Not Pretending
The marvelous things revealed in Scripture aren’t beckoning us to pretend to be something we aren’t, they are revealing what we have become in Christ. It is a marvelous reality!
https://linktr.ee/goodnewsthatactuallyis
Welcome to season twelve and a new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Thursday! My goal is to put a smile on your face today! Pay close attention to the end of the podcast session for an exciting opportunity.
When I was boy a new fad came out regarding bicycles. It was considered really cool to cut the front forks off a no good bike and then slip them onto the front forks of your own bike and make a chopper. Then we would get playing cards or balloons and attach them in a way that caused them to rake against the wheel spokes to make a sound like a motorcycle. It was a fun way of pretending and feeling cool.
Unlike pretending, when we are told certain things in Scripture regarding what we have received in the New Covenant by way of Christ obedience, they are real. It is not pretend. For instance it is not pretending when it says we have been seated with God in Christ in heavenly places. Born again believers are really there!
You become a heavenly citizen from another realm when you genuinely come to Jesus. The Scripture is not suggesting that you pretend this. It communicates this so that you and I can live as who we truly are now that we are in Christ and Christ is in us. Living in the new nature which is a walk according to the Spirit is not like riding make believe chopper bicycles.
You have received something so transformational in coming to Jesus you can’t be the same, you are no longer natural, you have become supernatural. You are now a brand new species as it were. You are no longer trapped in a natural sin natured existence. You are set free to be a temple for the Holy Spirit to dwell in. You are a host for the presence of God whether you realize it yet or not. This is not pretend or make believe, it is the real you! So enjoy Him each and every day and live aware of His presence abiding in you.
I would like to hear one of your stories in order to share it here. It needs to be vulnerable, humorous and definitely around 2 to 3 minutes tops. Email me at goodnewsthatactuallyis@gmail.com and we will set up how you can get it to me. If it is selected for sharing you will be notified as to when it will air. But for that to happen you will have to get it recorded and sent to me. Have a great day!
No Brakes!
Having the safety of someone loving you enough to rescue you from your mistakes and help you get back on track is something special and wonderful. You have someone like that.
Welcome to season twelve and a new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Wednesday! My goal is to put a smile on your face today! Pay close attention to the end of the podcast session for an exciting opportunity.
When I was around five years old my three older brothers decided to teach me how to ride a bike. At the time we lived way out in the country and had a really steep gravel driveway. I had just learned to stay balanced around the house when I saw my dad a ways down the hill with a man he had been helping to survey some land. My dad was standing in from of the mans open driver side door with some tools in his arms when I yelled out, “look dad I can ride” and started down the hill. I began gaining speed fast and my dad was yelling, “hit the bakes, hit the brakes!” I yelled back, “I can’t!” Just then I ran straight into my dad, the tools went flying my dad went backwards into the car door but I was safe. You see if my dad had not stopped me there was a long way to go down that hill and it would have been really bad.
But, my dad stopped me. He used his body to do so and it wasn’t pretty but I was safe.
When you come to Jesus the Father commits to you. He will look out for you in an effort to see you grow and to see you succeed and He knows there will be lessons along the way. My dad sat me down to instruct me after that incident not because he stopped loving me and wanted to disown me. It was because He loved me and wanted me to be able to ride with confidence knowing how to stop my bike in any situation. His concern was for my well being and that is how it when Jesus comes to our rescue and we are corrected by His instruction. Correction is not unloving, it is a sure sign of belonging, being loved and cared for at a much deeper level than unwarranted praise could ever offer. It says this very thing in Hebrews in the Bible.
You might be going through a time where the Father is sitting you down to instruct you in some area but do not be discouraged by it, be encouraged. It means you belong to Him and you are greatly loved. Listen carefully and get up knowing you are now empowered to do differently. Let His joy and peace rule your heart even those times and you will experience great success.
I would like to hear one of your stories in order to share it here. It needs to be vulnerable, humorous and definitely around 2 to 3 minutes tops. Email me at goodnewsthatactuallyis@gmail.com and we will set up how you can get it to me. If it is selected for sharing you will be notified as to when it will air. But for that to happen you will have to get it recorded and sent to me. Have a great day!
