Radical Life Support

Sovereign means supreme ruler, possessing supreme or ultimate power, possessing royal power or status. Acting independently and without outside interference. Let’s consider God’s other attributes as we explore how He is sovereign. 

He is Creator and all knowing about everything. To say that anything is unknown to God, then He could not rule over everything completely and supremely. He has all the information He needs to rule, there can be no unforeseen circumstances. He is omnipresent, so He knows what is going on at all times and everywhere in the world, even in the secret places. He is omnipotent, all powerful, and unlimited so He never lacks the ability, resources, or strength to act and reign. He is all-sufficient to achieve what He chooses to do. God has infinite wisdom so He knows exactly what to do in any given situation and how to implement it perfectly. All the universe and everything in it belongs to God. He cannot reign over something that isn’t His. He doesn’t need permission to do anything. God is the highest authority. You can’t usurp His authority and there is no breakdown in authority. He can give authority to people but it comes from Him. 

A.W. Tozer states that, “His sovereignty requires that He be absolutely free, which means simply that He must be free to do whatever He wills to do anywhere at any time to carry out His eternal purpose in every single detail without interference...God is said to be absolutely free because no one and no thing can hinder Him or compel Him or stop Him. He is able to do as He pleases always, everywhere, forever.”

Dan 4:32b, 35b The Most High is SOVEREIGN over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes…He does as He pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. Jer 32:17 "Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Is 40:10a The SOVEREIGN Lord comes with power and His arm rules for Him. II Sam 7:22 "How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you.” Rom 13:1 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” 

The life and death and resurrection of Jesus is a primary example of God’s sovereign will being manifested. Satan tried to do everything to stop Jesus and it seemed at first that death had defeated Him. But Jesus defeated death, rose again, and brought the greatest life to all mankind. Nothing can defeat God’s good purposes no matter what comes to pass and that proves He is Sovereign. 

Because of Jesus’ humble submission to perfectly obey God’s Sovereign will and lay down His life for the salvation of the world, God gave Him and only Him the highest authority and position. [Col 1:8] “He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.” Jesus is King of all kings and Lord of all lords. In Revelation is says, "the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne which is at the right hand of the throne of God." There is none higher than Jesus in sovereign dominion. Everyone must make a decision about the Sovereignty of Jesus. In the end, we will all stand before the Sovereign throne of God and explain what we have decided about Jesus.

Nothing and no one can hinder it God's sovereign plan. And if His sovereign plans can be completed for Jesus, He is certainly not limited to do that for you. God has a good plan for your life and you need to believe that about Him. God will continue to move undisturbed and unhindered toward the fulfillment of His eternal plans which He purposed in Christ Jesus before the world began. We do not know the details, but He discloses enough to give us hope and a confident assurance of our future. 

Today’s interview is with Rena Troy in her hometown of Northome, Minnesota. She hosted Teen Rescue in her home many times over the years providing food and a place to sleep. 

Rena explained that she first met Rick at the Northome fair grounds. She heard that this rock band was playing Christian music and it was a group of young people who were speaking about Jesus. Rena was a new Christian and confused because she thought religion and Christianity was for the old people in the church. It was new to her that there were people with long hair playing rock music about Jesus. She was very curious and sat in the bleachers and listened to the message that Teen Rescue was bringing and she was blown away. She thought that being a Christian is not going to be boring after all. 

She started following where the band was playing around the area and wanted to be a part because she felt so alive. Up to that point she felt dead after giving her life to Christ. She believes God was showing her that there is life in Christ and you can actually be a little goofy too like that long-haired leader of the band.

Rena saw Teen Rescue as troublemakers. There were people in the community that didn’t care for Rick Moe because he was causing trouble. Rena says Teen Rescue made the comfortable Christian uncomfortable. They had to face things they ignored before like what was hurting the children in our community, the fact that they weren’t sharing Christ with their family and friends, or were living in a way that was giving a bad message to others about being a Christian. So they didn’t want to have anything to do with Teen Rescue because they were too radical. But Rena would load up her kids and friends and go to Teen Rescue retreats and music festivals. 

