What Do You Have an Appetite For?

What am I hungry for? 

What I continue to feed my body, my body will hunger for. For example, I have an extremely terrible sweet tooth. And when I say terrible I mean, I couldn't go a day without some type of dessert or sweet. I ate a whole tub of icing once (righttt, issues!!). Anyways, I was feeding that sweet tooth every time I gave in to that craving. Giving into that craving never really sufficed, it just quieted it for a minute and came back stronger again. Did the problem feel bad? No. My problem was something that was pleasurable to me, it brought me comfort. Frustrated? Get a sweet. Happy? Get a sweet. Bored? Get a sweet... I could see the affect of the amount of sugar on my body in my energy and skin. Now sweets aren't evil or bad but I had to have a "coming to my senses" moment (Luke 15:17), I had a problem.  The question I had to ask myself did I want to keep dealing with the consequences of eating an excessive amount of sweets or did I want to have a change of appetite?

Now you may say, easy, change of appetite. But when the thing you crave feels good,  brings good feelings and a place of comfort it's hard to let go. I tried to do sweets in moderation and I could last for maybe a week but it never was a permanent answer, I would find myself right back to where I was. Finally, I brought it to the Lord. I couldn't change my appetite on my own, God had to help me because it had such a hold on my life. And thank you Lord, He is faithful even in the small things like sweet addictions (because honestly that is what is was).  It wasn't easy at first, I promise I would be walking in the grocery store feeling like the candy aisle was calling my name, and then those darn side candies while checking out! But what had changed then from previous? I wanted a breakthrough, I didn't want to be held captive by this craving. Slowly but surely my craving for the processed sweets dwindled. My appetite began to change, I felt more energy, my skin became more clear. I wasn't now just trying to refrain from eating sweets/desserts with my own will, it was with the strength of God that helped me through. And he is so good not to leave me hungry for those things, he sufficed my desire through the pure substances, fruits, jellies ect.  

This concept of ,what you put in you will get out, doesn't only pertain to the physical but spiritual.  When you become a Christian Gods Spirit, the Holy Spirit, comes to live with in you and He does life with you (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit is your Advocate and will lead you (John 14: 16-17), He is a revealer of God's truths (1 Corinthians 2: 10).  

So I was am reading A Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim  Cymbala.  And I got to a part that that didn't sit well with me and it wasn't my spirit it was my flesh. I found myself thinking "well that isn't for everybody..maybe I can find and see if the Bible says to not do that exactly, if it does then okay but if it doesn't....". Then I felt the Holy Spirit remind me that the issue isn't what was being said, it was my appetite. OUCH! You see just like my sweets example, I struggled with giving it up because I didn't want to stop. The same will be for spiritual things. God isn't going to force an appetite change, I have to want it, and he is faithful and gracious to do the work when we surrender.  And oh how good it is at the end of that surrender. The world says " you will be lacking if you surrender..." but God says " trust me, surrender to my will for your life and you will will be filled".  John 10:10 reminds us that the devils goal is to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus' purpose is to give a rich and satisfying life. God wants us to have an abundant life, and he gives us guidelines and boundaries not to keep good things away but for us to experience the true fullness of his goodness and love!

So I pose these questions to you and myself. What does my spiritual appetite or lack there of tell me where I am deficient in my body? Where may I need an appetite change? The answers to these questions are individualistic, they aren't a one size fits all. It takes an honest assessment of where you stand in your relationship with God and then a honest conversation with the living God. God won't leave you empty handed when you let go. 

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Thank you Lord for loving me and chasing after me! You chose to love me knowing my downfalls, knowing my rebellion and disobedience. My sin didn't stop you from chasing after me! Thank you Lord for never giving up on me! You are Holy and True! Thank you Jesus for dying for all of my sins so that I can be called a child of God. Thank you Holy Spirit for being my guide, keep me close at your feet Lord. You promise I will find you if I seek you! Lord help me to surrender more, change my appetite to align with your will and promises! 

AMEN

Take a Listen:

Wisely Embracing the Cost of Consecration

Roll the Stone Aside!

In John 11 we are told of three siblings Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Lazarus was sick and the sisters sent for Jesus with the expectation that he would be healed. Their message to Jesus was "Lord, your dear friend is very sick".  

John 11:1-3

"A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, Lord, your dear friend is very sick."

