"Sometimes it Has to Be Impossible"
Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20
Luke 11:37-12:7
Psalm 78:1-31
Proverbs 12:19-20
How long does a pair of shoes last for you? Being the high-end shoe shopper that I am, I usually wear my Payless shoes a bit longer than they last. But i'm usually pretty good for at least a year or so on a pair of shoes. How about those Israelites? Wandering in the desert for 40 years!
"For forty years God has led you through the wilderness, yet your clothes haven't become old, and your shoes haven't worn out!" (Deut. 29:5)
Pretty incredible, isn't it? These wanderers were Gellin'! (don't take out your greek dictionary.... that's from a commercial!)
So what's this all about? check out the next verse:
"The reason he hasn't let you settle down... is so that you would realize that it is the Lord your God who has been caring for you." (29:6)
Sometimes in life we find ourselves in impossible situations. Sure the example of clothes and shoes may not seem like a huge deal, but there's a deeper principle here we need to look at. We serve a powerful God. At the same time, we have a "rebellious" nature that wants to do it's own thing. Verse 19 says, "Let no one blithely think... 'I shall prosper even though I walk in my own stubborn way!'" ("blithely" means casual indifference)
When circumstances around us seem impossible, they actually can serve to put us in a place of a proper perspective. "I can't do this on my own!" is exactly the place to be. We too often don't understand or realize the incredible danger of walking through life with the tumor of self-sufficiency growing in us. Left unchecked and unchallenged by truth, this tumor will eventually blind the eye to the need for relationship with God. It's danger can't be overstated.
Impossible circumstances serve to prove the greatness of our God. However, even though the circumstances seem impossible, God never demands of us impossible things. He only asks that we obey him. Yet sometimes in our mind we build obedience to be this monstrous impossible thing. It never is.
"Obeying these commandments is not something beyond your strength and reach; for these laws are not in the far heavens, so distant that you can't hear and obey them, and with no one to bring them down to you; nor are they beyond the ocean, so far that no one can bring you their message; but they are very close at hand - in your hearts and on your lips - so obey them." (Deut. 30:11-14)
God isn't asking us to take impossible steps. He's already laid out steps before us in his word that are within our grasp. It's often not the "huge" things we struggle with. It's the very simple steps of obedience that we fail to follow through on. We fail to recognize the danger therein.
"Look, today I have set before you life and death, depending on whether you obey or disobey... Oh, that you would choose life; that you and your children might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and cling to him, for he is your life and the length of your days." (30:15, 19-20)
This is the heart of God. If we do the right thing by taking the small steps of obedience, He comes through in impossible situations. Man's concept of "religion" twists this all around. People think that to live "religious" is impossible. In fact, too often there are "religious" people who twist the truth into something 'impossible'.
The teachers of the law were doing that in Jesus' day. Needless to say, he didn't take too kindly to it.
"Woe to you experts in religion! For you hide the truth from the people. You wont accept it for yourselves, and you prevent others from having a chance to believe it." (Luke 11:52)
I'd hate to be on the "woe" end of a conversation with Jesus. We need to understand the profound simplicity of walking with God. Following him is a great adventure. As we seek his will we find that those impossible situations are nothing more than props in "rubber monster" movie. They are nothing in the presence of God!
Walk in obedience.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Showing posts with label Miracles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miracles. Show all posts
Friday, April 6, 2012
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
5.17.11 "¡La Presencia!"
"¡La Presencia!"
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, January 24, 2011
1.24.11 "The Big Dream"
"The Big Dream"
Genesis 48:1-49:33
Matthew 15:29-16:12
Psalm 20:1-9
Proverbs 4:20-27
The "DREAM" (all caps) that we speak of each day represents the elements of the Balanced Christian Life. God also has a "Big Dream" that he has given each one of us. Do you realize the great plans God has for your life? Do you understand that God has created you to be a world changer? The details of God's plan for each of us will vary quite a bit. God's plan for some of us is to be world changers for a few people, others for millions, but if you know God at all, you know that he desires to use each one of us to carry out His plan. He has a "Big Dream" for every one of us
In Matthew 15, Jesus has been healing hundreds of people. There are 4,000 of them gathered there. verse 31 says, "What a spectacle it was! Those who hadn't been able to say a word before were talking excitedly, and those with missing arms and legs had new ones..."
