Been awhile since I have written in here but that is due to being very busy with volleyball but also seeing that in growing it takes more than a week to really learn something and I have been trying to take time to work on the things God is showing me. Growing takes time, continual effort every day and can't be rushed. I
relate that to volleyball, when we started our inaugural season this year our
players were at a certain level. We are now nearing the end of our season and I
can see the results of the work they have put in and how they have grown as
players and as individuals. Some have worked harder than others and you can see
the difference in those that always gave 100% every day compared to those who
didn’t always work their hardest. That is how I am striving to be in my own
life, I have to give 100% to God every day otherwise my growth will be minimal. But you can't grow as a player or as a christian if you don't know what to work on. I am so thankful and very blessed to have a couple of people in my life who speak hard truths to me in love because they are true friend and care for me. Recently I had been feeling that I was missing something, that something was wrong and I wasn't addressing it. Thanks to a man I respect very highly and who is like a second father to me and
a great counselor to me, he helped me see a sinful root in my life that I have not
dealt with completely and that is the root of selfishness.
I know, I know, we all say it to ourselves, "we know we are selfish" but this was different. This was so much deeper and it hit me at the core and brought me to tears because of my wickedness. God gave my mentor Steve wisdom to point out to me ways I had let my root of selfishness saturate everything in my life. All of my relationships with others, whether they
are friends, family, co-workers, etc. has been affected greatly by my sin of
selfishness. I have driven people away from me unknowingly because of how
selfish I really am and that hit me hard and stung very deeply. Everything I
had been doing in my life was about me and my desires, my lusts, my happiness,
my satisfaction, my prosperity, me, me, me, me, me. Yet, I fought that thought because I am a giving person and I strive to do things for others and be selfless. That may be true, but what were my motivations? The question then comes, what is my motivation in life or what is the purpose of my life? Sadly, the answer was what can I get out of this or whats in it for me. When I didn't have my prayers answered I found myself angry at God or getting angry for not giving me what I felt He should. The flood gates opened and I kept going with so many selfish thoughts and really saw my anger and bitterness towards God because I had made what I desired truth and felt I deserved those things. I had made myself a god and thought I knew what was best. Oh how wrong I was and I praise the Lord for making my sin blatantly clear to me.
Steve encouraged me to write down all the ways I was offending God with my selfishness and to confess and forsake them as the Bible teaches. I did so and I praise the Lord, for He is greatly to be praised, for He forgives those who confess their sins and helps us to renew our hearts through His Spirit and His word. I didn't deserve that forgiveness, but that's grace, giving me something I don't deserve. I have asked some people for their forgiveness already and still have others to ask for I sinned against many and must get that right with them. I also see how merciful God was to me through all of this. In His mercy He spared me from ruining others lives because of my selfishness. I was a selfish friend, a selfish family member, a selfish co-worker, etc. I am so thankful I don't have to live in bondage to sin and can live free in His grace, but I have to choose to die daily to my desires and my flesh. (Galatians 2:20) Thankfully I have God's word and His grace and strength to help me have victory every day. It is amazing how now that the Lord has opened my eyes to my sin how often i see it. I feel like I am walking around and I say something or think something and I immediately think, "Mark that is so selfish" and I proceed to preach God's truth to myself through His word.
I had to learn that I couldn't keep picking bad fruit off of my tree because those bad fruits will grow back. When we look at the tree of our life we have to go to the root and not the fruit. The root of my sin of selfishness or any other root is always unbelief. It is something I am choosing, not I forgot, but something I am choosing to not believe about God. So now when I am struggling I am meditating on attributes of God and verses that coincide with those and I have them sitting at my desk. or posted on my cubicle walls, or right next to my bed at home. I must saturate my life with God's truth from His word, not my own thoughts or my own desires for those are not truth. Now in answer to my question from earlier, what is my motivation: My motivation isn't a pet answer that oh we should do all to the glory of God, even though that is true. To many times we just say the common answer and we do not truly apply it to our lives. My heart felt answer then is that in all I do, whether talking to friends, or family, or co workers, or whatever I think or whatever I must do with my hands, even in the menial things like breathing and eating and sleeping (things we don't really think about but just do) I will look to give honor to God in all things. That means when I am annoyed with someone at work, or when I don't feel like serving others, or when I am tired I must live my life to honor Him in every relationship, in every thought, and in every deed. Not for me, or how I can get credit or have it benefit me. No, only for His glory and honor. I know I will not be perfect but I am so thankful God has been giving me a tender spirit and when I fall I must get right back up. (Proverbs 24:16)
So Be of Good Courage, if you feel defeated or hopeless or lost or helpless there is a God who loves you. We must choose to overcome our feelings and desires and learn that only God knows best, not you and not me. I preach this to myself every day. When we struggle in life, no matter what it is, we must take God's truth from His word and preach it to ourselves amidst our struggle. God is the only one who can truly change us and I am so thankful for His hand in my life and the different things He is putting in my path. Easy to say and yet even harder to live but I am so thankful for His grace and mercy, He is a great God and greatly to be praised!
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Monday, August 29, 2016
God's Trust Fall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPOgvzVOQig (Please Watch, only 13 seconds long)
Just a humorous video I have seen before and since I named this God's Trust Fall I felt it appropriate ha ha. Originally, I was going to speak on how God has been and is continuing to help me conquer my anger. But again, God really worked in me this past week through His Word and through the rebuke from a dear friend to show me how I had been working on not living in fear but now I was trying to control things. I ultimately was choosing not to fall into God's outstretched arms and instead trying to control aspects of my life. As I was rebuked I took it humbly and gratefully because I need people in my life who will tell me the hard things. As I started to evaluate myself I realized this has been a problem for a very, very long time.
Not only have I lived in fear for a while, but part of me was also choosing to try and control everything in my life. When I faced the unknown or any dilemma in my life I wanted to control the outcome, because I felt I knew what was best. Whether that be in relationships, at work or in just everyday life I have seen so many ways I have tried controlling the outcomes of situations and conversations, by my words and actions, and I am ashamed of myself. I see now how large of a problem this is in my life and it makes me sick to see how I hurt people that I cared about because I wanted to control everything. I have realized, I thought I knew better than everyone else. I had made myself a god in my own eyes because I felt what I thought was the best option no matter what. I lacked any humility and grace and I know this hurt many people over the years and I am so ashamed of my actions and words. This blatantly shows me my huge pride problem and reveals I love myself more than I love others.
I was also convicted because I was depending on others to show me/tell me who I was and I was trying to depend on them for joy and happiness and not in Christ. I was such a fool, I wanted others approval more than I desired God's approval. For years I have tried to depend on others to tell me who I am over and over again (compliment me or whatever) and that will never fill me! I desired affirmation beyond what is physically possible of any individual and didn't see that the only one who can affirm me in that way is Christ Himself only. Desiring affirmation in the right way from others is not wrong, but when that is what we are trying to draw our satisfaction and joy from that is sin and is not glorifying to God. I have corrupted myself and hurt others because I desired something that wasn't possible and I was blind to my sin. But no longer and only through God's grace and strength! God has convicted me and is changing me in these two areas and I am working every day to be transformed to be more like Christ.
God has shown me how I was refusing to leave the ledge and trust Him completely and fall into his arms. I was holding onto MY ledge with all my might because I was not giving Him complete control of my life. I was holding onto things that I desired that I believed God should give me or that He should answer my prayer. There were times when I felt God was ignoring me and wasn’t listening to me, I felt that He didn’t care about me and what was best for me. But that was because I was believing I knew what was best and had made myself equal to God. But what a terrible lie that was for me to believe. I wasn’t believing Truth and I was choosing to view and live my life on my terms. That is why we must read Truth from God’s word to remind us and re-teach us who God really is. God is a good and generous God, a God of true love, a God of patience and faithfulness, a God who is immutable (unchanging). His name is Jehovah Shammah (The Lord is There), Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace), Jehovah Rapha (The Lord Who Heals You), Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide) and that’s a few of His names.
