His dreams

Wow. Talk about inspiration to get out and tell people about Jesus! My friend Sammy showed this video at our church evangelism training class and it re-motivated me to my true purpose in life.

Something I learned while at AFCOE: Once you've learned the principles of evangelism, you can't just go back to your regular job and say that it was a great and awesome experience. You become accountable to use what you learned for the rest of your life. Your calling in life is soul winning. 

You might be a mechanic, a nurse, a designer, a student, a lawyer, a writer, a cashier, an IT, or any number of things, but that is only your way to earn money and survive. Your actual occupation is to be a soul winner.

Don't make the mistake of following your own dreams when God's are so much more grand than you could ever imagine. He has a special work for you to do, even if simply at home, and He will give you the courage and energy to do it. Be prepared for a life of ultimate adventure!

Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me.

Lay any burden on me, only sustain me.

Sever every tie, save the tie that binds me to Thy heart.

The pain of words

"The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God" (James 3:8, 9).

Oh, to take words back...

I've never considered myself a "speak-before-you-think" person, but lately I find myself wondering. Words can hurt, oh so much. And even though I might think I'm saying the right thing, I find out too late that I said the very worst thing.

My only remaining hope is forgiveness. And if my words of repentance meet with a cold, hurting heart... it's then that I realize the enormity of my quickly-spoken words.

They stare at me, haunt me, make me cry. Why couldn't I see? Why didn't I stop and pray before I spoke? Why didn't I think?

Here is where I realize a fact of life: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (1 Timothy 1:15). It's me, and no one else. I'm the chief, and He came to save me. Who am I to point out something in someone else when it's me who needs Him the most? People need to know that He died to save, but they're not going to hear it while I see myself as better than them, even if subconsciously.

I am glad that I never meet with coldness in my Father's heart. My words hurt Him, too, but He never turns me away. Oh to be more like Him--to speak, to forgive, to love. He gives peace for the pain, but I will never be the same. It takes a lot of time to heal the wounds from an e-mail written in five minutes.

I'm guessing that healing will be the theme of my prayers for a while. If you think of it, would you pray for it, too?

Do I mean it?

My eyes fly open. It's time.

I reach for my phone to see what the numbers say…

1:01 AM.

I sigh. Lord, surely You don't mean NOW. I know I told You anytime was fine, but ONE? That's just too much…

I get up, use the restroom, my mind confused. Now what do I do? I told Him I would trust Him… but I can't get (and stay) up now!

I climb onto my bed. Maybe if I go back to sleep, He'll wake me up again at 3 AM. That just sounds way better than one…

Then the thought strikes me: He wants to see if I really mean it.

Do I? Were last night's words genuine or just play?

"Lord, wake me up whenever You want me to. You know how much time I really need to spend with You, so I give you permission to wake me up tomorrow morning. (Only, maybe not at 2? I'll trust what You decide, but it would sure be nice to not be then…)"

A decision must be made.

Do I mean it?

Of course I mean it. But I need a special measure of grace to actually get up…

And He gives it.

Five hours of time with God! What greater blessing?

"The Lord GOD . . . He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned" (Isaiah 50:4).

Discovery of the year

Hello to the new year! Somehow I sense that this year is just going to be the very best ever. I have been inspired and changed by GYC, and I want to carry its principles home with me. I want to work more than ever for God's service. I want my church to be revived. I want prayer to be a huge part of my life. I want to do all I can to reach souls for Jesus. But there's something different than I've had before. Something that's somehow been overlooked, even though it's stood right in front of me for as long as I have known. A requirement that precedes all priorities and desires to do right:

I must constantly be in contact with Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit's power.

Last year I tried to do all I could to be of service to God. But that's just what happened--it was all that I could do, which isn't worth anything at all! By the end of last year (2011), I was so tired out from everything I was trying to do that I just couldn't grow any more. But I've made the above discovery that was an obvious one. A "duh" moment...

There is NO WAY that I can do any of the things God wants me to do without His strength, and without being filled with His Holy Spirit. I've been a fool to even attempt those things!

This year, 2012, I want to rethink my plans. Over the past week, I have been evaluating the last year and deciding what needs to change. But even now, I'm not so sure that those plans are what God would have me do every day. I pray that as I decide on my goals and aims, the Lord will shape me to be more like Him.

I want to reach my home town. I want to do my utmost best at work. I want my church to experience true revival. I want to entrust my future to my Creator.

And how is this to be done?

Only through the divine strength of the Holy Spirit. Through quality time spent before His throne, in prayer and study of His Word.

A happy new year to you!

Primary and secondary

Your first thought in the morning.

The kingdom of heaven.

The righteousness of Christ.

The Word of God.

Your soul's salvation.

The salvation of others.

The service of God.

What do these have in common?

Everything else is to be of secondary importance to them.

Worldly labor, self-interest, other books... everything.

*References: CG, page 519. CSW, page 53. RH, November 18, 1884. ST, May 1, 1884. CCh, page 41. 3MR No. 168.

Profundity

You may be aware that I love to collect real-life quotes. I love to record things people say that have the ability to make me laugh more than just the first time I heard them said; and things that are so profound that time seems to stop for a moment once they're spoken. Below is a compilation of my favorites from this second category. I hope you will be blessed as much as I was...


"The unfaithfulness of man limits the goodness of God." -Tammey Steenson

"The parable of the glove. Faith is like a glove. It won't work unless you put it on." - Don Mackintosh

"Your job is to get your best friend to heaven." - Rich Kollenberg

"Why is it that when God is leading, we become afraid?" - Ted Wilson

" 'Normal' is described in the book of Acts." - Don Mackintosh

"Don't ask, 'Why did this happen?' but 'How can I draw closer to You?" - Wes Peppers

"Constant giving will starve selfishness." - Eric Flickinger

"You don't find happiness by looking for it. You find happiness by being the right kind of person." - Alan Parker

"Nothing is really ours until we let it go." - Janet Evert

"Jesus doesn't need men and women who merely esteem Him as great, but believers who are willing to be made great by His life." - Eric Ludy*

"The reason God can call obedience a condition for eternal life is because it's His power and not mine." - Jim Brackett

"As long as I stay yielded, burdens lifted, light given, and a character transformed are tangible realities!" - Melissa McLeod

"You don't pray all night so you can get something out of God, but so God can get something out of you." - Alan Parker


*Actually a quote from a book, not spoken.

Absolute willingness

This morning, I read Daniel 3: an amazing story of three young men who stood firm for what they believed in. 

There was no hesitancy on their part, in the decision to honor the one true God. 

They said in verse 16, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.” It wasn’t of question to them!

The part that really stuck out to me, though, was three points brought out in a verse I hadn’t noticed before. 

“Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in Him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.” 

They were willing to trust God with everything, even this issue. They were willing to even go against the command of an earthly king in order to keep God from being dishonored. And they were willing to give up their very bodies to be burned, all for this cause: 

The honor of God above absolutely anything else.

Those who would rather die than perform a wrong act are the only ones who will be found faithful.*

May we each have this same courage, decision, and integrity today.

*MYP 74