Filed under: Uncategorized
I have often wondered why many Christians I have come across can tell me who God and Jesus is but have no clue who the Holy Spirit is. So many over look Him and end up selling themselves short. Biblically I cant help but to reference Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1 -10. They lost their lives due to grave misjudgment regarding the Holy Spirit. Most likely they knew who God was and they knew who Jesus was but according to scripture they “lied to” and “tested” the Holy Spirit and paid an expensive price for it. I wonder how many people out there are trying to know and be known by God all the while excluding 1/3 of the trinity.
My point is In John 14:26 Jesus said “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” Jesus said this to his followers knowing that when things got crazy and they would completely forget all that they had experienced with Jesus and ran out of fear.
Isn’t this the very thing we do. Things get crazy and we forget all we have experienced with Jesus and respond to our fears. It is the Holy Spirit that reminds us of these things and guides us on the right path. But remember, The disciples sought after the Holy Spirit in the upper room. We can’t seek after what we are not aware of. I wonder how many Christians are actually seeking after Holy Spirit. More and more I see people casually hoping He will show up in there lives but not pursuing Him at all. I would imagine how desperate the disciples were to receive the promised Spirit of God. How eager they were to walk in Him as Jesus said they could. I believe that same urgency and desperation is the cure for the struggling christian. If God(Father, Son and ,Holy Spirit) is in love with us as much as I belive He is, He must love for us pursue him. Again, I find it odd that we only want to pursue 2/3 of Him.
Today a message from one of my heroes Dr. Rutland stirred up my soul. He was recalling one of his crusades in Africa, He was packed in a tiny car with 5 other men on a dirt road. It was dark and raining heavy. were they were traveling in a dangerous place at a dangerous time. People were known to go missing because of the political up upheaval going on in that nation at the time. some of the locals he was traveling with began to fear for there lives because of the recent violence and Dr. Rutland Prayed ” I know Lord you will protect me and keep me safe because you love me” He then said the Lord replied to Him ” I might not; I loved John the Baptist and He was beheaded, I love Jesus my only begotten son and He was crucified, who are you to them” The Lord continued ” If you really trusted me you wouldn’t only trust me with your life but with your death also”.
Wow, thats powerful stuff. why do we always assume we know what the Lord is up to. sometimes its our time to die, get sick, lose, and fail but God has a plan that was set into motion before we were even born. Why would we assume we knew better than God. It reminds me of when paul say in 2nd Corinthians 12:10 “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong”
Paul knew that ultimately the Lord knows what he is doing and that knowledge of that is true strength. I have always said things can’t chase you if you stop running from them. So I challenge you to stop running from life’s problems. God is on the throne and nothing takes Him by surprise.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Since the new year started I have participated in four funerals. We tend to shy away from thoughts of death but If we all have something in common, it is death.
Another thing we have in common is the legacy we leave as we pass on into eternity. One could say that each day that we are closer to death but I don’t fear death… I want to live so victoriously that death fears me. As I observe people at all these funerals you can tell the people who have lived well. These are the people who seem to always be there in spirit, who live on people hearts, minds, phrases, and actions. These people are constantly resurrected in smile-filled memories and “remember when moments”.
I believe that If I continue to live for Jesus (and I will) death will fear me…what I mean is that I will never die, my presence will remain by the influence I had on people. I choose to die with style how about you?
I Have felt that the Lord would like me to enlarge my digital imprint on the world. As a preacher I its my destiny to reach as many people as possible so i am committing to doing this a couple times a week to share what God lays on my heart. I am excited!
