Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Moments in Meditation - LOVE IS POWER





He sets the stars in place, the planets into motion.  He makes the earth shake. He controls the winds and the waves. He creates each person individually at conception, one atom at a time.


When I pray, I pray to the Lord of the Universe. Powerful beyond all of our strength. Creative beyond all of our imagination. In and out of time and space.

With reverence and awe. With honesty and intimacy.  With humility.

 

 Our God is POWER.

He is omnipotent. He is omnipresent. He is near. He knows my thoughts before I think them, my words before I speak them. He provides. He protects. He loves. He knows.

And yet, when I pray, I pray to my Abba, my Father. My heavenly father who breathes life into me, who loves me unconditionally, who promises me a future and a hope.

I give thanks. I give praise. I surrender all. I bear my heart and soul.

Our God is LOVE.





His love, care, concern, compassion and involvement in my life transcend any circumstance, situation, timeline or boundary that is placed upon me. He is everywhere all the time, intricately involved in the details of my life. The seen and the unseen. The temporary and the eternal. Because of His power. Because of His love.

To acknowledge this fact is to acknowledge His power, His sovereignty, His kingdom, His presence, His provision and unfailing love all at the same time!  To live life knowing and believing in Him in this way empowers my walk of faith and my availability to be used by Him and for Him at all times. To feel His power. To sense His love. To hear His voice. To know His will.





He is always in control and He cares ALL THE TIME.  To understand, believe and accept this concept is to acknowledge His amazing power, His infinite love, His desire for relationship and that He is truly Lord of All!

And, here, in this place, is where I find my joy and my rest.........


"Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest." 

Matthew 11:28

 

To live all things abundantly, to live a life filled with joy, grace, peace, wisdom and love, we must embrace our God in ALL of His FULLNESS. Not in part but in whole. ALL He is. He is ALL. In ALL. Nothing else but Him. Therein lies the abundance. 

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God....

 2 Corinthians 3:5

 

 And, only with ALL of Him, can we experience the pure power of His amazing love. Over sin. Over fear. Over death.  Our power comes in the knowing, receiving and giving of His love. In truly believing His Word. We become spiritually, divinely empowered because of His love and His power in us. Herein lies the victory!


 

Sunday, October 18, 2015

HELP SOMEONE


Matthew 25:

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.  

35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’


We often read these words and think of His instructions as physical--food, shelter, clothing--and indeed they are indicating provision for the physical life sustenance of others.
 
What image pops into your mind when we talk about preaching the gospel?  A sermon in church perhaps?  A Christian magazine article about the Good News? Going door to door and talking to others about salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord?  

Let's take a deeper look at the meaning of these words with spiritual eyes. Let's see them with an eternal vision rather than just temporal.


'For I was hungry, and you fed me.'  The Bread of Life [Jesus]

'I was thirsty and you gave me a drink.'  The Living Water [Jesus]

'I was a stranger and you invited me into your home.'
 Open doors to the Body of Christ and His Eternal Home without judgment.

I was naked, and you gave me clothing.  To be clothed in His righteousness.

'I was sick and you cared for me.'
Ministry to the spiritually wounded and broken 
through prayer, encouragement and edification.

'I was in prison and you visited me.'
Ministry to those in spiritual bondage 
breaking the chains of addiction, idol worship, and generational sin.



Herein lies the gospel message in two forms: 1) the physical needs and 2) the spiritual needs.  

So often we hear about and/or focus upon the physical needs of others.  We reach out to those who are lacking with donations such as money, food and clothing. We provide work programs for the unemployed. We serve at soup kitchens. We give our used clothing, canned goods and toys to those less fortunate. 

Those who are physically less fortunate come to mind very quickly. I don't know about you but my mailbox (both snail mail and email) are constantly full of requests for food, clothing and monetary donations. There is a huge need for ministry of all types in this area at home and abroad.


“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’



But, there is more....!  How often to we think about the spiritual needs of others? We think about eternal life and internal peace. But how often do we consider the gospel message in terms of spiritual well being and provision?


