Did you know that you have been trusted with a unique power. As a follower of Christ, you have been given authority to do God’s work. To do God’s will. Yes, you. YOU. We often gloss over the fact that we have this authority maybe because we are too modest. Maybe because we don’t know we possess it. Often it’s because we don’t believe or haven’t been taught to exercise this authority. Sadly, because we have an enemy we often are kept from
realizing this truth because we fall into the enemy’s trap of disbelief.

When a question arises about your faith such as the question I have revealed today (Do I have an authority in Christ or not?) we should never blindly agree. We must always consult the Word of God and search for the truth within it. Once we find that truth in His Word we must do all we can to live within that truth. In this case, we must do all we can to live within the authority BESTOWED upon us. It is important to understand that we do NOT deserve this authority, but that this authority furthers the Kingdom of God and God’s will to love us. For that reason we have been given authority.

Jesus speaks of this authority today in our reading. But to accompany Jesus teaching from today take a look at these truths outlined in this prayer that is built from scriptures (scripture references included).

Daily Prayer with Scripture References

In the Old Testament we see it today. In the New Testament we see it today. It is one of the oldest attacks that Satan uses against his enemies… us. Since the Garden of Eden we have written record of the devil attacking people at their core. Attacking people and even God by hurling questions of

doubt at a person’s character.

While the Pharisees are questioning the man that was healed of blindness by Jesus we expect them to attack Jesus’ character. After all, the Pharisees are out for blood against Jesus. This man, Jesus, is saying things that are exposing their true motives… control and power. So we expect them to be after Jesus and trying to sew seeds of doubt about Him. But. But what about this poor man that was blind from birth and is now healed? What do they say about him?

18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

Look at that… “Is this the one you SAY was born blind?” Now they are going to question a man that has lived in darkness his entire life and can now see. They are trying to sew seeds of doubt into a man that was healed. They succeeded with the man’s parents because they seem terrified, but trying to convince the very man that was blind that he was indeed not blind? Or at least they were trying make a show to the others looking on to “quite the crowds” and stop this word spreading about this Jesus.

Remarkable when you think about it. Not so remarkable when you look at your own life. I can promise you that if you are breathing and reading this now then you have had someone attack your character. Jesus suffered this in the desert when He was being tempted by the devil.

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” (Matthew 4:3 NIV)

Sometimes it sounds like this: “…you will never amount to anything!” or “…are you sure you can do that?” or “You won’t make it. You might as well hang it up now.”

Those are all hurtful. Those all attack your core and your character and are designed to sew seeds of doubt. AND… they are all wrong. As a believer in Christ you are a new creature.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

The important thing to remember is that although it may be allowed for you to be tested, God will never attack your character. The best defense in an attack on our character is to know who you are in Christ. I suggest reading the Daily Prayer. You can also take a look at further scripture references here.

If this message blesses you, don’t let it suffer attack… set it free!

God Bless…

I was asked today if I pray with my wife. I was at a Starbucks with a few guys I go to church with and this question popped up. It’s the weirdest thing because Amber and I were just talking about this. The coffee conversation went around the table and the answers from each of us guys was different. Some yeses. Some nos. Some… well… sometimes.

It got me wondering about how many of our readers pray with others. If you pray with someone at least a few times a week leave a comment and give us a little detail. The one thing I got out of the coffee house conversations is that there are many different ways to approach praying with others. Let’s face it… It can feel a little awkward if you haven’t done much let alone not at all.

You know the Psalms are beautiful prayers. From reading them we can gain insight to God’s own heart as most of them were written by King David (the man after God’s own heart). We get a glimpse at anger in prayer and where to place that anger (firmly in God’s hands). We also get a glimpse of lamentation, joy, praise, you name it. If David felt it, he shared it with God. Some have argued that learning to lead a prayerful life could and should begin in the Psalms.

When we discuss things among other believers like I did this morning we all grow from it. The growth happens far faster than if we went through life on our own. So I’m asking you… yes.. YOU to leave a comment here on the website and let’s get a little discussion started. Here’s the question:

DO YOU PRAY WITH SOMEONE AT LEAST A FEW TIMES A WEEK?
If so, tell us who and how.

If this message blesses you, please share… and please comment.

