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Dream Big

Matthew 6:33 (AMP) But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

Psalms 37:4 (AMP) Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart.

Philippians 3:10 (AMP) And this, so that I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did].

Ephesians 3:16-19 (AMP)  May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

These are verses that I stand on for my own life. If you read from top to bottom you will start to see what my heart’s desire is. I want to know Him more and do His will. My dream is to have a place to disciple others to draw closer to Him. Right now, our church has been having to meet on Sundays at one thirty in the afternoon due to us not having our own building. As pastors, we are looking and dreaming of other locations until we can buy what we want. The discouragement comes when it seems that we are all alone in this vision. I know that is not true. Elijah fought the same thought patterns (1 Kings 18:22), when God told him there were 7,000 (1 Kings 19:18).

This summer I was asked to take some teenagers to camp. A few years ago we had developed a team, now we do not meet weekly. It is something I grieve, but I pray it is only temporary. The group I took consisted of my youngest son, three other teenage boys from other churches and three teenage girls, all attending another church. The camp was over a five day period, starting on a Saturday, which means I was not going to be at my home church on Sunday. There were people I put in place to handle certain things, but life happens and not everyone was there. Discouragement set in once again. People have walked away from us since the transition (people that said they would support the vision). Giving has taken a tremendous drop in the past two years. How can we move to a location and even pay double in rent that we are now, or how would be even support our own place? I was serving, but I can tell you, I was hurting. I am glad I went and served. Why? I found out that I was not the only one with these experiences. Actually, I found out that I was more seasoned in this part of leadership and was able to make a new friend. I was able to give someone hope. I was able to tell them that you can survive and even thrive, even though others have walked away. We are grounded in the love of Christ. We keep our desire on knowing Him more and establishing His Kingdom. Stay strong in His power. Find out who Christ is though the “I Am” statement and make them personal. Do not let the vision die!

Then that is all the camp was about. My youngest was encouraged with Brandon Dixon, a baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals. His team won the world series in 2011. I loved this because that was my grandfather’s favorite team. I remember him being so excited that year. Brandon did not have the way of getting to the major’s like we thought he would of. It was a God way. He did not have a promoter or a recruiter scout him, he had a friend. He said he just kept God first no matter what. Even if his family, while growing up, was not in church, he was. Just do not quit. Eli has a dream of playing ball in college and this really encouraged him. Like Brandon, Eli is a pitcher.

We also heard from Aaron Knight, the director for the camp. A few summers before we had heard the camp had been sold to a developer and would be torn down. Aaron had a vision for the camp and started pursuing a way to save it. He started with maintaining the grounds, even when he did not own it. It was over a year before the developer would even have a meeting with him. Then when he did get the meeting, the price was in the millions. The guy had nothing, he had never fund raised before, and he does not have a huge church. He did have a vision. My take away: “Do not give up on life because circumstances are not what you hoped for.” They are almost two years into the lease purchase agreement and they hope to have it paid off by the end of this year. It does not make sense. God still performs miracles today.

My husband and I have been sowing this summer for our miracle. We have a desire to have at least 7 acres in the city limits. Our desire is to be in walking distance to the high school here. We have a piece of property we are believing for. The cost for this piece of land is $350,000. Why? We want to have a place open 24 hours, and 7 days a week. A place of worship and community. We want a laundry facility open to the public. We want a community kitchen. We want a place where families can be restored. We want a place for people to worship and pray. We want a climate controlled basketball facility. We have a vision board that we put out every Sunday:

Please pray for us as we have a big dream. No dream is too big for God. Connect Church does have a building fund. We are no where near being able to purchase the land as of today. That does not mean that it will not happen suddenly!! We are standing on Hebrews 11:1, Amos 9:13-14 MSG, Isaiah 43:18-19 and Psalms 44:3 TPT.

Dream big dreams! Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart. (Psalms 37:4). My joy and hope are secured once again!