Rena started going through training and retreats through Teen Rescue and started to grow. Then she started to become more involved with Teen Rescue. Even though she spoke a few times, she enjoyed working in the background. Rena became Cindy’s go to person and they did a lot of other things together.

During small groups, it was Rena’s job to watch the kids. She remembers one girl asking to go to the bathroom and she took off down the hall. Rena sensed there was something wrong because Cindy had been talking about some really tough issues. Rena found her sitting on the floor crying. Rena shared the gospel and love with her. The girl shared openly with Rena the tough times she was going through. 

One of the rules in Teen Rescue was during lunch time, the team didn’t sit together but was to sit spread out amongst the kids. Rena remembers sitting with a group of girls and she was so nervous that she felt she was speaking incoherently. After lunch they shared names and later, she received a letter from one of the girls. She said thank you so much because I was really contemplating suicide that night. She was at the school telling her friends good-bye but Rena’s sitting with her and sharing her concern and love for them made her feel that there was much more to life. Rena stayed in touch with her and she went on to Oak Hills bible college and went on to the ministry. The important message from Rena about being involved with Teen Rescue is that you never know who you are going to impact for the Lord.

Rena became the Teen Rescue Director around the time Rick moved to Walker, MN and was a much needed person to help organize so many aspects of the ministry. One of Rena’s favorite trips was A Week on Rescue and they organized was a Christian “Woodstock, with your clothes on” which included several other Christian bands, a mud pit, grape contest, and other fun things for the kids. Rena was very involved in making events happen. 

On behalf of Teen Rescue, thank you Rena for all your work and efforts over the years. She even saved many pictures and memorabilia to keep the memories of all that God did through Teen Rescue alive.

Since God created this world, He decides what is right and wrong. There is nothing wrong about God at all, ever. He is right about how things work, how things should be done, and how to live life rightly. None of His words are wrong, none of His ways are wrong, none of His commands are wrong, in any measure whatsoever. To question or to doubt Him is our wrong thinking not His wrong doing. You can say that something about God isn’t right but you would be wrong. Your thoughts are not higher than His thoughts and your ways are not higher than His ways. You are not all knowing or smarter. It is a hard pill to swallow for some but I respectfully say to you that you are not God. He is God and He is always right.

The righteousness of God is not a part of God’s character it is incorporated into His whole being. All the attributes work together. So, if God is Almighty, whenever He demonstrates His power it is right. He defends rightly, He provides in a perfectly right way. He will be right eternally. He is righteous when He deals with sin and judgement and He is righteous when He shows mercy and compassion. His actions are done for the right reasons with holy and good intentions. God always does what should be done and He does it consistently and without partiality or prejudice. God is always right and fair in His judgements.

God does not conform to an outside standard of righteousness nor is He measured by one. He is the standard of what is right. Any standard He sets is right. He cannot act in any other way than who He is or go against His divine nature.

Is 45:21, “There is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior, there is none but me. Ps 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Ps 119:137-138 Righteous are you, O Lord, and your laws are right. The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy. Ps 145:17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made.

In God’s created world, there is inherent sense of right and wrong. We are born with it and societal laws are formed by it. When you go against what is right by God’s standard, there are negative consequences. Think of the things that enslave people such as drugs, alcohol, gambling, sexual addiction, greed, and various other obsessions. Anything that consumes your life will control you and can lead you to depression, overdose, sickness, bankruptcy, prison, and possibly suicide. There is hardly a time when things end well once you start down any of those paths. There really are right and healthy paths and wrong and destructive paths to follow. The bible’s words are true today, you will reap what you sow.

Jesus is is called the Righteous One. Jesus came as stated in Matt 3:15, “to fulfill all righteousness.” All God’s righteous requirements were fully met in Jesus. Jesus is the standard for right living. He told the religious leaders they had a form of external righteousness but their hearts were far from God. Jesus had the right heart and right actions. Jesus was the only person to live without sin, the only truly righteous person. The good news of the gospel is that by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, men may be forgiven of their sins and made righteous: 

[Eph 4:22-24] "Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” When you become born again, it is a new way of living. Living in righteousness means you have a clean heart and a clear conscience before God because you are doing the right things. The bible says that the path of righteousness is narrow and few find it; but it leads to life and is totally worth the effort. So wear your breastplate of righteousness, carry your shield of faith and sword of the Spirit, and face your days with Jesus Christ.

