Tag Archives: joy

Meet Jesus: Led of the Spirit Matthew 4:1

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meetjesusfireMatthew 4: 1: Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Interesting that Jesus, the Son of God, would be led by His own Spirit.  A man’s spirit is an incredibly powerful guiding force.  When we meet with Jesus, we meet with His Holy Spirit.  His Spirit becomes available to us to lead us and guide us.  His Spirit communes with our spirit to build us in the right direction.

The consistency of those led of the Spirit is born of the Spirit, Himself.  So often we can encounter like-hearted men and women, who seem to be thinking the same thoughts at the same time we do.  They are.  It is a connection born of God.  He brings us to the same place to make life move forward in His plan more rapidly.

A friend asked for prayer for Godly relationships and connections.  That strengthened me.  He has been struggling to step away from those that want him to go out and party and dance like he did before he met Christ.  He wants good, God connections.  That is an easy prayer for me.  To ask God to connect us with the right people is to ask God to be God.  His Spirit yearns to connect us that way.

ACT!  God is Spirit.  The separating force in us that distinguishes us from animals is our spirit created in His image.  Think on that for a minute.  Write down five aspects of you as a human that separates you from other forms of life.  Note that they are spiritual in nature.

 PRAY!  Father, let Your Holy Spirit of Jesus instruct me in the way I should go.  You showed me in Jesus that it is Your Holy Spirit that can guide me even in the hard times.  You showed me that it is Your Holy Spirit that will even ask me to do what I am unable to do without Him.  Keep me connected.

Meet Jesus: Joy Initiator Matthew 2:9

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meetjesusstorm2Matthew 2:9: When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.10: When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Exceeding great joy is a powerful expression.  Meeting Jesus is indeed  life changing to the point of exceeding great joy.  Connecting with Jesus means all the hopes of your life being activated.  Connecting with Jesus means all the dreams of a life being put into motion.   When He comes on the scene. He is a bright light shining on the greatest dreams you have.

ACT!  Take a dream out of the shadows.  Let His light shine on it, and bring it back to light and life.

PRAY!  Father of Gifts, Father of Love, Father of the Light-Giver, cause the exceeding great joy of meeting Jesus to birth in me.  Light up my dreams with the star of Bethlehem.

Meet Jesus: Troubler of Souls Matthew 2:3

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meetjesusMatthew 2: 3: When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

When you encounter Jesus, expect to be troubled.  He will confront your inner fears.  He will force you to face issues you would like to forget.  The presence of Jesus will trouble your life.

Good news is that this trouble can end in peace.  He only troubles us to get us to change to the good.  Internal imbalances in our life will be troubled so they can be healed when we meet Jesus.

ACT! What troubles your soul when you meet with Jesus?  Bring it up and deal with it.  He means to bring you to a place of resolution and peace.   Let Him.

PRAY!  Father, there are days when I am troubled.  Realizing some of that is just being confronted with Jesus, I ask You to untrouble me.  Help me resolve the hard stuff in my life with Your life and Your solutions

Meet Jesus : Receiver of Gifts Matthew 2:11

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Matthew 2:11: And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Abundant living is a promise of  Jesus.  He comes to give us life and life more abundantly.  The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  Jesus brings abundance.  In that abundance is our capacity to respond in giving to Him.  He is never embarrassed in receiving.  He is a receiver of gifts as well as a giver of abundance.  Abundance is the capacity to give.

ACT!  Give to Jesus.  You may not have gold or frankincense, but you have something.  It may be finances for the kingdom.  It may be an ability that will bless the kingdom.  Give out of your abundance.

PRAY!  Father of Giving, You have enabled me with more than I need.  Jesus told me that when I give to the least, I have given to him.  Show me where to give of myself of Your abundance.

copyright 2001 Phil Larson

El Punto De Cambio – The Point of Change

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“Bring to me what You have spoken of me.”         “Bring me to what You have spoken of me.”

Genesis 18:19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

“Bring to me, God, what you have spoken of me.” That is my prayer. I want what Abraham had. For first few weeks of 2013 and the last few of 2012, this has been my prayer.  It is designed to bring healing to some scars in my soul.  Over life and time and relationships we all encounter betrayal and disloyalty and lack of gratefulness.  It hurts.  As a father of a family and a community initiative and  a business invention, I thrive on “thank you” many times more than others do.  A real father gets up every day looking to build those for whom he cares.  When they take advantage of that, he is happy.  At least if they are grateful and express it, he is happy.  No healthy person likes to be “taken advantage of”.  That is imbalance.  Imbalance is painful and unhealthy.

