'Tis the Season

Well here we are again at Christmas time: schedules full, budget stretched, rushing here, rushing there. Amidst all of the business of the season I want you all to remember these things: Jesus is Lord and we're celebrating His coming to save us, this is a great season to be thankful in all things, and that our hearts should be as His toward others - loving, giving and serving.

So often as we reach this time in the year we find ourselves so overcome by the commercialism and the self-inflicted business and turmoil that we lose sight of giving thanks to the Father and loving others. My challenge to us all, as it has been freshly presented to me by the Holy Spirit, is to keep those things clearly in view so we can fully enjoy this time and fulfill God's purpose. Remember the fact that in his infinite mercy, Father God chose to send Jesus to rescue us from sin (Romans 5:8) and that we have a great opportunity to express our gratitude for and to Jesus, while drawing others to know Him and do the same. So as we open up this Christmas season, let's truly realize that it is a great time to highlight for the entire world what we hold dear all year long: the divinity of Jesus and His work on our behalf, cherishing the relationships that God has blessed us with, and calling the lost of this world to know their purpose in the one true God.

May your Christmas season be blessed as you give thanks to God and express who He is to the entire world (Psalm 100:4; Matthew 5:13-16).

Overcoming in Him

Last Sunday I had the privilege of hearing a powerful message from my senior pastor, Apostle George Brantley, out of 1 John 5. The core of his message dealt with the fact that keeping God's word is not a burden (v.3). This point can easily be passed over, but we have to take a deeper look when we hear a statement like that. How often do we actually approach obeying the word of God as something we have to do rather than our privilege as His children? I know that I personally have done it many times. In some situations we can come across like the child who says, 'okay Dad, whatever you say', when we'd rather do something else. Now, don't get me wrong, there's a place for us of dying to our will to obey His, but there should come a point in our lives when the keeping of His word is not a burden, but a joy because He has graced us to do it. Not only are we given the task, but the strength and resources to do it by our everlasting, loving, merciful and gracious Father.

As we believe in Jesus and keep his word, we become His children who overcome the world, victorious in Christ (1 John 5:1-5). His love never fails, and when we realize that He loves us and graces us to do His will, our approach to keeping His words becomes much brighter, hopeful, directed and full of purpose. How great is the grace that He has lavished upon us in order for the mystery of His will to be know and done by us (Ephesians 1:7-10). It's a great day when you know that regardless of what you face, in Him you overcome the world.

The Little Things

Today, like so many other days, our time is often filled with the seemingly mundane tasks of life that consume so much of what we do that it's easy to become frustrated. Our cry can sometimes sound like, "God, wasn't I created for more than this?" I have visited this place many times in my life when the days turn into weeks, months and eventually years. We work, we pay bills, we take care of the kids, we file our taxes, we cut the grass, do homework, do the laundry, go to a rehearsal, and another rehearsal, and another rehearsal :-), all the while thinking that the "big things" we'd rather do are more important. I'm here to encourage you today in two areas: no matter what you do, consider it worship, doing it as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23) and that when we are faithful in these "little" things, we are also faithful with much (Luke 16:10).

As believers, we can sometimes view the day to day "unspiritual" activities of life as little or insignificant. The reality is that they are all part of the process God is walking us through. When we will view these things - though they may often be the small things as the aforementioned scripture states - with value and seriousness as part of Father God's plan, we will literally be prepared to be faithful in the greater things. For some of us, depending on the call of God, the greater things may be a whole lot more of what we saw as the little things. For all of us though, the greater things are in whatever area He's called us to represent Him. Business, education, music, dance, world missions, etc. Everything was created that His name would be glorified and people would worship Him. Realize that whatever you perform, it should be done to honor God and trust that His greater purpose will be accomplished in that activity or through it. Even in difficult situations, you are guaranteed one of two things: God will deliver you out of it or God will grace you to walk through it. His purpose is accomplished within or as a result of everything that comes into the life of the believer, according to His plan.

So today, remember that all things work together for your good (Romans 8:28) and that the little things are to be done with diligence, expectation and faith, realizing that in everything God is working out His purpose. He perfects that which concerns you (Psalm 138:8) and He will complete the work He has begun in you (Philippians 1:6). Open your eyes today and you might just find the little things to be big things in God's purpose for your life.

