Failed Resolutions, Keep Dreaming

Still Dreaming

Proverbs 16:1(NCV) “People may make plans in their minds, but only the Lord can make them come true.”

David Jeremiah, Turning Points Magazine, pg. 36(10-10-06) “To have a dream, then endure the death of that dream, requires great faith” “If you’ve endured the death of a dream, don’t give up. Seek God to discover what His purpose and plan are. It may take time and adjustments, but it will be better in the end.”

The ability to live and still have a dream

After failing in life isn’t as hard as it seems

To some they may feel like your life is over

Your luck has ran out, no more four leaf clovers

But, there is One who still dares you to dream

No matter what has happened, He’ll wipe the slate clean

And give you the strength to begin life again

Letting you know this situation is not the end

As long as He gives you breath to begin each day

He has a devised wonderful plan that will go exactly His way

Trust Him, repent, do whatever the Lord asks

He will surely give you the power to complete the task

For any “nay-sayers” who try to destroy your dream

Keep praying to the Lord and focusing on the unseen

Surely there will be things that constantly attack your mind

Satan knows you want to be free, so he’ll constantly press rewind

To remind you of when and how you (or things) did fail

Applying great pressure hoping that you will bail

On the dreams that God has set and devised for you

If you just have faith in Him, God will see you through

Don’t quit trusting, I pray, just keep believing

Today is the day—God wants to see you still dreaming

Romans 8:28(NCV) “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people He called, because that was his plan.”

Prayer- Lord, I cannot stop dreaming. I can’t say I have not lived up to my end of the bargain, because You were never bargaining with me. You had and have a plan for my life. That plan includes me being submitted to You and bringing You the glory that all of creation is supposed to bring You. Lord, I love You for Your faithfulness. Your kindness, correction and staying power are all testaments of how much You care for me. Thank You for allowing me to keep dreaming. Satan, the world and even my past failures, cause me to have many nightmares, but You Lord, through Your Word, people, ministries and miracles continue to give me a reason to keep dreaming.

God doesn't want you to stop dreaming; as long as He gives you the ability to see another day, He is giving you the opportunity to recieve His grace and to start living the life He has designed you for. Don't be discouraged by any failure or obstalces that you are facing; know that God wants you to S.T.A.R.T. NOW with living your dreams.

William Gilmer

Christmas To Me

1 John 4:7-10 (NCV) “Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God's child and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God's love for us. He sent his Son to die in our place to take away our sins.

William Gilmer-

Christmas to me is not about the gifts

It is not about the drama or the mood shifts

Christmas to me is about the love I received

The moment God reached out and I started to believe

The day that he told me He wanted me to be His son

He wasn’t concerned with all of the sinning I had done

He told me He loved me and wanted to give me life

He told me He loved me so He would give me a gift to make me right

This gift changed me—it caused me to see things differently

In one shining moment I started to see

That my life wasn’t luck—it was orchestrated by the Creator of us all

That I was fortunate to be here and I needed to listen to this call

He showed me He loved me by the many things He had done

My family, my life and all the moments of fun

Were gifts given to me just to get me to this place

This place where I would look up and realize His grace

Is shown through His Son and the people He places around me

His grace is shown through acts of love that span all of history

Do you see His love on this Christmas day

He wants me (us) to be His love on this Christmas day

Are you grateful for all of the people He has placed around you

Do you recognize that God gave you His Son and He uses people to reveal this to you

Christmas to me is the best time of the year

We can share God’s love and remind all who are near

That the Father, He loves us—each and everyone

The Father, He loves us—and He gave us His Son

The Father, He wants us to show and share His presence

I pray that we remember His love as we open each of our presents

1 John 4:21(NCV)  “And God gave us this command: Those who love God must also love their brothers and sisters.”

Merry Christmas, I, like my wife, love this time of Year. Be blessed.

