My soul is yearning.

I am longing for more of God. I want to feel His presence abiding all around me and deep within me. 

I want His thoughts to permeate my mind and His love to consume my emotions. 

I am yearning for an awareness of the nearness of God all the time, no matter what else is going on around me.

I long for peace. I long for contentment. I long for an inner stillness and calm that only comes when I am being held by the Lord. 

There is a peace from God that is so sublime and so beyond all comprehension and it is available to all who are still in His presence. As Hosea reminds us “Wait for your God continually” (Hosea 12:6)

While waiting before the Lord in worship and prayer, the goodness of God washes over me and says “peace be still”

If you are yearning for this as well, lay down everything, surrender it all, let go of all you are holding so tightly to, confess your sins, repent of any ungodly ways,  humbly bow in your heart before God and then as you wait, you will taste and see the goodness of the Lord. 

My soul is yearning and my God is willing to fill my soul!

Very often we know the things we ought to do.

It’s not that we need to read a book, consult a teacher or attend a seminar to find out. We already know many of the things we should be doing. We should spend less than we make, we should eat right, we should exercise, we should sleep well, we should say no to harmful and unhealthy things. 

And yet, when it comes right down to it, many times we don’t do the things we already know we should be doing.

Much of this is because things are easier said than done. 

Telling someone about the mountain you climbed last year is easier than climbing a new mountain today. 

Telling someone else how they should handle a situation in their life is a lot easier than volunteering to handle their hardships for them. 

We know that we should be more patient, but it seems like we just don’t have any more patience in our tanks.

We know we should be more generous but it seems impossible to pry our hands and hearts open to give more freely to others.

We know we need to stop indulging unhealthy things (spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc) but then we think, “maybe just one more” or “maybe I’ll start a new path tomorrow”.

Loving our neighbor (without even yet considering loving our enemy) seems impossible, when we are tired and busy and our neighbor is difficult.

So here is the practical advice that I need to hear myself:

• Start small
• Start today
• The hardest two steps are the first step and the one when it gets more difficult
• Find help from someone stronger, wiser and more capable
• Don’t do it alone
• Don’t be a perfectionist
• Stop trying to do so much
• Don’t let the distractions control you

• So go ahead and say something nice to that person.
• Go ahead and step outdoors and go for a walk. Maybe tomorrow another walk or a bike ride.
• Open the Bible and read one verse, then another, then another. 
• Open your mouth and say you’re sorry, tell them you love them, compliment them, give them thanks.
• Tell God 10 things you are thankful for today. Find another 10 tomorrow.
• Do one small chore at home, then another
• Get rid of that clutter. Throw something away today. Give something away tomorrow.
• Give God your biggest 3 problems.
• Leave something on your plate at every meal. Add a fruit or veggie.

Doing what we were created to and called to is not possible without the One who created us and the One who calls us. God is present, He is able and He is willing to empower us, guide us and source us. We have to pray, we have to receive His instruction and we have to walk by faith (trusting that He is guiding us and that He is providing for us and protecting us along the way). To do what we know we need to takes effort and perseverance, but God offers to give us both. Let us pray fervently for God to cut out of our lives what doesn’t matter and graft in what does. And let us pray that we will obey in faith even if it seems impossible or that we are too weak, too foolish or too poor to be able to do it. He is able and He will do it!

This article is still a bit reductionist. It’s just not as easy as I am making it sound. But hopefully we will not get bogged down in it all and instead we will just pray, believe, receive and obey. Let’s keep it simple, do something today and persevere until God helps us to become what He is shaping us to be.

Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. Genesis 4:7

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Lord, please help me to know what this situation is about and whether or not it actually poses a threat…

Even if it does pose a threat, help me to remember that I have the armor of God to protect me and You Yourself will be my fortress, shield and defender…

Help me to remember that even in the face of a threat or feeling out of control or attacked that I do not have to malign the person in front of me or lash out at them in a reckless or uncontrolled way.

With Your help Lord, may I remember that I do not have to be unkind, short-tempered or in any way fleshly, carnal, worldly, selfish or wicked.

In fact, with Your help Lord I can even love my enemy and pray for those who persecute me. Even what Satan has intended for evil You can use for good. In the midst of this situation that threatens to shake me within and upend my life (even temporarily) You are present. I can listen without reacting, I can process and pray about and consider their words and their actions without immediately lashing out to make them stop saying/doing something that I don’t like.

Lord help me to practice long-suffering and to let Your perfect-patience be at work in me.

The next time that something happens or that someone says/does something and anger shows up at my heart’s door like a rage-filled lion trying to come in and devour me (or devour others through me) may I recognize that I can keep the door closed to rage and instead pause, wait, pray, listen to You, meditate on what You say about it and then respond out of the peace and calm you have placed in my heart and the wisdom You give by Your Spirit and Your Word, so that what transpires is beautiful and gives glory to Your name.

