Precipice

           Have you ever been cliff jumping/diving? You are standing at the edge of the cliff (precipice). Your heart is racing. You begin to have second thoughts. Your mind is telling you how scary it is, but without trying you will never know how awesome it is. Then you take the jump. You are free-falling and nothing matters anymore. The rush of falling gives you a huge adrenaline boost. After you hit the water, you realize what an exhilaration that was. Sound like fun?
              This is what stepping into God is like. Many of us are at the precipice of our relationship with God. We constantly try to build up courage to step over the edge, but we continue to fail. Our mind keeps telling us that we are safer where we are. We have faith in God, but the life we live is so fun and God will forgive us. We are too afraid of what will happen when we step over the edge, so we continue to back away. Pretty soon we back so far away from the edge that we can’t even see God anymore. Our lives are filled with sin, but we don’t care. The devil is in complete control now. What would have happened if you would have just jumped?
               If we jump of that edge, NOTHING will be the same—for the better. It will make you a better person and in a deeper relationship with God. You give up a lot in your life to jump over the edge. But after you jump and let God take complete control your past won’t even matter. Everything in your life will turn around. Jump over that edge and let God take control. Let him lead you through the life he has planned for you. By jumping over the edge we allow God to directly impact our lives. Can you see the edge of the cliff again?
              Not only do you need to jump once, but you must jump off the precipice every day after that. By jumping off the precipice every day the devil will have no way into your life. When you wake up in the morning and step on the ground all of hell shakes and the devil says, “oh great, you’re up!” Every place you step your foot darkness will disappear and fill with God’s light. The enemy will try to attack, but if you continue to jump the devil will flee. You will meet his threat and win. The devil may have power, but he has nothing and I mean nothing on the glory and power of God. Life on this earth is nothing compared to an eternity in heaven or hell. So give up the sin in this lifetime to spend an eternity in the presence of our Father. Are you ready to jump?
             Let’s pray, “Jesus, I am ready to jump. I know that you will be at the bottom to catch me. Let me fall into your arms. Take my life and change it. I am ready to give up the sins in my life in order to give your name glory. I know you have great plans for me. Impact my life in ways that you never have before. I am ready to jump!”

For the week, Matthew 6:33, " But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Last Words

                P.T. Barnum, “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?” Humphrey Bogart, “I should have never switched from scotch to martinis.” Thomas Jefferson, “Is it the fourth?” These are all famous last words of people we have known throughout history. It is funny how people remember words from people such as these, yet many do not know the greatest last words ever spoken. These words came from Jesus Christ as he was being crucified. Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” These words of forgiveness sum up the life of Jesus and why God sent him to this earth.

                Jesus spoke about forgiveness because forgiveness is something we all need. He said these last words while thinking of each and every one of us, not just to the people who were crucifying him. Jesus knew that we were going to be put on this earth and he thought of us as he asked God to forgive us. See we are all born into a life of sin and without asking for forgiveness from God we fall away from him and choose not to be saved. Jesus forgives us for any sin we have committed. Just as Jesus forgives us, he expects us to live like him and forgive others. At times it is difficult, but forgiveness is a key aspect to a strong relationship with God. Why should we forgive each other though? There are three easy answers to that question:

               1.  Forgiveness is a pattern we all need to live.
Forgiveness comes from out own personal will. Each of us has the will to forgive, but it is you as a person that chooses if you will forgive. We must live a life of forgiveness to be free and fully receive Christ. Colossians 3:13, "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of your have grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."

               2.  Jesus has forgiven us.
Give all of the hurt to Jesus. He will help you to forgive that person and everything will be so much easier. When God helps you to forgive, just as he has forgiven us, it is so much more powerful. Matthew 5:43-44, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

               3.  Forgiveness has reward. 
Forgiveness is such a freeing experience. When you don't forgive there is a heavy weight that is placed on your heart. Forgiveness will lift that off. When you forgive others, your own sins are forgiven. Matthew 6:14-16, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

                 Forgiveness allows us to focus on future chapters in our life. Holding a grudge makes us rely on our past. Our future is more important than what happened in our past. Jesus died on the cross to forgive you so you could have the power to forgive. Without forgiveness our life is full of emptiness. Only Jesus’s blood can drive away the emptiness in our lives. We all need forgiveness.