At this moment, can you see Mary and Martha? They are filled with hope and expectation that their Lord, will heal Lazarus. I mean they know who Jesus is, the Messiah, the Son of God who came into the world from God, so there was no need to worry (John11:27). BUT what happens?! Even though Jesus loved these siblings he waited, and it wasn't just a 5 min, 1 hr, or day wait, it was two more days before he went!

John 11:4-6

"But when Jesus heard about it he said, Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this. So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, Let's go back to Judea."

 Reading this portion of the story tells me that God isn't worried or rushed by what I deem as urgent or necessary. There was urgency in the voice of the sisters, their brother is very sick and they need Jesus NOW! part of me wants to be like " that's God you are talking to, how can you say that" but on the other hand I see that I can do this exact thing although it may look a little different.... "God, my relationship status is crumbling you have to act now, before it's too late!"..."God, these application responses aren't looking good, I only have so long before it's too late!"..."God, what are you doing, it's too late for such and such to happen"..."God, so much time has passed, it's too late for me to change"....

 You see it's the "it's too late" mindset that will keep you from participating in or seeing the blessings of God, if you allow it to do so.  When Jesus finally made it to Bethany in Judea, Lazarus had been in his grave for four days. Mary and Marthas first words were "You are too late!! If only..." 

John 11: 20-32

 "When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask. Jesus told her your brother will rise again. Yes, Martha said, he will rise when everyone else rises at the last day. Jesus told her, I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this Martha? Yes Lord, she told him. I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God. Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, The Teacher is here and wants to see you. So Mary immediately went to him. Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus's grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus she fell at his feet and said Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died."

Now even when writing this I can see the heart posture of each sister and I am reminded of the same Martha and Mary story back in Luke 10. Martha is busy trying to prepare for Jesus and disciples, Mary is at Jesus feet listening to his words. Now in John 11, both sisters are filled with sorrow and questions. Martha says to Jesus you are too late and even now I still believe. Mary falls at the feet of Jesus and tells Jesus her sorrow and disappointment. It's in these times of uncertainty, questions, and concern that you must remember and know who is your Lord. Who is the one that has the final say? Who is the one that has a faithfulness that will never falter?

As Jesus goes to the grave site, he tells the people to "Roll the stone aside!" Wait, what? Martha jumps in (typical Martha) to remind Jesus, in essence, that Lazarus has been dead four days, he surely smells and is decomposing, you don't want to move that stone!

John 11: 39

"Roll the stone aside, Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible."

 ...Isn't it funny how sometimes we forget that God knows what He is doing, nothing takes him by surprise and he never makes a mistake. It can be hard to remember that when you have unmet expectations. In your mind you have already been let down, things didn't go the way they were suppose to go. I was suppose to have that job, I was suppose to have that raise, I was suppose to be in that location, I was suppose to have that life....In essence God, you made a mistake, you got it wrong, I had a plan and this is not it!

And so when we find ourselves in this mindset of "God is too late, God you have made a mistake, God this isn't according to my plan", we then become quick to stop or turn away from God's perfect plan. You see the blessing, the answered prayer for Martha and Mary was just behind that stone. The same stone Martha is shouting saying, NO, don't move that! The only thing behind there is death, dissatisfaction and sorrow! 

BUT GOD!!...But God is never late, never wrong, always faithful, and always right on time!  Thank you Jesus!

My God Is Powerful

Thankfully, Jesus' response wasn't "Oh you don't want me to move this stone? okay. And walk off". He asks Martha, in essence, if she believed his word. And Jesus continued to be faithful. Faithful to show his power, faithful to answer prayer in the only right way even when the sisters wanted an answer their specific way. 

John 11:40-44

"Jesus responded, Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe? So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out lout for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me. Then Jesus shouted, Lazarus, come out! And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, Unwrap him and let him go!"

AMEN and AMEN.

So I sit here today with a prayer on my heart, asking God to Roll the Stones Aside in my heart. The places I have deemed as dead, speak life into them. You are the resurrection and the life Jesus, all who trust in you are made alive. I am not just made partially alive, all of me must come to life because in you is life and you are in me. Thank you Lord for the victory! You have called me a child of God. I can come to you with my prayers, concerns, worries and doubts and you will hear me and answer. 

