Month: February 2015

As Christians, we know that we are called to be ministers in the Kingdom of God here on earth – some to millions, some to thousands, some to hundreds, some to one. We all have a purpose beyond ourselves in this Kingdom.

We are all ministers, we are all senders, we are all sowers, we are all water bearers, and we are all reapers in this magnificent Kingdom on earth.  Too long have we believed the lie that ministering is for someone else and not for us individually. Too long have we walked out of an encounter with Most High God Almighty, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and allowed the most subtle covert thought, feeling or words to push us back to the old worn mind set that this is not for me – it is someone else’s responsibility – someone with more training – someone with more experience – someone else – anybody else. We must push beyond the thoughts of the enemy that everything about witnessing – about sharing Jesus – is for someone else.

Read Matthew 26:16-20

Verse 17 says some doubted.

Do you ever find yourself doubting that the responsibility of sharing the gospel is not for you?

If you are having trouble in this area of your purpose on this earth, find a bible study, a book, a video or other material on your charge as a Christian. Commit a time each day to working through the material. Join with other believers to encourage and build up one another – strengthening one another in this area. Go on a mission trip to share the Good News – even if it is local to your city. Whatever you do, don’t stay where you are in sharing your faith – grow!  I like to say that staying in place with knowledge is aging – but learning is growing.  Grow – learn – to share your faith.

Lord God, help us to remember the encounters we have with You.  Let them not wear off like stale perfume, but let them permeate us so thoroughly that any thought or words that rise up contrary to Your truth are banished into dust beneath our feet.  Let us be perceivers of the truth and also perceivers of the lies no matter how covert or overt they are.  Let us be encouragers to others in the faith – that all our words and thoughts would be ones that encourage and not discourage, would be filled Your truth and not lies, would be life and not death. Let us take the Gospel of Jesus everywhere with us – willing to share with anyone even if only in deed. Help others to see Your light in us and not shy away from sharing You with others. Give us boldness coupled with joy and love for Your Gospel! In Jesus’ name, amen!

I love salt! Several of my friends with medical issues have had to give up using the salt shaker. I don’t know how I would survive without salt. I have several containers in my home – it is as important as toilet paper – I just can’t run out of salt! Maybe you are like me and love what it does to food; maybe you are like some of my friends who have had to give it up; or maybe you never liked extra salt (although I can’t image that). Salt is necessary and vital to our bodies.

Salt helped to keep the Israelites alive as they journeyed for forty years through the wilderness. To a culture without refrigeration, it cured and dried meat; to a people without antibiotics, it helped with infection; to a discerning palate, it enhanced flavor; to a person without money, it was a valuable commodity to trade; sacrifices were seasoned with it; and it was used in pottery.

We tend to think of salt as seasoning, not life-saving as the Israelites viewed it. Salt, in the right proportion, enhances the flavor of certain foods. Yet when there is too much salt, the flavor of it overwhelms the food and results in it no longer being pleasant to the tongue or the stomach. Too little salt, and there is no evidence of its’ existence.

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells us we are the salt of the earth. As Christians, we are called to be salt to the world – seasoning – spice – enhancer of life – even, life-saving, leading to the Life Savior. To fill that role, it is necessary for us to hit just the right balance of our witness of Jesus Christ in just the right places – If we are not a good reflection of Jesus in us, we are displaying too little salt; If we attempt to beat unbelievers into submission with the Word, we are displaying too much salt.

Lord, help us to be salt to the world in the right proportion for the current situation. Help us to assess the circumstances correctly that we might shake out just the right amount of Jesus in us to attract our acquaintances, friends, loved ones and strangers to You. You know the heart of everyone – help us to be Your hands, feet, and heart here on earth in the perfect quantity. Thank You for saving me – help my life lead others to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

We are Christians in the resistance
We resist the mediocrity of operating in the grey area
We resist doing whatever it takes to succeed
We resist knowledge that raises itself above Godly wisdom
Instead, we embrace integrity,
We embrace doing the right thing even when no one is looking
We embrace God’s foolishness which is wiser than any man’s and
We embrace the end that is justified by the means

Did you really hear that? I did NOT say the end justifies the means. I said – we embrace the end that is justified by the means. In other words, as Christians, how we get to the end matters. The means, the way we go, the things we do, matter in our lives.

In our personal walk with Christ, we are in a constant state of sanctification. The process is not complete until the day we die. Some of us are further along than others. Some of us revisit the same issues over and over again, struggling to overcome and walk free of those things that bind us. God walks us through sanctification. He will point out things that are not pleasing to him – those things that do not reflect His character, His traits, so that we will grow in our Christianity becoming a reflection of Christ in us.

