Intimacy with God and People

Have you ever had friends or family who make you wait for them when you’re ready and you don’t want to be late? Even worse, have you been the one who makes someone wait for you? 

 It seems to be those you love the most make you wait for them more than others do. As I was stepping into prayer today, it hit me, this is exactly what I was doing to God right then, and so often other days as well.

                                               

 You see today, I put other people and things first. I made sure to feed my stomach, talk to my mother and a couple of other friends before I did anything else. I even decided I would wash my clothes before I got with God today. When I think about it, that seems so silly. Why would I do that?  God has been calling me all morning. I kept telling Him, “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Each time He gently and patiently said, “Ok”, as the gentleman He is. He didn’t get angry, impatient, or frustrated with me. He just continued to wait for me to come be with Him. I realized that He longs for us to be with him. He longs for us to spend time with Him. That’s why he is asking us to come.

                                                                           

 It isn’t for us to fulfill some religious duty or be a good person or good Christian. He simply loves us and longs to be with us. Many of us can relate to the fact of someone just wanting us to hang out with them. Perhaps a parent, a long term friend, a girlfriend or boyfriend, maybe a new friend, or simply a relationship where the two just want to be with each other and enjoy each other’s company. These days we think we have to do something to be with other people, and have forgotten the pure joy of just the sharing of time being in each other’s presence. We throw big parties, set up appointments to do things and maybe go places, and we make our time together as busy as possible. It seems that so many in this generation have completely forgotten about that simple pleasure of being in one another’s company and simply doing nothing. The same is true for most couples and marriages. But the truth of the matter is that we all long for those close times of intimacy in our relationships where you know me and I know you. You know, the relationships where we not only know each other’s good things in life and each other’s good qualities, but we know the weaknesses and troubles going on in each other’s lives while perfectly accepting one another. Intimacy has been so far removed from our relationships,  because we allow, even invite so much busyness and noise into our lives. 

                     

 If we slowed down and paid attention to that feeling gnawing inside of us we might realize that this kind of intimacy is what we are longing for.

The main point of my thoughts here is that God is longing for this same intimate relationship with each one of us. The very thing we want, He has made continually available to us. We either put things ahead of His request for our presence or it's possible we don't even know He's made it available to us. As I have come to God in prayer lately, He has almost seemed giddy, the way my dog is when I first get home or when I just give her my attention. It just seems to be as I approach Him at His throne, He has left the door wide open for me to come in through the blood of Jesus. What an intimate relationship it is when we have the keys to another’s home, or if they've allowed us to just walk into their home at any time. God has left the doors wide open for us. The weather is always good. Even when storms are going on outside, we are able to come inside His House any time and have shelter from the storms of life. In His Presence is the secret place, the hiding place when we need it, and the place of refuge and safety. Not only that, but as I come into His Sanctuary, in His giddiness, I feel Him saying, “I’m so glad you’ve come. I could hardly wait for you, you’re finally here.” I’m happy you’re here with Me. I’ve prepared the table for you. Come, sit with me, Eat all you want!

God is such a generous, kind, and loving Father! His love for us astounds me. It's mind boggling that a Holy God wants to spend time with someone like us. He desires our fellowship! He desires our presence! WOW. He Enjoys it when we come to him, about anything. Sometimes our minds can’t comprehend this kind of love. That’s ok! This love is to be received with our hearts and not our minds, and that is what stops so many people from receiving the goodness of God in their lives. They are attempting to understand Him with their minds, when all are called to comprehend Him with their hearts! Open your heart today. Go to God. Let Him enjoy your presence, and enjoy His. Let “I am my beloved's and He is mine", come to life for you in your heart today and this year.

                                         

I’m praying that this short writing will stir, inspire, and awaken you, as well as help you come into a more intimate relationship with God and the people in your lives. This call requires vulnerability. It’s okay to be weak. Jesus identifies with your weakness, and everyone else does too, if they will be just be honest with themself. People just choose not to display it because of fear or the fact that we as people do not like to feel or expose our weaknesses. What I’ve learned is that our weakness is a magnet for God’s strength. When we run to God with our weakness instead running away from Him, we will experience the help we need in our life in order to overcome. God calls you an overcomer and more than a conqueror in Christ who strengthens you. Believe that Word today. Receive it into your life as Truth because it is. There is power in agreement! Love is amazing, but most especially God’s Love!  His love can’t be explained, but it can be experienced. Enjoy Him and Let Him Enjoy You!

