Just recently I was having a phone conversation with one of my dearest friends. She lives in another state and it has been over a decade since we have lived everyday life together but our friendship is very close! We talk about everything and lately our conversations have found their way to a subject that unfortunately is alive and well even in our most "spiritual" of circles. Exclusivity.
She told me about a bible study that a young teenage girl, new to her area tried to attend. My friend explained that this young girl didn't really know many people and heard about this bible study and thought it would be a great way to get to know other girls who were Christians. This young girl's mother called the mother where the group would be hosted to introduce herself and try to get to know her before approaching the subject of her daughter coming to their group. This Hostess was sticky sweet and in her best southern accent explained that her daughter's group had already been discussing this new girl and had VOTED and decided that she wouldn't fit with them and wouldn't be able to be a part of this group.
As I listened to the details of this unbelievable scenario my stomach turned, my pulse quickened and I am pretty sure my face was red. I responded, "VOTED? They VOTED on who was welcome to a prayer group or bible study? And the mother supported this? Are you serious? Are we really still in this kind of a place in Christian Circles? Have we really learned anything at all from knowing Jesus? Or is knowing Him more about a social status and exclusivity clubs?
Unfortunately, this spirit is not as rare as you may be thinking it was. But it doesn't have to be this way. We don't have to passively allow what has nothing to do with Jesus Christ to be the norm in our world. We actually cannot expect people who don't know Jesus to want to know Him at all as long as this is the way we roll. Whenever I see such situations like the one I just spoke of, situations involving Christians who really should know better, it is very alarming. In moments like this it is good to take a moment and go to the Word of God and see again where the true STANDARD for life must always remain.
Luke 14:12-14 in the Message Bible says, "Then He (Jesus) turned to the Host. 'The next time you put on a dinner, don't just invite your friends and family and rich neighbors, the kind of people who will return the favor. Invite some people who never get invited out, the misfits from the wrong side of the tracks. You'll be- and experience- a blessing. They won't be able to return the favor, but the favor will be returned-, Oh how it will be returned! At the resurrection of God's people.'"
Jesus always cuts right to the heart of the matter in any situation, He goes right for the MOTIVE. He is challenging the Pharisees in this passage on WHY they would only invite certain people to a gathering. He is basically saying that they only wanted to be around people who could "do" something for them or people that would keep up the "attractiveness level" of their gathering. Their eyes were on all of the wrong things! I think one of the things Jesus hated the most about the Pharisee spirit is that they would often do things "in God's name" that had absolutely NOTHING to do with God at all!
So where does this leave us? It leaves us in a place of truly examining our gatherings and meetings and asking ourselves some honest questions. When was the last time I looked for anyone who was new to get to know? Do I even pay attention to who might be on the "sidelines" of life? Do I ever invite someone in to a meeting I am having in the name of Jesus who, in my opinion may not naturally "fit" there? Or, God forbid, would I consider inviting someone from another church or even worse, doesn't go to church at all, to my home to get to know? And if I do try to look for someone like this, do I make them my project or charity, or do I truly bring them in as my FRIEND? ( For the record, don't bother if you you have a project or charity mentality towards someone. They can feel it!)
My friends, we have work to do if we really want to represent Jesus Christ in all of His beauty in the worlds that we live in. It is so great to go to conferences and be in church 80 times a week, but if we don't have the SPIRIT that Jesus walked the earth in towards people, we have gained nothing.
I will sign off with one final question. Looking honestly, what are your circles like? Who is honestly welcome? Thanksgiving is coming up soon, shouldn't someone new be welcomed at your table this year? Be the change this week in Jesus' Name.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
"SET FOR ETERNITY!"
1 John 1:15-17 Message Bible
"Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world-wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important--has NOTHING to do with the Father. It just isolates you from Him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out...but whoever does what God wants is SET FOR ETERNITY!"
The word "satisfied" is not something that we are ever really encouraged to be in our society! We are encouraged to actually be dissatisfied enough with our lives to constantly keep us wanting the next best amazing thing out there. It doesn't matter what it is, if we have a brand new car we are made to feel it is already "old news" by the next year when the new model comes out. You may have a perfectly good iPhone 5 but now, that is TRASH and you feel you better rush right out to get the 6 and wait in a 24 hour line to do it!
Maybe you just got into college, everyone will want to know what your major will be and what you want to do with the REST of your life. If you are graduating college, everyone wants to know when you will be getting married. If you just got married everyone wants to know when you are having a baby. Once you have the baby, everyone asks you what pre-school you will send them to!! You might have just come home from a vacation, but you are already dreaming of the next one. By the end of the school year you can't wait for summer and one month in everyone says, "I can't wait for fall!" What is the deal here? Why do we struggle being actually present in the day and season we are in? Why does it seem we struggle so much for genuine satisfaction and contentment in our lives?
