While this rings true in most areas of our lives, eventually there will arise unforeseen circumstances which we have not prepared for. Eventually the weather man will be wrong, and we will be caught in the rain without an umbrella. Eventually the wise saying your mother instilled in you will let you down. Eventually Old Murphy will sneak some variables into your life which will upset your plans and preferences. In these times, are we to simply do the first thing that presents itself as a reasonable option? If it doesn’t work out, we can sheepishly shrug it off as “it seemed like a good idea at the time.” Are we to simply go with the flow? Elect a new president? Go watch a movie? Ask your Facebook friends if they have any ideas? Perhaps there is a better way of handling the unanticipated. Isaiah 46:10 states that God declares the end from the beginning. God is never caught off guard. God is prepared and aware of every circumstance and trial which His people will face—and He already has the solution.

Deuteronomy is a covenant treaty between the King, God, and His subjects, Israel. Israel was called out of slavery (Exodus) to serve God in a far off land. He was the only King they needed, speaking and directing the under-shepherds Moses and Joshua. Helping Moses and Joshua was a system of elders who oversaw various divisions of the people. Yet God, in His perfect foreknowledge, knew Israel would desire a human king to rule over them (Duet 17:14). Although God was actually rejected by this action (I Sam 8:7) He was yet merciful to provide a set of instructions for this future king including humility, a dedication to the law of God, and a refusal to compromise the good of the people for his own gain. This highlights two encouraging points 1) God is so loving that even in rejection, He provides the best for his children. 2) God is prepared for every problem we may face, no matter how devastating. Be reminded, Israel was God’s people. The modern equivalent is Christianity rejecting God in pursuit of a man. But even if this did happen, God would raise up a David, a prophet Nathan, or a Josiah.

Today we face many obstacles which our generation has never faced before. In America, homosexuality, abortion, crime, Islamic activists, economic crisis, political incompetence, even the emerging church present complications and difficulties which I haven’t a clue how to overcome. Personally, I have more academic, work related, financial, and church responsibilities than have I ever had. If something tragic happened in my life, I have no idea how I would handle it. But I do know that for every wilderness there is manna. For every fire, there is a fourth man. For every captive there is liberty in the Spirit. And for every lost soul there is a Savior named Jesus. Do not worry about the circumstances you cannot control; instead ask Him to direct your path, for He has a plan already in place.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”  — Hebrews 11:1-6

The above is an excerpt from what many people call the “faith chapter” of the Bible. It inspires us to read about the exploits of the “heroes of faith”. We have examples laid out for us to see the amazing interplay between God and man as He uses His servants to accomplish a mighty work on the Earth.

When I read this chapter, my heart longs to be there with these giants of faith and experience the power of God for myself. These are true stories of cataclysmic, world-changing, physics-defying supernatural occurrences that directed the course of the human race over the span of recorded history. Those who possessed great faith saw beyond the present and often beyond their own lifetime into the glorious plan of God and acted in accordance with His will to produce mighty works. Can we help but be stirred when we read Hebrews 11?

But we do ourselves a disservice if we look only at the great works that were accomplished by faith. While I imagine that most readers have the desire to see great works, or even a desire to possess great faith, simply recounting the works God has done through others is usually not enough to produce the same faith in us. Too often I am inspired about greatness instead of to it. So how did these “heroes of faith” get great faith?

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”  — 2 Timothy 1:12

Paul describes it exactly, and if you were to examine the lives of those mentioned in Hebrews 11 in detail, I believe you would find that every one of them possessed the faith they displayed not because they were inspired to it and not because they had some innate confidence or divine advantage, but because they set aside their life and pursued relationship with God that could eclipse every other element of their lives. As they grew close to God and began to understand His character and methods, faith in His word and actions in their lives grew as a matter of course. Great faith comes from great relationship with God.

Do you want to see spiritual revival in your town? Do you want miracles to happen in your family, workplace, or school? Do you want the divine manifestation of God? All of those great things are byproducts of great relationship. It begins with a prayer. Maybe it’s a prayer of repentance so that you’re no longer at odds with Him. Maybe it’s a prayer of commitment so that God can bring you to another level of relationship. Maybe it’s just a prayer of spending time with God and letting Him talk to you – letting that relationship grow.