Lord, may rage not have a foothold in me and may I not slay people with my reactions (whether looks, words or attitudes) but instead graciously listen and prayerfully, mercifully and lovingly respond. May even those who hurt me, surprise me or attack me, feel the gentle wind of your love flow from me to them.

IN JESUS NAME,

AMEN

God meets us where we are

God accepts us as we are

God loves us so much He doesn’t leave us where we are or as we are

God’s words intersect our actual everyday real life stuff

• When God says “don’t do that” it is because He know what is best for us
• When God says “do this” it is because He is seeking to make us holy
• When God says “go this way” it is because it is part of His plan to transform us and use us
• When God says “hold on, wait a minute” it is because He is making all things beautiful in His timing

Remember, we don’t come to God to make our lives easier or more comfortable. We come to God because He died for us and is drawing us by His love and asking us to commit for the rest of our lives and for eternity to worship and serve Him only!

So many people are disillusioned with church and drifting from God because God isn’t doing what they want or acting the way they think He should or saying the things they want Him to say.

But God’s ways are perfect and God’s wisdom is perfect. 

We come to God because He is really who He says He is. He really is the Creator and He really is the Judge. He really is Sovereign with no one higher, smarter, stronger or more capable than Him. We come to God because what He says goes and what He does works and lasts. 

So please, draw near to God, ask Him to show you any selfish or wicked way in you, and then follow Him and live according to His holy and loving ways. Don’t try to tell God how to do it and don’t try to manipulate the Bible and theology to fit what you want God to be like. Instead come to Him as He is, and let Him have all of you, and then commit to do whatever He says, waiting, watching and anticipating the glorious things He will bring to pass!

In this life there are many things that end up changing or blocking our plans. I remember one time when my wife and I were trying to go to visit a new church but every single road that we took had an accident or construction on it. We ended up going to a different church that Sunday morning. But it might have actually been easier to just turn around and go back home. If I told you all the details you would laugh and possibly think I was embellishing the story a bit because of how many obstacles there were. 

So, what are the obstacles that are keeping you from coming fully to Christ and to His church? 

We might say “I don’t have time right now” or “I don’t know anybody at that church” or “Jesus and me are good” but in reality how many of these are excuses or platitudes? We make time for that which is most important, we go all the time to new stores and restaurants where we don’t know anybody and if you are judgment day honest, is it really well with your soul, or is there something in your heart or life that you know God is talking to you about? Are we willing to drill down deep into our heart and soul to discover why we are putting Jesus and His bride on the back-burner?

• Could it be that we have adopted the idea that Christianity is there for us when we need it, but if it things get super busy or difficult it’s okay to just drop it until life settles down a bit?
  
• Could it be that we have seen other people who claim Christianity yet their life doesn’t measure up to what we think it should so we decide that we are doing well enough without hanging around them?
  
• Could it be that God hasn’t been answering our prayers the way that we want so we are kind of giving Him the cold shoulder until things start turning around in our lives?

Whatever it is that is keeping you from Christ, I can assure you that the obstacle is not insurmountable and in fact the reward of being with Christ far outweighs the cost of getting past the hurdles.

Furthermore whatever it is that is keeping you from church, whether it is the pastor, the worship style, your own lifestyle or business or any other reason, the church is a priceless gift from God to His children and we need to do whatever it takes to plant ourselves fully within it. 

One final thought: very often anger, bitterness, frustration and temporary circumstances/feelings are what keep us from Christ and His church. Is there really any “good” reason to not draw near to the One who died for us and who can bring us full salvation and abundant/eternal life? Is there any “good” reason to not band together with the other imperfect but faith-filled people who are journeying with Christ towards a life of holy love? 

There really is no “good” reason. Let us see the obstacles as what they are: evidence of spiritual warfare and an enemy that hates you and want to do anything in his power to destroy you and keep you from Christ and His church. Take a firm stand against the devil’s attacks in your life and simply draw near to God in faith and make every effort to be in His Word, in prayer and in His church. 

The eternal blessings are greater than you could ever ask, think or imagine!!

So here’s the thing I know…

People around me have seen and known my imperfections.

They have been the recipients of my awful attitudes, biting words and harsh looks. They have had to deal with the times I have let them down, left them hanging or made them feel unwanted, unappreciated or unloved.

Now I constantly hope that they see my heart and know that it is good and that I didn’t intend to hurt them.

I hope that they see my desire is to help people and to honor God, but I don’t know if they do know that. And is it possible that some of the times my behavior or words came out exactly as it originated: as selfishness, rudeness and unkindness?

