Tasks or People?

Mark 5:21-42

I am task oriented. There I said it! I am so task oriented that I am ashamed to admit I place menial tasks on my “to do” list just so I can quickly check them off. I pride myself on efficiency, and I do not allow anyone to slow me down! And… I am NOT like Jesus! Jesus never once allowed tasks and “to do’s” to drive his day. Our great Savior allowed His Father’s love for mankind to flow through Him and direct His steps.

In the story of Jairus’ daughter, we see Jesus on the way to do a great miracle for a prominent man. However, in route He was touched. Just a momentary touch that stopped Him in His tracks. He scanned the crowd, saw the need and ministered to the woman without regard to the task at hand. It took a few minutes, but it changed a woman’s life.

How many times am I so consumed with the task at hand that I either ignore or don’t even notice the little touches of others along the way? How many times am I so eager to get out of the grocery store that I don’t notice the cashier who is obviously having a bad day? How many times am I asked throughout the day “How are you doing?” without ever asking that person back? How quickly do I rush out a door without noticing the person behind me whom I could help by holding the door open? How quickly do I rush my children through “teachable” moments just so we are not late to Bible Study?!

In this story, two people were healed that day: the hemorrhaging woman and Jairus’ daughter. Jesus was able to redeem the “lost time” spent helping that woman by still accomplishing an even greater miracle than just healing– but resurrecting a dead life! Do I believe that Jesus is powerful enough to redeem my time, when I commit these “touchable” moments to Him?

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves” (Phil 2:3). Time to call it what it is… selfish ambition and vain conceit. It is time to put the list down and put the love of Christ on (Col 3:12-14).

What Does Jesus Really Think about Me?

How many of you would love to hear someone say to you:

I call you by name and you are mine (Isaiah 43:1)

I am enthralled by your beauty. (Ps 45:11)

I take great delight in you. (Zeph 3:17)

I rejoice over you. (Zeph 3:17)

You are wonderfully made. (Ps 139:14)

I know your inmost thoughts. (Ps 139:1-2)

I long to confide in you. (Ps 25:14)

I am your protector. (Ps 121)

I will fight for you. (Exodus 14:14)

I am your helper. (Ps 118:7)

I am your strength when you are weak. (Is 40:29/2Cor 12:9)

I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

You are more than a conqueror and NOTHING can separate you from my love. (Romans 8:37-39)

I offer no condemnation. (Romans 8:1)

There is no fear in my love. (1 John 4:17-19)

I have taken away your punishment. (Zeph 3:15)

I will not reject you. (Ps 94:14)

You are accepted. (Romans 15:7)

You are chosen. (Col 3:12)

You are my friend. (John 15:14-15)

Has anyone ever spoken this way to you? and it lasted?  There is someone who thinks all of these things about you. There is someone who loves you JUST the way you are! You don’t have to do anything to earn it! You don’t have to change 20 things about yourself first. You just have to believe him! That person’s name is Jesus!

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? When you stare at your reflection what is the first thing that pops into your head?  Do you look at yourself and say, “Wow! I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am accepted. I am God’s friend?” Or… when you look in the mirror do you cringe? Do you think, “Wow, I wish I was taller, skinnier, or I wish my hair was different.” Maybe you don’t think along these lines, but you see yourself and wonder, “My life is meaningless. I have no purpose.” or “will I ever be smart enough or fast enough to make the cut?” or in this world of CRAZY “perfect” Mommy blogs you tell yourself you don’t measure up because you fed your kids bread that you didn’t make from scratch, chicken nuggets that came from a box, and they weren’t reading at the age of 2!

Every day we are going to walk in either joy/freedom or stress/depression based upon what we allow to fill our head when we look in the mirror. It is a conscious choice the moment your feet hit the floor… EVERY morning! The first thing we must do is…

RECOGNIZE THE VOICE OF THE ENEMY!

We MUST realize that anything that pops into our head that does not agree with what the Bible tells us about ourselves is a lie!! It is not from God! In fact, John 8:44 tells us, “When (Satan) lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” When you listen to all those negative thoughts you repeat about yourself which contradict Scripture, you will start every morning the rest of your life with stress and not joy!  When you repent of your sins, confess Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead… You belong to God. Satan has no control over your eternal security. Therefore, he is going to try his hardest to destroy your joy and your confidence of who you are in Christ! He wants to make you forget ALL of what Christ says about you so that you will become completely ineffective for the Kingdom of God here on this earth.

The Bible tells us this truth in 1 Peter 5:8– “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. “ You see… Satan hates God. We are created in God’s image. Therefore, Satan hates us. He is taking the opportunity to devour you every time you look in the mirror or every time you compare yourself to others and begin to believe that you don’t measure up. Thinking negative thoughts about yourself every time you look in the mirror is not a “low self esteem” issue. It is a spiritual battle that we are CHOOSING to let Satan win!

That is why when we try to silence his voice through worldly means it never works out! We try to fix our insecurities by going to the right people. So we try to pick more popular friends, become the “favorite friend” in your class (or mom’s group). We try to get as many likes as possible on FB or Instagram. We try to see how many followers we can get on twitter or we place our value on how many texts we received in one day. When that doesn’t make us happy, because it won’t – we will never ALWAYS be the favorite or please everybody around us, we spend more money. We begin to believe that if we had newer or cuter clothes then people would like us. We begin to think that maybe if we showed more skin or were more fit and wore tighter clothes we would get more attention. Or we might work harder at our jobs, in exercise, etc… all to reach this “ideal” we have in our minds thinking if we could just get there we would be happy.

The problem is the world we live in is fickle!  One year plaid is all the rage. Other year’s neon is the way to go. Some years perms will make you a star, other times the fad is long wavy hair. The world is always changing! Nothing lasts! Some crowds will think you are awesome if you are the best musician. Other crowds think you need to be the best athlete. You are never going to please everybody. Remember, Satan’s goal is to make you forget WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST! THESE THINGS THAT CHRIST SAYS ABOUT YOU. Therefore, you are NEVER going be good enough, beautiful enough, smart enough, athletic enough, musical enough or skinny enough to silence his lies! Remember, he wants to devour your joy and ruin your confidence!!

