The Pain and Necessity of Consecration

Hey Everyone! Hope you had an amazing Christmas and are having a great New Year's Eve. As many of you know who have read any of my blogs or notes before...I like to share my heart regarding things God is doing in my life...but more importantly than me sharing and expressing my heart...I want my blogs to be a source of encouragement for you. I want to somehow through the words that I share...minister to your hearts...as God ministers to mine. So...tonight, I just want to be really transparent with you regarding the things God is doing in my heart...I want to take a glance back over 2010 and allow God to speak regarding that. There's a blog coming soon about what I feel the Lord has said about 2011, but first I feel as though I need to share this...I'd like to share with you a couple of the things God has placed on my heart the past few weeks. So...just bare with me as I do my best to allow the Holy Spirit to minister to all of us as I type tonight in whatever way He decides to do that...:)

There has been a song on my heart the past couple of weeks that I knew God wanted me to put in this note.  I wasn't really sure why I needed to include it until tonight...but I just felt God telling me that this was to be included in this blog. It's a song called "You are More" by a band called Tenth Avenue North that has been playing on Christian radio a lot recently. The words to the chorus of the song say..."You are more than the choices that you've made...You are more than the sum of your past mistakes...You are more than the problems you create...You've been remade..." Man...how awesome are these words!? This song is so encouraging, and it wasn't until tonight that I felt like I heard exactly why I needed to share it. It's actually ministered to me so much the past week, and I want to share honestly...the things on my heart regarding the song and maybe encourage you a little bit. 

I wrote a blog at the very beginning of this year about the year 2010...and how I believed that 2010 was going to be a year of victory...victory over sins...over past failures...over everything the enemy wanted to destroy us with. I also mentioned that it was the year of new beginnings...new friendships built by God...new hope...among many other things...And...I believe with all of my heart...2010 was the year of victory for me. I believe that there were moments that weren't victorious...but I think that God confirmed His word, and victory was experienced in many areas of my life. I hope that you were victorious in many areas as you went after God with all of your heart too. :) But...the reason why I'm writing tonight is just to encourage you about those areas that may have not been so victorious. I think the biggest thing the enemy wants to do sometimes is get us so focused on our mistakes and our failures. If he can get us focused on areas where we weren't "more than conquerors..." or areas where we didn't feel like an overcomer...he can slowly make us believe that we can't conqueror or overcome anything. He then makes us believe that we aren't conquerors at all. And...I've felt the enemy time and time again the past couple of months and especially the past few weeks try to bombard my heart with reminders of past failures...of mistakes...of disappointments. And...the words of that song are so true. If there's one thing the enemy doesn't want us to hear or get down deep into our hearts...it's the words to that song. Because the truth is...You are more than the sum of your past mistakes. You are more than the choices that you've made. You are more than the problems you create...No matter what happened in 2010...no matter how many stupid choices you made...no matter how many times you felt like a failure...no matter how many times everything around you looked like it was laying in ruins...You are not a failure. You have been remade...The bridge to the song says, "This is not about what you've done...but what's been done for you. This is not about where you've been...but where your brokenness leads you to....This is not about what you feel...but what He felt to forgive you...And what He felt to make you loved..." Man...I love that! I'll come back to that in a minute.

If you've been reading any of my blogs the past month...you know that God has been taking me through a journey...of trusting Him above everything else. I've been going through something that has been painful at times...and has been very confusing. If you'd like to know more about that...you can read a couple of my previous blogs...but that's not what tonight is about. The only reason why I mentioned the process is to give you a picture of what I was talking about above. Throughout this process of trusting God and looking over the past couple of months...looking at relationships that meant so much to me at one time that have ended...looking at my choices and things that I put in front of my relationship with God...This has been a time that God has really spoken to me powerfully about who He is through all of that. What I want to try to express to you tonight...(And...I'm not doing a very good job)...is that whatever areas that you failed in...there is hope. Don't let the enemy tell you that you are a failure. Don't let your present circumstances...or your situations dictate the amount of faith you have in the healing power of Jesus. One other thing that I feel led to share is that the enemy's favorite tactic is to play with your emotions...Don't let your emotions dictate the way you act or the way you respond to God. 

I think there's a dangerous line between brushing off the past and forgetting about it...and brushing off the past and letting it propel you into a journey of healing which will place you closer to God's heart. I understand that there are times that it's easier to just forget. It's easier to simply brush off failed relationships...bad decisions...repetitive sins...and other negative aspects of your life. Sometimes it's easier to just brush it off and pretend it didn't happen. And...I think that the enemy wants us to do that because there's no growth there...But the thing that God has been speaking to me recently is that there's "power in the process" of healing from those things. Please don't misunderstand me...It's not ok to continually dwell on past mistakes...to hold onto past failures and disappointments so much so that they keep you from getting closer to God...But...something that God has been speaking to me recently...and this may sound really intense and make you stop and think...but I felt like God told me the other day..."Sometimes Joe...you don't get the luxury of brushing all of that off of your shoulder and forgetting about it...There's a journey that's waiting for you in healing from past mistakes...and failures...And, it's not that you hold on to them...It's not that you don't give them to Me and let go...But...in order to become the consecrated vessel that I have called you to be...We're going to have to go on a journey where I teach to some things here. There's some things that you have to learn from this...And forgetting about it demeans the sacredness of it." And...maybe that sounds weird to you...Maybe it doesn't really fit into your grid of the "loving...compassionate...never-step-on-your-toes Jesus"...But...remember...God loves you so much that He's willing to tell you what you need to hear even when you don't want to hear it. We serve the God who's name is Love...but His love also compelled Him to walk into the temple and turn over tables when defilement, injustice, and idolatry were present. So...there is a definite line between brushing something off of your shoulders...never to think about it again...and brushing something off of your shoulders and giving it to God...then allowing Him to take you on a healing journey of consecration and total surrender to Him. 

