Journey in Christ

You’re in Good Hands with God’s Plan

Dr. Mike Journey in Christ , , , , , , , ,

“Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;  and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”      1 Corinthians 15:12-19 NAS

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Heaven and earth united for eternity. The Kingdom of God in all its fullness. If there is no resurrection, no future life after death, than have we been a fool in living this way? What assurance do we have that the plain teachings of the Bible are going to happen? What does the future hold?

We have all asked ourselves the above questions at one time or another. The answer of course always goes back to the beginning. Is there a God? If there is no God, than let’s party. Let’s live and let live. Anything goes. Who cares about anything but getting what’s best for us now. Anyhow, anyway, anywhere, anything and everything goes IF there is no God.

Or on the other hand, if there is a God, we better fear. We better seek out what He is all about. We better find out what He expects from each one of us. All these thoughts probably have entered most of our minds at one time or another. Thankfully, God reveals Himself through creation, through the Bible, through the lives of other people, and through life’s experiences.

If creation was a happen chance, so are we. But on the other hand, if creation was a planned activity, doesn’t that mean you and I are a part of that plan? Which is easier to believe? The bottom line is if creation was a planned activity, than it requires a planner. And that planner must be One Awesome Being to pull it all off. We believe that is what scares those who find it difficult to have faith in a Creator. Because if there is a Creator, than we all are one small dudes with someone larger than ourselves that we may be accountable to in life.

If the Bible is not God’s working manual for mankind, than it’s the second greatest con job of all time (Jesus’ resurrection would be the first). However when you read it, you find quotes from God Himself. And these quotes are challenging us to exercise trust in Him; quotes that are giving us a choice of lifestyle that would benefit us individually and collectively; quotes that are directed to us personally to prove Him. And when you take Him up on His challenge, you begin to experience radical changes in your life that is described throughout the Bible. You begin to realize that God uses the Bible to reveal Himself to us and to help us know Him better. It points us to having a relationship with the Greatest Dad of all; a heavenly Father that is good and wonderful to all; a God who reveals Himself as the Creator of all and cares about His creation.

Doesn’t the Bible already reveal all that we need to know at this time about our future? A future with Christ for all eternity. If there were no other people involved in this adventurous journey of transformation in Christ, than we could easily see doubts arise in our own walk with the Lord. However, when one is a witness to the internal, spiritual transformation in peoples’ lives, than it reassures us that what we are living through is for real. When we discuss the internal struggles with others and they understand us, than we find it reassuring that we are not going crazy. That this Christian life is for real, and the experiences, struggles, hopes, and joys are not something strange but the realization of walking with a living God. The bond and unity you experience in sharing yourself in a small group or in a congregational worship service reassures us that God is alive and living in the lives of those that have fully acknowledged Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Likewise, when we read the classical writings of the saints from yesterday and thoroughly relate to their everyday struggles, hopes and faith, it again reassures us that our walk is not something new, but the way it has been from the very beginning. It is the way God reveals Himself to us and builds His masterpiece: the invisible, universal Church.

plan 6If our experiences through life were all disappointments, then we probably would question our walk with the Lord. However, there has been much joy in witnessing the power of God in one’s life. From answered prayer, to blessings of joy, God has extended His unmerited grace and favor upon us. Even if we didn’t live in America with all its physical trappings of abundance, we believe that God would have still showered upon us His grace and blessings that only a Believer really understands. Yet, we are very thankful that our earthly fore-parents came to live in America. It makes the Christian walk more challenging in many ways that our brothers and sisters in other countries can’t even phantom. For it allows us to experience facets of the good life and see the abundance of God’s wealth and leads us to a better comparison of the physical wealth with God’s spiritual riches. We are constantly tested to choose between the two. It allows us to practice self-control that people in other countries can’t even imagine.