I wish that I could say that when I have hurt other people it was only a misunderstanding or that it was always unintentional but that simply is not true. When selfishness acts, people get hurt, and to be selfish is a choice.

Most often I think to myself that people see past my imperfections to the deeper love and goodness (of God) within me, but I also need to make a significant effort at letting God’s fruits within me flow outwardly to those around me. 

And finally here is where my heart is grieved and I have a deep and abiding concern: what if the prevalence and pain of my imperfections has kept others from knowing or believing the gospel of Jesus Christ? What if people have heard my words and seen my actions and decided that either gospel isn’t true or if I am an example of Christianity then they don’t want to have any part of it?

This grieves and concerns me and I don’t exactly know what to do about it. 

I know I need to apologize to every person I have ever hurt and by building those bridges perhaps lead them to (or back to) a belief in Christ, but I don’t always know who I have hurt or how I have hurt them.

So here I say: If I have ever hurt you by my words, attitudes or actions, I am sorry and I beg your forgiveness. I hope that you will in no way doubt the gospel of Jesus Christ or the character of God because of my failings. I hope that in spite of my sins and offenses towards you that you will still be able to live in the fullness of peace, joy and love that God offers. Although I cannot take back what I have done to hurt you, I hope that with your prayers and the help of the Lord that I will not continue to hurt you or the kingdom of God. 

I pray that each of us will somehow be able to serve as signposts pointing people to God instead of stumbling blocks who keep them from Him.

Remember this: the devil is the father of lies, he is a roaring lion prowling around seeking whom he may devour. Remember too that the devil comes only to steal, kill and destroy and that he is an accuser of people, always judging, always condemning and always deceiving.

The reason I mention this now is because many people have been deceived. Paul even states the the devil has blinded the minds of the unbelieving (2 Cor 4:4)

I believe that countless people in this world and even some who may call themselves Christian and sometimes attend church are deceived.

Many people believe that church is optional, when the Bible is clear that when we are born again we are born into the church. We don’t have a choice, to be a Christian is to belong to the church and to bear God-given responsibilities to serve the church, to bear one another’s burdens and to love one another. 

Many people believe that somehow we can be Christians without pursuing holiness. Nothing could be farther from the truth. To be a Christ follower is to pursue love and holiness. It is to think on these things. It is to receive them from Christ and share them with others. 

The list could go on. But here is the point: Be on your guard against the devil and false doctrine/teaching. Don’t be taken in by the god of this age. Don’t allow yourself to be led astray.

Instead if you desire to be a true Christian get in the Word of God, meditate on it, memorize it, obey it. If you desire to be a true Christian, be present and engaged at church: worship, learn, serve. If you desire to be a true Christian pursue love and holiness and reject any watering down of the faith that somehow accepts Christ without rejecting sin or somehow claims Christ but only half-heartedly.  

Remember this: God loves you and His plan is to deliver you, save you and make you holy. He is looking throughout the earth to see  who is fully committed to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9) Receive this word from Him and please believe and obey it today!

Dear pastor,

I really want to make a difference. 

I can’t stand the idea of wasting my life. 

The doubts and fears that encroach on me as a pastor can at times be overwhelming:

• Why have they stopped attending?
• Why do they insist on acting that way?
• We just can’t keep going the way things are…
• Why are so few willing to help?
• Why can’t I seem to say or do the right things to really make it work?

I’m sure that you like me have thought these things and perhaps 1000 other discouraged and negative thoughts as well. 

I believe that we each want to truly make a difference and we want to serve in a place and in such a way that we can make the most impact possible. 

But it seems like no matter how hard we work, or what specifically we do, that people still insist on putting God on the backburner and pursuing whatever else (anything else sometimes!) that catches their interest. 

And although it seems that we are getting nowhere, we also know that we cannot quit because we have been called to this and we have this passion like a fire inside of us simply driving us to tell people the good news!

So what is the answer? 

Books have been written on this, so what can I say briefly that will encourage, empower and equip?

Let me keep it simple:

• Open the Bible, read a chapter (or more) and simply trust that God is speaking
• Get on your knees and conversationally tell God all you are thankful for and all that you are concerned about
• Pick up your phone and call 5 people asking them what God is teaching them  and if you can pray for them (and then pray with them right there over the phone)
• Tell people with excitement and joy all that God wants to do for them if they will simply trust and obey

Does this seem overly-simplistic? 

Yes!

But if everything else were stripped away and this was all you did, would you make a difference? 

YES!

So whatever else you are doing these days and no matter what you are thinking about or what weight you are under, please do the 4 things above and then make sure to notice and praise God for whatever He does along the way!

Thank you for making an eternal difference for countless people by your faithfulness and perseverance!

Christ is with us, Christ is in us!

Mike J