Cowboy Boots and Bike Spokes
Welcome to season twelve and a new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Tuesday! My goal is to put a smile on your face today! Pay close attention to the end of the podcast session for an exciting opportunity.
When I was really young while visiting my Mamaw my dad wanted to give me a ride on a bike down the hill. I wore cowboy boots everywhere back then. So up on the handle bars my Dad lifted me and said, do not stick your boots in the spokes. I wish he hadn’t said that. I wish instead he would have said son I need you to help me by flaring your legs out away from the bike so we can go better. That might have worked a little better than don’t stick your boots in the spokes. Guess what happened. Yep, I accidentally stuck my boot in the spokes! We were gaining speed too. We both rolled and tumbled along the pavement that day and my Dad was way more scuffed and scraped up than I was for some reason. My dad desired me to have a great experience. It was all well intentioned but I just couldn’t come out perfect on that don’t do thing he said.
You know Paul an apostle of Jesus spoke about this kind of phenomenon in Romans in the Bible. He said what I would like to do good I don’t do. He spoke about when the law came it convinced him of how short of the mark he was. It condemned him and brought him death by exposing his sin. That is what the don’ts are purposed to do for us. They are meant to reveal how we can’t be good enough in our own strength and render us helpless. As helpless as a dead person would be.
Thankfully Jesus came and did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. He perfectly complied with don’ts and the does of the commandments God had given. He perfectly fulfilled the Law of God and then went to the cross where He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. He didn’t do this to make us able in our strength now to keep the law. He did this to remove the power of the law over us so that we could, by grace through faith in Him, have relationship with God.
You do not need to focus on the don’ts, you need to focus on who He is and what He has done if you wish to truly have continual fellowship with God the Father. It’s not our performance that provides access to Him. It is Christ’ performance that grants that to us and we must never forget that. So enjoy fellowship with Him today and let Him lead you into all that He has for you. It’s the best recipe there is for avoiding what you shouldn’t be engaged in.
I would like to hear one of your stories in order to share it here. It needs to be vulnerable, humorous and definitely around 2 to 3 minutes tops. Email me at goodnewsthatactuallyis@gmail.com and we will set up how you can get it to me. If it is selected for sharing you will be notified as to when it will air. But for that to happen you will have to get it recorded and sent to me. Have a great day!
No More Peddle
Welcome to season twelve and a new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Monday! My goal is to put a smile on your face today! Pay close attention to the end of the podcast session for an exciting opportunity.
I was about ten years old living in south Florida and I had a ten speed bike. I could wheelie that bike through three gears all the way around the block. I had done it many times and loved it when people watched me. One day while doing my usual wheelie around the block my front tire came off the bike. In my mind I thought I’ll just ride it to the ditch and be okay to bail off. Well, I didn’t make it to the ditch because I ran out of peddle and as a result my front forks dug into the street throwing me head first over the handle bars. I landed on my chin and slid. When I stood up I noticed blood was running down my shirt and when I lifted my hand to my face it filled with blood and my neighbor came out and took me in her house to get me cleaned up and help stop the bleeding while contacting my mom. Looking in a mirror as she called my mom I notice there was a big chunk of skin missing from my chin. My showing off my abilities had really cost me this time.
You know, that is how it is sometimes spiritually speaking. It might seem like we are soaring by means of our own efforts and then the front wheel comes off and we run out of peddle and wreck. It can get real messy when it happens too.
It’s interesting that the only time we are encouraged to strive in the New Covenant is when we are told to strive to enter into the rest God offers through Christ where we cease from our own works and have strong confidence in His. He is not asking us to show off our own abilities, He is asking us to show the world what His Son has done and how rich a reward it is to know Jesus. If you feel like you are running out of peddle or have crashed and burned, there is grace available for you. No shame, no condemnation. Jesus will love you and tend to your wounds if you’ll let Him do so. He is not looking for a superhuman. He came to bring many sons into glory where our effort seems effortless because of the presence and power of God working in and through us. Let Him bring you into His rest today where you cease from your own works and revel in what He has done and is doing. Learn to enjoy Him and relax into Him and allow Him to take you in His strength where you need to go. It’s way more exciting and rewarding when you do.
