Our God Primarily Weighs Motives

While the world primarily measures the visible results of our efforts, our God primarily weighs the invisible motives of our hearts. 

So, let us take heart because to seemingly fail in our outward labors isn't automatically linked to some inward fault in our motives. 

Give away your life... To The One Who weighs out motives.

Grateful 

Do You Love The Church?

Do you love the Church? Do I love the Church? Do we love the Church? If we love Jesus, we do. 

Give away your life... To the Bridegroom, Jesus, and to His Bride, The Church.

Grateful 

Worship God....

Worship God because of Who He is.

http://youtu.be/rAMnt4oRhK0

Give away your life... Worshipping God for Who He is. 

Grateful 

"Home Where I Belong" (Mondays)

Mondays are particularly predictable for one specific feeling in my deep spiritual soul; homesickness. 

Today, The Lord led me in the morning hours to an old song sung by The Imperials. Really, the lyrics are a perfect expression of my own heart always, but especially on Mondays. 

http://youtu.be/cBszY2trcLI

Give away your life... To The Home Boy, Jesus of Nazareth and of Heaven.

Grateful 

Jesus, The Friend

On earth Jesus was a friend of sinners, offering up His Life to save us from our spiritual death. However, in Heaven and forevermore He will only be a friend of saints -- those who while on earth turned from sin to belong exclusively to Him.

Give away your life... to Jesus, The Friend!

Grateful

What People Thought...

Lord, let us not be like the rulers recorded in John 12:42-43:

"Many rulers believed in Jesus. However, they wouldn't admit it publicly because the Pharisees would have thrown them out of the synogogue. They were more concerned about what people thought of them than about what God thought of them." (GWT) 

Give away your life... To what God alone thinks. 

Grateful 

"...Not Heroes..."

Jesus calls us to be unobstrusive (not attracting attention to ourselves) disciples, not heroes...

When we are right with God, the tiniest thing done out of love for Him is more precious to Him than any eloquent preaching of a sermon... 

Walking to Jesus on water is often easier than representing Him on dry ground...

He wants us to be exceptional in ordinary things... to belong exclusively to Him, yes, to be His holy saints while surrounded by difficult sinners...

-- Oswald Chambers remix

Give away your life... uncommonly while living your common life.

Grateful 

One Worthy of Being Followed by Everyone

O, Lord, how I pray deeply and desperately that the 7 words "prophesied" about you by the Pharisees in John 12:19 would become a beautiful reality in our days beginning today:

"LOOK! THE WHOLE WORLD IS FOLLOWING HIM!" (GWT)

Give away your life... To The Only One Worthy of being followed by the whole world. Yes, Jesus, The Nazarene, King of Everything, is the Only One Worthy of being followed by everyone! 

Grateful 

"Let Jesus Continue..."

I believe the main reason the chief priests of Jerusalem wanted Jesus crucified is found in their obvious own words recorded in John 11:48 GWT:

"If we let Him continue what He's doing (performing a lot of miracles), everyone will believe in Him."

Give away your life... To the Crucified and Resurrected One so He can continue His mighty miracles in your life, thereby making it easy for everyone around you to believe in Him. 

Grateful 

"Get Your Fire Back!"

My brother in Jesus, Keith, sent me these powerful words today. Let it be our aim and our claim:

"Get your fire back.  

It's not over until God says it over.

Start believing again.  

Start dreaming again.  

Start pursuing what God put in your heart."

 

Give away your life... To The One Who baptizes His own with The Fire of His Blessed Holy Spirit.

Grateful 

God's Promises are "YES" in Jesus. Claim Them.

In Holy God's Holy Word, 2 Corinthians 1:20, these words are ours:

"For all the promises of God in Him (Jesus) are yea (Yes), and in Him, Amen (So be it.)"

As I reflected on this truth, my mind went almost immediately on a search for a promise of God to claim this day as my own. I came directly upon Isaiah 40:31.