The other side of that prayer is important also.  “Bring me, Father, to what you have spoken of me.”  Yes, bring it to me and bring me to it.  I need to change to be more like the Father every day.  As a father I need to be brought to the point of change, el punto de cambio.

Over these last few weeks, we’ve launched a definitive and irretrievable thrust into the community of Oklahoma City and the world.  Sometimes you take steps in full assurance of faith that God will meet you on the path.  Along that path are many points of change.  You will encounter el punto de cambio, the point of change.

Creating Chaos

Change creates chaos.  Make no mistakes on that measure.  Introduce change to settled situation and watch the chaos.  The more impact the change is designed to create, the more chaos you can expect in the beginning.  “Why did we do this?”  “Are you crazy?”  “This won’t work.”  All comes crackling back like a hot fire touching dry weeks and thistle.  Those flames will singe and scar.  Do it.  Embrace “el punto de cambio”.

Shifting Alliances

Note who stays and who goes and who supports and who decries.  Yes, change means changing partners. Those that have walked with you just might disappear like a scissor-tail flycatcher slipping away from a fast diving hawk.  In a flash and a flurry the hawk finds himself quite lonely and so does his prey.

The plus side of the equation is the new partners.  Yes, when you commit to uncharted territory, there will be new partners. They can be loving and kind and supportive.  Remember, they might leave you at the next “el punto de cambio”.  This season they are with you .  This season they are on the path.  Many may stay for many weeks and even years.  A friend of mine has worked with insurance brokers for decades.  He advised me once, “Phil if you have 3000 brokers it means 1000 are staying, 1000 are going, and 1000 are coming.  Out of the 1000 staying, 200 are producing.  You just have to find out which is which.”  His wisdom applies to most ventures.  Not without pain.

Finding 200

Gideon took thousands and reduced the count to 300. Each “el punto de cambio” reduced the numbers until he found the committed.  Of course he started with himself and an angel. Then he gathered a few friends and family. Then thousands jumped on board at the first signs of success and retreated at the first signs of scars.

About nine months ago, I was working with a group on a business invention.  At the most critical “el punto de cambio” some of the backers jumped ship in a surprise move.  Wow!  We had walked together for years, and then for some undisclosed reason they lost heart and vision.  Maybe another “el punto de cambio” came at them from another direction and swayed loyalties.  Some shifts come and you will never know.  You just carry the scars.  Now I am working with a completely new team on the concepts and beginning to have fun again.  Now I am working with another completely new team on a related concept and beginning to have fun again.  Not without pain.

FootHolds

Each “point of change” has footholds.  There are lessons to learn and take to the next “el punto de cambio”.   At a recent gathering of a small group, more support was committed in a morning than all the folks to whom I have been giving for ten years.  You read that right.  Those that have been receiving for free have less commitment than the new.  Maybe I should drop the old and embrace the new?  Hmmmm…. A new foothold.  Maybe I should begin a sorting process and whittle down to the 200?  Is that a new foothold I see?  Would my energy revitalize?  My base is bigger now.  Ten years ago it was 500.  Now it is 7500.  Let’s see, do the math. 2500 are going.  2500 are coming.  2500 are staying.  Let the going go with blessing.  Welcome the coming.  Find the 500 in the staying and run shoulder to shoulder with them.

Healing in All

All of this has a point.   You can live in the scars or you can live in the stars.  There is a balance.  Let the stars heal the scars.  Let pains slip away.  You flitted off the fence post and the hawk missed.  Land among healthy friends.  Don’t run alone.

Prayer: Well, Father, You are amazing. Again, you have touched my soul in a most amazing moment.  You bring healing with every light and lesson.  Thanks.  I am grateful for You.

Get Outside The Reach @Christmas

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Get Out Side The Reach

Usual travels this week include a trip from OKC to Matamoros and back again.  Sort of a Bilbo Baggins adventure.   Though, I’m not sure which end is the Shire.   Raul and I certainly don’t look like Hobbits even though we might have hairyness.

This year, I am staying home. Raul and Abdiel are in Matamoros.   Fiero will take another load of   toys today.   I will watch the star from afar and trust the wise men to do the job.

Why do we do this?  Why have we connected with this congregation in Matamoros called CAREVI?  Why don’t we just stay home instead of drive for 12 hours one way?  What is the purpose?