I would like to hear one of your stories in order to share it here. It needs to be vulnerable, humorous and definitely around 2 to 3 minutes tops. Email me at goodnewsthatactuallyis@gmail.com and we will set up how you can get it to me. If it is selected for sharing you will be notified as to when it will air. But for that to happen you will have to get it recorded and sent to me. Have a great day!
Friend Friday with Vinod Sharma of India
In this episode I interview my friend Vinod Sharma a faithful man working in northern India to make Jesus known.
In this episode I interview my friend Vinod Sharma a faithful man working in northern India to make Jesus known.
Encouraged By His Presence
There is a way to be encouraged regardless of what may be taking place in your life at this moment. We’ll discover what the secret is.
Welcome to this new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Monday and I am so glad to have this time with you to encourage your joy!
The Unreliable Brace
You’ll laugh at this one for sure but there is a valuable lesson it.
Welcome to season eleven and a new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Thursday! My goal is to put a smile on your face today! Pay close attention to the end of the podcast session for an exciting opportunity.
I was a young dad but very involved with my kids although I had a very busy work schedule. We had managed to head up into the mountains as a family to play in the stream and have a cook out. We had brought with us a little plastic minnow net to catch and release critters from the stream. We wanted to more closely examine them. Now you would have thought I would have considered something before the next thing I am about to tell you.
Someone asked, “are there salamanders in this stream?” to which I said, “sure there are they hide under rocks and I think I see a good one to look under.” Now to access this particular rock I needed to be able to brace myself and here’s where I should have thought before I acted. You see without thinking I tried to lean on what I had in my hand. Yes, you guessed it probably that little plastic net. Can you guess what happened next? That’s right splash, into the stream I went clothes and all. Of course the kids got a big kick out of but no laughed as loud or as hard as my wife Sheila did. It was a blunder that lives in the hallowed halls of embarrassing family moments. It’s been brought up at family table discussions many times with much laughter at my expense.
Do you know what my real mistake was? Because I failed to consider it I placed my confidence in something far too flimsy to uphold me. That net was not designed to carry the weight of a grown man. A misplaced trust in it got me all wet and laughed at. This happens many times in life to many people and I am no exclusion. A misplaced trust in something too weak to support the weight of a complex life or situation has led to many an embarassment or disappointment.
Only Jesus is big enough to hold us fast no matter the load! In fact, He has promised to bear all our burdens if we will just allow Him to do so. Be encouraged today in knowing Jesus loves you and is willing to let you lean on Him at any and all times. That is why He is called a rock, a sure foundation. Hand it off to Him today and lean on Him, He can take it.
I would like to hear one of your stories in order to share it here. It needs to be vulnerable, humorous and definitely around 2 to 3 minutes tops. Email me at goodnewsthatactuallyis@gmail.com and we will set up how you can get it to me. If it is selected for sharing you will be notified as to when it will air. But for that to happen you will have to get it recorded and sent to me. Have a great day!
Pleasantly Surprised
See how one simple act of obedience in faith made a major difference in another persons life.
Welcome to season eleven and a new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Wednesday! My goal is to put a smile on your face today! Pay close attention to the end of the podcast session for an exciting opportunity.
It was a normal day in my office at the church. I had just gone through a very trying rough time with a lot of situations that were working overtime to challenge my gift and calling. I was just sitting there behind my desk and thinking to myself and preparing for an important meeting I was about to have with someone and that’s when the phone rang.
