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