Friday, July 30, 2010

Don't Let the Dream Die

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity." Jeremiah 29:11-14

God has a specific calling for all of us. He desires to place a dream within each of our hearts - a dream only He can bring to pass. We were born to soar with the eagles, but many of us have been injured in the rough and tumble of life. Some of us no longer fly over life's obstacles. Instead, we have allowed our hearts to be trampled on by temptations, tests, and trials. If we are not careful, we can also allow the negative words of others to destroy the dreams and ambitions God has for us.

God desires to release us from captivity. When we allow people's words to hurt us, and when we let the trials of life run roughshod over us, we do not experience God's victory. The Lord wants to free us from all oppression and cause us to soar over life's difficulties, as we pursue the Lord's dream for our lives.

Our Father God loves us. The plans He has for us are designed for our good and for the benefit of the kingdom. Let's seek the Lord with all our hearts. Let's allow Him to reveal and affirm the plans He has for us. Let's ask Him to heal our hearts from any past hurts. If He shows us that we have harbored unforgiveness in our hearts toward someone, let's forgive that one and receive emotional healing from the hand of our loving Lord.

Don't let God's dream for your life die within you. Nurture it. Run after it. The Lord wants you to know that He has anointed you. He has gifted you to serve Him in a special way. God wants you to discover your calling and then pursue it for His glory. He can use you to touch many lives if you will allow Him to work through you. He will cause you to soar on the winds of the Spirit. He will enable you to make a difference in the lives of others as you pursue your God-given dream(s).

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Come Lord Jesus, Come!

At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30

Lord, You're coming again. With speed and stealth You will take us all by surprise. Like a thief in the night You'll arrive on the scene. Lord, may You find us faithful. How I often long for that day. The day when You come to take us home. Those that know You will see you face to face and we shall be like You. Thank You for that promise. Thank you that You have prepared a place for us.

Help us to reach out to those that do not yet know You. Help us to evangelize. They are lost apart from You. Jesus, open the eyes of their hearts, and give us boldness to proclaim Your good news.

Lord, please come soon. But in the waiting help us to be patient and enable us to productively work for the furtherance of Your kingdom. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus, come!

A Prayer Request

I'd like to request the prayers of those who read my blog. My mom just underwent surgery for breast cancer. The surgeon was hopeful that she removed all the cancer, but when the pathology report came back it showed there was a small area that still needed attention. Please pray for my mom's complete healing. God can do wonders and he often works through doctors. Please pray that God will give wisdom and skill to the doctors and that the Lord would heal my mom directly through the power of the Holy Spirit. Also, I would like to ask you to pray for my family that they would embrace Christianity. Thank you for your prayers. God says in His word that the prayers of a righteous man (or woman) is powerful and effective.

Blessings,

Tom Toya

Friday, July 23, 2010

Miracles

You spoke the word
And healing came
With a touch of your hand
The leper was made whole
By the power of the Holy Spirit
Multitudes were cured

Your disciples released their faith
The lame walked
The diseased received perfect health

Today's church can also see miracles
For God still heals
Signs and wonders testify of the One
Who restores the sick
And transforms twisted souls

Let us pray boldly to the Father
He desires to amaze us

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Morning Watch

Life streams by like fireflies in the wind
I hear the echoes of those that call for my attention
My cell phone rings and rings
And emails pile like Mount Everest
Busyness seeks to snuff out my candle

But I find refuge under the shadow of Your wings
In the quiet, I am refreshed
New strength pulsates within me
The morning watch is where we meet
I bow in peace before Your beautiful feet
And You satisfy my every need

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

I Was Wrong

He who heeds discipline, shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray. Proverbs 10:17

The past couple of days I have been running on fumes. I had to wake up early two days ago to bring my brother to the airport, and then that night I went to bed later than usual. This was unwise of me, and because I was sleep deprived my mood was affected. I became cranky and irritable. Instead of resisting these negative emotions, I let them surface and I acted rudely to my wife and her cousin. My wife, Lou, confronted me about it and at first I was defensive, but soon I realized I was wrong. I then apologized to Lou and Lynette.

In this instance, I heeded discipline. This brought me back on track. Our response to rebuke can influence others as well. The Scripture says that when we listen to correction we show others the way to life, and when we ignore discipline, we lead others astray.

All of us fall at times. We all sin. The important thing is that we learn to bounce back. This means we will have to confess our sin to the Lord, and in many cases it will mean that we have to apologize to those who were involved.

When God corrects us - either directly or through a person - let's be quick to repent. God will forgive us. When we learn to humble ourselves in this way, we point others toward our Heavenly Father's way of doing things. When we turn back to the Lord, we can once again enjoy sweet fellowship with Him, and, if needed, God can bring us back into harmony with others.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Abba Father

My wife and I do not have children. But we do have a precious little dog named Muy-Muy. He is an eight and a half month old Maltese, known to be the smartest breed of small dogs. Muy-Muy loves to play. Sometimes my wife and I will get on our hands and feet and crawl on the carpeting. Our seven pound white fur ball then races around the room sailing between our legs while barking. He also loves to cuddle and most every night he sleeps with us in our bed. Muy-Muy often follows us around the house, while we go about our day.

We can't leave him for long periods of time because he gets lonely. When he sees us after being away for an hour or two, he licks our faces with excitement and jolts back and forth. I have come to see that our little puppy is very much dependent upon us not only for his survival, but for his emotional well being.

Similarly, God wants us to be dependent upon Him. Like children who look to their parents, we are to look to our Heavenly Father. He is the wellspring where we find all that matters. He is our source of joy, freedom, significance, sustenance, and love.

Thankfully, all is not serious business with God; He too wants to play with us. He enjoys our company; He relishes in our fellowship with Him.

When we are away from Him, we should long to be with the Lord. A desire to spend time with our Master should well up within us.

Those who have not had a positive father figure in their life may find it harder to embrace our Father God. But our Lord wants to reveal Himself to all His children as the one who will wipe away every tear and who will mentor us, enabling us to be all that we can be for Him. He is Abba, which means Daddy God. This is what Jesus called Him and we can find the freedom to do the same.