Voices Distract the Peace of Mind

Oh the joys of being able to write again. It has been too long since my last post on this blog. I realize some of you may think I have forgotten about you. Truth to tell, I have been insanely busy with holidays, deadlines at the church and publishing a book. Did I mention publishing a book? Boy, did that take up a lot of my time. And, now that things have settled down, I’m able to write, and it feels great!

There are many times I’ll wake up in the middle of the night thinking about my next book. The voices in my head continually speak to me, begging me to write their story. You may think I’m insane for saying there are voices talking to me. But, the truth is, even though I write my characters stories down, and that can be daunting, they talk all the time—it’s getting them to shut-up that’s the trick. In all honesty, I am currently working on my next novel. When the time comes, I will share my discoveries with you—perhaps a little morsel for you to chew on.

However, with all the craziness of life there is one common thread I must keep focused on. This is the most important thought that must remain in my mind at all times. The Prophet Isaiah says this;

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You…” Is. 26:3

There is complete and utter serenity when we begin to place our minds and thoughts on Jesus Christ. There is no better place to be than in His everlasting arms of gentleness. I find in my early waking moments, when my characters are blaring their thoughts, I must focus instead on Jesus. The question I have for you is this… what causes you to lose focus on Christ? What brings about anxiety and restlessness of mind and spirit?

Philippians 4:6-7; “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

It doesn’t matter what goes on in our thoughts or minds. It doesn’t matter if we have fear creeping around in the dark recesses of our soul. What matters is that we bring our petitions before an Almighty God, who through Christ Jesus. This will keep our mind at ease. Yet, Christ will not guard our heart and mind if we do not bring our fear and anxiety—those voices—to God first. It’s amazing at how much peace God brings to our wayward soul when we learn to focus on Him, instead of focusing on the thoughts and daily anxieties floating around our mind.

Our prayers to God don’t merit badges by our many words. Our supplication and prayer should, however, be an intensity of earnestness in extended prayer by fully transferring the burden of our soul into God’s righteous hands.  As my favorite author, Ted Dekker says in one of his novels…. “Pursue the Great Romance!” Allow His Great Romance to enwrap your heart and soul and stay your thoughts on Him. So, in your business of life, don’t allow characters and voices to talk you out spending time with our beloved Creator. Pursue His Great Romance and allow Christ to wash over you with peace of mind and soul that only He can offer.

Writing for Him,

J. B. Sisam

www.jbsisam.com

DIVINE PROVIDENCE GIVEAWAY!

I am pleased to announce the soon to be release of Divine Providence is almost here! To coincide with this release—I am doing a book giveaway. There will be 5 winners in this special promotion for Divine Providence.

Here’s what you have to do to be entered into the drawing:

1.)    Become a member of my fan page by clicking “Like” at the top of the page, www.facebook.com/jbsisam.

2.)    Next, tell me a short story using one of the following below, and you will be entered to receive a signed copy of “Divine Providence.” Post your comment on this blog, www.jbsisam.wordpress.com and sign your first and last name at the end of the comment and that you have become a fan of my Facebook page.

a.    Share a story of a time you had to trust God for something impossible.

b.    Have you ever been angry with God, and why?

c.    Has there been something, an item, scripture or person that brought you through a hardship?

d.    Tell me a dream you had that you swear was real

Not all who enter will win. There will be five winners total. All entries must be received by Monday, November 22. Winners will be announced on Facebook; Tuesday,  November 23 at 5 pm. **(Updated 11/16/2010)

So, post your comment here, then check out www.facebook.com/jbsisam at 5 PM Central Time on Tuesday, November 16 to see if you’re one of the winners. If you are one of the winners you will receive an email asking for your mailing address. You never know, you could be the one sliding this onto your bookshelf with a smile on your face.

All winners will be chosen at random! However, to be entered into the drawing you must do both requirements–sign up to be a member of my fan page and leave a comment here on this blog.

Best of luck to all of you, and don’t forget to visit my website at www.jbsisam.com.

Writing for Him,

J. B. Sisam

Walking Unashamed

2 Sam 6:13-23

How many times do we make a fool of ourselves? If you think about it—it’s an easy thing to do. Even the simplest mistakes can be the most humbling—or humiliating, depending how you take it. Yet, we tend to learn from them and move on. But, the question I ask is, how often do we make a fool of ourselves on purpose? You may find that an odd question—however, I believe when we make ourselves available for God to use—He will use us in a way that seems foolish to others.