As we claim this promise, let us "wait with hope in The Lord", for though our journey Home may seemed painfully paused at times, once He gives us eagles' wings, we shall at once catch up on seemingly lost time and learn that with His nail-scared hand on the throttle of our lives, His timing will surely prove to be absolutely perfect. 

(Click text below for full-frame view and claim the promise with me.)

Give away your life... To The Original Promise Keeper, Almighty Holy God.

Grateful 

Living Love Letters

Today, my Dad would've turned 75, yet He's ageless now in the House of The Lord forever.

As a special gift on this tender day, The Lord spoke to me through two of His living love letters at our local church. Yes, after 36 years as sanctuaries of God's Presence in The Middle East, Lindell and Kay Browning are still burning brightly.

Give away your life... To Jesus and await His goodness and mercy to follow you all the days of your life and then you can dwell in the House of The Lord forever.

Grateful 

(Click-on image below for full-frame view.)

"I Will Live in Them." -- God

Temples of The Living God! That's us. Yes, we are His dwelling place(s). 

Let's exit all sinful idolatry and enter awesome God-intimacy. We are His people. Oneness with Him is the holiness He wants and we need. 

(Click text below for full-view of verse.)

Give away your life... To be a temple of The Living God.

Grateful 

Redeemed & Regenerated

My deepest prayer today is:

Lord, let Your redeemed say so!

And Your regeneration? Let us know!

"Regeneration is to experience the Life of God coming into the human nature, and when the Life of God comes in, it produces a surface of consciousness, but redemption means a great deal more than one is conscious of."

-- Oswald Chambers

Give away your life... To Holy God Who Redeems and Regenerates.

Grateful 

To Know Him is to Hear Him

These words of Jesus in John 10, yes His words about Himself as The Good Shepherd warm my soul and open my ears-wide-open:

"... The One who enters through the gate is the Shepherd. The gatekeeper opens the gate for Him, and the sheep respond to His voice. He calls His sheep by name and leads them out... He walks ahead of them... The sheep follow because they recognize His voice... They will run away from a stranger because they don't recognize His voice." 

Portions of John 10:2-6 GWT

To know Him is to hear Him!

Give away your life... To Knowing the Good Shepherd's voice.

Grateful 

What People Are Hoping & Hurting For?

As Jesus-believers, we have possibly been a little heavy on preparing our proclamations and polishing our presentations, while people in our culture are hoping mainly and hurting mostly for the Power of His Presence in us.

No pressure. All presence. 

Give away your life... To be a sanctuary of God's Presence.

Grateful 

George Matheson -- Words & A Hymn

"Take God on thy route and thou shalt banish wrinkles from thy brow. Gethsemane itself shall not age thee if thou tread by the side of Jesus; for it is not the place of thy travel that makes thee weary -- it is the heaviness of thy step." 

-- Words by George Matheson

Also, this old hymn, sung anew by Amy Grant, was written by George Matheson and how it blesses my soul so often, as it was the only song heard on the day the body of Oswald Chambers was lowered into his grave at the age of 43, in Cairo, Egypt:

http://youtu.be/aBhs1r9K6IE

Give away your life... In The Presence of Holy God. 

Grateful 

"I'm Tender..."

It's Sunday evening and this has been a wonderful day in The Lord. I was blessed to preach three times today on "The Presence of The Holy Spirit" -- Who is with and within us always -- meaning we are not alone when we say "Yes" to God's Call on our lives.

I also enjoyed life together with some of God's most precious people at two picnics today -- lunch and supper. Both gatherings were beautiful in delightfully different ways. 

Today, has also been a tender day in my heart and mind. I am not totally sure why, but it's real. Indeed, my heart aches for other brothers and sisters who are mourning great losses in their personal lives, so this is part of my tenderness, I am sure. But it seems to go deeper still. More personal perhaps. 

I don't need to know how to explain the tenderness deep within, but saying it outloud on my blog seems right. I am glad I am capable of tenderness. I think it's a good thing and a God-thing. 

Part of this present tenderness probably has to do with my human inability to communicate completely to others the deepest holy thoughts on my mind -- yes, I suppose they are too grand for total explanation.

