The Royal Wedding

Did you get up early and watch the wedding between Meghan Markel and Prince Harry? Have to admit, I did not. I watched Prince William and Kate’s wedding, but for whatever reason, I just could not drag my body out of the bed that early nor did I have the inclination to record it to watch later. I did however study the photographs. I love looking at the clothes and the hats the women wear to such events. The picture that struck me the most was the one of Meghan’s mom sitting by herself. Such a classy looking lady. I read somewhere she’s yoga instructor, so the clothes for the royal wedding wasn’t something she went and found hanging in her closet.

As a matter of fact, everyone there had a special outfit for this event. Amal matched her husband George Clooney. Oprah had her dress made the day before or something crazy like that.

Not one person who was allowed into the wedding looked like they had slept in their clothes much less lived in them for a week or more. Everyone put on their finest. Bought the finest they could afford just to attend, and just because someone could afford the finest clothes didn’t mean they were invited. Did you see what they held in their hands? An invitation. How did they score that?!

Each invited guest had a relationship with either the bride or the groom whether it was friend or family.

If you did not have an invitation or your name was not on the list, you were not permitted in.

If you looked like you had been living in your clothes for a week or a month, you were not permitted entrance.

Why?

Respect? The occasion? The location? The people who were being married?

If this was all done for a young man who will most likely never be king, then why would you expect the King of Kings to do anything less?

Matthew 22:11-14 But when the king came in to view the guests he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ‘For many are invited, but few are chosen.’

All of the others who were attending the wedding had been changed into wedding attire, but this man refused. He may have been invited, but he had not accepted the royal attire and was thrown out. He would never be allowed back into the wedding party again.

The one who entered the party in his rags may have attempted to behave and look like the other wedding goers, but he wasn’t like them at all.

When the King saw the man in rags, he saw the filth which is sin. The other attendees were clothed in the righteousness of God. When the King looked at them, He saw Jesus.

We all come to God in filthy garments because none of us are righteous (Romans 3:10-12), but when we come to the Father, He removes the sin, the filth, the rags, and redresses us in His likeness, in the blood of Jesus.

The man in rags made his choice. He chose NOT to allow the King to change him from his filthy rags. He chose not to accept a new life in Jesus, and because he didn’t choose Jesus, he was kicked out of the wedding party to a place where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.

So the questions are:

Are your garments white as snow?

Have you accepted the invitation to be part of the bridegroom of Jesus Christ?

Are you ready to lay down the rags of your sin, shame and guilt, and allow the King to clothe you in His splendor?

And if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, are you living your life every day as if you are clothed in the splendor of Christ?

There are consequences of not choosing Christ in this life. There is a real place called hell that was created for Satan and his followers, and if you choose not to accept Christ’s invitation, allow Him to enter your heart and redress you and your life, then you are choosing the other by default.

Life is too short to live it in filthy rags.

TIME TO GROW by Vicki Baker

SA Time to Grow

Ahh, can you smell it?  Summertime is in the air.  Such a beautiful time of the year!  Things are changing all around us.  Dark, dull gray colors of winter have been transformed into crisp, new green and bright, vivid colors of springtime.  Baby animals are being welcomed into the world.  Flowers and plants have come alive.  The time has come to plant our gardens.

Have you ever really looked at a seed and wondered how such a small, fragile thing can make such a distinct transformation?  What about that nervous, new Christian?  Where did that other person go?  That fragile little seed is similar to that new Christian.  They both are transformed into something totally amazing!  In order for such a transformation to be complete, they both need some help from five elements.

1.   LIGHT  They both need some type of light source to help them develop into beautiful mature beings.  Seeds need energy from sunlight to help them grow.  The sunlight shows the seeds which direction they need to grow.  Christians also need “Son”light to help lead them in the right direction.  Psalm 119:105 tells us that this “Son” light guides us along life’s path.

2.   WATER  Seeds must be watered regularly.  The seeds absorb the water and store it within their seed coats.  If they don’t get enough, they dry up and die.  Too much water will drown them.  Christians need water too in order to survive both physically and spiritually.  Our bodies need water physically to keep us hydrated.  John 4:14 says, “but whoever drinks the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  Christians are baptized and are given living water that satisfies their eternal thirst.

3.   SOIL   Soil is a seed’s foundation which supplies it with all the nutrients it needs to grow into a healthy plant.  Ephesians 2:19-20 explains that a Christian’s “soil” is a spiritual foundation.  It’s built on the foundation of apostles and prophets and has Christ as the chief cornerstone.

In Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus talks about the Parable of the Soils (Parable of the Sower).  It talks about seeds being planted in four different types of soils.  The seeds do not grow in the first three soils.  The fourth soil was different.  The seed takes root and transforms into a fruit-bearing plant.

The Sower is God and the seed represents the Word of God.  The different soils represent different types of people and how they respond to the Gospel.  The hard soil represents people whose heart is hardened and show no interest in the Gospel.  The rocky or stony soil is someone who is aware of the Gospel but doesn’t have faith strong enough to stand.  The thorny soil is a person who has received the Gospel but has too many idols or distractions to stay focused on the truth of God’s Word.  The good soil is someone who hears the Gospel.  They allow it to take root and grow within their lives.  This person bears good fruit – thus, representing true salvation.

4.   TIME   A seed needs time to grow into a mature plant that can be cultivated and harvested.  Being a Christian takes time also.  A new Christian needs time to grow and mature just like the seed.  All Christians need time to study God’s Word and to develop an intimate relationship with God.  They need time to meet and fellowship with other Christians.

5.   TEMPERATURE   Temperature has a physical effect on seeds and plants.  If it’s too hot, the seed may not get enough water to help it grow.  If it’s too cold, it can delay the germination of the seeds and they will stay dormant.  Christians are affected by temperature differently.  They are affected spiritually.  When a Christian becomes lukewarm or even cold, they may turn away from God instead of getting closer to Him.

Christians can be alive but not growing like seeds.  They may be in a dormant state, having grown spiritually cold.  Although they have the Spirit within them, no one can actually tell it from the outside.  Christians may not have made Christ the Lord of their lives or allowed the Holy Spirit to have control of their lives.  Some Christians may have little or no desire, to study God’s Word or even pray.  Their lives become barren and bear no leaves, flowers, or fruits.  There is NO evidence that they are even alive.

It’s never too late to have a personal relationship with Christ.  You can plant your SEED foundation and allow it to grow.

     SEEK a relationship with Christ

     EXPLORE what God can offer you

     EXPERIENCE wonderful agape love from God himself

     DEVELOP that intimate relationship with Christ.

Your SEED has been planted, now watch as the Sower (God) transforms it into something beautiful.

The Struggle Is Real...and It Ain't Pretty

So 2018 has not been the easiest year for me and my family, and I know there are some of you who could say exactly the same thing whether it’s financial issues, health problems, marital concerns, business closures, challenging kids, job loss, new ventures or difficult relationships. We are struggling, and I don’t know about you, but it’s not always pretty when I struggle. As a matter of fact, it can get downright ugly.

Sometimes I wrestle with my flesh.

Sometimes I may worry.

Sometimes I doubt. I’m being completely transparent with you.

And sometimes God has to teach me a lesson more than once. I can be a little hard-headed at times.

There is a good thing that comes from the struggle – GROWTH. The greatest opportunity we have to grow is during the struggle or as a result of the struggle.

We struggle when we are outside our comfort zone.

We struggle when we aren’t in “control.”

We struggle when there is uncertainty.

We struggle when change is involved.

