Resolve: Who Does God Say I Am?

It’s the eve of a New Year and I don’t know about you but I always feel this overwhelming pressure to figure out what I did wrong in the past year and quickly remedy it with what I can do better in the New Year.  Now there is nothing wrong with bettering yourself, or following your dreams, but why do we always have to wait until a new year to have a fresh start?

With Jesus, we can always have a fresh start!  We can begin again, or resolve to be “better” at anytime.  In fact I think waiting for the new year, or waiting for Monday, or next month or after the holidays, is just another excuse we give ourselves so that we can have more time doing exactly what we have been doing,…which is exactly what we don’t want to be doing!  Now how crazy is that!? 

Now before you get all funky on me and stop reading this post, know that I say this because I do it all the time!  And I’m sick of it!  The only time we have to work with is right now!  Not tomorrow, not next week, next month, next year…we have right now!  So put down the donut, get off your couch, walk out the door, put down the bottle (just to name a few) and start changing your life right now! 

Why do we care so much about things that are so unimportant?  We have a misplaced value system in this world that needs to change.  We put value in things of little importance yet fail to value priceless things such as our minds, bodies and most importantly our souls!

So if we really need to make a new years resolution, here is what I feel let to share, as a healthy way of doing it. 

1. Reflect back on all this year has been.  Walk through each defining moment.   The good, the bad,     the sad, and even the ugly.  But don’t sit there and beat yourself up.  It so easy to reflect and focus only on what you did wrong.  Make sure you dwell and encourage yourself for the moments you did well, even if they didn’t last as long as you would have liked them to. 

2. Respond to how it makes you feel, what it makes you think, and what it makes you do.  You may need to cringe, cry, laugh, smile, or even scream. Don’t dwell here to long.  But allowing yourself to feel is very important. Because then you can let it go!

3. Regroup…. meaning forgive yourself and remember that what really defines you is God.  Set your heart and mind on His truth.  Resolve to walk in a attitude of Godliness.  Remind yourself of your true worth and meditate on the things that God has called all His children to be and do.  Pray and ask God to reveal to you, if He has not already, what He has specifically called for you.  Ask His Spirit to guide you through what next steps you need to take to make sure you are walking in the footsteps God has laid before you to follow.

4. Resolve.  But instead of looking to what the world says you should resolve to be…i.e. thinner, prettier, successful, and talented, ask yourself what has God ask me to resolve to be? And more importantly, who does God say I already am simply because I am His? 

We have a power that comes simply from being called children of God and because of that power we have the authority to simply walk away from our addictions and shame and never look back.  Let us stop allowing satan to hold us captive in lies, temptation and guilt.  In fact if we must have resolutions, let it be a resolve to not long allow ourselves to be held captive in chains that are no longer upon us.  Let us resolve to walk in truth, freedom and grace and let us resolve to believe the truth!  We are free in Jesus name! 

Happy New Year!  God Bless you all!!

A Work In Progress

There is a big difference between being free of sin and being free from sin.  

No one is free of sin.  Only Jesus had that gift.  We are all caught in a web of sin from birth and the only difference we as Christians have from others around us is..JESUS.  Because Jesus chose to walk the Earth and bring a message of salvation and reconciliation to the world, die and then rise again...we are not free of sin...but free from sin.  

You see, to be free of sin insinuates that we are no longer tempted, no longer drawn too, and no longer suffer from it.  But even Jesus was tempted to sin; the only difference between Him and us is, that He chose to walk away.  

We are NOT free of sin.  

It still tempts us, draws us, and cause us to suffer from time to time.  

But we ARE free from sin.  

Meaning we are no longer a slave to it.  It no longer takes away our access to heaven and God.  

Now this doesn't mean we can just do whatever we want and still get into heaven.  We will each have a day where we will stand before our judge to give an account for our actions.  But what it does mean is that we don't have to be a slave to it.  We have the ability to walk away and be forgiven.  We can be washed clean and start again.  

When we give our lives to Jesus, our problems don't just disappear.  Our lives and the situations around us are the same.  

But what is different is us!  

We now have the spirit of God inside us to guide and remind us of what is right and wrong.  A spirit that intercedes for us in prayer when we don't know what to say.  We have Jesus interceding and praying for us to the Father.  And the biggest difference of all...We have a direct relationship with our Father God in heaven.  We are all His children and we are now apart of His family forever.  

We have help!  Supernatural and all powerful love and help. 

So that when the boy or girlfriend that we have been sleeping and living with asks us why we are moving out and moving on...we can tell them it's because we have supernatural and all powerful love and help!

When our friends that we usually party with are texting us asking why we aren't going out to night, we can say because we have supernatural and all powerful love and help!

When our dealer is calling us wondering why we haven't needed a fix, we can change our number and move away knowing that we have supernatural and all powerful love and help!

When we want to hide away in pornography or go bed with someone we've just met, just to have a moment to forget and feel loved, we can install guards on our media and walk away because we have supernatural and all powerful love and help!

When we want to have another drink, we can stay away from the bar and remember we have supernatural and all powerful love and help!

When we walk away from an abusive person in our life, we can stay strong and move on knowing we have supernatural and all powerful love and help!

And the best part... 

