I Can!

So much of the world is convinced that I … you … we can’t.  Paul says is Phil 4:13 “I Can.”

Runner’s World (8/91), told the story of Beth Anne DeCiantis’s attempt to qualify for the 1992 Olympic Trials Marathon. A female runner must complete the 27-mile, 385-yard race in less than two hours, forty-five minutes to compete at the Olympic Trials. Beth started strong but began having trouble around mile 23. She reached the final straightaway at 243, with just two minutes left to qualify. Two hundred yards from the finish, she stumbled and fell. Dazed, she stayed down for twenty seconds. The clock was ticking-2: 44, less than a minute to go. Beth Anne staggered to her feet and began walking. Five yards short of the finish, with ten seconds to go, she fell again. She began to crawl, the crowd cheering her on, and crossed the finish line on her hands and knees. Her time? Two hours, 44 minutes, 57 seconds.

Many of us are down and scraping our knees to just qualify for the race…Paul reminds us to not give up… don’t quit! Have the attitude that I can, I can!

1 Cor 15:58 states;  “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

“I Can” is a declaration of persistence… I can do. You know I love ya, Don

The World Does Not Revolve Around Me...or YOU!

“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.” Psalm 138:8

“It’s all about You, Jesus” is a popular phrase taken from Matt Redman’s chorus, The Heart of Worship. We would do well to make that our refrain, not just Sunday mornings, but everyday. In essence, for the believer, every day and every moment should be “worship-full.” That is God's purpose in me. In other words, God’s grace and mercy is given to us every moment, thus every moment is demonstrating the worth of that grace. God's grace does not revolve around me...or you!

A simple test of your worship, is to ask yourself, “How much is God worth to me?” Is He worth a penny or a dollar or priceless? Your level of how much God is worth is defined in how much you respond in service and dedication to the God you worship. Thus, if He is priceless, a worshiper views every moment as an opportunity to worship God and every moment is about Him. The priceless view releases us from worship styles, worship venues, and personal desires in times and family worship. Worship is not about me, but all about HIM!

Imagine the effect it would have on our lives if we stopped and realized, “It’s not about me.” Imagine the peace we will gain when we understand that whatever happens in our lives is because “it’s not about me; it is about Him.” When things don’t go the way we want, we understand that it’s not about us, it is about God’s bigger picture, God’s glory. When we face suffering and difficulty, we understand that it’s not about us, it is about Him and how He is developing in my life.

Whatever fills our days, whatever God calls us to do in any moment, whatever valley we travel or mountain top we crest, we can remember that if we do the task with Him as our focus, we are accomplishing life because it is all about Jesus. That infuses whatever we do with eternal significance. The Apostle Paul states it this way in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (NIV)

Have a great day - you I love ya - Don

Brother Lawrence - Embrace the Abundance

Brother Lawrence is a life that every believer should model. His ability to embrace such a life of experiencing the presence of God is truly the abundant life in every walk of life. Richard Foster states: "Brother Lawrence abandoned 'all forms of devotions and set prayers' because he wanted all his life, not simply an hour here and there, to be life in an attitude of prayer." There is a place that structure is needed to attain such a life, but the true goal is to live our daily devotions and prayers in every aspect of our lives.

When I was an undergrad student at Pacific Christian College, I was given a small little 20 page booklet written by Don DeWelt titled, "Sweet Hour of Prayer." I took a year to read, meditated, journal and pray through that little booklet at least five times a week for a year. It was a simple guide yet difficult in making the commitment. It was worth it. During that time I came to a new awareness of God in my life and God in my surroundings. It always took me to a place to pray beyond the hour of the exercises to a place of praying short prayers throughout the day.

Practicing the presence of God helps me in understanding that my relationship with God is truly a relationship. Many worship leaders will start a worship service by declaring that we are about to enter into the presence of God. Dr. Wayne Shaw of Lincoln Christian University and I had a conversation a few years ago about how believers should never leave the presence of God. In reality, the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Brother Lawrence was able to grasp the reality of this truth and journey this life with the destination of transformation in mind. In corporate worship we enter into a time of conscience awareness and recognition of God's presence within our lives. This fact does not diminish the fact that God is with us always and that a believer never exits the presence of God.

Although, I am lacking in my ability, the action of practicing the presence of God brings order to the chaos. The priority of practicing God's presence restores my heart, mind, soul, and strength to a place that God intended in my creation. That I would know God has he is to be known restores my essence to find order in the harsh reality of living with a sinful heart. For me, this is the ultimate goal of transformation. When I get to heaven and Jesus transforms me from glory to glory so as to replace my sinful heart is the "thing" I most look forward to in heaven. I will no longer have the sinful nature nor will I have the desire to separate from God. I will know sin in the past tense and the practice of God's presence will no longer be a need. I will be in God's presence.