We struggle when we have to learn a new way of doing something.

Am I the only one who deals with these?

I want to tell you there is good news for those who are struggling.

1. You are not alone. We all struggle from time to time in our lives. It doesn’t mean you are a weak Christian. It doesn’t mean you are a failure. It means you are a flawed human being with weaknesses, but our Lord and Savior loves you and never leaves us or forsakes us.

2. God may repeat His instructions to you more than once. In Acts 10, God tells Peter to rise, kill and eat the animals that had been lowered on a sheet from heaven. Peter says he has never eaten anything common or unclean and tells God “no.” Anyone ever tell God ‘no’? Yea, me neither. God tells Peter three times and then the sheet disappears.

3. You will have the opportunity to practice your faith and incorporate the lesson you have learned. In Acts 10, Peter comes out of the trance, and the Spirit tells him men are coming to see him and for Peter to go with no doubt.

a. Anytime the Spirit leads, you can have the confidence to go WITH NO DOUBT.

b. Lessons in faith require action. Rise up. Go. Implement. Peter is supposed to leave with the Gentiles. He not only goes with the Gentiles but he enters their home, dines with them and stays with them. This is where Peter is putting to practice the lesson he was struggling to learn. You see, Gentiles were considered unclean and common by the Jews. Peter was raised to think this way, to believe this way.

God was pushing Peter outside his comfort zone, outside what he had been taught as truth, and outside societal norms.

4. Other people are watching, and you will have the opportunity to testify and when you do, give God the glory.

Peter got to experience the first Gentiles receiving the Spirit. How powerful and overwhelming that must have been.

5. There may be nay-sayers, and if there are nay-sayers to your lesson in faith, give your testimony and conclude with, “who was I that I could withstand God?” Acts 11:17. That was Peter’s response to the Jews in Jerusalem who questioned Peter’s interactions with the Gentiles.

So what are you struggling with right now?  Take time and write down everything you are struggling with in detail. I find this so incredibly helpful.

Have you or are you in God’s Word? Are you meditating and studying? Are you praying? If so, write down where the Spirit has you studying. Write down your prayers regarding the struggle.

What is the Spirit prompting you to do? Have you done it yet? If not, why not? If He is prompting you to do something, write it down and share it with someone. Being accountable to someone who is a growing Christian is necessary some times.

What happens when you follow the Spirit with no doubt? Write down what happened. It’s going to be amazing. Keep journaling all the way through the struggle. Journal all the way until you are able to testify and give God the glory. Share the journey because you never know who needs to hear it.

As they say, The struggle is real, man. But God is bigger than any struggle we will face. Just have faith.

If God Can Talk through a Donkey, He Can Talk through You

He can talk through you.

When I was growing up, my sister and I would spend one to two weeks in Longstreet, Louisiana, with our grandparents. There was family next door, so we would play with my cousin Brenda and try to fill the long days of summer because there wasn’t cable and nothing indoors to keep us occupied. One of the things we would do was to go into the back pasture and find Pete. Pete was granddaddy’s donkey. We would get my sister situated on his back because she was the youngest and then Brenda and I would run from behind, plant our hands on his haunches and land on his back.

When you think of a stubborn donkey, what you imagined would be Pete. Occasionally he would take off on a trot, but that was rare occurrence. Most of the time, he would take us into a three-sided shed and go to the back wall and just stop. One time he intentionally ran our legs against the wall of the shed. We were just an annoyance to him I’m sure.

Whenever I read the story of Balak and Balaam, I always think of ole Pete. I also picture Don Knotts or Tim Conway playing the role of Balaam. It really is a funny story in the Bible. If you have any sense of humor at all, read Numbers 22 – 24, and in chapter 22 picture Don Knotts or Tim Conway on the donkey. If you’ve ever seen the movie the Apple Dumpling Gang this shouldn’t be difficult to imagine because they ride a donkey named Clarice. Hilarious!

Regardless of how much I laugh when I read this story, I learn something new every time, so indulge me while I share what I learned this time. And by the way, if you teach kids stories in the Bible when you teach this one, make it as funny and as interesting as it is, please!

Things I noticed during my reading:

1.      Instead of looking for an amicable solution, the king immediately sought counsel from the wicked in order to assure a sound defeat against the Israelites. Since he had heard about the Israelites, sure he had also heard about their God, Yahweh. Given this information, why didn’t he attempt to work things out amicably? What this tells me is that just because people see God working mightily in your life, does NOT mean they are always going to be drawn to God. As a matter of fact, Balak went to the enemy of God.

2.      Words have power so be careful of the words you speak. Balak knew that whatever and whoever Balaam bless, they would be blessed, and if he cursed them, they would be cursed. What do your words tell others about you?

3.      People will often place their trust in those who appear to make things happen. Balak placed his trust in Balaam because he believed Balaam had the power to curse and bless. Balaam had the power to make things happen. Balak’s trust was misplaced. Be careful who you follow or turn to for authority and power.

4.      God can use the wicked. Balaam was a prophet of Baal, and yet God used Balaam to bless the Israelites instead of curse them as Balak desired. There’s nothing too big, too hard or too difficult for God, especially when it involves dealing with the enemies of His children. BAM!

5.      If God can speak through a donkey, He can certainly use you and me. If God gives you a word to speak to someone, speak it. This donkey spoke more eloquently, truthfully and poignantly than a lot of “preachers.” Just sayin’.

6.      God opened Balaam’s eyes when He was ready for Balaam to see. Sometimes we go through adversity not being able to see the root cause of it, but if God so chooses, He can open our eyes.

These are just the observations from Chapter 22. I hope these things have interested you in such a way that you will open the Bible and read it for yourself. You are missing out on so much if you rely on others to tell you what is in the Bible.

It's Not "IF" God Answers. It's "WHEN" He Answers. (And most of the time you will never know all He's done behind the scene.)

Big belly laughs. Gales of laughter. How many of you have heard those sounds coming from kids while watching the movie Shrek? My kids can quote some of the lines from this movie, and the donkey cracks them up every time. Believe it or not, there are quite a few similarities between Shrek’s trek to find the princess and the Israelites going to the Promised Land.

I’ve been reading through Deuteronomy, meditating on the verses God draws me to, researching the ones that peak my curiosity, and observing some things I’d like to share. I’ve been posting some of my observations in a video format on our Facebook page on Tuesdays, but these I felt needed to be written.

When reading Deuteronomy be sure to circle the words “if” and “when.” There are times when Scripture reads, “When God does…” or “When you…” Then there are other times the word “if” is used. “If you,” and if there’s an “if,” then there is a “then” or something similar. Sometimes it’s not IF God shows up, it’s WHEN He shows up. Do you see how important those two words are?

The next thing I’ve noticed, and I’ve just started chapter 23, is the frequent usage of the phrase, “the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.” Moses keeps reminding the children of Israel that the land they will be living on is the land the Lord their God is giving them. They’ve done nothing to deserve it. They’ve been whiny, complaining, stiff-necked, rebellious, sinful children, and God is going to give them the Promised Land. I have a confession – I’ve been known to be a whiny, complaining, stiff-necked, rebellious, sinful child of God, and I am so incredibly thankful He gives good gifts like grace and mercy every day.

We should also observe the last part of that phrase too: “giving you to possess.” God didn’t give them the land to rent, to be co-owners, to be sojourners, nor did He expect the land to do the work. God expected the Israelites to give into the land in a position of authority and take possession. They were to own, have power over and rule. God wanted them to put down roots and become established.

