From The Inside Out

We must first and foremost always love God and put him first in our lives.  In Genesis 2:18, God told Adam that He was going to bring a suitable helper for him which we know was eve.  There were times in my life, when I would wonder when God was going to bring the woman that He had for me into my life.  I would even sometimes wonder if I would even find her.  Not because of the person that I was on or type of person that I was on the inside,  but because of the way I looked on the outside.  Because for the most part people look at the outside appearance.  The Bible tells us that man looks at the outside appearance, but God looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7) I am not excluding myself from that category whatsoever we all do it, but do we say we like someone because of what they look like, before we truly get to know them?   There were times in my life, when I would wonder if a girl would truly get to know me and not just judge me because of what I looked like on the outside.  ( That truly wasn't just for the girls that was truly for anyone).  God is starting to break me of that and not allowing me to worry about what people think of me.  Whenever you look in the mirror, do not worry about what you look like on the outside, because sooner or later, we will get old, we will get winkles, we will start to fall apart.   Are any of us perfect by no means, but God wants to mold and shape us into his image.  I want to look at who God brings into my life from the inside out, and for who she has in her heart, and I want her to do the same in me.  For those of you that read this, I want you to do the same for those that you meet, however you meet them, and remember that those that don't look perfect on the outside may have Christ living inside of them.  When we put God first, and ask God to show us who it is that He has for us, thats the only thing that counts.

Ask, Seek, and Knock.

When I was in Bible College, one of the Professors that I had, would quote the verse in Matthew 7:7 which says 7 “​Ask, and ​​it will be given to you; ​2​ seek, and you will find; ​3​ knock, and it will be opened to you.   After he would finish that verse, he would say but we need to keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking.  Why because not right away will God answer the questions or will we receive what we are asking from God.  A couple of weeks ago, God reminded me of that, especially in a ministry such as as an evangelist.  Their are times in our lives, whether it's a secular or ministry job, where the doors are going to be closed, dates and job opportunities are going to be filled up, and you will have to move on and look elsewhere.  When we are asking God for specific things in our lives, God may say yes, He will give it to us at that time, No not right now, or no you can't have it.  Or maybe at another time he hasn't made up his mind yet.  When we are desiring for the things of God, we need to keep asking, keep seeking, knocking on the heart of God, and in his timing, his plan, and his purpose it will be opened to you.  The rest of that passage goes like this,  8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  9 “Or what man is there among you ​who, when his son asks for a loaf, ​will give him a stone?  10 “Or ​​if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, ​​how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!.  I am grateful to have a heavenly father who will not give us anything that will hurt us.  

Storms of Life

Have you ever wondered why me, why have I had to go through all of these difficulties, situations, trials in my life.  I went to a school most of my life, where the students probably wondered that.  Their may have been times in their life when someone might have come up to them and said well God loves you.  He created you this way for a purpose.  Their response was probably why would your loving and caring God, create me this way if He truly loved me.  I also knew some that where angry and bitter, maybe not at God, but just because of what they where going through, and dealing with in their lives.  Did I get frustrated with some of the situations and difficulties that I had, and sometimes still have to go through yes I do, and I am a pastor.  But thankfully my parent's taught me and showed me in God's word that these things work together for Good.  These reasons may not always be able to be answered of why, but it says in Romans 8:28, And We Know That God Causes All Things To Work Together For The Good of Those Who Love Him, and Are called according to his Purpose.  For those of us that have that relationship with God, when He brings the trials to us in our lives.  Lets not try to figure out why but lets trust in him and know that when we put our trust in him he will bring us through the storm.  Just like when the disciples where on the boat, and the winds and the waves battered the boat.  The disciples cried out Jesus help, and what did he do he was sleeping, but he woke up and said peace be still and the wind and waves where calm.  For those that read this, and may wonder why me, I don't love God, but I am still going through all of these trials, but He loves you regardless of what you think about him.  He loves you so much that He sent his son to die on the cross for your sins.  He wants you to run to him, and ask him for Help, and know that He has a plan and a purpose for your life.  Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to Harm you to give you a hope and a future.  God Loves you and so do I.      