I am so glad you asked! Satisfaction is defined as the fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations or needs, or the pleasure derived from this. Okay, now we are beginning to see where we may be getting it all wrong. Words like, fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations, needs and pleasure all have to do with ME what I want, what I think and what I feel! The passage above in 1 John lays it out in a strong way when it basically says to do the opposite of what I want, what I think and what I feel...that things things are on the way OUT.
Loving the world and what it has and tells us we need will constantly leave us in a continual place of restlessness in our lives! Ultimately, everything that is marketed to us by our society that promises peace, fulfillment and pleasure is a short lived illusion. Yet we tend to keep falling for the idea that if we just get that one job, or get that perfect house, or find that perfect guy or girl all would be right with the world. Living our lives this way will always set us up for disillusionment and emptiness!
1 John says, "Do not love the world's ways. Do not love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out the love of the Father." The more we fill our lives with the things we think will fill up what is empty on the inside, the less room we have for Jesus to really step in and do the real work of giving us what we need most of all, His never ending, all consuming LOVE. We long to feel loved and have a sense of belonging so we start filling up our lives with things that squeeze out the only One who really offers this kind of love! This is really what it all comes down to isn't it?
When we find ourselves wanting our own way all the time and wanting to appear important... (Selfie Society) we have to stop for a minute and ask God to reveal what is really going on, "God, what is this about in me right now?" "What is it that I am trying to fill? " "Why do I feel like I need to do 'this' all the time to feel good at all in my life?" Chances are, when we are running down a road of wanting all the time, we aren't feeling especially close to Jesus. 1 John says that these things actually isolate us from Him. Why is this? Because there is way too much self-focus and not enough God focus!
Here's the amazing thing, when you begin to make the shift and turn your eyes upon Jesus there is a peace that comes over your heart and mind that cannot happen through any other means! In that moment the cycle comes to a screeching halt and we can get off that exhausting wheel. When life becomes all about amassing wealth and keeping up with having all of the best things and being the most important person in the room, we actually miss out on knowing THE most important person, Jesus Christ.
One of the best revelations you can ever have happens when you realize that the ONLY thing that lasts forever is Jesus! The world with all it's wanting, wanting, wanting is on it's way out. But, if we can lock into what Hebrews 13:8 says we will have a life of true fulfillment no matter what season we are in. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the SAME, YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER!" True satisfaction comes when we find out what pleases the Lord and then build our whole life around that. (Eph. 5:10) The bible tells us that when we do this, we are living in a way that will never leave us high and dry, irrelevant and pushed to the curb! Instead we realize in this moment that we actually hold within our hands the PEARL of GREAT PRICE and that we are set for eternity! If we have Jesus? We have everything.
"Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world-wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important--has NOTHING to do with the Father. It just isolates you from Him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out...but whoever does what God wants is SET FOR ETERNITY!"
The word "satisfied" is not something that we are ever really encouraged to be in our society! We are encouraged to actually be dissatisfied enough with our lives to constantly keep us wanting the next best amazing thing out there. It doesn't matter what it is, if we have a brand new car we are made to feel it is already "old news" by the next year when the new model comes out. You may have a perfectly good iPhone 5 but now, that is TRASH and you feel you better rush right out to get the 6 and wait in a 24 hour line to do it!
Maybe you just got into college, everyone will want to know what your major will be and what you want to do with the REST of your life. If you are graduating college, everyone wants to know when you will be getting married. If you just got married everyone wants to know when you are having a baby. Once you have the baby, everyone asks you what pre-school you will send them to!! You might have just come home from a vacation, but you are already dreaming of the next one. By the end of the school year you can't wait for summer and one month in everyone says, "I can't wait for fall!" What is the deal here? Why do we struggle being actually present in the day and season we are in? Why does it seem we struggle so much for genuine satisfaction and contentment in our lives?
I am so glad you asked! Satisfaction is defined as the fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations or needs, or the pleasure derived from this. Okay, now we are beginning to see where we may be getting it all wrong. Words like, fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations, needs and pleasure all have to do with ME what I want, what I think and what I feel! The passage above in 1 John lays it out in a strong way when it basically says to do the opposite of what I want, what I think and what I feel...that things things are on the way OUT.
Loving the world and what it has and tells us we need will constantly leave us in a continual place of restlessness in our lives! Ultimately, everything that is marketed to us by our society that promises peace, fulfillment and pleasure is a short lived illusion. Yet we tend to keep falling for the idea that if we just get that one job, or get that perfect house, or find that perfect guy or girl all would be right with the world. Living our lives this way will always set us up for disillusionment and emptiness!
1 John says, "Do not love the world's ways. Do not love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out the love of the Father." The more we fill our lives with the things we think will fill up what is empty on the inside, the less room we have for Jesus to really step in and do the real work of giving us what we need most of all, His never ending, all consuming LOVE. We long to feel loved and have a sense of belonging so we start filling up our lives with things that squeeze out the only One who really offers this kind of love! This is really what it all comes down to isn't it?
