“The mother of Jesus said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” – John 2:5

 
The wedding feast at Cana was the site of Jesus’ first recorded miracle. Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding, where His mother Mary was helping in the kitchen. They ran out of wine for the feast, so Jesus told the servants to bring 6 water pots to Him. Jesus then changed the water into wine, and not just any wine, but the best of the best. The book of John says that Jesus performed this first sign and thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. This started His earthly ministry.

 
This beginning miracle was significant in many ways, but it remains relevant for us in today’s world. Jesus didn’t tell the servants to go out of try to find some wine quickly. He also didn’t just make wine appear out of thin air, although He could have. Instead, Jesus asked the servants to bring the most simple of items, clay pots of water. Jesus then took the simple and made it into something amazing.
 

Jesus is looking to do that with us as well. When we accept Christ and His finished work on the cross, our souls are brought from death to life. But that doesn’t mean that our physical lives are drastically changed. That’s exactly what God wants. There’s an old saying of “Get in where you fit in.” You are made by the Creator of the Universe to fill a specific void. You are a missing piece to someone’s puzzle and have certain traits and skills that can benefit them. God made you to be you. Simple, straightforward, you. Realize that somebody needs you and what you have to offer. What you take for granted is exactly what someone else is praying for. You are a blessing waiting to happen.
 

Like the water in the earthen vessels, Jesus is just looking for the plain and simple you. No false fronts, no trying to make yourself into what you think is best, Jesus just wants you. If you try to make yourself into something you are not, it is like telling God, “You messed up and don’t know what you’re doing. Now I’ve got to make me right.” The fact is that nobody sees the big picture like God does. We have a very limited view of things and can’t see what’s coming up next. God sees it all and knows what we need better than we do. We see the natural, but God sees the supernatural.
 

One thing to note is that those clay pots didn’t have anything else in there but water. No fillers, just water. Our problem is that we try to add things to our lives to make them more “flavorful”, but what ends up happening is we focus more on the filler materials than on God. We add so many fillers to ourselves until that’s all there is. It’s too easy to make something you are passionate about into your idol, if you focus on that day and night to the detriment of everything else. The bible says in everything you do, let it be done for the glory of God. If you can’t dedicate what you are doing to God’s glory, you are wasting your time with it. It’s nothing but a filler material just taking away your time and focus.
 

Mary, the mother of Jesus, told the rest of the servants to, “Do whatever He tells you.” Those words ring true. Jesus will be knocking on the door to your heart and pushing you into a specific direction. Don’t wait for the time that you feel ready or good enough to fulfil your destiny. When Jesus says you are ready, there’s nothing that can hold you back. In the servants’ minds, the water pots were not ready to be drank. The pots were for Jewish ceremonial washing and not necessarily for drinking, but Jesus said that they were ready. He changed the water into wine; the average into the remarkable. Jesus is looking to do the same with you and your life.
 

You may think you are just plain Jane, but Jesus Christ says you are so much more than that. He sees you not for what you are, but what you can become. It’s time for you to see yourself as God sees you, not as the ordinary, but the extraordinary.
 

God’s blessings to you.
 

DH

“Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” – Revelation 22:1

Imagine you are in a tiny boat on a long and flowing river. You’re going upstream against the current. You paddle and move up the river pretty good for a while. However, if you stop paddling, the river tries to pull you back where you came from. Remember also that there are some bad things that are back where you came from and that very good things are waiting for you where you are going.

That story explains every day of the Christian life. We are in a place of pain and lostness, so we make a choice and get into the boat with Jesus. What we are leaving pales in comparison to what we find out waits ahead of us. But the decision to hop into the boat isn’t the end of the problems, it’s only the beginning.

Some people think that when you give your life over to Jesus, everything is going to be wonderful, be easy, and make sense. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let’s face it, life on this earth wasn’t easy for Jesus. He was born in a stable and grew up a carpenter like His adopted daddy, and that was in the days where they didn’t have a Chevy Silverado to haul lumber. We don’t think of it, but Jesus had grow up to be physically tough to endure the kind of life He grew up with here on earth. He was schooled mentally in the scriptures and He was schooled physically through good old fashioned back breaking hard work.