God Bless…

Arguably one of the most well know stories in the Bible. Even people that have not chosen to believe in God, remember this story and talk about it. I’m talking about the story of

David and Goliath.

Goliath

We all have a Goliath in our lives. That seemingly unsurmountable obstacle in your life. Not the obstacles to your desires apart from God. I’m talking about the obstacles along the path of your walk with God. That could be your un-forgiveness of an overbearing mother, an absent father, or a cheating spouse. Your Goliath could be passivity. That uncontrollable urge to say or do nothing when you know something should be said or done. Your Goliath could be your own refusal to live out a life of joy. Or… it could be the fear of repeating an experience that causes you to refuse that promised life.

Who or what is the Goliath in our lives?

So, what is it? Or who is it? What is the Goliath in your life? What is standing in the way of God’s work in your life? Take some time today to ask God. Take a walk, sit in a quiet place, or take a walk and sit in a quiet place. Then ask God, “Lord what is standing your work’s way in my life?”

What can we learn from David on how to deal with the Goliath’s in our lives.

Let’s take a look at what happens in the situation. We all know the story and read it today so I won’t recount it word for word. Essentially, David a boy after God’s own heart sees a nation ordained by God cowering in the face of the enemy. Actually in the face of one REALLY BIG enemy.

David took God for His word when God said they will be delivered into your hands. David TRUSTED God. In the face of a seemingly impossible situation David relied on truths he had learned from his past about God.

The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37 NIV)

David had been tested before and delivered. In short, he had a learned confidence in trusting in God to draw from. Now that takes practice. That takes setting your heart on God’s mission for your life and trusting what He says on little things and building to bigger things. It’s tough, but not impossible.

What else did He do in this situation? He told the world where he stood… and David stood there. He was willing to die if God saw fit not to deliver him, but had full confidence that what David was doing was what God wanted done and he did it. Because of that truth about God and God’s nature David was able to say, basically, “Who does this guy think he is standing against God’s intent?”

When you face the Goliath’s in your life remember that God does not wish bad things for you, but good! He wants to prosper you and those Goliaths are standing in God’s way.

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 NIV)

You, as an instrument of God and not your own will, have the authority by the Grace of Christ to stand against anything in God’s way of your walk with Him. I even suggest you say it out loud. Name the Goliaths in your life and tell them where you stand… then stand there. God will do the rest. He is ready to deliver you from the paw of the lion and the bear too.

If this message blesses you, don’t let anything get in your way… share it!

God Bless…

Today we meet King David. David is another one of my heroes. I mean kinda hard for him not to make the list. “A man after God’s own heart”, ya know? He’s new on the scene and that will soon cause Saul a little jealousy. That jealousy will get very ugly and you will be able to see the true contrast in a man willing to do anything to “appear” to have God’s own heart and a man that simply

HAS God’s own heart.

Be. Do. Have. That is the way we should live our lives. Unfortunately we tend to get that backwards. We tend to think, “If I have that I will be able to do this and I will be happy”. Does that way of thinking sound familiar? It’s human nature. We want “things” to save us. We want to be happy so we try to fill the hole in our hearts with things and doing stuff (my sixth grade teacher hated when we wrote and used the word “stuff”, but hey… it fits ok, Mrs. Brown.) with those things to be happy.

THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. Getting straight with God is step number one. When God fills your heart it will run over. When you learn to live from within; from that place that God has filled up as Paul says here:

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. (Philippians 4:11 NIV)

…then you will be able to understand. You must first “BE” before you can “DO” or “HAVE”. If you want to be a leader… you do not need the authority… you just need to lead. If you want to be good at something, you do not need a new something. You have been given the authority by grace to “BE” anything. You must accept it. Once you accept it, you MUST live from it.

Do not put your focus in this life on the “DO” or “HAVE”. They are only by-products of the blessing. God is pursuing YOU to fill your heart until it runs over. David learned that in the gritty, rugged wilderness as a ruddy shepherd. He “knew who buttered his bread”. That allowed David to BE a man after God’s own heart. That will contrast with Saul as a man who pursues the “do” and “have” portions of this life.

If this message blesses you, let it “BE” free and release it.

God Bless…

Sometimes it is difficult to believe some of the things found in the Bible are actually found in the Bible. I mean we all have this sweet and reverent idea about what’s in the Bible, right? Everything is supposed to be unimaginably fair and equitable. Everything the people in the Bible say to God is supposed to be, well… nice… right? Then what about Psalm 109 in our reading today?

