experiencing God's favor

The experience of God's presence is not something earned, it is only given by way of faith.  You must ask yourself; is my faith that the outcome of my deeds will earn God's favor?  Or is my faith in found in the deeds of Jesus Christ alone?  Faith that Jesus Christ is the son of God, Jesus Christ came to this earth as a man, Jesus Christ was crucified holy and righteous,  Jesus Christ was buried in the grave, Jesus Christ conquered death by rising from hell to life in the third day,  and Jesus Christ is our redeemer and salvation.  

No man can ever deed himself into God's favor.  It is only through faith that our lives are transformed into the deeds of God; in that we find ourselves experiencing His favor. 

Galatians 3:1-14 1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?4 Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing?5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?6 Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them."13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

our limu experience - Bill and Carri Butcher

Hand out or hand up?

So often we go to God in prayer asking for hand outs.  "God I need this, God give me that,  God if only I had..." Are you guilty of asking for hand outs from God? Or better yet telling God what to hand you? 

It seems that in our desperation is when we hit our knees the most.  In our desperation. We are always in our greatest need.

God knows our needs my friends.  The answer to our needs is not a hand out but rather a hand up.  

Next time you find yourself asking God for hand outs take His hand up instead.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Are you fighting for your faith?

What is the most desperate thing you have ever done?  For me, I can think of a lot of things I did out of desperation.   In those times of desperation I did what I normally would not do.  What I really want to point out is the level of perseverance that prevailed in my desperation.  I can’t help but believe that the true measure of our desperation is directly related to what we do in response to those situations.  Have you gone to great measures before in your times of desperation without quitting?

I don’t want to go into great detail about my desperate times simply because I want to keep this short.  I will say this, there have been times I put up a great fight and refused to surrender until the bitter end.  I knew what I needed and wanted and I was not about to give up without a fight.

The greatest things in life that we desire all can come from God.  Think about it we all want love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, hope, purpose, meaning….  These things all come from God.  We want them and we need them but yet we don’t value them enough to fight for them.

Jacob got it, he knew what he needed and wanted.  Jacob knew God would provide.  In Jacobs desperation, he wrestled with God all night refusing to let go just so he could receive God’s blessing.  Jacob desperately held on and persevered to great lengths and because of this God changed who Jacob was and blessed him.  That day God changed Jacob’s name (the crafty deceiver), to Israel which means he struggles with God.  God wants us to earnestly and passionately seek Him and hold onto Him, literally put up a fight to never let go.

Are you willing to do all it takes to hold onto God, to put up the fight of your life to receive what God has to offer?  God rewards the actions of our desperation when it comes to pursuing His presence.  What does your actions of desperation say about the value you have for God’s blessings?

Genesis 32:24-30 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.  25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.  26 Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."  27 The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered.  28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."  29 Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."

Hope for Tomorrow

Think back five, ten, fifteen, even twenty years ago; if you are old enough.   Does your life today look the way you hoped it would?  When I was a child I thought like a child so I believed I would become superman someday.  Obviously that was not realistic.  When I was a teenager, I believed I would become a successful business man with a beautiful wife, two children, a huge house with a white picket fence and never have any troubles or trials.  As a young adult, I believed I would become a prominent person is society and change the world. 

I had some notable beliefs about my future and all were positive.  Not once did I have an ambition to become a drunk, an addict, an abuser, or even indigent.  However, many of the choices I made in life early on only opened the opportunity to become what I least desired; a failure.  I had never hoped to be a failure.  Honestly, I have never met anyone else whose life ambition was to become a failure either. 

I can’t help but realize how many people make choices to do stupid things just to experience life.  In those experiences like premarital sex, exposure to pornography, drugs, alcohol, risky behaviors, expressions of pride, and rebellious behavior they are only setting themselves up for the life they least desire.  So few are behaving in ways today to prepare themselves for what the truly hope for in tomorrow. 

To me it is insane to believe that you can live a life in complete opposition to the life you hope for in the future and still hope for a better tomorrow.   It simply does not work that way my friends.  Time and time again I have had the opportunity to care for those who have hit rock bottom in life, a life they themselves would define as a complete failure.  Everyone I have asked this simple question; “Is this the life you once hoped for?”  Never once have any of them said yes.  Then I ask this; “Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently?”  The answer has always been “I never would have done the stupid things I have done that got me here”. 

Your past defines your present; however it does not have to define your future.  There is a life full of blessings that can be found in Jesus Christ.  May I encourage you to set your past mistakes, sins and failures at the foot of the cross and accept the forgiveness, redemption and sanctification that only Jesus Christ can offer.

Romans 13:8-14 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.⁹   ×

References for Romans 13:8

Cross References

9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet,"^a10 and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up¹¹ in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."^b12   ×

References for Romans 13:9

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Footnotes

10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.¹³   ×

References for Romans 13:10

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11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come¹⁴ for you to wake up from your slumber,¹⁵ because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.   12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.¹⁶ So let us put aside the deeds of darkness¹⁷ and put on the armor¹⁸ of light.   13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness,¹⁹ not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.²⁰      ×

References for Romans 13:13

Cross References   14 Rather, Clothe yourselves  in The Lord Jesus Christ,²¹ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.^c22