Last week, I was a greeter at church. I was standing at the door, greeting when a man came in. Immediately, I could smell alcohol and realized he was intoxicated. This blessed my heart to know he had come to the right place.
Church is not a country club for people who all look the same and act in similar ways. Church is not a place to hide our deepest struggles! Church is a place to come for healing! It is a hospital where we should run to find help from Jesus! It is a place of healing and restoration! It was refreshing to me that this man had the courage to openly display his weakness and his need!
As I greeted this man, I felt the love of God flowing from me to him. I was so clear to me how much God loved him. He was so happy to tell me his name, Lester, where he was from and the struggles he was going through! He asked me for some bus money to get across town for lunch. I agreed to give him the money after the service. He seemed surprised that I was spending so much time with him. I introduced him to a friend of mine and they talked for awhile.
I went in and sat down as service started and Lester came in and sat in my row. As I worshiped, I was feeling the Lord's love for Lester. It was overwhelming! The love was so rich and deep, I could feel it all around me! So I prayed Lester would feel it too! At one point, I noticed Lester was crying so I went to the back of the church and got him a box of Kleenex. He looked at me with wide eyes and said, "Thank you!," as he continued to weep.
After worship at our Sunday Service we take a break to talk and greet one another. Our pastor calls it "Halftime!" This gives us a chance to get to know one another and the visitors at church. Then we come back in for the sermon. I love this tradition!
As we broke for halftime, I saw a hard look on Lester's face. He said he would like his bus money and wanted to go now. I have been studying the Gospel of Mark this year with my College Study. As I looked at Lester, I realized he was going to end up like the crowds Jesus was faced with when He was on earth. They came to get the physical benefits He offered, but they missed getting to know Him and the greater forgiveness He was offering! I realized Lester was in danger of this same tragedy!
God gave me boldness and I said to Lester, "Do you know how much God loves you?" He said, "Yes." but I did not believe him. I explained how God had been telling me of His love for him as we were worshiping. I told Lester I did not want him to receive the benefits of Jesus without receiving Jesus Himself. I explained our pastor had a special message prepared and I was sure God would speak directly to his heart. Lester was still ready to go, so I went to get change for him.
As I was walking back into the sanctuary to give Lester his bus money, I saw my husband talking to another man from our church. I explain Lester was waiting for the money but needed them to pray for him too. Then I said a silent prayer and left Lester at the altar of Jesus! I knew my part was done and I talked with other people until halftime ended.
When I came back into the sanctuary, I saw Lester sitting in his seat and he greeted me with a big smile. His whole countenance had changed! He stayed for the service and raised his hand to confess and receive Jesus at the end. Then I saw my pastor praying with him and then another member of the church prayed with him. It was a beautiful picture of the whole body of Christ working together to express God's love to Lester!
All week, I have been praying for Lester! I pray He will believe deep in His heart how much God loves him. I know from personal experience this is the healing he needs to change his life. Each day, I am convince of the love God is pouring upon me! This belief has healed me, my relationships, and my circumstances. And it is what gets me through the hard parts of life. It is what brings me joy, love, peace, and fulfillment! I believe God loves me deeply! God loves us no matter what! I love to pray this prayer! "I don't know much, but I know You love me! And this may be all I need to know!" Believe with me!
Romans 8:38-39- For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The Fear of the Lord!
I was in church recently, and our pastor preached a wonderful sermon which included a great definition of the fear of the Lord. I am convinced many people misunderstand what it means for a believer to fear the Lord. It is the only good kind of fear I know! Although this is not a comprehensive study of the fear of the Lord, I wanted to share my perspective.
The definition our pastor gave for the fear of the Lord is "an earnest desire to have God's approval." When he said this, I felt it! With every beat of my heart, this is how I try to live. As I live with the fear of the Lord in my life, I love the grace of God that protects me in my imperfection! I love living in the passion of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for the moments when I fail! Jesus loved me so much, He died a brutal death to be able to offer forgiveness and love in my weakest moments! I am forgiven in all of my failure! God does not expect me to be perfect. What a relief! I am loved no matter what! Each day, it is my desire to bless the Lord with "an earnest desire to have God's approval!"