I can tell you with the things that God has been doing with me recently...It's not an easy journey. Maybe you're looking over 2010 and thinking, "Man...if I choose to go on that journey with God...If I choose to open up my heart and allow God to see all of that negative...yucky...stuff...I'm afraid of what He may say." I just want to encourage you a little bit...If there's one thing that I've learned the past couple of months...It's that God desires honestly more than He does us trying to keep things from Him. Nothing is never really hidden from Him anyways...He sees your heart...He sees your intentions and your motives...and no amount of fakeness is going to cause Him to not see that. We can't really hide anything from Him in the first place...So...I want to encourage you tonight...Be honest with the Lord...Choose to go on that journey. Choose to move on from past sins, failures, or mistakes by going on a journey with Jesus. Allow Him to take your hand and teach you. Learn from the mistakes that you made...and let go. Allow the fire of God to burn up any insincere motives...any area of your mind, will, or emotions that needs to be refined...allow Him to begin the process of refinement. It may be painful at first...but He's gentle and He loves you so much! He loves us so much...So much that He's not ok with us simply forgetting about all of our failures and brushing them off...never to learn from them...There's no growth there. He loves you so much that He desires intimacy with you...He doesn't want those mistakes to keep happening...He doesn't want your emotions...anger...hurt...fear...sadness...to dictate how you live your life and keep you from drawing nearer to His heart.

I'll share with you for a couple minutes from my own journey of consecration...One thing that I've been working on recently and part of the many things God is teaching me through a recent situation is that we have to love with the kind of love that the song from above talks about. "This is not about what you've done...but what's been done for you. This is not about where you've been...but where your brokenness leads you to....This is not about what you feel...but what He felt to forgive you...And what He felt to make you loved..." We are called to love with the love of Christ. We are called to love with the same love that Christ had when He chose to die a ruthless death on a cross for us. That kind of love isn't based on circumstances...It's not based on emotions...It's not based on how others act...It's not based on anything but the heart of God. I just want to encourage you for a minute...The situation that I have been going through recently has taught me so much about myself. Through all of the emotions that I have experienced...I realize that letting go and handing all of those failures...all of those mistakes...all of those hurts and disappointments to God is the most healing thing in the world. It's through letting go and surrender that God can begin to teach us. God didn't give me the luxury of just forgetting about the close friendship that I lost. Honestly...I couldn't ever forget about the friendship...because it was so special to me...But He didn't give me the luxury of pretending that none of it was my fault and simply moving on. I told you I was going to be very honest with you guys in this...And...I want to do that simply because I think that by seeing a little of the process that God has been taking me through...you will be encouraged to go on your own journey of consecration. 

You know...sometimes...it's when everything falls apart...when you're standing alone...that you have the chance to look in the mirror. When everything falls apart and the ruins of something you cared about so deeply lay all around you...you have two choices..."Do I simply move on and brush off the past...forgetting about it?...OR..Do I allow the Holy Spirit to take me on a journey in which I learn from this pain...and have to look in the mirror at my own mistakes?" Ultimately...we are responsible for our own hearts before the Lord. Many times the enemy wants to keep our focus on what others do around us that is wrong...and there is a definite place for that...But...only you know your own heart, and only you are responsible for your own emotions and actions. Only you know the mistakes that you make...only you know the motives of your heart...and only you know the depth of your emotions. On this journey that God has been taking me through...I've had to learn to forgive even when I didn't feel like I wanted to...Because Christ forgave me even when I didn't deserve it. I've had to learn to love unconditionally...because that's the love in which Christ has for me. His love has been overwhelming in my heart. I've had to learn things about keeping my emotions in check even when there have been super painful nights. All of these things are things that I would have never learned if I didn't allow God to take me on a journey. Some of the things that God spoke to me were hard to hear...It's not always easy to be refined. But...throughout this whole process...I realized that there were many areas that I was wrong. There were many areas where I lost focus. There were many things that I could have done differently. And...the journey has been the most rewarding...because I have grown so much closer to Christ. 

So...In wrapping this up a little bit...I just want to encourage you...if there are areas in your life that are unrefined...situations that aren't right...trust God. There may be nights of your journey like mine...where you are so broken that you don't even know what to do. Maybe you feel so sorry for things that happened...Maybe you feel so disappointed that things didn't turn out how you wanted them to...Maybe your heart breaks for that friend in your life who's no longer there...or the one that you love so deeply who doesn't care about you or doesn't want to try...Maybe you wish that someone in your life cared about you as much as you care about them...Maybe your sad that things aren't the way you thought they were...Maybe you regret things that happened...Whatever you may be feeling...Give all of that to Jesus...Hand all of that pain to God. If there's things that you need to repent for...repent. If there's people that you need to heal things with...do your best to heal things. But...be honest during whatever steps you need to take. Keep loving with the love of Christ...even when it seems like it doesn't matter or no one cares. Keep praying for that situation in your life...Keep standing up for truth...  Dishonesty and fakeness hurts more than anything...This is a journey of honesty...Not only do you deserve to be honest with yourself...God deserves you to be honest with Him...and the people that may have been affected by your actions deserve that honesty as well. Remember...this is a journey that you commit to go on with God...and, you are responsible for your heart. You can't change what other people choose to do...whether or not they even care about you...whether or not they are honest with you or ask for your forgiveness...You can't control anything but your heart before the Lord. And please hear me...this isn't about condemnation at all. Where the Spirit of the Lord is...there is liberty. And...it's about freedom through the journey. There is so much freedom in handing God all of your pain, fear, or regret. This is an exciting journey...because through it all...you'll be closer to Christ! :) 

This process of consecration definitely has its pain...but it's the most rewarding thing in the world. It's a journey of drawing nearer to the heart of Christ in which the enemy is defeated. Handing God our emotions, our minds, our bodies, our decisions, our failures, and mistakes and choosing to go on a journey of consecration defeats the enemy in our lives...Because no longer does he have reign. Let's decide tonight together that the enemy isn't going to dictate the way we live our lives by taking advantage of unrefined flesh...or unrefined emotions. We are the righteousness of God...We are more than conquerors...We are overcomers! And every step of consecration...of giving yourself fully to Christ...are steps of victory! Let's end 2010 and go into 2011 with total victory!

