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God said, don’t quit

Hebrews 12:2 (MEV) Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

About eight years ago, around this time of year, my husband and I went through tremendous heart ache due to the church that we are leading. Some people that we love dearly decided that they did not want to be with us any longer. They had led and were very much a part of our life. They just did not want us to be their pastors, and it was due to an offense. We knew there were issues but did not know what. It was a punch in the gut, because they were not just a part of the church and leadership team, but they are also family.

My husband and I were at breakfast and talking about it just being too hard, and we decided to quit. We were going to give it up. We had taken on a financial giant, in running the church, and were paying for it personally, as the church did not have the funds to meet the needs. Not even five minutes after the agreement to quit came a phone call from a very trusted leader in our life. “God said, don’t quit.” Someone hundreds of miles away, not knowing the situation we were in, and God told him to tell us not to quit.

Daniel 7:25a (AMP)  He will speak words against the Most High [God] and wear down the saints of the Most High

The enemy wants to wear us down. I have to tell you, he has been busy at work lately. However, I put it together. He does not have a new trick, he wants to use the same ones and he will do them around the same time. Just like the seasons are there, so are the enemy’s schemes. This time of year again, I have been in a battle to not quit. He does it through the avenue of wearing us down. I have had two instances in the past two weeks of having to love through the hurts. Praying not to take an offense, to not take account of a suffered wrong, to not allow how others treat me determine how they treat them. Why? I am deeply loved and rooted and grounded in the love of Christ.

Did I have a moment to entertain what it would be like to quit? Yes. I imagined what it would be like and I grieved. I grieved because those thoughts were not full of faith. I had to cast them down and repent.

1 Corinthians 9:16-19 (AMP) For if I [merely] preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am compelled [that is, absolutely obligated to do it]. Woe to me if I do not preach the good news [of salvation]! For if I do this work of my own free will, then I have a reward; but if it is not of my will [but by God’s choosing], I have been entrusted with a [sacred] stewardship. What then is my reward? [Just this:] that, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge [to everyone], so as not to take advantage of my rights [as a preacher and apostle] in [preaching] the gospel. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to everyone, so that I may win more [for Christ]. 

I have heard it stated that when it comes to quitting church attendance, “my life is so much better.” When I imagined life without it, my heart ached. I cannot quit. Woe, is a word of grief. I have grieved because I have a deep love for people. I desire them to grow closer and deeper in this love that Christ has for us. I grieve when self wins over the life He desires for us.

Why do you think I have been challenged lately? I know. Just a couple of weeks ago I praised God for answered prayers. I encouraged you all to be patient in the waiting, but to also be faithful in what He has called you to right now. Don’t rush the solution, was a praise report of the faithfulness of our God. The enemy hates our praise. He wants to shut it down. Do not settle in for a pity party. Get you some confetti and start a praise party.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (AMP) So then, let us [who minister] be regarded as servants of Christ and stewards (trustees, administrators) of the mysteries of God [that He chooses to reveal]. In this case, moreover, it is required [as essential and demanded] of stewards that one be found faithful and trustworthy.

Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the spirit. I will not be very good at producing this fruit if I am not rooted and grounded in the love of Christ. I want to be trustworthy. I am reading Daniel and some of the things God revealed to him were because he was trustworthy.

Daniel 10:19 (AMP) He said, “O man, highly regarded and greatly beloved, do not be afraid. Peace be to you; take courage and be strong.” Now when he had spoken to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

The Lord has strengthened me. I am persevering in this time and looking forward to what lies ahead. I desire all that God wants for us in this life. The part that wants to quit, is a part of me that is still living and against the new life in Christ. I am asking the Holy Spirit to search within me. Reveal the areas that are broken and put them back together. I do not want to be deadened to what He calls glorious, His church. I am pressing forward. So here is a prayer I took from Habakkuk:

Creator, Abba, Father You are Holy. You are worthy of all Honor and Praise. Thank You for Your Son and the gift of the Holy Spirit. As with Habakkuk, though there seems to little fruit yielded and it is hard to see the blossoms, what has yielded looks to fall dead to the ground and rotted. We choose to focus on what has bloomed. We repent for making it all about us and self-focus. We choose to focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. We choose to rejoice in the Lord. We choose to shout in exultation in the victorious God of my salvation! The Lord God is our strength, our source of courage, our invincible army. He has made our feet steady and sure like hinds’ feet and makes us walk forward with spiritual confidence on the high places, of challenge and responsibility. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