Our special guest this week is Dawn Damon Leiro. Dawn is currently living in California. Dawn is Rick’s cousin and she traveled with Teen Rescue during the summer of 1992 and, at that time, Teen Rescue was stationed in Austin, Minnesota, and traveling in a restored Ambulance. Dawn remembers that the ambulance had no seats. Everyone sat on the floor with no seat belts. At the age of 22, it was fun hanging out and meeting people her age who were followers of Jesus. Dawn helped out mainly with the t-shirt booth and sales. 

Dawn ministered at the juvenile detention center in downtown Minneapolis for one week and conducted a vacation bible school for any detainees. Dawn spoke in some of the small groups that covered topics like drugs or self-esteem. 

It was life changing for not just her, but for the team and those in the center who attended because many of the Teen Rescue made life long relationships with those kids. Dawn is still in touch with David Brom who had a notorious criminal reputation in Minnesota. But Dawn didn’t know who he was at the time when he asked to come out of his cell and have a one-on-one time with her.  He was 16 and seemed like an All-American boy. They struck up a friendship and they continued to stay in touch for 30 years. Whenever she was in the area, she would visit him. He knows her kids and husband. He has been adopted by her family. Dawn says it has been such a blessing because through the visits, seeds were planted for him to know Jesus. 

Shortly after Dawn first met Brom, he was transferred to Texas and received Jesus and his life was transformed. He had a supernatural event in his jail cell. He now leads bible studies, mentors others, and is studying to be a chaplain in the prison. Dawn is so grateful to be a part of his life changing story. 

Rick recalls Teen Rescue was doing two different events that week. The juvenile center only allowed a certain number of team members and Dawn could have easily been serving on the other team but God had different plans. Also, Teen Rescue only served at the juvenile camp that year and not the year prior or after so Rick believes it was a divine appointment.

Today Dawn is still doing a similar work at the Redwood City men’s jail at a special psychiatric unit for mentally ill patients. She works with nurses as a mental health assistant. She sees a lot of lonely broken people.

Dawn was thinking that there was a thread that she hadn’t connected before of why she loves what she does, ministering to broken people in the jails. She looks back and sees that it started with Teen Rescue. It all started a desire that she didn’t even know was there but God knew it. She has learned that those in jail are at their most broken state. They have nowhere to go. Sometimes their family has left them or they have left their families. They have such guilt for the crimes they have committed and they are completely isolated.

Just being with the inmates without having a conversation is a blessing because she can just be present, she can pray for them, and just be available. Just being friendly and kind is foreign to a lot of people in jail. Dawns says we all have to go to the places that God calls us whether it is in prisons, your local neighborhood, we all have a sphere of people that we can reach. Be that light wherever we have influence.

Dawn gives some final memories. She believes it was a cool thing because it wasn’t really that structured which she loved. They never knew from day to day where they were going to be so it kept you on your toes. Dawn felt that kind of environment helps you to figure out on your own what your gifts are and what you will bring to the table to contribute to the team. There was a lot of freedom in doing it that way. Dawn remembers the team did not complain and it was unified and fun.

God works in the big and the small. He is loud and quiet. God is Almighty and can do huge miracles to draw people to Him; but the tiniest touch of God can have the greatest life-changing impact in a person’s life. That personal touch in still moments shows God’s intimacy, love, and the value of the person being touched. This is why God draws us to quiet times and He calls us to silent places so we can better know Him.

God is invisible. We need quiet to focus on this unseen God. Instead of using your eyes, you have to use your mind, emotions, spirit, and imagination. To do that you need to be still. God knows this so He calls us to embrace quiet places with Him. If we are overstimulated with worldly things, it will block our awareness of the unseen world around us.