Jehovah Shammah (the Lord is present), You are worthy of honor and praise. Our hearts desire is only You. Thank You for sending Your Son so that we are now grounded in Your love. Let those roots of love go so deep that nothing else matters. Thank You for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Thank You that we know Your voice, we know Your character and a nature and we will not let the circumstances of this life discourage us. Thank You for the renewal of Your vision for our lives. Thank You for giving us big dreams and trusting us with establishing Your Kingdom here on earth. Thank You for the gift of the five fold ministry. Thank You for the gift of the body (the church). We repent for judging, for envying, for jealousy, for coveting, for familiarity and for being self focused. We do not want to be enslaved to anything that does not bring freedom and glory through Your Name. We choose love today. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Vacation Mode

Psalms 23 (AMP): The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me],
I shall not want.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still and quiet waters.
He refreshes and restores my soul (life);
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in the presence of the Lord.

It has been four weeks since I have written and published a blog. What have I been up to? A lot!! I took a group of youth to camp for five days. Then, I turned right around and did a twelve day trip with just my husband and me. We came home so we could pick up our youngest and take him on a little trip on his summer break. What does all this have to do with a scripture when David was running for his life? Can you find the God moments?

We are a group of people that go on vacation but want to jam pack it with all the activities and adventure to create memories. I have gotten better about that. I do plan, but not so full that there is no time for rest. Do you know that rest in necessary for our growth? Rest is not the absence of doing anything, it is the peace during.

Can we focus on God in the moments? I was able to have some God moments during these four weeks. The next few blog posts I want to share them with you.

Psalms 51:6 (AMP) Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom.

A key to the moments is to turn your focus from your circumstances, and from the noise of everything around you, and look for Him. Instead of focusing on my truth and on myself, I want to know His truth. My mind can take me into some dark places of loneliness, regret, shame and even depression in the midst of being surrounded by others. I do not want that, I want what He has for me. He can restore me in the midst of anything if I would just stop struggling for me.

The last four weeks were amazing. My time with my husband was perfect. Find the rest in the midst of the noise.

Father, thank You for creating us. Thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son for us. We desire to know Your Truth. We repent for not seeing You in our day to day. We want to know You more. We want to see Your Face. We want Your Presence more than your presents. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. We honor You as Holy. Thank You for the revelation into Your goodness as we seek You throughout our days. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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We have a purpose

Ephesians 4:15-16 (AMP) But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ. From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up in [unselfish] love.

This Sunday I had the privilege of delivering the message to our church. My husband was (and still is) recovering from turbinate reduction from the previous week, and was not quite ready to be a part of the world again. One of the biggest challenges is having to open and close the service. We have an amazing team at Connect Church, and they stood up and took roles that really made for a great day.

My husband and I have been in a series for the past six months called, My Calling. Why? We have become a culture of people that wants to know what our calling is and what our purpose is. The answer they receive, to keep them or draw them, is that it is self focused. Our answer has been counter culture but Kingdom culture. We all have the same calling and that is the ministry of reconciliation. Even though I am called to be a pastor, my initial calling and everything I do within that scope must be to fulfill my main calling of the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). We all have the same purpose and that is to grow in Christ. We all have different gifts and my gifting to teach and administrate is to be directed to the purpose of growing in Christ. Therefore, putting them together my ministry of reconciliation will also bring others to their purpose of growing in Christ. I am no longer developing my gifts, I am developing my purpose.

Ephesians 4:21-24 (AMP) If in fact you have [really] heard Him and have been taught by Him, just as truth is in Jesus [revealed in His life and personified in Him], that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation].

We have been made new creations in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17), but that does not mean that our old nature does not try to live. Before we knew Christ, we lived independently of God. That is the old nature and thought patterns we having to constantly put off. The deceitful desires are not just something a new baby in Christ has to be aware of. It is for all maturity levels. That is why Paul tells us to be “continually renewed in the spirit of the mind.” What do we constantly have to renew about in our mind? Who we are in Christ…I am rooted and grounded in Christ, I have the mind of Christ, I live according to Christ, and I am free because of Christ. When I lived independently of God I thought about self first, now that I am not independent and called into the ministry of reconciliation, I think about ways to promote others to Christ. My desires are fulfilled when I seek the Kingdom of God first, because my desire is to see others united with Him. He gives me the desires of my heart because I am walking in Kingdom Purpose, to know and grow in Christ.