When we find ourselves wanting our own way all the time and wanting to appear important... (Selfie Society) we have to stop for a minute and ask God to reveal what is really going on, "God, what is this about in me right now?" "What is it that I am trying to fill? " "Why do I feel like I need to do 'this' all the time to feel good at all in my life?" Chances are, when we are running down a road of wanting all the time, we aren't feeling especially close to Jesus. 1 John says that these things actually isolate us from Him. Why is this? Because there is way too much self-focus and not enough God focus!
Here's the amazing thing, when you begin to make the shift and turn your eyes upon Jesus there is a peace that comes over your heart and mind that cannot happen through any other means! In that moment the cycle comes to a screeching halt and we can get off that exhausting wheel. When life becomes all about amassing wealth and keeping up with having all of the best things and being the most important person in the room, we actually miss out on knowing THE most important person, Jesus Christ.
One of the best revelations you can ever have happens when you realize that the ONLY thing that lasts forever is Jesus! The world with all it's wanting, wanting, wanting is on it's way out. But, if we can lock into what Hebrews 13:8 says we will have a life of true fulfillment no matter what season we are in. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the SAME, YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER!" True satisfaction comes when we find out what pleases the Lord and then build our whole life around that. (Eph. 5:10) The bible tells us that when we do this, we are living in a way that will never leave us high and dry, irrelevant and pushed to the curb! Instead we realize in this moment that we actually hold within our hands the PEARL of GREAT PRICE and that we are set for eternity! If we have Jesus? We have everything.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
"NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME!"
ACTS 20:19-24 Amplified bible
"Serving the Lord with all humility in tears and in the midst of adversity (affliction and trials) which befell me, due to the plots of the Jews against me. How I did not shrink from telling you anything that was for your benefit and teaching you in public meetings and from house to house....and now, you see I am going to Jerusalem, bound by the Holy Spirit and obligated and compelled by my OWN spirit, not knowing what will befall me there...
BUT none of these things move me; neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I finish my course WITH JOY..."
The Apostle Paul was a man who lived what he preached and preached what he lived. To be able to face all that came against him with victory in his spirit and surrender in his heart is something that deserves a second look! How could he stay on mission and full of vision for the task set out for him by Jesus when there just seemed to be a gauntlet of never ending obstacles to endure along the way?
Have you ever felt that way? Felt that if the road would just clear for even one day, you would be able to catch your breath, feel more encouraged and focus more on serving God? I know I have. I'm pretty positive I've actually prayed that prayer word for word! Just asked for a little shift in the winds and a small parting of the waters and then, I could really take some ground. I have learned as I look back over my 35 years of knowing and serving Jesus, that rarely will God clear the way and then use our lives. He more often teaches us to walk with Him AND make progress through the fire!
Paul makes a very profound and declarative statement when he lists off many of the most recent things he has been through only to say, "But NONE of these things MOVE ME!" He was announcing to the Ephesian elders that he was about to go to Jerusalem and most likely would never see them again. He was leading even in the face of his own unknown! Paul would have had every right to be fearful or concerned to say the least about what awaited him on the other side, (imprisonments and sufferings) yet he chose instead to lift the faith of his leaders and of his own spirit in that moment! He said, "Wait, I am not moved!" (I have not changed or been caused to change what I believe or what my opinion of God is, or the fact that I WILL serve him completely!!)
What is important to say here is that Paul never said, "None of these things hurt me!" He was simply not moved! Hurt or not hurt, in imprisonments, shipwrecks, abandonment, sleeplessness, persecutions...NOT moved. We often mistake times where we are "feeling it"(feeling the pain of the journey) for being moved or changed in some way that is not part of the course in God. It is good to remember this distinction as we travel our own roads with God. It will keep us along the way from succumbing underneath the weight of the things we don't understand that are part of our journey.
In my own life, I have had health challenges, financial and job obstacles, friends leave, family struggles and starting over. Maybe as you read this, you have had some of these battles to conquer or maybe today you find yourself in one. Whatever the situation there is an announcement that needs to be made before we can truly see the victory that IS on the way and that it, "None of these things move me!" The devil loses power and we make him pay for every hard place he has caused us when we make this our declaration. It is quite a place to be, immovable. And today, you can be through Jesus Christ. Anchored to Him, our Rock, fortress and our deliverer we can be unmoved!
The final part of the Acts 20 passage above, says "neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I finish my race with JOY." This is where the secret lies, not in just gritting our teeth through the more perilous places on the path, but to actually be so unmoved that the weight of what I should feel, given the circumstances is completely released from my shoulders! Again, this doesn't mean that I haven't felt the pain of something that has happened or that there is an immediate change in my circumstances. It means very simply that there has been a change in me, in my spirit while I wait for the circumstances to match up! This is what releases joy into our lives. That moment of realization when what used to flatten us, no longer has that kind of power in our lives.