I used to believe that
everything was supposed to be… nice. Everything was supposed to be sweet with the sound of angles playing harps. Then I actually READ the Bible. Then my eyes were opened to the world we are living in. Then God revealed to me that the Bible is full of stories of real people dealing with real life AND interacting with God. That’s the point. The Bible is not full of exceptional people. The Bible is full of REAL people dealing with REAL situations with a REAL God. THE REAL GOD.

We were not born into a world at peace, but a world at war. We were built by God in the image of God and The Lord is a Warrior, The Lord is His Name. (Genesis 1:27, Exodus 15:13)

So when you read a Psalm like Psalm 109 remember that it was written by a REAL person dealing with REAL human emotions. Human emotions created by God and also FELT by God. The point is that God understands you and what YOU are going through. So whatever is troubling you, take it to God in a quiet place. Tell Him your burdens… ALL OF THEM… then listen for Him. He will guide your heart.

If this message blesses you, pass it on.

God Bless…

Hello Friends!
Today we celebrate our Mom’s! I’m lucky enough to still have my mom here with me and this year she’s actually living in the same place that I am. That’s unique to a lot of you that may not have your mom’s alive or living in close proximity to where you’re at today. As the years go by I realize that I am luckier and luckier to have my mom in my life and that she’s still one of my strongest supporters. Actually she remains to be my strongest support, hands down.

I’ve lived a great life so far, maybe even better than I imagined at this point. I was blessed with a great family, I’ve maintained some quality friendships over the years, I’ve met some incredible people along the way, I have two wonderful children, I have a solid career, I come home every day, I sleep well at night, etc. I could go on and on, but I think you get where I’m going with this. I’m probably a lot like you….. We have a pretty good life and we have made the best out of what we have. Where did you learn all this from? For me, I learned almost all of it from my mom. She’s been more to me than I could have ever asked her to be and she’s done it all without asking for anything in return. It took me a while to realize this, if I’m being honest, and I am, it was well into my adult years when I realized what a great person my mother is. I was not always the best son to her and I was probably never easy to get along with, especially as a teenager. There have been countless times that I’ve started a sentence with my mom like this….. “Well, you’ll love this!” What usually follows is how one of my children has challenged me as a parent. Just like she told me they would.

My mom has worn so many hats in my life. She’s still the first person I call when I have a success to share, a tragedy to mourn over, a funny story to laugh about, the good, the bad, the ugly, and probably ever moment in between. She’s one of the strongest people I know; she’ll go as hard as she can for as long as she can. She rarely will use the word no, but is she does there’s a solid reason why. She will do ten times for others before she’d do one time for herself. She’s a good friend, she still disciplines with a swift hand, her heart is bigger than mine, and there is nothing that will stop her in most cases. She’s hard headed, over organized, and she takes care of people that probably don’t deserve it. Reading all of that back now…… I hope I’m at least 1/3 of those things to my children. She’s all of these things,all the time, and she is my hero!

She’s reading this right now, probably forwarding this to those she likes to brag to. For those that read this that know her consider your self fortunate. For those of you that don’t know her, I hope that in this moment you feel like you do.

A PRAYER FOR MY MOM

GOD,
On this day, just as any other, I thank you for the many blessings in my life and I thank you for loving me unconditionally. Today, I pray a prayer of thanks, as on this Mother’s Day you’ve blessed me with a mother that means so much to me and to my life. She’s the Christian that led me to you and her faith in you always showed me that my life would not be complete until I surrendered my life to you. Thank you for everything she is to me and for all that you are to her. She’s an amazing woman and I’m truly blessed that you love us both so much. On this day I hope that every mother in your presence feels as loved by their children as I feel loved by my mother. We are living in a world that is so fast paced and today please slow us all down so that we can be blessed in the presence of all of these strong and giving women. I’ll continue on my journey, knowing that your love and support, are the light that shines the brightest on the path in front of me.

AMEN!

