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I do not have to live like this

Galatians 2:20 (AMP) I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Currently I am going through a line-by-line study of the book of Galatians. If you use the YouVersion App there are so many tools available to help with your study. When reading in the New King James Version it gave me a list of accompanying verses to look up. I was amazed at how many times Paul wrote about us being crucified with Christ.

Romans 6:6 (AMP) We know that our old self [our human nature without the Holy Spirit] was nailed to the cross with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.

Romans 6:8-11 (AMP) Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live [together] with Him, because we know [the self-evident truth] that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin [ending its power and paying the sinner’s debt] once and for all; and the life that He lives, He lives to [glorify] God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. Even so, consider yourselves to be dead to sin [and your relationship to it broken], but alive to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4-6 (AMP)  But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment). And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus

Colossians 3:1-4 (AMP) Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]. For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Ephesians 5:2 (AMP) and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

We no longer have to go through the motions of life. What I keep my mind focused on will determine how I feel that day. I choose to focus on the good, not saying there are not problems and trials that will come, but I choose to focus on the good. When we look ahead and think of all the things that can go wrong, what are we putting our trust in? I love reading verses like this. I am no longer a dead being walking this earth (my spirit man is alive). I do not have to go through the endless cycles that lead to being unfulfilled any longer. I am not waiting for something to happen for my happiness. I have everything I could every want now because of Christ.

I do not have to live any certain way anymore. The old way of fulfillment has been done away with. I am secure in Christ. Being crucified with Christ means that I get to walk in freedom. Condemnation comes because our flesh is wanting to defend itself. Conviction comes because the Holy Spirit is alive and is changing me from within. I have died with Christ so that my flesh can no longer rule. I do not have to live in fight mode any longer. I do not have to live in defense mode with those that I am supposed to do life with. I can live in peace and joy. I can have stability in my life. I can live a life of surrender, because that is how Christ lived.

John 14:20 (AMP) On that day [when that time comes] you will know for yourselves that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.

Christ in me. The Passion translation has Galatians 2:20 as this, “My old identity has been crucified with Christ and no longer lives. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives His life through me – we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that He gave Himself for me, dispensing HIs life into mine!” I am not trying to live anymore for myself. I am living this life in Him. I had asked God ‘how can we live our lives worthy of this calling?’ He gave me Ephesians 4:2-3, “with all humility [forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with patience, bearing with one another in [unselfish] love. Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful].” The possibility of all of this is because we have died with Christ. If we try to do this in our own selves, we will fail time and again and live lives frustrated and unfulfilled. We do not have to live that way.

Father, Adonai, Jehovah, You are so Marvelous and Wonderful. You are Holy and full of Majesty. Thank You for Your Son, we have died with Him so that we may live with Him as well. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, Your voice, our Teacher and Comforter. Thank You for Your Word. We choose to eat of it daily so that we are empowered to fight for the battles of our mind. We repent for living lives with emptiness and looking for other ways to fill our every need. We are choosing to see our identity in Christ and the fullness that He brings. We are choosing to not take on the dead things any longer. We can choose to think differently of others and our situations. You want us full of joy, so we choose joy today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Mind on the Cross

Psalms 22:1 (NKJV) My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?

We are in what we like to call Holy Week. It is the week from which Jesus entered the city on a colt and ending with Him on the cross, but we all know that was not the end. During this week, Jesus would have fulfilled nearly thirty prophecies from the Old Testament. He fulfilled nearly twenty on just the day of His crucifixion. Over three hundred during His earthly ministry.

I am drawn to His final words on the cross. For as long as I can remember, I have been thinking that He was in anguish, and physically He was. How was His mind? I have just completed Job this week and starting to read in Psalms. I have a love hate relationship with Psalms. I had never been big into listening to other people whine. As I have grown in Christ and in His love, my compassion has grown. However, I do tend to stay away from negative people. Negativity can be contagious. I have my moments of complaining like others, but I am quicker to correct it than before.

