Do you really trust Him?

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8 God's ways are not our ways.  Often God's ways seem directly contrary to that which we think we want or need.  However, God sees the whole picture and knows each of us intimately.  He is weaving a great tapestry of our lives and the base is love.  So I ask you, have you been faced with a situation in which you had to choose whether or not you would continue to trust in God when He says "no", or when He allows great struggles in your life?  What about "when the healing doesn't come?"  If you have, consider yourself blessed- especially if you continued to trust Him through it. Is God really the center of your life, or is He there just to look good and think about when things are going well?  Do you really trust in Him for all your life or do you need to ask for greater faith and ability to trust Him more?   Be prepared to be given opportunities to trust Him more if you ask for this.  Do not be surprised if you are soon struggling with something that you were not before.  The only way you can really know is if you are given the opportunity to find out.  The increase in your faith and peace on the other side is indescribable and God never leaves you to go it alone.  Choose trust today. Listen to the Kutless song "Even if the Healing Doesn't Come"

Righteousness in WNY

"Every word of God is flawless;
    he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
⁶ Do not add to his words,
    or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

There are three things that are stately in their stride,
    four that move with stately bearing:
³⁰ a lion, mighty among beasts,
    who retreats before nothing;
³¹ a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
    and a king secure against revolt."

Proverbs 30: 5-6, 29-31

On this last day of our 30 day fast, I encourage you to remember with faith the promises God has made and the things He has already done in your life and the lives around you.  Pour out thankfulness for even when we do not understand, His Word is flawless and He is a shield to those who love and take refuge in Him.  Just as this Proverb states, we cannot understand what God has done and the ways in which He works.  There are many things around us that we may find contemptible, incomprehensible, or amazing.  Things that we cannot understand.  However, they are none of these to God.  He knows at all times exactly what is happening in all places.  All things have to pass through the hand of God before they reach us.  Therefore, we truly can trust Him, lean on Him and take refuge in Him.  

God's timing is different than ours.  He addresses all things, we mainly are concerned with our little circle of people.  This is why we need faith.  Pray for an increase in faith in your life and the lives of others, especially the men of WNY.  Remember, that even if you do not see a physical change, God is doing a new thing. He hears our prayers and no Word of His returns void.  Therefore, believe that the prayers you have prayed over the last 30 days made a difference in the atmosphere and continue praying even if you do not see the results you had hoped for.

Lord, we bring you our petitions for the men of WNY.  We thank you for encouraging us to pray for them.  We ask that you would continue to move in their lives, lifting them up from the miry clay, setting their feet on solid ground, and drawing them ever closer to yourself.  We come against any schemes of the enemy that would hold back their progress.  We ask that you would bring families together, let businessmen who speak of you and live for you prosper and pastors who declare your truth be filled. Break down barriers to success and let goodness and righteousness reign in WNY.  

We praise the name of the Holy Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen!!

Praise the Lord

 "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."
Romans 7:15

"He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west."
Psalm 103:12

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
2 Cor. 5:17

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."
Ephesians 6:10-13 (for the rest of the chapter click on here)


What have you learned through this fast?  What has God done in you while you were praying for others?  How has He blessed your own life or taught you new things?  Has He brought your attention to areas in which you struggle and need to turn over to Him?  Have you seen any of your prayers answered or have you actually begun to struggle after fasting and praying?

I find it amazing how God uses us and changes us when we are working for others.  Personally I have learned how weak I am in areas that I though I was strong and therefore tried to go it on my own without Jesus.  He is so full of grace and mercy that He stood back and watched my try, knowing I would fail, then was there to pick me up and help me to lean on Him again.  I am so thankful that God never changes.  I love His character and His steadfastness.  I know that I can count on Him to remain steady when nothing else does.  What are you thankful for today?  Put on an attitude of thankfulness and praise your way through everything you face today- positive and negative. I believe that God allows the postivie in our lives to bless us and uses the negative to grow us into the people He created us to be.  Therefore, we should be thankful for even the difficulties in our lives because "suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Rom. 5:4).

Praise the Lord today for all the situations in your life that He has used to bring you good.  Ask the Lord what He wants to do in you and where you need to grow.  Then enjoy the journey!!