[Ps 46:10a] “Be still, and know that I am God.” If we take this verse as it stands, it appears that one of the best ways to know God is to be still. Spending time with Him and believing He is a God of the Quiet is a beautiful way to know Him the way He should be known and the way He wants to reveal Himself to us. You won’t learn this attribute through knowledge alone, you need to experience it with God. 

Seeking God in quiet spaces is to learn to know God by Him directly. Spending time alone with God is the key to having a relationship with Him. That’s how relationships work and grow. The bible, is where you find the direct truth about God and Jesus. It is God’s words about Himself. So, when you are alone with God, having the bible with you as your companion helps you to have confidence and assurance that what you are learning about God is right and true.

 [Ps 91:1] He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [Ps 62:5] Find rest, O my soul, in God alone. [Zeph 3:17] The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will QUIET you with His love. [Is 30:15] “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in QUIETNESS and trust is your strength.” 

Constant noise in our world can make us stressed and irritable. We have to work hard to find a quiet place at home to calm our hearts and minds. God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful quiet garden to talk to and have a relationship with them. [Ps 23:2] “He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside QUIET waters. He restores my soul.” How you feel from external surroundings is a picture of how you can feel internally with the Lord beside you.

When I think of God as quiet in creation, I think of the story of Elijah who had enough discernment to know God’s voice because it said he was listening for it but didn’t hear it in the wind and earthquake and fire but in a whisper. God doesn’t only speak in whispers but you might miss it if you never calm your soul and enter into His presence.

Jesus modeled what we should do and he prayed publicly but he often withdrew to be alone with His Father. Jesus did this to show us to have a special place and time for prayer. He sought places of prayer wherever He went. He showed that time alone is vitally important to your faith and should be held in special regard.

God constantly asks us to set our lives down for a while and rest in His presence. Being consistent is key. The times you least want to do it are probably the most important times. When you are lowest, it is the most necessary because you are vulnerable. This is a battle for our time and a battle of the flesh and a spiritual battle too. The enemy does not want you to be in God’s presence because it puts you in a position of strength and power.

You need God for your spiritual well-being so rearrange your priorities. Invest in your quiet time, fight for your quiet time. Give all your battles of the flesh and your spiritual battles to the Lord and you will see victory. Seek to have a vital fresh faithful relationship with Him by being in quiet communion with Him every day.

Our interview with Dave Shearin of Street Life Ministries in Redwood City, California continues. Dave has been Executive Director for 13 years. Street Life is a church that meets on the street four nights per week serving dinner, providing worship music and a message on God's word. They have three locations on the Bay Area Peninsula. The homeless are not clients, they are family. Robin and Rick visited this past Christmas and they performed music and gave their testimonies. It was such a positive experience. Rick and Robin highly endorse and support this ministry.

How does the ministry pay for 50,000 meals per year? As Executive Director, Dave wears two hats, one as pastor and the other as fund raiser. They are always looking for grant money and other ways to fund the ministry. Basic needs include paying for supplies such as paper plates, forks, napkins, and water for the meals. They are also growing and need to hire additional staff. A new expansion in the ministry is to provide a mobile clothing closet that can be relocated for easy access for the homeless. They want to purchase a van from a dry cleaning company who is willing to sell one of their vans at a discounted rate. People can help donate by going to www.streetlifeministries.org. They are a 501(c)(3) company.

What is the process to bring an individual off the streets?” They are partners with City Team, Teen Challenge, and Salvation Army. They try to use only Christian recovery programs. Street Life is not a recovery center. They view themselves as being on the front line. People come to them wounded and they develop the relationship. When a person is willing to admit that they are powerless over their addition and are willing to do whatever it takes to get help, then they activate one of the partners. Street Life continues to visit them in recovery so they know they haven’t forgotten about them. They send 20-30 people a year to recovery. Over half will fail out within 48 hours. One of Street Life’s caveats is that they never judge. The outreach team simply encourages them to try again and there has been more success with that approach on the re-entry and the individual going on to finish. 

When the Chinese virus came, they lost all of their normal food donations. Dave checked the freezers and they had enough food to last for two weeks. He sent out an email to the 32 churches and they got an overflow of food. After 30 days of shut down, they started to hear about restaurants hurting. There is a Go-Fund-Me account now where people and click on 'restaurant' and all donations will go toward buying food from restaurants to help the homeless and keep businesses open.