I try not to live in fear of anyone aside from the Lord! No one in the world is worthy of my fear. No one else takes my best interests to heart. No one, aside from God, loves me at each moment. No person has the power to perform miracles in my life! No man or woman has the wisdom to direct my steps and guide me in living my life. Only Jesus has died for me--this makes Him, and Only Him, worthy of my fear!
Proverbs 9:10 says; "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." I love this verse because these concepts go hand-in-hand. The more I know God, the more I understand Him. And the more I understand Him, the more I am convinced of His love for me. Even in my worst moments, I am never separated from the love of God. God is love. So in every moment of my life, I feel loved! This is why I have an earnest desire to have God's approval! He has won me over by His love. I trust that living my life according to God's plan is far greater than living my life according to my plan! His way leads to peace and joy while my way leads to emptiness and confusion. Believe me... I have tried both ways.
So as I live my life, I do the things which are pleasing to God. If I am not sure about something, I check with Him before I act. This has led me to a life filled with wisdom and actions that have brought blessings to me and my loved ones. The fear of the Lord is not the same thing as terror for those who believe! The fear of the Lord brings protection, fulfillment, and freedom! A life lived to the fullest! A life filled with the love of God! In the fear of the Lord, I have found a rich and satisfying life!
John 10:10- Jesus said; "...My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."
The definition our pastor gave for the fear of the Lord is "an earnest desire to have God's approval." When he said this, I felt it! With every beat of my heart, this is how I try to live. As I live with the fear of the Lord in my life, I love the grace of God that protects me in my imperfection! I love living in the passion of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for the moments when I fail! Jesus loved me so much, He died a brutal death to be able to offer forgiveness and love in my weakest moments! I am forgiven in all of my failure! God does not expect me to be perfect. What a relief! I am loved no matter what! Each day, it is my desire to bless the Lord with "an earnest desire to have God's approval!"
I try not to live in fear of anyone aside from the Lord! No one in the world is worthy of my fear. No one else takes my best interests to heart. No one, aside from God, loves me at each moment. No person has the power to perform miracles in my life! No man or woman has the wisdom to direct my steps and guide me in living my life. Only Jesus has died for me--this makes Him, and Only Him, worthy of my fear!
Proverbs 9:10 says; "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." I love this verse because these concepts go hand-in-hand. The more I know God, the more I understand Him. And the more I understand Him, the more I am convinced of His love for me. Even in my worst moments, I am never separated from the love of God. God is love. So in every moment of my life, I feel loved! This is why I have an earnest desire to have God's approval! He has won me over by His love. I trust that living my life according to God's plan is far greater than living my life according to my plan! His way leads to peace and joy while my way leads to emptiness and confusion. Believe me... I have tried both ways.
So as I live my life, I do the things which are pleasing to God. If I am not sure about something, I check with Him before I act. This has led me to a life filled with wisdom and actions that have brought blessings to me and my loved ones. The fear of the Lord is not the same thing as terror for those who believe! The fear of the Lord brings protection, fulfillment, and freedom! A life lived to the fullest! A life filled with the love of God! In the fear of the Lord, I have found a rich and satisfying life!
John 10:10- Jesus said; "...My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Happy New Year!
I love celebrating! For the past 14 years in Flagstaff, our city leaders have created a tradition of dropping a pine cone from one of the old hotel balconies in the center of town. This event has grown from a real, large-sized pine cone found in the forest to a giant metal pine cone with blinking lights. The Pine Cone Drop has become known around the country and the world. For the last few years, the streets have been closed to handle the thousands of people who gather at 10pm (coinciding with the New York City Ball Drop) and then again at 12am to cheer and sing and dance in celebration of the new year. Somehow the dropping of a pine cone has inspired people to come and celebrate together.
