I remember when I was 19 I began thinking about church and the whole “religious” setting that I was being raised in. I found a relationship with Christ primarily through the loving guidance of my parents. We would faithfully attend church 2 times on a Sunday, sunday school, and weekly programs which were great. I began pondering the power of God’s Word and miracles as well as the “presence” of God that is talked of in the Word. With regard to Sunday services I continued to have one recurring question - “is this all that there is”. Is this all that Christian faith is about. Everything about my Christian faith centered on being at a specific building.
My question put me on a path of discovery – “there must be more" to this Christian faith and I set out to find "it". As a bachelor I remember spending hours late at night searching for the “something” more. I was developing as a worship leader and seeking for more of God. I was looking for Him as if searching for treasure. This made me appear a little weird – my heart was not after the things of most people my age. I wanted more of God.
I remember the church that I was a part of sending me to a worship leading conference for a week in Dallas, Texas. I remember the first night as if it were yesterday instead of over twenty years ago. 2000+ worshippers from all over the world all came together seeking the same “thing” – God! It was electric - People hungry for more of Him. There is a literal powerful experience when God manifests His presense – when He “shows up”. Though we do not seek God for the feelings and emotion that occur When in a worship setting, there is a literal "weightiness" that comes with His presence.
The conference was at a hotel you could wake up any time of the night and go to the conference hall and find people worshipping – seeking after Him. (This is something that happened in the Temple in Jerusalem by the way - 24/7) You cannot explain the experience. It is beyond us – but the presence of God is as real as (even more so) what you and I see with our eyes.
Some questions to ponder. Why are people that are actually seeking for more of God looked at as the "weird ones" or the "odd balls" often by those that seem to have relationship with Christ. Have we already been satisfied with the American dream and therefore not desperate for God? This alone may be a reason missionaries from other lands witness the power and presense of God daily - they are desperate for Him.
Why are we so satisfied with a mediocre relationship with Him in our American churches as if we have experienced all of Him? He is infinite in all that He is and in all that He is willing to give His children. Why do we seem to think that the Almighty God who gave His Son for us so that we could have relationship with Him still wants to keep us at a distance? He desires for us to passionately seek after Him as if searching for fine treasure.
I am back at the place of desperation for more of God. I am not satisfied with worship purchased off the shelf. It is as if we think that if we do it with all the right instruments and vocals and have a good “show” that means we are in the presence of God.
I am desperate for depth in worship. Worship is more than a song. Worship is also making a sacrificial but right choice according to God’s Word. Worship is also someone going through difficulty yet offering a life of praise to the glory of God. Worship is life. And yes worship is vocal singing heartfelt words of love and affection to the Almighty.
I am desperate for His presence and know that He is there waiting for his church to come seeking after Him. You too may be in a place where the Spirit of God is causing this thought “there must be more!” within you. He is only drawing us deeper because there truly is infinitely more. He desires for His true followers to seek after Him.
Digging for treasure,
Mike
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Slivers
I was sitting in my van at my kids school one afternoon a couple days ago waiting to pick them up when I began picking at an irritating little bump on my thumb. I had forgotten about it but today I remembered that about three months earlier a sliver of wood got lodged in there. Back then, after a bunch of digging, I never was able to pull it out - I could not see it - but I knew that it was there. I could feel it. Well, now it was infected and on this afternoon I squeezed the spot and out popped the sliver.
I began thinking about how amazing our bodies are. They know when something foreign is contaminating it and they will eventually figure out a way to oust it. The sliver is a great example. I wanted it out but could not find it. My body took over and found a way.
Our spiritual growth is much the same way. When we make a decision to follow Christ, our spirit becomes alive. Often we ignore issues in our lives that should have some attention. If you have been born again you have been "infected" in a healthy way by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is within us to, among other things, prompt us towards holiness and godliness - not so that we can attain salvation (already given through Christ) but to become MORE LIKE our hero Jesus Christ. He knows when something foreign is contaminating our lives. Like my sliver in the hand the Holy Spirit will cause irritation until finally there is attention given to the affliction.