This kind of Joy is never based on what is happening around us and whether or not we have something fun to look forward to! It is based on the fact that "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday today and forever.." It fills our hearts in such a way that we really can face a gauntlet of circumstances in the natural and still experience the peace and the joy of knowing that it is Jesus (who doesn't change) that holds our world. This is the secret to life. If you have never experienced or tapped into this kind of joy and stability in your spirit before, you can ask Jesus to help you in this area even today and He will! His desire for his people in the days that lie ahead is that our lives would be marked by stability and joy no matter what is happening around us. We learn this lesson IN the fire, but the fire doesn't last forever! So stay strong, let nothing move you! xx
"Serving the Lord with all humility in tears and in the midst of adversity (affliction and trials) which befell me, due to the plots of the Jews against me. How I did not shrink from telling you anything that was for your benefit and teaching you in public meetings and from house to house....and now, you see I am going to Jerusalem, bound by the Holy Spirit and obligated and compelled by my OWN spirit, not knowing what will befall me there...
BUT none of these things move me; neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I finish my course WITH JOY..."
The Apostle Paul was a man who lived what he preached and preached what he lived. To be able to face all that came against him with victory in his spirit and surrender in his heart is something that deserves a second look! How could he stay on mission and full of vision for the task set out for him by Jesus when there just seemed to be a gauntlet of never ending obstacles to endure along the way?
Have you ever felt that way? Felt that if the road would just clear for even one day, you would be able to catch your breath, feel more encouraged and focus more on serving God? I know I have. I'm pretty positive I've actually prayed that prayer word for word! Just asked for a little shift in the winds and a small parting of the waters and then, I could really take some ground. I have learned as I look back over my 35 years of knowing and serving Jesus, that rarely will God clear the way and then use our lives. He more often teaches us to walk with Him AND make progress through the fire!
Paul makes a very profound and declarative statement when he lists off many of the most recent things he has been through only to say, "But NONE of these things MOVE ME!" He was announcing to the Ephesian elders that he was about to go to Jerusalem and most likely would never see them again. He was leading even in the face of his own unknown! Paul would have had every right to be fearful or concerned to say the least about what awaited him on the other side, (imprisonments and sufferings) yet he chose instead to lift the faith of his leaders and of his own spirit in that moment! He said, "Wait, I am not moved!" (I have not changed or been caused to change what I believe or what my opinion of God is, or the fact that I WILL serve him completely!!)
What is important to say here is that Paul never said, "None of these things hurt me!" He was simply not moved! Hurt or not hurt, in imprisonments, shipwrecks, abandonment, sleeplessness, persecutions...NOT moved. We often mistake times where we are "feeling it"(feeling the pain of the journey) for being moved or changed in some way that is not part of the course in God. It is good to remember this distinction as we travel our own roads with God. It will keep us along the way from succumbing underneath the weight of the things we don't understand that are part of our journey.
In my own life, I have had health challenges, financial and job obstacles, friends leave, family struggles and starting over. Maybe as you read this, you have had some of these battles to conquer or maybe today you find yourself in one. Whatever the situation there is an announcement that needs to be made before we can truly see the victory that IS on the way and that it, "None of these things move me!" The devil loses power and we make him pay for every hard place he has caused us when we make this our declaration. It is quite a place to be, immovable. And today, you can be through Jesus Christ. Anchored to Him, our Rock, fortress and our deliverer we can be unmoved!
The final part of the Acts 20 passage above, says "neither do I esteem my life dear to myself, if only I finish my race with JOY." This is where the secret lies, not in just gritting our teeth through the more perilous places on the path, but to actually be so unmoved that the weight of what I should feel, given the circumstances is completely released from my shoulders! Again, this doesn't mean that I haven't felt the pain of something that has happened or that there is an immediate change in my circumstances. It means very simply that there has been a change in me, in my spirit while I wait for the circumstances to match up! This is what releases joy into our lives. That moment of realization when what used to flatten us, no longer has that kind of power in our lives.
This kind of Joy is never based on what is happening around us and whether or not we have something fun to look forward to! It is based on the fact that "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday today and forever.." It fills our hearts in such a way that we really can face a gauntlet of circumstances in the natural and still experience the peace and the joy of knowing that it is Jesus (who doesn't change) that holds our world. This is the secret to life. If you have never experienced or tapped into this kind of joy and stability in your spirit before, you can ask Jesus to help you in this area even today and He will! His desire for his people in the days that lie ahead is that our lives would be marked by stability and joy no matter what is happening around us. We learn this lesson IN the fire, but the fire doesn't last forever! So stay strong, let nothing move you! xx
Saturday, January 4, 2014
What Do You See?
"So Keep up your courage, men, I have faith and believe God that it will happen just as He told me" Acts 27:25).
Believing God. Sounds pretty simple, right? Sounds like you just believe and move on with your day! Actually, believing God IS something that should be just that simple, but unfortunately many of us find ourselves believing for maybe an hour and then by lunch we believe everything BUT God! Or what if you have been believing God and holding on to His Word about something you are certain He has promised you,and days have turned into weeks and weeks have turned into months and years. Maybe you are fighting the urge to let go and give up in a specific situation and fear is mounting in your heart. Is it finances? Is it a child who is suffering in your home? Is there someone you love who is away from God? is there a medical report that paralyzes you with fear? I want to write just to YOU and say, BELIEVE God and don't stop!