How are some ways I can renew my mind to put on the new nature everyday? Know that you are now a child of God (Romans 8:16). You do not have to try to become a child of God when you are one in Christ. You are now grounded in the truth of your salvation (John 8:32). You are now a Kingdom citizen. Christ paid the price for your emotional freedom, you no longer have to be a slave to your feelings (Galatians 5:1). You have been accepted and forgiven (Romans 5:8). Christ paid the price for you even when you were still a sinner. Your position of submission is a choice (Romans 13:1-5). Just like believing and renewing your mind regarding everything that you are a part of, submission is a choice. We have to renew our mind for submission. It is essential to our growth and maturity in Christ, but in the culture we live in today, it is one of the hardest for the believer to do. There is freedom when you do. Let me be a witness to that. I no longer live, but Christ in me, is what Paul constantly tells us. When we refuse to submit, we are choosing that independent old nature, we are still living for ourselves. I am rooted and grounded in Christ, He can have every part of me.

What is my purpose? To Grow in Christ. What is my ministry? The ministry of reconciliation. When I focus on these two things I am living now free in Christ. I cannot help but want to share that freedom with others. It is really quite simple and not self focused anymore. I am now Kingdom focused!

Father, You are so wonderful. Thank You for being our creator. You created us in love and desire us. Thank You for sending Your Son as a expression of that love. Thank You for sending us the Holy Spirit to be our Teacher of love. We repent for the times we still lived for us, independently of You. We are choosing to renew our minds in Christ and putting on the fullness of what He came to restore us to. Thank You for Your patience and mercy as we grow in that fullness. We invite You into every part of ourselves. We are now secure in You and have no fear of letting go to submit to Your authority, even when it comes through the avenue of mankind. Let us not look at each other the same way, but through Your perfect lens. We are thankful for the ministry You have entrusted us, the ministry of reconciliation. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose love today. We choose growth today. We choose freedom today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Shrinking Feeling

Psalms 34:5 (AMP) They looked to Him and were radiant; their faces will never blush in shame or confusion.

Rooted and grounded in love. I have been having to speak that and renew my mind in that these past couple of days. Something I said was not interpreted how I intended to present it. Presenting a message to a group is a very difficult thing. If something can be misinterpreted in a small group, just think about how much it happens on a larger scale. That was my thought. Did I make a mistake? Is it a mistake for me to even be speaking? I wanted to shrink back and hide again. The voice in my head was saying, “see, this is why you do not need to be up there.” I really don’t want to be up there anyways so that is good enough, right? Nope. My hiding place is not to withdraw, but to sink my very self into Him. He is my hiding place.

Matthew 5:14 (AMP) You are the light of (Christ to) the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

Hiding in Him does not mean I am hidden from my calling. The Light was never meant to be hidden. Radiance is what you will continue to see. I will continue to work in the ministry of reconciliation. Whatever capacity He wants me to do it.

Did it shrink my confidence? Yes. I have a holy fear of leading others away from His heart. That was my question to myself? Did I draw anyone away from Him? Or did I get them to draw deeper to know Him more? Since it was the later, He calmed me. He put me into His rest. That is what hiding in His Presence will do. I have to continue to be Christ minded, not me minded.

This is a pretty short blog, but I felt like that I needed to share some vulnerable moments. In the moments that you are rocked and feel pushed down, keep your focus on Him. He is your hiding place, so that you can continue to let His Light shine through you.

Father, You are more than we can imagine. You are the creator of the universe. You hold everything in the palm of Your hand. Thank You for sending the Redeemer, Jesus.Thank You for the gift of infilling me with Your Presence with the Holy Spirit. Forgive me for doubting myself like it was all up to me. Forgive me for making it about me and wanting to shrink back. All I want to do is be close to You and bring others closer to You. Continue to knock off the rough edges. Continue to renew my mind and my tongue. I choose Your glory today. I choose to hope in You today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Rock Steady

Isaiah 26:3-4 (AMP) “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation]. Trust [confidently] in the Lord forever [He is your fortress, your shield, your banner], for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].”

Every Tuesday we have corporate prayer at our church. We have four ladies who faithfully attend (including myself), and occasionally we will have someone else or a few more show up. The week before I was asked by my team to pray loud enough so they could come in agreement with me. Talk about getting out of your comfort zone. We pray for an hour. I spend the very first part in worship to God and end in worship to Him as well. Why? Jesus told us to.

