A Prayer For You All! – Ephesians 3:14-21

A Prayer For You All!

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 

15 from whom His whole family 

      in heaven and on earth derives its name. 

16 I pray that out of His glorious riches 

      He may Strengthen you with Power 

      through His Spirit in your inner being, 

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

      And I pray that you, 

      being rooted and established in Love, 

18 may have Power, 

      together with ALL the saints, 

      to grasp How Wide, 

      and How Long,

      and How High, 

      and How Deep, 

      IS the Love of Christ, 

19 and to know this Love 

      that surpasses ALL knowledge

      that you may be Filled 

      to the measure of ALL the Fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who IS ABLE 

      to do immeasurably More 

      than ALL we ask, 

      or imagine, 

      according to His Power 

      that is at work within us, 

21 to Him be Glory in the Church 

      and in Christ Jesus 

      throughout ALL generations, 

      FOREVER AND EVER! 

      AMEN!

 – Ephesians 3:14-21

Nothing I can add can top this one – I pray this for you ALL today!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

When Your World Goes BOOM! – Luke 24:17-21

17  He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?" They stood still, their faces downcast. 

18  One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 

19  "What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 

20  The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 

21  but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place."
– Luke 24:17-21

When Your World Goes BOOM!

Have you ever had your "world" pulled out from under you?  Everything is going great, things are looking up, the future looks bright and everything you are doing seems to be right in line with what you believe God wants for you and then Wham!  Like a bolt of lightning striking way too close, your "world" explodes around you and everything you thought you knew has been turned to dust.  And worst of all, God doesn't seem to be answering your questions why.

It could be any number of things. The loss of a loved one; the loss of a job; the infidelity of a spouse; the bad doctor's report; the natural disaster that took all of your possessions; the old habit or addiction that has retaken your sanity.  It could be any number of things that while we are in the midst of it all, seem to be the end of the "world."  I think it is safe to say that we have all experienced this a time or two in our lives.  And every time, it is a brand new level of anguish and despair.  Where is God? Why did He allow this to happen? Can't He see what it's doing to me? 

When my first wife left me I was lost.  I didn't even know how to breath.  All of the good intentions and advice from friends and family offered me no comfort.  All I know was that I was serving God faithfully and I didn't understand how my life could be destroyed and the world as I knew it, no longer existed.  I was a total mess for several years.

I couldn't see it at the time but God was right there with me.  Jesus was praying for me and all of the angels in heaven were fighting for me.  I had to learn some lessons and I had to go through those dark times in order to appreciate the blessings that were going to come my way.  I had to shed all those tears and experience the pain of rejection and fear and loneliness and betrayal.  And worst of all, I had to endure for way longer than I thought was necessary and I thought I would never make it.

It was only when I turned it all over to God that I started to see breakthrough.  I started forgiving and praying for other people and asking God to bless them.  I took my eyes off of me and my problems and asked God to have His way in my life, and I thanked Him for the love He showed me while I was hurting.  It was then that I started to live again.  God gave me a new "world" and I could see things in a new light as He healed my wounded heart and gave me a renewed love and a passion for Him.  He also brought me a beautiful and loving wife who fits me perfectly and makes me a better man.  Everything that was taken from me was restored in ways I could never have imagined.  I am who I am today because of the lessons learned from that trial, and I am able to thank God for His wisdom in allowing me to grow through that experience.

That's not to say that I won't be devastated when my current world implodes and is pulled out from under me . . . and I know that it will happen one day.  After all, we all live this crazy thing called life, but I have learned that God has my back – and Jesus is praying – and the angels in heaven are fighting, and even though I know I will surely have a huge pity party when the time comes, I have experienced His grace and goodness and most importantly His perfect timing, so I hope that when the time comes, I can lift my eyes towards heaven early on in the trial, and proclaim victory over whatever the enemy throws my way . . . and my faith will be strengthened (again), and my Hope, will once again be restored!

Prayer

Father, help me to trust in You when my "world" is torn apart.  Thank You for bringing me through those times in my life when I felt that all was lost.  Help me to stand firm in the hope that You can bring good - both now and eternally - out of even my most painful experiences.  I pray for the safety and continued blessings for all my friends and my family Lord . . . and I ask that Your guiding hand be on them today as they face this world head-on.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Just Believe! – – John 1:12

12 But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God ...
– John 1:12

Just Believe!
We talk about faith and belief but we mix it with our own understanding of how things work so what ends up happening sometimes, is that our faith and belief end up being a by-product our own point of view.

Growing up in Catholic school, we used to say the Apostles Creed every morning (right after the Pledge of Allegiance).  For those not familiar, it starts out like this:    I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
    the Maker of heaven and earth,
    and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord...