May this New Year be filled with Intimacy between you and your Creator. When We Know God's Love and we Love Him, we will love people better...

God is Calling us into a Deeper Relationship with Him Everyday.

If this blessed you, I would love to hear about it, and invite you to leave a comment.

Feeding Jesus

   Feeding Jesus. What a thought to think about right? What if you happened to run into Jesus himself somewhere while you were just living life, minding your own business? What would you do?

     You would probably go ask him, "Jesus, what are you doing here?" What if He told you He was looking for something to eat, He was really, really hungry? You would probably do something about it right? I mean come on, we are talking the King of Kings here. What an opportunity! Of course you would do something about it. In fact, you would probably go and buy Him the best your money could buy. Or even better, show Jesus what a servant you were and invite Him into your home and cook Him your best dish. You know the one that everyone loves when you make it! Something impressive, not just good food would be on His plate but its presentation would be phenomenal. If your going to impress someone, you would go all out. Am I right?

     Many of you might think the thought of this happening or feeding Jesus is completely ludicrous. Some of you might be thinking to yourselves, "why all the 'what ifs', or where are you going with this?" I'm glad you asked.

The way I see it is we have the amazing honor of getting to serve Jesus every single day of our lives. The opportunity to feed Jesus is all around us all the time. We will see this if we just open our eyes and look. Let me further explain myself.

    Jesus says in the book of Matthew 25:40 - when you feed the least of these, you feed me!

"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'  The Word of God is truth. If the bible says when we feed even the least of people we are  feeding Him, then we are feeding Him. Wow!       Why don't we think like this?  I'm talking about the church as a whole on a grand scale. Why is it when we see a homeless person on the side of the road, on the corner, or in front of a building all the time we are not seeing an opportunity to serve Jesus? My friends, I'm here to let you know, Jesus is hungry. I want to feed Him if He gives me the opportunity to do so, don't you? Will you feed Jesus the next time you see the least of them? Jesus is not hard to find. He is all around you. Just open your eyes. I bet you will find Him. He says so, When you seek him, you will find him. Matthew 7:7      Usually the reason we are not thinking this way is because we don't want to see the problem or we just don't have the right thinking. This has been true for me personally many times. I have looked away when I have seen someone in need because I wouldn't let my heart feel for them. Maybe that rings a bell for you because you have done it as well. Maybe we automatically go to that place in our mind where we say to ourselves that they probably have done something to deserve  being where they are right now. Maybe because they abused drugs or alcohol or both. I would dare say we just don't want to feel a sense of responsibility. That's why we harden our hearts. Once sympathy sinks her teeth into us, we feel badly if we don't  do anything about the problem.       Let me leave you with just a couple of more thoughts. Not only does God give us the opportunity to feed Him, but He actually directly tells us to do so. The Word says that if you have extra food then give it away to those who are hungry. Luke 3:11      I want you to see that the context of Matthew 25:41-42 is talking about the separation of the sheep from the goats. Jesus' final thoughts in this text is actually talking about him telling those to depart from him because when he was hungry and they gave him nothing to eat. Matthew 25:41-42            If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need, but has no pity on them how can the love of God be in that person? 1 John 3:17      There is much to say along these lines but one last thing I want to give you is a couple of God's promises he gives us about taking care of the poor. He promises to  take care of us if we take care of the poor.  -Proverbs 22:9 Happy is the generous one who feeds the poor. -Proverbs 28:27 if you give to the poor your needs will be supplied. These promises encourage and inspire me to take action. I hope they do the same for you.  #Feeding Jesus                                                         Thank you for reading.

   

   

The Days of Our Lives.

      Hi !  Welcome to My Blog. This is not a soap opera. Yes I am attempting to be punny, hints, the title of this blog  (;    No, I have just decided it was time to take another dive into writer's world of blogging. As you will probably notice this profile was opened the new year of 2012. So much for that new year's goal. I started strong but did not manage to stick with it. We all start things and wind up finishing them don't we?

 Currently, I have more time on my hands than before so back to my goals I go. I realize that consistency is a major key to success in our lives no matter what it might be. I believe this time I"ll be consistent. Do you believe in me? Being consistent is something I'm personally working on these days.

Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time."- John Maxwell

It's never to late. Right?

