In The Pit

For as long as I have been alive, I have been afraid of death. Where does death come from? The Pit. Whenever I read, there is usually one word that God really introduces to me in some way. I was reading a couple of weeks ago and saw the word "Pit." Then, being at Passion 2010 this weekend, there was this huge white sheet that said "Glorious" on it with a bunch of people already wrote on it saying different sayings. As I ran across one of them, I saw "God, You saved me from the Pit!" Then, today, I was reading out of Matthew 4, where it talked about Jesus preaching and then people started to hear of the miracles that were happening, so they brought the sick and the hurt to Him. I ran across a verse in my devotional in Psalms. It was Psalm 107:20. "He sent His Word and healed them; He received them from the Pit." The definition of a pit is "a large hole in the ground, an area reserved or enclosed for a specific activity, or a low or wretched psychological state." Now, I'm know we have all been in the Pit more than once, whether it be with emotionally, physically, or spiritually. Being at Passion 2010 this weekend, God did amazing things and is still doing amazing things. One night, not being in the right mood that I should of been, God woke me up. As God answered my prayer and "broke my heart what breaks His", I began to feel something inside of me that I've been holding onto for a long time, just being lifted off of my shoulders. I can't tell you how awesome the feeling was. It was first a vision, then it was healing. In my vision, I began to see people all around me standing in front of me trying to distract me. I began to push them all out of the way, one by one. Whenever I got to the last person, the Heavens opened up, and I saw nothing but blue skies everywhere and a tall, white, vertical object in front of me. It was Jesus and His glory. He leaned down to me and said, "See, that's all you had to do." Those simple words broke me. As I began to ball my outs of before the Lord, it was finally over. All the hurt. All the pain. All the anguish. And all the misery. All it takes is you wanting to be healed, taking it to the Lord, and you will be healed. There is no question about it. The thing with me was, I was holding onto a certain something I would go to in order to find that temporary happiness and not joy. Happiness is temporary, but joy is eternal. The joy of the Lord fell upon me like a rock. From Psalm 107:20, that leads to Malachi 4:2, "But for you who feat My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall."

First there was me being in the Pit, with a lot of hurt and pain, then there was me wanting to be healed, then there was God's healing hand, which led to freedom. Freedom is a sweet thing once you experience. Once you experience God's freedom, you will never want to go back. God's Word's nature is to heal. God is the ultimate Panpharmacon. A Panpharmacon is a medicine for all diseases. Have you ever experienced Jesus' healing just like the ones that took place all over the New Testament? Have you ever wanted to be healed? I sure hope you want to. Ask, pray, and receive God's healing power today. You will jump in the streets just as David did and not care about who saw him and you will playfully jump like calves being released from the stall. God's Word is true. God is faithful, just, and never changing. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Think it, live it, pray it. Be changed and be different. God calls us to live differently than the world. The only source of strength and life we have is in Jesus Christ. Dance like you've never danced before and sing like you've never sung before. Give it all to the Lord and you will see healing being placed in your heart.

In Him,

Stewart

Make The Right Decision

Throughout our lives, there are many battles that come across our ways. There is no trouble nor evil nor malice that God can't take care of. How do I know this you ask? Well, let's just say I've been in a pretty low place in my life before. I place where I reached and reached and got no where. Why? Because I wasn't choosing the right way. God is the way, the truth and the life. Right before I turn 16, there was a man that stepped into my life and showed me the right way, Jesus. My step dad. The day before I turned 16, I remember it like it was yesterday. Brian, my step dad, took me to K-Mart and sat me down in the cafe area. He first asked me if I wanted a coke or something to eat, but I was too nervous to eat anything. He then began to take me to a table right in front of the main door where everyone walks in over by the cafe area. As we sat down, Brian began to tell me stories after stories of his life. How his mother was never there for him, how he was always working even as a little kid and how his decisions in life were always something he had held into himself. So, I felt honored as his son, to be hearing this. One woman walked in and had a child. She looked somewhere in her mid 20's. Brian asked me what I thought and I told him. People after people came in and I felt the hurt of the people. I know I was only 15 at the time, but the burdens that God had laid upon my heart of HIS people, was unbearable. The next few words that came from my step dad's mouth, changed my life. He said, "Stewart, once you get that car, you can go pick up women, go places, do things in secret from everyone else but you and God....what are you going to do? What decisions are you going to make?" When he said those words, the fear of the Lord came upon me. Now, I know I've made my many poor choices, but in Proverbs 1 it says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." That was only the beginning of God's wonderful plan He has for my life! And it's still the beginning. Day by day, I learn from the one true God because of His Word and His heart. From the first day my step dad and mom met, God knew what He was doing. He was constantly putting love inside of their hearts for ME! Why? Still to this day, I don't know why. I remember almost hitting my parents...no joke. I was in the lowest low valley that I've ever been in in my entire life. But, one way God has shown me His love for me is through the love He has given my parents for me. My mom, my step dad, my dad, my peers, etc. Guys, there is no love like our God's! That night Brian took me to K-Mart was to show me that I have to make the right choices, but I have to find out what road is the best road. God tells us in His Word that His way is narrow, but it's the way to life. I will forever remember the day my step dad took me out and just talks to me. I will pass that down to my children whenever it is the right time, and hopefully, my children will give it to their children and so on and so forth. Better is one day in God's courts and God's house than thousands elsewhere. God loves us for a reason. So that we may have life and live it abundantly. So, I encourage you, spend time with the ones you love, show them the love God has given you, and lead by example. You will never get to somewhere by throwing it down their throat. People have to learn for themselves... Took me five times to understand just ONE thing once. Yep...ridiculous, but a person once told me, "It doesn't matter how many times it takes you to learn, just as long as you learn it." Learn from God. Live for God. Understand His Word. Think. Pray. Live. Be the man/woman God has called you to be.