When we slip up and take a drink, get in bed, get a fix or watch a show, we can get up, get out and keep moving forward because we have supernatural and all powerful love and help...AND bothers and sisters in Christ who understand, guide and help us stay accountable.     

So that when our light begins to shine so bright that the people around us begin to ask what has changed, we can tell them from experience and with full testimony that we have supernatural and all powerful love and help....and they can have it too!

We have all been given the same opportunity to walk out a new life and new direction free from lies of shame, guilt and entrapment. To take off the filthy cloak of deceit that satan has placed on us and walk in to the redemptive and loving arms of Jesus. He will meet us all exactly where were are in that moment and help us to rise up into the child of God He has called us too be. 

Beautiful, strong, free and redeemed!

We are all a work in progress, none of us are perfect. But God meets us exactly where we are at and only through His supernatural and all powerful love can we daily shine His light and free ourselves from the sin that is always around us. 

Let's stop beating ourselves up trying to be perfect and let God's supernatural and all powerful love help us start shining!

God Wants To Help Us Bear Our Burdens Daily!

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our savior, who daily bears our burdens." (Psalm 68:19)

If God daily bears our burdens...then why are we still baring them?

Jesus not only bore our burdens that day on the cross, the word says He daily bears them!  Yet we have this unnecessary tendency to go through everything in our lives alone.  It's so easy in a world that is constantly telling us to "Be strong!" and "The only person we can truly rely on is ourselves."  So, we don't believe anyone should have to share in our daily burdens or past regrets.  But the truth of the mater is, whether we like it or not Jesus does share in it all.

We don't get to decide what Jesus bears with us and what He does not, because He is our absolute savior; He bears it all!  

Therefore, we should stop trying to live our lives alone!  Welcome our savior daily with open arms, thanking and praising Him for His presence that is always here to walk out our struggles with us this day and everyday.  That He is here to help us carry the load.

The words says in Mathew 11:28-30, 

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

God wants us to come to Him with our burdens and heavy souls.  It is not a burden for Him.  He invites us!

He longs to replace our weary and heavy lives with rest, easiness and light.  He wants to release us from the weight of the world we so easily place on our shoulders.  He wants to help us!

We all to easily fall in to satan's biggest trap, his LIES!  He wants us to believe that we are a burden to God, that we are not worthy of God's attention or time. That we should be able to take all our struggles and burdens on by ourselves.  He will whisper that God is testing us and if we ask him for help we have failed Him.  He will try and tell us to bare it on our own.

But remember, these statements are not true.  No where does God say we must bare are burdens alone to be tested.  

Jesus, when he was tempted in the desert was not alone, don't let satan trick you into thinking He defeated Satan's temptations and lies on His own word or motivation.  The word of God was within Jesus and so was His loving father through His word.

We have all we need in God's word, to assure us that God does NOT want us to go through our trials alone.  This is one of the reason why it is so important to memorize scripture and have it planted and accessible deep in our hearts.  Not so that we can impress those around us with out biblical knowledge, or righteousness.  But so that we can actively access it in our time of need.  So that when satan is whispering in out ear to go at it alone, we can fight back with words of truth!

The words says in James 4:7 to 

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 

It also says in Ephesians 6:13 to 

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."  

And we know that part of the armor of God is our sword of truth, which is the word of God!  

So if we are standing now in the full armor of God, and dwelling in the truth, we can stand in this truth!

We can give all your burdens big and small over to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They are no longer ours to bear! He alone can make our way easy, and make our load light.  He alone is our help in time of need and He longs to carry the load for us!  We are never alone!

Hallelujah!

If/Then: Are Our Desires God's Desires?

"Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)

All of us have experienced having desires in this life, and most of us are still waiting on at least one of those desires or dreams to come to life.  Some of us have even had glimpses or visions from God confirming certain desires.  Others have thought for sure that a certain dream was about to come true...only to find that it was lost again in but a moment.

So many thoughts and questions come to mind, when thinking about our hearts desires.  But here are what I believe are the two most prominent:

1. How can we know that our desires are God's desire as well?
2. How can we trust that God will give us what we desire?

Let's approach each of these questions one by one starting with the first.

How can we know that our desire are God's desire as well?

It can be a challenge to believe God for something, when years and years have gone by and still...that desire or dream is just that...a dream.  But if we look at the scripture above as an if/than statement than we know for sure one thing.

IF we are taking delight in the Lord, then He is giving us the desires of our heart.

So what does it mean to delight in the Lord exactly and what does it mean for Him to give us a desire?

I love looking up the definition of words.  It always presents a new and unique and most of the time solid explanation. 

To delight in something, or in this case in God, by definition means to receive great pleasure from, be charmed by, or find joy in.  But he foundational word for delight, in our literal history actually means to be charmed, and charmed in it's foundation term means to be influenced, therefore if we are daily influenced by the Lord, THEN the Lord will give or freely transfer to us our desires.  

So re-writing we could say the above scripture as such:

IF we are acting under the influence of the Lord THEN He will freely transfer from His heart to ours, our desires.

So now more fully understanding the above scripture, we can trust that if we are living under God's influence and power than the desires that are planted in our heart ARE planted there by God.  

The second question is a bit harder to answer because it's foundation is harder to obtain.  TRUST!

How can we trust that God will give us what we desire?