There are two quotes from Psalms that Jesus spoke on the cross. One is above, and the other is from Psalms 31:5, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” One to some may be of anguish, the other of peace. What if He was always at peace? Even in His physical anguish, He was at peace. We have heard the adage, “while He was on the cross, you were on His mind.” Christ was not double minded.

James 1:8 (AMP)  being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].

What if when Jesus quoted from Psalm 22, He was pointing to scripture for hope to His followers? Jesus often taught from Psalms, He quoted scripture all the time. So why this Psalm? Check out the last few verses:

Psalms 22:25-31 (AMP) My praise will be of You in the great assembly. I will pay my vows [made in the time of trouble] before those who [reverently] fear Him. The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; Those who [diligently] seek Him and require Him [as their greatest need] will praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down and worship before You, for the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s and He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust (the dead) will bow before Him, even he who cannot keep his soul alive. Posterity will serve Him; They will tell of the Lord to the next generation. They will come and declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born—that He has done it [and that it is finished].

What we center our minds on will be the direction our lives go. I could go one of two ways while reading Psalms. I can allow my pity and anguish to overtake me, or I can read it in its entirety and get the heart of what the writers were saying. Our hope and our fullness is in our God. Who is my greatest need? Is it my husband? Is it my kids? Is it that I have friends? Is it that I have money? My greatest need is my Lord.

When Jesus had us on His mind, He did not give Himself an opportunity to focus on Himself. Christ was the perfect example of humility. He literally died to self that day, the agony of it all was worth it for us. For the glory of the Father. They will tell of the Lord to the next generation. They will come and declare His righteousness to a people yet to be born (that was you and me), that He has done it and that it is finished.

So now when I read that part of scripture in Mattew 27:46, “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud [agonized] voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” What He was going through physically was not what He was allowing Himself to feel mentally. He won the battle that day and let the enemy know it. He was not double minded. He was firm and secure. He was seeing it to completion.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (MSG) And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no weekend war that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. That is what Jesus wielded that day on the cross. That is why we are to bind it on our minds. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith and salvation are our weapons. They were the same weapons Jesus used on the cross. God is strong, and He wants you strong. Reflect on the hope of it all this week. Jesus in our King and our Conqueror!

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Who do you want to be?

Do you remember the grade school assignments that we answered? The question about what we wanted to be when we grow up. I have a scrap book my aunt put together for me one year. It has all the things I wanted to be when I grew up. They were a school teacher, a nurse, a secretary, and even a model. I can see little pieces of each one of these in the person that I am today.

I was looking at something the other day and made the excuse that is just the way they are. Then God responded, “but is that who I Am?” Whatever excuse we use to act, say, portray or even react the question we should be asking, “Is that who I want to be?” Before you get upset about someone attacking how God made you, really ask yourself that question. “Is this who I want to be?” You really do not have to be that person. We have be empowered to be who we were really meant to be.

Ephesians 4:32-5:1 (AMP) Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you. Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]

Remember you are becoming, so it is a process. How does one imitate another? You first must study them. You would want to start imitating their speech and how they say things. You would imitate their actions and mannerisms. A good actor gets immersed in their character and they would not be able to tell the difference in who they are and who they are portraying. However, when we imitate God it should not be for just show. We should not be wearing Him as a mask. Our true selves should reflect Him.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP) Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].

Who do I want to be? I want to be genuine and caring. I want to be so full of His love that is all that flows out of me. I do not want to just be good, I want to be His. I want to think of Him more. I want to think of myself less (not less than). I want to reflect who I am, a beloved child of the King.

I was at an event the other night and noticed children running around just taking things. They were loud and demanding. They ate whatever they wanted or demanded it from us that were helping out. Come to find out they were the children of the leader. I do not believe they were imitating their parents, but they took advantage of who their parents were. That is not what it is to be children of God. The imitation we should reflect that we are growing in maturity.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (AMP) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom]. And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

I reflect true freedom the more I reflect His image. Changing my behavior requires a decision to do things differently. I have to make a decision to think differently. You will not act like God the first time you try. We sometimes have the wrong idea of Him to begin with. That is why it is important to really study the Word. You are constantly going to be going through the process. So put your whole heart and soul into it. Care for others genuinely, not just because it looks good. Speak life to others in their presence and when they are not in the room. Find a way to forgive instead of finding ways to shift blame away from yourself. Own up to it when you are wrong.