King David was willing to go and bring back the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. In doing so, Uzzah died by David’s not obeying the command of the Lord. David, yes made a mistake, repented and fixed the problem—yet, in dong so, he was still willing to go and bring up the Ark to Jerusalem. Before obeying the voice of the Lord, David placed the Ark in Obed-Edom’s house. God blessed the farmer, because he was willing to serve the Lord by giving the Lord a house to reside in.

We all have a service to perform for the Lord. When we place our trust in the direction and in the instructions He has given us, we will be victorious and will be filled with the joy of the Lord. Much like King David, when he danced before God in his underwear.

The question is this: Are we willing to make a fool of ourselves for the sake of the Kingdom of God? Are we willing to go where God has called us? It doesn’t matter if it is in our place of work, school, or neighborhoods—we need to be walking in the Spirit and in the anointing of that same Spirit. When we do, we will be over-comers with a strong desire to serve the King all the more.

Ex. 31:3; “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts…”

Remember that God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called. David, when chosen as King, was not qualified for the job—however, God qualified him through a gentle prodding by His hand. David lived in the very presence of God and could not contain himself.  He stripped down to his underwear. Are we willing to go that far the presence of God in our lives and in the lives of others around us? David did not back down when he was told he looked foolish. When we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to do something that may look foolish to those around us, we have to realize and understand that the Lord may just minister to someone through our obedience. God’s blessing resides on those who obey his voice.

When we begin to walk unashamed of who we are in Christ, we will begin to see the very Spirit of God descend into our lives and the lives of others around us. We will see people set free, healed and delivered. We are to be like David and many of the others who lived a life of foolishness in the eyes of man and lived a life of power for the Kingdom of God, changing the earth for God’s Glory.

Will you be that person?

Writing for Him,

J. B. Sisam

Divine Providence–moves forward!

A very special date is just around the corner–one I’m getting excited about.  November 2, 2010 is the release date for “Divine Providence” Mark this date in your calendar–as you will not want to miss the release of this book. The story you are about to read is one which will move you to tears, make you smile and warm your heart.

Some of you may have wondered where I’ve been the past couple months. A friend of mine mentioned I had not written on my blog in quite some time. And I apologize for not doing so. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. If you visit my website… www.jbsisam.com, you will find an excerpt of “Diving Providence” for your reading enjoyment. If you enjoy the excerpt, click the “like” button at the end of the excerpt and tell all your friends about it. I dare you!

Writing for Him,

J. B. Sisam

What are you Driven Twoards? – Part 2

Col. 2:7 (LBV)

“Let your roots grown down into Christ and draw up nourishment from Him. See that you go on growing in the lord, and becoming strong and vigorous in truth.”

Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church said in his book Purpose Driven Life. “You were created to become like Christ. He wants you to develop the kind of character described in the beatitudes of Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit, Paul’s great chapter of love, and Peter’s list of characteristics of an effective and productive life…”

In other words—CHARACTER!

How do we begin to develop our character? It’s simple! There are three main ingredients we need in our life—if we’re going to be effective in our lives: prayer, supplication, and spending time in the Word of God. The more we spend time with the Lord, the more we’ll see our lives begin to produce fruit that will last for eternity.

God knew what He wanted. He desired, from the beginning of time—that His children would be driven towards Him—desiring to be near Him, allowing His character to develop in our lives. Rom. 8:29 (MSG) “God knew what He was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the onset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines of the life of His Son… We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in Him.”

According to Col. 1:15, when we look at Jesus we will begin to see God’s original purpose in everything that has been created. Everything rests on our character—and how we present ourselves before the world—showing the risen Lord to those who need to hear that Good News. In this, we’re to be driven not only in our relationship with God, but in our relationship with others around us. Going back to Rick Warren—the word of God is to shape our lives into an effective and productive life. We’re not called to look back, but be constantly moving forward. We will see our effort turned into fruit.

Last year, my mom planted a garden; and the size of fruit produced was, amazing. She could have entered her zucchini into the county fair 4H club—they were that big! But, it takes hard work, and in my mother’s case, the rewards paid off. The same is true in life. Large fields of human souls revolve around us—whether we realize it or not. There are over 6 billion people in the world and only 2 billion are considered born-again Christians; leaving nearly 4 billion of the world’s people needing to make a decision for Christ.

