Hear Him Speak

What will we do in the New Year?

During the Christmas season we are reminded of the birth of Christ, that a Savior was born. We are reminded to be loving, kind and giving. We reach out to give to others, adopt a family that may need food or children that need presents. During the Christmas season we let our hearts be touched and we reach out to do something for another in need.

Today let’s remember also that a Savior died. He lived a blameless life and went to his death on a cross. The most brutal type of death. He went mocked and ridiculed, bloodied and bruised. These things, he endured to save a people that didn't deserve it. Then on the third day, He rose from the grave and defeated death. So you and I didn't have to be bound by death any longer.

Christmas is now over and the New Year is about to begin. So I ask, what will you do in the New Year? Will you continue in the spirit of Christmas, thinking of others or will you put the focus back on yourself. Will you reach out to those around you and give them the truth they so desperately need?

The world is full of the poor, the needy, the hurt and the abused. They need Jesus just like you did. Some of those people only you can reach. They may be your friend, a neighbor or a stranger. But they are unique to your situation. Everyone needs Jesus, don't keep Him to yourself.

Begin to pray for a heart that loves like Christ does. Begin to ask for a giving heart and who you can give it to. If you ask, He will tell you how and give you the power to do it.

God Bless and Happy New Year!

A Challenge For Christian Bloggers

Today I have a challenge for you....

When I started this blog, I started a journey. A journey to get up everyday and give each day to glorify God. One of the things that Christ has spoken to me about many times is being excited about telling others about Him. On Sunday morning I was once again reminded.

We had a guest speaker that preached and in his sermon he was speaking about forgiveness. He asked how we would feel if our mortgage was forgiven. Of course that sent everyone's minds reeling. At the end, our Pastor brought that up and said all kinds of things went through his head. He said "If Wells Fargo called me up and told me they had forgiven my mortgage I would be wearing their T-shirt and hat. I would be telling everyone how amazing Wells Fargo is." Then he said "It made me think, why I don't do that for Jesus who forgave me so much more"

So what do we do? First, we get excited! If you have fear, ask God to take it away. Ask Him to make you bold and confident. Here are some things that I will be doing to share my faith with others this coming year.

During the 12 days of Christmas Challenge I bought a card, wrote a note in it about accepting Christ, put a gospel tract in it. I then bought the lunch of the car behind me at Taco Bell and asked the attendant to give them the card. So I thought why not do this on a regular basis. I could buy some cards, write a note, add a gospel tract and keep them in my car and my purse. I could give them to anyone, even if I didn't buy anything for them. It would be nice for them to get something more personal than just a gospel tract.

I always carry gospel tracts with me and leave them on the table when I eat out. But recently God has given me an idea for a gospel tract of my own. One that I can put my blog address on the back of, to send people here to read more. It is in the process of being designed right now. When it is finished I will post more about it. Until it is done, I am making up some cards with my blog address on them.

As I have some time on my hands during the day, I was praying about what I could do for the kingdom with this time. The answer He gave me was, go talk to people about me, tell them I love them." So here's the idea....

At least once a week I will be going out to interview people about who they believe Christ to be, and then I will be writing about it. As I approach people, I will tell them that I write a blog and I am interviewing people to write about. When I leave, I will give them one of my gospel tracts that have my web address so they can go check out what I write about them.

Our blogs are the perfect opportunity to use to talk to people. So I'm going to challenge you.... Go out and talk to people and put them on your blog. Let your blog become a tool to share the gospel with the world around you.

Send Us Lord

Have you ever felt really small? Have you ever spoken the words "I'm just one small little person, how could I ever make a difference?"

The world around us is so big and the problems seem mountainous. There is poverty and people dieing of hunger around the world. Wars and atrocities that are out of control. There are hate crimes, violence, racism and lack of education available. Not to mention, the many diseases that plague the earth like Aids, malaria and cancer. It all looks so big, so much bigger than we are capable of dealing with. After all I am only one person....

I have often felt overwhelmed by the vast problems of the world and though I wanted to make a difference, felt it was useless. Today, I was reminded in the book of Isaiah that change always starts with one person. It starts with one person changing there life and standing up to tell others to change.

Now, as you read the following scripture I want you to picture in your mind this setting. Put yourself in the shoes of Isaiah and feel the scene unfold.

Isaiah 6: 1-8 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on the throne, high and lifted up and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim's; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" And the post of the door were shaken by he voice of him who cried out and the house filled with smoke. So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The lord of hosts." Then one of the seraphim's flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged." Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me"

Isaiah sees the Lord seated on His heavenly throne and is forever changed. His awesome vision showed the Lord in front of him seated on His throne, it was high and grand, and it was lifted up. The train of His robe filled the temple, it was huge and flowing. What a grand picture it must have been to see such a thing appear before your very eyes. The vision of this pierced him to his very core. So much so that he cried out "Woe is me.... I am a man of unclean lips...” Isaiah had seen the glory of God and knew the depth of his unclean state. He knew in that moment the holiness of God and how unworthy he really was. He knew the gravity of his sin because he now understood the holiness of God and approached it with a deep reverence. Then by the touch on his lips, he was made clean, not by his own power but by Gods. He then cries out again, but this time in answer to "whom shall I send...." Send me he says, Here am I!, send me.