  
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink.  I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’


There are those among us who need to hear THIS gospel message. The spiritual healing and life transforming side of the gospel. Those who are churched as well as unchurched.  Those who don't know of His saving grace and His unconditional love. Those who have already received Christ as their Lord yet their walk with Him has gone astray.  They may live in abundance physically but they are struggling spiritually with carnality yet claim to know the truth of our Savior. They are not living the abundant life. Not walking in the His light but still in bondage to darkness.

We have a mission field in our neighborhoods, in our churches, in our communities! Right in our own backyard. so to speak. Hurting, needy people who need to know the depth of the love of our Lord and the power of His Spirit.  Even those of us with a roof over our head, food in our bellies and clothes on our backs. We may not be physically deprived but we are suffering spiritually in many ways.

  • In an increasingly darkening world, we all need His Living Water and the Bread of Life to sustain us daily. 

  • We need to be clothed in His righteousness to discover His grace and be able to extend it to others so they, too, can be clothed in righteousness. 

  • We need to extend hospitality in our churches, in our homes and in our hearts as a beacon of hope and comfort, a safe haven.  Without judgment.

  • We need to bear one another's burdens, pray for one another without ceasing, repent, speak life to one another.

  • We need to provide ministry to truly set the captives free by teaching and preaching truth with boldness. We must die to self daily to be made new again and again. Hearts will be made new. Chains of bondage will be broken. Lives will be healed.

This message is the whole Gospel of Jesus the Christ.  This gospel is how we change the world and prepare a people for the coming Day of the Lord!

45 “And He will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”


It is not enough to say "yes" to His gift of grace.  We cannot reject His gift of transformation, of healing, and spiritual renewal. We must say 'yes' to ALL of His ways and be changed from the inside out.  It is a package deal!

Be a witness for the WHOLE GOSPEL MESSAGE. Live holy lives. Profess His truth. Share your testimony and your grace with others. Let us ALL be ready for the return of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Let no one be left behind but lead everyone down the road to eternal life!




Tuesday, August 25, 2015

TEMPTED

He was tempted.....

....to eat when He was hungry thus gratifying His flesh.

....to establish a kingdom of His own glorifying Himself rather than the Father.

....to test the Almighty in His will and His ways challenging authority and holy providence.

Then Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan. 
He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,  
 where He was being tempted by the Devil for forty days. 
During that time He ate nothing at all, 
and when they were over He became hungry. 
Luke 4:1-2




The more time we spend with our Lord, the better we know Him, the more we pray, the more we seek Him, the more we follow His ways and His will, the more we fast.....  The greater the intensity of the spiritual warfare we will experience. We WILL be tempted in the areas of:

Flesh

 The Devil told Him, “Since you are the Son of God, 
tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 
Luke 4:3

Self Glorification

The Devil also took Him to a high place 
and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant. 
 He told Jesus, “I will give you all this authority, along with their glory, 
because it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please.  
So if you will worship me, 
all this will be yours.” 
Luke 4:7

His Will and His Word

The Devil also took Him into Jerusalem and had Him stand on the highest point of the Temple. 
He told Jesus,“Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,   
because it is written,
‘God will put His angels in charge of you
    to watch over you carefully. With their hands they will hold you up,
    so that you will never hit your foot against a rock.’
Luke 4:9-11

Satan tempted the soon-to-be Messiah. The Son of Perdition tempted Jesus in His weakest moment. Appealing to His divine power, His connection with His Father and to His human flesh. 




 For everything that is in the world—the desire for fleshly gratification, 
the desire for possessions, and worldly arrogance—is not from the Father 
but is from the world.
1 John 2:16


Jesus answered with Truth. He rebuked the lies with the Word of God.

Jesus answered him, “It is written,
‘One must not live on bread alone, but on every word of God.’"
Luke 4:4

 But Jesus answered him, “It is written,
‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’
Luke 4:8 

Jesus answered him, 
“It has been said, ‘You must not tempt the Lord your God.’"
Luke 4:12

Jesus answered lies with the Truth. And, relied on the sustenance and trusted the perfect will of His Father.



