Settling in the Spirit

Learning to live by faith is a journey. It is a process. You do not become a believer and heart and soul lover of Jesus and poof...become spiritually mature. You also don't JUST attend church and...poof find yourself full of faith. Learning to live in faith is like navigating in your home when it is completely dark. The first time you took a step in your new home, in the dark, you were very tentative. You took small steps and eased through and around obstacles. Sometimes you avoided the obstacle and sometimes you broke your toe. Another night comes, you wake up, and you have a choice. You can just stay in bed (and probably be miserable because the whole reason you are awake is because you need to pee), or you can get up and do what you are feeling led to do. After several late night ventures, you can probably walk around your home in the dark at a normal pace. Eventually, it does not matter if it is day or night, you are so familiar in your surroundings and trusting of where the obstacles are and how to avoid them, you can move around just as well in the night as you do in the day.

Faith is the same way. In the beginning of your journey, you receive a lot of information in your head...who Jesus is, how He lived, why He died. That info, because it came to you from God's Word, begins to seep into your heart and change you. As the change begins, the Holy Spirit, the one Jesus left behind to be our helper, begins to lead. At first, you are careful...unsure...wanting to believe but not sure someone hasn't moved an end table on you. But God is faithful, true, loving, and patient. He gives you signs. He affirms your faith steps. He gives you results that are answers and assurances and proof that He is here...right here...right now.

As your faith grows and you begin to be comfortable in your walk, you settle in the Spirit. Questions are replaced by acceptance and thinking is replaced by believing. You can be content, be joyful, be full of praise and worship to the Father because He is present...oh so present. He is our loving Father who created us and gave us a way to relationship with Him. He gave us Jesus to walk in truth in a form we can see and relate to. He left us the Holy Spirit to fill us with peace, love, mercy, grace, and be the guide we need.

The key to settling in the Spirit is His Word. You can own your dream car...shiny,polished,and with an engine that purrs. But it won't do anything without the key. Same thing with your life of faith. It begins when the Word comes alive in You. As the verses wrap themselves around your very DNA, your faith engine begins. Have faith. Stay the course of the Word. It will lead to the ride of your life. Along the way you will settle, cruise, steer with one finger. The Spirit is..can be...behind the wheel. Settle in. Enjoy the ride!

Living in Faith

God is...well how do we describe God? God is a higher power, a force, the unseen, grace, mercy...God is love.

To really live in faith you have to get out of your head and live from your heart and soul. Your mind, while powerful and fascinating, is all about limits. Your mind is your pause and rewind button, but real living doesn't come from shutting down or living in yesterday.

What does living in faith really mean? It means that you believe (and live as you believe) God can alter your world...your life. Living in faith is all about knowing that the chain, or should I say crash, of events that is called free will can be changed by the hand of God. Have you ever forgiven? Have you ever loved? Have you ever been delievered? Have you ever been healed? Have you ever been rescued? Have you ever been saved? Have you ever seen a situation turn around? If you are living in faith, well you have said yes to these questions.

Oh, we say God is good and He has plans to prosper us, but do we live like it? In the face of trouble, do we take a deep breath, kick back and relax and say, "This one's all on you God"? God moves on behalf of HIS people...notice I didn't say people...I said His people...those of us who are walking with Him in obedience. Now keep in mind anyone can have that personal relationship with God, but some reject it. God knows those who truly love Him and live for Him, and God will absolutely move mountains for you, friend.

I never really understood the mustard seed verse until I started to understand faith (and I'm at the tip of the mountain {pardon the pun LOL} when it comes to faith). I always read that passage and thought Jesus was telling them they didn't have enough belief {head/mind} to unleash the kind of super-natural power it takes to move mountains. Sometimes I even wondered if the "move mountains" was not just a figure of  speech.

No. no, no. Having faith to move mountains comes straight from the heart and soul. If I am living for God...if I am living to love Him and love others, if I am living out of the same love and example Jesus set...you better believe God is going to move every mountain in my way. When I say every mountain, I mean every mountain...struggles, hardships, hangups, people, and the Himalayas if they are in my way to becoming more mature in faith. I have a message for God, from God, and He will change life to let me express it. He'll change life because He loves us.

Now I want you to really think and pray abount faith, because as you get some holy revelation, it ought to change how you're living life. Fear and anxiety? No need. Despair? No way. That I can't do it mentality? God never wanted you to...He wants to do it through you.

What are you believing God for? I don't mean...what are you praying for, holding your breath, and then letting your mind come up with Plan B. I mean what do you want in life that will allow you to live with the blessings God wanted for you all along? Ask it. Believe it. Start living your life like you will receive it.

Nowhere does it say Christianity is boring or quiet. Yes, we do have heaven to look forward to. But, I'm going to live for some of my blessings right now...today...right in the middle of this crazy world I'm going to have a holy party.

Sound lovely? It is!

Adoration

We were created to adore. We were created to get totally absorbed, fall head over heels, be dazed and confused, go all in...in love with our Savior.

Along the way we sometimes go astray...especially in our culture where the more the better reigns. We adore our families, we adore our friends, we adore our jobs, we adore our hobbies, we adore our free time, we adore our margaritas, we adore chocolate, we adore what we can smoke-snort-shoot up.We adore sexual relationships that were never meant to be.

We adore so many things. So why are there so many who are empty, anxious, depressed, looking up and thinking there has to be more than this?

There is only one thing we can adore...are supposed to adore...that will lead to fullfillment instead of pain. We are to adore Jesus Christ. He is the ONLY thing that ever walked this planet that we can adore and be safe. Jesus does not lie. He does not run. He does not lead us astray. He does not love us for selfish reasons. He does not use us for self-promotion. Jesus loves to love because He is love.

It is O.K. to take the cover off your heart. It is O.K. to be dependent. It is O.K. to trust, to feel, to commit, to surrender, to be saved by the one and only thing that will never hurt you. You may have been hurt by people, but not by the Savior.

Let loose, breathe, have faith, have hope...all for His glory...all for His delight.

We were made to adore Him.

3D

We look at T.V. screens - flat. We look at cell phone screens - flat. We stare at computer monitors - flat. We do a lot of living in a one dimensional world, and we feel, well - flat.

God created a 3D world. There are galaxies, stars, planets, water, creatures, people. Everything in creation has motion. It moves, connects, flows out, returns. Our lives should look that way. We should be bonding with those around us. Our listening skills should have power and affect. Our love should go out, move, and the blessings return. Our tears need to be wiped. This morning's sirens need prayer. The hungry need fed. The sick need healing. The bored need to be entertained. The heavy in heart need to laugh. Our emotions need to twist, turn, and fold.

You can't be a part of these things if your life is flat because you're only living for yourself. God intended on 3D living: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Your loving God created you and is in control. Jesus Christ came and showed us how to live, laugh, love, weep, and sacrifice. The Holy Spirit indwelled Jesus, and the Holy Spirit lives in us who believe and call on His name. You can put on the glasses of the world and trick your mind into thinking your living, but when you take those glasses off the screen of your life is flat again. Or, you can believe in God, cry out for the salvation of Jesus Christ, and receive the Holy Spirit into your heart and soul.

3D
Father, Son, Spirit
Faith, Hope, Charity
Love, Mercy, Grace
Confession,Repentance,Redemption

...

Exciting Times to be a Disciple for Jesus

I don't believe there has been a more exciting time to be a disciple for Jesus Christ than right now. Some look at the world and think things are terrible. I hear comments like, "I wouldn't want to raise a child today." Look around. It is terrible. The Palestinians are STILL trying to take over Jerusalem. The Muslims are trying to worship at Ground Zero. The U.S. Is trying to resist big govt taking over little govt.

BUT here is the Good News: there is hope! It's good that those with only a worldly belief system are getting tired of feeling empty. It is good that people who have been in church all their lives are lookng for relationship rather than religion. It is good that small govt will force charity back into play. I mean...I can pay it forward just fine when the govt doesn't take half and tell me what to do with the second half.

Right now there is world wide tension...the feeling that a shift is taking place. People are wondering how did we get here and how do we get out. People are looking...looking. What better time to find hope in Jesus Christ? What better time to be filled with the Holy Spirit? What better time for revival? What better time for true worship of a Holy God whose great compassion still loves His wayward child? What better time to be a prodigal daughter?

Jesus said...love, forgive, have compassion, take care of those in need. How refreshing in a world that has been ripped off, hacked, molested, robbed, and lied to? These are amazing times because people want to take their masks off and get real. We have every means in the world to communicate who we are, where we've been, and how Jesus changed us...is changing us.

Raise your hands. Raise your voices. There has never been a more exciting time to be a disciple!

Are You Full?

Do you ever get sucked up in the religion game...wondering who is right and who is wrong? Do you wonder if one group has it figured out better than the rest? Do you go through the motions to cover the bases? Do you listen to others talk about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and feel empty - feel like their words are all for show? READ EPHESIANS CH.3! If ever there was a passage to explain what it meant to bring salvation to the world, to live life to the fullest, to be saved...this chapter is it! The Bible is crystal clear on Israel's favor with God. They have been through so much together and every world event, current event, and headline ticker is telling their redemption story. However, in Ephesians Ch.3, Paul beautifully shows us that we also are in God's favor. Jesus came for us. We have our own redemption story in the cross, and not just Jesus' death on the cross, but His life thereafter. His resurrection story is our fullness in Christ. I literally remember what life was like without Jesus - a rat race full of anxiety and disappointments that Paxil only took the edge off of. Everyone's story is different, but my life before Jesus and after is as different as night and day. I have my own personal B.C./A.D. timeline that is the perfect before/after makeover shot.

