Trusting with your whole being

I've posted this before, but I feel like I need to say it again. I learned this word from God through a sermon of James MacDonald.



When your upside goes downside, whatever's inside comes outside. ANYONE can trust in God when things are going good! But what happens when everything good goes bad? It isn't so easy anymore. When life itself seems to be going fine, it's easy to trust in God. But when life goes from 'fine and dandy' to 'totally stinks' these are the times we need to pay attention to our actions, because during the tough times is when your true heart's desire will ring out in front of you. Here are some examples of tough times... when you are struggling with finances, when a relative's or even your own health goes down the drain, when you can't find joy in anything, when you don't have anybody to confide in, any other tough thing you are or may go through!

God and, if you decide to pay attention, you will see your heart's true intent in the actions during tough times. If you react to these times in doubt - such as asking God "Why would you let this happen?!" Then obviously, you have some stuff to straighten out before bed tonight.

Forgiveness from sin is free. However, to live for God, we must serve. To serve, we must face trials & persecution. To face trials & persecution, we have to trust in God with our whole being. Now you may say 'I do trust God with all I got!' but it's alot easier said than understood, let alone done. Be sincere about trusting God, don't make light of this. Pay attention when God test's your trust in Him, or in other words (again) pay attention to your actions when life seems to go down the drain. Pray and Fast for a Godly heart - That you will be that much more useful to His master plan. If you truly seek this, God will see your heart's intension and will grant your request. I testify to that. So yes, pay attention to your actions! Look for signs of where you are spiritually, in your actions.

Wrapping this up now... I repeated myself a few times above, but I pray that any inconveniences are overlooked, that anyone who reads this would understand what point I meant to make.

There's coming a time when we'll face trials and persecution, wether or not we mean it in our hearts when we say "I am a Christian." There's coming a time where we're gonna suffer to so much as keep our Bibles. There's coming a time when churches will be burned, and we Christians will once again suffer for our faith! (It's closer than we think, look, prayer & Bibles are already banned from schools!) There's coming a time when satan will decieve mankind once again, but as for us whose trust is in the LORD and who's hope is the LORD, we wil stand firm through those last days.

Far greater than those things, there's coming a time when Christ Jesus Himself in all glory and power will return for those who He bought with His own blood, for those who recieved His free gift with thanksgiving in their hearts! He will return and will bring us home!!

Furthermore, the time will come when those who have persecuted us and those who made us suffer and die for our faith will experience something far greather than themselves (themselves....being the wrath of satan). They will experience the wrath of God.

Let's save as many as we can. We need to become great warriors of prayer and great warriors of faith. We need to strengthen the faith and devotion of the people of our churches, think of the potential we have here. And once again, do NOT make light of these things! It's soo easy to think lightly of something like this in an environment like ours currently. Don't be decieved, pray for this revolution, pray escpessially for those lost to sin!

Who is on the LORD's side?
Who's willing to fight?
Before you can fight, you must first learn well how to use a sword and shield; otherwise, you will fall!

I'm praying for you all.

It's Begun

If you read this, read on with an open heart to the LORD. I have so much on my heart! So much I need to say, so much I feel you need to hear. Bear with me, please.

Yesterday I posted a prayer I had in regards to a heavy heart toward those certain people who seek God's face. Today I have a heavy heart for the lost. If you haven't yet, read what's written on the top of my page.

I'm moved, I haven't merely been challenged lately, but I've been changed. I have a message from God and I can only imagine the potential we all have with the grace of God to carry out this dream. Two years ago, many of us came together in prayer for revolution, we learned much about the need of one and how it can becom reality through our lives.
The revolution has begun.If not in your heart as of yet, I can feel it in mine. America is deeply lost in darkness, terribly lost! I can't stand keeping this in any longer. There's a song by Phillips Craig and Dean that explains my feeling right now, the beginning is:

"You don't have the right to remain silent, if you've been arrested by God's grace. You've got to take the stand to tell the story - of how your guilty stains have been replaced. Everything you've done has been erased by the evidence of love. So you don't have the right."
Listen to me, Sodom and Gomorrah (spelling?) were both destroyed because they wouldn't repent. I can bet you that there were few who lives Holy lives before God. I see the same situation in America. There are many people who seem to be kind & loving, but they fail to be Holy before God. This nation needs to repent before America ends up like Sodom and Gomorrah, and don't think it won't! Television is full of impurities, movies are full of impurities, music is full of impurities! The devil is really working against God's army in these areas give/take 1 or 2 channels out of a minimum of 99.

