Posted on

Third Quarter Reads of 2025

Philippians 1:9-11 (AMP) And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more [displaying itself in greater depth] in real knowledge and in practical insight, so that you may learn to recognize and treasure what is excellent [identifying the best, and distinguishing moral differences], and that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ [actually living lives that lead others away from sin]; filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God [so that His glory may be both revealed and recognized].

The third quarter reads are still not as big as the first, but their content was very deep. I have counted and have already surpassed the number of books that I read last year. Along with my daily devotionals, I read chapters of the Bible at a time (sometimes up to five chapters). This quarter I read Jeremiah through the Book of Acts. If you have never read through the minor prophets in the Old Testament, I encourage you to do so. They really highlight the love that God has for His us. Now that I am reading the letters of Paul, they are something that I will probably read together next time as they have the same message to the church. Even in outright rebellion, He is looking and providing a way.

I did complete the 365 Daily Devotions from Psalms by Joyce Meyer, that I began last year. I also read ten books, four of which I purchased and read immediately (the books by John Bevere and Louie Giglio). I will give you an overview of three books, but here is my total list for this quarter:

  • The Treasure Principle: Discovering the Secret of Joyful Giving by Randy Alcorn
  • I am a Church Member by Thom S. Rainer
  • A Heart Ablaze: Igniting a Passion for God by John Bevere
  • Breaking Free: Discover the Victory of Total Surrender by Beth Moore
  • Good Morning Holy Spirit by Benny Hinn
  • The Fear of the Lord: Discover the Key to Intimately Knowing God by John Bevere
  • Goliath Must Fall: Winning the Battle Against Your Giants by Louie Giglio
  • Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table by Louie Giglio
  • Just Open the Door: How One Invitation Can Change a Generation by Jen Schmidt
  • Change Your Words Change Your Life by Joyce Meyer

Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table by Louie Giglio was a book that I bought this year and read almost immediately. Louie takes the 23rd Psalm and pulls out the verse, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” This is the position of this verse as looking at it from what we allow into our minds. How does God feed us? What is the Bread of Life that Jesus talked about? What we think on will affect us tremendously, not inviting the enemy to a seat at our table has to do with the battle of our minds. There are countless occurrences in the Bible of those who were faced with unfair trials physically and emotionally, from Shadrach, Meshack and Abendego to Paul and Silas. What did they keep before them? I read this verse in this book and when I go to it again in the Old Testament this quarter it has reminded me over and over to keep my focus on Him. When the enemy wants us to listen to lies of others not wanting to be a part or doing everything they can to sabotage, or just do not care about you, that will invite the enemy to your table. Anything that will distract you is the enemy at your table. Here is that verse: Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive fails and the fields produce no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls, yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord; I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:17-18) Even though…I will. That needs to be our stance. Not on the circumstance. I will still be joyful and glad because the Lord is my Savior.

A Heart Ablaze: Igniting a Passion for God by John Bevere. John Bevere is one of my favorite authors and speakers. If you have not downloaded their free app, Messenger X, I encourage you to do so. Podcasts, courses and books all right there ready for you to access, for free. This is my go to app at the gym. I picked up A Heart Ablaze and The Fear of the Lord at the same time. John uses the illustration of the Israelites coming out of Egypt in both books, but he gets really into the heart motives why God wants our hearts to be on fire for Him in A Heart Ablaze. There are many illustrations of how we want to live first place in our lives and call that God. Actually, it is little “g,” god. Here are some words from the chapter titled “Intentions or Desires?” “They had not separated themselves in their hearts from the world, which resulted in their inability to separate what was of the world and what was of God. If you desire both the world and the intimate knowledge of God, the image of God become distorted. You do not truly know Him; you know a different Jesus.” That is such a strong statement, “you know a different Jesus.” This is why it is so important that we check the rhema word (personal revelations) with the logos (the written Word of God). “Moses wanted God and would gladly pay any price to know Him. The children of Israel wanted what was best for them. If the benefit of walking in God’s ways was evident to their natural senses, they would gladly embrace it, but if it was not evident, they would gravitate toward what seemed best. To know God will always result in what is best for us, for God is perfect love. However, many times this knowledge will not be evident in the natural senses. Moses loved God for who He is; Israel loved God for what He could do for them. If what He was doing did not meet their desires, they moved toward what they deemed best.” This illustrates the church today; there is a dividing line. There are the true worshippers and there are those who profess Jesus, yet they are still self-seeking. Who do we want to be?