Four Days Late cover

Anxious for Nothing

"Don't Worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. 

Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. "

 ~Philippians 4:6~

Im sitting on my couch and I begin thinking of all the things I need to figure out, all the uncertainties, and all of the unmade decisions. Honestly, it becomes just a tornado of thoughts and emotions. As my thoughts are spiraling a song comes on my spotify called 

"Mighty God"

-Verse 1

Mighty God

I will follow you

You keep me safe

In the palm of your hand

You guide me up the mountain

You lead me in your will

My Father you are the fountain

There's power when I am still

-Chours

Mighty God

I will follow you

Soverieng God

I will follow you

All power is in your name

-Verse 2

Mighty God

I will follow you 

You made a way for my soul to stand

You crowned my head with glory

You tore apart the veil

You brought me into your mystery

You're bringing me deeper still

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God begins to remind me that He isn't worried, He is never anxious, and in Him there is never uncertainty.  So why am I anxious? I heard once that "The thing you find yourself worrying about the most is the exact place where you trust God the least". And oh how much truth this statement holds. 

My current job can be very dangerous and I must be able to trust the people leading me. If a situation is heightened and my leader isn't worried then I know we are good. Why? Because I can trust they know what they are doing and know the direction we should take. This should be even more so with Jesus right? He never sleeps or slumbers, He sees all and knows all, and He always has my best in mind. So if my leader, my shepherd, my God is my protector, defender and guide , I have nothing to fear or be anxious about because I can trust in his character and intention. 

Lets look at Psalms 25

Psalms 25: 1-5

"O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you, my God! Do not let my be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trust in you will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you."

One thing I love about David is he gets honest with God. No matter what is going on in his life, whether he did wrong or others did, time and time again He comes back to his God who sees and hears his every word and cries out the promises of God. This is my prayer. My heart cries Lord here I am, take all of me, help me to trust you Jesus in every aspect of my life. You will point out the path for me to follow and you will lead me in truth and teach me as I journey... David says all day long I put my hope in you. No matter what is going on is my hope staying firm in God?

Psalms 25: 6-10

"Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord. The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. The Lord leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep his covenant and obey his demands."

You know what, God is faithful. In small group today we touched on how faithful and good God is even in our unfaithfulness. Thank you Jesus that He keeps his promises despite my attitude. It is so good that when the Father looks at me, He sees his son Jesus and the perfect sacrifice that was in place for me. David cries out, that Gods love is unfailing and consistent all throughout the ages. 

Psalms 25: 11-15

"For the honor of your name, O Lord, forgive my many, many sins. Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose. They will live in prosperity, and their children will inherit the land. The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant. My eyes are always on the Lord, for he rescues me from the traps of my enemies"

David isn't just asking God to forgive him and redeem him for is own sake but for the Lord. Why? Because the Lords character is revealed and displayed for all to see. That he is a righteous, forgiving, compassionate God who takes seriously the path of his children. 

Psalms 25: 16-22

"Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins. See how many enemies I have and how viciously they hate me! Protect me! Rescue my life from them! Do not let me be disgraced for in you I will take refuge. May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you. O God, ransom Israel form all its troubles"

Sometimes life and circumstances can feel a bit overwhelming. And when those times come, to whom do you set your eyes? To whom do you trust? To whom do you cry out? Where does your hope lie?  The answer should be Jesus. The One who will be your refuge, the one who is your hope and salvation. The God who sees all, hears all, knows all and acts always on time. 

My question is then today that I ask myself, where are the places that I I am worried and stressed? Then I am telling myself, take those same places and surrender it to God. Jesus can handle every burden and uncertainty. Rest in his truth. Connect to his presence and trust that He will never forsake me. 

Get alone, talk to God and take a listen to what He is telling you and asking you to surrender today:

Mighty God

Thank you Jesus for being always for me, never against me. Help me to follow you Lord wherever you lead me. Forgive me Lord when I allow my anxious thoughts to dwell in mind. Help me Holy Spirit to surrender the areas of my life I feel I need to control and hang on to the most. Your goodness and mercy will follow me all of my days, Help me to trust and obey. You are Holy and True. AMEN

Life's Broken Eggs

Sometimes life has broken eggs moments. You know the times where things just seem to shatter all at once and all you can do is just stare for a second and give out a long sigh.  You may wonder, did I purposefully break an egg for this post? Haha nope, I had a quite literal broken egg moment at the beginning of the week and I did just have to give a long sigh. But before I cleaned it up, I felt like I needed to take a picture because I thought it may become a blog topic. And sure enough, here I am at the end of the week (the start of a new week), drawing from this moment. 

