This Is The Life! – Jude 1: 20-21 (The Message)

20 But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, 

21 staying right at the center of God's love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life!

– Jude 1: 20-21 (The Message)

This Is The Life!

Do you want to know the secret to true happiness and a full and rich life?  Do you want to find out the "secret" for calmness and peace in the middle of life's storms?  Do you want more than anything to know God's will for your life?  The answer is simple . . simple, and hard, at the same time.  It's simple because it's available to and for all of us. It's hard because it's too simple, and our minds have a tough time making sense of it. In fact, it can seem downright  foolish to some folks.

The answer is . . . Praying In The Spirit!

That's it! 

That's all!

Pretty simple huh? 

By praying in the Spirit, and making it a daily habit, or lifestyle if you will, the Bible tells us that we can "carefully" build ourselves up – by the power of the Holy Spirit . . . to live the life that our heavenly Father designed for us. A life maintained in the center of His Love, and in His Favor. A life that moves, and breathes, in His Love and Forgiveness. A life of Strength and Victory, of Power and Dominion, over our past pitfalls and failures.  The Holy Spirit, when we pray IN Him, gives us wisdom, and abilities, and talents, and insight so that we can make the decisions that are going to propel us, and help us navigate the mighty flow of the River of God that is taking us from point A to point B - the River of Life . . . OUR Life . . . IN Him.

But praying in the Spirit can be a scary thing at first. I mean it sounds like a bunch of babbling, and it just seems silly to those who aren't accustomed to it. BUT, when a person takes the plunge, and removes the fear, and the doubt, and all the preconceived notions and ideas, and they open their hearts and let the sounds of praise escape through their lips – by the power of the Holy Spirit . . . their life will be transformed.  What seemed silly and contrived at first, will soon become a comfortable friend and a powerful weapon against the enemy.  Praying in the Spirit will be like a good breakfast – the most important meal of the day!

So open your arms! Stretch them out wide, and get ready as the Power of the Holy Spirit leads you, via the mercy of our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this unending life. This REAL life. This life designed especially and specifically, just for us, by our Father in Heaven, who (by the way), Loves Us VERY Much!

Prayer

Father, thank You for reminding me that I need to continually be building myself up by praying in Your Holy Spirit. My arms are open and stretched out wide as I receive Your Mercies today. I pray for my brothers and sisters who are tentative about praying in the Spirit and I ask that You give them a boldness and a confidence to take the plunge into Your mighty River of Life, and let the Spirit move them as He wills . . . according to Your purpose, in Jesus' name!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

What Shape Are You In?

3 So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel.
4 And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
– Jeremiah 18:3-4

What Shape Are You In?
Ceramics was my favorite class in high school – OK, I know it was a "skate" class and I probably should have been taking my core studies more seriously, but I thrived in that class.  I loved everything about it.  I loved the way the clay smelled; I loved the cool feeling of it in my hands; I loved the way I could squish it between my fingers; I loved its forgiving nature, and most of all I loved the way I could shape it into interesting and cool things.

I would get lost in the clay – my imagination coming to life in the figurines and sculptures that I was able to skillfully produce.  Each piece would take on a life of its own and it usually came out completely different than what I had initially planned for it to be – usually for the better.  Not so much because of my lack of vision or skill as I started out, but because each piece of clay had characteristics of its own and so it would kind of dictate what I could do with it.  I quickly learned however, that I could work the clay into submission, and by kneading it, and twisting, and punching the air bubbles out of it, I could reconstitute the clay to get it to be what I wanted it to be.

Our lives are very much the same in the hands of our Father.  He has a plan for our lives but because of our will and sinful nature, we fight against His craftsmanship.  And, if you are anything like me, it usually takes a lot of reshaping and twisting, and punching the air bubbles out, before the Lord can get you to a place where He can mold you into something beautiful.

For me it took years of painful experiences, culminating in a nervous breakdown, 2 divorces, and a lot of lost brain cells, before I was at a place where God could work with me.  The beauty is that He was patient, and He was willing to let me try to work things out on my own until I got to a point where I needed Him.  He knew the plans that he had for me – the plans He STILL has for me, and He waited until I was willing to submit to his waiting hands so that He could take my life, and begin to work out all of the "air-head" bubbles.  And now, when He sees that I am starting to work against Him, He skillfully kneads my back into shape – it isn't always gently, but He knows which areas of my life need to be worked on, and He holds me gently in His hands while I go through the lesson.  I always come out with a brand new perspective on the direction He has designed for me, and I become more pliable as He continues to mold me into the masterpiece my life will become.

He is working on your masterpiece as well – He is working to shape you into His unique and wonderful design.  Will you submit to His touch on your life today?