Chance of Rain - 100% by Allyson Faulkner

Recently, I was thanking God for not withholding things from me, such as His love, mercy, healing, power, strength, etc... All these wonderful things that we are so thankful for are poured over us and given to us from His hand - only we have to be open to receive them, right?

As I was thinking about it, in my mind I could see all these things "raining" down over us and we were standing with open arms (and hearts) to receive them. Then I thought of how, in the natural, when it's raining we automatically want to grab our umbrellas because we don't want to get wet. However, in the spiritual, who wants an umbrella or other barrier up when God is raining down all these wonderful gifts on us? We want to be completely saturated by those things and by His Spirit!
We sing the song "Rain Down" and ask God to open up the heavens and rain down on us. And in reply He says, "Look up! I already have! Receive the blessings I've given you!"

Are you standing under an umbrella waiting for God's blessings? Or are you standing in the deluge, soaking up every drop?

All You Need

Today I wanted to bring a short and simple encouragement for anyone who reads this. Amidst the many obstacles and challenges that we all face, one thing remains constant: our Father in Heaven. He never fails, grows weary or leaves us (Deuteronomy 31:8). He is above all, through all and in us all (Ephesians 4:4-6). His love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). By our faith him, we overcome the world
(1 John 5:3-4). His mercy and love are forever (Psalm 103:17-18). And we enjoy all of this because we are His children (John 1:12).

Realize today that you have a great opportunity to know God and give Him praise in this generation because by His divine power He has already given you all you need (2 Peter 1:3).

Kari Jobe's 1st Music Video - Awesome!

I found this on YouTube today. I love the heart of worship that she leads with. Enjoy!

The Greatest Privilege

Have you ever thought of what a privilege it is to worship the Father? We could be among the scores of people who don’t know Him, but instead we are His children. We could be lost, but we’re found. We could be on the outside looking in, but instead we are members of the household of faith. We could be condemned by sin, but instead we’re forgiven and reconciled. It’s a great honor and opportunity each day to live and serve the Creator of the universe who is above all, our Father. Ephesians 2:13 says it quite well: But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. We were once estranged but are now amongst the beloved of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords; what an awesome opportunity and blessing that is! To know Him is to love Him and to worship Him is the greatest privilege one will ever experience. Consider these things and always have a heart of thanksgiving and worship in all things.

Grace to the Humble

Humility (hyōō-mĭl'ĭ-tē) - the quality or condition of being Humble (Marked by meekness or modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful..).

This characteristic is not very common in our society, but it's a precious attribute in the Kingdom of God. Not valued among many famous, wealthy or noteworthy, but it's what produces fame and exaltation according to God's standard. In James 4:6 (KJV) we are reminded that God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. We can often be tempted to find justifications for areas of pride in our lives, but the reality is that any measure of pride, puts us at odds with our Father in Heaven. Our aim should be to always walk in a posture of humility in order to remain in right relationship with Him.

It's essential to realize that humility is an integral part of our lives as believers. We are restored to Him by the sacrifice that Christ made, through humility. We approach Him with humility. We continue to commune with Him and have relationship with a posture of humility. And we continue to bow before Him in worship with a heart of humility. Yes, the point is quite clear that if we want to remain close to the Father and in His will, humility is paramount. It's of such great importance that in 1 Peter 5:5 we are encouraged to be 'clothed in humility.' The lack of this priceless characteristic was the very thing that got Lucifer thrown out of Heaven. Though rebellion was the outward action, as is often the case for us as humans, pridefulness is what solidifies that rebellion leading to death; wherever pride resides, humility is not at home. In Lucifer's case, rather than being humble, he chose to position himself to say, 'I know better than God.' This is exactly what he deceived Adam and Eve into and exactly what he tries to tempt us with today. When we knowingly choose another way than the way of the Lord in any area, we effectively say, 'I know better than God' and we then take the position of pride that causes us to be at odds with the Father. Thankfully, in His infinite grace and mercy, He promises in His word that He will correct us as a Father does to the son whom he loves (Proverbs 3:11-12). We can therefore take comfort in knowing that the Holy Spirit will always be there to guide us into all truth just as Jesus promised (John 16:13).