Choosing not to see yourself as God sees you, is not just an issue when you are young!! I think a lot of us believed that when we were no longer a teenager all of these insecurities or what we have labeled “Self-esteem issues” would just go away. How is that working out for you?  You have to decide right now if you are going to keep plugging away at this, going the worldly route to silence that voice, making yourself exhausted and never getting anywhere… OR if you are going to fix the problem once and for all!!!!  There is only one solution that really works. Contrary to what the world will tell you. The ONLY solution is to FIRST recognize the voice of the enemy and then…

BELIEVE THE VOICE OF YOUR LOVING HEAVENLY FATHER!

DO YOU KNOW WHO HE IS? Hebrews 6:18 tells us (and I LOVE THIS) that it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie. That means when he tells you all of these precious promises in His Word, when he tells you that you are beautiful, wonderfully made, that HE will never leave you nor forsake you… IT IS TRUE!!! Let that sink in! God cannot lie! Bask in WHOSE you are! The Bible goes on to tell us in Hebrews 13:8 that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Malachi 3:6 says, “I the Lord do not change.” King David tells us in Psalm 102:27, “But you (Lord) remain the same, and your years will never end.” The world will fade away, fashions will change, your friends will move, but OUR LORD who NEVER LIES also NEVER CHANGES already accepts and loves you just the way you are!

Okay… so we know who Jesus is, and what he says about us, and now realize everything else is simply from the Father of lies… HOW do we silence the negativity?  It is time to FIGHT BACK!!! 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

We must memorize Scripture that apply to what you struggle with. Only way to stop lies is combat it with the truth. This verse tells us that we have power from God to demolish, ruin, kill, any argument or lie that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We now know what God says about us… it is time to use the power of the Word of God and kill the lie!! Literally… even if you have to do it out loud, say, “No! The same God that made the Heavens and the Earth, that keeps our universe from spiraling out of control, the same God that withheld nothing - not even his own son - but allowed Jesus to die for our sins so that we might have restored relationship with him, the same God that sacrificed himself so that we might be the righteousness of God, THAT God says that I am “beautiful,” that I am “Fearfully and wonderfully made!“

If we can believe God for our eternal salvation… then why do we choose to NOT believe that He created us perfectly according to His great plan?! Finally, to combat the lies of the enemy we have to …

CHOOSE NOT TO REPEAT THE LIES TO OUR SELF! IT is a CHOICE!!! Time to move onto the second part of that passage, “Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.” Instead of repeating the lies to yourself, (you aren’t skinny enough, you aren’t good enough, you have no purpose), take it and cast it away from you! Cathy Horner stated something this year in Lambs that I will never forget. She said that when you repeat something you are actually memorizing it! Don’t memorize lies. Take those wrong thoughts and tell them where they can go!!!!  :o) SPEAK TRUTH!!!!

YOU WILL NEVER HAVE VICTORY over the negative thoughts that penetrate your heart and mind until you start recognizing that they are directly from the mouth of our enemy and then CHOOSING (even when you don’t feel like it – even when you feel like all your friends like someone better than you – even when you haven’t showered in three days because you are buried in spit up, diapers or homeschooling) CHOOSE to believe the voice of your Father!!

God’s word offers us a very precious promise in James 4:7. This verse tells us that when we submit ourselves to God (meaning we place our lives under His authority and the authority of His Word… these things up here) then when we resist the Devil, HE MUST FLEE!!!!! The power of the Word of God will always send Satan running! You may have to speak His Word over and over until you believe it!

An Aside… Mom: Let’s not allow our voice to be the voice of the enemy to our daughters or granddaughters! Proverbs 10:11 tells us that “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.”  Those little “jokes/observations” that you think don’t mean anything – are NOT speaking life, but concealing violence!! We can actually allow Satan to destroy her belief in how God made her, through our own voice!!! It is serious how we use our mouth to those around us!!  Be careful that you are being a fountain of life! We also must be careful what we obsess over (Diet, weight, exercise.. even good things. If they see it as so important to us that it affects all of the decisions we make throughout the day. it will be important to them. What we do in moderation, they will do in excess). So let’s just be careful or what we are stating or acting like is the most important thing.  Finally, realize how we talk about ourselves. If we cannot learn to receive a compliment, or we are always putting ourselves down, our daughters are learning that is what they should be doing! Be a fountain of life!!! NOT the voice of the enemy speaking through you!

Okay… So we are looking in the mirror and we have fought against the voice of the enemy with Scripture. We have CHOSEN to believe the truthful , unchanging voice of our Heavenly Father… what now? How do we live in this crazy world? How do we dress to please him when all of our friends tell us that we need to look a certain way, act a certain way, etc.

Dress: The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” When you accept Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit chooses to live inside of you, and you become His home! Let’s make sure that when we dress, we are dressing to reflect that truth! Do you think Jesus wants His temple arrayed in super short dresses or low cut shirts that doesn’t leave anything to the imagination? NO! Christ died for that Body! Don’t sell it to the world by presenting it in a way that tries to sell sex and materialism and not the grace of God and His blood shed for you! Moms: Let’s start talking modesty now! It is a lot easier to cultivate a lifestyle of modesty starting at five and not fifteen! These decisions now can affect the type of boy that she attracts later. Let’s begin dressing her now to attract the type of son-in-law we want later!! Also, let’s watch how we dress. Our daughters will imitate us and usually go one step further. Is one step further from how we dress now, still acceptable?

Actions: Colossians 3:12 says: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, (REMEMBER THAT!!! THAT IS WHAT GOD SAYS YOU ARE!!) clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” We are to clothe ourselves with the attitudes and attributes of Christ! Every morning as we get dressed, literally as if we were putting on clothes, let’s put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. WE are Holy and DEARLY loved. We are to love others as we are loved by Christ! When our friends try to tell us that the only way to be popular is to be mean to that new girl, put on kindness. When we are sick of sharing and waiting our turn, put on gentleness and patience! Treat others like Christ wants to treat them through you!

We have learned how to conquer the mirror each and every day. We now know that any voice inside our head that is contrary to Scripture is from Satan and we can tell it where to go through His Word. We are now listening to TRUTH about whom and whose we really are. We are physically dressed in a way that reflects God’s indwelling presence in our life and we have put on HIS attitude. Time to go out that door and walk in the confidence that we are women who are unconditionally loved!! Remember the list at the beginning? You have nothing to prove! Believe God. Only by believing who you truly are… who Christ sees when he looks at you, will you ever be 100% at peace.

Always Be Prepared...