Jesus not only offers us non-Israeli's eternity, He also brings us fullness in Him right now. Living is being so full you weep or so full you laugh out loud. Being full is going through a crisis and not loosing faith. Being full is loving when the old you wants to hate, and walking away when you know revenge could be yours. Being full is resting in the middle of chaos...being still and knowing He is God.

We are full of His Spirit. We are full of His word. We are full of grace. We are full of His love. I am full of redemption and salvation and a power that is bigger and stronger than anything here on earth. I am full of praise for Him. I am full with a desire to worship.

Jesus longs for you to be in an intimate relationship with Him...to know Him...to never question His presence. You can do a lot of religious stuff, but you can only be full by the presence of the Holy Spirit in your very being.

Has He taken up with You?

Are you full?

Do You Know the Truth?

Truth is absolute and pure. It is what it is. Hot is hot...truth. Cold is cold...truth. There is a world that wants you to believe truth is hard to see. A world that wants you to think truth is hard to find. The world says you need an advocate, but they define the advocate. Maybe you need someone to tell you how to eat. Maybe you need someone to tell you how to spend your money. Maybe you need someone to tell you how to deal with the brokenness of your family.

What the world has to offer is people to give you their opinions. What they think is truth...what they think is right and wrong. The world says your belief system is fine, even if your belief system is to believe nothing. The world says any relationship is appropriate. The world says have sex. Exploit it. Show it off. Do it everywhere with anyone. The world says it is O.K. for you to like people who are like you and to oppose people who are different. The world says drink it. Snort it. Shoot it up. The world says abuse the system, because the system owes you. The world is chaos, confusion...the world is lost.

There is an alternative. Another truth. This truth is not confused. This truth does not rush. This truth's timing is always on schedule. There is a word that tells you love, but love appropriately. Make love, but not when it hurts someone. There is a word who says live life. Live it to the fullest, but don't snort it, drink it, shoot it up. There is a truth that says love and forgive, but that doesn't entail saying you are right when you are wrong.

There is a truth that saves. There is a truth that is life. There is a truth that will lift you out of despair, pain, darkness. Do you know truth? Do you want truth.

The word became man...became flesh to show us the Way. There is truth. Do you know truth? He has a name...only one name. He is not Buddha, Muhammad, Oprah, money, over-indulgence.

There is only one name for truth. His name is Jesus. He came to save you, to include you in God's kingdom. Jesus came to go against the world, to be counter-cultural, to be radical. He is gentle, yet strong. He is humble, yet all powerful. You can step out of darkness and into the light. Call His name. Praise Him. Pray to Him. Love Him, and be loved by Him.

There is truth. His name is Jesus.

Every Chance

When you open your eyes, it is a chance. When you breathe in, it is a chance. Every time it's not cancer, every time the car doesn't hit you, every time the doctor says it is fine, every time you punch the clock, every time you go to dinner, every time you have the opportunity to give, every time a sign-up sheet is placed in the foyer...

Every time...

Every time...

Your day is filled with opportunities. God is giving you life. Jesus saved you to live. Who are you living for? Are you living for you? Are you living for your spouse...your children? Are you living for your job? Are you living to be known? Are you living to be pretty?

Or, are you living so that others see Jesus in you? He is either your number one, or He is not. He either is your first priority, or He is not. You either read your Bible every day and spend time with the Word Made Flesh or you don't. You either are forgiving, or your not. You either loved your enemy today or you didn't.

Jesus came to save you. Jesus came so that you may have life, and have it to the full. Jesus came so that your sins could be washed away...so they wouldn't stay with you forever...so they wouldn't weigh you down and press you all the way to the floor. Jesus came to lift you up, to clothe you in beauty, to put a crown on your head, to fill you with compassion, to show you love.

Is He your heart's desire, or isn't He. Why did God open your eyes this morning? TO LOVE HIS SON!

What are you doing with every chance you've been given?

Big News...Good News

Oh, I get it! I get it! I get it! I read things...like Titus 2...that says be gentle, be submissive, be loving. Well, that's pretty, but I don't really want to be gentle. In fact, I don't believe God made me gentle. So, how can I be obebient to the Word and answer His calling???

J-E-S-U-S!!!

I am about to just bust! Jesus did not back down. He didn't manipualte, coax, coerce, or twist. He stood His ground. He never backed up! He said what needed to be said, and did what God called Him to do, BUT He did it gently and in love. He reached out. He cared for others. He cried. BUT He never watered it down.

That's why Jesus stood out from the world. In order to accomplish His purpose, He did not buy anyone off. He didn't lie. He didn't tell people what they wanted to hear. At the same time though, He reached for them. He led by example. He accomplished it all gently, in the greatest act of submission, in love.

The world lies. The world demands power. The world brainwashes. Jesus lived the Word in love. Oh, I get it!!! I may not be gentle, but my love can be!!!!

Oh, my God, my Savior, I am desperate for YOU!!!

Gifts

Salvation, surrender, confession, reconciliation, repentance...We have a lot of terms, for a lot of things, that we just haven't unwrapped. We have these concepts all wrapped up in Bible school, revival, Holy Spirit gift-wrap. We see they are gifts, but are we going to unwrap them to see what in the world is in the box? Are we just going to leave the pretty package on the table, or are we going to unwrap it, identify it, love it, and use it?

Salvation is the gift of acceptance. It is the here I AM, here is what I AM about, here is what I have to offer gift from God - eternal life. We simply get to open this gift (by the way, God has to give it to you before you can open it)and decide if we're going to keep it.

Surrender is the gift to change your life while you are still here on earth. Surrender is the gift to prioritizing. Are you going to live with you as #1 in your life, or is your relationship with God going to be the absolute #1? This gift includes batteries...a power source...tools and equipment to live a surrendered life. In this package, God gives understanding, revelation, and surrendered friends. Accepting this gift means God gave you the whole gift set. He gave you the Let's Do It in the Here and Now and Not Wait on Eternity gift set.

Next, you are on to some bonus gifts: repentence-in case you break your gift, which is fellowship, and need to return; reconciliation so you can have God in the here and now through grace and love.

The prayer says - let Your will be done, let Your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven. That is the gift. It's not just...do you want to go to heaven when you die...it is - do you want a piece of heaven right now?

Accept the gifts. Open them. Love them. Use them. Share them.

Who is Winning at Tug-of-War?

People say, "I can pray at home. In fact, my prayer time is better by myself instead of with a bunch of hypocrites. I can talk to God anywhere - anytime. I don't need churh to talk to God. I can take a walk, sit in a tree, or fish and feel just as close to God."

First of all, it is 110 degrees right now. So please don't even try to tell me you are taking praise and worship nature walks! More importantly though, you don't go to church just to pray. You really can pray right by yourself. You go to church to be encouraged, be spiritually fed, and to put your spiritual gift to work so that God can accomplish through you what He created you for in the first place. He didn't create you to watch 4 hours of T.V. a day.He didn't create you to shop until you drop. He didn't create you to mow, bushhog, and landscape away. Some of these activities may be part of your life, but they shouldn't be your life. God should be your life.

Church is where you go to do life. The body are the people to laugh with, cry with, eat with, pray with, praise with, and serve with. See, if you aren't in the body, you don't have your anchor, and let's face it...you're already playing tug-of-war in a pit with an unfair slope. Our culture says to do what makes you happy, take care of #1, let someone else help-you've done enough. If we aren't careful, we'll feel ourselves slip in tug-of-war. We'll start to loosen the grip on the rope. We'll start to point our feet forward so the opponent can slide us over, because maybe it is better on the other side.

The devil, evil itself, would like nothing better than to see you out of the body. He loves to hear, "Well, I can just pray at home." He loves it because he knows he can win against you. He just can't win against the church when the body of Christ is your anchor. God didn't say we couldn't be a one man island, He said we shouldn't. God gave us the church as the perfect platform to do life.

You can tell yourself all you want that CNN, FOX, and The Bachelorette have life all figured out. You can try to tell yourself you are better off without a bunch of hypocrites (aka sinners-we are all sinners thus hypocrites at some point). However, don't be shocked when life seems harder than that hypocrite in church. Don't be surprised when you go through a crisis, and it is that hypocrite in church who is there for you. Don't be shocked when you lose the tug-of-war and discover life like it seems on T.V. is pointless, ridiculous, and depressing.

Some days I am the encourager. Some days I need to be encouraged. That's why I go to church...and oh yeah, I don't like to lose at tug-of-war either!

Have You Kept Your Appointment?

I am still convinced so-called Christian churches today have missed the boat on salvation. Even the Bible says many are lost. Somewhere we got side tracked and decided salvation was learning and believing. Someone tells us about God and Jesus and Jesus's life, and we think about it...maybe for a few minutes...maybe for a few years...and then we say, "O.K. I believe there is a God, and He sent His son, and He died on the cross for my sins. Yep, I've decided to believe all that happened."

Wham! You're saved! NOT. That was thinking and learning, while important is not salvation. You may learn about WWI. You may read about the battles. You may travel to a museum and see some stuff. You may even talk to someone who fought in WWI. You became educated and accepted what you learned as fact. That's good, but that doesn't mean YOU fought in WWI. Believing the war happened doesn't make you a soldier.

Same thing with salvation. You may know some Bible stories. You may be able to name some books in the Bible. Maybe you can even name them all. You may have watched some History Channel documentaries and said, "Wow, that Jesus really did walk the earth." That is processing information. That is not getting saved.

People don't save. You don't decide the when, where, or how. God does. Being saved means you had a special, supernatural, not captured on video appointment with God. God watched you, knew your heart, and said, "Let's see what she does with a moment of clarity. Let's see what she does with a little revelation. Let's see what she does with Holy." In that specific moment, you see the deeper meaning of God...not just what His plan is, but what it means. In that moment, you will either fall to your knees, weep, and say YES...yes I'm Yours...or you will brush the moment off as having an emotional day...or worse you may say I see, but I don't want it because I like my life like it is.

