Time Lapse

I've been experiencing challenging times as of late. God's been correcting some areas in my life
and I've been doing things to improve my marriage and walk with God. None of these are easy. You have to face things you have been doing wrong for years. Something you didn't know was wrong. Something maybe you knew was wrong but accepted. Something ignored because it was easier to do nothing than deal with it.
It's time to become excellent, to rise above mediocrity and be all God has created you for. So you set out to do this and through prayer and faith things are working out fairly easy. However, the course of time brings ups and downs. There is a time and a season for everything. The season I seem to have the hardest time with is when there is a time lapse. What I mean by this is things are going great and everything is working out like you feel it should, but then you don't hear from God that morning. You send someone an email that could potentially be taken offensively because it is corrective or calling them to live a little higher in their calling. You feel strongly that it was from God but you are imperfect and mistakes have happened before. You check your email with no response 5x more than normal anticipating their response hoping that God was behind your words. Could I have lost a friend by trusting in God? There is a time lapse where you have to chose between the thoughts rising in your head and the trust you have from hearing His voice.
It tends to work this way in many choices you make. You believe the direction you go in is from God but then you don't get a confirmation. You may even get the opposite reaction. People may think you're crazy or a radical or just plain wrong. They may question your very relationship with God. Time lapse...what's next? back away and hide from the faith you were courageous enough to walk in or have patience until God comes through bigger than you ever imagined?
You can follow those thoughts of unbelief down the road to depression, confusion, and hopelessness. You can let it spiral downward getting worse and worse letting it capture you until you believe there is no escape. You don't trust anybody and everything is somebody else's fault. The other choice is to fight those thoughts and feed your mind and heart on the Word of God, prayer, other Christians, and walking out that faith until what is promised in the Bible comes to fruition.
Time lapses are a faith builder and what God uses to make you stronger. It's easier to give up and not move forward, not take chances, not get hurt, and not be wrong, but you will never be the person God created you to be. That is a pain harder to live with than any other. To ignore who you are is the greatest tragedy of all. Jesus would have made the ultimate sacrifice for nothing.
Trust Him at all times especially when it feels like He left you.

Joshua 1:5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Dueteronomy 31:6,8 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Hebrews 13:5,6 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?"

Revival

When I think of revival I think about Azuza Street, Brownsville, and The Toronto Airport. I also think about Smith Wigglesworth, Oral Roberts, and Charles Finney. I think of miracles, people shaking, falling down, healings, and services that last all night and all week long. I think of how revival happens through prayer, fasting, and repentance. Then I wonder what it will take for "revival" to happen in my church or a nearby church. How much prayer is needed? Do we need more repentance? Is unity not deep enough to invite the Holy Spirit to move in a mighty way? What's wrong with my church, community, or me that is stopping a move of God to sweep into the pews of a church within driving distance? Is our country to far gone to revive? Why not???

Well maybe many of you think about revival the same way, but I want to present to you a new way to look at it. I recently wrote an email to a friend telling of a group of men in our church gathering together to become 'Maximized Men'-a book by Ed Cole. A new group has begun following this group that is an intimate setting for us to share our faults, victories, and concerns. It is a help to keep us accountable and growing. These are men willing to go the extra mile to fix their marriage, relationship with God, and issues that are keeping us from all God has for us. Here is that email:

"The men's group was awesome as usual. Tonight we had a new group starting for just 4 of us. One guy wasn't there. Three of us met up and discussed our growing in God and our marriages. It was so intimate and refreshing. I think God is giving revival to His own. We confessed our state and what is going on in us and what we are doing to fix or build upon it. All 4 of us last week met to start this and ALL of us connected in ways unique compared to anything I've ever seen or heard about. This week was no different. Come to find out MY email had something to do with it. By confessing my weakness the guys could relate with it and it's brought up things in our lives that God is dealing with and revealing to us. The amazing thing is God is working all this out in our lives at the same time. He is drawing us out of our lazy self-centered lives to become the priests of our homes and then outwardly to the community. I really find it amazing how much I have in common with other guys. In this group guys are admitting they are sensitive and emotional. We also are striving to build each other up and live differently to become what God created us for. This is revival. We want to change more than avoid the pain like we have all along. It ain't all about us!! I am so excited. I can really see something building in us and in the way God wants to do His plan for His church."