So, you say you've heard this story many times.  Me, too.  Yet how often do you recognize these temptations in your own life?  The need for power, prominence and recognition. The overwhelming pull to be perfect, to be right, to be better than others. The impulse to satisfy your deep longings, unmet needs, and hurts by reaching for food, drink, drugs and other addictive behavior. To take control of things that were never under your control to begin with. Ruin relationships over trivial issues. To take action without seeking God's will for your life or following His instructions.


We need to stop ourselves in our weakest hour, in our moments of temptation, and ask ourselves whose voice it is that we are listening to at that moment. Remember, the devil is a liar! Rebuke those lies with His Truth!

Here are six things that the Lord hates—
    seven, in fact, are detestable to Him: 
 Arrogant eyes,
    a lying tongue,
        and hands shedding innocent blood;
a heart crafting evil plans,
    feet running swiftly to wickedness,
a false witness snorting lies,
    and someone sowing quarrels between brothers.
Proverbs 6 :16-19 

If you are a follower of Christ, you will be tempted much more so than one who is not a believer.   Your spiritual battle will be much more intense and often more subtle. And, unless you rebuke the author of lies, put off the flesh and walk in the Spirit, you will fall victim to temptations of the worst kind.  You have the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit and Christ living in you to empower you to overcome the flesh. Tap into that power daily!

If you are not a believer, you are much easier prey for the Evil One. Your life will be filled with struggles, temptations and deception. You need the power of God's Spirit, a free gift from the Lord when you believe in Christ as your Deliverer and Redeemer. Through Him is the gift of eternal life and the ability to tap into His power to overcome the flesh and all forms of temptation!

"Be clear-minded and alert. 
Your opponent, the Devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, 
looking for someone to devour."
1 Peter 5:8


It is unseen, this warfare, but it is real.  Not fiction. Not fantasy. Not fairy tale. Jesus was not immune even though He had a unique calling and divine purpose.  For now, this world is the kingdom of the Evil One. Recognize it for what it is. We are being tested and tried. 

 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, 
behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
But I have prayed for thee, 
that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, 
strengthen thy brethren. 
Luke 22:31:32


Be convicted. Be committed. Put your spiritual armor on and be ready to do battle. Moment by moment. On your knees.  In your worship. In your daily living.  For His kingdom and for His glory.  You are one of His and He has great things in store for you! Don't let the devil sift you like wheat! Stand strong on the mighty Word of God and in the power of His Holy Spirit! Resist the devil and he will flee....

 
 After the Devil had finished tempting Jesus in every possible way, he left Him until another time. Luke 4:13


Saturday, June 13, 2015

A GLORIOUS CALLING


 We are all called to something higher. We are all called to something higher, Someone higher, more important, with more power than this world has to offer. We are called to be in a constant, close, connected relationship with our Creator. And, we are called to become like Him.

Most certainly, a high calling. It explains the yearning, the longing that we all experience to reach beyond the everyday, the mundane, the routine. He created us before the foundation, the creation of the world. He put this desire deep inside our hearts. To use our gifts and talents. To discover exactly who He made us to be.


Yet we look elsewhere to satisfy that longing. And, truly, the only One who can satisfy is Christ, the Son of the living God.

We are made in His image. We are to abide in Him. We are to become like Him.


Dare I say, we are to become the suffering servant?! In truth, it is the only way we will satisfy that longing within.  We need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Really. No, really.

Not for faint of heart. Not for the self seeking or the proud in heart. Yet when we are weak then He is strong. Glory belongs to Him alone.

Strength in weakness, in suffering, in dependence. A novel concept.

Yet, our loving God would have it no other way. Lives lived in love must sacrifice, must suffer in this world. We all want to love and be loved. Sometimes love hurts. Sometimes love suffers long. True, sacrificial love always heals.

Though I do hate to be the bearer of bad news, I do love to be the light bearer of Truth. TRUTH: His ways are not our ways. His ways are higher than ours. Don't believe the lie that this life should be easy and without suffering. If you do, you will find constant disappointment and heartache.

