Today seems to have a large amount of unknowns in it. Tonight I’m to meet with our Restoration Ministry Team however half of them can’t be there. There are a couple other major items needing to be addressed and I can’t see how to do it. I brought them into Light this morning as I was journaling. I had just finished reading in I Samuel where Saul went ahead and conducted the sacrifice to God without Samuel’s presence. He was swayed by the people’s attitudes to act. Samuel scolded him for this when he did arrive and told him God would jerk the kingdom from his family’s name due to his actions.

When I brought the troubling items to God in my journaling I could not see how to take next steps with them. It was then God showed me that my steps are to be taken not by a timeline, but by His leading. I am not to take matters into my hands just because a date has been set. If He is God in my life I will learn to take steps as He shows them and the readiness for them. I am not to be swayed by the attitude of people, but by the readiness of God’s Work.

I was trying to find how I was to thank God as I had begun to journal today knowing I am to thank God in all things. Well, when God reminded me that He is God and I am to listen to His Voice and watch for His readiness steps I could easily thank Him. God is so AMAZING!

Today I believe. As I was journaling this morning I wrote all the things which are troubling me, confusing me, or simply needing to be addressed. When I was finally done I was nudged to thank God for all of them and to then turn them over to Him praising Him for taking care of each one. When I had finished this He reminded me that I’m a believer and to now believe it will take place for He is God Almighty! The other thing God was helping me see was to not limit how big or mighty His Work is to be when I’m involved in it. He says that all He does is Miraculous. When man limits what God does by putting his own boundaries around it–his own beliefs about it, it then looks like man and not God’s miraculous Hands at work. These are all things I’ve known, now God wants me believing them in what I say and do.

Yesterday our quartet sang twice, in the morning for our church’s first service and then last night for an assisted living place. One of the quartet members told me he was feeling overwhelmed with a lack of security. I told him I’ve lived with this all my life so I know this sense very well. I shared what I’d heard a few days back about stomping on “the serpent’s head” knowing it is Satan’s head when he tries to impede our beliefs. As this member started to sing a solo in a number we were doing I was smashing the serpent’s head in my mind and with my shoe. God told me to stop dwelling on Satan. We were here to rejoice in Him and help others worship Him. He didn’t want me focusing on the negative but now was the time to rejoice with Him in the song we were singing. Here I was thinking I was helping my buddy when in reality God wanted me celebrating Him. I quickly let God take care of Satan and shifted my focus back onto our Almighty God! He is truly AMAZING!

For several reasons of late I’ve needed to do some intense reflecting. God is wanting to awaken me to a much greater belief in Him. If I am going to live completely committed to Him, I must believe fully in all He does and all He is. I have prayed so often for others putting my own wishes in the prayer instead of praying for others fully believing God’s Grace & Mercy are far better for anyone than my wishes. God is helping me believe Him and to believe fully in all He is. He is the Only God I ever want to serve!

Today I BELIEVE! Today as I journaled to God, instead of asking Him what He wants me to know from Him, I asked, “What do You want me to believe from You?” I have lived a lifetime knowing much, very much about God, Jesus and have learned much about The Holy Spirit. Believing it, even though I say I believe it, actions don’t always show my belief. Thus, I know but I don’t always believe.

There are things in life right now which I have no control over. I can step into them and do things which can lend help, but they are out of my control for I am not God. However, what I have been learning, especially yesterday, is that if I live by knowing only, I will stay in the midst of worry, anxiety, frustration, fear and repeat them over and over. It is when I step into BELIEVING that the burden/weight of sin is lifted.

God is answering prayer all around me. I believe this because I don’t have to see all that God is doing to know He is doing this. I believe! Did you know that eternal life doesn’t begin at the point of our physical death? It actually begins at the point of salvation when we asked Christ into our heart. From that point forward we are given eternal life. However, the freedom from sin or the temptation of it, doesn’t begin until our flesh is dead. Freedom of the bondage from sin can, however, start here on earth and it does this not by what we know, but by what we believe. The new creation God has made us to be upon our point of salvation starts when I finally believe I am a new creation and it starts for you when you believe. I asked God this morning to answer my plea of Mark 9:24: “I believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” I don’t want any longer to live by knowing, I want to live by believing.

