I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly

I was listening to the speech given today by President Barack Obama in London and this quote stood out to me,

"The path has never been perfect," he said. "But through the struggles of slaves and immigrants; women and ethnic minorities; former colonies and persecuted religions, we have learned better than most that the longing for freedom and human dignity is not English or American or Western — it is universal."

Can you imagine a world like this? In the current context I am living it is hard to imagine, but I do believe as a follower of Jesus we are called to reflect a kingdom that will surpass everything we have ever known here on earth. Without this hope it is really hard to imagine a world that Obama describes, but with hope and faith it is our goal.

I know when you search the word prayer on YouTube you will find a lot of crazy stuff. I do not want to judge those people, nor do I want to be one of them. I do want to say prayer is one of the things that makes me know I have a relationship with Jesus. I need to be reminded constantly that Jesus is there with me.

When you hear the voice of God there is nothing like it. If you are struggling with anything please know God will speak to your situation and will not judge you.

When we walk in harmony with Jesus and let him take our burdens we are free from all the many worries in this world. I have been reminded lately that even in turbulent times God gives us peace and joy. Ask anything to Jesus and He will hear you and answer in his way and timing.

If you have time watch this Hillsong video as it has really helped my prayer life. Remember you need to hear from Jesus, and He will speak to you if you ask Him. He might speak to you through the Bible, through people, through experiences, through music, through nature, etc, but you need to ask Him to do this.

If you don't ask for this you potentially run of the risk of defaulting to one of two things. The first is a very religious person working out of personal discipline and duty. The second is a person who claims to walk with God, but really just views God as a self help genie that they pull out when they need something. The people I meet who walk with God closely are those who hear from God on a regular basis.

There are many things that are different when you travel, but in our current country we had an interesting experience. We had one guy insist that people from another city were animals. I wonder if this just didn't translate, but he kept telling us that these people were animals.

I couldn't imagine being called an animal, because I was born into a situation that most people envy. I struggle to relate to those who have been oppressed, but I do know when I see oppression it reminds me that this life is only temporary and that the greatest hope for an eternal kingdom comes to those who have been oppressed the most. It is difficult sometimes determining the role I need to play in conveying that message to the oppressed, but I believe it involves a less amount of talking, and a greater amount of servitude.

The picture above was drawn by a friend of mine and it reminds me to pray for the kingdom to come to come faster. It also reminds me to pray for God to use me to help make this world a little more reflective of that future kingdom. When you grasp a vision of the eternal kingdom where Jesus is sitting you will never live the same. Jesus wants to reveal this vision to you, but you need to ask him.

"Open, pour, let praise soar, raise him, praise Him, Christ be adorned" 

I heard this story today from a person that has walked with God for a long time and I thought it was insightful.

He said that one time while he was in Europe he woke up early to fill up his car with gasoline, but on accident he filled it up with diesel fuel. It was only when he got back to the hotel to pick up his wife that he realized this big mistake, because the car would not start. He said they could have decided to complain or fight about it, but instead they decided to seek adventure. They found that even in this big mistake an adventure awaited and he went on to explain one of the best days of their lives.

He just reminded me that even in the worst of situations that a philosophy of "life as adventure" can really make or break the experiences that God has awaiting for us.

I found this video on You Tube and it is the scene in the Lord of the Rings: Twin Towers where Frodo wants to give up and Sam encourages him to keep going. This movie would have been disappointing if both Frodo and Sam simply gave up.

My wife and I trust God, especially when times get tough. Right now we are in a big life transition and it simply is overwhelming at times, even though we know it is right. Personally I struggle to think of life without a greater trust in an almighty God.

If you are reading this and don't believe in God I am just curious how you have learned to deal with some of lives difficulties?