And one more observation found in Numbers 23:11, He turned the curse into a blessing for the Israelites because the Lord your God loves His children. WOW! We serve a big God, don’t we? But to get the backstory to these wonderful words, you really need to read the story in Numbers 22 and 23. It not the story about Joseph and his brothers by the way. It is one of the best stories, and when you read it, read it as if you were watching it unfold on a movie screen. If you don’t crack up laughing, you aren’t reading it right or your funny bone is broken.

So how do all these little observations come together for us right now?

Sometimes we need to remember it’s not “if” but “when” God answers, and other times it’s “if” God chooses to move the way you prayed versus “when” chooses to move on His timing. Anybody need to be reminded who is really in control?

Does someone need to be reminded that everything you have God has given you? He gives the air in your lungs, strength in your bones, and stamina in your muscles to work and do. He provides people and resources to be used for His glory and His kingdom. What are you doing with His resources?

And who feels as if they are living under a curse? Who is carrying a burden, a weight they can’t carry? God can turn a curse into a blessing, and He can do it using a talking donkey. (Dreamworks didn’t create the concept of a talking donkey. God did.) There isn’t ANYTHING too big, too complicated, or too far reaching that God cannot turn around. I don’t want to give too much of that wonderful story away, but the children of Israel NEVER EVEN KNEW THIS WAS HAPPENING, but God…

Isn’t that the bottom line? But God… Whether it is “if” or “when,” whether He’s giving and providing with instructions, whether He’s protecting you while you act like a whiny, complaining, stiff-necked, rebellious, sinful child of God, He is still God. He is still on His thrown. He is on control. Have you given God His lovin’ today? Have you gotten your praise on? He so deserves it.

Your Missions Is...Should You Choose to Accept It

Your Mission is ... Should You Choose to Accept It

If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?  Are you sure?

The word missions isn’t even in the Bible.  It comes from the Latin word mitto which means, “I SEND.”  God’s purpose is to make Himself known to everyone.  In order to do that, God sends special people (agents) called missionaries.  This word means, “SENT ONE.”  Missionaries are people who serve as God’s Messengers, God’s Witnesses, and God’s Spokesmen.

Jesus was sent into the world on a mission.  God gave His Son on assignment, and Jesus carried out this assignment perfectly (John 17:4).  In the same way, Jesus has sent His believers into the world on a mission.

Mark 16:15 tells us that God sent us into the world to preach the gospel to all creation.  We have been sent into a very dark and sinful world.  God want lights to shine brightly in the mist of all the darkness.  As believers we are to be small lights in the world that shine and point others to the Greatest Light of them all. (John 8:12).  A believer should show the world certain things by how he walks, talks, and acts (Ephesians 5:18).  Those of us who know the Lord should be living and acting differently than those still living in darkness. 

Believers have the secret message that can save the world from eternal death.  It is our job to share this message with others so that they too can join God’s family and be a part of His Heavenly Kingdom. 

As God’s SENT ONES, we as believers are to be shining, showing, and saying God’s message.  It is a sheer privilege and a great opportunity to be a part of God’s mission.  Every person is either a missionary or a mission field.  Each believer should be a missionary helping to make God known to all.  The unsaved are our mission field waiting to get to know God.

Should you accept this mission, equip yourself.  Be prepared to go out and spread God’s message to all the world.  Shine that light in the darkness so that others will see it and follow you to the Great Light.

What do you think is God’s mission for your life?

Read Ephesians 6:10 – 18.  How you could use the Armor of God to help you carry out your mission?                               

Ephesians 6:10-18 10Finally, be strong in the LORD and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,                      against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the LORD's people.                                                                                                                    

 Should you choose to accept this mission, then "Mission Impossible" becomes "Mission Possible."

Girlfriends Getaway

Don’t Let Your Unforgiving Heart Keep You from Showing Kindness   

To forgive or not.  Have you ever thought about why we should forgive others?  Forgiving another person can sometimes be hard or even next to impossible.  When you forgive someone it doesn’t mean that you have to reconcile with the person who has harmed you.  To forgive means letting go of resentment and giving up any claim to be compensated for the hurt or loss that you’ve suffered.  It is releasing the other person from any blame leaving the situation in God’s hands and moving on.

Did you know that if you don’t forgive others then your own forgiveness is in jeopardy?  Matthew 6:14-15 tells us what will happen if we choose not to forgive others.

Matthew 6:14-15 14For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Unforgiveness harbors so much negativity that it causes harm to our bodies.  The physical body is engulfed with extreme anger, resentment, and bitterness.  You become physically ill with stress related symptoms and problems.  You begin to feel depressed and anxious all the time.

Unforgiveness also shows that you don’t truly love Jesus.  What do you mean?  I do love Jesus.  Really?  Not if you cannot and are not willing to forgive others.  Being bitter and unforgiving is not loving others like Christ loves us.  It prevents God from forgiving your sins.

Forgiveness is for our own benefit.  We experience it in the direct proportion to our willingness to forgive.  If we don’t have a forgiving spirit, we should not be wearing the name of Jesus.  You see, those who are true Christians follow the teachings and example of Jesus.  They are compassionate, kind, and forgiving.

Instead of letting your unforgiving heart enslave you, clothe yourself in kindness.  

Colossians 3:12 12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Use God’s Word to help you identify Christian attributes that will help you build kindness and develop a forgiving heart like Christ.

In a few sentences explain why you should not hold onto an unforgiving heart.

What does it mean to clothe yourself in kindness? 

What are some Christian attributes that can help you build kindness?  Need a HINT, check out one or more of the following scriptures.

2 Corinthians 6:3 – 6                                                                               

Ephesians 4:30 – 32                                                                                                        

2 Peter 1:5 – 10                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Explain how one simple little act of kindness can change the world around you.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16                                                  

I hate to say it, but the fasting ain't over til...

In the late Middle English sometime between 1150 and 1500 AD, a word was coined. That word was breakfast. Prior to breakfast the term used was morning meal. It was made by joining two words – break and fast. In essence, it was the meal that broke the fast from the meal of the prior day. Some call that meal dinner. Some call it supper.

Breaking from a long-term fast like 21 days should be done gently. If you were doing a full fledge Daniel’s fast, do NOT go and get yourself a Whopper with cheese, a Sweep-the-Kitchen Johnny’s Pizza or a Caniac. Your stomach will not appreciate it. Slowly add back the things you want to add into your diet. Leave out the bad stuff you just shed. Why add something bad back to your body if you’ve just been detoxed from it? It’s better for you to leave it out.

Now some of you may not have lasted the 21 days. You do what God has called you to do. If He leads you to 14 days, then do 14 days. If he leads you to go 7 more days, then be obedient and do 7 more days. The fast is over when God says it’s over.

Fasting is something we as Christians should do regularly. Maybe not the 21 day Daniel’s fast, but some sort of fast. Maybe you fast 3 hours a week, and during that time you pray, meditate, worship and read Scripture. Maybe you fast one day a week. It’s a discipline and a lifestyle, a relationship enhancer.

Why did you fast? Did you fast because your friends were doing it? Did you fast because it’s what you do every January? Did you fast to lose weight? What was the purpose of your fast? 

Did your fast make you physically weak? Did you find yourself craving “real food?” Did you find yourself being energized at some point? Did you see God’s hand move? Did God answer any prayers whether the way you wanted or not? Who did you pray for while you were on your fast? Did they see results of your fasting and praying for them?

What did you get out of fasting? Is it something you would do again?