Another Week In the life of A Believer

Another Week In the life of A Believer

Another week has gone by; a typical week filled with many highs and momentary lows. A week where I, a believer in Christ, had victories, failures, joy and anxiety. This week, a week where I had high expectations, my heart was hurt on many occasions by things that I hold dear.

Is that odd to you, that I have things that hurt my heart? Sometimes we, especially men, don’t like to admit things hurt our hearts. Our wives/husbands, children, friends and job expectations often leave us feeling empty and void. Instead of talking about these hurts, we hold our emotions in; instead of talking about our hurt we offer cold glares, stretches of silence, anger, tension and anxious moments for those who are close to us.

Holding these emotions in makes living another week in the life of a believer very hard. Hard because, when we hide our hurt and emotions they do not disappear, they often manifest themselves in some way that will hurt us and the people that are in our lives. The life that we are given, Christ’s life, is a wonderful life, but there are moments where it is just like C.S. Lewis described it, hard and easy at the same time.

“The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says ‘Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours’… Both harder and easier than what we are all trying to do.” C.S. Lewis

Our Daily Fight

This body often craves the things it shouldn’t

Those things that cause me to pause and say I couldn’t

It cries as if it is going to die

It is unending it always says to give sin a try

My body it fights against my godly thoughts

Why is it that this war was something I wasn’t taught

In discipleship class I was told about being pure

I was instructed to read 1 Thessalonians four

I was told that my sinful nature died with Christ

I was told Romans chapter six speaks of this new life

So why is it that I continue to struggle?

My mind and my flesh—I am in a serious trouble

When I walked that aisle I longed to give my life to Jesus

My pain and heartache—my life was ripped into many pieces

When I prayed that day I felt so relieved

But I feel so bad--the evil part of me didn’t leave

And now I am struggling—with desires that shouldn’t be

Can somebody explain what is happening inside of me?

Romans 7:15(NCV) “I do not understand the things I do. I do not do what I want to do, and I do the things I hate.”

I know this isn’t written by the great Apostle Paul

Surely he didn’t write about his struggles or falls

There is no way this is the apostle that my pastor talked about

He never struggled with his flesh and this I will never doubt

But if it isn’t Paul then who could it be

Did this great apostle have problems with sin just like me?

Romans 7:21-23(NCV) “So I have learned this rule: When I want to do good, evil is there with me. In my mind, I am happy with God’s law. But I see another law working in my body, which makes war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my body is the law of sin, and it makes me its prisoner.”

Galatians 5:17(NCV) “Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other, so you cannot do just what you please.”

I could have never imagined the depths of this war

It seeps through my veins and tries to escape through every pore

My heart and mind will be fully devoted to the things of Christ

I wake up in the morning desiring to do what is right

But alas, I am caught with my struggles again

How come nobody taught me about the depths of my sin?

Lord what do I do I don’t want to stay in this place

I am crying to You because You are the Author of this race

Speak to me Lord—I want to be free

From every plague, sin, transgression and iniquity

Romans 7:24, 25a (NIV) “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Lord is it true, could You delivery me from this pain?

Could You remove the hurt and take away every stain?

If I turned to You would You honor First John 1:9?

If I put my trust in You would Your joy once again be mine?

Lord I don’t want to give up I believe through Your Son I’m forgiven

As I look at First John 2:1, 2—I have a renewed reason for living

But I cannot stop there—I don’t want to continue living against Your will

Lord please give me the right words to meditate on until sin loses its thrill

Words to Help Me (Us) in This Fight

Develop a Desire to Live Like God:

Ephesians 4:23, 24(NCV) “But you were taught to be made new in your hearts, to become a new person. That new person is made to be like God—made to be truly good and holy.”

Ephesians 5:1, 2(NCV) “You are God’s children whom he loves, so try to be like him. Live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.”

Develop a Desire to Love Others Like God Loves You:

John 13:34, 35(NCV) “I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8(NCV) “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always remains strong. Love never ends.”

