Job 1

Sometimes I think Satan has been given to much credit or power than he really deserves. Did you know that Job 1 describes Satan's attributes. He is not all knowing, he is not all powerful, he can only be in one place at a time. He is God's opposite in character and ability. He is a fallen creature, not a god with any true power. That is why Satan relies on deception so much because he has no real power. He tries to manipulate by "roaring like a lion" to create fear in our lives. If he can get us to believe a lie then he has the upper hand for the moment. In order for Satan to attack us God has to give him permission and only then God has placed severe limits on what he can try to do.

Holy Spirit Guidance #3, Acts 1

In Acts 1:8 Luke gives the two major themes of his book. The first theme is how the Spirit works to expand the Kingdom, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses...." and the second is the chronological order the book follows, "In Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

We can learn several things from the Book of Acts, most of the Spirit's leadings will come when we are doing work to expand the Kingdom, not personal decisions we are facing. Because that's true I believe, God expects us to walk in wisdom in our personal lives to know His will when He is seemingly silent. Eph 5:15-17, "Be careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise...Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is."

In short, know that 1. God's Spirit is given to further the work of His Kingdom. 2. Most of the Spirit's leadings will come when we are working to expand the Kingdom. 3. God expects us to walk in wisdom in our personal lives to follow His will when it seems the Spirit isn't guiding. 4. God will always lead us in the footsteps of wisdom and His Spirit's "guidance" will not contradict that; Prov 4:11.

James 1, Trials

James 1:2-5 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

James 1:5 encourages us to pray for wisdom when we are being tested. The Greek conditional sentence assumes that those of us facing trials do lack wisdom. In this context the wisdom that God gives is understanding the nature and purpose of trials and knowing how to meet them victoriously. Such wisdom is available to the one who will "ask God" for it, not once only, but repeatedly (Gr., present tense). The promise is that "it will be given to him." There is nothing in God that keeps him from giving. More good news: When perseverance has finished its work, the believer will lack none of the needed virtues and strengths. That is what God is trying to do in us. In Short, the wisdom we pray for is too understand the nature and purpose of trials and know how to meet them victoriously.

Holy Spirit Guidance #2, Proverbs 4

When we are following God and believe He is guiding us by His Spirit we need to test these leadings. Here are some questions to ask ourselves, "Does this contradict God's character? Does this violate my conscience? Does this violate clear teaching from the Bible? What do mature Christians who have been following God for years say about this? Is this wise?"

God will never ask us to do anything that is unwise. NEVER. Here is what Solomon wrote to his son, read it knowing your Heavenly Father wrote it to us!
Proverbs 4:11-14: "I Instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths."

In Short, when God is leading us He will guide us in the footsteps of wisdom and not lead us into foolishness.

Job 2

Job 2:9,10 '"His wife said to him, "Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!" He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all of this, Job did not sin in what he said."'

Job has been a book that has always puzzled me, but recently it has brought me relief. What I've learned from him is to accept the good and the bad God allows my way. It is coming from a loving Heavenly Father who is using these trials to transform me into His Son's image, but that happens only when I respond favorably to them. Job 2 puts Job's response side by side to his wife's. His wife curses God, while Job worships God. He is a great model of how to live when we are being tested. A funny thing happens when we quit fighting and accept what God is doing around us, we become content with where He has placed us. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." "Learning" this can be very difficult, but when it is "learned" it's always rewarding. In short, 1. Accept the good and the bad God allows our way. 2. Know that God is good and only test us for our benefit. 3. Contentment only comes when we accept all that God gives us, the good and the bad.

Moses, Joseph

I love the stories of Moses and Joseph because it shows how God works in my life. God took into account their character flaws when he called them. God knew they were going to make their mistakes; His plan is bigger than our mistakes. Joseph would not have gone to Egypt as a slave if he wouldn't have struggled with arrogance. It was Joseph's bragging about his vision that was the last straw that made his jealous brothers finally attempt to get rid of him. Moses also had his issues. He tried to deliver the Hebrew people 40 years too early, but God was at work through a murderer. It was part of God's plan for Moses to live in the desert. Moses' story perfectly foreshadows the arrival and rejection of the Messiah. It was all part of God's plan. Here's what I've learned from Moses and Joseph, God actually uses our weakness (mistakes, shortcomings, character flaws) to accomplish His plan. He is that BIG.

1 Thess 5

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice Always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Why? Because Christ, the One we serve is always with us. He has His divine hand in our mess. He is the One who created our beautiful world out of the darkness that covered the earth. His Spirit brings order out of chaos. We can trust Him to do the same today. And here is the best part...He will. In short, God is involved in every aspect of our lives.

Mark 4:35-40 Storms of Life

Mark 4:35-40 "That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm." He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

A storm that size I'm sure Jesus and the disciples saw the storm moving in and the disciples being expert fisherman I'm sure they knew how to handle it. In spite of the inclement weather Jesus said, "Let us go over to the other side." This same scenario plays out in our lives. We sense God's direction but the storms of life come causing us to doubt Him. God is faithful He gets us to the other side and rarely is it the way we thought it would happen. Jesus' statements to His disciples points to what God wants from us: He doesn't want us to be afraid, He wants our trust to be in Him.

In short, 1. We can be right in the middle of a storm and be right in the middle of God's will. 2. Circumstances don't necessarily confirm if we are in God's will. 3. God will get us to the "other side" when it's His idea, not ours. 4. God desires that we react with trust, not fear when we face storms.