Breaking Free: Discover the Victory of Total Surrender by Beth Moore. This book published in 2000 and really digs deep of the importance of surrender to Christ. Nothing in it talks about self-importance, only that true healing comes from a place of surrender. I know that some may of cringed when you saw that I picked up a book by Beth Moore. I just did a shallow dive into what happened and hope that healing can come. Pride, as she talks about in this book, will only put us back into captivity. We have to take a stand against idolatry, and some of those can be our old belief systems. It is really important to read the Bible for yourself, and she says that over and over again. Her key verse is from Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and commissioned me to bring good news to the humble and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted, to proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives and freedom to prisoners, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance and retribution of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to grant to those who mourn in Zion the following: to give them a turban instead of dust [on their heads, a sign of mourning], the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a disheartened spirit. So they will be called the trees of righteousness [strong and magnificent, distinguished for integrity, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. (AMP) This verse is one I have almost committed to memory; it has come across my readings so much. The book points back to the reason we have been set free, why it is important for us to break free from bondages. It is all for His glory. Pride does not glorify God; it seeks to glorify ourselves. Surrender is the key to our freedom. “Freedom and lordship are inseparable partners in the believer’s life.” “Freedom becomes reality when we yield to the authority of God.” A lot of times we want God to remove the temptations from our lives, that we do not want to have to struggle with them any longer. We want to forget about the suffering. He wants us to lean into Him more, not try more. “God will not release us from anything that enslaved us until we’ve come to the mind of Christ on the matter. We will not be free until we adopt the mind of Christ in the matter that has enslaved us.” “We will think with the mental language we practice the most.” Surrender starts in the mind. This book is 47 chapters, but I was able to read two to three chapters a day and enjoy it.

I am writing this blog about books to encourage you to read. First and foremost, pick up your Bible and read it daily. I am not asking you to start with five chapters, start with one. Start with five verses if you must but start. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal His heart to you as you read. Do not skip over the minor prophets. God is not a God of wrath, but of grace and mercy. Yes, He is judge and He has come against the prideful. Humility is a position of the heart. We should not gloat at another’s misfortunes but should seek restoration. Jonah had an issue with that when God revoked the sentence on Ninevah because they turned their hearts back to God. Love always hopes. Obadiah is one chapter. Do you get bored reading the Bible? Ask God to help you with that. I went years without reading it and only doing the verses that accompanied my devotions. It was through my desire to surrender that I picked up the Bible to read. It was part of my quest to desire for more. I do not regret it, and you will not either.

Posted on

The importance of the remnant

Romans 11:5 (AMP)  So too then, at the present time there has come to be a remnant [a small believing minority] according to God’s gracious choice. 

For so long we have looked at the remnant as an us versus them discussion. The remnant have a duty and it is not to put mankind against each other. The remnant are called for reconciliation. The remnant is a word of hope.

We were talking in prayer about those that never returned to fellowship within the church after the stay at home order of covid-19. Then there are those who attend church that do not care completely for the entire body, just for those in their household. Then there are those that attend, receive and leave, never truly getting the fullness of what it means to belong to the body of Christ and truly loving each other. The remnant is not just a gathering, it has to do with the heart after God.

You can be in a state of apostasy and still attend church. Apostasy has to do with defiance. There are those within the walls of our churches that are in outright rebellion regarding following after the Word, instead they follow their emotions.

Isiah 55:8 (AMP) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

We can have thoughts and ways that do not line up with what the Word of God says. We have the ability to choose. God did not lie about that. He wants you to choose Him, but you do not have to. You can not choose His ways, but then you will have to deal with the results. You do not have to struggle, you can always choose to surrender. Here is where we get in a state of apostasy; we root into self and pride sets in. Pride brings with it offense, fear, anxiety, depression, shame, guilt, the thoughts of we are against you; of which none of that is true in Christ. We cannot be in this state and say we stand for unity in the body of Christ. We have now become double minded and easily confused by the enemy. Last week I wrote about the enemy’s goal is to wear us down (Daniel 7:25a), he does this by saying that Word does not apply today. He does not want us seeking the Word of God, nor His face.

King David sought the Lord in true repentance after he sinned with Bathsheba, and had her husband killed. Psalm 51 is a prayer of repentance, I often quote some of it during my prayer. Repentance is not a bad thing. It tells God that we want Him to do a work within us. Repentance is not about guilt or shame, if it were then it would not be of God. David had a heart after God, that means he desired to spend time with Him (and not just when He needed something). David knew where his strength came from. David knew where his joy came from. David knew God to be His source. That is the same God we can have a relationship with today.