Matthew 6: 9-13 (AMP) “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. ‘And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment]. ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’

Prayer is a conversation we have with God. So why did Jesus tell us to acknowledge Him as Holy? You might have heard, “We are suppose to talk to Him as if He is my friend. I do not talk to my friends like that.” Your friends are not God. He calls us friend when we obey Him, not because we show up (John 15:14). Remember God’s ways are not our ways. We still have to honor Him.

Jesus modeled prayer like this so that we would not go in with the expectation that our self-centered prayers is all He needs to hear from us. If we keep our minds on Him throughout, anxiety passes, the need for getting our way passes and we can focus on those areas of His Kingdom expansion. He says He will give us the desires of our heart (Psalms 37:4). My life center should be Him (Matthew 6:21).

I have two handsome sons and a hunk of a husband. I love them dearly. I love spending time with them. Our home is filled with laughter. They cannot be my life center. If they were, our home would not be as joyful as it is. I whole-heartedly believe the Word. My joy is not from those who surround me, but the God who is within me. A life of daily worship and surrender to the Father is my joy and peace source. Do I have anxious thoughts? Yes. What happens when I do? I turn my focus on Him. I do not have to have my Bible out all day to focus on Him, but I do need to know His character and nature (which is found in His Word).

Deuteronomy 32:4 (AMP) “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness without iniquity (injustice), just and upright is He.”

Do not just say He is your Rock then go out into the world systems and measure your happiness/success based on their standards. My name does not need to be made known to anyone other than Him. When my thoughts wonder onto where our church will be and who will be there in the next year, I have to get back to thinking on Him (Matthew 6: 25-34). Do not compromise His Word or His precepts. Think on Him and all your thoughts will be what is confirmed by His Word (Philippians 4:8). Peace is your promise with this. Not just a little peace either, CONSTANT peace!! When I surrender my peace and focus on myself, someone else or circumstances that will not matter in the eternal, I have to put my focus back on Him and line it back up with the Perfect Peace.

Father, You are our Creator, our Rock and our Peace. You are the One who puts the breath in our lungs. We want to honor You today. We want to see Your will be done today. Thank You for sending Your Son so that we can be reconciled to You. In Your Son we received Your Love. We are rooted and grounded in Christ. Let us seek ways to bring glory to Your Name. Let us see Your created the way You do. Let us love Your created the way You do. Let us find creative ways to seek the best for others. Forgive us for not putting You first place in all areas. We thank You for Your grace and mercy as we turn our hearts back to You. We repent for harboring unforgiveness as a sign of mistrust in your justice. We want to align our thoughts with Your thoughts. Renew our minds with Your Word today. Thank You Holy Spirit for teaching us the things we may not have known to walk in His goodness. We choose hope today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Hello Sunflower

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (AMP) “Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord. “For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out its roots by the river; and will not fear the heat when it comes; but its leaves will be green and moist And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought nor stop bearing fruit.

What happens when we go through the tough parts of life? Can we still have joy? As I was preparing for this past Sunday’s message, that was my hearts desire for those that would be listening. May is Mental Health Awareness month. Lately I have been listening to Neil T. Anderson and some of the things he placed on YouTube in his Freedom in Christ channel. A lot of it had to do with the mind and the battle of depression that many believers have to overcome.

Four and a half years ago I was rocked. I had already been going through some things at work. I was promoted, demoted, talked down to, shunned…then terminated. My character was tarnished. How could I put myself out there in the community? Our vision for Connect Church is to touch the world through our community. I am constantly encouraging the body to look for opportunities to glorify God.

Our first gut reaction is to hide. I did, but I did it differently. I hid in the Word. I did not occasionally open my Bible any more, I really set out to get to know the Word. I ran to the Word. In doing so, I did not hide myself for protection from the hurt. I was able to stand free and with confidence of who I am in Christ. When I stand up and speak in front of people it is not to share how much I know, but who I know.

So when I was walking the track, listening to worship music a couple of months ago, God spoke to me about what I needed to share for Mother’s Day. He told me that I needed to share why I am so passionate about His ways. Why do I speak with such boldness and conviction when it comes to His Word? The secret comes in what you are rooted in.