As a Christian, there are times where I feel like a David. Asking God where are you, I am struggling , I am frustrated and tired. And it feels like I hear crickets in the night. It may not always feel like the living God who gave breath to you is in your midst, in the middle of your storm, your desert, or your dark night.  And the devil will use these times to feed doubt into your mind, feed lies that you aren't wanted, God doesn't hear you, you are being left to figure things out on your own. All of these lies are a tactic to keep you stuck in your thoughts, to keep your eyes on yourself and your situation rather than Jesus. Why? Because taking your eyes off of Jesus is taking your eyes off your anchor and hope. And what happens when you don't have an anchor and hope? Without an anchor you begin to drift , you begin to be swayed by the worries and cares of the world because you don't have anything keeping you grounded in truth and what is steady (Mark 4:19). Without hope you begin to feel hopeless and don't see purpose in your circumstances. 

I had a rough last week, well more so I had a rough couple days. I found myself asking God "why do I care so much"? And this question wasn't because I felt like I was doing too much good or anything. On the contrary, I felt like "why do I want to obey you Lord so much, because it's not always easy. It would be easier if I didn't care". Yes go ahead get all the gasps and shocking expressions out the way. I am just being honest because life isn't always flowers and rainbows and when we as Christians try to put on a front that life is that way we do more damage than good. 

Anyways, I felt stuck this week, and what happens when I feel stuck, I quickly find myself in pit with no way out. So I am feeling this way at work, and I know I need worship music playing because if I don't my mind will continue to wonder into all the what ifs...Side note: You know music transforms the atmosphere. If you know me, I am always playing music and I do this because it just sets the rhythm of space you are in...So back to my story, in the midst of my questioning God this song  Clean Heart comes on and it brought me to tears. I had to stop what I was doing go to a quiet place get on my knees, pray and repent. I was leaning into fear rather than faith and God was so good to gently guide my eyes back to his Word. His goodness and kindness leads his children to repentance. He isn't scolding because you doubt or question, his arms are open to bring comfort and healing. It was at this moment a divine peace came over me. I felt it in my body the heaviness I was feeling most of the day dissipated, I felt like I could think and breath again. The next song that came on was Set My Eyes . You see,the Lord first drew me close to Him through repentance then He opened my eyes to remind me that He is in my midst, He has never left and all I need to do is gaze upon Him and the storm won't seem so grand because He is bigger than the waves.  I mean at this point all I could be is thankful, God was telling me I am with you always, keep focused on Me. 

God had turned my day around in two songs. How? By pointing me back to Himself, and off of the situation around me, off of my feelings and back to truth.  Psalm 51: 10 is a cry from David of repentance. David knew who he could turn to for forgiveness and restoration. That is what Christians must remember, that they can turn to the living God who doesn't shame them for their doubt, questions, or frustrations but rather He opens his arms even wider saying "I see you still come to me, I am big enough for all of your thoughts, questions and frustrations. Trust me with them".   Hebrew 12 reminds us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, don't give up. It is a reminder that God's discipline and correction to His children is out of Love, to bring them even closer to Himself.

You see I knew the answer to my question to God "why do I care so much" I was asking this out of frustration, I was leaning into fear. Why do I care so much? Because I love God so much, He loves me so much. He only ever wants what is good for me and I only ever want to please Him and bring honor to His name. Jesus died for me, He gave his life  and was resurrected from the dead so that I don't have to fear death (John 3:16-21). I can come boldly to the throne room of God and dwell in his presence (Hebrews 4:16). I have an everlasting hope whose name is Jesus (1 Peter 1: 3-9).

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God hears. God sees. God loves, listens and answers.  

Thank you Lord for your goodness, thank you Lord for you kindness and steadfastness. Thank you Holy Spirit for your comforting voice and hand in my life. I will sing praises to you Jesus all the days of my life. You are my strong tower, the one I find hope, my anchor and source of joy. Let your love abound in my life and in my mind. You are holy and worthy of all honor and praise. Let my life be a living sacrifice for you. In Jesus Name AMEN

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Psalm 51:2 "Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me" 

Hebrews 12:1-2a "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith."