2 Corinthians 7:10 (AMP) For [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but worldly sorrow [the hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe] produces death.

This word salvation is not about just getting to heaven. This is talking about the fullness of God. King David had a true heart of repentance. King Saul did not, and it led to his destruction. King Saul in his apostasy, when he became disobedient to God’s ways, pride took root in him and it was his ultimate downfall. This is why it is so important for us to keep a heart check, not a heart defense. A heart defense will harden, but a heart check will keep it moldable.

Just last week I had a heart check and needed to apologize to someone that I spoke with. Even though what I said was correct, it still could have swayed them in their heart. So I repented before God and then asked for their forgiveness. My life is not about me, it is about Him receiving the glory. That is what it means to be a remnant. Let us look at Romans 11 some more.

Romans 11:16 (ESV) If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

God must be first in our lives. When Jesus stated we are to hate our fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, etc. (Luke 14:26) He was not talking about us having enmity against them. He is saying no person should hold more value than God, that includes my own husband and children. This is what the remnant has to take hold of. The root of all that we are is found in the love of Christ. He is the vine and we are the branches (John 15).

What are you rooted in? The remnant sees God as their source. The remnant knows what it means to consecrate themselves to the Lord. The remnant knows without a shadow of a doubt all that Christ paid for in setting the captives free. The remnant knows that without grace we would not have known true faith. Faith in the One who gave it all.

1 Peter 2:4-5 (NASB) And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 

Ephesians 2:19-22 (NASB) So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

I am not giving up on the apostate church, neither am I giving in to compromise. God is going to get the glory. That is why the remnant have stayed faithful. It is not about them, it is all about Him. I am not seeking blessings, I am seeking His face. We choose to treat others better than we have been treated ourselves. We choose to seek the best for each other. We are not a closed off country club, we are a living example of what it means to lay down your life for someone else. We are never to think so highly of ourselves that we become so spiritual minded that we become no earthly good. We have excused away the Great Commission. I stand here proclaiming His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as in heaven. Keep these verses before you, and pray for a to the Father to create in us a clean heart, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within us (Psalms 51:10).

Romans 6:8 (AMP) Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live [together] with Him

Galatians 2:20 (AMP) I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Posted on

Garment of Love

2 Peter 1:3 (AMP) For His divine power has bestowed on us [absolutely] everything necessary for [a dynamic spiritual] life and godliness, through true and personal knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Last week I celebrated my forty fifth birthday. This week I am celebrating twenty-five years of marriage with my husband. In all my years of life I have never felt more loved. It was not because of those that told me happy birthday and celebrated me. It is not because my husband spoils me with extravagant gifts. It is the security of who I am in Christ. It has been a journey to get here. I have more growing to do but I have a new outlook on what it means to grow glory to glory.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (AMP) 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.

In the garden, at the beginning, Adam and Eve were clothed with the glory of God. It was when the glory was gone that they realized they were naked. Did He remove His glory? No, they took it off. My husband and I have been talking about the garment of love for some months now. Our base scripture came from Colossians 3:12-14. In the Message translation it says, “And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.” What garment were they wearing, the Love garment. What happened when they took it off? They were clothed with pride and fear and shame came in; they hid. God asked them, who told you that you were naked? Pride did.

Pride tells us that we are too broken. Pride tells us that we should isolate ourselves. Pride tells us they we are protecting ourselves with the criticism before they judge us. Pride tells us we to defend how we are. Pride tells us that others just have to accept this is how I am. Love does not need to defend. Love does not take an account of wrongs. Love always expects the best of others. Love does not get jealous because someone else is getting attention. Love celebrates other’s successes. Love lays down their life for a friend.

1 John 4:8 (AMP) The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]

When Moses asked to see the glory of God, God responded that all of His goodness would pass before Him (Exodus 33:18-20). All of His lovingkindness would pass before Him. In the book of Psalms David writes, “Your lovingkindness endures forever,” over and over again (26 times just in Psalms 136). It was the reminder he put before himself and meditated on when he was in the good times and the bad. God is love. The garment of Love what he has laid out for me, so I need to put it on. My dynamic fulfilling life is all because of His great love. Otherwise, the garment of pride would be inviting, and self-pity, fear, shame and guilt will start to be my armor instead of the armor of God. His armor has all of His strength backing it. He is strong so that I can be strong. Stand fully clothed! Be rooted and grounded in His love, immoveable and powerful. Put on the garment of Love.