Unlike school, these sanctification “classes” are not taken in a particular order. As we walk the path of sanctification, we must remember that not every Christian has taken the “classes” we have taken; and similarly, there are “classes” others have taken that we have not. We are all imperfect Christians with our shortcomings manifesting in different ways. As the Lord points out those things in our lives he wants us to leave behind, he gives us a level of conviction – of knowing what and when something needs to change. Left unchecked or unacted upon, that loving conviction can fester into condemnation. Once condemnation settles in, we may try to run from God, not only in that area, but also with our entire lives. If you find yourself not wanting to read the Word, spend time with God, go to your church home or socialize with other believers, you may want to ask yourself if there is a conviction that you have not dealt with in your life that has possibly turned into condemnation.

Read Romans 8:1-14

The first verse is often quoted in part – “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,” but the second half is left off… “who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” We are told by Paul in this passage that we received the Spirit when we believed in Christ, but we must also act in that Spirit – making Spirit led choices – and not act according to the desires of our flesh. If we do act according to our flesh, he says we will die. Conviction and sanctification go hand in hand.
Ask yourself these questions:

• Am I experiencing conviction – a knowing – that I must change something I am doing or not doing in my life?
• What are the steps I need to take to act upon that conviction?
• Am I experiencing condemnation about something that is causing me to run from God?
• What can I do to be restored to a right relationship with the Lord?
• Do I need help with these steps?
• Where can I find help? A friend, a pastor, a counselor?
• Will I commit to change?

Lord, help us know when we need to change, give us the wisdom to know how to proceed, the stamina to act and the perseverance to stick to it. Thank you for your faithfulness – help us to remain faithful! In Jesus name, Amen!

He loved us when He decided to come to earth
giving up His Heavenly nature to take on a mortal stature
He loved us when He taught us, walked with us, healed, delivered and forgave us.
He loved us when He served us and allowed us to serve Him
He loved us when He wept in the garden and
He loved us as He willingly went with the guards
Knowing His end was upon the cross on a lonely crowded hill
He loved us as He was beaten and tortured

He loved us – we know –
Because He didn’t give up when most of us would have
Because He didn’t call legions of angels to His rescue
Because He didn’t disappear from the brutality of His captors
to reappear in safety miles away

He loved us when He stayed

He loved us as He paid our price
He loved us when He breathed His last and
He loved us as He held the keys to the dungeon of Hades and death
He loved us when He left the tomb empty
save for the clothing that bound Him in the humanness we call death

He loves us as He intercedes for us to the Father
He loves us as He prepares each of us a place

And He loves us – we know –
because in the beautiful truth of the gospel we find
He did all this so that He could spend all of time with each of us

Yes, Jesus loves us.

In the vast expanse of the many seashores – there are zillions and zillions grains of sand. The action of the ocean moves the grains – sometimes loosening and moving them to a different location – sometimes packing them in tighter and tighter – layering more grains onto others. Yet in the multitude of that sand – one grain stands out to His eye. He notices its coming in and going out. He notices the journey that grain takes – He notices the route – He knows the end – where the final resting place will be of that single special individual grain of sand.

You are that grain. God sees and knows the journey you are on. He knows your coming in and going out. He knows where you are headed and where you have been. He knows your end – your final resting place. He knows your epitaph. He knows your eulogy. It is one of joy because you will then be with Him in heaven. The journey, the path, the route, forgotten as you explode into heaven’s throne room to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Lord, thank you for intimately knowing us; and caring about every detail of our life here on earth, no matter how big or how tiny. You died for us so that You could spend eternity with us – let us never forget how important we are to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

You are not here just to take up space
Eating, consuming, satiating your appetite
Leaving a trail of excrement in your wake
You are not a bookmark on this earth
A flower pressed against the pages of life.
You are not a piece of art- a sculpture - a thing perching idly on a shelf or table
Whose only purpose is to be seen - admired - gazed at
Mutely sitting waiting for someone else to decide you need to be knocked off - trashed - kicked to the curb - destroyed.