In the last few years, I have devised a plan to be able to see both the 10pm and 12am Pine Cone Drop without freezing to death! We have collected some friends to join us at a local restaurant for dinner at 9:30pm. At 9:50pm we step out the door of this restaurant and we are looking right down the street at the pine cone. And then we turn around to see fireworks soaring off the roof of another local hotel. When our dinner is over, we step outside again at 11:50pm and do it all over again. It has been suggested to me that we could eat a bit earlier and head home after the 10pm drop, but I can't imagine sitting on my couch when I could be cheering with my neighbors in downtown Flagstaff. It is so much fun to feel the excitement and energy of the New Year's Eve cheer!
As I reflected on this celebration and my exuberance in the anticipation, I ran across a scripture in my Bible that spoke to me. I was reading in 1 Chronicles 15 about the time King David brought the ark of the Lord back into Jerusalem. The ark of the Lord was the place the people associated with God's presence in the Old Testament. So the ark represented bringing God's presence back to Jerusalem. As you can imagine, quite a celebration broke out in the city as the ark came in.
It says in 1 Chronicles 15:28 "...with shouts of joy, the blowing of rams’ horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on harps and lyres." In verse 29, it says in the Amplified Bible that King David was "...leaping as in sport..." I especially love this visual because often time the joy of life and the Lord causes me to jump in the air and click my heals together! We are created to celebrate! Yes, bad things happen, but in the mix are many reasons for joyous celebration!
In this New Year, I am going to take the opportunity to demonstrate the joy in my heart! There are so many moments worthy of shouting, singing, and jumping for joy! God has filled our lives with reasons to celebrate! And the greatest reason to celebrate is His presence in our lives! And maybe in the exuberant celebration, someone will learn all the Lord has done for me! So join me this year in the celebration!
1 Chronicles 16:8-13. "Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones."
In the last few years, I have devised a plan to be able to see both the 10pm and 12am Pine Cone Drop without freezing to death! We have collected some friends to join us at a local restaurant for dinner at 9:30pm. At 9:50pm we step out the door of this restaurant and we are looking right down the street at the pine cone. And then we turn around to see fireworks soaring off the roof of another local hotel. When our dinner is over, we step outside again at 11:50pm and do it all over again. It has been suggested to me that we could eat a bit earlier and head home after the 10pm drop, but I can't imagine sitting on my couch when I could be cheering with my neighbors in downtown Flagstaff. It is so much fun to feel the excitement and energy of the New Year's Eve cheer!
As I reflected on this celebration and my exuberance in the anticipation, I ran across a scripture in my Bible that spoke to me. I was reading in 1 Chronicles 15 about the time King David brought the ark of the Lord back into Jerusalem. The ark of the Lord was the place the people associated with God's presence in the Old Testament. So the ark represented bringing God's presence back to Jerusalem. As you can imagine, quite a celebration broke out in the city as the ark came in.
It says in 1 Chronicles 15:28 "...with shouts of joy, the blowing of rams’ horns and trumpets, the crashing of cymbals, and loud playing on harps and lyres." In verse 29, it says in the Amplified Bible that King David was "...leaping as in sport..." I especially love this visual because often time the joy of life and the Lord causes me to jump in the air and click my heals together! We are created to celebrate! Yes, bad things happen, but in the mix are many reasons for joyous celebration!
In this New Year, I am going to take the opportunity to demonstrate the joy in my heart! There are so many moments worthy of shouting, singing, and jumping for joy! God has filled our lives with reasons to celebrate! And the greatest reason to celebrate is His presence in our lives! And maybe in the exuberant celebration, someone will learn all the Lord has done for me! So join me this year in the celebration!