These are all important questions, and if you journal, take time to answer them. Document what happened during your fast. The Hebrews used to stack stones in places where God provided or did something miraculous, and they would tell their children and grandchildren the story every time they passed the stones as a reminder. Journaling is a way to stack your stones. Lest you forget.

It’s my sincerest prayer that your walk with your Lord, Savior and the Spirit was renewed, strengthened, and enriched, and I hope it becomes part of your walk with Christ. Feel free to share what you learned during your fast in the comments below. Thank you.

Well, I Didn't See That Comin'

WELL, I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING

My son loves to wrestle with me. Sometimes we arm wrestle. Sometimes I’m putting him in a headlock. He knows he’s going to get beat, and yet he starts it up on a regular basis all in good fun. I tell him no matter how big he gets (he’s fortunate to be 13 now) that I will always be able to take him down, and once I’m through with him, his daddy gets a turn. Invariably during our roughhousing I’ll do something my son isn’t expecting in order to “dominate,” and he will say, “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”

My prayer life is a lot like that. I pray with a burdened heart for God to heal this person, fix this person, resolve a situation, or something along those lines, and when He starts to heal that person, fix this person, resolve that situation, He does it in such an unorthodox way that I say, “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”

Sometimes healing that person means giving them a perfect body without pain in heaven. Sometimes fixing a person means He deals with me, my flaws and weaknesses, and my attitude which can be hefty at times. Sometimes fixing a situation means exposing sin and lies to break a situation down to what is true, so He can restore a relationship, a Christian or bring someone to Christ.

In the past few years, I’ve prayed some pretty big, bold, complicated prayers regarding burdens in my life, and two times God has answered in ways I would never have imagined. Why would He allow a marriage to be shattered in order to restore fellowship within the marriage and with Him? Could it be He was dealing with a couple of hard-headed folks which may or may not have had hard hearts? Why would He remove a livelihood? Maybe to remove those who were not encouraging spiritually and was otherwise dragging you into the gutter.

Before you get angry at God for not answering your prayers the way you wanted, better ask yourself some questions:

1.     What was the end result for which you were praying?

2.     Did you in any way try to handle this problem, person or situation yourself? How did that turn out?

3.     Why did you turn it over to God if you weren’t going to trust His hand, His method, His will?

4.     Do you know as much as God?

5.     Is there a possibility there are things going on that you are not privy to or facts you aren’t aware of? I mean, are you all-knowing like God? Because if you are, you should be rich, the most financially stable person on the face of the earth.

6.     God asked Job who he was to question Him. I ask you the same thing. Who are you to question God? Who am I to question God’s dealings, motives or plan? We are simply to obey.

So when things start going sideways in the situation or with the person for whom you are praying, let me make a few recommendations based on my experience.

1.     Get a grip on your lip. Stop talking. People talk because they think they have so many important things to say. You can’t possibly see God’s hand moving and working if you are too busy running your mouth.

2.     Open your eyes, your mind, and your heart. When things go sideways and it’s not of your sinful doing, it means God is up to something, and you should pay attention.

3.     Take notes. Journal. Journal. Journal. The Israelites would stack stones to remember what God had done in certain places, so they could tell their children and their children’s children. Journaling is your way of stacking stones.

4.     Wait. DO NOT MEDDLE. God does NOT need your help…at all.

5.     Move and speak only as the Holy Spirit leads.

6.     Be grateful. Find things to be grateful for along the way. Praise God during the wait. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, In everything give thanks.

7.     Trust. You trusted God enough to take it to Him; trust Him enough to leave it there. Trust that He has gone before you and is already preparing the way (Isaiah 42:16).

I could go on with this list, but these are the top 7 things to do when things appear to go sideways when you pray.

Pray Big. Pray Bold. Trust Greater. And Watch God do His thing. Then TESTIFY.

My Word - Be Careful

Have you heard anyone say, “My word for the year is…”?

I’d like to explain about the word of the year because you really need to be careful if you are going to participate.

When I started fasting for 21 days in January every year, I noticed when I would read my Bible, meditate on Scripture, hear my pastor preach, pray and worship there would be a common thread unlike any other time during the year. I analyze data as part of my job, and when I start seeing a trend in data, I stop and investigate. This theme was no exception. My investigation skills from my job kicked in, and I began studying whatever God was showing me.

I would take this theme and research it. I spent time during the fast digging into the Scripture regarding this thought or theme, and each time it could be summed up with one word. God would reveal this word outside of His word. One time I was on a trip in another state, and this word was on a sign. One year without telling anyone what the Lord was speaking to my heart, different individuals came up and talked to me about the word He had laid on my heart.

Choosing a word should not be of your doing. If it is a word you have selected because of your desire or because it sounds good, then you will be disappointed because it won’t mean anything in your relationship with God. It’s like looking for signs of God leading you, and you’re taking everything as a sign from God. That will lead you all kind of weird places and not where He was leading at all. You cannot force the Spirit to do your will. The fast is to learn God’s will and conform to it.

One year, He gave me two words, hope and revive. Never before has He done that. For two years in a row, He gave my mom the same word. We teased her saying she must not have learned what He had wanted to teach her, so she had to repeat. Of course that’s not true because words can have multiple meanings.

I will also tell you that you may not like the word He gives you. Words like persevere, patience, be still, and courage are difficult words to live. What are you going to do with that? You asked Him to speak to you. You asked Him for a word, and when He gives you a word you can’t just ignore it because you don’t like it and want a different one. That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works.

Expect the word He provides to stretch you, grow you and take you outside your comfort zone because it’s only outside our comfort zone that we grow. It’s not always pretty, but the results are amazing.

By claiming a word, you are telling people you have spent time with God. You are telling people to hold you accountable. This year, I’ll only be telling my accountability partner the word God provides, if He provides one.

That’s the other thing. What if God chooses not to provide a word for you? Does that mean you don’t have a strong relationship with Him? Absolutely not. It just means He has something different in store for you. God does not have to provide a word just because you ask for it. This isn’t a gimmick. You can’t conjure the Holy Spirit into giving you a word, so you fit in. If you receive a word, it’s between you and God and an accountability partner. It’s personal. It’s intimate, and if the Spirit chooses not to give you a word then seek Him, find out what He wants you to learn. He will show you. He’s good like that.

I hope this clears up any misconceptions about “My word for the year is…”. It’s not something to go at all willy-nilly. It’s serious. It requires a lot of time with your Father, you Savior and the Spirit. I hope you will invest in your relationship with Him. You won’t be sorry. I promise.

"Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things the world are the things we can't see." Polar Express

I remember when the movie “Polar Express” first came out. It didn’t look animated. You could see individual hairs on the kids’ heads. The cinematography and visual beauty of this movie was mesmerizing. I remember hearing a quote that struck a chord with me. The conductor tells the boy,

“Seeing is believing,

but sometimes the most real things in the world

 are the things we can’t see.”

It’s those things we cannot see and yet believe which require faith.

Luke 1:45, “She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled.” This verse is talking about Mary. Mary believed without seeing what was to come. She believed because of what she was told.

Believing when you see something is not faith.

Believing when you see it in front of you is not hope.

Believing when you see something does not develop trust.

She believed based on what she heard, and because of her belief and faith in God to deliver His promise, Mary was blessed.

Believing without seeing leads to God’s blessing.

Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” The message to Mary led her to hope for what God was going to do in her life. Her hope didn’t become reality until Jesus’ birth. Her proof would come 8 months later that her faith in God and His promise would be fulfilled.