The Christian in America does have a different challenge than many of our brothers and sisters in third-world countries can’t even imagine. We are privileged to learn how best to manage our wealth for the betterment of others. Many of us are challenged to learn how not to indulge ourselves at every meal. We eventually learn that blessings are not just a physical matter. In many ways, physical blessing could become a curse. The real riches of life are found in the spiritual treasures that God gives to those who truly yield themselves in heartfelt obedience to Him. And to experience the Giver with all His riches is truly the greatest high this life has to offer. We are very thankful that He has included us to live a life as a disciple of His. Praise Be to God!

OUR PRAYER

PRAYER 1

Our Awesome Heavenly Dad: All glory, honor, and worship belong to you. You are greater than we can even imagine. Our small glimpse of you makes us shudder in how awesome you truly are. You created everything that is in existence. You keep everything in order throughout the universe. You have a time table that you move history through its pages. You are One Awesome Being.

Let your greatness always be magnified in our life. Help us see your greatness in every aspect of this life. Hide nothing from us. Let us learn about you and teach you to others. Reveal your truths to us. Reveal your creation to us. Reveal your plan of salvation to us. Reveal your glory to us.

Help those who are searching for you. Help them find you. Open the doors to your kingdom for them. Let everyone enter. Let everyone see your awesomeness. Hide nothing from us but let you glory be praised throughout the nations.

Help us be your faithful child in the Lord. Let us be the apple of your eye. Grant us your favorite blessings. Shower upon us your richly treasures. Hold back nothing of you to us. In return, help us share you and your riches with others. Help us always to glorify you before others.

You are our God. You are our Creator. You are our Provider. Thank you for making all this possible Jesus. Amen.

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Coach, Consultant, and Speaker

Author of Great Business Emulates a Good God

Our Buddies

Dr. Mike Journey in Christ , , , , , , , , ,

expressway 1

There are those in our youth who may express disappointment to have no other choice but the long and narrow roads of life. Generally, youth wants the four lane freeways of life to allow more room to maneuver and arrive at their destination quicker. Though as youth matures, that concept seems to change.  Today, maturity would rather have the narrow road, the road less traveled. The single lane country roads are more fun than the modern, multi fast lane expressways of metropolitan areas. As we age, speed isn’t as important as timeliness.  We rather drive and enjoy the view of the countryside rather than the cement of buildings and streets. The roads may not have the best directional signs, but the experience is much greater and positive.

Our modern freeways are a wonder of travel. You can travel anywhere in the country without a map by simply following the road signs. We know people who once traveled driving through the night from Detroit, Michigan to Madison, Wisconsin without opening a map. They simply headed west and followed the major signs. But try that through the country roads and they would probably still be driving (this is written prior to GPS). You would literally have to stop and ask for directions every few miles to confirm that you where moving in the proper direction. The speed limits would also make a thirteen-hour drive into a thirteen day drive. But the experience, the people, the sites, the flavor of the countryside, the feel of small town America, the beauty of the rural areas would make it all worthwhile. Again, in our youth when time was of the essence, the freeways of life were probably our first choice.

Today, as we mature with time as our companion, the narrow country roads of life are our buddies.  To paraphrase Jesus, narrow is the door that leads to life and wide is the way to destruction. If the majority of people feel something is acceptable, we then immediately feel that it is so. Likewise, if only a few agree, then it must be wrong. How often have we fell into that way of thinking? If fact, the reverse can also be true. Just because the majority agree doesn’t make it right or wrong. The number of people in agreement doesn’t weight the scale. The scale is weight by God’s Word as best as we understand it.country road 1

One of the hardest concepts of living that took awhile to sink in was this simple truth: that the majority could be wrong. We are not saying that they are always wrong, but if probability is our god, and depending on the situation, it could easily lean in that favor. It doesn’t matter if we are talking politics, parenting, or religion. The majority isn’t always right. You have to search for the facts and discover the truth (small t). If God allows, He may even reveal the real Truth (large T) to you. To take the narrow road is against human nature. We feel more comfortable taking the wide road. It looks safer. It looks more exciting. It feels right. It allows us more room to maneuver and make choices. It’s the road well traveled. How can anyone go wrong? But the narrow road looks so lonely. It forces you to focus and concentrate. It feels cramped. What can you possibly discover traveling down such a spooky route?

