Is That Really You God?

I've always said a prayer God loves to answer is "Lord, are you there? Can you make yourself real to me?"

And the Lord doesn't always answer this prayer in the way we expect.
But He does answer it according to what He says in the Bible.
He'll never contradict His Word.

That's awesome, if you think about it!
Take for instance these two verses:

Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV) 13 "You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart.."

Isaiah 30:21 (NIV) 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

It took me a long time to realize God really wants to guide us as Christ followers.
And it's not like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Yes, His timing may not be our timing.
But if you really want to know His will, and you're committed to doing it, that pleases Him.

Here's what Jesus said:

John 7:17 (ESV) 17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God ..."

But we need to keep in mind the Bible is the benchmark.
Beware of the trap of hearing someone say something and buying into the message right off the bat.
Listen to the Apostle John:

1 John 4:1 (ESV) 1 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world."

Here's that principle in action in the early church:

Acts 17:10-11 (ESV) 10 "The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so."

We don't have to be Bible scholars to find out what God has to say.
But we do have to make the effort to pick it up and crack the spine.

And yes.... some say the Bible is just an old, out-of-date book.
How relevant can it be to me today...in the 21st century?

Here's a good case in point:
We're all going to die.
The Bible tells us how to get to heaven:

John 14:6 (ESV) 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 3:16 (ESV) 16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

I would have to say that's ETERNALLY RELEVANT wouldn't you?
But we worship a God of the details too.
And the God who sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins and rise from the grave wants to show up in all kinds of ways.
Have you talked with Him about it lately?
Have you blown the dust off of your Bible?
If you haven't already guessed...... I'm speaking to myself today.

The Blessing of Challenges

Are you coping with a challenge of some type today?
Nothing is ever wasted in the life of a follower of Christ.

This morning I was reading a little Thomas Brooks.
He was a powerful preacher in England in the 1600's.
Here's what he wrote:

"Through challenging times Christians gain more experience of the power of God supporting them, of the wisdom of God directing them, of the grace of God refreshing and cheering them, and of the goodness of God quieting them."

See you on the radio,
Kurt

Rick Warren's Inaugural Prayer

Bravo!
With so much controversy surrounding Rick Warren giving the inaugural prayer this morning, I was watching.. and yes.. praying that he would use the name of Jesus.

Would he be politically correct or would he lift up the one who said:

John 14:6 (ESV) 6 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Well... let's just say he was faithful!

Check it out for yourself:

How Rich Are You?

Talk about conviction.
I finally had some time to check out the website http://www.globalrichlist.com/.
It's a website where you type in your income and it'll show you how rich you are compared to the rest of the world.

For instance, the minimum wage earner in the U.S. ranks in the 11 percentile of the richest people in the world.
How blessed we are, even in tough times.

Of course this may be little consolation to you because you've lost your job.
Or maybe your salary or hours were cut.
You're dealing with major financial issues.
As a Christ follower you are still rich.
You have a Savior.
He died for our sins and rose again.
We worship a living Jesus!
And if we have Him, we have eternal life in heaven and unlimited resources here and now:

John 3:35 (NIV) "The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands."

We're rich no matter what circumstances we're in today.
What do you need?
Really need?

Have you asked God for it?
James 4:2 (NASB) "...... You do not have because you do not ask."

Maybe you have asked but things are getting worse.
Take heart.
When God comes through for you, it'll be a life defining moment.
The greater the need the greater the blessing when God shows up.
Not if... but when!

We have a choice.
Turn to the Lord or turn away from Him.
Which will it be for you today?

May our answer be the same as Joshua's:
Joshua 24:15 (AMP) "......as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Amen.

I Have My Doubts

Yesterday on the show it was so awesome to hear about how some followers of

Christ deal with doubt.

When I opened up the phones, there were so many practical tips.

But the common denominator was this:

Trust in God's character.

He who sent His own son to died for your sins on the cross... won't let you down.

He'll test you for sure.

That's because He values faith so much.

Bible teacher and author Ray Pritchard always has some great things to say.

Be sure to check out his blog: http://www.keepbelieving.com/

He recently wrote about dealing with doubt:

Seven Ways to Deal With Doubt

Most Christians struggle with doubt at one time or another. Doubt is not sinful but it can be dangerous. It can also be a spur to enormous spiritual growth. It’s what you do with your doubt that matters. Here are seven simple suggestions about how to handle your doubt.

1. Admit your doubts and ask for help.

Tell the Lord about your struggles. God is not fragile. He can handle all your questions. And find some wise Christian friends who won’t put you down when you express your doubts.

2. “Borrow” faith by hanging around those whose faith is strong.

