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My Treasure

Isaiah 33:6 (AMPC) And there shall be stability in your times, an abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the reverent fear and worship of the Lord is your treasure and His.

I love this verse. This verse has been on the cover of my Facebook page off and on for the past few years. How much do you desire stability? Stability in our lives makes us feel more secure and safe. You may be saying, ‘look at the things going on in the world, do they look stable?’ Right now there is a war in Israel. The United States just launched an air strike against Iran in retaliation for the attack that killed three American soldiers. Let’s not talk about the price of everything going up and the interest rates. Are those the things we look at to gauge stability?

John 14:27 (AMP) Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]

An abundance of salvation. This my heart leaps for because I want to see the captives set free. As I have written before, ‘Sozo’ is the Greek word for salvation. It means to save, deliver, heal, restore, to be made whole. In Hebrew it means deliverance and redemption. We cannot separate salvation from the need of repentance. I grow in my salvation when I realize I have a great need for Christ. I have to remind myself of that daily, because Amanda still likes to live. I so much want to surrender to that Sozo life.

John 10:10 (AMP) The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

How many of us would like more wisdom and knowledge? I know I would. That is why I read every day, if I am able. Most days I am able to spend a couple of hours to read. I know that it is a something that not everyone is capable of doing. I did not start out with a couple of hours. I started out with maybe five to ten minutes. I had to make it a priority in my life. I make sure that i am at least reading a few verses from my Bible every day. When I am at the gym, I am listening to the Word being taught. I love the Messenger X app. It is completely free and is tool from Messenger International, a ministry of John and Lisa Bevere. Reading without application really is a form of disobedience. I will go further in that in my last point.

Joshua 1:8 (AMP) This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read [and meditate on] it day and night, so that you may be careful to do [everything] in accordance with all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful.

The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is your treasure and His. This is where i want to sit for a moment. This fear is not of failure nor of punishment. It is ‘God, am I honoring You?’ Once we receive salvation we become new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). I am now called into the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). I am now an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). God gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) and the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). Jesus gifted us with five fold ministry (Ephesians 4:10-11) and the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12-13). The fear of the Lord is also a gift. It is even a treasure. I take the Word very seriously, even the commands that Jesus left us. I am constantly allowing the Holy Spirit to put me in check because of the fear of the Lord. One verse really stood out to me this past week:

Exodus 20:7 (AMP) You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain [that is, irreverently, in false affirmations or in ways that impugn the character of God]; for the Lord will not hold guiltless nor leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain [disregarding its reverence and its power].

Most of us were brought up with warning of not saying ‘oh my God’ or ‘Jesus Christ’ as response to be startled or in the heat of an argument, as in taking the Lord’s name in vain. How about how we live our lives as Christ’s ambassadors. Are we selfish? Are we self seeking? Do we put others down? Are we putting ourselves first? Do we take an account of a suffered wrong? Are we slandering? Do we stir up gossip and strife? All of these are taking the name of the Lord in vain. I have started to take this very serious in my life. I have written before that my prayer this year has been for God to increase His love in me, so that it is all that flows out of me. That requires me to submit to His cleaning some things out of me. Boy has this been an eye opener and stretching of my faith. The love walk is not an easy one. However, with the right training, it can become something we enjoy. I have to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. FYI, those who just talk it and do not live it actually come off unloving. It is truly a humbling thing to go back and apologize. Asking for forgiveness is an essential part of our love walk. I have to continually die to the rights of Amanda.

I go to the gym five days a week, not because it helps me looks good. I go because it gives me strength that I am going to need one day (we all get older). That is why I submit to the Lord. It is not about me looking good. Every day I need that strength to go through some really tough things. I know that I am being watched by people. I know they are writing down my words. That can be a really scary thing. In James it talks about the great weight it is to teach the Word (James 1:1). People hold you to a higher standard. Then it talks about if anyone who does not say the wrong thing then they are perfect (James 1:2). I am not perfect. I do misquote things, not with the intention of twisting their meaning, but in my zeal for the Word. Why do I do it then? Honestly, I would rather not be doing it. Like Paul, I am a bond-servant to it (Galatians 1:10). Even if my words are judged, it is His Word that brings freedom. I am in awe of who He is. I cannot keep it to myself.

