Saturday, January 29, 2005

What Does Your Barcode Say?


Praise God! As we all know, barcodes are used to identify items in an electronic manner. This keeps us from mixing the identities of products, and provides them a permanent and distinctive identity. Well, I work in the telecommunications industry, where barcodes are essential. They help us, not only to distinguish one product from another, but to determine the activity of whereabouts of each piece involved.

On my job, we recently encountered a problem with some boards. Our barcode scanners were entering some of the serial numbers into our system with a space in front of them. Needless to say, this caused some confusion. We soon began noticing that some serial numbers were duplicated in the system. One serial number would register with a space in the front, while another number, with the exact same digits, also existed in the system with no spaces. Well, the managerial team first concluded that the scanners were erroneously reading the barcodes on the cards, and therefore causing these numerous errors. Then, after more research, we discovered that the scanners were not making errors, but reading exactly what was on the barcodes. That's right. There were actually spaces coded into some of the barcodes.

Many of us have empty spaces in our lives as well. We think we are whole, but we have not allowed God to touch every part of our lives. Our Father is just like that laser in a barcode scanner. He sees exactly what is hard-coded in our lives. The normal eye cannot always see our weak points and our struggles, but God sees us exactly as we are. God speaks through His word and lets us know that we must be whole in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Have you ever been to a grocery store and watched the cashier scan your items? Sometimes, it's necessary for them to scan the item more than once, so that the laser sees the entire barcode all at once. The laser recognizes the label, but only registers the information when it is exposed to the entire code all at once. This is just like God. If we are the barcodes, and He is the laser, God sees our lives and every secret thing. However, we must allow God's Spirit - His laser, if you will - to cover our entire life before we can be registered into the Lamb's Book of Life. Praise God!

If you have "holes" in your life today, God sees them. He can heal and set you free! Just remember, God scans our lives and He knows exactly what's there. When we expose our entire life, or barcode, to Him, we are then registered as His children through the blood of Jesus Christ!

Thursday, January 27, 2005

A True Heart of Revival

My heart's desire is for the people of God to grow closer to our Heavenly Father. God desires a pure heart and a genuine desire to do His will. Personal revival is needed in this day and age. In fact, my prayer is that God be pleased with ME. I need to talk with Him more, listen to Him more and sacrifice my will for His whenever they differ. I thank God for David's example of a pure heart desiring more of Him.

David broke most of the commandments during his day, yet God refers to him as a man after His own heart. What a blessing! What a glorious thing to know that we can be reconciled to our Father despite our daily trangressions and disobedience. He simply desires that we seek His face, repent and spread His Word.

Look at this God we serve!!! There is none like Him, and He alone is worthy of the praise!!! Hallelujah!!!

Psalm 51
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Because of the Lord's Mercies...

Praise the Lord! I am so excited to serve such an awesome God! This morning, I was able to wake up, spend time with my family, take a warm shower, put on a nice suit, get into my car, and go to the house of worship to praise my God. My Pastor preached an awesome message. I praised God in the dance and in song. What an awesome experience I had.

Now, I think about all those who were not able to enjoy half the things I so often take for granted. How many people did not wake up this morning? How many wanted to spend time with family, but can't make a phone call or pay a visit? How many don't have running water? How many women don't have clothes for themselves nor their children. How many Christians in this world cannot go to a public place of worship for fear of their own lives? My God, you are so merciful towards us. We are so blessed for every opportunity to live life and serve our Father!

Lamentations 3:21-23
21. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23. They are new every morning: great is they faithfulness.

God, I thank you for your mercies. Each day, you allow us to start anew - a new opportunity to experience your goodness and give you praise. Lord, let us not forget all that you've done, all that you are doing, all that you will do, in Jesus' name. Great is your faithfulness, O God!

In this life, it is so easy to get bored with the mundane or discouraged with the disappointments we sometimes experience. Nevertheless, we must remember that God will not put more on us that we can bear (1 Cor 10:13). When we experience these feelings, we must recall, or remind ourselves of God's daily mercies. Saints of God, we cannot afford to take God's goodness for granted. Neither can we afford to waste our lives as we stand by broke, busted and disgusted! It is only because of God's grace, because of his mercies, that we are not consumed. Our sins, our feelings, our pasts, bad habits and lustful thoughts could easily destroy us, BUT GOD! Our Father sees fit to supply us with new mercies for each new day. Jesus Christ has already paid the price for all of us. His death on the cross was enough to cover our sins and heal our diseases. If He never does another thing, He's already done enough! Isn't it good to know that even after that, we have a daily dose of mercy with each new morning? Hallelujah!

Whenever you feel down or discouraged, recall or remember, what God has done and is doing in your life. Meditate on His goodness, His kindness, His mercy. Suddenly, life won't seem so boring. Suddenly, you won't feel so depressed. Suddenly, you will have HOPE. He is truly worthy of your praise. Hallelujah!

Saturday, January 01, 2005

Calling All Women of God

Jeremiah 29
12 Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?
13 And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;
14 But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:
15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
16 I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.
17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come:
18 And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.
19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.
20 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation.
21 For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.
22 Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.
23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

Praise the Lord, women of God. This Scripture has been speaking in my Spirit since the Tsunamis hit Asia on December 26, 2004. Just a few weeks ago, an earthquake in the middle of the ocean simply wiped hundreds of thousands of people off the earth. Thirteen nations were impacted, and disease is still expected to kill more. As we pray for the survivors and the families of those lost, I believe God would have His people warned. He is still on the throne and judgment is coming!

We are living in a time and a nation (here in the USA) where the people of God are living "sloppy" lives. We need desperately, to patch up our relationships with God. Jesus is soon to come, and judgment begins at the house of God. Nevertheless, I believe God is calling the women in America to a season of intercession. Women are natural nurturers. We are emotional and carry the burdens of many on a day to day basis. I believe our Father wants us to do this natural thing on a spiritual level. We need to carry the burdens of sinners to God, especially those who are backslidden.

We also need to pray for the nations. Thousands of children have been orphaned by the recent tsunami. Widows are in abundance. They, too, need intercession on their behalf. We must cry out to God for those who can't cry themselves. We must seek Him for those who don't know how or where to look.

In the spirit, a tsunami has hit the church! My God! People are falling and dying by the hundreds of thousands. They cannot be found. They are unaccounted for. They are leaving orphans and widows in the church. Women attend church without their husbands. Husbands pray without their wives. Children worship without their parents. Unity must be brought back to the homes of believers. Then, it will go forth in the physical church and house of God.

Women of God, begin wailing for those who are spiritually dead! Pray for those spiritual survivors who are seeking family members and loved ones! A shaking has taken place, and God is calling us to intercede. Be fervent in prayer. The level of sin and disobedience should cause us to cry and to wail. Let's seek God for revival and renewed life, in Jesus' name.

AMEN