This beautiful scripture in Acts 27 has an amazing context. The Apostle Paul had been held prisoner for quite some time and was being transferred by ship to Italy. The problem was that He had tried to speak reason to his captors and convince them that it was too dangerous to make such a voyage during the winter and that they were headed for a certain disaster! Of course, no one listened to him! And of course, they faced a great storm.
Everyone on the ship began to realize that shipwreck was imminent and there was great panic! The best part of the story so far is that an angel appears to Paul and tells him what they are about to face. BUT promises not one man would be lost!! Not one!
What is it about circumstances that cause us to stop believing God's promises to us? It is so easy to look at natural things and not see past them. But the more we know and BELIEVE God's word, the more we train our eyes how to see. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith and NOT by sight!" As people who know Jesus for ourselves, we have to train our eyes to see through faith!!!! It doesn't come naturally.
I remember years ago when my brother Carl was away from God and doing his own thing. He was in a place where there really wasn't anything I could do to change His mind! He was determined to do the opposite of everything he had ever been taught was right! We didn't know what to do and much like that ship wreck moment for the Apostle Paul, there was a choice of what to believe in that moment! Do I give up on him? Or do I dare to believe in the promise of God? Well, in that season God gave me such comfort as I read Numbers 23:23, which says, "God is NOT a man that He should lie. Nor the son of man that He would change His mind! Does he speak and then not act? Does He promise and not perform?"
When I first read that scripture, something inside of me broke. I held it up to the ceiling and looked up. I said, "God? THIS is your Word! THESE are YOUR promises! I believe you are prepared to KEEP this word to me. I choose to SEE you... Not what IS right now. I believe!"
It didn't happen overnight. But it DID happen. Carl, as many of you know, is serving God with everything now, living out the promise God spoke to me so many years ago. On a foggy day in the Spirit. Do you want to know something? God IS working on YOUR behalf today. You might not be able to see when, or how, or what. But God IS working.
I want to leave you with a compelling story from a great devotional that, if you don't have you should get called, "Streams in the Desert".
"I went to America some years ago with the captain of a steamer, who was a very devoted Christian. When off the coast of Newfoundland he said to me, “The last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, something happened which revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. We had George Mueller of Bristol on board. I had been on the bridge twenty-four hours and never left it. George Mueller came to me, and said, “Captain, I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec Saturday afternoon.” “It is impossible,” I said. “Very well, if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way. I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years. Let us go down into the chartroom and pray.”
I looked at that man of God, and thought to myself, what lunatic asylum can that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing as this. “Mr. Mueller,” I said, “do you know how dense this fog is?” “No,” he replied, “my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life.”
Excerpt From: Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. “Contemporary Classic/Streams in the Desert®.”
God IS working, but will you believe Him today? Jesus wants to give you more than you think He does. Keep your eyes lifted. Keep looking at Jesus. Stop praying for the victory, pray to see Jesus and all of His power because when you see HIM, you will see that He holds your victory in His mighty Hands!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
"A LIGHT HAS DAWNED..."
Isaiah 9:1-2, &6
"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress....The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..."
One of the most eye opening times in my life was the year and a half that I lived in the heart of New York City! I loved being in the city. There are so many things going on all at once that it becomes an overload for the senses! At first my greatest concern was just to figure out where I was on any given street that I would find myself. So many cars pass by and the noise of the people and construction and busyness just overtakes you. If you are anything like me, you love it!
One of the things I found in the rush of it all was how easy it is to be in the middle of a crowd and yet actually "see" no one! It is so easy to become distracted and stimulated by "white noise" that you forget to look in the eyes of the hundreds of people that pass you by every day. As I was reading this passage in Isaiah 9 this morning and thinking of Christmas, something stood up on the inside of me. This is the time of year where we become so heavily absorbed in the "activity" of Christmas that we can easily miss the humanity that is passing by us every day, no matter where we live!
Statistically, suicide rates are at an all time high during the Christmas season because more than ever people are aware of whether or not they actually have a place to belong during such a family oriented time in the year. People you may think you know well and "look" okay, could be desperate on the inside. With the rise of social media (which is not in itself a bad thing) and people's dependency on posting the life they want people to think they have, there is a loss of real eye contact and human touch when it comes to knowing how people really are.
This scripture in Isaiah is an announcement! God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to prophecy (or declare) to the world that there was to be no more gloom, that HOPE would come to the world. He went on to say that those who once walked around in deep darkness would SEE the light of Jesus.