I answered it in the usual way. The voice on the other end was very deep and simply said this is a voice from your past. I could not for the life of me figure out who it was. Then he revealed himself to me. It was the man who in my boyhood years had challenged me to play the drums and to sing. Mr Jimmy Gibbs himself. It was then though that he said Tim I want to pray for you. He said I didn’t know how to find you as I had no information to go on so we searched the internet and found this church website. I stopped him and said Jimmy we haven’t had a website in over three years how on earth could you have possibly found that? He said I don’t know but I did and so I called the number. Then he began to speak over me and pray and I began to weep and convulse like something was being pulled out of me. It was a powerful release in my spirit. He finished praying and we talked a bit and then all was done and I needed to get composed before the meeting I was about to have.
Jimmy had just gone out of his way when he could have been doing something else. After all it had been about 30 years or more since we had last seen each other. He is way older than me too so why such an interest? But I am glad he did that. What a rich blessing that was to me. He of course said he was tremendously blessed as well. That memory lives fresh with me.
God takes the simplest acts of obedience to bless someone by encouraging them and turns into some of the greatest riches in life. I love how His kingdom operates. I love how He loves us. He loves you! Maybe that simple idea you had recently is much bigger than you think. What can it hurt to do something with it? I sure am glad Jimmy did.
I would like to hear one of your stories in order to share it here. It needs to be vulnerable, humorous and definitely around 2 to 3 minutes tops. Email me at goodnewsthatactuallyis@gmail.com and we will set up how you can get it to me. If it is selected for sharing you will be notified as to when it will air. But for that to happen you will have to get it recorded and sent to me. Have a great day!
Kindness Rewarded
A true story reflecting how kindness can impact your day and your life.
Welcome to season eleven and a new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Tuesday! My goal is to put a smile on your face today! Pay close attention to the end of the podcast session for an exciting opportunity.
As a young boy spending a few years in south Florida we lived in a very small town. So I could ride my bike wherever I wished. In town there was a five and dime store and they carried plastic army men and marbles for twenty five cents a bag. For a dime you could get smaller bag of less appreciated marbles.
One day while on my way to the store to get one of those less appreciated bags of marbles I walked past a distinguished older black man wearing a nice white hat. I remember being impressed by him for some reason I just couldn’t figure out. He just seemed like the kind of guy you just wanted to get to know. He was fumbling in his pocket as he walked and when he pulled out his hand I noticed he dropped some change. I picked up the change and let me tall ya to me it was like finding a fortune. Especially on my way to the five and dime store. But before the man could turn the corner I ran and caught up with him. I said, “Mister you dropped this on the sidewalk back there.” He looked at me and smiled real big and then said, “Son, here take this quarter and go buy yourself something at that five and ten place back there. It’s not often I get to run into an honest young man like yourself.” I nearly shouted, “Thank you Sir!” Now whether that old man did that stunt on purpose or not to test me I do not know, but I sure liked that man a lot. He was very friendly towards a young boy like myself. I did get me a big bag of premium marbles with it too! In fact, my most favorite shooting marble I ever had came from that bag I bought that day.
I share that story because even if the man had not given me any reward for being kind I would have still been rewarded. It felt good to return that money to the rightful owner. Kindness rightly motivated is often its own reward. When you live life in a way that isn’t always feeling empty you have the luxury of being kind even more because your kindness flows from the abundance of your contentment.
You can have that type of abundance flowing in you every day when you belong to Jesus because Scripture says we are complete in Him. We lack nothing! We have been given everything! Kindness comes easy for anyone who believes in Him.
I would like to hear one of your stories in order to share it here. It needs to be vulnerable, humorous and definitely around 2 to 3 minutes tops. Email me at goodnewsthatactuallyis@gmail.com and we will set up how you can get it to me. If it is selected for sharing you will be notified as to when it will air. But for that to happen you will have to get it recorded and sent to me. Have a great day!
A Dog and Humiliation
A humorous story that reveals how not everyday turns out like we plan it too but that doesn’t define us.
Welcome to season eleven and a new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Monday! My goal is to put a smile on your face today! Pay close attention to the end of the podcast session for an exciting opportunity.
Ever so often my daughters, their husbands and kids join us for a grill out and fire pit time at our home. It’s easy for us to do often because we live on a Culdesac as neighbors. I know, I am richly blessed. During these fire pit times the grandkids will say Pop Pop tells us some stories. Stories are a powerful tool for passing on values and history. They can also be entertaining and funny depending on just how vulnerable a person is willing to be.