Then, midlife, Jesus changed job roles in a manner of speaking and started His preaching career. His time had come, but that wasn’t all wine and roses either. One measure of Jesus’ preaching success was how fast the religious leaders of the time wanted Him dead. Jesus finally endured the pain and suffering of the cross so that we could have our sins taken away and be allowed into Heaven. Jesus paid the cost for us. It’s called grace. It’s a free gift to us only because Jesus paid every penny of it through His blood.

That was how our Lord went through life and we shouldn’t expect everything in this world to be kind and easy for us either. There will be easy times and there will be hard times. And if you have been blessed not to have suffered in this world, I say to you, “stay tuned.” A servant is not greater than the master. Jesus went through trials and so will we. The key is that Jesus persevered and made it through those trials. He kept paddling up that same stream we are on called the river of life.

What I’m saying is to keep moving forward. Keep paddling for your life. Our goal and ultimate desire should be Heaven. Anything less than eternal life is eternal death. In the end, forever, you and I will be in Heaven or Hell, period. There’s no getting around that truth. This world drags people into mediocrity, and if you aren’t going forward in life, you’re going backward.

Just as Saint Paul said, we are to keep pressing on, moving towards the prize of the high calling of God through Christ Jesus. Keep paddling up the river of life. Yes, it is going to be tough at times, but I promise that the destination is worth it. In fact, it’s absolutely Heavenly.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” – 1 Corinthians 1:18 

I preach Jesus to anyone and everyone, but why? Why do I think that Jesus is who He says He is? What nutcase would believe that a virgin gave birth to someone that would die for my sins, but then rise and live again so that I too could live forever in Heaven? It all sounds so crazy, but it’s true. Let me tell you some of the reasons why I believe in Jesus Christ. 

First off, Jesus was a real man who lived around 2000 years ago. That is solid fact that has been documented by all sides at the time. Whether it was Christians, Jews, Romans, Greeks, or otherwise, Jesus and His following was well written about. Of course you have the scriptures, but look up any of the writings of extra biblical sources: Josephus was a Jewish historian, Pliny was a Greek historian, Tacitus is a Roman historian. All of them wrote at length about Jesus and the happenings of the time. They said that Jesus was charismatic, gathered many people around Himself, and preached about a better way of life. Just as we have writings and accounts of Gandhi, the Dali Lama, or Abraham Lincoln, this was no different about Jesus, the supposed son of God Almighty. There are literally more writings speaking of Jesus and His existence than there are for people like Shakespeare or Cleopatra. 

For that matter, one thing that also strikes me is that nobody ever disputed Jesus’ miracles, they only disputed where His power came from. Naysayers said He got His powers from the devil or somewhere else, but not that the miracles didn’t happen. This was partly because at the time, anyone could go speak face to face with people who were actually part of those miracles. From healing people of blindness and leprosy to feeding a crowd of well over 5000 people, there were witnesses all over that could attest to first hand knowledge of Jesus and what He did. 

And what about Jesus’ disciples? Maybe they were covering up the resurrection and making it all up? That’s a tough one to sell, because they went to their various early graves still preaching Christ. I don’t know a person ever who would willingly be tortured and killed for something they knew was a lie. Not gonna happen. When the end draws near, you will look for solid ground to stand on, so to speak. Jesus Christ was their answer all the way to the end. 

Speaking of first hand knowledge, during some of His sermons, Jesus made some pretty bold statements that went unchallenged. You’d figure there would have been someone, at least one or two people, who grew up with Jesus and questioned that whole “sinless life” deal. Maybe somebody could have asked why He missed going to the synagogue at least a couple times in His life, but no. No questions, no “what about the time…”, just agreement. That’s an amazing feat just by itself, and one that not even the best of us could say in a crowd. 

