Blinded

Last Sunday, while visiting a church where Come Rest Ministries was ministering, I sat at the book table in the foyer.  The light was shining into where I sat, filling it with light.


As I sat there, I looked into the sanctuary area where the service had begun.  The darkness of the room was such that it was hard to imagine how people could see where they were going, or what was happening around them.

When it was time for the sermon to begin, I opened the glass door of the sanctuary and went in to find a seat.  I wanted to clearly hear what the Lord had for the people to hear.  As I looked around, I found I could see all within the room just fine.  I sat down and thought about how dark it had appeared before I had entered.  Now the room seemed very normal.  I could see everything just fine.  Looking out the door, towards the outside, the world seemed a washed with light.

I then realized that those in the world were use to the spiritual darkness which they constantly lived in.  To them, the darkness wasn’t dark at all.  To look out of this darkness and into the spiritual light could actually be  painful and blinding.  The light did not aid in their sight but actually hindered it.  If something lived in the spiritual light, they could not discern what it truly looked like.  To them, it appeared like a featureless and plain.  Details would be lost to them because of the light.

I pray that I live in the light, and the darkness hides the details of sin from me.  I don’t need to see what is happening within the darkness of the world.  I want to see Jesus.  I want to see His righteousness.  I want to reach those who live in darkness and help them to come into the light and see what the world of spiritual light is really like.

Photo Credit: Blinded by the Light by C. J. Sorg

Technorati Tags: blindness, darkness, light, spiritual, Revival, truth

What do You Expect of Me?

Today, I was sitting on our couch praying.  I was bringing to the Lord things which concerned me such as family, ministries and my own life before him.  As I prayed I heard that still small voice speak to me.  “What do you expect of me?”

That question stopped me cold.  What did I expect of God?  What did I expect God to do as He listened to me ask for protection of my Peace Corp Volunteer daughter in The Gambia?  Did He decide to send a warrior angel to stand guard at her door because I asked Him to protect her?  Perhaps He planned to martyr her until I prayed.  Maybe He listened but decided to deny my request.

I prayed for strength and wisdom for myself to follow Him.  I want to serve him and not to sin.  Does that mean He will not allow temptations to come upon me? Does it mean God will send even greater temptations upon me, so I can grow stronger?

I prayed for Dick and Kim Speight of Come Rest Ministries that God’s presence would come upon them and bathe them in power.  That God provide for them financially, and that He blesses them as they work for Him.  When I think of how to bless them, does God see better ways to bless them?  Ways which may seem like trials to us?

What do I expect of God?  I sat there pondering how to answer Him.  Finally, I closed my eyes and confessed to Him what I truly wanted of Him.  I nodded as I said to Him.  “I expect you to be God.  You will listen to my request, and perhaps they will move your heart to fulfill my request, but I expect you to accomplish your will in all things.  Your Love will lead you into all righteousness, and I will worship you.  Oh my God, be God.”

Technorati Tags: prayer, God, answers,

A Man of Great Faith

Hebrews 11 is called The Faith Chapter.  It listed people in the Bible, who displayed great faith in their lives.  I agree with that list but are there others as well?  I can think of people whose name should be right there with these giants of faith.

Luke 23: 39-43 tells about the thief who hung on the cross with Jesus and said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”Now don’t just read on past this statement.  Think about how much faith this took.  Here is a man who has been placed on a cross to die.  He knows that he will not see another sunrise.  This dead man turns to Jesus, who is another person that will be dead before the day is out. This is one condemned man talking to another condemned man about a future beyond that day.

Not only is he talking to Jesus about a future, but he is talking about Jesus as if he is a king.  The thief just watched Jesus’s earthly possessions being divided up between the Roman guards and his robe gambled off to one of them.  Jesus is hanging naked because he owns nothing now except the crown of thorns on his head.  His followers are all scattered.  He is the butt of everyone’s joke.  The thief on the other side of Jesus sneers.  “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”

The thief looks past the bloody, naked body of Jesus to his fellow thief.  He has heard about Jesus.  He knows what his teaching is and how blameless he is.  Anger stirs within him and a sense of injustice pours forth.  “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.”  Looking to the beaten face of Jesus, he says,  “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

Even the men who had followed Jesus for the last three years did not have the faith of this man.  He knew that not only was there a future for Jesus, but that his future was as a King.  He reached out to Jesus, his king, and asked to be remembered.  Jesus honored this man’s faith.

Lord, give me such faith as to believe you for the impossible.   You are the God of the impossible.

Photo Credit: Via Crucis 2010-5 by jj.figueroa


Technorati Tags: Crucifixion, faith, revival, sin, thief, Jesus,

Bible Quiz

I hope you enjoy this quiz.  When you think you know the answer, just click on the word “ANSWER”

1. What must we do in order to have Christ live in us; and the life which we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God?  ANSWER 1

2. What should we present to God as our reasonable service?  ANSWER 2

3. What do you need to take up daily in order to go after Christ? ANSWER 3

4. Do not yield your members as instruments of what, but as instruments of what? ANSWER 4

5. If we belong to Christ, what have we done with the flesh? Answer 5

I hope you enjoyed the quiz and I pray that the answers to the quiz are answers to an abundant life which our God desires for you.


Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope”

Technorati Tags: bible, quiz, christian, sacrifice, crucifixion, christ, revival

Ultimate Sacrifice

I was in the US Navy from 1970 until 1974 and served in Viet Nam.  Three of my shipmates died from action with the enemy.  Click on this sentence to read my past blog on them.

I have found that my life in the military helped prepare me for my life as a Christian.  Obedience to orders, respect to leaders, preparation, fellowship and working with others, and self sacrifice.

This is Memorial Day Weekend when we remember those who have died in the service to our country.  I praise God for them and for their sacrificing all for us.  Their sacrifice has bought us freedom in this country.

I pray that we as Christians will also sacrifice our lives for Christ. 
Romans 12: 1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Technorati Tags: Sacrifice, military, Memorial, Christian, Prayer

Compassion and Prayer

Compassion means to suffer with, to live with those who suffer. When Jesus saw the woman of Nain he realized, This is a widow who has lost her only son, and he was moved by compassion. He felt the pain of that woman in his guts. He felt her pain so deeply in his spirit that out of compassion he called the son to life so he could give that son back to his mother.
Henri J. M. Nouwen

I have a problem. I always thought that I am who I am, and this is just the way I naturally am. I have continually assumed this about myself, but now I doubt its validity. I have a lack of passion. I do not excite easily, and I do not become sorrowful easily either. I am a person whose emotions are generally very even keeled.

That sounds like something which is not a matter of concern and could even be desirous, but now I understand that it is not how I was created. I was created to be a person of passion. When events happen in my life, for good or evil, I take it in stride.  I am not saying I am emotionless. I am saying I do not feel the deep passions which others feel. I do not have the compassion for people which I should  have.  I don’t become sorrowful at the death of someone. I don’t become thrilled when someone is healed. I merely think that God has moved.  His will was done. Blessed be the name of the lord.  Prayer, without compassion, is weak and powerless.

Compassion, without the power of prayer, reaps sorrow. The Holy Spirit taught me that today in my quiet time. I was dumbstruck. I had never understood until then about compassion and prayer. They are intimately intertwined together. You cannot have one without the other and live an effective Christian life.

To have a deep compassion and no power in prayer, will only send you into the deep pit of depression. You see the needs in the world, but you have no way to meet those needs. You see sickness and pain, but you can only stand by and watch the people die and suffer. God does not want you to have a compassion for people and not be able to do something about it. Jesus had compassion. When the scriptures speak of his compassion, he reached out to help people. He cured the blind. He cast out the demons. He fed the 5000. He raised the dead. All because he had compassion for people and then reached out with the power from God to meet the need.

I am praying to know the compassion of Christ. He will answer my prayer because He wants me to know His heart. He wants me to cry with Him and rejoice with Him. He wants me to know the heart pain He holds for people. I want to know His pain and I hunger for His passion.

When I have the compassion of Christ, my prayers will then have the power of Christ as well.  I will not be uttering empty words as I pray, but words of love and compassion.  My heart will hunger for healing and not be satisfied with saying “Well, I guess it is just God’s will for you to stay this way.”  Prayer without compassion is weak and anemic.

I refuse to stay weak and anemic.  I refuse to settle for anything less than the heart of Christ.  I will not stand by and let people suffer without me suffering with them.  I will know the tears of God.  I will know his compassion.  Once I know His compassion, I will also know His power to meet those needs.  I will pray and the needs of the people will be met by His power.   The blind will see. The lame will walk. The dying shall live. People will see and know God

Photo Credit: Sorrow by bluestar_tam


Technorati Tags: Revival,, healing,, compassion,, passion,, evangelism, suffering, prayer, power

Is Salvation a One Time Event?

Tell me not of your justification, unless you have also marks of sanctification. Boast not of Christ's work for you, unless you can show us the Spirit's work in you. - J.C. Ryle

Salvation is a one time event, but also is not.  When we hear the word salvation we think about the day we accepted Jesus as our savior.  For me that day was when I was in Navy boot camp. I can point to a specific time in my life when Jesus became my savior.  On that day, I became justified before God.  My sins were wiped clean because Jesus took them all upon himself. Romans 5:9

Today, I am working on my salvation.  I love my God and I try my best to do His will in my life.  I try to accomplish what the scriptures say in order to be more Christ-like.  Slowly, God has stripped away sin from my life and is doing a good work within me to bring me closer to the person He desires.  Slowly, but surely He is sanctifying me. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Justification is a one time event in your life, when you accept the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus.  Sanctification is the continual work of God within you to bring your life into a more righteous way of living.  Both  are forms of salvation.

If you have Jesus as your savior, you have been justified, but that does not mean you have been sanctified.  If you die to self and make Jesus the true lord of your life, then you are being sanctified.  This is when real growth in your spiritual life begins.

There is a third salvation called glorification.  This is yet to come for us.  When we die or rapture occurs, we will be in the presence of God.  We will be given a new body which shall never die.  We will receive many heavenly blessings at this time, including a new knowledge of God.  You will have a glorified body, soul and mind.  Justification gave you eternal life in Heaven but  without sanctification you might get to heaven but with nothing to show for your life. Philippians 3: 20,21

We need to give our  lives to Jesus, not just for justification but for sanctification.  We need to give Him all of ourselves to Him.  Do not do it for any rewards but simply out of love.  He died for you out of love, now you need to die to self out of love for Him.

Technorati Tags: revival, salvation, justification, sanctification, glorification, church, repentance, e