When I was a boy I had a paper route for a brief time. I wanted to make some money. I had a bike, lived in a small town with no hills at the time and could cover a lot of ground. On my route though there was an issue. One of my neighbors had a dog that would chase and bite at me as I rode by. I always hated that part of my route. Well, as fate would have it, one day I found my dads can of Mace. As a young boy a brilliant idea, came to me! I could use this to teach that dog a lesson and man was I was eager to get to that house. As I approached I had the can of mace in my hand ready to conquer this pesky dog. He was about to learn his lesson. As I drew closer he came full speed ready to bite my leg. When he got close I pointed the can of mace and sprayed! It was then that I discovered it was pointing the wrong direction. The stinging and temporary blindness clued me in. I wrecked my bike into the roadside ditch and the dog bit my leg and pulled at my britches briefly as I lied there. Can’t say for certain but I imagine that dog pranced away proudly having won the victory.
When I got home crying from pain and my humiliating defeat, my sin found me out. I didn’t have permission to take that can of mace. I had to face my dad and He was very angry with me. Talk about your double humiliation. I experienced double defeat on a day that began full of hope and excitement for an heroic victory.
Not everyday turns out like we plan it too. But if we think about it, it’s just one day and not all our days go wrong. I’ve learned that most of my bad days I crated on my own by not thinking clearly or doing something I should know better than to do. Thankfully, my Heavenly Father has promised to never be angry with me over it. He allows me to learn the lesson humiliation and consequence can teach me, but He is not angry with me. I know I am greatly loved and there is a tomorrow on the horizon. Perhaps being able to keep a right perspective at the end of a bad day is the greater victory! Getting back up and learning the lesson knowing that you are still loved can be powerful. Mistakes can’t stop a true child of God. So don’t lose hope or give up just because you had a bad day. Get back up, know that you’re loved and expect new mercies. They are yours for the taking each new day!
I would like to hear one of your stories in order to share it here. It needs to be vulnerable, humorous and definitely around 2 to 3 minutes tops. Email me at goodnewsthatactuallyis@gmail.com and we will set up how you can get it to me. If it is selected for sharing you will be notified as to when it will air. But for that to happen you will have to get it recorded and sent to me. Have a great day!
Friend Friday with Jorge Arango from Colombia
You’ll enjoy getting to know my friend Jorge Arango from Colombia. Jorge has an amazing testimony and is a faithful man. The grace of God is reflected in his journey.
Restful Living
Discover how to rest everyday and enjoy life. Join me in discovering the joy of resting.
Welcome to this new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Thursday and I am so glad to have this time with you to encourage your joy!
Throughout the world there is a common occurrence that excites those who labor during the week. It is called the weekend off. It is a day or couple days off at the end of a workweek. That glorious opportunity to rest from the work week! Scripture speaks about this idea of rest in two very different ways in the context of two very different covenants.
Under the Old Covenant Israel looked forward to their day of rest. It was their way of acknowledging that God rested from His labor in creating things on the seventh day and therefore they too took a rest to honor God as creator of all things.
Under the New Covenant we read the following: Hebrews 3:10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
This is speaking of working to be made righteous or to maintain righteousness before God. This is speaking of a gift that is given to us through Jesus. We now can rest from laboring to be accepted, forgiven, righteous or loved. It is a free gift by grace through faith. It is not of works otherwise you would be able to boast of how you achieved it.
We do not work to obtain or maintain fellowship with God, we simply put our trust in Jesus to enjoy the fruits of it. It is by means of believing that we receive the benefits afforded us through the obedience of Jesus at the cross. I know our faith will produce actions in life. But we should never forget that our actions are meant to springboard off of our faith, not the other way around.
To miss this amazing promise of rest is like being on a gerbil wheel always running but never really going anywhere. That my friend is not your inheritance in Christ. I encourage you today to ask the Holy Spirit to teach you what it means to rest in Christ and to once again enjoy belonging to Him. I promise it will not make you less productive or effective.