Galatians 5:13, 14(NCV) “My brothers and sisters, God called you to be free, but do not use your freedom as an excuse to do what pleases your sinful self. Serve each other with love. The whole law is made complete in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’”

Develop a Desire to Forgive others like God has Forgiven You:

Matthew 18:21, 22(NCV) “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, when my fellow believer sins against me, how many times must I forgive him? Should I forgive as many as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I will tell you, you must forgive him more than seven times.  You must forgive him even if he wrongs you seventy times seven.’” (Also read Matthew 18:23-35)

Mark 11:25(NCV) “When you are praying, if you are angry with someone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins.”

Colossians 3:13(NCV) “Get along with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you.”

Develop a Desire to Honor God by Staying Away From Sexual Sin of any Kind:

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8(NCV) “God wants you to be holy and to stay away from sexual sins. He wants each of you to learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable. Don’t use your body for sexual sin like the people who do not know God. Also, do not wrong or cheat another Christian in this way. The Lord will punish people who do those things as we have already told you and warned you. God called us to be holy and does not want us to live in sin. So the person who refuses to obey this teaching is disobeying God, not simply a human teaching. And God is the One who gives us his Holy Spirit.”

Ephesians 5:3(NCV) “But there must be no sexual sin among you, or any kind of evil or greed. Those things are not right for God’s holy people.”

Develop Patience: Learn to Control your Temper and the Words You say to Others. Your Anger is Not Something that Brings Forth God’s Glory

Ephesians 4:26, 27, 29, 31(NCV) “When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day. Do not give the devil a way to defeat you. When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you.  Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil.”

Colossians 3:8(NCV) “But now also put these things out of your life: anger, bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and using evil words when you talk.”

Proverbs 14:17, 29 (NCV) “Someone with a quick temper does foolish things, but someone with understanding remains calm.” “Patient people have great understanding, but people with quick tempers show their foolishness.”

James 1:19-21(NCV) “My dear brothers and sisters, always be willing to listen and slow to speak. Do not become angry easily, because anger will not help you live the right kind of life God wants. So put out of your life every evil thing and every kind of wrong. Then in gentleness accept God’s teaching that is planted in your hearts, which can save you.”

Develop a Lifestyle that will not require You to Lie to Others:

Ephesians 4:25(NCV) “So You must stop telling lies. Tell each other the truth, because we all belong to each other in the same body.”

Colossians 3:9(NCV) “Do not lie to each other. You have left your old sinful life and the things you did before.”

There are many more aspects to this Christian life

And no matter how hard we try no one gets it exactly right

There will never be a believer who apprehends it all

Our minds and bodies were severely affected by the fall

Sure there are those who have done great things to advance the faith

It started with the apostles and traverses centuries through many great saints

But like Paul we must agree that we aren’t exactly what God wants us to be

But thanks to His grace we are much better than we used to be

So we press on and will keep seeking the very fullness of this life

And Lord willing we will not quit until we sit face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ

Philippians 3:12-14(NCV) “I do not mean that I am as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.”

William Gilmer

Naked and Unashamed

Naked and Unashamed

Genesis 2:22(NCV) “The LORD God used the rib from the man to make a women, and then he brought the woman to the man.”

Genesis 2:25(NCV) “The man and his wife were naked, but they were not ashamed.”

                A relationship is formed by God; it is pure and there are no problems with it at all. This relationship like everything God created was very good (Genesis 1:26, 31). We aren’t given too many details about it, but there is one thing that stands out about this relationship: the couple was naked and unashamed. 

            The Garden of Eden had to be the most awesome place in the world to be. A place where you felt no shame, no negative thoughts to hide, no anger issues, no lust problems, no embarrassing situations, no doubts, no conflicts, no second guessing of yourself or the person you are with, no wondering what to say next.  Adam and Eve had total and absolute peace. They could freely be who they were created to be without holding or hiding anything from each other. They were in paradise.

