Michael Hindes

Believing God for Something

Over the last few days I’ve been thinking about what, if anything, I’m believing God for.  Not just salvation stuff, that’s already settled, but the other stuff.  I want to know is it big enough, wild enough, audacious enough?  Because I’m convinced God wants us to believe Him for BIG THINGS!

Well, I’m mostly convinced He wants “others” to believe Him for big things ;(

Right now, I have a friend believing God to heal him of cancer.  I have another friend believing God for recovery from heart surgery.  Yet another friend believing God to provide his financially challenged church a new building.  I have many around me believing God for a clear word about the next season.  Some believing to be debt free, some believing for the birth of healthy grandchildren, and still others believing for healing from the emotional wounds of the past.

Jesus teaches us a parable about faith and prayer - it’s entitled The woman and the unjust judge.  I won’t go into a full exposition right now, I just want to focus on the last few words “…when the son of man returns, will He find faith…”

“Will He find faith”?  Will He find us in belief, in trust, in settled confidence about something?  And if that’s what He’s looking for in us, what does He find in me?

I’m a realist by nature.  Mostly, I’m expecting the upstream hard push, the normal setbacks of life, and even at times the other shoe to fall.  When in doubt, lower your expectations, right?

Rereading those previous statements, I actually sound pessimistic…

But right now, I have some stuff I need to believe God for.  And not just for the numerous needs listed above.  I actually have some things that are going to require my faith to be activated and stretched.

 The words of my earthly father are shouting in my head “do something, even if it’s wrong”.  I also sense my heavenly Father asking me to believe something even if it’s wrong, even if I’m not sure, even if it’s too bold - “you have not because you ask not”.

So the challenge is clear, are we believing God for something?

As I write this, I’m outside on the patio, I’m praying in the Spirit, I’m activating myself prophetically, and I’m getting ready to shout the BIG ASK…

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“Without faith it is impossible to please God…” Hebrews 11:6

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The Gathering a Night of Miracles April 23rd

Discipleship

Discipleship isn’t just an exchange of information
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You can be influenced by a book, but not be discipled

You can download great messages, but not be discipled

You can be stirred by an exciting speaker, but not discipled

You can subscribed to some amazing blogs, but not be discipled

You can go to a Spirit Filled College, but not be discipled

You can go to Church every week, but not be discipled
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Discipleship requires:
A press of the flesh
You to be really known
You to be really understood
You to be really loved

It further requires:
Someone who knows when its time to laugh or cry with you
Someone who knows whether to use the stick or the carrot in your life
Someone who knows your fears and understands your strengths, but isn’t overwhelmed by either
Someone who cares more about your promotion than theirs
Someone who cares more about your destiny then theirs
Most generally someone who’s lived more life, had more failures, conquered more hills, and stared down more fears than you

Discipleship must be personal, not done in a vacuum

We all need something more than information - we all need discipleship…

To Live is Christ?

Philippians 1:20-25 NIV I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith.

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I was in Phoenix again this past week with my friend getting chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer.  Nothing new to report, he’s been battling for 16 month - sometimes it looks like we’re winning, sometimes losing.  He just keeps fighting and we just keep praying.

I woke up the last morning of our visit with the above verses surging through my head – probably catalyzed by the previous days strenuous schedule.  For more than 14 hours we went from appointment to appointment – lab work, nurses, physicians, practitioners, nutritionists, homeopaths, and finally nine hours of chemo.  Every appointment had a little good news and a little bad news.

The day was to say the least grueling!

“For me to live is Christ, to die is gain”

That last day we had a great talk sitting in the beautiful Phoenix sun at the edge of a putting green.  We talked about life, death, fears, victories, defeats, and this verse.

Here’s what we came up with.  To die is most certainly “gain”, it’s the reward for a life lived in faith.  We’re not exactly sure of what it all looks like and how it all pans out, but we know He’s there.  And wherever He is has to be spectacular!

But what about “to live is Christ”?  What does that actually mean?  We sat for a couple of silent moments and pondered this one phrase.  Then we discussed for several minutes the ideas that came to mind.  Here’s an overview of our thoughts.

“When we get to heaven; He will be there; He’s Christ; Heaven desires us, longs for us, but it certainly doesn’t need us; because it already has a Christ.  But here, living on this earth, that’s another story.  See on this earth we are Him, the world needs us, it needs our voice, our presence, our hands, and feet.  It needs our faith, our perspective, and our take on life.  I John 4:17 tells us that just as He is in Heaven, so are we on this earth.  So in Heaven He is, but in this life we are…”

We can’t be too quick to check out of life, no matter how difficult it gets.  No matter the pain, disappointment, loss, or grief.  To choose to leave before our time would be selfish - the world needs us, because it needs Christ

So we live to fight another day…

a few years back JT got a hole in one on a short par three, he actually hit the ball directly in the trash can from the tee box - here’s the proof, and I have witnesses

Sitting on the Porch

Sitting in the family room of Rusty and Ericka Jackson’s home in Alabama. I’m watching it rain, not just rain, actually pour. It looks like it will be one of those all day rains. You can smell it in the air and see it in the sky.

Last night Rusty and I sat on the deck and talked about the past 4 years of our friendship - the good, the bad, the ugly, and the ridiculous. But it doesn’t look like that’ll happen today - too bad, I love being outside on a porch.

That brings me to today’s blog. I know it’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted - we moved, I’m old, so give me a break.

Back to the the porch…

I woke up this morning thinking about all the houses I’ve lived in over my life. And without exception, my favorite spot in each of those houses has been the porches, decks, or patios just outside the backdoor. In fact the last two houses we had in Michigan had almost as much outside square footage as inside footage.

To me, there’s just something about being home, but not being inside. Sitting close enough to see all the activity, but being able to see it from an outside perspective.

If someone slides open a glass door and invites me in, my first response is normally to invite them out. See its not that I don’t enjoy being around people, I’d just rather be with them outside…

And that’s the source of most major tensions in my life - I like being involved, I like feeling at home, I like the familiar relationships, but I also really like being outside.

I have great friends and I adore my family, but for some strange reason, I think differently than they do about most things. And if I don’t naturally think differently, I’ll move on purpose to the porch to get a different perspective.

I think I’ve always been concerned about having too much of an “inside the house” perspective. You know what I mean, right? I don’t want to draw the same conclusions that everyone has just because it’s easier. I want to look at things from the outside perspective where the air is fresh and the boundaries are fewer.

This attitude and way of thinking has gotten me into a lot of trouble over the years. Friends, family, and even employers have often believed me to be a contrarian or considered me to be just obstinate.

But I swear, that’s not my heart. I’m not trying to be difficult, I’m aware that I am, but I’m not trying to be. I really just prefer the porch, that’s all.

I’m sure I’m not that unique, there have to be a bunch of us outsiders out there…