Get Outside Your Self…

A big reason is to stay outside of ourselves.  It is easy to go downtown and deliver gifts to kids who have more on a poor day than some kids in Matamoros on a rich day.   Ever watched a kid who has never opened a new box open a new toy?  Used stuff really is not the focus.  But getting a new toy in the box is an amazing experience for some of these kids.   Sure, I’ve helped a little and my wife has helped a lot right here in OKC with families needing Christmas.  Yet, they have so much even when they have little.

Get Outside Your Comfort

There is a need to be uncomfortable.  Our lives have little real sacrifice.  Try driving toys across an armed border knowing you will drive past military and cartel operations just to bless someone.  A little unnerving.   We need to be unnerved.  We need to remember.  We need to think about the chaos our comfortable, drugged, entertainment, make me happy culture in the US creates to sustain.  All of those guns and threats exist to supply US entertainment and leisure.  Hmmmm

Get Outside The Reach

Sometimes we need to see the miraculous.   How in this world doe multiple churches and business professionals in OKC come together to support folks in Matamoros?   Black and Latino and White churches here; Baptist and Nazarene and Full Gospel churches here;   join and bless with gifts and gospel folks they will never meet.

Return

Then we come home.  Then we live with memories and facebook connections in between.  Sure I  get to stay connected unlike missions works in the old days.  But it doesn’t smell the same.  It does not taste the same.  It does not love the same.  Sorry, I can’t hug a facebook post.   I can hug a friend, a child, a cohort, a fellow human on the journey.

That is Christmas

There you go.  That is Christmas.

Jesus went outside Himself and became an extension in humanity.

Jesus went outside His comfort zone in the throne room and stepped into an earth zone.

Jesus went outside the heavens and touched the earth, where we live in sin and destruction disturbing His intended peaceful creation.

Jesus returned to heaven; yet, He stays connected with us.   He is more powerful than facebook.  He takes up residence in hearts and stays even though He returned.

Guess That’s Why

I guess reliving that journey of Christ every year is what drives me and the team.   Thanks for sending us.  Thanks for allowing us.

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Enjoy the Light of Christmas

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navimg8Isaiah 9: In Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.

During the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my family has always enjoyed watching Christmas themed movies and celebrating with friends.  For us, an opportunity to have a world focused on giving and receiving and thanking the God of Comfort is special.

I am thankful for each of my friends and family. The honor to exchange prayer with you is a blessing.

Yet, one friend belied the missing element of Christmas movies.  Where is the Christmas movie that celebrates an individual connecting with Christ and His love?

  • There is connecting with the Bishop, Santa Claus.  http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/bishop-of-myra/   Surely he loved Christ and spread His love.
  • There is connecting with others.  Surely some of them are full of the love of Christ.
  • There is connecting with ghosts.  Surely some of them lived for Christ.
  • There is connecting with the spirit of Christmas.  Surely it is the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ that spawned the spirit of Christmas.
  • There are movies about the life of Christ that end with a story but not a changed life.

What about connecting directly to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Light of Life, and the salvation of our souls?  Where is that movie?

The entertainment dollar is king.  People don’t want their souls pricked and a challenge made for real life change.  We like entertainment in our movies, churches, community events, and homes.  Real life changing impact is not supported financially for the most part in our communities.  Yet, ignoring truth is a dangerous seasonal habit to form.

There is a mournfulness underlying our Christmas season.  Aversion to life changing truth brings depression.  It brings pain.  And pain brings destruction.  Evil is real and waiting for opportunity to express itself in dark acts.  Yes, especially at Christmas, evil erupts.  Suicides prevail greater than other times of year.  Depression is in high season.  Conflicts shatter otherwise smooth relationships.

Understand that the truth of Christmas does show itself.  It cannot be denied.  As a society, we love to deny the truth and replace it with a smoother reality.  Repressed truth erupts in pain and anger and depression and destruction.  Embraced truth erupts in joy and liberty and happiness and thankfulness and strength and life.

It would be better if we embraced the truth of Christmas and placed some life changing messy messages into our media.  Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  He is no longer a babe in the manger.  He is a Lion of Righteousness.  He demands we face truth and change our direction.  Yes, He demands it.  He knows that repressed truth ends in destruction for eternity and embraced truth lives in liberty for eternity.  He loves us enough to change us.

Embrace truth for a healthy life.  Embrace Christ.  Face realities and connect with a power to change and develop full health in body, mind, desires, emotion, spirit, and relationships.

Prayer:  Father, give a little light.  Better yet, let the Great Light You have already given explode into our darkness. We need You.   We need Your light.

