Tag: God Focus

LEARNING TO WALK

When a baby is learning to walk, a parent doesn’t say anything about how many times they fall down. It is a process of learning to walk. But they rejoice over the steps that the child takes. God rejoices over us. He delights in the steps of the righteous and forgives them when they fall.

Sometimes, the children can push themselves back up when they fall. Other times, their parents have to pick them up. It is a great comfort to know that God is with us and will never leave us. Sometimes, we fall down, but we can get back up. Other times, we need God to step in and set us back upright. There are many in the scriptures that have written about feeling the same as we often do. Like God is far from us because we have made yet another mistake.

Learning to walk out our spiritual walk is not always easy. We are waiting for God to lead us in a direction. He will come through and show us the way. Other times, we have to step out in faith and see if what we have on our minds is God’s plan. Walking in that plan just a small amount of time, we will know if it’s God’s will for us.

Parents not only help their babies learn to walk and talk but also protect them and keep them safe. Our safety comes from the Lord. He is our strength and our deliverer. We have nothing to fear. Our enemy is under our feet.

Do we trust Jesus enough to pick us up when we fall? Do we trust him to be our guide and teach us how to walk like a follower of Christ? Do we trust him to be our father and protect us when the enemy attacks?

Ps 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

No good thing will he withhold from us as long as we walk upright.

Psalm 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Uprightness is often used in scripture to describe our Christian walk. David, in Psalm 92, referred to the righteous like a palm tree. There are two Hebrew words that are used to mean uprightness; “yashar”and “tam.” “Yashar” means straightness, while “tam” is perfection or completion.

When the word tells us to walk upright, it is telling us to stay on the straight path and walk in perfection or completion. How do we walk in perfection and completion? There is only one way; we are only complete and perfect in Jesus. Because when we make mistakes and ask for his forgiveness, he gives us a clean slate to go forward wiser and more complete.

The old path of following in Jesus’ footsteps will teach us how to walk. This is what life is all about, “learning to walk” like Him.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

REAL MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

II Tim 4:3-5 (3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (5) But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

We are in these times right now. People don’t want to hear the gospel. They want preachers to be motivational speakers. They want them to tell them how great they are and how God is going to bless them, even though many of them are full of sin.

I believe in motivational speakers, the REAL ones of generations gone by; they preached hell so hot that it motivated you to live a pure life. The sermons were so hot they purified like gold tried in a fire. I want a preacher to be honest and not tell me it’s all wonderful. I need the toe-stomping gospel that makes me want to be better.

If we are okay and everything is wonderful, we have no motivation to change and grow. Fruit will not be produced in our lives if we are convinced that we are wonderful. Paul warned Timothy to watch in all things. In other words, be careful what you do.

Paul also told Timothy to endure afflictions. He didn’t tell him that life was wonderful and everything was perfect. He told him to endure afflictions. Things in this life will often shake us and cause us pain. As children of God, we have to deal with the pressures of life, like everyone. But God is there to help us carry our burdens and will help us through our situations.

Bring back the days of the truth; it is time the church grew up and got rid of the fables. We need to be ever-vigilant to keep our feet on the correct path. God has some preachers that are true and right. Find them and support them in any way you can, because they are under tremendous pressure.

Study the word and know who is preaching to you. Not every one that carries a bible and gets behind the pulpit is sent by God. Satan also sends preachers to destroy, divide and confuse the truth. We have to know the word for ourselves so we can judge within our hearts if what they are speaking is the truth.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

THE LESSON(S) OF ALONE

JOB 23:8-10 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: (9) On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: (10) But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Lately, I have had several friends comment that they feel like God is not near to them. They say they cannot feel his presence. I have been there at times in my spiritual walk with God. I understand how it can feel like you are alone. Job probably felt this more strongly than any of us.

God allowed him to be tested by the enemy. In that test, he proved to be true and faithful. As gold tried in the fire. When gold ore is mined out of the ground, it has a lot of minerals, dirt and impurities. The ore has to be put into an extremely hot fire and melted. During the melting process, dirt and other impurities cannot withstand the fire. They burn up.

The story of the three Hebrew men who were put into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar. This is a literal example of how we are often tested. But they did not fear the fire. They knew their God would deliver them. We must know that “OUR GOD” will deliver us out of the fire.