Jesus called us to go and preach the Good News to a world going to hell. Yet, if we are not driven towards people—and their salvation—we will not become an effective witness. The Apostle Paul made every effort to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. My question: What more is there?

If we are living for Christ—being driven by our love for Him—that love will lead us down the road of being driven towards others. Because God is love, His heartbeat is, therefore, for people—His children. Yet, there is a pit-fall for most Christians. It is easy to shove Christ down people’s throats. God simply wants His love to shine out of our lives. It is better to be silent than to speak—silence is a greater witness. In other words… Let your life show Christ—and when necessary use words.

Our goal should be to strive for the sake of the gospel—so that those who don’t know may! We are to run with conviction burning in our soul? It can be tumultuous and tiresome to drive towards something and not see your goal’s end in sight—but with everything—we are to be striving towards our final goal and that is to see the gospel preached. We first need to understand that there has to be forward motion in our lives towards that goal—God first! David Livingston once wrote to his missions agency in England, “I will go anywhere you choose to send me—provided it be forward.” Are you constantly moving forward in everything you do? And do you strive for the name of Christ? What are you being driven towards in life—earthly gain or souls for the Kingdom? Your choice!

Writing for Him,

J. B. Sisam

What are you Driven Towards? – Part 1

1 Cor. 9:24-27

We’re all driven by something—a striving for something that takes the utmost importance in our lives. The question is… what is it? Usually we tend to ignore everything else around us, forgetting the important things we need to be aware of. Being driven is a good thing—it’s what keeps us going—keeps us moving forward. What are we being driven towards and what is it we are wanting to see when we arrive at our destination?

When life takes us down a new road, we tend to follow the curve, and we ought to do so—but we also need to be aware of where God wants to take us. Where is our journey in life headed? This journey is tedious and dangerous—however, with the right reflexes we can learn to navigate the hard turns we might have to take.

DRIVEN TOWARDS GOD:

Life can become taxing and cumbersome—consuming the very core of our being. And when that happens we can easily lose sight of where we are heading in life. We can be certain that our life is being driven towards something—will it have an eternal reward as opposed to an earthly reward?

We’re created in the very image of God Almighty. Gen. 1:26.  We are three in one—as like God the Father.
BODY—SOUL—SPIRIT
GOD IS… FATHER—SON—HOLY SPIRIT

God is unique in that He is a community in of Himself—three persons in one—making up the Holy Trinity. There is a picture in the Catholic Church of God having dinner with other parts of the Trinity. They have the same mind, and make-up; yet each is separate individually—one, yet three.

The very fact that we’re created in His image means that our very existence represents Him. Family is a good representation—family should be a reflection of the community of the Godhead: one family—yet separate individuals. In this, we are to be driven towards God, and how our lives are to resound about Him and His goodness. When people look at us they need to be able to see the Father dwelling within us.

“For me to live is Christ…” Phil 1:21 Our whole world needs to be revolving around our relationship with Christ. “But if I live on in the flesh this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ… is far better.” Phil 1:22-23

If we decide to live our lives outside of being driven towards Christ, our fruit will show. We’ll see lack in our finances, hardships in life, always being angry towards everyone except at ourselves—blaming where we know the blame should be placed upon ourselves—not others. Our fruit is a direct result of how we choose to drive the vehicle called life.

If we want our lives to count—the goal is to live our whole life as Christ. Be like Him; strive to be like Him. Nothing should ignite the passion in our lives except the very fact of being DRIVEN towards God—to a deeper and more intimate life with him.

Writing for Him,

J. B. Sisam

Is That Really You God?

The question, “Is that really you God,” becomes one of the most popular questions to ask ones self? How many times do we ask that in our daily life? The same goes for salvation; we tend to worry if we are or are not saved. My Grandma Sisam’s pastor, Russell Surls wrote a book on “The Essentials of Salvation.” This is what he says, “There are many decisions a person makes in their lifetime. In fact, our life is made up entirely of decisions… There are big decisions to make…. These are decisions… that may have lifelong consequences.”

Jesus stated in John 10:27; “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.” Because we are the Lord’s children we should be continually asking Him, “What are you saying to me?” We can go days, weeks and sometime years without knowing that God has been speaking to us. Many Christians don’t know how to listen for the voice of the Lord. When He speaks, we need to listen; but how do we listen/hear, especially in decision making?

