Pushing Through When We Fall Short

  So often in my life I have to refocus my heart on truth. It is so easy for me to become discouraged by my inability to live free of sin and falling short. The accuser who accuses me day and night would have me believe that I have somehow fallen into a category of failures that God has given up on. He is so quick to rub my sin in my face, as if to say it is more powerful than the love of God. Sin does separate us from God but dwelling on failure can do more long term damage than the sin itself. God's desire to have us as a bride is stronger than our weakness.

Faithfulness isn't achieving perfection but longing to become perfected, and striving for this daily.

  Now, the important thing is not to minimize sin, as if it were not important to war against it, but to understand that we are not disqualified because of sin. "While we were still sinners Christ died for us" With the full knowledge of my wicked heart Jesus said yes to loving me, He considered me worth whatever it took to secure my future with Him. It wasn't my ability to become holy that made Him love me, He loved me because He made me, and He will see me through to holiness.

  I have had many seasons where I feel my failures drowning out my heart intentions. But the key to keeping my heart alive and vibrant before God has been to continually look to Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) I have been birthed into a carnal nature that opposes God, and I will not be entirely rid of it until Perfection comes. This does not mean I can settle in, but constantly war against it and keep overcoming sin inch by inch. God is not looking for me to be perfect, He made me perfect in Jesus, He is looking for my heart to scream "I am so in love with you I want to be just like you." The righteousness we received in Christ cannot be improved upon. We have been clothed with the very righteousness of God.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence.

  It is God's grace that allows me to continually repent and come back into His presence. The beauty of grace isn't something that allows me to sit comfortably apart from God, it is the empowerment to pursue God. His grace is sufficient to cover all my weaknesses and failures. Where I can't do it right He makes me right. His love invites me into pursuit and His grace covers me when I fall. It is important to remember that we don't strive to fail, but strive for perfection then His love washes over us when we fall. We don't love to sin knowing His grace covers, but love holiness and His grace covers our sin.

Thanks Be To God Who Has Given Us The Victory In Christ Jesus!

Abiding; Every Second is Jesus

  Upon salvation we didn't accept a moral code, an activity or a religious study, we said yes to a relationship that takes us from glory to glory, in love. The essence of becoming saved is a commitment to relationship with The Holy. Salvation isn't a bridge one can cross with a simple recital of a prayer, but constant prayer, constant communion and transformation. It is a turning from sin and a turning to righteousness and love. A life of continually looking to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2)

  This season I find myself longing to dwell in Him and with Him every moment. I want to find myself talking to Him subconsciously, naturally, as if my best friend was next to me every moment of every day. I want to live so distracted by His love and desire for me that it looks like I live on another planet. I want to be embarrassedly interrupted as if writing a love note in grade school. I want to live with a constant smirk as my mind is continually encountering the most intense pleasure possible, Jesus. I want my definition of sin to go from what I act out to what I think about, to me sin is becoming easier to define; anytime my mind wanders from Him. I was made for one thing: "The two shall become one flesh"

  Contemplating what it means to abide in Christ I have found I am incapable apart from Him filling me and hitting my pleasure button, capturing my emotions and devouring every thought. The verse "We love Him because He first loved us" is so beautifully true. We have nothing other than what He has given us. It takes God to even love God. (Romans 5:5) Everything we desire to become in Him must come through asking Him in prayer. Day after day, moment after moment seeking to love Him and asking to be filled by Him. We don't have the ability to walk out love, or to be Godly just as much as we don't have the ability to wash sin.

Set Me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm;
 For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave;
 Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame. 
Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. 

Song Of Songs 8:6-7

  Jesus, the poetic bridegroom instructs us to set Him on our hearts. His love is desperate for us but longs for voluntary lovers to arise. He longs for our very heartbeat to beat His name. Jesus prays to the Father to unite us into the very Godhead. Hours later He would make it possible by becoming the eternal sacrifice for sin.

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.