Zec 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Do not allow the trials of life or the feeling that you are all alone to cause you to fear or worry. God is right there with you. He was with the three Hebrew men in the fiery furnace; he was with Job when he felt alone; he will be with you, too.

Sometimes, like Job, we have miserable comfort. People mean well but do not have the right perspective and their advice is not always sound. We must always filter other’s advice with a bible filter. In other words, does their advice line up with God’s word? Is it sound according to what I believe God is telling me or has told me in the past.

Other times, God will isolate us from people too. This could be because of a season of transition for us. He is preparing us for the next level in him. The distraction of people will often taint this process, so God isolates us from the influence.

I Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

There are many in-depth studies out there about gold and the way it is processed. The process is compared to our walk with God. I will not take the time to go into great detail here. However, it is something interesting to dig deeper into if you have time. I hope I have said enough about the process to encourage you that if you faint not, you will reap in faith and blessings.

Look at the story of Job; when he was done with the process, God abundantly blessed him. I think that many times, the trial is taking out something within us that will hinder our next level of God’s presence and blessing. Until it is gone, whatever it may be, we cannot level up. Embrace the times of isolation. He is there even when you don’t feel His presence or see His hand moving.

Keep on being faithful to what God has given you to do, even in times of isolation.

Until next time, BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

JUST A CLOSER WALK

“Just a closer walk with thee….Grant it, Jesus is my plea…Daily walking close to thee…let it be, dear Lord, let it be.” The old hymn has a sentiment that many Christians share. Our desire is a closer walk with God. On one hand, I would say we can’t get any closer, he is inside us.

But I understand the sentiment of the feeling. I often feel I could do more to build my relationship with Him. He wants time with us. I often get busy doing all the Christian things and must remind myself to slow down, sit quietly, and wait for Him to fill my cup back up.

As we go out and try to be Jesus to the world, we often pour out and pour out until we have nothing left to pour. Sitting quietly and meditating on His Word is a good way to refill our cup. As we meditate on Him and the Word, He will pour into the emptiness of our vessel.

When we ask to be stronger and have a closer walk, we are really telling Him to allow trials and tribulations in our lives. How else will we draw closer to Him? How else will we become spiritually stronger? How else can our lives be a testimony unless we are tested?

It is kind of like praying for patience. It seems like if you ask for patience, the whole world is determined to do things that irritate you beyond belief.

James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

The trying of our faith helps us to be patient. Being patient builds experience that gives us hope. In the darkest times of life, we need hope that things will get better. Hope helps us to have faith that God will see us through whatever we face. It doesn’t matter how big the mountain or deep the valley is; we never walk alone. That is the greatest comfort we have as children of God. That we are never alone. We also have the comfort of knowing that God will take care of it all. We have no reason to fear.

Isaiah 43:1-2 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

As we face our Red Sea, our lion’s den or fiery furnace, we have comfort knowing God can handle it. We will not drown, be torn apart or even smell like smoke from the fire. God has it all planned out and will lead and guide us every step of the way. He will deliver his people; we have this hope in the depths of our souls that he is with us. If we walk with Him and pray, “Just a closer walk with thee.”

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

KNOWING OUR IDENTITY AND GOD’S

At times in life, we occasionally get stuck in a rut. Personal catastrophes can get us sidetracked from our God focus. Other times, life kicks us in the gut and all we can do is cling to Jesus to survive and draw our next breath. After a period of time in that rut, we need to look for a way to climb out and get our focus again.

I find that life often throws things at us that we do not expect, but rest assured, it is not a surprise to God. He knows how each situation is going to mold and make us. God understands our every thought and the motivation behind the thought.

PS 139: 1-3 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.

He knows everything about us, so it stands to reason that He would want us to know all about Him. God is wise and understands what we have need of before we even ask. We are defined by God and not our situations.

I often write about one of my go-to verses, 2 Cor 5:7 – (For we walk by faith and not by sight). That is so important in our walk with God. Many things are not as they appear. The enemy often tries to twist things to make them appear to support his agenda. Satan wants to destroy us, so he will try to twist and distract us from our path.

God set us on a path when we chose to live our lives for him. The enemy doesn’t care if we attend church. He doesn’t care if we say we are Christians. It doesn’t bother him if we carry a bible everywhere we go, (as long as we don’t read it). It is when we get in the Word and realize who we really are that he gets nervous. There used to be a phrase used on Saturday morning cartoons when I was a kid that said, “Knowledge is power.” This phrase is so very true in the life of a Christian.

