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Expectation

ex·pec·ta·tion
ˌekspekˈtāSH(ə)n/
noun
a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.

There is a story in the Bible found in Acts 3 I have been reading lately and giving a lot of thought to it.

Before I continue, you may not read the bible or even believe in the Bible, but I ask that at least you read the story with an open mind. Thanks.

Acts 3

“Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.

Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.”

There is so much to this story but I won’t have the time to write about all of it. I do want to mention one thing though that has stood out to me while reading this story a few times over the week end.

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be in his position. Being lame from birth.

Now you need to understand that the word lame here doesn’t mean the same thing that you may think it means. Being lame means: crippled or disabled in a limb, or otherwise injured so as to be unsound and impaired in strength; as a lame arm or leg, or a person lame in one leg. Could you imagine having to relay on people everyday to carry you around and in this mans case to be placed strategically so he could beg. I would imagine that he suffered a little with insecurity and maybe even he was angry with God for allowing him to be born this way.

Anyways, the point I want to make is how he looked at the two other man and expected to receive some money. Obviously he had come to a place of acceptance of being lame although I am sure he desired to be made whole. What astounds me about this story is he didn’t receive what he was expecting.

He expected to receive some money from these two men, but what he received was not what he expected. He received healing! Incredible.

The more and more I learn about God and experience Him, my expectation is that God will heal me!

Now you may not agree but, I truly believe God heals. Yes, you are correct in your thinking that if God does heal why isn’t everyone who is suffering through something right now healed? Honestly, I don’t know why? Why did God allow my birth mom to die of Stage 4 lung cancer at the age of 56 and my mom Pat die of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma at the age of 59? No idea. Why did God allow a young father/husband to die in his early 30’s of leukemia? Again, no idea. It’s not my job or right to know these things because I am not God. I could go on and on of stories of why we would question the reality of God and why He doesn’t heal. For me, I know God exists and I know God heals.

I, and many others are living proof that God heals.

There is no way someone can overcome a 10 year hard core addiction on their own. There is just no possible way. I know of many others who have been healed physically, emotionally and spiritually and I am expecting that I will be healed of this diagnosis. It may not be in an instant. It may be a day by day process. It doesn’t matter to me how God does, I want to grow in my expectation that He has headed me!

Why wouldn’t I?




Bible The Church

God Hears You

Have you ever wondered if God hears you when you pray? Maybe you are reading this, and you don’t even believe in God. Maybe you are not a big fan or prayer, or you don’t know how to pray. For me, prayer is a discipline. It doesn’t always come easy, and to be honest it isn’t always my first response when experiencing difficulties. Maybe you are someone who has been praying about something important to you for some time, but it seems as though God isn’t listening to you. It can be frustrating at times, and I am sure we have all experienced the overwhelming feeling like God isn’t to be found anywhere.

Have you ever felt like giving up on prayer?

Last week I was dreaming a little about our future as a family. I was thinking about the kids and what they will be like as they grow older. I was envisioning the future Jamie and I might have and a thought popped into my mind. Rather than telling Jamie about it right away, I decided I was going to pray about it. My prayer was focusing on asking God to open doors for us to be able to share our story. Our hope is that as we walk this journey of ours, that we can somehow be a source of encouragement and support to those who may need it. God answered that prayer! Today, I received a phone call from a gentleman asking me to come and share a little of our story at an upcoming banquet. How awesome is that! God heard my prayer, and He answered me.

If you are someone who finds praying difficult, understand you are not alone. Start small. Just start by thanking God audibly for all that He has done. Thank Him for who He is, and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Ask God for the grace to continue on.

1 John 5:14
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”




Bible Blog Life

God Says: Don’t Be Afraid

The other day I shared 13 Things God Told Joshua. I wanted to expand on one of the thoughts as I know it is something we all struggle with at times. Fear. In verse 9 of chapter 1, God tells Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

It was easy for God to say this, but think about Joshua for a second. Are you kidding me? Don’t be afraid? What are you talking about God? I am terrified! At least that would be my response. Not only was Joshua now the leader of the God’s people, but he was now responsible for taking this group of people into a land they don’t know much about. Yes, Joshua was one who went into the land with the other spies and brought back a positive report, but let’s be honest, Joshua’s role now was a lot different then when he was Moses’s assistant.

Fear affects all of us. It manifests itself in various ways and it usually involves torment. According to phobialist.com, there are 530 known phobias. Fear is defined as: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, like to cause pain, or a threat. God knew exactly what the Israelites were about to face. As I ponder this story, I wonder what the conversation between God and Joshua was like? Was all fear eradicated as soon as God spoke? Did it disappear as soon as Joshua stepped out in faith or was there still a tinge of fear? We may never know fully, but one thing we do know is that Joshua was obedient to lead the people of God into the promised land.

Fear has a way of changing us, causing us to do things we wouldn’t normally do. It is interesting to note that fear is mentioned in the Bible 411 different times. God wants us to be free from fear. He understands us. He knows what we struggle with, the fears that keep us in bondage. He is a good God who wants nothing more for us than to be free from all our fears. One of the greatest reasons why we struggle with fear I believe is because we do not have a correct view of Him. We do not always know His proximity to us, His concern for us, nor do we fully know His power to free us from all our fears. The Bible says, “perfect love casts out all fear.” (1 John 4:18) God is love, therefore, it is He who will dispel fear in our lives. You can trust Him, just as Joshua did. Joshua took Gods word to him literally. He hid the words of his God in his heart and he led the people to the Promised land. Remember His word to you, “I will be with you wherever you go.”

Bible Life

Stones of Rememberance

Joshua 4:19-24

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”
This passage is one of my favorites portions of Scripture. It is meaningful to me as I have realized the importance of remembering all God has done for you. I think Joshua & Nehemiah are my favorite OT books.
The monument Joshua had the people erect was to serve as a visible reminder to them and the future generations to come of God’s power! Today, we hang pictures in our homes, display our certificates and trophies in our offices, why? To remind ourselves and to share with others. As with these stones, the Cross of Jesus Christ is a visible reminder of God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice. When was the last time to reflected on all that He has done for you? For me personally, I try to find a quiet place once a week and take time to make a mental list of all that God has done for me, in me and through me. It builds my faith. It encourages me. It reminds me of His love and care for me and my family. Thankfulness begins to well up in my heart when I take the time to remember.

Take some time today to make a list whether it is a mental list or a list which you write down somewhere of all God has done for you. Then begin to thank Him for all of it. May He overwhelm you with His presence and peace as you do so.

Bible Family Life

Filming For The Day

I am always amazed by the doors God opens from time to time. On Friday I had the chance to tell my story to Nelson and Brent from Skylight Productions. Skylight was hired by The Gideons International In Canada to record various stories of individuals who have benefited from the work the Gideons do. You can read more about my story here. Nelson and Brent are incredible guys who are passionate about their craft. It was such a fun day! We spent the day in Vancouver filming in various locations and it was an incredible experience. Here are a few shots of the day.

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