It's not always a fun posture, but bowing to the Lord in humility is key to continuing in Him. It's in that place that we die to ourselves and live to Him. It's in that place of humbly surrendering to Him that we live out the reality that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). In essence we say, 'You are greater than me, You know better than me, and I only have significance in You.' As true worshippers let us always remember that although God resists the proud, He gives grace to the humble.

What Do I Have to Offer?

What do I have to offer? This is a question we all face at some point in our lives. The way that we answer this question is important, but often times our response is problematic. You see, the average person, who has a humble heart, views what they have to offer in any situation from a deficit, especially concerning offerings to Father God.

First of all, I have to say that offerings can be much more than money, but I will use the example of money to approach the specific area of worship in just a moment. Whether you're talking about playing a guitar, singing, running a business, or giving some type of service, all of these can be offerings to God, not in replace of being faithful to give finances, but as an extension of our opportunities to give to the Father through what we do in our world. The value of our offerings is never determined by the amount, it is determined by the posture of our hearts regardless of whether the offerings are financial, artistic, or otherwise.

Imagine with me for a moment two faithful church members, one with an income of $20,000 annually and one with an income of $20,000,000 annually. Obviously these two individuals have a sizable difference in income, but the reality of the financial obligation to God and then their opportunity and responsibility to give above and beyond that initial obligation (the tithe) still remains. How would we view the person who had the twenty-thousand dollar income if he or she chose to say, 'my income pales in comparison to my brother the millionaire so I think I'll just keep mine and not give.' Of course we would realize that person's gross error according to the word of God. You need only to look at God's instructions in Malachi 3 (v.10-12) as well as many other areas regarding the tithe to find fault in this situation. In addition, you could look to the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) to see that God does not condone the withholding of what He has entrusted us with. He has called us to give and 'put to work' what He's given us. And lastly, in passages like 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, we realize that God desires for us to be cheerful givers.

Now with all of that in mind, why do we see it differently when people withhold the offering of themselves, particularly in corporate worship. How many times have you or someone you know regarded their lack of singing ability or rhythm, reserved personality, etc. as an excuse for not giving their all in worship to our Father? We can separate the two concepts if we want, but they're one in the same when it comes to our hearts. The offering Father God desires most is us coming to Him with humble hearts (Psalm 34:18; 51:17). Whether we're singing, dancing, working, serving, teaching, well you get the point, whatever we do, it's an offering to Him. So with regard to the area of lifting our hearts and voices in worship, let's never be guilty of being the individual I mentioned earlier with the lesser income, but let's offer everything we have, realizing that whatever He has given us, is valuable, because it's of Him, by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16-17; 3:23).

So the next time you ask yourself the question 'What do I have to offer?' remember that it's often much more than you think, so give it wholeheartedly to honor the Lord because He's worthy of it all.

Another Word from Spurgeon

Although Spurgeon was used for last week's post, when I read today's daily help, I had to share; I will save my post for next week although I did put some comments at the end of this short reading. Enjoy:

The great King, immortal, invisible, the Divine person, called the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit: it is he that quickens the soul, or else it would lie dead for ever; it is he that makes it tender, or else it would never feel; it is he that imparts efficacy to the Word preached, or else it could never reach further than the ear; it is he who breaks the heart, it is he who makes it whole. There dwells upon this earth a mysterious Being, whose office is to renew the fallen and restore the wandering. We cannot see Him, or hear Him, yet He dwells in some of us as Lord of our nature. His chosen residence is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Sent from the Daily Help Devotional.

I am so impacted by what Charles Spurgeon said here. The Holy Spirit is truly at liberty in our lives when we take the place of being contrite and broken (Psalm 51:17). We can never fully understand the power of humility, brokenness and sincerity, but they are what our Father in Heaven is after. Our fulfillment of His will depends on us continuing to be broken and contrite in all things. It's then that we humble ourselves to truly worship Him and obey His words.

Have a great day walking with our Heavenly Father!