God’s Leading – Page 7

Jesus or Braveheart?

Posted on January 25, 2011November 20, 2014 by Spanky Rouse

I’m reading through the life of Jesus and seeing new things that I have never seen in some very familiar passages. “Open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things in your law(word).”Psalms 119:18

Jesus was just baptized by John and now being filled with the Holy Spirit He is lead in to the wilderness. The Father “commissioned” Him and now He is going to prepare Jesus for ministry. Seems like so many times in life when I am on a spiritual high or filled with the Spirit that I am immediately lead into a wilderness or valley. Coincident? I think not. So Jesus had been in the wilderness for 40 days which probably felt more like 40 years and now at a weak time Satan comes to attack. He always knows the best time to attack, unfortunately.

Satan attacks Jesus’ personal weakness first. He knew at the time what Jesus was thinking about,”FOOOOOOOOODDDDD!” Satan knows our weakness. Money problems, physical issues, relationship drama. Satan wants to take you out as quick as possible! Jesus combats his attack with scripture! Luke 4:4

Next Satan attacks/tempts Jesus with power and success. Why does Satan think that that would even be a temptation for Jesus or us, is God the Almighty not our Father? Satan knows that we have all thought of selling out at sometime or another to get ahead and that we all want to be a little more successful in life. Jesus again combated this with scripture. Luke 4:8

Satan was getting desperate in his attempts to pursued Jesus. He used scripture and twisted it up to see if he could get Jesus to question his trust in God. Luke 4:10-11 “Doesn’t the word say that He will give all the angels to watch out for you, you want even get hurt, right? Jump let us see what happens Jesus.” I can just see him saying this with a smirk and smart alick attitude. This sounds a lot like, “That’s not to much money to spend, after all does God not want the best for you.” or “We are living together to see if it’s a right fit. After all God hates divorce and we would not want that to happen.” Satan loves to twist God’s word so that we are tempted to question our faith in the Father. Jesus combats it again with scripture again. Luke 4:12

I am sure you already know that I am trying to make it clear that the word of God is the absolute best weapon to counter attack the enemy. We are helpless with out it and so many of us barely pick up our bibles Monday through Saturday. Why? Because we don’t realize the power and life that this book gives us. It is real, alive, all powerful, and at our disposal. Read it, study it, mediate on it, let it digest and take hold of your life. You will be amazed at the battles that you will be victorious in and the peace that it will deliver to your life. It is food for your soul. Take a bite and be satisfied.

I am picturing Jesus as Mel Gibson in Braveheart. Sitting on his horse with his head held high, war paint on, and sword in hand attacking and humiliating Satan in battle. Dude of all dude!

“Open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things from your Law(word).” Psalms 119:18

True Worshipers

Posted on December 1, 2010November 20, 2014 by Spanky Rouse

Over the past month at church our youth have been talking about the people who are invisible. People who feel like no one cares or sees them. People who aren’t “important”. And sometimes that is us. The last week we talked about how Jesus made a point to be with those people and make a difference in their lives and so should we. The story we looked at was the Samaritan lady at the well in John 4.

This story has many details and social issues that make it interesting. Like a Jew talking to a Samaritan, a man talking to a woman, a woman going to fetch water alone and in the heat of the day, a person that was shunned among a group of people that were in that day the lowest of lows, a Rabbi being with the town whore, etc. But all of these were not what stuck out to me the most when I read it this time.

Jesus tells this unworthy woman that the Almighty God is seeking out worshipers. True worshipers. Followers that are going to make His name famous in Jerusalem and around the world. He came to her! Jesus was seeking out this lady with a nasty past because He knew that she was someone that He could love and use for the furthering of His kingdom. She would one that was a true worshiper.

In verses 26-30 Jesus revealed who He was and she believed. She forgot all about her needs and task for the day and immediately ran to tell the entire city about Jesus. This reminds me of the woman in east Africa. When they get excited or as they say filled with the Holy Spirit they let out a loud cry that gets your attention. It is something that you will never forget when you hear it. They want everyone to know what God is doing.

When you have been with Jesus others will know! You may let out a cry. You may run to tell everyone about Him. But you will definitely find yourself surrendering to him daily. Let us be true worshipers!

Rodeo Viejo – Vision

Posted on October 26, 2010November 20, 2014 by Spanky Rouse

For the past few months I have been questioning life and ministry. I have frequently been asking the question “what am I doing and what is God’s plan?” Sometimes that can be a good way to realign ourselves with what His will is for our life and ministry but that was not where my heart was. My heart was thinking that I am not seeing the results or having the easy path so this can’t really be God’s will, right? Even with those thoughts crowding my mind and heart daily the wonderful, loving, and purposeful Father keep reminding me and confirming to me that He has called me to a life of ministry. He actually chose me and wants to use me for his kingdom work.
Just before my trip to Panama I was seriously considering taking a job and getting out of full time ministry. I have to take care of my family and pay bills right?