Sometimes the only way we will grow from issues of our past is for the Holy Spirit too bring them to rememberance and then allow His word to help us transform into more of His image. He causes a healthy life giving "infection" in the area of the spiritual "sliver".
What is there in your life that the Holy Spirit has been nagging at you to change? The purpose of the change is a deeper more fulfilling relationship with the Father. He knows where the "sliver" is and He knows just how to oust it. It is up to us to trust and allow the Father to BE the Lord of our lives.
"Do not conform anylonger to the things of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:3
Mike
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I began thinking about how amazing our bodies are. They know when something foreign is contaminating it and they will eventually figure out a way to oust it. The sliver is a great example. I wanted it out but could not find it. My body took over and found a way.
Our spiritual growth is much the same way. When we make a decision to follow Christ, our spirit becomes alive. Often we ignore issues in our lives that should have some attention. If you have been born again you have been "infected" in a healthy way by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is within us to, among other things, prompt us towards holiness and godliness - not so that we can attain salvation (already given through Christ) but to become MORE LIKE our hero Jesus Christ. He knows when something foreign is contaminating our lives. Like my sliver in the hand the Holy Spirit will cause irritation until finally there is attention given to the affliction.
Sometimes the only way we will grow from issues of our past is for the Holy Spirit too bring them to rememberance and then allow His word to help us transform into more of His image. He causes a healthy life giving "infection" in the area of the spiritual "sliver".
What is there in your life that the Holy Spirit has been nagging at you to change? The purpose of the change is a deeper more fulfilling relationship with the Father. He knows where the "sliver" is and He knows just how to oust it. It is up to us to trust and allow the Father to BE the Lord of our lives.
"Do not conform anylonger to the things of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:3
Mike
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Acknowledge Him
"In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:6
We "acknowledge" God - or in my paraphrase "make a plan and give it over to God in prayer acknowledging that He has the authority to do as He pleases with our finite yet prayed through plans" - and then something goes wrong and the plans look different than we imagined they would. Immediately we begin to think that we missed God somewhere.
It is difficult for us to accept that sometimes, after we had made prayerful plans, they do not go as we imagined they would and we immediately question where did we go wrong? We have made our plans but God is the one that guides the steps - often in ways that we could not see or understand. When things become difficult we immediately assume we are off the "path" however it is more than likely that our Sovreign God is guiding us.
Do not be so quick to jump ship when you have prayerfully sought out God's direction and "set sail" and encounter difficulty. Life is an adventurous journey for the Christian.
Listen to these words and let them bring you peace:
"If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand."
Psalm 37:23,24
"A mans steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way." Proverbs 20:24
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” I Corinthians 2:9
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
Do you doubt God's goodness towards you? Do not let the devil steal the peace and joy of knowing that you have a Father in heaven that is absolutely overjoyed with you. Do not doubt that a heavenly Father that sees us as so valuable that He would choose to send Christ to die for you and I. Do not doubt that God is working all things together for GOOD in your life and to His Glory. He IS watching over you!
Mike
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Proverbs 3:6
We "acknowledge" God - or in my paraphrase "make a plan and give it over to God in prayer acknowledging that He has the authority to do as He pleases with our finite yet prayed through plans" - and then something goes wrong and the plans look different than we imagined they would. Immediately we begin to think that we missed God somewhere.
It is difficult for us to accept that sometimes, after we had made prayerful plans, they do not go as we imagined they would and we immediately question where did we go wrong? We have made our plans but God is the one that guides the steps - often in ways that we could not see or understand. When things become difficult we immediately assume we are off the "path" however it is more than likely that our Sovreign God is guiding us.
Do not be so quick to jump ship when you have prayerfully sought out God's direction and "set sail" and encounter difficulty. Life is an adventurous journey for the Christian.