If there was ever a time to stay engaged in the world around you, it would be now. Over these next few weeks, we will all just be getting busier as we get closer to Christmas and the tendency will be to become self absorbed. May I lovingly encourage you the way I have been so greatly encouraged today myself by God, to pay attention and ask questions. Ask the grocery store clerk how they are and thank them for helping you, ask them about their family. Ask an older person how they are and what their plans will be for Christmas. Check on your neighbors... Go the extra mile. Pay attention to people at work. You never know what someone could be carrying. One thing is for sure, if you know Jesus then YOU are carrying HOPE inside you that someone desperately needs today.
Be a part of sharing Jesus and carrying the great gift of His love into the life of someone who needs to know that they are not alone this Christmas. Throw out the lifelines....
"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress....The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..."
One of the most eye opening times in my life was the year and a half that I lived in the heart of New York City! I loved being in the city. There are so many things going on all at once that it becomes an overload for the senses! At first my greatest concern was just to figure out where I was on any given street that I would find myself. So many cars pass by and the noise of the people and construction and busyness just overtakes you. If you are anything like me, you love it!
One of the things I found in the rush of it all was how easy it is to be in the middle of a crowd and yet actually "see" no one! It is so easy to become distracted and stimulated by "white noise" that you forget to look in the eyes of the hundreds of people that pass you by every day. As I was reading this passage in Isaiah 9 this morning and thinking of Christmas, something stood up on the inside of me. This is the time of year where we become so heavily absorbed in the "activity" of Christmas that we can easily miss the humanity that is passing by us every day, no matter where we live!
Statistically, suicide rates are at an all time high during the Christmas season because more than ever people are aware of whether or not they actually have a place to belong during such a family oriented time in the year. People you may think you know well and "look" okay, could be desperate on the inside. With the rise of social media (which is not in itself a bad thing) and people's dependency on posting the life they want people to think they have, there is a loss of real eye contact and human touch when it comes to knowing how people really are.
This scripture in Isaiah is an announcement! God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to prophecy (or declare) to the world that there was to be no more gloom, that HOPE would come to the world. He went on to say that those who once walked around in deep darkness would SEE the light of Jesus.
If there was ever a time to stay engaged in the world around you, it would be now. Over these next few weeks, we will all just be getting busier as we get closer to Christmas and the tendency will be to become self absorbed. May I lovingly encourage you the way I have been so greatly encouraged today myself by God, to pay attention and ask questions. Ask the grocery store clerk how they are and thank them for helping you, ask them about their family. Ask an older person how they are and what their plans will be for Christmas. Check on your neighbors... Go the extra mile. Pay attention to people at work. You never know what someone could be carrying. One thing is for sure, if you know Jesus then YOU are carrying HOPE inside you that someone desperately needs today.
Be a part of sharing Jesus and carrying the great gift of His love into the life of someone who needs to know that they are not alone this Christmas. Throw out the lifelines....
Sunday, August 25, 2013
"Nothing Is On Hold,"
"Nothing is on Hold"
EZ. 12:26-28 MSG
"God's message came to me: Son of man, do you hear what Israel is saying: that the alarm the prophet raises is for a long time off, that he's preaching about the far-off future? Well tell them, 'God, the Master, says, "NOTHING of what I say is on hold. What I say Happens." Decree of God the Master.
I love the sheer Sovereignty of God. "What I say goes." Full Stop. There is this sense around the planet, much like the one Ezekiel was sent to confront, that we have "TIME". Time to do what we want and THEN obey later. It is like a lullaby that causes the need for alert urgency to go to sleep. I truly believe that God is speaking about TODAY.
I don't think the world is used to the idea of Sovereignty. Total rule...complete authority. On Sunday, a few months back, I met with a girl in the city, who I met and prayed for on night a few months ago in an evening service. The message that had been preached was on relationships and baggage of past sexual sin. There was a huge altar call and I made my way forward to pray with people. I started to pray for this girl, not knowing who she was at all and she was slumped forward while standing there just sobbing.
I knew there was a lot going on with her and told her I would be happy to meet with her. After a few months she finally asked for that meeting. So Sunday we went to a coffee shop in the city and when I met her I was amazed at how articulate she was. Smart and educated and full of gathered wisdom from "researching" God. The prevailing New York mentality is one of intellect. People are very PROUD, proud of what they know and it can be very difficult to talk to about spiritual things. Especially when they involve Jesus.
Sitting at a bar with cappuccinos we started talking. She said she has been coming to church for a year and has been serving and honestly seemed saved. Then she started saying she was still struggling with "it all," which made me begin to think that maybe a decision had yet to be made.
In the course of talking I found out that she was wrestling with one major thing, Jesus being God. This had been the second girl I had met in a week's time that has had this fight. ( It really is a picture of what the world believes.) The good news here is that by the end of our conversation,in the middle of this busy city and restaurant, I was able to pray with her. Even through physical resistance, this beautiful soul was able to confess that Jesus is God and come into genuine salvation.
It is the issue of Lordship and rule that is nearly impossible for the world to accept. Lordship brings pictures to people's minds of slavery, restriction, captivity...being "told". The truth is that the Lordship of Jesus brings freedom, protection, peace, direction and salvation.