Ezra 7:6-10, 27

Even though Ezra was an exile in the land of Babylon, he was devoted to studying and obeying God's Word.  When God called Ezra to go back to Jerusalem, in God's perfect timing, he was already prepared and he faithfully responded.  Ezra found what we will find in similar circumstances: when we know and obey God's word, when we prepare and faithfully respond when God calls us, then nothing will hinder God's will from coming to pass.  The best part... when we do it God's way, God gets ALL the glory!

In college I felt a strong calling upon the Lord to teach His Word.  I even went forward one Sunday night at church for a "call to ministry".  Several of the pastors at my home church told me that they were not surprised, but were actually waiting for God to reveal that call to me.  However, as time passed and I became a wife and mother, that calling seemed to go on the back burner to my life circumstances.  With babies at home, teaching was impossible!  I was just trying to have time to have a personal quiet time with the Lord!

However, when my oldest daughter was 6 months old, I felt like God telling me to be faithful where I was then!  I began to write devotionals on this blog.  I knew I wanted to teach His Words, so as He revealed nuggets of Himself to me, I would simply write them here for "safe-keeping". 

This spring, the Lord allowed me to witness, like Ezra, the gracious movement to walk in His will in His perfect timing.  In a two month period, all of a sudden, I was asked to write two devotionals for the Women's ministry at my church and speak at two events.  My personal life was crazy at the time.  My oldest was/is super emotional as she prepares to go off to Kindergarten and my husband's work life was chaos.  I was so blessed by the opportunity to finally speak His Words to others, but personally was struggling to find the time!  However, because I was faithful to prepare for the "one day" I would teach HisWord, I was able to use two devotionals I had already written a year prior.  In God's timing, the devotionals were shared. 

All this to say... If God has placed a calling on your life and you have a restless spirit right now because you don't see how it is possible to do that call today... pray and seek where you can be faithful to start preparing today.  David had a passion to build the Lord a temple, however the Lord gave that calling to Solomon.  David did not begrudge God's decision, but spent time preparing and collecting supplies so that Solomon could do a great job in God's timing! 

Always be prepared!  God waste nothing when we give everything to Him!

"Stop whining! It is driving Mommy crazy!"

Your kids have been whining all day. What you want to say is, "We have so much to be thankful for! Did you know the Bible tells us to do all things without grumbling or disputing, to be thankful in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus and that a joyful heart doth good like a medicine?"  It is easy to recall theses verses in the peaceful moments of prayer and contemplation.  However, in this moment you have two kids on the floor of your kitchen crying and the only thing you can think of is, " Stop whining!  It is driving Mommy crazy!"

Please tell me I am not alone!  It is truly my heart's desire to raise my children to grow to know and love the Lord, and to grow to be more like Jesus. I want to take everyday moments and teach them Biblical truths. However, I find my parenting has focused more on trying to get them to stop doing sinful behaviors (losing their temper, not sharing, being unkind, using harsh words, etc.) instead of teaching them why these behaviors are wrong. My own sin nature gets in the way, and I lose my patience instead of using these times to teach them about our Savior.

Maybe in the heat of the moment you are able to recall verses with ease that deal with the issue on hand. However, I need a little help!  At the end of this post is a link to an online document. Over the past few weeks as I have been a mulling over trying to raise my children to be Godly, I have begun to compile verses that deal with sinful behaviors in my home (ex. anger, not sharing, whining, fear, using ugly words, being unkind, not listening, etc.). I have compiled a spreadsheet that I have posted on my refrigerator, so that in the moment, I can easily point them to God's word.

I truly believe Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.". Only the Word of God is capable of changing the hearts and minds of my children to make them more like Jesus!  I am praying that God uses this tool to keep my children, and myself, in tune with His desires for our life!

If you think this tool would be helpful, please feel free to download it and post it in your home too: Click here to download!

Pray About Everything!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

Tonight, our precious Lord revealed himself to my girl and it was wonderful. My precious little girl got a new toy today. The toy has little pieces and as bed time approached she realized she was missing a couple of the pieces. She is very much like me, and was having a hard time letting it go. She was not able to rest knowing it was lost. During her nighttime prayer she asked Jesus to help her find her missing pieces. As soon as prayer time was over she got up from my husband's lap and went and looked inside a box on her dresser. Low and behold it held her lost pieces! She told me that God told her where to look. Then she threw up her hands and said, "Praise the Lord!"

I was able to explain to her how God intimately cares about the details of our life. He desires to have a relationship with us and when we talk to Him in prayer, He will talk back either through that "still small voice", the Bible or through other believers.

Do you believe this? Do you believe that God truly desires us to pray about everything and be anxious for nothing? I know your worry is probably not a lost toy, but something much bigger. However, I believe that if the God of the universe cares about my four year olds lost toy, He cares about your problem. Scripture tells us in Matthew 6 to "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?".

If you find yourself in a season of worry, pray. Talk to the one who holds the universe in His hands and did not even spare His own Son for your eternal salvation.

If you are a parent of young children, start now praying about everything. Whether it is being able to find their favorite snack in the store when it seems to be sold out, for it to stop raining just long enough to allow you to run inside from the car, or to find something that is missing. Give God the opportunity to show up in their lives and teach them to give all praise to Him!

I praise you Lord for pursuing my children now and drawing Their hearts to you! Thanks for redeeming my parenting when I so often fail and being my All Sufficient One!

Waging War and Winning!

There will be a time in every Christian's life where they will have a "crisis of faith". A time when they must decide who they believe and what they believe, regardless of the circumstances. It is not a time to bemoan or belittle. This is not a time to feel guilty for having a "lack of faith". This is a time to be excited that you are facing something bigger than yourself, of which you have no control, because you serve a God that is big enough to bring you through victoriously. Be excited that you are about to see Eph 3:20 alive in your life (to Him who is able to do FAR MORE abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us).

The Bible offers us some specific promises when we find ourselves in the midst of extreme spiritual warfare:
1. James 4:7 - "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he WILL flee from you."
2. Romans 8:37 - "in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us" (We have the power to OVERWHELMINGLY Conquer!)
3. Isaiah 26:3 - "He will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you"

The revised version reads, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose imagination is stayed on thee." Steadfast means to be firmly established, anchored, stayed, leaning wholly upon. The Bible promises that He will keep us in perfect peace when our mind is firmly established, anchored, leaning wholly upon the Lord.

