So much to write about...

...Never at any point in my life have I had more to write about than now. I can't even think strait I have got so much on my mind. I really need to process before I sit down and put the words to paper. I will say this I am truly thankful for the prayers that we have received. My God is so good to us and He is sustaining us at every trial. Some of the things on my mind are as follows.
1. How are you sustained through those trials
2. Why? Me? Now?
3. (off the previous subject) Why? are we as the American church fighting about who's right and who's wrong
4. Books I am reading and how God has used them to impact my life

New Books I'm reading

Sorry for the long delay, I don't have much time since starting the new job, so the posts are going to take a bit longer, I have been doing some really great reading recently and for this post I will be sharing with you what I'm learning. Soon we will get back to the regularly scheduled program.

Fresh Wind Fresh Fire: Basic synopsis. If your not praying you should be, you can't expect anything to happen if your not having an ongoing conversation with God, It starts at home and in your heart. I can't expect my marriage to change, my church to change the crazy stuff going on around me to change if I'm not telling God about what I'm going through...I also need to be specific, not because God doesn't know (He already does) He wants to hear your voice, He wants you to know Him and His heart for you. It's part of having a relationship talking and LISTENING. When it also comes to giving glory I really must give God ALL the glory, I realize that I am talented BUT and that's a really BIG BUT it all comes from Him alone He is the one that makes me talented. I will be hopefully be delving into this more soon (Lord willing)

The other book I'm reading (again) is Wild at Heart I have just started this but I'm convinced more than ever that I need to have the adventure spirit reborn in me. Now that doesn't mean that I can run off but I need to remember that it is a vital part of my manhood and being a husband and father. I should be more like William Wallace than Woody Allen. Every man want's to be real but there is this notion pounded into him from the time he's a little boy that he must quell that adventure spirit. Again I am hoping to delve into this soon too. Blessings for now

Nick

Seasons of Change

As I'm writing this there has been so much that has changed I needed to wait until now to post, just to give myself a clear picture of everything that has happened.

A couple of months ago I received a call that effectively changed mine and my family's life. I am at this moment employed as an apprentice pipefitter and now on track to being able to provide for my family, just a I am called to do.

We never seem to know why God allows us to go through Job seasons...where is really hard and harder. I guess as Christians those times give us the ability to see when it's really good and when it's bad to long even more for Heaven. I can tell you this I still long to be at home with my Father and off of this stinking earth, is there good here sure but I would much rather be there.

As for this change I tempted you with in the Title, I am having to relearn how to be a working stiff. Its really easy to give time to my family when your with them 24/7 when your working ten hour days, it becomes harder, but your still need to go about your home business just like you do at work. I can tell you even in the mist of the past winter season I was and still am thankful for that struggle I have an understanding of what others are and were going through. Is there more change to come, sure, I welcome it because I know that as we walk through the seasons of life we truly can begin to see the Father's heart for us.

Blessings

"Spring is coming...and Summer follows Spring"

You are not Forgotten

Isaiah 44:21-22

“ Remember these, O Jacob,

And Israel, for you are My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant;
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!
I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions,
And like a cloud, your sins.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

Over the last few months I have been speaking of how to live in a Job lifestyle. I know that is still hard to understand how to do until your there and in the mist of that. Whatever you might be going through right now I want to encourage you with a little story. There was a group of people who were worshiping Idols creating them with wood and then would take the scraps from that wood, make a fire, cook some food on that same fire and when their belly's were full they would bow down to worship that idol, that same people God decided to send away from their promised land #1 to give that land rest #2 and most importantly because they had stopped worshiping the one true God and were bowing down to pieces of wood that they had made. (Is 44:9-20). The point of the story is the passage at the beginning of our study today. Even though Israel had forgotten their God and part of their punishment was to be sent to Babylon, God didn't forget them we see so often in scripture that even when we are fallen God doesn't forget us (Lk 15:4-7) even when we are in the mist of a trial Our God hasn't forgotten us (Matt 6:25-33)

You see this God of Jacob, Israel, and the Disciples loves you, He allowes us to go through trials, Why? We don't always know but I can tell you this He has not forgotten us and He will take care of us...like a wrote in my last post the whole reason for trials may not be for you but for others to see how to handle it.(like Job) Yes you can learn from them as well...be on the look out for that Seek after the Lord and He will be found run to Him and He will run to you (Lk 15:20) In the simplicity of it all place your trust in Him and I can guarantee you a couple of things, #1 Your trial may not get easier but you will have an everlasting peace, #2 You will be storing up treasures in Heaven.

Blessings

p.s. Next time I will be writing on Seasons of life and the change that comes with each new season

Understanding Trials in your Life

Romans 8 18-21
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Not always do we know or will understand why. But you should know that your Abba in Heaven knows everything that happens to you...He knows all the hair on your head, yep He has each one of them counted. There are days that I look at all that is going on around me and wonder why? is all of this happening to my family we are so cast down...In all honesty I can't and don't have an answer to that question...I can say this it does make my prayers for the Lords return even more fervent. When we leave this shell of a body and are taken up or pass on through death we will receive a crown of glory from our Heavenly Father

I have truly come to understand what Job went through...so many people slam his wife for telling him to curse God and die...I'm not so quick to judge her as I have seen how easy it is to get to that point that you start to feel like that...the biggest difference that that Job was looking for the Savior and was under the old covenant we are under the new covenant...We have Jesus and the Holy Spirit, is that enough, it should be at times it feels like it's not. That's up to the Lord though. Now to the meat...