If you can't remember the specifics of your moment...the when, where, and what happened, I wonder did you play church, or have you been saved? You should be able to point to a calendar and say...right here...right here is when I got saved...right here is when God did something to me that I didnt/dont fully understand, but I responded...take me I'm Yours.
Have you had that moment? Please don't be misled by the world today. Yes, we have altar calls, but those altar calls are to carve out time for the moment. Those moments in church services don't make salvation...they make room for salvation. I mean we live in a time where we medicate so we can pay attention. The altar call is to focus your attention to see...is this when God may move, or is this when he or she will respond and say...Yes, I am Yours!!!

Did you keep your appointment? What did you say to God?

Last Days

Eschatology is the study of end times. Before something can be studied there has to be evidence of it. We certainly have evidence of end times in the Word of God. I don't care who you are or what you believe. If you read the Bible, study the Bible, there is so much history and prophecy it will blow your mind. A good bit of scripture has come to pass. You can read chapter by chapter and see historically how it came to be. There is, however, prophetic words unfolding today and soon to come.

People think end times or the last days are way down the road. Actually, end times began with the death and ascension of Jesus to heaven. So, we have been in the last days for quite some time.

Jesus will one day return to earth. Christians, well non-Christians too, refer to this event as the Second Coming. Prior to His coming will be terrible, terrible, terrible times. Even worse than what we are facing today. What are we facing today? We, my friends, are living in the times where one world order is being formed. We are living in days when Islam will take over under the guise of peace, order, and prosperity. We are living in the times of the establishment of one world currency (already having meetings about that), one world religion (ask your college professors if Islam is spreading across college campuses),and a one world leader. Watch and see if someone very well-spoken with promises of peace steps forward soon. Personally, I think Obama is just the warm-up.

All of this to say, after a terrible period of time, Jesus will return and reign with peace...total and complete peace on earth...the kingdom of God on earth...on earth as it is in heaven. Well...I do NOT have to wait until the Second Coming to have that peace. I can have peace in my life right now...today and tomorrow. I already accepted God's offer to be with Him instead of being separated from Him. I opted in instead of opting out. I have also decided to be in that group that lets God be part of all of my life now...not just during a church service. I find the more obedient to God I am, the more at peace I am within myself, my home, the church, the world.

I'm not going to wait until death to have what I can have right now...my peace, my Savior, my Comforter, Strong Tower. I'm all in...right now. "May the peace of God be with you all."

Empty or Full

I can absolutely remember the point in my life when I did not believe in God. I had been exposed to a good bit of religion, as a child and a young adult. Nothing will convince you quicker there is no God than religion! I had tried several things and lived very wordly when my brain findly took over any hope for my soul. My brain laid it out there. God...really? Someone-thing-person just poofed us into existence? All of creation just...ta da! I finally didn't buy it. I decided there was no God. We were born. Why? I had no idea, but as cells continue to split and grow so did the human cycle. We would live our life, die, and then be worm food. I was O.K. With that...very simple, scientific, practical. At that point in my life, not only had I reached hopelessness, I had accepted it. Whew! I was glad to have figured all that out and reached an intelligent conclusion. Now, I could just go through the motions of living, whatever that meant, and die.

That is all there is without God. Right? A schedule, an endless list of events...some good times...some bad times. Without God, there is really no one to please other than yourself or someone you hope to please you. With this philosophy, I experienced the greatest emptiness, pointlessness, despair,and anxiety. That was confusing to me. Why be anxious when there is no point to life?

Aaahhh...but there is a point...only one. The depressing thing about my new philosophy was that, well, it was depressing. But, why in the world was it depressing when it released me from any duty or expectation? L-O-V-E! There were people in my life whom I loved...a few I loved greatly. I didn't mind being worm food, but it made me sad to think that for others. Love also drove me to care, to hope in people, to want to live.

See, it is true God is love. He most certainly, absolutely, without question exists. God is the fullness of life. He is the point. He is the reason. With God, you still have what seems like and endless schedule, but you can enjoy those activities. You still live and die, but with a joy and a purpose. God fills you, when you invite Him in. When you decide to leap, to buy in, to step across the line of faith and believe even though you don't see. When that happens light replaces darkness; peace replaces anxiety; forgiveness replaces revenge; love for others replaces love of self.

God is a wave of love, a flood of purpose, a light in darkenss. God is reason instead of insanity, right instead of wrong, life instead of death. God doesn't just give life here, but also in another dimension...in a time and place without limits of the temporary here and now.

Pick up your cross and follow Him.

Corrective Lenses

I think, in the world today, we are more and more near-sighted. I hope I'm remebering correctly - near sighted means you see what is close-up. Well, our gadgets are getting smaller and smaller, which means screens are smaller and smaller. If you stop and think, how much time a day are you looking at a screen...computers, T.V.'S, cell phones, Ipads and pods, power points, even in church we see projected images. We are all squenched up trying to stare at what is right in front of us.

We wonder why we can't see God.

We miss moments to minister. We don't see those hurting around us. We are blind to the Way because we are near-sighted. Our vision is our focus. How can we focus on eternal, when we can't see beyond our out-stretched hand? How can we feel the pain today and give it up to the generations of tomorrow? Seriously, have you ever considered that what happens today will occur to address something huge in 200 years. Do you consider your life today is really the lead-up to Godly greatness in your great-great-great grandchild?

We are so near-sighted we can't move forward without stumbling, shuffling, groping along life with our eyes all squenched up unable to process what we cannot clearly see and taking baby steps all along the way.

What if we had corrective lenses? What if we could see things on an eternal calendar? What if our calling was crystal clear? What if the answers were really the writing on the wall...our living room wall...and we could see it? We are not God. We will only have limited understanding while in this life, but I believe we could be seeing a lot more clearly. The Holy Spirit is our corrective lens. It is our filter. It shifts the focus off ourselves to others. It reveals clear messages from God. It allows us to see scripture and understand. The Holy Spirit magnifies God in my life.

Sometimes when I'm reading, I leave the readers on the table and sit and squench. Instead of reaching over and putting them on, I just try to stare through the blur. I also live my life somewhat that way...not understanding, not knowing, losing my focus. Just as I should and can put on my readers, so should I slip on the Holy Spirit. Today, I will asK God for spiritual clarity, to see eternal things, to have a clear picture of what He wants from me today, to have total focus of His will. I pray the wordly things loose their appeal, beacause once we can really see...truly see...clearly see...worldly things we desire are ugly.

Lord, please give me eyes for only You.

What's Your Status?

We live in the age of social networking. Forget privacy. Privacy went out the window with the first Facebook account. We post everything about anything. Don't get me wrong. I'm am a FB girl, but I don't think you can track my every location and every mood swing by my status post. I am constantly surprised by what people will post, and I have come to the conclusion most teenagers have no fear of their parents. If they don't fear their parents, they certainly do not fear God. Parents are in your face, with the keyes to your car, and the money for your cell phone and gas. God you can't see, touch, or hear with human ears.So, please don't tell me kids who don't fear and respect their parents can have a healthy fear and respect for God.

Sorry, I digressed :) We should really reflect on our spiritual status. Am I a Christian (saved by grace and acceprance)? Have I given over to God everything I am, have, and feel? Have I only given God my chance at eternity, but kept the here on earth to myself? I think we focus a whole lot about getting to heaven, but how about the here and now? We don't have to wait until heaven to be with God. God has already told us in His Word and shown me personally that He will not forsake me. He is with me. God will guide me in relationships-who to be friends with/who to beware of. He will lead me to forgiveness. He will provide opportunities to minister, which is a specific event whereby God works through us. God will teach us how to surrender moment by moment. The Bible is a complete and wonderful story that shows us how it is done...how to be with God here and now and be with Him in a different way, a closer way in heaven.

What is your spiritual status? Are you all in now, or are you waiting for heaven to be all in?

Blessed to Be in the Buckle

There are 2 things most people, where I live, could honestly say. Number one, we are blessed-as a nation, state, and country we are blessed compared to most in the world. Number two, those who live in my community live smack dap in the buckle of the Bible belt. We have totally forgotten, missed, not realized how incredibly different this fact makes us compared to most everyone else. Unfortunaltey, I think we have taken these things so for granted, we don't allow where we live and who we are to impact us anymore. We're immune-turned off-disengaged. We've heard statistics, watched commercials about feeding starving children, heard about destruction and devastation from afar, to the point we are no longer moved. Yet, as Christians we need to be moving closer to God every day.

Right now, I could be leaving my tent, from under a blazing sun, in search for food and water to feed my starving children instead of sitting in bed, under the ceiling fan, on my Blackberry. Right now I could be shrouding my head and face getting ready to go to market while trying not to arouse the attention of any terrorist who lives in my community and is looking for any excuse to kill instead of thinking about my day in worship service and then spending the afternoon at a friend's pool. I could also live in a place where I have never heard of Jesus, or the Bible, or salvation. I could easily live in a city where we worship statues, burn incense, and wait on karma to work everything out.

I wonder how quick to say yes people are who have never heard the plan of salvation? Can you imagine the pure awe they must feel when hearing such a story for the first time? Here in the blessed buckle of the Bible belt, we have lost our awe, our fascination, the power and passion of the cross. We've heard it and heard it until we've stopped being consumed by it or overwhelmed by it. We need to truly be still and know He is God. In the stillness, we need to feel the power, awe, and overwhelming emotion of God's love for us. His love and grace save beyond our pain, hurts, disappointments.

We live in a community where we can freely proclaim His name from the street corners. Why aren't we?

