cup of joe

Life isn't funny sometimes. Things don't go as we expect, people don't act like they should and our dreams can get squashed before they even start to take shape. But God is always there working in the midst of the happenings to build a better you. Look at this scripture: Romans 5:3-5 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  I know, you are probably saying how can I rejoice in what's going on right now? You grin and bear it because you believe in something better that is on the way. That's faith! Too often we sabotage His dreams for us with our negative words and thoughts. Know this...trouble works on you but eventually works in you and bui…

There is quite a difference between a FAN and a FOLLOWER. The other day in a bookstore, I saw this book, "Not a Fan" and remembered reading it years ago and the impact it had on me. I started thinking about the difference in being a fan or a follower. It challenged me to become more of a follower than a fan of Jesus. Here's what the author said... "I realize that many times I consider myself to be a follower (imitator) but I’m really just a fan (enthusiastic admirer). Jesus can’t be simply one of the choices…He must be THE choice. He IS the way, the truth AND THE life. God sent Jesus to give His life so that He could have yours. Is He your one of many or your one and only? Have you made a decision for Christ or are you committed to Christ? It’s about so much more than walking an aisle and praying a prayer. Fans do that. Jesus said you must deny yourself (turn from your selfish ways) take up your cross DAILY and follow Him." And this is MY story… Twelve years ago my …

What we release can be filled with peace. What would your life be like if you were learning to let go of your wounds? Lies, broken promises, conflict, and betrayal are a few of the things that wound us emotionally. Internal wounds are much more serious and painful than external ones. Remember falling as a kid? You probably don’t remember the cuts, scrapes, and bruises you got on the playground but I bet you do remember the painful words that were said to you. I don't know who said, "sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me!" That just isn't true! The names often hurt the most! We remember emotional wounds a lot longer than physical ones. We cannot afford to keep playing the tape over and over again of the things that wounded us. We've got to release it! There’s a word for rehearsing a hurt over and over again in your mind – resentment. It literally means, “to cut again.” Every time you nurse an old would, you’re cutting yourself again. No…

He has never walked. There are no wheelchairs. The pool is not ADA compliant.All that exists here is the mercy of others.We know of no family members making daily visits.Perhaps they were around buy perhaps not.Day after day, year after year, he shares in the suffering with others hoping one day to win the angelic lottery. Today we travel to Jerusalem, to the Pool of Bethesda, a.k.a. the pool of the sheep-market. When we arrive at the rectangular shaped pool, we do not notice the glistening water as the sun reflects upon it.What we notice are different levels; parcels surrounding the pool.What we hear are the faint moans and groans of the terminally ill.Following the sounds, we become fixated on a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, lame, paralyzed, withered, diseased folk.As we try to access what is taking place here we sense a certain level/degree of anticipation.Further research tells us that all of these infirmed people are waiting for “divine intervention”…a certain mome…

Life can interrupt you sometimes and throw things in your path that you did not expect. It also moves so quickly that we miss a lot of the things happening and get caught away with the motion of living. Sometimes the pace is just too fast. But what if these challenges we face were God's way of dramatically altering the pace of life? Slow motion changes everything. When you slow everything down, you begin to see with more clarity and you see every detail. The seams on a baseball pitch, the dimples in the golf ball, the water droplets leaving the wave. No matter what it is, slowing it down allows you to get a better look at it and make adjustments. For most of us, its another chance to evaluate our decisions, our relationships and our future. Today, rather than running into the week at full speed, grab a cup of joe and allow God to slow down the speed of your life events and give you a better look at whats happening and how it affects you and those connected to you. You may be surp…

Acts 9:32Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. 33 There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. 
35 Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.
It just takes one miracle. One act of God, one supernatural burst of power, one deliverance, one miracle. Peter went from city to city looking for people that needed Christ. Some needed to have their minds reprogrammed, some needed financial help, some healing in their bodies. When he met Aeneas it was clear what his condition was. He hadn't been able to move for eight years. Peter spoke with authority and said "Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, grab your sleeping bag and get moving!" Immediately the man was healed. One man, one miracle.  But the…

Acts 14:8  In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.     9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.
Paul was sent out to minister by the Holy Spirit. He was given divine direction. I really love this miracle. One thing about Paul that I pray will also be in us is that ability, that divine ability to “see faith”. He was able to look upon a seemingly helpless and hopeless situation and see something that only God sees. He SAW that the man who had never walked had something inside of him that could be ignited, activated and bring about his deliverance and so he spoke to that faith…Stand UP! Not only did the man stand up, he jumped to his feet and began to do something that he had never done before. When we are set free from our own limitations we need this kind of response…to ju…

“You may remember the song. It goes on to say, "do you promise not to tell"? I have been examining my prayer life to see how much time I spend talking and how much time I spend listening. In James 1 we are told to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Listening is so important. I am quite certain that many times I have prayed and left the building with God ready to speak and no one left to hear what He would say.
People love to hear secrets. As a kid, one time that you never talked was when someone was telling you a secret. And then they ALWAYS asked you to promise not to tell. So there you were with this juicy bit of gossip and no one to tell it too. Kind of like the preacher that skipped service to play golf on Sunday morning and got his first hole in one!
Well, the secret is out. I need to listen up more. I need to tune in to the still small voice of God. How about you? Do you go to the Lord with your personal "help me" list and fail to be quiet long enough to …

Wait, I have the mind of Christ? You will find that scripture in 1 Corinthians 2:16. It applies to the person that has made Jesus Christ the Lord of their life. Old things have passed away and all things have become new...and one of those things is a new mind...the mind of Christ. I was a bit unsettled by that first, as there are many moments where I do not feel that my mind is thinking like Christ at all! Have you ever been there? Certainly the Lord would not have had that thought!  Sometimes I wonder, "where did that come from?" To operate with the mind of Christ in action requires diligence and a dedication to reading the Word so that the minds can continue being renewed. I have realized that my mind needs fresh manna each and every day in order to stay crisp and sharp. Without new life in, the old life wins. So today, stop beating yourself up over thoughts you have that take you off His path. Condition yourself to change the way you think. Ask God to make His word fresh…