ONE MONTH TO LIVE - DAY SEVEN (WISDOM)

WISDOM

All I know is that I need more wisdom.

All I understand is that it is the Lord whom gives wisdom.

All I can do is fear the Lord because that is the beginning of wisdom.

All I desire is to obey Him at all times.

ONE MONTH TO LIVE - DAY SIX (LOVE)

Today I got to experience love at its best!  I performed my 2nd wedding ceremony with Deve and Dylan today.  I couldn't believe the traffic in getting to the church today.  I nearly had a heart attack!  Toronto traffic kills me sometimes.  So sorry I was late....aaahhhh!

Anyways, back to "love".  Love is not sex.  In fact, this could be the furthest thing from love since sex outside of marriage is selfish and for personal gain.  This kind of love becomes destructive.  Look at all the relationships that happen out of physical attraction. 

The Bible says in 1 John 4:8 that "God is love".  So the question I ask is can people know what love is without knowing God?  Yes and no.  There are different kinds of love.  Eros, which is erotic or lustful love of the flesh which I talked about earlier.  Fileo which is brotherly love.  The highest form of love is agape love which is sacrificial and unconditional.  This is God's love for us.

Since God is love (agape), we cannot love unconditionally unless we know God.  That may be really hard to swallow for some.  Just like Jesus is the only way, truth and life and no one can come to the Father except through Jesus can sound exclusive and narrow.  It sure is!  But be sure and glad that there IS a way!

I love weddings!  It's like a big family reunion.  It's so great to see friends from different walks of life come together in one place.  I was telling my wife in the car ride back home from the wedding, that I am so blessed and consider it a huge privilege to be entrusted by God and people to officiate their weddings. 

This is one of the most significant events in a person's life and God has trusted me with this!  God thank you for your unfailing love!  Dylan and Deve, may God bless your marriage as you make Christ the foundation and let NOTHING separate you from God's unfailing and unconditional love.  Vancouver is a better city and the church is strengthened because of your love for God and for each other!

ONE MONTH TO LIVE - DAY FIVE (FAMILY)

OK.  So there are so many thoughts that run through my head when I think of the word 'family'.  I think of my earthly family and I think of my spiritual family @ Catalyst Church (www.catalyst-gta.com).  That was a shameless plug!

Family, much like close friends are a HUGE ASSET to the Kingdom of God when the family chooses to serve and love God.  Joshua 24:15b says, "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

As much as I love and appreciate my family, those closest to us, know how to push our buttons if you know what I mean.  They know how to work the inner parts to get our emotions to rise to uncontrollable levels.

There are several family members in my family that either don't know God or don't serve God and it is quite sad.  I used to try everything to help them and got discouraged and kind of gave up.  I know that's not nice.  But I've decided instead to pray for God to change their hearts.  I believe that stubbornness and pride can be changed by God.

I'm praying that my family will 'know' God and not just 'about' God.  I'm praying that they will love Him and serve Him.  The family is a powerful God ordained unit designed by God to wreak serious havoc in the spiritual realm.  I believe that when a family in Christ is mobilized, there is nothing that can stop them.

I dream of this kind of family in my home and in my church.  Have you given up or lost hope in your family?  If so, what are you going to do about it?

ONE MONTH TO LIVE - DAY FOUR (GREATNESS)

What does it mean to be great?  Do I even desire greatness?  Should we desire greatness?  Greatness from the world's perspective may be seen as attaining a high position of power, or accomplishing important things, or someone who is famous.

Regardless of your motives, part of who we are by God's design, desires to be great.  Whether your motives are good or evil, we are all created by the "Great I AM".

Those who claim to be followers of Christ, are called to be like God, "great".  In Mark 9:33-37 we find a story of Jesus' own disciples not reflecting the likeness of Jesus.  In fact, Jesus asks them what they are arguing about and they kept silent because they were busy arguing which one of them was the "greatest".  Even their motives were wrong.