This is the God who wants to hear from me because He loves me. Here cares about me, His child, more than I can even fathom. In his book Fear Not, Rand Hummel says, “If you think God is not listening to your requests, don’t faint, don’t lose heart; God is listening and wanting you to demonstrate your trust in Him by your continual asking. Every time you ask God for anything, you are evidencing faith in your heart. It is the faith that pleases God. God inspired Luke to include this parable (Luke 18) in his Gospel to keep us from losing heart. God is pleased with persistent, continual faith.” This is the faith I am choosing to have today and going forward.
Does that mean I should pray about everything, sharing my desires and asking him to work in situations and expecting Him to work? Yes. Does that mean God will work how I want? No. And that’s the rub, because at that exact point I have to be satisfied with whatever God decides and that is where I have to let go of MY ledge and fall into His arms completely trusting Him. Everything within me screams for me to not let go, because I have such strong desires for certain prayers I want answered and I want what I want, but ultimately I have to be completely ok with His decision because He knows best and I do not. Does that mean He will not answer my prayer? No. He very well could and I am praying He does every day. But, regardless of how He works, I have to be completely satisfied in Christ no matter the outcome.
That is God’s Trust Fall. Sadly, so many times we as believers continue to hold onto our ledge. I know you have your own ledge and everyone’s is different and we hold onto things and people in our lives like I did because that is what we desire. But as a true believer in Christ that has no place in my life or yours. Will I struggle with it every day? Yes, because I am a sinner and so are you. Can I overcome this sin by the grace and power of God? YES! And so can you! But I have to prepare myself every day to fight and sacrifice for Christ. I am no super Christian and I DON’T have it all together, but I am striving every day to be the man God wants me to be. I am learning still, but for the most part I know who I am in Christ. Sure, we will all struggle with insecurities at times, but we must take that back to Christ and who He is.
Be of Good Courage, God knows what is best and you don’t! It’s true, and once we can get to know our God and trust Him you can depend on Him fully too. However, you can’t trust someone you don’t know or spend time with. If you struggle with trusting people, you must first be able to FULLY trust a loving God who already knows you and wants to have a personal relationship with you. Get to know Him first and trust Him COMPLETELY, in EVERY area. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7) Keep bringing your desires, your cares and your requests to God. But just like me, we have to be completely satisfied in Christ and what He decides to do.
There may be individuals you have hurt by your desire for control or depending on them for things they couldn't physically fulfill. First, ask and claim God's forgiveness and then ask for their forgiveness by confessing & forsaking your sin. Work every day to earn their trust back. Have no agenda, instead strive to be the best brother or sister in Christ you can be to that family member or friend or whoever it is and live out what God has changed in you every day. Actions speak louder than words. Strive to change for God and God alone. If we change for people it will never last, look to your Savior and change for Him. Never give up Hope, keep striving to grow every day because as a believer our God is Hope! “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” – Romans 15:13
Here is a song of encouragement I hope you will listen to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAmh3yvmzXs
In Christ,
Mark Cannon
Ps. 27:14
Just a humorous video I have seen before and since I named this God's Trust Fall I felt it appropriate ha ha. Originally, I was going to speak on how God has been and is continuing to help me conquer my anger. But again, God really worked in me this past week through His Word and through the rebuke from a dear friend to show me how I had been working on not living in fear but now I was trying to control things. I ultimately was choosing not to fall into God's outstretched arms and instead trying to control aspects of my life. As I was rebuked I took it humbly and gratefully because I need people in my life who will tell me the hard things. As I started to evaluate myself I realized this has been a problem for a very, very long time.
Not only have I lived in fear for a while, but part of me was also choosing to try and control everything in my life. When I faced the unknown or any dilemma in my life I wanted to control the outcome, because I felt I knew what was best. Whether that be in relationships, at work or in just everyday life I have seen so many ways I have tried controlling the outcomes of situations and conversations, by my words and actions, and I am ashamed of myself. I see now how large of a problem this is in my life and it makes me sick to see how I hurt people that I cared about because I wanted to control everything. I have realized, I thought I knew better than everyone else. I had made myself a god in my own eyes because I felt what I thought was the best option no matter what. I lacked any humility and grace and I know this hurt many people over the years and I am so ashamed of my actions and words. This blatantly shows me my huge pride problem and reveals I love myself more than I love others.
I was also convicted because I was depending on others to show me/tell me who I was and I was trying to depend on them for joy and happiness and not in Christ. I was such a fool, I wanted others approval more than I desired God's approval. For years I have tried to depend on others to tell me who I am over and over again (compliment me or whatever) and that will never fill me! I desired affirmation beyond what is physically possible of any individual and didn't see that the only one who can affirm me in that way is Christ Himself only. Desiring affirmation in the right way from others is not wrong, but when that is what we are trying to draw our satisfaction and joy from that is sin and is not glorifying to God. I have corrupted myself and hurt others because I desired something that wasn't possible and I was blind to my sin. But no longer and only through God's grace and strength! God has convicted me and is changing me in these two areas and I am working every day to be transformed to be more like Christ.
God has shown me how I was refusing to leave the ledge and trust Him completely and fall into his arms. I was holding onto MY ledge with all my might because I was not giving Him complete control of my life. I was holding onto things that I desired that I believed God should give me or that He should answer my prayer. There were times when I felt God was ignoring me and wasn’t listening to me, I felt that He didn’t care about me and what was best for me. But that was because I was believing I knew what was best and had made myself equal to God. But what a terrible lie that was for me to believe. I wasn’t believing Truth and I was choosing to view and live my life on my terms. That is why we must read Truth from God’s word to remind us and re-teach us who God really is. God is a good and generous God, a God of true love, a God of patience and faithfulness, a God who is immutable (unchanging). His name is Jehovah Shammah (The Lord is There), Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace), Jehovah Rapha (The Lord Who Heals You), Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide) and that’s a few of His names.
This is the God who wants to hear from me because He loves me. Here cares about me, His child, more than I can even fathom. In his book Fear Not, Rand Hummel says, “If you think God is not listening to your requests, don’t faint, don’t lose heart; God is listening and wanting you to demonstrate your trust in Him by your continual asking. Every time you ask God for anything, you are evidencing faith in your heart. It is the faith that pleases God. God inspired Luke to include this parable (Luke 18) in his Gospel to keep us from losing heart. God is pleased with persistent, continual faith.” This is the faith I am choosing to have today and going forward.
Does that mean I should pray about everything, sharing my desires and asking him to work in situations and expecting Him to work? Yes. Does that mean God will work how I want? No. And that’s the rub, because at that exact point I have to be satisfied with whatever God decides and that is where I have to let go of MY ledge and fall into His arms completely trusting Him. Everything within me screams for me to not let go, because I have such strong desires for certain prayers I want answered and I want what I want, but ultimately I have to be completely ok with His decision because He knows best and I do not. Does that mean He will not answer my prayer? No. He very well could and I am praying He does every day. But, regardless of how He works, I have to be completely satisfied in Christ no matter the outcome.
That is God’s Trust Fall. Sadly, so many times we as believers continue to hold onto our ledge. I know you have your own ledge and everyone’s is different and we hold onto things and people in our lives like I did because that is what we desire. But as a true believer in Christ that has no place in my life or yours. Will I struggle with it every day? Yes, because I am a sinner and so are you. Can I overcome this sin by the grace and power of God? YES! And so can you! But I have to prepare myself every day to fight and sacrifice for Christ. I am no super Christian and I DON’T have it all together, but I am striving every day to be the man God wants me to be. I am learning still, but for the most part I know who I am in Christ. Sure, we will all struggle with insecurities at times, but we must take that back to Christ and who He is.