What is your “faith” resting on? Is your faith resting on a word God has given you, or is it what you want to happen in your life?

For you to believe, do you have to see God’s hand moving or see the outcome before you will identify it as God’s will for your life?

Many recall Doubting Thomas, the disciple who had to see the nail marks and put his finger where the nails had been (John 20:25), and many look down on Thomas. In truth, there are more Christians like Thomas than there are those with the faith of Mary.

Believing God, trusting God means not seeing what God has placed in your heart as hope, but rather knowing He will deliver and fulfill the hope He put in your heart. Might want to read that again. Dissect it. Figure it out.

Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.”

The angel of the Lord spoke to Mary and placed the hope in her heart for what was to come. It was something that had never happened before and would never happen again. Many would not believe her. Many would reject her and ridicule her for believing in the hope, but she believed anyway.

God has placed a hope in each of our hearts. Many are still searching on how to fill that hope for themselves. People search and search and believe people or things will fill that hope, but it won’t.

The hope God placed in each of our hearts anchors our soul regardless of what may happen in this life.

The God-placed hope in our hearts has a distinct shape. It’s the shape of a manger which morphs to the shape of the cross. It’s only when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior that God fulfills that hope in us.

People are searching for hope in this dark, depraved world. 1 Peter 3:15,…”Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”

Are you ready to give an answer? Will anyone see the hope in you to even ask you why you have hope? Or do you have the hope that isn’t hope at all because you require seeing to believe?

People are looking for hope. This is a great time of year to tell of your hope and faith in Christ and bring light into their lives. Will you?

Holiday Miracles

Have you ever heard of miracles happening during the holiday season?

Have you ever prayed for a miracle during the holidays.

Sometimes God provides the miracles, but we fail to acknowledge them as such.

This Thanksgiving week, I observed what I will call a minimum of three miracles. I’d like to share them with you.

1.     A young widow who lost her husband due to brain cancer found many things for which to be thankful. She was even grateful for grief. That’s a God thing. That’s God working in her and through her, sustaining her, upholding her with His mighty arm.

2.     A mom whose 15 year old daughter died of cancer finding things for which to be grateful. She was grateful death came quickly. She was thankful there was no regrets. She and her daughter had lived life to the fullest, lived life loud, lived life vibrantly the last several months Cam had on this earth.

3.     I saw a young lady meet her birth family for the first time. God’s grace and mercy was enough, so they could begin to build relationships where there once was none. If you have never been part of an adoption story, you may never know the significance of this, but if you have, you know the weight of it.

The holiday season is not easy nor joyful for everyone. Sometimes the season doesn’t live up to the hype and disappointment rears its ugly head. Depression can be a constant companion for many. But I encourage everyone to look for things for which to be grateful. If these women can find things, surely you can too. I cannot fathom walking in their shoes. As a matter of fact, I can’t even let my mind go there. But the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in everything.”

There have been times when my sister and I have felt so beaten down that we struggle to look for something for which to be grateful. So we come up with some of the most off-the-wall things. Please feel free to use any of these if you are that desperate. (Keep in mind, we use levity to help us cope.)

1.     Bellybutton lint because that means we have an inny-bellybuttton.

2.     Toe jam because that means we have more than one toe. Toe jam requires more than one, and some people truly don’t have more than one or any.

3.     Nose hair because without it that bug that flew up Lori’s nose would have traveled to her brain.

4.     Dirty laundry because it means we have been blessed with clothing for our family.

5.     Scrubbing potties because it means we have indoor working potties, and in some countries this is a luxury.

6.     Molded cheese in the fridge because it means our family had plenty to eat, and there was excess. To many this is unheard of.

7.     Fighting kids because our kids are well enough to stand-up to each other and aren’t in a hospital or worse.

8.     Music or TV that’s too loud because it means we have the gift of hearing.

Do any of these apply to you?

Philippians 4:8 is a verse I have to remind myself of on a regular basis. “Whatever is true; whatever is noble; whatever is right; whatever is pure; whatever is lovely; whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.” Things in my home and family are not perfect. We struggle. We are constantly battling to protect our family from principalities and evil forces, but if I can just keep my focus on these things, if I can keep my focus on Christ, I can find something for which to praise Him, something for which to say, “thank you.”

I’d like to pray for those of you who are struggling. You feel like you barely survived the Thanksgiving holidays and don’t know how you will manage Christmas.

Abba Father,

Thank you. Thank you for loving us and being with us even when we are in pain. Thank you for never leaving us alone. Thank you for never leaving us in our struggle. Thank you for never wasting anything in our lives.

I want to lift up this sweet girlfriend to you. You are her wonderful Creator. You know her most intimately. You know her need before she does. You go before her turning the darkness to light, making rough places smooth (Isaiah 42:16), but sometimes God it’s just hard. It’s hard because we can feel so overwhelmed, and the void and emptiness seems to want to swallow them whole. But God, I know You have a hold of her and won’t let go of her.

Please surround her with growing, mature, godly girlfriends who will encourage her. Help my girlfriend to have the courage to take the next step to follow after you. And above all, heal her and bring her through. God, in Isaiah 43:2 it says you are with us when we pass THROUGH the waters and the rivers which will not overwhelm us, and that we will not be scorched when we walk THROUGH the fire. In all of these trials, God, we are passing through. We don’t stop there. We don’t live there. Satan wants us to think we have to stop and live, but that’s not your plan. So, give her the courage to make that next step.

Lord, I pray she feels Your Spirit. I pray she feels Your undeniable presence.

We will give you all the praise and glory.

Amen

Wide Open Spaces

I do not fare well in close quarters. I have to talk myself off the ledge, so to speak. It is okay, Kristy. You’re not going to die. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus your thoughts. If I don’t do that kind of self-talking, I will be bugging out. So, I love verses about open spaces. God knows my weaknesses and fears and how to best handle them.

Exodus 3:8 I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey…

When I read that verse, another verse immediate came to my mind.

Psalm 119:45 I will walk freely in an open place because I seek your precepts.

I love this verse. Every claustrophobic person on the face of the planet should love this verse. The reason the Psalmist can walk freely in an open place is because he sought God’s precepts first. The psalmist knows he can walk freely because his borders or walls are forever before God (Isaiah 49:16) and he’s under God’s protection.

What is a “precept?” It’s a command or statute, an appointed mandate from God. The psalmist writes often regarding the precepts of God.

Do you know what I can do more freely in an open place as opposed to a closed or small place? BREATHE! I can draw in a deep breath and exhale, releasing the tension and stress that is bound in my body. Job 32:8, But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. Isaiah 42:5, Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spreads forth the earth and that which comes out of it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it…” God gives us the breath in our lungs giving us life.

Then Exodus 3:8 reminded me of Psalm 23. Verses 1-3a, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He make me lie down in green pastures” (open spaces to breathe deeply); “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul”… (the milk and honey of life).

Isn’t God good? His Word is so rich. It’s nourishment for our weary souls. Whether you need open space to breathe in deeply to take Him all in or if you need solitude, He provides the milk and honey of life.

Abba,

Thank you for the breath in our lungs. Thank you for breathing life into us every moment of the day. Thank you for providing the milk and honey of life. Help us to never take it for granted.

Amen.

Choose

Is life just plain hard for you right now? Do you have trouble dragging your weary self from bed? Are troubled thoughts bullying your peace? Me too. I think we all have days like that, but sometimes, those days turn into dark seasons that threaten to steal our hope and our perspective.