I know this was long and intense...and I really hope it ministered to some of you. Feel free to comment...

Love you guys,

-Joe

A Word of Thanks...

So...I’m not actually writing a super long note tonight...like normal. I just wanted to express a few things on my heart. There is definitely more to come as I go through the process that God is taking me through right now. Anything that I think is worthy of sharing with you guys that will possibly help and that I can share...I will definitely share throughout the next couple of months. God is definitely walking with me through something right now...unlike anything that I've gone through before. And although the process is painful and a lot of things still have to be revealed by God...I know that this is something that God is taking me through so that I can be at the place that I need to be for Him. This is a season of refining for me and of letting the flame of God's love and Spirit burn away anything in my life that is getting in the way of my relationship with God...So...I think that's all I want to share tonight as far as what I'm going through...but...the reason why I wanted to write tonight was simply to express the cry of my heart to God tonight. 

I think it's so easy to be hurt or confused. It's so easy to be bitter...so easy to get angry. And..sometimes those emotions aren't necessarily something that we should avoid. Sometimes those emotions help in the healing. But...tonight...I don't want to talk about all of that. I don't want to express hurt or pain or confusion. I simply want to express thanks to God. This is the cry of my heart...

"Thank you Jesus for great friends who love You more than they love life and love others as much as they love themselves...Thank you Jesus that there are true men and women of God in my life. Thank you for placing them there for a specific purpose and time. Thank you for the opportunity to pour into their lives as they pour into mine. Thank you for sincerity and truth and wisdom. Thank you for new beginnings. Thank you for peace that passes all understanding...Thank you for healing that goes beyond anything that we could get from anything or anyone else but You...Thank you for restoration...Thank you for the promise of a future filled with You and greater things. Even in pain and confusion..You are God and I am so grateful for that. Thank you Father for forgiveness...for the ability that we have to forgive those who hurt us....And God...thank you for trials. Thank you for trials and situations that test our faith...that make us cling closer to You...that make us realize that You are God, and we are not, and only You are totally good. Thank you for ORU...for the opportunity to get an education at the most awesome university in the world. Thank you for men of God here that desire You more than anything else...who fight against injustice...and stand up for the hurting, broken, lonely, and weak. Thank you for women of God who stand up for purity and aren't ashamed to take the sword of the Spirit in their hands and fight the lies of the enemy. God, I am so thankful for You tonight. Thank you for taking away sin and replacing it with unmatched...incomprehensible freedom and purity. Lord...thank you for sweeping me away in Your love. I understand that this is a process and that anger, fear, hurt, pain, and confusion are emotions that...through your love and refinement and giving those feelings to you...will bring healing. But...tonight God...none of those emotions matter. I just want to say thank you in the middle of the storm. Thank you for being with me in the valley. Thank you for your unfailing love that penetrates deeper than any wound...any rejection...or any pain. You are God...and You are my Love. I trust in You God. You are my Portion. :)"

Ok...guys...so I know this was a little different and probably a little weird, but I just really felt led to express my heart. Sometimes you just have to let all of those negative emotions drive you to be grateful. Be grateful for the great things God has put in your life. You are not alone in pain...in hurt...in confusion. You and I have a God who loves us so much, and who never leaves us hurt and wounded. His love is consuming and renovating. Let Him love you...and take you through the process of drawing nearer to His heart. Just like the journey I talked about in my last note...Grab His hand...and get ready for the most intimate journey of your life. If you're going through a hard situation...thank God for the things He has given you...and grab His hand, being prepared to dig through some intense, sometimes painful emotions...But...His love is bigger than all of that...and the other side of the process is better than anything you could have imaginied. Let's just trust Him together...:)

Goodnight Guys,

-Joe

The Journey

Man...I'm not even sure where to begin tonight. The love of God is so strong upon my heart, and there are so many thoughts that I hope to express. How do you even express the love of God...the unchanging, uncompromising, never-ending, eternal, transforming...love of God? How can you describe the love that God has for His people. It's impossible to explain...impossible to comprehend...Even after feeling His love, it makes it even harder to express...So, I'm going to do my best tonight to share what God has placed on my heart.

A friend and I went to Rhema Church tonight, and I can't even begin to express how amazing it was. Just a short little set-up to the story...We didn't even know where we wanted to go. I just felt God lay a mission on my heart...Go to a place where I could meet with Him and He could work on my heart. My only goal was to go somewhere and worship God...rest in His presence...allow His truth to penetrate my heart. We ended up going to another church and before the service started felt that God wanted us to go somewhere else...So we just started driving...and went to Rhema. :) And...this is the story that follows...lol

Geez...I'm having a hard time expressing myself tonight. I feel the love of God so strongly. The only thing that I want to do is worship and spend time with the King of Kings...The service started with awesome worship...God was definitely present and His Spirit was moving mightily. The speaker started ministering, and it was like the Holy Spirit just fell all over the congregation. I was sitting there listening to him with cold chills shooting down my spine. He was ministering about the power of God and the ministry of Paul. He was talking about the miraculous and how God is just waiting for us to step out in faith and receive all that He has for us. He shared that through the power of preaching the Word of God, people should be set free, delivered, healed, and made completely whole. He said that signs and wonders and miracles should follow after the Word of God being preached. We shouldn't be chasing after signs and wonders...the signs and wonders should be following us as we minister...He began to preach on the joy of the Lord and how the Holy Spirit comes in and gives us true happiness. He began to call people up that the Lord led him to pray for and they were healed. He prayed for tumors, and lines and lines of people came up to the front to receive prayer. The Spirit showed up in a huge way and was ministering to people all around the room. It was absolutely amazing...You could hardly stand in the presence of God. People were laughing and so joyful in their worship to God, and I could literally feel shackles breaking off of my heart. It was so amazing...The presence of God was so strong.

