As I see 2014 progressing and watching the people around me – I can see that this is going to be a year of Growth through either – Persecution, Trial or Temptations.    This year several of us are going to be going through some molding periods that God has planned for us and we need to decide how we want to get through them.
How many of us have read these verses below – and really considered what we are going through as pure Joy.
James 1:2-4    Trials and Temptations    ² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Diane and I really enjoy our Devotional books – and sharing them is one of the enjoyments we have in the morning and relating them to what we are going through at the present time.  We have encountered several challenges in the last several months and these words of wisdom have helped us see some of them as Joy.    Here are a few words of wisdom from Diane’s this morning:

“You may encounter many obstacles as you move toward your goal, but don’t be discouraged – never give up!  With My Help, you can overcome any obstacle.  Do not expect an easy path as you journey hand in hand with Me, but do remember that I, your very-present Helper, am omnipotent.”

If you have been reading some of my recent blogs – this really covers it – we must remember that we are not doing this by ourselves.
Now my Devotional started off with this scripture:

2 Kings 5:14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Some of the Authors notes were: 

“While God doesn’t always give us an easy way out, He does often give us a simple way out.  But simple involves action on our part.”  –    “So next time troubles comes your way, remember to look for the simple solution that God has for you.  It may not be easy, but it very well could be simple.”

          I was able to experience just that – as in my last blog I wrote that I was having this Moses Talk with God about a Meeting I had in Denver.  I did go and it was the simple way out of a very hard situation and there was Healing between some really damaged relationships.   So sometimes God is just asking for obedience and it may be as simple as dipping yourself 7 times in the Jordan or just going to a tough meeting.

 My challenge would be to remember God is looking for Obedience from us as we go through those Challenges this year.  You must look for the solution that he is asking you to perform.

 Bobbyg

 

I am not having that great start of 2014 that I thought I should be having…   If you have been reading some of my stuff – you know that I was out of work for @ 3 months when I had both of my knees replaced.   Well coming back to work has been a challenge and I will have to say that I am struggling with the direction that it took while I was gone.  But enough of that – my challenge at the present time is that I am having this conversation with God – somewhat like the one Moses had at the burning bush.

Exodus 3:  10 > 14

¹⁰ So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

¹² And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you^[b] will worship God on this mountain.”

¹³ Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I am who I am.^[c] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

      The difference is that God is not calling me to save the Israelites – but to only make peace at my work place and let him do the work through me.   It has been a long couple of years with a co-worker of mine and it has finally come to a head and I have been called to a meeting in Denver on Tuesday to converse how we go forward.  At the present time I am coming up with all the reasons to keep me from going to the meeting.   So this is where I am having that Moses Conversation with God.  He is telling me to go and he will be with me – he will give me the wisdom and words to go forward with his blessings.
How many times do we have this conversation with God when he is calling us to do his work – even if it is a minor dispute at work?  God is working in all aspects of our lives and we are constantly having this Moses conversation with Him – and the bad part of it is that we normally do what we want to do.          “Our way is normally the easier way to go forward”                but as God responds to Moses in verse 14 –        “I am who I am”  –    and as I go to this meeting – I must remember:         ‘I am has sent me to you.’
               So I have to tell you – I will be going to that meeting in Denver on Tuesday – no matter how uncomfortable it is going to be.   But I will going there with a different perspective – God will be with me doing His work through me.  I want them to see Jesus in me and that this difficult time will be no more as we go forward with his blessings…                             You guys may have to do allot of praying for me – this will be difficult as I believe it was for Moses – but I must do it…    PRAY….

 So again as I give a challenge for the week – Do as Moses does when you go forward in the tough times and remember who it is that has you back:

“I AM”.

Bobbg

 
 

Well is it 2014 – are you ready for it.  Diane and I have been talking about the New Year and we believe it will be our best one yet.  Diane was telling me about this song from David Crowder that has excited her and will be a major part in 2014 for us.  The song is “I AM”   as in this verse from Exodus:      Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
     As we go into the New Year “I AM” is the one that we need to be connected to as we go forward.     David has a YouTube about the story behind the song and he talks about the song I AM:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRlmfOy1SJ4      it means the presence of being – here now and all the time – it means Hope – it means God is with us.   The verse in the song states that I am holding on to you – but “I AM” is really holding on to us even more intensely then we could ever hold onto him.   There is no better place to be – then to have “I AM” connected to us in all aspects of our lives.
As the song would say – there is no place he cannot reach or find us and his amazing Grace has no end.
Please listen to the song:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqQOytpbmLY
The Words to the song:

“I Am”

(performed by Crowder)

 [Verse 1:]

There’s no space that His love can’t reach

There’s no place that we can’t find peace

There’s no end to Amazing Grace

Take me in with your arms spread wide

Take me in like an orphan child

Never let go, never leave my side.

