21 Days to a better you… #3

3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence? Can I be trusted?

Wow this one is big… I remember the 1^st time I read in Proverbs about being a faithful confidant. I said Lord I can do that… For a long time I did a good job of this and won the trust of many but one time I remember vividly messing this all up with one of my closest friends and brothers in the Lord. I have seen his life flip and flop since the incident and I can justify what I said in most circles. But in my heart… I know I sinned against my brother and let him down. Then what he told me got all misconstrued and all parties involved broke relationship. What a mess and I justified that I was doing the right thing.

Kind of like how people get off crimes they commit in a court room… but God's court room is different. He sees the heart…

As I pondered this question, I have resolved to go see my friend who still loves me dearly which is the miracle and brings the conviction upon me to right the wrong… Take a moment and remember how it felt when someone you opened up too broke your trust. O it hurt and stung… but we can forgive, this is the greatest power of the gospel. If you have wronged someone, go quickly and humble yourself and too if someone has wronged you… invoke the love of Jesus… FORGIVENESS.

Help me be a trusted counselor like you are Jesus.

Name revision…21 days to a Better you!

A dear friend suggested a new name for these 21 questions of blog posting… 21 days to a Better you! I like it who knows this me a book…

Here is ? #2…

2. Am I honest in all acts or words or do I exaggerate?

Do not lie... Wow was I a perpetual liar. As a young kid I would lie because I did not want my daddy or mama to whip the tar out of me... I was ashamed of my actions but I didn't parents upset with me. This was the enemy whispering to me as I did not have any wisdom and would compound my problem with by not telling the truth...

I didn't do it is what I would say...' Kind of like Cain when he killed his brother Abel and as his brother's blood cried from the ground, innocent blood... his response was "I did not do it…" His punishment was banishment from God's presence. Genesis 4:1-16 this story has made me listen carefully to my words that proceed out of my heart and to evaluate why am I doing what I do? Is this for me or for God's kingdom? Are my actions pure? Give me grace Lord Jesus…

Another thought that crossed my mind is what I do or say is it to please God or man… Lord make me a God pleaser!

Are you?

Holy Club Intro - Question #1?

I feel prompted to do a "series" on my blog. A lot of churches we partner with are in the ONE PRAYER (www.oneprayer.com) series for the summer and I am excited as to seeing how the Lord is moving the body toward him in deep intimacy. This intimacy brings deep repentance and extreme power from within as the Lord pours out his spirit… Joel 2:28-23, Acts 2:17-21.

These questions were developed from John Wesley's Holy Club and used to ask themselves for personal devotions. One of the churches we minister in on the mission field of Sri Lanka's east coast is a Methodist church as the 1^st time I looked upon it I thought of the fire of the Holy Ghost that prompts men to give their lives to bring the gospel to others… this fire comes from deep devotion to the Lord and blind acts of obedience.

I think the next 21 days will be a great time for us to really ask God to open our hearts and let the Holy Spirit shine his illuminating light. So each day for the next 21 days I will send out a new blog with a new question... I am going to try to do this @ least. I am in Sri Lanka as I write today and have a tight schedule and will be traveling in between... this may cost me some sleep. Oh well, his KINGDOM come!

Here is today's question... look forward to your comments.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am a better person than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
   

The Sermon on the Mount was Jesus' blueprint for us as believers to follow. If you never really understood what the first beatitude meant (Matthew 5:3), "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". I would recommend you to ask yourself these questions daily and see how poor in spirit you really are. Every time I read them, I have a rude awakening of how truly poor in spirit I am.

One thing I am confident of is we can't fool God. He knows us on the inside and the out... most importantly it is what is on the inside. Take a look today @ the condition of your heart... what is really on the inside? When I again embraced this question a short while ago, I saw how poor I really was and in self righteousness I had deceived myself. Again I stand in need of Jesus to be Lord of every area of my heart!

It took some courage and a dose of humility to bow myself to the Lord and allow him to enter into areas of my life that only I went too. I don't want to be a hypocrite... My prayer for today is "Lord make us transparent..."

How did God speak to you with this question?

 

More to come? Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka bus blasts kill at least 23

Associated Press,
Fri June 6, 2008 09:45 EDT . BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI - Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Bombs ripped through two buses in Sri Lanka on Friday, including one packed with morning commuters near the country's heavily fortified capital, officials said. At least 23 people were killed and 67 wounded. With much of the fighting taking place hundreds of miles to the north, the recent attacks have shaken the south, home to Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority, and left residents fearful of more to come.

 

I am sitting in the airport in Singapore about to board flight to head into war torn Sri Lanka. The latest news can be found on www.theacademic.org as I normally keep up with the news coming out of Sri. The country is in a mess and VERY unpredictable now… Thank you for sending us. Not for our safety but that people will know HIM. You can pray for my family… as a an old intercessor friend of mine told me regularly… "I need the prayer and you need the practice…"

Hope in Vietnam...

We didn't want to communicate while inside of Vietnam and I was about to scream because of all the awesome things HE did and is doing in the closed nation of Vietnam. Jack and Sherry Harris, Steve Smith and myself were so honored to again travel to Vietnam... Jack and Sherry have been going to 'Nam for almosty 20 years as their faithfulness is being honored with thousands coming to the knowledge of HIM. Jack & Sherry have been great mentors and friends of ours for many years now and it is just awesome to hang out in the nations with these folks. This time I got to hang out with Sherry's brother Steve which makes Global Messenger Service a three fold cord not quickly broken. Thank you GMS for allowing me to join you again in Vietnam and for our partners sending us as we are really having an amazing impact in the nations.