Well lets start by asking ourselves, what does it mean to trust?

Defined trust means to have a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something, in this case being our God.  So if we take each of these words and find scripture to back them up...I believe we can't do anything but trust our God.  SO here goes:

RELIABILITY:

"Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago." Isaiah 25:1

Time and time again in the bible we see acts of God's faithfulness and reliability.  

“And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.” (Genesis 21:1) 

God told Abraham that He would have decedents as many as the stars and we well know...HE DID!

Our God is faithful and therefore reliable.

TRUTH:

Is God truly there? (This is a very loaded question, which I will answer simply and if you are interested in knowing more please do not hesitate to contact me and ask.)  We know that the bible is truth and the stories of history that are written in it have been historically proven and backed up, SO if we know that the bible is truth and that our God is real, then we can believe this scripture that says:

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2Timothy 3:16)

ABILITY:

"Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."(Ephesians 3:20)

I love this scripture!  God is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, if that doesn't speak to God's ability I don't know what does!

STRENGTH:

Is our God strong?

“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." (Jeremiah 32:17)

We serve a strong and able God.  A God who formed the universe and all that is with in it.  Our God is STRONG!

So after reading the above scriptures, I hope that you can stand with me and believe that we serve an all powerful God that we can rightly put our hope and trust in.   But if you are still struggling, it may help to take each of these words and define times in your life where God has specifically shown each of these characteristics to you personally.  For what we read and what we experience are two very different things and if we can remember times in our own lives that God has shown His faithfulness, our ability to trust Him is strengthened.  

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.(Jeremiah 29:11)

But remember, 

"In his heart a man plans His course, but the Lord determines His steps." (Proverbs 16:9)

So many times God shows us a dream, or a desire for our life and for the sake of this analogy I would like you to imagine that your dream or desire is like a living deer. Rarely are we allowed to run full speed ahead and grab at a deer with out a struggle or a chase.  Timing and approach are everything. So is that in life. We must always wait on God's timing. Why?

Because God knows that even if we run at our dream, grab it and manage to catch it, when it is not ready...just as a deer would, we will find the dream struggling, and bucking against us! It is only when we wait in peace and stillness for God to allow the deer or dream to come towards us, that we can willingly and in God's good grace embrace it fully, without resistance or struggle.

So my brothers and sisters, trust, believe and wait on the Lord.  Knowing that if you are walking in His influence then the desires that He is giving you, are His own and you can TRUST that He will see them through in His right and perfect time!

But As For Me And My House: We Will Serve The LORD!

"For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." (Hebrews 3:4)

What are you building your house with? 

What is your house's foundation? Where is your safety? God reminded me this morning of a moment I had as a nanny, where a little girl asked me about heaven. She wanted to know what it would look like, who would be there and what we would do. As I began to tell her of all of what I thought were heavens glorious wonders, I looked over and noticed she was crying. As I asked her why she was crying she proceeded to asked two questions.

1) "Will we sleep in heaven?" 

I replied that I imagined that we wouldn't need to rest in heaven because we would never be tired.

She cried harder..."but I love sleep so much!" she wailed out.  Next question...

2) "Will I have my toys?"

I explained how the things of this world will fade away and that we take nothing with us but our souls.

At this point she was wailing..."but I'll be soooooo bored!" she is heaving.

At this point I am sure most of you are chuckling a little bit and honestly I was trying very hard not to laugh a bit myself.  But what you have to realize is a bit of subtext.

What seems so silly for some of us, was very serious to this little girl. We have to remember not all of us have Godly examples in our lives.

We are all caught in a web of satan's design from birth and it is up to the rest of us to appropriately step in when and where we can. 

But parents have the main responsibility.

This little girl had parents who did not know and fear the Lord, worked full days and often asked me, the nanny, to go to special events instead of them. 

The two times this little girl was actually with her parents were...

1) When they would buy, do, and go whatever and wherever she pleased and

2) Bedtime.

So, to this little girl bedtime was very special; the things her parents bought her were very special. It is no wonder that her toys and sleep were where she held her value; they were the only ways and times in her life that she felt love from the two most important people in her life.

Now in case you are wondering, the little girl did eventually calm down. I prayed with her and told her she could talk to God about if she wanted too; that He would listen and hear her. And after about an hour of listening to her crying and talking to God in her room she came out. But honestly that is not the point of this story. The point is...

What are we building our houses with?  What are we teaching our children to put value in?  How are you showing them love?

God calls us as parents and caregivers to guide our children in a Godly way.  

If we are treating our children like accessories or worse yet burdens what are we teaching them about God's view of us? 

If we buy them whatever they want and let them do whatever they want; what are we teaching them about God's law? 

If we ignore, hurt, and belittle them; what are we teaching them about God's grace and love? 

But I am not just talking to parents here,  What if we asked the above question in  a different way:

If we are treating our NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS like accessories or worse yet burdens what are we teaching them about God's view of THEM? 

If we LET OUR NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS do whatever they want both TO US and TO OTHERS; what are we teaching them about God's law? 

If we ignore, hurt, and belittle our NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS ; what are we teaching them about God's grace and love? 

We have a responsibility to be like Jesus to our children AND all the people God places in and around our lives. 