1 Chronicles 16:8-13. "Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones."
Monday, December 3, 2012
A Legacy of Prayer and Thanksgiving
I received a card in the mail from my aunt and uncle for Thanksgiving. It is not unusual for me to receive a card from them at Thanksgiving as they are very close to my heart and very gracious people, but when I looked at this card there was something different. The card I received had the picture of a little girl kneeling down in prayer with fruit all around her. She was wearing an apron and had her hands folded and her gaze was focused in a direction off to the side. It was clear that her focus was not on anything in the picture, but something beyond her natural surroundings. As I pondered the front of this card, I thought to myself, "There is something familiar about this card. It seems like it is from someone other than my aunt and uncle."
This peaked my interest as I opened the card. Why had my aunt picked this particular card and why was it so different from the others I have received over the years? When I read the words of the card, tears flowed down my face. This card was purchased by my beloved grandmother! My aunt had found it in a box and blessed me so much by sending it to me this Thanksgiving. My grandmother is the woman who raised my sister and me for the first ten years of our lives as our mom worked long hours to support us. She is the one who introduced me to Jesus and modeled the life that I live to this day. Not only did she buy this card, but she blessed me with a reminder of the legacy of her life which beats in my heart and runs through my veins with each breath I take.
My grandmother was a woman of prayer. Each morning when I woke up, I would find her sitting at the kitchen table with her Bible open and her long prayer list in front of her. My grandmother had an 8th grade education so she kept a dictionary on the table with her Bible in case there was a word she needed to look up. I believe her day started much earlier than mine as she diligently sought the Lord and trusted Him with the many prayers she prayed. The circumstances of her life were not perfect and as I look back, many were painful, but her morning time with Jesus led to days filled with joy, generosity, service to others, and so much love.
Often as we were going about our day, my grandmother would spontaneously dance with joy as she kicked her feet and clapped her hands. She was the only grandma I knew who played baseball in her dress and ran the bases in record time as her hard hit ball sailed over the school yard fence. She made my sister and I hand-stirred milkshakes upon our request. And we ate dessert left-over from the previous night for breakfast! She played cards with us, she laughed with us, and she cooked and baked all of our favorite foods daily. She made sure we worked hard at school to gain the education she lacked. She gave her life to us on a daily basis and was a picture of the love of Jesus! It is through her prayers and faith and the way she lived that I was won over to the kingdom of Jesus!
She was not a Christian speaker, a ministry leader or an author. She was not the most popular woman in her church, but the friends she had were close. She was a lover of her neighbors, a generous giver, and a humble woman. She was a person who lacked nothing because of the gift of Jesus she carried in her heart. She gave and gave with a gracious heart and an unlimited supply of love and resources! She was a picture of the unlimited provision of God which exceeds our own needs and overflows to share with our neighbors, family, and friends! Her life was a legacy of prayer and Thanksgiving. And she lived this legacy everyday! Everyday with my grandmother was Thanksgiving.
On this day I received my card, many miles away, my sister was praying for an encouragement from the Lord as she was preparing to speak at a "Thanksgiving Tea." The topic of her discussion was the legacy of my grandmother. My grandmother has grandchildren and great-grandchildren who carry her name. She is often a discussion at our family gatherings. She has left much love, joy, prayer, faith and thanksgiving to the generations that have followed her. As my sister prepared to share these things, she received her own card in the mail. A card my grandmother had purchased more than 25 years ago. A card that might have seemed lost in a box, but was divinely set aside through prayer and faith! A card from my grandmother to be the encouragement my sister needed and asked for!
Thank you, Jesus, for my grandmother. Help me to live a life like hers! I pray Lord that long after I am gone, my life will be an encouragement to the generations to come. Let my life be remembered as one lived with thanksgiving, joy, love, prayer, and great faith! I love you, Lord! Thank you for the precious encouragement You sent through two simple cards in the mail this Thanksgiving! And please give my grandma a hug and kiss from me today in heaven! In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
This peaked my interest as I opened the card. Why had my aunt picked this particular card and why was it so different from the others I have received over the years? When I read the words of the card, tears flowed down my face. This card was purchased by my beloved grandmother! My aunt had found it in a box and blessed me so much by sending it to me this Thanksgiving. My grandmother is the woman who raised my sister and me for the first ten years of our lives as our mom worked long hours to support us. She is the one who introduced me to Jesus and modeled the life that I live to this day. Not only did she buy this card, but she blessed me with a reminder of the legacy of her life which beats in my heart and runs through my veins with each breath I take.
