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Taken for Granted

Jeremiah 5:22 (AMP) ‘Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Do you not tremble [in awe] in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, an eternal decree and a perpetual barrier beyond which it cannot pass. Though the waves [of the sea] toss and break, yet they cannot prevail [against the sand ordained to hold them back]; though the waves and the billows roar, yet they cannot cross over [the barrier]. [Is not such a God to be feared?]

My word for 2023 is ‘Presence.’ Often we think of His Presence as His Blessings. His Presence is so much more than that. His Presence should not be ‘me’ focused. His Presence is all about Him. Our faith and honor are a reflection on how much of His Presence we really want. I was in prayer yesterday about getting ready for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Tomorrow we will be inviting people into our homes, or we will be traveling to someone else’s home, to share a meal. I do not know about you, but I start my planning about a month before. I have lined up when I need to purchase certain items. I check out the stores for when the turkey goes on sale for 49 cents a pound. I start planning my cooking schedule so that items will be fresh, but I can still enjoy the company of those we are to fellowship with.

It reminded me of how we also need to prepare our hearts. Holidays are not easy for everyone. Sometimes we do not see family but once or twice a year. Some family or friends have become estranged because of things that have been said or done, or perceived to have been said or done. My prayer was that we would not take for granted His Presence. How can we do that?

I went back to the beginning. Cain and Abel were bringing God an offering of their firsts (Genesis 4). Abel’s was accepted and Cain’s was not. God addressed Cain about the issue. Cain instead of correcting, had murder in his heart and carried it out. What happened to Cain?

Genesis 4:13-14, 16 (AMP) Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Your face (presence) I will be hidden, and I will be a fugitive and an [aimless] vagabond on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” So Cain went away from the [manifested] presence of the Lord, and lived in the land of Nod [wandering in exile], east of Eden.

What was so unbearable to Cain? He no longer had the Presence of the Lord. He took it for granted. There is nothing more disparaging than to not be in His Presence.

Can a believer have a murderous heart? Yes we can. How we speak of others is a reflections of our hearts. When we gossip and slander (damaging statements) it is like commiting murder. When we imagine scenarios of vengeance or one-uping each other we are not desiring the best (we are not exemplifying love). When we have arguments in our minds (we are fighting flesh and blood). What does this end up doing within us? I do not know about you, but I can tell I am in the wrong, especially when I am not at peace and have no joy. Ephesians 4:29-30 says, “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]. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him]“. How I speak (or even think) can be displeasing to Him.

2 Corinthians 3:17 (AMP) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].

1 Chronicles 16:27 (AMP) Splendor and majesty are [found] in His presence; strength and joy are [found] in His place (sanctuary).

Psalms 16:11 (AMP) You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Have you been searching for true freedom? Have you been chasing happy? Have you made statements of “I will do it when” or “I will be happy when”? The Lord is the Spirit and where He is there is freedom. Where He is there is joy. How about trying surrender? I surrender my mind, my will and my emotions to God. I surrender my words and my thoughts. I give Him access to put my heart in check. I give Him the ability to fight the battles so that He wins. It is not worth taking His Presence for granted. I want Him more. We can focus on Him and fellowship with those that have hurt us. That is what love is all about (seeking the best for others, no matter what). This does not mean I change my mind or have to accept anything contrary to the Word of God. How are people to receive the gift of salvation if they are not drawn by the Holy Spirit? How are they to draw if people who are filled with such are not around? Just like Jesus, we should desire freedom for all. You take the Presence of God with you wherever you go. Do not take that for granted. Surrender how we speak and think and allow Him (His Presence) to come forth.

Father, our Banner and Maker, we stand in awe of You. You are Holy. You are Mighty. You are Marvelous. Thank You for Your Son. Thank You for sending Him to take on our sins and redeem us to our purpose. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank You that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now dwells in us. Thank You for the written Word and the revelation Knowledge as revealed through the Holy Spirit. We surrender our mind, our will and our emotions to You. We tried doing it on our own. We repent for harboring unforgiveness and resentment. We repent for thoughts and words that defiled Your creation. We choose today to forgive. We desire You Presence. We know that in Your Presence is fullness of joy. In Your Presence is freedom from bondage. We surrender our expectations and choose to live in Your freedom. We choose love today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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When we are vexed and distraught

Psalms 18:6 (AMP) In my distress [when I seemed surrounded] I called upon the Lord and cried to my God for help; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry for help came before Him, into His very ears.

Psalms 120:1 (AMP) In my trouble I cried to the Lord, and He answered me.

When we have problems, who do we need to run to? I was having a problem in my mind yesterday. It started with a bad thought towards someone from something they shared on social media. I started to analyze it and dissect it. Why? Secretly I was hurt with this individual. It was nothing they had done to me personally either. I was judging their fruit against the post and how to me it seemed they were trying to find spiritual speak to defend their reasoning (half Word is not Truth). This vexed me because I was not thinking right and I knew it.

What did I do? I went to God in prayer about it. I did not ask Him to change them, I asked Him to change me. Help me to have a pure heart, Lord. Why? I want to be effective in His Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (AMP) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love [for others growing out of God’s love for me], then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction]. And if I have the gift of prophecy [and speak a new message from God to the people], and understand all mysteries, and [possess] all knowledge; and if I have all [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love [reaching out to others], I am nothing. If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good at all.

I do not want to be a distraction in the Kingdom. Therefore, I need to cast down the thoughts that have a distraction, or try to vex me, to truly love the way He wants me to love. Love is not a feeling, it is the ability to be selfless. This is not the same of thinking less of myself. When I take up imaginations that are not believing the best for others, then I am not loving well. I am actually starting to live for self.

1 John 5:1-5 (AMP) Everyone who believes [with a deep, abiding trust in the fact] that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) is born of God [that is, reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose], and everyone who loves the Father also loves the child born of Him. By this we know [without any doubt] that we love the children of God: [expressing that love] when we love God and obey His commandments. For the [true] love of God is this: that we habitually keep His commandments and remain focused on His precepts. And His commandments and His precepts are not difficult [to obey]. For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God]. Who is the one who is victorious and overcomes the world? It is the one who believes and recognizes the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.

How do I know that I am victorious in this love thing? I keep surrendering it to Jesus. I am making it a habit to keep His commandments and to remain focused on His precepts. His commandments and precepts are not difficult to obey when I keep my eyes on Him. Did I not just battle though? Yes I did. I chose to surrender. I chose to repent. I chose to change my focus to love Him first. I chose to pray blessings and wisdom over the individual. I chose forgiveness, so I can lead in love. I do not have to feel like loving to choose to love. Love is self sacrifice.

Amanda chooses to endure with patience and serenity, Amanda chooses to be kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; Amanda chooses not to brag and is not proud or arrogant. Amanda chooses not to be rude; chooses not to be self-seeking, chooses not to be provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; Amanda chooses not to take into account a wrong endured. Amanda chooses not to rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Amanda chooses to 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]. Amanda chooses to submit to the love that never fails, that is in Christ Jesus (taken and adapted from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Take the Word and apply it to your life as well. When we surrender our will to His then it will become less burdensome. I enjoy His commandments, because with them I am free from the condemnation that my thoughts being so weak brings. When I am distressed I should run to Him, not away. He is where my help comes from, especially in my love walk. What do you think His commandment was?

John 13:34 (AMP) I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another.

Mark 12:30-31 (AMP) and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.’ This is the second: ‘You shall [unselfishly] love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Lord, we honor You today with our praise and thanksgiving. We are thankful that we can run to You in times of distress, even when it is self inflicted. Thank You for sending Your Son to live a life without sin, to die on the cross and rise victoriously from the grave. We know that He is interceding for us at Your right hand. We thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we can recognize when our thoughts do not line up with the Truth of Your Word. Thank You for the Word of Knowledge that we receive when we spend time with the Holy Spirit. We repent for not coming to You sooner. You care for us, even when our thoughts become distressing. We thank You for being strong when we are weak. We choose to surrender our thoughts and our hearts to You today. We choose forgiveness for others and ourselves today. We choose love today. We choose hope today. We choose faith today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Heart Check Moments Ahead

A couple of weeks ago we were doing a “Highlight Night” with our youth group. This is a night when we invite our youth to bring their Bibles and we all share scriptures that we have highlighted. Then if that scripture was something we want to highlight, we get a highlighter and highlight it ourselves. We ask them what spoke to them about that particular scripture.

One such passage was James 4:11 (NKJV) Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

Such a strange scripture for a teenager to have highlighted, right? Our teens are looking at us. I used this opportunity to teach a little. I explained to the teens that the Book of James was a letter written by James to a group of Jewish converts to Christianity. That we can be just like this group if we do not keep our hearts aligned with Philippians 4:8 (AMP) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.

I did point out that, yes, we are known by the fruit that we bear. That although we are not of the world, we should not look like the world. I did remind them that the Jesus spoke to us about when we see a fellow Christian sin (Matthew 18:15). All of this is in love. One thing is we have free will.

Can we believe that God still changes hearts? Look at what Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:12-16 (AMP): I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has granted me (the needed) strength and made me able for this, because He considered me faithful and trustworthy, putting me into service (for this ministry), even though I was formerly a blasphemer (of the Lord) and a persecutor (of His church) and a shameful and outrageous and violent aggressor (toward believers). Yet I was shown mercy because I acted out of ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord (His amazing, unmerited favor and blessing) flowed out in superabundance (for me, together) with faith and love which are (realized) in Christ Jesus. This is a faithworthy and trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance and approval, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost (of sinners), Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example or pattern for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

Can we believe that God still changes hearts?

Why did the verse our youth member strike a chord with me? Maybe they have had an experience like I did. Many years ago I was in an argument with a leader in our church. I forget what it was about, but their response was because I did not agree, and they were above me in leadership, that I was going to hell. Heart check moment! I told them I guess both of us were, since neither of us had worked out this love thing yet.

Let’s look at James 4:11 but in the Passion Translation: Dear friends, as part of God’s family, never speak against another family member, for when you slander a brother or sister you violate God’s law of love. And your duty is not to make yourself a judge of the law of love by saying that it doesn’t apply to you, but your duty is to obey it!

Brothers and sisters in Christ do not have to agree to show love. We violate love when we judge. Remember that tomorrow on election day and every day. I am not anxious about who wins. I have been anxious about how the “church” is going to treat one another. I have seen so many posts from both sides, by supposed followers of Christ, and it breaks my heart. You will be known by the fruit that you bear. Remember that. I care more about the unbeliever watching that my own rights!

Prayer for tomorrow: Father, let us see each other the way you see us. You said that everything is permissible for us, but not everything is for our benefit. It is through your drawing that we are lead to what is for our benefit. Let us be mindful of you tomorrow. Let us be mindful of the sacrifice your Son made. That we have a High Priest is able to sympathize and understand our weakness and our temptations, yet knowing what it is like to be human, did not sin. It is with great confidence that we approach your throne of grace. We have confidence and do not fear of what is to come. You can do the impossible within us! We praise and thank you in Jesus Name, Amen!