Some of my friends and family haven't had a chance to see me speak recently so I've put on YouTube my message from Nov. 28th, 2010. It's in 2 parts because I spoke for about 27 minutes. You can't post anything longer than 15 minutes. :*(
Never the less... The first part is up at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lnAJQurGx0
At the top of the YouTube page says that I have X entries. (Presently it's 5 to choose from). You can choose PT2 and finish out the message. For those who have wrestled with their conversations with God in prayer... maybe the answers don't seem to be coming... this is a pretty good message. That's not me tooting my own horn, it's the majority of the feedback from the people of Niagara Alliance Church. (Including the Head Elder!)
To God be the glory!
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Prayer: God's Ability vs. God's Action
We've had a little plaque hanging on our kitchen wall my mother-in-law gave us. It says, "Faith is not believing that God can, it's believing He will."
I just didn't "get it" for the longest time. There is the intellectual assumption that God is able to do whatever He wants in response to prayer. So in church we break out the anointing oil and follow the patter set out in the Bible in James 5:14-16 when we pray for the sick person. Now I've done this more than a few times and seen people walk away in the same condition and wondered, "What do we need to do differently?!" Isn't God big enough?! Isn't He all powerful?! YES and YES! However it isn't believing that God is that. It's believing that He just did that (whatever "that" would be). A few weeks ago it really hit me. I mean, I think I finally "GOT IT!" Let me illustrate with a couple stories...
I was asked to pray about a job that was opening up for my mom. I told her, "You got the job." Now she had no idea if she was going to get that position or not. She only "hoped" that she might get that position. A few days later (which happened to be June 9th) I got a call from her that she got the position! Not only was God ABLE to supply, but He DID supply that need.
A few years ago some friends were embarking to Paupa New Guinea as missionaries. They sent out a frantic e-mail that they needed their passports to make their flight and leave. I believe they had about one day to have them in hand. I sensed in my spirit that God was delivering the passports even then. I wrote, "Done deal!" I got an e-mail that said the passports had arrived just in time. Another more recent event had them in the Philippines as they were adopting their second son. They all needed to be on the plane and there was limited seating (if my memory serves me correctly). They asked for prayer. I knew that God was going to have seats for all of them. Shortly after that they sent an e-mail that God was indeed good and had made the seats available for all of the family to fly together!
Faith is believing that God will do it, because He can!
I have a friend that knows God has a specific path for him to walk. And to be honest, it's not been an easy one, yet God doesn't call us all to "easy." He calls us to take a long obedient walk in the same direction with Him. My friend will have all of His needs met. I don't have to know how that will happen. I just know that it will.
"How do you know that God will?" How do you know He won't?! If God is everything we read in our Bibles, and I believe He is and more than what we can imagine... and if Jesus said in Matthew 7:10, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
I put a caution here... I don't believe God is asking us to believe that we're going to move into a mansion and drive whatever vehicle around we want and eat in luxury. Far from that. I believe that real needs are being taken care of. That real opportunities are opening up (like with my Church... Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission).
One last thought...
What I realize more every day is that we need people who will believe for us for things we can't begin to imagine God wants to do for us and in us and through us.
Do you find that to be true?!
I just didn't "get it" for the longest time. There is the intellectual assumption that God is able to do whatever He wants in response to prayer. So in church we break out the anointing oil and follow the patter set out in the Bible in James 5:14-16 when we pray for the sick person. Now I've done this more than a few times and seen people walk away in the same condition and wondered, "What do we need to do differently?!" Isn't God big enough?! Isn't He all powerful?! YES and YES! However it isn't believing that God is that. It's believing that He just did that (whatever "that" would be). A few weeks ago it really hit me. I mean, I think I finally "GOT IT!" Let me illustrate with a couple stories...
I was asked to pray about a job that was opening up for my mom. I told her, "You got the job." Now she had no idea if she was going to get that position or not. She only "hoped" that she might get that position. A few days later (which happened to be June 9th) I got a call from her that she got the position! Not only was God ABLE to supply, but He DID supply that need.
A few years ago some friends were embarking to Paupa New Guinea as missionaries. They sent out a frantic e-mail that they needed their passports to make their flight and leave. I believe they had about one day to have them in hand. I sensed in my spirit that God was delivering the passports even then. I wrote, "Done deal!" I got an e-mail that said the passports had arrived just in time. Another more recent event had them in the Philippines as they were adopting their second son. They all needed to be on the plane and there was limited seating (if my memory serves me correctly). They asked for prayer. I knew that God was going to have seats for all of them. Shortly after that they sent an e-mail that God was indeed good and had made the seats available for all of the family to fly together!
Faith is believing that God will do it, because He can!
I have a friend that knows God has a specific path for him to walk. And to be honest, it's not been an easy one, yet God doesn't call us all to "easy." He calls us to take a long obedient walk in the same direction with Him. My friend will have all of His needs met. I don't have to know how that will happen. I just know that it will.
"How do you know that God will?" How do you know He won't?! If God is everything we read in our Bibles, and I believe He is and more than what we can imagine... and if Jesus said in Matthew 7:10, "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
I put a caution here... I don't believe God is asking us to believe that we're going to move into a mansion and drive whatever vehicle around we want and eat in luxury. Far from that. I believe that real needs are being taken care of. That real opportunities are opening up (like with my Church... Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission).
One last thought...
What I realize more every day is that we need people who will believe for us for things we can't begin to imagine God wants to do for us and in us and through us.
Do you find that to be true?!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
"Where is Jesus?"
Today I was having a small skirmish with my 5 year old about not bringing a toy into the grocery store. It was not going well. As I helped him out of the vehicle my 2 year old, Joel, suddenly asks, "Where is Jesus?'
I was immediately checked in my spirit about the bout I was finishing and then replied, "He's right here with us."
We might be asking the same question... "where is Jesus?" as we got news that my wife has an additional heart condition called Ventricular Tachycardia. It's a completely different part of the heart and explained why Amy was feeling pretty lousy in the past year with episodes of pressure coming up into her neck and feeling like she would black out. The condition can be fatal, but the doctor felt that as long as her heart was strong it would break out of the bad rhythm. Still it was a shock. In all of this I was reminded that Jesus is still right here. Nothing has essentially changed except that we know we must lean more heavily on Jesus than we have in the past. Faith isn't faith till it's exercised, and we are working those faith muscles right now. We trust that whatever happens that God will have His hand in it to bring good through the bad. He never wastes an opportunity to grow us into the image of Jesus.
Thanks for your prayers!
Lonnie
I was immediately checked in my spirit about the bout I was finishing and then replied, "He's right here with us."
We might be asking the same question... "where is Jesus?" as we got news that my wife has an additional heart condition called Ventricular Tachycardia. It's a completely different part of the heart and explained why Amy was feeling pretty lousy in the past year with episodes of pressure coming up into her neck and feeling like she would black out. The condition can be fatal, but the doctor felt that as long as her heart was strong it would break out of the bad rhythm. Still it was a shock. In all of this I was reminded that Jesus is still right here. Nothing has essentially changed except that we know we must lean more heavily on Jesus than we have in the past. Faith isn't faith till it's exercised, and we are working those faith muscles right now. We trust that whatever happens that God will have His hand in it to bring good through the bad. He never wastes an opportunity to grow us into the image of Jesus.
Thanks for your prayers!
Lonnie
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