The problem was that I didn't even know who God really was.  I  sure didn't know who Jesus really was.  I recited the words of that prayer because the authority figures in my life told me to – not because I truly believed in them.

I see a lot of that still today.  I see well-intentioned Christians who talk of faith and belief but who, by their very words and actions, don't really buy into everything God says about who He is and who Jesus is.  I've even heard people who consider themselves to be Christians who say that the Bible is just a book of stories, and they only consider parts of it to be true.  I worked with one lady who told me that her pastor was teaching them that there were many ways to get to heaven and that Jesus was just one of the many ways.  How confused must that congregation be!

Sometimes, we don't have to look much further than our own beliefs to find incredible stories of half-hearted faith and we can end up wondering (doubting), if God can REALLY get us out of the trials we find ourselves in sometimes.  If we take an honest look back at the times when we were faced with something really big, we will most likely see that we finally turned to God AFTER trying to figure things out on our own.  But God knows how weak our faith can sometimes be, and He is ALWAYS faithful to get us through to the other side of the problem – despite our weak belief.  It might not always be the way we would have done it, but we always end up learning and growing as a result . . . that is, until the next time we're in trouble and we question God's abilities all over again.

What awesome victory we would have, if we just "got it" one day.  If we just woke up and realized that God is who He says He is; that Jesus is Lord, and He IS the risen Christ, and that through Him ALL things ARE possible for us because we BELIEVE IN HIM.  That Jesus IS our life source, and He IS our portion for every need and every desire . . . because He IS our every need and desire.  How beautiful would our lives be if we would just believe; believe that the Bible IS the very breath of God, given to us as a gift for survival in this crazy world; believe that every book, every chapter, every verse, and every word IS absolute and not open to our own understanding or interpretation.

Maybe one day we will learn to truly believe and when we do, we will see amazing power in our lives and we will see the world change . . . and our God, who loves us even in our unbelief, will be glorified!

Prayer
Father, I believe in You.  I believe every sentence of Your Word and I am so thankful that You have given me the way to find Your Heart through the pages of Your Word.  I have seen You change me as I explore it, and I am in awe of Your Holy Power that pours from every page.  Lord Jesus, I lift up those who are being deceived today.  I pray that their eyes can be opened to the lies that the enemy is feeding them, and that they can experience Your true Love through the Power of Your Word.  I thank You that You are a patient God and that You are putting fire in the hearts of Your true believers to reach out to those being led astray.  May we reach out in Love, and Joy, and Peace, without condemnation or accusation – just like You did for us.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

Laughter - It's the Very Best Medicine! – Genesis 21:6

6 Sarah said, God has blessed me with laughter and all who get the news will laugh with me!

– Genesis 21:6

Laughter – It's the Very Best Medicine!

Sarah had two laughs – one was in quiet disbelief, but the one that mattered resulted from the miracle that God gave her – a son.  I think God was laughing harder than Sarah when He saw the joy that was flowing out of her.  He knew how she would react to His blessing, and I have to believe that as the end of her pregnancy drew near, He was beside Himself with excited anticipation to see her face light up when she first gazed upon the face of her newborn.

Have you ever laughed to yourself in disbelief at a promise that God has given you?  It doesn't have to be a personal visit and an audible promise, but what about the promises from His Word?  Have you ever thought to yourself, 

"I know the Bible says that I can have victory over my sin – but I just can't hep myself – I've been at it for too long and it's just too hard to change."  

Or how about, 

"I know the Bible says that I can move mountains with a little faith – but that's just crazy!  It must be for someone else because I could never do that."  

Here's one more, 

"I know the Bible says that I can be healed, but I don't really think I can."

Our faith is so small and incomplete sometimes but when God decides to move – when He sets His mind to pour out  a blessing, you will be overflowing with joy and your laughter will not be contained.  He will be glorified by it and others will see and hear the joy of the Lord and they will be drawn to you because of what He has done.  It is then your job to proclaim His goodness and His grace so that they can come to know Him as you do.

So stop doubting.  In fact, if you must doubt something, doubt your doubt.  God can and will do miracles in your life.  He will bring joy from your mourning, and laughter from your tears.  He will do what He promises in His Word and He will be overjoyed with your joy.  Our God is good and He wants to bless you today.  So when He does, laugh so the whole earth can laugh with you.

Prayer

Father I thank You for being so faithful to attend to my needs.  It is so humbling to know that You care so much for me and I am so insignificant and unworthy of your attention.  You bless me everyday, and I know that sometimes I don't acknowledge all that You do for me, and for that I am so sorry.  I pray that I can be a blessing to someone today - that I can laugh with a holy laughter so that they can see and hear how great You are!  You are my joy and I will proclaim You with my laughter!