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Hope: Women of Joy

Romans 12:12 (NIV) Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

This past weekend I had the joy of driving nearly six hours, to and from, the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. I was in the car by myself to meet up with a friend. We keep up with each other via Facebook, text and an occasional phone call. We met when I opened up a childcare center, eighteen years ago. Her oldest daughter and my oldest son are the same age, and she coached tiny tikes’ soccer for them that year. It has been over ten years since they moved out of the area, but we kept in touch. So, when she called me last year to ask if I wanted to attend this event with her, a year in advance, I said yes. She made all of the lodging arrangements and all I had to do was show up, she even purchased my ticket for the event. Coming from the planner in the family, it was a big deal of trust to allow someone else to do it for you.

I used to think you had to be special for God to use you, but now I know you simply need to say yes.

Bob Goff

I knew three of the four speakers on the line up for the weekend, Lysa Terkeurst, Lisa Harper and Jackie Hill Perry. The last time I attended the event I heard from Lisa Bevere. With Lisa Harper I have been able to attend other of her meetings. This was the first time to hear Lysa Terkeurst in person. I am a big reader when it comes to the Christian Living genre and those three Lisa’s are my favorites. Annie F. Downs was the unknown to me, however, I did enjoy hers a lot. The theme for the weekend was “Hope.” All four of the speakers had a unique message on the theme.

Lysa Terkeurst was the first night. If you know who she is, then you would know that she had gone through some heart break with the ending of her marriage the past few years. Her book “Uninvited” is what really helped me through the time of feeling like I was thrown away when I lost my job at a Christian non-profit over six years ago. Her base scripture was Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” When she found out her husband was being unfaithful, she hoped that God would keep her family together, she did not want to lose what she had. She had to be joyful in hope. She explained that God has told us to steward what He has given us, not to control it. Control led to anxiety, inviting in fear, depression and resentment. To steward meant she was going to trust God with the outcome, which led to greater faith, surrender and peace. She reminded us that we are to take heart, to take courage and to count it all joy. Then be patient in affliction. Look for ways and opportunities to bless others, keeping the focus off of yourself. Finally, and most importantly, pray continually. It is safe to present our requests to God. Pray for Him to show you someone to forgive. Pray for Him to show you someone to bless. Pray for Him to show you His goodness today. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8).” Lysa announced that she has remarried to an amazing man that has taken her family as her own. He cheers her on and she knows she is loved.

Lisa Harper was our opening speaker for Saturday morning. She makes the who room light up and will have you laughing so hard with her hilarious adventures. 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant and boundless mercy has caused us to be born again [that is, to be reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] to an ever-living hope and confident assurance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (AMP).” We have a living hope. We can rejoice because of this living hope. She read the story of Peter returning to fishing after Jesus was crucified, found in John 21. Jesus went to Peter before Peter said he was sorry. One of the biggest problems we have in the church is that we are quick to judge and slow to forgive. The key to living hope is to never forget that we need mercy.

The third speaker, Annie F. Downs, was new to me. I did purchase her book, “Looking for Lovely,” and am looking forward to reading it soon. She is a big fan of looking for fun and inviting others in. She often looks for opportunities to bring in non-believers. “The joy of unbelievers in your life is the joy of seeing God pursue them.” I am one of those who will look for opportunities to hang out with non-churchy people. How can I be the light if I only hide within other lights? When you live in the fullness of who Jesus is, you will change the rooms you enter. Her key verse was Romans 5:3-5 “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love (NLT).” We chase hope, by chasing joy, so chase fun. Fun always requires vulnerability. When you are vulnerable then you know that you are known and loved. Fun invites connection. Fun will help you remember what you may have forgotten. We need joy in us, for others. In Christ we are not without hope. “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it (1 Peter 3:15).” Be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have. We cannot only be friends with each other.

