Posted on

Let it shine!

John 1:9 (AMP)  There it was—the true Light [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone.

Here we are two days after Christmas. The time of the year that we celebrate the true Light coming into the world. The way my chronological reading plan worked out is that I started the New Testament yesterday with Luke 1 and John 1. The past few weeks (December 1-24) I took a chapter in Luke per day and read it along with my other readings. Today I wanted to focus in on John’s perspective. He starts off with Christ is the Word and the Light.

John 1:1-8 (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. In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]. There came a man commissioned and sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him. John was not the Light, but came to testify about the Light.

Christ came so that He could restore us to our rightful place with the Father. He came to be Savior to the world, but He is so much more than that. We begin our relationship with Him as our Savior. That moment that changes our life and we let the Light in. The Light is always going to point us to the Word. The Word should bring life to you. Do you dread reading the Word? Does it seem boring to you? Are you one who says that you read and get nothing out of it? The Holy Spirit can help with that.

Whenever a person tells me they want to grow more in their relationship with God, or they are ready to surrender entirely to Him, I ask them if they read their Bible and if they pray in the Spirit. If they have never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit then I encourage them to do so.

I remember my moment that I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I was nineteen. I had been saved for a little over a year and attending seminary. Their was a missionary ministering at the church and she gave the invitation. I was engaged (to my husband) at the time and we had talked about how important it was for him that before we got married that I was spirit filled. Just a couple of weeks before the missionary had visited our church I had given him a box with his wedding band in it, letting him know that I was ready to take the next step in my relationship with God. We set our wedding date for nearly six months after that moment. Unlike others I know, this was not a manipulation tactic to marriage. This was genuine.

From that moment. The Light was brighter, the Word came alive. The zeal for everything to be reconciled to Christ was greater. Life does happen and if you do not charge your self in the Word and prayer then you will become dim again, but the Light is still somewhere there. So what am I rambling on about? Do not wait until January first to say I want to get in the Word more. Do it today! Why wait? Pray in the Spirit more. If you have never been baptized in the Holy Spirit, message me and I can point you to some scriptures to help with that.

Now that we have our Word and our Light, go as John did and testify of Him. We do not draw people to ourselves, but point them to the Light.

Matthew 15:14-16 (AMP) You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Let your Light shine!!

Posted on

Why daddy moments?

Psalms 105:4 (AMP) Seek and deeply long for the Lord and His strength (His power, His might); Seek and deeply long for His face and His presence continually.

One of the things I tell people to do is to look for daddy moments from their Heavenly Father. I especially like to do this because my earthly father chose not to be in my life. Yesterday I was talking to our youth about loving those who disappoint us. The ones that will hurt us the most are going to be the ones we expect more from, which can lead to disappointment. We choose to love them anyway.

I was around five when my parents divorced. I remember because my dad pulled me out of kindergarten class to tell me he was not going to see me again. I did see him again, I was ten, then again when I was thirteen. I sent him an invitation for my high school graduation and had my parents save him a seat, he did not show. I sent him an invitation to my wedding, he was not there.

After I had my first child I took a road trip with my husband and we popped in on my dad’s parents so they could meet their great grandson. They fell in love with him, and cried when we left. After we departed they made a phone call and told him to go see his kids. It had been eleven years since he had seen us, my sisters and I. He showed up on my door step within a month of our trip. My husband took him aside, without my knowing, and told him if he hurt me again he would not be welcome.

My dad made monthly trips for nearly a year. He got to celebrate my son’s birthday with us, and holidays we had never spent with him since my parent’s divorce. My youngest sister got married that year and he helped walk her down the aisle with our step father. This was something that I had always wanted, and celebrated with her that she got to experience that.

Then after some time he stopped coming. He wanted us to come see him. He lived six hours away ans still does I guess. I just was not comfortable. I did not want to travel with my young son and stay in his home. I told him he could not expect that of me just because he visited us for a year out of twenty four years of my life. That was the end of that. It has been nearly sixteen years and seven more grand children (one more for me and six between my sisters).

When I was sick as a child I would cry out for my daddy. I know it broke my mother’s heart because he was not going to be able to come to comfort me. Which is why I love my Abba Father. Since I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior, that part of my longing was also fulfilled. I have little daddy moments that he truly does care about the little things that I care about too.

When I was sick as a child I would cry out for my daddy.

Psalms 37:4 (TPT) Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and he will provide for you what you desire the most.

It marvels me to see how much He cares for me. My kids did not grow up without a grandfather. They have two awesome sets of grandparents. My husbands parents and my parents. My step father is their grandpa. They call him grandpa. He has all the benefits that a grandpa should have. He loves my boys and his other grandchildren (even though he did not have any natural children) as if they were his flesh and blood. He has always been patient with us. I was twelve when my mother remarried (How grown do you think I was, it would just been three short years later that I meet my husband on a blind date).

This is why I say look for the daddy moments. I like what this verse says, Matthew 6:30-33 (MSG) If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers – most of which are never seen – don’t you think he’ll attend to you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your eveyday human concerns will be met.

This was straight out of the mouth of His Son, Jesus. He said not worry about missing out. Since saying “yes” to Jesus I have become one of favorite girls. Maybe I had always been, just had not opened my eyes to that yet.

What do these daddy moments look like? They could be a hot pretzel ready when that usually takes twenty minutes because you have to special order them. It could be that you forgot something and He make a way for it to get to you without it being an inconvenience. It can also be that when you are going through something He shows you in His Word that He has already taken care of it. Look for a daddy moment today!