It's All About His Purpose – Romans 8:28

28  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
– Romans 8:28  

It's All About His Purpose

This scripture gets thrown around quite a bit but I think it's only the first part of the scripture that people tend to pay attention to.  It is comforting to know that God works ALL things for our good, because when we hear this scripture from someone, or it comes to our mind, it's usually because something not so good is happening.  It helps ease the circumstance a bit so that we can feel good that there is a light at the end of whatever darkness we are facing.

But there are two qualifiers at the end of the scripture:
   1.) those who love Him.
   2.) those who have been called according to His purpose.

Both of those are a result of the Holy Spirit actively living in us, and the 2nd can only be realized as a result of accepting the purpose for which He has called us to.  It is a choice we make to put off the sinful nature and the desires of our flesh and accept the life our Father has designed for us and called us to – a life of grace, and of love, and of peace.  It's a choice to get off the fence and stop living a double-minded life.  We have to choose to Love God, and to believe and have faith in His Word, and stop giving in to what we are feeling for the moment.

When we are being stressed out; when we are hurting; when we are lonely; when we are victimized; when we are sick; when someone has wronged us, etc.  God will only work any and all of those things for good IF you love Him, are devoted to Him and living your life according to His purpose for you (no matter what you think your life should be), AND if you are walking in the love of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Don't take for granted the purpose God has called you to.  If you allow Him to, He will take the trials in your life and use them to further His kingdom.  That doesn't mean it will make things easier for you physically, but spiritually you will grow in love, and peace, and forgiveness, and those whose lives you touch will be blessed, and God will be magnified because of it.

Prayer

Father, thank You for reminding me that it's all about Your purpose.  I have so many ideas and so many wants according to my own purpose that I forget that it's really all about You!  I am here because You called me forth. Please forgive me for my arrogance.  Allow me to walk in the grace and the love and the peace that Your purpose brings. Help me to reach someone today that You would be magnified through the purpose of my life.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

What is Your Reason? – 2 Samuel 7: 22

22 "For this reason You are great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 
– 2 Samuel 7: 22

What is Your Reason?
From where I started to where I am today is miles and miles apart.  I have the saving grace of Jesus to thank for that, and yet I know that sometimes I don't show Him enough gratitude for delivering me from my old life – with all the rusty chains that held me down, and the one-way ticket to hell.  I was a mess, and I know that a lot of you have the same kind of story.  Kind of a "rags to riches" tale that speaks of God's Grace and unending Forgiveness.

After I was saved, I used to envy those people who grew up in Christian homes, and I would wish that I could go back and live my tumultuous childhood all over again, but this time with a "Godly" family.  I thought it would have been an easier life.  But as I grew in the knowledge of God's Grace, I soon realized that all of that baggage; all of the hurt; the innocence that was taken from me, and all of the years that were lost due to drugs and partying, only proved the greatness of His Love for me.  He, in all of His glory and wisdom, spoke my name one day, and I found myself giving my life to Him – the greatest day of my life.

I still think it is a very special thing to be able to grow up in a good Christian home, and I'm glad for my son that I was able to offer that to him, but I no longer wish I had grown up differently.  I am who I am because of what I was when He reached down and saved me – and for that, I am eternally grateful!

What is your reason for proclaiming God's greatness?  Has it been a while since you told Him how much you appreciate all He's done for you?  Take some extra time today to reflect on the grace He's shown you, and proclaim Him and His awesome plan for your life.  Really talk to our Lord, and share from your heart how much you appreciate ALL that He has given you through your salvation.

Prayer
Lord, You are a mighty and a great God.  I have seen Your power and I have felt Your compassion as I have grown up in You these past 20 years.  I want to thank You for protecting me as I was growing up.  You held my hand and even carried me through all of the evil that the enemy tried to destroy me with.  You restored me and You have given me gifts beyond what I could even ask or think.  You are MY God and I will love You with my whole heart – all the days of my life!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

And Be At Peace! – 2 Peter 3:13-14

13    But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14    Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 
– 2 Peter 3:13-14

And Be At Peace!
As we work through our "issues" and try to become more like Christ, are we at peace? With God? With our families and friends?  

Good! Now here's a tough one . . . are we at peace with ourselves?  