So the history of Jesus is solid, but so what? What does that really mean, you might ask. The fact is that if Jesus really existed, you then need to confront the issue of was Jesus really who He said He was? Jesus said He was the Son of God. He said that those who have seen Jesus have seen God. Jesus came as Immanuel: God with us. If He isn’t the Savior and Living God, then either Jesus was a bold-faced liar or He was completely insane. There’s no getting around that statement. Yes He’s God or no He’s not, plain and simple. 

To close this rather deep dive into Christ’s legacy, I can say that it’s not just His history that makes me believe, but it’s also what Jesus has done and continues to do for me and my family. I have many preachers and even a bonafide healer in my family tree who were all led by Jesus Christ. They felt the power of God Almighty in their lives enough to proclaim the gospel and so do I. I personally have experienced miracles and been a part of the supernatural favor that only comes from Jesus. My children and their ordeals and experiences alone could make for an interesting best seller. 

What I’m saying is that Jesus not only was a great man, but He continues His good works in me and He can do the same for you if you accept His finished work on the cross. It’s hard to release your heart to love someone, but who is more qualified to hold your heart than the creator? God knows you, all of your good and bad sides, and He loves you anyway. Let His healing be your healing and His peace be your peace. I promise you, it will be the best decision you will ever make.

 

God’s blessings to you. 

DH 

“Where no oxen are, the crib is clean; but much increase is by the strength of the ox.” – Proverbs 14:4

There are times where people can be harsh or overly critical of your actions, your ideas, or even you as a person. I have experienced this at different jobs or stages of my life and it always got me down, until a good friend and mentor of mine said, “If they aren’t talking about you, you aren’t doing anything.”

People, for the most part, fear change. They like the status quo and they don’t like to make waves. One thing I hear in business is, “That’s how we’ve been doing it for twenty years.” To which I reply, “Well, you may have been doing it wrong for twenty years.” Just because somebody did something along time ago doesn’t mean that it was the best way of doing it.

My point is that you have to challenge the status quo now and then. Question the answers. Go for what matters to you with gusto and drive. Some people won’t like that, but that’s ok. In short, you have to want better and believe it with everything you’ve got. For instance, I preach about Jesus whenever I can. Some people come to me afterwards with questions and some even with distain or spite, but if you can make me not believe in my Lord and Savior just by asking a few questions, then the Holy Spirit isn’t really what is driving me. Whatever matters to you, get fired up about it and like the Nike commercial says, “Just do it.”

It was once unprecedented for a runner to break the 4 minute mile, but everything is unprecedented until somebody does it. The impossible can be achieved, but it takes hard work and dedication to something bigger than yourself. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that everything is possible for God. He created it all and has it all within His power. God will definitely help you fight the good fight, but you can’t just sit idle hoping that something is going to change. You can’t let people’s talk stop you from achieving the greatness God has planned for your life. If you want better, you need the courage to do something about it. You can’t just think your way to a better life, you need to put forth some effort and break through some barriers. You need to do what, in legal terms, is called an “act in furtherance.” You have to show and prove that you really mean what you say.

Don’t just talk about it, BE about it or you’ll live without it.

It’s true that you could avoid many mistakes by never trying anything new and that you could make fewer waves with people if you just follow the status quo. You won’t get your hands dirty if you go with the flow, but remember, dead bodies always float downstream. You are not dead; you are alive and reading this right now, which means you have opportunity to change something for the better. God placed you in this exact moment at this exact time. The Bible says that you are wonderfully made, you have a purpose, and that God is always with you. You can achieve anything that God is pushing you towards, because He will always give you the strength and resources to accomplish His divine will.

Failing hurts and gossip hurts, but I promise it will hurt worse to never accomplish your dreams and look back wondering, “What if…” Don’t worry about what people will say or think, worry about what God will think. When this life is over and you stand before Christ, don’t be sorry about a life spent letting opportunities and blessings pass you by.  Instead, be joyful when he says to you, “You have been wise in using what I gave you. Well done my good and faithful servant. Now at last, enter into the joy of your Master’s house.”

God’s blessings to you.