Here’s the thing. When we let ourselves get all bent-out-of-shape, it doesn’t affect only us. The people we love suffer. They may even wonder if it was something they did that messed us up. Our influence suffers. People watching us may think, “Jesus doesn’t seem to make much difference in her life. I’m in better shape than her. I don't need Jesus.” Christ Himself suffers. Like the prodigal son’s father grieved his son’s rebellious absence, Christ longs to have us near and well.

It’s so much easier to wallow in our shame and self-pity than to bathe in His grace. It’s so much easier to focus on what’s wrong than on what’s right. It’s so much easier to stay down than to stand up.

Sometimes, we just have to make a decision that today, things will be different.

Today, I choose joy.

Today, I choose to trust God.

Today, I choose to behave like the free, blessed Child of God I am.

Will you join me in giving this “today” to God? Even if you’re in the middle of a bunch of ugly uncertainty? Even if you're rejected or misunderstood?  Even if you just don’t feel like it?

Lord,

I can’t get over how easily I get off-track. Forgive me for allowing less-than-stellar circumstances, other people’s behavior and my own fickle feelings have so much power over my life. Enough! Today, I will choose differently.

Today, I choose joy.

These trials I’m facing will show me Your face like nothing else can. Test me however You need to, Lord. Make me strong through struggle. Keep me reaching my empty hand into Your bottomless bag of wisdom. Keep me practicing my faith until it’s doubtless, single-minded and solid (James 1:2-8).

I resolve, right now, not to let another human being steal my joy. Why? Because the joy is not mine. It is Yours on loan to me. How dare I allow other people play keep-away with something so precious? I will cling to Your joy like priceless treasure. I will not let it out of my sight. “The joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Though I feel like retreating, I choose to charge forth in joy, knowing You are my shield and my defense against anything I’ll face. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:12 NIV).

Today, I choose to trust You.

Lord, You see the decisions I need to make and the things I need to say and the changes I need to make and the challenges I need to face. I choose to trust in You with my whole heart, so there’s no space for doubts to creep in. With my gaze fixed on You, I can’t go wrong (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Though You’ve lavished my life with supportive people, none of them are as trustworthy as You. We hurt each other with careless words and cold shoulders. We fail to show up when it matters most. We get so caught up in ourselves we can’t see the needs right in front of our faces. But, You, Lord, see us. You understand us. You meet us in our muck and lift us out. Forgive me for demanding God-like devotion from people made of clay. I will trust in You, and You alone.

When I trust in You, fear has no room to roam. When I trust in You, anxiety has no leg to stand on. When I trust in You, my feelings are tools not taskmasters.

Today, I choose to behave like the free, blessed Child of God I am.

Forgive me, Lord, for slamming closed prison bars You died to fling open. I am free, and I will live free.

Forgive me, Lord, for letting sin weeds overrun my soul’s garden. Let’s get our hands dirty, Lord. Help me pull every last weed, Lord, and plant the fruit of Your Spirit in their place. “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT).

With those qualities growing lush in me, I’ll represent You well, no matter my circumstances. No matter how other people behave. No matter if I’m in the mood or not.

My circumstances are the same today as they were yesterday. But, today, I choose to be different. Today, I choose You.

In the joyful, trustworthy name of Jesus, who gives me hope, I say, AMEN and AMEN

Hold Still

Hold Still

I have the cutest little dog named Riff. He's a snuggler. He's ridiculously cute. He always brings a smile to my face. I don't know what I'd do without my little furry comfort ball.

But Riff has a problem. He's prone to ear infections. I have these drops that clear the infections right up, but Riff flails and fights so much that I rarely get the drops in his ears. So... he's constantly scratching and rubbing his ears on the carpet to relieve his discomfort. I can't tell you how many times I've said, "Riffer, if you'd just hold still, your ears would be all better!" He doesn't listen. He fights the treatment that would provide his healing.

I can be a lot like Riff. How ‘bout you?

God has the remedy for all that ails us. Those broken places. Those sin callouses. That bad blood between us. It takes time and God’s special treatment to make us well.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees” (Hebrews 12:11-12 NIV).

I find myself flailing and fighting the urge to run. I don't want to hold still and let God do what He needs to do to make me well. Healing hurts, and, frankly, I've had my fill of hurting.

But I have to do this. I have to let God do what only He can do. I'm not a silly dog who doesn't know better. I'm an intelligent woman who has seen God's power at work in both my life and in others. I know the present pain will provide future freedom.

I will hold still. Will you?

Lord,

Why does healing have to hurt so much? You could fix me with just a raise of Your all-knowing eyebrow. Part of me wishes You would.

But then I look back on all the good work You've done in me so far. None of it came easy. I thought the pain would kill me, but it didn't. I know pain is a pathway to knowing You better. And, well, that's the whole point of me being here. To know You and to love You and to help other people to know and love You, too.

So, do what You need to do, Lord. I will stay right here in this hurtful, holy place. I will hold still for as long as it takes to be well and whole.

I will hold still and remember who You are. Be glorified in me, Lord (Psalm 46:10). 

I will hold still and let You complete the good work You've started in me. Make me more like You, Lord (Philippians 1:6).

I will hold still and watch You fight for me. Be my defender and my safe place (Exodus 14:14).

In the faithful name of Jesus, I pray, AMEN

Time to Wear Your Steel-Toed Boots -- This one is rough

I learn so much about God from parenting my kids and from my kids in general. I jokingly say that my son keeps me on my toes and my knees at the same time. Now that my kids are teenagers (When did that happen?!), the lessons come more from their mouths than from my parenting them. Does that make sense? For example, “If our body is the temple then aren’t we to always act like we are at church?” My sixteen year old daughter asked that question.  She was referring to 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, who you have from God? You are not your own…” This starts a whole conversation about how we are to live our lives outside the church walls.

James 3:10, “Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way.” Matthew 5:11, “It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth – this defiles a person.” What you think about, what you meditate on leads to your words and your words to your beliefs and your beliefs to your actions.

Are you being a hypocrite acting one way on Sunday and then cursing your brothers and sister every other day of the week? Are you sweet as sugar come Sunday morning, but you have stirred up strife, spread gossip, and spewed hate during the week? You are not fooling God

If you wouldn’t speak it in the church building, you shouldn’t speak it anywhere. Do you cuss in the church walls?

If you wouldn’t think it in the sanctuary, you shouldn’t think it anywhere else.

If you wouldn’t behave like in during big church or worship, then you don’t behave like it out in the world.

We are the church. We are the body of Christ, and too often people who call themselves “Christians” act just as hateful and lost as the world in which we are to be light. You can’t be light and have darkness in you. You can’t serve God and mammon. You can’t praise God and then curse His creations. I don’t care if you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, African American or critically Caucasian (that me, I’m very fair). It doesn’t matter what your personal stance is on the NFL and kneeling, your position on Obama or Trump, your thoughts regarding gun control, birth control or the budget.

If you can’t say something nice, then keep your lips shut. You can respectfully disagree without name calling and being degrading. You can still be kind and friendly to those who don’t view the world as you do.

If you can’t say something nice, you need to pray. Pray for yourself. Pray for the person that you want to speak evil of. Pray for the situation and for God’s healing.

If you can’t say something nice, then meditate on God’s word until He gives you the words He would have you speak. Because what you speak, reveals more about you, your heart and your mind than it does about the person you are slandering or gossiping about. It shows your weakness and shallowness and not their deficits.

