CONTEND for the PRESENCE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

We know that the presence of the LORD can and will bring transformation.  

We know that when we contend for His presence real change can and will occur.

The question is then, ARE we seeking that transformation, are we looking for the refining change that His presence can and does offer us? 

Remember:

"The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." 2 Chronicles 16:9

Therefore, let’s ask ourselves the tough questions today:

As the Lord searches the earth will he find US committed, will he find US seeking Him in the same way He is seeking us?  Will He?

Are we aware of GOD’s pursuit? Embracing it? Allowing it?

Are we aware of the opportunities and life changes available?

Or have we traded the presence of GOD for the pursuit of other things or settled for the status quo?

The eyes of the Lord are indeed searching and I will be the first to admit there are more days that not that I am sure He is having a challenge finding me.  Yet in spite of my “hiding”, His desire for me and you for that matter to wade deeper into His intimate presence is never in question. 

NEVER!

That is why we must be diligent to and ALLOW GOD’S CAPTIVATING presence in our days and lives! Let’s not become so busy that we miss it.  

I am preaching to my exhausted self today.  

Don’t become so distracted that it escapes our awareness.

Don’t be so preoccupied that it is ignored!

Ortberg says it this way:

For most of us, the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it. We will just skim our lives instead of actually living them.

I don’t want a mediocre life and I am confident one spent in the presence of the Lord will be anything but! For it is often forgotten that the in the presence of the LORD there is only the amazing never the mediocre!

In Your presence there is freedom

In Your presence there is hope

In Your presence there is healing

Love restores me, I am whole

No matter how far I run

You are with me

No matter how far I fall

Your love is everlasting

Your kindness never ends

God, You never leave me

Your presence goes before us

Your glory has no end

In Your presence there is power

Through Your spirit, strength will rise

In Your presence there is mercy

And in Your presence I'm alive

You will be our guide

To the end, to the end.

Is it time to be INTENTIONAL again for the PRESENCE of GOD?

It will be the best thing that we can do!

Will we allow it and contend for it? 

I love you all…

Opportunities for Hope (Champions Charge)

YOU HAVE A CHOICE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

I am “CHOOSING” to share this little snippet from Lucado for perhaps the second or third time on the OFH. 

Why?

In the last month during our intense Hope over Heroin season I have encountered so many folks who believe “they have no choice”. 

They believe they can’t choose anything but the addiction, the affliction.  Just in the last 72 hours in Cincinnati more than 70 folks who believed they had no choice overdosed.  Two lost their lives.  More will. 

One did in our little town on Wednesday.

The Ohio 2015 overdose statistics were released yesterday.  Over 3000 overdose deaths were recorded easily outpacing auto fatality.  Over 1000 of those “OD’s” were due to something that was designed for chemotherapy and chronic pain sufferers, fentanyl. I know these folks at the time of that last snort or injection believed they HAD NO CHOICE. 

Too much sickness, too much pain, too much hurt, too much “whatever”.

My heart grieves.

That is why I want all of us to remember today that we DO have a choice and Max does a wonderful job of laying some of them out in this little excerpt below.

READ this OVER YOURSELF today.

Be INTENTIONAL. 

CHOOSE to! 

CHOOSE to believe! 

CHOOSE to believe that your life has value, that this day has value, that even in the darkest of times and days, we can ALWAYS CHOOSE CHRIST! 

…do (CHOOSE) what the Lord your God tells you to do. You must obey his commands and follow the rules that are written in this Book of Teachings. You must obey the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Then…good things will happen to you. Deuteronomy 30:9-10 (ERV) 

---

“I Choose Love...

No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I Choose Joy...

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I Choose Peace...

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so I may live.

I Choose Patience...

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so, Rather complain that the wait is to long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I Choose Kindness...

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for that is how God has treated me.

I Choose Goodness...

I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I accuse. I choose goodness.

I Choose Faithfulness...

Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My friends will not question my word. And my family will not question my love.

I Choose Gentleness...

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I Choose Self-Control...

I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then when this day is done I will place my head on my pillow and rest.”

― Max Lucado

Choice is ours.

I love you ALL!

Have a great day and weekend.

Pray for our lost.

Opportunities for Hope (Champions Charge)