John 15:5 (AMP) I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

Ephesians 3:16-19 (AMP)  May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

To abide in Him means that I have replaced my roots in Him, I give Him first place. When I looked again at the parable of the sower in Mark 4, He spoke to me that we have placed ourselves in the story that was not what He intended. We wanted to be the good soil, but He is. When we allow ourselves to be in the love that He is, everything changes. Do branches have roots? No, the vine does. Where do the nutrients to grow come from? The soil. We have called the soil our hearts for so long. We are responsible for allowing the Holy Spirit to remove the rocks and the thorns. All soil has potential. Just like all of us do. There is only one that can be called good, and that is Jesus. Do not limit your perception of “in Christ” as a follower or just a position, BE in Christ. We are loved by Him and nothing can take that away, you are in that position, but we have put it on. We have to abide in that love. When we do, we are truly abiding in Christ.

I love sunflowers. They would have been the flowers for my wedding if a farmer did not give us 1000 gladiolas. I had chosen sunflower bracelets to give away that day. Sunflowers show their seeds. Sunflowers are sun worshipers. They need 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. They actually track the sun (desire His face). A single seed planted in the spring can produce many seeds. They grow so fast that they will choke out weeds. Sunflowers droop when they are not drinking enough water. The sunflower is a tap root. It is an elevator of nutrients. It brings water and other microbes from deeper soil layers closer to the soil for subsequent crops to have better access to. Sunflowers produce oil, and lots of it.

This was my summation: the seed (Word, Jesus is the Word John 1:1) from the sower (us), is planted in Christ (the soil) and we allow the roots (love in Christ) and the fruit we bear become more seeds because we are abiding on the vine (in Christ)…but they will have to be continued to be watered by the Living Water (Jesus, His Word).

I have more to this message, but for you to even get to the part of being free in every area of your life, you first need to know that depth of His love. To be in that love because you are in Christ. You have to realize that Jesus came for more than to save you from hell, that He came to restore you. Then you will no longer allow the things to shatter you and cause you to go into a cave of hiding. We are in Christ, He is all we need.

Dear God, our Creator, You are so full of majesty. We honor You today with our thanksgiving. Thank you for Your Son. Jesus took on every part of our lives so that we can walk in fullness. We are sorry that we have not walked in the fullness of that love. Let us be rooted in grounded in the love of Christ. We choose to abide in Him today. Holy Spirit, lead us to the areas of rocks and thorns that we need to be set free of. Renew our minds. We submit to You today. Let us be sowers of the Word. When we sow in Christ all of the ground is good ground and all that we sow is good. The Word is always good. Thank You for the Word. Thank You for the Word becoming flesh. Thank You for being the vine. We desire to bear fruit that glorifies You. We choose Love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Sisterhood of the wounded

James 3:10 (AMP) Out of the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, should not be this way [for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts].

Gossip is a hard thing not to do, especially among hurting people. I have done it, even within a week. What happens when two people get together that have been hurt by the same person. They share the hurts. Why do we think it is okay in the moment? It is because we think we are not sharing what the person does not already know about the other individual. It is a hard cycle to break, but I want to be better. I have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects the fear of God regarding His created.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (AMP) Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. Love never fails [it never fades nor ends].

I did not release why I was hurt, until they released why they were. How can you forgive what cannot be forgotten? I am here to tell you it is hard, but forgetting is not what we are commanded, it is the forgiveness. It does not sting as much. I have learned to pray blessings over that individual. I pray that the Word becomes alive to them.

I know that the hurt was an attack of the enemy. Why? It came from the twisting of His Word. As leaders we should not feel that it is up to us to build the church. He does. When we use tactics to grow our churches, even though it may cause hurt (premeditated), we are wrong. Why? My growth should not see you as a stepping stone or a casualty to kingdom building. Notice it is not a capital K in kingdom here, because that is not His Kingdom we are building.

Philippians 2:3 (AMP)  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves.

This is just an example of how easy it is to rehearse it again. It is hard to forgive when you cannot forget. The enemy used a perfect tool here, another who has to respond to the Father just like you do (James 3:1). This is not the only hurt, but it was the most recent. I never wish that on anyone. I have to put my trust in God and who He calls, even if. I have hurt people, but instead of saying that it is part of ministry (which is not true, it is part of my imperfectness) I want to do better. I want to glorify Him. To hurt each other and call it ministry is false. We are to sharpen each other, not wound (Proverbs 27:17). It is to bring is closer in relationship to the Father.