My grandmother was a woman of prayer. Each morning when I woke up, I would find her sitting at the kitchen table with her Bible open and her long prayer list in front of her. My grandmother had an 8th grade education so she kept a dictionary on the table with her Bible in case there was a word she needed to look up. I believe her day started much earlier than mine as she diligently sought the Lord and trusted Him with the many prayers she prayed. The circumstances of her life were not perfect and as I look back, many were painful, but her morning time with Jesus led to days filled with joy, generosity, service to others, and so much love.
Often as we were going about our day, my grandmother would spontaneously dance with joy as she kicked her feet and clapped her hands. She was the only grandma I knew who played baseball in her dress and ran the bases in record time as her hard hit ball sailed over the school yard fence. She made my sister and I hand-stirred milkshakes upon our request. And we ate dessert left-over from the previous night for breakfast! She played cards with us, she laughed with us, and she cooked and baked all of our favorite foods daily. She made sure we worked hard at school to gain the education she lacked. She gave her life to us on a daily basis and was a picture of the love of Jesus! It is through her prayers and faith and the way she lived that I was won over to the kingdom of Jesus!
She was not a Christian speaker, a ministry leader or an author. She was not the most popular woman in her church, but the friends she had were close. She was a lover of her neighbors, a generous giver, and a humble woman. She was a person who lacked nothing because of the gift of Jesus she carried in her heart. She gave and gave with a gracious heart and an unlimited supply of love and resources! She was a picture of the unlimited provision of God which exceeds our own needs and overflows to share with our neighbors, family, and friends! Her life was a legacy of prayer and Thanksgiving. And she lived this legacy everyday! Everyday with my grandmother was Thanksgiving.
On this day I received my card, many miles away, my sister was praying for an encouragement from the Lord as she was preparing to speak at a "Thanksgiving Tea." The topic of her discussion was the legacy of my grandmother. My grandmother has grandchildren and great-grandchildren who carry her name. She is often a discussion at our family gatherings. She has left much love, joy, prayer, faith and thanksgiving to the generations that have followed her. As my sister prepared to share these things, she received her own card in the mail. A card my grandmother had purchased more than 25 years ago. A card that might have seemed lost in a box, but was divinely set aside through prayer and faith! A card from my grandmother to be the encouragement my sister needed and asked for!
Thank you, Jesus, for my grandmother. Help me to live a life like hers! I pray Lord that long after I am gone, my life will be an encouragement to the generations to come. Let my life be remembered as one lived with thanksgiving, joy, love, prayer, and great faith! I love you, Lord! Thank you for the precious encouragement You sent through two simple cards in the mail this Thanksgiving! And please give my grandma a hug and kiss from me today in heaven! In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Holding it all together?
In a conversation with my friend the other day, I noticed she kept putting herself down for being disorganized and forgetful. She was very upset with who she was in her weakness and she was speaking very badly about herself. I realized she was being attacked and felt the need to testify! So I shared with her my similar struggles in this area and a smile came to her face. She looked at me in disbelief and said, "You have it all together! I can't believe you struggle with disorganization or forgetfulness!" (Boy, did I wish I had a tape recorder to play back her words to my husband! We would laugh hysterically together!)
When she said this, I realized I needed to take this opportunity to give credit to God! She perceived me as being strong in the area of organization, when that is not the case! I am dependent on God to help me each day hold my life together and make things run smoothly! He has taught me how to use the calendar on my phone to remind myself where to be and what to do at what time. This gives me freedom to daydream, think, and pray in my spare moments! God is the rudder in my life and directs me as I go through my days! I prefer a spontaneous path and He knows that! After all, He made me this way for a purpose! I trust Him to be strong in my weak areas so I can thrive in the gifts He has given me!