We to have been made clean by the touch of Christ's hand. When Christ nailed our sins to the cross and died for us his hand was extend to us for cleansing. We only have to grab hold to be forgiven. He knocks at the door of our heart saying turn to me and we must answer. Is it yes or will it be no, the question must be answered.

Once we answer the question to accept Christ with a yes, we are then asked the same familiar question Isaiah was asked, "Whom shall I send and who will go for Us?" At some point in our Christian walk we must answer this question. Will we be who Christ called us to be, or will we buckle and cave to the ways of the world?

I have heard it said that we are in the land of the living, but I say that statement is wrong. I would say we are living in the land of the dieing, in a world that is fallen and doomed to death. It is not this fallen earth that we should consider living but in the heaven that we gain eternal life. In this world are many that are putting their faith in a dieing world. Will we stand idly by and only watch as many go to there death without the saving grace of Christ?

So I stand here today as that one changed person and answer”Here am I Lord!, send me" and I tell you that you need to be changed also. We must all be changed. We must be moved to answer, "HERE WE ARE LORD, SEND US!"

The Backwards Church

What if we were to decide to do church backward? What if we were to do first the things we now do last? How would that look?

In the last 3 years as I spent most of my days in deep study of Gods word, He began to take me on a journey with Him. As my Lord wooed me each day, I fell deeper and deeper in love with Him. As I came to Him each day I only hungered for more. For more of His word and more of His touch. I would pray each day for a deeper knowledge of and wisdom from Him. In turn, He gave me a desire to work for Him and a deeper love for His children.

As my wisdom grew, so also did my dismay. For now I began to see how we served Him not through my eyes but through His. My heart became saddened as I can only assume His was. What I saw was a church that had gotten things all turned around and was doing things backwards. They would take there blessings upfront and build themselves a beautiful temple to house their God. Then move in and begin to play church.

It seems like today what traditionally happens when a group of believers get together to start a church the first order of business is Sunday worship service. Then we begin to build off that; discipleship programs, bible studies, Sunday school, programs for the children, etc. We collect enough money for a down payment and build ourselves a beautiful building to house us all. Then at the end we throw in a few service oriented things to give those that want a place to serve the needy and hurting something small to do. We have a few evangelism events; maybe adopt some families at Christmas and do an annual mission trip. Just enough to make us feel warm and fuzzy inside. Enough to satisfy the requirements the bible gives us. Or is it really enough?

I began to think..... What if we were to do things differently..... What if we did church backwards......

What if we began to build the church in the reverse? What if we were to gather a body of believers to get together and start a church and the first order of business was prayer. Then to share the good news of the gospel, feed those who were hungry and to meet the needs of those around us in our communities. What if every step was bathed in prayer and our main encounters were to give not get? What if the church was really a hospital for the hurting world around us? What if bible study, discipleship and worship were just an outcome of the services the church was built on. What if we did church as missionaries right where we are.

We could be the house that God built personally and as a church. We would be changed as we served and the importance of a building and our surroundings would become inconsequential. We would begin to focus our energies on what we can do for those in need, for reaching the lost and leave our physical needs for ourselves and our ministry in the capable hands of God. We would begin to just walk in faith in His provision and not our own.

What would our communities look like if we did church backwards? Who might we reach for Jesus? Can you see the picture in your mind that I see?

I believe this kind of church could be what people need. A place for an unsaved world to find mercy in the arms of a Savior.

It starts with us, living our own lives backwards. It starts with a life of prayer, love and sacrifice. It starts with a change in us, a change of the heart.

A thought about Psalm 23

One word can do all things......

As this morning I once again read the passage of scripture known as Psalm 23, there is one word that kept jumping off the page at me. It was the word "HE"

It first starts off by saying who He is, our shepherd. The good shepherd that is always tending to and looking after his flock. Then it reminds us not to want.

Why is it that we shall not want?

Because HE does the rest. HE makes us lie down in green pastures, the place of rest. HE leads us beside the still waters, a place of trusting in Him. HE restores our soul, one touch of His hand and we are made whole. HE leads us in the path of righteousness, for His name's sake.

It is Him not us that gives us any ability to do anything, including loving and trusting Him. It is He that makes our heart right, and gives us the capability to love even Him, let alone others.

The Psalm goes on.... Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Why don't we have to fear, even of death? The last part of the verse tells us, For You are with me. HE is with us and we have nothing to fear. Why? Because we have the rod and staff to comfort us. The rod which symblizes the defence against an enemy and keeps us on the right path through discipline. The staff that gently brings us back to the fold and guides us on our path.

HE prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies, HE annoints our head with oil. Once again we are shown it is Him who gives us what we need and we need not fear our enemies. He is the one who will make us holy and annoited.

The Psalm then ends in praise and thankfulness. My cup runs over; surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

How fitting for all He has and still does for us. It is HE that does all things and gives us a hope and peace. It is fitting that we sing praises to his name. Make a joyful noise, for HE gives us all things! Blessed be the name of the Lord!