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Running to or from purpose…God still can

Micah 6:8 (AMP) He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), and to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?

I am not one who watches the news. I do have somewhat of idea of what is going on with the world, but I do not want to be consumed with it. There are those who have it on quite a bit of their day and to me they do not have that joy, peace and love that God tells us we can have an abundance of. What I have seen lately is the unrest and protests in France. The cause of it and the reason for it I cannot know for certain. I do see some showing it is a protest of students. Some show it is a takeover by immigrants. Whatever it is, we must pray for both sides. Those beautiful building I had hoped to see one day in person are in ruin, but the people there are more important.

God has a heart for people, whether they worship Him or not. There is only one way to the Father (our God) and that is through Jesus (John 14:6). We are to pray for all people. God has a heart for all people.

2 Timothy 2:1-4 (AMP) First of all, then, I urge that petitions (specific requests), prayers, intercessions (prayers for others) and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in [positions of] high authority, so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This [kind of praying] is good and acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who wishes all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge and recognition of the [divine] truth.

What would a good Sunday school be like if no one told the story of Jonah and the whale? I love the Veggie Tales movie they put together about Jonah. The pirates that don’t do anything song is one of my favorites. Jonah is a minor prophet in the Old Testament. The book is only four chapters, so it is a pretty easy read. It starts off, “Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim [judgment] against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” But Jonah ran away to Tarshish to escape from the presence of the Lord [and his duty as His prophet].” (Jonah 1:1-3) Jonah ran away from the presence of the Lord. It was not just the message; it was who God is that Jonah ran away from.

Why Jonah? God knew Jonah would run. He knew Jonah’s heart and his contempt for the people of Nineveh. Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, showed nothing but hostility toward Judah and Israel. According to the book of Jonah, it had about 120,000 inhabitants (Jonah 4:11). It was a polytheistic nation, worshipping idols and many gods. Jonah’s flight was no surprise to God—He knew Jonah would end up in the belly of the fish. In fact, God was counting on it.

There is the importance of that fish. One, it was a place for Jonah to contemplate God. Jonah confessed his transgressions against God and vowed to do as God asked. “But [as for me], I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I shall pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is from the Lord!” So the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land. (Jonah 2:9-10) Second, it reveals a type and shadow of Christ, Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three day and three nights. Jesus was in the grave for how long? Third, God knew who they would listen to and how. Jonah was spit out on the shores of Nineveh, who also worshipped a false god called Dagon. This was depicted as half fish and half man. Those shores were not empty, they saw a man coming out of a fish’s mouth. When the word of the Lord came, they listened and took it to heart.

Jonah 4:1-2 (AMP) But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still in my country? That is why I ran to Tarshish, because I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness, and [when sinners turn to You] You revoke the [sentence of] disaster [against them].

It was not according to the heart of Jonah; it was the heart of God that they repented. God is gracious, compassionate and great in lovingkindness. No one is too far gone for God. As long as they have breath in their lungs there is hope. Love always hopes. They can be so far from God that He sends a runner to fulfill His purpose.

Provers 22:6 (AMP) Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Luke 15:20 (AMP) So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

There is so much we can learn of the heart of our God if we would just get in His Word. People can run from His Presence, but He still calls out to them. The Holy Spirit draws us close. I raised two good boys. They have both ran from God. Both attend church. One I know is not living with God right now. He may live in our home, and we raised him up showing him a life of faith in Jesus. He is friends with the world right now. Do you know what we do? We love him. We do not reject him. We do not exclude him. We might not agree with everything he does or the people he chooses to be around, but we know that the Word has been planted. Running is not a departure. Love always hopes. Who knows what will happen and who he will bring back with him. Who knows the people he will be able to reach because of compassion and mercy. Yes, we serve a just God, but we are not at the judgement seat yet. Love always hopes and looks ahead.

Do not have a heart towards sinners (people) like Jonah. Jonah did not want to see them forgiven. His story ends on a cliff hanger. We know that Ninevah was overtaken by the Babylonians and was never to rise up again. They held off on destruction once, but it did not last because their hearts changed back to their old ways. That is the ways God does. He is a God of second chances. His lovingkindness lasts forever. Love always hopes.

Colossians 3:12-14 (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].