Individuals in the Body

In Psalm 139:14 David praises God and says he is fearfully and wonderfully made...knit together by God...a wonderful work. Do you realize every single person on the planet is a fearfully, wonderfully made work by God? All of them...all of us. Yes, even the ones who get on your nerves or that you struggle to just dislike and not hate. Come on...you know who I mean. Each of us is a marvelous creation. Look at how different we are-not just in how we look, but also in our likes, dislikes, and behavior. God made us in His image, yet we are all so different His image will remain an unknown until we're in heaven.

Our culture, a.k.a. Satan's playground, tries to take away our individuality. It tries to say only certain things are beautiful. We try to look alike, talk alike, and like alike. That pressure to be someone we are not doesn't come from our Creator. God isn't into a trillion of us wearing the same lip gloss, same shirt, and same hairstyle. God is not into us being clones of someone we aren't. I don't believe God cares for wannabe behavior on any level. He is interested in who He made us to be.

If we aren't careful, we will wannabe Christian. It is one thing to look, watch, and study more mature Christians to see what they are about. It is an altogether different thing to think you have to become anyone other than You in order for God to love you. In fact, Jesus is the only person we are trying to become, and we are only trying to love like Him...not look like Him. In fact, the Bible says Jesus' looks were just plain, old ordinary. What a relief that He wasn't pretty!!! We can just focus on how He lived not how He looked. Wouldn't that be wonderful for our country today...to start addressing how we live instead of what E and People have to say about how we should look?

In a huge vastness of individuals, our common thread should be our love of God and each other. We can be tall, short, thin, fat, good hair, bad hair, no hair. None of that matters. We are all wonderfully made just like we are. The transformation...the makeover...should only be spiritual. It is a movement from miserable to peaceful...from death to life. That, my friends, is beautiful.

Supernatural

I guess it is just human nature to compare everything to ourselves. However, we are cheating ourselves out of fully experiencing God when we humanize Him. The Word tells us lots about the appearance and characteristics of God. We are made in His image. He is radiant. He is love, mercy, compassion, power... He is not;however, human.

In saying that we need to realize how powerful and supernatural the moment of salvation is...that moment when God offers us everything He has to offer, and we accept. I believe we have some misconceptions about the moment of salvation which has cheapened it and taken away its awe. First of all, it is a moment. I do not believe, from either personal experience or the Word, that the offer of salvation is an open door on a 24/7 basis. I also do not believe we decide the terms or the moment. Therefore, church or a worship service does not set the terms nor call the moment. God may use a church service (which is one of the reasons we should be in church), but God and God alone grants the moment.

The Word says He will only call each of us a certain number of times. We need to place that statement on billboards. Too many people think they'll do life their way, have all their fun, and then settle into God and church. How sad to think we are settling when we journey with God. Some...many...may have already told God no as many times as He will ask. Some may have already missed any opportunity at heaven.

The moment of salvation is the most powerful experience in our lives. How many other moments do you remember in such detail for 10, 20, 30, 60 years? I cannot stress to you enough it is a moment. You can date and time it. If you think salvation just comes to pass after a period of believing there is a God, you are only dealing with your brain. Salvation is extended by God. In a moment when your head, heart, and soul are all in one accord. Do you understand how huge that is? Do you realize the human-ness in us causes an almost constant struggle between what we feel, think, and do? Where do you think panic comes from? The Moment is freeze-framed in time where everything clicks, fits, makes sense. Your physical self will even experience physical reactions to your brush with Holy. Your heart accelerates. Your emotions break free. Your mind becomes the clearest it may ever be. In that moment of umderstanding, You have a choice. God, although supernatural, did not choose for Himself the role of puppet master. We must choose to either accept His gift of salvation or reject it.

Now don't think for one minute God is the only supernatural power at work. Satan works hard to oppose salvation. In your moment, Satan will try to force all kinds of untruths to be truths. I believe the biggest one is all the things we give up in order to be truly saved. You know...sin...all that fun activity that brings pain, despair, hangovers, wrecked relationships, emotional messes. Satan is hoping against all hopes you will say no to God.

We are cheating ourselves when we limit The Moment to an altar call and "Just As I Am" every Sunday morning. Right now...before the sun, before the summer heat, in the still and quiet of the morning, God is offering salvation to someone. Can you hear the angels hold their breath? Can you feel the stillness as eternity waits to receive another guest? Oh, the moment is so powerful.

Holy God, Ancient of Days, Savior, I love you too. Forgive me for making you human in my mind. Forgive me for not being in total and complete, fear-trembling awe of You all the time. I pray for yes's today. I pray for the Moment for many. I pray for truth, clarity, and the power of revelation. I pray for simple yes's that do not end the journey, but begin the faith walk until we are with You in heaven. Amen.

The Porch

It is too busy...too busy to blog, too busy to do anything just for fun...too busy to pray. I pray at a set time each morning. I pray every time I receive a prayer request, but do I ever just break out in spontaneous prayer? Nope. I don't do anything spontaneously actually. Why? I'm too busy. I can't keep up with my scheduled events, let alone just do something on a whim.

I bet God loves prayer on a whim. I bet He radiates His normal self times a billion when we just pray to pray wherever we are...whatever we are doing. I named this site Solomon's Portico because I thought it was beautiful Solomon designated the porch as the place to gather and discuss scripture. The whole point of this blog was to spend time on the porch with God and you...relaxing, enjoying, breathing.

So, I am sitting amist total and complete chaos right now and going to the porch...this porch.

Father God, I am missing You. Even though I am busy doing your work, doing Bible study, preparing lessons, and daily prayers, I am missing You. Please forgive me for getting lost in busy and not looking for You. Forgive me for feeling irritated when I know that irritation stems from missing You.

Lord, today is a special day...a beautiful day. I am just loving stopping and spending some time with you right now.

(Pause) Lord, you have just sent the chattiest person on the planet to sit right next to me. What in the world??? Well, I'm going to stay on the porch. She will just have to come and sit with me.

I love you too! Amen

Women's Lib...What a Rip Off

I want a do-over. I need a do-over. If I could just go back...all the way back...and have the Word of God in my life from the get-go.

Women's lib? Be independent! Take care of #1. Climb the corporate ladder. Have money. Have things. The world is your playground. Do what makes you feel good. I'm O.K./You're O.K. Don't let a man stand in your way. Demand equal pay. Demand equal rights.

Whoever started the bra burning campaign to have women replace men in the world, I would like to punch right in the nose. We've been climbing for about 50 years. How is that working for us girls? We are over-worked, over-scheduled, over-stressed, financially unstable, on the verge of a nervous breakdown with great lip gloss, shoes, and handbags that say...I am great!

How is all that Prozac working for you, Ms. Woman's Lib? Have you figured out just the right amount of vodka to drink in the course of the day to be productive, but too numb to feel? Have you isolated yourself to the point no one can reach you, even though you are always in a crowd? Have you enjoyed the benefits of Eve replacing Adam?

Now, please do not misunderstand me, and if you already hit exit I will be forever misunderstood. The Proverbs 31 woman had it going on...both at home and at work. I am not saying to be Godly is to be Betty Crocker. I am certainly not saying to be Godly is to submit to the ungodly. I am saying God created man. God created woman. God instituted marriage very early on. He did not just create us and then say, "Hey, watch Oprah and figure all this out." God has left us with scripture to give us explicit instruction on how to be happy and blessed in our marriages. God's way leads to fulfilment; the world's way leads to depression, anxiety, and self destructive behaviors.

I am a very, very strong and independent woman. I am well-educated. I am a career girl. I have made a wreck out of my marriage because I did not know what God said about my role. I didn't even know He said anything about my role in marriage. I am not the head of my household. Even as I type the words, the old me battles to disagree. Let me say it again. I am not the head of my household. My husband is. My husband is to be our spiritual leader, financial provider, and decision maker. That does not mean I don't have good ideas. That does not mean I can't express my wants and opinions. My husband loves that I am a thinker. Bless his heart, he sometimes loves that I express every thought in my head.

In God's economy there are some very clear cut rules. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Sex is to be the gift of intimacy and relationship and expression between a husband and his wife. Sex is to be enjoyed. Sex is to be great and wonderful and private...as in please stop doing it on every T.V. show, commercial, and movie known to man. According to God's will, the man loves his wife, treasures his wife, cares for his wife, provides for his wife. The wife loves her man. Takes care of her man. Raises the children. These things can all happen if just the husband works or if both of you work. God' s plan can be fulfilled if neither of you work.

What we have to realize is that our actions do not set the stage. God set the stage. It is my attitude, my thought, and my withholding love from my spouse because the world has an agenda anti-God. It does not matter what our W2's say...unless I think my W2 structures my family. It doesn't matter what whose job titles are, or the size of our offices, or who has a company vehicle. The man has a purpose. The woman has a purpose. God's plan is to bless it, but He cannot bless what goes against Him.

I so wish I could do things over. I would trade vacations, cars, homes, stuff for peace, joy, and contentment any day. Again, I am not saying you can't be rich and be Godly. You absolutely can. However, the mindset must be that all things good come from God...not from you. You, Ms. Christian (talking to myself here), did not earn a job, get yourself a promotion, land a good salary. You did not pick the right man, create the right child/children. ALL things good come from God. We should be so thankful of our many blessings...in good times and bad.

This life is not heaven. There will be times of trouble. However, you can have God every step of the way IF you don't block Him out or separate yourself from Him. Girls, let's put our bras back on. In fact, let's put a whole lot of clothes back on. Let's let our husbands lead. Let them care for us. Let them love us. Doing so does not make us weak. Women who are submissive and love their husband's through the grace of God are the strongest, fiercest things on the planet. Go back to letting God's will for your life be enough. You will find peace, joy contentment. The more we let go of our culture and society, and give ourselves to God's will, the more our joy will grow. The verse says my cup runneth over. I know it does not run over every day, all the time. Don't you love the moments when it does though? Don't you want more of those moments?

