No more lonely nights

As I lay in bed last night, I was trying to tolerate the pain of a gall bladder flare up (I have them every once in awhile, ever since I had my baby 9 months ago). I decided I was going to pray and put my pain in God's hands because I knew He was the only one who could stop it. I find myself having my most intimate conversations with God at the end of the night when I go to bed. There is just something about it being so quiet and in a relaxed state that makes this time so special. I think it's mainly because there are no distractions. I have always spent my most intimate time with God right before I go to sleep. It makes going to sleep so much more peaceful and it's so cool to fall asleep talking to Him.

As I prayed that the pain I was enduring would stop, last night, it was only minutes after I prayed that the pain completely stopped. I praised God for his generosity and care in stopping the pain. Then for some reason I thought back to my wedding day when my husband strummed his guitar and sang to me the song "No more lonely nights" by Paul McCartney:

"I can wait another day until I call you  
You only got my heart on a string  
And everything a flutter
 
But another lonely night might take forever  

We've only got each other to blame 

It's all the same to me love 

'Cause, I know what I feel to be right

 
No more lonely nights  

No more lonely nights 

You're my guiding light  

Day or night, I'm always there

 
May I never miss the thrill of being near you 

And if it takes a couple of years  

To turn your tears to laughter 

I will do what I feel to be right

 
No more lonely nights

Never be another  

No more lonely nights  
You're my guiding light Day or night, I'm always there

 
And I won't go away until you tell me so  

No, I'll never go away  

Yes, I know what I feel to be right

 
No more lonely nights  

Never be another  

No more lonely nights  

You're my guiding light Day or night, I'm always there
And I won't go away until you tell me so  

No, I'll never go away 

I won't go away until you tell me so"

It's like a conversation between me and God. His words in red. This is exactly what it seemed to me last night. God is so loving and He is always there, it is us who stray away. So, the next time you ask God where He is, remember that He never left; but it was in fact you that was absent. He is ALWAYS there. I am glad to know that I will never have a lonely night and that whether it is day or night His guiding light will always be present.

Do you struggle with inadequacy?

If you are like me, I am sure you have experienced inadequacy at least once in your life. This is common, no need to hide it. We are all human and cannot fight the lack of self-confidence 100% of the time. After all, don't you think it is a great tool to be used to bring you down? Really think about that. The devil doesn't want us to be happy or successful. He wants to ruin the plans that God is trying to accomplish through us. Ever notice that when you are most on fire for God and know God is doing big things it doesn't take long before  you sink down at some level shortly thereafter?

Well, I want to share with you a recipe that I learned from Norman Vincent Peale, in his book called "The Power of positive thinking". If you decide to read the book he will give you several real life examples of how this recipe works wonders in people's lives. He covers this in chapter 1. Keep in mind that this recipe can only work if you apply it 100%. Keep in mind this is not some kind of crazy voodoo. This recipe only works because it teaches you how to kick out the devils whispers of negativity and the lies that are pushing you away from self-confidence. It opens you up to God so that He can work inside of your heart and mind and it allows Him to steer the wheel.

1) Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop this picture. Never think of yourself as failing; never doubt the reality of the mental image. That is most dangerous, for the mind always tries to complete what it pictures. So always picture "success" no matter how badly things seem to be going at the moment.

2) Whenever a negative thought concerning your personal powers comes to mind, deliberately voice a positive thought to cancel it out.

3) Do not build up obstacles in your imagination. Depreciate every so-called obstacle. Minimize them. Difficulties must be studied and efficiently dealt with to be eliminated, but they must be seen for only what they are. They must not be inflated by fear thoughts.

4) Do not awestruck by other people and try to copy them. Nobody can be you as efficiently as YOU can. Remember also that most people, despite their confident appearance and demeanor, are often as scared as you are and as doubtful of themselves.

5) Ten times a day repeat these dynamic words, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) (Stop reading and repeat them NOW slowly and confidently.)

6) Get a competent counselor to help you understand why you do what you do. Learn the origin of your inferiority and self-doubt feelings which often begin in childhood. Self-knowledge leads to a cure.

7) Ten times each day practice the following affirmation, repeating it out loud if possible. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (PHil 4:13) Repeat those words NOW. That magic statement is the most powerful antidote on earth to inferiority thoughts.

8) Make a ture estimate of your own ability, then raise it 10 percent. Do not become egotistical, but develop a wholesome self-respect. Believe in your own God-released powers.

9) Put yourself in God's hands. To do that simply state, "I am in God's hands." Then believe you are NOW receiving all the power you need. "Feel" it flowing into you. Affirm that "the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21) in the form of adequate power to meet life's demands.