The more we dig into the Word, the more we realize who we are in Christ. We see the triumphs and mistakes of those who have gone before us. This helps us face our obstacles in life. The word teaches us that we must walk by faith. We do this by relying on Jesus, even when it looks like there is no way to fix our problems. We believe He will be there to help us fix our situation. He will lead and guide us.

The more I study the life of David, the more impressed I am with his relationship with God. David had many triumphs and many mistakes. He committed sin and fell down a few times. But we must give the people under the old covenant a little credit. God walked with them, not in them. God would guide them, but the Holy Ghost had not been given. So, God’s Spirit did not live within them.

We have the ability to walk closer to perfection because God lives within us. I am not saying I am perfect or you are perfect, but we can strive to be as close as possible. Because we have His Spirit, we can walk by faith. Our guide lives inside of us.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (6) In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.

This verse is often quoted, but it is great advice. If we trust in the Lord with all our heart. Then, we will not be distracted by the enemy. Because God will have our whole heart. There will not be room for us to listen to the enemy or our human understanding. God surpasses our realm of knowledge and understanding. If we acknowledge Him in all our ways, he will always guide us.

I want to encourage you to walk by faith and not by sight. Do not allow the enemy to tell you how bad your situation appears. Tell him that you walk by faith and that you don’t look at how it appears. God can turn a situation around in the blink of an eye.

Take some time to dig into the word. Find a deeper understanding of your identity in Christ. Always remember that we walk by faith and not by sight.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

WHAT IS IN YOUR BOX?

All the accounts of the gospels tell of the woman who anointed Jesus with precious ointment. This was for Jesus’ burial, even though she didn’t realize it. All she knew was that she loved Jesus and wanted to honor him. The oil was very expensive, but she didn’t care about the cost; she wanted to give him her best. It has been said that the alabaster box was a one-time-use vessel. It had a narrow neck, and to use what was inside, it had to be broken. Once broken, the contents could spill out.

God is wanting us to give him the precious ointment of our worship. He desires us to spend time with him and give him the contents of our hearts. His presence will break our hearts and cause us to spill out everything hidden inside. He is there to bring healing to our broken hearts.

Worship is more than a song or lifting your hand in praise. It is an act that shows God your love for him. Like the woman with the alabaster box, this was an act of worship. Many things can be seen as worship. Simply taking a walk in the woods and thinking about God’s amazing love. Thanking and praising him for who he is and what he has done.

I sit quietly and ponder what I have that I can pour out to God? What has he given me that I can give back to him? What is the valuable oil that he wants from me? He desires our willingness to give our all. He wants us to pour out our whole hearts to him in a sweet ointment of worship. He will pour out the presence of his anointing on us in return.

Psalm 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Psalm 99:5 “Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.”

Take a little quiet time to think about the gift we give God in worship.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

TRANSFORMATION

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. How do we renew our minds? We pray for God to keep us strong and to fill our lives with the things that he needs us to know. We must study the word of God. You can never have too much of the word in you. They can’t confiscate what’s in your heart. That’s why we need to hide the word.

I got wrapped up in a project and missed writing a blog. What I am working on will be of great benefit to the ministry that God has given me to do. I am excited to be turning a spare bedroom into an office/prayer room. I cannot wait until it is finished. When I told one friend, they said, “Oh, a war room.” I loved that way of thinking.

I have started to study the Psalms. I used to think it was all about praise, which a large portion is about worship. Worship is important to the life of a believer. That is how we make a connection to God. The Psalms are filled with David’s regrets, concerns and possible fears. However, he looks to the Lord in good times and bad. When life is good and when he is surrounded by his enemies. We can learn a lot from David. The more I study God’s word, the stronger I feel in the spirit realm. We need to be transformed so that we can be strong enough to stand for righteousness in the times that we live.

Have a blessed rest of your weekend. Thanks for your patience and support.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

Saying Yes

God sometimes asks us to do things that to us seems impossible. Often, it seems like a monumental task. And we often feel that we’re too small to accomplish what he’s asked us to do. There’s nothing impossible for him. We need to learn to lean and trust him, even when he’s asked us to do something that to us seems impossible. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

It’s possible with him because he will open the doors to make a way. He qualifies those he calls. Whatever he’s called you to do, he will give you the tools necessary to accomplish it. Because why would he set us up for failure? He wants what is best for us. God is a loving God and he wants us to accomplish great things.