You see, my Christian girlfriends, there’s going to come a time when someone in the world is going to need someone who loves Jesus to show them hope, to show them a different way, and even if you have disagreed with them on the NFL, gun control, birth control, Obama/ Trump, if you have done so with the love of Christ and with respect, guess what! There’s a good chance they will come to you to discuss what is going on in their lives. But if you haven’t been living like the temple of Christ outside the church walls, if you haven’t spoken words like Christ outside the sanctuary, then you have BLOWN IT!

Today, ask yourself. Am I being the temple? Are the words I speak the ones He gives me? Are the words I speak words I would say at church?

Father God,

You are such an amazing Father. You use everything in our lives. You don’t waste anything, any opportunity, any possibility, and you don’t waste us or the gifts you’ve given us.  Thank you.

Abba, please help us to live a consistent life of a growing Christian not just in words but also in our actions. Help us to speak respectfully when disagreeing. Help us not to be offended by every little thing because we do not fight against people (flesh and blood) but against principalities. Help us to be the temple everywhere we go and to everyone we see and speak to.

In your sweet Son’s name Jesus Christ,

Amen.

When the weight of words is lost...

Day of Reckoning. Day of Atonement. Day of Repentance. At one point in time in this society, those words would strike fear, would cause a person to pause, or would make a person think about their actions and choices. Revivals might have started over a weekend and would be extended for weeks because people were hungry for the Word of God. I haven’t heard or seen these things, but my parents and my grandparents have recalled these in times past.

So why do we not feel those things now?

Desensitization. Callousness towards sin. Blatant disregard for the cost of sin. Those are a few reasons I’ve come up with for where we are today.

What if we were living back under the law? What if we had to watch, hear, and smell the Day of Atonement? Would it change anything? I’ve been reading in Leviticus 16 about how Aaron would have to sacrifice a bull for his sin and the sin of his family. Then he would sacrifice a male goat. He would put some of the blood on the horns and all sides of the altar, sprinkle some to cleanse and purify and set Israel apart from its sins. When he finished purifying the most holy place, the tent of meeting and the altar, then he would present the live male goat. Aaron would place his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wrong done by the Israelites. Then the goat was released in the wilderness carrying away all their sins into a desolate place where the sin would be released. This happened one time a year.

Jesus took the place of the sacrificial goat and the scapegoat for us, thereby, fulfilling the law, and it was done once for eternity. Our sin costs a high price. Isaiah 53:6, All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Our sin was laid on the head of Christ. The crown of thorns pressed into his head was our sin. The blood he shed on the cross was his sacrifice. His time in the grave was the wilderness where our sins were released, but unlike the sacrificial goat and the scapegoat under the law, our Savior overcomes. He overcame death. He overcomes the sin that was placed on Him. And He did it all for us, for you.

Words, words, words. Blah, blah, blah. Reread that last paragraph until it really sinks in. Don’t let them just be words. Your sins cost the life of an innocent man. A sinless, perfect, spotless lamb slain to cover your sins. When was the last time you felt the weight of that? When was the last time you repented and confessed your sin? Just because you call yourself a Christian doesn’t mean you’re perfect.

When was the last time you rejoiced and celebrated the liberation and freedom you have in Christ? When was the last time you shared the joy only knowing Christ can provide? When was the last time you told someone about the hope you have for the future? When was the last time you talked to someone about your home in heaven?

I’m so thankful for the blood, the cross, the victory. I’m thankful we have freedom and hope for tomorrow. I’m so thankful we are no longer under the law requiring the slaughtering of animals to cover our sins.

I want to challenge you today to talk to someone about what God has done for you. We live in a sick and dying world who needs Jesus. Who are you to withhold Him?

"Goppeldy-goo" Hebrew for "Clear as Mud" Southern for "I do NOT understand"

Have you ever read a verse and thought, “Well, that’s a bunch of goppeldy-goo” or “That was clear as mud”? Both of those are Southern for the same thing. It means we didn’t understand it…at all.

When I hit those verses I really have to take my time and break it down, so I get the depth of the words, the richness of the truth, and the treasure of its meaning.

Deuteronomy 10:16 was that verse for me. It says, Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.

Part of it, I immediately associated with because God had called me stiff-necked before. After we had gone through fertility treatments and a failed private adoption, it seemed as if God was silent even though I was praying many times a day, pouring my heart out to Him. Because of what I perceived as silence and an uncaring God, I became angry and depressed. What kind of God wants me to call Him “Father” but won’t even talk to me? It was during this time, my employer moved me to Dallas for training for 3-4 months. I was without my husband, my church and my friends which made my depression go even deeper. On August 28, 2000, I called my momma at 10 PM doing the ugly, snotty-nose crying, ranting and raving like a lunatic about how I was so furious with God.

She allowed my steam to die down when she asked me, When was the last time you had your quiet time? I told her I wasn’t talking to God. She told me a quiet time was when God talks to us, and that the next morning I was to get up and read the Proverbs of the day before my feet hit the ground. Still being defiant I told her I hadn’t brought my Bible with me. This was serious because it goes everywhere I go. She assured me the good Gideons had left a Bible in the stand next to my bed, and she was right.

The next morning before my feet hit the floor, the first verse I read was Proverbs 29:1, Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.(NIV) That was God’s first words to me. Can we say two-by-four to the forehead? Yes, yes we can.

So when I read Deuteronomy 10:16, my mind immediately jumped to Proverbs 29:1, and I recognized myself in the Deuteronomy verse. Then I had to reread Deuteronomy 10:16.

The first thing I notice is there are three parts of the body identified:

1.    Foreskin – Jewish males are circumcised on the 8th day after their birth. The foreskin is removed based on the Abrahamic Covenant.

2.    Heart – The inner most organ. May refer to soul or conscience, the seat of emotions

3.    Stiff-necked – Stubborn, prideful, rebellious

The next thing I want you to pay attention to is the word circumcise. It means to cut off, to destroy, remove impurities, and purge.

So to summarize up to this point, you must purge your heart of evil, wicked, prideful ways.You are no longer to be stiff-necked stubborn people. You have to cut away things and desires of the flesh and ask for the heart of the Spirit.

Why does anyone have to do this?

You adulterous people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God. James 4:4

It’s that “friendship with the world” that causes us to be stiff-necked.

It’s that “friendship with the world” that causes our heart to become calloused and in need of circumcision of fleshly desires because you cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24)- Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:16-18

Do you see? Whatever you feed flourishes and whatever you starve dies. If you feed the flesh, fleshly desires will rule your heart which results in the need for you to ask God to circumcise your heart. But if you feed the Spirit, then the Spirit thrives in your life.

And just for the record, Deuteronomy 10:16 isn’t something you can do for yourself. The only way to apply this verse in your life and to succeed is to pray Psalm 51:10 - 12, Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

God is faithful. You pray Psalm 51:10-12 in earnest and He will do whatever it takes to circumcise the fleshly desires out of your heart and return the joy into your life. It won’t be pleasant, pretty or fun, but it will so be worth it.

Did you have any idea this verse could take you to this place and convict you so, or is it just me? Conviction and redemption is what this verse has brought to me. I pray that you will take time to work through this verse. Meditate on it. Cling to it. And release those ways that are not Christ-like.

Fearfully and wonderfully made also means I might not be like everyone else.

If you have tweens, teens or young adults in your lives, please feel free to share my testimony.

Fearfully and wonderfully made…

            From a very early age, like kindergarten, I knew I was different. My social skills were immature for those in my grade, and I typically was one of the youngest in my class with a September birthday. I didn’t have many friends in elementary. In middle school, I had a best friend who became a lifelong friend. She helped me feel “normal.”

