Perfectly Imperfect Together

(1 Samuel 8-10)The Lord left the perfect heavens and came in human form to our broken sinful world for us. He died a crushing, torturous death for us, offering us His life instead. We can trust that He not only wants good things for us, but that He will go all out for us if we are simply willing to trust Him, trust His timing, and trust His eternal goodness.

(1 Samuel 1-3)We are created in the image of God and are created to bear His glory to the world around us. We benefit greatly and eternally from God’s glory and His redemption plan for us, but we are not the focus or meant to be. We fall short of His glory and we desperately need Jesus and His glory. The spotlight belongs on God, not us. 

(Ruth 1-4) Our assurance is not in our feelings or circumstances or anything of this upside down world that is bent against God. Our assurance is in our Redeemer, our Savior, and His Word. Only the grace of our loving Father can save us. It’s only through Jesus we are saved and we all need Jesus desperately.

(Judges 13-16) God can handle our humanity and our messes. It’s never too late to cry out to God. God never stopped loving Samson and He will never stop loving any of us. He just wants us to faithfully trust Him, and keep running forward pursuing Him and His holiness in radical faith while pointing all those around us to Him too.

(Judges 6-8)Courage comes from faith. Courage is fear saturated in prayer as we move forward wholeheartedly trusting the Lord with all our guts. The way we grow in faith and courage is to hear God's Word, believe His promises, and obey what He tells us to do.

(Judges 4 & 5) We are called and commissioned to share Jesus with His authority and victorious power to give people the opportunity to be free from the bondages of sin and hell. The world around us may try to tell us we shouldn't, couldn't, or wouldn't. We need to hear and listen to God's voice and hush all the other noise. God wants every soul on earth to have the opportunity to hear and claim the victory of Jesus for their lives. Nothing on the face of this earth matters more.

(John 8:1-11)Jesus has us through everything if we are willing to trust Him with everything. He will lead if we are willing to listen and follow. Jesus wants a real and true and personal relationship with us. He wants to be close to us and wants us to draw close to Him. We don't have to try to do all the things or get everything right all the time. We just need to be desperate for Jesus every day, trust Him with everything, and draw close to Him.

(Judges 3:7-31)We are called to speak forth the Life of Jesus and the hope found in and through Him to a hopeless, defeated world. We are called to live out His Word and reveal to the world around us the reality of who Jesus is. The world is looking for better methods, but God is looking for men and women who understand the basics: the power of the Holy Spirit, wise strategy, and steadfast and radically faithful courage.

(Joshua 23 & 24) God doesn’t want us to just know His word in our heads. He wants us to let His Word sink deep into our hearts. The more we know God’s Word, the more we will know the God of the Word. God doesn’t want us to have big heads full of Biblical history, He wants us to have full hearts filled with His love and an understanding of His incredible grace.

(Numbers 22)God opened the donkey's eyes and vocal chords, and then He opened Balaam’s eyes. Even though he was living his life against the Lord, he bowed and fell on his face before Jesus. This is exactly what will happen when Jesus returns. EVERY knee will bow, because Jesus is King. No matter if you accept that truth or refuse it, the truth of Jesus and who He is remains.

(Joshua 2-4; 6) It was by faith and patience and trusting God at His Word that they were able to conquer Jericho. They marched in silent self-control trusting God day after day. God fought the battle as they trusted Him. God’s timing is always perfect. He knows what He’s doing. The key to the victory at Jericho was trusting God and faithfully obeying His direction - His Word.

(Numbers 20; Numbers 21:1-9)God sent us Jesus. He is the antidote for sin and death. He cleanses, restores, and redeems us if we choose to look to Him and trust Him. If we refuse the offer Jesus died for us to receive, the offer of life and eternity, we will suffer burning instead. We were all headed for fire, but God said - “No” - and sent us Jesus. He sent us His Rescue, but it’s up to us to choose to receive His rescue - now and for all eternity.