I am seeing from this email how God is giving revival to us individually and bringing us together to confirm what is happening. I am so encouraged by this. I see hope and victory ahead of us. I can see this group being a catalyst to attract change in all of us at my church.

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
On our own we are no match for our enemy. He will defeat us 7 different ways. However, through sharing our needs and prayer, victory is ours for the taking. Speaking for myself, I have increased stamina to continue doing what's right instead of just giving up. I have less pain doing things that normally would drive me nuts. I am also noticing a recognition for my efforts and an increased pleasurable attitude instead of a 'whatever' attitude.
God is showing me revival begins with us. We need to be revived to live right at home, on the job, in the community, and in the church. The 'what's the least I can do and still be happy' attitude is over. To live a Godly life blessed from being obedient and unselfish takes courage and a team effort. Pride comes before a fall. How great that fall will be if we don't stop and see the brick wall we are driving into. Until we humble ourselves and let go of our plans and ideas, we will not have freedom, peace and contentment. We will always want more and never have enough. Revival acknowledges God for who He is and as we trust Him we have victory through the trials. Trusting Him, when everything is falling apart and we have no answers, is revival. Putting God first is revival. Putting others before us is revival. I can't wait to see what God has in store next for us. Wait and see...

Political Awareness

Just thought I'd put it out there that I started a political blog. Like I got time to do that! I feel passionately about some things in the political arena and I would like to help make others aware of what is happening or what you can do to change the way things are or could happen. We as a free country cannot sit back at let be whatever will be. If something is against God and His word, we should stop it. To know what is right and not do it is sin.
I choose to start this blog instead of posting here because I thought my ranting was taking away from the 'Sharpening' I'm trying to do here. If I feel something is important enough or there is an easy way for you to participate in a process to fight for or against something of significance, I will bring it up and point you to a solution or my other blog. I don't get into political discussions and don't even care about most governmental things, but if it is something that God forbids or calls us to do I will at least try to communicate or participate to make the right choice and fight if necessary. It will be opinionated and informational. God politics per say.

Awareness

Here's a buzz word for this age we live in today. People are trying to make things more aware to people. Cancer awareness, spiritual awareness, self awareness, brand awareness, and we have awareness ribbons, awareness quotes and we even have awareness months. How has awareness effected me, you may not be asking right now? I'll tell you anyway, awareness is a state of knowing something that has been there all along but never noticed. This year has and continues to be a year of change. In order for change to occur I needed to become aware that I needed changed. The things that hindered me were the very things I held on to because I thought they made me feel better. I needed to become aware of the true situation and change and/or remove some things that made life more difficult. To ignore something does not make it go away.
What awareness has God revealed to you? My top three are:

1. Pride (still finding new stuff all the time)
2. Selfishness (kind of parallel with number one)
3. My true state in relationships (which probably covers 3-10)

I think if we become aware through people, we become offended and don't learn anything. When God does it we might not listen because we're too busy, don't think it was God, or we just don't accept it. When God speaks into our heart, we should listen because it is truth and could change us for the better. The message Sunday in church was removal. What thing do we need to remove? This goes hand-in-hand with awareness. If no action is taken, then nothing is gained. Here are some verses that show consequences for not changing:

• Galatians 6:4-5 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.
• Titus 1:16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
• James 2:17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
• I John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

So I challenge you today. Ask the Holy Spirit to make aware the things that are holding you back from all God has for you. Then take action to fix those things. Don't turn from the truth and become 'unfit for doing anything good.'