[Chorus: (2X)]

I am,  Holding on to You.

I am,  Holding on to You.

In the middle of the storm,

I am Holding on,  I am!

[Verse 2:]

Love like this, Oh my God to find!

I am overwhelmed what a joy divine!

Love like this sets our hearts on fire!

 [Chorus: (2X)]

[Verse 3:]

This is my Resurrection Song

This is my Hallelujah Come

This is why to You I run

This is my Resurrection Song

This is my Hallelujah Come

This is why to You I run

There’s no space that His love can’t reach

There’s no place that we can’t find peace

There’s no end to Amazing Grace

 So as you are making a New Year’s resolution – It must include “I AM” – May you have a great 2014 as Diane and I are going to have.

Bobbyg

I hope your Christmas went well – I was really blessed this year with my 3 boys and their families – it was great to be around family and enjoy the reason for the season.
Well somewhere in the back of my mind this question came up – it seemed to be lost back there – but I know that I read it somewhere or heard it.   The question was:   “Have you prayed to have God put someone in your life to help you from falling”.   I have always been a Promise Keeper at Heart and this is one of the areas that has come out of their ministry.   Guys seem to take on their problems all alone and refuse to seek help from someone else to help get them through the hard times but we need help.   A couple of verses come to mind when I think about this.
Ecclesiastes 4:12   though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
 Proverbs 27:17    Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
 There is allot of wisdom in these verses – it is so much easier to overpower what is taking you down when you have a couple of other brothers to help you through battle.   I have prayed this prayer a couple of times this year and God has blessed me with some great brothers to come to my rescue….  (It is an awesome experience to have a brother come along side you through the battle)

**In the Book The Barbarian Way there is a section about men fighting the battle together as they are going forward –     “Although the force of one person fully committed to God is tremendous, it pales in comparison to the force of God’s people moving together.  One barbarian wandering through civilization can be discarded as nothing more than an oddity.  But when members of the barbarian tribe line up across the battlefield side by side, something amazing begins to happen;  Dark kingdoms tremble; the dungeons and prisons that hold men, women, and children captive crumble; prison doors open; chains unlock; and multitudes come to freedom.  Whenever the barbarians of Christ pass through civilization, the oppressed and forgotten are soon found dancing in the streets.”

    Now here comes the next questions — you may have that group of guys who you fight the battle with (I call them my 2am guys) – but what if you are the answer to the prayer someone is praying.    We all have opportunities to help someone get through hard times and we either do not find the time – or just plain miss the promptings of God when he is pointing you in that direction.

 “My challenge to you this next year (2014) is either to find someone to help you through the battles – or to be that answer to someone’s prayer who is need of a brother to help him fight the Battle”.

Bobbyg

 

My daily devotional scripture today hit me on what are attitude should be during Christmas:
(Romans 12:9-13 –      Love in Action        ⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.)
This is truly a time that we need to show why Jesus came to this earth to become Human and the message he brought.   I have become a Mall Walker recently to keep my new knees in shape and I get to see allot of people during these walks.   I really enjoy seeing the joy coming out of all of them – there are always the Scrooges (and I use to be one of them) so those are the ones where that faithful Prayer comes into effect.
I ran across this you tube from Jefferson Bethke: “What Does It Mean to Be Truly Human?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEcvRKsmeoE
This is a scary aspect to be truly Human – it opens you up to be hurt and makes us vulnerable.  This is what Christ did so many years ago and we celebrate that during this time of year.  He came to earth and to become totally human as you and I and experienced all that we go through on a daily basis.  But as Christ Lived – so must we……………….   Love in Action requires us to become uncomfortable and hospitable.   This takes practice and for most of us it does not come easy and when we encounter the hurt because of it –  it is hard to do it again.   We must keep on going forward because that is what Jesus did when he came down to this earth and fulfilled this verse.
“So during this Christmas season – remember that Love is an Action” 
 Bobbyg

Since I have been off of work for @ 3 months breaking in my new Cobalt Knees – my wife bought me a Daily Devotional from Duck Dynasty – it is great.  This has caused us some issues in the morning now – while we are drinking our first cup of coffee and reading our Devotionals (She has her own – 2 of themJ) – we are starting to discuss which one is better.  I will have to say that her Dec. 14^th one was a really good one – I have taken a portion of it and printed it below:
This is an excerpt from the Daily Devotional “The Greatest Gift” by Ann Voskamp:
“And once the light of Christ Shatters your dark, shadows forever flee your shadowlands.  There’s no going back and living in the dark; you live in the impenetrable, safe Light of light, and Christmas never ends for you.  A Christian never stops living Christmas.  True, you cannot light Christmas – because it’s Christmas that lights you.
It’s Christmas that dawns on you, and you only really believe in Christmas when you really live it.  When you light a dark world and the unexpected places with a brave flame of joy; when you warm the cold, hopeless places with the daring joy that God is with us, God is for us, God is in us; when you are a wick to light hope in the dark – then you believe in Christmas.  When you really believe in Christmas, you believe there is really hope for everyone.  When you get Christmas, people get hope from you – they don’t lose it.    Unless you keep passing on the miracle of hope, you live like Christmas is a myth.”
 