I don't have it together, but He is holding my life together! Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." My life and the details are part of what Jesus is holding together. I love resting in the knowledge of His amazing power holding my body as well as all of my situations together. Make no mistake, I know who is holding my life together and it is not me!
As my friend and I talked, I saw her burden lifting! I explained to her how we are all made differently for different reasons. I found out her boss at work was putting her down for some of her differences and this was leading to her self-loathing! I challenged her to believe the beautiful things God says about her in His Word rather than the ugly words of her boss! I encouraged her to be at peace with her weaknesses and to laugh at herself in moments of struggle. Although we are imperfect, we are useful and loved deeply by God and others! We are a masterpiece of God created to do great works on the earth! He is our maker and helper.
Often when I get annoyed with my disorganization and forgetfulness, I remind the Lord, "Lord, help me! You made me this way!" And I feel His gracious presence and power come in to save me! Thank God for my imperfections that lead to a closeness to Jesus! I am leaning on Him continually and I feel His arms around me holding it all together! I would not want it any other way!
When she said this, I realized I needed to take this opportunity to give credit to God! She perceived me as being strong in the area of organization, when that is not the case! I am dependent on God to help me each day hold my life together and make things run smoothly! He has taught me how to use the calendar on my phone to remind myself where to be and what to do at what time. This gives me freedom to daydream, think, and pray in my spare moments! God is the rudder in my life and directs me as I go through my days! I prefer a spontaneous path and He knows that! After all, He made me this way for a purpose! I trust Him to be strong in my weak areas so I can thrive in the gifts He has given me!
I don't have it together, but He is holding my life together! Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." My life and the details are part of what Jesus is holding together. I love resting in the knowledge of His amazing power holding my body as well as all of my situations together. Make no mistake, I know who is holding my life together and it is not me!
As my friend and I talked, I saw her burden lifting! I explained to her how we are all made differently for different reasons. I found out her boss at work was putting her down for some of her differences and this was leading to her self-loathing! I challenged her to believe the beautiful things God says about her in His Word rather than the ugly words of her boss! I encouraged her to be at peace with her weaknesses and to laugh at herself in moments of struggle. Although we are imperfect, we are useful and loved deeply by God and others! We are a masterpiece of God created to do great works on the earth! He is our maker and helper.
Often when I get annoyed with my disorganization and forgetfulness, I remind the Lord, "Lord, help me! You made me this way!" And I feel His gracious presence and power come in to save me! Thank God for my imperfections that lead to a closeness to Jesus! I am leaning on Him continually and I feel His arms around me holding it all together! I would not want it any other way!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
God Idea!
On Saturday evening, I received an email that inspired me. A friend of mine had encountered a woman who was two months behind on her rent. This woman was a single-mom of three children, a full-time teacher at a school with a 90-mile commute, and a master's degree student in the evening. WOW! It was clear to me this woman was not behind on her rent due to a lack of motivation or effort! She was working hard!
When my friend heard her situation, she boldly spoke up saying, "Twelve hundred dollars is not a problem for God! He created the whole universe. Let's ask Him for an idea to get the money for your rent." I can't tell you how this blessed my spirit! I agreed completely with my friend and immediately wanted to participate in the answer to this prayer! God is huge and we should boast in His power! He is the answer to all of our needs and situations! He can be trusted with our concerns and desperation. Whatever the idea, I was in!
Anyway, as my friend asked the Lord for this idea, she remembered a wall hanging she had been making that was stuffed in her closet at home. She had been working on it slowly for 10 years. The Lord suggested to her to have a raffle with the wall hanging as a prize and sell tickets to raise the money for the rent. This solved two problems. It would raise the rent money and it would get my friend motivated to finish her artwork. So, my friend wrote this idea in an email, sent the email out to everyone she knew, and began working to finish the wall hanging.