Can you imagine a sight like that? Absolutely incredible. Today's message comes from the next section:
"Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 'I pity these people - they've been here with me for three days now, and have nothing left to eat; I don't want to send them away hungry or they will faint along the road.' the disciples replied, 'And where would we get enough here in the desert for all this mob to eat?' Jesus asked them, "How much food do you have?' And they replied, 'Seven loaves of bread and a few small fish!' Then Jesus told all of the people to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves and the fish, and gave thanks to God for them, and divided them into pieces, and gave them to the disciples who presented them to the crowd. And everyone ate until full - 4,000 men besides the women and children! And afterwards, when the scraps were picked up, there were seven basketfuls left over!"
It's a great story, but I believe with all my heart that within there is an outline for the "Big Dream" God has for my life and for yours.
1. See the need. Jesus saw how hungry the people were & didn't want to send them away. You may already have an intense burden for something. You may not be there yet. Either way, the Big Dream is for the purpose of meeting a need. What need do you see? What needs to be "fixed"? Who do you see hurting?
2. The need is probably overwhelming. The disciples asked where they would get enough food. The need seemed impossible to meet. Most of the time, your Big Dream is to meet a need that seems impossible to meet. You may have expressed your burden for this need to someone, and they've said something like "yeah right. Like that could ever happen." You need to understand, that their response doesn't negate the fact that God has placed this within you.
3. What do you have? Jesus didn't tell the disciples, "You know what? You're right. I didn't realize the magnitude of this need. We are in trouble." He said, "What do you have?" That question is asked of us today. What do you have? Everyone of us have a God-given "SHAPE". This stands for Spiritual gifts, Heart (passions), Ability, Personality, and Experience. What is your SHAPE? Do you realize that you are the way you are so that God could use you the way he needs to?
4. Give it to Jesus. Jesus took what they had and gave thanks for it & blessed it. We need to be thankful for the SHAPE God made us, and give ourselves entirely to him so he can bless it.
5. The results are up to him. So many times we view success or failure in human terms. True success is really the answer to one question: Was I obedient? When it comes to the Big Dream for your life, are you walking in obedience? Under God's blessing, the results are exponential when we live a life of radical obedience.
This is a lesson in Active Ministry Involvement. The principle is Responsibility. Are you being responsible to give him all of your resources to meet the need he has laid out in front of you?
Take time today to pray that God will open your eyes to the need. Don't stop because it seems overwhelming. Take inventory of what you have and offer it to him. Pray that he would use your obedience to bring about the results he desires.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Genesis 48:1-49:33
Matthew 15:29-16:12
Psalm 20:1-9
Proverbs 4:20-27
The "DREAM" (all caps) that we speak of each day represents the elements of the Balanced Christian Life. God also has a "Big Dream" that he has given each one of us. Do you realize the great plans God has for your life? Do you understand that God has created you to be a world changer? The details of God's plan for each of us will vary quite a bit. God's plan for some of us is to be world changers for a few people, others for millions, but if you know God at all, you know that he desires to use each one of us to carry out His plan. He has a "Big Dream" for every one of us
In Matthew 15, Jesus has been healing hundreds of people. There are 4,000 of them gathered there. verse 31 says, "What a spectacle it was! Those who hadn't been able to say a word before were talking excitedly, and those with missing arms and legs had new ones..."
Can you imagine a sight like that? Absolutely incredible. Today's message comes from the next section:
"Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 'I pity these people - they've been here with me for three days now, and have nothing left to eat; I don't want to send them away hungry or they will faint along the road.' the disciples replied, 'And where would we get enough here in the desert for all this mob to eat?' Jesus asked them, "How much food do you have?' And they replied, 'Seven loaves of bread and a few small fish!' Then Jesus told all of the people to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves and the fish, and gave thanks to God for them, and divided them into pieces, and gave them to the disciples who presented them to the crowd. And everyone ate until full - 4,000 men besides the women and children! And afterwards, when the scraps were picked up, there were seven basketfuls left over!"
It's a great story, but I believe with all my heart that within there is an outline for the "Big Dream" God has for my life and for yours.
