When the clock strikes midnight on December 31 of each year, a new year begins. And with a new year comes the hope of a better year than the one before. Dreams left unfulfilled in the previous year have a new opportunity to be realized. Every year presents for us the opportunity to reflect, evaluate, and prayerfully dream again about what could be in the coming months ahead.
I have recently been reflecting on Ezekiel 11:19. This verse came to me in a time of prayer when I was greatly distressed over the condition of my heart before the Lord’s presence. In prayer, I began asking God to change my heart and as He does many times in answer to my prayer, He led me to His Word in Ezekiel 11:19. This verse says, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”
Throughout the end of 2011 and into 2012, my prayer has been that the Lord would do such a thing in me. I confess, all too often my heart is divided over some things good and some things not so good. At times I feel as though my spirit has grown empty and cold. And sadly, there are moments when I feel as though my heart is as hard as stone.
The closer I walk with Jesus the more deficient I find I am and the more dependent I see I am upon His grace. As one year is closed and another begins, I find myself crying out to God with greater passion, sadness, and humility than ever before. However, in the midst of my brokenness over my imperfections, He infuses me with the hope that He has indeed given me a new spirit and that my divided heart is made whole in His hands. That is hope worth dreaming about for 2012!
Dreaming Again,
Jeff Powell
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Thinking About Christmas
As we think about the real meaning of Christmas, Jesus, I thought it would be very appropriate and fitting for us to review some of the prophecies made about Jesus many years before His birth and life. May we today, many years after His birth and life, not forget the meaning of Christmas!
Isaiah 7:14 says: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 9:6-7 says: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Micah 5:2 says: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
Jeremiah 23:5 says: “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.”
Jesus has been born! Thank you Lord for the life He lived, the death He died, and the power of His resurrection. Thank you that He lives today. May He be alive in us I pray!
Merry Christmas,
Jeff Powell
Isaiah 7:14 says: Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 9:6-7 says: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Micah 5:2 says: But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
Jeremiah 23:5 says: “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.”
Jesus has been born! Thank you Lord for the life He lived, the death He died, and the power of His resurrection. Thank you that He lives today. May He be alive in us I pray!
Merry Christmas,
Jeff Powell
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
A Different Kind of Thank You
As I thought about how I could say “thank you” to all of you who made One Story Live From Bethlehem the success that is was, I realized that I could do no better than a wise man who thanked the people of God years ago for their labor of love.
This wise man said:
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.”
Fellowship Church, that is exactly how I feel and think about you!
Thank you Apostle Paul for penning these words years ago to the church at Philippi in Philippians 1:3-11.
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
This wise man said:
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.”
Fellowship Church, that is exactly how I feel and think about you!
Thank you Apostle Paul for penning these words years ago to the church at Philippi in Philippians 1:3-11.
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
How to Change...
Last week I wrote on the subject of CHANGE and some of the indicators that exist to let us know that we must make some changes. So what do you do when you know a change needs to be made in your life? Great question. One of the steps I have regularly taken in my life when I know a change is needing to be made is to pray. I know it sounds simple, but it is harder than you think.
Here is a window into my prayer life recently when I knew a change needed to be made. I prayed in my journal:
“Oh Lord, I come before you heavy in heart and mind. My spirit seems so willing, but my flesh so weak. I ask you forgive me of the sins of my flesh and the sins of the my life - both conscious and non-conscious. It appears to me that the conscious being more heavy than the non. Commitment has been relegated to convenience - forgive us I pray. Purge my inmost being I pray with the convicting and comforting presence of the Holy Spirit. Please forgive me for the pride of my life - haughtiness rather than humbleness. I want an immediate fix, but your grace oh Lord HAS to be sufficient for my great weakness. I find it hard right now to delight in my weaknesses so that your power might rest upon me. Help me oh God to be surrendered and humbled to Your will. Please allow Your power to purge my inmost being of everything that is repulsive to You oh Lord. Please guide my desires and my steps oh Lord. It is You that I love and that I long for in Jesus name. Please lead me to the quiet waters and restore my soul oh Lord I pray. My trust is in Your grace in Jesus name. Amen.”
Here is the real deal: Many times we know what changes we need to make, but simply lack the desire and discipline to change. So take the challenge, pour out your heart to the Lord through prayer. Like me, you will find that He will fill you with the desire and the discipline to change!
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
Here is a window into my prayer life recently when I knew a change needed to be made. I prayed in my journal:
“Oh Lord, I come before you heavy in heart and mind. My spirit seems so willing, but my flesh so weak. I ask you forgive me of the sins of my flesh and the sins of the my life - both conscious and non-conscious. It appears to me that the conscious being more heavy than the non. Commitment has been relegated to convenience - forgive us I pray. Purge my inmost being I pray with the convicting and comforting presence of the Holy Spirit. Please forgive me for the pride of my life - haughtiness rather than humbleness. I want an immediate fix, but your grace oh Lord HAS to be sufficient for my great weakness. I find it hard right now to delight in my weaknesses so that your power might rest upon me. Help me oh God to be surrendered and humbled to Your will. Please allow Your power to purge my inmost being of everything that is repulsive to You oh Lord. Please guide my desires and my steps oh Lord. It is You that I love and that I long for in Jesus name. Please lead me to the quiet waters and restore my soul oh Lord I pray. My trust is in Your grace in Jesus name. Amen.”
Here is the real deal: Many times we know what changes we need to make, but simply lack the desire and discipline to change. So take the challenge, pour out your heart to the Lord through prayer. Like me, you will find that He will fill you with the desire and the discipline to change!
Loving and Leading,
Jeff Powell
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