Slipstreaming
There’s a way to be carried along while at rest in this life. A seemingly effortless experience that produces fruit and fuels your joy. Listen and see for yourself!
Welcome to this new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Wednesday and I am so glad to have this time with you to encourage your joy!
I remember as a boy riding in the car with my dad down the highway. He would get right up behind a large tractor trailer and ride real close to it. When asked what he was doing he would say I am drafting, another better word would be slipstreaming.
You see he understood that by getting into the right spot behind the truck he could save gas by being in the pocket and he explained that in that pocket the winds collapsing behind the car would push it forward and so there would be no resistance on the font of the car. But the other things taking place was a push from the draft on the back of car. Slipstreaming!
Slipstreaming pulls another object along with it in its wake. Thus it decreases the effort of whatever is being pulled behind it. I think it could be likened to rest. Like when riding a bike downhill as opposed to uphill.
This is a way of describing what has taken place in the New Covenant. Whereas fellowship with God was a very complex and difficult thing under the Old Covenant and labor intensive, under the New Covenant things have been greatly simplified. In Ephesians 4 it speaks of how when Jesus ascended He led captivity captive in His train. In other words He slipstreamed them into heaven with Himself.
We are to live in the slipstream of the Spirit of God. In the New Covenant this is most reasonable and possible. Since our confidence is based on the obedience of Christ and we trust we are hidden in God with Him we are enabled to live aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit at all times. We are not peddling uphill to keep up with Him, we are carried on the wind of His Spirit caught up in His slip stream as it were. We can rest if we will only believe. I encourage you today to enjoy the rest He offers and let yourself be carried along in His wake.
Avoiding Confusion
Confusion is always the fruit of an out of context solution being applied that cannot render a lasting result. Tune in to learn how to apply in context solutions that produce long lasting results.
Welcome to this new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Tuesday and I am so glad to have this time with you to encourage your joy!
Yesterday I mentioned my new old truck that I am very grateful to have and truly enjoy driving. I mentioned how I am still learning all the things it is capable of doing. Fortunately the truck was well kept and the owners manual and instructions were in the glove box. You see when I looked up the truck online for what it offers it listed a lot of things that sounded wonderful. It will do all that it says it will do.
For instance: It will connect with my iPhone by means of bluetooth. It is advertised as being bluetooth compatible for hands free driving. It does connect, but I had to go to the owners manual to find out how to connect my phone so that it will work whenever I get in the truck. I was not allowed to insist it do it my way and expect the truck to work. I had to do it the way Ford set it up.
Now here’s the thing I wish to point out today. If I had gone to the section regarding how to find and change a fuze that would not have helped me at all with how to connect my phone. It would be be good information to know, but out of context and therefore no help to me. To experience success I had to go to right place and get the right information and then follow what it said.
Likewise, we are now in a New Covenant and if we go to the Bible and research Old Covenant ways for handling things or staying connected with God, we will be out of context and becoming more and more confused due to trying to apply of out of context solutions.
It’s like reversing the wires on a speaker, it might still put out some sound but not as clear and not as powerful as getting it wired correctly. When we apply the solutions from an obsolete covenant to our New Covenant lives we put ourselves out of phase so to speak and though they may seem to work somewhat for a short amount of time we eventually become confused about what we think God to be like. I encourage you to immerse yourself in the good news of the New Covenant and experience the reliable result of fellowship with God it can produce in your life. Do it His way and joy will fill your heart and soul.
Perpetual Revival
It is as it sounds, you can enjoy unbroken fellowship with God if you go about the way He has prescribed.
Welcome to this new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Monday and I am so glad to have this time with you to encourage your joy!
I recently got a newer truck for my birthday. When I say newer I mean 13 years newer than the one I had yet it is 10 years old already. Nevertheless it is a great truck with many options on it. It has taken me some time to discover all it is capable of doing. I have had to learn a good deal to tap into the many benefits it has to give.