Children of God we are held to a different standard. Don't let the ways of this technology and money driven world get in the way of what is really important. Your children look too YOU; the world looks to YOU. What kind of example are we setting? What are we building our houses with? Where are we getting our worth? How are we spending our time? What are we storing up?   Our children will inevitably follow and so will the rest of the world.  So remember...

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Mathew 16:26)

It all will fade away...all that will be left is our soul? 

So I ask you...is your house build on the Lord?  What can you be doing more and more of everyday to ensure it is?  

We are not called to be perfect, but we are called to follow God's law and strive to be like Jesus the best we can every day! 

So let us: LOVE, SACRIFICE, SHEPHERD, SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS, STAND ON THE WORD OF GOD, SAVE,  PROTECT, SERVE, TEACH, SHOW PATIENCE, SHOW GRACE, PRAY, SEEK GOD's WILL, WALK IN PEACE, WALK IN THE SPIRIT, WALK IN TRUTH, and GIVE through the grace and help of God everyday!

Amen!

HOPE: Yes Lord!

"Stepping out upon the waves of faith, I will walk through fear and never sink!" (Yes, Lord written by: Aurora Marra 2013)

The Lord gave me these words through song last year as I was struggling to believe that God could actually be calling me to ministry full time.  Over this year, this one sentence has come in and out of my dialogue more than I can count.  Whether it was to encourage others, or just remind myself, I have found these words entirely powerful.

Faith is walking through fear, with our eyes fixed on Jesus, knowing that He will never let us sink.  

This morning as I was thinking about how God tells us to "expect the great, hold on to hope, put our hope in the glory of God, have confidence in His abilities and to persevere with hope in mind," God brought me to a couple scriptures that talk about just that.

Hebrews 10:

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." (verse 23)

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised." (verses 35-36)

Such beautiful words written in such truth.  I have seen it happen in my life and of course have read story after story of this truth through the bible and even, at times, in the newspaper.

When we hope in God's power, God's ability, and God's wisdom, we can not and will not fail; for His power is unlimited, His ability is as vast as the universe and His wisdom is never ending!

Which brings me to faith in action.  Jesus' healing!

"He asked them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?' 'Yes, Lord,' they replied.  Then He touched their eyes and said, 'According to your faith will it be done for you'; and their sight was restored." (Matthew 9:28-30) 

Wow! "According to your faith it will be done for you!" Amazing!  Hold on to these words, for God also said,

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20)

So, with faith even as small as a mustard seed, if we can look towards our Lord and say..."Yes, Lord. I believe", it will be done for us!

Thank you Lord!

So I encourage all of you, the next time God is asking you to step out upon the waves of faith:

Remember to say, "Yes, Lord!" and walk through fear, knowing, trusting, and believing that according to your faith it will be done!

Nothing is impossible for God's children who believe and put their hope in the Glory of God!

HOPE: God's Glory Revealed

"And we rejoice in the HOPE of the GLORY OF GOD. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that OUR SUFFERING PRODUCES perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, HOPE." (Romans 5: 2-4) emphasis added

So many of us have seen this scripture before.  But I believe that most of the time when we have read it, we tend to focus more on the part that states "we also rejoice in our sufferings....suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character;...."  

Isn't it funny how we can pass over some of the most important and empowering words God is trying to tell us in scripture, by simply reading them not for ourselves but as someone else tells us too?  And that because of this action we commonly miss out on what God may be trying to tell us in the same sentence of words? 

I will also say that a majority of the time we choose to view this particular scripture from a more pessimistic view.  Focusing on the development of perseverance and character, rather than rejoicing, hope and God's glory.  

Now, I am not by any means saying that perseverance and character are bad things.  On the contrary, they are wonderful characteristics of wisdom and should be highly valued.  BUT, sometimes we are punishing ourselves when we look at our suffering and say that "we must rejoice because God is teaching us perseverance and building our character." Now this statement IS true...but how you view it is a whole different story of truth.  

I am attempting to present, that maybe just maybe this scripture says much much more.  That the perseverance and character we are developing is not highlighted towards waiting and pushing through pain, or having a higher resistance towards worry and doubt.  But is highlighted towards HOPE! 

That to HOPE for the glory of God...is to persevere and build character.  

None of us live a problem free life.  We all encounter big and small hurtles of faith everyday.  But let me suggest that there would be no room for God's glory in our lives, if we lived a problem free life.

So if we are rejoicing the in the Glory of God; we are also rejoicing in our sufferings because our sufferings are visible producers of God's shining glory.  

The less we are able to fix our suffering on our own, the more visible God's power, ability and glory becomes.

So....

When we engage in our problems with great expectation not in what we can do, but in what God can do, it allows the problems in our lives to be a producer of glory for God!

Amazing right!?

So the next time you are facing struggles in life, I would like to encourage you to stop HOPING for perseverance and character, but instead to start HOPING for God's glory!  You will be amazed as His light begins to shine through your problems and I know you will also be blessed as you watch perseverance and character develop in your life BECAUSE of your HOPE IN THE GLORY OF GOD!

AMEN!

What Are Your "What If" Statements?

What Are Your "What If" Statements?

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21)

I have spent most of my life stuck in "What If" statements.

What If...

My ministry never develops?
No one reads what I write?
No one listens to my music?
I never get married?
I never have children?

