Month: March 2015

The trial you are in is the conception of the testimony you will own. Your testimony is birthed when you use it to help others overcome, and to help yourself through the next trial. The power of your testimony flourishes into triumph every time you share it.

You own your testimony – share it to triumph.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2-3

“…you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Genesis 50:20

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” Revelation 12:11

My father died in 2005. He was diagnosed with lung cancer and given a year and a half to three years to live. But God saw fit to take him home within a couple months of his diagnosis. The suddenness of his death left me stunned – I knew he would not live much longer but still it surprised me when he died. A few years later, I opened the box where I had placed some of his belongings.

I pulled out the old worn cardboard envelope. My hands went over the surface, anxious to look at what it contained. As I scanned the documents with not just my eyes, but with my hands and with my memories, I realized that the life this envelope represented here on earth had been reduced to what now lay on my lap. I caressed the leaves of papers and the old and worn photos of a life long ago. I thought of God and his eternalness. That though I held a sheaf of something that would fade and become dust, the life went on to see the throne of the King. The life bowed at the feet of the Father and the Son. The lips had to cry out to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. There is the eternity for that life. Not what the envelope contained – not what this world reduced the life that lived to. The true measure of forever, of eternity, is standing before the Lord or being hidden from His face, His favor and His grace.

Read 1John 5:1-13

• Where will you spend your eternity?
• What about your friends and other family members?
• Do they know the Truth?
• Who will go and tell them? Will you? Pray for boldness!

Lord, give me boldness through Your Holy Spirit to proclaim the truth of Your Word to those who have yet to believe. I pray that You prepare the unbeliever’s heart and anoint my lips to speak with the authority given to me by Jesus Christ. Help me to be a bold and effective witness for Jesus to all my friends and family members, and yes, even to the stranger. Above all, may I minister the Gospel of Jesus in love. Love – not as I know it – but as You show me. May all those that don’t know You hear there are only two places to be for eternity – with You or away from You. May they choose You as their Lord and Savior. In Jesus name, amen.

I have this really big trailer – but no truck to pull it. It is full of things – some I put there and some I allowed others to place in it. Some things are mine, others were never mine, but I put them in the trailer anyway. Some things I wanted to take out, but I never got around to it. Sometimes I waited in vain for someone else to remove those things, but they never did.

It is my baggage, nonetheless, regardless of who put it in my trailer – it is my baggage. I imagine myself leaning forward, my legs pushing hard against the ground, as I struggle to move forward. The trailer is heavy and burdensome. It takes both hands to pull and every ounce of the strength in my legs to push. It takes all my energy – all my strength to drag it with me. It steals those things and more from me.

Sometimes, I decide instead of pulling it on the path I have constructed, I will pull it no further. Since where I am there Christ is. I leave it with Him. And I take up His cause, for His burden is easy and light. But inevitably something draws me back to it, and I end up getting the trailer and reloading it with some of the same stuff and I toss in new stuff.

Read Hebrews 12:1-2

• What things have you picked up during your lifetime?
• How do those things encumber (weigh, hinder, stop) you?
• Do they keep you from living your life for Christ?
• What are some ways you can begin to let go of those things?

Partner with someone in order to help each other let go of the baggage that weighs you down and keeps you from having endurance to run the race – pursue God.

Lord, help me recognize those things in my life that You never intended for me to tote around and help me to dump them completely. Lord, help me to not pick up those things that are better left to the side of the road I travel. Help me to keep my eyes on You and not look at what’s around me here on earth. In areas that I am weak, please give me Your strength to overcome. Help me not to pick up other people’s offenses and issues, but to come along side and help them let go of things You don’t want them carrying. Lord, help me to let go of those things that steal my time and energy. I pray for the strength and perseverance to leave those things behind and move forward holding onto You. I thank You for Your mercy and strength. In Jesus name, amen.

I must lay down who I am in order to become the person I want to be. Some things I lay down easily like discards in a hand of Go Fish. They slide off of me like velvet on gold, just falling away. Other things are harder to lose. Stuff clings to me like Gorilla glue – it just won’t break the bond. It’s like a suitcase that’s seen better days. I set it down only to find myself walking around that case as unconsciously my hand wraps itself around the handle, and before I realize what I’ve done, the case is back with me. Some things won’t shed so easily – like a favorite pair of jeans – broken in to my perfection but torn and tattered to the log in your eye. I try to lay myself down, to pick up the person I need to be – but the current me won’t cooperate.

Read Romans 7:1-25

Paul is author of at least 13 books in the New Testament. He started life as Saul – a persecutor and murderer of Christians. An encounter with the Lord changed Him and his life forever. Yet He struggled with doing certain things he did not want to do; and not doing things he did want to do. We should take heart here – even this great man who actually stood in the presence of Jesus struggled. But let that not be a license to continue to sin but let it be a starting point for us to battle against our own worldly desires.

• What thing are you doing that you are having a tough time laying down; or what thing are you not doing that you should be doing?
• Find someone to confess to – a believer that will not share your admission.
• Join in prayer with at least one other person to be able to overcome in this area.
• Seek godly wisdom – do you need to leave some friends behind right now?
• Do you need to make new godly connections until you have strength in this area?
• Make a list of things you need in order to have victory in this area and a reasonable timeline to complete the list.
• Does your list line up with biblical reasoning?
• If so, begin to take the step on your path to overcoming!

Lord help me to overcome the obstacles in my life that prevent me from having victory! Send like-minded people to help me and let me be a help to others struggling with laying down the old person and taking up the new person You called me to be after believing. Help me to remember that you called me to be in fellowship with other people so that iron will sharpen iron.  Give me wisdom to know how to personally overcome in this area and give me endurance for the race.  I give You all of the praise! In Jesus name, amen!

As I go through each day, I pick up another piece of clothing – something I should leave be, but I don’t – clothing meant for the world – not for me. I should be living in the world and not be the world. But the very thing that I don’t want to do, I do; and the thing I want to do, I don’t. So on comes the world’s clothes, worry about tomorrow, worry about today, worry about things that are not in my charge, finances, children, husband, family, friends, anger, manipulation, other sin-things, business, work thoughts, Martha thoughts, shame, humiliation, self-centeredness – I could go on and on.

When I want to get in His presence, I can barely see or focus outside of all these things I have donned. So one-by-one, I strip off yesterday, tomorrow and later. I come bound, but I leave free…until tomorrow.

Sometimes I feel that only when I truly am in a place of worship can I totally let go of all the cares of this world. I resolve to do better, but I find myself picking up each piece and donning it yet again.

Read Matthew 6:25-34 and ask yourself these questions:

• What do I worry about most often?
• How does worry change me?
• How does worry change others around me?
• What Scripture can you find to help you lay down worry in this area and give it to the Lord? If you need help finding Scripture relevant to your situation, ask another believer.
• Confess your worry to someone you trust and ask them to help you by praying with you and ministering His peace to your worry.

Lord, the world is filled with people and things I could worry about. Help me to increase my trust in You so that I will leave my worries each day – moment by moment – with You. Give me the strength to take everything I am wearing not of You and shed it like a coat. Help me not to pick them up as I move through time, but help me to lay them down once and for all. Give me the conviction to give each problem and care as it surfaces to You, leaving myself unencumbered to worship You and serve those I come in contact with – all to Your glory. Give me focus to see the eternal things and not the things that will fade away. In Jesus name, amen.