Psalms 51:10 (AMP) Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me.

Matthew 5:8 (AMP) Blessed [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God.

Who do I want to be? I want to be who He says I am. I want to reflect His image. I do not want to be like one of those who looks in a mirror and walks away forgetting what they have seen (James 1:23-24). I desire more of God in my life. I want to not hide behind a veil of excuses and put myself into a bondage of ‘what if’s’. I want to live in the complete wholeness of what Christ redeemed me for. The restoration process can be a little humbling, but it is worth it. My heart of surrender is what He desires.

So next time you do not like the way you responded or handled something, there is a reason for that. Ask yourself, “is that who I want to be?” The next time you see someone in need, ask yourself, “who do I want to be?” If you see someone come in to a room and they are all alone, ask yourself, “who do I want to be?” As children imitating our Father, one of the areas we should be reflecting is His mercy and loving-kindness. What kindness would you want shown and reflect that. Do not stop asking yourself “Who do I want to be?” It is a continual growing process so that we can mature in Christ.

Abba, Our Father, Our Banner, You are so Marvelous and Wonderful. You are more precious than all the jewels we could ever imagine. You are Holy. Thank You for Your Son, our Redeemer. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, our Teacher and Comforter. Thank You for Your Grace, Your Mercy and Your Love. We repent for holding onto an image of who we were before we were Redeemed by Your Son. You have a big dream for us and it has nothing to do with getting things from You. We repent for only looking at You as Provider when You are so much more. We were created to reflect Your image. That is who we want to be. We want to forgive like You forgive. We want to love the way You love. Thank You for showing us that it is a process and that Your Kindness is full of Grace. You have empowered us to live a big life. We do not want to keep it small any longer. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Road Trip

Ephesians 4:32 (AMP) Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

We can know all the scriptures, but if we do not put them into practice, we only have head knowledge. This is why experiences are important. My youngest son is starting back to school today. The past month I have taken him on some short trips to spend some quality time. In doing so we have met some really interesting people.

This past week my husband, myself and my youngest son took a drive through the Appalachian Mountains to do the 127 Yard Sale. We drove up to Frankfort, Kentucky and made our way down back home. We started on a Wednesday (to do some fun family things on the way up) and was home by Saturday. We spent every moment together, including many hours together on the road.

We met some really interesting people. We met a couple that retired from working for Disney. They were the coolest couple and shared of their many stories from working at Disney Land and Disney World. We got some pretty unique items from them, some to keep and some for our reselling business. We even talked to some people that transplanted from Alabama. Some people were a joy to talk with and some had hatred in them and it showed. One couple talked with ignorance and we introduced a different perspective, it was a great dialogue opportunity and we were able to share how life is how you perceive it. They could tell something was different and we shared the goodness of God. A few were deep rooted in their hatred and it was uncomfortable, and we grieved for them.

While we were gone we did see what was going on via social media. We talked about why it is important not to repeat a matter. We talked about why it is important to be informed before forming an opinion on a headline. We talked about still loving others even if you do not agree on an issue, and we should not treat anyone different because of that disagreement.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (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].

Loving like this is not easy. That is why Paul prayed like he did in Ephesians 3 (see verses 14-19). God desires for us to live full lives, rooted in Him. Without the deep knowledge of that love (through experience) we cannot love completely. We cannot even love ourselves right. This love is beyond natural comprehension and that is why Paul prayed for the power for us to comprehend it. We have to grow in the understanding of that love. We are to take hold of the truth and then define our lives on it. It no longer is something we have to contemplate, that fullness is practical, it is a reality. He makes us whole.

Ephesians 3:19 (AMP) 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].

(TPT) How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding – this extravagant love pouts into you until you are filled to overflowing in the fullness of God!

Jesus was full of compassion. Empathy is not a weakness and neither is compassion. “Empathy is the ability to emotionally understand what other people feel, see things from their point of view, and imagine yourself in their place. Essentially, it is putting yourself in someone else’s position and feeling what they are feeling (www.verywellmind.com).” Compassion literally means “to suffer together” (Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life).