Dave has some good advice when it comes to helping the homeless. First of all, never give cash. A homeless person knows where to pan handle and can make between $150-200 a day trying to feed a habit. Give money instead to a trustworthy organization like Salvation Army, Victory Challenge, or Teen Challenge. If a person gives $50 to Street Life Ministries, they can feed almost 100 people with $50. If you give money to someone in their drug addiction, that $50 will get them high one time and it could cause an overdose and they could die. Instead buy food gift cards to places like a Chipotle or Subway. Dave recommends people go to their website and watch a video on how to make a toiletry kit. Put several in the back seat of your car and if you see a homeless person at a light signal, give the toiletry kit to them instead of cash. They will use it. Here is a reality check: feet are very important because the homeless walk around a lot and socks are vital. We all have plenty of money to give but giving a care package shows you spent time and care. The homeless feel loved by them.

Before we talk about God as our Provider, let’s clarify a point through another attribute that God is Self-Sufficient. Whatever God is, and all that God is, He is in Himself. [John 5:26] Jesus said, “The Father hath life in himself.” God does not receive life, support, power, or strength from anything or any other being. If that were so then that other entity would be God. There is nothing outside of Himself. He is all Self-Sufficient and the buck stops with Him. Tozer says, “An elementary but correct way to think of God is as the One who contains all, who gives all that is given, but who Himself can receive nothing that He has not first given… The word necessary is wholly foreign to God.” 

There is no need in God. Need is not a word that relates to God. We are filled with needs and incomplete without Him but He is not incomplete without us. He didn’t create us to fulfill some need within Him. If God had a need, that would be saying that His divine being would be incomplete. We know He is not incomplete. He is fully complete in Himself always and He has no needs. He wants our love and wants to be in a loving relationship with us; but not because of a need in Him. He is all complete love, He doesn’t need our love to complete Him. Whether we choose to love Him or not, He is not greater or lesser for it.

God knows all of our needs and that includes our need for strength, emotional well-being, guidance, wisdom, everything you need: [Phil 4:19] And my God will meet ALL your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. [I Tim 6:17] Put their hope in God, who richly PROVIDES us with everything for our enjoyment. [II Pt 1:3] God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. God gives us always just what we need, not always what we want. What we want might not be what is best but don’t be afraid to ask for anything in His name. But always be like Jesus and say, not my will but thine be done.

God gives life to all things. Nothing has life without God. We need this gift of life to live. We were not formed on our own, we do not grow on our own, we don’t breathe nor does our heart beat on our own. God is involved in all His creation. There is not life within us apart from God. We need God, the giver of life. 

God knows just what the world needs to keep it going. God knows how to maintain His created world better than we do. He gives and provides just what is needed. [Psalm 65:9] You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.

We cry out that God provide for our physical needs but God knows your spiritual needs as well and provided all we need through Jesus. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” It was a generous gift. All redemption from sins, salvation, the church, the Holy Spirit, and heavenly rewards are all provided by God through Jesus Christ. Jesus gave His life for the whole world to purify it from sin, “that all who believe on Him will have eternal life.” [Psalm 111:9] He provided one of the greatest things we need in this life, and that is hope. Jesus provided hope.

Believing that God is Provider is critical to your Christian walk. We can wring our hands worrying about getting our needs met. [Matt 6:25,33] “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink…Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Worrying means you do not trust God to provide for your needs. He is not big or powerful enough, has limited resources, not in control, and doesn’t care. How you feel about the attribute of God as ultimate Provider definitely affects how you live your life. It affects the quality of your life. You can live in fear and worry or you can live at peace and rest knowing God will provide all your needs according to His riches in glory.

For 13 years, Dave Shearin has been the Executive Director of Street Life Ministries, a non-profit ministry that serves the homeless in Redwood City and Menlo Park, California. Street Life is a church that meets on the street with three locations. They meet four nights a week serving dinner, providing worship music and bringing God's word. They serve over 50,000 meals per year. Rick and Robin highly recommend and support this ministry and encourage our listeners to give generously. To donate, go to their website www.streetlifeministries.org.