     Right! Let me explain. Recently I have been pursuing a degree. I started my first general ed. class in September of 2012. I'm going strong though. By strong I mean strong. I currently have a 3.7 GPA. I'm extremely proud of myself and give God praise for this success so far. I have only missed one class and that was due to illness in my family. This is a testimony of God's goodness and grace in my life! Let me explain. The year 2005 should have been the year I graduated.  But it wasn't. Again with the inconsistencies. In 2004 I dropped out of high school the first semester of my junior year. And to further explain, that was the second time this happened. I dropped out in 2003 as well but had decided to go back. It's to much to explain in this blog. Ill just say, Life was Nuts back then. It was filled with drugs, alcohol and partying all night long. All the time... God set me free from all that in 2006 though.

     Ok, let me real you back into the present time. Between the bad choices I made to leave high school and the hectic busy schedule I've been experiencinge, the fact I even enrolled in school at all was a testimony of God's strength in my life. Enrolling was a step of faith in and of itself.  I was afraid I wouldn't do well because I had missed some necessary tools earlier in life to further my education. God says we can do all things through Christ strengthening us in Phil. 4:13 and He also made us to be world overcomers!. It says so in 1 John 5:4 These scriptures are promises from God's word I made personal in my life in order to fulfill the plan He had for me. I knew that He was leading me to enroll in college and if He was calling me to do this, He must think I had the ability to handle it. God wouldn't put something in our heart to do and not give us the ability we need in order to accomplish the task. That would just be mean. God is a good God! Tonight will be my last class before I dive head first into all my major classes at the University I am attending. I'm in hot pursuit of my Bachelors in Biblical Leadership.

     Let me point out that God has helped me along the way, not doubt about it I couldnt have come as far as I have without him. But that is not to neglect that I had something to do with it. I have put in a lot of hours of studying, homework, reading, projects, and sacrificed hanging out with friends among other things like riding my motorcycle in order to put my best effort forth.  My Pastor always says, "That natural and the supernatural work together to make an explosive force for God!" Boom, This is living proof right here ladies and gentleman. God will multiply your efforts, be the strength you need in your weakness. His Grace is Sufficient! 2 Cor. 12:9 Dont be afraid to take a step of faith into the unknown. God will catch you.
 
     Life is exciting when in your in the will of God for your life. Sometimes I think of it as skydiving. Its such a thrill and you you have to jump. I know with all my heart that I'm heading in the right direction and I am right where I'm suppose to be right now. Having that kind of peace in your life will keep you grounded when the storms start showing up. When possible life devastating winds begin to blow in your life, having peace from your Heavenly Father will strengthen and sustain you in any storm you may be experiencing.

     God has a plan for our lives, each and every single one of us individually. Jer. 29:11 says, "For i know the plans i have for you, Plans for a future and a hope, plans to prosper you, not harm you says the Lord. Later it says in verse 12 that when you seek for the Lord wholeheartedly , you will find Him. When we find the Lord in life, we find everything else we need, including direction we need in life. I was seeking the Lord and asking Him what I should do after finishing up the my last year of Rhema. (In case you aren't familiar, Rhema is a Bible College in Oklahoma I attended). That's when he put attending a university to further my education in my heart. I knew that he was saying to me that I needed more preparation for my future. And let me just say, God was right! He ALWAYS is. God knows what is best for us. He knows us better then we know ourselves believe it or not.

    At the time, I was excited about God speaking to me but at the same time I found myself battling disappointment, fear and desiring something different. I was ready to start pursing ministry when God told me to go back to school. I felt like he was holding me up from fulfilling my dreams. God was not withholding anything from me though. Nevertheless as Jesus prayed, so did I. Not my will but Thy will be done! Matthew 26:39
He was only helping me to fulfill my dreams. I see that God knew what He was talking about now that Im in school. I see how much more i needed. We can Trust God. I dont know why we as people think we know better than God sometimes. We prove we do with our actions all the time. God says do this, we do that. The bible says this, we do the contrary. We think, No i want to go this way, not that way. I thought you give us the desires of our heart and want us to fulfill the dreams inside. He DOES! He just knows the best path we need to take in order to get there. God will never let you down! When we read in the bible, God is proven faithful time and time again. I want to say, if your looking for direction or needing anything from God during this time of your life or in the future, put all your trust in Him.  He will not fail you! It doesnt matter what your situation is. HE IS ABLE! Eph. 3:19
 God will meet you just like He met me! Even when it seems impossible, I promise. Proverbs 3:5

     Will you dare to believe God?

