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You don't really know anyonoe until you live with them - and that includes Jesus" ~ ray mileur

Quote of the Day

Stop Chasing Signs and WondersQuote of the Day - “Those who chase signs and wonders may miss it—but those who walk with Him in faith will see the real work of God.” — ray mileurThere is something in us that wants to see before we believe.We want evidence. We want something dramatic. We want a moment so powerful and undeniable that we can point to it and say, “There it is. God moved.”And sometimes He does move in ways that are impossible to miss.But somewhere along the way, parts of the Church have begun measuring the presence and power of God by outward manifestations.We pray for someone, and if they don’t fall down, shake, cry, or immediately receive the answer we were expecting, we wonder whether anything happened.Worse yet, we may begin thinking that we failed—that perhaps we didn’t pray hard enough, believe strongly enough, or possess enough faith.That is a dangerous place to be.Because faith was never supposed to rest upon what we could see.“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” — 2 Corinthians 5:7Signs and wonders are not the problem. God performed miracles throughout Scripture, and I believe He is still perfectly capable of doing the miraculous today.The problem begins when we start chasing the sign instead of following the Savior.When the experience becomes the evidence of our faith, we can easily begin seeking another experience, another manifestation, another dramatic moment—something visible to reassure us that God is still working.But much of the deepest work of God cannot be seen immediately.Sometimes the miracle is a heart quietly changing.Sometimes it is a marriage being restored one conversation at a time.Sometimes it is someone finding enough strength to get out of bed and face another day.Sometimes it is a believer choosing forgiveness when everything inside them wants revenge.Sometimes it is a prayer offered faithfully beside a hospital bed when nothing visibly changes.Sometimes it is simply continuing to trust God when heaven seems silent.Those moments may never draw a crowd.No one may fall down.No one may shout.There may be no dramatic testimony to post afterward.But God may be doing something far deeper than anything we could see with our eyes.Jesus never told His disciples to build their lives around chasing supernatural experiences.He said:“Follow Me.”That is still the invitation.Follow Him when the answer comes immediately.Follow Him when the answer takes years.Follow Him when you see the miracle.Follow Him when you see nothing at all.Follow Him when you feel His presence—and follow Him when your feelings tell you He is nowhere near.Because faith is not confidence in what we can see.Faith is confidence in Who we know.I have prayed for many people over the years. Some prayers were answered in ways I could clearly see. Others were not answered the way I hoped. And many times, I may never know this side of eternity what God did with those prayers.But that does not determine whether the prayer mattered.My responsibility is not to produce a manifestation.My responsibility is to pray, believe, obey, love the person standing in front of me, and leave the results in God's hands.The power belongs to Him.The glory belongs to Him.And the results belong to Him.Perhaps that is where some of us need to return today.Stop looking for something to prove that God is present.Stop measuring His work by what you can see.Stop believing that nothing happened simply because nothing dramatic happened.Walk with Jesus.Trust His Word.Pray faithfully.Obey Him.And leave room for God to work in ways that may never draw attention to themselves.Those who spend their lives chasing signs may always be searching for the next experience.But those who walk with Jesus by faith eventually begin to recognize something far greater:God has been at work all along. The Lord be with you.ray

Stop Chasing Signs and Wonders

Quote of the Day - “Our peace proves what we preach. When we rest in God, our people learn they can too.” ~ ray mileurPerhaps one of the highest compliments Anne and I have received came again this past Sunday when someone said to us, “There is so much peace when you show up.”Those words stayed with me.And I want Anne and I to always remember something about them: the peace people may sense when we walk into a room is not something we manufacture. It isn’t because we have life figured out, because everything is going well, or because we somehow carry fewer burdens than everyone else.That peace comes from the One who walks with us.There’s a kind of peace the world talks about — the kind that comes when the problems go away, the bills are paid, the family is doing well, and everything seems to be falling into place.But that kind of peace is fragile. It can disappear with one phone call, one diagnosis, one disappointment, or one unexpected turn in the road.The peace God gives is different.Paul writes:“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” — 2 Thessalonians 3:16Notice what Paul doesn’t promise.He doesn’t promise easy days.He doesn’t promise smooth roads.He doesn’t promise that every prayer will be answered the way we hoped.He promises the Lord Himself.That is where our peace comes from.Peace isn’t found in controlling everything around us. It is found in knowing Who is with us in the middle of it.And over the years, Anne and I have walked through enough storms to know the difference.We have had our share of heartache, uncertainty, disappointment, grief, and prayers that seemed to hang unanswered in the air. Yet through it all, God has been faithful. Not because He removed every storm, but because He walked with us through them.Maybe that is what people sense.Not our strength.Not our ability to keep everything together.But the presence of the One who has held us together.And that matters especially within our own family.Our children and grandchildren will hear what we say about faith, but they will also watch how we live when life becomes difficult. They will see whether the God we speak about on Sunday is the same God we trust on Monday when the phone rings with bad news.That’s why I wrote:“Our peace proves what we preach. When we rest in God, our people learn they can too.”A steady heart in a storm becomes a testimony.Not a testimony that we are strong, but that He is faithful.So when someone tells Anne and me, “There is so much peace when you show up,” I receive that as one of the greatest compliments anyone could give us.But I also know where the credit belongs.If you sense peace when we walk into the room, it is because Someone else walked in with us.Jesus.And my prayer is that wherever we go, people will sense less of us and more of Him.