Abraham didn't pray for the lost in Sodom & Gomorrah, he prayed for the righteous. It's good to pray for our brothers in Christ, for strength and for more souls to be won! But we need to be in desperate prayer for the lost souls. It's up to us, dude. If we don't pray - nobody will. If we don't change, though we're continually challenged, nobody will. If we don't start this revolution, this nation is going down in flames - out of Love. It would have been better for the people to roast then for God to allow them to rot in their own sin and then die - just like Sodom & Gomorrah.
God aint calling us to be challenged. God aint calling us to be moved. God doesn't want us to feel impacted or thought-provoked. He wants us to change, He wants to deliver us, He wants to deliver the lost. And if we stop at words, if we stop at sermons, then like Sodom and Gomorrah, we're going down in flames.

About changing, it's between you and God. Notice things in your everyday life that do not benefit this revolution that's taking place.....crush everything in the way. PS2 occupying your time? Get out a sledge hammer and smash is, don't get money for it - don't give it away - smash it. (Exodus 34:13, Deut. 7:1-10) Seek holiness, but do not be so occupied in saving yourself that you forget about the lost, or you would have lost the origional message that God planted in you.

Be with me in prayer for revolution. Be with me in prayer for holiness in this nation. Pray for the leaders, the followers, the blind, the lost. God's going to do something miraculously radical! So radical that those who truly live for God will be persecuted for their faith - pray for strength among God's Army, and weakness among evil. Peter 2:21 says "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps."



Be courageous. Do something out of the ordinary with the passion God's planted in your heart. Put in faithfulness for the LORD and make this revolution happen with those you come in contact with. I'm in this boat with you, and am in prayer for you all! LETS DO IT

Update - Ramblings

In alot of my previous posts I say how I have struggled with devotions, can't pick them up, can't stay faithful, nothing. I've been praying about it, throughout those posts up until this day.. yesterday somethin came up.

So I got an ipod for Christmas, so I was on itunes, a program where I can download things onto the ipod, browsing around. Did you know that you can put podcasts on the ipods? Well obviously, you can! So I was looking at them and I found a whole bunch of sermons and different Bible studies, they are all free downloads! So I downloaded like three different sermons to my ipod.

I've noticed many times that I just plainly spend way too much time online, or on the computer in general. I've tried to come away from it, but it doesn't always work out. I've tried to limit my time, that doesn't last longer than the first day. I'm almost positive that this has got to be the reason for my unfaithfulness in devotions, all my time is given to my computer! These podcasts were the answer God brought to my attention! Coo, eh?

Maybe, just maybe, the answer isn't totally getting away from the computer, although it would be good. What I do is put in my earphones, and play these podcasts while I browse the internet. It's soo simple! When I start listening, i'm brought into a thinking process, and find myself hungry for more. So I wind up leaving my computer anyways to take notes and such!

I have faced a few times over the past few days that I just felt like scum, really far from God! Maybe it's testing? Whatever it is, I think I defeated it. I won the battle! I didn't lose my temper, I didn't even give up my devotional time because of my not 'feeling like' doing them!

I'm really excited! And felt the urge to share this with... well... you, I guess! :)

If you have prayed for me, thank you very much! There is something about it when somebody lifts another person's hard times and situations before our All-Powerful God! Its nothing to be overlooked, and nothing to be looked down upon! Miracles happen when we come before God with a sincere heart about anything, anyone. I genuinely THANK you your prayers.

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OH I almost forgot.. I'm not sure wether it was sunday school, my dad's sermon, or somewhere else where this was bought to my attention. But anyway...

Acts 9 talks about Saul's conversion. He was still a threat to the Christians, and a killer of them! While he was traveling from one place to another, God Himself confronted him, ordered him to go to the city. Saul was blind, and for three days he didn't eat or drink anything.

In Damascus, a man called Ananias was also confronted by God. God told him to go and meet Saul in the city... his responce to this could be seen as "Say what? Don't you know who he is?" But none the less, Ananias obeyed!

If you think about it, Saul wasn't much different than Saddam Hussien. In this perspective, there are a few awesome points to this story. Ananias had great enough faith to meet Saul and help him recieve God's forgiveness, and Saul was forgiven! His name was even changed! God gave Saul a 'clean slate'. God loved Saul, so he gave him the name Paul, a whole new reputation, a clean slate! Paul then started his new life in Jesus, not even confronting the priests or the others, God went right to work in him! Compare Saul & Paul...two completely different people. Only by the power of God could this happen!!

Liek Saul, God wants to give us a clean slate. Our names might not be changed, and we might not have previously been a threat, but none the less, we arent perfect. God provides a way out. I see the new year as a clean slate. But there are specific ones! If anybody reads this, think of how God gives you clean slates. What ways? What reasons? How do you react?

God wants us to see His immediate reaction to our immediate obedience. But for this, we have to have immediate obedience! Do it, don't sit back and think. God's provided a way out, take it and run for the finish line all the more!! I thank you for your patience if you actually read all of my ramblings...
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I just have one request, be with me in specific prayer for this world.

James 1

'Lord, open my mind and my heart to the things I read this day. Share with me Your wisdom to understand, and diligence to apply your word, daily. In the name of Christ, and in the will of God I ask."