Or more simply and in my day to day...

I get fired?
I'm told I'm not doing a good job?
My car breaks down?
I find out I have cancer?

The list goes on and on

As a result of these "what if" statements, I lived much of my adolescence and young adult life in FEAR.

When we live our lives in the "What ifs", as a result our lives become engulfed in anxiety and fear.  We become overwhelmed and burdened by unrealistic thoughts and worries that eventually become engrossed in controlling our lives.

But what we fail to realize is that the truth of the matter is....as much as we want to have control; we will never have it.

We must let it go!

The funny thing is, that we are not letting control go...we are letting our illusion of control go.  When we finally realize that as much as we try...we will never have it.  Letting control go, SHOULD be easy.  But if we are honest with our selves it never is.

WHY?

So many of us have been wounded by an uncontrolled circumstance in our lives.  Whether it was a parent who abused us; a teacher that took advantage; a family member that was taken away by tragic death too soon.  Whatever your uncontrolled circumstance may be; the outcome seems to always be the same.  We are left wounded and confused.  Wondering how an all loving, all encompassing God could allow this to happen.

Now, I will never came to understand God.  His ways and purposes are far beyond what one could ever see or imagine.  But I cling to what I do know.  And that is that our Father, the one who does have control, is loving, gracious and merciful.  He has, as the word says,  PROMISED to prosper us, not to harm us. (Jeremiah 29:11)  It also says, " Greater is He that is within you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).  

Let's meditate on the life of Joseph for just a moment.

This man was highly favored and loved by his father and lived a privilege life.  But then...

His brothers out of jealousy for his favor, sold him in to slavery.  

There seemed to be hope for him but then...

He was wrongfully accused of adultery and He was then thrown in to prison.  

In the end we all know that God "resurrected" Joseph, so to speak, and eventually Joseph came face to face with the very brothers who were the catalyst of His lives broken path.  But what I try to hold to from this story is what he then said towards his brothers when he could of, with all power and authority to do so, killed them on the spot.

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid."(Genesis 50:20-21)

Wow!  Read that one more time!  This one statement says it all!

Broken down this statement says:

You (satan) intended or designed something to harm me.
But then God intended or designed it for good.

Hallelujah!  Thank you God that you are on our side!

I don't know about you, but after readying all of that, I am SO grateful that even with the many plans that have in my heart, God's purpose WILL prevail.

That because of God we can say...

Do NOT be afraid!  Do NOT be anxious.  Do NOT worry!  Let us focus on the FACT that we serve a  GOOD God; a JUST God; a God of love, mercy, compassion!  A God who ALWAYS promises to proper and not to harm.

We can never know what will happen in the next second, minute, day, month or year.  But we can be sure that God will NOT harm us.

So I ask you, what are your "what if" statements?

Write them down and throw them away!

And then write out the the promises that God has for you and meditate on those; get those deep in your heart and your mind. So when Satan tries to tell you that you should think on those "what ifs", you can tell him what God's word says and watch as he cowers away in fear instead of you!

Do NOT Be Afraid

Speaking Out About Our Weaknesses

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."  (1Corinthians 1:3&4)

Have you ever thought...

"if I just knew I wasn't alone, I would be more apt to talk about my pain." 

Or...

"I'm afraid others will look at me and say that I don't have enough faith or that I must be sinning to be struggling in the way that I am." 

The truth of the matter is, all of us have struggled with feelings of anxiety, worry, and depression.  Most of us at one point or another have thought..."I must be going crazy!"  It is all way more common than we would like to admit, and although I believe that some of us are more apt to it than others, we are all struggling with our mental health, in one way or another; at one point or another, over our lifetime.

Whether it is situational through the death of a loved one or the loss of a home or job, or it more general...we all experience moments in our lives where we feel like we can't control our minds reaction to life.

Now don't get me wrong, I am only talking about anxiety and depression here.  I firmly believe that anxiety and depression can be caused by things in your life, BUT can also be caused by an imbalance in the brain.

This is a tough subject to talk about and while I have done much study on both topics and have been diagnosed with both depression and general anxiety disorder in my life, I do not claim to be an expert on the subject.  I can only speak from my own experience and knowledge.

So here is what I know...

• Anxiety and depression are more common than we think.
• We don't talk about it enough, because we are afraid of labels.
• We have been conditioned through society to be ashamed of "weak feelings"

But here are some statistics according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America...

• 17% of all Americans suffer from depression during their life time.
• 25.8% of all American suffer from a variety of forms of Anxiety Disorders.
• If you put in all together that means that some where around 42.8% of all American's suffer from some form of Depression or Anxiety Disorder in their lifetime. That's almost HALF!

All of this to simply state the fact that...YOU ARE NOT ALONE!


If you have read through the Psalms...you know that depression and anxiety were alive and real even in the minds of most of God's chosen decendents.  David was "God's called King" in the old testament and yet it appears that he struggled with mental illness frequently through about his reign.

"My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger.  My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me.  Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me." (Psalm 55: 2-5)

Now if that isn't the mind of a man struggling with anxiety and depression I don't know what is.

Honestly, a lot of the stigma that we have towards mental illness could be healed if we would just be willing to speak out about our common weakness and pain.