10) Remind yourself that God is with you and nothing can defeat you. Believe that you now RECEIVE power from him.

OUTREACH vs. "INREACH"

Church and ministry (Outreach) are 2 separate things. The church needs to stop trying to get people to come to them by using their "appealing", comfortable atmosphere tactics and stop worrying about filling the seats in a church building.


The "church" needs to concern themselves with their attendance in ministry.

Church: Defined by Webster, "1) An edifice for religious worship; the chief services held there. 2) a body or organization of Christian believers."

Outreach: Defined by Webster, "Extension of services to nontraditional recipients."

Churches are trying too hard at "INREACH" and have lost focus on OUTREACH. According to Webster a church is a body of Christians. Church is designed for Christians to come together in fellowship and to train people to be disciples. Where in the Bible does it say to attract people to come to church? In fact, it says TO GO into all the nations and share the gospel. I don't see where in that statement where it says "Go bring people to church". Think about it, when you invite your friends and family to church is it because you are too afraid to share the gospel yourself and you are putting that responsibility all on the pastor?

Many people are turned away by Christians and have no desire to attend church because Christians aren't upholding the very responsibilities that God has given them. Many people do not want to go to church and they may never even set foot in one. So, is it acceptable that they should not then hear the gospel? It sure shouldn't be! Getting them into a church building is not the answer. God's love and His Word  can be best shared by sure example and meeting people where they are in society. So, should we really be focused on making our church buildings and programs attractive with the purpose of making a quota of most seats filled? Is this teaching Christians to be lazy in sharing their faith and the gospel with others?

What is your response to that?

Does life have a purpose?

Laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, bills, work....does this sound familiar? Life can get very busy and it becomes demanding even at times. And then there are goals of achievement to take into account: getting fit, earning a degree, finding your dream job, saving up money to prize yourself with something you have longed for, etc. But in the end...how much of any of this really matters? Really stop to think about that for a second.

  Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her" -Luke 10:38-42.
Are you worried and/or distracted by too many things in your life? Our life here on earth is very temporary. I know that is hard to see because life on earth is all we know, but our life on earth is only a training ground for our eternal destination. What is driving your life? Is it driven by guilt, resentment, anger, materialism, or the need for approval? Your purpose should ultimately be preparing you for eternity.  All earthly things will soon perish, but our souls have no end.

When was the last time you attended a funeral? What thoughts went through your mind? Chances are you have experienced at least one loss of a loved one in your life, someone who meant a lot to you. That person could have passed away by natural causes or even by a devastating or sudden death. Life can end in a blinking of an eye. We have no clue the day or time that we will take our last breath. It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be next week and we should be living life as if that were so because think about...your last breath could be right around the corner. Life is worthless if we are not living it in the light of our eternity. 

Picture a butterfly. A butterfly's  life span is usually about 2 weeks. That is it. So, considering you knew your life would only last 2 weeks, how different would your life look at this very moment? Would you be spreading your wings in the presence of God and preparing your kingdom in heaven with every moment spent? Or would you waste your 2 weeks away with trying to inherit meaningless earthly goals and consuming worthless possessions?

"We should be 'realizing that every moment we spend in these earthly bodies is time spent away from our eternal home in heaven with Jesus'" - Rick Warren

We shouldn't be living life carelessly, unthinkingly, we should be focusing on what our Master wants. Your existence is not an accident, you were created with a unique design with a special purpose. What is your purpose? Well, like it says in the passage from Luke, above, we must sit at His feet and listen. If we don't do that very thing, we may never know the answer to that one life question and sadly, we will go on wasting our lives away. But your life is just too busy, you don't have time...right? Well, let's evaluate: how much time do you spend on facebook, watching tv, reading magazines, indulging in a hobby, etc? What if your best friend decided to just stop talking to you altogether and stopped being your friend because he/she is just too busy for you? Wouldn't that break your heart? Your friend probably doesn't do that because you are just that important to them. Well, Jesus should matter to us in the same way. If you have a hard time with this because you just don't know how to fit in the time or it just doesn't seem natural start somewhere like having a cup of coffee with Him. Imagine that He is right there with you (which He is even though you can't see Him) and just have a conversation with Him. Tell Him what is going on in your life. Tell Him what you like that is happening in your life, tell Him your struggles. Sure, this may seem silly, but He seeks friendship in just the manner you and everyone does. You will be surprised at how amazing your conversations can get if you take the time. Another thing you can do it practice replacing something you normally do that isn't very important and use that time to read some passages from the Bible, perhaps even pick up an inspirational book that uses that Bible hand-in-hand. God will speak to you, I can guarantee that. He will baffle you and you will wonder how you ever went so long not hearing Him, you will be hungry for more and the things that seemed to matter to you before will soon transform into something less important. 