Listen to these words and let them bring you peace:
"If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand."
Psalm 37:23,24
"A mans steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way." Proverbs 20:24
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” I Corinthians 2:9
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11
Do you doubt God's goodness towards you? Do not let the devil steal the peace and joy of knowing that you have a Father in heaven that is absolutely overjoyed with you. Do not doubt that a heavenly Father that sees us as so valuable that He would choose to send Christ to die for you and I. Do not doubt that God is working all things together for GOOD in your life and to His Glory. He IS watching over you!
Mike
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Embarrassment
Something that I have been thinking about a bit lately as I have started new employment. I felt like God was asking me a question one day last week. "Do you love and trust me enough to be embarrassed for me?" Not embarrassed about the gospel but the being placed in a circumstance that may cause me to feel embarrassed but provide a door of opportunity for the gospel.
There is one thing that I fear more than "how" I will die one day - being embarrassed - to look like a fool. It goes way back to my grade school days when I was "spanked" in front of the class for making a simple mistake on an art assignment in fourth grade. It was one of my "Diary of a wimpy Kid" moments. I'm not bitter :-). It probably goes back even further than that. Anyways - I hate the feeling. You know what I am talking about. I do everything possible to avoid the uncomfortableness of embarrassment. Its like vomiting (I'm sorry).
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." ICor. 1:27-29 (NIV)
When I consider all that Christ did for me - the humiliation of public flogging - the rejection of the people that He created - the pain of the cross - the being forsaken for my sin - I am shamed by the way that I shy away from the occasional situation because of my fear of embarrassment. Well - I am going to trust God more today - that He will be the one speaking through me when I find myself in a potentially embarrassing setting. I am going to choose to stand in His strength knowing that whose I am is more important than how I appear to people. I am going to choose to receive the peace of the Father that always comes when I am doing something that makes Him smile - even though it is a challenge for me. He loves it when we trust Him and His goodness.
Will you join me? Let's be royalty and make God smile!!
Mike
Monday, June 20, 2011
Leaning
"Lean not upon you own understanding." Prov. 3:5
Have you ever thought you had a situation all figured out only to discover that there was more that you did not understand. I think everyone of us would raise our hand to that. I have been in a place before where I did not know what to do and I made a choice quickly and incorrectly. It was a moment when I had this incredible urge to "do" something because of the pressure of the moment. I leaned on my own understanding.
Have you ever thought you had a situation all figured out only to discover that there was more that you did not understand. I think everyone of us would raise our hand to that. I have been in a place before where I did not know what to do and I made a choice quickly and incorrectly. It was a moment when I had this incredible urge to "do" something because of the pressure of the moment. I leaned on my own understanding.
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is found in II Samuel 5:17-25. David had just become King of Israel and the Philistines were gathering to attack him at Baal Perazim. David inquired of the Lord and said should I go up and attack them. God said - "Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you." David attacks and defeats the Philistines. The story goes on to say, "Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rehaim." v. 22 David once more inquires of God and God tells him to not go straight up but circle around behind and attack them in front of the Balsam trees. "As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the Balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean that the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army". v.24
I love the Story because of the unusual way that God "showed up". I wonder what David was thinking? Was he irritated with the heavenly plan? Were his men frustrated? (Maybe by this time his fighting men were growing accustomed to unusual behavior from their king.) I wonder if he was under pressure from them to just "go for it" after all they have defeated the Philistines many times before. Regardless - David leaned in on God with his faith that God would provide the means to victory. He chose to trust in a plan that he did not devise rather than move ahead of God with his own resources. David had a heart that would choose to do what God asked even if the men surrounding him - mighty men - put pressure on him to engage. This is what seperated David's kingship from them that were before him.
What does it mean to "lean"? My take on this phrase is to not put more trust in what you "think" and "see" than we do in our faith and trust in God. Leaning means trusting that what you lean against will stand firm - that it can support our need. Our Heavenly Father is the "Solid Rock" - does it not make sense that we can lean on Him and rest all our care upon Him?