1. See the need. Jesus saw how hungry the people were & didn't want to send them away. You may already have an intense burden for something. You may not be there yet. Either way, the Big Dream is for the purpose of meeting a need. What need do you see? What needs to be "fixed"? Who do you see hurting?
2. The need is probably overwhelming. The disciples asked where they would get enough food. The need seemed impossible to meet. Most of the time, your Big Dream is to meet a need that seems impossible to meet. You may have expressed your burden for this need to someone, and they've said something like "yeah right. Like that could ever happen." You need to understand, that their response doesn't negate the fact that God has placed this within you.
3. What do you have? Jesus didn't tell the disciples, "You know what? You're right. I didn't realize the magnitude of this need. We are in trouble." He said, "What do you have?" That question is asked of us today. What do you have? Everyone of us have a God-given "SHAPE". This stands for Spiritual gifts, Heart (passions), Ability, Personality, and Experience. What is your SHAPE? Do you realize that you are the way you are so that God could use you the way he needs to?
4. Give it to Jesus. Jesus took what they had and gave thanks for it & blessed it. We need to be thankful for the SHAPE God made us, and give ourselves entirely to him so he can bless it.
5. The results are up to him. So many times we view success or failure in human terms. True success is really the answer to one question: Was I obedient? When it comes to the Big Dream for your life, are you walking in obedience? Under God's blessing, the results are exponential when we live a life of radical obedience.
This is a lesson in Active Ministry Involvement. The principle is Responsibility. Are you being responsible to give him all of your resources to meet the need he has laid out in front of you?
Take time today to pray that God will open your eyes to the need. Don't stop because it seems overwhelming. Take inventory of what you have and offer it to him. Pray that he would use your obedience to bring about the results he desires.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, January 22, 2011
1.22.11 "What Are You Looking At?"
"What Are You Looking At?"
Genesis 44:1-45:28
Matthew 14:13-36
Psalm 18:37-50
Proverbs 4:11-13
If you want to walk on water, quit looking at the waves.
Today's reading from Matthew is a familiar story. Jesus sends the disciples across the lake.
Starting in verse 24 it says, "Night fell, and out on the lake the disciples were in trouble. For the wind had risen and they were fighting heavy seas. About four o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water! They screamed in terror, for they thought he was a ghost. But Jesus immediately spoke to them, reassuring them. 'Don't be afraid!' he said. Then Peter called to him: 'Sir, if it is really you, tell me to come over to you, walking on the water.'"
Peter then walks toward Jesus. Verse 30 says, "But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. 'Save me Lord!' He shouted. Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him. 'O man of little faith,' Jesus said. 'Why did you doubt me?' And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped."
There is such incredible teaching from God's Word. Look at how the progression of this story gives us a life lesson:
It caught my attention how Jesus sent them across the lake, and as night fell the storm started. It wasn't until 4 in the morning that Jesus came out to them. We know God has a plan for our lives. Too often we think that if we walk in obedience to the plan there wont be any storms. That's not the case at all. Storms will happen. Storms do not negate the fact that we are doing what we are called to do.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the storm that when Jesus comes to us in the midst of it, we don't even recognize him. The storms of life can make so much 'noise' that we don't hear the voice that says, "Do not be afraid!"
We need to develop a full understanding of the fact that God doesn't just want us to "survive" the storm, he wants us to experience miracles through it. The circumstances of the storm did not change when Jesus told Peter to step out in faith. The waves didn't die down before he did it.
Too often, the waves keep us in the boat. We hear God speaking to us & we say, "That's ridiculous!" We miss the opportunity to experience the miracle.
What happens to Peter is a life lesson to us all. He steps out in obedience, but he takes his eyes off Jesus. Then he begins to sink.
What are you looking at today? The Master or the waves? With our eyes on Jesus, we can have a victory that is beyond belief. Maybe your eyes have been on the waves, and you can feel yourself sinking. All you have to do is cry out, "Save me, Lord!" the scripture says, "Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him." Jesus will do the same for you.
Take note that after Peter cried out to the Lord it didn't say, "Instantly the storm stopped." Yes, Jesus took his hand but the storm didn't stop until they were back in the boat. Often I think we get the mentality that if we cry out to God the waves of circumstance around us should change immediately. There are times that may happen, but what really should change is our heart. Our faith should grow. What should happen is that we shouldn't care if there are waves our not. We are in his hand.