Forget women's lib...what a crock! Dig into God's Word...Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Genesis, Psalms. You will be very, very surprised at how little God left to the imagination on marriage. Stop trying to do it all and just do what God wants from you!

Ultimate Spectator

I recently stopped watching the news..with the exception of a little Weather Channel. That may not sound like a big deal, but for a girl who only watched Fox, CNN, ESPN, and The Weather Channel it has been a major change. I didn't do it for Godly reasons...ha ha! Well, at the time I didn't realize it was God.

One particular weekend the broadcasting and reporting was pretty bad. All the major networks were reporting the same story, but the guests who were invited to speak, and even the anchors, were so ignorant of the topic it was nauseating. I thought...there isn't news anymore. It is all about sensationalism. What can we say and do to get the biggest reaction?

Well, that weekend I decided that was it...no more. I haven't watched for close to a month. Guess what? My life did not end. My world did not collapse. The more I lose touch with the www the more in focus my own surroundings have become. Over the weekend, my son prayed for the victims of the India airplane crash. I had no idea what he was talking about. In that moment, God said, "You had become the ultimate spectator."

You see nothing new is going on in the world today. There is no cycle that has not already been repeated. However, the media allows us an awareness of what is going on all over the world. Fifty years ago most of us would have no idea about the devastation in Haiti or what the Koreans were up to.

Now we sit around staring at our T.V.'S and computer screens worrying about everything but doing nothing. I pray for those in Haiti. I pray for those in N and S Korea. What am I doing for my family? What am I doing for my neighbor? What am I doing for my co-workers. There is certainly nothing wrong with praying for the world, but watching and worrying is not a ministry.

The world has become the ultimate spectator. We have stopped relating and stopped living in order to observe. The problem with that is it is not living. It is certainly not fullfilling the purpose God created me for. Not watching the news has been refreshing and enlightening. I can either observe, or I can live.

What about you?

Bittersweet

Today has been the strangest day...no not strange...exceptional. It was like looking at life under a microscope. Maybe is was like looking at life through God's eyes. He sees all-all the time. That is what today was like. We started in Sunday School. My husband and I taught the same lesson, but to two different groups. I always love preparing to teach when he is doing the same thing. Our lessons are always different. God speaks to us in different ways through the same text, yet keeps the meaning He wants presented. Then my husband and I taught the 1's and 2 year olds during worship service. Maybe taught is not the right word. Potty patrol while singing Jesus Loves Me is probably a better description. We have 1 year olds who don't talk yet, but they can sing Jesus Loves Me. Then my family and I went home for some lunch and a little down time before returning to church.

Tonight we buried a brother in Christ, a mentor, and a friend who lost a long battle with cancer. Before the service, our church had its annual VBS meeting. What an awesome thing God did. You see, we met our friend in adult VBS a few years ago. Here we were planning for another VBS event, yet minus one who was so dear. His service was beautiful. It magnified a dual love story: he and his wife; both they and their Savior.
We laid him to rest and then went to dinner with dear friends, church family,the ones we do life with - not just parallel schedules. We laugh together, cry together, and with every opportunity pray together.
Today was a little of the older and the younger, a celebration and a painful loss, restful and busy. It was a day of polar opposites and by God's grace we embraced it instead of being devoured by it. This life is just temporary. With every breath we breathe, we are closer to our last. We are not promised tomorrow. Don't waste another moment being lost in this crazy, dying world. Let go. Release yourself to God. Throw in the towel. Cry mercy! Let God have His way with you so that this life is not your joy but your warm-up.

We love you, Mr. Don and will see you soon!

Not Perfect...Glorious

The awesome thing about scripture is it constantly reveals new things to you. You might think you have read every word and suddenly come to a passage you never remember having read. You may read something you have read a hundred times and suddenly have new meaning. What I am starting to realize is how much of the New Testament is instruction on how Christians need to address Christians. The gospels are for the lost so that they may understand how relationship is restored to God. However, from Acts thru Revelation, there is a whole lot of instruction to the church. Although we are to love EVERYONE, you certainly cannot interact with a believer as you would a non-believer.

Why in the world do you think the church needs so much instruction? We are NOT perfect!!! We get angry, we retaliate, we refuse to forgive, we argue, we worship ourselves. I struggle to make God the center of my world instead of myself. It certainly is a process that happens in the crockpot. We beat ourselves up and feel guilty over sin. What we need to do is stop trying to be perfect...we can't even be good...and be glorious to God. Make everything (or at least more) of what you do glorify God. I can glorify Him when I am hanging out with friends, working with AWANA, having dinner with someone, and certainly at work. Does the way I talk glorify God? Do I have friends who glorify God? Do I drive like I am glorifying God (I did let 2 people out in traffic, but I ran 10 off the highway)?

I have got to change my mindset from doing good to glorifying the One who wakes me up every morning. After all, that is what He woke me up for in the first place!

Crockpot Girl

What would you rather have...some chicken nuggets from the microwave or roast, carrots, and potatoes from the crockpot? We are so busy today, we often run for our microwaves. Even though the food will be dryer and tougher, we want that quick fix. Microwaved food also loses its heat quickly. You pull that plate out, and it is too hot to hold. Within 5 min though, it has cooled off to the point you think of warming it back up. Now, the crockpot is not difficult. It just takes more time to get the result. There is no comparison in the result. The food is hot for a long time, tender, juicy, and good for the body.

Spiritual maturity works the same way. When we are first saved or have recently rededicated our life to Christ, we are on that revelation high. We sign up for everything and attend anything. We try to talk the talk for which we don't walk the walk. Before we know it, we have cooled off like a yucky plate of nuked french fries. Spiritual maturity needs the simmering of a crockpot that is set for all day. What is the crockpot? The Word. You don't have to memorize everything your first month as a Christian. You don't need to catch up...just catch on. Our relationship with God takes time...a lifetime. It is not meant to be the express button to quick fixes and fads for the moment. When we stay involved in the Word and in the body of Christ, we slowly but surely become the hot, tender, wonderful passion of Christ. God knows just the right temperature setting for you. Don't rush. Just keep cooking.

***ive never felt so convicted to blog something. God brought this concept to me about a week ago. I kept intending to get on the computer, but ended up doing other things. Tonight, my sis-in-law called me and said she had just gotten out of a service with the most awesome message. She said the preacher spoke about your faith being developed in a crockpot instead of a microwave!!! Well, I looked at the ceiling (from where I had passed out on the floor) and said, "Yes, sir!" So here I am blogging on my BB with one eye open. Whoever is reading, God really went out of His way to give this message to you. Please don't shrug it off as anything less than a message from the Holy of Holies!

Give Me Revelation

I warned my S.S. class this morning they were going to think I had totally lost my mind. You think you know something, but you maybe don't REALLY know. Agreeing is not necessarily the same thing as knowing. Well, the new-found knowledge that came out of today's S.S. lesson was the equivalent of me saying, "Wow, I just realized Diet Coke is sugar free!" Well, duh!!! I've been drinking Diet Coke forever BECAUSE it is sugar free.

So here goes... If you are a Christian, what do you believe happens when you die? What do you believe happened to Jesus when He died? Most everyone will say we go to heaven. But specifically what happened to Jesus once he died on the cross? His soul separated from His body. What happened three days later? HIS BODY WAS RESURRECTED!!!!

We Christians don't just believe our souls go to heaven. We also believe in BODILY resurrection. I recently participated in a study on the Book of Daniel. I had a very hard time understanding the timeline (not dates, people, just order of events of judgement and who is going where when. I kept reading and reading, but couldn't get things to fall into place.)

Well, the problem was I had not truly realized what I believe. I believe it because the Bible says it. My soul will go to heaven (we'll argue about the exact word for this later), but my physical body will come later...unless of course I live through tribulation.

I cannot tell you how much today's S.S. lesson helped my understanding of scripture. Matthew Chapter 25 and 1 Corinthians are full of info on the resurrection. Jesus saved us in very specific and supernatural ways. Not only are we as Christian immortal, our physical bodies will also be restored to us in an unflawed, perfect, beautiful way. Ya'll, praise God He is so awesome and so amazing, Praise God He goes beyond what we silly humans can only imagine!

Part II: The Bible is for Christians. I know I say this all the time, but that just blew my mind when I realized that fact today. I get really bogged down sometimes when particular verses tell us to do one thing and then seem to say another. Now, I KNOW the Bible DOES NOT contradict itself. So, when I feel this way I start to dig into commentaries and pull out two or three translations (funny story at the end). What I have started to see over and over is that most of the apostle Paul's statements are to Christians about Christians. You know we make the mistake of thinking once someone is saved she becomes sin proof. NOT. We still play tug of war between human and holy every day. Just because we are Christian doesn't mean we act it all the time. Scripture is for our instruction and encouragement. There is a verse that says you can't even understand it until you are saved. So, please, for the love, don't sling verses at the lost. They have no idea what you are saying. However, dig deep into the Word with your Christian brothers and sisters. Revelations is for the saved!

Funny story: this may be one of those moments when I think something is hilarious, and everyone else just thinks I am nuts. Here is a great reason to read the Bible in different translations. Our Daily Bible Walk group is in 1 Kings right now. Well, in 1 Kings 12:10 there is a verse that just cracked me up. I mean you talk about a too much testosterone moment... It is WAY better though in NASB.

"My little finger is thicker than my father's loins."

Well, my goodness. Tell us how you really feel. Those were just plain old fightin words, sister. I have laughed at that all day. Simmer down, Rehoboam.