I heard it put this way once. The voice of God is like a feather. His thoughts are different from ours. However, if we’re not paying attention we’ll miss what He has to say, it will float by without our notice. We need to reach up with open ears and pluck that feather from the air. It should be so precious that we care for it as if we’re caring for the world’s most prized treasure.

You say, “That’s fine and all, but you still have not answered the question.” Let me put it this way. When we spend time with someone we love and treasure, we know them and can pick their voice out of crowd. Because life is noisy and can be very distracting, we need to be spending as much time with God as we can. It is a relationship… God desires a relationship and communion with us, just as we need communion with each other. The more we know Him, the easier it will be to hear His voice when He speaks. It takes time, but with time, we learn who He is. This will keep us from asking the question; “Is that really you God?”

This will only happen if we allow the Holy Spirit to come and direct our lives – living, breathing in and through us. Remember, you don’t get to know God over night… but you can through time and commitment. So, when those big decisions arise in your life you’ll know what God is saying, because you’ll be able to hear His voice and pull it out of the crowd noise of life.

Writing for Him,

J. B. Sisam

The Snow Globe: Title Change!

Hey everyone,

I’m glad you are all still following my progress on “The Snow Globe” a novel to be released Christmas 2010. I have spoken with several people who have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this book. I’ve been praying over the past couple weeks, as I work on rewriting my manuscript, in preparation for publishing, I felt the Holy Spirit give me a name for the novel.

I had never been settled on in my spirit with the name… “The Snow Globe.” Therefore, I have changed the name of the novel to “Divine Providence,” as this better suits the vision and message of the story. My goal is to have a rewritten excerpt availible for  you to read within the next couple weeks, so stay tuned.

I also still need help in getting this novel published. If the Lord is leading you to help me in publishing this novel, please visit my donation page and donate towards the cause of getting the Gospel of Jesus out into the world.

You may have noticed the cover that has been designed in preperation to getting this novel published.

Writing for Him,

J. B. Sisam

NEW FLASH FICTION: The Command!

Check it out… a new flash fiction piece I wrote is now up for reading! The question I posed in writing this was… “What would it have been like for Joshua to ask God in how to cross the Jordan River. Now we may have a clear and fun picture to try and answer that question.

Don’t forget to read, “The Trees – Part 1″ if you missed that.

Blessings in Christ,

J. B. Sisam

– here’s an excerpt –

The day came all too soon. No one could have expected the outcome that took place, but yet here it was. The air crisp caused gooseflesh to ripple on the skin. Not one person moved, each soldier stayed in his line. If one man moved before the trumpet sounded, and before those who carried the Ark of God moved, it could spell disaster and the war would be over before it began.
The river raged violently in front of the vast army. Each wave crashed into the rocks causing a giant upheaval of water into the air. Could this really be the beginning of a new future for the people God had so miraculously chosen out of Egypt? Forty years was a long time to wait.
He waited silently. Not one man dared speak until he spoke the command to move forward.
The people stood, each man by his tent door as Joshua moved to the Tabernacle of Meeting. The same tent his mentor, spiritual father, Moses erected to seek God’s face in times of need. This was a time of need. He needed to know how to proceed.
“Cross the river.”
Was that God speaking?

Continue reading…

Hold Nothing Back

Psalm 32:1 – 2, 9 -11 (MSG)

How many times do we hold back in our spiritual life? Sometimes it is personal sin that holds us back; maybe it is a lack of faith that holds us back. But God says to ‘Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be, you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean.’ There is nothing that we can do without the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us. He doesn’t want us to hold anything back. We are to move forward in faith, attaining the promises of God for our life.

“Count yourself lucky, God holds nothing against you and you’re holding nothing back from him.” What is it that we desire and do we desire to give God everything? Our desire should be to give into the Kingdom of God, holding nothing back. We are called to stay the course, keep the faith and remain faithful staying on track. “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to stay on track.”

Through our faithful sacrifice, we are to ‘celebrate God, sing together everyone. All you honest hearts, raise the roof’ stay the course, keeping the vision in holding nothing back for the Kingdom of God. In turn, God will not hold anything back from us, so long as we maintain faith.

Writing for Him,

J. B. Sisam