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He is our Everything

Isaiah 9: 6 (AMP) For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

I want to encourage you to you are and not try to be someone’s everything. First, I want to show you who Jesus is.

Wonderful Counselor: A king’s wisdom often came from the counselors they surrounded themselves with. A wise ruler knows they can’t possibly know everything, so they rely on trusted advisors for guidance. But Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor—His wisdom is perfect. He never made a mistake, never had to guess the right path. His way is always flawless.

Mighty God: He had the ability to carry out the perfect plan. Christ’s authority is everlasting, and He reigns as Lord over all creation.

John 1:1-4 (AMP) In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being.

Yet, He became a man, just as human as you and I.

Everlasting Father: This isn’t about the first person of the Trinity. Jesus is like a perfect father to His people, bringing us into His family and holding us forever. “Everlasting” doesn’t just mean eternal—it speaks to the never-ending care He has for us. There will never be a moment or a single day when the Lord of creation doesn’t love you. He is, in every way, a perfect father.

Prince of Peace: Sin ruined so much for us, but Jesus was the only one who could end the separation between us and God. He bridged the gap, taking our place for the sins we committed. He loved us enough to willingly make that sacrifice, despite our flaws. True peace and prosperity don’t come from personal achievements or setting goals to become a better person next year—they come from fully embracing Christ.

Without Jesus, having everything still means we have nothing.

John 15:5 (AMP) I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

I have been meditating on Jesus being our everything. Then this revelation came to me: I am somebody. He is our Everything. When the somebody tries to take the role of our Everything we are out of order and chaos enters our lives. This is when we open the door for offense, resentment and strife. It is when I am content with being a somebody that I am full of joy and then I can offer others grace, mercy, forgiveness and even peace.

I am meant to be a branch, not someone else’s’ root. He is our Everything. When we stop trying to be everything then our Prince of Peace can take his rightful place in our hearts. Strongholds can be broken. I do not have to go through the cycles of happy, disappointment, depression and resentment. My joy is found in the Lord. Insecurities flee and I am content in being a someone not their everything.

This Christmas remember He is our Savior and you are not. Us being a someone should point others to the One who was, is and always will be our Everything. Take a step back and reflect on the why you are doing something. Who are we reflecting? Will this glorify God? I am praying for you.

God, our Creator, You are wonderful and holy, worthy of eternal glory and honor. Thank You for sending Your Son, our Marvelous Counselor, Everlasting Father, Mighty God, and Prince of Peace. Thank You for the Holy Spirit, our Teacher and Comforter, and for Your Word that helps us know You more. We repent for trying to take the place of savior in others’ lives and making everything revolve around our own happiness. You are our Everything. Shape our hearts to align with Your vision and plan and help us surrender to the roles You’ve truly called us to, as ministers of reconciliation. You alone deserve all glory and honor, and You are enthroned as the most important in our lives. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Echo

Revelation 2:7 (AMP) He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant [the privilege]…

I sat down last week to write on blog on Thanksgiving and the importance of being thankful every day. It is a form of prayer that should be daily on our lips. Then I was short on time and still needed to prepare for the people I had coming over. People are important. Being present with people is important. We have times when we put our families first, never before God. Then there is a time when our families make their own families, and we find a way to expand the love of Christ within and unselfishly love others to build up His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16). I found a way to do both last week and it was so fulfilling.

However, this word “ears to hear, let them hear” kept going over and over within me. It was like an echo. I had finished up my yearly reading plan through the Bible early. I started in Genesis on January first and ended with Revelations by the last day of November. When I read, I do not just take a few verses at a time because this is not my first time reading it through. I read chapters at a time or if the book is small the whole book in one sitting. I look for the repetition, the instruction, the action words and the context. In the second and third chapters of Revelation there are seven letters to seven different churches. Each one had this repeated statement in some form, “He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant [the privilege]…” There were words of instruction, but there is also a promise. I want to not just listen to the Word but hear the Word.