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.  I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.  And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Acts 2:17-21

These verses foreshadow the events we learn about in Revelation.  There is coming a time in which terrible events will come to pass.  People will be terrified and natural events in heaven and on earth will cause unparalleled destruction to those that are living in that time.  There is no doubt about it.  We know not the time or date in which these things will begin, but we do know that "everyone that calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 

For this reason, with the love of Jesus, we should be out loving others into the Kingdom.  They come not because we push the righteousness of Jesus and make them feel ashamed, but because we meet with them, and pour the loving kindness of our Lord upon them.  We allow Jesus to love them through us.  For it is "His kindness that leads us to repentance."(Romans 2:4)  It is not for us to decide who is worthy of the Kingdom, for Jesus created us all and died for us while we were still unworthy.

We are commanded to LOVE the unlovable.  I read once that the definition of love is to put another's needs above your own.  I think this makes an otherwise elusive concept concrete. Are you willing to put the needs of the unlovable person you work with above your own?  Are you willing to put your thoughts and desires aside for someone who would never do that for you?  Remember, it is not about us, our life is not our own.  We were bought for a price and are commanded to go forth and love with His love.  Who can you love today?

The Lord Mighty In Battle

"Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.  Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.  Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors; that hte King of glory may come in.  Who is he, this king of glory? The Lord Almighty- he is the King of glory"

Psalm 24 7-10

Speak with me to the gates of Buffalo and of WNY, that they would be lifted up that the King of glory may come in and revolutionize our region.  He is strong and mighty in battle- and we fight with His weapons. Not weapons of human warfare, but with the weapons that the Lord provides for us, worship, prayer and love.  Let us go forth so full of truth and love that others cannot help but want to know more about it.  Ask these things with true belief that the Lord is able to do all He says He is and that He desires to heal our land.

When the King of glory comes to our region, we will be changed.  We ask for our King Jesus to lead us in battle as we pray for others and for their salvation and blessing and for the lifting up of WNY.  Continue to pray for the men that they would be lifted up, that the covers would be removed from their eyes and ears, that they would see the true love of God, accept His love and forgiveness and begin walking in the covering and blessing of the Lord.  For those that are walking with God now, we pray that their territory would be enlarged, that they would be able to disciple their new brothers as they enter the Kingdom and that they would be protected from all evil as they go out to do the will of God who sends them.


As our fast comes to an end on Sunday-  I pray that you would continue to pray for our region, for those suffering from any kind of negative spirit or emotion.  Continue to pray for God to put someone in your life that you can touch and speak life into.  Pray that your words would come from Him in all situations and that He would use you as His hands and feet to touch and heal all those in WNY.

Examine Your Heart

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:37, 38) This is part of the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus is speaking of how to treat others, giving many lessons of the Kingdom of God and how God desires for us to behave toward those who may be our enemies.  We need to hear this today.  We are quick to judge and slow to forgive as a nation.  Grudges and Anger are "all the rage".  You can see it in television shows, movies and video games.  Take a look at road rage and you can see it clearly. For "with the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45).   We, as followers of the Most High God, need to ask the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts and reveal to us any places in which we are harboring anger, unforgiveness or any other sin that sets itself up against God, that we may work to tear it down.  In this way we will be able to bring glory to God and shine brighter to those around us.

Jesus' Love

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

Proverbs 16:3

"When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him."

Proverbs 16:7

Trust that Jesus sees you, know that He hears you and that He cares deeply about you.  You are His precious child, created by the work of His hands and the everlasting love in His heart.  Believe that there is no other that can love you like Jesus can and then choose to follow Him wherever He leads.  You can never get enough of Jesus.  He alsways has more to give and He only gives what you need for today so that you need Him daily.  He desires to be with you probably even more than you desire Him even in your neediest moments.  He is completely in love with you and wants to give you all the good things He has stored up for you.  His blessings are plentiful and He is not stingy with them.  He desires to pour them out upon you because He loves you.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." (Prov. 3:5-6)

You can do this because Jesus is "not willing that anyone should perish, but that all would come to repentance" (2Peter 3:9)

Today, if you do not know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, He is available and waiting for you.  He loves you and desires to dwell in your heart.  If you are willing, come to the one that knows everything about you and loves you anyways with an everlasting love and kindness that will never fade away.  Ask him into your heart and receive the greatest gift you could ever imagine.  Life on Earth with Jesus and life eternal in Heaven.