What I find most glorious is that I can practice the presence of God while living in my fallen flesh and experience what is to come. The experience is the opportunity to embrace the abundance of life. The abundance of life through practicing God's presence in the ordinary daily life is but a glimpse of what is ahead of us in the future.

Thank You Brother Lawrence. You know I love ya, Don

Confidence counts!

Daniel 6:22 

“Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty”

Walking with God opens opportunities of confidence.

Godly confidence is the quality and state of being certain of our God. A Christ-Follower has every confidence of success that God will prevail and He will be proven holy, just, and loving. Believers in Jesus walk on solid ground...the circumstances may shake, but the ground they walk on is solid and unshakable.

Lack of Confidence is the the enemies largest weapon in the church today. The enemy defeats us before we even get out of bed with all the guilt we put on ourselves. We parade our failures and our problems across our minds eye...the confidence we gain in Jesus Christ is blotted out... as believers in Jesus, we are guaranteed that God's mercies are new every morning and great is His faithfulness.

Rather than letting the enemy steel our joy, we should be grateful for trials, failures, and short comings...it is the struggles of our life that God is most effective and the struggles are the places God can demonstrate the most grace.

The integrity we commit to in our walk with God doesn't take away our struggles...in fact our struggles build our confidence because of the demonstration of God's power in the struggle.

The American painter, John Sargent, once painted a panel of roses that was highly praised by critics. It was a small picture, but it approached perfection. Although offered a high price for it on many occasions, Sargent refused to sell it. He considered it his best work and was very proud of it. Whenever he was deeply discouraged and doubtful of his abilities as an artist, he would look at it and remind himself, "I painted that." Then his confidence and ability would come back to him.

You can take confidence in the TRUTH that Jesus Christ loves you and wants to know you on the personal level. I love this picture of this cat...she is living the confident life. In Jesus Christ, we also can look in our mirror and see a roaring lion.

How is your confidence these days?

Do you stand and preach the good news that Jesus is the Christ in the way you live your life?

Do you act as if He is the son of the living God in how you live life at work, at school, to your neighbors, in retirement and to anyone that comes in contact with you?

Do you demonstrate Godly confidence?

You know I love ya, Don

Into Abundance!

"We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance."

-Psalm 66:12 (NIV)

Roger Smith of Ohio wrote:

IN the small downtown café, the mood of the people was somber. Very early one morning, fire had broken out. Many items of the owner's gallery of memorabilia were lost. While we sat there with memories of better days, some patrons offered consoling words to the owner.

Soon a woman carrying a basket under her arm entered the café. A smile crossed her face as she stood with her owner-husband. I recognized her as the woman who faithfully serves the customers and always has a friendly word for each of us. I struggled to find appropriate words to say. She thanked me for my concern, put her basket down, and said with a smile, "There was no one here when the fire broke out, and after all, we are in God's hands!" As she spoke, she extended her arms with both palms up. It was a powerful, unexpected affirmation -- a simple response to a tragedy that moved us all.

Whenever I recall the fire, I see her standing there and hear her unforgettable words of faith. She is like the psalmist who captured the spirit of people in times of trial and loss: "We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." In all situations, God is with us. We are held in strong and loving hands!

God is a God of abundance. When I think of the vast amount of provision God has granted me...my family...my church family...just to be apart of His Kingdom and completely covered in His love... I am brought to a place of complete awe. I am speechless, song-less, and without thought (which is hard for me). He loves us beyond our faults and our limitations. He also is willing to put His hand on our shoulder and whisper..."calm down, it will be OK."

So, today I choose to live in abundance and pray for wisdom in demonstrating it in my actions.

You know I love ya, Don

Life, More Life, the Most Life - reprint

I was reviewing some of my old blogs and ran across the following from October 2008. It struck me again. Thus, I probably aught to post it again. Still love the following quote:

"You only live once - but if you work it right, once is enough." - Joe Lewis

I love this quote. I think it brings a biblical truth to the reality of what life is all about. Another quote I remember came from my Mom as a plaque in our home as I was growing up. It read, "Only one life will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."

Taking an inventory of my working, serving, and giving to the Lord is an important task we all share as Christians. What more can we give? He gave everything to us. Our Worship Choir sings a song titled, "Everything", words and music By Caleb Collins and Marty Funderburk;

Here in the stillness I can hear Your spirit Call.
Here in the moment, Lord, You're asking for my all.
How could Your holiness require any less than all I am and
All I'll ever be.

Here in the quiet I recall Your sacrifice,
And how You suffered; how You paid love's greatest price.
So, when You call my name, Lord, I will do the same,
Because of Calvary.

My heart, my mind, my soul, my life;
Today and tomorrow, for all eternity,
I'll give you everything,
Because You gave everything for me.

Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). My prayer today is that I will never take advantage of the reality of work in life. My service, my giving, my all...are the means God gives to declare His worth in my life. Therefore, this life is not long enough, but if I work and serve Jesus and His Kingdom, then it will be eternal and full. How could I respond any other way other than everything.

You know I love ya - Don