James 1:23-25 (AMP) For if anyone only listens to the word without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets what he looked like. But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].

I encourage our church to want everything that God has available to us. This is not about physical blessings; this is about us becoming the whole person that Christ redeemed us to be. When I read Revelation, I looked at all that He desires for us. Here is what I found in those seven letters:

  • I will grant [the privilege] to eat [the fruit] from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.
  • Be faithful to the point of death [if you must die for your faith], and I will give you the crown [consisting] of life. Will not be hurt by the second death (the lake of fire).
  • I will give [the privilege of eating] some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone with a new name engraved on the stone which no one knows except the one who receives it.
  • I will give authority and power over the nations; and he shall shepherd and rule them with a rod of iron, as the earthen pots are broken in pieces, as I also have received authority [and power to rule them] from My Father; and I will give him the Morning Star. 
  •  will accordingly be dressed in white clothing; and I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, and I will confess and openly acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels [saying that he is one of Mine].
  • I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God; he will most certainly never be put out of it, and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which descends out of heaven from My God, and My [own] new name. 
  • I will grant to him [the privilege] to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne.

These are just too grand to keep my focus on. I believe that is His point. There is so much that we cannot even imagine. Where should my focus be on when I read this? It should be on the echo He made sure to repeat, “He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant [the privilege]…” Ears to hear and do what the Spirit says. Jesus is the strength of my overcoming the world. Jesus is the strength in my repentance to regain focus. How can we lose focus? Look at the seven letters again:

  • you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me]. So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will] and do the works you did at first [when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand (the church, its impact) from its place—unless you repent. 
  • Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. 
  • there some [among you] who are holding to the [corrupt] teaching, put a stumbling block before others, [enticing them] to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of sexual] immorality. Therefore repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will
  • you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [claiming to be inspired], and she teaches and misleads My bond-servants 
  • I know your deeds; you have a name (reputation) that you are alive, but [in reality] you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen and reaffirm what remains [of your faithful commitment to Me], which is about to die; for I have not found [any of] your deeds completed in the sight of My God or meeting His requirements
  • Hold tight what you have, so that no one will take your crown [by leading you to renounce the faith].
  • I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust]. 

Not every letter had a statement of rebuke, two of the churches did not. They still had a statement of instruction. They were told to fear nothing and to hold tight. The others had a call to repentance. The only fear I do have is not holding true to His Word. It is so easy to slip into pride and draw people to yourself. I keep these words in my mind, because I reverence my Holy God. I care about you, genuinely and do not want you ignorant to what He says in His Word. I encourage you to start a reading plan this coming year.

You do not have to wait until January; you can start now. I have found that when we say that we have to prepare ourselves or we are waiting for the perfect time, we usually keep putting it off. The time is now. My first time reading through was a start in March. It took longer than a year. I started in a random place, I started in the epistles (1 John, 2 John, 3 John, 1 Peter, 2 Peter), then I read the letters to the churches. Next, I completed the rest of the New Testament, starting with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). That’s when I got to the Old Testament. I read the first five books of the Bible last. It put a different perspective of the why Jesus, and I could see Jesus in all of it. When we read the Bible trying to find ourselves, we are reading for selfish reasons. We need to read to receive more of Him.

Am I a hearer? Am I putting His Word forefront in my mind? Am I doing (taking action) according to His Word? Am I faithful to His Word? Those were the questions I asked myself. My husband has this checklist for us when we want to make sure we are successful: Am I where God called me to be? Am I doing what God called me to do? Am I doing it with the people God called me to be with? A heart for the ministry of reconciliation is going to answer yes to all three.

Are we hearing? “He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant [the privilege]…” What echoes do you hear when you read the Word?

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Integrity and Truth: Genuine

Titus 2:7-8 (AMP) And in all things show yourself to be an example of good works, with purity in doctrine [having the strictest regard for integrity and truth], dignified, sound and beyond reproach in instruction, so that the opponent [of the faith] will be shamed, having nothing bad to say about us.