We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. The storms are different for each one of us, but that doesn't change the principle of keeping our eyes on Jesus. The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life of obedience.
What are you looking at?
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Genesis 44:1-45:28
Matthew 14:13-36
Psalm 18:37-50
Proverbs 4:11-13
If you want to walk on water, quit looking at the waves.
Today's reading from Matthew is a familiar story. Jesus sends the disciples across the lake.
Starting in verse 24 it says, "Night fell, and out on the lake the disciples were in trouble. For the wind had risen and they were fighting heavy seas. About four o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water! They screamed in terror, for they thought he was a ghost. But Jesus immediately spoke to them, reassuring them. 'Don't be afraid!' he said. Then Peter called to him: 'Sir, if it is really you, tell me to come over to you, walking on the water.'"
Peter then walks toward Jesus. Verse 30 says, "But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. 'Save me Lord!' He shouted. Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him. 'O man of little faith,' Jesus said. 'Why did you doubt me?' And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped."
There is such incredible teaching from God's Word. Look at how the progression of this story gives us a life lesson:
It caught my attention how Jesus sent them across the lake, and as night fell the storm started. It wasn't until 4 in the morning that Jesus came out to them. We know God has a plan for our lives. Too often we think that if we walk in obedience to the plan there wont be any storms. That's not the case at all. Storms will happen. Storms do not negate the fact that we are doing what we are called to do.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the storm that when Jesus comes to us in the midst of it, we don't even recognize him. The storms of life can make so much 'noise' that we don't hear the voice that says, "Do not be afraid!"
We need to develop a full understanding of the fact that God doesn't just want us to "survive" the storm, he wants us to experience miracles through it. The circumstances of the storm did not change when Jesus told Peter to step out in faith. The waves didn't die down before he did it.
Too often, the waves keep us in the boat. We hear God speaking to us & we say, "That's ridiculous!" We miss the opportunity to experience the miracle.
What happens to Peter is a life lesson to us all. He steps out in obedience, but he takes his eyes off Jesus. Then he begins to sink.
What are you looking at today? The Master or the waves? With our eyes on Jesus, we can have a victory that is beyond belief. Maybe your eyes have been on the waves, and you can feel yourself sinking. All you have to do is cry out, "Save me, Lord!" the scripture says, "Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and rescued him." Jesus will do the same for you.
Take note that after Peter cried out to the Lord it didn't say, "Instantly the storm stopped." Yes, Jesus took his hand but the storm didn't stop until they were back in the boat. Often I think we get the mentality that if we cry out to God the waves of circumstance around us should change immediately. There are times that may happen, but what really should change is our heart. Our faith should grow. What should happen is that we shouldn't care if there are waves our not. We are in his hand.
We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. The storms are different for each one of us, but that doesn't change the principle of keeping our eyes on Jesus. The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life of obedience.
What are you looking at?
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, May 17, 2009
5.17.9 "¡La Presencia!"
"¡La Presencia!"
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
--
Posted By P Greg to DEVO DREAM at 5/17/2008 07:01:00 AM
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
--
Posted By P Greg to DEVO DREAM at 5/17/2008 07:01:00 AM
Friday, April 17, 2009
4.17.9 "Ain't No God Like Mine"
"Ain't No God Like Mine!"
Joshua 15:1-63
Luke 18:18-43
Psalm 86:1-17
Proverbs 13:9-10
As kids there was always a "my dad's tougher than yours" conversation at some point or another. My dad was a hockey coach, so I had a lot of clout in that area. Of course those conversations are motivated by pride, and not the healthiest thing to get involved in as they usually lead to a fight in some form or another, which proves today's Proverb true: "Pride leads to conflict..." (Prov. 13:10)
Reading today's Psalm, we get that "my God's tougher than yours" feeling. "Where among the heathen gods is there a god like you? Where are their miracles?" (Ps 86:3) What a great line! Where are their miracles? There is no god like our God! He is awesome his power is unending. As much as we've experienced, we can only comprehend a portion of his greatness.