What I Can't Wait For

You know church has its own lingo. I guess any group of people who spend any amount of time together develop their own, little language. You definitely see that at church. You have two language groups. One group says it because they have studied God's Word, know EXACTLY what they are saying, and mean what they say. The other group is just repeating what they hear from the other group. They really don't know the Biblical significance, or what the words are to mean to the listener.

Let me give you some examples:

auto response to any problem: We'll pray for you.
Now, group #1 knows there are some steps before praying can happen. They know God set some guidelines and parameters to effective praying. This group intends to intentionally come into God's presence, clear their consciences and ask for forgiveness from sins, forgive anyone they haven't yet. These things are not easy, but are necessary for prayer to be heard and answered...ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD ANYWAY. Now, group #1 is going to get into a right relationship with God, and then they are going to really pray for that person and problem...and probably pray pretty regularly about it.
Group #2 has no idea there are any kinds of steps to effective praying, or that their prayer won't even be heard because they have not even asked for their sins to be forgiven...might not even be aware of some of the sins. That's O.K. though because group #2 is not really ever going to pray for you...never intended on it...I'll pray for you was just a nice little, churchy response.

auto response to indecision: if it's God's will
Now, group #1 is going to search scripture to see what God says about a particular situation. They are also going to see what more mature Christians say about a matter. They will also look for signs that they are on the right track or the wrong track. This group will play close attention to strong feelings that may be the sense of conviction from the holy Spirit.
Group #2 is not totally clear what God's will is because they have not read enough scripture to know. This group will also make mostly emotional responses...if it feels good, do it! Very, very dangerous.

auto response to a really bad day: wish Jesus would come right now.
*This one is my favorite. Now group #2 will NEVER say this, but will shudder when group #1 says it. Well, I shouldn't say never. They may say it on occasion, but definitely won't mean it. You have to have read and studied books like Daniel and Revelation to really know what God has planned for us in eternity. My first few years in church (which weren't that long ago), I hated to hear people say, "I wish Jesus would come right now."

He can't come right now. I have things to do. I mean...I have a nail appointment on Tuesday, and the next new season of Criminal Minds is next week. I also intend on another promotion or two in my life and a swimming pool.

Good gracious, now that I have spent some time in the Word, I realize how right now pales to eternity. There is just not strong enough terms to describe how #@!$^ our life is now. I'm not cussing, There just isn't a word to use here. Maybe there is one in Hebrew.

People talk bout getting a new body in heaven and how we won't hurt, have pain...we might even be drop dead gorgeous! Here is what I can't wait for...the end of the tug-of-war. Do you realize as Christians, we have the spirit of God in us, but it is wrapped up in the flesh and emotions of Desperate Housewives? Our earthly selves are wired to love self, please self, and choose self...even when the choosing is sinful...sometimes especially when the choice is sinful. The beauty of Christianity is it is a love story that overcomes. We shouldn't be able to love God, worship Him, praise Him, love Him because we are wrapped in sinful selves, but God made the way through Jesus and the Holy Spirit for love to overcome. It is insane how I can be praying, or blogging,and my mind start wondering about purses, and T.J. Max, and things I would never tell another soul because they are so bad. Anyway, that is what I'm looking forward to in eternity...all that sin being gone so that love is pure, and effortless, and better even than Godiva chocolate or a kelly green, leather handbag with bold accent pieces!

I'm not knocking group #2 in this email. It's where you start. It just doesn't need to be where you stop. I've spent most of my Christianity in group #2, but spending time in God's Word will deliver you into group #1. It is amazing to know what you are saying and to mean what you say. Open those Bibles. Just read a little EVERY day. Get a translation you understand. If you don't get KJV, then don't try to read that version. Open those books and read, download it on your computer, but it on a CD. Expose, immerse, and be changed!!!

Not Deserving But Seeking

It seems like the past forty-eight hours have been some find of display of tragedy under a magnifying glass or on steroids. One minute our little world seemed somewhat stable, and then the next minute were stories of tragedy...one right after the other. So many people in our community must be experiencing a pain right now that is raw. They have received wounds that they feel they will never recover from. When awful things happen people often ask, "Why?"

I believe God is hurting as much as anyone today. He didn't create us to suffer. In fact, He created us and then felt complete. He placed us in the Garden of Eden which was without suffering, fear, worry. You didn't even have to water the plants! Had I lived in Eden I would have had ferns on my front porch.

We weren't content with Eden. We wanted to know it all. See the big picture. You know, that is great, but it isn't living in faith. We stepped out on our own. We took matters in our own hands. Although God is hurting with us today...shaking His head at the pain and sorrow...there is something that makes it very different for Him.

God does know the big picture. He saw the beginning, knows the end, and has seen every detail in between. Although He sees our pain and sadness today, He sees the joy that lies ahead. He knows how wonderful a future day can be, a moment yet to come, and ultimately our eternity with Him.

What He sees and knows is beyond our comprehension. It is beyond what we can hope for. God has always been about blessing His people. He has so much to give us, but He cannot reach us when we choose the world instead of Him. He will let us go our own way, even if that means it is away from Him. God doesn't want this separation, but He will allow it.

The flip side is we can choose Him. We don't have to settle on the world. We don't have to stay mad, stay angry, remain in pain. There doesn't have to be revenge. You don't have to make it right before you move on. You don't have to have that one more Spring Break trip that revolves around partying and then get things right with God. You can turn to the Lord right now. Right where you are. Wherever You are.

I am not deserving. I am seeking. I will never be deserving. We don't love our children because they deserve our love. We love our children because they are our children. God's love is that way. He loves us because we are His children...that is when we choose to be His child.

Experiencing God

I'm not sure how and if this post will actually post. I'm on the BB instead of my computer. We'll see!

In recent weeks I have had the opportunity to study Daniel and Revelation. I've also read Genesis - Joshua. I am blown away be the extent and the number of times God reaches out to be with us. Think about it. The Garden of Eden was a place we could take walks with the Lord. That didn't work so he gave us a gazillion different rules to follow and a gazillion ways to make up for us breaking those rules. That didn't work so He sent the Messiah. God walked again on earth and ate with us, talked with us, healed us. For a lot of people, that didn't work so He will come again. After rapturing some of us to heaven, He will give the lost yet another chance to simply believe in the relationship He can restore. That won't work for all, so He will come again to reign for 1,000 years of peace and harmony and being with us. Even that won't work for everyone. He will then have given every opportunity for salvation there ever could have been. He will create a new heaven and a new earth and be with us forever...those who believed. Not only does He come after us repeatedly, He also knows some will refuse Him, deny Him, prefer what they can see to what their hearts know. God gave us Jesus knowing it would only save some. He loved you that much, and He loves me that much.

I love God's Word because it IS my Garden of Eden. Wish I could take a walk right now...

Centered on Self

Bless our hearts. We are just so self-centered by nature it is a wonder we don't just wander in circles. I was just amazed by the Sunday School lesson today and have come to realize how close-minded and one dimensional of a thinker I am.

If you would have asked me a week ago to describe everything in existence, I would have given you a pretty kindergarten answer:

There is God up there, people here, and the devil down there.

If you would have asked me what spiritual warfare was, I would have also given you a pretty kindergarten answer:

*Kindergartners are brilliant by the way...ha ha!

Spiritual warfare is the struggle between good and evil in me. When I put on the armour of God, I am preparing to battle the bad in me and in the world.

NOPE. NADA. UH HUH. NO. WRONG.

From Genesis to Revelation, angels are mentioned over and over and over. Angels are God's special messengers. Fallen angels are demons. Angels are described as having the face of man. There have been times when they talked with people. They have been sent to destroy cities. They are being used today to protect nations such as Israel. They are at times mentioned by name: Michael and Gabriel.

Even in scripture, it was uncommon for people to speak with an angel. Even today, we do not hear that is happening. Why? Well, I believe people believe what they see and establish relationships with those they communicate with often. If we were to see and speak with angels today, I believe we would worship them. I know I would. I can just see myself wearing some crystals, burning some incense, and waiting on my next visitation. Not because I would be crazy, but because my goodness, how could you NOT worship something so cool!

Spiritual warfare is the battle raging between the good and evil forces of God and the Devil. It rages around us, over us, and unfortunately at times through us. We need the armour of God to protect us from evil we don't even know is there. I am not talking mumbo jumbo, hocus pocus here. I am sharing info that is plain as day spelled out in the Word of God. We are not alone, and I'm also not talking aliens here. There is God, there are angels, there are demons, there are Christians, and there are the lost. Remember, we Christians are a little supernatural ourselves. We do embody the Holy Spirit.

Twilight is great. I have heard Avatar was wonderful, but ya'll, we cannot even imagine the wonder, power, and glory of our immortal God, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End and the Holy War that wages both seen and unseen.

God wins the war. Don't let Satan even have one battle in your life! Oh, and check out Ephesians 6. In the armour of God, there is but one weapon. The rest is for protection. Do you know what that weapon is...THE WORD OF GOD. There is no point in carrying around a gun that is not loaded. There is also no point in carrying around a Bible you never open!!!

Layered Love

I need to stop and pray before I start. I have so much to say, but I don't want to ramble on and on and miss the big picture.

God has blessed me so...especially lately...and is teaching me so much in the process which I imagine was the point to begin with. Before becoming a Christian, I rarely enjoyed moments because I lived in the past and the future. You know what I mean? My mind was always reliving yesterday and dreading what tomorrow may bring. After becoming a Christian, I soon began to see how important it is to live for today...for the moment. We cannot relive a moment, and we cannot know for certain what may happen tomorrow. We can; however, live and love each and every day.