James 1 -click to read

Things to think on;

Don't let temptation and trials and troubles get the best of you. Instead, get the best of them! (2-8)
When you recieve Scripture, apply it, act on it! Don't let it go in one ear and out the other. (22-25)
God doesn't tempt us, temptation is our own evil desires at work within us. (13-14)


"When troubles come your way, welcome them as teachers, nomatter how unpleasant they may be. Take advantage of your bad circumstances by depending on God to get you through hard times. He will not only take care of you, but He will make you a better person through it."

(Quote taken from 'One Year Through the Bible')

Hurt

There can't be much worse than having your child treat you like dirt after you raise the child in a good Christian home, and love him over-abundantly.

One thing that seems to compete well though, is being the other son; Watching my parents treat Jeremy more lovingly with each passing day - as he accepts their good gifts, walking away telling lies about them dishonoring them to others.. for my parent's to accidently find those very conversations. He knows the things he does wrong, and says he will work on it. We've forgiven him everytime he asked it, we put in the past the thing's he's done to us!!! This is still going on.

I'm not speaking cruely about my brother.. Im hurt!! And I'm soo worried about him. We've prayed and prayed for God to take control. We wait, and wait, knowing that in God's time, God willing, it will be. It just get's worse though. Me and Brennen hurt when we see our parent's with broken hearts!!

Please don't speak or even think badly about my family, including Jeremy. I really needed to vent and this seems to be real private. I hope.

Please keep my family in your prayers.

Learning Zone Kettle

I decided to host an online Salvation Army red Christmas Kettle for our Learning Zone here in Painesville.

^^Click on this pic to visit my kettle page!^^


EVERYTHING that goes into this kettle is given to our Learning Zone in the Painesville Salvation Army! I've been working with the kid's in this learning zone ever since I moved to Painesville, and I've really grown to love them!! Every one of them are awesome kids, and I appreciate any size donations that are made for them, they totally deserve it!....most of the time :) just kidding

If ANYTHING matter's to me, it's these KIDS!!! Please support me...support them!!

-Christopher Hinzman

The life you live is the example you leave

First of all, I sat and wrote this while in the car. I do not doubt the power of God at all! But I do doubt my sense of judgment, and with my imagination..I don’t want to risk giving a false testimony. So the things written in this post – I really feel like God spoke these words to me. Just don’t quote it as a word from God!

I have been having a hard time sitting and just doing devotions and things lately. Ok so plainly, I’ve just been down right lazy. I was wondering why, if someone continues in setting a good example of Christ for others to see, it is soo important to soak themselves in God’s Word..? How does it affect my life?

Well, I realize now that by not taking out time for God regularly, I have been affected by being so blind that I would ask such a question.

Here it is, as if God were speaking it to me - or you:














Look at the candles, do you realize anything? Two of them are out of wax. Yet the flame is still there.

Think hard on these questions.

• What is the purpose of a candle?
• What is your purpose?
• What happens when the candle is all out of wax, and the flame continues to shine?
• What happens when you are not soaking yourself daily in my Word, but remain faithful to shining your light, sharing my joy with others.

Read closely

• The candle is used to give off light, and very often it’s used for the smell.
• You were made to shine! To spread my love, my joy! I want you to bring glory and honor to My name by carrying out the Will that I have through you.
• The light from the candle will still be used. But the candle’s purpose isn’t carried out fully, if only the container would be filled with wax again, so that the flame is surrounded by wax – it would be able to do more than just give off light! It could give a whole room a scent.
• I will still use your willingness to shine and to share My Joy. However, My purpose for you wouldn’t be carried out fully. If only you would be soaked up in My Word! Filled with My Holy Spirit – you would be able to do much more than just share My Joy!! You could carry my very purpose of this world, into this world!

Even though you may be useful to me when you aren’t totally devoted..in devotions, our relationship..you can do so much more if you would only take the time!

Look how beautiful this is…!

So, are you only going to shine? Will you stop at only lighting up the pathway that I made for you to find.. Or will you allow me to fully carry out my plans in you and through you?
Remember this: For my plans to be carried out and fully fulfilled, you also have to be willing. Give up everything, and I mean everything that you have! Yet you will NOT be at loss, I will bless you soo much!

I love you. I want to use you, but you have to want that too. Remember this: The life you live is the example you leave, this includes the life that nobody else see’s but you, or so you may think. Are you going to live in rebellion and stay lazy? Are you going to rise up a lazy people? Or will you rise the worshippers.

I heard your request, along with all of the prayers of My people for a revolution, I LOVE IT!!! But you need to be willing to do more than pray about it. Soak yourself all around - inside and out, with my Word. I will put into you what you must do. This must start with you. (All of those who are willing, not literally YOU)

So then, stop this laziness! Let’s start fresh. I’m ready whenever you are!

……LORD, forgive me for being so blind!!