"You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you."- Isaiah 26:3
What is holding you back? Who is hurting you, what are you struggling with that is making your focus on your purpose in life seem not important or driven? Try to find out what those things are and take the time to address them both with yourself and with God. Nothing is too small or silly to take to God. He understands better than anyone, He will never mock you, you can trust Him because He created you. He knows you better than even you do. He knows exactly how many hairs are on your head!

I know it is hard to comprehend because our nature and our culture has taught us that life is about us. Well, to be honest and blunt....life is not about me and it is not about you. We were made by God and for God and until we understand that, life will never make much sense. If we focus on ourselves all the time, how will we ever want to take the time to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to hear the calling and purpose He has for us? When we focus on ourselves our life's purpose will never be revealed. I know it doesn't really sound logical because it goes against our flesh, but when there is obsession with self you will only find a dead end. A genuine relationship with God leads us into a free life that is in His power. In His power ALL things are possible. How amazing is that!

In spite of every thing around you, how can you remind yourself that life really is not about you and that it is about living for God? What is the one thing you should stop doing and the one thing you should start doing?

"Nothing matters more than knowing God's purpose for your life, and nothing can compensate for not knowing them" - Rick Warren

A God text

As you know, this blog is about "Experiencing God". If you haven't already figured it out, my posts are part of my God experiences that I am sharing with you.


So, instead of me posting my God experience today, I want to hear about your most recent God experience. What has He done in your life recently? What is He texting you?


Please don't be shy and share!

From riches to rags

When was the last time you spoke to a homeless person? I can probably guess the answer. What stops you from wanting to talk to a homeless person? Are they scary because they look and smell dirty? Do you think you are putting yourself in danger?

Proverbs 21:13

Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.  

Ok, now lets look at a different perspective. Lets say you lost your job and could not support your family anymore and you could not find work. So, you lost your house, car and all of your prized possessions, and it forced you to live on the street. How would that make you feel? Well, guess what? That is the case for MANY homeless people. Now, let’s think about this. How would you feel if you were homeless and no one ever stopped to talk to you or even offer you food, warm clothes, or money? And the reason no one stopped to care was because you looked and smelled unpleasant because you haven’t showered in no one knows how long and because everyone was just too busy and selfish to want to care. After all, we can’t miss our football games, we have to make it to the big sale on the newest video games and we can’t miss going out to dinner at a nice restaurant with our friends and family…right?

Proverbs 17:5

Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished.

If you were homeless and no one talked to you would you feel lonely? If no one cared to cater to your needs would you feel lonely? If you were cold and had nowhere to go, would you feel lonely? And you know that you are not scary. You are a fun, out-going person that just found yourself in an unfortunate situation; why wouldn’t anyone want to talk to you or even help you? What is so wrong with you that no one would want to help you? Well, you’re scary looking and you might be dangerous. And you are thinking…but I’m really not! I’m just a person just like everyone else. Are you getting the picture here? Seriously, close your eyes and picture what this would look and feel like to you if you were living in the shoes of a homeless person.

The homeless are people just like you and I. They seek to be included just like you. They get hungry just like you. They have desires and goals just like you! You and I are no better than those more unfortunate than us.

Proverbs 22:2

The rich and poor have this in common: The Lord made them both.

Proverbs 29:13
The poor and the oppressor have this in common-the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

I assure you that just taking the time to talk to a homeless person means the world to them. It brings a smile to their faces because they don’t get to socialize much because people are too afraid to accept them in our everyday society. How do I know this, you ask? Because, I cannot count how many times I have stopped to talk to a homeless person on the side of the road, especially those who are so desperate that they are standing at on and off ramps of highways begging for your help. I have given them food, water, and money so many times. I assure you I have never encountered danger in such an act of service. I am not saying that danger is not possible; I am saying that if you are being generous there is no reason for you to be taken advantage of. Most of the homeless people that I talked to are men, older men. And yet, they are people too. I have never been harmed, threatened, or had the reason to fear danger in these situations. When you give in generosity, believe me, these people are nothing but grateful!