            I would really love to know what that place was like. A place where I did not have to worry about any of the things enumerated above. Wouldn’t it be nice to be free of that awkward feeling you have when you meet someone new or go to a new place? What about that scary feeling you have when you believe the people who like you would not like you if they knew certain things about you. What a relief it would be to shake the thought that something is always wrong with you, no matter how educated you are, how much you weigh or how you look. Imagine being free of the anger you feel when you, or your thoughts/view or lifestyle, are rejected by the people you had hoped would understand. Visualize a world where you are not afraid to share a personal struggle with friends or family for fear of what they might think or how they might treat you if they knew how vulnerable you are.

            What an awesome place Adam and Eve must have been in as they stood in the Garden of Eden and were not ashamed. They could look at each other without having distorted views of the one who was standing in front of them, talk without doubting the truth of the other’s statements, and love unconditionally because they were not ashamed to do so. I wish I could be in that place, and I know I am not alone.

We all have a desire to live “naked and unashamed” lives. If you are anything like me and the rest of the human race your heart is screaming for this place. No modern technological advances such as a navigation system or a “Google Search” can take you to the place where you can live “naked and unashamed,” because it is in your heart. The only way to find this place is by opening your heart to God—holding nothing back—and trusting that He will work in the lives of the people He brings into yours. Neither of these will be easy, but if you want to start the process of ridding yourself of human fears, this is the place to start. Being “naked and unashamed” before God will be the easiest, for He is the one who knows the most about you, and He is waiting for you to share your fears, hopes and dreams with Him.                                                                   

Are you ready to be “naked and unashamed” before Him? Trust me, nothing you say or do will shock or push Him away. I know me, and if He was going to push anybody away for being “naked and unashamed” before Him, it would be me. But He hasn’t pushed me away; He continues to pull me closer as I reveal to Him all of my heart. I pray that you will allow Him to do the same for you.

“Success is not arriving at a certain goal in life; success is continuing in God’s will and making Him the center of your life. So with this in mind I will strive to submit to God in everything that I do; never being satisfied with earthly honors, because the success I desire resides in heaven. That success is to be just like my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” William Gilmer 11/1999

I wrote this quote as I was about to enter Bible college; I didn’t realize how true this statement was when I wrote it.

Ten years have passed and I still don’t measure success by the things I accomplish or the praise I receive from people for the things I accomplish; I have come to realize that true success (becoming like Christ) only happens as you grow in your relationship with Him and the people He places in your world.

I have learned that my success (growth) is an eternal process and this book of poems and thoughts are small pieces of that process. I hope that as you read this you will think (meditate), understand (you and God more clearly) and grow in your relationship with Him and the people He has connected you to.

Be Blessed

William Gilmer

Look Into My Heart

Proverbs 14:10(NCV) “No one else can know your sadness, and strangers cannot share your joy.”

“Pain has no ‘outside’ existence. Two people can look at the same tree; no one has ever shared a stomachache. This is what makes the treatment of pain so difficult. None of us—doctor, parent, or friend—can truly enter into another person’s pain. It is the loneliest, most private sensation.”—Dr. Paul Brand

What if you saw the insides of my heart today?

If you looked deep inside of me I wonder what you would say

Would you be excited about the love that I have

For my God, my family, even the enemies that back stab

Maybe you would admire me for my love and dedication

To the Bible and God’s people; who I will serve without hesitation

You would probably be impressed by my faithfulness to my friends

No matter what comes I will be true to them until the end

You will smile when you hear that I trust Jesus and have avoided God’s wrath

That I delight to shun the broad way I try hard to stay on the narrow path

You will appreciate the part of me that is convicted of sin

Oh yeah, don’t forget that inner part that desires godliness within

But if you looked into my heart you would surely see the scars

That travel back to when I was young and my thoughts were my bars

You would see the part of me that was used to being laughed at

Whenever an awkward situation came up I never knew how to act

Trying to fit in and just feel like a normal human being

But no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t shake that awful feeling