And...I only said all of that to set the stage for all of the things that I hope to express tonight...As many of you know, this first semester of ORU has been extremely challenging for me in many ways. I've been struggling with a situation that has been hard and very confusing. Even up until today, I was angry, upset, and hurt. I'm not saying that all of that is completely gone, and that there is not anymore healing left to experience, but tonight definitely changed my whole outlook on everything. I just want to take a few minutes to encourage you tonight...No matter what you are going through...No matter how many times you are hurt...No matter how many times you feel alone...No matter how many times the enemy knocks you off of your feet...It is never too late for the love of God to come in and invade your heart.

As I've said many times, NOTHING else matters except our relationship with God. We have been placed on this earth to minister to the broken, the sick, the hurting, and above all, the lost. We have been called to set the captives free, to loose the bound, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked...One thing that I've been really thinking about lately is the kind of relationships that Christians in America, even here at a Christian university have with people and with God...and how we spend our time. We spend all of our time planning out our days...doing school work...hanging out with friends...watching TV...spending time on the internet...We do all of these things that we feel are so important to us, but what we don't understand is that...although those things are not necessarily bad, they sometimes get in the way of our relationship with God...I was just at a place tonight that I was so sick of all of those things...so sick of school...of relationship issues...of all of the pressures of life. My spirit was hungry for God...So many times, we spend 20 minutes with God, and go down to our rooms and spend 3 hours doing homework or hanging out with friends. God has just really been showing me how twisted this is. We're taught..."Just make sure you spend your quiet time with God, and everything will be ok...You need to spend ALL day working on studying for that test...You haven't hung out with your friends in two days, and you really need to spend time with them." As I said earlier, these things aren't bad at all...But...our sole purpose and destiny is to bring glory to God with how we live our lives. God has placed us on this earth for a very specific purpose. He has called us to great things, and He desires our communion with Him. How would it feel if your best friend decided, "No...I'm going to spend 5 minutes with you today cause I have other stuff to do, and you're not really that important." And...this happened day after day...? This person wouldn't be considered your best friend after months of doing that. And...if you think about it, God is the GREATEST best friend. He is our King. Our Creator. Our Shelter. Our Defense. Our Love. It must break His heart to have such a small place in our lives. I'm not just preaching to all of you guys. I am just as bad as anyone else about this, but I feel God speaking to me very powerfully tonight about this.

God wants ALL of us! There is a perfect plan that God has for each and every one of us that is so great that it can't even be comprehended. Tonight as the speaker was speaking, I could just feel the power of the Word flowing out of Him...He had filled himself with the Word of God and was full of the Holy Spirit. I couldn't help but think God, "How do I walk in that anointing God? How do I walk in that kind of authority and power in Your name?" And...I heard the voice of the Lord so clearly say..."You go on a journey with Me. Come with me and meet with me. Place Me above everything else in your life. Take a journey with Me into my Word. Walk in My presence...Spend more time with Me than you do anyone or anything else in your life. Become a student of My love...Hear My voice...and obey...no matter what the cost." I've been hearing God say that for many months now as I've reflected on my time here at ORU so far. So many times we let circumstances and situations...our quest for acceptance and popularity...and our love for worldly things get in the way of our relationship with God. God wants us to walk in the miraculous. He wants us to minister out of the fullness of His Spirit inside of us...Everything that God is...Healing...Deliverance...Salvation...Forgiveness...Love...all of that is inside of us. We have been given every spiritual tool to come against anything that the enemy throws our way. And...we are called to minister out of the well of the anointing of God inside of us.

None of that junk of the world matters. All of it is going to pass away. Everything that is so important and so consuming to us now will mean nothing in eternity. I've been thinking about that so much lately. All of our arguments...our pretentious goals...our quest for "rightness" means nothing. The only thing that matters is our love for people...how we treat them in times when they need us most and above all....God and how we allowed Him to use us to bring great and lasting change to the world.

There is an awesome journey that God wants to take all of us on. It's a journey of falling in love with the King of Kings...Falling in love with him more than the world...more than your friends...more than your education...more than your popularity or your desire to obtain a high status. This journey is a journey of intimacy...It's a journey of commitment no matter what the cost. And...God has been reminding me that it does come at a high cost. It does take sacrifices to obtain...because sometimes when you stop spending those 4 hours a night with your friends...you might lose some of them. Sometimes when you stop going to the coolest places and hanging out with the coolest people, you stop being considered cool and popular. Sometimes when you decide that God is more important to you than anything else and that He deserves ALL of you...Situations change in your life. And...that's ok. Jesus never promised that the road would be easy. He actually said that the road would be narrow and that few would find it...But...I can promise that if you make a commitment to go on the journey with Him of digging in to His Word...falling on your knees before Him in worship...letting Him speak life and identity into you...letting Him affirm you...and forsaking every worldly pleasure that keeps you from Him, you'll find that narrow road, and God will use you mightily for His kingdom. But...there is an exchange. Our life for His. When we become a Christian, we no longer get the rights to the driver's seat of our life. We no longer get to have the popularity that we once had...the time to do whatever worldly thing we want to do...He has to become first. And this is something that I'm learning more and more everyday.