On Sunday morning at church, I found my friend to buy some raffle tickets! I was excited to hear the outcome of God's idea! I love when God gives us ideas because they are supernatural and work even better than we might expect! When I greeted her with the money to buy my raffle tickets, she said, "I have a problem. So many people have responded to this raffle! I have raised over two and a half times the money needed." This brought a smile to my face! I answered with, "You don't have a problem! You have a God who is in the habit of giving us "more than we can ask or imagine". You have a God who can't wait for us to trust in Him in faith and loves to "open the floodgates of heaven" in our lives! You have a God who gives us "a double-portion and even a triple portion"! Let's just enjoy His benefits and praise Him!"
I pray we will boldly ask God for ideas when faced with the struggles of life today! I pray we will not shrink away from any problem! After all, we have the supernatural power of heaven on our side. Jeremiah 32:27 says, "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for Me?" Let's believe together and boldly act on knowing "nothing we encounter is ever too hard for our God!" Just ask Him and He will give you the "God idea" you need! And we will spend our lives praising Him together!
James 1:5-6. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
When my friend heard her situation, she boldly spoke up saying, "Twelve hundred dollars is not a problem for God! He created the whole universe. Let's ask Him for an idea to get the money for your rent." I can't tell you how this blessed my spirit! I agreed completely with my friend and immediately wanted to participate in the answer to this prayer! God is huge and we should boast in His power! He is the answer to all of our needs and situations! He can be trusted with our concerns and desperation. Whatever the idea, I was in!
Anyway, as my friend asked the Lord for this idea, she remembered a wall hanging she had been making that was stuffed in her closet at home. She had been working on it slowly for 10 years. The Lord suggested to her to have a raffle with the wall hanging as a prize and sell tickets to raise the money for the rent. This solved two problems. It would raise the rent money and it would get my friend motivated to finish her artwork. So, my friend wrote this idea in an email, sent the email out to everyone she knew, and began working to finish the wall hanging.
On Sunday morning at church, I found my friend to buy some raffle tickets! I was excited to hear the outcome of God's idea! I love when God gives us ideas because they are supernatural and work even better than we might expect! When I greeted her with the money to buy my raffle tickets, she said, "I have a problem. So many people have responded to this raffle! I have raised over two and a half times the money needed." This brought a smile to my face! I answered with, "You don't have a problem! You have a God who is in the habit of giving us "more than we can ask or imagine". You have a God who can't wait for us to trust in Him in faith and loves to "open the floodgates of heaven" in our lives! You have a God who gives us "a double-portion and even a triple portion"! Let's just enjoy His benefits and praise Him!"
I pray we will boldly ask God for ideas when faced with the struggles of life today! I pray we will not shrink away from any problem! After all, we have the supernatural power of heaven on our side. Jeremiah 32:27 says, "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for Me?" Let's believe together and boldly act on knowing "nothing we encounter is ever too hard for our God!" Just ask Him and He will give you the "God idea" you need! And we will spend our lives praising Him together!
James 1:5-6. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Expectancy!
Recently, I was asked to come to a meeting and share the signs of transformation in our city. As I pondered about what to speak, I wrote a list of things by which God has been encouraging me. Then I sent the list to my host and he asked a question. "What if someone questions these changes? What are the sources for this information?" And I had a simple answer, "Our local newspaper, The Daily Sun." I regularly read the newspaper looking for answers to my prayers.
I started praying for transformation in our city over 15 years ago. As I prayed, I looked around for answers to my prayers. For the first 9 years, I saw lots of transformation in individuals (including myself). Starting in 2006, I began to see major changes in our city in general. What drove me to pray was a firm belief that the transformation of our city was an idea from God. It was His idea, not mine. The success of this transformation rests solely on His shoulders and my part was just to believe "Nothing is impossible with God." So, from that point forward, I had an expectancy! I have seen in significant ways how God is working toward transformation. My part is to watch with expectancy and pray! And also ACT on anything the Lord asks me to do!