For some reason, we are our own worst enemies and so we can find it difficult to let things go.  Especially when we make the same mistakes over and over again.  We hold on to our disappointment and embarrassment like a child holds on to an ice cream cone, or a greedy miser holds on to a shiny coin.  We can be at peace with the whole world, but when we take a look in the mirror of our soul, we only see our flaws and we question God as to why we can't change or are having difficulty changing.

God wants to let you know today that it's OK to let go.  It's really that easy.  Just raise your arm, open your hands up, and start visualizing your self-beratement drifting off to space like some colorful group of helium filled balloons. 

"But I can't!" you say? 
"You just don't understand?" you think?
"How can I just let go of all the damage I've done and the people I've hurt?"
"How can I be at peace when I just can't seem to stop doing the same dumb things time-after-time?"
"How can I . . . (enter your own question here)?"

Well I do understand.  I go over and over my own mistakes all the time and I think of all the should've, would've, could've scenarios over - and over - and over again.  I don't know why I do it, but I do.  But you know what?  I'm getting better at just letting go.  I'm getting better at asking the Holy Spirit for help in doing it.  I'm getting better at laying at Jesus' feet . . . and leaving it there.  I'm getting better and I have to tell you that there is so much freedom in not having to revisit my mistakes every day.  Not living in and dwelling on your past mistakes will help bring you closer to being at peace with yourself. 

Won't you try it today?  Won't you lift up, reach out, and let go?  Try to be at peace with your life!  Start with doing it just for today.  Forgive yourself and let the blood of Jesus wash everything out of your mind.  He went through so much . . . just for you, and He wants you to know the freedom, and the joy, and the peace that He is holding out in front of you!  Reach out and take it!  NowTHAT is something to hold on to!

Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You so much for all that You went through just so that we could know the freedom of Your love.  I am so sorry for discounting Your sacrifice by refusing to let go of my past sins and failures and for dwelling on things that I have no power to change.  I need Your grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to help me each day so I can overcome this tendency to go back to my self-hating ways.  Thank You Lord, I know I will learn to live in peace - with myself  - with Your help.

Have a blessed day everyone!

–Richard

He Nailed It! – Colossians 2:13-14

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 

14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
– Colossians 2:13-14

He Nailed It!
I don't know about you but I was as dead as dead can be . . . and I was proud of it.  I was so wretched, and my sin was so repulsive, and disgusting and I was so blind, that I even welcomed the thought of going to hell!  I was THAT lost!  But God had other plans for me, and like the scripture says, He made me alive with Christ – Halleluiah!

I can really appreciate the concept of Christ nailing my sins (and those of everyone else) to the cross and the significance of His sacrifice for us.  What I have always had trouble wrapping my head around, is just how difficult it must have been for Him to become my sin.  That must have been more painful and revolting than any of the beatings He took, or even the crucifixion itself.  Have you ever tried to put on clothing that was soaking wet and muddy?  Not only would it be very difficult, but every inch of exposed skin would be able to feel the disgusting "ickiness" of the heavy material as it passes over.  Christ must have felt each sin of every person that ever existed as He transformed Himself into the very sin that He was about to destroy.  The weight of the cross must have been nothing compared to the weight of the sins of the entire world bearing down on Him.  I don't know that I will ever fully understand what He must have gone through, and it saddens me just to think about it.

What a joy however, to know that because of His sacrifice, I am alive, and ALL my sins have been forgiven!  Now here's the best part.  I get to put on Christ! Every day!  Think about the most favorite piece of clothing you have ever owned and how good it felt as you put it on for the very first time . . . that was like putting on rags compared to putting on Christ.  He fits in ALL the right places.  He accentuates who you are and He makes you look so very good.  He covers up all the flaws and He fits so well that wearing Him even puts a pep in your step so that you can breeze through your day!

Try putting on Christ today.  Try to imagine His brilliant and marvelous light covering you as you fasten each button of His Righteousness.  Visualize lacing His Peace to your feet . . . go ahead – wiggle your toes!  Run your finger across the brim of His awesome Salvation . . . feel how it fits your head just right!  Fasten His belt of Truth around your waist, and experience how He helps everything else stay perfectly in place . . . there's nothing like it.  How does He feel? Pretty awesome huh?  Now you are ready to face the world!  Now you can show everyone what a Christian should look like.  Now you can have victory – every – single – day!