Everyone's going to know it, though. "All the nations - and you made each one - will come and bow before you, Lord, and praise your great and holy name. For you are great, and do great miracles. You alone are God." (Ps 86:9-10)
We serve an awesome God! We need to think about that. We need to acknowledge his greatness. We need to respond in worship. How do we worship? With our lives.
"Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name. With all my heart I will praise you. I will give glory to your name forever, for you love me so much! you are constantly so kind! You have rescued me from deepest hell." (Ps 86:11-13)
I love that line "May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name." What would our day be like if we lived like that? If every fiber of my being united in reverence to his name, I would obey his commands, I would walk in unity, I would study his Word, I would use the gifts he's given me for his glory.
I would Live the DREAM!
Today's reading from Joshua is one that you probably don't have memorized. It lays out the allotment for the tribe of Judah in the promised land. It lists the boundaries on all sides, and then goes on to list the hundreds of cities & surrounding villages that were conquered, and allotted to them.
Ok, be honest... did you read each name of each city? I caught myself skipping over a few verses because i caught the "gist" of what was going on. As I was doing that, I realized I was skipping over answered prayer. The cities that are listed are the result of the unbelievable trials and miracles that God's people went through. This was the promise.
It made me stop to think if I'm doing the same thing in my life. Do I skip over the "details" of the great things God has done for me. "yeah, yeah, yeah... my God is better than any other... I got the gist...." That's not how we should be! We should be listing the great things God has done!
In Luke 18:35-43 the blind man is crying out to Jesus, and Jesus asks him, "'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Lord,' he said, 'I want to see!'" Jesus healed him, and verse 43 says, "Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too."
The healing of the blind man is a bit more exciting to us than the list of cities. Yet both are a sign of an awesome God. What do you have to praise God for today? I have health! I have provision.
God is GREAT! There ain't NO god like mine!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Joshua 15:1-63
Luke 18:18-43
Psalm 86:1-17
Proverbs 13:9-10
As kids there was always a "my dad's tougher than yours" conversation at some point or another. My dad was a hockey coach, so I had a lot of clout in that area. Of course those conversations are motivated by pride, and not the healthiest thing to get involved in as they usually lead to a fight in some form or another, which proves today's Proverb true: "Pride leads to conflict..." (Prov. 13:10)
Reading today's Psalm, we get that "my God's tougher than yours" feeling. "Where among the heathen gods is there a god like you? Where are their miracles?" (Ps 86:3) What a great line! Where are their miracles? There is no god like our God! He is awesome his power is unending. As much as we've experienced, we can only comprehend a portion of his greatness.
Everyone's going to know it, though. "All the nations - and you made each one - will come and bow before you, Lord, and praise your great and holy name. For you are great, and do great miracles. You alone are God." (Ps 86:9-10)
We serve an awesome God! We need to think about that. We need to acknowledge his greatness. We need to respond in worship. How do we worship? With our lives.
"Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name. With all my heart I will praise you. I will give glory to your name forever, for you love me so much! you are constantly so kind! You have rescued me from deepest hell." (Ps 86:11-13)
I love that line "May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name." What would our day be like if we lived like that? If every fiber of my being united in reverence to his name, I would obey his commands, I would walk in unity, I would study his Word, I would use the gifts he's given me for his glory.
I would Live the DREAM!
Today's reading from Joshua is one that you probably don't have memorized. It lays out the allotment for the tribe of Judah in the promised land. It lists the boundaries on all sides, and then goes on to list the hundreds of cities & surrounding villages that were conquered, and allotted to them.
Ok, be honest... did you read each name of each city? I caught myself skipping over a few verses because i caught the "gist" of what was going on. As I was doing that, I realized I was skipping over answered prayer. The cities that are listed are the result of the unbelievable trials and miracles that God's people went through. This was the promise.
It made me stop to think if I'm doing the same thing in my life. Do I skip over the "details" of the great things God has done for me. "yeah, yeah, yeah... my God is better than any other... I got the gist...." That's not how we should be! We should be listing the great things God has done!
In Luke 18:35-43 the blind man is crying out to Jesus, and Jesus asks him, "'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Lord,' he said, 'I want to see!'" Jesus healed him, and verse 43 says, "Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too."
The healing of the blind man is a bit more exciting to us than the list of cities. Yet both are a sign of an awesome God. What do you have to praise God for today? I have health! I have provision.