When I focused on the reverent fear of the Lord, as my treasure, things began to change in my life. Stability is in my time. I am not afraid for the future or what is going on around me. I am quicker to repent and put into practice what the Word says (James 1:25). I take it seriously. I have an abundance of salvation. I have more life, more hunger, more thirst, more contentment, more wholeness like never before. Wisdom and knowledge started to chase after me. The light bulbs started going off. The way I present the Word changed. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of wisdom [its starting point and its essence], and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding and spiritual insight (AMP).” My relationship with God is so much deeper than I could have ever imagined. He is not some distant God. He is not a God that cannot be reached. He is my secret place. I am surrounded by Him. The more I enter in, the more I am consumed by Him. He desires to meet with us face to face. He desires to commune with us like we read about with Abraham and Moses. We can have that. I do not need anyone to write books about me, when He has written the best one (Psalms 139:16, Ephesians 2:10). His authorship did not do away with my free will, I will still have to give an account (2 Corinthians 5:10). Focus on Him. Honor the Lord. Let Him be your treasure.

Yahweh, Elohim, our Master, our Creator, You are Holy. We do not need anything but You. Thank You for Your Son. Thank You for the Way that You provided, established at the beginning. You are the Author of the beginning and the end. Thank You for the Holy Spirit. We are alive in You because of that great gift. Thank You for the gift of Your Word, of the five fold ministry, of the body of Christ. We are sorry for the times we took these gifts for granted and did not hold them dear. Thank You for the gift of the righteous fear of You. You said that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. We desire Your Wisdom. We desire Your ways. We desire the stability that only You can bring. We repent for seeking out anything or anyone that would take attempt to take Your place. Thank You for the gift of salvation, for restoring us to wholeness. Thank You for forgiveness, let us be courageous in giving it away freely. We choose hope today. We choose love today. We choose forgiveness today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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From the Stack of 2023

Joshua 1:8 (AMP) This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall read (and meditate on) it day and night, so that you may be careful to do (everything) in accordance with all this is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will be successful.

At the beginning of the year I pull out a stack of books to read. Often as I read, I will purchase more due to the recommendation of the author. Including in my books are devotions, Bible Studies, and (not pictured) my Bible. I was asked to pull some nuggets from some of my favorites. Here is what I read in 2023:

3 Bible Studies:

  • Ephesians by Joyce Meyer
  • Finding I Am by Lysa Terkeurst
  • Steps to Freedom in Christ by Neil Anderson & Steve Goss

6 Devotionals:

  • Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
  • From Faith to Faith by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland
  • Love Out Loud by Joyce Meyer
  • Jesus Calling for Christmas by Sarah Young
  • Awaken by Priscilla Shirer
  • Live in Grace, Walk in Love by Bob Goff

20 books:

  • The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller
  • Humility, the Joy of Self-Forgetfulness by Gavin Ortlund
  • A Woman’s Walk with God by Elizabeth George
  • The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
  • The Well Watered Woman by Gretchen Saffles
  • No Back Doors, The Charles Graham Story
  • What Every Believer Should Know About Spiritual Warfare by Marcus Warner
  • The Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson
  • Understanding the Wounded Heart by Marcus Warner
  • Setting Your Marriage Free by Neil Anderson
  • The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
  • The Nature of God by David Yonggi Cho
  • It’s Not How You Look, It’s What You See by Lisa Bevere
  • Loving God with All Your Mind by Elizabeth George
  • The Awe of God by John Bevere
  • God Still Speaks by John Eckhardt
  • Setting You Church Free by Neil Anderson
  • The Answer to Anxiety by Joyce Meyer
  • Becoming a Discipleship Making Church by Neil Anderson
  • Killing Kryptonite by John Bevere

Finding I Am (How Jesus Fully Satisfies the Cry of Your Heart) by Lysa Terkeurst: Lysa Terkeurst is one of my all time favorite authors. Of all the Lisa’s she is the one I have not seen speak in person. I have seen Lisa Bevere and Lisa Harper, but have yet to make it to a conference to see Lysa Terkeurst. Finding I Am was a study I did in 2020 and I decided to bring it to the ladies of my church for a small group. This study takes you through the seven “I Am” statements of Christ. What I love is that it even shows Christ at the beginning in Genesis. My favorite “I Am” statement is “I Am the Vine”. In John 15, Jesus tells us that we are to be connected to the Vine to bear much fruit. In order to bear fruit, there must be times of pruning, and that is actually when the gardener (or God) is closest to us. The pruned branches of the vine resemble a cross and that is us transforming more into the image of Christ. I have to choose to remain in Him on a daily basis.

