Personal Revival - Grace on Monday!

How did Grace on Monday go for you?

What am I talking about?

I challenged everyone in our church on Sunday to consider all the ways that God provided grace for their every activity on Monday.  Everyone was to thank God for providing everything we need to accomplish everything He had for us through out the day.

When I was eating breakfast, it dawned on me that I hadn't thanked God for giving me breath that day.  So I stopped and thanked Him. 

All through out the day I tried to remember to thank Him for everything He had provided because I could nothing without His grace.

So the challenge was for you to consider how God's grace enabled you to do all that God wanted you to do for Him on Monday.  How did you do?
If you did well to remember and thank God for His grace, way to go.  Think about it again.  How about Grace on Wednesday?

If you didn't do well, try try again. 

Philippians 4:13, Paul tells us that he can do all things through Christ because Jesus will be the one giving him the strength to do it. 

You can't do anything apart from God's grace.

Take a moment and thank God for His abundant grace that He freely gives to you.

Go in His grace today! 

Personal Revival - Never underestimate the power of story!

I love stories, especially the ones that showcase God's glory! 

Last night my wife was telling me a story of how God used her to encourage someone to attend church.  She was excited to tell me her story and I was moved by her excitement. 

This morning I sat across from a man who recently had been changed by God.  He experienced a physical healing and a heart healing at the same time.  I sat there listening to him retell the story.  I was reminded again how big and powerful our God is. 

Do you have a story to tell?

If we want to experience revival in our relationship with God, we need to start looking at the ways God is changing our lives.  He is always at work, whether we know it or not.  He is always whispering in our ear exactly what we need to hear when we need it.  The problem is us.  Sometimes we have closed our eyes and we aren't looking anymore at how God is moving in our lives.  Once you see how God is working, then tell your story to someone.

There was a man born blind who experienced a healing.  Jesus had given him his sight and the religious leaders wanted him to retell the story.  Read about it in John 9 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+9&version=NIV) 

This man tells his story to the pharisees and they refused to believe him.  After asking him to tell it again the man said, "Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciple too?"  That wasn't exactly what they wanted to hear but isn't that the point of telling and retelling these stories so others can follow Him too?

What is God doing in your life right now?  Tell your story.  It will bring God the glory He deserves and it may be just the right word to impact someone's life.

Personal Revival - Alright, I confess!

I need to confess a deep secret that I don't often share with people; I like to watch Star Trek.  There it is, I said it.  I like to see the goofy characters, similar set designs, and listen to the annoying sounds.  I'm addicted to watching it.  When I here the sound of the theme song...........Where was I?  Oh, when I hear the sound of the theme song......Sorry, I catch myself daydreaming about the show.

Wow, I can't believe I said this outloud.  I feel so much better.  It's like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.

Is there anything you need to confess?  It's funny how freeing we feel when we confess those deep secrets that we keep.

We are learning about personal revival at our church and part of revival involves confession and repentance.  Confession is admitting to God the wrongs we've kept secret and repentance is about changing our behavior.

You may have some things deep in your heart and mind that you would never tell anyone.  You possibly wouldn't even tell God your secrets.  Those secrets will weigh you down and defeat you.  Why not confess them to God right now?  The Apostle John says in I John 1:9, (Click to view, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+1%3A9&version=NIV) to confess our sins to God and when we do that, we find something of great value.  What do we find?

Forgiveness.  To be forgiven, is to feel free again.  To remove the weight from our shoulders. 

What do you need to confess to God right now?  Anything?  Confess it to Him right now.

Next entry we'll discuss repentance.
   

Personal Revival - Catching my reflection

When I saw this picture, I was intrigued by it.  I like the creative idea of taking a picture of something that is actually a reflection.  So here I am, sitting and staring at it.  I look at all the details.  What is that in the far corner?  What is on the picture frame hanging on the right shoulder of the seated man?  Who is this guy I'm looking at?  All this  thought from a reflection.

A mirror can tell us what others see when they watch us.  It can tell us when something is amis or out of place.  It can tell us when we have something in our teeth or when we are fishing out an eyelash from underneath an eyelid. Mirrors tell us a great deal.