In America today the church has almost been more harmful than helpful. "You can be a Christian and come to church twice a month...You can be a Christian and spend hours and hours with your friends hanging out and doing other pointless things...You can be a Christian and long for acceptance and affirmation from those around you and the world...Just make sure that you spend 10 minutes with God a day. At least read a daily scripture." And...all of these things aren't necessarily wrong. You can be a Christian and do all of those things...But is that really the life that Jesus modeled? Is that really the kind of exchange that the King of Kings, who was beaten beyond recognition, and crucified for you and I deserves? I mean...I know that all of that is not talked about today. The church doesn't want to speak like that because it might turn people away...But...Honestly, God deserves all of us. He deserves way more than we could ever give Him. And...He's waiting for us to turn away from all of the junk of the world and other weights that are holding us back and run after Him.

God wants more than anything to minister through our brokenness. He wants to set the captives free, to restore sight to the blind, to bring deliverance to the oppressed, and to bring the good news of salvation through us. And...just like the service tonight...God will show up and minister to people in a very powerful way when we seek Him first...when we fill our well with nothing but Him. He is worthy and deserving of way more than the mindless worship and "fast food" mentality that we give Him. He's not just a quick fix. He's everything that we can't be...He's Almighty...He's El Shaddai, He's Addonai...He's Healing...He's complete Deliverance and Wholeness. He's Joy. He's Rest. He's Peace. He's a true Best Friend who will never leave or forsake you. And...He's waiting to reach out and grab your hand and take you on the most fulfilling, consuming, intimate, and crazy journey of your life...not only for you but for the many that your life will touch. Will you go with Him?

I'll leave you with this passage of scripture from Amos...in the Message Bible...(Amos 5:21-24)
"I can't stand your religious meetings. I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me?"

Feel free to comment...

Goodnight Guys,
-Joe

Best Friends...

So...this post is going to be a little different than my previous ones, but I really believe that this is going to bless you. There's nothing like sitting in an empty field...away from every noise...every distraction...and just getting away with Jesus. Nothing like feeling the wind blow and seeing the moon rise high into the sky...At least there's nothing like it for me. Tonight I just had some time to get away and really reflect on my life the past couple of months. I had some time to commune with God and allow Him to download more of Himself into my heart. I spent time worshipping and praising God...and I began to feel Him speak very powerfully regarding some things that I have been questioning and dealing with lately. I believe that God has some powerful words that He wants to share with us tonight, and I'm just going to be open to His voice and allow Him to speak through me. I have a feeling that this is going to be kind of long...but I really hope that you read it to the end because I think that you are going to be blessed. And...to be honest, I said that this blog is going to be different because I have no agenda. I'm just going to let God take me wherever He takes me and allow Him to minister to us through His word. :) 

Tonight I feel as though the Lord wants me to talk about friendship. Specifically, the mark of a best friend and the power that they can have over your life. I'll probably also sway a little from the topic of best friends and share a little about what God spoke to me concerning the heart of Caleb...When I was praying tonight I felt God leading me to the stories of Joshua and Caleb as well as David and Jonathan. I'm sure many of you have read the stories about these amazing friends before...but as I was reading the stories tonight, I just began to feel God speak very powerfully to me concerning these relationships. This definitely comes at a much needed time for me as far as friendships in my own life. 

First I'd like to go to 1 Samuel 18. The friendship between Jonathan and David was something extraordinary, and I believe that there is a lot to be learned from the dynamics of their friendship. Chapter 18 starts off by saying, "Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." Other translations say, "Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself." The message bible says, "By the time David had finished reporting to Saul, Jonathan was deeply impressed with David—an immediate bond was forged between them. He became totally committed to David. From that point on he would be David's number-one advocate and friend." This is a powerful statement and really shows the depth of their friendship. Verse 3-4 says, "Then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt." Man...this is an awesome expression of what it means to be a true friend to someone. I like the illustration of Jonathan and David's soul being "knit" together. When I read these words, I can see a friendship being knit together by God's hand. I see God joining these two friends together to be consistent, strong men in each other's lives. Jonathan loved David as himself. He was "totally committed" to David. This is a statement that probably can't be understood unless you've had or have a person you would consider your best friend. When you become best friends with someone, you care about that person as much as you do yourself. You care about their lives...their struggles...their pain...their joy...their great moments...Jonathan cared about David so much that he considered them to be "one in spirit." We've all heard the term "two peas in a pod," and I think this is an illustration of David and Jonathan. 

The world today wants to tell us..."It's weird to express love and commitment to a friend. It's weird to see a friendship like that. Don't worry about that other person. Worry about yourself. You need to take care of yourself...etc." Our society today has become so self oriented that friendships like the one we see in this biblical account are extremely rare. The world teaches us to have our own agendas...to worry about ourselves constantly. How many times have we heard the phrase, "You better worry about yourself, cause if you don't, no one else is going to." Phrases like these have been engrained in who we are, making in difficult to have friendships like we see with David and Jonathan. 

Another awesome thing to see in this friendship is their commitment to one another, no matter what the cost...You guys should definitely take time to read this story entirely, but in chapter 21, verse 17, Jonathan says to David, "...Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you..." The part that I want to focus on is Jonathan's words..."I will be next to you." Jonathan was totally selfless in his friendship with David. Jonathan knew that David was going to be king and "strengthened his hand in God (verse 16)." He humbly came before his friend and encouraged him...I can hear the conversation now..."David, don't worry about my dad. He's not going to find you. You have nothing to be afraid of. You're going to be king one day! I know it! And...I am going to be with you every step of the way. I'm your friend...We're going to do this together with God! Our God is able!" Man...what an awesome illustration of the love of a friend for his best friend. 

