Lord, let every word that comes from my mouth today be comprised of Gratitude and Awe of your Awesomeness and Your Protection and Provision! You Truly are a Good Good Father!
Tag: Jesus
Victory from God!
What a word of encouragement and promise that we are given from our Heavenly Father!
What God says and really feels about you!
What a great reminder this morning from the words of scripture! You are honored and loved by God! Don’t forget it, because it is true!
Quick Down, Quick Up!
Thinking of the ageless principle that still rings in my mind, “Quick Down, Quick Up!” No matter what you’re going through, where you are, or how you got there – keep on going! When you stumble and fall, get right back up! Thanks @jeannemayo for unpacking and living out-loud Biblical, life giving, and timeless principles!
Before the Details…
This verse struck me this morning. God has simply told Abram that he is to leave everything and everyone he knows and to go to a place that God would show him. He takes his nephew Lot along for the trip, and Lot ends up taking the “best” land and but then Abram has to rescue him from being a “POW”. Abram ends up in the presence of the King of Salem who blesses him, along the same lines of what God inentionally spoke to Abram. Then in Gen. 15 God begins the intense elevation of His promise to Abram!
Abram is concerned about the future of his family name, the inheritance, his place in Israelite history – but God looks at him and speaks that He has it all under control for Abram’s best interest.
If we read into Gen. 16, we see that Abram and his wife try to take all the details under control and it ends up hurting some people close to them. Ultimately our world today sees the consequence of their decision. (Another blog about this later!) But God continues on with the promise The He gave Abram.
I want to key in on this powerful declaration in Gen. 15:6, “And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him a righteous because of his FAITH!”
It was Who and what Abram believed in that won the declaration of righteousness in Abram. It wasn’t his ability to do or be, it was The Who of his life. We clearly see that even in Abram’s faith – he made some not so good decisions. But all that was trumped because of Who he believed in!
Before all the details of his journey were revealed, Abram believed God would see him through! FAITH!
What are you believing God for today! Not your dreams, desires, and wishes, but what God has already given you, promised you, whatever the details are or are not – is your FAITH in He who gave you the dream or yourself as you try and figure out the details on your own?
FAITH – “The substance if things hope for (our dreams and His promise!, the evidence of things not yet seen (The Details)! Heb. 11:1
God is truly bigger than the boogie man!
I am learning again so many things that I have preached over the years. Truly what Faith is. How leaning not on my own understanding is really powerful. That there are times in life that truly don’t make sense, yet God makes a way.
Today, maybe you are like me and there are a lot of things that are scrambling for your attention or they have too much of your attention. Maybe your at at your brink, feeling like the mountains of your life are at the earthquake point, ready to topple right on you. Or maybe you feel as if life’s waves are about to overtake you.
Have peace and rest assured that God is your refuge and strength, and you and I have nothing to fear! Our Heavenly Father is the creator of those mountains and those waves, He knows and oh how He loves you and me!
Don’t Quit!
God’s Mercy always gives us a way! Never give up when you are following Jesus. There is always a way out, over, under, or through! His mercies are truly new every morning!
Weakness? = Boldness!
Heb. 5:15&16, let it sink in deep!
Jesus understands exactly where you are! Even more so, our weakness gives us the boldness to go to a GRACE-IOUS God! Then He gives us His Mercy and Grace when we need it the most!
So not an angry God to His kids! Oh how he Loves!
You Just Have to Trust Me
If you read my blog on a regular basis, you will see that I do not post a whole lot about water. Water is not my favorite thing. I have to confess, if being clean was not such a priority, I wouldn’t shower daily – simply because I just don’t like the drying off process. I know that seems so weird, but what can I say, I am a little quirky (It’s only me – I know!). Please humble me with another water post.
We were recently blessed with a trip to Florida! It was amazing to see friends and family, some of whom we have not seen in at many as 7 or 8 years. We got to hang out with some dear people in our lives, eat at some of favorite Florida restaurants, make some great family memories, and see my nephew play football – this being his senior year!