                Let’s pray, “Jesus, forgive me for I have sinned against you. Forgive me so that I may forgive others. Fill me with your love and holy-spirit. Make me more like you. Let your light shine through me. Forgive me Lord. In your name I pray, Amen.”

For the week, Ephesians 4:32, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you."

Desperation

                What has happened in your past? Is there too much to remember? Let’s narrow it down, what have you done in your past you wish you could go back and change? The things that have happened in our past define our lives, just like a scar defines your body. Although your past defines you, it is your victories that determine who you really are. And the way to gain complete victory is with God leading you. This seems like a strange thought, but just think about it. For instance, have you read any story in The Bible where the people were validated by their struggles? Rather they are determined by their victories. King David didn't become king because he took on a lion, bear and Goliath, but rather because he took on God’s anointing. He didn’t keep coming back saying yeah I am still fighting with this bear, rather he gained victory over it. That is what determined who he was going to be, one of the greatest kings of that time. The sad fact is that we, as believers, don’t become desperate for God—just as David did. We must get desperate for God to get past what defines us so he can determine our future. Although it seems easy, we do not want to be there. Many of us feel more validated by our struggles, rather than the things God brings us out of.  The only way to get past that is to become desperate for God!

                We must become filled and filled with God, yet never be content. Many of us don’t become desperate, but rather are just “hungry” for God. When you are hungry, you go get food and aren’t hungry anymore. That is exactly what we do with God. We feel down about something or are going through a spiritual desert and we ask God for help. Although he always answers our calls, we go back into those struggles that define us after God has given us the victory seeming as though he never answered. We only want to satisfy this hunger, which causes us to become empty again. Hunger is just a desire, but desperation is a demand.  Desperation is like going through the desert for 7 days without food or water, and then someone comes with food and water. You are so desperate for that water that you do not even notice the people who bring you the water. That is how desperate we need to be about God. If you continue to hold on to the things that have brought you down you are not desperate. A man can make himself hungry, but only God can make us desperate. How is it that we become desperate then?

                Tell God you need more of him. When we are hungry ask God for more than anything else you have received before. He may make you into a vessel of his power, but ask for more. So how does he give us more?  He gives us more by crushing us to build us up into something great, and it is in those crushing times that we become desperate for God.  Everything we know will come crashing down. Any stability we have built up in our lives will be destroyed. It is at these times that we cry out to God and ask him why? Why are you tearing everything away from me? That is when he answers, “I thought you wanted to be desperate? I am just crushing the junk out of your life.” We may think he is destroying our whole life, but nothing in our life matters but God.

                We must step into him now. If you quit while you’re hungry, you will never become desperate. You must be willing to wrestle with God for one single blessing, just as Jacob did in the Bible. Jacob didn’t give up on God and he became the father of the nations. He became desperate. We must be willing to go through anything to become desperate because hunger will stop you, desperation will break you through. It will be a tough journey, but the end result is something greater than you can imagine.  And God will continue to crush you to bring out the desperation in you. We are like clay in God’s hands and he is the potter. He molds us into something strong and sturdy. You have got to be desperate. You must become the clay in God’s hands. The most important thing to remember about being clay is this: when God crushes you he will always center you in him when he builds you back up. That’s what desperation is all about. You must let God take control of everything.

                Let’s pray, “Jesus, make me desperate for you. I am ready to claim every victory in my life through your name. Crush all the junk out of my life and center me in you. You mean more to me than anything in this world. I give everything up for you. Make me desperate. In your name I pray, Amen.”

For the week, Psalms 84:2, “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”