When did it become okay to be dishonest in the church? Part of my reverence for God is how I speak. Some say, ‘well I do not cuss’. But are you honest? Do you skirt around the truth to make yourself look better? The lie could be so you do not hurt someone’s feelings. Paul tells us to act in a way that is beyond reproach. Why is this? So that the opponent of the faith will not have anything bad to say about us. We are giving the world an excuse to say, ‘why should I follow Jesus when there has not been a change made in that person’s life, they still lie, they steal?’ Do you know how many times that I know that I have been lied to? They will never know. I will not shun or cut them off, but I do know where the boundary of my trust lies. Love always hopes. I do not give up on them. Why? I would not want anyone to give up on me. God never throws us away, just look at Peter.

1 Peter 2:12 (AMP) Keep your behavior excellent among the [unsaved] Gentiles [conduct yourself honorably, with graciousness and integrity], so that for whatever reason they may slander you as evildoers, yet by observing your good deeds they may [instead come to] glorify God in the day of visitation [when He looks upon them with mercy].

Is it better to say you are going to do something or to actually do that something? This is another issue we have is that we do not keep our word. Integrity is what we should be known for. If I tell someone they can count on me to be there, baring an illness, I am going to be there. It may be just me. It may not be. I want to be known for someone that people can count on. Why? It shows that I care about them. Paul exhorts Titus in 2 Corinthians 8:7, “But just as you excel in everything, [and lead the way] in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in genuine concern, and in your love for us, see that you excel in this gracious work [of giving] also.” He is talking about how he gives but he talks about Titus having genuine concern for the body. Do we have genuine concern for those in the body of Christ? Maybe it is my pastor’s heart. I would hope that it is not for a select few that have a genuine concern for others. When did this start in me?

1 Timothy 4:12 (AMP) Let no one look down on [you because of] your youth, but be an example and set a pattern for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in [moral] purity.

There is no age limit, no maturity level, that should keep us from having a genuine concern for those in the body of Christ. Either you do or you do not. It is a faith issue. “If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit] (Galatians 5:25).” It takes faith to live a surrendered life to Christ. I have made mistakes, but a person of integrity will go back and apologize and say that is not how I want to have acted.

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.

My unselfish concern for others cannot be limited to just a select few, for example, just my family, or those that are just in my church. Where ever I go, I want people to know that they are valuable, that they are cared for. Is that not the example that Jesus lived? I cannot physically be there for every person, that is why I believe it is not for a select few that genuinely care for others. That is why I think they enemy fights the body of Christ from this revelation. That is why there is not true unity in the body. We are still out for ourselves, instead of having a genuine concern for others. What are some traits I can look for in myself? Truth and integrity. When I lie, it is all about me. When I do not keep my word, it is all about me. Do not be fake about it either. Be genuine.

Father, Abba, Banner, Creator, You are more Marvelous than our words can ever express. Thank You for Your Son. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for Your Word. We repent for making everything about ourselves. We repent for not having genuine concern for others. We repent for not speaking with integrity. We repent for no thinking our conduct really matters. Make within us a clean heart. We choose a life of surrender, so that we choose to do things Your way and not our way. Let us walk in the Spirit and do as the Spirit leads. Let us be genuine in our faith and in our love. Let us be known for our lives that point back to why Your Son came to redeem us. Let us live lives changed for Your Glory. We choose forgiveness today. We choose love today. We choose hope today. We choose faith today. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Heart Nuggets

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (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. Do not quench [subdue, or be unresponsive to the working and guidance of] the [Holy] Spirit. Do not scorn or reject gifts of prophecy or prophecies [spoken revelations—words of instruction or exhortation or warning]. But test all things carefully [so you can recognize what is good]. Hold firmly to that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil [withdraw and keep away from it].