Such is the New Covenant that Jesus established by shedding His own blood.
The good news of the New Covenant offers anyone who will truly believe it and walk in the truth of it a perpetual revival of sorts. You are privileged to walk in close fellowship with God by grace through faith in the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ. You never need to feel like you are far from Him.
You are daily invited to come boldly to the throne of grace to find His mercy to help in time of need. You are never forsaken, nor are you ever abandoned which means His presence is always present with you, you need only realize the truth of His promise concerning it.
This is a perpetual revival as is promised. It occurs as your inner man is renewed day by day.
2Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
I encourage you today to preach the good news of the New Covenant to your soul regularly and allow it to energize and empower your walk with Jesus. I promise it will make a difference in your fellowship with God.
Friend Friday with Javier Espinosa
Meet Javier Espinosa a man known around the world. His ability to bring key laborers for the kingdom together to have an impact on a city or nation is amazing. He is also a great encourager. I think you'll be glad you took time to watch and listen.
Website: https://www.misionesinternacionales.org
Facebook: @misionesinternacionalesorg
Meet Javier Espinosa a man known around the world. His ability to bring key laborers for the kingdom together to have an impact on a city or nation is amazing. He is also a great encourager. I think you'll be glad you took time to watch and listen.
Website: https://www.misionesinternacionales.org
Facebook: htttps://facebook.com/misionesinternacionalesorg
Changed By An Encounter
Something happens when there is a genuine encounter with someone who is known to be great and speaks promising things to you. Take a moment to consider the possibilities it can bring in life.
Welcome to this new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Thursday and I am so glad to have this time with you to encourage your joy!
Have you ever considered what happened to Isaiah the prophet when he genuinely had a heavenly encounter with God?
When we are introduced to Isaiah we are shown a prophet who is very adept at shaming those who are in rebellion and not living right with God. It is not like Isaiah isn’t speaking the truth because he is. His words are accurate but something happens when Isaiah sees the Lord high and lifted up.
Isaiah for the first time in his writing says, “Woe is me” All of a sudden Isaiah sees himself in a new light. A light that seemed to be easy for him to shine on others but was unaware of as it pertained to himself for a time. I have discovered that true encounters with Jesus does not produce in me a woe is you mentality so much as it produces a if someone like me can be loved by Him I know you can be.
God encounters make us keenly aware of God to such a depth that it exposes our own great need for Jesus and it strips away any sense of spiritual superiority we thought we might have possessed before. It equals the playing field so to speak. It has the power to lovingly set us straight to such a degree we identify with others as opposed to judging them.
Believe it or not a God encounter is what activates the love of Christ for others in us. So I encourage you to have as many God encounters you can but be discerning and know that authentic encounters do not produce spiritual critics, they produce Christ like disciples of Jesus who know they are sons of God and can share His love with others freely. So I encourage you to go and show His love to someone today!
What if I Succeed
There is power in being able to think differently when something feels risky and challenging. Differently that what if I fail. Thinking in a way that would empower the ability to grab hold of the opportunity instead of avoiding it.
Welcome to this new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Wednesday and I am so glad to have this time with you to encourage your joy!
When I was a boy, despite having many abilities there were many things I never even tried due to the risk of failure. I would quietly in my mind have a conversation about how others may view me if I were to try and fail. I missed out on some great opportunities as a result of that way of thinking.
What I wish I had been able to ask myself was, “what if I succeed?” Asking myself, “what if I fail” is a set up that is nothing short of a stealth soul robber of potential wonderful experiences.
I think one of the more beautiful aspects of the work of grace in the New Covenant is the idea of now getting to boast in weakness instead of being made powerless by it.
The great apostle Paul once said, I would rather boast in my weaknesses for in them Christ is made strong. It becomes most clear that Jesus is working on your behalf when you own your inability to perform at the highest level according to the flesh.
God has set things up in a such a way that only Jesus can truly take the credit. Ironically though Jesus is happy to share His credit with us! We are now joint heirs with Him in righteousness and relationship with the Father. I find it amazing that this glorious privilege of relationship was not because of anything we did to deserve or to even keep it, it is all based on what Jesus did and how through faith it is accredited to us even though we are weak.