Now here is where I don't want to ramble. I have recently realized I am a very one dimensional thinker and liver. I live for today. I want to be a blessing to others. I want to be a light to others for Christ. Nothing wrong with those aspirations. In fact, I probably lifted them from the apostle Paul. Here is the beauty and wonder of God. He is layered. He is multi-dimensional. God may send me to be a light, but in the same place and in the same moment He can send someone to me to be a light. God may put me somewhere to encourage and be a blessing to others, WHILE AT THE SAME MOMENT, I am being encouraged and being blessed!!!

Do you see how beautiful that is? How wonderful to love and to be loved all at once!!! It is so important we use our spiritual gifts in ministry...to grow the Church...to add to those gaining salvation. It is also so important we allow ourselves to be ministered to by others!!! God wants to love through and through. He wants us to love, to be loved on, and the whole time His love is like a third layer!

Yes, we are to go and do. We are also to receive. Maybe that is why some of us burn out at times. We do and do and love and love, but we forgot to stop and be loved, be prayed for, be held...not just by God Himself, but by one another.

WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US!

Go-To People

I think we all have go-to people. You know...that corp group who you run to when there is a big decision, a crisis, or a problem to be solved. I really didn't realize how greatly influenced I am by my go-to people until a few days ago. As most of you know, Beth Moore is my favorite author of Bible studies, and yes, she is also one of few authors I have studied. She just has a way of saying things that cause light bulbs to go off in my head. I don't remember right this second if what I was reading came from her blog or a feature in a magazine, but the gist of it was something like as follows: some of us are all wrapped up in anger. We can't move on because wrongs haven't been righted. Justice has not been served. As a result, we just keep reliving the situation. Well, it is time to stop being held hostage by your own anger. Just cut it loose. Close the door. Walk away from it. It is high time it is over.

I read those words and thought, "Whew! Amen, sister! I wish I had read that about 5 years ago!" As soon as I, not only thought these things, but literally felt relieved, I knew I was in trouble. Why in the world would someone I have never even met have such an ability to sway my thoughts and emotions? This incident was not the first time I've ever had closure over a major life event due some three or fours words said by Beth Moore. I started wondering who else has such impact in my life. I began to think of my go-to people. Yes, I have them...am married to one of them. If I have a decision to make or am concerned over whether I've made the right decision, there are certain people I want to talk to. In addition, sometimes these people will see something in my life and feel compelled to say, "I think you need to let this one go, Heather." Most of the time, I will follow suit with their suggestions.

As I went down the list, I came to the STARTLING realization I had not included God. I could not even breathe in that moment. My churchy head screamed, "If anyone ought to be on this list, it should be God Almighty!" My heart pounded, "Search me. You know you have not been searching for answers in the Lord. Oh, you pray and you read Scriptures, but you were never really expecting answers." The Spirit cried out to my soul, "We have missed you. We have been waiting for you."

Ya'll the bottom line is I know well my go-to people. I know their likes and dislikes, their humor, their opinions. In time, I have come to trust them and love them. I am comfortable in their presence. I know they are genuine. I know them and am more intimate with them than I am God. It should not be this way. Before I started raking myself over the coals, truth spoke and said, "You have only known Me for six years. You know Me better than you did a year ago, a month ago, a day ago."

Instead of being devastated I am encouraged. I have been broken to the point of being real instead of the paper machete image the world wants to create of me. God knows my heart. He know where I am spiritually, and now so do I. The apostle Paul encouraged us to run the race. It takes time, stamina, and commitment. The reward is greater that anything known to man - an intimate relationship with the Heavenly Father. I have now consciously placed Him in my go-to group. He leaves it up to me to do so. I look forward to the day when He is the indisputable #1. It will happen, and when it does I will wonder at what point it occurred. By that point though, I'll just know Him so well I really can't even remember Him not being my go-to all along.

Praise God for His love, mercy, and patience!

Stop Analyzing; Start Praying

Surrendering to God is the most amazing thing. Just when I think I am humble, surrendered, strong in my faith, something happens to show me how far from surrendered I truly am. Although getting closer and closer to facedown before the throne of God, I have a long, long, long way to fall. Interesting how being facedown normally involves a fall, but that is a blog for another day.

Today, maybe for the very first time, I made a decision solely based on the feeling I had while praying about a particular issue. Prior to same, I would have told you I made decisions all the time out of prayer. UNTRUE!!! I make a list of pros and cons, analyze and re-analyze various scenarios regarding the decision to be made, pray, and then select the option with the longest list of pros. Honey, that decision did not come from the Spirit. That decision came from my over-active mind. Yes, I prayed, but my pro and con list comes from the world.

Today, I made a major decision based strictly on the feeling of peace I had when praying about the matter...EVEN THOUGH IT DIDN'T HAVE THE LONGEST LIST OF PROS. In addition, my choice was of lesser financial result!!! Look out my own, little, personal Babylon. You may be crumbling!!!

Oh, what amazing things God has revealed to me in recent weeks. If we realize our flesh (which includes the mind) and Spirit are two different things, then we must look to separate the two when making decisions. Maybe making more money is how God intends to bless us; however, maybe making less money is how God intends on blessing us! How do we know? Pray, and then find that peace that transcends all understanding. Yes, God created us with intelligence to make lists of pros and cons, but He also gives us discernment in order to be wise in making decisions with the help of the Spirit.

I have said I believe. Yet, my life was not reflecting I believed in the Ancient of Days loving me, longing to bless me, being the provider in my life and the life of my family. God has given us His Word to reveal everything we need to be as close to Him as possible while here on earth. His Word and prayer will reveal what His will is every time. Don't pray and then kick your mind in overdrive. Remember, fear, doubt, worry, anxiety are not of God. Those things are of the flesh kicked into turbo speed thanks to this crazy world! Opt for the peace that transcends understanding. Today, I made a decision which makes absolutely no sense. In fact, I will be criticized by those who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. That is O.K. because with my crazy decision comes no fear, no worry, no anxiety. Tonight, I am wrapped in the grace and love of the Only One who really has any control!!!

Truth

Sometimes we hear "church things, words, or phrases" so often they lose their affect. We come to know truth, but then we begin to take truth for granted. Anytime we take something or someone for granted, that person or thing loses its influence. Today's Sunday school lesson was so powerful because it brought to mind truths that are imperative to the lives of Christians. I would just like to share some points and ask you to really pray, meditate, and reevaluate your Christianity or your search for Truth and The Way if your are not a Christian.

Romans Ch. 1-4
1.) human sinfulness prevents anyone from obtaining salvation by good works. None of us can be good enough or do enough good things to counter the sin in each of our lives.

2.) God is able to declare righteousness ONLY for those who have accepted Jesus as the Messiah.



Only the saved can lead lives that please God. (That seems so simple. Yet think of all those you know who are lost. Think of all that lost potential to please God Almighty.)



Christians live in a CONSTANT battle of tug-of-war: the flesh (our humanity) vs. the spirit (our spirituality). There is a constant choice between what would Jesus do, and what will I do.
As a result, we should remove things in our lives that gives the flesh the upper hand. These things are many: movies, T.V., music, alcohol, drugs, sex outside of relations with your spouse, gambling, gossipping, hate.... The list goes on and on. In addition, we don't ALL have the same lists. What may tempt me may not phase you. We all need to spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal to us things that are suffocating our spiritual well-being.

Do you ever doubt? Is there REALLY a God? Is He really in control? Am I really saved? On the other hand, are there times you are so sure about God, the Word, and your salvation you would do anything for its cause and spread? How and why do we have such extreme swings in thought? Flesh vs. Spirit. Doubt comes from the human side of us. Truth comes from the Spirit.
Isn't that so simple, yet so powerful and wonderful?

2 Corinthians 4:4 Who is the god of this age? Satan. If you are a Christian, you are sealed by the Spirit. Satan cannot take over your mind like he can those who are lost. So, what in the world does Satan want with you? He doesn't want your soul. He wants your ministry. He does not want you to lead even one person to Christ. How much effect/affect is Satan having in your life?

1 Corinthians 2:12-16 Are there divisions in the church? Unfortunately, there are. Do you ever wonder how those with the mind of Christ can have division? NOT EVERYONE FULLY UNDERSTANDS THE GOSPELS!!! Think about it. I'm still learning. The Word is still being revealed to me. What about you?

Thanks for letting me ramble. I just felt today's lesson was too good not to share!

Tangible

I am not a visual person, nor do I have an ounce of artistic ability in my body. My stick man even looks like a very bad attempt at modern art. I love words though! Yet, I am not one of those people who pictures what I read as in an actual image. For me it is more of an idea, thought, something unseen captured. Try as I might, and I have tried VERY hard for a VERY long time, I cannot picture God. Is He really on the throne of grace? What does that look like? Does He sit on the seat of mercy? Well, of course He does. Scripture is quite clear on that. I just cannot picture it. Is God huge? Like literally would this planet or even galaxy fit in His palm? Is He a nice 6 ft 232 lbs? Are we literally made in His image?

When I pray, I try to get a picture of Him. Prayer time is supposed to be our one on one time with Him. I try to conjure up something glorious and magnificent. I describe Him with as many words as I can list (long list my friends). The image will not come. The attempt makes me feel like I don't know Him. At this point, I switch gears and direct my attention to Jesus. I have watched enough Nat Geo to conjure up a pretty good mental picture of a Middle Eastern man. The gospels also tell us the life of Jesus. I can see Him, plus I know His life story. My prayers now become much more personal, informal, intimate. Maybe it should not be that way, but for me it is. After awhile of directing my prayers to Jesus, I feel like I am neglecting the Almighty. It seems my faith is weak and my unbelief is too big. So, I plunge back into prayerful dialogue with Holy. At least Jesus is Holy within humanity...more relatable.