Psalm 73:26 "My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever."

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If you didn't already listen to the songs above I am inviting you to take a listen. Take some time out your day and just sit in the goodness of God. Be reminded of his Love for you. Repent if you need to. Draw near to Him, He isn't ashamed of you, He wants to hear your heart and He wants you to hear his heart for you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHo9xiOHs-k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q567j0xC2T4

Whose Report Will You Believe?

The summer of 2017 my mom had a reoccurrence of cancer that put her in the hospital. I remember one day sitting there, listening to the doctor and he says something along the lines of "Well there nothing to be done now,  she ins't going to get better". I was immediately taken aback and offended. I said "Excuse me, do you believe in Jesus?". He then seemed taken a back and stuttered an answer. I then continued and said "we believe in Jesus and if he wants to heal my mom He can , He is who we trust. So please don't speak death over her".  He proceeded to walk out the room. The audacity!, I thought. Haha really, though I don't play about my family. And if you don't know Jesus then I can only take your words but so far because in my life God has the final say!

Sometimes life be lifin'! Like it may seem like it never lets up, and more than seem, it is actually not letting up. One hit after another. But it is in these moments you have to ask yourself whose report will you believe? Will you believe the reports you hear or see in the hour by hour or will you look up and believe the report of the living God? And I don't mean who do you just say you believe in,  your actions will reveal  who you believe. If we are honest with ourselves and assess our actions we may see we are trusting  the wrong report. I know for myself I can find myself being engulfed with worry, dread or despair.  Or even when I see the devils hand on my family. In these moments our actions and  thoughts reveal where our trust truly lies. 

This is where I believe the zeal of the Lord should push Christians into action. In Matthew 21:12-13 we see Jesus become angry because the hand of the devil at work on His house! Jesus saw the report and said no not in God's house, the report of truth will prevail! Jesus action fulfilled what was said in Psalm 69:9, "Zeal for the house of the Lord will consume me". Where is the consuming zeal of the Lords people that propels us into action? Could this lack of zeal into action reveal to us who we really stay in relationship with? It is only one of two relationships we can find ourselves in, God or the devil? Too harsh? No but it should kind of knick us in the rear and stir up a change. It is sometimes easy to fall into the despair and I believe if I look, those are times I am in relationship with the devil... Do I mean sitting at a table eating talking with the devil? No I mean those are times where I have been distracted, doing everything but growing my relationship with God. Whether that is being consumed with work, TV, gossip, friends, family whatever it is is. Anything that keeps you preoccupied over God is a distraction that leaves you open to the attacks of the devil. God has told his children to put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the attacks of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-17).  How do we put on this armor? We stay in relationship with God. We have to daily bathe our minds in the promises of God. Spend time in the presence of God, letting his Spirit cover us and give us knew perspectives. As we do this, the veil of deception lifts and we can rightly see and declare the promises of God over our lives, our family lives and friends lives. 

You see the Bible, time and time again, shows that prayer to Jesus changes things. When the devil has a plan, God has one better. An ordained person to pray over that situation, be a light in that environment, which begins to shift the atmosphere. Why? Not because of the person but because of the living God the person has placed their trust in. The God who has gone before them and given them the winning plan.  And it isn't only certain Christians, all Christians it is your job to pray. Pray for that friend, that family member, that coworker. Be a reflection of who Jesus is and has shown himself to be. 

 There should be a "how dare you devil!" moment when he rears his head. Not a despairing moment and taking the punches. No devil! I refuse to allow your turmoil to come over my family! In Joshua 24: 14-15, Joshua declares to the people. Decide today, who you will serve? Whose report will you believe, the devil or the living God? For me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

Thank you Lord for your grace and mercy! Thank you Lord for giving me the ability to intercede for others! Help me to take the responsibility seriously and become zealous for your house when I see the attacks of the devil around me! Forgive me Lord when I have not put on the full armor and allowed distractions and discouragements to frame my perspective. You are the one that is true, You are the one I will chose to believe and follow! I love you Lord, help me to love you more! In Jesus Name, AMEN.

Watch the War Room Snip-it: Submit to God, Resist the Devil

Who Do You Say That I AM?