So today I hope you will find it possible to rejoice and to boast in your weaknesses so that Jesus may be clearly seen at work in you. My friend you cannot fail when you put your trust in Jesus! Have a blessed day!
The Benefit of Distraction
Today we will examine the help being distracted in the right way can be. Curious? Join me for the next several minutes and discover a powerful weapon in your arsenal.
Welcome to this new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Tuesday and I am so glad to have this time with you to encourage your joy!
Have you ever noticed that the more you dwell on a particular thing the more intense your awareness of it becomes?
I remember as a kid that if I hurt myself and I was bleeding that the more I focused on the bleeding and played the incident back through my mind the worse the situation became. My shock and initial yelp would evolve into a torrent of tears, sobbing and moans as though I might be dying.
Naturally I was in no danger of losing my life, just a thimble of blood and some play time were all that were at stake. But my dwelling on it often resulted in a loss of much more time than it should have. Amazingly, we can choose how we will frame any particular incident in life. The more dramatic we make it, the more time and energy it will claim by making it more difficult to overcome.
I had a coach who greatly helped me with accidents and pain. He taught me how to focus on something else so I could take my mind off what was happening and get through it much quicker. I am forever grateful to that man. He didn’t ask me to pretend it never happened, he just wanted me to not allow it to become more than it really was.
Now this correlates to our spiritual well being and progress. You see when we experience set backs, problems, or painful disappointments we can choose to play it back over and over again allowing it to grow larger, or we can focus our attention on the One who can help us. Looking unto Jesus! I love that phrase in the letter to the Hebrews in the Bible. A group of people were experiencing strong temptations, persecutions and threats of setbacks. But they were encouraged to let themselves get distracted by looking at Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of their faith. There is something powerful about setting our gaze and thoughts on Jesus. It makes everything happening seem small by comparison.
Isn’t that what we all need in chaotic, painful and confusing times? I encourage you today to take a good long look at Jesus and see if it doesn’t have the power to ease the pain clear the confusion and release some joy in your soul. Such is the Benefit of Distraction when you are distracted by Him.
He is Willing
In this episode we look into just how willing Jesus is to meet you at your point of need.
Welcome to this new day that brings with it new opportunities! It’s Monday and I am so glad to have this time with you to encourage your joy!
I love the way Luke captures a moment in time in the life and ministry of Jesus in chapter 5 of his gospel writing. A leprous man falls at the feet of Jesus and says to Him, “Lord if You are willing I know you can cleanse me.” Jesus responds with, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Everything we can read regarding Jesus in the Bible demonstrates an ever ready willingness to show compassion and heal people who were hurting or in need. Jesus showed Himself willing every time He was approached with needs whether it was one person or many. In fact, Scripture records for us the phrase, “He healed them all.”
What I find amazing in each testimony found in Scripture regarding the willingness of Jesus to heal or do a miracle, there is no instance of Him putting the person through a litmus test to determine if they deserved the healing or miracle. Jesus does not set any performance or moral conditions on the person for receiving from Him the power to heal or to be given a miracle in their situation. He does often tell them to have faith, or to fear not, or that it will be unto to them according to their faith.
By coming to Him in the first place they were already exhibiting an act of faith on some level and Jesus was exhibiting His willingness to meet them at the point of their need. What a loving, compassionate and generous Lord and Savior Jesus is.
Scripture tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He does not change, His heart and attitude have not taken a turn for the worse. He is not now in a mood to reject as opposed to showing compassion and mercy. In fact, as believers we are encouraged to come boldly before the throne of grace to find mercy to help us in our time of need. Oh how I love my Jesus!
I want to encourage you today that whatever you may be going through Jesus loves you and His is willing to help you. I believe His words still ring true today, “I am willing.” Just turn to Him in faith at any level and ask Him for mercy to help and I am certain you will receive it. Be encouraged in Him today! Go to Him for His help and guidance. I can say with assurance that you will not be disappointed.