Love Out Loud, 365 Devotions for Loving God, Loving Yourself, and Loving Others by Joyce Meyer: Joyce Meyer is another author favorite of mine. Her testimony of overcoming bitterness and anger from her childhood trauma is inspiring. Love Out Loud is a devotion that I have read over and over for the past few years and have decided to retire to start another one of hers. The heart of Loving Out Loud is to be intentional. Matthew 22:37-39 (AMP) And Jesus replied to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’

Awaken: 90 Days with the God Who Speaks by Priscilla Shirer: This was a recommendation by a friend. Priscilla Shirer also wrote Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God is Speaking that I read in 2022. This devotion reminds you of the importance of God’s Word. An excerpt with her prompt: “When you’re tempted to put yourself in a better position by bending a biblical principle, stay anchored to the right path. When the Spirit alerts you to a ground rule (which feels in the moment to be unnecessary and inconvenient), don’t recoil in rebellion. Deny yourself and follow Him. Run to win. Trust your Father to keep you on the winning trajectory, the one that leads to hearing ‘well done’ and enjoying the long-lasting satisfaction of eternal accomplishments – the only achievements that really matter anyway.” What are some basic, biblical guidelines you’ve gotten away form prioritizing? Ask the Lord to bring them to mind. “But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22 CSB

The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith by Gretchen Saffles: This book was recommendation from my Amazon shopping due to the other books I have ordered. Some quotes:

  • The earth that was made to bear fruit would now also bear thorns and thistles, pain and disappointment, suffering and sorrow. In our struggle with jealousy, thorns grow. In your bitterness against the person who betrayed you, thorns grow. In your desire for something that God hasn’t given you, thorns grow.
  • I have learned firsthand that even if the roots are bad, hope is not lost.
  • The gospel uproots the lies buried in our souls and plants truth in their place.
  • Maybe you feel like weeds and worries are the only things growing in the soil of your life.
  • God can take the Babylon of your life and make it into a beautiful place of revival and restoration. But first you must plant a garden. You must surrender you own plans and purposes to exchange for His, which are far greater than anything that you could conjure up in your human nearsightedness.
  • True success begins in total surrender, in exchanging self determination for Spirit-led discipline.

This books encourages you to get closer to Christ through His Word. Allow the seed of the Word to flourish in your life. Allow it to do the work in you to uproot everything that keeps you from the freedom He desires for you. Replace that root system with Him.

The Awe of God: The Astounding Way a Healthy Fear of God Transforms Your Life by John Bevere: John Bevere is another author that I read from every year. I also ready Killing Kryptonite this year. Everyone of His books are going to point back to the topic of reverencing God and honor. John writes, “The person who fears God doesn’t say within themselves, ‘How close can I get to the line of sin and not fall in?’ No her or she says, ‘ I want to be so close to God, and so far away from that line, that I can’t even see it.'” Another great insight was into the three images we hold about ourselves: “Every human being has three images of themselves: a perceived image, a projected image, and an actual image. Our perceived image is how others see us. Our projected image is the way we desire others to see us. Our actual image is who we really are, and while it can be hidden and unnoticed by others, it’s fully visible to God. If I am self-focused, then I’ll seek to project an image that will cover my known inadequacies. If we succumb to the pressure of comparison, we highlight our shortcomings and in turn self-promote or self-protect, and it all begins in our motives and intentions.” When we realize that it is God who we are pleasing, then it changes how we present ourselves. He already knows the real us. My lack of fear puts out our a projections, my holy fear of Him enables me to live who I actually am. There is freedom.

God Still Speaks: How to Hear and Receive Revelation from God for Your Family, Church and Community by John Eckhardt: This was a book I wanted to read because I had read Destroying the Spirit of Rejection from him in 2022. The way God communicates with me is often prophetically. Did you know that when you are speaking out His written Word that you are prophesying? He also gives me vision and dreams. I do not like to draw too much focus on them because I think we have fancied the prophetic anointing that we lose focus on the Word giver Himself. It is important to have a submissive and teachable spirit. John writes, “As they minister spiritual gifts, it is extremely important for all of the saints of the local assembly to truly remain a submissive and teachable spirit toward their pastor and their local leadership. The pastors and other leaders have been given the responsibility to be shepherds for both the people and for those who are ministering in their gifts. Input and correction given by those in authority should be eagerly received by saints, who should desire to manifest their ministry in a way that will compliment the philosophy of the local church. No prophetic team member should ever assume that he or she does not receive direction or correction form the pastor. (See Proverbs 12:15).” The prophetic anointing is often seen as confrontational. Our desire is to see the body of Christ to be fruitful. They truly do love the church.