Regardless of it starts today, there is only one way to get from where we live – the mundane, the ordinary, the carnal – to the powerful, extraordinary, God-designed, God-inspired, God-directed realms of earth-shaking faith. It is a byproduct of vibrant relationship with the Creator. My prayer is that you will take time today to engage in a deep, heartfelt relationship with Him.

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
– Author Unknown

One of the most difficult things in life, is the execution of a thought or a decision. As humans, failure is an ever-present distraction looming over us. We strive to make a firm decision, but when action is required, we shrink away. Of course, this is not always the case, but many people do struggle with completing everyday tasks. A decision is the first step to completing a task–the rationale and source of the action. However, what is it that makes action so difficult?

It is faith! Fear and faith are two contagious diseases that spread as wildfire when given the chance! It took faith from the Apostle Peter to step out of the boat and walk on water, yet he trusted that the Lord would make a way. Matthew 14:27-29 says, “But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.”

In this passage, Peter makes a decision to trust in the Lord and move out from the boat onto the water! Perhaps if one thinks about his life, how many actions have you taken that feel similarly? Action is really all about faith. Action takes courage to believe in not just a Higher Power, but a mighty, sovereign, gentle, supernatural, One God that can most certainly “do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20). The power of doing, is just that–the action that takes a thought or an idea and turns it into something. Action is not just something that we doing with our hands or feet, but our mouths. Sometimes verbal action is the most difficult, but the most rewarding. Words have incredible power! They have the power to destroy or edify! God gave us power from on High, and the power of doing is the Holy Ghost working through us through every action and word.

Does knowing all of this make actions easier? Probably not. But remembering that God is always there to catch us when we fall might help on the fear of failure. Our decisions are valuable and powerful, but what we do is a defining factor of our entire lives. No pressure, right?

So the question is…what have you been doing lately?

But then, out of the blue, chills ran down my spine. I felt goose bumps crawl across my skin. Suddenly, I felt his presence cover me fully and completely. I knew at that exact moment that angels were spread across that chemistry room. And most of all, I knew that my Jesus, my Lord and Savior, my Redeemer and Provider, was right there with me. No matter what happened, no matter what issues came my way, His promises would remain the same.

“Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”  — Isaiah 41:10.

I am reminded of a very familiar story of Elijah, who after doing the will of the Lord, fled to hide from the wrath of Jezebel. After praying for the Lord to end his life, Elijah traveled to Mount Horeb, where the Lord dealt with him:

“And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”  — I Kings 19:12-14

Even though the Lord had never forsaken him, Elijah still doubted the Lord’s faithfulness. Elijah felt as if he were the only one that served the true God. But the Lord reminded him, in His still, small voice: “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” (I Kings 19:1)

It is easy to forget that God is not subject to the human frailties we are. Too often we put limitations on His ability, defining it through our carnal eyes. I can tell you what God will say to us. He will say that we are His children, His bride, and His church. He will tell us that He died on the cross for our sins, and He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He can tell us that He knows every tear that we cry, and that He cares for us more than anyone else. However, I feel the need to declare what God will not do. He will not leave us, nor forsake us. He will never lie, or break His promises. He will never abuse us, or take us for granted. He will never mock us, or tell us that He’s too busy for us.

It may seem as if things are going too quickly, and the only choice you have is failure. A natural reaction to that would be to try to control everything, to try to do it on our own, to make our own plans apart from what God wants. But it is His will alone that is good and perfect and can be trusted. As it is said in Lamentations 3:22-23, “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”

Something about this story stirs a desire in me that to see the miraculous power of God take over my town. I’ve heard other stories about revivals that emptied and eventually shut down bars. Then there are the tales of entire factories full of workers falling to their knees, weeping in repentance, simply because an anointed man of God walked through the door. These stories are fascinating, but I don’t want to be merely a historian of others’ stories. I don’t want to settle for reading the books of other mighty men of God. I want to partner with God in writing some new history books.