Prayer
Father, You are the master Potter and I am so willing to allow You to mold me and to shape me into the man you want me to be.  I am so thankful that You understand just how to work the clay that is my life in order that I can become pliable in Your loving hands.  Shape me Lord – take out all of the impurities like lust, and pride, and conceit, and stubborn unforgiveness.  Mold me Lord, so that I can become what You have designed and then I can make a difference in my world . . . for You.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

The Heart Matters – Proverbs 4:20-23

20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.   

21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;

22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.

23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

– Proverbs 4:20-23

The Heart Matters

The condition of our heart - the things that we hold most dear, will determine the course and the outcome of our lives.  What are you hiding in your heart? 

People see the heart as many different things, depending on how they view the world.  To a doctor or scientist, the heart is an organ; to a romantic, the heart is what controls love; if you are a poet, the heart can be a central theme to all emotion;  if you are a pessimist, the heart brings pain and disappointment as it will only be broken over and over again. 

But if you are a Christian, the heart is the only thing in this world (spiritually speaking) that we have complete control over.   The scripture today  tells us that we have the power to keep the Word of God within our hearts.  It goes on to say that above ALL else, we are to guard our heart because it is the wellspring of life.   What life is it referring to?  It is speaking of the abundance of life in Jesus – a life filled with the grace, forgiveness, and the power of God.  A life filled with peace and joy – a life of faith that will bring about change in this world.  It is talking about your life and my life.

So how do we guard our heart?  How do we take control and tap into that wellspring of life?  It all starts with God's Word and how it is applied in your life.  Do you believe God's Word?  Really?  All of it?  Are you sure?  How much time are you devoting to it?  Is it collecting more dust than fingerprints?  It ALL starts with God's Word so if we don't absorb it every day; if we don't meditate on it throughout our day; if we don't apply it with every beat of our heart, then it is going to be difficult to tap into that wellspring.

God has given us a list – a road map if you will, to that wellspring of life.

1. Pay attention

2. Listen closely

3. Don't let it out of your sight

4. Keep it within your heart

5. Guard your heart

I find it interesting that He says we are to "listen closely" and then He tells us to not let what we just listened to "out of our sight."  To me that means that we are to LISTEN to what God is trying to tells us by READING His Word – not by listening to what someone else has learned or is trying to teach us.  Don't get me wrong, I love to listen to good preaching.  I love to gather nuggets of wisdom that God has given to someone else – I have learned so much that way and it has brought me closer to God.  But God wants to speak to us directly.  He wants to whisper the things that are only meant for us – like a father with a son or daughter sitting on his lap;  the father leans in and whispers something to the child which makes their eyes light up, and a big smile crosses their face.  In turn, the father's eyes light up and both he and the child share a special moment – a time of bonding and relationship.  THAT'S what God wants to do with each one of us. 

He wants you leaning in close so He can share the secrets of your life – the very thing that taps into your wellspring so that YOU can bond with HIM and deepen your relationship.  THAT's how you can begin to guard your heart.  Let God speak to you directly through the reading of His Word.  Ask Him to reveal those gems of knowledge that will bring life to your tired soul; healing to your ailing body; peace to your troubled mind.  It's an active thing and it requires discipline at first – but in a short time you will desire more and more of the refreshing water that comes from the deep wellspring of His Words of Life.  You won't be able to get enough of God's Word – you will thirst for it, and you will be more than satisfied as you dig in and discover your very own wellspring, designed especially for you by God, who loves you so much!

Prayer

Father I thank You for giving Your Word to us.  I know that there have been far too many times when I have taken It for granted and I let my Bible sit on a shelf, unopened and unused.  How foolish I have been!  Your very Word Refreshes my heart, and I will actively and fiercely guard it so that I can tap into the life that You have designed for me.  I thank You for speaking directly to me and giving me the wisdom I need to navigate through my day.  Lord, I pray for my brothers and sisters who might be struggling with reading Your Word.  Help them to see that Your Word holds the key to an abundant life . . . in You.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard 

Hearing From The Holy Spirit – John 16:13

13 When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth.  He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of what he hears and will tell you of things to come. 
– John 16:13 (Good News Translation)

Hearing From The Holy Spirit
Early on in my Christianity, I was sitting in a Sunday night service at the AG church where I was saved.  The pastor changed things up a bit and asked members of the congregation to share what God had been doing in their lives.  I heard story after story of God's goodness and His grace but what I found most interesting was the stories told of how God spoke to someone or told them to do something.  It seemed that almost everyone was hearing from God and I was concerned because I hadn't heard God speak to me yet - I was hurt because I didn't have the relationship with God that others did.  Then an elderly man who was considered a pillar of the church stood up and in his slow Texas drawl said "You know, y'all have been jawing 'bout how God told you to do this and spoke to you about that . . .well," he continued, "I've been a Christian pert near all my life, and I ain't never heard God speak to me in an audible voice."  He went on to say, "Y'all gotta be careful 'bout how'ya spin yer tales so that the new folks in this here congregation won't be 'spectin to hear from God ever time they git down on their knees!"