Have a blessed day everyone!

-Richard

Blue Light Special! – Psalm 104:33-34

33 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.
    –Psalm 104:33-34

Blue Light Special!

What do you do when you are feeling blue?  Some people like to shop, treating themselves to something nice in order to pick themselves up.  Some people like to eat . . . but we all know the consequences of that trap.  Some people like to wallow in their misery and even use it to seek validation from others who feel sorry for them.

I have found that the very best way to overcome the blues is to praise God.  It works every time.  There is absolutely no way you can continue to feel bad after you have poured out your heart to the Lord in song.

Can't sing you say?  No problem – there are lots of good worship CDs or you can download music from the internet.  There's also the radio if you happen to be a low-tech kind of person.  And even if you couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, God doesn't care what you sound like.  Sing your praises to Him, off-key and at the top of your lungs. Be proud of that awful voice of yours and make sure the neighbors can hear too!  They might just find Jesus (you never know!).

The point is that it doesn't matter the abilities you do or don't have, it doesn't matter where you are, it doesn't matter how bad you feel, and it doesn't even matter if you make up the words as you go along – the point is to sing.  Sing praises to God with everything that is in you!  He will hear you and He will minister to you as you minister to Him.  And even if it's just for a few minutes that you feel better about your situation, a few minutes can be a wonderful start to turning your focus off of your situation and back on to Him and how wonderful He is and the marvelous things He has done in your life and will continue to do.

Let's face it, we all go through times of depression and doubt – it's one of the many tools the enemy uses to take our focus off of our Savior.  It's recognizing when those time are upon us and conditioning ourselves to react positively by having a praise plan at the ready.  We do it for other disasters right?  How many of you have an earthquake kit?  How many know exactly what to do if the tornado sirens should sound?  Like boy scouts, we are prepared for just about any emergency – except for when the enemy attacks.  It's time to create your Emergency Blue Light Preparedness Kit (EBLPK for short).

1. Pick out 4 or 5 of your favorite praise and worship songs - about 30 minutes worth.
2. Burn them on to a CD or download them as a group or album to your mp3 player.
3. Learn all the words to the songs (typing or writing them out will help you learn them quickly).
4. Put the CD and written lyrics in an envelope and put it in your night stand or somewhere you can easily find them (in case of emergency).
5. Do a few "fire drills." 

Walk through exactly what you will do the next time you start to feel depressed or you feel doubtful that God is with you, or even when you aren't feeling well and the enemy is putting fear into your head of what the ailment might be. Take out your EBLPK and go to the exact spot where you will listen to the music and sing along.  It might be a comfortable chair, it could be a spot in your back yard or even taking a walk – this practice will be beneficial because you will be able to jump right in when the actual "emergency" comes.

This might all feel silly to you but it really shouldn't.  As effective Christians we should be proactive in our faith and always be at the ready for when the enemy comes prowling around.  Give it a try, it might just save you from wallowing around in the pit of despair as you Rejoice In The Lord!

Prayer
Father, I pray for all my brothers and sisters who are going through tough physical and emotional times right now.  I ask that You wrap them in the warmth of Your loving Spirit and place in their hearts the urgency to praise You.  Remind them of all of the wonderful things You have done in their lives and put a new song in their hearts.  Help them to put aside any feelings of inadequacy so that they can sing praises to You with total abandon.  I thank You for the joy You bring to me whenever I sing of Your love and faithfulness and i will continue to sing - all the days of my life!

Have an awesome day everyone!

–Richard

13 It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free - signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. 

14 This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. 

- Ephesians 1: 13-14

Signed - Sealed - Delivered!

Have you ever had to get anything ready for shipping?  Perhaps a special Christmas gift that is going cross country?  You make sure that the contents are securely packed and protected with either styrofoam peanuts or bubble-wrap or some other form of protection.  You take extra care in filling out the shipping form, checking the address 2 or 3 times to make sure you got it right - then you take care to make sure it is sealed properly so that no one can tamper with  it . . . and then after paying for the extra insurance, you hand it over to the delivery service.  After getting the tracking number you daily check the package's progress until it arrives safely at its destination.  All this just for a package!

Not UPS, FedEx, DHS, USPS nor anyone else can even come close to the care and security that our Father and Savior have taken in making sure that you get to heaven.  He put you in the perfect package to make the life-long journey;  He protected you with the Holy Spirit, who wraps Himself around you every day, and every step, and every breath, so that you make it through to your final destination;  He sealed it with His blood so that no one and no "thing" can destroy you.  He did such a great job that your place in heaven is already prepared and waiting for your arrival - it's not a question of if you will arrive, but when.