DH

God’s plan is for peace in your life, but in this confused and fallen world, it seems like all we have are difficulties and pains. Once one goes away, another takes its place. It is the furthest thing from peace, but we need to realize that being at peace is not automatic.

Our problem is that we are separated from God. We are strangers in a strange land and that becomes more apparent with each passing day. Sin abounds. It’s all we see around every turn in this world. After a while, we find we jump right into that sin with both feet. But don’t think that you are alone in that mess. In Romans 3:23, it says that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. How right it is.

The words ‘sin’ and ‘fallen’ don’t need to be what define you though. God has placed a remedy before us to bridge the gap between Him and us. That bridge is the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection paid the penalty for your sins and mine. The bible says that “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24).

However, just because the bridge is there doesn’t mean that we automatically get saved. We have to accept that saving grace. We can’t just take a flight if we have a ticket. That plane will leave without us if we don’t climb on board. We have to cross the bridge and we do that when we accept and receive Christ through His personal invitation.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” – John 1:12

“Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:13

To receive Christ you need to do four things:

ADMIT your spiritual need. “I am a sinner.” Just like in any problem, the first step is admitting you have one.

REPENT and be willing to turn from your sin. You have to pick a path. One leads to death, the other to eternal life. You at least have to be willing to turn down the correct path, but make no mistake, you can’t do it alone. You need Jesus’ help and that’s what He’s offering.

BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross. Romans 10:19 says that if you declare with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

RECEIVE, through prayer, Jesus Christ into your heart and life. Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20).

Whether you are a non-believer in search of peace in your life or even if you are a lifelong Christian who doesn’t feel like they have had that connection with Jesus, now is your chance to come to Him. He’s waiting for you. Please pray this prayer with me:

“Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins and I want to turn from them now and forever. I want You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior.”

Friends, if you prayed that prayer with me, I believe that you have just been saved. If you didn’t, than what are you waiting for? The bible says that today is the day of salvation; now is the accepted time. I know that if I had a single doubt as to my eternal salvation, you couldn’t drag me away from here without accepting the peace of Jesus Christ.

Now, get into a good bible based local church, if you are physically able, and come to know more about the God who loves you and wants to be with you forever. You are now no longer at odds against Him, but instead you have returned to Him as His child who was once lost, but now is found. His arms are outstretched to welcome you home.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you always.

DH

“He told them, The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” – John 9:11

We all face troubles in life, but how we react to those troubles makes all the difference. In the book of John, we find Jesus healing a blind man with some mud that Jesus made from dirt mixed with His spit. I’m sure that the blind man heard all of that happening. Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud, and wiped it on the man’s eyes. It’s almost adding insult to injury, in that not only is the man blind, but now some joker is putting some spit-mud on him. However, Jesus was more than just some other guy and the blind man knew it.

The blind man trusted Jesus and that was what made the miracle happen. I’m certain that the blind man didn’t ask Jesus to spit and make mud to be healed with. Frankly, if it was one of us in that situation, we probably would have asked if there was a cleaner, less spit-filled way of healing us. The blind man wasn’t like that. He believed that he would be healed and that Jesus had his best interests in mind, even thought maybe it wasn’t the way the man would have chosen first. He didn’t question the methods, he just believed in the outcome.

Too often, we pray for everything to go well. We want nothing but peace in our lives with no struggles. I’m not saying that praying for good things is a bad thing, but just like a muscle, we can’t grow unless we are put under stress sometimes. You don’t become a runner without running. Just the same, you can’t have humility without being humbled. Thank God that there are some trying times, because they give us a chance to exercise those virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Like the story of the blind man, the disciples asked Jesus who sinned to make the man blind. Our Lord replied, “This happened so the power of God could be displayed in him.” It’s not the ideal situation and not something we would ask for, but if it meant being saved for all of eternity and helping other souls to become saved as well, then it was well worth it.

You might ask, “But isn’t there another way?”