Our children are a mirror of us as their parents.  They learn how to react to situations by watching how we react to situations.  They say the same things we say.  Sure they have their own uniqueness but much of what we see in them is what they see in us.  Just today my daughter did something that often times I do.  My wife was quick to point out where she got that from.  Ouch! I don't like seeing that.  If I act like that, then I don't like how I act in that situation. 

We are also a mirror of Christ.  As a follower of Jesus, people see who Jesus is by watching me.  They also watch you.  Is Jesus really compassionate?  Is Jesus really forgiving?  Is Jesus really serious about truth?  People find out who Jesus is by watching His followers.  The Apostle Paul tells us to follow his own reflection as he follows the reflection of Christ.
(I Corinthians 11:1 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+11%3A1&version=NIV)

We are a mirror of who Jesus is.  Are you happy about that? Ashamed? 

Sometimes I'm ashamed.  Just like when I saw my daughter doing something I did that isn't right, I'm ashamed and I'm equally ashamed that sometimes others catch a glimpse of Jesus in me that isn't right.  I feel terrible about that.  So what do I do?

I ask questions.  Is there anything in my life, what I do or say, that would bring shame to the name of Christ and His character?  Ask a friend, a spouse, a family member or even your pastor.  Ask God!  See what He says.

 


  

Personal Revival: The destructive power of pride

Pride can be a destructive force.  It can give us the confidence we need to do things we never thought possible and it can also lead us down a path of total destruction.

When I think about the destructive power of pride, I remembered the story of the Titanic.  Thought to be the greatest ship of its era.  The unsinkable ship.  Because of the that pride, they misunderstood the power of an iceberg.  The unsinkable ship now lies on the ocean floor.  That is the exact destructive power of pride.

God knows the destructive power of pride and does His best to communicate to us our need of His leadership in our lives.  He knows that we can choose to live our own lives with pride but He also knows that it will come to a terrible end. Or we can surrender our lives to Him, to His guidance and find what we need, to do the things we never thought possible.

Is pride getting in your way with your relationship with God?  If it is, it will end like the Titanic. 

Why not come to God in humility and submit your thoughts, words and actions to Him right now?

Read James 4:6-10 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+4%3A6-10&version=NIV)

Today is the day to humble your life before God and find what you need, in order to stay afloat in this life!

Personal Revival - Giving up the white hat!

Today is the day I gave up the white hat for good.  What does the white hat symbolize?  It symbolizes leadership.  When I worked with my dad during the summers of college years, the leaders wore white hats.  They were the authority over the orange hats.  The workers wore orange hard hats and that was my situation working with my dad.  I did whatever the white hats wanted me to do.  If I didn't follow the instructions of the white hats, I could've lost my job.  I knew my place and there was comfort in that.  In experiencing personal revival, what hat do you wear in your relationship with God? White or orange?

Unfortunately, I have struggled wearing the white hat in my walk with God.  I have tried to control the areas of my life that I subconsciously felt God couldn't handle.  I did what I wanted to do with money.  I did what I wanted to do with my temptations.  I did what I wanted to do with my family.  God allowed me to wear the white hat but it didn't get me anywhere.  I was more stressed, more impatient and less content.  So I quit.  I gave up the white hat and gave it to the One who can truly handle it.

I Peter 5:5-7 ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+5%3A5-7&version=NIV) Peter encourages us to give up the white hat so to speak and humble ourselves under the mighty leadership of God. He will guide and provide for us what we need, when we need it.

Are you wearing the white hat in your relationship with God?  Surrender it today.  Commit to His instructions for living life and find peace, contentment and joy.

Personal Revival

The desert could be a beautiful place to visit.  The rock formations, all the sand and the big blue sky are worth a visit once in a while.  I wouldn't want to live there but I would mind a visit, especially during the winter months. 

But there is one thing that depresses me about the desert, it lacks the evidence of vitality and life.  It actually looks dead to me.  Not a place I would want to establish a farm, that's for sure.  Very little would grow in that environment.  So why would God want to take us to the desert?

Hosea 2:14 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea%202&version=NIV1984) says, "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her."

In the desert, we find that all the distractions are removed.  There is little internet connection,  little cell phone reception, no outlets to recharge laptops and Ipods, and miles of loneliness.  We are forced to slow down in the desert and actually listen to God.

What does God want to say to you right now?  Are there too many distractions that cause you to miss His whisper?   Get alone with your bible, away from the distractions and listen to God Word today.