Hebrews 4:12 (AMP) For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Let me always be sensitive to the Word. Even though I was hurt and was wrong it still does not give me the right to repeat the matter. It still does not give me the right to rehearse the matter. Why? I fear God more than my rights. I do not want to displease the Father, not because of fear of punishment, but because I honor Him. I honor His precepts. I honor His Word. I do not want to be so prideful that I exempt this area from His correction. I am looking for the best in those and speaking blessings over them. Praying for a deeper relationship for the Father. Praying for forgiveness for them as they will have to stand before the judgement seat, just like I will. Repenting and asking God to bridle my tongue when I start to rehearse (ultimately cursing with my mouth). Woah, to me when I do such a thing. Instead of creating a sisterhood of the wounded, let us be a sisterhood of the hopeful. Let us hope again! Let us praise again!

Abba, You are the Glory that we wake up and sing to every day. We long to be in Your Presence. Thank You for sending Your Son to be the Light and to restore us. We are sorry for making things about us. We repent for every time we rehearsed a wrong, whether it was for our gain or someone else’s. We are sorry for gathering together as wounded. Help us be to speak blessings over those who have done us wrong. We want to love deeply because You love deeply. Our awe of You compels us to follow Your Word. Holy Spirit Your voice to be louder than the voice of deception. The voice of deception will tell us to fight against flesh and blood. The voice of deception will tell us that because we do not forget that we will never forgive, therefore, never being pleasing to God. The enemy want us to stay walking wounded, but because Jesus overcame, we are over-comers. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. We choose hope today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Take off the cape

Ephesians 2:8-9 (MSG) Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving.

We are in a culture today where everyone wants to be famous for something. We may never have our names on the big screen, but what about that hand held screen we spend so many hours a day looking at. We want followers, we want likes, we want views and what if something we post does not get enough attention. It is the same inside of the church. We go live on Sundays and we have a You Tube channel. Do you not think that I do not check the analytics?

I never wanted to get up and speak in my church. I never wanted to lead. Did my husband make me? Did anyone make me? Definitely not. It came from my love for the Father. I remember sitting in a service at a Joyce Meyer’s conference and asking God to take the fear from me that kept me from my full potential. I asked Him to put a desire in me to do what ever it takes to set the captives free. When I put on my headset to speak on Sundays, it is not so others can hear me speak, it is so they can hear the Father speaking through me. I whole-heartedly fear others not seeing the Father for the sake of me.

What happens when we are compelled to be like our hero’s because of the spotlight instead of letting Christ stay there? This reminds me of a movie I watched with my boys when they were little, The Incredibles. The Incredibles is a family of super heroes, with fantastic abilities. Before Mr. Incredible started a family, he was a solo hero and a young boy wanted to be his sidekick. However, this boy did not have super powers, and Mr. Incredible was not a work together type of guy, and rejected this young boy. This youngster grows up to become a villain named Syndrome (which in the English language means a form of disease). A little side issue that comes up is the demise of other super heroes. Could capes be a cause? One such character proved that they were. If you watched the movie, then you will get the meaning, if not…capes can trip you up and capes can get caught in things that will pull you back. Why did they want to wear capes? It symbolized that they were super (titles are capes too).

Have we tried to put on capes? Not literal capes (other than at a cosplay event – if you wore a cape out in the public people might think that you are weird). I am talking about the cape of getting to the next level of “success.” We want to be in the spotlight. You might not have thought of it like that, but when we want to be the one people call on when they have a problem. How about we point them to the Light, Jesus! You do not have to call me. You do not have to tell me everything going on in your life, but if you need me I am here. Just know that I am going to point you back to Jesus.

Matthew 22:37 (MSG) Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list.“

We are not to be first on our list, He is. I am not to put my husband there, my favorite speaker there, my children there, my parents there, my friends there, a politician there, and the list can go on. What happens when we put ourselves or anyone else in the position of Light (Savior)? They miss the mark. No one can be the maker and the savior, only Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit can. It is time to take off the cape and put the spotlight on Jesus!!