So take heart - know that you are on your way!  Have confidence that as long as you keep your eyes on Him, our Lord and Savior will not allow the enemy to steal your joy.  Keep looking towards heaven and keep walking in your eternal tennis shoes;  keep singing praises to our Father and proclaiming His unconditional Love to everyone you meet;  keep sharing your heart with Him and letting Him be a part of your daily walk;  keep on living because you are instrumental in bringing others into the kingdom.  He wants to use you by letting others see His light shining through you - they will be drawn to you like moths to a flame  because the love of Christ pours out of you and everything you do.  You have been purchased and your destination has been sealed and signed for - and your destination is guaranteed!

Prayer

Father I thank You for choosing me to share Your kingdom with.  What a joy it is to know that I will be in Your presence and praising You as we stroll through streets of gold and fields of silk and pearls.  Your love humbles me and I know that if I can show someone just a portion of Your grace and forgiveness that they will be joining us in paradise.  Help me Lord to keep my eyes fixed on you and to not focus on the daily problems that will always be a part of this life - I know that You make everything better and that my problems are only temporary.  Thank You Lord!

Have a blessed day my Brothers!

-Richard 

Thrive where You Are! – Jeremiah 12:5

5 "If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses?  And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?"
- Jeremiah 12:5

Thrive where You Are!
Have you ever asked the Lord to get you out of your present environment because of all of the evil people around you?  Perhaps it was a job or maybe even your own family!  In today's scripture, the Lord is answering Jeremiah's complaint about all of the evil people that seem to prosper in this world.

God is basically telling Jeremiah, "Look, I know what's going on the world.  After all, I'm the One who gave all of these evil people over to their own lusts and desires and I will deal with them if they don't change their ways.  Besides, I have your back while you are here so I don't need you to complain to Me about any of this - just make sure that you live YOUR life according to My Word so that you don't get corrupted along the way."

Of course, this is just my interpretation of the conversation but I really think that God, as patient as He is, must get frustrated with us when we complain about our situation.  I am just as guilty as anyone else, I mean I would love to work in an all Christian environment or live in a world where everyone LOVES the Lord and is living accordingly?  I have a feeling though, that if that were the case, I might find something else to complain about - hmmmm.

It's really a profound statement (of course it is dummy - God said it!), and it spoke to me today even though I have read it many times before.  God has me where He has me so that I can strengthen my faith in Him and in that, effect change in this crazy and caustic environment.  I mean really, I am so blessed to be living in a country where I have the freedom to serve God so openly and if I find it difficult because of those around me now, how weak will my faith prove if I am ever put in a real hostile environment.  I'm not facing a choice at the point of a machete or looking down the barrel of an automatic weapon; my family isn't being threatened because of what I believe;  I'm not being thrown into prison for my faith.  If I can't openly and freely serve God here in this "safe land," then I'm going to be in real trouble when my time of testing comes.

Our way of  life and our freedom to worship God are being attacked in this country like never before.  Even now, the freedom to pray openly in public settings is being seriously challenged - if... your prayers are Christian prayers.  If you want to offer Islamic or Hindu or Buddhist prayers, then you are given all of the courtesy to do as you wish.  It isn't really that far-fetched to imagine a tough time ahead and we really need to be ready to stand firm in our faith, battle-tested and ready for the persecution that may come.  Are you ready?  I'd like to think that I am, but I'm not so sure.

I have decided to thank God for all of the challenges that I work with every day, and I really need to show God's love to the witches and the heathens and the "other" religion zealots and even to those who openly oppose me.  I am purposing to be salt and light in the very environment that God placed me in and as I learn what faith really is and I put it to practice, maybe . . . just maybe, those challenges around me might want to know a little more about the God that I serve.  I will serve God where I am until He decides it's time for me to move, and I will no longer question why He has me where I am.  I am where I am because that's where I'm supposed to be so I will serve Him where I am - with all that I am!

Prayer
Father I am so sorry for murmuring about the people who don't even choose to acknowledge that You exist, yet seem to prosper in all that they do.  Their prosperity and the way that they live have nothing to do with my Faith in You.  They have nothing to do with my serving You in this place.  I pray that as I draw closer to You that my faith will increase to the point that the evil around me will start to envy MY God and that they will see how good life can be in You.  Maybe they will start to question who it is that they serve and they will want to know how they can be reborn into Your kingdom.  I pray that I can be the light that leads them straight to You!

Have a blessed day everyone!

-Richard