Category Archives: Worship

May 17, 2011

Would You Have Faith Without The Cross?

By alexpenduck

I’ve had a thought going through my mind for the last several weeks. “Would I still have faith in God and be in love with Jesus if there was never forgiveness for my sin?”

This is something I have questioned about myself as I wonder at times how many Christians sit in church, do all the Christian things and say they follow Jesus because he died for their sins and he has forgiven them of those sins. I wonder how many people choose to follow Jesus because he has promised to give them a pathway to heaven.

When I think about all the incredible things my wife does for me I am overwhelmed with love for her. However, if she couldn’t cook, couldn’t clean, couldn’t pick me up when I’m down or celebrate with me when times are good would I still love her? If she wasn’t a rock beside me as we leadGenerationChurch, if she didn’t have an angelic voice, if she didn’t look so stinking hot, would I still love her? To answer, I’d have to say yes. Our relationship and love is built on so much more than these things. Yes these are some of the benefits of our love, but our love is not built on what we have done or will do for each other.

So I have to question myself, is my love for Jesus based around what he has done for me, or is it a deep connection of my soul?

When I look at the patriarchs like Abraham they had a faith in God that went so much deeper than just what God could do for them. Abraham didn’t have the assurances of grace, or justification by faith. Abraham didn’t have the cross or the blood of Jesus to look to, yet Abraham chose a life of faith and righteousness. David had a heart that yearned after God even without the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

I sometimes wonder how many people come to God because of fear of going to Hell instead of a heart felt love for the father. To be honest this question is bothering me! Sometimes I feel we are raising up a generation of Jesus followers who have never entirely fell completely in love with the person of Jesus. Yes they maybe in love with all that Jesus has done for them, but are they completely in love with Jesus?

This is a question I have been asking myself and I encourage you to ask of yourself.

Are you in love with Jesus or are you in love with the thought of what Jesus has saved you from?

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Worship

May 10, 2011

Big Ask Prayers

By alexpenduck

I have a little journal I use to keep quotes, bible verses and any words I feel God speaks to me in.

From time to time my wife will write a quote or verse in there as well. So sometimes I open it and find things in there I have never seen before. That was the case this morning.

In my morning devotion I was praying what I call a ‘big ask’ prayer. I said ASK not the other word you may have thought I wrote!

These big ask prayers are ones that I believe only God can answer and fulfill. They are the type of prayers that need divine intervention. As I picked up my journal I noticed something my wife had written in there that I had missed previously. She wrote, ‘the type of prayers you pray demonstrate your faith in the ability of the God you are praying to’.

I read this and the thought came to me, ‘you’re not praying big enough prayers!’ Yes I may have been praying for something past my control and ability, but if I believe God is who I say he is, then my prayers should be way bigger and beyond what so often I petition God for.

If the sun can stand still, if time can stop, if seas can split in half, if rivers can dry up, if giants can fall and if the dead can be raised to life all at the very command of my God, then he can answer some ‘big ask’ prayers of mind!

I wonder how many times God withholds answering our prayers because he is waiting for us to pray bigger bolder prayers?

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Direction, Worship

January 21, 2011

Why isn’t God answering my prayer?

By alexpenduck

Why isn’t God answering my prayer?

That was the question I couldn’t answer at the time.

Last night I ran into someone I haven’t seen in a while. The last time I saw them they were going through the biggest trial of their lives. They had moved to Maryland because of their employment and their wife thought this was the perfect time to end their marriage.

I remember praying with this person, trying to help them understand what was happening and trying to put a plan together to win her back! This person fasted for days, prayed like never before, read a ton of books on marriage and tried to understand his wife. However, there was no fairly tale end to this story. The wife demanded a divorce, the man was crushed and the question he asked me haunted me for months, ‘Why isn’t God answering my prayer?’

To be honest I had no idea! I mean why doesn’t God answer some prayers when quite clearly the bible says ask and it shall be given.

However, as I look back on that situation it is now clear what was going on. This man was going through a trial, so his focus became about that trial. The purpose behind the prayer was the trial. The focus on the fasting was the trial. The change in attitude towards his wife was because of the trial. This was a good man who wanted to save his marriage, but in the midst of a trial so often our focus becomes the trial. We try this and that to stop the pain, when in reality our focus should be Jesus not the trial.

Sometimes God allows a prayer not to be answered in order to take us to a place where our focus becomes him and him alone. A place where we pray just to talk to him not pray to get something. Where we fast to go deeper with him, not to get a breakthrough. Where we treat people well because we the temple of God’s Holy Spirit, not trying to convince others we have changed.

I think some people don’t receive their answer to prayer because God is looking for a response from them, but sometimes we can be focused on our trial that we miss what God is actually trying to do through us!

So today, if you are going through a trial! Take your focus off it, put it on Jesus and ask him to do through you what we needs to do!

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Life in general, Marriage, Worship

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