Powerful Healing: Glad Heart

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Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure. ESV

That’s why my heart celebrates and my mood is joyous;
yes, my whole body will rest in safety CEV

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure NIV

Every so often, you will find a verse in the original language that defies exact matching translation from different eras and interpretive groups.  This one fits that description.  Many times, it is because an idiomatic phrase is contained or there is such emotion and expression, it is hard to put into a single phrase.   So let me expand this one.

My heart is glad and celebrates in great joy.  With my whole being inside and out, I am excited and alive; my tongue must shout and declare this joy.  It cannot be contained or restrained.  A great sense of peace and restfulness and security envelops my body and mind and spirit.  Phil’s version

Rested Health

Now, that is a picture of great health and well being.  That is a picture of restful trust in God and God alone.  That is a picture of one that has wrestled with God and found Him to be more interested in securing our hearts that controlling our actions.  That is a picture of one, who has encountered fierce angers and pains and problems and illness and has come through to a new realization that the presence and leading of the Father brings us to refreshing and rest.  That is a wonderful picture.

Entering In

Entering in to health many times is preceded by great struggle and pain.  Our habits become acclimated to the struggle.  Our daily routines become expectant of the pain.  A friend going through back surgery shared some of her story.  The doctors instructed her that ghost pain would continue for some time.  Though the surgery is successful and removes even some nerve endings, our minds are trained to find pain at times of day and particular motions.  The pain is not there physiologically.  Yet, the pain is there in our minds.  The conditioning of ill health forms a barrier even when we are healed to enjoying the new freedom.

Breaking Conditional Barriers

In my own experience, I find it difficult to rest after an intense time of development of a business thrust or a strained season with a client.  Though the situation is ended and the issues are resolved, my daily expectation of another problem wrestles with my restfulness.  A wise executive once commented to me, “Even when we receive a new and different and positive answer, we hear the old negative one that is so common.”  He did not say it just like that, but you get the point.

There must be a time of “glory rejoicing” to break the conditional barriers of ill health and negative situations.  Celebrate.  This unspeakable joy works internally for us to remove scar tissues and sensitive nerves of mind and will and emotion and body.  Then we can receive the new and positive situation and answer.  This transition must happen.  It is a barrier breaker.

Returns at Customer Service

Discount retailers dedicate a large area for returned and damaged merchandise.  It is not a happy place.  There is not a lot of smiling for anyone.  When you find a smiling employee working that area, your frustration is defused at having to come back to the store. The transaction becomes more pleasant.  That employee is giving a rejoicing to a healing situation.  The item is broken.  You are receiving a replacement.  That should be joyful.  Yet, you lost value when you tried to use it at home and it broke.  You lost positive expectation and trust.  Now, the item and positive expectation must return before you can get full value. 

Broken bones and aching hearts and rent emotions and lingering illness in our body cause us to lose positive expectation and trust in God.  We expect nothing.  Worse than that, we expect bad.  We expect anger and frustration and continuance of a wrong situation.   And we get what we expect until we expectantly express ourselves into a different result after the new answer of health and healing and restoration and replacement is received.

Prayer:

Father, there is a great life available through You and Your presence and Your word. 

You are life.

You are healing.

You are “Yes” to all Your promises.

You are “Amen” to all Your commitments.

Cause rejoicing to resound in the camp of my heart.  Let me release the joy of the moment that heals and conditions me to hear, “Yes, you are healed.”

Walk with me today, Father, as You heal negative expectation built on real experience with tough living. Let joys restore a new hearing and receptivity to my full health.

Powerful Healing: Estoy Aqui. I am here.

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Psalm 16:8 I am always aware of the Lord’s presence;   he is near, and nothing can shake me GNT

Near To Me:

Visiting with a friend over the scripture, they noted how they seek to always be aware of God’s involvement.  Scripture asks us to rejoice always and always be in prayer.  Yet, this mindfulness of God’s action is not as easy as we would like.  It is good to visit with others pursuing the same nearness and share our concerns and successes.

When Are You Here?

Now, it is one thought to say God is always near.  It is much more my experience that life does not resemble His presence as much as I would like.  In His presence there is fullness of joy.  Many times I am not full of joy.  In His presence is healing forevermore.  Some days the pricks and pains of muscle and sinew and malfunctioning body do not feel healed.  In His presence is a peace beyond understanding.  Some moments, frantic pressures rob peace of even a stair step on which to stand to get to me.

So, when is He here and affecting me and when is He here and not affecting my condition?  Yes, He is always present. That is part of our understanding of God.  He never leaves or forsakes His children.  Once residence is established in us, it is continual in us.  And we do not always functionally and experientially realize the power of that presence of the Father.