Father, Adonai, our Banner, You are so Wonderful and Marvelous. Thank You for Your Son, You Loved us so much that You sent Your only Son to die for us. Thank You for the resurrection power that raised Him from the dead for dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has because our dearest friend. He reveals the Love of Your Son and You to us daily. Thank You that Your lovingkindness and mercy are new every morning. It is like You have set out fresh clothes for us to wear every day. We repent for choosing other garments to wear that have brought shame and fear into our lives. This is not what You wanted for us. You desire the best for us. You desire for us to live in the fullness of who You are. When we stand fully loved, Your glory cannot help but to be shown everywhere we go. We choose to forgive ourselves and others today. We choose love today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Posted on

Teach us how to love well

1 Thessalonians 3:12 (AMP) And may the Lord cause you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you

This has been my prayer for the last few months for my church. As the pastors of Connect Church, we admit that we have not loved well. We want to be better, but we know we cannot do it in our own striving. We have to surrender that part of us to God. Why? The Lord will get the glory.

For the past few weeks, we have used Colossians 3:12-14 (MSG) as our base scripture and have been building on it in new ways. We are asking God to show us all directions of it, so that we may get the fullness of it for ourselves and in turn for our church.

Colossians 3″12-14 (MSG) So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Too often we have walked away from relationships that could have encouraged each party to grow closer in the Lord. We often forget that the promises that are found in God’s Word were written for imperfect people, and we can be the most imperfect of them all. We have this hope, “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).” We often hold close to this for personal reasons, but I cannot help but notice the next verse, “It is right for me to think this of you all because I have you in my heart…” Do we really think this for ourselves and not for others? I want to love better. So, I have changed my thoughts when negative ones come up about someone else, no matter what happened in the past. The first step in loving well is to think better.

The most important place to learn to love well is to abound in the presence of God. John 15 tells us about abiding. Jesus tells us that part of the abiding is the surrender. I have to surrender the hard things too, so that He can make them bear the fruit of what a relationship with Christ looks like. He says in John 15:10 (MEV), “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.” In order for me to love well, I have to remain in the love that can never run dry. This is the garment of love that I have to put on. In His love, I can love well.

Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP) But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The opposite of love is fear, which is rooted in pride. It was the first acceptance of Adam that sin had entered the garden. Pride was what brought fear, the desire to be God (to judge right from wrong) had brought death and with it fear and shame (Genesis 3:10). When people do not meet my expectation and they disappoint it is because I am still trying to be judge. I have to surrender that. In order to love well, I have to think better. I know not everyone is going to do the same with me and that is okay. I will not take an account and hold it against them; I am going love well. Not everyone is going to keep their word, I am going to love well. There are going to be those that purposely count you out, I am going to love well. Instead of repeating the matter and get people on my side, I am going to love well.

Here is my prayer now, it was taken from Paul’s writing in Philippians 1:9-11: “This I pray, that our love may abound more and more, growing deeper, in real knowledge and in practical insight, so that we may learn to recognize and treasure what is excellent. That we identify with wisdom the best for each other. That we may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. We have a desire to lead others out of darkness and into light. That we are filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ. Our desire is to the glory and praise of God, that His glory may be both revealed and recognized. In Jesus Name, Amen.“

I really have a desire for all to grow deeper in their relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it comes to admitting that in order to grow, I have to love better. Father, teach me how to love well.

Posted on

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.

Posted on

Assaults to Rest

Colossians 3:23-24 (AMP) Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve.

First, excellence is your best effort, it is not the requirement of perfection (which is performance driven). When life becomes performance driven we can lose passion. We we get focused on the task and not on Jesus, we can because burned out (lost our position of rest). We are not getting the outcome we expected and, therefore, lose focus of the One our hearts desire was to be in the first place. When we come into our houses of worship, when we cook breakfast for our families, when we fold their laundry, when we read our devotions and get into His Word, when we are on our jobs…whatever we do. Do it for the Lord. Is He Lord of our lives? Is He what we fit in when we can or a second thought after we got ourselves into a situation and need Him to get you out? Whatever we do put Him first place in our life.