Who am I? Depending on what group of people you ask, you could get varying answers. If you ask family, friends, co-workers there will be similarities in responses but they all won't be exactly the same because they know me in varying degrees or aspects. Now if you were to ask strangers or acquaintances their answers would be much more different and possibly wrong. Why? It is because one group has a relationship with me and the other doesn't.  Strangers can only make assumptions, or mimic others, because there is no relationship, no communication.

This can be the same way for God. 

I was doing a devotional and I was reading in Matthew 16 where Jesus begins to ask the disciples who do people say that I am? The disciples gave varying answers saying "some people say John the Baptist, some Elijah, others Jeremiah and even some a prophet" (Matt. 16: 13-14). Do you see, Jesus was being called five different things from the people on the outside (essentially strangers). These people did not have a close relationship with  Jesus and therefore assumptions, rumors begin to form. 

Jesus' next question was to those whom he knew, walked with, was forming relationship with. Jesus said "But who do YOU say that I am"? (Matt. 13:15).  Peter speaks up and says "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 13:16). This was an answer from someone close with Jesus, one who walked with him and communed with him. God had revealed to Peter the true answer of who Jesus was. Peter's answer didn't match up to all the other rumors going around from the people on the outside. Why? I am going to boil it down to one word: Relationship. And I am going to go as far as to say Active Relationship. 

Let's define some words.

Relationship: The way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected.

Active: engaging or ready to engage in physically energetic pursuits.

So I am going to define active relationship as energetic pursuit to connect. Wow I mean that really places the ball in both courts here, it isn't one sided. When you have a relationship with someone you begin to see the other person as they truly are, you begin to be able to trust that person, you learn their voice, their mannerisms. When you have an active relationship, pursuit is happening on both ends and deeper growth, trust, and love develops.  As this active relationship develops you then can point out imposters and who really knows this person or who just has heard about them or is a complete stranger. So when someone asks you who is so and so, you can confidently say they are.....because you have put in the effort to know them and they you. 

This brings me back to the question, Who Do You Say that I AM? and not me the blogger. God asks me, who do I say that He is?

God the Father. Jesus. Holy Spirit. Who Do I say that they are?  My answer reflects my relationship status. Am I a stranger that makes assumptions,  am I one with a surface level relationship or do I have a deep active relationship to be able to answer rightly?  You see with active relationship more revelation happens, more understanding , more love, more trust, more faith. So yes God is the God of peace (Jhn 14:27), Jesus is Savior (Isa12:12), Holy Spirit is Comforter (Jhn 14:26). AND when your relationship is active what is true about God becomes personal for you! So not only is the Holy Spirit a comforter, He is the comforter that comforted you during a family death. Not only is God the God of peace, He is the God that brought peace int he middle of your storm! Jesus isn't only the one who died the save the world, He is the Jesus that saved you from your own destruction.  You see God is a personal God, He doesn't want you to just hear or read about Him. God has called you closer, a closer walk, a closer relationship, a deeper love, a greater knowledge of who He truly is in your life.  Why? Because he doesn't want the lies and assumptions of the world or your thoughts to disrupt or misconstrue the genuine love he has for you.

You see it's hard to trust someone who you don't know. This is fact 100% for me. I struggle with trusting people especially if I don't really know you. People are fickle, they let you down, they can lie. BUT God is not any of those things and you come to know that by having an active relationship with Him. God shows himself to be true to His word, he never fails, and he always wants best for you! 

And the best part is, your relationship with God whether the lack there of or not, has already started. It started with His active pursuit of you! (Jhn 3:16-17). 

Lord, thank you for your grace in my life. Thank-you for pursuing me Lord and never giving up, never growing disgruntled or weary. Jesus you are Holy and Sovereign. You are with me in the journey called life. I pray for deeper roots Lord, deeper love for you as I know you more. Thank you Jesus for eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to follow. I pray for all those who don't know your love for them yet, that your Holy Spirit will touch their hearts and minds. That truth will penetrate their lives. 

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Press Start

 This past Sunday I was talking with the Lord and I said "Thank you for keeping me and priming me". Once I said that I begin to imagine a generator (and with my elementary knowledge on them), I saw the string being pulled a few times then realizing start had to be pressed on for it to begin. You see without the start switch the priming has no effect. 