Understanding why? I really wish that I had an answer for you, what I can answer is that there are times that God wants to take you to the end of your ability to control the situation, He wants you to totally rely on Him and His ability to use the situation. "God works ALL things together for His purpose. (Rom 8:28 emphasis mine) understanding what Paul was trying to say here was that all that you go through is for Gods purpose, sometimes that good will happen here on earth, others it will happen in Heaven where we will receive a crown of glory, if we look at the whole chapter in context we see that Paul was heaven focused and not focused on the trials that he was facing. Paul went through many different trials, he wished for heaven "to live is Christ, to Die is GAIN" and there is not a thing wrong with that he longed to be with Jesus...I think that sometimes the trials are to cause us to long to be with our Father.

Job had no clue as to why God was allowing those trials to happen to him, loosing his kids to death, loosing his crops and home to destruction, his body beat up by Satan, and his friends telling him that he was sinning against God. Job didn't know why? We do because we have the account of the story in our bibles. We can see that God was proving that He knows us better than we think. For me I can see that I cannot handle this on my own and I don't have the ability to get through any of this apart from God. I can also say that having to see my family go through any of this is heart breaking. I long for us to have a rest from this valley to be able to go to the mountain top and truly experience the Fathers presence.

At times I'm sure that people have wondered why for us, I can say this, my God knows what He is doing...I don't know why God has allowed all of this to happen to us. I do know that it is causing folks to pray with a fervency that they may have never before, there are others who are benefiting from our suffering. Would I like to see the Lord do a miracle and fulfill the promises that He gave to us when this first started, I can answer that with a great big YES!!!

Living a Job lifestyle

When we go through suffering...As a christian we can be reminded that God truly wants all of us and to look at the suffering and wish for relief is not a bad thing but we really need to place our focus on Him not why we are going through the suffering that we are in. There is a strange sense of peace that comes when we place our focus on the Lord.

If your continue to look at your suffering then your placing your eyes on the wrong thing. Easier said than done and through practice you will be able to overcome that...How you do that? Well there are a few ways. #1 Spend time with Jesus, even if that means that you pray while you drive, just pour out your heart to Him, He's there listening to you and wants to hear your prayers, sit in silence let Him speak to you. #2 Worship it is as simple as that, whether you listen to your iPod, just sing a song that you know, or it is with a congregation corporately, you need to worship the Lord (Ps. 42:5 Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.(emphasis mine)
#3 Fellowship with other believers who will support you not just with an encouraging word but with physical help as well.
#4 Read you bible that is essential to your walking this out God will not only speak to you in your prayers and through other people but will also speak to you through His word.

God has amazing plans for you during your time of suffering. Remember the most important thing is that your not alone...your not the first to get hammered in life and you won't be the last...I'm right there too, our family is going through the ringer, is God in control? I can emphatically say YES He is and He knows what He is doing. I'm not completely sure where this is going to lead but God will use this for His glory. I want to encourage all of you who have lost hope "my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness". When your hope is on what you can see and touch remember that material and man will always fail, things burn and man will die. But God will not fail us at times He may seem like He as left us but that is so far from the truth, He may just be using your situation to teach you or someone else something. God is so big and great that there is not even a leaf on a tree that falls that He doesn't notice. He is not to big for you though He being omnipresent is always there.

God Bless for now

From my daily devo

Taken from David Wilkerson Today

WE CAN HEAR HIS VOICE TODAY

Millions have been converted because one man waited to hear the voice of God.
Saul "fell to the earth and heard that voice" and when he became Paul, he kept
on hearing that voice. The Lord spoke man-to-man with him.

Peter allowed the Savior's voice to come to him. "Peter went up upon the
housetop to pray…and there came a voice to him” (Acts 10:9, 13).

The entire Gentile race was welcomed into the kingdom, along with the house of
Cornelius, because a man obeyed a voice. We are living in the same New
Testament times as Paul and Peter and we, too, must allow His voice to come to
us. "But today, if you will hear His voice...." What God could do with
Christians who learn to hear from heaven!

Instead of waiting for His voice to come to us, we run to counselors and
Christian psychologists, one session or another, and read books and listen to
tapes—wanting to hear from God. We seek a clear word of direction for our
lives and want pastors to tell us what is right and wrong. We desire a leader
to follow, a diagram for the future. But few know how to go to the Lord and
hear his voice. There are many who know how to get God's attention— to really
touch God—but they know nothing about God reaching them.

"They that have ears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit saith..." (see
Matthew 11:15).

God wants to shake the earth once more.

"See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused
him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from
him that speaketh from heaven: whose voice then shook the earth: but now he
hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also
heaven" (Hebrews 12:25-26).

He has promised, "Once again my voice will be heard. Those who hear will shake
the earth, and heaven and earth will be moved. By the hearing of my voice,
whatsoever is loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

To the last church, the Laodicean church, the Lord cries:

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation
3:20).

"I'm asking to be heard. Open up. Let me into your secret closet. Let me talk
with you and you talk with me. Let's commune. That's how I will keep you from
the hour of temptation that is coming on all the world."