He has done great things for us!

What a whirlwind this last year has been but looking at it now in hindsight I’m thankful.  I went through a lot of ups and downs in 2012 but God had His plan. Of the many things God taught me the one that comes to mind is trust.  A big chunk of my 2012 was spent learning to follow the leading of the Lord and learning to trust Him when that leading takes us to strange places.  Many of the things I went through did not make sense at the time but I now see they were necessary to have happened.  The Lord is in control and those who diligently seek Him will have revelation and an abundance of grace!

Through it all I have learned to hear Him better and this I am most thankful for.  It is the most precious gift to have communion with the Lord.  I look forward to hearing from Him much more in the coming year.  In fact I’m pretty sure that’s His plan.  As the new year approaches He has brought Psalm 91:1-2 to my attention:

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

What I think this means is me and God are gonna hang out quite a bit this year and that is exciting.  In fact I’ve never been more excited for a year in my whole life.  2013 holds great blessings, grace, victories and love encounters with the Almighty!

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Happy New Year to you all and God bless you!

-Justin

Seek the Lord

The Lord your God is in your midst… -Zephaniah 3:17

Tomorrow marks one year of having this blog.  It’s been quite a year to say the least.  I’m very thankful that the Lord has given me a way to express myself and to share some amazing things He is doing and teaching me.  I’m even more thankful for all the wonderful people I’ve met through WordPress.  The idea of people actually reading my posts and being encouraged by them blows my mind.  God is good!  Don’t ever forget that.  The Lord has led me to focus my attention to some other things for a while so I will be blogging a lot less the remainder of the year.

I want to leave you with a challenge to seek the Lord like never before.  Dedicate the remainder of 2012 entirely to Jesus.  Not in a way to earn grace or some step ladder to God’s favor… You are already favored!  I just want to encourage you to give Him your full attention because He deserves it.  He loves you so much.  Bring your heart before the Lord and ask Him if you’ve been putting anything else before Him.

There is power in the name of Jesus!

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. –Ephesians 3:20-21

Why the name for this blog?

“I want to believe in God but I can’t.”

I typed this phrase into Google on my smartphone at a Christian retreat the day before I would end up getting baptized.  To no surprise the search results revealed people who just like myself wanted answers.  Many like me, were scavenging the internet searching for a greater purpose and meaning behind their life but could not wrap their heads around belief in God.   “It just doesn’t make sense!” I would say.  The unanswered questions piled high! “How could a loving God allow suffering?  Why is God so hard to find?  Why does God seem to reveal Himself to some people and not others?  Why is there murder and wars fought in the name of Christ?  Why are children molested by men who are supposed to be ambassadors for Christ?  Why are children starving all over the world?  Why are there people born with disease and mental handicaps? Why is life unfair? Why? Why? Why God?”

Wait a minute… Why am I talking to God if I “can’t” believe in Him?

You see, by saying “I want to believe in God” a part of me already did.  My intuition told me “I believe God is there” but my finite misunderstanding of God added the “but I can’t.”

Which side should I choose to believe?

Perhaps life makes perfect sense but we just aren’t meant to fully understand it?  Perhaps life is exactly as God intended it to be? Perhaps you’re reading this because every single step of your life has led you to this exact point in time?  Whatever way you decide to look at it, it’s true: Every single step of your life has led you to this exact point in time.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. –John 3:16

You now have a choice:

1. Humble your intellect and your carnal instinct to have control over every aspect of your life and cry out to God, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.”
2. Deny what you sense to be truth because of your lack of understanding of that which is greater than you.

God does not force anyone to love Him or believe in Him, but that does not change the fact that He loves and believes in you.

Since that day I decided to put my faith in what I did not understand I have been learning something very important—how to love life!  How to love life as it actually is, not how I think it should be.  How to live now, here and for today!  How to have peace.  This is your life. . . Are you who you want to be?

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. -Matthew 7:7-8

So if you have stumbled upon this site by typing “I want to believe in God” I would tell you that you already have more faith than you think.  Happy seeking and may God bless you with peace that surpasses understanding!

-I Want To Believe In God [dot com]

Related articles

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• Why Even Try To Understand God? (iwanttobelieveingod.com)
• Is the Bible the First Science Book? (iwanttobelieveingod.com)
• Who Really Knows? (iwanttobelieveingod.com)

Resting in the Lord

God is calling His people to rest in Him today.
He invites you to the secret place of the Most High.
He longs for you to say, “My Lord, you are my refuge and my fortress; in You alone I will trust.”

He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

The LORD says:
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
Come, ask for a drink and I shall give you living water.

Bless the Lord today and meet Him in the secret place.

He invites you to rest.

(See Exodus 33:14, Psalm 91:1-4, Psalm 46:10, John 4:10)

Related articles

• Psalm 91 (aework.wordpress.com)
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You Are Reconciled!