After the second day in Rodeo Viejo a very godly man named Victor that I had be privileged to get to know, came to me late one evening and told me about a dream that he had had a couple of nights prior. So this is what he told me as I stood there with my eyes opened wide, heart filling up, and mouth on the floor.

I had a dream the other night and after talking to God about it I believe that it was from Him. I was nervous about telling you about it since we just meet and I did not want you to think that I was one of those weird people that have crazy vision that they say are from God. But He keeps laying it on my heart so I have to tell you if I am going to be able to lie down and go to sleep. I saw a picture of you…you were overseeing many and many were following your lead. You were being a great influence for the Kingdom and your influence and power keep growing the more you lead. After the dream I asked the Lord what it means and He told me to tell you “do not give up! Don’t stop! Keep following me and serving! I am going to use you in great ways but you have to keep diligent in My work!”

Victor then asked me what I thought. After a few gulps I said that I believe that this was from God. I shared with Victor that just last week I was thinking about putting this work aside but I felt like God was telling me not to and the his dream was proof that the Almighty was telling me this. It was a great comfort to me to here Victor say with such confidence and passion, “Don’t give up! Don’t stop! Keep following me! I’m going to use you in great ways.”

God is not done with me, the road is not going to be easy, and my family and I will have to suffer some pain but God is going to use us in ways that we cannot even imagine today. He will be glorified in our lives, family, and ministry for many years to come. We praise Him for this privilege!

Sufficient

Posted on August 12, 2010November 20, 2014 by Spanky Rouse

This one comes from one of my recent journal entries.

I have been struggling a lot lately and I feel like many others around me are fighting the same battle. Life as a Christ follower is not always easy and who ever has taught that it is, should be beat! Not really but I feel like I could do the job if someone said that to me today.

It has been one of those times in life when I feel like I suck at being or doing anything! Providing for my family, being excellent in ministry and making a difference, fathering, loving my wife effectively, planning for the future, not worrying and trusting God, taking the right steps, really I feel like I fail at everything some days. The bigger problem is that I find my self in these time trying to fix it or figure it out on my own. That is probably the last thing that I need to do! “Trust in the Lord…lean not on my own understanding(prov.3:5-6)” keeps ringing in my head. I know that it is no accident that that is the first bible verse that my mom taught me as a child.

Today Father, you allowed me to land on 2 Cor. 3:4-6 and I am so thankful!!!

vs.4, I CAN trust you Father because you have already proven your love and faithfulness to me through Jesus. There is no reason for me to not trust You, that is actually the only logical and rational thing to do.

vs. 5, This one hit me hard 3 days ago and I can’t get away from it. “I’m not sufficient for anything! But you are sufficient for everything and through you I can be sufficient no matter what comes my way. No matter what You are able and are the best answer to the equation.

vs. 6, Not only are you sufficient in my life but You chose to make me sufficient in ministry. Through you I am able, adequate, competent to be a minister of the Gospel(new covenant) that brings life. Now that is encouraging!

Father, help me to trust in and rely on You. You can, You are able, You are the best for me! I’m Yours and Your mine.

It’s Personal, part 2

Posted on April 20, 2010November 20, 2014 by Spanky Rouse

I see how the Gospel, what Jesus did for all of us is deeply personal in Mark 15:6-15. He is the righteous one that was given for the unrighteous, us. This short but powerful scene of the gospel story, Jesus was still standing before Pilate. Pilate knew in his heart that Jesus was innocent and deserved to be released but he couldn’t follow his heart because he wanted to please the people. How many times do I do what others want me to do because I want to please them. Even when I know in my heart what the Father is telling me is the opposite.

Pilate thought that if he could show the people the difference between good and bad, righteous and unrighteous, or deserving and undeserving that they could truly see the truth. They couldn’t they were blinded by the enemy. Sound familiarto today’s society and even the American church today. We are so blinded by the stuff of life and wrong teachings, like the American dream, that we drowned out the truths of God. Pilate brought the worst of the worst and put him beside Jesus and told them to pick one man to release. The one who truly deserved to be set free and put to death the real criminal. To the amazement of Pilate they chose wrong and not just a little but drastically wrong. “Crucify Jesus!!!” Pilate said out loud and I guess confused and disgusted, “Why?! what evil has he done” But the people keep screaming “Crucify!” So, they let Barabbas, the bad guy go free and Jesus the innocent was killed in a brutal manner.