I really enjoyed the part that Christmas never ends – if we truly are in the Light – then people should see Christmas in us every day.  This has me really paying attention to what my attitude is for that day – and do they see that Joy in me with a great big smile.  We will always have our bad days – but it is those days that they should see the Hope of Jesus shining through us.   This Christmas every day in us should be something that is contagious and is passed on…   – are you passing it on?

 So as we go out into the world today – look at yourself and see if Christmas can be seen coming through you – every day – and pass it on. 

Bobbyg
 

This is just one of the fun songs that I really enjoy listening to during the Christmas season – it keeps reminding me that I can still say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays…    
          “It’s Called Christmas with a Capitol C!”   Here is the You Tube to listen to the song and please enjoy:   and it is sang by a group Called “Go Fish”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ
And here are the Lyrics:
Brad Stine: “I remember when people said things like, ‘Merry Christmas’
to each other. EVERYBODY said, ‘Merry Christmas! Hey, Merry Christmas
to you, Mr. Lohenstein. Do you know why? Because it wasn’t about a
religion, it was about something as a culture that we thought was so
valuable, even if I disagreed with the religion behind it, because it was
good for ALL of us instead of just me. But what do people say now?
‘Happy Holidays.’ ‘See, I just say, “Happy Holidays,” because I don’t
want to say, “Merry Christmas,” because you don’t believe in Christmas,
and I don’t want to offend you, and…*chipmunk noises*'”
It’s called “Christmas”!
I went to the coffee shop
To get myself a mocha
The lady at the counter
Said, “Happy holidays”
I said, “Thanks, lady,
I am pretty happy;
But there’s only one holiday
That makes me feel that way.”
And…
It’s called “Christmas”
What more can I say?
It’s about the birth of Christ
And you can’t take that away
You can call it something else
But that’s not what it will be
It’s called “Christmas”
With a capital “C”
God’s got a law
And we’ve pretty much destroyed it
We’re gonna get judged
There’s no way to avoid
But Jesus came down
To take the punishment for me
He did for you, too,
So now maybe you can see why…
It’s called “Christmas”
What more can I say?
It’s about the birth of Christ
And you can’t take that away
You can call it something else
But that’s not what it will be
It’s called “Christmas”
With a capital “C”
It’s called “Christmas”…
Brad Stine: “Oh, yes, we want to say, ‘Happy Holidays’ because we don’t
leave anybody out. Really? How come there’s a ton of holidays in
February – nobody says, ‘Happy Holidays’ in February, do they? They say
what it is, ‘Happy Valentines’ – OOOO, do you believe in love?”
It’s called “Christmas”
Brad Stine: “But nobody wants to say, ‘Christmas’! Everything
else but ‘Christmas’. Why? I know why. You do, too. It’s because
it’s got ‘Christ’ in it, and after 2,000 years He’s still intimidating
people. You see, when a religious person says, ‘I am the way,’
people don’t want to hear it. They don’t!”
It’s called “Christmas”
Brad Stine: “I say you gotta say, ‘Merry Christmas’ because it IS!
If you don’t believe in it, fine. But I’ve got a flash for you:
Christianity happens to be the religious heritage of my
country whether you like it or not…”
It’s called “Christmas”
Brad Stine: “So if you’re not a Christian, or you don’t like it,
and you don’t want Christmas celebrated, God bless you!
But let me tell you something: if you think you’re gonna stop
me from saying it because it offends you,hey, I’ve got a flash
for you: PUT A HELMET ON! It’s my country, too!”
It’s called “Christmas”
What more can I say?
It’s about the birth of Christ
And you can’t take that away
You can call it something else
But that’s not what it will be
It’s called “Christmas”
With a capital “C”
(Come on!)
It’s called “Christmas”
What more can I say?
It’s about the birth of Christ
And you can’t take that away
You can call it something else
But that’s not what it will be
It’s called “Christmas”
(It’s called “Christmas”)
It’s called “Christmas”
With a capital “C”