When spiritual warfare begins to creep in (whether in the form of fear, doubt, etc.) follow this formula outlined in the Bible over and over:

1. Bind up and rebuke the spirit of fear in the name and blood of Jesus Christ.  Command the spirit to leave and bind it to the dry and waterless places. (See Matthew 12 for this. I don't understand it all, but I know it works. I have seen the power of this over and over in my life)

2. Ask that in place of the spirit of fear, the Lord would fill you with the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) - Galatians 5:22-23

3. Obey Phil 4:8 ( Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things).

4. Renew your mind in the word (Romans 12:2). (Ex. If your main spiritual battles involve fear, MEMORIZE scriptures that help you fight your fear) - See a great list to get you started below, but also ask God to reveal Scriptures to you. Also remember to pray and not doubt: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6

5. Start praising the Lord. The Bible says that God inhabits the praise of His people, meaning he dwells in the atmosphere of praise. (Ps 22:3) There are 100s of things to be thankful for if for nothing else that you are standing, that you can breathe on your own, you have a family that loves you, etc.

6. Move on. Don't stay defeated. Trust God to answer your prayers. Get up and go. (See 2 Tim 1:7 and Gal 5:1)

Pray these scriptures back to God. Tell Him you believe that these promises are truth and then speak them over your life.  (These deal with fear because that is what my main spiritual battles involve)

Prov 3:5-8 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. (ex. prayer: Lord I want to trust in you with all my heart. I do not want to lean upon my own understanding. Today I am resolving that in all my ways I am going to acknowledge you and I know you will make my path straight. I don't want to be wise in my own eyes. Help me to fear you Lord and turn away from evil. I believe your promise that this will be healing to my body and refreshment to my bones).

Romans 8:15 - For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “ Abba! Father!” (ex. prayer: You did not give me a spirit of slavery to fear. I have a spirit of sonship where I can call you Father! Please help me to not be enslaved by fear, but enslaved to my recognition of my place in your family!)

Proverbs 3:24-26 - When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Do not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; For the Lord will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught (ex. prayer:  Lord I will NOT be afraid!  My sleep will be sweet.  Thank you that I don't have to be afraid for you are my confidence!)

2 TImothy 1:7 - For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love and self-control (ex. prayer: Lord I thank you that you did not create me with a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love and self-control!  Help me to walk in the power, love and self-control you provide!)

Psalm 27:1 - The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread

James 4:8-9 - Draw near to God and He will draw near to you... let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.

Isaiah 55:8-13

Galatians 5:1 - It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Psalm 46:1-2 -God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea

Ps 62:1-2, 7-8 - My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken... On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

Ps 4:8 - In peace I will both lie down and sleep,For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety

John 14:1 - Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.

Ps 112:7 -He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Ps 34:3-5 - O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.

Jer 17:5-8 - Thus says the Lord, Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind And makes flesh his strength, And whose heart turns away from the Lord. “For he will be like a bush in the desert And will not see when prosperity comes, But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, A land of salt without inhabitant. “ Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord And whose trust is the Lord. “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes;But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.

Is 12:2 - Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation

Ps 127:1 - Unless the Lord builds the house,They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain

Is 41:10 - Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Ps 34:17 - The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles

Read Mark 9:14-29, esp. verse 24

Jeremiah 30:17 - For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,’ declares the Lord.

Are you Sacrifing Your Children?

Leviticus 20:1-7 (Click on reference to read text)

My children have decided they want to share a room.  That means I spent the past few days turning my daughter's girly room into a gender neutral room.  In the midst of moving furniture, I am having to patch holes and paint.  It seemed I couldn't get three consecutive minutes to work without interruption.  Didn't they know I was doing all that work for them?  The icing on the cake came when my daughter brought me a broken pencil sharpener.  In exasperation I asked her why she didn't ask me for help.  She replied, "I didn't want to make you upset by asking you a question."  In shame, I put the roller down and immediately dropped to my knees.  I wrapped her in a big hug, told her I was wrong and asked for her forgiveness.  You see... I had placed her upon the altar of a false god, and I needed to take her off!

The Ammonites worshipped a god named Molech and served him by sacrificing their children upon an altar built for him (Lev 18:21).  Although this seems utterly appalling, I would be so bold to say that in some form we all do that, if not on a daily, at least a weekly basis.  I have sacrificed my children to the god of personal time, a well decorated house, and exercise.  I have given dirty looks and talked in ugly tones to my children for the sake of these "gods."  My most precious blessings have been sacrificed for things I have convinced myself I needed more than their well-being.  Even worse, I have taught them the opposite of the Gospel.  Are my actions teaching them that God delights in them (Zeph 3:17), that God will always answer when they call (Jeremiah 33:3), and that nothing can separate them from the love of God (Romans 8:38)?  No, I was teaching them the antithesis of every reason that God sent Jesus to die for them. 

Praise the Lord that God loves me enough to kick me in the tail and not allow me to continue on a path of destruction.  As I often say, "He loves me to much to leave me where I am."  The Bible tells me that I should be the one on the altar, offering myself as a "living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - This is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:1-2).  The world tells me that I deserve personal time, and to spend as much time as necessary to make my house and body look good... no matter the cost.  The only way to "not conform to the patter of this world" is to renew my mind in His Word every day.  To take my family off the altar of false gods and put myself on the altar of the one true God.  That is where true life, resurrected new life, begins!

We may not be placing our children on a burnt offering, but we may be sacrificing their hearts and skewing their understanding of the Gospel for gods that need to be destroyed.  2 Corinthians 10:3-6 tells us that though we walk by the flesh, we do not wage war in the flesh.  We have divine power to demolish strongholds.  Time to take our kids off the altar and put ourselves there.  That is a picture of the Gospel they can understand.

For further reading, PLEASE read:  http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank

What is God's Will for My Life?

Acts 9:1-19 (Click on reference to read text)

"What is God's will for my life?"  I must have asked myself this question 100s of times.  My entire life I have weighed every decision trying to figure it out.  Studying the life of Paul has given me a glimpse of the answer.

Paul had a single calling.  He was to bear the name of Jesus Christ before the Gentiles, Kings, and sons of Israel (vs.15).  God did not give him a step by step road map as to where he was to proclaim the name of Jesus, but in His sovereignty God allowed Paul to be in certain places and blocked him from going to other places (Acts 16:6-7).  However, throughout the book of Acts, we see that he never misses an opportunity to talk about Jesus Christ and the resurrection.  Wherever Paul found himself, he simply opened his mouth.