In Him,

Stewart

Fear + Guilt = Us Not Repenting Like God Wants Us To

This week has been all about Satan's attack and to be honest, I'm sick of it. But a beautiful word was given to me yesterday. "Do not be afraid of Satan, because if he is attacking you, you are probably doing something right." When we are asleep, Satan doesn't want to touch us because we aren't having any effect on this world! Man, whenever I heard that I just broke down before the Lord thinking that Satan was attacking me for no reason, but it's because I am doing the Lord's work, and the awesome thing about God is Psalm 91:11, "For He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways." Whenever the Lord spoke those words of peace into my heart, I couldn't help but to praise Him. As you look at the title of this post, "Fear + Guilt = Us Not Repenting Like God Wants Us To," it's kind of self explanatory. Whenever I was doing my devotion this morning, that title was being shown to me through many different aspects of my life, but as I began to read more in David's life, his sin effected others around him, even his family! But, what did he do about it? Absolutely nothing. He could of brought a family meeting of some sort and taken control, but he just sat around and sobbed. I don't know about you, but this is the way I feel whenever I sin against God. Whenever we sin, God DESIRES us to come to Him, but Satan does everything in his power to put Fear + Guilt into our hearts which leads us (=) to not repenting!

Do you ever feel this way? What can we do about it?

Well.... Here are some thoughts or questions you can ask yourself.
1) Is God a forgiving God?
2) Can God save me from this sin?
3) The most important one to me, which covers all of the above is, measure up our GOD to our troubles.

There is no comparison, guys. Yes, God is a forgiving God, and yes God can save me from my sin. So, what are you waiting for? God is just and God is righteous in His ways. If He has freed you and forgiven you from your sins, LIVE LIKE A FORGIVEN PERSON! Do not become so sin sick to the point of stopping at nothing just to satisfy yourself. Become strong and courageous in the Lord. Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and everything else will be added to it. So, my last question of the day is, what are you doing about your sins in your life? Your sins from the past that you continue to hold on to and not let go of? Or the sins that we, as a body, are committing right now. I've become so numb to the point of me not realizing that what I've done wrong is sin. My prayer for everyone, is that we may see God's glory and break before His face like the people in Revelation did. They hid before God, because His Glory was so much, they couldn't handle it.

Micah 7:8-9

"Though I have fallen, I will stand up. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Because I have sinned against Him, I must endure the Lord's rage until He argues my case and establishes justice for me. He will bring me into the light. I will see His salvation."
Take these words and apply them to your life, so that we may live as God wants us to live...freely and abundantly. God will show up for us. He has already begun to argue our case against our enemies that want to hurt/kill us, but His rage is worth it. Lord, may we live the life that You want to for the rest of our days. May we be crucified with You each and every day, so that when we look in the mirror, we see Jesus and not ourselves. Thank You for the cross and what it means, Lord. We love you and we praise You for who You are, what You've done and what You continue to do in our lives. May we learn and meditate on Your Word every day to see the light and not the darkness. All blessings, honor and glory to You, forever and ever. Amen.

Give Thanks

Just starting this blogging thing out, so whatever is said, I pray that the Lord would use it in a way according to His will, not mine.

Today is Saturday, October 3, 2009, and I had to babysit my little sister today. Oh what a blessing she is. No matter how many times my parents ask me to babysit her, I will do it any time anywhere. Before Maddi was before, she is now two years of age, I was starting to ask myself "what would it be like to have a little sister?" Note that I do have a little sister, but I never really see her, so therefore, it discourages me not to see family. Well, as my Saturday began, my parents left for Knoxville to go to the UT Auburn game. It was great to see them and hang out with Madilyn all day. We did so much together...we took a good, long nap, we danced and sang together, we watched "Babe" together along with some TV. It was getting around her bedtime at 9:30, so I laid down with her in her bed, read her some books, and began to put her to sleep. When she finally sat still, and was getting tired, she turned her nightlight out, and laid down to go to sleep. Just like mom always did with me and still does with my younger brother and sister, she lays down with them and prays with them. So, I did the same. I always like to pray over/with them, even though Maddi doesn't understand the reason why. So, I started off by saying, "okay, Maddi, we are going to pray now" and as soon as I said that she said, "Dear God, thank you...." with a little more of mumbling being said from her. As I began to pray out loud with her, God grabbed my heart and took me through my day...what I had done, what I had eaten, what I could of done, and what I talked to Him about.... Man, that last one was a doozie. I remember praying, yes, but do I remember myself giving thanks to Him for any reason? No. Now, I know a two year old girl, who speaks, but can barely speak, doesn't know who God is yet, but for her to say that is such an inspiration to me. My heart melted as soon as I heard her say those words to God. But the awesome thing is about it is that when she said it, God heard her! 

So, what am I thankful for? 

I am thankful for the life God has given me, the family that I have, the friends, the people in my life that help me every day through prayer and accountability, and most of all, I have thankful for the salvation God has given me. Without salvation, I don't know where I would be. God, thank You for Your blessed Son who You gave up for MY sins. 

God tells us in His Word to let our requests be made known to Him, but you know, sometimes all it takes is for us to just sit, be still, know that He is God, and give thanks for all the He has done for us! God will use anyone or anything to get our attention. Do not be so caught up with your "stuff" in the world and completely forget about your purpose in life. 

I'll leave with something I have been pondering on for a couple of days now: John 4:35

"Don't you say, "there are still four more months, then comes the harvest? Listen to what I'm telling you: OPEN your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest."

- Have you given thanks lately?