The last thing that I want to mention about Jonathan and David's friendship is the strength of it. The friendship begins in chapter 18 and ends in chapter 31, when Jonathan tragically dies on the battlefield. This is a period of roughly ten years. Jonathan and David's friendship was long lasting and endured many hard times. Many times, our friendships go through ups and downs...and sometimes end because of them. This isn't God's desire based on Jonathan and David's example. God intended for friendships to last forever...even until death. Jonathan and David were committed to one another up until the very end. :)

Reading this story of these two awesome friends really spoke to me about God's desire for us to have friendships that are enduring, long-lasting, and loving. God wants everyone of us to have that person who is going to be there for us no matter what. He wants us to have that person that we can trust and who will stand by us through the good times and bad. Think about your own life...Do you have a friend like Jonathan in this story...? A friend willing to stand beside you no matter what. A friend willing to sacrifice...A friend who works at maintaining a relationship...A friend who brings out the best in you...A friend who sees the eternal value in your friendship...? All of these are great questions to ask yourself.

This has definitely been something on my mind lately. The truth is...God desires for us to have these type of friends. We need people in our lives that are going to encourage us in our walk with the Lord. We need that friend that is going to stand by us when no one else will. And...if you don't yet have that friend...I just want to encourage you tonight. It will happen. If it's the desire of your heart to have that kind of a friend...God will bring them to you. It may not be in your timing, but it will be in His, which is perfect. In the story of Caleb and Joshua, God used these two friends to encourage the children of Israel to enter the promised land. God mentions the amazing heart of Caleb when he says in verse 24, "But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall enter it." Caleb had a "different spirit" within him. Caleb had a "I'm not going to give up...my God is able...I place my trust in God..." spirit within him. 

So many times we're concerned with what's popular. How many friends can I have? How cool can I be? Many times we have hundreds of friends...but are never close to any one or two. We make tons of friends, but make no commitment to them. We have to come to grips with the fact that we are called to be unlike the world. We are called to have that "different spirit" within us...and never give up on the promises of God. And...I know that it seems like I'm straying from my friendship topic...but it all goes together. Never give up on that friend. Never turn your back on someone just because it gets tough. Never run away from what God has promised you. Find a couple friends whom you can pour into and whom will pour into you. Commit to the friendship...If you read the story, you will see that Caleb had spent 40 years wondering in the wilderness simply because of the unfaithfulness of the children of Israel. Caleb never gave up on the promises of God. He was a man after God's heart who simply kept pressing on. He was that friend that said, "Come on guys! We can do it! We are able to take this land. Our God is with us...Come on!" And...you can be that friend too. You can have that same attitude!

In wrapping all of this up...I just want to encourage you tonight. The desires that you have in your heart for that best friend...who is going to stand by you...who is going to be your Jonathan...those desires are not wrong. They have been implanted in your heart for a reason. God created us to desire relationships. But...he gave us this desire with great responsibility. Friendships are not a game...they are not a fun past time...they are not a tool. A friendship like the friendship between Jonathan and David and Joshua and Caleb is a lifelong commitment. It is a covenant between two people to stand by one another through the thick and the thin. It is a covenant to "strengthen one another in God." One thing to keep in mind is...A best friend will never give up when times get tough. A best friend will never intentionally treat you with disrespect. They will not consciously hurt you. They will be consistent...When friendships end...because of whatever...hearts get hurt. And...I know from personal experience that...the pain is extreme. When covenants are broken, people get hurt. And...that hurt can never be repaired in a few days. The type of hurt that comes from losing a best friend takes months of healing from God. So...as much as I want to encourage you to be the "Jonathan" kind of friend...Do it with great responsibility. God doesn't take that kind of commitment lightly, and when He orchestrates a friendship, it is your job to trust Him as you build and maintain it. When God starts a friendship...you are going to become "one in spirit." It is so exciting to be that person in someone's life. And...it's something that is worth every moment poured into it. God will give you that friend...you can count on it. Run after God with all of your heart. Let Him be your Friend first and foremost, and get ready for the most amazing friendship of your life. :)

Goodnight guys...Hope you enjoyed...

-Joe

Our God is...WOW! :)

So...tonight is one of those nights that I can't contain my love for God. :) It's one of those nights where the truth of God's feelings for you and His intense love overwhelms your heart and mind, and the only thing that is left is Jesus...No feelings of insecurity...of fear...of sadness or pain...No pride...no resentment...NOTHING else stands in His presence. And I really felt led once again to share my heart in the hopes of ministering to some of you who have been going through some of the same things that I have been going through.

I just want to encourage you tonight. Our God is faithful. Our God is sovereign. Our God is GOOD! I know you have been hearing this from me a lot lately, and to be honest with you, that's actually not what I intend to talk about most of the time, but I can't help but mention His goodness. I was upstairs worshipping just a minute ago, and I couldn't contain the love of God that I felt being poured upon me. I heard so clearly some things that I would like to share with you guys tonight. There is a danger when you are this excited about something that when you type it out and try to express it, that it may not portray what you want it to portray. Many times, I struggle with trying to express my heart in a way that makes sense and ministers to the people reading what I write. I want to adequately express the greatness of God and how much He loves us...I want to share with you God's heart for your life, and I pray that I'll be able to share in such a way that makes you marvel at the goodness and sovereignty of God. :)

As many of you know from reading my blog, I have been going through a lot of things recently that have really made me grow. There have been definite hard days...days of confusion...days of fear...days of anger...days of sadness and days where I just felt so tired that I didn't even know how to feel. It wasn't even all just one situation...but instead a compilation of shifts...Shifts in mindsets, focus, purpose, identity, friendships...among many other things. My mind and spirit has been overwhelmed with the voice of God and His truth. One thing that I have learned over the past week is that the Holy Spirit is the best Comforter and Lover that we could ever have. His voice is gentle but bold...comforting but truthful...loving but direct.