Anyway, that is where I am as this Sunday closes. I don't fear being vulnerable. I fear not being vulnerable.

Ask me how I am on the evening of this 12th day of July, 2015, and I have only one answer: "I'm tender". 

It's all good. Even Jesus wept; so even if my holy tenderness gives way to human tears, I will likely go from saying it's all good to it's all gooder. :)

I encourage you to...

...Give away your life... To Holy Father God, Who cared enough about us to give us His never-ending Presence to be with us for forever -- yes, He gave us His Only Beloved Son to suffer for us and His Tender Holy Spirit to suffer with us.

Grateful

P.S. And yes, July 19th coming up this week, would have been my Dad's 75th birthday. That surely plays a part in my current tender status. I miss him, a lot.

(Click on image below for full-view.)

"Narrow" (Truth)

Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to The Father except through Me." 

Sounds narrow to many people. 

"Truth itself is narrow."

-- Ray Stedman

Jesus also said: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14

A relationship with The Son is the Only WAY, yes, He alone is the Narrow Truth that leads to The Father. 

Give away your life... To The Only WAY!

Grateful 

"Brother"

One thing my Dad taught me was never to take Christian brothers for granted. This song link below by Need To Breathe is so powerful! I send it out as Thanks to God for all of the brothers in Christ that have walked alongside me and continue to walk alongside me on our journey Home. We really do need God and each other.

Click here: Brother with lyric by NEEDTOBREATHE - YouTube

Give away your life... To God and The Family of God.

Grateful

Now and to The End

My Lord Jesus:

Thank you for stilling my would-be troubled heart by placing within me Your Present Holy Spirit. Surely, through Him, Your Spirit of Truth, You are truly with and within me now and to the end. 

Amen. 

Give away your life... To gain His Life in you. 

Grateful 

"Who You Gonna Believe?"

Words of Jesus in John 14:6 -- "I Am... The Truth."

Words of Jesus in John 8:44 -- "The devil has never been truthful. He doesn't know what the truth is... He's a liar and the father of lies."

So, Jesus is "The Truth." 

The devil is "A Liar." 

Who you gonna believe? Choose one. 

Give away your life... To The Truth!

Grateful 

Build Right, Not Quick

To really know me, is to know this about me: I really love old devotional classics. Yes, some people prefer newly written books, but I thrive on the older writings penned literally by proven authors who have already finished this life well and have by the reliable, eye-witness testimony of others made their way Home to be with The Lord.

So, my post for today is taken from a book compiled by D.L. Moody around the year 1900. My heart was so affirmed and warmed at these words he had written down from a Joseph Parker:

"Our business is not to build quickly, but to build upon a right foundation, and in a right spirit. Life is more than a mere competition as between man and man; it is not who can be done first, but who can work best; it is not who can rise highest in the shortest time, but who is working most patiently and lovingly in accordance with the designs of God."

1 Corinthians 3:10 -- "Each person must be careful how he/she builds." (GWT)

Give away your life... To The Designs of God!

Grateful      

"Cost God So Much"

"The reason my sins are forgiven so easily is because the redemption cost God so much."

-- Oswald Chambers

Jesus Himself is our Holiness. Unless The Holy Son of God came and died on The Cross, Holy Father God would have no way to forgive our sin and to make us -- through His Holy Spirit -- Holy like Himself, The Forgiver. 

Give away your life... To Holy God and get His Holiness in exchange.

Grateful  

No Pressure. All Presence.

With Christ in us, there's no pressure, all presence. 

This song by Elevation Worship will encourage you. 

http://youtu.be/DeTLGG-pwc8

Give away your life... For the wholehearted purpose of revealing His Holy Presence.

Grateful 

"Every Chain is Breakable!" (True Freedom Through Christ)

This YouTube link below leads to one of the greatest freedom anthems ever written or sung. It's written and performed by Rend Collective, a worship ensemble from Northern Ireland. 