You and I have the same calling.  We are to go into all the world and make disciples teaching them to observe all that God has commanded us (Mathew 28:19-20).  We don't have to know where we are going to live five years from now, 10 years or even 1 year.  We don't have to know who we are going to marry, how many kids we are going to have, what ministry opportunities we might be involved in or what job we are going to have.  We just have to open our mouth and proclaim Christ wherever we are.  That means when He gives me an opportunity to share at the grocery store, I need to be obedient.  I need to teach Christ to my children in my home now, regardless whether I have any more children in the future.   The details are irrelevant.  God in His sovereignty has us where we are now for a reason.  Just obey.  It is really that simple!

Paul states towards the end of his life that he had lived his life with a perfectly good conscience before God to that very day (Acts 23:1).  Oh to be able to say these words, but the truth is we can!  We have a single calling: to glorify God and proclaim the hope of the resurrected Jesus Christ.  Join me.  Let's start today where we are and trust God to take us the next step in His perfect timing!

"But I said I was sorry..."

Numbers 21:4-9 (click on reference to read text)

Honesty time... how many times have we said we were sorry, repented for our sins, and then were frustrated when God didn't take away the situation we found ourselves in?  I mean, we said we were sorry, right?!  When this happens we often begin to go on an entirely new line of questions... Does that mean that God didn't truly accept my repentance?  Is He not sovereign enough to pull me out of this mess?  I think today, the Lord gave me an answer!

In this passage we once again find the Israelites grumbling.   They become impatient with the long journey and complain, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food" (vs. 5).  God just one chapter earlier brought water from a rock!  Clearly He is taking care of them, and the only reason they are still in the wilderness in the first place is because they refused to go in and capture the Promised Land like He asked (Numbers 13-14).  So what does God do?  He sends poisoness snakes among the camp, and the people who were bit died.

They were not stupid, and neither are we when bad stuff starts to happen as a result of our sin.  We realize what we have done and we repent.  God honored their repentance and he gave a plan of action: "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live"(vs.8).  However, there is a key point: notice God did not REMOVE the snakes.  He just provided away out from death.

There will be times when our sin will wreak havoc in our lives.  There will be consequences, and most likely, they will be unpleasant.  However, just as God provided a means from death for the Israelites, He provided a means for us from Eternal Damnation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  His forgiveness of our sins will always provide away from "death", but it may not always remove the consequences.  We must always remember that God's sovereignty is not dependent or affected by our present circumstances!

So... find yourself in a mess?  Need a way out?  Choose Jesus and remember, "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.  As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him" (Psalm 103:11-13).

Faithful in the Silence...

Exodus 31 and 32:1-10 (Click on reference to read text)

Moses found himself on the mountain top with God receiving detailed instructions about Israel and Aaron's priestly line.  Aaron was in the valley alone.  He had been called by God too.  He had been used by God.  Yet while God was unfolding His plans to Moses, Aaron was surrounded by silence, except the voices of the Israelites saying, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him" (Ex 32:2).  How did Aaron so quickly forget and abandon His walk with God and create an idol to worship?  How do we so quickly do the same thing?

Sometimes we can become so immersed in our circumstances, what we can physically see, that we forget God is still moving and working.  He is working out a plan, a plan that may involve you, yet you don't know about it yet.  The question is are you, am I, going to be faithful where we are... in the silence?  Just because Aaron did not hear God's detailed plans for his life and the lives of his descendants, didn't mean that God was not speaking them. 

I became extremely convicted last night while at a missions festival at our church.  I realized this week that I was angry... very angry at my precious Lord because of what is happening/happened in the lives of my Dads.  I felt the silence of unanswered questions and great disappointment.  However, when faced with the awesome global size of my God and His purpose to bring the nations to a saving knowledge of Him, I wept.  I had belittled God to fit Him into the details of my life, instead of seeing my life in the details of His ETERNAL plan.  I had become the clay telling the potter what to do with me (Is 29:16).

We don't know why we find ourselves in the wilderness.  We don't know why sometimes God chooses to speak to others and not us.  We don't know why it seems the only voices we hear are pulling us into defeat and disillusionment.  However, we must cling to what we know.  God is working.  God is moving.  God is sovereign.  God is Good!  He who did not spare His own Son gave us everything we need to run this race with endurance (Ro 8:32).

Time to get our eyes off of what we can see and focus them upwards.  God just may be about to reveal His master plan.  Don't settle for an idol... settle for a King! 

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

How Do You Pray in the Pain?

2 Samuel 12:13-20 (Click on reference to read text)

Sorry for the long absence.  My family received extremely difficult news at the beginning of this month.  My precious Dad-in-law was diagnosed with cancer in his bone marrow.  One night while praying my husband turned to me and confessed he didn't know how to pray.  We would obviously love to see our Dad healed, but what if it is not God's will?  How do you pray for a miracle and still pray according to the Lord's will?  Maybe you have had this same thought.  After much prayer and seeking Scriptures, I feel confident the Lord has given me a Biblical answer.

When David's son was dying, David fasted and prayed for a miracle.  He didn't eat, he didn't sleep.  For seven days David laid face down begging the Lord to heal his child.  Yet when the child died, he got up, worshiped the Lord and ate.  He prayed for God to heal his child, but he accepted what God allowed.

I also read about Paul.  Paul prayed 3 times for the "tormenting thorn in his flesh" to leave, yet he accepted God's grace to persevere when God did not remove it (2 Cor 12:7-10).   He was not afraid to ask God for relief, but His faith was not shaken when God answered no.

The Disciplers Bible Study Commentary for the book of Acts states, " They...were putting God to the test.  They were questioning God after His will had been revealed." 

I truly believe it is Biblical to ask the Lord for healing, restoration, or whatever is needed in the lives of your family or yourself.  After all, God is our Heavenly Father and desires to hear our hearts cry.  However, we must not put God to the test by questioning God after He reveals His will by either answering or denying our request.  We must choose to follow David's lead, offer a sacrifice of praise in the midst of our pain.  Praising God in the pain is not easy, but it is necessary in keeping our hearts stayed on Him (Heb 13:15).

I urge you... pray!  Pour your heart out to your Heavenly Father.  Ask to see the mighty movements of His hand.  Expect to see His power displayed.  However, resolve now to believe that God is good no matter His answer.  Turn to Him whether the outcome is wonderful or painful, and know that in the tears, you are not alone!

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Ps 34:18

Are You Home for Christmas?