Summer is officially here! Today we have sunshine for the longest day of 2019. I glad for this.

All of the things I was concerned (worried) about a couple days ago have been taken care of. Not that worrying did anything to help it. I’m not sure if worry is the right word when it is the motivation or focus for me to get something done needing completed. It makes me anxious to have details left unattended. I’ll have to ponder that a little more.

What I do worry about that fits me are all the things going on around me which are in the hands of someone else and the choices they are making. How I wish we could have a greater influence on someone’s choices when we see the outcomes and they don’t. Satan is having a hay day and I get to watch. As I was bringing all of this to God this morning He reminded me of a single but powerful word–BELIEVE. “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:31. In fact, the verse completes itself, “you and your household”. As I was journaling God was reminding me just how powerful He and HIS Household is. Through Jesus Christ, death (sin’s consequence) has been conquered. The things that bring us to the point of surrender aren’t in our hands for someone else. I have to keep reminding myself of this. I want to make the road smoother for those I love. Yet, I know it is the bumps in the road which refocus us to God.

I use to think that when I became a “new creation” all these issues of life would disappear. WRONG. What I am finding is that a new creation knows not to own these problems. Pray for them and give them to THE ALMIGHTY GOD and let HIS HOUSEHOLD have His way. Only then can our household become part of GOD’s Household. This is my lesson for today.

After my devotional time yesterday and writing this blog, I went to see my prayer partner. There are so many details needing to come together for this Fall’s kickoff of Celebrate Recovery and our Restoration Ministries. I needed to give all of these details to her so she could be praying over them and taking them directly to the Master. The time with her turned into a glorious session in which I was blessed beyond measure. She is such a lady of God. She is almost 20 years older than me, but her crisp mind and particularly her relationship with God allows one to be with her and get the complete sense God is present in Spirit and in Truth. She walked me through the Armor of God which I needed to be reminded of. She also brought me through some reflections where God had taken control when I was anxious or unable to see daylight. All this was God’s reminding me to not be anxious about my tomorrows. He is the One in charge. I get in the way when I try to do this.

This morning as I had my devotions I was reminded by God that this journey I’m on with Him is far from over. Being a new creation doesn’t mean I’ve reached the finality of growing with Him. Being a new creation is simply for me a change of mind. It is removing the character defect that I had to earn my way to God to now knowing I am a new creation. The growing I need to do will come from God as He brings me through life’s situations. I do love our Father God for His faithfulness!

The day yesterday couldn’t have been nicer. Getting the details done yesterday morning went smoothly. The time with my brothers and spouses was fun and warm. Last night was my highlight. Meeting with this young man and going through the dvd’s he wanted to complete turned into not only something he needed, I found I needed it too.

It is in the Conquer series I heard the author say a couple years ago that the amygdala of our brain is the throne of Grace where Christ Jesus sits–it is our spiritual heart. I recall so well thinking this is the dumbest statement I’d ever heard a “scholar” say. However, it was the next morning when God challenged me to think this through with Him. The amygdala is the control center of our impulses. Everything our body does out of impulse is centered there. All our organs function from this control center. Also, the thoughts that first enter our brain which sometimes cause us to spew something we wish we’d kept to ourselves comes from here. It has been between 2-3 years since I’d first heard this and last night when I was listening to this same author, I found myself completely understanding all he said rather than wanting to judge him. It is amazing how God completes Himself with us if we stay the course with Him. This journey we are on is one which needs us focused on The One True God. It is so easy to take control into our own hands and blunder, reminding us once again that God is waiting to be in the driver’s seat.

