May God Inspire You and Me.... Part 1

Have you ever asked God to inspire you?  I mean REALLY inspire you?

Why do people forget or don't ask God for inspiration?

Do people not ask God for inspiration out of some erroneous ideal of independence.... or ignorance... or perception to impress God... Honestly.... can anyone really impress God?     

  Is it because they are shackled in some doctrine, tradition, or human understanding or philosophy?
 
  Does God ever say, "Now that you are saved go do this life alone?  I think NOT... I have read, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
 MATTHEW 28:20

Do they feel God is untrustworthy in some way?

But the question that follows, "If we don't trust in God, who do we trust?"

Who do we trust?  Who do we trust to inspire us?  Do we trust in ourselves?  Do we put unhealthy amount of trust in people as if they are to never let us down?  People are people and they are just as fallible as we are.

JEREMIAH 17:5 says: This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD."

Do people feel they might be testing God when they ask for inspiration?

Why does the bible say? "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which knowest not.
JEREMIAH 33:3

And if God/ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) and God has no favorites (Romans 2:11, Acts 10:34) and we are looking at Jeremiah 33:3 then why wouldn't he want to inspire us?

If the men and women of the bible were inspired by what they saw, heard, and experienced from God, are we not to be inspired by God today as well?

The Word of God, the bible, says,  "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." 2 TIMOTHY 3:16

If GOD cares and provides for our physical needs then WHY would HE not provide for our SPIRITUAL NEEDS that ignite and fuel our life to do good works?     

If the bible, that is inspired by God..... then is our life not to be inspired and qualified by what the bible says?  Has He not shown the reality of these things in the bible to be true?  Why would he stop?  Why would he not take us DEEPER?

 "But God has given us the revelation of these things through his Spirit, for the Spirit makes search into all things, even the deep things of God." 1 CORINTHIANS 2:10

 Paul writes: "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen."  EPHESIANS 3:16-21

Again... the "infinitely more than we might ask or think"

Does this not speak of the empowering or enabling effect of inspiration GOD is to have over our lives? 

Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." MATTHEW 18:3

When we were small children, nothing seemed impossible or unreachable.  We were inspired so easily.....  Why then in our older ages have we at times accepted human opinion, imaginations, fears... things we can only physically see over what God has said and wants to inspire us to live and be?   
  
How might a child of God be empowered, encouraged and be invigorated and refreshed to live higher then "ordinary" lives?

How might we all reach what we thought was never possible?   How might all Christians step into what God has prepared for them?

 But just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."  1 CORINTHIANS 2:9

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  EPHESIANS  2:10


Just think, we, God's handiwork....  and God knowing every intimate detail of our "being" has just the  "RIGHT" keys to unlock the inspiration we need "personally" to aspire to His will for our life...
I say "personally" for we are not all the same but we all need God to inspire us in different ways. 

Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  JOHN 10:10

Think about this for a moment.   Have you asked God to inspire you?   I have asked God to inspire me more.  I know...  As if you and I could ever catch the entire deluge of God's inspiration in the paper cup of our entire being.... but that's precisely the point.

You know this verse......? "..... Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." Psalm 23:5

 "My cup runneth over".... means to me that God exceeds our expectations in all his goodness, grace and love.

Think about this, Think about David who wrote these words... think about his life.  God inspired Him and through that inspiration gave him encouragement and strength.  He went from a shepherd boy in the field to the king of Israel.     

 "But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."  Isaiah 40:31

GOD needs to INSPIRE us.

Does God Challenge You? 5

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EXPECTATIONS

Recently others and myself were challenged again when God sent Pastor Onesmus from Kenya Africa to our little church in the hill country.

Sunday, the day of Onesmus' arrival I received this word….

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on our own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Yes… I know I have read this many times… I got it… but did I really get it? Did I really take it to heart the way I should have? 

Ever come with expectation to something? How about a movie, a destination, a new purchased item, a project, a new member of the family?

We set high expectations and low expectations.  We even set expectations of unbelief. We write them down with our invisible pens as if we are authors of our days and when these expectations are broken we are usually either discouraged or pleasantly surprised.

But then again there are other times when they are just… challenged.

I think expectations can be good but expectations we set up in our mind about how God works verses the complexity of how God really works can be hard hurtles to cross over at times….  Especially when God does the unexpected.   

Again…. If you think you have figured out how God works… watch out!!!

  

Expectations need to be on God and God alone.... not your own preconceived notions of what may or may not happen. 

EXPECTATION MEET THE UNEXPECTED

I am not certain what my expectation was... I knew there was going to be some "unconventional" happenings with Onesmus' visit but I was challenged by what God had Him do.

Some of the things seemed down right cruel and rude and MORE unconventional then I expected. 

Onesmus, hands COVERED in olive oil, began to do as directed by the Spirit, the congregation – some who came all the way from Arizona, Houston and Austin, prayed.

Onesmus would not just speak to the ailments but he would have the sick themselves speak to the ailments.  In his Kenyan accent he would say, “Cancer go back to your father!”  Deafness go back to your father! Confusion go back to your father!”  He would refer to the sickness as the devil.   “Devil go!”  He would have the people repeat after Him…

He would do all kinds of unorthodox things such as blowing on people, spitting in one person’s eyes, pouring olive oil in a person’s ears and then pouring water on their back, rubbing his hands on their body, and some would scream in terrible pain…. 

Yet when these seemingly cruel, rude and strange things were over- people were healed of their ailments, sicknesses, solicitations and oppressions.  And they had smiles on their faces...  What smiles?  How could this be?  What just happened?