But we are afraid of it because we don't talk about it...or we brush it off as "sin".

Whatever is kept in the dark Satan will spread in the dark...but whatever is brought into the light...God will USE in the light!

God asks us to comfort others in their affliction as He has comforted us...and part of that comfort is sharing our own struggle.

Do NOT be afraid...speak truthfully and openly about your weakness and watch as God's power and Glory is revealed through it!

I truly believe that when done in a safe and open environment...

You WILL find love and acceptance.
You WILL find grace and mercy.
You WILL find healing.
You WILL find peace.
You WILL find you are NOT alone.

You Matter To God

You Matter To God: 

He See's What You Do In Secret

"...Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1Corinthians 15:58)

Have you ever wondered if all the time and effort you put into ministry matters? For some of us it is a daily thought...if I don't show up for choir would anyone notice?  Do they really need me to come and help stuff programs, or set up signs? If I am praying and no one knows I am...then does it really make a difference?

The answer to all of these questions is YES! You do matter, YES they would notice, and YES it does make a difference!

One of satan's favorite lies is that "we don't matter."

But we know that statement is NOT true for God's word says:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29–31NIV)

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

God knows the number of hairs on your head and calls you His masterpiece.  You matter to Him more than you could ever know or understand.   So every time Satan whispers the lie that you don't matter, remember that His eye is on the sparrow and your are worth more!  YOU MATTER TO GOD!

His word also says:

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be a slave to all. For even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."(Mark 10:46)

It is not everyone's call in this life on earth to be in front of the masses doing God's work.  Not all of us can be pastors, missionaries or worship leaders.  But that's doesn't mean that what we do for God's kingdom goes unnoticed or unvalued.  

It is also written:

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Mathew 6:1-4)

We all have different gifts and different use in the body of christ.  Each part of the body is important.  And if you think that cleaning the bathrooms doesn't make a difference just remember a time you walked in to an unclean bathroom...you will quickly remember that a clean bathroom really does make a difference.  

Or if you think just because you are praying alone for your church every morning, instead of with a group of people in the prayer room before service, that it doesn't make a difference, you are also very wrong.  It is written:

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35) 

Jesus went away to pray in solitude many times.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18) 

“I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”(John 14:13-14)

It all matters.

Brothers and sisters...your sacrifice for Christ and His church does not go unnoticed. Whether you are a missionary, a pastor, a small group leader, a prayer warrior, a greeter, or a volunteer cleaning bathrooms, God see's your heart and He is pleased.

Everything we do with a heart of service to God matters and is valued. Whether people SEE you or not...you are noticed.

Satan will try and tell you that because no one or few actually see the work that you are doing, that it doesn't matter.  And when those thoughts come in to your head have your sword ready.  Plant the above scriptures in your heart so that when satan tries to steal, kill and destroy your value...you will be armed and ready to say to him...

"Satan you are a LIER! I do matter to God, He calls me His masterpiece, He knows the hairs on my head!  My work in not in vain.  For God has called not called us to be served but to serve.  My father sees what I do in secret and will reward me for it in heaven!  I have been called to pray in the spirit in all occasions for all saints, knowing that anything I ask for in His name, He will do.  I do matter!  Satan you have been defeated and can not win.  Be gone from me in Jesus name!  Amen!"

Lessons From A Laptop Resurrection Part 3

He Makes All Things New!

"When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. (Luke 5:4 -7)

***Peter and the casting of the nets, the calling of Jesus' first disciples; such a strong story and testimony in the bible.  We must have faith that when the Lord asks us to do something, even when we feel as though we have done it a hundred times with same outcome, we must trust that because He says so...we must!  Knowing that He is doing a new thing!***

So the weeks went on, my birthday past and the blessing was imminent.  Not quite enough to get a new laptop, but it was a start and certainly a blessing.  

But once the money was in my account...God started pressing through His spirit for me to give it all, every last penny, to the church.

You can imagine my inner struggle, "But Lord, I need it to do your work!  This money is such a blessing, why would I just give it all away?"

But God reminded me that every blessing from Him should be given it back to Him and while that doesn't always me to give it all.  This time it did.

So I did.

I gave the money, all of it, to the church and that was that.  I was just going to have to trust and believe that God had another plan to give me the laptop that I needed.

**This was huge lesson in faith and giving for me, and while I want to say that it is the point of this message, it's not.  But let me not discard what God wants to point out here.

There are times in our lives when God will give us a blessing.  One that we feel like is an exact answer to prayer, and then ask us to immediately give it all back.  Let me tell you from experience....just DO IT!

That evening while I was brushing my teeth and thinking with the Lord about everything that had transpired over the past 6 weeks, I heard a still small voice say something that at the time I thought was crazy.

"Remember the laptop, your laptop, the one that was spilled on, disconnected and broken apart and is sitting in the corner of your bedroom?  Go and plug it and turn it on."

I laughed...

"Seriously Lord, why would I do that?  It is dead. I've tried it before, it didn't work.  It's not going to turn on!"

But than my spirit stirred and I heard my self saying, "because you say so Lord, I will."

So I walked in to my room, picked up the laptop (back still off), and plugged it in.  The light turned green, so I took a deep breath (trying not to get my hopes up) and pressed the "ON" button.