Psalm 90

I was listening to Christmas music on the radio, baking way too many Christmas goodies, and the song "I'll be Home for Christmas" came on.  My heart instantly dipped as a tear slipped down my cheek.   Two years ago, on Christmas Eve night, I received the call no one wants to get.  My hero Daddy had passed away.  "Home" is different than it used to be and I can't help but feel the pain.  My blessings overflow, little feet and lots of laughter fill my home, yet part of me is empty.  Maybe "home" is different for you too.  You may be across the world serving our Lord while family is in the States, maybe divorce has ripped your happy memories apart, or maybe dreams are unfulfilled and unrealized for one more year.  However, in the midst of our pain, our Lord has a sweet word to mend our broken hearts.

Psalm 90 was written by Moses.  A man who spent a total of 80 years in the dessert, a nomad for our Lord.  His life was probably not like he pictured, yet he was obeying God's call on his life.  Even though he was in essence homeless, he writes, "Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.  Before the mountains were born or you gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting you are God." 

The Lord was Moses's home.  You know what?  He is my home too.  He in all His fullness invites you to come home!  The word "home" may look and feel different.  We can either dwell on feelings or in the fact that our Lord is our dwelling place.  Although it was Christmas time when I lost my loved one, it is because of Christmas, Jesus coming to earth in the form of a baby and dying as a sacrifice for my sins, that I can see my loved one again.  Christmas is not a time for sorrow, even in death, it is a time of great rejoicing.  Christmas is not a time of loneliness, because of Christmas, we received a companion that will never leave... Emmanuel!

This Christmas, come home to your Savior.  Rest in His dwelling place.  Feel the fullness of His presence.  Breathe in His unquenching joy and peace.  He is waiting with arms open wide to welcome you home.

Are You Living in "Plan B"?

Luke 2:1-7

Have you ever felt like you had to be living in "Plan B"? That somewhere along the way, something must have happened that took you out of God's perfect will and placed you on an alternate path? I don't think you are the first person who has ever wondered that.

Luke 2:3-7 finds Mary and Joseph on a three day journey to Bethlehem. Not by choice, but because Caesar declared it.  When they arrived there was no place for them to stay, Mary was going into labor, so they found the best place possible: a stable full of animals. Here she is carrying the Messiah and Redeemer of Israel, surrounded my animals and in a strange place. 

However, God in His great sovereignty was not scrambling around the Heavens trying to make something good out of Caesar's decree.  He was not trying to figure out how to find them a room in a real inn or what to do to increase their comfort.  He was working out the eternal salvation for everyone in the world.  Mary and Joseph's circumstances were larger than a night in a stable or a decree by Caesar.  God was working out His Plan A!

You may be wondering, "yeah God was doing that for Mary, He didn't forget about her, after all she was carrying Jesus.  Of course he had a plan for her!  What about little me?"  The Bible Says:

• The Lord has searched you and knows you.  He know when you sit down and when you rise up;  He understands your thought from afar.  He is intimately acquainted with all your ways.  Even before there is a word on your tongue, He knows it all.  He has enclosed you behind and before.  He has formed your inwards parts and woven you together from your mother's womb.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made!  All of your days were written in His book.  All of your days were ordained before one of them came to be (Psalm 139)
• Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.  (Luke 12:6-7)
• For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph 2:10)

So you know He loves you and knows you intimately, what do you do today?  How do you fulfill your purpose today?

• If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:11)
• So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31)
• Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness (1 Chron 16:29)
• Or follow the actions of Jesus, "Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” (Mathew 26:39)

Are you viewing God in light of your circumstances or are you looking at your circumstances in light of who God is.  Mary in a stable, Daniel in a Lion's Den, Joseph in jail cell, Moses in a dessert, and so many other heroes of the faith could have felt forgotten, ignored, or cast off.  They may have begun wondering if God was scrambling to make a "Plan B" in order to guarantee that He works "all things for the good of those who love him, who  have been called according to his purpose" (Ro 8:28).  Yet don't forget verse 29, that God's purpose is to conform you to the likeness of His son! (Ro 8:29).

 

Your life may seem crazy right now.  It may seem like nothing is working out.  You may be full of fear, doubt and grief wondering where God is in all of this.  However, I assure you God is still in control.  If you are His child, He still has a purpose for you.  You still count to Him.  He hasn't forgotten you, just like He didn't forget a teenage girl and her fiance sleeping with animals in a cave amongst the crowds in Bethlehem.  They were living in the center of His will, it may have been hard, but they were never alone.  Keep plugging away for your Savior.  Do what He has called you to today.  Who knows when the angels may burst into your life proclaiming, "Glory to God in the Highest!  And on earth, peace among men with whom He is pleased!"

Throw Off Everything that Hinders...

Hebrews 12:1-3

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. "

The text is too important to skip over.  Sorry for my absence.  I have found myself entangled for the past month, and it wasn't until this morning that I have broken Gloriously free.  This time of year is hard for me.  Very hard.  Two years ago this Christmas Eve my Daddy passed away suddenly, doing what He loved the most... he had just finished writing his first sermon for Zion Baptist Church.  My heart has been weighted down with grief since his birthday in October.  I have faked being okay well, except probably for the people who walk daily with me through life.  Yet I have handled my emotional drain completely the wrong way.

I have spent the past two months being busy with anything and everything I can imagine.  My feet ran from the second they hit the floor to the time I collapsed exhausted into bed at night.  Most have been good things, things for the church and my family.  A few not great things (let's just say for a girl who hates shopping, I shopped a little too much last month).  I had created an impossible to do list, and I was actually accomplishing it.  I looked pretty good on the outside.  But I was wrong.

I was running a race that was not marked out for me.  My eyes were not fixed on Jesus, but on my to do list and whatever I could do to make my church and family happy.  Hebrews said that Jesus endured the cross for me and I was giving him my time, but NOT what He wants most of all... my heart.  You see, I didn't have time to "Cease Striving and Know that He is God" (Psalm 46:10)

Galatians 3:1-3 contains a harsh rebuke for the church.  Paul is blasting them for believing that they must win over Christ's love and salvation through works.  He asked them, "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith?  Are you so foolish?  Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"  We don't please God through our many works, we please Him through our faith in Jesus Christ. He is most happy when we obey the greatest of all commandments, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthews 22:35-37). 