The chance of being born as you was one in 12 billon, or
Twice the current population of the planet
You are not a cosmic random event, an accident of love or lust
To make you, one unique egg among hundreds and
One unique seed among dozens of millions
Joined together in a dance of violent passion
To form the being I see standing before me - You

He stretched out the heavens overhead and
Decorated with the planets, the stars, the moon, the sun, the Milky Way.
He created this earth and all that is in it
He created the ocean and the life they hold
He breathed His breath into this world
So that you could inflate your lung and live

He sent His son here to redeem that which He created - You - to Himself
So the pain you were meant to have in death - ostracized from the King -
Would not transpire if you would but welcome Him in your core
He was beaten into an unrecognizable, bloody, ripped, shredded torn mess - for you

He didn't do all that so you could sit in your place on Sundays
He didn't endure all the pain so you could have a stairway to heaven
He didn't drink the cup so that you could just occupy space

He was ripped - but not with muscles
He was heavy-duty -but not in his body
He was bad - but not in attitude
He endured all - but not for Himself
He overcame so you could overcome

He took on the public display of torture and humiliation
He took on the devil and his kingdom
He took on all that you deserve
To lay the foundation on which you must stand
To prepare the path which you must march
To give you the bread which you must part
To give you the seed that you must spread
To give you the water which you must pour

Your existence was orchestrated at this moment in this place
Not for you to consummate - your craving - your delusions - your timetable
But to accomplish His design using His strategy for His magnificence
Move, motivate, ambulate, hike, trek, saunter, stroll, ashay, strut, swagger
But don't remain fettered, fixed, moored, chained, fastened, shackled, handcuffed, bound, restrained, constrained to where you are
Dislocate, disturb, disentangle, oust eject, extricate, break free
You don't just occupy space - an effigy pointing to the path-
Your requisite is to illustrate - demonstrate - exhibit the way
To metamorph, reform, modify your earthly existence
To watch for and walk through every door
To bring the kingdom to the lost
To share all that you were given without cost- to you.

You are not here just to occupy space
You are in Christ - a soldier and a comforter
You are in Christ - a warrior and a child of the Most High
You are in Christ - the help to someone in darkness
You are in Christ - salt and light to the world
You are in Christ - a culture changer
You are in Christ - significant and essential
You have a place to fill, a job to do, assignments to complete

No - You do not just occupy space

Joy is fleeting like a dove
It swells its feathers within my heart
And captures my mind with its dance
My arms embrace the fullness until
My feet move me in its contagious wake
Leaving me elated to the center of my being
It seems when I am fully immersed in the delight
Joy flees leaving but a memory in its wake
Such is the joy of the things in the world

But the joy that comes from the Spirit
Does not land and leave a memory
That joy is the eternal memory-maker
It comes in a rush – in power
Beginning in the center of my being
Flooding my heart, my soul and my mind
That joy becomes a lifestyle
It doesn’t leave me – it’s always there to access
A joy that cannot be eclipsed by those outside
A joy that manifests love precluding someone
Else from changing the temperature in me
A joy that outshines what my eyes see
A joy beyond what my ears detect
A joy that surpasses what my heart feels
And a joy that transcends what my mind thinks
It stands – when I am not
It is strong when my knees are weak
It is enduring when my flesh faints
It is – always

Lord Jesus, help us to receive joy into our lives the way your disciples and followers in the early days did: not looking at our bounty or our lack, our circumstances, our fleshly limiters. Give us a clear picture of joy and let us reflect it to others that they would see the joy we have in You; let the reflection of Your joy soften their hearts to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.

On November 2, 2012 at 2:39 pm, a tiny infant was born.  He had been in the womb only 25 weeks and he weighed a mere 1.75 pounds.  The doctor, rooted in his medical knowledge, offered no hope for this little babe.  His parents placed their trust in the medical staff and decided NOT to try and save this little life.  For 4 hours, they held their son as he gasped and struggled for every breath.  He was offered no food, no milk, no help, no hope. The families of the parents were divided in two factions – those who also placed their trust in the medical community, and those who placed their trust in The Lord Jesus Christ.

Phone calls and text messages went out to prayer warriors to intercede for this baby and for his parents.  Prayers for someone to intervene were offered as incense to heaven.  It must have been a pleasant aroma to God for a nurse began to notice how strong this little guy was and kept coming into the room where his parents cuddled and stroked this little gift from God.  This nurse, without consulting the parents, called the NICU to ask them to come look at this child.  This nurse was in fear of reprisals from the parents, but acted anyway.  The medical staff had never seen a preemie live so long without any assistance – maybe they were wrong about his age, they thought.  They had estimated he would only live about 1.5 hours after birth with no assistance.

The parents are good people – not heartless people – but they had no hope in their lives beyond what the world had to offer.  Still resolute in their decision not to give their baby much needed medical support – continuing to believe in only the doctors and not in God – willingly handed over their son to the NICU for a few tests.  A doctor came in the room after the tests were run and told them what a fighter their son was and how strong he was for one so little. The parents, their hearts softened by heaven, now wavered in their decision that once seemed so right.  They asked the doctor what he would do if he were his son. The doctor, filled with compassion for this little life, told them he would give his son every chance and do all he could to help him live.  This precious baby was moved to the NICU – praise be to God who heard the cries of his saints on behalf of this helpless child!  This past November, Gabriel turned two, happy and healthy, he continues to defy every medical prediction!