            In seventh grade my life was overwhelming. I wasn’t sleeping well. I had energy the pink bunny couldn’t keep up with. I was struggling with reading and comprehension, and let’s not even discuss math. I committed a felony my seventh grade year when I forged my mom’s signature on a math test in pencil! Apparently, I wasn’t the brightest bulb on the string either.

            All these things and issues with anger and impulse control led my parents to take me to a doctor for testing. Back then there was very little known about ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and most of the time, boys were diagnosed with ADHD not girls. In order for me to be diagnosed, I had to have tested pretty strong. So, now we knew what the problem was, and next we had to find a medicine that would work for me.

            In high school, my spiritual gifts started presenting in a strong fashion. My spiritual gifts are prophesy and discernment. I didn’t really have a clique to hang out with even though I was a cheerleader. My opinions were very black and white, and I was verbal. I had sharp edges. So if being ADHD wasn’t weird enough, let’s throw some prophesy on top of that for good measure.

            Then let’s add a healthy helping of self-confidence. You would think that knowing I was different would make me self-conscious, but no, it didn’t. I knew who I was, and I wasn’t going to do much bending to fit in either.

            My junior year I told my mom I wanted to adopt three kids. All my friends were talking about wanting to get married one day and having babies. No thank you, I had a kidney stone. I didn’t want to go through that kind of pain again. God placed it on my heart to adopt. So, ADHD, prophesy, and desire to adopt – looks like an odd cocktail presenting as the life of a person.

            Fast forward 15 years. I was selected to be part of the Special Investigation Unit with my employer. I investigated questionable insurance claims, many were fraudulent. The things that made me weird in middle school and high school were the exactly the things I needed to do my job. I needed to have lots of energy to keep up with all of my investigations and confidence to go into prisons to take statements and to testify on the stand. I needed to have discernment when investigating questionable losses to determine what was owed and what was not. I needed to be able to spin a lot of plates at one time, so to speak.

            A few years later, we would find out we would not be able to give birth to our babies. We would indeed adopt two beautiful babies over 3 ½ years apart.

            Why did I tell you about these little vignettes in my life? My son who is also ADHD told me tonight he hated being different. He wished he was like everyone else. I remember that feeling all too well, but I was able to give him perspective that I didn’t have at his age.

            God uses every little thing we find weird or off about ourselves. He uses every little bit. The key is to not allow Satan to come in and taint the process. Satan does that by strapping hate, low self-esteem, resentment, self-doubt, and anger to your back. If we can teach our kids that God is going to use what he or she thinks is a problem, then we teach them to expect to see God work it out.

            If kids get focused on how they are treated, how they “feel” about themselves or a situation, then we fail to show them how to use those things as stepping stones to move forward. If I had been allowed to stay focused on how I “felt” (which we know “feelings” are deceiving), then I would have never learned the good things about being ADHD. And yes, there are benefits to being ADHD.

            Kids need to know God has placed every little thing in their lives to prepare them for their future. Kidney stones? Yep, I wanted to adopt after that, so I didn’t grieve when I couldn’t get pregnant.

            God uses it all to prepare kids for His kingdom work and their future. We just have to be patient to see how He’s going to weave it all together and make the tapestry into a life.

            Don’t hate the fact you are different. Discover why you are different. Develop what makes you different.

            My son loves super heroes. So, I told him being ADHD is like having a superpower. Every hero had to learn how to use the superpower, and they weren’t immediately successful at it either. I also pointed out superheroes had their own weaknesses or Kryptonite. For my son and me, it’s anger or lack of self-control. We have to find out how to overcome those weaknesses. That is what this season in his life is about. It’s about learning about his strengths and weaknesses and how to overcome the latter.

            Your kids need to know they are not a mistake or an accident. They need to know they are fearfully and wonderfully made, and they are in the years of discovering who God created them to be. It is an exciting time to see how God is going to work putting it all together. We just have to be patient and do our part.

The Route from Bondage to Freedom

I saw a pin on Pinterest the other day, and it said, “God, why are you taking me out into the deep waters?” and God’s response was, “Because your enemy doesn’t know how to swim.”

Have you ever wished God would allow you to see the “big picture?” Have you ever asked questions like, “Why has God led me here,” “Where is He leading me because there’s a much better way I see that’s closer,” “When is He going to…?” It isn’t often God gives us a glimpse of what He sees much less His reasoning, but when He does, we really should take note. Often times, we don’t see His hand until we look back on a situation, a season, or a struggle.

 unIn Exodus 13:17-18 we read, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, ‘The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.’ So He led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.” These two verses say so much about our Father.

Just want to clear something up before we go to deep. God is leading the Israelites out of bondage into freedom. They were in bondage because of a severe famine God had allowed, and the Israelites sold their land, their animals and themselves to Pharaoh just to survive. Some people are in bondage today because of poor decisions and sin in their lives and want God to deliver, so they suffer no consequence of their sin. That’s not how this works. God forgives sin, but there are still consequences.

In this passage, God didn’t lead the Israelites down the path or route they would have chosen. The shortest and common route out of Egypt was the coastal route, but Egypt would have military outposts along the way, and God knew the Israelites were not ready to face a battle. The Israelites might have looked like an army marching in battle formation, but they were no trained army. This road would have been easy and good with water and food along the way, but the risk of danger outweighed what many would consider to be good reasons to take that route.

For Christians who have been led by God into a time or season of bondage like the Israelites, I want you to see a few things.

1.       Pharaoh eventually lets God’s people go after the effect of all the plagues. What holds us hostage is under God’s control even the results of your sin, and He is ultimately in control as to when we will be freed. There is nothing and no one who can defeat God or thwart the will of God.

2.       God leads us out of bondage to freedom. He doesn’t just open the barn door and say, “Get after it.” God leads us. Do you have the faith to follow? It can be scary taking that first step out of the known into the unknown. You have to have faith.

3.       When God leads us anywhere, He goes before us making the rough places smooth and turns the darkness into light (Isaiah 42:16). We also know when we follow God that goodness and mercy follow us (Psalm 23:6), thereby hemming us in from the front and the back (Psalm 139:5). There is security in following God’s leadership.

4.       God does not choose the most convenient way out or the most obvious way out. Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us God’s ways and thoughts are not our ways and thoughts. His ways and thoughts are so much higher than our own, and we know from 1 Corinthians 1:25 that God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and His weakness is stronger than human strength. So when God leads you out of your bondage, and He chooses to take a path less traveled, TRUST HIM.

5.       “The people will change their minds.” He knows your thoughts and fears before you have them, and believe it or not, He goes before you to lead you down paths He knows that are best for you for where you are right now in your faith. Just like God knew the Israelites couldn’t handle a battle right after being freed, He knows what you can’t handle.

6.       “The Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.” Always be prepared. God might have known the Israelites might have tucked tail and run at the first sight of conflict, but they were at least prepared. When you follow God out of what has held you captive, be prepared because the enemy does not give up. We don’t fight against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers of the unseen world.

Remember, God is in control. His timing is perfect. Have faith He will lead you the way you need to be led, how you need to be led, when you need to be led, and where you need to be led. And when God leads you out, remember He goes before you and He’s behind you – You are in the most secure place when God leads. Also keep in mind, He does things and will take you on paths you do not know, and that’s okay because He knows what is to come and He knows what is best for you. He also knows your thoughts and fears before you have them and makes allowances for them. And be prepared to follow God wherever He leads.

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