Aim High

Here is a link to a devotion I wrote that was published in christiandevotions.us .  I hope it ministers to you...

http://christiandevotions.us/?wpmlmethod=newsletter&id=383&mailinglist_id=0&subscriber_id=1063&authkey=71a3cb155f8dc89bf3d0365288219936

A Prophetic Message

A prophetic word given on 3/17/13 at First Assembly of God in Wheaton, IL

I have chosen you My body, My bride. I have called you, My anointed ones. You have been given a great commission. You are called to bring the message of reconciliation to a dying world. Open up your hearts. Open up your mouths. Declare this message of My love and saving power. Choose to tell others of My great love for them. Let Me fill you with My Spirit. Let Me compel you with My love to compel others to turn to Me. You are My ambassadors. I am pleased with you My children – My set apart ones.

The Way to God's Heart

Draw near unto God, and He will draw near unto you. James 4:8 NKJV

How do we get closer to God? How do we grow in intimacy with our Creator? Let me first say that just as we have to pick the right roads and the right direction to get to a physical destination, we also must choose the right path to draw closer to God. We first are enabled to reach Him by finding Christ. Jesus paved the way for us to know the Father. His death and resurrection made it possible for us to have an abiding relationship with God. If you haven't done so already, admit your need for God and receive Christ's forgiveness for your sins. We all have sinned; we all fall short of God's glory. Jesus is the Savior of sinners. He paid the price so we can have a relationship with God the Father and so that we can experience eternal life.

Once you've embarked on this journey called Christianity, you will find that true fulfillment in life is found only in Christ. This does not mean that our lives solely consist of prayer, Bible reading and church services. It does mean, however, that while we engage in the normal activities of life, we find satisfaction in living every aspect of our lives to the glory of God. We work as unto the Lord; we develop relationships that are Christ-honoring; we endeavor to please God in the way we relate to our family. As we place Christ in the center of all we do, our intimacy with Him deepens.

Of course one of the primary ways we grow in our relationship with God is through regular prayer and Bible study. Prayer is simply having dialogue with God. When we talk to our Creator, He listens. And when He speaks to us, we are to listen as well. His voice is found first in the Scriptures, but He also desires to speak to us deep within our hearts. Jesus said that My sheep know My voice.

In prayer, we give to God all our frustrations, doubts,and fears; we also express to Him our joys, our praise, and our gratitude. Prayer refreshes us and draws us closer to the One who saved us. We are to couple prayer with the attentive reading of the Bible. Our desire should be to obey the word of God. When we make the choice to obey Scripture, we find that our lives become fine tuned to the Master. We become more sensitive to His promptings. Our ears adjust more closely to the frequency of the Holy Spirit. As we grow in obedience to the Lord, we also begin to look more and more like Christ.

When we draw near to God in these ways, He draws near to us. Psalm 103:7 in the New Living Translation says, “He (God) revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.” New Living Translation, parenthesis mine. When we draw closer to God, He begins to reveal to us His nature – His heart. The Israelites were content in experiencing God's miracles. Let's reach further in our relationship with Christ. Let's allow Him to teach us the depth of His ways. He will teach us if we will only draw near to Him.

Let's invite the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey to grow closer to the One who saved us. He will help us find the way – the way to God's heart.     

Now and Always

It isn’t based on circumstance
It doesn’t come from happenstance
It’s a fruit that abides
That flows from within
Joy is a river that comes from Him

Its language is praise

Even before everything comes in line
Joy is our strength all of the time
It rises from being in union with Christ
We are the branches He is the Vine

Joy laughs at the days to come

Even when shut in the dark
Paul and Silas praised the Lord
While in their prison cell
Heaven and earth were shaken
Yes, even hell
God broke their chains
All was well

Joy makes us strong and stable

We will give God praise
He’ll make us more than able
Able to face any giant
Able in Him not self-reliant

Joy is now, not when the sky clears

Joy is a welcome companion for the journey
Let’s make joy our daily garment
Set aside the rags of discouragement
Let’s rejoice both now and always
Now and always

What's Best

My heart raced to and fro

Looking for the way to go

Wanting God's will with all my might

I gazed at the horizon

Saw the mountains

Saw the sun

Peering with squinted eyes

It stung my sight

I thought of all the places

I longed to be

All the things I desired to do and see

For the King...

My heart grew uneasy

With all that was before me

Then I closed my eyes

And God gave me sight

I saw a treasure chest beneath my feet

Resources from heaven

God's great blessing

It was right where I stood

The Lord revealed

"You're in the center of My will"

Now my heart is at rest

I now rejoice

At where I am at in life

Cause the Father knows for me

What's best