Understanding the Wounded Heart by Marcus Warner: I also read What Every Believer Should Know About Spiritual Warfare by this author. In both books he uses the acronym for WLVS (wolves). It is a spiritual term of the enemy, satan. WLVS stands for Wounds, Lies, Vows and Strongholds. “Wounds are like plowed soil. Lies are like seeds. Vows are like vines. Strongholds are the fruit that grows on the vines. Strongholds are unwanted fruit such as anger, depression, anxiety, shame and addition.” What we rehearse in our minds become what we believe as truth. Here are some examples: “My father ignored me, so I believe I am worthless.” John also writes, “If people are going to see real transformation, they are going to have to deal with root level issues.” God wants us to be honest, sometimes that reveals things that we don’t like about ourselves. He can work with that. Christ wants to be what we are rooted and grounded in. What does the devil want, “He gets us to fixate on the facts that ‘prove’ his point, and he distracts us from those facts that might give us a different perspective.” The enemy wants to distract us from the truth of God’s Word.

No Back Doors: The Charles Graham Story: Charles is a long time friend of my husband’s family. I first met him as a teenager. Before we married, we would travel to California, and my husband would stay with Charles. He took us to the Six Flags and Universal Studios while we were there. He sang at our wedding and stayed at our apartment when we were on our honeymoon. He spoke at the service that changed leadership from my husband’s parents to us, for the church we now pastor. Charles has always been the model of hospitality. When I read No Back Doors I was more enamored of the love of Christ that Charles really exudes. It is not fake. Charles grew up in rural Arkansas on a farm that his family worked on. He grew up when they desegregated schools. God took him from rural Arkansas to travel the world to minister the gospel, not to mention the tremendous voice he has to sing. He now owns the mansion that farm is on. He really demonstrates the love and forgiveness of Christ.

Becoming a Disciple Making Church: A Proven Method for Growing Spiritually Mature Christians by Neil Anderson: I read four books by Neil Anderson this year. This was my first. In reading his books, it was recommended to read the books by Marcus Warner. Everyone of his books also points to his study, The Steps to Freedom in Christ: A Biblical Guide to Help You Resolve Personal and Spiritual Conflicts and Become a Fruitful Disciple of Jesus, of which I lead small group this year for my church in the spring. Neil writes, “New believers must first become firmly rooted in Christ in order for them to grow in Christ, and live freely in Christ.” There are different levels to growth. They all must point to Christ. Chart on levels of Growth from the book:

The Bondage Breaker: Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational Feelings and Habitual Sins by Neil Anderson: Neil writes, “God never designed the soul to function as its own master.” Denying ourselves and submitting to Christ brings us out of bondage. We are all tempted in three areas: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. “There is no way you can cleverly word a prayer so that God must capitulate your will. That not only distorts the meaning of prayer, it is an attempt to manipulate God. The righteous will live by faith in the written Word of God and not demand that God prove Himself in response to their whims or wishes, no matter how noble they may appear to be.” When we are screaming for God to do something in our lives for change to happen, we must take an inward look. “Whose responsibility is it to submit to God and resist the devil? Whose responsibility is it to put on the armor of God, take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, stand firm in faith, and make no provision for the flesh in regards to its lusts? “ At the end of the book he takes you through the steps to Freedom in Christ as he does in his study. The biggest hurdle for most is that of forgiveness. He spends a lot of time in all of his books on this topic.

It is hard for me to just pick a few books, or just a couple. I love to read. I am sure you can see that. Why read books like this? I glean from others revelations. When I read His Word, He brings back to remembrance other things I have read. It brings a fullness to who God is. What do I do with the books when I am done? I put them on my shelf and pull them out again. I have pulled out The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller and Humility, the Joy of Self-Forgetfulness by Gavin Ortlund to read again this year. I have also pulled out X: Multiply Your God-Given Potential by John Bevere to read for the third time. My prayer is to always grow deeper in His Word, but also be a doer of His Word. People are important. When I grow myself, I desire to see growth in others also. Discipleship is not about making time for people, it is about making yourself available. I do not want to just make time for God, I want to make myself available to Him.

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.