Paul clarifies the relationship between faith that is pleasing to God and works we are to do for Him in Ephesians:  "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" (2:10).   We are to "do" things for Him, but ONLY what He has prepared for us before the foundation of the world.  When you are seeking Him, you don't have to take on everything, but just what HE tells you to do.

Do you feel burdened by life?  Are you exhausted?  Have you  "grown weary and lost heart"?  Maybe you are doing things that the Lord had not set out for you to do.  He doesn't want tired bodies, but sold out hearts.  Join with me in praying every morning, "Lord, I just want to do what you have prepared for me in advance today.  I don't want to add anything more or do anything less.  Please give me discernment to walk in You path for me, grant me courage to obey the leading of your voice, may you be glorified in everything I say do and speak.  My time is yours.  My family is yours.  My heart is yours.  In Jesus's Name I pray, Amen."

He Calls Me by Name...

Acts 10:1-8 (click on reference to read text)

I read this passage this morning and it brought me to tears. I am Cornelius. I am a Gentile that doesn't always understand exactly who God is, how He works, or who He came to save... yet the great God calls me by name as I call out to Him! WOW!

First, in Cornelius, we see God honors a searching heart.  Cornelius prayed to God continually (vs 2).  When we want to receive a Word from the Lord, when we need a touch of encouragement, or when we are wondering which way to go, what do we do about it?  Do we call our friends, read Inspirational Non Fiction to seek advice, or simply try harder?  If we want to hear from God we must be willing to be in communion with God.  Just like Cornelius, when you are calling out to God, He calls you by name (vs 3)!  Don't expect God to speak to you if you don't speak to Him.

Secondly, in Cornelius, we see God honors an honest heart. Cornelius was not a Jew, but He knew their God was the One True God. He prayed and gave offerings, even when he didn't fully understand or was fully accepted. Yet God knew the condition of His heart, and He "rewards those who earnestly seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). God knows your heart. He knows your motives. He knows if you are truly seeking His face, and when you are, then rest knowing He is seeking you too (vs 3-4)!

Finally, in Cornelius, we see God honors an obedient heart. The Lord gave Cornelius detailed instructions on what he was to do next. God wanted to reveal Himself to Cornelius, but He also wanted to do a work in Peter's life as well (Acts 10). God will answer prayers that are crying out to know Him more. However, sometimes He will use others to accomplish that purpose in your life. God was working in two people's lives that day: Cornelius and Peter. We must be willing to accept God's answer to prayer even when it comes through means we might not normally expect. Obey what God is asking you to do and trust the results to him!

I love the story of Cornelius, because this is my spiritual legacy. I am a Gentile with no inheritance to the promised land, but whom God had mercy on and adopted into His family, allowing me too to call Him "Abba Father" (Romans 8:14-16). When I earnestly seek Him and call out to Him, He will call me by name. When I seek His will with a pure heart, even if I don't fully understand, He will teach me what to do. When I obey Him immediately, He will show me the next step in my walk with Him.   Thank you Jesus, that your salvation is for me too (Acts 28:28), may my heart honor and please you.

Whose Applause are You Listening For?

Acts 8 (Click on reference to read text - I know it is a long one today, but it was important to have proper context!)

Philip obeyed the Lord.  He faithfully fed the widows and served in a seemingly menial task (Acts 6:1-6).  When persecution in Jerusalem came, he went to Samaria to preach the good news.  He saw great revival spring up and even the town's "sorcerer" believed and was baptized.  Then Peter and John came down from Jerusalem.  Although they confirmed his ministry and witnessed the many added to the church, they also discovered that "Simon the sorcerer" probably wasn't a believer after all.  Philip could have become embarrassed, he could have felt like a failure and ceased spreading the good news, he could have given up, but he didn't.  He was not concerned about the applause of men.  He was only living for the applause of God.

There are times, at least in my own life, that when disappointments happen, we take it personally.  We become embarrassed by the behavior of others under our leadership and view it as a reflection upon us and our leadership abilities.  We begin to believe that there must be something inherently wrong with us.  However, even Jesus, the greatest leader of all time, watched someone close to him (Judas) choose sin instead of eternal life. 

Philip realized an important truth: we are responsible to be obedient to what God has called us to do, and then we must leave the rest up to God.  We are not responsible for the actions or disbelief of others under our lead (although we do have a responsibility before God to point it out and give them a choice to repent and follow God - Matt 18:15-17).  Instead of being bogged down by the disbelief and wrong motives of Simon the Sorcerer, Philip listened to the promptings of God and immediately followed God's next assignment (Acts 8:26-30).

We too can learn a valuable lesson from this humble Christ follower.  Philip didn't let his "failures" or the failures of others hinder his effectiveness for God.  He listened for what God was calling him to do and he simply obeyed.  People under you will not always make the right choice.  They may turn their back on God, preferring sin to eternal life.  Follow Philip's lead and remember, that your responsibility is you... are you obeying the voice of the Lord?  They keep at it and leave the rest to Him!

But I Don't Like it...

Acts 8:1-4 (Click on reference to read text)

In Acts 1:8 the Lord gave the early church a charge, a purpose and a promise: "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."  Sounds great right?  Little did they know that they would be scattered throughout the regions because of great persecution.

We all know that when God calls us to do something, He will give us everything we need to accomplish that purpose (2 Peter 1:3, Psalm 119:105, Acts 17:25).  But what if it works out differently than we thought?  What if we don't like the way God goes about it?  The disciples and apostles were being faithful to preach the gospel in Jerusalem.  However, great persecution broke out, their homes were broken into and they were dragged off to prison.  Were they experiencing hardship because they were being disobedient?  No!  But it forced them to leave and scatter.

This scenario was probably not how they imagined the Gospel going forth to the remotest parts of the earth... through stonings, imprisonment and martydom.  However, that is the key: the Gospel still went forth.  Acts 8 actually says, "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went" (vs. 4). 

God may call you to do things and you may not always like the way it turns out, or the way He accomplishes His purpose.  Like Moses and Abraham, and many other "Heroes of the Faith", you may never actually see the fruition of that call, but nevertheless you played an important part if you obeyed the voice of God (Hebrews 11:13, 39-40). 

Acts 8 began with the stoning of the great servant of God, Stephen.  He never saw the church preach the Gospel to the remotest parts of the earth.  He died at the cusp of God moving.  Yet 2000 years later we see that he played a vital role in fulfilling that purpose and no believer would ever count his life worthless.