These are the qualities I want to maintain, and if I pay attention to outside sources, I might be influenced in how I choose to dress. I want to have a heart of compassion, kindness, humility and gentleness. Patience is like a muscle that needs exercise (cultivating the fruit of the Spirit), and if I let Him, He will shape me to endure whatever comes my way with a positive attitude. Unselfish love does not seek my benefit; it lays it down even when I do not understand. Love prays for those that may not deserve it. It is not up to us who get for the forgiveness of God. Woe is me if I try to play the judge, and woe is me if I don’t want someone to have a second or third chance. Love always hopes.

Abba, Father, our Banner, You are Mighty and Wonderful. Holy is Your Name and Holy are Your Ways. Thank You for Your Son, our Restorer. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, our Counselor. Thank You for being the God of second chances. We repent for standing in the place of judge to decide who You should forgive or not. Our job it to pray, love, have compassion and forgive. Let us grasp a hold of what Your redeeming love really is. Thank You for never giving up on us when we ran. Thank You for having purpose in us even when we did not deserve it. Your ways are better than our ways. Forgive us for trying to explain things we have no way of understanding yet. We put our trust in You. May Your will be done, not ours. We pray for every parodical right now. We are not giving up on the promise. Thank You for growing patience in us as we maintain good attitudes in the waiting. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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It’s not worth it

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) 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 love this verse. We can cast all our cares on Him. I want to put this into context for you. This is a command to holiness. The preceding verse if very much attached to this one, and even all the way back to chapter 4. The reason is because we will all go before the judgement seat, “For it is the time [destined] for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not respect or believe or obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17) Also, you can find it in 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities].“

Does the fear of judgement cause you to want to run or hide? It causes me to want to do both, but not in the way you would think. I run and hide in Christ, not due to shame or guilt, but because of His great love. If as a believer it makes you angry when you are reminded that you will be called before the judgement seat, discover the why in yourself. Read the full above verse in context.

1 Peter 5:6-11 (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]. Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.] After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen.

Pride is the root. It’s symptoms are not just anger, but can be fear. How do I rid myself of pride? Just like perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), His perfect love will also cast out that pride. It takes humility to be rooted and grounded in Christ’s love. It takes humility to cast what is bothering you to His feet. It takes humility to allow the Holy Spirit to dig into your wells and pull out all the contaminates that keep you from running your race well. It takes humility to forgive, even when the other person does not ask for it. It takes humility to see the best for others. None of this can be accomplished without a deep love of Christ. This is not a one time confession either. This is a life long pursuit, and I am not always going to get it right. If I did, then there would not be a need for the Holy Spirit.

Are you questioning your salvation? How can one be assured of their salvation. Do you have a relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit? ‘Knowledge of’ and ‘relationship with’ are two different things. Our salvation was not to attain knowledge, but to attain His face. He wants a relationship with us. In a relationship it has give and take. If all you want is the gifts, then that is not a real relationship. If you are not willing to give of yourself and not willing to grow into holiness (because that is what His presence will do), then that is not a relationship with our God. When it comes to having more knowledge or having more of His presence, I will choose His presence. Here is the thing, He will give you knowledge when you desire His presence.

Read Hebrews 10:26-31 and Matthew 7:21-23. This is not meant to scare you, but to draw you closer to Him. If you are scared because you deserve punishment, there is still hope. Have the confident assurance that when you make Christ your savior, repent and surrender your life, you are redeemed. You can stand right before God. The rest is up to you. Casting all of my cares has to do with my mind, my will and my emotions. These are the parts that make me unique. They are also the parts that can cause me to not want the things of God. They are the areas that will hold onto pride. I decided, for myself, that holding onto things that did not glorify Him are just not worth it. What do you treasure? I treasure His Presence. I treasure being rooted and grounded in His love (unmovable and unshakable). Nothing is worth more than that. My reverential fear of displeasing God has nothing to do with punishment, it has to do with my great love for Him.

Abba, our Father, our Maker and our Banner, You are so Wonderful. Thank You for sending Your Son to live, die and come back to Your right hand. He is making intercessions for us because of Your great love. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. We receive all that He has for us. We thank You for Your Word and for the Body of Christ. We grow in our relationship with You when we apply what you have gifted us with. We repent for trampling the blood of Christ by holding onto our own ways and by allowing pride to rule and reign in our lives. Nothing in this world is as valuable as You. The fear of the judgement seat was taken away when You sent Your Son. It was not just for the judgement, it was also for the restoration. We desire and long for You. Thank You for Your Presence, let it not depart from us. We desire You. We choose love today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. We choose hope today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Sisterhood of the wounded

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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