I was in 1 Thessalonians yesterday and came across this list given by Paul. It had so much good nuggets of truth in that I wanted to break it down. What is funny is that it is list of do’s and don’ts. Isn’t that what the modern day church is trying to get away from? However, it is not a list of what not sins to do and how to be pure and holy, this is a list of how to keep your mind right. Paul confessed about the battle he had going on in his mind about this very church (1 Thessalonians 3:5), “For this reason, when I could no longer endure the suspense, I sent someone to find out about your faith [how you were holding up under pressure], for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our work [among you] would prove to be ineffective.”

So here is my list for this week:

  1. Rejoice always and delight in my faith. In my prayers, in my daily parts of life and in all circumstances. No matter what happens, I am to rejoice. How can I rejoice when someone just blasted me? How can I rejoice when the bills keep coming in? How can I rejoice when I just got in a fight with my spouse? Remember Romans 8:28: And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. In trust Him, so I rejoice. Joy is a fruit of my faith in Him. Continually have a heart that is thankful. This is God’s will for you!
  2. I should be accepting of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I do not need to be scornful in direction. We have become an independent, self governed, selfish group when we do not take direction as a growing opportunity. The Holy Spirit is not trying to harm you. We need to grow in the surrendered life.
  3. Do not reject the gifts of prophecy. This is man speaking to me through the revelation of the Holy Spirit. “Nobody is going to tell me what to do!” What will they say? Revelation knowledge (to get me back in line with the character and nature of God as revealed in His Word). Words of instruction (you are always going to have someone tell you what to do). Warnings (sometimes my attitude needs to be put back in check).
  4. Test all things! We like this one. I get to judge and criticize what is being said or done. Wait though. It says to test all things so you can recognize what is good. I do not test things and tear down what is bad. SO I CAN RECOGNIZE WHAT IS GOOD! Philippians 4:8 says, “ 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].” This is a true test for love. Can I change my mindset to focus on the good on others? Can I hold firmly to what is good?
  5. Abstain from every form of evil. Is this telling me to not sin? Why are we so focused on sin? This is a heart thing. If I need to hide who I am or what I am doing, then that is opening a doorway for the evil one into my life. The church has been good about hiding , therefore, it now lacks power. Be a person of integrity. Do not cause anyone to question your motives. This is why transparency is the body should be encouraged. Why are our boundaries more like weapons against flesh and blood?

I am rejoicing over you today. I am thankful for those that He has placed in my life to guide me. I will not be scornful in correction. I choose love instead.

Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 in the Passion Translation. I like to put my name in the passage…Amanda’s love is large and incredibly patient. Amanda is gentle and contently kind to all. Amanda refuses to be jealous when someone else is blessed. Amanda does not brag her own achievements not inflates her own importance. Amanda does not traffic in shame and disrespect, she is not seeking honor for herself. Amanda is not easily irritated and is not quick to take offense. Amanda is joyful when honesty is presented and celebrates it for herself (does not find ways around the truth), and she does not delight in when someone else is wronged. Amanda’s trust is under the shelter of the Almighty for she is grounded in His perfect love. Amanda believes and thinks the best for others. Amanda does not take hurt, rejection or setbacks as a defeat. Amanda continues to hope, because love never gives up.

I have to admit that I failed at a few of these this morning, but instead of beating myself up, I look to the Father. He is the perfecter of my faith.

Father, I thank You for the reader today. I thank You that you sent your Son to reconcile us to You. I choose to walk in freedom and grow in the areas that brings me more freedom. I do this so that I can be a light and example to others that need freedom. I bind up every thought that may be holding me captive to loving others the way You want me to. I repent for not walking in love like I should. I know you give me grace in these areas, not that I take advantage of Your mercy to give me permission to hurt others, but so that I can grow. Let my hope grow today. I rejoice in every set up that has been made today. I know that I can trust You. I place my trust in You. I desire You. Holy Spirit I surrender more of me today. I pray for those that persecute me for Your Name’s sake. Let your Word reign in my heart, in my mind and on my tongue today. In Jesus Name, Amen.