Matthew 9:36 (AMP) When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them, because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd.

We spent four days together, but we got to meet people. People matter. How can we fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) without meeting people? We learned a lot about each other and about others. We did not look out for just our own interests, but were able to be a light to those that needed encouragement. What words do people use to describe how you make them feel? Do you leave people and they feel encouraged or do they feel drained? Are you the one that is demanding all of the attention or our you willing to be the support someone really needs? Are you about letting others get the first pick?

It was a great four days. We have just a couple more years until he graduates. There are so many more lessons that we need to teach him, but compassion and empathy have been two that we have modeled since he was a toddler. It takes a lifetime to perfect it, and we are still growing in it ourselves. We are have been graced for this through the empowerment of Christ. Live life to the fullest!

Father, our Creator, our Master and our Jehovah, You are so Marvelous and full of Majesty. We desire to honor You with our words and our deeds. Thank You for Your Son, who lived and became Your Love in human form. Thank You for the Holy Spirit to be our Teacher and our Guide. Thank You for the revelation knowledge that we receive when we apply Your Word. Search every part of us and mold us. You are the potter and we want to be strong in You. Break off the pieces and reform them into Your image. We repent for making life all about us and not living in the full potential that You Love can only bring. We choose forgiveness today. We choose faith today. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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How we treat people matters

Ephesians 5:1-2 (AMP) Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

How we treat people matters to God. I was in prayer yesterday and God told me to turn to Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin].” I am a context girl, so I read the verses around it.

Ephesians 4:29 (AMP) Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]. 

Ephesians 4:31-32 (AMP) Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

The Book of Ephesians was written to the church of Ephesus, which means it was written to people who had received Christ as their Lord and Savior. At the moment, my husband and I are in a series about Relational Maintenance and we are taking the verses from Ephesians 5 and breaking down how we can apply it to our every day lives. Like I said, I am a context girl and when I see the word “therefore” that means that this is not the starting point of the thought. We grieve the Holy Spirit when we are not becoming imitators of Christ. This is not referring to winning the lost, healing the sick and raising people from the dead. We have been given the authority to do that at sons and daughters, but it is not referring to your position as a child of God. As a child of God, that is an imitation of the Father, an ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20). Does my character reflect His? There are two words in the Greek that are used for son, teknon and huios. Teknon refers to child or heir, huios refers to maturity and the mannerism taken on.

Can I grieve the Holy Spirit as a born again believer? Yes. How? By not maturing into huios, becoming an imitator of my Father. What are some checks in myself? When I am talking are my words building up? Do I take the chance to tell it like it is about someone? Do I repeat a wrong? Do I spread resentment or strife? I had someone do that to me recently and it has taken me a moment to think better about the person they were talking about. They said something to hurt me out of spite and sow a seed of division to another. This was a person in our body of believers doing this. Did I correct them? There would have been no point because of their character (they are known for doing this). Instead I loved them and am choosing to walk in forgiveness.

When we mature we begin to walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. There are times that I am going to have to work on this more and more. How we treat people matters to God. When I become an imitator of Him I do not have to fear grieving the Holy Spirit. I believe He is a God to be honored. I should honor Him with my full self, that includes my thoughts, words and actions.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (AMP) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom]. And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

Father, our Creator and Banner, You are so Marvelous. If we do nothing else but to just love You, that is all we need. Thank You for Your Son, for being the Restorer of our authority and fullness. Thank You for the Holy Spirit and the power that You have entrusted us with. We repent for not being imitators of You and for the words we have spoken in vain against Your body. Let our tongues be submitted to You. We are choosing to renew our minds daily in Your Word. Thank You for allowing us to partner with You in Your Kingdom expansion. We choose to see people the way You do. Let us have eternal eyes when we speak and treat Your people. Let us be true children of You and imitate You in all we say and do. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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31 Days in…now what?

Proverbs 1:7 (AMP) The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence];
But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.