As you see, I have had and still have my fair share of struggles in life. Im just a normal guy like everybody else. I really enjoyed doing this blog and am really excited about doing more. At the moment, I cant say for sure how often i will blog. As of now,  my goal is once a week. At the minimum, once a month.
I really pray this Blog blessed you and hopefully impacted you in some way.

     Well, time is running short. I have other things to do as I know you do! Thank you for taking the time to read. I plan to do a lot of blogging so if you liked my blog let me know what you think. I would love it if you followed me on my Journey.


Praying for You,
       
William

Happy New Year

Hi Everyone.  Ive decided to start a blog for the new year in order to share my life more wiht my family and friends, both near and far. i figure that this is the best way to do it. It sort of annoys me a little when i see people telling there whole lives on facebook. So im just going to have this link on facebook for anyone who cares to get to know me better and get more of an inside look of whats going on with me.
I figure that it doesnt much matter where i start bc theres so much to choose from theres probably not any better way then just diving in and starting somewhere, but maybe thats just me.
I will say i put some thought into the name but not alot. i wanted something catchy, memorable, unique and creative. and something that described what the blog is about. My names William, ltos of people call me Will, and I belong to God so the title tells it all it will talk about me and my life and who i am. but it also says Gods Will in the sense of Gods plan is direction. I am a disciple of jesus Christ so everything i do just about involves Him. if not directly then indirectly. so i will not be holding anyhting back concerning what i believe. i might share my favorite verse or something i heard in church  and things like that that speak to me in a profound way.  so this will not neccessarily be a ministry blog but it wil entail  the things of God bc i love Him and am passionate about the things of God. Its just who i am .

As i start my new year. many are thinking different things. i want to lose wait , start a new project do something ive never done. . this is a NEW YEAR for ME! many are thankful. I know I am. Each time. even when we have had good years, its like , well lets have another one. if we havent had a good year, we think , thank GOd , a new year is here , its like a brand new start. It makes me think of the Merciful God i serve, and the mercy he extends to me and the ones who look to him for mercy. His mercy is new Everyday. Each day we wake up in the morning we are able to have a clean slate , a new start.
I feel its important to take the time to Pray and inquire of the Lord each year to find out what He is wanting to do in our lives. Which is where i  am . im sensing some things the Lord is wanting to do in my life already, but i still have plans to spend some quiet time With my King to find out more of what he wants to do. He Knows best . He sees ahead , he know what he has planned , and what lies ahead of us and as we stop and take the time out of our days to listen to him, slow down our busy lives and just sit quietly , calm our minds and listen to God speak to our hearts.  He will give us wisdom , Direction, Understanding of life sitautions and the way we should go. For that im grateful. Im glad im not alone in life. but i have inside information. My God.  I have Help all the time. its better then if i was a scholar , a doctor, a theologist, or even knew the wisest person in the world. God is wiser.  .
Im just talking about whats been in my heart today as i think of the newyear.

before ill go ill share how i brought in the new year. yesterday new years Eve, I had my second baseball practise for a couple of hours around 10 in the morning. then spend a few hours shopping in the mall and stopping other places around town. trying to spend that money Santa Clause brought. ive found when you know what you want to buy and you go shopping with items already in mind its help you to not spend ALL YOUR MONEY. the other tip ive found, Is this, I ask myself  DO I REALLY NEED THIS?  that stopped me from spending so much money yesterday. .
My mom and i enjoyed dinner at one of my favorites for the evening, Olive Garden , I wanted to spend part of my time and day bring in the new year with Family. I have had a heart change when it comes to family recently and i will probably talk more about that later . so i felt i started thenew year off right. plus i gave my brother a phone call at midnight. Then wearning some new clothes i bought shopping i brought the new year in with some friends watching the ball drop , counting down, playing games, such as madegab(thats a trip btw) and just hangin out until we hours in the morning watching a movie with my mom. So for the 2nd time this holiday break i slept until 2 o clock today, between , muscles being sore from baseball practise, a 12 hour trip back form bama a couple of days ago, and staying up late. i was tired so i missed church. So Im excited about this new year ahead.  I actually received a prophetic word that it would be thus far over the holidays. i believe It in my heart. IM EXPECTING AN AMAZING YEAR. I hope you bear with me as i learn how to blog and enjoy reading as i share my life with you. Thank you for your Love and friendship. God Bless yours and my 2012 .
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
THANK YOU FOR READING
-GODS WILL