Doubtless, these stories did not happen to just anyone, anywhere. It required sacrifice, submission, and faith. Yet it proves that God can do and desires to do amazing things in America. Am I willing to do my part?

I heard a story a few weeks ago about an old time pastor and his wife who went on a 30 day period of prayer and fasting. This pastor would start praying at 12 midnight and pray until 12 noon. His wife would sleep during this time as well as get the kids ready for school. She would then begin praying at noon while he would sleep and get ready for the evening service. She would sit in the back and pray during the service. Then at midnight he would resume his 12 hour vigil. This continued for the duration of the 30 days. When my astonished mind finally registered the magnitude of this couple’s sacrifice, I profoundly uttered one word. “Wow.” Their church began seeing the results of this intense prayer. As soon as people walked through the doors they would instantly feel the anointing and power of God. Revival swept many souls into the church.

While I’m not attempting to persuade you to embark on such a radical prayer mission, perhaps there is something God is looking for from you that will open the door to another spiritual awakening in your area. Pause and consider: why did God put me where I am? What purpose am I supposed to be fulfilling?

Is it crazy to ask God to give us an Azusa Street style spiritual experience? Is it extreme to ask God to give New England another great awakening? Is it ignorant to ask God for a demonstration of the miraculous, leading to a mass exodus of the hospitals and nursing homes? If so, then I will proudly announce that I am crazy, extreme, and ignorant, because those are exactly the sort of things I am asking and believing God for. The time for stories is past; the time for deeds is here.

When things happen in life we always try to find the answer. We need to know why. Then when we start to follow God, when events happen we always try to use our human minds to figure out what Gods big plan is. Why does God do what He does? Who is God? What is God? Why does God wake me up every night at 2:00 am, but He lets that guy sleep like a baby for nine hours straight?

Walking and living for God is not much different than “going with the flow.” People get a word from God or see what God is doing and, instead of going with the flow, they try to figure out why and what and how come and what the meaning is. We often forget that we are not God. God is God, and He knows why! As a human I can’t possibly begin to comprehend God’s thought process. Why would He make anchovies, for instance? Or why would He raise judge after judge to save the Israelites after they repeatedly disobeyed and turned from Him? Even while reading how he raised the first three I said to myself, “Forget that!” If it were me, I would have left them alone after the first two! I might even have zapped a few of them with lightning.

This topic brings me back to a time when I was studying for a math test with a friend of mine. As he explained the formula and equation to me I asked, “Why?” Then he explained the formula to me again, and I asked, “But why?” He explained it in even more detail. I looked at him for a couple seconds and then said, “Yes, but why does that happen?” Getting a little frustrated with, me he said “It doesn’t matter why, that’s just how it is.” So I simplified my approach and just did what I was supposed to without trying to figure out why, and the answer came effortlessly — the rest of the studying was a breeze.

The same can be said with walking or following God, often times things happen, some people get healed, some don’t, some followers of God get words of wisdom or visions while others get to talk about him and spread the seeds, that’s just how it is.

Our jobs are not to understand, but to follow God with faith. Why does God do what he does? Because that’s how God does it. Why did God heal one person and not the other? Because that’s how He wants it. Why can that person lay hands on people and God heals them, while another’s job is to simply witness to people? Only God knows how it will fit into the big picture. Understanding is great, but simplicity is better.

If God says jump, I say “How high?” If God says “Lay your hand on that person,” I respond “Head or back?” I don’t need to know the reasons behind it or what it will accomplish; I only need to keep in mind that God knows the purpose, and needs me to simply act. My job is not to understand, but simply to be a tool in his hands. He may use me to bang in a nail or screw in a screw, but I don’t know what each individual screw or nail is going to accomplish. I just know that He has the blueprints and He knows what the outcome will be.

To do what He asks without trying to figure out the reasoning behind it or what the outcome will be is true faith. Faith is what Christianity is based on and faith keeps the gears turning, while simplicity lubricates the gears and causes them to turn smoothly. I prefer my gears to turn smoothly instead of them grinding, and for some reason I think God does too.