Dave received the Lord because his back was against the wall and there was a place to go to receive Jesus and that is how they want the ministry to be. Here is his testimony.

Dave's parents told him from the start that he was adopted but instead of making him feel more special, it made him feel more different like he didn't fit in. He felt like he had lost his identity, he didn’t know who he was or where he was from.

His dad was a partier, drank a lot and smoked marijuana. His dad’s violent and abusive nature made him feel afraid and isolated. In 5th grade, Dave discovered his dad’s liquor cabinet and he started to smoke joints left in ashtrays. Later his father also used cocaine, so Dave got all of his drugs for free and shared them with his friends. When his dad did some time in jail, his mother said get sober or she would leave. So, his father got help and got clean, but Dave resented it because he no longer had access to free drugs. He began connecting with drug dealers and he started stealing. Dave went from LSD to methamphetamines and found himself homeless in his addiction. Dave didn’t like who he was, he had no identity, and he didn’t know Jesus. Alcohol and drugs weren’t the problem, they only numbed the pain and masked the problem. 

Before a judge he was given two choices: go to jail for 5 years or take a suspended sentence and go to Salvation Army. He took the latter. Up to this point, what he knew about Jesus was the opposite of who He really is and if God was anything like his own father then he didn’t want that again. At Salvation Army, he learned God was loving, caring, and forgiving and Jesus gave His life and bore the punishment for his sins on the cross, something he never knew before. The Chaplin asked if he could pray over him. It was a dramatic conversion, his body shook, he confessed his sins, and he screamed, 'yes' to receive Jesus as Savior. Dave felt free and completely forgiven. 

Dave is 15 years sober and knows that without having Jesus, he would have never been able to face reality head on like he does today. Now life is different and a different way of living. Before he dealt with anything by picking up a needle or a bottle, but later when you become sober the problem is still there. Now he has Jesus and gets to experience things that he never would have been able to handle before.  

Salvation Army got him into a sober living environment. He read the bible vigorously and started going to church. When he lost his job and he thought God forgot about him. His AA sponsor directed him to Street Life. On the first night, he ran into three guys he used to rob and get loaded with and they were still getting high. In the next months, Dave got them into Salvation Army and all three got sober. Two are doing great, but the third man relapsed, overdosed, and died. One out of ten makes it more than five years. Recovery is hard. You have to put in the work. You have to have a relationship with Jesus. 

So, from the moment he served, he fell in love with the ministry and knew this is where he was supposed to be. Listen next week to Part 2 of our interview with Dave Shearin and learn about all the great things Street Life Ministries does to help the homeless, bring people out of their addictions, and tell them about the love and power of Jesus Christ. 

Omnipresent means all present, always present, present everywhere at the same time. The word present means a period of time now occurring. It means currently here, close to, next to. The prefix omni is Latin and makes it universal, meaning in all ways or places, not just a period of time. God is everywhere here, close to everything, next to everyone, all the time. If God is infinite and He knows no limits, then His presence is not limited. If He is good and loving then His presence is good and loving. His presence is also eternal so He will be with us forever.

God created the earth and the heavens and He is a consuming presence on the earth. Num. 14:21 says, “the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth.” I think of it like air itself that fills every space. God is present everywhere in all the universe, at all times, in the totality of His character. He isn’t partially in one place and another part of Him is somewhere else. His complete presence is with every individual in continual full capacity. [Prov 15:3] The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. [Jer 23:23-24] ‘Am I only a God nearby and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? Do not I fill heaven and earth?” [II Chron 16:9] For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

[Ps 139:7-9] “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your PRESENCE? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there." If you feel alone, God’s word assures us that God is near to those who have a broken heart. His presence can either be a terrible thing for you or a wonderful thing for you.

The bible says that God didn’t create the world alone. He made it with the Word who is the second person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ. John 1:3 says, “through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.” Jesus was present in the world too even before He became human. When Jesus was on this earth, He was called Emmanuel, God with us. Eph 1:23 also says of Jesus, "the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.” The bible says God is Spirit, Phil 1:19 mentions the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and we have the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. Spirit is able to come and fill to completion and that is how our Godhead can be everywhere at all times.