God’s ways are so far above our ways, as the heavens are above the earth. I promise you that the plan that our Creator has is better than anything you or I could come up with. The Apostle Paul spoke of “a thorn in his side,” meaning Paul had some sort of medical condition or something that kept plaguing him. He asked God to take it way, to which God replied, “My grace is sufficient for you.” It is when we are weak that we are strong in Christ. If we think that we can change our own ways and live a blessed life, we are only fooling ourselves. Men and women will fail, but with God, all things are possible.

Jesus died on the cross to save our souls. God could have done it any way He saw fit, yet He still chose to save us through the pain and anguish of the cross. He took the punishment we couldn’t. God has a plan for our lives and it’s not for us to second guess His ways. If the blind man would have slapped Jesus’ hands away from his eyes, the blind man would still have been blind. God wants you blessed. He wants you to see the greatness of what He has in store for you. If you think, “But that’s not how I would have done it,” then get your so-called plan out of the way of God’s perfect plan and watch Him turn your life into something extraordinary. Trust in the Lord and He will take you higher than you could imagine.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

If you’ve ever been to a Christian funeral I’m sure you have heard of Psalm 23, but it’s worth much more than just something to be read upon someone’s passing. This is a collection of verses that have deep meaning for everyday life and if you take this to heart, I promise it will help you to have a much closer relationship to our Heavenly Father.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

Let’s break those verses down:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” – Occasionally we as people can be ignorant sheep that are wondering sometimes aimlessly through life. Sheep are not necessarily known for their smarts or making good decisions and I don’t think there’s a one of us who could say much different about ourselves if we’re being honest. The Bible often uses the image of the good shepherd in relationship to God the Father. He is always looking after us and trying to lead us in the right direction. However, we should take comfort in knowing that He is quick to bring us back home and accept us into the fold when we occasionally stray. Also, we take heart in knowing that all of our needs can and will be met by our Heavenly Father. It is just as Christ himself said about the birds of the air in Matthew chapter 6. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Sheep are no different. We cannot out-work or out-give God. Don’t get me wrong, we are to do all that we are able to take care of ourselves and especially one another, but do not ever be discouraged when times get hard and we can’t seem to work hard enough. Our true needs will be fully met by our Good Shepherd.

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters.” – This brings to mind abundance and peace. There’s nothing more inviting to sheep or even to most people than a lush, green field and calm waters flowing by. It is a profound difference from the craziness we have come to know in this everyday life of ours now. This verse shows you peace in a fully undisturbed landscape where all you would ever need is right there for you. Simply beautiful.

“He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” – once again, complete and godly peace that we are blessed enough to experience on the outside soon finds its way into our hearts and restores what this world tries to take away from our souls. Our good shepherd takes us gently and leads us on the proper path not because we have earned that right, but because it pleases him. God is peace. God is love. He is staying true to Himself when He leads us and brings us into the way of His righteousness, no matter how badly we have strayed from that straight and narrow path.

“Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” – This truly should be one of the most calming verses in this psalm. We will face times of trial and times of struggle in this life, but take heart because our God and Father is there with us through each and every moment. This is not saying that we won’t go through problems and won’t walk through the shadow of death. In fact it is telling us that we surely will, but through it all we are to be consoled by our Good Shepherd who is walking with us. At the ready, God has His rod. It is a sign of protection against enemies and evils that threaten our lives. God also carries his staff, also called a shepherd’s crook. It’s the curved stick that a shepherd carries that catches the sheep before they go to far astray and brings them back. Let us never wish for the Lord stop using this on our often wandering selves.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.” – This verse plainly states that, just like the preceding verse, we will have problems in our lives. There will always be haters and naysayers around us when we are doing what is right, but that is OK. God is still protecting us from them and even enriching our lives in spite of them. Your enemies will be there, but take heart because your Lord has abundance waiting for you to sit down and partake in. Oil in the Bible is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. God will always bless you with His spirit because you are His child. When people look at you, let all of them see that your Heavenly Father has given you his spirit to the fullest! Your cup runneth over and will fall onto others when you are near to them.