The closer for the event was Jackie Hill Perry, on Sunday morning. Jackie spoke of hope from the story of Hannah, as found in 1 Samuel. She talked about the importance of prayers of petition. Her first point was that they must be a problem. Before we send up a prayer to heaven it is because we have identified a problem on earth. Hannah’s problem was her infertility. She felt both internal shame, and external shame. When everything is bad, God is still good. Do not be tempted to redefine things by your circumstances, stick to the scriptures. Her second point was to identify the pattern. Hannah’s issue was not short lived; she struggled for years. Every year when she was supposed to worship, she was reminded and was provoked. Although she was experiencing the love poured out by her husband and his favor, she allowed the irritation of his other wife to depress her. She was not able to eat, means she was not able to commit to worship, she held back her worship. All she had space for was the grief. God is committed to eliminate all avenues of boasting in our lives. Jesus did not go immediately to Lazarus, so that God would the glory. What if God is committed to your sanctification more than your comfort. Her third point was the Petition. Hannah gets up and does not go to her vices to numb her anxiety, she goes to the temple to pray. Instead of bringing her emotions, she brought her whole self. She starts off her prayer not by addressing the problem, not by addressing the pattern, but the Person of God. She calls Him the Lord of Hosts. A name to boost her confidence. The Lord of Hosts can give joy where there should be grief. Everything we have is a gift, and she was going to commit to give her child back to Him. Sometimes we are asking God to give us things that we have not intention on giving back to Him. God will not give you an idol. Nothing we have is ours to keep. When she prayed, she prayed out all of her cares. When she released it, her countenance changed. Prayer of petition is more than getting what you want, it is putting yourself in position for peace to come. Are you desperate enough for Him? Hannah was made to be His created before she was made to be a mother. She worshipped freely in the release, before she had her son. The Lord is faithful.

I hope you enjoyed my notes from this weekend. They do not do it justice from being in the atmosphere of 10,000 women worshiping together. If I can encourage you to do anything is to say ‘yes’ to things that bring you out of your comfort, that will challenge you. In doing so, look for opportunities to bless others. Look for someone to love, to forgive and to show His grace.

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Loose Yourself

Isaiah 52:2 (MEV) Shake yourself from the dust; arise, O captive Jerusalem. Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

We have a black Labrador mix in our back yard. We rescued her from some woods many years ago. In a large fenced in yard, with lots of places to run and climb (she likes to climb trees), chase the squirrels, a wonderful source of water and fed daily. Yes, she still pushes the fence to find the weak points. Do you know where she goes when she gets out? To my front door. She does not want in the house, she just sits. She will get up and roam the neighborhood and then sit back at the door. The thing is we live within the city limits. We will get a fine for letting her go around without a leash. So, we have had to put her on a line with a collar, and a zip tie to keep it closed (she figured out how to remove it).

Unlike our domestic animals, that we responsibly keep within boundaries, we have been set free. However, the enemy has set a choke collar around our necks to keep us bound. When we try to speak our way into freedom, he uses the images of our past and our insecurities to stop our voices. Jesus took the keys from Satan (Revelation 1:18). He has set the captives free, that is us, when we accept His Lordship (Luke 4:18-19, also prophesied in Isaiah 61:1-2).

Matthew 16:19 (AMP) I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.

As kingdom citizens we have keys. So loose yourself from the bondage that is keeping you from your full freedom. The enemy has no right to any area of your life, unless you allow him. Remember, he is only like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). We have to loose ourselves from all the hurt, deep hurt, pain, sadness, grief, anger, hatred, rage, bitterness, fear, and bound and blocked emotions. We do not do it alone. We have the keys, we have the authority, it is His powers that empowers us.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (AMP) Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. 

I have taken a prayer from John Eckhardt’s “Prayers that Break Curses” and adapted it for us today:

Father, In Jesus’ name, I loose all members of my body, including my mind, memory, eyes, ears, tongue, hands and feet. I loose myself from the effects of bad memories, painful memories, and memories of the past that would hinder me in the present or future. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the authority given to me to bind and loose, I loose my emotions from every evil spirit that has come in as a result of experiences of the past. I command these spirits to come out, and I decree freedom to my emotions in the name of Jesus. I loose my mind from all spirits of mind control, confusion, mental bondage, insanity, madness, fantasy, passivity, intellectualism, knowledge block, ignorance, mind binding, lust, and evil thinking. I loose myself from all guilt, shame, condemnation, and legalism. I loose my will from all control, domination, and manipulation form Satan, his demons, and other people. I loose my will from all lust, rebellion, stubborness, pride, self-will, selfishness, and antisubmissive spirits that block and hinder my will. I break and loose myself from all chains around my will, and I submit to the will of God. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.