Our Father, You are Holy! You are Mighty. You are more beautiful than the flower of the field. Thank You for Your Son. Thank You for being our maker and making way for a Savior. We repent for trying to play the major role in the lives of others. We are sorry for the times we made it about us and not about You. All we want is You. We are taking off our capes and laying them at the feet of Jesus. Our hearts desire is to proclaim and expand Your Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. We are choosing to forgive ourselves for the times we have put something else in first place. You are the giver of life and nourishment. All we need is You! We are choosing to put You in first place today. You deserve all the glory, all the honor and all the praise. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Joy and Strength

Jeremiah 15:16 (AMP) Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.

Jeremiah, in the midst of his sorrow, recognized that all He needed was the reminder of what God had said. This is why I carve out a piece of my day to get in the Word. I am not able to do it at the same time every day, nor for the same amount of time each day. Some days I get to be in the Word longer. There are days that I listen to a sermon while I am at the gym. Then there are days where I keep worship music on while I am doing my daily tasks. There are others that I will meditate on a scripture that I had read. The important thing is to find a way to keep the Truth of His Word at the forefront of your mind. Why?

What does God tell Joshua right before he crosses the Jordan? Joshua 1:6-9 (AMP) Be strong and confident and courageous, for you will give this people as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers (ancestors) to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do [everything] in accordance with the entire law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper and be successful wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

What kept Jeremiah going? The Word of the Lord! What weapon did God give to Joshua so that he would be strong, confident and courageous? The Word of the Lord! What will keep us at peace? The Word of the Lord!

John 1:1 (AMP) In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 

John 15:4 (AMP) Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me. 

John 14:6 (AMP) Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 17:15-17 (AMP) I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but that You keep them and protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth.

How can I abide with Jesus (the Word) if I will not get to know the Word (character and nature of God)? The Holy Spirit draws us to the Word (the Truth)…Jesus. Someone asked me about abiding the other day. My response is that I hunger for the Word.

I do have a prayer life, but a prayer life without knowledge of the Word is full of emotions, which are not bad, but not grounded in the Word can be dangerous. Our prayers that are not rooted in the Word can lead to division, isolation and unintended rebellion. Why? They have not been filled with the Truth. There is a difference between my truth and THE Truth. Often times we base our walk and our prayer lives on our truths and in return the “Be strong, confident and courageous” is done in our own power (which is lacking) and not in His Power which is grounded in THE Truth.

One of the first parts of the Bible I will tell a new believer to read is the Book of John. John reveals that we are His Beloved. John reveals all the areas of our lives that Jesus came to be a part of. Then there is Ephesians, Ephesians reveals who we are in Christ. Reading Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther tells me about the character and nature of God during the time that the Israelites had once again gotten themselves into captivity. Psalms and Proverbs are popular to read. I do make a point to read them once a year at least, but I cannot get stuck there. I have to see the Word of God as a gift and not just pieces for me to take apart because I like them best. It may be easy to just stay in one book like Psalms, but we could be limiting our prayer and devotion life to the emotion part only. The same as if we only read the New Testament.

2 Corinthians 11:3 (AMP) But I am afraid that, even as the serpent beguiled Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted and led away from the simplicity of [your sincere and] pure devotion to Christ.

The enemy, the devil, is cunning and will try to twist the words like he did with Eve and like he attempted with Jesus in the wilderness. His goal is to get you to question the Word and to question the character and nature of God. We may not understand everything that is in the Word the first time we read it, or even if we read the same passage 10 times, but can we trust God? Jeremiah did not understand why he was going through such hardships, but he trusted God at His Word, and joy returned to him. You cannot be strong and courageous without the Word. Jesus is the Word. Jesus is the Truth. Therefore, the Word is Truth. I cannot abide in Jesus separate from the Truth of the Word. I am strong and courageous because I am now in Christ, standing firm on the Word of the Truth. Everything pointing back to Jesus. He is the source of our joy and our strength.