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” – Let these words be what you say to yourself when you find yourself walking through those valleys and going through those trials. God has promised that he will never leave you or forsake you and that is a promise you can count on. No matter what this world throws at you and no matter how far away from Jesus you think you are, Christ’s goodness and mercy will track you down. May you always stand tall knowing that you are in your Savior’s hands and can never be snatched away.

This psalm is a perfect reminder that God loves you and will give you His absolute best. God has sworn this. These are His words. The blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross seals this promise and holds it at the ready for you to accept as His gift. It’s not about what you’ve done, it’s all about who you are as a member of His family; the shepherd’s flock. Know that you have an eternity of love and peace awaiting you, all because of your Good Shepherd.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,” – Philippians 3:13

 

 

Have you ever messed up before? I know I have. I personally have made my fair share of mistakes in the past, and a lot of those mistakes I can blame on foolish pride or anger. That being said, I figured when I really buckled down as a Christian, those mistakes would go away. That didn’t happen. Then I thought to myself that when I follow my calling of becoming an ordained minister, I’ll be free from those sins once and for all. Nope. It turns out that I still sin, I just become more aware of my failings. However, over the years I’ve learned that it’s OK to fall now and then, we all do, just as long as you keep getting back up.

 

 

Whether you are a preacher, a politician, or a PH.D., you are going to screw up. Just because you have accepted Christ doesn’t mean you are immune to the sins of this world. You will have your momentary failings, but the trick is to keep looking forward. The more you set your sights on what is good, the more you become acutely aware of your own shortcomings. That’s ok though, because the first step to solving any problem is acknowledging there is one. The second step is not getting hung up on the first step.

 

 

To use a football analogy, there’s a thing called forward motion. The point is to keep the ball going downfield toward the goal. You don’t take the ball out of the fight though, it’s still right in there, but it’s on the way to the goal. Same goes for us. We aren’t free from evil, but we are on the way. As long as you breathe, you will have battles to fight. The key is to maintain that forward motion with yourself. Don’t get bogged down on what happened yesterday or ten years ago. Keep moving forward. You won’t always get it right, but you can always learn from the mistake and try not to make it again.

 

 

Don’t waste your time with worrying about things that happened in your past. Think about what lies ahead of you. If you get hung up on bad news or bad people from yesterday, you’ll never see what God has in store for your tomorrow. Imagine that you only have so much space in your head. You can either fill it with bad thoughts and memories or you can fill it with hope and the knowledge that you are loved by the Creator. Once you look more to God and His love, it becomes easier to overcome setbacks when they happen. The things that plagued you before, such as anger, envy, or pride become minor players in a much larger theater. You aren’t worried about lust, because you focus on pure things. You don’t get sidetracked by laziness, because you have God and other people to serve.

 

 

Make a promise today to focus less on your circumstances and focus more on Jesus. Don’t see a problem as a stop sign, see it as a yield sign. Yield to God, be humble about your failings, then press forward towards the goal of Heaven.

 

 

God’s blessings to you.

 

DH

“Never stop praying.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Two of my daughters and I were outside trying to enjoy a campfire the other night. I say trying, because we couldn’t get the fire lit due to a recent rain shower. We were almost there when our long handled lighter ran out of fluid. There my girls were trying their best, but getting nowhere with a lighter that was dry as a bone. After a little while, they were looking at me saying, “Now what?” I asked them, Have you prayed about it?” You could see in my girls’ faces where almost a lightbulb turned on, but a cautiously optimistic one. The girls clasped their hands in prayer and laid hands on the lighter. They tried the lighter again. BAM! Fire! Of course the girls looked at me smiling and astonished. I told them, “Don’t look at me, I didn’t do that.” They both proceeded to praise Jesus while getting the fire pit started. All in all, we had a memorable experience that night with a lot of laughs and one important lesson about life.

Don’t think God is just paying attention to the big things of the universe, He’s also God over the small things as well. Your Father in Heaven is on your side and wants to hear your requests. The Bible says that God knows all things and knows what you need, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t come to Him any chance we get with our requests. As a daddy, I know my kids need certain things like food. It’s just waiting for them there in our pantry. All they need to do is ask and I’ll cook it for them. The same thing goes for God. His provisions are boundless and all we need to do is come to Him.