Matthew 11:28-30 (AMP) “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”

Secondly, influences other than Jesus. Proverbs 14:25 says, “A truthful witness saves lives, but he who speaks lies is treacherous (AMP).” Pride and self preservation will not result in rest. I was ministered to a few weeks ago and she said directly to me, “there are those who do not want you free, because it is for their benefit for you to stayed bound.” How can that be? Then I saw it happen in someone else’s life and I got it. Freedom is an assault to those who do not like the message of change and surrender. When I got my freedom, I desired others to be free. Part of that freedom is knowing that I do not need to receive love from anyone other than Jesus. When I am directing someone to Jesus and not to the codependent person that has an insecurity issue, it is an assault to them. Not knowing that they are bound themselves, they will fight for their way of life. How do I confront this? Sometimes its a stronghold and the battle is done in prayer. Pray for their freedom. Pray for their minds to be aligned with the Word. Pray for the bonds of insecurity to be loosed in their lives. Then set yourself a boundary. Boundaries are not just for cutting off, it is just saying I am not going to go there with you.

Rest is not the absence of action, it is the position of my heart. If I am worried about making sure those around me are for me, then I have lost focused. It is all about me and not about Him. My husband posted this, “When I become me focused, you become my enemy.” Why are we fighting for self preservation? Surrender is the key to rest. We take His yoke we are submitting to learning from Him. He says that we are to be of humble of heart. Does that sound like preserving ourselves?

2 Corinthians 5:15 (AMP)  and He died for all, so that all those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for their sake.

Today’s verse of the day on YouVersion sums up my daily prayer. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me (Psalms 51:10).” So here are two things to look for if we have received an assault to the rest we are to walk in. First, is He your focus during the task. We can be so busy doing good things that we lose focus on Him. Secondly, am I allowing the right influences. Do I feel more drawn to the Father or they drawing me to what they want? Remember, a truthful witness will bring life to us. If I am more worried about their insecurities, or my insecurities, then my influence is off. Boundaries have to be put in place and prayers go in for strongholds to be broken. If not, we will lose rest resulting depression, loss of joy, no peace, etc.

My prayer for you and myself is that we draw our focus to Christ. He is the perfecter and finisher of our faith. In Him we find our identity. Repent for the self preservation. Come to a life of surrender. It is going be better than we could have ever imagined or dreamed of (Ephesians 3:20).

Posted on

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.

Posted on

A vow from rejection

Ephesians 4:2-3 (AMP) With all humility [forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with patience, bearing with one another in [unselfish] love. Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful].

We are in the middle of what we call “Holy Week.” This is the week we are reflecting on the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus came to give us restoration. He restored our relationship with the Father, but He also restored us to peace, to fullness and to wholeness. He restored us to Kingdom purpose. So why are we still looking at each other as broken and ready to hurt each other?

We have turned the thoughts that “not everyone will understand us” into “not everyone is for you.” It is okay when others will not understand us, but when not everyone is for us, then we have an enemy. Why? Our thoughts are now they are out for our harm. I have a question. Does the thought that not everyone is for you bring you peace? Does it bring you the desire to seek restoration? Does it bring you the desire to seek unity? Then can we say, does that match the character and nature of God?

Romans 12:14-18 (AMP) Bless those who persecute you [who cause you harm or hardship]; bless and do not curse [them]. Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief]. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty [conceited, self-important, exclusive], but associate with humble people [those with a realistic self-view]. Do not overestimate yourself. Never repay anyone evil for evil. Take thought for what is right and gracious and proper in the sight of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

I know that when I have thoughts that someone meant to harm me, or they were hoping that I would fail, it does not bring me peace. It brings me anger. It brings hurt. It brings in comparison. It brings the feeling of being unloved. So why is it okay for us to say “not everyone is for us.” The enemy, the devil, is not for us. However, we do not fight against, nor struggle against, flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12).

What if what they said hurt my feelings? What if they did not help me succeed?

I just did a online fundraiser to raise funds for our youth at attend summer camp. I needed to raise $500 for the deposit. We raised $100 of it through them. There was also the option to donate without purchasing the product. We raised another $100 that way. What would your thoughts be if you started seeing people on your feed using the same source (setting up their own fundraisers), but they did not give into yours? It is not for the same cause. What do we do? They did not give into mine, so I am not going to give into theirs? What about when those that you thought would support you, don’t?

How about this real life scenario? I had planned to have my 18th birthday party at my grandmother’s pool. I had also invited a bunch of people. Another girl, in the same grade, had one a few weeks before and lots of people were just having a blast. My party came up and just one of my friends showed up. When I was much younger, this pool was the hangout spot for all the neighborhood kids. You could find my friends and I there just having a blast. Now flash forward to my 40th birthday and it is during the COVID lock down. My family decides to throw a surprise let’s have a car parade party. Sounds fun? Let me tell you it was awkward when not many cars show up. However, I did have more than one friend show up this time.