     The country music stars but on a Christmas Show last week and Rascal Flats sang the song “A Strange Way to the Save the World” and it really made me think about the Christmas Season – more than any of the other songs.  Here is a connection to listen to the song:        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1iSZi_3s00
    But here are the words to the Song… 

Sure he must have been surprised

At where this road had taken him

‘Cause never in a million lives

Would he had dreamed of Bethlehem

And standing at the manger

He saw with his own eyes

The message from the angel come to life

And Joseph said…

(CHORUS)

Why me, I’m just a simple man of trade

Why Him, with all the rulers in the world

Why here inside this stable filled with hay

Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl

Now I’m not one to second guess what angels have to say

But this is such a strange way to save the world

 

To think of how it could have been

If Jesus had come as He deserved

There would have been no Bethlehem

No lowly shepherds at His birth

But Joseph knew the reason

Love had to reach so far

And as he held the Savior in his arms

He must have thought…

(CHORUS)

Now I’m not one to second guess what angels have to say

But this is such a strange way to save the world

…this is such a strange way to save the world…Saving the World

    If you notice the song is as if Joseph is singing the words – and made me think – what would I be thinking if I were Joseph?  
      You know as I go forward with my Ministry that God has put on me to do – I ask the same question:   God Why Me?    How many of us sit back and second guess what has been asked of us to do..    We would be just like Joseph and thought that there could have been a better way.   But you know that God has a purpose for all of us – no matter what it is – it is how he wants it to be done. 

 So as we go forward in this Christmas Season – think about what it is that God has asked you to do.  God could have saved the World in a much different way – but he chose the way that was best for us…..

And he may be using you at the present time to save the people who you have come in contact with…….
Bobbyg

My wife ordered this Christmas Movie “Last Ounce of COURAGE”  and we watched it last night – it was a powerful message on bringing back the true meaning of Christmas.    It really reminded me of our Upcoming GMM Conference Theme:   “Radical Truth and Grace”.
Truth:   It was a story of a small town’s fight of bringing back the truth of Christmas.
Grace:  All along the way they would always state that this was a fight for Freedom and that it is a must that everyone be allowed to express their personal beliefs – no matter what they are or if we agree.
 
If you have been keeping up with my most recent Blogs – they have been about the true meaning of Christmas and that we must do something.   This movie brings all of that together….
After you have looked at the information I have supplied below and would like the Movie – I will give my copy to the first person who calls me…..   307-631-1464…
 Below is a movie guide write up on it.
https://www.movieguide.org/reviews/last-ounce-of-courage.html
Very strong Christian, biblical worldview about a mayor and his family who are standing up for Christmas; no foul language; bloody wound on motorcyclist, war footage with soldier dying, perilous situations; no sexual immorality; no nudity; some alcohol use; no smoking or drugs.
Summary:
LAST OUNCE OF COURAGE tells the story of a fight to restore the celebration of Christmas, which has been banned in a small mountain town. LAST OUNCE OF COURAGE dramatically tells an important, captivating story and ends on a spiritual, heart-rending, patriotic, life-changing note.
Review:
LAST OUNCE OF COURAGE dramatically tells an important story and ends on a spiritual, heart-rending, patriotic, life-changing note.
 
                 Here is a short Trailer on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5iue0Wi3gY 
 
At the end they had a song that put me to tears:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlVdQRDxiRE
 
I hope that you enjoy it as much as my wife I did….
it was based around a Soldier who died fighting for our freedoms….
 
Remember the Reason for the Season and please share it
 
Bobbyg
 

My wife gave me this question the other day after reading it in a devotional and it was a great question.                              Story Below….
Matthew 2:1-12                          The  Three Wise Men
 1. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2. and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;  for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”   7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”  9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
     As you see from the story that the Wise Men went in search of Jesus and even stopped to ask directions J… and they did not stop until they found him.   They followed the light and listened to what the spirit had to say – then when they found him they worshiped him….     How much Wiser can you get?
My next question is:   Do we follow the same wisdom when we are seeking Jesus?  We should always have a relationship with Christ if we have accepted him – but there are those times that we try to do in on our own and really blow it in the process.    So during those times when I need to seek him out again to help me along the way – do I follow the wisdom of the wise men?

1.  Do I search him out until I find him?
2. Do I listen as the Spirit as he guides me along the way?
3. Do I seek advice when I cannot find him?  **The right advice…
4. Do I worship him when we are connected once again?
5. Do I bring him all of my gifts – or all that I have?

These are questions that I should be asking of myself when my relationship with Jesus is not at its fullest…

 So if your relationship with Christ during this Christmas Season is not at its fullest– ask these questions and fulfil all of them…

Bobbyg