Rededication

Going Through The Motions

My phone connected to my car like usual, and the podcast I had listened to last begin playing through the speakers. I saw my charging cord and thought, why not get a little more charge to my phone on the way to work. So, I connected my phone to the cord. When I arrived at work and disconnected my phone from the charging cord, I noticed it had not charged at all. Weird!

Not weird, once I realized that my charging cord had not been connected to the charging port. I had simply gone through the motions; expected powerful results without being connected to the power source.

This is how we live life sometimes. We go through the motions, but until we are truly plugged into The Source of Life, we will never have powerful living! God wants us to recharge our batteries, and remain connected with Him.

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Have you ever felt disconnected from God? It isn’t because He has changed addresses or moved away from us. It is because we are not connecting with Him. It is never too late to pick up where you left off. Take a moment to charge your spiritual battery. God is waiting.

Photo by Andreas Haslinger on Unsplash

Wildfires Part I: The Condition

The year: 1950.

The place: Capitan Mountains of New Mexico.

The problem: a fire tower operator spots smoke that quickly became a major wildfire. Forest Rangers, army soldiers, Native American firefighters and civilians assembled their resources to quickly gain control and fight the fire.

The casualty: a baby bear. Rangers spotted the little guy and hoped his mother would return for him, but she did not. Being caught directly in the path of the fire storm that had become amplified by increased winds, approximately 30 firefighters survived by lying face down on a rock slide for more than an hour while the fire burned passed them: singeing their hair and clothes. Nearby the orphaned animal, who we would later know as Smokey Bear, suffered burned paws and hind legs.

The condition: Drought!!

Wildfires are more probable during times of drought. During this dry condition, there is less resistance to the dangers that cause fire, and more devastation is likely to occur.

A drought is a deficiency or lack of rainfall, and can have devastating effects from thirst, famine to disease.  A drought is not a sudden occurrence like an earthquake or a thunder storm, rather it develops slowly over the course of time. Nor does drought have an immediate effect like and earthquake or thunder storm.  As a matter of fact; weeks, months or years could pass before people even know that a drought is occurring.

In Wildfires Part I, I want to address a dangerous condition that can sneak up on us unaware, and put us at risk for wildfires: a spiritual drought. Remember, the effects are not immediate; we can slowly fade into this condition without even realizing it.

We have a vital need of Jesus the way our physical bodies require water. Without Jesus, our spirit man will become weak and wither, and can become virtually defenseless. Without Jesus, we are susceptible to the wildfires of trials and tribulations.

How can you tell if you are headed for a spiritual drought? You may experience some of  the following symptoms:

  • Less spiritual growth
  • Less joy & less interest or excitement for the things of God
  • Less prayer & Bible time
  • Less frequent church attendance over time
  • Less desire for praise & worship music
  • Less connections with Christian friends

Notice the word LESS. When we take in LESS of God on any level, we are headed for a spiritual drought. Having LESS of God makes us MORE vulnerable to wildfires. And it can happen to any one of us: from newly saved Christians to long time Preachers. So how do we stay spiritually hydrated?

Isaiah 41:17-18 asv “The poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I, Jehovah, will answer them, I, The God of Israel, will not forsake them.  I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.”

Water is the answer to any drought, so drink up!! Drink of the Living Water (John 7:37-39) that never will run dry!

Don’t let drought sneak up on you and put you at risk!

His answer to our need is to give us fountains of water in our dry and drought ridden places. All we have to do is seek Him. Ask Him today to saturate and heal your spiritual dry places. The answer is Jesus! It’s as complicated and as simple as that.

CLICK HERE TO READ Wildfires Part II: The Cause

CLICK HERE TO READ Wildfire Part III: The Countermeasure

Where’s Jesus?

Here we are just a few days away from Christmas: 6 days to be exact. We are busy with hustle and bustle: attending holiday programs galore, cooking for family gatherings, and prepping for parties at the work place. And so the list goes on. Needless to say, we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off.

It is no wonder that we can actually find ourselves irritated and aggravated this time of year.  

Meanwhile, celebrating the birth of Christ becomes lost in the commotion, and is just another scheduled event. Church calendars are planned out with special Christmas programs, and everyone knows exactly where to go, and when to arrive: for Christmas programs that is.

This is a good time for us to ask ourselves what the Wise men asked: Where’s Jesus?

Do we look for God only when problems arise……have we hidden Him in that dusty Bible on the shelf…..do we invite Him to attend an occasional church service….is He in an infrequent prayer……a random work conversation…..a few good deeds…… a Christmas ornament……..an afterthought?

Jesus wants to be just like the star of Bethlehem in our lives: a constant light shining big and bold and bright!

Mathew 2 introduces us to the Wise men. “About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

They had a need: to find The King. So they went about asking and seeking. God tells us when we seek Him we WILL find Him.  And when they found Him, they worshiped.

We also have need of Jesus. And when you ask yourself the question, ‘where’s Jesus’……I hope the answer is that He is in your heart. That’s the best way to worship Him!

But if you don’t have Him in your heart, there is good news. He is standing at the door your heart knocking, and calling out to you. He is waiting for you to invite Him in. Revelation 3:20.

It’s a good time for all of us to take spiritual inventory and asking ourselves exactly where Jesus is in our lives. Someone reading this may to rededicate their lives to Christ OR someone reading this may need to accept Jesus into their heart.  If that’s you today, you can say this prayer:

Dear God,
I’m praying because I know I have need of You Jesus. You are my Savior. I believe that Jesus came to earth as the only begotten Son of God, that You paid the price for my sins on the cross, that You rose again on the third day. I know that I have sinned so I ask you to forgive my sins.  I believe these things, and confess them with my mouth. I know that I am saved in Jesus name.  Amen.

 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13