Our motives may be masked when we serve in church and try to look good, or when we behave well in front of our bosses, but Jesus knows our hearts.  We can't fool the Master.  Jesus himself reveals the motives of their hearts by taking a child and embracing the child in his arms and saying that anyone who welcomes a child in His name welcomes Jesus.

A child is none of those things described in the world's perspective of greatness.  A child is weak.  A child is dependent on his father.  A child is not seen as important.  If you want to be great, Jesus says we must be like little children who are weak and dependent on God the Father.

Lord I desire to be more like you.

ONE MONTH TO LIVE - DAY THREE (DISCOURAGEMENT)

Let's face it.  Everybody faces discouragement.  Whether you are Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, or the guy down the street.  Life is full of disappointments and discouragement.  People irk us all the time and when those whom are closest hurt us, we have nowhere to turn to.

Or do we?  We have a Saviour named Jesus who died on the cross and paid the price for our sin so that we would become conquerors and victors in Him.  When Christ comes into our lives, He supernaturally empowers us to overlook offenses, to see beyond the evil, and to love and forgive just as we have been.

It is only through Christ that we can face and overcome discouragement in our lives.  I face discouragement all the time.  In my marriage, in 'my' relationship to God, my family and friends, and my church.  I also am realizing that God places those discouragements to give me opportunities to practice love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control.  It's for this reason, I am grateful for discouragement.  How then can we grow in Christ?  How then can we learn to depend on our Master?

Thank you God for discouragement.  I am the potter.  You are the clay.  Mold me and make me, this is what I pray.

ONE MONTH TO LIVE - DAY TWO (PRAYER)

In Mark 9:17-29, a man in the crowd is wondering why Jesus' disciples could not drive out the evil spirit from his son.  Jesus says, "Everything is possible for him who believes."  Jesus also mentioned in verse 29 that "This kind can come out only by prayer."  In your Bible you should see a superscript which is in the footer at the bottom saying "Some manuscripts prayer and fasting".

I once asked an elderly Jamaican woman, who was a neighbour of mine, what the secret to God's power was in her life.  She answered without hesitation 'prayer and fasting'.  She mentioned that God's power was displayed constantly and continually in her life as she practiced the spiritual discipline of prayer and fasting.

Perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves today is do we really have faith to believe that Jesus answers prayers?  Do we truly believe that Jesus fed the 5,000, raised Lazarus from the dead, healed the blind, sick, deaf, and mute?  Or was it some sort of made-up fairytale story?

Whatever your opinion is, Jesus says EVERYTHING is possible for him who believes.  I've prayed for family and friends with cancer and believed that Jesus could heal them but He didn't.  That didn't change my belief in God's power to heal nor did it shake my faith in Christ.  I still believe that God can and will do what is according to His will.

Today we put an offer on a house which if we got it, many would consider it an impossibility.  I'm not praying that we win the house.  I'm praying that God's will be done.  If this is the house, so be it.  If not, God is preparing a better place for us.

Do you believe everything is possible...according to HIS will?  I do.  So start praying and fasting for your family, friends, workplace, and neighbours.  Start the morning on your knees and end the night on your knees.  Prayer and fasting is the means in which the supernatural power of God is unleashed.  I believe!

ONE MONTH TO LIVE - DAY ONE (LIFE)

Let's face it...life is short!  If God were to end your life right now, could you say that you have fulfilled God's purposes in your life?  Would you be satisfied with your life?  What if you only had 30 days to live, how would you spend that time?  Would you live life differently?  

Many people are dissatisfied with their jobs, finances, family, friends, and churches.  Yet Jesus says in John 10:10b in the Message version of the Bible, "I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of."

Imagine that!  Whatever life you're dreaming of, Jesus promises a life that is BETTER and BIGGER!  That's HUGE! 

The way to live that better life is continued OBEDIENCE to His Word.  God presents open doors everyday for you and I, these God moments in which we can act in faith to His Word to see His purposes fulfilled in our lives.  I don't ever want to miss "God moments" but I know I have in the past.

I am praying for the next 30 days to hear the whisper of His voice and for the sensitivity to His Spirit that I may be obedient to live life as He has designed for me!  Life is short!  Let's live it for Him!