Listen. Really listen to people. Most are searching for something. someone. They are unfulfilled with where they are at. But why? Isn’t there a season for everything? Yes, yes there is.
There is a guy I walk from a class to the gym with every Tuesday and Thursday after class. He complains about everyone and everything. Always negative. She doesn’t teach right. They played these songs at this event and it sucked. They should’ve done this or that. Never ending unfulfilled heart.
There are many loving friends who want to pair you up with this guy or that one. It’s jumping the gun. They think single is termed ‘in need of someone.’ Isn’t timing important? The answer: yes. What do you do in the mean time? Live to love and love to grow. Love who? Everyone. Every single person. Every one.
But what if you don’t want to wait? What happens when you search for him, for her, for this dream or that, for the next stage in life? You miss where you are at.
What if you just paused? Just lived in the present. It is the greatest present!
There is a season for everything under the sun. There is a reason you are hitting rock bottom or ascending to the top of the world. There is a season for everything.
People will not stop searching until they find real truth. Truth that sets them free. Truth that fills their heart with so much love their heart overflows. How many people do you see with a burning heart? A truly outrageous fire of the soul?
A burning heart: This is where truth is. This is where life is. This is where our lives gain meaning. One man, One God, One Jesus.
Are you fulfilled or are you still searching? Or are you half way in, lukewarm?
I asked one of my friends, “What is new?”
Response: “It’s the same old, same old. Nothing really new.”
Woah! Woah! Woah! I just shared with you how my life is being flipped upside down with joy continually and you don’t have anything that is new. Every day is new. We are blessed with wonders anew. This frustrated me.
Are you missing life in the small moments? Is your soul burning? What is your pulse? I hope its beating fast because you are being energized from the inside out.
Shine your light before men. A light must come from a source. No power, no light. Jesus is our supply, the one who energizes us with the light of life. What is your supply? If it’s a person, thing, activity or escapism… it will run dry and leave you searching again. Only one love is unconditional, never ending… a relationship that will never fail. Are you feeling true love?
March 7, 2010
November 19, 2009
As you Go, Make the Next Step!
You may wonder why I did two days today. Well, we got two days behind over the course of the 40 days and I was compelled to continue on today! So...
Day XXXIX: As You Go
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
God entrusts us to reach the world and help take his kingdom message to the planet. Us?
Yes, us. Not angels, us.
One of my personal favorite and very true quotes:
"It's not your ability, but your availability."
"Jesus begins his last word to his guys by reminding them that he's the boss. All authority in heaven and on earth is his. That's a lot! So what he says goes, and what he says is "Go.""
Jesus calls us to make disciples. "Not pew sitters, disciples. Not retreat goers, disciples. Not people who just buy Christian CDs and books, but people who obey Jesus Christ. The law of nature is like produces like... You and I can't produce disciples if we aren't disciples ourselves, and the level of commitment of those we influence is seldom higher than our own... If you and I want people to follow Christ, we have to live and breathe the grace and truth of Jesus."
I work with middle school ministry. I have had the most wonderful opportunity to share my life with my students. Our words and our actions make profound statements about what we believe. My girls are impacted by me and my decisions. If I am not rooted in Christ, they will not see Christ in my life. Let's get rooted!!
Day XL: The Next Step
Matthew 16:24-27
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."
"Jesus calls us to make choices about him, about ourselves, and about how we live. If it doesn't shake us up from time to time, we must already be dead!.. Let God change your identity, and you'll never be the same."
Yes, Satan will always be scheming and distracting us from Christ, but if we are aware and on guard we will know how to respond to danger (1 Peter 5:8).
Making a decision for Christ isn't a one time thing, it's every day. We see this as Demas and Paul near the end of their lives. Demas' heart shifted from Christ to this world. He allowed the devil to get a foothold(Col 4:14, 2 Tim 4:10). Paul, however, plowed through life's struggles and strained through daily obedience because he was looking for the age to come.