I'm not ignoring that God expects us to use our minds to make good and right choices. However, when we get to the place of not knowing what to do where all we can do is "stand" we need to trust in God and lean in on Him - not on our finite understanding.
Mike
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, June 19, 2011
All Our Hearts!
Proverbs 3:5
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart...
God tells us to use every portion of our heart when we trust Him - not just half a heart or 90% of it but all of it. What is hiding in the nooks and crannies of the excess of our heart that is not trusting completely is fear, worry, and anxiety. They are the by-product of distrust. We are to trust Him completely and totally. How do we do this? I would suggest that it comes from a lifetime of trusting more and more and experiencing God's faithfulness in every situation. Building trust may take us time but God asks us to chase out every shadow of distrust in our hearts as we witness His deliverence in our lives.
What causes us to distrust? - an inaccurate perspective of the love of God. Many of us do not take God completely at His Word when He say's that He loves us. We have a distortion in this maybe because of how we have recieved and experienced human love from others that was unfulfilling and lacking. We think this is how God loves us too but it is not true. When I became a child of the King it was out of a realization that God loves me so much that He would allow Christ to give His life for mine - that means that I - You - WE are very special in His eyes. We are His treasure - they that have a heart after Him. We are literally His Kids! Let me ask you this - Do you really think that He would not be completely trustworthy when He values us this much?
I pray that you and I would see the all powerful hand of God bring our great "deliverence" in every situation as we Glorify Him with COMPLETE Trust.
Peace
Mike
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart...
God tells us to use every portion of our heart when we trust Him - not just half a heart or 90% of it but all of it. What is hiding in the nooks and crannies of the excess of our heart that is not trusting completely is fear, worry, and anxiety. They are the by-product of distrust. We are to trust Him completely and totally. How do we do this? I would suggest that it comes from a lifetime of trusting more and more and experiencing God's faithfulness in every situation. Building trust may take us time but God asks us to chase out every shadow of distrust in our hearts as we witness His deliverence in our lives.
What causes us to distrust? - an inaccurate perspective of the love of God. Many of us do not take God completely at His Word when He say's that He loves us. We have a distortion in this maybe because of how we have recieved and experienced human love from others that was unfulfilling and lacking. We think this is how God loves us too but it is not true. When I became a child of the King it was out of a realization that God loves me so much that He would allow Christ to give His life for mine - that means that I - You - WE are very special in His eyes. We are His treasure - they that have a heart after Him. We are literally His Kids! Let me ask you this - Do you really think that He would not be completely trustworthy when He values us this much?
I pray that you and I would see the all powerful hand of God bring our great "deliverence" in every situation as we Glorify Him with COMPLETE Trust.
Peace
Mike
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Continued Trust
One thing that is observable about the Israelites is that they had a hard time getting the point of trust. God repeatedly rescued them from danger and yet they continually forgot what deliverance God brought them. After the whole Red Sea crossing experience you would have thought that they would have responded with a state of perpetual trust in who God was and what He was capable of.
Today, Like the Israelites, there is a real danger of thinking that once we have trusted God for something and He has delivered us, that the trust stops there. "We'll take it from here God!" The reality is that God wants us to live in a perpetual state of trusting in his hand of deliverance and provision. Continual trust is something that God has been encouraging Anna and I with lately. We have our jobs in Texas however there are still a lot of other issues that need to happen with our move that will require trust in God's guiding hand.
I think that our greatest difficulty with living a life of continual trust is that it is an "uncomfortable" place to be without the "peace" of God gaurding our heart. When the peace is absent we tend to feel out of control. When Gods peace is missing we fear instead of simply trust. The Peace in place helps us rest in the unfailing promises of our almighty God who truly has His eyes on those that fear Him. May you experience God's Peace today!
Mike
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