And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:20-26

Abiding is another call to death, seeking out the destruction of my natural tendencies. Learning not to take a break apart from Him, but find my rest in Him. Fighting to never voluntarily grieve the Spirit I am asking to fill me. Guarding the doorways through the senses, eyes and ears. Grieving the Spirit becomes easier each time we give way to it. Sin is crouching at the door, it attacks inch by inch, this is a war of inches. The moment we have stepped out of abiding there must be a quick repentance, a recommitment to whole heartedness and a refocus on Jesus. The beauty of grace is, our sin doesn't disqualify us, but it can paralyze us if we are not quick to war against it.

  The heart of God is to become perfectly united, and I want to send that desire right back to Him. I want the love of the Father to rest upon my heart, I want the Spirit in me, transforming me, pouring out love for Jesus every moment, I want to see Jesus exploding from the fire within, releasing His fragrance to a dark world. I want to be so overcome and conquered by love that it truly is no longer I who lives but Christ in me. God, let it be so.

The Encouragement of Knowing Pastor Tim & Heather Pike

  I have known Pastor Tim and Heather for quite a few years now, but only within the last two years at an intimate level. Tonight I had the joy of watching Tim receive his ordination, it was amazingly sweet knowing his journey and the journey of his family. God has truly blessed my family and my heart with their friendship. The Pike's are a family of gentleness, very tender hearted and caring. It is difficult to spend time with either of them and not feel Christ beaming my heart.

  Tim is a Michigan State graduate and was working at The Flint Journal prior to becoming the youth Pastor at New Life Christian Fellowship. His journey has been remarkable. He began by attending every spiritual event our church had to offer, pausing work to participate in the Bible studies Pastor hosts at the church during the day, engaging in the young adult sunday school classes, and soaking in every avenue of information about God. Little did I know that this man ravenous for the Word of God and to know Jesus in a powerful way was just the beginning, Tim would continue to aspire and search for God's will over his life daily, living obedient to what God has called him to in each season. Eventually God opened the door for Tim to become the youth pastor at New Life, Tim accepted, taking a pay cut to enter into the church ministry atmosphere. As far as I know at this time he began taking classes to advance his credentials in the pastoral world. Each level of certification requires a specific amount of classes followed by testing and interviews. Of course Tim flourished as God honored his humble obedience. He has been working as the youth pastor for almost five years, this to me is unfathomable! Youth ministry could possibly be the hardest area to press into. Youth are constantly distracted by thousands of things and to be quite frank, they can be a bit obtuse. But week after week Tim faithfully teaches and loves these kids. He has not drawn back in the face of difficulty or from not seeing the type of results one would hope. He has over and over again invested at a costly, and sometimes painful level. Tim has demonstrated to me as a youth pastor a faithfulness I haven't yet grasped. His commitment to keep fighting for these youth in prayer and all manner of events has truly shown me what "steady on" means. 

The amazing thing for me to watch has been, a man determined to live in obedience to God.

Words that come to mind to describe Pastor Tim;

Patient, long suffering, kind, gentle spirit, fun, wise and faithful.

  Heather was working at General Motors as a Financial Analyst and was making more money each year than Tim ever has. She also is a graduate from Michigan State, and immediately found success as a working businesswoman. Soon after the birth of their first child Heather decided she would rather trade in her career for the joy of raising children. In my opinion, any woman who quits working to be at home instructing and loving her children has chosen the better portion. It is the difficult road of hardship and mundane, it means not having the money for elaborate vacations or financial ease through life's storms. It is the trading in of worldly gain for the eternal gain of raising Godly children that know their mothers love in a deep way, and will come to know the love of Christ through her demonstration of it. Heather has sacrificed greatly to be first and fore-mostly, a mom. This trading in of personal gain for a life of hard work and suffering has inspired me to love deeper and to serve more. She works harder now than ever previously. Heather is a great model for any mom looking for answers. Her support of Pastor Tim and care for her family is so refreshing and good for the soul to see. 

Heather innately will cause a smile on anyones face she contacts.

Words to describe Heather;

Servant, loving, tender-hearted, strong, joyful and humble.

Be blessed Pike's as you have blessed me. You both make God smile with your beautiful hearts.