Let's take a look at our Savior. Jesus, the Christ, was born into a meager life. He became a carpenter. Nothing fancy. He grew in grace and knowledge of His heavenly Father so that He could be about His Father's business.  Not His own. He was taught in the temple in His younger years. He waited. He sat patient listening to scripture and being guided by the Holy Spirit. He led a simple life. He waited for His Father's timing in being called to walk worthy and share His calling with others as He had been instructed.  He sat, watched, waited. He waited for His Father's purpose for Him, in His Father's perfect timing, to be used for His Father's glory.  Not in His own timing, not for His own purposes, and not for His own glory. Sacrifice.

Jesus walked when called by His Father to preach the word of Truth in LOVE. Though all power was to be given to Him by the Father, He walked and preached with humility and love.

When His time had come, Christ stood firm in the will of God trusting in the plan and purposes of His heavenly Father. He stood against the lies of the Evil One who tried to persuade Him not to fulfill His God-given destiny.  He drew the sword of Truth in defense knowing His steadfastness would glorify His Father and draw many sons to glory.


He sat waiting patiently resting on the promises of God. He walked following the Spirit preaching to many, enduring ridicule, and all the while look to the future His Father had promised. He stood firm in the Truth based upon the plan and promises of God.

He sacrificed self in mind, in spirit and finally in body. He died once,  for all. No fanfare, no trumpets, no press releases, no praise. Yet, He inherited the kingdom from and for the glory of His Father.

We are called to such a calling. It looks different for each one of us but end result is the same. To be made in His image, to be transformed, redeemed, a witness for Truth and bear the eternal weight of glory. To sacrifice. It is a high calling. It is a glorious calling. It is a not-of-this-world calling. We must live it today.

Embrace it. Live it. Tough love. Only the best things in life come from tough love: grace, mercy, forgiveness,  justice, peace, life ever after. The BEST things in life are NOT free.  They require giving love, suffering and sacrifice. They result in freedom, healing, and reward. Loving when life is not easy. The sacrifice is great but the rewards are greater still. The giving brings more blessing than the getting.

May we believe in and live out our eternal vision in the here-and-now and give  ALL glory and honor and praise to our Father in the spectacular heavens and His Son, Jesus the Christ, our Lord and our King!






Thursday, April 9, 2015

FOR FREEDOM, FOR LOVE



On this night of deliverance
Our freedom was bought by just One.
Who seemed of no significance
When the horrific deed was done.

Who, in His sacrifice, died once for all
He redeemed the broken, the fallen, the weak.
While self appointed judges looked upon Him appalled,
Those who believed stood watching unable to speak.

The Bread of Life, the blood outpoured.
As the earth shook and the thunder roared,
Tears flowed and tempers soared.
Sacrificed as the Lamb unblemished.
As grace grew and sin diminished,
He gasped His last breath and uttered “It is finished”.

In victory, the veil was torn.
A new age of redemption and healing was born
Through the one and only Son so scorned.
He ushered in the law of liberty.
In tremendous triumph, the cold tomb lay empty.
Death is defeated; we are no longer held guilty.

All for Freedom.
All for love.
Mighty as a Lion.
Yet gentle as a dove.

Into the wind we sing praises to His name.
For Freedom, for life ever after, for amazing love.
In unity, in spirit we are one the same
Because of this beautiful gift of God from heaven above.



All glory and honor and praise to our Heavenly Father and our Messiah, Jesus the Christ through Whom we have the gift of life eternal!

Monday, March 2, 2015

IN THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE

For the past six months, I've been on a boat in the middle of the sea....with Jesus, Son of the Living God.



He invited me there. I stepped out in faith, out of my comfort zone, into uncharted waters. Reluctantly. In submission to His will. Not my choice but His. Surrounded by uncertainty (to some degree). Waiting....

My sea has not been one of glass just yet. Still some waves crashing on the sides now and then. The wind was still, quiet sometimes, leaving us a drift which left me wondering a bit. Nonetheless, I remained in the boat as I know it is not time to get out of the boat just yet.