I beg you: do not let fear, nor stepping out of your comfort bubble, talk you out of helping someone in need, especially someone who is homeless. I will tell you why helping the homeless is so important:

I spent about an hour at a Tim Hortons just the other day. Across the room I saw this older man sipping a hot beverage. He was wearing a bicycle helmet. As I looked at him I had a feeling that he might be homeless and by the look at the sleet coming down outside and knowing how cold it was…I just had a strong sense that he may even be in need of food, clothing, or even a warm place to stay. Surprisingly, he sat at his table the entire hour I was there and I was hoping to catch him and speak with him before I left, but as I was on my way out he was nowhere to be found, but his bike was still sitting outside. So, I figured he was in the restroom and I decided to just proceed and head out to the car and go home. So, I started the car and I left. I got half way down the road, towards home, and had this strong feeling that he may not have a warm place to sleep tonight and I couldn’t imagine experiencing sleeping in such cold. So, I turned around and headed back. Sure enough, he was still there and he was preparing himself to get onto his bike to leave. I pulled my car over towards him and asked him if he had a warm place to stay for the night and he assured me that he did and that he had an apartment a few blocks away. This man was so tickled that I stopped to talk to him. I could tell because he couldn’t stop smiling and he was very conversational. He told me that he is 78 years old. Can you imagine traveling by bicycle in the sleet and such cold temperatures? He told me a little bit about himself and he told me that there are so many homeless people and that he knows many of them personally. He said that he tries to help others when he can. Here, this guy clearly didn’t have much. He was traveling by bike and he had a grocery bag attached to the front of it and even he reaches out to help others that are in need! How interesting is that, someone who clearly does not have much is more giving than someone who has substantially much more than he. Think about that for a moment.

Proverbs 28:27

Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.

So, here was the most heartbreaking thing that I heard during our very hearty conversation…he said to me “There are a lot of homeless people and they are dying because they are so cold and hungry” WHAT!? People are dying because of the cold temperatures and because they are hungry? I have food in my fridge and I have a warm home, why am I not giving to these people and preventing them from dying? That is heartbreaking!!!

Proverbs 29:7

The godly care about the rights of the poor; the wicked don’t care at all.

Proverbs 19:17

If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and he will repay you.

You know, God loves these people just as he loves you and me. And sure, you can pray for help for these unfortunate circumstances, that these people are enduring. But, don’t you know that we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus? These people are dying because we are too selfish and are more concerned about our “little” problems. We are not even supposed to look down on the homeless!

Proverbs 14:31

Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors him.

Proverbs 14:21

It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor; blessed are those who help the poor.

How much are you willing to pay for a new fancy cell-phone, high-speed internet, cable, or a new car?

How much are you willing to pay for a new fancy cell-phone, high-speed internet, cable, a new car, etc? Are you willing to spend a little more even if it hurts just a little bit because you are getting something you really want? Well, let me ask you another question: Are you willing to pay whatever the price and obey God’s voice at all costs even if it hurts a little or even a lot? Are you willing to take that chance? If you’re not serious about seeking God then you aren’t going to find Him.

If you are not serious about seeking God, if you are uncomfortable with strange and unusual manifestations, if you are uncomfortable with being thrown off your bandwagon of your comfortable lifestyle consumed by materialism and traditions, then you need to go someplace else. Doing things your way are no good for you. We have lived our lives our way long enough. In order for you to really experience God’s presence you must pay the price of letting go and letting God do it His way.

You should want Him at any cost and not let that sacredness be taken for granted. God is calling us to carry His presence into battle. He wants us to dwell with Him intimately in communion, but we first must go to him with dead flesh. His revival is based on His glory and presence. Nothing we can do can reach the world. God’s glory must flow within the four walls that we are standing.

Looks don’t matter. We can pretend all we want and nothing real will happen because we do not have the power to accomplish anything without the glory of God present. The church has been “playing church” for way too long. There are church buildings all over the world, but no matter how fancy the lawn, the auditorium or the programs are, God is really not welcomed there because the dignity and respectability among men are more important than the moving and the presence of God. Did you know that there are times when God’s glory has moved out of its rightful place because of the sin and indifference of man? That makes me want to vomit. Seriously, we are responsible for the unmoving of God so many times and then we complain that God is not moving and is absent from our lives when we are the ones to blame! Sickening! In order for us to see God’s best we must remember that we must be willing to sacrifice what we think is good and acceptable. When we are willing to do that, God’s visitation can then become real. God wants ALL the glory, not a little, some or most, but ALL the glory in the church. He wants His glory to be on display for the whole world to see!

We need to be ready for Him to come suddenly and without warning, regardless of how that changes our plans. Oh wait, that could make a church service run late, perhaps all through the night? But, you have to go home and watch football and have a feast waiting at home! Or maybe you need to go grocery shopping or you were planning on seeing a movie or visiting a friend or family member. Really!? Are these things really more important than what the presence of God has planned? Why are we so hesitant at handling God’s manifested presence? God only comes by invitation, that means displayed hunger! This is what it comes down to: Do you really want Him to come? Are you willing to pay whatever the cost in chasing God’s presence?