It was almost like he knew how discouraged I had become listening to everyone's wonderful experiences with God.  After the service I went up to him and thanked him for sharing his wisdom and I explained how I was feeling.  He took me under his wing and over the next couple of years, he taught me how to hear from God, but most importantly, he taught me how to listen for God.  I'll be forever grateful to him for sharing his time and his wisdom with me.

I think that lots of people get discouraged sometimes because they don't hear from God, or they aren't sure that what they are feeling is from God.  I can understand where they are coming from and I don't think the church does enough to help people acquire the skills they need to listen for God, so that when the Spirit does speak to them, they can know in their "knower" that it is from God.

The key, is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Having that special relationship with Him and being able to commune with Him is so important to being able to hear what He is saying.  The Holy Spirit is our helper and He was sent to guide is through our lives and so we need to see Him as our confidant – our closest friend – the one we can ALWAYS count on.  We need to learn to trust Him and to consult with Him about every detail in our life so that we get used to the relationship.  The Holy Spirit of our God is the only way we are going to get through the rigors of our lives and stay on the narrow path to the Father.  If Jesus is The Way to the Father, then the Holy Spirit is the GPS that keeps us on the right path.

So how does He speak to us?  Through little feelings in our stomachs; through sudden thoughts; through other people's wisdom and example; through dreams and visions - He speaks to us in all kind of ways, so we need to start acknowledging Him and by doing so, the clarity with which He communicates with us will increase.  


Thank Him for finding your lost keys; thank Him for remembering to complete the task that has been eluding you; thank Him for helping you throughout your day! As you learn to acknowledge Him, His voice will become apparent and you will soon know His voice like a child knows its mother's.

God wants to speak to you - and He does it through the Holy Spirit.  Are you listening today?

Prayer
Father, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to us in order to speak wisdom and joy and peace and to give us Your direction.  How lost we all would be without Him.  Help us to learn how to listen for His voice so that when He does speak - when You speak, we are able to hear Your plan for our lives.  Father, You always know what we need and You always tell us how to achieve the success and to get over the failures in our lives, and You do it through the gift of Your Holy Spirit - Thank You for Your gift!

Have a blessed day everyone!

-Richard

You Have It In You! – Philippians 4: 11-13

11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 

– Philippians 4: 11-13 

You Have It In You!

What kinds of challenges are you facing in your life?  Are there obstacles that seem to just come faster and faster like some out-of-control video game?  Have you reached the point where giving up is looking like a pretty good option?  Well where are you going to turn to get you past this trial?  How are you going to find the strength to come out victorious?  Who do you turn to for help?  What is your next move?

The obvious answer is to call out to your Father in heaven and ask for the Holy Spirit to give you the strength and the wisdom to overcome.  The not so obvious answer is that after seeking the Father's face, to look within yourself.  Find the you that is there when you are at your best.  Dig deep, dig hard, and dig until you find the strength and the spirit that God created you with.  The human spirit that He, in His glorious wisdom, so generously poured into you so that you could realize how special you really are and how awesome He created you.

God will help you and the Holy Spirit will give you wisdom and power from on high, and Jesus has given you the grace and love to remain humble, but in the end, our Triune God wants you to show the entire world the wonder that you are.  God did not create us to be weak and powerless - He created us with an incredible potential to overcome - to reach unreachable heights - to defeat the giants of this world, and to push beyond our familiar selves.  He gave each of us His seal of approval and He called us "good."

You and I are amazing and powerful beings - but we need to come to that realization of, and have the faith to know that God said it - and it is true - no ifs, ands, or buts about it!.  Just take a minute to reflect on all the things that you have made it through - God was there through it all.  Yes, the Holy Spirit also gave you the wisdom you needed to make right decisions, and yes, our Lord Jesus has saved you and He set your feet firmly on solid ground.  But you lived through it.  You survived.  You overcame because of the human spirit that our wonderful Father created inside of you.  You honored the power and the wisdom and the love of God by not giving up.

So now, in the midst of your trial, in the make-it-or-break-it time of your life, recall your victories and start praising God for creating you with the ability to walk through it all -  full of hope, full of joy, and full of life!

Prayer

Father I am so thankful for the human spirit that You designed me with.  You are constantly showing me that I can do anything as long as I put my faith and trust in you.  Each time I have had to reach deep and realize the strength that You have given me in order to walk when You told me to walk or to act when You told me to act, I have gained more confidence in You.  I know that it is not in my own abilities but by drawing close to you that those abilities become supernatural.  I am able to overcome anything the world throws at me - because You created me to live a victorious life!

Have a blessed day everyone!

-Richard