In worship tonight, I just felt the love of God fill my heart and my mind. I felt His truth permeate every area of my existence. I felt Him begin to speak to my heart regarding His love and His faithfulness...You know...so many times we focus on things that are so small. We focus on things in our life as though they are set in stone...as though they could never change...and if they did change our world would fall apart. In the things that I have been going through recently, it has been so easy to focus on every little thing. And...I'm not saying that it's not important or wrong to focus on situations...at all. But...when those things come before our focus on God...on the One from whom everything in our life is poured out...there's a problem.

We can either whine and complain about every situation in our life that we don't understand. We can plead with God, "God, please change this...Please work this out...Please help!!" And...I'm not at all saying that God doesn't care about our hearts...about the times of pain and hurt. In fact, He cares more than I ever knew. But like I said in my last blog, we have to allow that pain, fear, hurt, anger...all of those emotions to push us deeper into the arms of the Lord. We have to allow our hurt to magnify God's love for us. We have to allow our pain to illuminate the comfort that only God can give. We have to allow our broken heart to bring out the fullness of God's heart for us. It's those times when everything is falling apart that we are forced to look at God. We are forced to move our eyes from our present situation...which may be terrible...to Jesus. And...once you realize that He is so much bigger than anything you are going through...that He is so much bigger than any possession...any friendship...any situation...any fear...any doubt...any pain...Once you realize that His love for you never changes...It changes everything inside of you.

Our God is worthy of all praise. Tonight as I was worshipping, I felt God say, "Joe, My name is above every name. My name is above every feeling that is connected with what you are going through. My name is above every confusion, every pain, every disappointment. My name is above the past...My name is above the future...My name is above EVERY NAME named in heaven and in earth...NOW AND WHAT IS TO COME. My name is above it!" And...I don't know why, but I cannot stop repeating that in my head tonight. And it makes me so excited!! Because...it doesn't matter what the circumstances look like. It doesn't matter if everything in your life came crumbling down...It doesn't matter if people hurt you...If everything that you thought you knew was false...If you are confused about the future...It doesn't matter! Our God is greater! Our God is stronger! His name is higher than any other...His name is life...His name is peace...His name is joy. His name is JESUS! And He LOVES you so much! :)

The point that I wanted to get to...and the reason why I wanted to blog was because I felt God speak to me tonight and say..."Joe, you have to trust Me. Trust in my purpose for your life. Trust that no matter what is going on around you, that I will make all things work together for your good. I am sovereign and will pull you closer to me no matter how unfair the circumstance. I am able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you could even ask or think. Stop looking to the right and to the left. Stop putting your trust in your present and future and put your trust in Me, who is the One who scripted Your future before the foundation of the world. Trust me..."

I hope that this is ministering to some of you right now who maybe have lost sight of the plan of God for your life. Maybe you've been so blindsided by what is going on around you that it is hard to even see God amidst the storm. Believe me...I've been there. But...I'm not going to stay there, because our God is so much greater than that! Our God loves us so much! He has a plan for you...and that plan is for you to worship Him. Spend time with the Lord getting to know His heart through worship. Get down on your knees in private and let Him speak life and truth into your life. Open up your heart to Him and let Him clear away any distraction of the enemy. The enemy's plan is to take you down by getting you to take your eyes off of God. He wants you to so focus on what is going on around you that you can't even see God or hear His voice speaking to you. Don't let the enemy keep you in a place of bondage. Make a decision to praise God in the storm...When you don't understand, praise Him. When you're hurting, praise Him...When you're angry, worship Him. He is worthy to be praised, and He has a great plan for your life...but He deserves your worship. He delights in the hearts of those who love Him. And...something that God has been really speaking to me is...You don't have to be fake with him. Be honest with the Lord. If you're angry...don't hide it. Give it to Him. If you're hurt ask Him to show you His goodness...He will, and suddenly the hurt is overpowered by His love. :)

We have to get to a point that if everything else in our life fell apart, and only God remained that we would praise Him. With my situation...it's not totally figured out. I don't have total understanding. There is still healing that needs to happen, but I have peace in knowing that my God is bigger than this. My God is bigger than anything the enemy can throw my way. And...even if I lose everything and only have Him...He would be more than enough for me. :) So...in wrapping this up...Chase after God. Run after His heart. Let Him walk with you through trials...because more than likely, He's going to teach you so much through them. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit...and above all...Keep trusting God. Say: "God you are sovereign...You are worthy! God, You are good! No matter what I am going through...I'm going to keep my eyes on You. I'm running after You...Your name is above every name. You have won the victory. Death could not hold You down, and therefore I'm not going to be held down by anything!"

Alright...well, I hope I ministered to some of you guys...I'm praying for you as I'm going through this situation and the many changes that are happening in my life right now. We can get through these things together with God working and living inside of us! There is no lack of supply...His power is greater than everything! :) Until next time...:)

Love you guys,

-Joe

"I lay it all down for You Lord. I lay it all down for You Lord. I lay it at Your feet Jesus. Everything we are...every hope...every dream. Every prayer...every cry of our heart...We lay it all down at Your feet."

Running After Him ALONE! :)

So...tonight, once again I'm in a blogging mood. I just got back from the prayer movement at the prayer tower...and it was amazing. It was...wow...God was moving. I've had a lot of things on my heart the past few days, so this blog may be a compilation of the crazy things God has been speaking to me...But I hope that you enjoy it and are pushed closer to the heart of God.