Be of Good Courage, God knows what is best and you don’t! It’s true, and once we can get to know our God and trust Him you can depend on Him fully too. However, you can’t trust someone you don’t know or spend time with. If you struggle with trusting people, you must first be able to FULLY trust a loving God who already knows you and wants to have a personal relationship with you. Get to know Him first and trust Him COMPLETELY, in EVERY area. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7) Keep bringing your desires, your cares and your requests to God. But just like me, we have to be completely satisfied in Christ and what He decides to do.
There may be individuals you have hurt by your desire for control or depending on them for things they couldn't physically fulfill. First, ask and claim God's forgiveness and then ask for their forgiveness by confessing & forsaking your sin. Work every day to earn their trust back. Have no agenda, instead strive to be the best brother or sister in Christ you can be to that family member or friend or whoever it is and live out what God has changed in you every day. Actions speak louder than words. Strive to change for God and God alone. If we change for people it will never last, look to your Savior and change for Him. Never give up Hope, keep striving to grow every day because as a believer our God is Hope! “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” – Romans 15:13
Here is a song of encouragement I hope you will listen to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAmh3yvmzXs
In Christ,
Mark Cannon
Ps. 27:14
Monday, August 22, 2016
Why Do You Fear?
"When your cares are pulling your mind,
will, and emotions in every direction imaginable, God is there to help you pull
yourself back together. When your heart is so distracted by problems that you
cannot focus on what and who really matters, God is there to help you regain
your focus on Him. When the burden of your fears becomes so heavy that you are
just about ready to buckle under its pressure, God is there waiting for you to
heave that burden off your back and onto His shoulders... Because He
"cares" for you!" - Fear
Not by Rand Hummel
As this week started, I was preparing to write
on anger and how God is changing that in my life, but God really worked in me
this week and is continuing to work in me with how I fear and I decided to
write about this instead. Thanks to a dear friend and the book Fear Not by Rand Hummel God has really
been working in my heart and transforming me (changing me drastically) when it
comes to how I handle Fear. A dear friend said to me, "Isn't it great we
don't have to be afraid because we have a God who cares and wants what is best
for us?" I agreed but did I really? As I began to evaluate my heart for
the next couple of days, I knew I was struggling with that. In this trial I am
facing, which is the most difficult trial I have ever faced, I had found myself
living in fear and worry. I was being consumed with fear and worry of the
unknown of the future and I knew that wasn't right, but how do I fix it? Then I
read this in Fear Not: "Those
who fear rejection either do not know or forget that we are to cast every care
we have on God because He cares for us, they forget that God does not love us
with a conditional love based on our behavior or performance, and they forget
that God's thoughts of us are far more than we can even imagine. Why fear with a
God like that? The more you fear, the less you know God."
It hit me like a ton of bricks: I was struggling with being overwhelmed with fear because I was believing false things about God. I was struggling with believing that God had my best in mind and that He knew what was best. I had made myself a god in that sense, and my pride came out and I thought I knew what was best. But oh how wrong I was. I am so thankful for friends and family who say the hard things to me because I need them and the Lord is teaching me to take those things with humility and grace.
After realizing my sin I immediately repented from it to the Lord and gave thanks for His forgiveness and for the friends who spoke truth in love to me. So then what? Then I knew I had to change my thoughts to reflect truth. I had to get rid of those false thoughts about God and replace them (renewing my mind) with who God actually is. In his book, Rand says, "Attack your fears by studying the character of God. God protects. God provides. God passionately loves. Why fear with a God like that?" One of the biggest things I have always believed is that believers today are so shallow in their faith because they do not truly know God. This is the case because we do not make God a priority. How do you get to know God? You get to know Him by spending time with Him, in His Word and in prayer. Just like in a physical relationship here on earth, we must take the time to get to know the other person. It is the same with God, we must invest in our relationship with Him. Many don't do this today because they are afraid of having to change from what they are already doing, and are afraid that they may see sin in their life and do not want to deal with it.
Sadly, I fell among these people. As I evaluated myself after reading all of this, I realized I had been giving into fear for several years. I had been consumed with the fear of loneliness, the fear of the unknown, the fear of the future and the fear of never being enough, and that's just to name a few. My fear drove me to be so proud. I wanted to control so much of my life and others and I did everything I could to make myself feel secure. My sin of fear, manifesting itself as me wanting control, corrupted and destroyed me as a leader, it destroyed relationships, and it drove others away from me. I am sure I looked like a fool for living in such fear, letting it control me. But no more!
II Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." I cannot say how thankful I am to the Lord for showing me my sin and convicting me of it and changing me to no longer let sin have any dominion over me. I am continuing to search the scriptures but also have begun reading the book Knowing God by J.I. Packer again. I am also starting to study the names of God again, and man, I remember when I did this before and it really changed my life and I am looking forward to changing to be more like Christ every day through knowing who He is!
It hit me like a ton of bricks: I was struggling with being overwhelmed with fear because I was believing false things about God. I was struggling with believing that God had my best in mind and that He knew what was best. I had made myself a god in that sense, and my pride came out and I thought I knew what was best. But oh how wrong I was. I am so thankful for friends and family who say the hard things to me because I need them and the Lord is teaching me to take those things with humility and grace.
After realizing my sin I immediately repented from it to the Lord and gave thanks for His forgiveness and for the friends who spoke truth in love to me. So then what? Then I knew I had to change my thoughts to reflect truth. I had to get rid of those false thoughts about God and replace them (renewing my mind) with who God actually is. In his book, Rand says, "Attack your fears by studying the character of God. God protects. God provides. God passionately loves. Why fear with a God like that?" One of the biggest things I have always believed is that believers today are so shallow in their faith because they do not truly know God. This is the case because we do not make God a priority. How do you get to know God? You get to know Him by spending time with Him, in His Word and in prayer. Just like in a physical relationship here on earth, we must take the time to get to know the other person. It is the same with God, we must invest in our relationship with Him. Many don't do this today because they are afraid of having to change from what they are already doing, and are afraid that they may see sin in their life and do not want to deal with it.
Sadly, I fell among these people. As I evaluated myself after reading all of this, I realized I had been giving into fear for several years. I had been consumed with the fear of loneliness, the fear of the unknown, the fear of the future and the fear of never being enough, and that's just to name a few. My fear drove me to be so proud. I wanted to control so much of my life and others and I did everything I could to make myself feel secure. My sin of fear, manifesting itself as me wanting control, corrupted and destroyed me as a leader, it destroyed relationships, and it drove others away from me. I am sure I looked like a fool for living in such fear, letting it control me. But no more!
II Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." I cannot say how thankful I am to the Lord for showing me my sin and convicting me of it and changing me to no longer let sin have any dominion over me. I am continuing to search the scriptures but also have begun reading the book Knowing God by J.I. Packer again. I am also starting to study the names of God again, and man, I remember when I did this before and it really changed my life and I am looking forward to changing to be more like Christ every day through knowing who He is!
I don't know what those of you reading this may
be going through, but I know we all have our own fears and worries. Many of us
are letting those things consume us and rob us of our joy. Am I going to say fighting
against fear and worry is easy? Goodness no! It is a battle for me every hour
of every day but I am striving to change my view of God to be one that matches
up with His Word. To many times we create our own views of God, like I did and
they are erroneous and sinful and we must replace it with the right view of
God.
Be of Good Courage, we do not have to live in
fear of anything! Not the future, not any problem in front of us, nothing!