May 12, 2013 Bible Reading

1 Samuel 112:1-13:23
John 7:1-29
Psalms 108:1-13
Proverbs 15:4

Listen to the Bible On Your Phone – Daily Audio Bible Podcast

As you can probably tell by my sporadic posting times this week I have been swamped. There is a lot going on in my world. Between raising kids, being a good husband, work, settling into a new home, and everything else that has come my way. In short, a lot going on. I have to say that if it weren’t for the community of believers around me, I would have

had a very difficult time getting through a week like this one. Tough, ya know.

I am, however, grateful. Grateful for everyone that reads this blog, that listens to the Daily Audio Bible along with me, that supports me in my efforts to glorify God with writing about my journey through His Word. If you are reading this… I am grateful for you.

Now, about the Word today. My whining kind of ties in. You see, Saul was anointed King of Israel, but became afraid of the challenge. Even though God ordains Saul, we find Saul in this story hiding in the baggage. Ever felt like hiding in the baggage when everyone is expecting you to step up? I cannot tell you how relevant that is to my life at times. Everyone may think things are so cool, collected, and even calm. The actual experience is probably more like running through plate-glass windows with your hair on fire. Ok. So, you get it.

The deal is that we were made to step up. God did not make us to hide in the baggage like Saul did. God made us to shine. I believe that not because I think all things should be hunky-dory. I believe it because of John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)

Yes. We were built to rise to the occasion, step up to the plate, find “it” deep within and prevail. God did not have to give His only begotten Son, but He did. So the next time you find yourself hiding in the baggage like Saul did remember something. Remember that God WANTS you to rise up. God WANTS you to prevail. Need more proof? Check this out:

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV)

If this message blesses you, share it.

God Bless…

It fascinates me sometimes how easy it is to get down on the children of Israel. I mean we see them “demand” God to give them a King. Like little kids, they demand their Heavenly Father to provide what they want. They cannot believe that God won’t give them this king that they “deserve”.
Then it hits you… The children of Israel play out all of our stories. All of us.

Ever wondered why God won’t give you what you want? When you want? How you want? It might be for your own good, but you don’t seem to care. That’s how I act, if I’m being honest (and I am). I act just like the children of Israel.

Prayer:
Lord, please forgive us for not waiting for you. Forgive us for not allowing your will to live in our hearts. Lord help our childish ways to become more like your ways.

If this message blesses you, pass it on.

God Bless…

I’m leaving Minneapolis today and I cannot wait to get home to see my family. A good trip and successful for sure, but I still cannot wait to see those familiar faces. Enough about me for now. Let’s get into the Word a little.

Several themes pop up today as I listened to the Bible. The main theme was idolatry. Those “things” that we turn to in order to fill our hearts. Those things we put our faith in that give us a little “relief” for a while. Those things that give us a glimpse and only a glimpse of what completeness can be. Those things that are impostors of God.

Brian from the DAB talked about it today as well, but how in the world can we put our faith into something man-made to save us? Yet we all do it. We can set down those hollow gods for a Holy God, but we must first recognize and identify these hollow gods.

God is the only one that can heal us, but we constantly search for our own solutions. We have to search ourselves for the wounds of our lives and ask Jesus to step in and heal them. I speak from experience. Jesus WILL step in and begin to heal your heart from the wounds you’ve suffered in life. Those wounds are often from those closest to us and they are more than difficult to overcome without prayer. Without prayer, they are impossible.

God did not make you to be incomplete. He made you to be His friend. His complete friend. He wants you to be completed by His friendship and He will heal you in order to do that. He will not tolerate your devotion to anything… ANYTHING that you put before Him. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW IF SOMETHING IS AN IDOL IN YOUR LIFE… set it down and walk away from it. Sounds too simple doesn’t it? If you find that you are asking that question of “Is ____ and idol for me?” and searching for an answer then try it.

I suggest to begin where God leads you. That might be setting something small down like a cup of coffee each morning (that’s scary, huh?). Or it might be something that is so woven into your being that you don’t feel you can separate yourself from doing it or having it. It could be a car, exercise, a person, a position (boss, father, mother, sister, friend of ____), or it could be an experience.

Anything that you fall into and look for comfort in that is NOT GOD… is an idol. Following it will destroy you and you will probably blame God and those around you for your demise.Ask God to reveal to you where to begin and then… wait… listen. He WILL show you where to begin and start your return to God.

If this message blesses you, Share it. When you share this message it has greater chance of changing people for God and YOU can be the reason it gets where it is going. So don’t be shy! Share.

God Bless…