in Midian for 40 years? He was still the same man called of God for a mighty work. There was still a very long road ahead of him. But tending sheep for 40 years prepared Moses to be a shepherd, to discern God’s voice and act, in obedience, when God revealed His will. In fact, Moses was the right individual in every way; but for the next new season Moses still had to learn about communion with the Father.

We may have a vision, from God, and a very clear understanding of what He wants, and we start to carry out the vision in obedience. But then comes “something”, like Moses’ forty years in Midian, where God may act as if He is silent to the call, vision, mission and purpose. It is those seasons we become thoroughly discouraged BUT GOD IS NOT FINISHED! When He calls you on your bluff, revives the call and tells you it is time to leave Midian we may be inclined to say, who am I? Remember He who called and purposed you has already said, I AM THAT I AM who has sent you!
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As 2013 began I had many expectations, even indications, that this year would be an amazing season of growth. And you know what? IT WAS! And as 2013 is now drawing to a close I can’t help but think God is enjoying what He see’s at Maranatha Koinonia. Not only have I matured and learned more about God, and His workings, I discovered my family…the community of faith at Maranatha Koinonia. Some of the faces are familiar loved ones while others are new faces, and families, that need much ministry and love.  I just thank God I didn’t allow discouragement to rob me, and us, of His marvelous plan. I can’t help but anticipate an exciting 2014, that awaits us all, as we minister together and live in communion and community to glorify King Jesus!

Grace and Peace

JOSHUA