We ask him for miracles every day. But when he asks us to step out of our comfort zone, we hesitate. We ask God, do you really want me to do that? Do you really want me to go there? Do you really want me to talk to that person? God gently nudges and pushes. Think about all he has done for us. Why do we hesitate? He will make a way and he will open doors for us to accomplish what he has asked us to do. But here we go again, back to the key thing. Learning to lean and learning to trust. God honors the bold.

I don’t want to be measured and found lacking. I don’t want to run from the task he has asked ( like Jonah) only to end up in a mess. Then we end up doing it anyway. I want to be able to simply say, “Yes.”

There is a big world full of spiritually dead people who need us to be a light in their darkness. What will we do? Will we run? Will we tell God not yet? Will the answer be “Yes, I will go.”

BE BOLD, BE BLESSED AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

LET PRAISE GO BEFORE YOU

Lazarus had died, the mourners were with the family. In a normal situation, this was the end. He had been buried. But Jesus came on the scene. He didn’t make a big production. Jesus asked that they roll away the stone that sealed the cave where Lazarus was placed. He simply said a prayer for the sake of the crowd that had gathered, then said, “Lazarus, come forth.” Soon, Lazarus came walking out of the tomb. He was still bound in his grave clothes and had his face covered with a napkin. It took others to set him free of his grave clothes.

To look at the modern church, one might say we were all but buried. Jesus is calling us to come forth. He is calling for the warriors to arise. He is calling for the army to be who we must be in this day. Every day, we need to put on our whole armor and go to battle. Satan is after the body of Christ. If he can keep us depressed and stressed, we cannot focus on our task.

Many are still bound by their grave clothes. It is up to us to help set them free. We can overcome and set them free if we get down to the business of serious prayer. The enemy is not going to be defeated with a ten-minute prayer in the morning and a ten-minute prayer at night. These are serious times, and it is going to take serious warriors.

Are you a prayer warrior? It doesn’t take any special skill to pray. It just takes an investment of prayer in a quiet place. The biggest enemy of a full prayer life is distraction. The enemy will do all he can to distract us. But we will not be defeated. We will overcome because the power of God is within us.

Take time to be an encourager, reaching out to someone struggling and helping them get free of the grave clothes of fear, anxiety, depression, distraction and being overly busy. We can win the battle if we go to fight. All God requires is for us to show up with worship and prayer.

I often use the story of Jehosophat. He was in a horrible predicament. He had three armies coming against him at one time. It looked like, in the natural there was no way he could win. But God told him to go out to fight and that the Lord would fight for them. Jehosophat sent his worshippers in the front to go before them with praise.

We can fight the enemy better, if we enter into God’s presence with praise and worship. This will get God’s attention and he will fight our battles. He only wants us to lean on Him.

2 Chr 20:15-18 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. 18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground: and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.

I love this story because it shows how good our God is to deliver those who trust Him. We, too can trust Jesus to deliver us from the things the enemy has planned. We have to stand strong, stay in the word and pray like we have never prayed before now. It is almost time to march out against the enemy. Make sure you go to battle with your praise and worship in the forefront.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

WAIT

What to do in the transition? This is a major question many Christians find themselves asking often of the Lord. If you have been a Christian any period of time, more than likely, you have been through a transition. The big question is, what do we do in the wait? This is the hard part to walk through. One door has closed, but the next one has not opened. We find ourselves in a hallway with several possibilities and we ask God, which door?

He answers, wait. That is a word we do not want to hear. But in God’s amazing timing, He is working out all the details behind the door, he will eventually unlock for us. I read a quote that says, “If God shuts a door, praise him in the hallway.” That is a good place to start. Prayer and praise is something we need to do every day, even in the waiting.

It is in the “wait” that we learn to trust. We learn to stand still and know that God works things out for our good. We gain strength in our Christian walk when we “wait” on the Lord. The main thing to remember is to keep talking to God about it.

Phil 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

God is not nervous about our situations in life. If we can get to the place where we fully and completely trust him, we will not be nervous either. God will give us peace that is beyond anything we can comprehend if we learn to lean on him in the “wait.”