In our family, the adults always give new names to the children that have nothing to do with their birth name.  This baby forever will be called by me and my husband, Gabriel – which means God is My Strength.

Without Jesus, we have nothing to hope for, nothing to believe in, except ourselves and those we give control to.  Without an intimate knowledge of the Creator, we only have our tiny minds to believe with.  Without faith in something bigger than what we can see, we are doomed to what we can accomplish with our own efforts.

To believe that this life is nothing more than what we see and then we die is similar to erecting fences around our life made up of what we can accomplish and what lives we can impact.  And once inside that fence, it is not far reaching to ask, why bother to impact anyone else – for we live and then we die – and so do others.  Without  a hope in Jesus, humanity is doomed to become a self-centered moral-less group – not helping others or offering anything more than what is seen.  Trust would only extend to that which and who we deem worthy to trust ourselves, mere men, makers of mistakes and depraved creatures, given over to the lusts of our hearts and thoughts of our minds.  This would be our only hope.

During periods of drought, the ground – the soil – splits as it is drying.  As it dries and shrinks, the ground vomits up debris – those things that should not be there for the ground to be rich, fertile and workable.  Every year in drought yields more debris – bigger than the year before:  Things like rocks, stones, and metal – even things like golf balls.  When the rain finally comes, the ground begins to soak up the much needed moisture.  Deep down, a good soaking rain will cause the ground to swell with the nectar of heaven’s dew.  It will eventually close up all the cracks and crevasses, and fill in all the holes created by the foreign debris coughed up during the drought.  We think of drought as unproductive, but droughts really are a time to prepare the soil for the sowing – the planting – removing what doesn’t belong and thereby enriching what does.

We are like that.  When we have a “drought” from hearing from the Lord, when His silence is deafening, those are the times that the rocks and debris in our life surface to be dealt with.  We can leave them where they arise and allow the future rains to take them below the surface, hidden from view.  Or we can deal with them by banishing them from our life – never to return.  And when the rain of God finally comes, it falls on soil that is ready for new seed – new life – and new fruit.

• The last time you were in a dry place with the Lord, what debris surfaced?
• How did you deal with it?
• If you did not banish it from your life when it surfaced, what could you do now to get rid of it?
• Going forward, how could you effectively handle debris removal?

Lord, give me the courage and strength to deal with the debris in my life as it surfaces during periods of dryness.  Direct my thoughts and paths so that those things that don’t belong are taken far from me.  Help me to prepare the soil in my heart and mind to cultivate and nurture seed that will yield a bountiful harvest of fruit – not only in my own life, but in the lives of those around me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A cow died a very long time ago in our cattle pens – all that remained were bones.  I thought it was cruel the other cows would be penned up in the small space with the skeleton of one of their own even for only a short period.  So I painstakingly picked up every bone and disposed of it.  I combed through the grass and dirt looking for the odd fragment.  I was sure I had picked up every piece of the deceased cow.  But a year into the drought, the ground pushed up more bones – not just a few, but a lot:  a jaw bone – just one side, an ankle bone, several vertebra, and numerous unrecognizable bones.

In Ezekiel 37:1-14, there is a valley filled with bones; they were very dry and very old.  How did they get there – did the ground yield up these bones? God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones; flesh grew on the bones, but there was no life in them.  He told Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath; and they came to life standing to their feet.  God told Ezekiel that bones represented the whole house of Israel saying, “Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cutoff.” NKJV Ezekiel 37:11  The Lord said He would cause their graves to be opened, He would bring them up from their graves, put His spirit in them, and they shall live.

• In drought, in times when your bones are dry, do you give up or allow God to bring you up out of your dryness – your grave – by seeking Him?
• What is the making of your grave?  A circumstance, a situation, a place, a person, a choice or choices you made?
• Will you yield up that which doesn’t belong in God’s ground or will you run in despair away from Him who is able to bring you out?
• What do you need to yield up?
• How could you get out of the dry times sooner?

God gave the dry bones life – just as He gives us life.  He gave them His breath, just as He has given us His Holy Spirit. We are no longer dead in our short-comings: we are alive in Him.  During times when things seem dry, my flesh wants to wallow in the grave, but I know that the surest quickest way out of the grave is to seek His face and yield to Him; giving up those things that do not belong in me.

Lord, help us to quickly identify those things in us that do not belong in the same life as you.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.