“You want me to do . . . what?” I can imagine that reaction flowing out of young Esther’s mouth when her older cousin told her what he wanted her to do. I can imagine her face, maybe mixed with a little horror as her cousin explained to her not to make known her kindred, and maybe mixed with a little fear as she realized the giant leap she was about to take. However, she respected Mordecai. He was her elder; he brought her up when her parents died; he had never failed her . . . so she leaped without complaint. She did not yet know how respecting that elder put into action a plan that God was ordaining already. Something as simple and ordinary as obedience made a change in this world. God had her save her people. All she did was take a leap of faith that day and she changed history.

When I look at the story of Esther, I can’t help but notice her character, the way she reacts to situations, and most importantly, how evidently God was orchestrating her life. One statement that sticks out to me most prominently in this book is “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” It is evident through her life that it was true! I can’t tell of how many times that thought has come back to me as I trudge through the day: who knows whether that day I was called to be something, to put into action a plan that God has already set in my life? That day was probably the same old, same old for Esther. All she did was go through another day, doing everything exactly the way she would have normally. Except, maybe instead of Mordecai asking her to go get a pitcher of water, he asked her to go to the king. They both took a leap of faith that day, but because of their faith and her obedience, it turned into something greater.

The people of God should have that same faith, and take the leaps that God might show them to take. We have to have that same kind of trust that Esther had in Mordecai, in God. Every day is preparing us for something much greater than we can even grasp. Maybe you are going through school, you have to teach another Sunday school lesson, or maybe you are going into work feeling as if you’re not accomplishing anything. It may feel like nothing is changing. You are just doing the “same old, same old” day to day. But by doing our routine, by grasping the simple character builders God is placing in our lives, will lead to that one day when it may seem “normal”, but in fact, it will be a foundation in our life to take that leap. Who knows whether that day we are called into the kingdom for such a time as this. Keep doing what you are doing, obeying God, the little things, and God will be able accomplish His plan in your life because you obeyed Him.

Sound familiar? What would happen if Monday mornings weren’t like that? What if we treated every morning as what it is: a gift from God? What do you expect every day when you get up, when you go to work or school, and when you interact with those around you? Do you expect great things, or do you expect the ordinary and mediocre? Do you have faith that even if the day is horrible, God is still good and in control?

The story of Ruth is too often overlooked as carnal or unimportant. But if we take a closer look at Ruth’s life, we see that Ruth was not an average woman. Her mother-in-law, Naomi, was an Israelite widow. Her sons had taken Moabite wives, Orpah and Ruth, but ten years later these women were widowed as well. Naomi began the journey to her home country with Orpah and Ruth, but she reasoned with her daughters-in-law to return to the houses of their mothers and find husbands again. Orpah was convinced to return home, but the Bible says Ruth “clave unto [Naomi].”

“And she said, Behold, they sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:”  – Ruth 1:15-16

The remaining chapters of Ruth show that she was obedient to all of Naomi’s instructions. She went out and worked to provide for Naomi and herself. It would have been easy for Ruth just to go home to her house where she would have been treated well, but she stayed with Naomi. Even in the midst of adversity, Ruth expected great things of the Lord. She had no reason to stay with Naomi after the death of her husband. She had no reason to go to a new land where she would not be honored as a foreigner. Ruth didn’t have much; she could have whined and complained about the responsibility. But she expected great things of God. She continued to press through, to work diligently, and to remain obedient and respectful to Naomi. Webster’s dictionary defines expectant as: “being marked with expectation.” All who saw her knew that she was a “virtuous woman.” Ruth did more than just act the part. She was identified as a virtuous woman.

“And we know that all things work together for the good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose,”  – Romans 8:28

Sometimes it is hard to remain optimistic in hard times, or to stand up for yourself when people question your faith. But if you pray for faith, God will not only give you faith, but also the opportunity to exercise it. One way to do that is to expect great things of God. That doesn’t mean that everything will happen the way we think it should; Ruth must have been devastated when she lost her husband, but God had a greater plan. Later in the book, she marries a man named Boaz, a kinsman of Naomi’s family, and eventually carries the line of David and Jesus. If she hadn’t trusted in God, she wouldn’t have married Boaz or been the great-grandmother of King David. If you think about your life, do you waste your energy worrying about things you can’t control, or do you use that effort believing that God can pull through?