(Numbers 13 & 14) Caleb and Joshua stood firm in faith while everyone else sat down and whined and complained. Caleb and Joshua kept their eyes laser focused on God and His promises, His power, and His character. They stood in faith on who God is and what He does. They glanced at the giants in the land and gazed at God. That’s what we need to do every day as well.

(Deuteronomy 4) God isn't supposed to be the background noise in our lives. He is the very present and powerful source of life and the empowerment of our lives. We need to ask God every day for His direction in the day ahead. We need to ask God every day how this life He gave us is meant to be used for His glory.

(Deuteronomy 1; 3; 4) Every battle truly belongs to the Lord. The challenge of faith is for us to live like we actually live like that is true. Jesus fought with the devil personally and won. He has every spiritual weapon available because He is God. The weapon Jesus chose to use against the devil was Himself. Jesus Himself was His own weapon of choice. We all need Jesus desperately every day. Jesus is the Lord of Heavens Armies. He fights for us, and He is undefeated. 

(Leviticus 1-27; Hebrews 12:1-3; Matthew 6:1-18)God sent Jesus, His only Son, to die for the sins of the world and meet the just demands of His own nature and His own holy law. He is gracious and lets us choose. He doesn’t force salvation on us but freely gives us the offer to choose Him and choose life in Him now and for eternity.

(Exodus 20)God sets us free from sin and death through Jesus. Out of our love and gratitude for God and His offer of eternal life through Jesus, we should want to follow His will and do what pleases Him. Living according to God’s way isn’t a burden, it’s a delight because there is joy found in pleasing God. We want to please God because we love God. It is a privilege to use the gift of life God has given us for His glory and the good of others.

(Colossians 1:15-23)A relationship with Jesus is a daily lifestyle. It's a daily surrender to the will of God. It's a daily intentional choice to trust Jesus and who He is, knowing He is faithful and true - always. God wants us to experience Him fully like never before. He wants us to experience His peace and His presence like never before. He wants us to keep falling more and more in love with Him every single day.

The things of this world will pass, but Jesus is forever and if we choose to entrust our hearts and lives in full surrender to Him, we will be close with Him forever. That’s what Christmas is truly about. That’s what we need to focus on - not just in the Christmas season, but every single day that passes. Jesus was born, He died, He rose from that grave defeating sin and death completely, and He is returning for a Bride who is head over heels in love with Him.

(1 John 1:1-4; Genesis 1; Luke 2; Isaiah 12:6)Joy is not a feeling. Happiness is a feeling. Feelings are fleeting and temporary. Joy is eternal. It's a gift we receive, recognize and honor - a gift from God Himself. Joy is knowing in spite of this evil, twisted world we temporarily live in, our salvation - our eternity, is safe and secure in the hands of our almighty and powerful God.

(Exodus 32) Jesus is our eternal, perfect, and all-powerful Mediator. He paid the price in full for our sins on the cross and intercedes for us at the Throne of God. When we trust in Jesus, our sins are forgiven, which means we are to live forgiven - fully forgiven lives, in surrender to God and His glory. Jesus is always the best choice - way better than the glittery temptations of this world.

(Exodus 15-17:7; 19; 32; 34:1-9) Each challenging experience we face helps us mature and glorify God. The will of God will never lead us to where the grace of God can't keep us. Life can and will be hard at times, but everything happens for a reason and there's always a greater purpose behind it. God knows what He's doing. Our job is to trust and obey God and let Him run His world.

(Exodus 5-14)In 1 act at the Red Sea, God saved His people and punished sin. In 1 act at the cross, Jesus saved us and took our punishment for sin for us. He went under the waves and weight of punishment for us. God will deliver those who choose Jesus, He will rescue, and He will redeem. If we repent from sin, put our faith and trust in Jesus, and surrender our lives to His faithful hands - Jesus has delivered us. He has rescued us. He has redeemed us. It’s a promise and His promises are eternal and never fail. It’s up to us to choose Jesus every single day.