What does all this have to do with the idea of not everyone is for you? The root of it is rejection. This is the vow we have used to protect our hearts. Will it bring peace? Jesus was sitting at a table knowing that very evening that one of his close friends would betray Him. He still fed Him. He did not tell the others and point him out as “not for us.” He loved him. Jesus said, “So then, in everything treat others the same way you want them to treat you, for this is [the essence of] the Law and the [writings of the] Prophets (Matthew 7:12).” Who is He talking to? Us. The nature of man is to do the opposite. We want to treat others on how they treat us. When Jesus tells us to treat others the way we want to be treated.

My verse at the beginning is a continuation of a thought by Paul. He starts off with: So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation]”… In the Modern English Version, Ephesians 4:1 states, “walk in a manner worthy of the calling you were called.” What am a I called to? The ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:10-21). As I mature as a believer, my focus is on reconciliation, not who showed up for me. Have I had moments of immaturity? Yes. By the world’s definition was I right? Yes. However, if I follow the example of the Word I am not. I have had to die to that part of myself. It has been one of the hardest things to do. What does it cost? My pride. What do I gain? Peace. Those vows only bring bondage and I would rather live free.

Father, You are all I desire, not for what You can do for me but for who You are. I thank You for sending Your Son to be the Prince of Peace, He is the ultimate example of what it is to serve and love unselfishly. I repent for coming short in areas, when I wanted to live for me. I repent for getting mad and holding people hostage for them not showing up for me. I desire to live a life worthy of the call of restoration. I desire to live a life of Your character, Your integrity and to grow into the maturity of Your Kingdom. I thank You that Your Word has been written on the palms of my hands, it has been inscribed on my forehead and it pours out of my mouth. I thank You that it is for the purpose of reconciliation, so that I focus on Your truth. I take captive every thought, imagination or argument that I have had to bring division to my calling. I choose love today. I choose forgiveness today. I choose hope today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Posted on

31 Days in…now what?

Proverbs 1:7 (AMP) The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence];
But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.

January is the time of year when we often make New Year’s Resolutions or begin a new Bible reading plan (often starting with Proverbs), or we participate in the 21 Day Daniel Fast, or we simply live like nothing has changed. It is either because we think that something magical resets in us on the first day of the new year, or we simply don’t care. In all honesty, nothing happens unless you are intentional. Only when you put God first will lasting change occur.   

When I think of reverentially fearing the Lord, I often think of the parable of the talents. This is what Jesus had to say:

Matthew 25:14-30 (MSG) “It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money. After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’ The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’ The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’ “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’”

Reverentially fearing the Lord means not taking His love for granted. The gifting and the light He has given them will not be hidden away. However, the fear that the third servant displayed was not grounded in His love. It was grounded in the fear of punishment. This love is twisted and perverse.

1 John 4:18 (AMP) There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].

I find it amusing that when you point back to the Word and point out what the character and nature of God is, you are labelled as judgmental or callous. I want to help you rethink the issue with compassion. The rejection I feel resembles digging out a deep root that is part of my self-worth. It’s digging up the roots of “not being wanted.” I have to remember the second part of the top verse: “arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom, instruction, and self-discipline.” I never want to be associated with arrogance, but confidence is sometimes mistaken for arrogance. Where does the differentiation occur? Pride! Confident people are humble. In contrast to an arrogant person, a humble one will accept correction. Arrogant people believe that self-control restricts freedom. In humility, self-control is understood to be the fruit of love that is rooted in reverent fear of the Lord.

Where did you decide to begin in 2022? My goal is to increase my knowledge of the Word of God, not just attain, but also put it into practice. When I am not a doer of His Word, what good is knowing the Word? I let the apathy around me keep me from being Christ’s hands and feet. In my reading of Matthew 24, verse 43, the scripture says, “But understand this: If the head of the household knew when the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.” I had to repent and tell God that I was sorry that I had let the thief rob me of what I desired. As a result of allowing the thief to steal away my joy in serving, I had to repent. God’s Kingdom is too important for that.

Let’s welcome the second month of 2022. If you didn’t start it with intention, you don’t have to wait until January 1, 2023 to do so. You can start right now. If you fall down, get back up. The intent is what matters, not the perfection. Let’s be intentional this year!