I really mean by this, stay attached to the larger body of Christ. Keep going to worship–even if it doesn’t seem to help you at the moment. Remember that you’re not the first Christian to go through the “dark night of the soul.” If you pull back from other believers, your doubts will only grow stronger.

3. Act on Your Faith, Not Your Doubts.
We know that many great men and women of the Bible struggled with doubt. Sometimes believing can be very difficult indeed. Don’t let your doubts shut down your faith altogether. Noah had never seen rain, but he built the ark anyway. Abraham had no idea where he was going, but he left Ur of the Chaldees anyway. The heroes of the Bible were flesh and blood people just like you and me. They chose to believe even when they had no idea how things were going to turn out.

4. Doubt your doubts, not your faith.
We will all spend some time slogging through the Valley of Doubt. When you are in that valley, remember these two words: Keep going! If you are in the Valley of Doubt, don’t stop and build a condo there. The only way out is to keep on walking. Every step forward is a way to “doubt your doubts.” Soon enough the light will shine again.

5. Sing!
Since music is the language of the heart, when we sing, we are dealing with our doubts on more than just an intellectual level. Put in a Christian CD or play a good song on your iPod or pick up a hymnal and start singing. I don’t mean just listen. I mean, Sing along. Sing out loud. Jehoshaphat put the male choir at the head of the army of Judah. While they sang, God gave a victory over the vastly-larger Ammonite army (2 Chronicles 20). Singing godly music builds your faith by tattooing the truth on your soul.

6. Let go of what you cannot know with certainty.
All of us have questions that we simply can’t answer. Often those questions revolve around the whys of life. Why did this happen? Why did it happen to me? Or to my children? Or to my wife? Or to my husband? Why did it happen now and not ten years from now? To all those questions of the heart, the answers will not come until we get to heaven. It is faith-building to say, “I understand that I won’t understand right now.”

7. Keep going back to what you know to be true.
This, for me, is the most important point. After considering the sufferings of this life, and the perils and tribulations of following Christ, Paul concludes Romans 8 triumphantly by declaring, “For I am persuaded.” And he declares that nothing in all the universe can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. In 2 Timothy 1:12 he says, “I know whom I have believed.” Some things you think.Some things you hope.Some things you know.In times of trouble, keep going back to what you know to be true. This means consciously reminding yourself that God is sovereign, that Jesus is Lord, that God is good, and that there is a higher purpose at work even when I can’t see it.

Doubt is not a sin. It’s what you do with your doubt that makes all the difference. Don’t let your doubts keep you from Jesus. Come to him just as you are—and bring your doubts with you. He will not turn you away.
Check out If I Believe, Why Do I Doubt? for more help.
© Keep Believing Ministries

Good stuff...no doubt.

See ya on the radio,

Kurt

Got Courage?

What is the definition of courage?
"Bold as a lion"?
Depends which lion you're talking about:


Hey.. the Cowardly Lion knew his stuff... he wasn't simply acting tough!

Here's the official definition:
cour·age
n. The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger or fear with confidence, and resolution; bravery.

For the follower of Christ, courage is key.
But don't sweat it.
God has given us plenty of information about Himself and His ways in the Bible to help us take courage no matter what we face in life.
He loves it when we trust Him despite the odds, or even despite what other people may say.

As the Israelites prepared to go into the Promised Land, they needed a leader now that Moses was gone.
God chose Joshua.
He was a brave guy.
Don't forget he was one of the 12 spies who checked out the land 40 years earlier and said.. "We can take this land despite the strong people in it. And it's because God is with us!"

Only Caleb agreed.
The rest said "No way."
That cost them a 40 year not-so-scenic detour in the wilderness, by the way.

But isn't it interesting that God still had to encourage Joshua before the big move?

Joshua 1:6-9 (NIV) 6 "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

If Joshua needed a lift, I know I do!!!
What about you?
The God who was with Joshua is with you.. right now.
He hasn't changed.

If you're running low on courage ask Him for a big dose of it.
It shows the Lord that you're depending on His power and not your own.
That's right where he wants you.

Retro Tuesday

Nostalgia.
It's great.
But it also exposes your age.
As if folks don't know anyway!

This morning I had such a great time listening to some old opens for shows I used to watch when I was a kid.

Click below to see if you remember any of these.
And oh yeah.... if you're saying... 'These are too old......." watch 'em anyway.
You'll laugh.
"Did kids really think these cheesy shows were cool?"
The answer is yes.
Now you know why so many of us are the way we are.

Land Of The Lost:



HR Pufnstuff:



The Banana Splits (Quality is a bit lacking)



The Monkees:



And don't forget the commercials!
Here's a McDonald's ad that's... well... VERY Cheesy!


That Mayor McCheese.
What an actor.
See ya on the radio,
Kurt