Because we have a God who holds the heart of kings in His hand (Proverbs 21:1)
and who can part the Red Sea and who can raise the dead to life and who can save our sinful and wicked souls. God can do anything and has your best in mind
because He loves us more than we even know. Choose to believe things that are true and not give into expecting the worst and going down the path of discouragement. Place your trust in Him and not in
yourself, let Him change your life every day!
So how well do you truly and honestly know God? If someone asked you, "Who is God?" How would you answer? If you can't list many attributes or it is taking awhile to think of some, maybe you dont know God as well as you should. Relationships require sacrifice and sacrifice (what you spend your time and money on) shows what is most important to you. God is waiting for us to draw near to Him and spend time with Him and give Him our burdens, for his yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:30) I'm not saying I am better than anyone because I am not. I am as Paul says, the chiefest of sinners. I am learning this right now also and I am humbled because I may be able to recite attributes of God but my actions showed I didn't know much about God. Actions speak louder than words and I wasn't believing it and wasn't living it out in my life. But no longer! For now I am striving every day to trust God completely and give my burden to Him, and apply what I know about MY God. I hope you can do the same today.
So how well do you truly and honestly know God? If someone asked you, "Who is God?" How would you answer? If you can't list many attributes or it is taking awhile to think of some, maybe you dont know God as well as you should. Relationships require sacrifice and sacrifice (what you spend your time and money on) shows what is most important to you. God is waiting for us to draw near to Him and spend time with Him and give Him our burdens, for his yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:30) I'm not saying I am better than anyone because I am not. I am as Paul says, the chiefest of sinners. I am learning this right now also and I am humbled because I may be able to recite attributes of God but my actions showed I didn't know much about God. Actions speak louder than words and I wasn't believing it and wasn't living it out in my life. But no longer! For now I am striving every day to trust God completely and give my burden to Him, and apply what I know about MY God. I hope you can do the same today.
I finish with this song link and encourage you
to go back now and read the quote at the top of this blog and please listen to this song for both have been a
huge encouragement and challenge to me.
In Christ,
Mark Cannon
Psalm 27:14
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Fleeing Total Destruction
"You can fool some of the people all the time, and all the people some of the time, but you cannot fool God anytime... If you think you can fool God, you are just fooling yourself. God knows exactly what is going on inside of you." - Lest Ye Fall by Rand Hummel
In my last blog I talked about how God really got a hold of my life in the past several weeks. Now I am going to start focusing on the things the Lord convicted me of and how He is growing me to be more like His Son every day in those areas. I am by no means anywhere near completed and I won’t be until I go home to be with my Savior. But I am striving every day to change to not be as I was but to be more like Christ daily.
I named this Fleeing Total Destruction because the first thing God convicted me about in my life was that I had to repent for my struggle with the Lust of the Flesh. Many people cringe when they hear this topic brought up, but it is something that I am addressing in my life and it is a very real thing we should not be afraid to talk about today. Before we go any farther we must define what Lust is. Lust, can be defined a couple of ways. It can be an intense sexual desire or appetite, or it can be defined as a passionate or overmastering desire or craving (non-sexual). Lust is not something that only men struggle with, men and women today struggle with a form of Lust in some way or fashion, whether it be sexual or not. That is not to diminish the power of the term Lust in any way, on the contrary it just shows it is so strong and can affect anyone. Yes, today when we hear the word Lust we think of the very real struggle that men deal with today. And yes, I too as a man struggled with this. Now many people could run to conclusions as to what I am referring to in my own life, and no I am not going to go into detail for that is not needed. But I will say that God spared me from so much I am thankful. Was I addicted to porn or viewing porn like so many that struggle with it today? NO. And for that I am so grateful. My struggle with lust was not controlling my thoughts to honor God at all times. I justified myself by saying I wasn’t that bad compared to others and I never manned up and dealt with this vile sin as I should have.
Then God took some things away from me and it jolted me awake and made me very aware to my revolting sin. I saw plain as day my abominable sin before me and what it had done to me and others close to me in my life that I care about. It had so much influence in my life and it aided in corrupting me as a godly leader, as a godly friend, and as a godly man. The Lust of the Flesh is no joke. It absolutely can and will destroy your life. James 1:14-16 says, "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren." As scripture states here lust/sin can and will absolutely destroy your life, it ONLY leads to destruction. I have started to taste this truth for I believe I was slowly being destroyed from within by my own sin. By God’s grace and mercy He revealed to me the wickedness within my own heart and how that was slowly destroying my life and my relationships with others. It is a cancer that slowly, methodically, and deceptively enters our lives and starts destroying us from within without us noticing right away. And sadly in many cases not until it is too late. But I praise God, my almighty Father, that He hit me like a semi showing me my abhorrent sin and convicted me to true repentance of my sin, tuning instead to follow my Savior.
But what is true repentance? A definition of Repentance is to turn from evil, and to turn to the good. Throughout scripture repentance is displayed when God’s people were convicted of their sin and turned from their evil ways and turned to God. Repentance should be a vital part of any true believers life. Why you may ask? Because as a believer we are still sinners, we sin every day and we must repent of our sin. This does not mean you say, “Oh I am sorry” and move on. No, Repentance requires action, and in my opinion it requires drastic action and change. This action is turning and Fleeing the evil that was in your life. Fleeing like Joseph did in Genesis 39, leaving everything behind and getting away no matter the cost. So what does that mean? That means if you are struggling with bad friends you should leave those friends. That means if you are struggling with your computer you should stay away from it or have someone else take it. True repentance will have drastic action, or as I learned at the Wilds for so many years ago it will require a Radical Amputation of from sin in your life. You have to cut out what is hindering you from glorifying the Lord.
In my own life, I have been focusing every day on fleeing lust and God has given me so much victory. It is not because of me, it is all the Lord helping me and transforming (completely changing into something new) every day to not focus on my desires but to focus on His. Ultimately what is the root sin of Lust? It is selfishness. When dealing with lust as a man, it is so easy to focus on certain desires and in giving into to those desires you are being selfish because it is all about what you want. There is no thought of others or how this will affect them and that is so wicked and ungodly. Ultimately, if you are living for your flesh and being selfish, it shows who you love the most, YOU. You can fool yourself like I did and say you love others more than yourself, but in the end your actions will speak louder than your words. I was that hypocrite, I said certain things and didn't do what I said. I was no longer a man of my word and for that I am ashamed. But I am thankful that God has forgiven me and He is helping me to be a man of my word now and no longer be controlled by my desires and to have godly discipline in my life. We must, and I know especially I must, change these desires and behaviors and be following the Lord and pleasing Him in all things. As I Cor. 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” No matter how small or how little something may seem, something we may even take for granted like eating or drinking because we really don’t think about it, we just do it, we must glorify God in all things especially the details.
In my life God has been showing me and working in me in all of these things. I praise Him for helping me change every day and see the victory I need in my life. I need to continue to be victorious because I want to be a godly leader making wise decisions. I want to be a godly man that can impact others for Christ. I want to be a good example to others that I invest in or even those that are unsaved and need to see Christ above all else. This sin of not handling lust in my life has been a huge wakeup call and I have seen just how much it really had affected me, my relationships with others, and my spiritual life. I will be transformed into His image, which means I will be changing every day for Christ giving up what I want (my selfishness) and letting Him mold me to be the godly man God wants me to be because He truly loves me.
So where do you stand with God today? Are you letting sin creep into small details of your life? Yes, I am speaking about lust with men and women here but not only lust but any sin as well. Are you being selfish in your life? Are you indulging in your own passions because it feels good? I have been learning that ALL sin has consequences and we must choose to honor God in all things. As a believer sin is a choice, it has no chains or control on us anymore (Read Romans 6). For our chains are gone and we have been set free from sin. Truly evaluate your life right now. What are you letting slip through the cracks? We all sin and must repent of it to be in right standing with God. So what is holding you back? Why not change today? Living a life for God is the biggest and richest blessing anyone can ask for. I am thankful for the Lord waking me up to my sin and that He is working in me daily through His Word and others to change me.