One person once stated that perception is everything and truth (small t) is what you perceive it to be. You create your own reality. If you perceive the narrow path or the wide road as the best route for you to take, your perception is the truth. However, being a disciple of His, we also try to balance our perception of truth (small t) with the larger Truth (large T). Whenever we are in doubt, we lean towards faith in Him and Truth as He has revealed to us.  Part of that process has been learning over time the joy and rewards of traveling down the narrow roads of life. We still have the hurts, marks, and pain from traveling down the wide freeways of life as our reminder that narrow roads are better for His disciple.  If anyone hasn’t tried them yet, we will gladly share our experiences. And if our experience isn’t enough, we can locate many others who would likewise agree. All of them are our brothers and sisters in Christ. For a Christ-follower journeys the narrow road less traveled.

OUR PRAYER

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Awesome Dad, thank you for revealing your plan of salvation to us. Thank you for giving us your Word to read, to understand, and to come to know you through. Thank you for sharing with us your creation. Thank you for revealing the joys and beauty of walking with you. Thank you for being there when we need you. Thank you for sharing the journey  with us. Thank you, Jesus.

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Coach, Consultant, and Speaker

Author of Great Business Emulates a Good God

Location, Location, Location

Dr. Mike Journey in Christ , , , , , , , , ,

heaven 2“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3

What is your definition of heaven? Is it a place from where God rules the universe? Is it where the angels reside with God? Is it the place where our souls go after our physical death? Is it another dimension? Is it located near the north star?

Jesus spoke about the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. Are they different places or the same? He described heaven as having many rooms as a mansion. In the Book of Revelation, heaven is described merged together and residing on the new earth. One recent song describes heaven on earth is Jesus Christ. Some feel that heaven is only having a relationship with God. Others feel that heaven is a figment of one’s superstitious mind. There are many other concepts of heaven. What is yours?

The best description of heaven that we have, of course, is found in the Word. We may not know anyone personally who has gone to heaven and returned to describe it to us with the exception of Jesus and the inspired writers of the Word. Yet, as a Christ-follower, it is the end result of our life. It is the focus of our energy and the belief of our trust in Jesus that makes us pursue it with our whole being. As a Christ-follower, we have come to learn that faith not only moves mountains but also crystallizes hope in God; a hope in a generous God still creating His masterpiece. Not a physical masterpiece, but a spiritual masterpiece; a spiritual, eternal home for all His children to rule and minister with Him the work that He has planned from the foundation of creation.

Heaven is God’s home from where He conducts His business of running the universe. Whatever description we have come up with is limited based on our physical senses and understanding. We know based on the Word that one must be born with a spiritual body to reside there. That of course means a body that is built to last for all eternity. We know that we will see Jesus as He currently is in all power and majesty as described in The Book of Revelation.

As a disciple of His, our goal is to be with Him. It doesn’t matter where or when. Our only concern is that it will be. Some of our brothers make a strong issue of when. They argue that immediately after death one’s soul goes directly to heaven. Others feel that at death one’s soul sleeps until the resurrection. Both arguments can be substantiated through scripture. Which is the correct answer though will only be resolve after our physical life is over. Until then, does it really matter? Again, our only desire is to be with Him now and for all eternity. The little details will take care of themselves through time. Heaven is the goal.

OUR PRAYER

PRAY 9

Dear Heavenly Dad, thank you for giving us a reason, a purpose, a destination to live for. Apart from you there is nothing of value worth pursuing in this life. We long and wait for our time with you in our new body and eternal habitat.
Help us to continually capture the vision and peace of your heavenly domain. Let it reside in us today. We live in the midst of eternity today. Help us to live each day in your kingdom as Jesus lived while serving you on earth.
We await our time when we may see you as you are; without physical limitations. Keep us in your arms. Keep us on track. Keep us focused. Thank you, Jesus.

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Mike

Coach, Consultant, and Speaker

Author of Great Business Emulates a Good God