Come Up Here

After these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here" -Rev 4:1

  It's the open door reality, the divine invitation to enter in, taste, come be where I am. It is the difference of arriving at a friends house and having the door closed or open, one signifies an invitation, the other can be slightly daunting. It's the workplace with an "open door policy." The reality where at any time whoosh and your in, no resistance. It's the divine setting of all kingdom principles; the great invitation. God in His wisdom has left the choice of love as an open door, not by coercive power, not to convert us by violence, but to display the greatest love ever and win our hearts into voluntary desire.

  To step through the doorway of invitation means we leave a reality behind and step into something new. Through the avenue of an uncomfortable journey we encounter the greatest thing ever, Him. The call to enter in is the call of becoming a new creation. Leaving the old man in the dust as we strive to become perfected into the image of Jesus. Deciding we no longer want milk but the food that satisfies. Living with God as an add on or an extra-curricular activity will never satisfy. 

There are two types of Christians;

-The ones who live waiting for the floodgates to open that will sweep them into a fantasy type faith.

-And the ones who advance forcefully through the door of invitation.

  Entering in and laying hold of the promise land requires that we overcome the enemies standing between us and the land God promised. And it is through a violent resolve that we overcome, through the empowerment of Christ in us, working through us, consuming all of our being. There is a fight reality to our faith. 

From the days of John the baptist until now the kingdom has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12

  It is the heart that says, "I'm not giving up, I haven't been disqualified and I refuse to be anything less than what God has offered to me to become." This isn't a settle in journey, find my place in the church, it is a war, and every day choosing to step forward towards God. It is constantly living just outside of where I am comfortable in pursuit of God's invitation. 


  Primarily, God is working to open our eyes to understand where He has already seated us. Paul prays that the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened. Eph. 1:18-23 Eph. 1:17 Psalm 119:18 So it isn't God working something new in our lives other than opening our eyes to see what He has already done. He can't give us anything more than He already has freely given us. It simply us understanding the doorway and choosing to walk through it and abide where He is. And another thing we need to recognize is that we are pursuing a man, He is our great reward. Stepping into the doorway of divine entertainment means we are engaged with a person at the heart level, not that our fleshly desires are stimulated.


  God is so patient and kind, the invitation is never removed, even if He has turned us over to our sin and worldly desires He still reaches out His hand over and over beckoning come be with Me. He desires our love and affections so much He wouldn't spare His own Son for us! 


Lord give me the strength to pursue you faithfully for 80 years, I want to find myself uncomfortable in the pursuit of your love every day. Strike my heart with greater revelation of who you are. Wash me again with the blood of your Son. Help me love you, give me a new heart for I am poor and needy.

Loving Jesus, The Beautiful Life Of Suffering

 The doorway to encounter the joy of God is becoming increasingly presented as Him wanting our circumstances to be great or to give us lots of stuff and things. Christianity is largely becoming narcissistic in the primary expression of what it means to love God. Taking up our cross is mentioned in a conversation with a new believer but lost amidst the "veteran's" of the faith. We have traded the true joy of sharing in the sufferings of Christ for a cheapened version of grace that empowers us to pursue this world and not Jesus. The primary way we can measure true doctrines is by what it inspires love for. The prosperity message and all other forms of Jesus wanting our circumstances to be perfect and give us lots of stuff can never produce a life of suffering and sacrifice for His sake.

  Jesus' very first teaching takes place in the Sermon On The Mount where Jesus instructs His followers what it means to come after Him, what kingdom living looks like. And not that it is a ticket in, but a willing submission to take up this teaching day after day. The placement of the Sermon On The Mount at the very start of His ministry tells us He was just longing to come and tell us what loving Him looks like. The most beautiful thing to God is when people willingly suffer because they choose to live as He commanded. God fully intends this life of suffering to lead us into our life of glory. See we want to enter into glory through glory, and that is not how God designed it. Do we believe in a God that smashed his own Son to glorify Him?