If you looked into my heart you would definitely see

That sinful side that is always out to destroy me

You would see those things I hate to do when no else is around

Those things that we all swear would never bring us down

You would recognize that I always have struggles on the inside

A desire to always do right and hide my sinful side

And if you keep searching you will find something that permeates every part

From the beginning I always had a desire to make Christ home my heart

You would see that I am not willing to ever let go of the hand of my King

My Savior and Redeemer who has taken away death’s sting

If you looked into my heart you would see someone who is driven by God

To walk through this life even though it will be very hard

You would also see someone who is thankful for the gift of being alive

You would recognize that Christ is the reason I have so much drive

To keep smiling and living out His Words that give peace

For in my heart I fully recognize I am one of His sheep

1Corinthians 2:11(NCV) “Who knows the thoughts that another person has? Only a person’s spirit that lives within him knows his thoughts…”

I don’t have enough time to tell you about my heart, but if you hang around me long enough, I will show it to you.

William Gilmer- Whew, that was refreshing. Sometimes it’s tough opening up and letting out what is on the inside of you. I have fought my whole life trying to be heard; wishing someone would just listen…

I Hear You, but Do You Hear Him?

Psalm 4: 2, 3, 7, 8 (MSG) “You rabble—how long do I put up with your scorn? How long will you lust after lies? How long will you live crazed by illusion? Look at this: look who got picked by God! He listens the split second I call to him. Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say. "More, more." I have God's more-than-enough, more joy in one ordinary day than they get in all their shopping sprees. At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep, for you, God, have put my life back together.”

Will Gilmer- Rumors, lies and gossip; why do we enjoy spreading so much of it? Why do we take pleasure in hurting people with our words? Why do we “lust after lies” and are hungry for more?

Sin is a very powerful disease; there are many times when we don’t realize the depth of its grip on us or the affect that it has on our lives. I believe our sin nature is what allows us to take pleasure in spreading lies about someone else (even if it is under the guise of soliciting prayer). The nature we are born with delights to see someone else in misery and takes joy that someone has fallen in some area of their life. The nature we are born with is very twisted and depraved; Satan, who is the epitome of depravity, takes full advantage of this nature that we are born with and uses our carnal natural desires to draw us into these deadly conversations over and over again; with no regard to who we hurt or the relationships we damage.

If you have been the victim of one of these attacks don’t lose heart. Oh, I am not saying that the words that are spoken will not hurt, they will; what’s being said about you may be true and constant reminders of your actions will cause you grief,  but look at the verse of Scripture above, look at what the psalmist is saying, “Look at this: look who got picked by God! He listens the split second I call to him.” Do you see it; do you see who got picked by God? Do you see who God listens to? He doesn’t listen to the liar or the person who is spreading the gossip; He listens to the one who was being scorned (talked about).

Why would God pick the scorned people who are being talked about; why would God choose to listen to you even if some part of what people were saying about you was true… “Then Levi (Jesus newly appointed disciple) gave a big dinner for Jesus at his house. Many tax collectors and other people were eating there, too. But the Pharisees and the men who taught the law for the Pharisees began to complain to Jesus' followers, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. ³² I have not come to invite good people but sinners to change their hearts and lives." (Luke 5:29-31) Jesus was eating with people who were used to being talked about, misunderstood and lied on. Jesus was spending intimate time with people who the religious people of that time would have never spent time with; Jesus was spending time with people who needed their lives put back together because of the nature they were born with (sin nature) and what was being said about them.

So Why would God listen to you? God would listen to you because…

·        He Cares for you…” Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you (1 Peter 5:7; NCV)”.

·        Those who rely on His grace cannot brag about their lives or talk bad (gossip) about the lives of others… “Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses; chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:26-30; MSG).

·        He wants you to have His joy, peace and to enjoy life in all the fullness that He intended it to be…  “I have told you these things so that you can have the same joy I have and so that your joy will be the fullest possible joy… I leave you peace; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid… A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life—life in all its fullness.” (John 15:11; 14:27 and 10:10, NCV), because He has put your, “life back together”, through His grace.