God is ready to do great things in all of our lives. Do you believe and expect that He will?

There are many references to God as a rock or stone in the Bible. We have already seen that one name for Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone. Psalm 118:22 calls Him “the stone which the builders rejected”. It is clear that Jesus Christ is intended to be our foundation (I Corinthians 3:11). Paul expounded on this theme to the Corinthian church:

“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” – I Corinthians 10:1-4

Sorry to disappoint you Greek scholars, but there’s no hidden meaning to the word “rock”. Paul meant what he said, referencing the rock that followed the Israelites through the desert, providing clean water to drink. That physical rock, a type of Christ, became sustenance for physical Israel. Paul makes the point that everyone enjoyed the benefits of that rock, but some of them paid attention to the spiritual side of things and some did not. Everyone had the same basis, but not everyone made it to the promised land.

Likewise, Christians share the same firm foundation of faith, the rock Christ. If we want to remain with Him, we have to take our cues from the parable of the builders in Matthew 7:24-27 — the wise man built his house upon the Rock, willfully choosing the good and solid foundation when he could have gone elsewhere. The message is clear: Christ is perfect and secure, but we must choose to build and continue to build our lives on Him.

Faithful & True

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.”  – Revelation 19:11-13

The Greek word translated “True” in this passage is alethinos, which literally means “not concealing”. God is open about His nature: He is what He says He is. God is not concealing the truth and does not have anything up His divine sleeve. He is the Truth-Giver and revealer of secrets (Daniel 2:47). So in considering the meaning of “Faithful and True”, we know that God’s faithfulness (or “trustworthiness”) is constant. It’s the full disclosure, the real deal. With a foundation like that, confidence should spring up inside to fill the gaps of our faith: where experience fails, knowledge of the One we trust will take over.

A group of Namburdiri Brahmans were performing their ritual ablutions in the water of a temple basin. The apostle was watching them throw water into the air while they chanted their prayers. “Why do you do that?” he asked. “It is our sacrifice to the gods,” they said. “Why don’t your gods accept it, then? It keeps falling back on you,” said Thomas. The Brahmans were indignant. “Who can make water stay up in the air?” “I can,” said Thomas, and when they asked him to prove it, he said he would but only if they would promise to be baptized if he succeeded. They agreed, and the saint threw the water up and it caught and hung in the sunlight glittering like diamonds.

Like most legends, there’s not enough evidence to either prove or disprove the tale. It’s just a story handed down from generation to generation, undoubtedly embellished along the way. But we should not be too quick to discount the story of Thomas’ miracle simply because it is far-fetched. After all, causing water to float in air is not so different from walking on water like Peter did in Matthew 14 or cursing a politician with blindness as Paul did in Acts 13. Thomas was an apostle of Jesus Christ commissioned in the same manner as they were.

What makes the story of Thomas so hard to accept, while most Christians freely grant that Peter walked on water and Paul blinded a man? There’s the lack of authorial control, of course — legends are notorious for being altered in transit — but there’s also something else. Perhaps we just don’t want the impossible to be so close. We know that God can perform miracles, that He will demonstrate His power to convince sincere doubters, and that He will confirm His word with “signs and wonders” (Hebrews 2:4). But even with all that in mind, we’re more comfortable relegating miracles to “the greats” or to the mists of time.

Closer to home, what if you heard that a preacher in a neighboring town make water hang in mid-air to convince a wavering convert? Would you belive it? Both in our own lives and in the actions of those around us, we need to regain the ability to believe in the impossible when God is involved. Reason is not obsolete and logic is not dead, but God can change the rules — and that means we must be ready to work with a rule-changing God!

What would you say to a “Thomas” story — one that seems impossible? Has God changed physical or institutional rules in your life? How? Visit the comments section and tell us about impossible things that have happened!