This is personal for each of us because we are the evil, guilty, and unrighteous sinners of all sinners and the Righteous One died for us. It’s personal because Jesus could have said, “no way I am not doing this I don’t deserve to have my “creation” treat me this unfairly! How about you try and pay for your own evil and wrong doings.” But He didn’t do that. He died unjustly because He loves Spanky, and you so much that He could not have thought of separation from us for all eternity. He was going to do whatever it took to love me and allow me to know Him in a real and personal way. The Gospel, the story of Jesus’ love is personal for you today!

It’s Personal, part 1

Posted on March 30, 2010November 20, 2014 by Spanky Rouse

I was reading the story of Jesus’ crucifixion the other day to see the different details of each writer. Before starting I asked God to let me see His word anew and fresh like never before. To my amazement He answered(sarcasm). I was excited that I was able to pull out a few verses and people in the crucifixion story that I don’t know I have every seen. I am going to write out some of my notes on these new revelations as I am trying to learn and apply them to my life. I am calling this “It’s Personal” because Christ is making it personal for each set of verses or people I have seen in my reading. Not because of Andy Stanley’s series called “Its Personal”, I promise!

I started in the book of Matthew, not for any intellectual reasoning but just because it came first in the gospels order. I saw a character the I never knew was even in the bible. Pilate’s wife. She isn’t mentioned anywhere else in the gospels but God thought that just for this one verse her personal interaction with Jesus was important enough to be in Matthew 27:19. The scene takes place when Jesus is brought before Pilate so he can decide if Jesus is guilty of any wrong doings. Pilate knows in his own heart that Jesus is undeserving but he can also hear the people outside cheering for Jesus’ death and I picture him debating in his mind what to do. At that moment Pilate’s wife leans over and whispers in his ear, “leave this man alone!”

Pilate’s wife actually says that she has had a dream about this innocent man today and it was really like torture. Maybe the Lord was allowing her to see a piece of what was to come if this Jesus was condemned or maybe it was conviction of sin. I believe that a God that is big enough to create men out of dust is able to give us dreams to see the future. Actually in the history of Israel this had happened numerous times. (example, Joseph, Gen 37) The other thought I had was that the Lord was allowing her to be under conviction. You may have heard people say that when they are not living right or before they gave their life to Jesus they felt a guilt or weight, that can be a great feeling of torture. So we will never know what kind of torture she went through in her dreams but we know that it was because of Jesus.

Why would Jesus of all people allow torture? I think it was for her own good. I really don’t think that Jesus thought that by her telling Pilate anything that it was going to change what was to take place the next day. I mean, God had already ordained this time for Christ from the moment of Adam and Eve’s sin and no one was able to change that. So when I say that it was for her own good I mean that Jesus was trying to reach out to her in a real and personal way. Jesus wanted her to see him as the Savior and King. He will do whatever it takes to reach out to the spiritually blinded and needy even if it is in some crazy supernatural way. He is always pursuing us for our good and He will make it personal.

Going to jail!

Posted on March 24, 2010November 20, 2014 by Spanky Rouse

I had a good friend invite me to go with him and some other men to a local prison for a church service. Honestly, I put on my self righteous attitude and thought that I might be able to go a minister to these poor men. Man did God have something in store for me. It was one of the most up lifting times that I have had and it was one of the most moving church services that I have been apart of. The music and singers were amazing! You would never think that these guys would have been in a church choir but I am sure glad they are. The inmate that I was sitting with said that he was going to try to get relocated closer to where he is from but after coming to this facility and finding this church he decide that this would be the best place for him during this time in his life. God is using some of the most unusable and unqualified people according to the worlds standards to minister to inside this prison. That is he power of God!

God knew that I was in a funk. He also knew that being in that prison with those men worshiping the Father was the best place for me to be on that Tuesday night. The service started by a couple of men giving testimonies of how wonderful our God is and what he was teaching them in the Word. One of the men actually said, ” Men we need to thank God tonight for allowing us to be right where we are. He is so good to us.” I sat there thinking, do you not understand that you are locked up in this prison or what! Others stood up and gave testimonies of His faithfulness and power, His goodness in their life, His blessings, and the hope and joy that they have. I could not believe the praise and worship that was coming out of these mens mouths. I had been thinking for the past two days about how “hard” my life is and these men are talking about worshiping the Father even in their situation. The Spirit of the Lord quickly broke my heart and allowed me to lay it all at His feet. James 1:2 came to mind, Count it joy when you face the trials of life. It is a privilege to be where I am no matter how hard because God is using this time to produce His character in me.

Real Love

Posted on February 15, 2010November 20, 2014 by Spanky Rouse

Do you know what “Real Love” is? I think that real love is something that you don’t just have or get but rather it is apart of God that He develops with in us. We are selfish and disgusting creatures that care only for ourselves so if there be any kind of love with in you it has to be the image of God coming out. The bible says that even my best is still in the likeness of filthy, dirty rags so how could I ever really love someone. I can only love through the love that my Heavenly Father has given me. Before I was apart of God’s family, while I was still at my worst, Jesus stepped out of Heaven in all of its glory and willingly died for me. He did what I could not do but what I should have to do all because He loves me more than anything else. That is “Real Love”.