Our Peace Proves What We Preach

Walking with Jesus — God Is Not Finished With You“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.” — Philippians 1:6There are days when it is much easier to see how far we still have to go than how far God has already brought us.We notice the patience we still lack.The temptation we still fight.The habit we thought we had conquered but somehow found its way back.The prayer we have prayed a hundred times.The attitude that still needs changing.And if we are not careful, we can become discouraged with ourselves.We begin wondering, Shouldn’t I be farther along by now?After all these years of following Christ, shouldn’t I be stronger? More patient? More disciplined? More forgiving? Shouldn’t some of these struggles be behind me?Perhaps.But Philippians 1:6 reminds us of something we desperately need to remember: the Christian life is a work in progress, and God is the One doing the work.Paul did not say, “I am confident that you will eventually get your act together.”He said he was confident that He who began a good work in you would carry it on to completion.That changes everything.Our confidence is not ultimately in our willpower, our discipline, our maturity, or our ability to never stumble again.Our confidence is in God.He started the work.He is continuing the work.And He has promised not to abandon the work.That does not mean we become passive. Scripture never teaches us to sit back and say, “God will take care of everything, so I don’t have to change.”Quite the opposite.Because God is working in us, we respond to Him.We repent when He convicts us.We forgive when He reminds us how much we have been forgiven.We apologize when pride would rather remain silent.We choose the gentler answer when anger wants the last word.We pray again when yesterday’s prayer seemed unanswered.We get back up when we fall.Sometimes spiritual growth is dramatic. God breaks a chain, changes a direction, closes a door, or transforms a life in ways everyone can see.But much of the time, growth happens quietly.It is the apology that comes a little sooner.The argument you decide not to continue.The temptation you walk away from.The resentment you finally surrender.The prayer you whisper instead of the angry words you were about to speak.The moment you stop trying to control the situation and say, “Lord, I trust You.”Those things may seem small, but they are evidence that God is still working.We often want God to change us instantly.God often chooses to change us faithfully.Day after day.Lesson after lesson.Failure after failure.Victory after victory.Grace upon grace.Think about where you were five years ago. Ten years ago. Perhaps even one year ago.There are probably things that once consumed you that no longer control you.There may be battles that once defeated you every time that you now recognize before they begin.There may be people you once could not forgive whom you now pray for.There may be storms that once would have crushed your faith that today drive you immediately to your knees.You may not be where you want to be.But by the grace of God, you are not where you used to be either.And that matters.The enemy loves to point at everything unfinished in our lives and whisper, “Look at you. Nothing has changed.”But God says, in effect, “Look again.”Look at the grace.Look at the growth.Look at the prayers you now pray.Look at the things you no longer chase.Look at the things you now recognize as sin.Look at the compassion you did not once have.Look at the hunger for God that was not there before.Those are not reasons for pride.They are reasons for gratitude.Because every bit of genuine spiritual growth points back to the One who began the work.There is another important truth in this verse: Paul says God will continue His work “until the day of Christ Jesus.”In other words, God is not finished with us in this life.As long as we are here, there will still be something to learn, something to surrender, something to confess, something to forgive, and some area in which we need to become more like Jesus.That ought to keep all of us humble.None of us has arrived.The longtime believer still needs grace.The pastor still needs grace.The teacher still needs grace.The person sitting quietly in the back pew still needs grace.We are all works in progress in the hands of a patient God.So today, do not become discouraged because God has not finished His work in you.Be encouraged because He is still working.And when you recognize an area that needs changing, do not run from Him in shame.Run toward Him.The same God who revealed the weakness is the God who will give you strength to confront it.The same God who began the work has not walked away from it.And He has not walked away from you. Let us pray.Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for beginning a good work in me and for refusing to give up on me when there is still so much that needs changing.Help me not to become discouraged by how far I still have to go. Give me eyes to recognize the grace You have already shown and the work You are still doing in my life.Where I need to repent, humble me.Where I need to forgive, soften my heart.Where I need patience, teach me to wait.Where I have fallen, help me rise again.Keep shaping me, correcting me, strengthening me, and drawing me closer to Jesus.I trust You with the unfinished parts of my life, knowing that the work You began, You will faithfully continue.In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Walking with Jesus — God Is Not Finished With You