On this July 4th day when we, as Americans, celebrate national freedom, yes, our independence from England, let us also remember that through Jesus we can have spiritual freedom. Yes indeed, we can celebrate release from our own independence to sin. So, let's acknowledge that true, total freedom is found only in dependence on King Jesus! 

http://youtu.be/2p8_4NbrcKA

Give away your life... To King Jesus, The Only One Who can say to anyone: "every chain is breakable!"

Grateful 

Sanctified Sobs (Tears Here & There)

This week my Mama, Lady Melba, and I talked about our gratitude for and the beauty of tears. My Mama and her eldest son agreed that so often we sense the witness of our Lord's Presence and Comfort in our days and nights through sanctified sobs. 

Some think there will be zero tears in Heaven like we experience Here. Well, I'm choosing to believe Jesus will wipe our tears away, but we'll still have some good cries There. 

(Click image below for a full-frame message of prayer-related inspiration:)

Give away your life... And tears to Jesus. 

Grateful 

A Dream About VERY BIG Shrimp (Spiritual Harvest)

My Dad, Cap'n Billy, a shrimp boat captain, went to be with Jesus as the fourth watch of the night began, yes, just before 3 a.m. on a Monday, November 17, 2014. My Dad used to have some mighty wonderful dreams. 

Early this morning I received a text from a caring member in our local church: 

"Morning Pastor Kerry. Not sure why, but its on my heart to pray for you today. I pray that your burdens be lifted and your heart and mind are at peace. All is well."

This was my reply:

"Thanks for obeying (by praying). Had a fresh dream about Dad's passing in the night. I was at a dock talking to a boat captain and he hadn't heard Dad had passed. I told him and I cried as they were unloading their catch -- the biggest shrimp I'd ever seen. Maybe means a great spiritual harvest is coming. ;) Peace."

My big burden, prayer, and hope these days is contained and best explained in two words: "Spiritual Awakening." And, I honestly believe the answer is underway even now. Dreaming about VERY BIG shrimp, yes indeed, shrimp the size of lobsters, makes me believe a BIG Spiritual Harvest is swimming our way.

Be encouraged. Pray with me. Let's anticipate full nets of souls coming aboard The Old Ship of Zion. Jesus is our Captain. Hallelujah! So be it! Let it happen! Amen and Amen!

Give away your life... To The Holy Harvester of Souls.

Click on photo above for a full-frame view of Cap'n Billy piloting his boat, Lady Melba, towards the shrimping waters. 

Grateful

Let's Pray Psalm 91 Deeply & Often

I pray Psalm 91 deeply and often in my heart. I pray it over my family, friends, neighbors, me, and sometimes even over strangers.

In fact, I have been pleading Psalm 91 deeply and often throughout this day already. Yes, I have been and continue to plead it over dear friends of mine who requested urgent prayer early this morning.

Right now, I invite you to think of someone who desperately needs this prayer prayed over them and begin praying it deeply and often over them (even if it's you). Yes, I invite you to begin praying Psalm 91 now. In The Name of Jesus.

Give away your life... To The One Who inspires us to pray the Psalms.

Grateful

Psalm 91 GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

1 Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High
    will remain in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord,
    “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”

3 He is the one who will rescue you from hunters’ traps
    and from deadly plagues.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge.
        His truth is your shield and armor.

5 You do not need to fear
    terrors of the night,
    arrows that fly during the day,
6     plagues that roam the dark,
    epidemics that strike at noon.
        
            even though a thousand may fall dead beside you
                or ten thousand at your right side.

8 You only have to look with your eyes
    to see the punishment of wicked people.

9 You, O Lord, are my refuge!

You have made the Most High your home.
10     No harm will come to you.
    No sickness will come near your house.
11 He will put his angels in charge of you
    to protect you in all your ways.
        
            so that you never hit your foot against a rock.
        
        You will trample young lions and snakes.

14 Because you love me, I will rescue you.
    I will protect you because you know my name.
15 When you call to me, I will answer you.
    I will be with you when you are in trouble.
    I will save you and honor you.
16     I will satisfy you with a long life.
    I will show you how I will save you.