2 Timothy 4:6-8
Paul's Last Words before he was martyred in Rome.
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Where will you stand on the day of judgement? How will you prepare for the Kingdom? We are in the womb of eternity, let's GO and make disciples!
Day XXXIX: As You Go
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
God entrusts us to reach the world and help take his kingdom message to the planet. Us?
Yes, us. Not angels, us.
One of my personal favorite and very true quotes:
"It's not your ability, but your availability."
"Jesus begins his last word to his guys by reminding them that he's the boss. All authority in heaven and on earth is his. That's a lot! So what he says goes, and what he says is "Go.""
Jesus calls us to make disciples. "Not pew sitters, disciples. Not retreat goers, disciples. Not people who just buy Christian CDs and books, but people who obey Jesus Christ. The law of nature is like produces like... You and I can't produce disciples if we aren't disciples ourselves, and the level of commitment of those we influence is seldom higher than our own... If you and I want people to follow Christ, we have to live and breathe the grace and truth of Jesus."
I work with middle school ministry. I have had the most wonderful opportunity to share my life with my students. Our words and our actions make profound statements about what we believe. My girls are impacted by me and my decisions. If I am not rooted in Christ, they will not see Christ in my life. Let's get rooted!!
Day XL: The Next Step
Matthew 16:24-27
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."
"Jesus calls us to make choices about him, about ourselves, and about how we live. If it doesn't shake us up from time to time, we must already be dead!.. Let God change your identity, and you'll never be the same."
Yes, Satan will always be scheming and distracting us from Christ, but if we are aware and on guard we will know how to respond to danger (1 Peter 5:8).
Making a decision for Christ isn't a one time thing, it's every day. We see this as Demas and Paul near the end of their lives. Demas' heart shifted from Christ to this world. He allowed the devil to get a foothold(Col 4:14, 2 Tim 4:10). Paul, however, plowed through life's struggles and strained through daily obedience because he was looking for the age to come.
2 Timothy 4:6-8
Paul's Last Words before he was martyred in Rome.
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Where will you stand on the day of judgement? How will you prepare for the Kingdom? We are in the womb of eternity, let's GO and make disciples!
November 17, 2009
Day XXXVII: A Fork In the Road
"Jim Elliot experienced the grace of God, and that grace worked deep into his soul. He wanted more than anything in the world for his life to count for God... His passion was for God to work through him in a powerful way, and that God would get the glory for it all. Elliot realized that ministry consists of a series of moments of crossroads in people's lives. In these moments, they make choices.... Elliot prayed: Father, make me a crisis man. Bring those I contact into a decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me."
Jim Elliot had radical commitment to radically different leader, Jesus. This is different than a political cause... like that in the Middle East. Those suicide bombers are radically committed to killing people... just goes to show that radical doesn't mean much. But wait.
"A radical commitment to Jesus Christ is different: It combines zeal with compassion, conviction about the cause with kindness. Jesus said some really hard things to those who opposed him, but he reached out a hand of love to everyone, even those who despised him... [Like Jesus, the Apostle Paul's] toughness was awesome, but so was his gentleness... That combination of zeal and compassion is what makes us different form political zealots around the world."
Matthew 18:1-6
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
"I think that Jesus means that real spiritual strength comes from enjoying being loved by our Heavenly Father, having a simple heart of trust in the Father, and not being concerned with power and authority... If we have that kind of simple faith, God will use us in incredible ways, but if we are plotting to get power and recognition, God will oppose us (see 1 Peter 5:5)."
Jesus clearly displays how we should relate to people and how we should be more concerned with furthering the Kingdom that ourselves. There are some people in my life that pang my heart because they oppose God so much. They chase after empty endeavors in search of truth, but end up where they started: empty, hopeless, lost. These relationships are some of the most trying, but the most rewarding. The love for these people and the passion for the furthering the Kingdom are woven together in passionate prayers and humbled service. It's amazing how God orchestrates our friendships to teach us more about him and his image in us.