God has been faithful, during this quiet time, in providing blessings along the way to bring me peace and focus while I wait. He has given me an abundance of opportunity to spend time with Him in prayer, in fasting, in study and in fellowship.

Sailing was relatively smooth until January. Then I was hit by a very unexpected storm. It built slowly but, in a matter of days, it became a hurricane!



I came down with pneumonia. A very serious case of pneumonia. So much so that I became hospitalized. First time ever!

At first, the doctors weren't sure it was pneumonia. The antibiotics didn't appear to be effective. I was poked with way too many needles, hooked up to a symphony of noisy machines, exposed to too many gamma rays (my husband tells me I don't yet glow in the dark) and had a thermometer stuck in my mouth more times in a week than I did a fork! A good night's sleep was reduced to multiple catnaps during the course of a 24 hour period. A shower consisted of dry soap used in the important areas; the rest of me had to wait for a week for the kind of soap you use with water. Not the hotel of my choosing!

My heart missed my family. I missed my own bed, my own pillow, my shower and my kitchen. The thought of death did cross my mind (as people do die from pneumonia)......

......but only for a moment! All those weeks of abiding in Him were beginning to bear fruit! From the first moment in the doctor's office, into the ER, and once admitted. In an instant. I did not recognize myself.......because it wasn't me, it was the power of His Spirit.



My normal questioning, anticipating-the-worst self took a hiatus! No feelings of stress or panic. I surrendered to His will at that moment and became transformed. I had peace, I was calm. My eyes were on Him. I was truly in the eye of the storm! I heard Him speaking to me in chaos and through circumstances, saw Him in the people who came to visit me, those who helped with meals for my family, and helped out with home schooling. I sensed His love and saw His provision.



   It is not that I am looking for a gift. 
No, I want to see that you receive the fruit that increases to your benefit.  
 I have been paid in full and have more than enough. 
I am fully supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus what you sent—a fragrant aroma, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.   
And my God will fully supply your every need 
according to his glorious riches in the Messiah Jesus  
Glory belongs to our God and Father forever and ever! Amen. 
Phillipians 4:17-20

And, I became empowered through His Spirit to minister to others. I took my focus off of my pain and struggle, focusing instead upon others in the hospital. I took personal interest in almost everyone who I came in contact with during my stay. Even when they were sticking me with needles, giving me treatments, or taking me to the X-ray lab in a wheelchair. Despite my illness, my mind and heart had the energy to touch the lives of others. By His provision. By His grace.

The joy it brought me to be used in this way by God is indescribable. The sense of purpose in Him was magnified in me. Through it all, He was glorified!

Our gracious Lord took a stressful, unpleasant experience and truly used it for good and for His glory. I am healed physically by His hand as I did most of my recovery at home without antibiotics. I am healed spiritually by His power within me as I yielded to His sovereignty, His authority, and died a spiritual death to self in that moment. Thy will be done.

 Jeremiah said, “They won’t turn you over. Obey the Lord 
in what I’m telling you, and it will go well for you and you will live.   
But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has shown me:  
Look, all the women who are left in the house of the king of Judah 
will be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon, and will say,
‘These friends of yours have mislead you
    and overcome you.
Your feet have sunk down into the mire,
    but they have turned away.’
Jeremiah 38:20-22

No struggle, no questioning, just obedience. In turn, He empowered me to touch lives, to bring light, to speak life into others. To be a light in a dark world, in a place filled with stress and suffering. Even when my own circumstances had dark possibilities. Therein lies the beauty of His provision. He knew the hurricane was coming and He prepared me for it during those months of quiet. He prepared me to survive it, to overcome, and to serve Him.  Not just through submission. Through surrender. This time it was my choice! He showed me the way....



I'm still in the boat riding the wind and the waves with my Savior. It is still not time to step out onto the water just yet. My hospital experience was a test run. My strength comes from my God alone. And, the victory belongs to Jesus!