And here it is...

It turned on!  

I kid you not...it turned on.  I stood there with excited anticipation and fear as I watched the screen start to load.

"Don't get your hopes up now, just because it turned on, doesn't mean it will stay on."

But the log in screen came up and I slowly typed in my password, pressed enter and watched as the screen came to life.

My heart leaped...and I quickly backed up all my files!  But here is the even more amazing part.  My laptop is now running stronger and faster than it ever has.  It is like new!  And all I have to say to that is, Glory to God the overseer of all things!  He is worthy of praise!

Now it is easy to look at all of this and say that the point is: Give all you have to God and He will give it back to you!

And while that statement is true and certainly apparent through this message, it is not the point.

So what is the point?  

The point is that so many of us have been spilled on, disconnected, broken apart, and discarded and all it takes is one person to follow the ushering of the spirit to plug us in so that God can turn us on!

That's it!  We all have someone in our life.  The person we just can't seem to get through to. The family member, friend, or neighbor that we just feel there is no more hope for.  The person we have tried to invite to church, many times. The person who may have even come to church, many times, but just doesn't turn on.  They are connected, but the light doesn't turn green.

They just don't turn on.

We all have someone, and unfortunately to often we give up on these people in our lives. We discard them and move on to someone new.

But the truth is, many of us have been plugged in, with the power button pushed, and we didn't come on either. Why? Because it wasn't God's time. When we try to do things in our own time, take control; try to make things happen; nothing happens. We must learn to except, wait, listen and receive whatever it is that God is trying to teach us during our time of waiting, so that when the time comes to follow His voice, we will know it. And when God's power does enter us and turn us on, will have a better understanding of what the power really should be used for.

But don't miss this point either.  

In that moment when you hear God's spirit ushering you to go back to that person you have discarded as "useless", or "hopeless", and plug them back in again,(even if it sounds crazy) you're answer must be, "because you say so, I will!"

Wait on the Spirit of the Lord to lead you.  And while you wait ask Him what He can teach you during that time of waiting on your friend, family member, or neighbor.

Remember your own journey with God.  What did you have to see before God's light turned on in you?

Ask yourself: what do I need to learn from this journey witnessing to my friend? What do I need to see as I am sharing my testimony with my neighbor?  What do I need to learn during this time of waiting for my family member? When they look at me, do they see Jesus?  Am I trusting God to save them in His time?  Or am I trying to save them in my time?

It is not our job to save people; that job belongs to the Lord.  But we can love people and tell them about Jesus, knowing and trusting that in doing just that; He WILL save them.

So when God says to you:

"Invite them to church, bible study, or a worship concert one more time"
"Tell them about my love for them one more time"
"Pray for them one more time"

You must say:

"Lord, because you say so, I will.."

And watch as the fish begin to appear, the nets begin to break and the blessing is far more than you could have ever hoped or imagined.

Watch as the light turns on and God redeems them, making them like new; brighter, faster, stronger and more powerful than they were before.

Because when it is in God's time; His Glory will shine through and they will have learned for themselves what the power of Jesus really can and will do through them and in them!

Amen!

Nothing Will Destroy God's Temple: A Promise!

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's Temple and that God's spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred and you are that temple." 1Corinthians 3:16(emphasis added)

I know we have all read, heard, studied this scripture so many times.  But this morning as I read it I felt God's spirit ushering me to not just take it in at face value, but to break it down and explore it for myself.

I have struggled with both self esteem and weight issues for most of my life.  In fact, I can't remember a single day starting from my childhood up till now that I haven't thought about my weight or appearance, been on a diet, or been struggling through a binge of some kind.   My need for control surely plays a part.  But more than anything, it's the false beliefs I have around the purpose for my body that ultimately propel my obsessiveness.

We have been taught through society and hollywood that our bodies are made for a number of things...

Pleasure, self worth, praise, pain.  We must look beautiful, be thin, wear make-up, wear the right"\ clothes, stay young, look sexy, get positive attention in order to have worth and value.

It's the same thing with our personality...

We must be funny, smart, have lots of friends, get invited to all the "right" parties, the list goes on and on.

But when you read the scripture above as well as the one below, God gives a very different picture.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the Earth, your eyes saw my unformed body." Psalm 139:13-15(emphasis added)

If we put 1 Corinthians 13 and Psalm 139 together God gives us a very different image of what the purpose and value of our bodies should be.  But the unfortunate truth is that so many of us, including myself, have forgotten or simply never known or believed the truth that God says about both our bodies and our souls.

When examining 1 Corinthians 13 more closely the Spirit highlighted three keys words for me.

1. Temple
2. Sacred
3. Destroy

God's say that our bodies are a sacred temple and after much research on both the english, latin and greek meanings of the words, the definition is empowering.

We are God's Scared Temple:

A consecrated, highly valued place that is connected to God and devoted to reformation and the holy purpose of worship and deserving of great respect!

WOW!  What a definition!

Broken down God says we are:

• Consecrated: set apart
• Highly valued
• Connected to God
• Reformed
• Made to Worship
• Deserving of Respect 

Amen!

Now here is what gets me, God then goes on to say that He will DESTROY anyone(thing) that attempts to DESTROY that temple(Us).  This is a promise and a strong one!