This love should change the way we live and act. Every relationship and situation would be effected if we truly walked in this love. Beginning with our family. I have to put them first and become a servant if I want to love them with “Real Love”. As we have been learning at Ridge Church the past few weeks, love is a verb so put it into action.

This love should also cause us to take action for the people in this world that are in need physically, emotionally, and especially spiritually. How can we, followers of Christ not step up to the plate and stand in the gap for those all over this world that are in need. The least we could do is give but we should be going to help too. We, who live in America that say,”What can I do” should be ashamed! We live in the top 5% of the most wealthy people in the whole world and we wonder what we can do. There are children, widows, and families all over this world that are homeless, hungry, dying of sicknesses that are easily curable, crippled and crawling, dehydrated, hopeless, joyless, and empty and we seem to be okwith that. What can you do? You can start right where you are. Acts 1:8 Go serve, give $20 a month, step up to the plate and help, and at least be praying for those in need. 1 John 3:16 ” By Jesus we know love, and now we ought to lay down our lives for others.”

The gospel, what Jesus has done and is still doing for you, should put love into action in your life! 1 John 4:11 “If God so loved us, then we ought to love one another.” It’s not what I can achieve in life that matters it is who I can affect for the glory of God that matters.

Watch this 3 minute video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXh_tgjnYJw

Mac’s first mission trip

Posted on December 1, 2009November 20, 2014 by Spanky Rouse

We had the opportunity to take Mac with us on our last trip to Panama. It was one of the coolest experiences that we have had as a family. The couple of weeks before the trip you could tell that he was getting nervous. He would ask a lot of questions about the people, food, what was he going to be doing, etc. It is not unusual for Mac to ask a lot of questions but when most of his questions are centered on one topic you know that things are stirring around in his head. I think that one of his biggest concerns was what he was going to eat. Half of his backpack was filled up with food and snacks just to be safe.

Mac did very well with the traveling. No matter how long or bumpy the flight he just keeps talking. Long bus rides were no problem either. He just fell asleep on who ever was beside him. The first night we slept in a hotel in Panama city. I got a little worried for Mac and the rest of the week when he looked at his bed and said with a cracky voice,”there are bugs on my bed”.

When we arrived in the small village of Alto de Jesus Mac quickly became the focus of attention with the children. He quickly made friends and fit right in when he brought out his bag of Legos. I remember him sitting on the dirty ground playing along with the kids and then turning to me and saying,”Dad, I don’t know what they are saying!” It was pretty cool for me to sit down with him and his new friends and help them talk to each other. These new friends would become his partners in ministry and entertainment for the rest of the week. Two of his best friends were a brother and sister named Arnon and Rose. By the end of the week you would have thought that they had known each other forever.

Some of Mac’s favorite things about Panama were sleeping in a tent, playing all day with his new friends, feeding chickens, riding in the back of a truck, and telling other children about Jesus with his Evangecube. He ate great, loved the extreme part of the trip(except all of the hiking up hill), and hardly ever complained. He is filled with a sweet spirit and built for ministry. Mac is one of the best trip participants that we have ever had and the three of us are so glad that we have this experience of serving the Lord together to remember forever. Praise the Lord! Serving the Lord alongside of your family is one of the coolest things you could ever do.

I lift my eyes!

Posted on August 24, 2009November 20, 2014 by Spanky Rouse

Psalms 121:1-2 “I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from?!?! My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth!” We believe that we are in one of those seasons of life where the Father is refining us in our faith, devotion, and finances. It is one of those times that you don’t really look forward to it but just about half way through you start to understand why and can appreciate it. I don’t know that a valley in life is ever welcomed or enjoyable but I do know and say with confidence that it is needed!

“Why would a loving and caring God let this happen to me,!” I am sure that you have heard that a time or two and probably even from a believer. I am sure that I have even been the one to say that a time or two. The more I learn about the purpose my life has in the kingdom I ask why wouldn’t He allow these hard times to take place in our lives.(James 1:2-4) Anyone who has ever been through a valley can look back and see how the Father help you in His hand the entire time.

This is the place where God teaches you the lessons that you wouldn’t have normally learned. This is the place where God reveals Him self to you like you have never seen Him.(Glory and Power Psalms 63:2)This is the place where God molds you and shapes you into the person that He wants you to be. This is the place where God prepares you for the task that He has for you. This is the place where God directs your paths and life.

Lets not worry and be anxious (Phil.4:4-7)but rejoice. Lets praise Him and give Him all the Glory! He will uphold and rescue his children. Psalms 23:3-4, “He restores my soul, He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for you are my rod and staff that comforts me.”