Prayer
Father, I am so humbled knowing all that Christ had to do to save us from ourselves.  I am thankful however, that He did . . . and also for Your Love, and the wisdom of Your plan for bringing us all home.  I pray that as I put on Christ each day, I will be ever mindful that I am Your representative here on earth so that I never cause anyone to turn away from You because of my actions.  I want to draw others to You Lord and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will now be able to do so because You saved me from my sin and from certain death.  I love You!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 

– John 14:5

Do You Know Where You Are Going?  

Do You Know the Way?
We each have a separate path in life to follow – and for the most part, we tend to focus on our professions as a way of identifying the path we are on.  We also use that as a way to determine the kind of lifestyle we are to live.  We do this, and at the same time we try to add or fit Jesus into what we consider our path to be.  I think we have things mixed up and I for one am taking a different approach to the path that I am on.

For far too long, I have been torn.  I've been trying to determine the course of my life by the amount of money I can make and the creature comforts I can afford.  Instead of using them as a way to enhance my path to Jesus, I have used them as a way to allow Jesus just enough room to tag along.  Oh, I have walked with Him (or maybe it's that I've allowed Him to walk with me), and we have had fellowship together, and He has blessed me along the way, but we haven't really been going anywhere.  He has let me wander around in the desert of nothingness, and He has patiently waited for me to get on the path out of that desert and onto the road that He specifically and carefully designed for me. 

His is a path of surrender; a path of sacrifice; a path of humbling myself, and giving myself to His will, and not my own.  Am I giving up on making decisions for and about my life – not at all.  I'm just always learning to look to Him before making those decisions.  It's a process, and with each surrender it becomes easier to recognize the path I need to be on because my faith is so much stronger. 

The great hymn goes, "I Surrender All," not "I Surrender All that I don't want or think I won't need."  He has promised that by following in His way – by surrendering all that I am to Him, He will reveal truth to me and He will give me life. A life that on my own I could not accomplish.  A life that will lead me straight to the Father.

How about you?  Do you know the path you are on?  Are there parts of your life that you know you should surrender but you are afraid to let go of?  Are you wanting to control your path instead of letting Him lead you?  Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal these things to you.  He wants you on His path to righteousness so that not only will you be an effective minister of the Gospel, but you will know Him intimately, and He will present you to the Father as His own.

Prayer
Lord, I am tired of following my own way.  I surrender all that I am to You and I lay my life in Your hands.  I look forward to all that You will reveal to me as we journey on this path to the Father.  Help me Lord, to journey well and to be ever mindful of the steps I am taking as we travel through my life . . . together.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Dude, That Outfit Is Humble! – 1 Peter 5: 5b

5b Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
– 1 Peter 5: 5b

Dude, That Outfit Is Humble!

I know, it's a strange title but what can I say?  
I'm a strange kind of guy  :) 
 
We never hear expressions like that because they don't sound right but in reality, as Christians, that is the kind of compliment we should be seeking.  When people look at us, they should notice our character first – they should notice the light of Christ that shines from a heart that knows its place in Christ –  a heart that does not deserve any of the grace that has been given it;  a heart that continually seeks forgiveness;  a heart that is destined for eternity despite its selfish tendencies.

You see, if we truly understood what has been given to us, we would never walk proudly on the earth, and we would never seek the accolades of man.  But this is a long life, and each day brings new challenges, and the enemy knows that even though we are saved, we are weak, and easily swayed by the love of things that make us feel good.  We are a fickle people and we tend to sway back and forth like tall grass in a stiff breeze.  It really is sad don't you think?

But!  We have a God that knows the interior of our heart.  The place that is covered up by all of the emotions and self-gratifying desires.  He knows the core of who we are – who He created us to be.  The center of our being that pumps strong with the blood of Christ.  He knows that despite all of our shortcomings in this world, we are His children and when He created us, He called us "Good!"  He is our Champion, and we are Redeemed because He loves us so much!  That is why we should be grateful!  That is why we should walk in forgiveness!  That is the reason we should be humble!