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I cannot stumble in peace

Psalms 119:165 (MEV) Those who love Your law have great peace, and nothing shall cause them to stumble.

As I was reading Psalms 119 yesterday this verse jumped up at me. There are many verses in that section that I highlighted, but this one I meditated on a little more. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). What does that really mean? In Matthew 10:34, Jesus tells us that He did not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword. What! Then there is this block of verses that can be taken way out of context: “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his [own] household [when one believes and another does not].” (verses 35-36 AMP)

What is it about us that we are attracted to drama? The first place that our minds go to is that they just do not like me or they just do not want me. It stems from our root nature to judge the situation for ourselves. That is why we have to renew our minds daily. This is why we need to mediate on the Word daily. That is why the psalmist wrote, “those who love Your law have great peace.” The law here is the precepts or the first five books of the Bible that we have today. When the disciples led others to Christ, they did so by showing how Christ fulfilled the law (which means they knew it). When the thoughts of destruction or fear rise up that others are against us, we need to be grounded in the One who knows us.

John 14:27 (AMP) Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]

How can I not allow my heart to be troubled? I need to be rooted and grounded in His love (Ephesians 3:16-19). The hardest part of entering peace is first accepting that you are loved. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19 AMP). I read this yesterday and it really calmed the storm of what others perceive of me: “He does not love you with the hope that you will be like someone else,” Lisa Bevere. He does not love me hoping that I will become anything more than He has created me to be. I was created to be His daughter.

I am here to tell you that you may battle rejection. You may fight the urge to hide because you feel like you do not measure up. Our hiding place is in Him. We can walk boldly into that throne room of grace because of Jesus and His great love. When we do not walk in His love, we walk in fear. We will walk in the mindset that we are not accepted. We will focus on other things that will not line up with the purpose for our lives, that is to glorify Him. When we choose anything else we will stumble.

Philippians 4:8 (AMP) Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].

His Word is good and that is why we should implant them in our hearts. Direct your mind back to the Word. I cannot get focused on anything other than His Word. Yes, there are demonic spirits out there that want to tear down every ounce of peace that we have. However, we do not fight against people. We should never put our mouths against people. People are not trying to indoctrinate us or our children, the enemy is. When we know the Word, when we spend time in relationship with Him, we will know His voice. All those other voices can speak, scream or yell, but they will not have access to my peace. Why? Because I am rooted and grounded in His love. It is not a passive love. It is an aggressive and passionate love. A love that I will pursue after.

Father, I thank you for sending your Son to be the Prince of Peace. Thank you for changing my mindset of what Your peace is. Peace is not the absence of trouble, it is knowing that we are grounded in love. You are my hiding place and my fortress of peace. I love your Word and it will not depart from my heart. Thank you for the ability to renew my mind. I choose to focus on You today. I choose to walk in love today. Show me opportunities to glorify You today. Lead me through the still waters. I choose to listen to Your voice today. I am loved because You are love. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Happy International Women’s Day

I am a woman in ministry that is allowed to speak to the whole congregation on a Sunday. It is not an opportunity that I take for granted, because unfortunately there are many churches that do not allow women to speak outside of a women’s event or a youth/children’s ministry. This is quite sad because there were many disciples of Jesus, that were not men, that He sent out. It is sad still that today in mega churches (not all…Elevation Church and Transformation Church, well done!) that do not have a woman speak in a main service. The body of Christ is really missing out on this gift.

John 4:7-38 tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well. For those of you who do not know this story, I urge you to read it.  I will paraphrase it for you right now.  Jesus and his disciples are traveling and his disciples went to buy food in the city.  Jesus sits down at “Jacob’s well” and he asks this Samaritan woman for water (a woman, culturally, His people would not be seen talking to).  He goes on to talk to her about there being a water that she could drink that she would never have to thirst again.  This woman was out at this time of day, that no one else would be drawing water, was because she was living with a man that was not her husband, and had had five husbands before that.  Women were property back in that day and if this woman had been married and divorced so many times, culturally they thought something was wrong with her.  Jesus reveals to her that He is the Messiah and she receives what He says.  His disciples come back and are astonished.  Jesus talks about having food to eat, but they hadn’t given him any yet.  What food was He talking about?  John 4:34-35 (MSG) Jesus said, “The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time!

Jesus sits down at “Jacob’s well” and he asks this Samaritan woman for water (a woman, culturally, His people would not be seen talking to).