This journey of learning to wait with expectancy has been a battle for me. If you know me very well, you know that patience is not one of my strong points naturally! I pace in front of the microwave! I drive different routes in my car to avoid waiting at lights! Just ask my husband! This lack of patience has often caused me to get caught up in a specific expectation when praying. I have learned that praying requires me to let go of control. My part is crying out to God for His answer not expecting Him to answer in the way I would. When I am stuck on planning HOW God should answer my prayers, I am trapped in pride and frustration. This takes away my expectancy, my joy, and my freedom. When I am locked into a one-way outcome, I am in danger of losing my faith! My faith needs to rest in the Almighty God and His incomprehensible wisdom, rather than in my faulty and limited human plans.
Praying is not about giving an order to God. It is about surrendering a need to God and then waiting for His response. It is about reading my Bible to find revelation from God's Word. It is about understanding how mighty and great He is! It is about knowing He is better suited to decide how to meet my prayer requests. And often when the answer comes, I would not have done things the way He did. This is because my perspective is too small compared to His vantage point. He sees the whole picture and I only see the part. But as I pray and accept His answers, I am awestruck and humbled! The Almighty God of this universe cares for and communicates with me. He listens to and answers my prayers! He invites me into the great things He is doing in the world today! I can expect Him to listen, answer, and sometimes even invite me into the answers!
So as I watch and pray, I will wait with expectancy! I will live with joy, freedom, and great faith! I will believe God for the answers to my prayers! I will keep my ears and eyes wide open as I expect the answer to my prayers in whatever dynamic way my Lord chooses to answer them. And I will watch in awe and praise as He continues to transform our city! And sometimes His answers will be written as headlines in the newspaper.
Ephesians 3:20-21:"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
I started praying for transformation in our city over 15 years ago. As I prayed, I looked around for answers to my prayers. For the first 9 years, I saw lots of transformation in individuals (including myself). Starting in 2006, I began to see major changes in our city in general. What drove me to pray was a firm belief that the transformation of our city was an idea from God. It was His idea, not mine. The success of this transformation rests solely on His shoulders and my part was just to believe "Nothing is impossible with God." So, from that point forward, I had an expectancy! I have seen in significant ways how God is working toward transformation. My part is to watch with expectancy and pray! And also ACT on anything the Lord asks me to do!
This journey of learning to wait with expectancy has been a battle for me. If you know me very well, you know that patience is not one of my strong points naturally! I pace in front of the microwave! I drive different routes in my car to avoid waiting at lights! Just ask my husband! This lack of patience has often caused me to get caught up in a specific expectation when praying. I have learned that praying requires me to let go of control. My part is crying out to God for His answer not expecting Him to answer in the way I would. When I am stuck on planning HOW God should answer my prayers, I am trapped in pride and frustration. This takes away my expectancy, my joy, and my freedom. When I am locked into a one-way outcome, I am in danger of losing my faith! My faith needs to rest in the Almighty God and His incomprehensible wisdom, rather than in my faulty and limited human plans.
Praying is not about giving an order to God. It is about surrendering a need to God and then waiting for His response. It is about reading my Bible to find revelation from God's Word. It is about understanding how mighty and great He is! It is about knowing He is better suited to decide how to meet my prayer requests. And often when the answer comes, I would not have done things the way He did. This is because my perspective is too small compared to His vantage point. He sees the whole picture and I only see the part. But as I pray and accept His answers, I am awestruck and humbled! The Almighty God of this universe cares for and communicates with me. He listens to and answers my prayers! He invites me into the great things He is doing in the world today! I can expect Him to listen, answer, and sometimes even invite me into the answers!
So as I watch and pray, I will wait with expectancy! I will live with joy, freedom, and great faith! I will believe God for the answers to my prayers! I will keep my ears and eyes wide open as I expect the answer to my prayers in whatever dynamic way my Lord chooses to answer them. And I will watch in awe and praise as He continues to transform our city! And sometimes His answers will be written as headlines in the newspaper.
Ephesians 3:20-21:"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
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