So Be of Good Courage, there is hope! You can have victory and win! God has always given us a way of escape as believers and He will never give us anything that is too hard for us. (I Cor. 10:13) No matter what you have done, God forgives and He is ALWAYS faithful to do that.You must be diligent and purposeful to change. You must be willing to be unpopular and ridiculed. You must be willing to face hardship and trials and trust the Lord through them. Listen, it will not be easy. Fighting sin is hard, but we must take up the armor of the Lord (Eph. 6:10-18) EVERY DAY and go to battle with our flesh. Memorize scripture, have lots of true challenging accountability and be in the Word EVERY day! True change only comes from the Lord and His strength. If you think you can handle it or that you know how to do things you will fall every time, just like I did. I thought I was ready and could handle this on my own and oh how wrong I was. But just as God is changing me every day and letting me live purely and acceptable to Him you can do the same. Surrender it all to Christ, leave your burdens (sin) and troubles at the cross and follow Him. You can do it only with His help. So Be of Good Courage, Flee Total Destruction (Lust), you have a God who cares and will help you and sustain you while you strive to change for Him.
See the link below for the song East to West by Casting Crowns, and also see the Lyrics I am pointing out from the song below. May it be a challenge and encouragement to you today!
In my last blog I talked about how God really got a hold of my life in the past several weeks. Now I am going to start focusing on the things the Lord convicted me of and how He is growing me to be more like His Son every day in those areas. I am by no means anywhere near completed and I won’t be until I go home to be with my Savior. But I am striving every day to change to not be as I was but to be more like Christ daily.
I named this Fleeing Total Destruction because the first thing God convicted me about in my life was that I had to repent for my struggle with the Lust of the Flesh. Many people cringe when they hear this topic brought up, but it is something that I am addressing in my life and it is a very real thing we should not be afraid to talk about today. Before we go any farther we must define what Lust is. Lust, can be defined a couple of ways. It can be an intense sexual desire or appetite, or it can be defined as a passionate or overmastering desire or craving (non-sexual). Lust is not something that only men struggle with, men and women today struggle with a form of Lust in some way or fashion, whether it be sexual or not. That is not to diminish the power of the term Lust in any way, on the contrary it just shows it is so strong and can affect anyone. Yes, today when we hear the word Lust we think of the very real struggle that men deal with today. And yes, I too as a man struggled with this. Now many people could run to conclusions as to what I am referring to in my own life, and no I am not going to go into detail for that is not needed. But I will say that God spared me from so much I am thankful. Was I addicted to porn or viewing porn like so many that struggle with it today? NO. And for that I am so grateful. My struggle with lust was not controlling my thoughts to honor God at all times. I justified myself by saying I wasn’t that bad compared to others and I never manned up and dealt with this vile sin as I should have.
Then God took some things away from me and it jolted me awake and made me very aware to my revolting sin. I saw plain as day my abominable sin before me and what it had done to me and others close to me in my life that I care about. It had so much influence in my life and it aided in corrupting me as a godly leader, as a godly friend, and as a godly man. The Lust of the Flesh is no joke. It absolutely can and will destroy your life. James 1:14-16 says, "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren." As scripture states here lust/sin can and will absolutely destroy your life, it ONLY leads to destruction. I have started to taste this truth for I believe I was slowly being destroyed from within by my own sin. By God’s grace and mercy He revealed to me the wickedness within my own heart and how that was slowly destroying my life and my relationships with others. It is a cancer that slowly, methodically, and deceptively enters our lives and starts destroying us from within without us noticing right away. And sadly in many cases not until it is too late. But I praise God, my almighty Father, that He hit me like a semi showing me my abhorrent sin and convicted me to true repentance of my sin, tuning instead to follow my Savior.
But what is true repentance? A definition of Repentance is to turn from evil, and to turn to the good. Throughout scripture repentance is displayed when God’s people were convicted of their sin and turned from their evil ways and turned to God. Repentance should be a vital part of any true believers life. Why you may ask? Because as a believer we are still sinners, we sin every day and we must repent of our sin. This does not mean you say, “Oh I am sorry” and move on. No, Repentance requires action, and in my opinion it requires drastic action and change. This action is turning and Fleeing the evil that was in your life. Fleeing like Joseph did in Genesis 39, leaving everything behind and getting away no matter the cost. So what does that mean? That means if you are struggling with bad friends you should leave those friends. That means if you are struggling with your computer you should stay away from it or have someone else take it. True repentance will have drastic action, or as I learned at the Wilds for so many years ago it will require a Radical Amputation of from sin in your life. You have to cut out what is hindering you from glorifying the Lord.
In my own life, I have been focusing every day on fleeing lust and God has given me so much victory. It is not because of me, it is all the Lord helping me and transforming (completely changing into something new) every day to not focus on my desires but to focus on His. Ultimately what is the root sin of Lust? It is selfishness. When dealing with lust as a man, it is so easy to focus on certain desires and in giving into to those desires you are being selfish because it is all about what you want. There is no thought of others or how this will affect them and that is so wicked and ungodly. Ultimately, if you are living for your flesh and being selfish, it shows who you love the most, YOU. You can fool yourself like I did and say you love others more than yourself, but in the end your actions will speak louder than your words. I was that hypocrite, I said certain things and didn't do what I said. I was no longer a man of my word and for that I am ashamed. But I am thankful that God has forgiven me and He is helping me to be a man of my word now and no longer be controlled by my desires and to have godly discipline in my life. We must, and I know especially I must, change these desires and behaviors and be following the Lord and pleasing Him in all things. As I Cor. 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” No matter how small or how little something may seem, something we may even take for granted like eating or drinking because we really don’t think about it, we just do it, we must glorify God in all things especially the details.
In my life God has been showing me and working in me in all of these things. I praise Him for helping me change every day and see the victory I need in my life. I need to continue to be victorious because I want to be a godly leader making wise decisions. I want to be a godly man that can impact others for Christ. I want to be a good example to others that I invest in or even those that are unsaved and need to see Christ above all else. This sin of not handling lust in my life has been a huge wakeup call and I have seen just how much it really had affected me, my relationships with others, and my spiritual life. I will be transformed into His image, which means I will be changing every day for Christ giving up what I want (my selfishness) and letting Him mold me to be the godly man God wants me to be because He truly loves me.
So where do you stand with God today? Are you letting sin creep into small details of your life? Yes, I am speaking about lust with men and women here but not only lust but any sin as well. Are you being selfish in your life? Are you indulging in your own passions because it feels good? I have been learning that ALL sin has consequences and we must choose to honor God in all things. As a believer sin is a choice, it has no chains or control on us anymore (Read Romans 6). For our chains are gone and we have been set free from sin. Truly evaluate your life right now. What are you letting slip through the cracks? We all sin and must repent of it to be in right standing with God. So what is holding you back? Why not change today? Living a life for God is the biggest and richest blessing anyone can ask for. I am thankful for the Lord waking me up to my sin and that He is working in me daily through His Word and others to change me.
