Calling

Our calling is not only to be holy men and women, but to be proclaimers of the gospel of God. The one all-important thing is that the gospel of God should be recognized as the abiding reality. Reality is not human goodness, or holiness, or heaven, or hell— it is redemption. The need to perceive this is the most vital need of the Christian worker today. As workers, we have to get used to the revelation that redemption is the only reality. Personal holiness is an effect of redemption, not the cause of it. If we place our faith in human goodness we will go under when testing comes.

Burning Heart

Much of the distress we experience as Christians comes not as the result of sin, but because we are ignorant of the laws of our own nature. For instance, the only test we should use to determine whether or not to allow a particular emotion to run its course in our lives is to examine what the final outcome of that emotion will be. Think it through to its logical conclusion, and if the outcome is something that God would condemn, put a stop to it immediately. But if it is an emotion that has been kindled by the Spirit of God and you don’t allow it to have its way in your life, it will cause a reaction on a lower level than God intended. That is the way unrealistic and overly emotional people are made. And the higher the emotion, the deeper the level of corruption, if it is not exercised on its intended level. If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many of your decisions as possible irrevocable, and let the consequences be what they will. We cannot stay forever on the “mount of transfiguration,” basking in the light of our mountaintop experience, But we must obey the light we received there; we must put it into action. When God gives us a vision, we must transact business with Him at that point, no matter what the cost.

Where the Battle is Lost or Won

Our battles are first won or lost in the secret places of our will in God’s presence, never in full view of the world. The Spirit of God seizes me and I am compelled to get alone with God and fight the battle before Him. Until I do this, I will lose every time. The battle may take one minute or one year, but that will depend on me, not God. However long it takes, I must wrestle with it alone before God, and I must resolve to go through the hell of renunciation or rejection before Him. Nothing has any power over someone who has fought the battle before God and won there.

I should never say, “I will wait until I get into difficult circumstances and then I’ll put God to the test.” Trying to do that will not work. I must first get the issue settled between God and myself in the secret places of my soul, where no one else can interfere. Then I can go ahead, knowing with certainty that the battle is won. Lose it there, and calamity, disaster, and defeat before the world are as sure as the laws of God. The reason the battle is lost is that I fight it first in the external world. Get alone with God, do battle before Him, and settle the matter once and for all.

In dealing with other people, our stance should always be to drive them toward making a decision of their will. That is how surrendering to God begins. Not often, but every once in a while, God brings us to a major turning point— a great crossroads in our life. From that point we either go toward a more and more slow, lazy, and useless Christian life, or we become more and more on fire.

GET AWAY

Got away this weekend with the family and had a ton of time to reflect, pray and just put a new perspective on my life and where it is going. Men it is vital that you take time away from your everyday busy life and just GET AWAY, don't let babysitter issues get in the way either. The most enjoyable part of my GET AWAY was watching my oldest Dylan, I don't take enough time in my life to study him, this weekend I did and I learned a lot about him and myself as a father and most important what I need to do to be a better father to him. I just want to encourage everyone to take time and study your family and yourself, you will be surprised of what God reveals.

Back in the saddle

After over a year I am blogging again, different men in my life but the same result! Excited for this new group and all who will journey with me.

It Starts In The Heart

" What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted?Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart" Deuteronomy 20:8

Faintheartedness is much greater than simple fear. Rather than work through the fear, faintheartedness empowers fear to control our actions. It is full of words like "can't" and "impossible". And worst of all, it is contagious! It infects our actions and conversations. We serve a God who makes the impossible possible and HE has chosen to do this first in the hearts of people. Let's open our hearts to God's spirit and close it to lesser things like fear and doubt. Remember "All Men Die, Few Men Ever Really Live"- William Wallace

Giving Up to Gain

Not my will, but Yours be done. LUKE 22:42

Well it is in fact the new year and we all talk about "resolutions" which require us to give up something to gain. Ponder this, Not only is this a statement of submission, but of wisdom. For in that one statement we can place our hopes, dreams, plans, and projects into the hands of God who wants to bless us more than we want to bless ourselves. We want answers that seem to be best for the now. God wants answers that are best for our tomorrows, and only HE knows what our tomorrows hold. So say this to give up and gain " Father, in your hands I commit my life's path and problems.