(Genesis 37; 39-41)Joseph didn't dwell on his misery or his circumstances. He got up and got to work. He trusted the Lord and did what he could do right where he was. Attitude is everything. What we do with what God has give us right where He has placed us makes all the difference in life.

(Genesis 32 & 33) Fear of others will paralyze us, but fear of God - knowing He is God and standing before Him in reverence and awe - will propel us. No matter what circumstances we face or what kind of fears grip our hearts in this world, we can always trust God to be faithful to His character and His Word.

(Genesis 25:19-26; 28:10-22)There is a constant battle between the flesh and the Spirit. The good news is that if you choose to surrender to the Spirit of God, the battle has already been won and He will give us the power and strength we need to overcome temptations. Jesus is the Bridge we all need to get from earth to heaven. We can only access heaven through Jesus. We can only be saved by turning to Jesus and surrendering our hearts and lives to Him.

(Genesis 22:1-19)Obedience doesn't withhold even what is most precious to us. Obedience trusts God fully with the future. Obedience is not holding on to anything and trusting God with everything. It's one thing to say you believe God, it's another thing to have the faith to walk it out.

(Genesis 12:1-3; 15; 17:1-9)We are not saved by making promises to God. We are saved by believing and trusting the promises God has made to us. We learn His promises by reading His Word. When you trust in Jesus, no difficulty we face is impossible and no failure is permanent.

(John 8:12; Ephesians 5:8; Ephesians 4:24-32; 1 John 1:5)We are all made in the image of God, and we are loved beyond comprehension. He made us for this very time and has a purpose for each of our lives. However, we are also all very desperately broken by sin, so the truth is, we are all sinners who need to be even more desperate for Jesus. Honest confession before the Lord leads to deeper communication with the Lord. In communion with Jesus, He is able to cleanse us.

(Genesis 11:1-9)God is at work in His world and He is accomplishing His purposes in spite of the choices of the sinful world. We can trust God and His goodness. God is never shocked by what people do on earth. By confusing languages and scattering the people, God graciously spared their lives and gave them another chance to repent and surrender to the Lord. God gives us opportunities to repent and choose Him. He gives us the choice to be gathered by His Grace.

In Revelation 22, John is shown the inside of the New Jerusalem and the completion of the Lord's redemption plan to come. It will be more beautiful, more glorious, and more amazing than we can humanly imagine. The most incredible part of the New Jerusalem is that we will reside with God and His presence - always. Jesus is the completion of all and He is the only chart that truly matters. He is returning in a flash, sooner today than yesterday. We need to live ready and prepared by keeping His Word and remaining in continual communication with Jesus. God wants us to know Him, experience Him, and keep falling more and more in love with Him. Two words summarize the entire Book of Revelation: Worship God. Worship God alone and. Nothing will ever satisfy like the love of Jesus is enough. Come Lord Jesus, Come!

In Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem is revealed and it is utterly glorious - greater and more magnificent than we can humanly comprehend. If you repent from sin and turn to Jesus as Lord and Savior, humbly surrendering all to Him, you are the victor who will inherit these things for all eternity. You will reign victoriously in heaven forever with Jesus and drink from His springs of life forever. You will experience no more tears, pain, brokenness, or decay. Heaven is about residing with God, not the streets of God - but there will be streets of gold so pure they are crystal clear. Heaven is about being God being present with us in an upgraded earth. The prize of heaven is the glorious presence of God.

In Revelation 20, we learn about the coming Millennial Reign of Jesus on the earth. After the Millennial Period, before God ushers in His New Heavens and New Earth, He will deal with sin once and for all at the Great White Throne. If you choose to repent and surrender your life to Jesus, heart and soul, this judgment does not include you. You are held safe and covered by the atoning Blood of Jesus, you are covered with His righteousness. You have an Advocate and Mediator, and He has declared you "Not Guilty" - now and for all eternity.