You are reconciled to God!

Reconcile:
1. Restore friendly relations between: “she wanted to be reconciled with her father”.
2. Cause to coexist in harmony; make or show to be compatible.

God is not angry with you.  He loves you unconditionally!  He’s in a good mood and He wants you to know that through your faith you are forgiven of any past and future debts.  You cannot mess up God’s love for you.  Sit in His presence today and feel His love overtake you. Let the love of Christ compel you to live righteously for you have been reconciled!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ… -2 Corinthians 5:17-18

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Christian Blog List

There are so many great faith bloggers on wordpress.com that it can be overwhelming and easy for many of them to slip through the cracks going unnoticed.

Here’s a list I’ve compiled of some of the Christian blogs I’ve come across that I’ve enjoyed reading. What are your favorites? Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments or a link to your Christian blog. Thanks for stopping by!

Art, Education and Jesus – http://johneruggles.wordpress.com/ – About

The Beausejour Pulpit – http://thebeausejourpulpit.wordpress.com/ – About

Beauty In The Broken – http://pieana.wordpress.com/ – About

Believe Today! – http://believe2day.com/ – About

Bible Verse a Day – http://gemsofgodsgrace.wordpress.com/ – About

The Blessed Ewe – http://theblessedewe.com/ – About

By the Blood of the Lamb – http://bythebloodofthelamb.com/ – About

Celebrate Recovery – http://melbourne614rc.wordpress.com/ – About

A Christian Journey of Overcoming – http://robinclaire.wordpress.com/ – About

Christian Meditation – http://achristianmeditation.wordpress.com/ – About

Evangelist Ministry – http://evangelistministry.wordpress.com/ – About

Faith Seeking Explosions – http://faithseekingexplosions.wordpress.com/ – About

For His Glory – http://stevensawyer.wordpress.com/ – About

Frank’s Cottage – http://frankscottage.wordpress.com/ – About

God Wrestler – http://godwrestler.wordpress.com/ – About

Heart Murmurs – http://murmursofmyheart.wordpress.com/ – About

Holy Spirit Activism – http://holyspiritactivism.wordpress.com/ – About

Inspire Hope – http://scoumbes.wordpress.com/ – About

Jesus Boot Camp – http://jesusbootcamp.wordpress.com/ – About

Jesus is Healing Today – http://jesushealstoday99.wordpress.com/ – About

John Grandy’s Blog – http://johngrandy.wordpress.com/ – About

Keltonburg Preacher – http://keltonburgpreacher.wordpress.com/ – About

Key to the Kingdom – http://keytothekingdom.wordpress.com/ – About

Life by the Spirit – http://lifebythespirit.wordpress.com/ – About

Life of a Female Bible Warrior – http://lifeofafemalebiblewarrior.wordpress.com/ – About

Media 4 Life Ministries – http://media4lifeministries.com/ – About

Missional Thinking While Following Jesus – http://thinkingmissional.wordpress.com/ – About

Morrisonsdm – http://morrisonsdm.wordpress.com/ – About

Mustard Seed Budget – http://mustardseedbudget.wordpress.com/ – About

Mybroom – http://mybroom.wordpress.com/ – About

New Jerusalem – http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/ – About

No Apologies Allowed – http://noapologiesallowed.wordpress.com/ – About

Of Dust and Kings – http://ofdustandkings.com/ – About

Parade of Miracles – http://paradeofmiracles.com/ – About

Pure Glory – http://pureglory.net/ – About

The Quotable Christian – http://thequotablechristian.com/ – About

Reasons for the Hope – http://dwwork.wordpress.com/ – About

Reclamation 316 – http://rushoward.com/ – About

A Revivalist’s Heart – http://revivalistsheart.wordpress.com/ – About

Sharpword’s Blog – http://sharpword.wordpress.com/ – About

Side by Side – http://sidebysideblog.wordpress.com/ – About

Simple Faith – http://cindypowell.wordpress.com/ – About

Small Thoughts Big God – http://smallthoughtsbiggod.wordpress.com/ – About

Soul Refuge – http://soulrefuge.org/ – About

Take Two – http://rtbtaketwo.wordpress.com/ – About

Testimonies of Praise Community Church – http://praisetestimonies.wordpress.com/ – About

Thinking Kingdom – http://thinkingkingdom.com/ – About

Tim Stafford’s Blog – http://timstafford.wordpress.com/ – About

To Give You Hope – http://togiveyouhope.wordpress.com/ – About

The Tousled Apostle – http://tousledapostle.wordpress.com/ – About

Under the Cover of Prayer – http://underthecoverofprayer.wordpress.com/ – About

View Outside the Pew – http://viewoutsidethepew.com/ – About

The Way Everlasting – http://thewayeverlasting.com/ – About

Working for Christ – http://work4christ.wordpress.com/ – About

Ever Increasing Glory

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. -2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV

This is a very powerful verse because it speaks of God’s never ending glory.  He is an ever flowing river of grace and a well that will never run dry.  He invites all who are thirsty to taste and know that the Lord is good!