Let’s face it, what parent doesn’t like to hear from their beloved children once in a while? My girls’ voices are the sweetest things to my ears. Please realize that you are cherished by your Heavenly Father and that He smiles ear to ear when you have a conversation with Him. That’s all prayer is and should be, a conversation between you and your family. And it shouldn’t be just all requests. It’s fine to ask your daddy for things, but it means more to have you close and have a relationship. If you love somebody, you want to know more about them and spend time with them. You will never drain God dry of His blessings. He will always have more to give, but He will give a lot more to those of His children that He’s closest to.

That doesn’t mean you will get everything you ever want. Some things I have to tell my kids no about because it’s not right for them or maybe it’s not something in their best interests. Maybe it’s something I want to give them, like a Christmas present, but it’s not time yet. We don’t like to be told no over things and in today’s generation, it seems like we don’t know how to be patient for things. We like fast food and instant gratification for our desires, but that’s not usually the best thing for us in the long run. God sees us and knows our desires, but sometimes, in order to give us the very best He has in store for us, He needs to tell us “no” or “not yet.” That’s tough to handle, but God truly does know what’s best for us because He sees what’s going to happen next. We don’t. If we did see things the way God sees them, we would agree as well.

In 1 John 5:14-15, the Bible says, “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.”

The key is to stay close to Jesus Christ and get to know the desires of God. The closer of a relationship you have with somebody, the more you know the way they think and their future plans. My wife and I can just about finish each other’s sentences because we have a close and loving relationship. That has made me want things that are more keeping with her needs and desires. I wouldn’t do something knowingly that would be detrimental or in the opposite direction of where my family needs to be going. When you stick close to Jesus and spend time with Him, eventually your wants and desires start to match up with God’s desires. That is a truly powerful time. That’s the time that you will see blessings flow like a river. You will take part in that abundant life the Bible speaks of. When you are close to Jesus, your life will never be the same.

So don’t be afraid to ask for the little things as well as the big things. And don’t worry about what’s to come. Pray about it. Soon you’ll see that even the tiniest of details is in your Heavenly Father’s hands.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

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“And I say also to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18

In the Bible, Peter was one of the closest disciples of Jesus Christ. Whenever Jesus would go somewhere to pray or to reveal something special to just a select few, Peter was right there at the top of the list. And when Jesus left His earthly ministry, Peter was the head of the newly established church. Granted, Peter had his failings just as all people do, but the difference was that he kept pushing through them and came out better because of them.

Peter didn’t start out as being called Peter. His name was originally Simon, which actually means ‘hearer or listener’. Peter listened to Jesus and took His teaching to heart. Even when Jesus said that He was going to be offered up and die, Peter rebuked Him saying, “Not so Lord,” even though Christ had a larger plan that needed enacted. By all rights and accounts, Peter loved Jesus. He staked everything on Him. When Jesus asked His disciples if they would leave Him, it was Peter who said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of life.”

Not only did Peter believe in Jesus, but Jesus believed in Peter as well. Even though Peter in a moment of weakness denied that he knew Jesus 3 different times, Jesus knew that Peter was the right person to continue His earthly ministry. A little before Christ was taken up to Heaven, Jesus kept asking Peter if he loved Him. More than that, Jesus made sure that Peter would continue Christ’s work to take care of His people. Jesus asked Peter 3 times, “Do you love me?” And each time that Peter affirmed his love, Jesus would tell him to ‘feed His sheep or lambs’, meaning to take care of His people. Jesus knew that Peter could do it, but He really wanted Peter to know that Peter could do it. Three times a denial conquered by three times a confirmation.

One last thing about Simon Peter. Simon was the earthly name that his parents gave him. Peter was the Heavenly name that Jesus gave him. Simon means listener and Peter means rock. In order for you to be firm in your service of the Lord, you first need to listen to Jesus. Once you stand upon God’s solid foundation, you will never be lost again.

God’s blessings to you.

DH