This week has been a tough week. I've had a lot of things on my heart and have been realizing some very important Kingdom truths. I've been reflecting on my time here at ORU up to this point, and to be honest with you, I'm disappointed. And I know that probably sounds weird coming from me...if you know anything about how much I love ORU...But...it's not so much ORU that has disappointed me. It's myself...These past few weeks have been some of the toughest I've ever had to go through. I've had a chance this week to experience reckless abandonment to Jesus.

If you've never been at that place before, it's an interesting and extremely humbling place to be. It's a place that is uncomfortable...and it's very revealing. As I look back over the past four months, I can see things that I didn't see at the time. I can see myself being pulled and stretched. I can see very genuine moments, but I can also see very inauthentic ones....But...all of this is not the point of me choosing to blog tonight. I wanted to blog tonight to somehow try and express how sovereign and how good our God is. It's at that place of reckless abandonment to Jesus that His voice begins to invade the darkest areas of your heart.

Tonight at prayer movement, we were singing a song, and we sang these words: "Hallelujah...You have won the victory...Hallelujah...You have won it all for me. Death could not hold You down...You are the risen King...seated in majesty...You are the risen King!" For some reason these words penetrated my heart and have continued to minister to me since I heard them. As I heard those words, I wondered if we even knew what we were saying. I felt God's gentle whisper on my heart revealing His truth to me. So many times we go through tough circumstances and painful situations only to be left broken and hurting. So many times, the enemy attacks, and leaves us broken and bleeding before we even realize that we've been attacked. But...it doesn't change the fact that God is still God. It doesn't change the fact that God loves us more than anything. It doesn't change the fact that God has won the victory. No matter what we go through...No matter how many times we get hurt...No matter how unfair life gets...God has won the victory! And...He not only won the victory...BUT He won it ALL FOR US!

As I look back over my past four months, I can see the distractions of the enemy...the ridiculous lies...the fruitless pursuits...the insincerity...And...that is why I am disappointed. Because God is so much bigger than all of that! God is so much bigger than anything that we think is big. He is so much bigger than brokenness...than pain...than fear...than disappointment. Our God is greater than all of that! And...the major thing that He has been speaking to me the past few days is that it's all about Him. I can feel Him even now saying, "Joe, It's all about me. Every breath...every moment...It's all about me. I have called you to run after me with your whole heart. I have called you to lay aside every weight and every distraction because I care about you. I love you so much, and I want to have such a close relationship with you that nothing else can get in the way. I am so jealous for your heart..."

You see...God isn't concerned with the amount of friends we have...our popularity or status...our worldly pursuits...He's not. That's tough to hear sometimes and it's totally contrary to what the world wants us to think. The truth is...if we're not getting closer to His heart...If we're not experiencing daily, passionate communion with Jesus, everything else will fall apart. If we think that we can do anything that we want and then put on a nice face and pretend that our relationship with God is our very top priority, we are going to be awakened by the truth and sovereignty of God very fast. One thing that God spoke to me the other day was, "Joe, if I'm not in it (whatever "it" represents to you) get out of it. I want you to be where I am. I want you to chase after my heart so much that every distraction along the way is knocked down in your pursuit of Me...Don't think that I can't remove things from your life to get your relationship with me where it needs to be..." God doesn't allow us to play games with our relationship with Him or with the people that He has placed into our lives. He doesn't allow us to keep one foot in the world and one foot in His Kingdom. Sometimes it hurts when things are ripped out of your life that you once held on to...But...if those things are keeping you from getting closer to God whether it's your fault or not, you don't want them there anyways...God is looking for a church who is willing to stand bold for Him. He's looking for righteous men and women, who aren't concerned with every facet of the world...but look only to Him...who place their trust in Him and His word.

And...I have to tell you that looking back over the past four months, I've missed it. Even with the situation that has been happening with me lately...I have been so wrapped up in the situation and the pain that I let the enemy take me to a place that I was never supposed to be. God is God! He is bigger than everything that we go through. We are on this earth for Him and Him alone. I feel this really deeply tonight...and I hope some of you are getting this with me. We serve a matchless God...a God who reigns over every nation on this planet. He reigns over our lives and ultimately over the whole planet. He reigns over every emotion and every desire...He deserves our pursuit and worship. And...seriously, everything else is just extra. Every friendship...every relationship...every possession...every idea...everything else...is subject to His authority and His reign in our lives. And...there's nothing wrong with those things, but when they come before our relationship with Him, they have to be removed...There is nothing that is hidden from His gaze. We can never fool God...He sees every heart and every motive...and it breaks His heart when we constantly long for other things besides Him.

So...in just wrapping this up...God has greater things planned for you than you could even begin to imagine. He has a future and a purpose for you so great that if He told you in one setting, you wouldn't be able to contain yourself. The exciting part of all of this is that....It is possible to run after God is all of your heart. It IS possible to lay aside every weight and sin that is holding you back. You have been placed on this planet...exactly where you are right now to advance the Kingdom of God...to bring glory and honor to His name. And...that is so exciting! :) Because, it doesn't mean that trials will never come or that pain will never affect you. It simply means that the essential part of your being...your whole heart...is running after God and His heart. When pain happens...allow it to push you deeper into the arms of God. When people hurt you...allow that hurt to push you closer to God's heart for you...When the enemy attacks you and leaves you hurt and broken...remind him that God has already won the victory over him and that Jesus is the Ruler of your life...:) God is able...and He is faithful! :)

I know this was intense...but I hope you can see my heart...:) It's definitely something I'm walking through with God.

Love you guys,
-Joe