January is the time of year when we often make New Year’s Resolutions or begin a new Bible reading plan (often starting with Proverbs), or we participate in the 21 Day Daniel Fast, or we simply live like nothing has changed. It is either because we think that something magical resets in us on the first day of the new year, or we simply don’t care. In all honesty, nothing happens unless you are intentional. Only when you put God first will lasting change occur.   

When I think of reverentially fearing the Lord, I often think of the parable of the talents. This is what Jesus had to say:

Matthew 25:14-30 (MSG) “It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money. After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’ The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’ The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’ “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’”

Reverentially fearing the Lord means not taking His love for granted. The gifting and the light He has given them will not be hidden away. However, the fear that the third servant displayed was not grounded in His love. It was grounded in the fear of punishment. This love is twisted and perverse.

1 John 4:18 (AMP) There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].

I find it amusing that when you point back to the Word and point out what the character and nature of God is, you are labelled as judgmental or callous. I want to help you rethink the issue with compassion. The rejection I feel resembles digging out a deep root that is part of my self-worth. It’s digging up the roots of “not being wanted.” I have to remember the second part of the top verse: “arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom, instruction, and self-discipline.” I never want to be associated with arrogance, but confidence is sometimes mistaken for arrogance. Where does the differentiation occur? Pride! Confident people are humble. In contrast to an arrogant person, a humble one will accept correction. Arrogant people believe that self-control restricts freedom. In humility, self-control is understood to be the fruit of love that is rooted in reverent fear of the Lord.

Where did you decide to begin in 2022? My goal is to increase my knowledge of the Word of God, not just attain, but also put it into practice. When I am not a doer of His Word, what good is knowing the Word? I let the apathy around me keep me from being Christ’s hands and feet. In my reading of Matthew 24, verse 43, the scripture says, “But understand this: If the head of the household knew when the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.” I had to repent and tell God that I was sorry that I had let the thief rob me of what I desired. As a result of allowing the thief to steal away my joy in serving, I had to repent. God’s Kingdom is too important for that.

Let’s welcome the second month of 2022. If you didn’t start it with intention, you don’t have to wait until January 1, 2023 to do so. You can start right now. If you fall down, get back up. The intent is what matters, not the perfection. Let’s be intentional this year!

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Friendship Strained

Hebrews 10:24 Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love.

Have you ever had it happen where you knew someone and you did things together, but all of a sudden they dropped off from your life? Being a pastor, we have it happen quite often. It is one of the hardest relationships with people to navigate, but it is also the most rewarding. Like anyone else, if I did not get joy out of seeing the light come on (fresh revelation being revealed to them personally) then I would not be doing it.

Yesterday, my husband and I were walking around a local thrift store. He is a big thrifter and likes to find items to resell. My kids and him have a Youtube channel called Bama Pickin’ and Grinnin (click on the link to see what they have been up to). I saw someone out that I had not seen in years. I went up to them and said hello. I was met with, “I did not know you were in here,” as their eyes darted in all directions but me. I complimented her on some things and then went on my way. I wondered, what had I done to muster such a look of discomfort from an old friend.

My question was, did I offend them? What stronghold are they holding on against me? Then my heart hurt for them. I never want to spur others to anger. I want to do what the above scripture says. I prayed their hearts would be softened to the Holy Spirit and prayed Luke 6:36-37 (AMP) over them and myself: Be merciful (responsive, compassionate, tender) just as your [heavenly] Father is merciful. Do not judge [others self-righteously], and you will not be judged; do not condemn [others when you are guilty and unrepentant], and you will not be condemned [for your hypocrisy]; pardon [others when they truly repent and change], and you will be pardoned [when you truly repent and change].

There are always two sides to a story (more than one perspective). When we do sit down and talk to each other, really listen to each other. Just because a person has a different perspective than you does not mean they are your enemy, or that they are wrong (this is not talking about the Word of God). The body of Christ is stronger when it is unified and not divided in an issue. So let us (Ephesians 4:32 in the amplified) Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

Is it really worth holding onto something for so many years? Is it really worth losing compassion? Is it really worth hardening your heart? Christ forgave me, therefore, I need to be readily and freely ready to forgive others.