Abide

So recently I have not made time read. I have done my daily time in the Bible and have really studied it but my supplemental ready has really slacked the past month. In fact I haven't done any. Therefore this past week I made a commitment to pick up some good books. I began reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper. Let me just say that when you add to your Bible reading some great stuff by some great authors it grows you, strengthens you, and energizes you. If you are not a reader or have slacked recently I encourage you to pick up a good book and dive in. If you need some suggestions I have some on the side tab on my blog or feel free to ask me.

With that being said I wanted to share some thoughts I gleamed from a chapter from the Piper book...

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." John 15:9

Abide: to remain stable or in a fixed state

Did you know that Jesus demands that we abide in him? Did you know that he demands the engagement of our minds and hearts every day of our lives?

"Abiding in Jesus means staying vitally connected to the life-giving, power giving, fruit-producing branch, namely, Jesus." - Piper

Do you ever feel depleted? Spiritually tired? Exhausted?

Do you feel like you are in a desert wandering for water?

If you are feeling this way I hope you evaluate if you are abiding in Christ's love and in God's Word. Jesus Christ is the life giver, he is the source of everything good in us. Actually, apart from Christ we can do nothing of any value. When we try to operate on our own power we eventually dry up. We cannot sustain ourselves, that is why Christ demands that we abide in him. My heart for you today is that you would stay vitally connected to Jesus. That you would remain in his love, his truth, and his word. Take time today to savor the goodness of your savior.

"Believing in Jesus as our living water means drinking the water - savoring it and being satisfied with it." - Piper

At The Cross

We had an amazing weekend working with Polen Band to share Gospel of Jesus Christ and celebrate the release of their new cd, "Face to Face." My favorite song (right now, it seems to always change) is called "At the Cross." I just wanted to share it with you and let it minister to your hearts today.

With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" - Mark 15:37-39

AT THE CROSS
(words and music by Jeff Polen ©2005 Jeff Polen Music / ending words written by Eric Kaufman, Jeff Kaufman, and Maynard Miller ©2009)

You have asked me for everything
But You have given me more than I gave You
And I have found that when I’m nothing
I am everything in You

When I’m weak You make me strong
When I’m down You give me words to a song
And it picks me up again
And I lay my burdens down
At the cross again
And then it’s only You and me

I am a stranger in a strange land
You are still the same
And You are always right beside me
Every time I call Your name, Jesus

When I’m weak You make me strong
When I’m down You give me words to a song
And it picks me up again
And I lay my burdens down
At the cross again
And then it’s only You and me

credits

www.polenband.com

His Grace is Sufficient

So it has been awhile since my last blog. Life, ministry, and living with 7 other people can tend to make life a little crazy. So in the midst of taking on the weight of others, the burdens of those you care deeply about, and wrestling through extremely tough decisions I found myself a little stressed out today. Have you ever tried to be "Superman?" Usually I don't struggle with this and tend to give my cares and burdens over to the Lord but today for some reason they seemed to pile up on my shoulders. They started to block out my faith and trust in God and started to pour thoughts of worry, doubt, and inadequacy into my life. As we arrived at New Grounds Cafe to prepare for our weekly outreach called "RE-connect" I found myself starring blankly at my computer. Then in the background I heard "Your Grace is Enough" by Chris Tomlin. Immediately 2 Corinthians 12:9 came to me,

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

That truth resonated with me and assured me that I don't have to be "Superman." That in all actuality I can do nothing apart from the power of Christ. That I need to stop relying on Travis and start relying on Jesus Christ and the truth of His word. So today my prayer for you is that you would know that God's grace is sufficient and you would see his power made perfect in weakness.

Pray

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

It is 4:45 in the morning. I have been up since 3:00am. Recently the Lord has been convicting me that I don't pray enough and I have been asking him to give me a heart that constantly seeks him and brings me to my knees in prayer. Well he seems to be answering my prayer by waking me up at 3am and feeling the overwhelming need to pray. I have spent the past hour and 45 minutes reading scripture and praying. It has been an awesome time of asking God for forgiveness, asking him to transform me, and petitioning for friends, family, and the ministry.

I truly believe if God's people humble themselves and pray and seek his face the Lord our God will move in ways we never thought possible. Men and Women of God we need to be a people of prayer. We need to stop praying safe prayers, our prayers need to be Biblical. My prayers have shifted from "God give me a good day" to "God do whatever it takes today to conform me to the image of Jesus Christ." God has been teaching me to stop praying for my own comfort and start praying for His kingdom to come and His will to be done. We need to take a look at scripture and see how our Biblical heroes prayed. We need to look at Jesus's prayer in John 17. We need to pray the Lord's prayer and mean it. So today, ask God to give you a heart of prayer, an attitude of prayer, and a constant knowledge that God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine. Billy Graham once stated that in the morning he picks up the phone to God and doesn't put it down till he goes to bed. He lived in constant prayer. What happens when the people of God truly grasp 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 where it says, "pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

"Our Father in heaven

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil."

- Matthew 6:9-13