Follwer of Jesus, take heart.  Sometimes things on this side of Heaven do not make sense.  Sometimes we feel like death is premature.  Sometimes we don't see the promises of God fulfilled and we begin to doubt His call.  Don't.  Stop doubting.  He is always working and accomplishing His purposes, even when it doesn't make sense to us (Isaiah 46:9-10). 

If you are struggling with this truth, I invite you to pray the words the conflicted father spoke to Jesus in Mark 9, "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief."

Staying the Course... Do You Even Know the Course?

Acts 20:18-24 (Please click on reference to read text)

When I read the book of Acts, I look at the lives of Peter, Paul, Luke, Timothy, Silas, Lydia and wonder how did they keep their focus?  How did they make their lives count for Christ so that 2000 years later I even know their names?  How did the distractions of life not make them falter?  I daily fight the battle of figuring out how to be a good steward of my time, knowing when to say yes and when to say no, or even identifying what is the most important.  Then I read Acts 20:24, "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God," and suddenly life became a lot more clear.

In order to "Stay the Course" we must first ask ourselves, "Do I know God's calling on my life?"  This is not the time to spout the Christian/Piper answer "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."  That is all well and good, but I am asking, what is God's call on your life?  Can you name specific things you know He has asked you to do, to be, to take care of, etc. so that you can glorify Him?  When I sat down and prayerfully asked myself this question I truly waited on God's reply.  He gave me three very specific things that I know He has asked me to do.  You must start here.  Paul KNEW!  Paul knew why God had put him on the earth.  He was to "testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."  Go ahead and ask.  Wait for His answer.  Write it down!

Secondly, after knowing God's call on our specific life, we must ask ourselves what are we doing about it?  How are you "finishing the course" as Paul put it in Acts 20:24.  Look at each thing you know God has asked you to do, to be, to take care of... remember what God has asked of you, not the church, not your friends, but God.  In each of these areas, where do you stand and how do you measure up?

Finally, we must ask our self the hardest question of all, am I choosing to love my life more than following Him?  In each of the areas I identified, I saw major areas in which I was falling short.  In each of those areas there was one common theme as to why... selfishness.  There were things I wanted to do, things I wanted to pursue, things I thought were good and important, but that were impeding the work God was wanting to do in my life and through my life.  Without fail every time I had an attitude breakdown or fell short, it was because I "considered my life more dear to myself" than finishing the course.

The "Founding Fathers" of the church had jobs, had families, had commitment and responsibilities, yet they lived lives that counted for the only thing that lasts forever.  We can too.  We have the same promise of the Holy Spirit and power to obey.  Do you have a clear focus of what God is calling you to do?  How are you doing in those areas?  If things come up that are not aligned in what God is calling you to... time to say No!  Let's stay the course and when we come to the end of our life may we be able to say with Paul, "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus."

When the Rains Must Fall

It was a dark and stormy night and I found myself laying down in bed next to my just turned two year old. He had ran and got me saying over and over, "I scared Mommy." My mother heart could do nothing but run to his side and place my protective hand around him. He was asleep within minutes. The storm was still raging, but he was resting in my presence.

Don't you know that is how God feels about you and how we should respond to Him? The Bible is full of promises that God is with us and that He will never leave us (Matt 28:20, Joshua 1:9, Hag 2:5, 2 Cor 6:16). The Psalmist often speaks of Christ being right with Him (Psalm 121:5, Psalm 34:18, Psalm 147:3, Psalm 23). His presence IS with you. Are you resting? No matter what the circumstances look like around you, are you resting in HIS presence? Is His presence enough to give you a sense of security?

Secondly, as I was lying there I thought to myself, even if I could take away the storm I wouldn't. I know the storm seems scary and overwhelming, but the earth needed the rain. In order for the gardens to grow, the trees to stay strong, the fruit to bear, the earth needed the rain. Believe that God has the eternal perspective. That He knows although this storm feels like it is consuming you, it is actually allowing parts of you to grow and not become stagnant or dead. Paul writes in Romans "we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us" (Romans 5:1-6). It is only when we are stretched and dependent upon Him that we can truly grow.

I urge you to think about "whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise. Dwell on these things" (Phil 4:8). What is the truth? God is with you! You are not alone and He is in control! Start resting, start praising and persevere. Remember that it is only through the rain, that new growth can come!

Afraid to Look...

Acts 3:1-10 (Click on reference to read text)

I like to look the other way.  There I said it!  I was faced in a situation yesterday where I knew someone was in need.  Somehow, even before I knew all the details, I knew it would require sacrifice, laying aside my selfishness and I would need to give.... my time, my energy, my emotions, etc.  And I wanted to not just look away, I wanted to run away as fast as possible.  However, deep down I knew God was calling me, and after literal tears and reciting all the justifications for why I should not have to get involved, I obeyed.

Peter was also faced with a great need.  On his way to church to pray, he passed a man who was lame and who begged for a living.  It would have been easy to look away, to justify that action by reciting all the things he was doing right for the Lord (he was on his way to church!) but instead, the Scripture tells us that Peter "fixed his gaze on him" (vs. 4).  He was intentional and he was not afraid to see the pain in others around him.  He was not inconvenienced by the needs of others.

Secondly, after fixing his gaze on the needy man, he offered his hand.  "Seizing him by the right hand, [Peter] raised him up" (vs.7).  He was healed!  God used Peter to give this man the use of his legs for the first time!  If we want the power of God displayed in our life, we must fix our gaze on the needs of those around us and  lend them our hands!  God does not use onlookers!  God uses those who are unafraid to get dirty and be the literal hands and feet of Christ.

Lastly, because Peter looked and responded, this man began giving glory to God and created interest of God's miracles amongst those witnessing God's power (vs. 8 and 10).  What greater calling is there in this world that to bring Glory to our Great God?

Dr. T.S. Laniak states, "we need to know personally that our true home is in Heaven and that this earth is simply a place where we promote God's interests."  When we get comfortable and feeling at home here and now, it becomes hard to gaze at anything but ourselves. 

I don't know what God's plans are for me and this road I am about to walk.  I feel incapable of fulfilling what He has asked me to do.  I do know that His strength is made perfect in my weakness (2 Cor 12:9) and that He has giving me everything I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:4-8).  I don't know the future, and to be honest I am a little scared, but I do know the next step God is asking me to take and that He has promised that He is with me and that I don't need to be afraid.  Time to start looking and start lending a hand.