After the resurrection the disciples were still searching for answers. They had experienced the resurrected Christ and wondered what was next. Then He left again...the ascension. He was taken away in a cloud back to heaven. Now what? What's next? What do we do? Surely these are thoughts that were swirling in their hearts.
All they could do is do what Christ told them to do...not a bad idea. "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."..."But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:4-5,8)
We could learn from the disciples. When your heart and life are swirling with uncertainties, do what Christ has told you to do. Keep your focus and do what He says. Something big is coming. Something exciting is coming. Something promised is coming. Something He spoke about is coming. Something more is coming. Something powerful is coming.
So what should we do until it gets here? Wait. Believe. PRAY! That's what they did. And it worked. I know it's radical to do what they did in the Bible, but I believe it works for us too...just saying.
Have a great, big, exciting, promised, more, and powerful week.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
post resurrection world
Romans 8:11 tells us that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us...if we are Christ followers and have asked Him to lead our lives. With this in mind, we as Christ followers are living in a post resurrection world with the same resurrection power living in us. I think what God has in mind is more than this. He wants this Spirit (resurrection power) to live not just in us but through us. If this Spirit is just living in us, perhaps dormant, then we are missing the point and need a personal resurrection. May you ask and allow God to live in and through you with resurrection power that will flow to others so they may experience real Life!
Share your story! As this Spirit power flows through you and you minister to others, share what God is doing to encourgage others to do the same. Elijah was a man just like us (James 5:17,18) and God worked through him.
Have a great day! I appreciate you and all you do for the King!
Share your story! As this Spirit power flows through you and you minister to others, share what God is doing to encourgage others to do the same. Elijah was a man just like us (James 5:17,18) and God worked through him.
Have a great day! I appreciate you and all you do for the King!
Friday, November 26, 2010
A December to Remember!
I am looking forward to a December to remember: to experience the power of Jesus!
God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Just as He provided, saved, healed, delivered, restored, etc., in the yesterdays, He will today! Believe!
God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Just as He provided, saved, healed, delivered, restored, etc., in the yesterdays, He will today! Believe!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Freedom!
I recently shared a series of messages on Freedom! The first message challenged us to be "free from yo self!" This thought challenges us to consider what about ourselves that we need to be free from. It is somewhat of a given that we all would admit we do not always make the best choices or decisions. We all know we have limitations. But what is it that we should really be free of?
We can narrow it down to a few things. Have you ever heard someone say, trust your heart...well don't do it! Check out the word, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Not only is our heart deceitful but deceitful above all other things...and beyond cure...so it doesn't get better. We must trust the heart of God! We cannot trust our own heart. We must be free from our heart controlling our lives.
Second, let's read Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." We must be free from leaning on our own understanding. It does not mean we check our brains at the door, but it does mean we let Him transform our thinking.
And we must be free from all our ways...we can't do it our way. If we lean on our own understanding and do it our way, our paths will be crooked. But trusting and acknowledging Him can make our paths straight.
Jesus said, "To the Jews who had believed him...'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32) For those of us who believe in Him, we must hold to his teaching, be His follower/student and then we can know the truth and be free!
Pray with me, "I want to be free!"
We can narrow it down to a few things. Have you ever heard someone say, trust your heart...well don't do it! Check out the word, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Not only is our heart deceitful but deceitful above all other things...and beyond cure...so it doesn't get better. We must trust the heart of God! We cannot trust our own heart. We must be free from our heart controlling our lives.
Second, let's read Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." We must be free from leaning on our own understanding. It does not mean we check our brains at the door, but it does mean we let Him transform our thinking.
And we must be free from all our ways...we can't do it our way. If we lean on our own understanding and do it our way, our paths will be crooked. But trusting and acknowledging Him can make our paths straight.
Jesus said, "To the Jews who had believed him...'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32) For those of us who believe in Him, we must hold to his teaching, be His follower/student and then we can know the truth and be free!
Pray with me, "I want to be free!"