Our humility does not need to be seen as weak either.  We are a strong people – warriors and victorious conquerors, with the power to move mountains!  No . . . we should walk with our heads held high, but our humility should be evident in the way we carry ourselves.  Courtesy, friendliness, gentleness, manners, wholesome laughter, forgiveness, toothy smiles, availability, approachability, respectability, patience, kindness, and a work ethic that puts everyone else to shame.  We should be the cream of the crop – always the example of the best – not honoring the world, but honoring God in all that we do.  His grace is our reward!

So take a look at how the world sees you.  What do they see?  If you are like me, they see different things at different times and on different days (depending on the mood I'm in).  What they haven't seen too much of, is consistency and humility.  So why not start working with me on getting dressed each day by covering up all of our prideful and self-serving ways with humble clothing.  Lets freak the world out by putting on Christ each day.  Who knows, we might just cause a sensation!

Prayer
Father, I am so sorry for the inconsistent life that I've been living.  I know that the only reason I am alive today is because of the love and grace that You saved me with.  I pray that I can, from this day forward, be more consistent in my walk and that the life I now have because of You will shine forth in all humility for everyone to see.  Help me, I beg, to be always mindful that I am being watched, so that I can catch myself before I act foolishly and cause someone to blame You for not being real.   I thank You for continuing to help me grow in the love and knowledge of my Savior, Jesus.  You are changing me daily and I am so grateful.

have a blessed day everyone!

-Richard

Ask for Something - His thing! – John 16:24

24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
– John 16:24

Ask for Something - His thing!
Over the years, I have learned to listen to my Father during prayer time, and I have heard Him speak to me (no, not in a James Earl Jones, R-I-C-H-A-R-D . . . THIS IS GOD SPEAKING . . . way, but in a silent confidence kind of way), and I am slowly becoming more in tune with what and how He wants me to pray. After all, He already knows what I need in my life, so anything I can come up with is no surprise to Him.  My goal for prayer nowadays is to find His will in the everyday walking through of my life.  How does He want me to see His children?  How does He want me to act – in good and bad circumstances?  Where does He want me to position myself in my home, my church, and in my community? Who does He want me to be available to and to pray blessings over, etc.?

I believe that God wants to use our quiet time with HIm (if we let Him), to speak truth into our hearts – the truth of what He wants Us to do to create change in our world.  After all, we are His hands extended here on earth.  We are how He gets things done.  We have to be willing to step outside of our neat and controlled lives and be willing by faith, to be a miracle.  It needs to start somewhere right?  It might as well be here with you and with me.

Today's scripture says that until now, I/we have asked "nothing" in His name.  Oh, we all know that we have asked for plenty, and in my case, most of it has been selfish desires.  It's time for me to start asking for "something" – something that will bring glory and honor to our Father.  We need to stop thinking of what we want and focus on what He wants.

We can still ask for the kinds of things that we all want and need, but just do it from a different perspective:  

Do you need a new job? 

Ask for the position that our Father (who loves you) has all ready set aside for you – and then be prepared to rejoice when maybe it isn't the job you were looking for but it will be the job that will bring you the greatest joy and fulfillment in your life, if you accept it with gratitude and praise.  

Do you need a relationship restored? 

Pray that God would bless the other person and bring joy and abundance to their life that they might see Him in everything they do – their coming back to you will be a result of them realizing God's goodness and grace on their life, and restoration might not come about the way you thought it would – but it will come in a way that God is glorified.  

Do you a need financial miracle? 

Pray that God would bless those around you who are in greater need than you. Pray that your finances would be met according to His plan and then rejoice during your time of lack. Your miracle will come, but it will probably come in a way that you never could have dreamed.

Let us ask for things and pray according to what God wants!  THAT will bring us answered prayer.  THAT will bring us the fullness of joy that He wants so much to give us.  THAT will bring about  a glorious change to this crazy world.  THAT will honor our Father in heaven!

Prayer
Father You are so great and I offer praise to You right now.  For far too many years I have offered half-hearted and selfish prayers to You and I know and am so thankful that You have forgiven me for that.  This year and on this day, I seek Your will in my prayers.  I will no longer bring an offering of fools to You but I will wait on You and I will listen for the Holy Spirit to guide me in fervent and effectual prayer. Thank You for reminding me that in Your name I will find my joy and my life will be fulfilled.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard