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What do you treat as common?

John 4:23-24 (AMP) But a time is coming and is already here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit [from the heart, the inner self] and in truth; for the Father seeks such people to be His worshipers. God is spirit [the Source of life, yet invisible to mankind], and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

The Father seeks such people to be His worshipers. Who are such people? Those are the people who search within themselves. Part of my growing deeper in my walk with God has to do with the inward change, not just the outward change. I do care about how I present myself, but it should matter more how I present myself to God. The biggest tell is how I treat going to church. In my culture we have watered down reverence so much to go so far from legalism that it has turned into lawlessness. What is the difference, not much, because neither reveres a Holy God. It is how we see God. We treat church as common, not really special, something ordinary. We have gone so far from the importance of it because of the few that abused their authority in it. So much so, that I am even watching how I approach people in my own church. The enemy has a done a good job of making sure that when we join together, we are still powerless. However, there is a remnant. There is hope. I am not writing just about my church, but the body of Christ in general.

Psalms 145:18 (NLT) The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.

Isaiah 29:13 (NLT) And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.”

He also requests that we worship Him in truth. That is the opposite of lip service. Lip service is not taking God’s Word as serious, but as common, no real change happens. It is not taking the promises of God as real. Those who offer lip service, and still go through the motions, have missed out on what reverence means. How we receive the Word (spoken and written) has all to do with the honor we give it. Reverence is shown in the fruit of our application. It has come to a point that a common treatment of attendance, in fellowship or even how we approach worship is normal. That reverence is now seen as radical Christianity. We have made it a point to get so far from the legalism that the church got into (that the building is not the church but the people) that it has turned out that we do not even attend services with a reverence for a Holy God. We treat it as common. Even if you do not show up for a service, it will be okay, I can catch it later online…but really what do I miss. That is a common thought life on what God tells us is important.

Ephesians 2:21 (NLT)  We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.

Hebrews 10: 24-25 (NLT) Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Acts 2:42 (AMP) They were continually and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to eating meals together and to prayers.

During my time in corporate prayer yesterday I was interceding for the body of Christ and God put this on my heart. He asked, “am I glorified in this?” How we approach our fellowship with the body, is He glorified in this? In how we gather together for worship and the teaching of the Word, is He glorified in this? When we meet each other in public, is He glorified in this? I had to admit to myself, no. He does not get glory when we treat what should be in spirit and truth as common, nothing special.

Romans 12:1 (AMP) Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.

Colossians 3:12-17 (AMP) So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive. Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in [unselfish] love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others]. Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Nothing we do as born-again believers should be common. We should not treat anything as common. We should be excited to gather together. We should be in awe of the gifts in each other’s lives working together. We should be beaming with joy at the growth spiritually in each other. I was so excited to hear how God was speaking to each one of us individually during our corporate prayer yesterday. There are places that I go every day of the week, as a schedule, but my schedule should not be seen as common. There I can worship God in spirit and truth. Every day is another day to give Him glory. Every time I come into the house of God to worship, I expect to hear God in a different way than I did when I was seeking Him privately. He is the same, but it is never common. It may look radical to you, but it is definitely not common.

Abba, our Father, our Jehovah, You are Holy. You are everything we will ever need. You are so Marvelous and Wonderful. Thank You for You Son, our Redeemer and our Prince of Peace. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, our Teacher and Comforter. Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your Presence that never leaves us nor forsakes us. Thank You for Your Mercy and Loving Kindness. We repent for treating our lives as common. We repent for acting like nothing special happens past us receiving Your Son as Savior. We repent for going through the motions of worship and not truly worshiping You in Spirit and in Truth. We repent for the lip service. Lip service does not glorify You. Our desire is to bring You glory, for Your Kingdom to be established here on earth. Check within us Lord, search within us, and remove anything that keeps us from growing deeper in You. You are anything but common to us. Your Word is a lamp to our feet. We take Your Word as special. Every day is special and new. We cannot wait to join in with other believers and glorify Your Name. We repent for not thinking meeting together as important to You. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Just like breathing

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (AMP) Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

Let us just be honest, the world we live in is a negative place, if you allow it to continue. Do you know what happens to your mind when you rejoice always? It starts to shape your world differently. As we should be interceding for all people (Ephesians 6:18), we have to stay alert by looking at prayer as a continual thing like breathing. That is why I have turned to breath prayers throughout my day.

Prayer should not be formula driven. What do I mean by that? I have to be in a certain room, with a certain book (other than the Bible), saying the same words every time at the same time every day. Yes you can do that, but that is not the only time God hears you. Jesus gave us a model in Matthew 6 on how to pray. With that in mind, we are able to pray through our days. Prayer was not meant to draw attention to ourselves, but to Him.

Luke 18:10-14 (AMP)  “Two men went up into the temple [enclosure] to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood [ostentatiously] and began praying to himself [in a self-righteous way, saying]: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the rest of men—swindlers, unjust (dishonest), adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes toward heaven, but was striking his chest [in humility and repentance], saying, ‘God, be merciful and gracious to me, the [especially wicked] sinner [that I am]!’ I tell you, this man went to his home justified [forgiven of the guilt of sin and placed in right standing with God] rather than the other man; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself [forsaking self-righteous pride] will be exalted.”

Pride has to be eradicated in order to pray throughout the day. To keep your eyes on the Lord is to keep your eyes off of self. A lot of negativity is because we think of self too often, how things will affect us. When we start to have those thoughts is where breath prayers become so vital. I am not saying I do not have a need; it is telling Him that I know He is the One I need.

Hebrews 4:16 (MEV) Let us then come with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Where is the throne of grace? Wherever you go, you should be walking as if you are continually in the throne room (1 Corinthians 6:19). That is why breath prayers are so important. That is why every conversation you have with others about His goodness is being recorded (Malachi 3:16). We have this confidence that He hears all prayers according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). We are not to be double minded in our prayers (James 1:8), doubting that God’s Word is truth.

Are breath prayers biblical? I believe so. “Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being” Genesis 2:7). We were formed in the likeness of God. With four words creation began, “Let there be light.” Life and death are in the power of our tongues (Proverbs 18:21). Let everything that has breath praise the Lord (Psalm 150:6). It is the breath in our lungs that we are to praise Him, that is what a breath prayer does. Here are a few of mine, I hope it encourages you to find some of your own as you read the Word.

  • I count it all joy. I have mentioned this one quite a few times. It is taken from James 1:2. It reminds me to keep my mind on the promise that even in difficult times, He perfects the work. The biggest work is to be done within, so I count it all joy because developing my faith in His faithfulness means there will be nothing missing.
  • You are my strength. This is from Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 18:2, and 1 John 4:4. It is a great prayer to pray when change happens unexpectedly. He is my help. He has got me. He is my God. There is no one greater.
  • You are my rest. This is taken from Matthew 11:29 and Exodus 33:4. We are to work in rest. When we get too focused on the task, we can get overwhelmed. When we know that He is with us, then we can rest in the work. Do not be afraid to move, He goes before You. Work in rest.
  • To You all the glory. This is taken from Romans 11:36 and Colossians 3:23-24. So many times, when we succeed or do something really well, we get praised for it. Then we can get a puffed-up ego. Our ego’s like to be fed, that is where pride sets in. How do you starve an ego? Give the praise unto our God. Everything that has been put into my hands and into my mind is because of Him. To Him all the glory is given.
  • No other voice but Yours. Taken from John 10:16, 27 and Romans 8:14. There are so many voices that are screaming for our attention. What may sound good is not necessarily from God. I shared about our ego in the “To You all the glory” prayer, this is one of the voices that we can choose to listen to. That is not His voice, it sounds like it because it comes from inside of us. The still small voice that you are listening for will bring peace, joy, faith and love.
  • Whatever is lovely. Taken from Philippians 4:8 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. I have to remind myself to think better of people. We are given discernment not to be critical nor judgmental but to intercede. We are to cast down vain imaginations that exalt itself above the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). Our thoughts are very important in our love walk. How I think will reflect on how I act. True love seeks the best for others.

These are just a few that I use. As you study the scriptures, make note of the ones that impact you to want to change. 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 (Hebrews 4:12). Let the Word do a complete work in you by keeping it on your lips throughout the day with breath prayers. That is why we meditate on the Word. The Word of God becomes a part of us and when times get tough, the next breath is a prayer. Peace be still.

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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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Dust of the earth

Genesis 13:16 (AMP) I will make your descendants [as numerous] as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the [grains of] dust of the earth, then your descendants could also be counted.

I do not know about you, but that sounds like a world vision to me. As numerous as the dust of the earth. God did not say just one part of the earth or territory. He was talking big. I was reading Joshua the other day and I got to the part that Caleb (one of the only two original survivors to come out of Egypt) was getting his land inheritance. I was intrigued by where he requested and I remembered something.

Joshua 14:11-14 (NIV)  I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.

I remembered reading about Hebron when I was in Genesis last month. So I looked up where I had read it before and it was in Genesis 13. Right after God gave this revelation to Abraham, Abraham settled in Hebron and made an altar (he and Sarah are buried there). This occurred after Lot and he separated. Originally, God told Abraham to leave his family and go to a certain land. Abraham left, but took his nephew, Lot. They had to separate because of land and resources for their livestock, so Abraham settled elsewhere. God spoke to Abraham about his descendants being as numerous as the dust of the earth. Abraham made an altar (his second one) in Hebron.

I looked up the meaning of Hebron. It means community, an alliance, also united. Now we can make this personal and say that God united with Abraham and that is what Hebron is about. However, God talked about Abraham’s descendants. This was not just about Abraham, even though it started with him. I believe God had His Son on His mind when He told Abraham about his descendants. When Matthew recorded the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, he started with Abraham and also made note that Jesus is a descendant of King David. Check out where David was anointed king (another time after Samuel did) and eventually ruled for nearly seven years.

2 Samuel 5:3 (AMP) So all the elders (tribal leaders) of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord; and they anointed him king over Israel.

1 Chronicles 12:38 (MEV) All these made up the men of war, arranged in ranks, who came to Hebron with a sincere heart to make David king over all Israel, along with the all the rest of Israel who with one heart came to make David king.

Hebron was nothing of significance in the New Testament, but I can see why. Jesus fulfilled what God told Abraham that day. Look at Galatians 3:29 (AMP), “And if you belong to Christ [if you are in Him], then you are Abraham’s descendants, and [spiritual] heirs according to [God’s] promise.” There is significance in us being one of his descendants, and it is not a selfish one.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (AMP) So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the [chief] Cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together, and it continues [to increase] growing into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, set apart, and sacred to the presence of the Lord]. In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Look at the big picture. That is what God was telling Abraham that day. Do not just look at the fact that we are citizens of heaven and, that we have the inheritance of Abraham. Stop fussing about titles and leaders in the church, it is all a distraction from the bigger picture. Look at what God said, and in the place He said it. As numerous as the dust of the earth in a location that literally means community. We are to be joined together. Unity of His people from the descendants of the faith of Abraham. Abraham trusted God and was referred to as His friend. We have to come together. We need community. In a community we care for one another and support one another. It was about us. I am one of those dust pieces. I am not insignificant, I am needed in the body of Christ and so are you.

Abba, our Father, our Good Shepherd, You are so Wonderful and Amazing. You are so Holy. Thank You for Your Son, the fulfillment of Love. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, the Teacher and Comforter. Thank You for Your Word, Your full Word, so that we can know You more. Thank You for the fullness of who You are. Thank You for Your Mercy and Loving kindness. You had us in mind from the very beginning. We repent for not seeing community as significant. We repent for trying to go at life apart from Your body. Thank You for being the same God and never changing. Thank You for the patience for us to see the bigger picture as revealed by Your Holy Spirit. We see now that You desired us united even from the beginning. We are Your workmanship and we are being built up TOGETHER for Your glory. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Peace like a river

Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

I had that dream again, the one where I am at on old job and I am utterly confused. In 2007, I opened a child care center to help with the finances of my church. We had bought this large facility and needed other forms of income. All profit went back to the church. About eight years ago I had to close it because of various reasons. Every once in a while I have a dream about still running it and being very confused. The confusion was that I do not remember buying the food to feed the kids and secondly, I do not remember making deposits and writing checks for payroll. Why are people still here? Then I remember that it is closed and nobody should be there. I woke up anxious.

What can give us anxious dreams? I have to remember that when I try to work out a problem, I am pulling on my own strength. When I seek the Lord about an issue, then I am getting His strength. I cannot divulge what is going on at this moment, but I can tell you that I am wrestling with my mind about an unresolved relationship. I have been in prayer about it for a little over a month, and God told me something yesterday that made me have to die to myself even more. I told God that I do not know if I can do it and be sincere. However, it is not about me, I want Him to get the glory for this.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In the books of Judges we read the story of Gideon, a man from the smallest tribe of Israel. God chose him to defeat the Midianite army. You can read his story in Judges 6-8. Gideon did not go looking to be a hero, he did not set out to bring peace to his land. However, there was a need and God knew that he could find someone faithful in Gideon. The army that he gathered was initially much larger than they ended up with. God did not want them to think they won the victory because of their strength, He wanted them to win it with His. So there goes Gideon with 300 men against an army. We know that there was victory for them and they had forty years of peace.

Judges 6:23-24 (AMP) The Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not be afraid; you shall not die.” Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah, of the Abiezrites.

At the beginning of the story, Gideon called God by the name “The Lord is Peace.” In other translations it is “Jehovah Shalom”. While shalom does mean peace it carries a deeper meaning of completeness and wholeness. Jesus is our Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). We are whole and complete in Him. This is what Gideon was rooted in to go out against such a great army. It is Jesus within that I have the strength to do the hard things. It takes two people to stay in strife, it only takes one person to bring peace to a situation. I want to be that one person. I want the other person to know that peace too. I want them whole and complete. No other reason than that they are deeply loved.

Isaiah 66:12 (AMP) For the Lord says this, “Behold, I extend peace to her (Jerusalem) like a river,
and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you will be nursed, you will be carried on her hip and [playfully] rocked on her knees.

Colossians 3:15 (AMP) Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always].

I am thankful to God for this challenge, it will bring even growth in myself. Above all I desire His glory to be manifested in the midst of this situation. I am calling on my Jehovah Shalom and wanting the peace of God to over take me like a river. Notice I did not say a babbling brook. These waters are not calm but His peace is there. I do not need to be anxious for the future, because He is the God of Peace. I am complete and whole in Him. Today’s breath prayer has been, “Lord, You are my Rock and my Shield.” My body has completely loosened from the tension of the morning. No other conversation needed other than between God and myself. Peace like a river.

Adonai, Lord, Jehovah You are more precious than anything we could ever imagine. You are our Jehovah Shalom. Thank You for Your Son, the Prince of Peace. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, our Comforter. Thank You for the growth opportunities. Thank You for the challenges that You see before hand and have prepared a way. You made a way in the wilderness. You are the same God. We repent for thinking we have to it all on our own. We repent for keeping our minds on anything other than You. We know that there are complication in life, but we are not without You. Thank You for giving us the strength to stand. We thank You for Your Word. It is Your Word that we find our source of life and strength. Your Word is like the freshest water to quench the deepest of thirsts. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Jogging Interruptus

Proverbs 16:9 (AMP) A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], but the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.

The year of 2025 I have dedicated to “Here I am,” listening for the God moments to change direction. This Monday, as I was at the gym, it was time for me to get on the track. For the past few weeks I have been able to jog some of the track. I am really excited about the progress I am making on my time. However, I was just not feeling too good. I was a little queasy and my head started hurting. Of which I thought was strange because I had not changed anything on my diet. I kept going on the track, but I walked.

As I am walking the track, I am listening to my worship mix and praying. Thanking Him for another day to glorify Him. Praying over my body to come back in line. Then I notice one of my older gentleman friends step out of his cycling class. He has his back against the wall and we smile at each other as I walk by. My next lap around and he is still standing there, we smile at each other and I walk by. The next lap another gentleman is talking to him, they are exchanging pleasantries, but I notice a change in his complexion, we smile and I walk by. I am done with my workout, but I am going to walk by just one more time. He is still standing there and his color is completely gone. I go up to him, touch his arm and said, “How about we go sit down? The color is gone from your face, so let’s go get you cooled off.” So there I am walking him to the bench, my hand inside his arm (as if he is leading, but my body in place to catch him if he falls back). To give you a picture of our contrast difference in stature, my friend has clearly got a foot on me and he is at the gym daily. He is older by a few decades, but is the sweetest man. However, I am ready to shield his head with my body if need be.

We make it to the bench and I go grab him a cold towel to put around the back of his neck. I stand with him and exchange small talk until I see the color come back to his cheeks. He can stand again and is much better. I make sure to linger talking to other patrons and talking pleasantries about their going on’s, while keeping an eye on my buddy. He is able to leave and I head out the door as well. All of my previous symptoms of head ache and nausea are gone and I praise God for slowing me down to notice. Then I remember the time Paul was kept back from doing good for better.

Acts 16:6-10 (AMP) Now they passed through the territory of Phrygia and Galatia, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor]; and after they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; so passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. Then a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man from [the Roman province of] Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” And when he had seen the vision, we (including Luke) tried to go on into Macedonia at once, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

What I love about this example is that Paul was in the process of moving when the Holy Spirit stopped him. All too often we tell God we are waiting on Him when we have stayed still. Paul went in another direction and yet the Holy Spirit stopped him again. In the movement Paul’s heart was still inclined to the voice. It is in our try that we can hear the voice of God, if we have ears to hear.

What if I had paid too much attention to my symptoms and decided to head back home? Before I leave the house every day I pray for God to give me an opportunity to glorify and honor Him that day. Looking for opportunities means I have to step outside of myself.

1 John 3:16 (AMP) By this we know [and have come to understand the depth and essence of His precious] love: that He [willingly] laid down His life for us [because He loved us]. And we ought to lay down our lives for the believers.

Eli and I were reading our daily devotion before he goes to school and this was today’s verse: “An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends,” taken from Proverbs 18:1 in the New International Version. An unfriendly person isolates theirself was the message of today’s devotion. That is not the message of Christ. If I only serve in church and my family then I have missed the message of Christ (this is for me because my kids are grown). I am still only pursuing what matters to self. I have limited God with my availability. I praise God for the interruptions. There was no other reward that I received other than that man felt cared for by someone that did not have to. Do you know what I go the next day when I saw him? A great big hug and thank you.

In the midst of my self care I was still available. I was the vessel to tell him that he was seen and that he mattered. God says that about each one of us. It is in the moments like Monday that it became tangible. Are we paying attention? I am glad I did not jog that day, I may have missed seeing what was most important.

Isaiah 6:8 (AMP) Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Father, thank you that we have eyes to see and ears to hear. You tell us the direction to go, we only need to be willing to move. Thank you for the interruptions to our plans for the better. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Let Loose of Control

2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

It has been seven years since it snowed here in Opelika, Alabama. Just last week, an hour and a half north of us had snow, we did not. The infrequency for snow here means we do not prepare our roads before hand. The snow started to fall around noon yesterday and a couple of hours later the roads were already getting impassable. My husband works in Georgia and he said that the interstate started backing up by the time he got off, at two in the afternoon. Some people were stranded in their cars all evening. Do you know how much snow we got? Less than three inches, not even enough to cover my foot.

One of my sons went out with a friend and they drove around an recreational all terrain golf cart. They walked down to the convenience store to get some drinks and just did what teenage boys do. Whatever came to their minds. He said he liked it when he drove the all terrain, but it was not nearly as fun as the passenger. He preferred to be in control. Why is that we want to call all of the shots? How different God is with such! We feel safer when we call all of the shots, but what happens when we let the Holy Spirit lead?

I am reminded about a story in Ezekiel. Ezekiel had a vision in Ezekiel 47. In his vision water was flowing from under the threshold of the temple. As the water was flowing through the outer gate they measured it four times. It measured ankle-deep, then knee-deep, then to the hips and finally the water had risen so high they could not pass through it. They had to swim. God revealed to Ezekiel in verse 12 (AMP), “By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They shall bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 (AMP) Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own [property]?

John 7:38 (AMP) He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’”

God is very intentional with His Word. That is why it is important that we see it as one voice. God will not contradict Himself and He always reveals His heart to us. The vision given to Ezekiel was in regards to how to divide the land to the Israelite tribes. When I read it this time, it reminded me of the rivers of living water that flows from us because of the Holy Spirit. What an illustration of the flow. It is not until the waters overtake me that I lose control. I can swim freely.

Have you ever floated in the waters? I have. I would spend summers at the beach and my favorite part was to get a donut shaped float, lay in it face up, and just float. I would float for hours. Keeping an eye on the shore. I knew where I was and knew how to get back to the shore. In the evening I would still feel the effects of the day, as I felt the floating in my sleep. That is what it is like to be engulfed by the Holy Spirit during the day. At night you should feel the effects and float.

Luke 6:47-49 (AMP) Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and obeys them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a [far-sighted, practical, and sensible] man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and yet could not shake it, because it had been securely built and founded on the rock. But the one who has [merely] heard and has not practiced [what I say], is like a [foolish] man who built a house on the ground without any foundation, and the torrent burst against it; and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

There are going to be times, like today, that you are not going to be in control. We are not able to travel outside of walking today. It just is not safe. I am okay with that. I am going to adhere to wisdom. Some do not like that because, “ain’t nobody gonna tell me what I can’t do.” What foundation are we building our homes on with that mindset? God is so different than the world. It is through my surrender that I have freedom. It is through me letting the flow of the rivers of living waters take over me that I have my security. Ankle deep is not doing it for me any longer. Sure you can fish in it, but what are you limiting yourself to? It is time to let loose of the controls.

Abba, our Father, our Jehovah, You are so Wonderful. You are so Holy. Thank You for Your Son, our Restorer. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, our Teacher. In Your Word it says that rivers of flowing water would come through us. We recognize that cannot be done without the surrender of our will to the Holy Spirit. Let us stop wading in waters that we still have control, keeping one foot on the shore at all times. Let us step into the overflow. Let us become engulfed so that true freedom can be placed in our lives. Let us be as you envisioned, fruitful and healing to others. You gave us all that You are through Your Son. Let us cultivate the fruit of love in our lives so that it is all that flows out of us. We repent for holding onto areas of control and when the trials of life took over us, we were not secure in You. We choose surrender today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Waste of 30 minutes?

Psalms 90:12 (AMP) So teach us to number our days, that we may cultivate and bring You a heart of wisdom.

Monday I spent a little too long at the house before heading to the gym. Usually that was not such a big deal but I have been wanting to catch Aldi when it opened to see if there were any half priced meat. I also had to fill up on gas before going anywhere because the tank was just about empty. So there I am contemplating on what to do. I could walk the track for thirty minutes to say I showed up. Then I had another thought, what could I do in the thirty minutes that would give my body the most impact? I started with a pre-workout drink, then I hit the weight room. I lifted weights that would target the zones that I decided to focus on (chest and triceps). I decided to finish it off on the track, but I was not going to just walk it this time. A girl my age and size we have to be cautious of injury, but that should not keep us from getting better. I jogged some of the track and gave it my all. In the thirty minutes I was at the gym that morning, I did not just show up, I was intentional with my time.

God planted a word within me at that moment. What if the body of Christ was intentional when they sought me in my Word? So many just read to check it off their daily to do list or to get their streaks (if you have YouVersion). I have been listening to Hearing God by John Bevere and the MessengerX team. Two scriptures came back to my remembrance. The first is found in Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:6 (AMP) But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.

He rewards those who earnestly and diligently seek Him. What is the point in our quiet time with God? What is the end result of our time in reading His Word? What is the motive in our prayer lives? We should be seeking Him. Not just seeking Him for our needs or for answers. We should be seeking to behold Him. God is omnipresent, but He also desires to be more than that in our lives. The second comes from Romans and this in from the Message Bible.

Romans 13:11-14 (MSG) But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!

We can squander our time. You may say that you do not have time to read the word for thirty minutes. How much time do we have to scroll on our phones or other devices to look at videos? It is ridiculous how many notifications my phone will give just so that I pick it up and look at it. I have to be intentional during my time with God that I put it away from me. Can you encourage your spouse to take time? That is something my husband and I do for each other. If we see that each other is studying the Word, but we want to talk about something, we will wait. We will take care of something for each other so that there are no distractions. When I am off focus, I stop, pray, and begin again. How long would you go without food for your belly? That is what it should feel like when we miss time in His Word.

James 4:8 (NKJV) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. I have to draw first. As believers we do the chasing. Again, it is not to get something from God. Do not be double minded in this relationship. If our motive is to seek Him to get Him to move in our lives then we will be disappointed when things do not happen like we think they should. When we dive into His Word, when we start to imitate Him, the desires of our heart starts to change. You will begin to know a deeper level of love like never before. Joy will not be something you cannot wait for, you will be clothed in it. Peace will abound in your life, especially in the times of struggle. Your attitude with start to change. Thankfulness will be just dripping from your lips.

After my workout on Monday, I felt the effects of it as I was leaving the gym. I lasted until the next day when I went again. For transformation to happen, I have to be consistent with anything. Just like I make it a choice to go to the gym every morning. I make it a choice to spend time in His Word daily. I make it a choice to know the person of the Holy Spirit. The joy of reading His Word is what I look forward to. The time in my daily studies is far better than the effects of my daily workouts at the gym. Both are necessary. One is better.

Lord God, our Jehovah, our Banner, You are more precious than all the riches of the world. You are Holy. You are Mighty. Thank You for Your Son, the Redeemer. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, He is our Teacher and Friend. Thank You for Your Word. We repent for the times we have squandered away moments that we could have in seeking after You. Your heart and face are what we long for. Holy Spirit, help us to be mindful of Your need for us. Your Word says that if we draw near to You, then You will draw near to us. We want Your kingdom expansion in the hearts of others, so that means we need to be prepared to share our faith with others. How can we do that if we do not know You? We choose to know You more. Thank You for leading us out of temptations of making this life about just our needs. We surrender daily to You. Thank You for knowing what we need and filling us to the full. Your desire if for us to be complete in Your joy. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose love today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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2025: Here I Am

Genesis 22:1 (AMP) Now after these things, God tested [the faith and commitment of] Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.”

We are eight days into the new year. A lot of times we like to hold onto scriptures about the new. For instance this one, Isaiah 43:19 (AMP) “Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.“I love this scripture and even have it on our vision board for the church. However, we can get so caught up in expecting the promise that we forget about the God of the promise. We hold onto the promise. God in Genesis 22 was asking Abraham to let go of the promise. Would He serve God more than hold onto the promise? Ultimately, God did not ask Abraham to sacrifice what he was willing.

God, here I am. My arms are wide open. I am in the process of reading the Bible from beginning to end and have started with Genesis 1 on January 1. I read five chapters a day and this week I have seen “Here I Am” as the words of readiness. Jacob was visited by God in visions and with both responses he said, “Here I am” (Genesis 31:11, 46:2). Both times God instructed Jacob to move. Move from a land he had spent decades in. When he moved it was not like we have it today. He was moving people, possessions and live stock. It was caravans moving, not a moving van.

Isaiah 6:8-10 (AMP) Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on listening, but do not understand; Keep on looking, but do not comprehend.’ “Make the heart of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed.”

I was asked this question this week, what should we be praying for the church? That God becomes real to us. That we stop going through the motions and desire a real relationship with God. You can listen and not hear. You can look and not see. This will happen until you surrender your ideas. We have the luxury of doing so much research that we have not need to sit and listen for His voice. We have access to so many books and teaching online, that we do not need to read the Bible for ourselves. We read the Bible through the lens of experience and not really listen for His voice. We depend on scripture taken out of context and wonder why God is not doing what I want. It is not until we surrender that we will be rooted and grounded in Christ. This is where love starts. We cannot love each other when we are only worried about ourselves. Serving only those we want to serve is really self-serving. Only reading what we like is self-serving.

“Here I am” is a heart position to be all in. It is a response to God that you are sensitive to His call. It is a willingness to listen and to obey His commands. “And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should also [unselfishly] love his brother and seek the best for him” (1 John 4:21). Seeking the best for others requires a lot of dying to self. That lines up with what Christ said we would have to do to be His disciples (Matthew 16:24-26).

So that new thing He is doing in me, has a lot to do with my surrender. God doing a new thing requires me changing. My husband works for a large car manufacturer. Every year they shut down at Christmas, and the processes change for the new car that will be made for the following year. Before the shut down occurred a training was done for the processes coming up. People got to leave their normal work stations and attend a class to learn what would be expected of them when they returned. Some paid attention, and some did not want to learn the new way (they figured they could use the old skills for this new build). That is not working too well for them. Just because you are in it a long time does not mean you will not face the consequences of not learning the new.

Mark 2:22 (AMP) No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the [fermenting] wine will [expand and] burst the skins, and the wine is lost as well as the wineskins. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

Galatians 5:25 (AMP) If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit].

Who is in control? It cannot be some of God and some of me. It has to be all of Him. That means I have to let go of the way I think it should go. That means I have to surrender even when I do not “feel” ready. That means I have to run when He says to run. That means I have to climb that hill even though I do not feel like it. To get in shape you have to submit to a good eating and fitness regiment. If you plan it, you get to take the breaks whenever you want. If you have someone else that you are accountable to, those breaks are not a part of the plan, and you have to submit to get the results. The “I will get there eventually” mentality has created slothfulness in the body of Christ. We have not taken the Word as real. We miss meals on the Word, but would not miss meals when it comes to our stomachs. Mark Batterson wrote, “If you are not hungry for God, you are full of yourself.” That is a heart check statement right there. Am I more hungry for God than the food on my plate? Can you put everything else aside and say “God, here I am.”

Abba, Father, we stand in awe of You. You are Holy. You are Marvelous. You are Righteous. Let this year be about getting our First Love back. Let us accept Your Son for all of who He is. That He came to make us Whole. That His Peace makes us Full. When we fall in love with You and we truly put You first, we will see everything else in it’s rightful place. When Your voice is first, all the other voices will fall away. When Your Word is first place in our lives, then all other distractions will disappear. When Your principles come first, then the promises of Your Word find their way into our lives. Let us get back to You first. Let us say “Here I am.” We repent for putting ourselves before Your Word, before Your voice, before Your leading. Let us open up Your Word and hunger for it like it is the best meal we have ever eaten. Thank You for Your forgiveness and that your Mercy is new every morning. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Gracefully Broken

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From the Stack of 2024

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (AMP) All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

At the beginning of every year I pull out a stack of books to read. My intention is to read from the stack, but as usual I see a new book, and I have to buy it and read it right away. Included in my books are devotions, Bible Studies, and my Bible. In the middle of last year I slowed down my momentum as I had allowed a distraction to dwindle out my hunger. Thankfully I have moved out of it and started reading again. I also started reading a verse at a time in Ephesians and really digging into the greek translations of some of the words, as well as, getting into the context of what Paul was writing for that book. I hope to complete it in 2025 and will share some deep insights. Like last year, I have pulled out a few books to get you some of my favorites. Here is what I read in 2024:

7 Devotionals:

  • Life in His Presence by Sarah Young
  • Emmanuel by Ruth Chou Simons
  • Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
  • From Faith to Faith by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland
  • Daily Devotions from Psalms by Joyce Meyer
  • Live in Grace, Walk in Love by Bob Goff
  • Be Joyful by Joyce Meyer

39 Books:

  • You’re Valuable to God by Terri Savelle Foy
  • Is God Speaking to Me by Lysa Terkerurst
  • Praying Circles Around Your Children by Mark Batterson
  • How to Pray by Joyce Meyer
  • Raised in the Pew by Re’na Garcia
  • Don’t Shrink Your Dream! Enlarge Your Faith! by Terri Savelle Foy
  • Humility the Joy of Self-Forgetfulness by Gavin Ortlund
  • The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller
  • The Three Battlegrounds by Francis Frangipane
  • Break Up with What Broke You by Christian Bevere
  • Living in Absolute Freedom by Donna Parton
  • Victory Over Darkness by Neil Anderson
  • Breaking Intimidation by John Bevere
  • Testosterone Matters by Gary Donovitz
  • A Heart Like His by Beth Moore
  • Get Out of that Pit by Beth Moore
  • Wicked Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler
  • The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller
  • Let it Go by Karen Ehman
  • It’s Not About You by Max Lucado
  • The Believer’s Authority by Kenneth Hagin
  • Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer by Dr. Myles Munroe
  • Unmasking the Jezebel Spirit by John Paul Jackson
  • Strategic Pastoral Counseling by David Benner
  • The Names of Jesus by A.B. Simpson
  • Do Yourself a Favor…Forgive by Joyce Meyer
  • Sheep Goats and Wolves by Mark Barclay
  • Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa Terkeurst
  • How to Always Reap a Harvest by Mark Barclay
  • Improving Your Performance by Mark Barclay
  • Six Ways to Check Your Leading by Mark Barclay
  • Avoiding the Pitfalls of Familiarity by Mark Barclay
  • Drawing Near by John Bevere
  • Finding God’s Life for My Will by Mike Donehey
  • Redefined by Arden Bevere
  • The Missing Read Letters by Mark Barclay
  • Are You Praying for the Wrong Thing? by Travis Greene
  • Supernatural Provision for Your Vision by Jerry Savelle
  • Raised to Stay by Natalie Runion

The Three Battle Grounds by Francis Frangipane: An in-Depth view of the three arenas of Spiritual Warfare: The mind, the church and the heavenly places. Spiritual Warfare is not some cookie nonsense. Now, there are some fruity some that Christians do that do not line up with the Word. First and foremost, there will be a constant renewal you will need to do with your mind. Your mind, will and emotions are what makes up your soul. Many Christians are still bound to what we call strongholds, there is freedom in Christ, but most Christians do not know how to access that freedom. “What men call “salvation” is simply the first stage to God’s plan for our lives, which is to conform out character and power to the image of Jesus Christ. If we fail to see our relationship to God as such, we will allow too many areas within us to remain unchanged. Pulling down strongholds is the demolition and removal of our old ways of thinking so that the actual presence of Jesus Christ can be manifested through us.” If we want to be effective in the body of Christ and bring Heaven down, then we need to start with some tearing down of some strongholds. The Battleground of the Church was very intriguing to me because of my love for the church. Here are the titles of the chapters in this section: The Lord Whose Sword is Drawn, Beware of the Stronghold of Cold Love, The Gift of Discernment, Eliminating False Discernment, Repairers of the Breach, God’s Army of Worshipers, Casting Down the Accuser of the Brethren. Here is what he has to say about those who claim they do not need the church, they just need Jesus. “To those whose attitude is, ‘I am content with just Jesus and me,’ I say it is wonderful that you have found Jesus. But you cannot truly have Jesus and simultaneously not do what He says. The outgrowth of love and faith in Christ is love and faith like Christ’s, which means we are committed, even as He is, to His people. You see, the kingdom of God is most perfectly revealed in our relationships with one another. To have the kingdom, we must be committed to one another as individuals and as churches.” We must also be aware of the Battleground of Heavenly Places. Remember we do not fight against flesh and blood, but no person should try to usurp control over your relationship with Christ. There are many voices trying to ring out, pay attention to the one that points to Christ. The anti-Christ spirit will hate conforming to the Word of God. This spirit hates when you talk about surrender. I spent a lot of time reading books on the Jezebel Spirit this year. I wanted to understand more. Basically, this spirit hates authority because they want to be in control. This is often birthed out of offense. All of this ties back into renewing your mind in the Word daily.

Drawing Near: A life of intimacy with God by John Bevere: I love reading John Bevere’s books. I also recommend getting the app MessengerX, it is free. There are so many courses you can view and podcasts to listen to. I was attracted to this book because my heart’s desire is to have a lifestyle of intimacy with God. I want to minister through the overflow. As we mature in Christ we learn the balance of works and worship. “Many well meaning believers have fallen into the trap of replace time with God with busy Christian lifestyles. This can also include the deceptive and continuous labor in ministry.” God dwells where we reverence Him (a healthy fear of the Lord) and we are within the realm of humility. We are still fighting our flesh here and one of those areas we have to fight against is the right to self. We should not be first place in our lives. I do not want to live that way anyways. It is too exhausting. James 4:6-10 (AMP) But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].” So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people]. Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin]. Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom. Humble yourselves [with an attitude of repentance and insignificance] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up, He will give you purpose]. The closer you live this way, the less you live for yourself. The opposite can also be found in us when we live for ourselves, we will be found in rebellion and pride. The defense of self is rooted in pride. Do you desire peace in your life? Get a hold of what God’s definition of humility is. I am so serious about wanting to get over this area that I also read two other books on the subject, Humility the Joy of Self-Forgetfulness by Gavin Ortlund and The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller. They are in my reading pile again this year.

The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God by Timothy Keller with Kelly Keller: Every year my husband and I do a message for Love Sunday, which coincides with Valentine’s Day weekend. This is one of the books I read to prepare for in 2024 and am still going back to some things in 2025. Do you want to know what the number one killer for a marriage is? Self-centeredness. Many go into a marriage thinking it will make their lives better. Spoiler alert. Marriage is a greater way to serve. When we look to anyone other than Christ to fulfill our every need, then we are going to be disappointed. Whether you are the husband of the wife, you are not to sacrifice for yourself but for the other. Ephesians 5:21 (AMP) Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. How we treat our spouse is a direct reflection of our reverential fear of the Lord. “Serving your spouse also means showing that you are committed to his or her well-being and flourishing. This kind of love is given when you seek to help your spouse develop gifts and pursue aspirations for growth. There is no greater way for Christian spouses to serve one another than to help each other grow spiritually. This means encouraging each other to participate together actively in church, in Christian community.” While traditionally marriage was for status, social duty and stability now it is seen as a way for personal fulfillment. Neither of these are completely wrong, but they are not completely right either. Ultimately if the gospel has not changed your mind and heart, you will not be successful in your marriage. This year my husband and I will be discussing the importance of your spouse and you being the best of friends.

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Familiarity by Mark Barclay: I actually read six books of his this year. We have access to as many books of his as we would like because he is a father in the faith to my husband. Pastors need pastors and Pastor Barclay is one we have called on. He shoots straight and is Word only. If it is not found in the Word then he will not preach on it. A pitfall of familiarity is the equalizer. A prime example in the Bible was Aaron and Miriam in the Bible. Read Numbers 12. Really it is a form of pride in our lives. This books is talking about familiarity in relation to our pastors, teachers, prophets, evangelist and apostles. Here is what he has to say: “If you do not esteem someone more highly than yourself (someone you consider more important than yourself, some you respect as much -if not more- than yourself, someone whose teaching and lifestyle you admire), then you will find yourself sitting at your own feet to learn. You will become your own teacher. That’s dangerous because the next step is that you become your own advisor; then you become your own counselor. The Bible states that only a fool thinks he is right in his own mind. It’s of utmost importance that everyone, including leaders, has someone whom they look up to. It’s a healthy relationship, not an abnormal one. The abnormal relationship is quite the contrary. When you thing more highly of yourself than you ought to think, you’ve made yourself your own leader in the Lord. You’ve set yourself up in a form of pride.” Familiarity will bring judgement and you will become critical. You will even lose confidence in those that are to speak into your life. This is an area of our life that is easy to fall into, Jesus even had to deal with it with His disciples. It will cause you to not believe the Word. Be careful. You do not have to stay in it. There is always hope and restoration. Miriam was restored.

Emmanual: An Invitation to Prepare Him Room at Christmas and Always by Ruth Chou Simons: I love doing a devotion just for Christmas. This year I started decorating my house on November 1st. It is still up will be coming down sometime next week. I believe that as much as we talk about the miracle of Jesus with us at Christmas should be talked about all year long. This devotion was divided into four sections: Our Posture, God’s Promise, Our Response, Our Messiah. Our posture and our response has a lot to do with receiving God’s promises in our lives. “Jesus is more than a baby, more than a beautiful miracle in a harsh world. He is more than a familiar figure sung about in festive tunes. Jesus is God with us – Immanuel, just as the angel of the Lord told Joseph.” What do you treasure? That is the whole message of this devotion. Yes there is a call to repentance in it. There should never be a time in our lives that we do not surrender. Is Christ your ultimate treasure? 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. A life transformed, Emmanuel, God with us. We can now abide with Christ. I dwell with Him as He dwells within me. I am forever changed.

It is hard for me to just pick out a few books, or just a couple. I love to read. Why read books like this? I desire to glean as much revelation as possible. When I read my Bible, He will bring back to remembrance other things I have read. My desire is to be in His fullness. What will I do with these books now that I am done? They are going back on my shelf to be read again at a later time. I already pulled out a couple to reread again this year. I want to grow deeper in His Word every year. I want to be a doer of His Word. People are important. I want others to grown deeper in God too. That is why I make time for discipleship. I want to be available for the opportunities to enlarge His kingdom this year like never before.

Lord of Lords, Kings of Kings, Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, You are who reigns above it all. You are Worthy of Honor and Praise. No other Name is above Yours. Thank You for sending Your Son to be the Lamb, the Root of David, the Word made flesh. We are walking in righteousness because of You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit now dwelling in us. We now can walk in the fullness You created us in. We repent for not standing on the truth of Your Word. We have fallen in the trap of lusting after our own gratification. We choose to surrender to Your Word, Your Will and Your Ways. As we read Your Word, let it be a Light and Beacon of Freedom. We choose to walk in Your statutes and precepts. We are casting off any exalted thought that does not line up with forgiveness and has misaligned us to take on jealousy, envy, bitterness, resentment and anger. We choose freedom this year. We choose joy this year. We choose hope this year. We choose love this year. Grow Your Love in us, so that it is all that flows out of us. We choose surrender this year. In Jesus Name, Amen.