Destroy defined means:

To cause something to no longer exist or to damage it to the point of disrepair. To kill or defeat easily. To ruin the structure or condition, to put out of existence, demolish, ruin, and refute.

Those are a lot of strong words and we can look at them two ways through God's word.

1. That we should refrain from doing anything that could cause the above effect on our bodies, minds, hearts and souls.  
2. That God PROMISES to do those things to anything that attempts to do the same to our bodies, minds, hearts and souls.  

But here is what was so key for me this morning...this is promise!  Meaning that God will do it!  There is no guess here...God doesn't say He might, or that He probably will destroy them...He says that He WILL destroy them. 

So before the morning was over I found myself praying and asking that God would fulfill this promise for me. I asked Him to destroy anything in my mind, body, heart or soul that could destroy them as His temple.  

Which for me in foundation were: 

• False thoughts or lies
• Poor choices(food, exercise)
• Mental illness(depression, anxiety)

And as prayed for His power to destroy these demolishers of His truth, God drew me back to Psalm 139.  He reminded me that everything He makes is beautiful, wonderful and awe worthy.  He saw me (all of me) before I existed and said it is "Good."  It's about time I started believing it.

So my prayer for you this morning is that you would ask God to fulfill this promise for you as well.  That you would call on Him with all the power and authority of Jesus and KNOW that the promises He makes to you, He will fulfill.  

Amen!

Lessons From A Laptop Resurrection Part 2

"Things"

Accessory or Necessity?

"Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."Hebrews 13:15-16

After I had found all my hard copies, acceptance started to kick in. Each day I woke up a little but more "okay" with the fact that my laptop was gone. Although that didn't stop me from plugging it in and trying to turn it on almost daily.

"Maybe it will work today!" 

But it didn't work and eventually I gave up that hope. 

So I brought the laptop, with the back cover over off, to the corner of my bedroom in hopes that perhaps, some day in the future, something might be saved from the hard-drive.

My new hope; that God was going to provide for me a new laptop. My 30th Birthday was coming up and maybe, just maybe, God would provide the resources through the wonderful people He had brought into my life.

As the weeks went by, God started to wake me up earlier and earlier each morning to write music, devotions, revelations...and the fact that I needed computer became vastly clearer.  The funny thing was that the reason I needed it was not so that I could write, (although my achy and tired hand would probably of argued otherwise), it was for reasons of quality.  A laptop would provide for me the ability to share what God was putting on my heart through His spirit.

For example:

I remember writing a song one morning and hearing all the parts in my head and yelling at God as I realized I had not way of recording them before they left my mind.

"God I can't do the work you have called me to do with out a laptop! I need it to finish YOUR work!"

The truth is that only half of that statement was true. I could still do the work He had called, but in order to complete it, I did need a laptop.

This moment was when God really began to reveal to me how I had taken my laptop for granted. So many times I had been checking Facebook, Pinterest, streaming T.V. shows and movies when I should have been writing, recording, and reading His word. My laptop was not just another accessory it was a necessity and I had taken it for granted.

I began asking God to not just to give me a new laptop, I began to a ask Him to give me a new laptop when and only when He knew I was ready to use it for it's right purposes; for His Glory!

So many of us take for granted the value of things and people in our lives. Thinking they will always be there, we procrastinate and take advantage of their value and purpose. Food, Money, Clothes, A place to live, Furniture, Televisions, Laptops, IPads, IPods, Cars...the list goes on and on. Some of these things are necessities...i.e. food, clothing, a place to live, and (enough) money. 

But some of these things are not necessities, UNLESS we are using them to either build up the kingdom of God or to build US up in the Kingdom of God. 

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."Hebrews 13:16  

• A couch so that we can invite the lost in to our homes to sit, rest, and learn about Jesus.
• A television so that we can watch sermons, and movies and television that help us grow in our understanding and closeness to God. 
• A car so that we can pick up and take people in need to church, a job interview, school and so much more.
• A laptop so that we can write, share and reach the lost with Jesus's words and music. 

You get the picture. But please don't get me wrong, I'm NOT saying that the above statements are the only things that these items should and can be used for. What I am saying is that we must not get stuck in using them only for our OWN enjoyment. 

When we take for granted the things that we have, we miss out on the huge blessing that they could be providing not only for ourselves, but for others. 

What things do you have that you are taking for granted?

I encourage you to sit down and make a chart with two columns. On one side write out all the things that God has blessed you with (a home,car, IPad, laptop, vacuum, bicycle, shampoo, lipstick, jewelry, shoes, books, tools, a boat, etc...) Nothing is to big or to small. When you are done writing out that list, begin writing all the ways you could use these "things" to glorify God in the column next to them. Both by using them for others, and by using them for yourself.

Now somethings you will find really don't have much to offer and that doesn't necessarily mean that you SHOULDN'T have them, or that you should give them up. But what God has thought me through this experience is, that we SHOULD evaluate WHY we have them. 

"But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" 1John 3:17

God doesn't want us to get our fulfillment from things, God wants us to get our fulfillment from Him and from being used by Him.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33

 So I challenge you to reevaluate the "things" you have in your life:

• How am I using them?  
• Why do I have them?  

And the biggest question:

• How can I use them to bring Glory to the Kingdom of God?