Holy Spirit Guidance #1, Acts 10, 1 Thess 5

I have learned that following the Holy Spirit is not an exact science. In fact, we grow in our ability to discern the Spirit's guidance and it may take time before we are 100% sure we are doing the right thing. In reading through Acts, I've seen a common pattern, God's direction is given through the Spirit and then the recipient has to think about what they received and make smart choices to complete the divine task. For example, Acts 10 explains the story of how Peter received a vision 3 times and heard God's audible voice 3 times and he still didn't understand what God was saying. Peter was so offended he told the Lord, "Sorry God, but that doesn't fit into who I know You to be and it goes against the grain of everything I've been taught." It didn't make sense to him. Peter had to digest what he felt like God was saying to him (vs. 17). But while he was thinking it through the Lord provided him more direction, which ultimately led Peter on a journey to share the gospel with the first gentile specific audience. We are like Peter, in that God provides direction for us, but the next step isn't always clear. Many times its foggy and the best choices to make with the new "leading" are smart wise choices and to test "all things" that we believe come for the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19-22). Testing the Spirit's activity is a sign of spiritual maturity that pleases God. Too many people have been deceived because they failed to test the "Holy Spirit's" instruction or walk God's plan out with wisdom. In short, It is our responsibility to examine leadings and be wise in walking them out.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22, "Do not put out the Spirit's fire. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject whatever is harmful."

Genesis 37-50, Transitions

Joseph's story reveals a lot about transitions. I'll hit the highlights of his story: he was the 2ND youngest of 12 brothers, he was arrogant, favored by his father, hated by his brothers, bought as a slave by his family's ancestral enemy, accused of rape, taken prisoner and then finally forgotten by someone he helped jail break. Now you may be thinking, "How is this encouraging?" Well his story teaches us several things about God's ways. Repeatedly throughout Joseph's story the Bible says, "The Lord was with Joseph." The first time this is mentioned he is just sold into slavery (Gen 39:2) and the second time he was in prison (39:20,21). Those aren't the times I would assume God was with me. We learn that circumstances do not reveal if God has us in mind or not. And secondly, We learn that God is with us through the good times and the bad, He never leaves us. But what is God doing during this time? He is actually using our circumstances from where we're at to fulfill His vision for our lives. Joseph may not have known how involved God was during his years of suffering but later in life he knew what God was doing. He said in Gen. 50:20, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Often times the suffering of life and the transitions we endure may appear to come from peoples hands, but it actually has its source in God. 3 principles we can learn from this: First, Suffering makes us more compassionate. Second, What Satan intended for evil, God designed for good. Finally, God works all things for the good of those we love Him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Nehemiah 1 Vision

Nehemiah was the cup bearer to a Persian king (vs 1:11). He wasn't a general, a politician or even a priest. He may have been perceived by some to be a trader because he was the food taster for a pagan king. His accessibility to the king meant he was someone the king could trust with his life. I imagine a special friendship developed between the two men. Nehemiah wasn't well educated, but he was in the right place at the right time. He was right where God wanted him when God impressed upon Nehemiah's heart His vision. God wanted Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after centuries of being destroyed. These open walls made Jerusalem easy to attack by surround nations and kept them from gaining lasting prosperity. Nehemiah knew how difficult this was. He had no power or authority to get the job done. He was the cup bearer to a Persian king whose country had destroyed Jerusalem's walls, but that is exactly where God wanted Nehemiah. Nehemiah was in the right spot to petition the pagan king for the supplies and manpower to get the job done. His relationship with the king was such that he could make a request in the king's presence without sudden death. God placed Nehemiah in the right place in life to accomplish this divine task. So what does that mean for us today? God has us in the right spot as long as we are seeking His Kingdom first. As unlikely as it may seem now: God is using our current circumstances to prepare us to accomplish His vision for our lives.

Proverbs 3:5,6

Proverbs 3:5,6 "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."

We only come to know God's vision for us when we come to Him with the attitude, "I'm committed to doing what you want me to do even before I know what it is." This faith is pleasing to Him because we know He is a good God and that He desires only our best. When we seek His direction it causes us to be dependent on Him and in the process we get what we really need...Him. Not the "felt" need of an answered prayer or even knowing the next step we should take.

This proverb teaches that God will reveal the next step only after we've agreed to submit to it before we know what it is. The phrase "He will make your paths straight" could also have been written, "He will make your paths obvious and clear." In short, Decide you're going to trust God in the dark because that's when His vision will become obvious.

Jeremiah 29

I don't have problems believing God or believing that God is looking out for my best interest as I navigate through life's circumstances. My problem is not knowing HOW He is going to do it. This creates worry and frustration on my part. My question is, "Okay, how am I going to help God do this?" Which I believe is a legitimate question, but my reaction to the silence is what gets me. I am impatient for results, so I believe God is teaching me patience. He is teaching me to trust Him. I love Jeremiah 29. I'll paraphrase it for you, "Where you are now in life, exiled away from your promise land is right where I've placed you. Contrary to what your circumstances may lead you to believe my intentions are not to harm you, but to give you a future and a hope. This is actually meant to make you better and conform you into My image. Your circumstances will take on new meaning when you search for Me with all your heart and then you will find Me; and then I will fulfill my promise." In short, God leads us through seemingly unfavorable circumstances for us to find Him.

the BIG IDEA, My First Post

The idea behind this blog is really not my own, but a friend's who has encouraged me to enter the blog world. This blog is more for me than anyone who will read my posts. My desire is to help organize my thoughts about what God is speaking to me through His Word. If you've stumbled upon this I hope you enjoy.