I use to firmly believe that my impulses–temptations were controlled by the abuse of my past. I couldn’t control them nor could I resist them at times. I also couldn’t let Christ come near them for they were the stench of Earnie. How God has shown me the flaws of my thinking. These sins done to me where already forgiven because they had been brought to God by the sinner/s, my brother, my dad. The fact I housed them as though they were mine was a defect of character Satan wanted me believing. It kept me from being as effective of a servant for God as God wanted. I still have my moments as I’m sure all of us do, but Satan’s lies are being seen now as such. I want to stay on this journey of becoming more and more trusting as my faith grows.

It is often true that what God does is far different than what we would do if left to our own devices. I suppose that is why God tells us to trust Him. If He were to give us His plan ahead of time we would want to twist it our way rather than following through completely with His own. This was the case yesterday morning. The meeting with the district superintendent and principal went extremely well. I’ve known the superintendent for a number of years. Her husband is having some severe health problems which require frequent doctor visits and therapy visits all which pull her away from the district. After the meeting I asked if they had someone to assist with transportation and would that be of help to them? She said it likely would be in the near future. She needs to hear what the doctors say, but the therapy appointments just require time. I offered to assist if they would like. Last night I received a text from her. It had nothing to do with our earlier meeting, but it was all about caring. I recalled God reminding me yesterday morning to listen and respond to His leading. I was concerned about a meeting while He was also concerned about a need.

There is so much to learn from this Father of ours. Being a good learner takes frequent reminders for me to not try and take charge, but to listen and do what God shows needs to be done. Tonight I’m meeting with a young man who is wanting help with a past addiction problem. I want to be God’s helper in this. Trust and Obey, these are two principles for which I need constant reminders in order to be a good and faithful son.

I awoke about 2:55 am having had the most troubling dream. In it I was part of a stage production in which I had a supporting role which put me on stage most of the production. It was a musical because most of my part was singing. It was opening night and I couldn’t get to the theater. I had finally made it but I couldn’t find the right entrance door and each time I attempted one it wasn’t it. I finally awoke in this dilemma.

As I began my Bible reading I happened to be reading about Gideon in the book of Judges. He was a timid man. God had to use many different means to convince him that God was truly God and He could accomplish what He wanted done through him–a timid man. Gideon just needed to trust more than he feared and then obey more than he feared. As the story plays out, Gideon uses 300 men who didn’t even have a sword in hand, but a trumpet and a jug. God did the rest. Gideon trusted and obeyed and God fought the fight.

Today my mind is filled with confusion regarding steps I’m to take. I’m meeting in a little over an hour with a school district that hasn’t done well for quite a number of years. It seems God is telling me to trust and obey. Trust more than I fear and obey over my fears. I am going to go and we will see just how God uses the time to complete the plan He is already working on. I will do whatever part He gives me to do. Right now, I’ll be still and know He is God.

Happy Father’s Day! If I read each of these words separately I see that for today the fathers are to be happy. The world needs happy fathers. There are enough grumpy old grandpas. Today we will give the world happy fathers and grandfathers.

As I began to read the book of Judges this morning I once again am brought to a piece of truth I’ve not noted before. As least I haven’t noted the significance of it until this morning. The judges which the book talks about are the heroes God put into place to rescue the Israelites from their enemies. The enemies would gain strength as the Israelites turned to other gods instead of to their One True God. The judge at the time would be a war-fighting hero as well as a spiritual hero bringing them back into focus of their One True God. There is a footnote which says that what makes them a hero (judge) is that they recognized their strength came from the One True God and not from themselves.

Man has such an ego. He wants to take all the credit for what happens when it is good. God wants us to recognize Him and give glory to Him for His Mighty Works. If we do this He rewards us with joy in our hearts. When we try to steal His Glory and make it our own, we will fall on our faces. I am learning much about being a new creation as I read through these Old Testament books. Man wants to think he is in charge of the world. God says to show man how He is not only in charge of the world, He is the Savior of it too through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus. This is the Light we carry as a new creation. I don’t want any ego getting into the way of being a new creation thanks to Christ Jesus.