(Webster's Lordship definition: the power or right to give orders or make decisions... Synonyms: authority, potency, authorization, say-so, dominance)
I personally feel the urgency of heaven right now. I can feel the "day" approaching. I know that Jesus is coming soon. That's why the blindness and deception of the world is so thick right now. Ezekiel was sent to speak to a hardened people. I believe You and I have been sent by God to speak to a hardened people as well! Before Ezekiel could go and speak, God made him literally EAT the words that would need to come out of his mouth. I know that right now, wherever we are God wants to FILL our mouths with His Word so that what comes out is HIS message and nothing else! Unfiltered, no human bent, what He says goes.
There has never been a more important time for the people of God to have something to SAY when there is an opportunity to say it! The only way to bring Jesus to the World is to truly know Him everyday ourselves. Only then will our message cause someone else to be hungry too. The Message is NOT on Hold... It is happening right now!
...
Thursday, August 8, 2013
"Be Filled with the Spirit!"
Acts 2:17
"In the last days, says God, 'I will pour out my Spirit on ALL people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below....and everyone who calls upon the the name of the Lord will be saved!"
In the weeks leading up to this powerful sermon from Peter, he had witnessed the crucifixion, the death and burial, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus! Peter found himself along with the other disciples in an upper room and something amazing happened...the Power of the Holy Spirit fell! When Peter preached these words charged with electricity, he had just been filled with the Holy Spirit! When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost in the second chapter of Acts, there was an outpouring over the disciples as they prayed. This outpouring was what Jesus had promised them would happen when he left the earth! Jesus said in John 16:7, "But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you but if I go, I will send Him to you. " Jesus was saying, it would be BETTER when He left the earth because the Holy Spirit would come!
The bible refers to the Holy Spirit as The advocate, The Helper, The Comforter, The Revealer and the Spirit of Truth. What a mighty gift we have in the Holy Spirit! When Peter was prophesying this very important sermon, it is essential to understand what had just happened to Him. He had just denied Jesus and been a man who was cowardly and subject to rage filled outbursts. But when the Holy Spirit came upon him and FILLED Him, He was filled with power and spoke with authority! These words were inspired by the Holy Spirit and they left no one out. He was declaring that the POWER of God had come and it all pointed back to Jesus Christ, "And everyone who calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ WILL be saved!"
We live in a world that only functions in the realm of what is "natural". This means, what we can see, touch, hear, say and understand. 1 Cor. 2:14, "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." The world doesn't function at all in the realm of the supernatural or in the power of God! In fact it actively shuts down and attempts to silence the power of God any chance it gets, spreading fear and mistrust of anything cannot be naturally discerned. This is an evil plan spread by Satan himself, to keep people from experiencing the full life of God.
Sadly, this shutting down has crept into Christian circles as well. I have met people that I know love Jesus, but want nothing to do with the Holy Spirit because it is something they cannot understand. I have even met many Christians who are embarrassed of the Holy Spirit and treat this great gift to us from the Father as something we don't talk about, definitely don't pursue and push it all under the rug.
When Jesus said, "It is better that I go..." He was saying this because He knew that it would only be through the power of the Holy Spirit that we would be able to stand up and boldly declare that He is Lord! God wants to fill every person who calls on the name of the Lord with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that is evidenced through speaking in tongues, so that we can live a life of boldness and power! We need all we can have of God to carry out His mission of salvation on the earth. A life of no power is something that was never meant to describe the people of God. In fact, the reverse is true! We are the people Peter was prophesying about!
As I write this, my mind goes back to Indonesia where I spent part of last summer. I had the privilege of reading this very passage out of the second chapter of Acts to the orphan children after we spent some time in worship. Many of the children could already preach full messages with power and authority! I watched as children went up and laid hands on other children and prophesied over them! I told them this passage says ALL people and told them to pray for each other and as they did, the power of the Holy Spirit was undeniable in that place!
God is pouring out His Spirit over ALL people! No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, no matter where you live or where you come from. God is pouring out His Spirit over the young and the old and God wants to pour out His Holy Spirit over YOU!
I want to encourage you to step out and believe God for MORE. Have you ever wanted more of Jesus in your life? Have you ever been in a time of worship and run out of words to say how much you love Him? Have you ever wished you could have more boldness and not so much fear? Have you ever wished you could have the strength to overcome temptation? That Power is here right now for you. All you have to do, if you want the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, is do as Acts 2:38 says, "Repent and be baptized EVERY ONE of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you WILL receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!"
After making Jesus the Lord of your life, this gift of the Holy Spirit is there for the asking. If you want it, you can have it! Pray and say, "Jesus, I pray that you would baptize ME in the Holy Spirit!" And after you pray this, begin to PRAISE. When you praise God, it shows that you believe His Word. You praise Him because you know He has done what you have asked of Him! Many people experience fear when they begin to ask for the Holy Spirit and it is easy to understand why they would feel this way. The fear comes because of not knowing what to expect. But you don't need to be worried! 2 Timothy 1:7 " For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind!" If you are afraid, it isn't from God so you can tell it to GO in Jesus' Name.