Well, my favorite memory has to be from Thursday, Sept. 8th. Our family went to St. Petersburg beach in the Tampa area. What a beautiful place and the weather was perfectly hot for a great day in the bay side water. Well, we arrived at 3:15 and stayed well beyond 2 hours, which is huge for us. After have been there for about 45 minutes, I noticed that my little guy, Ian – 3 years old – hadn’t got in the water yet. So I made my way, “back to shore” to grab him and get him in the water. After I grabbed him, there was much screaming and leg kicking, he was so overwhelmed and did not know what to think of this vast body of water. As I got him calmed down and his body accustomed to the feel of the water, he really began to adjust and feel safe and secure in the arms of his dad. Once I got out to the depth of the water at about chest deep for me, he was totally loving the water, but then he got a strange look on his face.
“Dad, are there sharks out here?” Well you, our kids are avid “Shark Week” fans. You could tell that Ian was putting 2 and 2 together. He was in the home of the shark. I quickly replied, “No Ian. The sharks are not here this close to the people. You will be okay, ‘You just have to trust me!'” Well we ended up playing in the water, collecting shells, and throwing the football, etc… for the better part of an hour and 45 minutes. It was great. I told my wife later, that Ian made the trip to the beach this time. His little world of understanding, just got a little bit bigger! And I was grateful.
As I reflect on our little time in the water, it was if my Heavenly Father was speaking to me, “Son, you just have to trust me!” Boy, I was humbled. “I know Daddy, I have to trust you. It just all the unknowns. It just the lack of seeing what tomorrow holds. It just the fact that things aren’t turning out like I thought they were supposed to. It just very little is making sense right now. I feel so overwhelmed, like being in the middle of the ocean, where the sharks live. Daddy, I am a little bit, well a whole lot – scared!”
Ah that point of reckoning where you and I have to admit that we don’t have it all together. Where we have to depend on our Heavenly Father, more than we depend on our own judgments, relationship, our own sensibilities, and our own skills and abilities. We just have to trust Him! We have to remember it was Jesus that said in Isaiah 41:10,
“So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
And then in Isaiah 43:1 & 2,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.”
That is our Heavenly Fathers way of saying, “You Just Have to Trust Me!”
So, as we were pulling into my brother-in-law’s neighborhood, Ian woke up instantly in from an hour and half long nap. Without missing a beat, he says…
“Let’s go to the beach! That was fun being in the water!”
My hats off to you Sport, you are learning to love the adventure into the Shark’s Layer! Keep on Swimming!
15 Years
Today, marks the day that changed America like nothing since Dec. 7, 1941. More America lives were lost on this day 15 years ago, due to terrorism, than ever before. It was tragic!
For our generation, we can tell you where we were, what we were doing, giving details to the very minute angles of the morning. It is a day forever seared into our memory banks!
Today, I want to remind us all of the timeless treasure of the words of Jesus. They are for us today, they are for us 15 years ago, they will be for tomorrow should the Lord tarry another 15 years from today!
Jesus said in John 16:33…
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.
But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
To those that lost their lives, lost loved ones or friends, take heart today – Jesus has overcome your pain and grief.
To those who have let the pain of this day bear its weight, take heart – Jesus has overcome your fear.
To those who have watch a mom or dad walk out the door to service in the military, take heart – Jesus has overcome your sadness.
To those who have yet to ask Jesus to be their Lord, take heart – Jesus loves you and desires to have relationship with you for eternity!
May we never forget, may we never look backwards, may we always have the passion to move forward in Christ! America, let us turn our hearts to our Heavenly Father!
Chilly Water
So we are traveling for the big Labor Day weekend. My wife’s Aunt and Uncle have a pool in their backyard. The high today is 75 degrees, hardly swimming tempature for this guy, but my kids love it.
Well the statement was made, “When the water is chilly like this, you just have to jump in!”
