Tag Archives: life

Meet Jesus: Fire Baptizer Matthew 3:11

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meetjesusfireMatthew 3:11: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

 Be ready for change when you meet Jesus.  John gets us focused in our preparation.  Meeting Jesus can make you different from the inside out.  He brings the Holy Spirit and fire to pour over you and change you.  Think of it this way.  It is like having chemical fire on the inside (the Holy Spirit) and liquid fire on the outside. However, the real you is strengthened not burned.  The stuff that is between you and Him will be cleansed.

Conflict is one of those baptizers in the Holy Spirit.  We want to avoid it, yet it is the right thing.  God used conflict to cause us to dig deeper into understanding of relationships and life.  The deeper we dig, the stronger we become.  In talking to a leader, it struck me to provoke him that leaders love resolving conflict.  They don’t love the conflict or the anger and frustration that may accompany it.  They do love the process of resolution and the end result.  Through conflict we are baptized in Holy Spirit fire.  He strengthens our resolve and our ability to move ahead.  He causes us to face hard items that need to be removed.  It is one way He baptizes us with fire.

 ACT!  Pick an item that needs to be burned away in your life.  Put it in front of Him for handling.

 PRAY!  Father, I am not afraid of being baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire.  I await continually meeting with Jesus to be continually cleansed. Let Your faithful and just character enter into my life as I confess my sin before You.  Forgive me and cleanse me from all ways that are unlike You.

If we can pray for you regarding anything in your life, please let us know.  Our greatest blessing is to bless others in prayer.   www.prayermetro.com   Phil

Meet Jesus: Life Giver Matthew 1:2

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Matthew 1: 2: Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

 Jesus comes from the line of Abraham.  Abraham was a giver of life.  Abraham turned faith into a lineage of ability and more life.  Abraham was an investor in the future.  His sights were always set forward.

Meeting Jesus means meeting the future.  He is future focused.  He intends to begat.  He intends to birth new life, new dreams, new ways, and new opportunities for you.

ACT! Take that dream of yours.  Think of who else could be involved.  Give them the opportunity to be a part.

PRAY! Gracious Father of Life, Jesus challenges me to be like You.  You are a Father.  Abraham got his ways from You, the Father of fathers.  Teach me to birth newness through others

Meet Jesus: Nazarene Matthew 2:23

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Matthew 2: 23: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

 Later in life when brother told brother about Jesus, one replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”.  Nazareth was just simple and probably had a more than ample share of troubles.  There was nothing good or outstanding about being from Nazareth.

Jesus wasn’t who He was because of  where He was raised or  a tremendous good family name.  He gives us the same opportunity to be the best of the best according to our calling and destiny.  Hometown, family, community standing, and other accolades of men mean nothing when we meet Jesus.  All of us can succeed.

ACT!  Erase out of your mind the idea that some status to men makes the difference in succeeding in Jesus.  If you take pride in it, put it out and stand tall in Him alone.  If you take shame in it, stand tall in Him alone.

 PRAY!  Father of Birthright, you placed me in the time and circumstance of my upbringing.  You will bring it to good in Jesus.  You will bring me to success in Jesus, the Nazarene.

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-In the Father’s Heart Matthew 1:19

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Matthew 1:19: Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

Joseph was both honorable and compassionate. Who else would the Father choose for His Son’s training and upbringing? What better choice than a flawed human with a heart of compassion?

Joseph, with no knowledge of the power of the situation, with no knowledge that the Son of God was involved, took the route of best treatment for Mary. He was taking measures to keep her protected in the embarrassment of the situation. He had the heart of the Father to cover and protect. Who else would God chose but one with His own heart?

ACT! What in your life needs silent treatment? Give it to the Father. He will secret it away in forgiveness.

PRAY! Compassionate Father, release me from my past. In Jesus, I find forgiveness and covering. Thank You for being You.

copyright 2001 Phil Larson

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

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.

Raise Your Eyes

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raisedeyesWatching a group approach God with heads bowed, a thought struck me.  It is good to humble ourselves before a mighty God. It is also good to approach the throne of grace with boldness and confidence as a received and favored child of God.

So, raise your face for a moment.  Look into the kind and loving Father face of God.

We are not prideful, but we are purposeful.
We are not egotistic, but we are energized.
We are not overconfident, yet we are courageous.
We are the head and not the tail. We are the lender and not the borrower.
We are the leaders set in place of God.
What we do prospers.
What we think is established.
What we speak is encouragement.
God lives in us, with us, before us, and behind us.
Of one thing we are sure.  He is our good and gracious and encouraging Father Forever.