Just rest on the promise of God that if you are asking for the Holy Spirit, you WILL receive the Holy Spirit! If you have not yet been filled with the Spirit, I am praying for you today! I am believing with you for an outpouring over your lives and homes and families. These are exciting days to know Jesus and to have everything we can of the power of God!
"In the last days, says God, 'I will pour out my Spirit on ALL people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below....and everyone who calls upon the the name of the Lord will be saved!"
In the weeks leading up to this powerful sermon from Peter, he had witnessed the crucifixion, the death and burial, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus! Peter found himself along with the other disciples in an upper room and something amazing happened...the Power of the Holy Spirit fell! When Peter preached these words charged with electricity, he had just been filled with the Holy Spirit! When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost in the second chapter of Acts, there was an outpouring over the disciples as they prayed. This outpouring was what Jesus had promised them would happen when he left the earth! Jesus said in John 16:7, "But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you but if I go, I will send Him to you. " Jesus was saying, it would be BETTER when He left the earth because the Holy Spirit would come!
The bible refers to the Holy Spirit as The advocate, The Helper, The Comforter, The Revealer and the Spirit of Truth. What a mighty gift we have in the Holy Spirit! When Peter was prophesying this very important sermon, it is essential to understand what had just happened to Him. He had just denied Jesus and been a man who was cowardly and subject to rage filled outbursts. But when the Holy Spirit came upon him and FILLED Him, He was filled with power and spoke with authority! These words were inspired by the Holy Spirit and they left no one out. He was declaring that the POWER of God had come and it all pointed back to Jesus Christ, "And everyone who calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ WILL be saved!"
We live in a world that only functions in the realm of what is "natural". This means, what we can see, touch, hear, say and understand. 1 Cor. 2:14, "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." The world doesn't function at all in the realm of the supernatural or in the power of God! In fact it actively shuts down and attempts to silence the power of God any chance it gets, spreading fear and mistrust of anything cannot be naturally discerned. This is an evil plan spread by Satan himself, to keep people from experiencing the full life of God.
Sadly, this shutting down has crept into Christian circles as well. I have met people that I know love Jesus, but want nothing to do with the Holy Spirit because it is something they cannot understand. I have even met many Christians who are embarrassed of the Holy Spirit and treat this great gift to us from the Father as something we don't talk about, definitely don't pursue and push it all under the rug.
When Jesus said, "It is better that I go..." He was saying this because He knew that it would only be through the power of the Holy Spirit that we would be able to stand up and boldly declare that He is Lord! God wants to fill every person who calls on the name of the Lord with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that is evidenced through speaking in tongues, so that we can live a life of boldness and power! We need all we can have of God to carry out His mission of salvation on the earth. A life of no power is something that was never meant to describe the people of God. In fact, the reverse is true! We are the people Peter was prophesying about!
As I write this, my mind goes back to Indonesia where I spent part of last summer. I had the privilege of reading this very passage out of the second chapter of Acts to the orphan children after we spent some time in worship. Many of the children could already preach full messages with power and authority! I watched as children went up and laid hands on other children and prophesied over them! I told them this passage says ALL people and told them to pray for each other and as they did, the power of the Holy Spirit was undeniable in that place!
God is pouring out His Spirit over ALL people! No matter who you are, no matter what you have done, no matter where you live or where you come from. God is pouring out His Spirit over the young and the old and God wants to pour out His Holy Spirit over YOU!
I want to encourage you to step out and believe God for MORE. Have you ever wanted more of Jesus in your life? Have you ever been in a time of worship and run out of words to say how much you love Him? Have you ever wished you could have more boldness and not so much fear? Have you ever wished you could have the strength to overcome temptation? That Power is here right now for you. All you have to do, if you want the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, is do as Acts 2:38 says, "Repent and be baptized EVERY ONE of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you WILL receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!"
After making Jesus the Lord of your life, this gift of the Holy Spirit is there for the asking. If you want it, you can have it! Pray and say, "Jesus, I pray that you would baptize ME in the Holy Spirit!" And after you pray this, begin to PRAISE. When you praise God, it shows that you believe His Word. You praise Him because you know He has done what you have asked of Him! Many people experience fear when they begin to ask for the Holy Spirit and it is easy to understand why they would feel this way. The fear comes because of not knowing what to expect. But you don't need to be worried! 2 Timothy 1:7 " For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind!" If you are afraid, it isn't from God so you can tell it to GO in Jesus' Name.
Just rest on the promise of God that if you are asking for the Holy Spirit, you WILL receive the Holy Spirit! If you have not yet been filled with the Spirit, I am praying for you today! I am believing with you for an outpouring over your lives and homes and families. These are exciting days to know Jesus and to have everything we can of the power of God!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)