  The primary way Jesus meant for us to suffer is in the manner we conduct ourselves. Suffering isn't a reality in that you only suffer if your flesh is imprisoned or chastised. The first and most important suffering occurs at the expense of our pride. "Blessed are the poor in spirit."Jesus starts off the doorway into kingdom living by saying"the ones who enter in with a poor, broken spirit are the ones who will encounter the blessed life" (When we see "blessed are" in scripture we can put it like this; the ones who will be internally successful, the joyful ones, those who are encountering God.) The suffering of our desire to be exalted and lifted above others positions our hearts to love God at deeper levels. This manner of willingly laying down our lives in love also releases the joy of God into our hearts. As Jesus' messianic purpose was to lay His life down in love for others, (Hebrews 12 says it was for the joy set before Him he endured the cross) we share in this when we seek not to glorify ourselves but to die every day for the sake of others, all for loves sake. And this manner of living is painful, it stings, mainly because it is only evident when it is not easy to do, when the person we have a hard time with offends us yet again, when serving others turns into abusive use, when we have invested into people that betray us, when our enemies pretend to be something they are not and slander us again and again. This is where we encounter the true suffering of responding with love and gentleness.

 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; 

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. 
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. -Isaiah 53:7

  The Man who suffered the greatest amount of injustice and had the most reason for offense did not lift a finger or utter a word against His oppressors. He willingly laid down His life that He could lift up even those who were wrongly assaulting Him. The true heart of love suffers for the sake of lifting others up. And Jesus' desire for our life is that we would suffer and through the destruction of our pride, desires, self ambition and all other manner of self-exaltation and we would lead people into the Suffering Servant. The outward demonstration of love is sacrifice.

  Carrying our cross has a broad stroke to it, it has become so vague that we don't have to address it. But the fundamental pursuit of Christ is carrying a cross of suffering. There is but one version of Christianity and it is what Jesus did when He walked the earth. Conformity is salvation, a constant renewal into His heart. 

Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

  Through a life of prayer we encounter the need to be transformed which in turn creates a humility as we recognize the inability to change the dark areas of our life. The entrance to living as Jesus commands is the dependency learned through prayer. God has really changed the way I view prayer in that I no longer focus my prayer on the physical but on the heart. "Change my heart O God." Far more important than what we do in this life is where we go with God on the inside.

Important keys

- Suffering is daily as we seek to exemplify love to everyone around us.
- Suffering is not dreadful, it is painful but it produces Christ in us which is joyful.
- It is more important that we encounter an inward suffering than an outward one.
- We must learn to see Jesus correctly as the Suffering Servant and know it was all for loves sake.
- Prayer is the fuel to live a life of love through suffering.

The Longing Heart, Pathway To Intimacy

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." 


  This morning I awoke and spent some time dialoging with the Lord while making breakfast for my kids. To spend time with Him first thing is so powerful as it impacts the entire day. Immediately I felt His presence and my heart came alive with love and desire for this Man. Longing for Him opens the heart to hear from Him, be transformed into Him and know Him at deeper levels.

  I find when I go through life with a longing and hunger to encounter Him I fall into sin far less often. Walking around with a burning heart enables me to respond with love when people offend me, speak ill of me, or any other manner of slander. With the very love of God boiling within me I think differently, interpret differently and am empowered to walk in obedience. Not that I do it in perfection, but with His heart burning in me I can achieve much more and reach far higher. Faithfulness isn't measured by the percent of success but the percent of desire. I would say I am incapable of even striving for His heart without Him in me, consuming my thoughts and lighting a fire in my soul. Ahh the glory of God in us.

  "For they will be filled" 

  The ravished heart that understands the greatest way to stand before Him in love is to walk in obedience gains ground at the heart level. The constant pursuit of righteousness fills us with a greater hunger. So hunger begets hunger. As we receive His love it satisfies yet ravages simultaneously. We are filled with love and left wanting love. It is so beautiful to know that I will be engaged in this state forever, billions of years from now I will still feel desire for wholehearted love and will still be encountering the intoxicating fountain of His pleasure overwhelming me. This is our blessed hope, an eternal consuming fire ravaging us again and again. The eternity of God's love is beyond my comprehension. We can never exhaust His love, day after day forever we will drink and be satisfied.

Take a moment and ask for the love of Jesus to press into your heart, it is so beautiful!