God is GREAT! There ain't NO god like mine!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
5.20.8 "The Opportunity to Believe"
"The Opportunity to Believe"
I Samuel 26:1-28:25
John 11:1-53
Psalm 117:1-2
Proverbs 15:22-23
There's nothing more frustrating than being in a situation that looks hopeless. It can be as "superficial" a softball game when you're down by too many runs, or as life-threatening as a cancerous tumor that seems to be spreading. We can all relate at some level to insurmountable obstacles.
In today's reading the the book of John we find the story of Lazarus. It's a story that's familiar to us. I think we can remember from childhood the pictures of Lazarus coming out from the tomb. I remember an old song that Carmen did. In his big booming voice he yells, "Lazarus! Come forth!" It's pretty exciting. We love stories like that.
We also like the story about how David becomes king. We love the great endings. When it comes to our own lives, we want the great endings now. We can even get mad at God because he's not taking care of things in our timing. We can so easily fall into despair.
David wasn't far from there. He says, "Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of Jehovah?" (I Sam 26:20) "But David kept thinking to himself, 'Some day Saul is going to get me. I'll try my luck among the Philistines until Saul gives up and quits hunting for me; then I will finally be safe again.'" (I Sam. 27:1) David and his men then move to the town of Ziklag, and live there for A YEAR AND FOUR MONTHS!
We often find ourselves in the middle of a difficult situation. Maybe it's a relationship that's experiencing turmoil, marriage difficulties, grief, health, employment... the list can go on. When we encounter this "waiting period", we can easily lose hope.
We need to recognize this season as the opportunity to BELIEVE, not the opportunity to despair. Jesus got the message that Lazarus had died. "But when Jesus heard about it he said, 'The purpose of his illness is not death, but for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this situation.'" (John 11:4) We LOVE that. I'm sure the disciples were excited. then in verse 6 it says, "He stayed where he was for the NEXT TWO DAYS AND MADE NO MOVE TO GO TO THEM."
HE MADE NO MOVE! What happens inside of us when we perceive that God makes no move? We need to understand God's timing. We need to surrender to it. WE NEED to experience that waiting. It is often the waiting itself that is necessary to transform us into who God has created us to be. As a friend said to me, "The waiting also gives our SELF time to die so that we can be resurrected as a new creation."
"And for your sake, I am glad I wasn't there, for this will give you another opportunity to believe in me." (John 11:15) Those words are profound. We need to recognize the opportunities to believe. Waiting periods need to be times for faith to grow, not for faith to die!
"Praise the Lord, all nations everywhere. Praise him, all the peoples of the earth. For he loves us very dearly, and his truth endures. Praise the Lord." (Ps 117:1-2) His truth endures!
Whatever the situation, we need to be secure in God's timing. Sometimes we may be in front of Lazarus' tomb for two days. Other times we will be in Ziklag for 16 months. We may be running for our lives, wondering when the promise will come to pass, but we must remember in all things, His truth endures! We have the opportunity to believe!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
I Samuel 26:1-28:25
John 11:1-53
Psalm 117:1-2
Proverbs 15:22-23
There's nothing more frustrating than being in a situation that looks hopeless. It can be as "superficial" a softball game when you're down by too many runs, or as life-threatening as a cancerous tumor that seems to be spreading. We can all relate at some level to insurmountable obstacles.
In today's reading the the book of John we find the story of Lazarus. It's a story that's familiar to us. I think we can remember from childhood the pictures of Lazarus coming out from the tomb. I remember an old song that Carmen did. In his big booming voice he yells, "Lazarus! Come forth!" It's pretty exciting. We love stories like that.
We also like the story about how David becomes king. We love the great endings. When it comes to our own lives, we want the great endings now. We can even get mad at God because he's not taking care of things in our timing. We can so easily fall into despair.
David wasn't far from there. He says, "Must I die on foreign soil, far from the presence of Jehovah?" (I Sam 26:20) "But David kept thinking to himself, 'Some day Saul is going to get me. I'll try my luck among the Philistines until Saul gives up and quits hunting for me; then I will finally be safe again.'" (I Sam. 27:1) David and his men then move to the town of Ziklag, and live there for A YEAR AND FOUR MONTHS!
