Change the focus

One of the best things I have learned from the Holy Spirit has been to change the focus.  You see I have spent the majority of my Christian life focused on not sinning and while doing that my journey has been a rough one.  It has been hard to be obedient to God because I would continually put myself first in “my” battle.  As I have been reading and studying these past few days, I have learned I need to become a captive of Hope.  I need to place my faith and hope in that God will release me from my thoughts, and while he is working on me, my focus needs to be on him and not on how can I serve him better by not sinning.  Not sinning is not the answer, it goes back to the old saying of don’t touch the stove or it will burn you!!  Well I know many people including myself who didn’t learn not to touch the stove until they actually touched it and got burned.  If we keep telling our selves not to sin guess what, that is exactly what is going to be on our mind pretty much all the time.  Then the blessings and interactions God sets for us can be missed.  I want to focus on his love for me, the fact that Jesus says he is a redeemer and a re-warder, I want my works to come because I want to serve him and not because I have too.  I want to be the kind of servant who chooses to wash people’s feet because I know the journey they have taken to come to that point in their life.  I want to be the kind of servant who knows without a shadow of a doubt, I can sit at the table like Psalms 23 says while my enemies are waging war.  To know that God is the kind of God that wants to love me should be enough to change my focus.  My thoughts should be in line with His and when they run astray I need to hold them captive and give them over to the Holy Spirit.  We have access to the most powerful weapon/tool/protector with us in the Holy Spirit.  Let us stop reminding our selves that we are sinners, rather let us remind one another that we are His Beloved, his chosen ones.

Now, I have tremendous discipline and aptitude for sin, but if I switch that effort into my love affair with the Almighty, how much more will I be able to shine to those who need him.  My heart needs to be broken for those who are lost and hurt, for those who need healing or an encouraging word.  If I continue on a path of just being obedient then eventually I will be disobedient.  However, It is in Christ’s sacrifice that we receive Grace.  I will and have changed my Focus from myself to Christ in me.  That is what happened the day I accepted him, he became a part of me and the Holy Spirit is with me as well.  I can call on the angels for refuge and know that Christ is my fortress.  This world has many pains and evils that we will experience, but as Jesus says he has come so that we may have life and live it abundantly.  That abundance he is speaking of is Him, he can and will guide our life once we learn how to change our focus.  This is like a great photographer, they know in order to capture the moment of their art it must be in focus or it loses its influence.  The same goes for us and how we chose to follow Christ.  We can either Choose to follow him out of focus and continually look at our self and our brokenness first or we can choose to follow him in focus which allows us to gain the influence, grace, power, mercy and love of our Holy and Mighty Papa! I am choosing the latter.

One Love, One King, All Christ!

Making Changes!

Well its about one week since my time with God and I can say changing is happening but oh so slowly.  It seems like I want to fight this change but I know the significance God has made in telling me to make these changes.  My future is what is at stake, I do not want to bring secrets into any relationships, those that are current and for my future relationships with friends and future wife and children.  These changes are important to God and to me because I realize in these moves I become more intimate with him and more open to serve him.  I want my life to be an example for others who say I cannot do this, to look at my life and say WOW, if Ant can do it I can do it!!!  I want these changes to be visible in my everyday life.  I pray that Christ will continually shine through me in everything I do.  I am thankful for a soft heart and for the many people in my life who have taught me so well to give others second chances and more.  People who remind me that if I didn’t get these opportunities to change in my life I wouldn’t be the man of God I am today.  It has been through forgiveness and mercy and love that I have made it.  It is in these moments that I need to remember how God has influenced me and how he has placed the “RIGHT” people in my life.  This path and these changes are God appointed and they are happening as he has timed for it to happen, so though these changes are happening slowly, they are happening perfectly. One Love, One King, All Christ!

God Breathed Instructions

Well after 2 days of Solitude with Jesus I can say it was amazing.  The first night was just so quiet over the balcony and the stars in the sky over the ocean were awe inspiring.  As I sat I waited, I did not pray nor did I make a sound, I sat and I listened.  My heart raced and a million things went through my mind, but finally in the dark of a star lit night, I heard the peace I was waiting for.  Then the messages began and they were bold and confirming of what my life is and has become for Jesus.  He spoke to me and gave me peace, conviction and ultimately covered me with the Grace of God, which I want to let change me.  I asked for a sign that night and though it was not what I was suspecting, sure enough Christ gave me one.  It also came at the end, it was the exclamation point if you will.  I wrote down all he said and a few of those things were for me to go through a purification process with him, where I finally let the Holy Spirit mold me more into the man others see and stop believing the lies I believe.  Secondly, though I have said it a few times already allow the grace of god to change me and not use it as an excuse to stay where I am at!  For me to continue to Honor my word and my actions as many of the people in my life trust me because Jesus has helped me to be a man of integrity.  Also, learning to love myself enough to change, there is a reason why Jesus says the second most important commandment is Love your neighbor as you love yourself. ( Matthew 22:39)  I have come to understand if I cannot love myself through how God sees me then I will not be genuine in my love for my friends and family and those who are lost.  Though my life is not about me, it most certainly is about Jesus’ love for me.  This few days alone with him has changed who I am and who I want to be.  Life is what it is, but Jesus is always TRUTH.  I am thankful for my shooting star, my exclamation point to remember where it is God wants me to go, which is to Follow him.  I pray that I would be able to be obedient to my Papa in a way that makes him proud. One Love, One King, All Christ!