I believe the above thoughts, plus my love of words, letters, grammar, language, is why the Bible is so vital to me spiritually. If you were to ask me to name my two favorite things in school, number one would be sentence diagramming (which we need to get back to before the whole planet is incapable of writing), and number two would be conjugating verbs in multiple languages. I studied English (of course), German, Spanish, and French. Just the thought of -0, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -an feels like I took a sedative....aaaahhh. The Bible; however, is not just bookcovers, pages, words. It is God breathed. It is holy. It is alive. It changes the lives and hearts of those who read and understand. It is prophecy. It is fulfillment. It is guidance.

I can hold the Bible. I can lay my hand on the page and wonder what the words will do for me today. Jesus is the Word made flesh. Sometimes, I need to touch to believe. Sometimes I need affirmation so not to doubt. Sometimes, well a lot of the time, I need to see it in black and white. Scripture does all those things.

Maybe you are reading this and think I'm crazy and in need of a decade of good ol' VBS (which I do by the way). Maybe though, you are like me and are somewhat overwhelmed by the Ancient of Days. So much so, you are losing that sense of intimacy...the personal in what should be the most personal relationship you have. Hold your Bible. Read it. Take a nap with it opened and covering your face. Let the Word of God soak into the very fabric of who you are. While I can't see God, I know He is patient, oh so patient. He will let you spend every day, all your days, being changed just at the right speed for you by His Holy Word.

God created you with a certain make-up. I believe He did that for many reasons, one being in how we communicate with Him...musically, visually, literally, in service. Don't discard the power of communicating with God. We could be back in the days of Leviticus when we would have to have a priest as a mediator. There is no more mediator. There is you and God via prayer, praise, worship, obedience, and HIS WORD. The more I read, the more that is revealed. One day, I know, I will blown away by the big picture and every tiny detail in between.

Cookie Cutter

God is doing some amazing things in my life right now. He is knocking off my sharp edges, smoothing out rough spots, and molding me into the person He designed from the get go. Sometimes, we let this world pile up on us, and God Almighty takes the time to knock it off! I'm realizing how cookie cutter of a "church person" I had become...not totally...not all the time, but more than I cared to admit. Humans are products of their environment. So, when your environment is church, there is the possibility you will start playing a role...saying the right things...doing the right things...volunteering for the right things.

The only role playing God is interested in us playing is of Jesus Christ. That is one of the reasons Jesus came - to show us how to be sanctified in this crazy world. There was certainly nothing cookie cutter about Jesus Christ. He didn't befriend who society said He should. He certainly didn't avoid who society said He should. He met in churches (temple), homes, the beach. Jesus embodied love, compassion, incredible patience.

You know...God knows my heart. He knows when I don't want to pray. He knows when I don't want to praise Him. He knows how weak my faith is...in fact I am a creme puff!!! It does me no good to pretend to have faith I don't have or to give love I don't have. It's not about me. It's all about Him. Lord, I am who I am. You know me better than I know myself. I don't want to be cookie cutter. I want to admit where I am and be changed daily by You. I can be changed by Your Word, Your love, Your blessings, and Your lessons. I surrender all...again.

Why Did Jesus Come?

The last week has been one of those spin around, turn around, upside down moments in life. God has moved in ways to make me hypersensitive to His power and His will for my life, as well as the fact that surrendering to Him means I have no control. Daily surrender is key to a life of growing closer to Jehovah God.

Over the past few days, I have been convicted in regards to why Jesus came. Obviously, He came to save. He was and is our way to be reconciled back to God. He is the sacrifice for all of our sins...even the ones I will commit next week. What, though, about Jesus made Him so different? What drew people to Him? Why are people drawn to Him even today? Scripture says He was not drop dead gorgeous. He had no physical attributes that made Him special or would have drawn people to Him.

So, what was it? COMPASSION! Jesus was not just a great teacher, a healer, the best of friends. He was compassionate. He did not refuse anyone. Even in disagreements He was not offensive. Jesus was compassionate then, and He should still be today. How...through His people...through Christians. When we talk about the light of Christ shining through us, what does that mean? Impart, it is how we treat others. Sometimes, we are so busy...so preoccupied...we don't have time even to be compassionate. In other instances, we really like people who are like us and have things in common with us. This attribute limits our compassion to those in that circle.

Jesus was compassionate to everyone all the time...even as He died..."Forgive them, Father. They know not what they do." There is another "C" word important to Christians. That word is compromise. Being compassionate does not mean we compromise the Word of God. It is what it is. It says what is says. Jesus never compromised His teachings. He never watered anything down. In fact, He even had a table throwing fit on one occasion.

There is a way to be compassionate and not compromise. You cannot do it on your own. I repeat...you cannot be compassionate without compromising on your own. You must have the grace of God in You. You cannot have grace without Jesus Christ. You will encounter events tomorrow that make you have a hundred different emotional responses. Don't be ruled by your emotions. Take a step in faith. Shut down. Surrender. Let Jesus Christ pour out compassion in your actions and your words! Someone needs you tomorrow. Someone's very eternal life depends on not you, but Jesus in you!

Seeds of Faith

I heard someone talking this week about seeds of faith. He was referring to scripture when a father brought his sick son to the disciples to be healed. The disciples; however, could not heal the boy. At this point, you could have had a whole lot of breaking down of faith. The disciples could not heal because they did not believe they really could. The boy's father could have very easily hung his head and taken his sick son home. He didn't though. What did he do? He went to Jesus.

The person I was listening to pointed out God can do anything. It is not about...can God do it. The question is do we believe God can do it? Do I truly believe and know I am a loved child of God? Do I really believe He knows every hair on my head (and the color for which I do not even know)? Does He really have plans to make things wonderful in my life? Is He actively working to accomplish those plans?

Here is the beautiful part of our love story with God. He truly knows me. So, He knows at times my faith is great and at times my faith is weak. He does not expect the faith of Abraham from me all the time. He does, though, expect seeds of faith!

Seeds are tiny. Think about it. They are small, light, seemingly insignificant. However, look at what a seed does. It opens. Roots. Grows and becomes beauty, nourishment, produce. The same thing happens with our faith. Just as a pumpkin seed must be planted so must our faith seeds be planted. Where do you plant faith seeds? They should be planted in prayer time and when reading and being obedient to the Word of God.

Emotions are tricky. They can be deceiving, and they can be used by the deceiver to steal our joy, peace, contentment, and sometimes faith. Do not be ruled by your emotions. Plant seeds of faith and experience the glorious wonders of our Heavenly Maker.

I am in the process of planting a plantation of faith seeds and have seen the first sprigs of the harvest...grace...beautiful, wonderful, magnificent grace!

The Word

All scripture is God breathed...so it says. We are doing ourselves a great injustice if we a.) don't read the Bible daily and b.) read it as if it were a history lesson. While the Word of God does discuss past, present, and future situations, it has a characteristic which makes it way more than just history or just a book. The Word of God is alive! If I read a good book, I may feel some emotion from it, but it does not minister to me. The Word of God ministers to the soul!

Personally, I am facing some uncertain times right now. It is definitely F.R.O.G. (fully rely on God) time. My wise husband told me today, "You can fuel your fears, or you can fuel your faith." How do you fuel your faith? I suggest prayer and time in His Word. I had this suggestion affirmed by The Almighty a few hours ago. I have prayed for direction and an open door all day today. When I would start to feel overwhelmed, I would finally shut off the brain and switch to the Spirit. Tonight at church, the most amazing thing happened. While working with children in AWANA handbook time, I quickly realized God was speaking directly to me through the verses the children were reciting. There was nothing subtle about it. Verse after verse was related to the following: do not fear; do not be discouraged; I am a child of God; my Father has prepared a place for you THEN: one of the children, a second grader, recited - mostly from memory - the 23rd Psalm (The Shepherd's song) THEN the lesson I had prepared hours earlier was the Beatitudes!

It was unbelievable and desperately needed. Verse by verse I was calmer and more assured of the plans my Father has for me because I am His.

Lord, I love You too. I love You too.

VISIBLE Fruits of the Spirit

I am a Christian. I profess it. I post it. I claim it. As a result, someone should not have to ask me whether or not I go to church. Are you following me? My attitudes, which are displayed in my actions and words, should not so match that of my culture, the world, that someone would wonder whether or not I go to church. For those who are not saved, they tend to not use the word saved. Since they are not sure exactly what the term really means, the lost don't tend to wonder or ask people whether or not they are saved. The more typical, comfortable, accepted question is do you go to church (this issue brings about a post for another day). For those who spend any amount of time with me, there should be no question in their mind about where I spend my Sundays, Wednesdays, and any other day I get the chance.

Galations 5:22-26 (NASB) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (I blew that one yesterday); against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Matthew 7:20 (NASB) So then, you will know them by their fruits.

It is not enough for us to say to ourselves we are good, or we are saved, or we are right. Jesus Christ in us, by the Holy Spirit, should be reflected in our walk and our talk. We should not be motivated by greed. We should not store up our treasures on earth. We should not hate because of color. We should not shun the poor because of pride.

We Christians should, first of all, know and understand Scripture so we know what we are supposed to do and be obedient to. We are not born with some inherent knowledge of how to be Godly. First, pray for Luke 24:45 for yourself and others - Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. We have to read it to know it and understand it to live it. We should not and cannot do any of that by our own power!

Being a Christian is knowing the Word, living in obedience to its Living Word, being led by the Spirit, trying to prayerfully know God's will for your life. These are all layers and layers which get deeper and richer as you come to know your Savior. Today is a day I need Him to save me...save me from this world...from others...from myself.

I sincerely hope the people around me do not wonder if I go to church, if I am a Christian, if I am in the Word. Lord, let me reflect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I want to glorify You. I want my witness to bring people to You and not away from You. Everything else is in the wash!