Run the Race

Growing up, I always wanted to try to do anything and everything, and my parent's allowed me try to figure out on my own, what I could and could not do.  With God's help and strength couldn't wasn't much.  I was part of the games for the Physically Challenged which was the equivalent to the regular olympics except they where geared to people with disabilities.  I enjoyed running the 100 and 200 meter dash, and doing the 50 meter freestyle swim.   The bible talks about running a race as well in Hebrews 12:1-3
 Hebrews 12:1-3 says 1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also ​​lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us ​run with ​c​endurance the race that is set before us,
 2 ​fixing our eyes on Jesus, the ​2​​a​author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him ​​endured the cross, ​c​despising the shame, and has ​d​sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
 3 For ​a​consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary ​​and lose heart. 

Their's a new saying that I like, that a friend of mine sent to me.  "The greatest achievements is to love God, love yourself, and love others"! "Its not how you start but how you finish"!
  It's the same thing with running the race that God has for us.  Some of us start the race out in the church, some of us start the race in the world, in drug and alcohol addictions, having sex before marriage, cheating in relationships.  Than we have someone that speaks to us about Christ, and we come to a knowing knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Once we have that relationship with Him, we can cross the finish line with our arms and hands raise and with a knowing knowledge of who he is, and He will say to us, well done good and faithful servant.  But God does not want us just to cross the finish line, He wants us each and every day to become more like Him, to shred off every sin which entangles us in our lives.  It does not matter how close of a relationship we have with Christ we still sin, their is no one that is/was perfect and without sin except for Christ.  Therefore no matter what we do, what sin we commit, or what mistakes, we make, we can still get up repent of our sins.  We can continue to run the race that God has for us.  For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son for whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have ever lasting life.  John 3:16  

Facing surgery

The last couple of years, I have had problems with my stomach, I have gerd, and barrets espohgaus and maybe something more but not sure the name of it.  I have thought about it, because it has come up in Conversation with the doctors about having a operation, not a big deal but with any surgery their could be complications.  But after 68 operations in my life, I have to ask myself, another one, God do I really have to have another one.  We sing the songs that claim that God is the God that healeth thee, and I believe that 100%, why because it says it in his Word, and we see and read the stories about it.  Matthew 8:5-13 NASB  5 And ​a​when ​1​Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him,
 6 and saying, “​​Lord, my ​​servant is ​lying ​a​paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.”
 7 Jesus ​*​said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
 8 But the centurion said, “​1​Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just ​say the word, and my ​​servant will be healed.
 9 “For I also am a man under ​​authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith ​with anyone in Israel.
 11 “I say to you that many ​a​will come from east and west, and ​recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;
 12 but ​a​the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into ​​the outer darkness; in that place ​​there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; ​​it shall be done for you ​as you have believed.” And the ​servant was healed that very ​moment.   

 

Matthew 15:21-28 (NASB) Healing Crowds
 29 ​Departing from there, Jesus went along by ​​the Sea of Galilee, and having gone up on the mountain, He was sitting there.
 30 And ​​large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and ​​He healed them.
 31 So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled ​​restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they ​​glorified the God of Israel. 

 

We also know that their may be reasons why God doesn't heal us.  Do we have a lack of faith, is their sin in our lives that is preventing God from healing us, or does God just want us to go to the doctors.   I have had a conversation with a friend of mine, who was injured in Iraq, and he has neck and back problems, and we hace prayed together for healing before going into the doctors for the operation.  But God hasn't healed him yet, it doesn't mean that God won't heal him or you after the surgery, but sometimes their is a human fear in our lives that we don't want to face surgery.  For those of you, me included that may be having to face surgery, whether big or small, use it as a testimony, tell the doctor before you go in, that you are beliving that God will heal you quicker than the doctors report.  Show the doctors your faith by praying before the surgery, pray for the doctors, my Mom and I used to do that before my surgeries, and believe by faith that God will guide and direct the doctors hands.  Yes God can and still does heal, but God also created the ability of the doctors to do these surgeries, and thats why they are here.  Be thankful to God, that although He hasn't healed you yet before the surgery, you will have a quick and full recovery because God has given the doctors the ability to complete the surgery.