Spiritual principle right here in the backyard. No matter the tempature of your surroundings, you just have to jump right in, and do whatever it takes to swim and handle the tempature of your surroundings. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 9:22, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”
We have to live our life in such a way that no matter the surroundings we are all in for Jesus, all in with people, passionate about what God has for you and I and through you and I for other people!
Still not going in the water this trip, but I will go in the water of every situation that life brings my way hot or cold! I’m all in!
Love You Much Much More!
The coolest thing happened to me today! I was headed on a couple of errands with my 2 youngest kids. They were in the back seat, we were jamming to some David Crowder – “Run Devil Run“, and I heard my 3 year old pray.
“Dear Jesus, help daddy love you much much more!”
Well my heart melted right there on Hudson Road! The fact that my 3 year old is tapped into my desire to love Jesus much much more! I just love it! He is interceding for his daddy and he is only 3!
From that point forward the thought that has been racing through my heart is not just how much more I want to love Jesus, but how much He already loves me and you.
In Isaiah 43, 1 “…D0 not be afraid, for I have ransomed you I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you you walk through the fire of oppression you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior… 4 …You are precious to me. You are honored, and I LOVE YOU!
Did you catch that, God, the creator of the universe says to you and me – “I Love You!”
I just can’t get over the fact that He loves me! Thank you to my 3 year old for the great reminder today, of how much I am loved not just by him, but our Heavenly Father!
And don’t forget #3 – Ian Daniel Lewiston – I LOVE YOU MUCH MUCH MORE – TOO!
Way Down Deep
Yesterday, I was moving furniture, pics, and boxes with the help of a few friends. In the midst of all the moving, I grabbed a picture that has a rustic wooden frame, as I grabbed it – I felt this pinch or stab into my thumb. You guessed it – SPLINTER – DEEP SPLINTER! I calmly put the picture down, looked at my thumb, and saw the inch long piece of “lumber” sticking out of my thumb. OUCH!!!!! I pull out the splinter, wiped off the drop of blood, and went back to my day.
Later that evening, right before dinner, I notice my thumb was sore. My daughter and I with a flashlight, tweezers, small sharp blade and fingernail clippers started a small surgical process of exploring to see if I had not removed all of the splinter. We couldn’t find anything. Well, when I woke up this morning, thumb was throbbing and a little yellow pocket of infection had formed causing even more discomfort! Pulling out all the same utensils, I went a little deeper. And I struck gold. There is was, a tiny little sliver of wood, causing the discomfort and infection.
As I performed this little removal, I really felt like the Lord was speaking to me. “Sometimes we have to go Way Down Deep!”
Using all the same instruments, process, and knowledge, I had to go deeper to find the leftover splinter. What caused me to stop my exploration through my thumb – my pain. I didn’t feel as though I could tolerate the pain. But this morning, there was a different kind of pain, and that pain said to me “No more splinter – no more pain!”
It is not enough to stay close to the surface. When there are things in your life that are causing you pain and discomfort, we have to go a little further to find the source of the pain. When things are good, there are often things that are better than good – maybe great or the best!
Often times the surfaces is just that – the surface. The place where things are status quo. The place where life is just a pattern of normal and mundane. It is below the surface, or in the deep where the formation of who we are, what we do, and/or why we do it is really formed an molded into what God really has for us!
One of my favorite passages of scripture (as well sermons that my pastor at the church I grew up spoke – many moons ago) is found in Matt. 26:39…
39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
We obviously get a sense of the pain in the voice and the heart of Jesus. But we get first a glimpse of the tenacity and persistence of Christ as well. “He went a little further!” He didn’t stay status quo. He went deeper. Way down deep!
Psalm 42:7, tells us, “Deep call to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.“
Today, I don’t know your situation. I know mine though, and I need to go deeper. I want to go deeper. Wherever you and I are at, whatever you and I are going through, no matter the feelings or emotions… Let the depth of His love for you and I crash over us. Let the depth of His love, call out to our need to be loved by Him!
Romans 8:3 & 39, “For I am convinced…neither height or depth…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”
I don’t know about you, but I want to go deeper! So that Jesus can go “Way Down Deep”!