"The paradox is that we have the greatest impact for God when we don't care about fame, power, and approval. This is really good news for you and me. You see, this means we don't have to have a certain profile of ability for God to use us."
My personal favorite quote on the topic:
"It's not your ability, but your availability."
We are just called to be faithful in Christ in accordance to who we are in the body. Your spiritual gifts are made for a distinct purpose and your position is not important. In listening to him, he will use us and communicate his love and grace.
"You and I can be a fork in the road for people. As we live the grace and truth of Christ, it will ooze from every pore. When people met Jesus, they faced the truth about God and the truth about themselves. At that moment, they had a choice. Jesus never forced them to decide one way or the other. He simply loved them and pointed the way. In the same way, you and I have the unspeakable privilege to tell people about them. We don't have to push. We just need to be clear. We don't have to force a decision. They will make one on their own. God is in control."
Knowing God is ultimately in control is relieving, but sometimes extremely hard for me. Some days, I want to push my own agenda. However, it is in the spontaneous moments when the largest impacts are made. It's in being last and loving every person, all the time. We all know that can be a challenge in it self... but when we trust, oh the reward that is gained!
Psalm 56:3-4
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
So will you be a fork in the road or just a mile marker?
Jim Elliot had radical commitment to radically different leader, Jesus. This is different than a political cause... like that in the Middle East. Those suicide bombers are radically committed to killing people... just goes to show that radical doesn't mean much. But wait.
"A radical commitment to Jesus Christ is different: It combines zeal with compassion, conviction about the cause with kindness. Jesus said some really hard things to those who opposed him, but he reached out a hand of love to everyone, even those who despised him... [Like Jesus, the Apostle Paul's] toughness was awesome, but so was his gentleness... That combination of zeal and compassion is what makes us different form political zealots around the world."
Matthew 18:1-6
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
"I think that Jesus means that real spiritual strength comes from enjoying being loved by our Heavenly Father, having a simple heart of trust in the Father, and not being concerned with power and authority... If we have that kind of simple faith, God will use us in incredible ways, but if we are plotting to get power and recognition, God will oppose us (see 1 Peter 5:5)."
Jesus clearly displays how we should relate to people and how we should be more concerned with furthering the Kingdom that ourselves. There are some people in my life that pang my heart because they oppose God so much. They chase after empty endeavors in search of truth, but end up where they started: empty, hopeless, lost. These relationships are some of the most trying, but the most rewarding. The love for these people and the passion for the furthering the Kingdom are woven together in passionate prayers and humbled service. It's amazing how God orchestrates our friendships to teach us more about him and his image in us.
"The paradox is that we have the greatest impact for God when we don't care about fame, power, and approval. This is really good news for you and me. You see, this means we don't have to have a certain profile of ability for God to use us."
My personal favorite quote on the topic:
"It's not your ability, but your availability."
We are just called to be faithful in Christ in accordance to who we are in the body. Your spiritual gifts are made for a distinct purpose and your position is not important. In listening to him, he will use us and communicate his love and grace.
"You and I can be a fork in the road for people. As we live the grace and truth of Christ, it will ooze from every pore. When people met Jesus, they faced the truth about God and the truth about themselves. At that moment, they had a choice. Jesus never forced them to decide one way or the other. He simply loved them and pointed the way. In the same way, you and I have the unspeakable privilege to tell people about them. We don't have to push. We just need to be clear. We don't have to force a decision. They will make one on their own. God is in control."
Knowing God is ultimately in control is relieving, but sometimes extremely hard for me. Some days, I want to push my own agenda. However, it is in the spontaneous moments when the largest impacts are made. It's in being last and loving every person, all the time. We all know that can be a challenge in it self... but when we trust, oh the reward that is gained!
Psalm 56:3-4
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
So will you be a fork in the road or just a mile marker?
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