So Be of Good Courage, there is hope! You can have victory and win! God has always given us a way of escape as believers and He will never give us anything that is too hard for us. (I Cor. 10:13) No matter what you have done, God forgives and He is ALWAYS faithful to do that.You must be diligent and purposeful to change. You must be willing to be unpopular and ridiculed. You must be willing to face hardship and trials and trust the Lord through them. Listen, it will not be easy. Fighting sin is hard, but we must take up the armor of the Lord (Eph. 6:10-18) EVERY DAY and go to battle with our flesh. Memorize scripture, have lots of true challenging accountability and be in the Word EVERY day! True change only comes from the Lord and His strength. If you think you can handle it or that you know how to do things you will fall every time, just like I did. I thought I was ready and could handle this on my own and oh how wrong I was. But just as God is changing me every day and letting me live purely and acceptable to Him you can do the same. Surrender it all to Christ, leave your burdens (sin) and troubles at the cross and follow Him. You can do it only with His help. So Be of Good Courage, Flee Total Destruction (Lust), you have a God who cares and will help you and sustain you while you strive to change for Him.
See the link below for the song East to West by Casting Crowns, and also see the Lyrics I am pointing out from the song below. May it be a challenge and encouragement to you today!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyoVJfADlwo
I know you've washed me white
Turned my darkness into light
I need your peace to get me through
To get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel
About the truth your word reveals
And I'm not holding onto you
But you're holding onto me
You're holding onto me
Jesus, can you show me just how far the east is from the west?
Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been
Rising up in me again
In the arms of your mercy I find rest
You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
In Christ,
Mark Cannon
Ps. 27:14
I know you've washed me white
Turned my darkness into light
I need your peace to get me through
To get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel
About the truth your word reveals
And I'm not holding onto you
But you're holding onto me
You're holding onto me
Jesus, can you show me just how far the east is from the west?
Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been
Rising up in me again
In the arms of your mercy I find rest
You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
In Christ,
Mark Cannon
Ps. 27:14
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Being Changed Into His Image
"Life is not fair, but God's love never changes. Life is not easy, but God's grace is always sufficient. Life is confusing, but God's purpose is always Christlikeness. Life's challenges are at times insurmountable, but God's power is always available." - Rand Hummel in his book Fear Not
It has been a long time (4 years) since I have written in my blog, but I am bringing it back again because God has been changing me from who I was to who He is making me today and I feel the need to share and pray that it can impact others for Christ. Many things have changed in my life over the past couple of years. I earned a Grad degree in counseling (which is a miracle in and of itself ha ha). Last year I was sick for 8 months. That was one of the greatest trials of my life and I learned so much about myself and about my God. I struggled greatly because no one knew what was wrong and I was alone and had to learn to how to trust God.
Now yet again I am going through another struggle that seems even greater than any I have faced. I believe God brought this struggle into my life to get a hold of my heart and show me things that I must change to be the man He wants me to be. God has used close friends and family to show me ways I have been living in SIN and how that is not who I should be as a believer. He has shown me how my SIN affects others and it hurts those I care about most dearly.
As I realized the vileness of my sin it felt like I got hit by a semi. It hurt so badly to realize how deeply I had wounded those most closely to me. I was not leading others in godly way, I was not relying on the Lord for everything and I was choosing to do what I wanted. I was choosing to live in Sin and not in the Spirit. I said so many things I regret, I gave into foolish anger, holding onto my perfectionism and wanting to control little things when I must give it to God. I made many mistakes that I should have never done, and God has broken me and shown me I must change now. I must be a better leader, which means I must depend on the Lord so much more, and I mean truly depend on Him. I must not be easily angered and the Lord must help me calm my Spirit. For anger only drives those you care about away from you (something I learned in Turn Away Wrath by Rand Hummel). I must let God have control over my entire life not just what I wan Him to have. All of this by meditating in His Word, memorizing His Word, having godly accountability and have others that encourage you and challenge you.
Living in sin changes everything about who you are. You are making selfish choices and focusing on what you desire and not God. When you let sin dominate your life as a believer, you are acting as an unbeliever. Romans 6:14 tells us, "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." We should never live in sin, as a true believer in Christ we are sinners saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9) but we are no longer slaves to in but slaves to righteousness as Romans 6 tells us.
Today, so many believers, like myself, may not realize that they were/are living a life of living in sin. As a true believer in Christ this has NO PLACE in our lives, AT ALL!!! So now Christ is using His Word, His Spirit and His people to help me change to stop living in the flesh and to live in the Spirit. I need to put off the old man/ways, renew my mind in scripture and in Christ and then put on the new man/Christ. It may seem odd to say, but I am thankful for trials which are teaching me to grow. They are hard, this new trial is so hard and I have to go to battle with it every single hour of every day. But God is using it to grow me and change me completely to be more like His Son. No more making the selfish choices I made and acting however I wanted. No, I now am being continually transformed into His image and will leave the way I acted and who I was before this in the past and embrace who I am becoming now in Christ. I believe with all my heart that God can completely transform His children out of living in sin and change them completely in who they should be in Christ. God really struck me by the quote I posted up top. I really needed that in this time in my life and God is using many things to encourage me and challenge me. Even when I don't understand, eve when nothing makes sense, God is in control and He loves me even through my sin.
So what does this matter to those reading this? Examine your life. Don't just take a moment to think about this, meditate on your life. Are you living for God or for yourself? Have you hurt others because of your sin? Are you looking to change and grow every day? As believers we shouldn't be afraid to confront our sin and we must learn to be humble before God and be honest with our struggles before God. We must pray that those we have hurt can heal in Christ and we must earn there trust back by showing them how God has changed us. We cannot change overnight, it is a marathon not a sprint. We must be growing every day, for change isn't a one time thing. It is making godly choices every day and even though we will mess up because we are sinners and we will sin, we should not live in it and let it dominate us. If that is the case something is wrong and we must repent (to turn away from) immediately.
So examine your life honestly and find how you must grow and trust God. Ask others to be honest with you and help you as well. God does everything for a reason. But remember you choose you sin, but you can't choose your consequences. I am not some super spiritual person, for I am the chiefest of sinners as Paul says. But I am striving to grow and be more like Christ everyday. I am not changing for people, I am changing for my Savior Jesus Christ. I am praying for those I have hurt and praying that my sin has not ruined things that could be. But He is good ALWAYS and is greatly to be praised.
Be of Good Courage, God knows best! Let go of your will and give it all to God. Not easy to do but possible with His help.
"Cast you burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved." - Psalm 55:22
In Christ,
Mark Cannon
Ps. 27:14
It has been a long time (4 years) since I have written in my blog, but I am bringing it back again because God has been changing me from who I was to who He is making me today and I feel the need to share and pray that it can impact others for Christ. Many things have changed in my life over the past couple of years. I earned a Grad degree in counseling (which is a miracle in and of itself ha ha). Last year I was sick for 8 months. That was one of the greatest trials of my life and I learned so much about myself and about my God. I struggled greatly because no one knew what was wrong and I was alone and had to learn to how to trust God.
Now yet again I am going through another struggle that seems even greater than any I have faced. I believe God brought this struggle into my life to get a hold of my heart and show me things that I must change to be the man He wants me to be. God has used close friends and family to show me ways I have been living in SIN and how that is not who I should be as a believer. He has shown me how my SIN affects others and it hurts those I care about most dearly.
As I realized the vileness of my sin it felt like I got hit by a semi. It hurt so badly to realize how deeply I had wounded those most closely to me. I was not leading others in godly way, I was not relying on the Lord for everything and I was choosing to do what I wanted. I was choosing to live in Sin and not in the Spirit. I said so many things I regret, I gave into foolish anger, holding onto my perfectionism and wanting to control little things when I must give it to God. I made many mistakes that I should have never done, and God has broken me and shown me I must change now. I must be a better leader, which means I must depend on the Lord so much more, and I mean truly depend on Him. I must not be easily angered and the Lord must help me calm my Spirit. For anger only drives those you care about away from you (something I learned in Turn Away Wrath by Rand Hummel). I must let God have control over my entire life not just what I wan Him to have. All of this by meditating in His Word, memorizing His Word, having godly accountability and have others that encourage you and challenge you.