Here is the adventure the Samaritan woman and the harvest that Jesus saw.  Historians have discovered that the Samaritan woman’s name was Photina.  She was at Pentecost.  After her encounter with Jesus at the well, she did not stop spreading the Word of Jesus.  It completely changed her life.  She spoke so much of Jesus that she got the attention of Nero.  She was responsible for converting Nero’s daughter and many of his servants.  How fascinating to know that Jesus saw that harvest at the well. He saw the value of this woman!

Some may argue that is woman was a missionary and that was why she could lead in that capacity. It is often glossed over that the day that Jesus was presented to the Temple, as customary after eight days of His birth, there were two in the room that blessed Him, Simeon and Anna, a prophetess. God does not see less of a value on women, as being the physically weaker sex, He sees great value in them as why He chose Deborah to lead the nation of Israel.

My husband and I co-pastor our church. I am submitted to my husband as He is the head of our home, but that does not mean he dominates me or has a greater voice than I do. When we presented the verses on Ephesians 5 on how a marriage is modeled to the congregation on Valentine’s Day Sunday we presented this verse first: 1 Peter 3:7 (NLT) In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

When we start seeing women in ministry as equal partners, there is so much more that can be offered to the Body of Christ! Women, you have value! You are a gift to the body of Christ!! Lisa Bevere posted today, “God would have never GRANTED WOMEN A VOICE if He intended for them to remain silent.”

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Peace Even During Difficulty

Nearly two years ago I was terminated from a job that I no longer felt joy in going to. Honestly I should have left a year and a half before. However, I stayed not listening to God, because I could not see how we could have all the luxuries we do now without it. I know it was selfish! It was a huge mistake and the mistake that I made (as unintentional as it was) was a huge blow to my character…so I thought.

What did I do when confronted with this blow? I spent the first week in the word NON STOP! I read books on dealing with rejection. I dove deeper into my Bible. I even pulled out my old study Bible from m when I first accepted Christ, at the age of eighteen. I played worship music for hours!!

Peace did not leave me in that transition. Why? I was ready to leave that job, I was the one holding onto it. It was my fault that I put myself into that situation. I was bound and determined that I was going to hold true to His Word. Romans 8: 28 says, “So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose.”(TPT)

God was going to get the glory for this! I did not hide. I did not fall into depression. I did not blame anyone for my circumstances. Did I have moments? Um…I am not perfect, of course I did! They were only allowed to be moments though. Jesus left us a promise:

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

People today define peace as long as things are going their way. We hear “World Peace” as in reference to ending of wars and no crime. Peace is defined in this manner as “Stress-free state of security and calmness that comes when there is no fighting or war.”

Jesus left us a supernatural peace though. A peace that will be there even in the midst of great difficulty.

2 Peter 1:2 (with emphasis added), “May grace (God’s unmerited favor demonstrated through power on your behalf) and a peace (a state of perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to your through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

There was a time when Jesus was at peace and those that were with him were not. In Mark 4:35-40 we can see that Jesus is with the disciples on a boat and a storm comes up. Jesus, however, is sleeping through it… the disciples were not. Right away in verse thirty five Jesus tells them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Then He grabs a pillow and takes a nap. Do you not think that Jesus knew that a storm was coming?

Do you not think that God knew a storm was going to come into your life? He knew I would be terminated. Why is is that when things like that happen we going into a lament and shout out to God “Why me?” Then we withhold ourselves thinking we will ease some stress.

I once read a tweet that said, “Today in church a Pastor said this: If you can trust a puzzle company to make sure every piece is in the box to complete the puzzle, then why can’t you trust God that every piece of your life is there for a reason?”

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

God knows the beginning to the end, not just about earth, but about our individual lives as well. Can I stand in peace through trials?

Lisa Bevere wrote a book called Without Rival. Here are a couple of quotes I pulled out during this time in my life: “Moses learned that destiny is revealed in seasons of confrontation rather than season for comfort.” “The anointing set you apart, but confrontations, storms and trials will set you up.”

“Moses learned that destiny is revealed in seasons of confrontation rather than season for comfort.”

Lisa Bevere

Remember that in times of trials you can hold onto His peace. You are not shouldering this alone.

1 Peter 5:7, “Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you.” (TPT) The New King James Version tells us to, “cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Whether you lay it down, or you throw it to Him, He cares for us so much that we do not need to feel like the trials are just for us alone. He knows the path to go through them and He will walk every step with us, knowing this we can be at peace.