Quote of the Day - “The cross sets the standards for my response to every storm.” ~ ray mileurStorms reveal us. They expose what is really inside — our temper, our pride, our fear, and our faith.It is easy to speak of grace when the skies are clear. It is much harder when accusations fly, misunderstandings sting, and injustice feels personal.That is when the cross becomes more than a symbol.It becomes the standard.On the cross, Jesus was mocked, beaten, falsely accused, and abandoned. Yet He did not retaliate. He did not answer hatred with hatred or cruelty with cruelty. He chose forgiveness. He surrendered to the Father’s will. He chose love in the face of hatred.If the cross sets the standard for my response, then anger does not get the final word. Pride does not get to steer. Retaliation is not my weapon.That does not mean weakness.It means strength under control. It means trusting God to handle what I cannot. It means believing that obedience matters more than winning the argument, proving my point, or getting the last word.Storms will come. That is certain.But I do not have to let the storm decide who I become.My response should be shaped by Calvary, not by circumstance.So when the wind rises, emotions surge, and everything in me wants to react, I must remember the One who endured the cross.Calvary has already shown me how to stand.And when I am unsure how to respond, I need only look again to the cross.I especially like adding “I do not have to let the storm decide who I become.” It bridges beautifully into “My response should be shaped by Calvary, not by circumstance,” and gives the devotion a little more weight at the finish.

Quote of the Day - The Cross Sets the Standards

Walking with Jesus — When You Don’t Know What to Do “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” — James 1:5 (NIV)Sometimes three of the hardest words we can say are:“I don’t know.”We like having answers. We like knowing what comes next. We want to know what decision to make, what words to say, which door to walk through, and when it is time to step forward—or step back.But there are seasons when the answer simply is not clear.You can pray, think, seek advice, weigh every option, and still find yourself saying, “Lord, I just don’t know what to do.”James tells us what to do with that uncertainty.Ask God.Not pretend.Not panic.Not rush ahead.Ask.And notice the heart of God in this verse. He gives wisdom generously and without finding fault.God does not shame us because we need guidance.He does not look at us and say, “You should have figured this out by now.”He does not grow weary of His children coming to Him with questions.Our need for wisdom is not a reason to stay away from God. It is one of the very reasons He invites us to come near.That matters, because sometimes pride keeps us from asking.We convince ourselves we should already know the answer. We make decisions based on emotion, pressure, fear, or what everyone else seems to be doing. Then we ask God to bless the decision after we have already made it.But wisdom begins with humility.It begins when we admit that God sees what we cannot see.He sees beyond today.He knows the motives we may not recognize in ourselves.He knows the doors that look good but lead nowhere, and He knows the difficult paths that may ultimately lead us exactly where we need to be.And biblical wisdom is more than knowing what happens next.Wisdom teaches us what is right, faithful, loving, and pleasing to God in the life we are actually living.Sometimes God's wisdom comes through prayer.Sometimes through His Word.Sometimes through mature believers who love us enough to tell us the truth.Sometimes wisdom comes when God slows us down long enough to recognize that the decision we were rushing toward was never His direction in the first place.And sometimes the wisest answer is simply:Wait.That can be difficult for those of us who are used to doing something.We want movement. We want answers. We want resolution.But there are times when moving without wisdom creates problems that waiting with God would have prevented.So if you are facing a decision today and you do not know what to do, you do not need to be embarrassed.You do not need to manufacture an answer.You do not need to pretend certainty you do not have.Go to God.Tell Him exactly where you are.“Lord, I don't know.”“Lord, I need wisdom.”“Lord, show me what honors You.”Then open His Word.Listen.Seek godly counsel.Be willing to change your mind.And be willing to accept that God's answer may not be the one you were hoping for.His wisdom may challenge your plans, but His wisdom will never lead you away from His character.You do not have to know everything to walk faithfully with God.You simply need to know where to go when you don't know.Go to Him. Let us pray.Dear Heavenly Father, there are times when I simply do not know what to do. I do not always see clearly, and I know my own feelings can sometimes lead me in the wrong direction.Thank You for inviting me to ask You for wisdom.Give me a heart that is humble enough to listen, patient enough to wait, and faithful enough to obey when You show me the way.Help me not to run ahead of You or make decisions out of fear, pressure, or pride.Guide me through Your Word, through prayer, and through the godly counsel of those You place in my life.And when the answer is not immediate, help me trust that Your silence does not mean Your absence.I may not know what comes next, but I know You are already there.In Jesus' name,Amen.Walk in faith, rest in grace, and trust the One who walks beside you.In His love and grace,ray&nbsp;