In Revelation 19, we learn that Jesus doesn't just want us to "get to heaven," He wants us to be present and experience His presence. He wants a real and personal relationship with us. He shed His Blood out of passionate love for us and He's not returning for a Bride who shows up once a week to hold doors and play dress-up. He's returning for a Bride who is head over heels in love with Him. God created us to enjoy a personal and real relationship with Him and that's what is at the heart of it all.

(Genesis 4) God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, and He rose from that grave so we could be restored and made right with God again. However, we aren't restored unless we honestly confess and sincerely surrender to Jesus. We all blow it, but we need to be honest about it. Jesus has us covered, He has forgiven us, but if we don't repent and confess our sins, we can't receive His forgiveness.

Revelation 18 reveals the fall of Babylon. We need to choose every day to stand firm in faith in Jesus. We don't belong in Babylon and we will never fit in with Babylon. We are to be a witness for God's glory by remaining wholeheartedly and completely faithful to Him. God cares for us. He loves us more than we can humanly comprehend, while Satan wants to deceive us, use us, and abuse us. We need to intentionally choose every day to remain faithful and keep our focus on the eternal. We are citizens of Heaven, not Babylon, and our lives should reflect that.

In Revelation 17, the Babylonian system collapses on itself. Babylon is a force and a mindset against God and His Holy City - against God's eternity. God will judge Satan and his evil forces. Jesus, the Savior of the world, reigns victorious over all kingdoms. Jesus brings purpose and sovereignty, and works all things together for His good and for those who are faithful to Him. Do not fear in the face of battles, hardships, suffering, or any of those unknown moments in life. When you dwell in the shadow of the Almighty, you can say to the Lord: "My Refuge and my Fortress, my God, in who I trust."

(Genesis 3)When we sin, our natural response is to try to hide. However, God wants us to bring it to His light, to repent, confess, and fess up. We don't try to clean up before stepping into the Light of Jesus. We confess and repent. The moment we do, His Light covers us. His Light cleanses us. His Light redeems and restores us.

In Revelation 16, it is evident that God does not provide us a way out of judgment, He provides a way into Him. There is refuge in Jesus. If we choose to repent and surrender all to Him, His will, and His authority, there will be no judgment for us. He's already taken the judgment to come for us. His goodness and mercies will be with us all the days of our lives if we are willing to surrender all and abide in Him. Jesus is returning, sooner today than yesterday, and we need to keep our eyes laser-focused on Him. Watch, and be ready. Remain faithful to the Lord with all our guts and worship Him with every last exhale.

In Revelation 15, there is another pause, a pause of worship throughout the heavens. A song of victory and deliverance is sung in adoration and worship of the Lamb of God, Jesus. If we choose to stand firm in unwavering, unshakable, even if, no matter what radical faith in Jesus, we have nothing to worry about or fear on this earth. God refines His people for something better that is coming. Following Jesus means turning away from everything but Jesus. It's a lifestyle of pursuing Jesus desperately every moment of every day - no matter what - with all our guts and every last exhale. Jesus holds all victory and if we abide in Him, we will overcome this world and stand victorious before His Throne.

In Revelation 14, we see judgment is coming. We are living in the season of grace, the season of salvation. Now is the time to choose to repent from sin and surrender all to Jesus. If we intentionally choose every single day to persevere for Jesus and endure faithfully for Him, we will be blessed. It will be worth it in the end - for all eternity. Endure, be faithful, and be wise. Grace is central to all. Worship is present in the things we say and the way we live, because it's more than just a song - worshiping Jesus is a wholehearted lifestyle.

In Revelation 13, we are reminded that the enemy may have his mark, but praise God, we have ours. We are marked as children of the Most High God by the Holy Spirit within us. It is not visible physically on our skin, but it is seen in the physical marks on Jesus from His crucifixion. We know where we are headed and we can choose to stand firm in "no matter what" radical faith. Our hope lies securely in Jesus. An eternity with Jesus is worth it all.