God, You are worthy of honor and praise. We are in awe of Your majesty. Thank You for sending Your Son, the Word made flesh. Your Word is a light to our lives and we trust in You. Forgive us for not spending time in Your Word and giving Your Word first place in our lives. We have allowed the busyness of life to keep us from meditating on Your Word and have chosen to mediate on our worries. We repent for allowing deception to come into our minds when it comes to allowing our truths to override the Word of Your Truth. Thank Your for reminding us in Your Word that You love us, that You desire us, and that You want us free and whole. Thank You for sending Your Son to redeem us and restore us into that relationship with You. Your Word is Life. Your Word is Truth. Your Word is Power. I choose today to abide with Jesus, the Word, the Truth. You are the source of our joy and our strength. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Now what?

Hebrews 10:18 (AMP) Now where there is [absolute] forgiveness and complete cancellation of the penalty of these things, there is no longer any offering [to be made to atone] for sin.

It is finished! Atonement has been made. Now what? What happens now. Jesus rose, He lives. He continued the work. It did not stop at the cross, it continued through His resurrected life. That is the message to us now. Right after this ‘now’ statement comes my favorite word in the Bible, “Therefore.”

Hebrews 10:19-25 (AMP) Therefore, believers, since we have confidence and full freedom to enter the Holy Place [the place where God dwells] by [means of] the blood of Jesus, by this new and living way which He initiated and opened for us through the veil [as in the Holy of Holies], that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great and wonderful Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, let us approach [God] with a true and sincere heart in unqualified assurance of faith, having had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word]; and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds, not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.

How do you think the life of the disciples changed after that moment. The day Jesus appeared on the road to Emmaus, two disciples (not of the main 12) were discussing their brokenness of what had happened the previous days (Luke 24). They talked about His body not being in the tomb. They were talking to Jesus, but not being able to recognize Him. Jesus starts to talk to them about Moses and the scriptures of the prophets, referring to Himself (not knowing He was Him) as the fulfillment, encouraging them. Just when they realized, and their eyes were opened to the reality, His physical form left them again. What now?

Did they need Jesus’s physical presence for the hope to be alive? Did they need to hear Him speak the words for them to be true? My faith in Him, as He paid the price for my sins and rose in victory of death, is the confidence of my freedom. I am now free in Christ so let us…get back on focus!

Let us approach God with a true and sincere heart. I do not have to fear Him of punishment, but I am still in awe of Him. His Son ensured my cleanliness. His Son presents me to the Father as blemish free. My heart is true and sincere because it is not longer hardened. In Christ is all I need!

Let us hope again. There is a world out there hurting. Believers are hurting. Depression is at an all time high, inside and outside of the church. I recently came across this discussion on the depression triad: they have a negative self image, negative thoughts about their current circumstances and a hopeless view of the future. How do we hope again? Renew your mind in the Word of God. Confess it with your mouth and rehearse it. Trust God that He fulfilled everything through His Son.

Let us thoughtfully encourage each other to love and do good works. One of the biggest issues in our society today is depression, because it is self focused. Here me out before you get mad at that. The enemy is out to halt every part of you from getting the benefits of heaven. Why do you not think he would keep you bound if he could by centering it on your feelings? Do you have someone in your life that encourages you to pray for those outside of yourself? Do you have people in your life that talks about how you can help when something is noticed? Do you belong to a church, but actually take the time to talk with an get to know each other? My church attendance is not just because that is what you are suppose to do on Sundays. I am not in a hurry to leave when it is over, not even when we were not the pastors. Why? People matter. You matter! By keeping away you are rehearsing the lie that you do not matter. Let us gather with purpose.

Now we have access to every part of the heavenly Kingdom because of Christ…so let us act like it!!

Lord, we thank You for Redemption. You are mighty, powerful, just and merciful. Your goodness far surpasses our expectations. You are Holy. Your desire is for us to be holy. We know that starts in our minds, but would not be possible without Your Son. Now we stand in righteousness, now we stand in cleanliness, now we stand in fullness. Our trust and our hope is focused on You, not in what You can give us, but in who You are. You are Love so therefore we are love. You are Light so therefore we are light. Thank You for putting me among others to establish Your Kingdom here on earth. You unselfishly gave Your Son for us and we are choosing to see ourselves and others as worthy. Thank You for providing opportunities to show Your love in practical ways with the purpose for drawing others close to You. Lord, check our hearts, we surrender it to You. We desire You today! Our hope is in You today! We will share Your love today! In Jesus Name, Amen.