Living in sin changes everything about who you are. You are making selfish choices and focusing on what you desire and not God. When you let sin dominate your life as a believer, you are acting as an unbeliever. Romans 6:14 tells us, "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." We should never live in sin, as a true believer in Christ we are sinners saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9) but we are no longer slaves to in but slaves to righteousness as Romans 6 tells us.
Today, so many believers, like myself, may not realize that they were/are living a life of living in sin. As a true believer in Christ this has NO PLACE in our lives, AT ALL!!! So now Christ is using His Word, His Spirit and His people to help me change to stop living in the flesh and to live in the Spirit. I need to put off the old man/ways, renew my mind in scripture and in Christ and then put on the new man/Christ. It may seem odd to say, but I am thankful for trials which are teaching me to grow. They are hard, this new trial is so hard and I have to go to battle with it every single hour of every day. But God is using it to grow me and change me completely to be more like His Son. No more making the selfish choices I made and acting however I wanted. No, I now am being continually transformed into His image and will leave the way I acted and who I was before this in the past and embrace who I am becoming now in Christ. I believe with all my heart that God can completely transform His children out of living in sin and change them completely in who they should be in Christ. God really struck me by the quote I posted up top. I really needed that in this time in my life and God is using many things to encourage me and challenge me. Even when I don't understand, eve when nothing makes sense, God is in control and He loves me even through my sin.
So what does this matter to those reading this? Examine your life. Don't just take a moment to think about this, meditate on your life. Are you living for God or for yourself? Have you hurt others because of your sin? Are you looking to change and grow every day? As believers we shouldn't be afraid to confront our sin and we must learn to be humble before God and be honest with our struggles before God. We must pray that those we have hurt can heal in Christ and we must earn there trust back by showing them how God has changed us. We cannot change overnight, it is a marathon not a sprint. We must be growing every day, for change isn't a one time thing. It is making godly choices every day and even though we will mess up because we are sinners and we will sin, we should not live in it and let it dominate us. If that is the case something is wrong and we must repent (to turn away from) immediately.
So examine your life honestly and find how you must grow and trust God. Ask others to be honest with you and help you as well. God does everything for a reason. But remember you choose you sin, but you can't choose your consequences. I am not some super spiritual person, for I am the chiefest of sinners as Paul says. But I am striving to grow and be more like Christ everyday. I am not changing for people, I am changing for my Savior Jesus Christ. I am praying for those I have hurt and praying that my sin has not ruined things that could be. But He is good ALWAYS and is greatly to be praised.
Be of Good Courage, God knows best! Let go of your will and give it all to God. Not easy to do but possible with His help.
"Cast you burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved." - Psalm 55:22
In Christ,
Mark Cannon
Ps. 27:14
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Ever Faithful, Ever True
Recently I have been challenged by the Word of God on several things in my life. The one I want to focus on is on how my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and my loving God is faithful beyond comprehension. He is faithful in answering prayers, but even more than that He is faithful to forgive and give mercy and grace to me when I don't deserve it. When I think of this I think on the names of God. I love the names of God for they portray who God is. When thinking of the Lord's faithfulness in so many ways I think of Jehovah-Jireh, which means "The Lord our provider" and also Jehovah-Rohi, which means, "The Lord our shepherd".
First, let us look at Jehovah-Jireh (Gen. 22:13-14). How does my God provide? I think a better question to ask is how doesn't He provide? God gives us so much, we could go on and on with a list, maybe that's something you could challenge yourself to do, is right down everything your thankful for, just an fyi it will probably never have an end, for things will always come to mind if you're looking to thank the Lord. At this point I look at how God has been faithful to me. He has answered prayer. I was very worried about going back to school, I didn't think that I could do it, which in reality I can't do it without God. I prayed the Lord would make me diligent and organized to do my school work along with doing my best, not a half way job, for that wouldn't cut it, God wants our best (Eccl. 9:10). First day of classes was a shock all over again, realizing I couldn't do it. But God has showed me in the month I have been in school He will provide strength and diligence and push me the way I need to be pushed.
Second, Jehovah-Rohi (Ps. 23). How is God leading me? Well first question I ask would be is He leading you through His word? Are you even consistently in His word? We should be, for the Lord tells us to be meditating on it day and night (Ps. 1). We, if we are true believers in Christ, always say "O yes I am in the Word", but are we really? Is it profitable? It should be, and if it is not it can be! In order for the Lord to lead us as believers, we must be following the written Word which He left for us. Many of us struggle with being consistent, I am among that number too! I am not perfect, I am a sinner saved by grace, but I have been convicted how I need to be in the Word more and talking with my Savior more, for He has done so much for me. When I am in His Word and in fellowship with Him, He leads me, in rough times and in the calm. He guides my thoughts, helps me to fight temptation which is ever present in this world today, and in our own selves for the flesh is weak, but the Spirit can aid us (Mt. 26:41). He will lead me in the path He wants me to go, for everything that happens is in His providence, the good as well as the bad. "What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10) Job knew God, and knew that God had his best in mind, no matter what the circumstances. For to many times today we let our circumstances effect our emotions and judgement, I am guilty of this too. Instead of letting our circumstances run us, we should let our shepherd lead us, for He has our best in mind, no matter how green the grass is. I have always struggled with whether I would ever be married someday. I focused on it way to much, but God really showed me something. He is in control, if He wants it to happen He will allow it to come to pass. Instead of saying, "Whoa is me I am single", I should and am currently looking to take full advantage of the opportunities I have now. I needed to shift my focus off of myself, onto the Lord and what He has me here to do. Does that change my desire to be married? GOODNESS NO!!! lol But the Lord is continuing to grow me in His will, and if He wishes to bless me so He will in His time, not mine. For I do not hope to find someone, I must hope in the Lord, for He is Ever Faithful!
Not only is He faithful in these ways, He is also faithful in giving me grace, mercy and love. I fall every day, I am a wicked sinner and I don't totally understand how God still loves me, and I suppose that is going to stay that way for God is incomprehensible by man. So many times I feel like Paul when he says, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." (I Tim. 1:15) I have been abhorring my sin, for when I do I am spitting in the face of my Savior telling Him I love something else more, and I am ashamed. For He gave His life for me, O lord that I would never forget that thought. Even after giving into temptation to sin in some way, God is still standing there with open arms ready to give me mercy and grace. I have screwed up many times in my life, of which I am not proud of, but God has ALWAYS forgiven me and thankfully has shown me how I must grow and avoid making the same mistakes. HE IS TRULY FAITHFUL, for He loves us when we sin, He gives us mercy and then bestows His grace upon us. How much have you thanked Him for that? I don't write this because I have so much wisdom, I write this as a testimony of what God is doing in my heart and life. If He can use this for His glory to help others, that is well beyond me.
Be of Good Courage, there is a God that loves you and wants to give you grace and mercy. But you have to realize, as I did, that you must humble yourself before Him and ask for forgiveness. He is faithful to forgive and He is faithful to be there when you need Him! (Ps. 61:3 & Heb. 13:5) Thank you Lord for being faithful! He is Ever Faithful, Ever True!
In Christ,
-MC
Ps. 27:14
First, let us look at Jehovah-Jireh (Gen. 22:13-14). How does my God provide? I think a better question to ask is how doesn't He provide? God gives us so much, we could go on and on with a list, maybe that's something you could challenge yourself to do, is right down everything your thankful for, just an fyi it will probably never have an end, for things will always come to mind if you're looking to thank the Lord. At this point I look at how God has been faithful to me. He has answered prayer. I was very worried about going back to school, I didn't think that I could do it, which in reality I can't do it without God. I prayed the Lord would make me diligent and organized to do my school work along with doing my best, not a half way job, for that wouldn't cut it, God wants our best (Eccl. 9:10). First day of classes was a shock all over again, realizing I couldn't do it. But God has showed me in the month I have been in school He will provide strength and diligence and push me the way I need to be pushed.