When Are You There?

At the fast food restaurant, the question comes with every order, “Here or to go?”.  Para aqui is my standard answer.  For here.  I like to sit and eat and not run in the car.  In fact, why would I go in the restaurant to the order counter if I wanted to go?  Why not just ask me with a presumptive, “You would like that for here?”  If I want it to go, I then have the option to say, “No, I’d like it to go.”

When we approach God are we doing the same? God, can I have this in my life and get with You this moment or should I expect a “to go” plate and enjoy the results at some later time.   Why not go to Him with the presumptive option?  God, of course I’d love to enjoy You and Your presence and all the results of peace and healing and stability and strength that go with that during our time together right now. 

 

When Are You Ready?

Of course the question is about readiness.  Are we ready for God to be here? 

Whew, that is a question that makes you stop and wonder.  Have I reduced distraction to allow Him to speak?  Have I ordered my life in a manner in which He would be pleased?  Is the word of life guiding my thoughts? 

Think about this one question instead of all of those.  Does He want to sit down with me or does He want to take my request to go and get back with me on the road or later?  Somehow, I think He always likes the sit down and converse option.  “For here, for now”, is the answer I believe He speaks.  We are the ones in a rush to run on the go.

For Here and For Now

He is always near for healing and hope and sanity.  He is always near for peace of mind and restoration of body.  Take Him at His word.  Hold on to His hand for a moment and tell yourself to stop and recognize His presence. 

He is near for healing.

He is near for peace.

He is near for strength.

He is near, now and here.

 

Pray:

Father, I’d like my time to be with you now and here.

Fill me with Your presence.

Heal me.

Peace me.

Joy me.

Estoy aqui.  I am here.

Powerful Healing: Pray Over Your Good Day.

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 Psalm 16:5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup. You make my lot secure and provide confidence for me in my position and current standing.

Every day there are turnings in directions we do not want.

Every day there are tests to put us off course.

Every day belongs to God.

Every day belongs to health.

Every day belongs to healing.

The concept of lot is simple. Each of us has a certain portion of life assigned to us this day. We have possessions, friendships, family, positions, talents, abilities, thoughts, and passions. They are our lot. They are a good lot.

Say that over your lot. “This is a good lot. God has given me a good portion in life.”

Of course there are portions of your life that might be unhealthy and disturbing. There are relationships that are destructive and play down health and vitality. But do they belong to you or are they intruders? What about your lot that belongs to you? It is good. You may not be doing well keeping it up and allowing God to instill grace in every aspect, but it is good. It is for your good.

Now take a little inventory.

What parts of your portion or lot in life are doing well? Your attitude? Your thoughts? Some of those relationships? Some of those possessions? My truck has a dinged bumper. The truck is good. It is a pleasant portion. Right now it has a ding. The ding does not take away from the goodness of the truck. Maybe it impedes some of the utility. Maybe it does not look as grand from that view. Yet, as a whole the truck is good and it is a blessing. It needs some repair and repair it will receive. Then it will be whole and fully useful. Today it is a good truck. It is a blessing of God.

What parts of your portion or lot in life are not doing well? My weight is not where I want it. It really is doing well. I am right where the doctors would be happy. But, I want better. I want stronger. I want the best healthy ratio of body tissues and fluids. My lot is good. A year ago, it was not good. The portions of fat were out of line with what would be good for health. So I changed it. My eating changed. My exercise changed. My body changed. My mental attitude changed.

What is an area of concern? I understand I have been given talents and abilities that are not my own. What we have is to be shared and held in common for others to received. This weekend, my son and his friends shared time at our lake cabin. It brought joy to my heart to see others encouraged and strengthened enjoying our portions. Tonight, I will teach a bible study with a group of unchurched folk. What I have is meant for them. If you are not giving away your portion to others, you are unhealthy. Selfishness is a bad situation and an horrid lot in life. Don’t live there.

Security does not mean hoarding. Security means I am confident and can share and understand as much as I give, God gives more back and increases the value of what I have. By cooperating with God, protecting what we have, building on it, restoring it, and sharing it, we find absolute health and vitality in all that we have. He secures it through us and in cooperation with us.

Father, wow! You are incredible. My lot is secure in You. I have confidence in You. I am strong in You. All I have is good and getting better in You. Let me be full of unending goodness in all I am and all I have. Let me see with eyes of understanding. Let me engage with a heart to enjoy the great inheritance and portion You have provided for me.