How big is my God? The past few days have seen blow after blow seem to be thrown at me unexpectedly. It is interesting how that tends to be a test of focus. I was thinking today of how we as believers are constantly under attack by Satan through the art of distraction. He knows that he cannot take away our salvation, but one thing he will not stop at is in distracting us from our focus on our Lord. I was sitting in class as one of my professors was talking about the glory of God. I was awestruck particularly by how purposeful God's plan is for mankind throughout all history and how He has been faithful to His Word. I think of how God has visibly manifested His glory as He dwelt among man throughout history and also removed Himself from then in, terms of His visible manifestation of glory, as man sinned. And yet, to think that God's plan is not dependent or moved out of place by man's sin and inadequacy, is just mind blowing. It blew my mind as I thought of how the shepherds must have felt when they saw that manifestation of glory as Christ's birth was announced as God Himself incarnate among man. What a vision that must have been, what a vision it will be in Heaven.How big is my God? I sat staring at this question for a while and could not even begin to put in in words. Everything else, what we stress about, what we are concerned about, our doubts, fears...they all melt into a melting pot of insignificance held together by a God who is able. I think that's the problem a great many times and how we fall into the temptation of destruction. We focus so much on our circumstances and lose sight of the glory of God. That is how Satan tempts. The real test is a test of focus. It is a test of who to trust. How big is my God?
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Live Again Prayer Requests
This Saturday was the first day of the ministry now starting with me heading it. Before I had been doing it under Tony but now have a time slot of my own. It was humbling and scary at the same time but I took comfort in the fact that these men need the gospel and the Lord was with me. It was really need to see some of the men there who I believe are already believers. The focus was on breaking the ice with them and allowing them to know me and well as I getting to know them a little. Please join me in praying for these prayer requests.
Carlos - Please pray for his mother and children (4 Children) during this time he is in rehab
Chris - Requests prayer for guidance and strength. He has 4 children that are unsaved
Ricardo - Prayer for his mother who is having nerve attacks
David - For wisdom in the decisions that he will have to be making while in rehab
Mike - For his relationship with his ex-wife and 2 daughters
Eddie - Just signed the papers for a divorce with his wife. Please pray for both of them and that he may be allowed to see his children.
Carlos - Please pray for his mother and children (4 Children) during this time he is in rehab
Chris - Requests prayer for guidance and strength. He has 4 children that are unsaved
Ricardo - Prayer for his mother who is having nerve attacks
David - For wisdom in the decisions that he will have to be making while in rehab
Mike - For his relationship with his ex-wife and 2 daughters
Eddie - Just signed the papers for a divorce with his wife. Please pray for both of them and that he may be allowed to see his children.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Reflection
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts
And see if there's any hurtful way in me
And lead me in the everlasting way (Psalm 139:23-24)
There is an appointed time for everything
And there is a time for everything under Heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Try me and know my anxious thoughts
And see if there's any hurtful way in me
And lead me in the everlasting way (Psalm 139:23-24)
There is an appointed time for everything
And there is a time for everything under Heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
In perplexity...But God
Words tend to be used in a very fluid, articulate way in life a great many times. Whether there is substance to them is a different matter. It is so easy to say the things that we say. The question really is that when we are in that particular situation that tests our convictions, are our words going to remain just words or prove to be substantive conviction leading to action? We say we believe a lot of things, and we hold to them. Is that just a matter of convenience or do we still hold to them when it seems inconvenient? Sometimes what we deem as the right thing to do will be the hardest thing to do.
The story is told of one man who lived a life riddled with perplexity and struggled so much with the question, who am I? He stood for nothing really and was like a leaf at the mercy of the wind in the choices that he took. He built so much anger inside him as this is what made sense in his mind. The world was made up of randomness, there was no real sense to it. There was no fairness, or justice...there was no purpose and trying to figure it out was pointless. All the while he had no idea that there was a specific purpose and plan for that young man. Someone, before he was born, had thought of Him and planned his whole life. There was going to be purpose in everything that happened to him. He was going to have great times, and sad times. He was going to rejoice, and suffer according to the will of this One.
I know this young man intimately, perhaps not as much as I would want to. God know him much more.
And I was dead in my trespasses and my sins, in which I formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among the, I too formerly lived in the lusts of my flesh, indulging in the desires of the flesh and the mind, and I was by nature a child of wrath, even as the rest. But God...
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
There is a lot of grace for the child of God who has been saved by the work that Christ did on the cross. When I think of who I was and what I have been saved from, how can I doubt that there is grace freely given in my walk with Him. God has already done the hardest part of saving me, a sinner.
For while I was still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly (me). For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God...
Against all contrary thinking and notions, God transcends the impossible, the hard times in life. We can rest as believers knowing that He holds all things together for His glory.
We know this from Scripture, that God is in control of all things and it's not as if He is surprised by the events that happen in our lives. All things were planned before the beginning of all beginnings (in essence there is no beginning) and we are called to trust in Him. We say this in words. The question is...when the rubber meets the road and we are in situations that test that, do we live out what we believe? Inspite of what we think, what people say...where is the 'But God...' in our lives?
The story is told of one man who lived a life riddled with perplexity and struggled so much with the question, who am I? He stood for nothing really and was like a leaf at the mercy of the wind in the choices that he took. He built so much anger inside him as this is what made sense in his mind. The world was made up of randomness, there was no real sense to it. There was no fairness, or justice...there was no purpose and trying to figure it out was pointless. All the while he had no idea that there was a specific purpose and plan for that young man. Someone, before he was born, had thought of Him and planned his whole life. There was going to be purpose in everything that happened to him. He was going to have great times, and sad times. He was going to rejoice, and suffer according to the will of this One.
I know this young man intimately, perhaps not as much as I would want to. God know him much more.
And I was dead in my trespasses and my sins, in which I formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among the, I too formerly lived in the lusts of my flesh, indulging in the desires of the flesh and the mind, and I was by nature a child of wrath, even as the rest. But God...
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
There is a lot of grace for the child of God who has been saved by the work that Christ did on the cross. When I think of who I was and what I have been saved from, how can I doubt that there is grace freely given in my walk with Him. God has already done the hardest part of saving me, a sinner.
For while I was still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly (me). For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God...
Against all contrary thinking and notions, God transcends the impossible, the hard times in life. We can rest as believers knowing that He holds all things together for His glory.
We know this from Scripture, that God is in control of all things and it's not as if He is surprised by the events that happen in our lives. All things were planned before the beginning of all beginnings (in essence there is no beginning) and we are called to trust in Him. We say this in words. The question is...when the rubber meets the road and we are in situations that test that, do we live out what we believe? Inspite of what we think, what people say...where is the 'But God...' in our lives?
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