Are You Impressed... God?

Have you ever tried to impress God with your spiritual accomplishments? Maybe once or twice, or even more than that? You’ve even expected some kind of celebration dance from the angels in heaven chanting A-W-E-S-O-M-E... Have you?

Doing good deserves a reward. It is just fair… and, why not? You’ve worked really hard to learn Biblical principles and you are following them the best way you can; every single day. Shouldn’t God be impressed?  

To be honest, I’ve tried to impress God with good behavior and sacrificial actions more than a few times in my Christian life (i.e. prayer, fasting, piety, submission, good conduct, missionary work, etc, etc, etc.) But after 30+ years as a believer and 20+ years in ministry, I’ve learned that God is not moved by good behavior or good deeds alone, He is moved by faith.

Hebrews 11: 6 But without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

But wait a minute. Does this mean God doesn’t look at our actions, just our faith? Not at all! "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead." (James 24:26) My actions alone are incomplete without faith! 

People with unrelenting faith, the kind of faith that believes the impossible, move the heart of God. Their faith is the fuel that empowers their actions. When people demonstrate a faith that is stubborn enough to "act" by a conviction birthed out of the Word of God, not by circumstances… they steal God’s heart. 

Hebrews 11: 4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Hebrews 11: 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Hebrews 11: 8, 12 By faith By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. And so from this one man, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

If we add "By faith" before our actions, we will revolutionize our walk with God.  Like Abel, Noah, Abraham, and many others in the Bible, we will see the impressive work of the Holy Spirit transforming our lives and transforming our thinking. Every time we “act” in “faith” we will move God’s heart on our behalf and we will impact not just our own lives, but also our generation.

Lourdes  

Read the "Top 10 People Who Impressed Jesus" from Current of Living Water website: http://www.solliday.org/top-10-people-impressed-jesus/

Every Pastor's Wife Needs A Good Pair Of Running Shoes

I don't know about you, but I need a lot of details to understand the ins-and-outs of things. I am what is called “a process person.” I need to see the reason behind things; I need to be so sure I comprehend the situation before I make a decision, and I don’t move until I do. This could be a blessing for many people, but for a pastor’s wife, a complete understanding of “the process,” it’s not always practical. Let me put it this way: Many times God moves ministry so fast that a pastor’s wife has to be trained to run a marathon in order to catch up with the “pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by nigh,” Exodus 13:21. Sometimes we don’t even get a step-by-step detailed strategy of what He is about to do before He moves things around us. Well, this could make a “process person” CRAZY… That means ME!

Some times I find myself praying; “God, can you please slow down so I can catch my breath? You’re going too fast! Can you give me a minute to understand what you are doing, so I can plan things accordingly? I need to organize my life around your assignments and I need to make sure I have control of everything around me. Would you please modify your speed just a little so I can see where I am going?”

HELLO!!! By now you must know I am laughing at myself and I am apologizing profoundly to God for even questioning His ways. Who said I need to understand God’s modus operandi* or what He’s up to?  He doesn’t have to wait for me and He doesn’t have to give me a detailed explanation of “His Plan.” Besides, I was never promised a seat with His Strategic Planning Team. I was just asked to “Trust Him from the bottom of my heart; not to try to figure out everything… He’s the one who will keep me on track,” Proverbs 3:5-6.  He also promised to give me power to do what He wants me to do. He is “working in me, giving me the desire and the power to do what pleases him,” Philippians 2:13.

This is why the Holy Spirit compels me to live a life of faith, because He wants me to rest on His sovereignty and not on my understanding of “the process.” I have no other choice but to bite the bullet and stop over-analyzing His ways. Sometimes I’ll know the whole process… YEAHHHH! But there are going to be times when I wont!  When that time comes, I’ll have to (1) trust Him, (2) tie my running shoes, and (3) start running, because His pillar of cloud and His pillar of fire will already be moving.

“Get rid of everything that slows you down… You must run the race that lies ahead of you and never give up.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (paraphrased)

Lourdes

What better song to describe my words than the song "Come To Me" by  The Loft Sessions by Bethel Church.

Come To Me

I am the Lord youre gone
I go before you know
I stand beside you
And Im all around you
Though you feel Im far away
Im closer than your breath
And I am with you
More than you know

I am the Lord youre peace
No evil will conquer you
So steady now your heart and mind
Come into my rest
And now let your faith all rise
And lift up your weary head
And I am with you
Wherever you go
Come to me
Im all you need
Come to me Im everything

Come to me
Im all you need
Come to me Im your everything

________

* mo·dus op·e·ran·di/ˈmōdəs ˌäpəˈrandē/

Noun:

A particular way or method of doing something, esp. one that is characteristic or well-established. The way something operates or works.

My Home is 4,000 Years Old

You might not believe this… but my house is 4,000 years old; pretty old, don’t you think? Well, it depends what I mean by that, right?

In December 2011, we put new floors in our basement. I had the boring and tedious job of putting back in order all the books that were removed from two bookshelves during the renovation. To my surprise I counted more than 30 Bibles… just in the basement. How many Bibles do we own? I asked myself.  Then I thought that I also have Bibles in my bedroom, the boys’ bedrooms, living room, my husband’s office, we have English Bibles, Spanish Bibles, and every iPhone, iPad, iPod & laptop in the house have several Bible translations. WOW, I am surrounded by Bibles! And there is not a day that passes by without someone in the house reading, listening, or studying one of these Bibles.

Sometime after that I read the following statement in an article about Mitzvahs[i] & Jewish traditions that totally made me think about my basement experience…

“What kind of a house do you have? Whatever it’s full of, that’s what your house will be. Our house is full of Jewish books. Four thousand years worth of Jewish books. So it’s a 4,000 year old house. A house that’s built to last forever.” Tzvi Freeman 

Wait a minute… I too have a 4,000 years old house! The physical structure is not older than 30 years, but the spiritual foundation of my home is that old. I realized my husband and I are building a home to last forever. Why? Because is not built on sand, is built on the rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:2.)

Building on a Solid Foundation, Matthew 7:24-27(NLT)  24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” 

My home is built with God’s Word as a foundation, a foundation that is going to go beyond this present life and into eternity. Yes… His Word will last and stand forever – both in this life and the next life to come.

•   “…I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the Word of God cannot be chained.” (2 Timothy 2:9 NLT)
 
•  “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations …” (Psalm 119:89 ESV)
 
• “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8 NKJV)

Important as the foundation of your earthly home may be, it is nothing compared to the importance of your everlasting foundation. What is your home founded upon, sand or solid rock? How old is your house?

Lourdes

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[i] By the way, in case you are wondering… Mitzvahs are moral deeds performed as a religious duty (a commandment of the Jewish law.) In modern society, though, Mitzvah is most often used as a term to refer to an act of human kindness :)  (More on Mitzvah)