Many times in life we will run into situations where we do not feel as if we are free.  Often times we feel oppressed whether it be from work, stress, financial situations, bad health, addiction or tragedy.  But Jesus offers us strength and peace amidst the chaos.  He offers you an opportunity—anytime and anywhere—to call upon His name and to be in the glory of His presence.  That is the freedom I have found in the Lord.  Don’t feel bad or guilty about spending time with the Lord.  We need to do this.  It is healthy.   It refreshes us so we can go back and be a light to the world.

When Moses would come down from Mt Sinai the Bible says his face would glow because he had spent time with God and the glory of God reflected off of him.  The Israelites made him wear a veil because they didn’t want to look at it.  I’ve been around people before who reflected the glory of God.  They had clearly spent time with Jesus.  Sometimes if I’m in the middle of a pity-party and someone reflecting God’s glory comes in, my first reaction is to put a veil on them.  I don’t want to see it and I don’t want to hear it.  I want to sit in my self-pity.  But then something happens—the Spirit of the Lord overflows from them and knocks on the door to my heart… Suddenly there is freedom.

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.  Welcome the Spirit today.

Lord let us be a light to the world with ever-increasing glory so that your Spirit of living waters may overflow from us unto others.

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Good Morning!

ThroughtheLord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
-Lamentations 3:22-23

I love this verse and I’ve realized something else that is new about me—I love mornings! I have become a “morning person.” This was not always true and I think it has a lot to do with learning the character of God. Truly His compassions for me are new every morning. His compassions for you are new every morning. Every morning is a new beginning and every morning is a gift. Every morning is another day we can live to serve Jesus.

Many things can happen to us throughout the day but no matter what yesterday may have held for you, today is a new day! He loves you today! He wants to bless you with His presence today. His compassions are new for you today. His strength is made perfect in your weaknesses today. God is faithful in His promises today!

So good morning brothers and sisters in Christ. Believe His promises this morning for today is the day the Lord has made, and we will rejoice and be glad in it!

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• – Hope in Hopeless Times – (hiseternalword.wordpress.com)
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A Relentless God

I often forget that intellectual and philosophical arguments for the existence of God are petty and within themselves are usually completely without the Holy Spirit. God has to remind me that our faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Cor 2:5) and that He has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise (1 Cor 1:27). Proof of God is not found intellectually in a science lab, it is found intuitively in the heart when the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom 8:16). God has touched your heart when you were younger and that is all I need to say. The rest is left rightfully so between you and God. Whether or not you understand things that are infinite and eternal does not change their truth. Whether or not you say you believe in God does not change the fact that He believes in you. Time is interpreted much differently by an eternal God (Psalm 90:4). Forty years are like a day to Him (2 Peter 3:8). He is a relentless lover and will not give up on any of His children (Rom 8:38-39). He will wait as long as it takes for you to come home, and when you do all of heaven will rejoice! (Luke 15:4-7)

If you hear His voice today do not harden your heart! -Hebrews 3:15

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Walking in Circles

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us. –Psalm 123:2

Sometimes in our walk with God it can feel as if we are going in circles and not making any progress.  I’ll be walking, making what I see as forward progress and then bam—I end up right back where I was.  This can be deflating and discouraging.  It causes me grief and doubt.  I say why Lord? Why am I back in this situation again?  Will I ever be delivered?  Will I ever see breakthrough?  Will the walls ever come tumbling down to set me free?

I asked the Lord this recently and His response was very simple:

“Keep walking.”

The Lord showed me something in the story of Joshua and the destruction of Jericho.

And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days. –Joshua 6:14

They kept walking!

The walls didn’t fall after the first day.  The walls didn’t fall after the second day.  The walls didn’t fall after the third, fourth, fifth or sixth days of walking.

I’m sure during this process of literally walking in circles some of the Israelites thought, “What on earth are we doing?  How is this making progress?”  But despite any thoughts they may have had, they remained obedient and kept walking.  Then finally, on the seventh day they marched around the city seven times.

And the seventh time it happened… -Joshua 6:16

The wall fell down flat!

If you feel that you have yourself been walking in circles I would like to encourage you to keep your eyes on the Lord.  God does not measure success in the way we do—by accomplishments—He measures success on faithfulness, and He desires for you to keep walking.  He desires for you to turn your eyes and look to Him until He has mercy on you.

Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus. -Hebrews 12:1-2

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