(Genesis 1:26-2:25)Jesus gave us His exhale. He breathed His life into us. We are God's creation and He is the only One who is allowed to define us, not the world around us. Only God gets that honor. God created us to trust Him and bear His image throughout the earth. We are given the responsibility to steward His creation for His glory, to spread and multiply His glory to the ends of the earth.

In Revelation 12, a pregnant woman giving birth is revealed. This woman represents Israel. Since the very beginning Satan has opposed God's will and God's plans and he doesn't take vacations. God wants His Kingdom full, but Satan's goal is to make it empty. We need to intentionally determine that no matter what comes, we will stand faithfully firm in Jesus and cling to Him with all our guts. We need to follow His Voice, His Word, and His lead. Hold on to Jesus with "no matter what", "even if" radical faith. Jesus holds all victory and His Word encourages us to stand firm no matter what comes. Victory belongs to Jesus and because we are His, we will be victorious by remaining stubbornly faithful to Him.

In Revelation 11, the 7th trumpet is about to be blown and God's wrath is about to be poured to the earth against sin and evil. No matter what comes, this is all temporary and God's eternal Kingdom is forever. We need to intentionally pursue Jesus with all our guts and surrender all to Him. Any suffering or persecution in this temporary world will be forgotten in the glory of God's presence. God honors the faithfulness of His children. If we choose to repent and humbly surrender all to Jesus for Life, there is no sin to be found in us and no sin to be judged. Instead of sin, we receive the white, righteous robe of Jesus. Jesus is returning and the world will be made right. Sin and evil will be judged. If we choose to surrender our lives to the authority and power of Jesus, we will be a part of His eternal, sin free, and glorious Kingdom.

In Revelation 10, there is another pause. We are in the day of salvation right now - the 1st pause. However, the time will come when the mystery of the Gospel and of Jesus will be fully revealed. The time is coming when the wait is over, and the plan is complete. Before the wrath of God pours out, there's another pause. Another call for repentance. A call to choose to surrender to Jesus and His saving grace. We are in the hour of grace, and when Jesus returns, the hour of judgment will pour out. The time to turn away from sin and repent, seeking Jesus with all your guts - is now. Cling to Jesus with all your guts, it'll be gloriously worth it because Jesus wins - and victory is coming - sooner today than yesterday.

In Revelation 9, God releases His restraint of evil on this earth and His judgment falls. With God's judgment, however, always comes God's mercies. We all have the option to repent from sin and choose Jesus. Our choice here and now determines our eternity. Terrors will come, pain will come, and it will be more and more miserable on earth for a season. We need to share the saving mercies available to everyone through Jesus. He is our Shield, our Protector, our Strength, our Hope, our Peace, and - most importantly - our Savior. If we choose Jesus for Life, heart and soul, we are held safe in His arms no matter what may come.

(Genesis 1:1-25)All that was not yet started overcame to become through the power of God and His Word, Jesus. Just one Word from God will do. His Word has all power and all authority. Everything has a beginning, except God - He has always been. He is the beginning of everything and everything in our lives should, therefore, begin with and be centered around God.

In Revelation 8, silence falls and the 7th seal is opened. Following the opening of the 7th seal, the 1st four trumpets are released. Judgment against sin and wickedness begins to fall on the earth. However, with God's judgment comes His mercies. In every judgment, there is merciful restraint because God's biggest desire is that all would repent and surrender to Him for Life for all eternity. He gives us time to repent, hoping we'll choose the saving grace Jesus offers before it's too late. Even in the face of darkness, even in the face of turmoil, even in the face of destruction, Jesus offers His presence. It's up to us to bend the knee and receive it.

In Revelation 7, there is a pause to zoom in on the faithful remnant who stand firm in Jesus and are spiritually secure. Even when all hell breaks out on earth, there is a faithful remnant who holds firm to Jesus and says, "I'm all in - no matter what." Being a part of the faithful remnant means you are un-shook by anything this temporary earth may bring. This is temporary, but God's great and glorious Kingdom is eternal. Cling to Jesus with all your guts because the best is yet to come.