We often find ourselves in the middle of a difficult situation. Maybe it's a relationship that's experiencing turmoil, marriage difficulties, grief, health, employment... the list can go on. When we encounter this "waiting period", we can easily lose hope.
We need to recognize this season as the opportunity to BELIEVE, not the opportunity to despair. Jesus got the message that Lazarus had died. "But when Jesus heard about it he said, 'The purpose of his illness is not death, but for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this situation.'" (John 11:4) We LOVE that. I'm sure the disciples were excited. then in verse 6 it says, "He stayed where he was for the NEXT TWO DAYS AND MADE NO MOVE TO GO TO THEM."
HE MADE NO MOVE! What happens inside of us when we perceive that God makes no move? We need to understand God's timing. We need to surrender to it. WE NEED to experience that waiting. It is often the waiting itself that is necessary to transform us into who God has created us to be. As a friend said to me, "The waiting also gives our SELF time to die so that we can be resurrected as a new creation."
"And for your sake, I am glad I wasn't there, for this will give you another opportunity to believe in me." (John 11:15) Those words are profound. We need to recognize the opportunities to believe. Waiting periods need to be times for faith to grow, not for faith to die!
"Praise the Lord, all nations everywhere. Praise him, all the peoples of the earth. For he loves us very dearly, and his truth endures. Praise the Lord." (Ps 117:1-2) His truth endures!
Whatever the situation, we need to be secure in God's timing. Sometimes we may be in front of Lazarus' tomb for two days. Other times we will be in Ziklag for 16 months. We may be running for our lives, wondering when the promise will come to pass, but we must remember in all things, His truth endures! We have the opportunity to believe!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, May 17, 2008
5.17.8 "¡La Presencia!"
"¡La Presencia!"
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
1 Samuel 20:1-21:15
John 9:1-41
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 15:15-17
Psalm 114:5-8 (TLB) What's wrong, Red Sea, that made you cut yourself in two? What happened, Jordan River, to your waters? Why were they held back? Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, little hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, the God of Jacob.
It may because I'm a junior higher at heart, but I think these verses could be read in a taunting voice to the tune of "na na na na boo boo". Yeah, that may be a bit much, but there is something significant to be gleaned from this portion of scripture. Remember John 3, flesh gives birth to flesh, and spirit gives birth to spirit? Well I just feel this intense "reminder" (for lack of a better word) to make sure every step we take in everything we do to make sure that it is bathed in the presence of God.
Why DID the Red Sea part? It's important to understand that it wasn't because there was a need! It parted because of the presence of God! His presence was with the Hebrews. We so often pray for miracles because we need miracles. We miss the fact that miracles don't come because there's a need. Miracles come because the presence of God is there. This must be our focus. We must be utterly dependent upon the presence of God!
I feel so often that we pursue the miraculous without understanding the need for His presence to be fully evident in our life. The Priority is His presence, NOT his miracles. So what does it take to pursue "La Presencia"? (just flashing my bilingualness)
There's a complete surrender that must precede the presence of God. It took the "obstacle" of the Red Sea and the Egyptians about to strike to get the Israelites to the place where they were utterly dependent. Once their dependence was "made known", "La Presencia" came through. When they were waiting to cross the Jordan with Joshua, it was a different story. There were no Egyptians. In Joshua 3:5, "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"
God is desiring to do some amazing things among his people. Why? NOT because there is a need! It's because of His presence. We can work up great ministry ideas, and plans for reaching people, but as cool as our "formula" is to improve ministry and discipleship, it is flesh giving birth to flesh without this dependence on God, and passion for His presence.
So which situation will it be that causes us to consecrate ourselves? Will it be Egyptians hot on our tail, or will it be God's people seeking His face? "Lord, don't send the Egyptians to get my attention!"
The challenge to all this is that "consecrate yourselves" is a discipline, and we are people who don't like discipline. There are so many conveniences that take us off course. As we travel down the road of obedience, I think we're often surprised about the intersecting streets. They have names like "Easy road", "comfort lane", "Selfish ambition", "popularity", "status quo". They look so much more inviting and well paved than the trail of consecration that lies before. Yet we will never be disappointed when we choose to continue on in this path of obedience.
Consecrate yourself today. Set yourself apart to experience La Presencia! Then have a great day seeing the waters part!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
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