“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Ps. 62:1-2
I don’t care what you are facing, God is in control. There is no need to fear. He is a rock…your rock and if you lean on Him, if you trust Him, you will not be shaken.
Don’t give up.
Almost a decade ago I ran across a creed that challenged me with the passion that exists in its words. Ran across it again recently, thought I would share it with you.
I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed.
I have Holy Spirit Power
I’ve stepped over the line.
The decision has been made, I am a disciple of HIs.
I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still
My past redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.
I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame vision, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-imminence, position, promotion, applause, or popularity.
I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, regarded, or rewarded.
I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience.
I am uplifted by prayer, labor empowered.
My face is set, my pace is fast.
My goal is heaven.
My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my God reliable, my mission is clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of my adversaries, negotiate at the table of my enemy, or ponder at the pool of popularity.
I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I’ve stayed up, prayed up, preached up for the cause of Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus and I am unashamed.
Although he didn’t know I was looking, I was. I was intrigued by his tough exterior. He was trying to act tough, but for some reason I just didn’t believe that was reality. He seemed contemplative and concerned. He seemed to have questions, but didn’t want to ask.
As I watched, my heart began to hurt for him. I think I got close enough to him to sense his confusion and his frustration. He wanted purpose and didn’t know where to find it. He wanted love, but didn’t know where to go. The more I sensed his pain, the more I began to pray. I prayed that God would touch his heart and captivate his attention. I prayed that the Lord would meet his needs and convince him of his love.
It wasn’t long after I began watching him and praying for him that I saw him approach a friend, a pastor and begin to ask questions. Although he did not open his heart to Jesus that day, he is on the way. God is going to reach this one.
I share this because there are people all around us who are hurting and confused. May God open our eyes to see past their exterior and open our hearts to feel something for them. When we do, may we pray great prayers so that the Lord may touch them deeply and bring them home.
I am part of the army. I fight for the King and His purposes. I am grateful for those of you that fight beside me.
Sean
Jeff called me yesterday. He is a longtime friend and donor (his wife is one of our online coaches) who loves young people. He told me that he recently was sharing his story with some young people and he shared about his substance abuse issues, relational immorality, and materialistic pursuits. After painting a visual picture of his life, he asked them for their opinions on why at 21 he had never considered Jesus claims as valid for his life. A couple of answers were tossed around (the drugs had you confused, you were convinced that God wasn’t real, or you thought you would have to give up too much to serve Jesus) but none were true. Finally, he looked them in the eyes and said, “I never considered the claims of Jesus because no one ever told me about Him.”
Last week as he was rehearsing that moment in his mind, he said, “Sean would have told me. He would have told me that Jesus loved me and had a plan for my life.”
Jeff called me just to encourage me and spur me on to keep sharing Christ with everyone possible. As we ended our conversation, he took it one step further. He said, “that is why I support Groundwire. Because I know that you are out there sharing Jesus with people who do not yet know. I want to be a part of that.”
Thanks Jeff for the being the man that you are and for offering that encouragement. It means a lot.
May the rest of us, especially those of us that grew up in homes where Christ was common conversation, realize that there are others that haven’t responded to the love of Christ simply because no one has shared with them. May God use us to be His voice to those that He loves.
Sean
A couple of months ago I heard from Mark Modra, a father from Australia. His daughter tragically took her life in January. In the midst of this tragedy, Mark and his wife have been aggressively working to ensure that other people struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts can get help. At groundwire we are working with them to offer conversations, coaching, and prayer for those who feel helpless and without hope.
This week an Aussie television network has picked up Hannah’s story and run it twice drawing over 4,000 people to www.hannahmodra.info in a 24 hour span. Take a second and check it out. They have done a great job memorializing her life and offering hope to those who might be in the same boat.
Also, you can hear a short version of Hannah’s story at one of our sites. “hannah’s story” at www.broadcasthope.com is a quick video from Mark.
Would you join me in praying that God would use the sadness of Hannah’s story to save many others?
Thanks,
Sean
This weekend Mary and I were joking about the shoes that get left around our bedroom. On Friday night, there was a pair left right in my path to the bathroom. Because it was dark (and my eyes were not totally open) I stepped on them and mortally wounded myself (ok…they only caused me a little bit of discomfort, but still). Like I said we were joking about this and like with most things, I saw a spiritual parallel.
See, there are things that can be stumbling blocks to us. When left in the dark, they are dangerous, but when we approach them with light on, then they are easy to navigate and avoid. The problem is that by choosing to not live in the light (I can go through stretches where I get too busy and neglect God’s word; “His Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path) I stumble. When I don’t light my path by staying close to Christ, reading His Word, and talking to Him about things in my live, I am vulnerable.
Although it was a minor thing (tripping on the shoes), if I stumble on sin or trip on things that can knock me off my path it can cause some collateral damage in a spiritual sense.
Still thinking through the full ramifications of this silly revelation, but as I do, I am sure there is a devotional thought coming…
Well, it’s Monday, better get to work. Have a great week.
Sean
Yesterday I read a chat that one of our online coaches had with a radio personality. Even though she is a successful local celebrity and is grateful for the job she has, she feels that there is something missing. Teri (our coach) was able to point out that it was an intimate relationship with Christ that was missing.
I love that. After hearing our spots night in and night out, the message of Christ finally gripped her heart.
Those of you who pray for the Groundwire spots to be effective and pray that they are impossible to ignore…thank you. God is at work…and you are to blame. lol.
Have a great weekend.
Sean