Journal of Faith: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Philippians 2:12

For the past month I have been  questioning God in several areas of my life as to whether I should step up or step away.  The response I got was a challenge.  Have you ever been afraid to receive what God has for you?  I have, and it is crippling to faith.  I have to stave off fear that I won't be able to handle God's best for my life because I am not skilled enough to carry the weight of it.  To whom much is give, much is required.  (see Luke 12:48)  This month, however, I was challenged in my prayer time to pray a very specific prayer asking God for more.  I am talking about the prayer of Jabez.  If you do not recognize this name, don't feel bad.  This man in the Bible has a teeny tiny mention in an obscure part of the Bible.  Here is what Jabez prayed. 1 chronicles 4:10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that ...

Have you ever had a moment in your life where you feel like, "I've been here before."?  Some people call it Dejavu (spell check please).  It's when you feel like this exact moment has happened already.  I have had that moment so much in my life, and sometimes it was because of my brain momentarily shutting off and then on again, this is the scientific explanation, and sometimes it was real.  There are so many times when I started to do what I felt God was telling me and then I got distracted with doubts or shiny "fruit" and turned aside.  In those times, God has been so gracious to me.  He let me wander around until I found my way back to the place where I first turned aside.  That has been me in this blog "ministry?" this year.  I started off saying, "I'm going to keep writing, and I am going to develop what God gave me a vision for."  I was so excited to start doing walks of faith and engaging with the people around me.  I was so ...

I was reading Joshua and came across a scripture that encouraged me to write more and do things to remind myself of the wonderful things that God has done in my life. In Joshua chapter 4 God parts the Jordan river to show the people of Israel that he is with Joshua just like he was with Moses, and he tells Joshua to get 12 stones out of the dry Jordan for a memorial.  God made sure that the people would have a talking point whenever future generations saw these 12 stones. For me, my writings are my stones. I often write my prayers, and when I forget to be grateful, I go back into my journal or pull up  this blog and I am reminded of the goodness of God. So many of my answered prayers were the result of my heart poured out to God in my prayer journal. It's strange that we are so quick to forget what God has done for us. We are no different than the children of Israel complaining about bread from heaven, and longing for the days of slavery.  We can take God for granted. ...

     One thing that I have learned from my many, many...many mishaps, is that God is always there.  Every time the LORD intervenes on my behalf, he reminds me of how precious I am to him.  We are like the children who play carelessly and scrape our knees in the yard.  God comes and scoops us up, brushes us off, and dresses our wounds.  I wouldn't trade these moments for anything. I am not by any means the hero of my life story.  I have made risky decisions that could have ended my life, and I have missed opportunities that could have made me an international success.  The hero of my story is the LORD.  I have made so many mistakes and unwise decisions that it is a miracle that I am alive today. I have had many scraped knees in my life literally and figuratively.  Each time it was because I made a miscalculation of my abilities, my environment, or both. Thank God that he is faithful and patient with me.  Every scar is a...

I am like many Christians who wonder constantly if they are doing the right things in life.  Am I doing what God would have me do? Am I fulfilling the will of God for my life?  It is amazing how we can miss some of the most obvious answers when we become consumed by our own questions.  Today I was reading my daily scriptures, and I came across Isaiah 1:17 which says, "Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." (KJV) I've read this scripture before, but I never paid attention to what was right in front of me.  This scripture defines the meaning of what it is to "do well".  Here is the criteria: 1. seek judgment-  When there are multiple versions of a story or there is an issue that you can't resolve on your own, it makes sense to look for someone with more discernment than you to deliberate on the matter.  You look for wisdom.  2. relieve the oppressed - When I think abo...

My grandfather was born on valentine's day, it is so appropriate because he emanates love from every fiber of his being.  This past weekend his church celebrated him for his life of service in the kingdom of God. He has been pastoring  for a long time, and is currently the associate pastor at his church.  I was blessed to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of the grandchildren, and fellowship with so many others whose lives have been touched by him.  When I think of my grandfather and the legacy that he has built I think of Psalm 91.  The Lord has truly satisfied my family with long life (his two younger sisters are also still living at 90 and I believe 88). As I celebrate my grandfather today, I also celebrate the truth of God's word.  Happy Birthday Pop Pop!!! Psalm 91 King James Version (KJV) 91  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2  I will say of the Lord , He is m...

God didn't ask any of our permission before he decided to love us.  While we cursed him with our mouths and our lives, he loved us.  While we asserted ourselves over others unfairly, and made them feel like nothing, he loved us.  When we spewed hate across the nations and fear for anyone called other, he loved us.  When we called him fake and ran about worshipping other Gods, he loved us.  When we made fun of his people and persecuted them just for being different, he loved us.  For all of those who think that it is impossible to receive God's grace because you aren't "good enough" remember that God knows your worth already because he created you, and he valued you worthy of the Life of his only begotten son Jesus.  Nothing you have ever said, done, or thought has separated you from his love.  Whether or not you spend your life and eternity in his presence is up to you, but you don't get a choice whether or not he loves.  HE LOVES YOU....