But the most significant thing about Jesus is that He is, [Jude 24] able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy. Without Jesus washing away all our sins and cleansing us completely by His blood, we would not be able to reside and be present in holy heaven with God forever.

Believing that God is Omnipresent is truly one of the most important things about you. Everyone goes through hard times, you cannot avoid it. If you have this truth in place, knowing God is present and with you through all circumstances; then it will bring you great comfort and steadfast assurance in all the varied experiences of this life. You can feel crushed as Paul said he did on many occasions but he never felt abandoned.

One of the keys things is to practice the presence of God, basically talking to God all day long including God in all of our daily worldly activities. No topic is too small to talk to God about. You can express as much emotion as you like. God’s love for you is patient and kind. He is a great listener. He is already present anyway so why not talk to Him. He is always waiting and longing to be in conversation with you. Practicing His presence will help you to realize His presence more and recognize His presence. 

Bring all things into the light of His presence to discern truth from falsehoods, right from wrong. Bring all doubts, fears, questions, and behaviors. Then we will be even more ready to live a radical life for Jesus..

Who can have vision? You can have vision. Vision occurs between your ears and about 18 inches below in your heart, a heart vision that happens inside of you. 

In Prov. 29:18 is says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” So, the opposite would be that where this is vision, the people live and flourish, they come alive. Who can have a vision or can have vision? If you ask, “Can I have vision?” The answer is yes. Everyone can have insight, revelation, and vision of something that needs to be fulfilled so that people can flourish. 

You might be the only one who see the vision and if you see it then it is your thing, your responsibility, your place to see that the vision comes alive. If the vision is unexpected then research it because what if it came from God? We often times think that vision is given to a select few and we aren’t one of the few. But you are not doing the selecting, God selects. And doesn’t always chose those who are most qualified or strongest. Consider Gideon who was from the lowest family in the lowest tribe of Israel and God called him a mighty warrior. 

When you think of visionaries you think of people who are out front, leading, telling the story but everyone has a story to tell. Too many times we rationalize away that story or put ourselves down so we don’t share our story often. The bible says that we should be built up therefore in the most holy faith so that we can fulfill the call that God has put on our lives. 

Don’t put yourself in any spot where Satan can kill, steal, or destroy your vision. God has given you a vision for something and that something is most likely for right where you are at. Don’t let fear keep you from taking action on your vision. 

Would God give a vision to someone He knows probably won’t act on the vision? God is a believer and the only thing that pleases Him is faith. He is never lacking in it. He is so ready to give out and bless people with so much and vision is one of the greatest blessings because it gives inspiration and encouragement. He wants to give vision and purpose so we can live our lives to their fullest measure. If you get a vision then you can think, God believes in me enough to give me this information and insight. Everyone needs to say, “I can have vision!”

The next thing you need to do after you receive the vision is to write it down. Hab. 2:2 says to write down the vision. Don’t take it lightly. Think about it, write is down, pray about it, say it out loud, and share it with people. Get it clear, make it plain and defined so it becomes a part of your life. Refine it and add to it if necessary. Thoughts disentangle themselves when they flow through the lips and on to the finger tips. 

You need to make it plain so that a runner can run with it. Think of businesses that have started in a person’s garage. Giving it to a runner who gets the vision might either mean you are the runner or the vision is so large that you need others to run with you or for you. They do the work and make it happen. They lay out steps in sequence that are needed to complete the vision. Man plans but God directs. 

Robin shares a vision God showed her about how God placed her in a specific department at work to witness to those people around her. Once she saw the vision it inspired her to go to work and it gave her purpose and direction to what she thought was an ordinary job in her ordinary life. God had entrusted her to witness to those people and it gave her a responsibility to live her life well in front of them. A vision can be for right where you are, it is not always a grandiose assignment. This simple vision brought life and brought Robin to a flourishing place. 

God wants to give vision to every one of His children so they can come alive and so others can join in to. And that includes you.