Second, Jehovah-Rohi (Ps. 23). How is God leading me? Well first question I ask would be is He leading you through His word? Are you even consistently in His word? We should be, for the Lord tells us to be meditating on it day and night (Ps. 1). We, if we are true believers in Christ, always say "O yes I am in the Word", but are we really? Is it profitable? It should be, and if it is not it can be! In order for the Lord to lead us as believers, we must be following the written Word which He left for us. Many of us struggle with being consistent, I am among that number too! I am not perfect, I am a sinner saved by grace, but I have been convicted how I need to be in the Word more and talking with my Savior more, for He has done so much for me. When I am in His Word and in fellowship with Him, He leads me, in rough times and in the calm. He guides my thoughts, helps me to fight temptation which is ever present in this world today, and in our own selves for the flesh is weak, but the Spirit can aid us (Mt. 26:41). He will lead me in the path He wants me to go, for everything that happens is in His providence, the good as well as the bad. "What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10) Job knew God, and knew that God had his best in mind, no matter what the circumstances. For to many times today we let our circumstances effect our emotions and judgement, I am guilty of this too. Instead of letting our circumstances run us, we should let our shepherd lead us, for He has our best in mind, no matter how green the grass is. I have always struggled with whether I would ever be married someday. I focused on it way to much, but God really showed me something. He is in control, if He wants it to happen He will allow it to come to pass. Instead of saying, "Whoa is me I am single", I should and am currently looking to take full advantage of the opportunities I have now. I needed to shift my focus off of myself, onto the Lord and what He has me here to do. Does that change my desire to be married? GOODNESS NO!!! lol But the Lord is continuing to grow me in His will, and if He wishes to bless me so He will in His time, not mine. For I do not hope to find someone, I must hope in the Lord, for He is Ever Faithful!
Not only is He faithful in these ways, He is also faithful in giving me grace, mercy and love. I fall every day, I am a wicked sinner and I don't totally understand how God still loves me, and I suppose that is going to stay that way for God is incomprehensible by man. So many times I feel like Paul when he says, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." (I Tim. 1:15) I have been abhorring my sin, for when I do I am spitting in the face of my Savior telling Him I love something else more, and I am ashamed. For He gave His life for me, O lord that I would never forget that thought. Even after giving into temptation to sin in some way, God is still standing there with open arms ready to give me mercy and grace. I have screwed up many times in my life, of which I am not proud of, but God has ALWAYS forgiven me and thankfully has shown me how I must grow and avoid making the same mistakes. HE IS TRULY FAITHFUL, for He loves us when we sin, He gives us mercy and then bestows His grace upon us. How much have you thanked Him for that? I don't write this because I have so much wisdom, I write this as a testimony of what God is doing in my heart and life. If He can use this for His glory to help others, that is well beyond me.
Be of Good Courage, there is a God that loves you and wants to give you grace and mercy. But you have to realize, as I did, that you must humble yourself before Him and ask for forgiveness. He is faithful to forgive and He is faithful to be there when you need Him! (Ps. 61:3 & Heb. 13:5) Thank you Lord for being faithful! He is Ever Faithful, Ever True!
In Christ,
-MC
Ps. 27:14
Monday, July 2, 2012
True Compassion
"But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." - Matthew 9:36-38
Heard a message on this passage this past Friday and I must say I was convicted. Seeing the compassion that Christ had on these multitudes really got me to thinking, how much do I have compassion on lost people as Christ did? I realized I am not burdened enough for the lost, I sometimes think it's their own fault, which they may have chosen something other than the One True God, but I need to have compassion as Christ did. So how can I show that compassion? When dwelling on this, I need to share the Truth, which is the Gospel, with them. That isn't always easy. For the fear of man comes into play and we worry about what others think, instead of worrying about their soul and eternal state. As a believer we may be rejected for Christs' sake, but when ya think about it, that's good! Didn't Jesus say, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." (Matthew 5:11) We should honestly expect no less, for as a believer we should stand out from the world (Romans 12:1-2) and when we are made fun of and scorned we can remember what the Lord said and take heart and rejoice.
Yet, I know that is easier said than done. So I wondered how could I do better? When meditating on this I came to realize that we can do all things through Christ (Phil. 4:13) and in order to do that I have to be in fellowship with the Lord. I can't be half-hearted and expect God to work. I need to be growing as a believer and being in God's Word, learning and rejoicing in Him. If I have no fellowship with God, how can I accurately have it on my lips to tell others? If talking about and praising the Lord isn't becoming a common thing in my speech how can I expect to tell others so easily. Ultimately, no matter what I must have the Lords' help. For without it, and the Holy Spirits' guidance I can do nothing.
After hearing this message, I have been again thought about possibly going over seas, and using sports to spread the gospel to people that do not know Him as Savior. I do not want to waste my life, I wish to glorify the Lord through it and by it. I hope and pray the Lord would use me in a mighty way, and that He would give me courage, as He gave Joshua, David and so many others. What do I live for? To glorify the Lord in all I say and do and to be spread the GOOD NEWS to the lost.
Be of Good Courage, as a child of God, God cares for you and wants you to live solely for Him and giving Him glory! But you must submit and humble yourself before Him before that can happen. Don't waste your life, give it to God now and let Him use you mightily, for He can do that in and through you!
In Christ,
-MC
Ps. 27:14
"Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do ALL to the glory of God."
- I Corinthians 10:31
Heard a message on this passage this past Friday and I must say I was convicted. Seeing the compassion that Christ had on these multitudes really got me to thinking, how much do I have compassion on lost people as Christ did? I realized I am not burdened enough for the lost, I sometimes think it's their own fault, which they may have chosen something other than the One True God, but I need to have compassion as Christ did. So how can I show that compassion? When dwelling on this, I need to share the Truth, which is the Gospel, with them. That isn't always easy. For the fear of man comes into play and we worry about what others think, instead of worrying about their soul and eternal state. As a believer we may be rejected for Christs' sake, but when ya think about it, that's good! Didn't Jesus say, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." (Matthew 5:11) We should honestly expect no less, for as a believer we should stand out from the world (Romans 12:1-2) and when we are made fun of and scorned we can remember what the Lord said and take heart and rejoice.
Yet, I know that is easier said than done. So I wondered how could I do better? When meditating on this I came to realize that we can do all things through Christ (Phil. 4:13) and in order to do that I have to be in fellowship with the Lord. I can't be half-hearted and expect God to work. I need to be growing as a believer and being in God's Word, learning and rejoicing in Him. If I have no fellowship with God, how can I accurately have it on my lips to tell others? If talking about and praising the Lord isn't becoming a common thing in my speech how can I expect to tell others so easily. Ultimately, no matter what I must have the Lords' help. For without it, and the Holy Spirits' guidance I can do nothing.
After hearing this message, I have been again thought about possibly going over seas, and using sports to spread the gospel to people that do not know Him as Savior. I do not want to waste my life, I wish to glorify the Lord through it and by it. I hope and pray the Lord would use me in a mighty way, and that He would give me courage, as He gave Joshua, David and so many others. What do I live for? To glorify the Lord in all I say and do and to be spread the GOOD NEWS to the lost.
Be of Good Courage, as a child of God, God cares for you and wants you to live solely for Him and giving Him glory! But you must submit and humble yourself before Him before that can happen. Don't waste your life, give it to God now and let Him use you mightily, for He can do that in and through you!
In Christ,
-MC
Ps. 27:14
"Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do ALL to the glory of God."
- I Corinthians 10:31
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