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
in the fire
There is an Old Testament story of three Hebrew men who were key leaders in the Babylonian empire where the king built a gold statue of himself and demanding everyone bow done and worship his statue. Of course they refused and were brought in to the king to answer for their choices. The king even gave them one more chance to bow down. Again they refused. The king then ordered that a furnace be heated up 7 times hotter than normal, and these leaders be tied up and put into the furnace. The statement these leaders made was incredible, “…we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3) The furnace was so hot it killed the guards who threw them into it.
As the king looked at the furnace, he saw not only the three men but also a fourth he said looked like a son of the gods. He noticed the three were unbound, unharmed and walking around in the furnace. The end of the story is they came out of the furnace and that “…the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.” And the king ordered the nation to worship their God and not his statue anymore. Wow!
One intriguing fact of this story is that the three men and the fourth, whom scholars often believe was Christ himself, were “walking” around in the fire. I can only surmise that these men had read what the prophet Isaiah had written some 100+ years earlier: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:1-3) These men no doubt recalled this passage and as they were thrown into the furnace, started “walking”.
You might feel like you are being thrown into the furnace, maybe even a 7 times hotter fire. Well my friend, start walking and repeating this verse…when I walk through the fire, I will not be burned, the flames will not set me ablaze. For Lord, you are my God, the Holy One, my Savior! Keep walking, you might just see Christ show up in your in your fire too!
As the king looked at the furnace, he saw not only the three men but also a fourth he said looked like a son of the gods. He noticed the three were unbound, unharmed and walking around in the furnace. The end of the story is they came out of the furnace and that “…the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.” And the king ordered the nation to worship their God and not his statue anymore. Wow!
One intriguing fact of this story is that the three men and the fourth, whom scholars often believe was Christ himself, were “walking” around in the fire. I can only surmise that these men had read what the prophet Isaiah had written some 100+ years earlier: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:1-3) These men no doubt recalled this passage and as they were thrown into the furnace, started “walking”.
You might feel like you are being thrown into the furnace, maybe even a 7 times hotter fire. Well my friend, start walking and repeating this verse…when I walk through the fire, I will not be burned, the flames will not set me ablaze. For Lord, you are my God, the Holy One, my Savior! Keep walking, you might just see Christ show up in your in your fire too!
Monday, November 16, 2009
mondays w/ mike: yesterdays, todays & future days...
yesterdays are not today. they have influenced our today but do not have to control our today. yesterdays are good and yesterdays may be bad; one thing for certian, they are yesterday. yesterday has come and yesterday has gone and yesterday will not be back again. yesterday is what was, it does not have to be what is. we can be thankful for all our yesterdays because they taught us and rewarded us.
but today is another story. today is uncharted territory. we have never been here before. today is unblemished, no mistakes are already here. today is upon us. today can be good and today can be bad, we will not know until today is done. we should choose to make the most of today, for we will learn from it and be rewarded by it. we should live today with a "no regrets" theme, because it will influence our future days. if we offer our todays to God, they will become awesome yesterdays that we will reflect upon as the moments that made our future days really incredible.
our future days have the greatest potential. our yesterdays and todays can help to make our future days better than all the others combined. our future days when in the hand of God, will be more than we could ever make them.
Or we could just make the most of every opportunity! (Ephesians 5:16)
but today is another story. today is uncharted territory. we have never been here before. today is unblemished, no mistakes are already here. today is upon us. today can be good and today can be bad, we will not know until today is done. we should choose to make the most of today, for we will learn from it and be rewarded by it. we should live today with a "no regrets" theme, because it will influence our future days. if we offer our todays to God, they will become awesome yesterdays that we will reflect upon as the moments that made our future days really incredible.
our future days have the greatest potential. our yesterdays and todays can help to make our future days better than all the others combined. our future days when in the hand of God, will be more than we could ever make them.
Or we could just make the most of every opportunity! (Ephesians 5:16)
mondays w/ mike
It's time for a blog... Wow, my intent for blogging is to encourage and maybe challenge my friends on a regular basis . With the struggle to be consistent, I will attempt to post each Monday for your enjoyment. Maybe a Monday post will help you face your week with great energy and encouragement. This is simply a notification the "monday w/ mike" post is coming soon... have a blessed week!
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