Now let's define prime.

-Prime: make (something) ready for use or action

-Priming: a substance that prepares something for use or action

In both of these definitions we see the words make ready/prepare, for use and action.

-Prepare:Make ready for use or consideration; make ready or able to do or deal with something

-For Use: the action of using something or the state of being used for a purpose

-Action:The fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim

First point: You are being primed, even if you don't see it right now.

When I said thank-you for priming me. What  I meant was "thank-you Lord for preparing me, readying me"..... For what? You know I don't know. Why am I thanking Him for something I don't even know the end result for because I know God is good, He is a promise keeper and nothing He does is in vain. So what spurred this on for me? Well I was looking back over my life and seeing how God has guided me....(pause, if you don't know me I have songs popping in my head all the time especially when phrases match up. So if you don't know this song reference go take a listen! You've Been So Faithful).  You see I had a plan, I was going to have certain accomplishments, I was going to be living certain places, I would have certain relationships but life didn't work out that way. And in those moments/seasons I felt defeated and didn't understand why, because I felt I was suppose to be at a different point or somewhere else. I look back know from where I am and realize what I didn't understand then, is what I needed to get to where I am now. It all lines up! How so? because life isn't perfect, loss happens, mess ups happen, regrets come BUT GOD. You see God is so good, uses all of life circumstances to fulfill his purpose for you. Nothing will go to waste. In Romans 8: 26-30, we are told that Christians are given the Holy Spirit to help us where we are weak and leads us in harmony with God's will. We have been chosen and called  to the living the God. AND THEN, if we continue on in Romans 8: 31-39 we see nothing can separate us from the love of God and he has made us to be in right standing with Him (not because of my actions but because of His actions). It continues to say despite all of the hard ache in life we have an overwhelming victory in Him. We are on the winning side. 

So as I sit here, as I wonder what I am doing, what does God want for me, am I wasting time. I must REMEMBER who God is, what He says and know His promises for me. You see remembrance is a powerful thing. God called his people to don't forget and remember many times! (See Continual Forgetfulness) Why? Because if you remember what God has brought you through, if you look back and see the Goodness of God you can point to where his hand was guiding you in hindsight. Then you have hope! The hope that the same God who had you back then, when you didn't understand, is the same God who has you now, when you don't understand! Praise God! Thank you Lord! Does that make you want to shout!! I mean Hebrews 13:5-6 tells us God says "I will NEVER fail you, I will never abandon you!" SO I can now say with CONFIDENCE "The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear/ What can mere people do to me!". 

Second: Press start, take action. DON'T BE IDLE

Now that you know you have been primed for the here and now from what was before. AND you are being primed from your current situation for what is to come. What are you going to do? Does that mean I just sit back and keep waiting for whats next? NOPE! You see back to the generator, if I never turn on the generator, doesn't matter how much priming I do no action will come. What the generator was meant to do won't happen it will stand there idle. This is what we can do with God sometimes. He has primed us, he has prepared us but we sit there waiting, being idle because we aren't where we want to be or we can pitch fits looking at all that hasn't gone our way. I must say I am guilty. I fall into the why me, whats the point BUT GOD is so good. He waits on me to press the start in my life. Start fixing my eyes to what is true, fix my eyes to the promises of God, fix my eyes to what God is doing in my life here and now. Before we press start, we are just idle but it is when we take action and say YES Lord, because the Lord has primed us already. 1 Corinthians 1:6-9 tells us what Jesus says is true. He has provided EVERY spiritual gift that I need and that God will keep me strong. He invites us to a partnership with Him! He wants to walk out life with you, not walk out life for you but along side you! 

Sometimes I find myself living for whats next, where next but God hasn't called me to live life just to get to the next thing. He has called me to live life now, here where I am brining glory to his name. Using what God has already primed me for here in my current situation and trusting the same God that walked with me before is walking with me now. And that can look differently for everyone because we are all in different seasons and parts of life. But its the same faithful God through each season that has readied you for such a time as this (For Such A Time As This). You see back in Esther 4:14 Mordecai encourages Esther letting her know if she just stays idle what if nothing happens? What if God called you, prepared you for such a time as this?

So I say to myself. What if God has prepared me for this time and moment? What if he prepared you for the here and now? What will you do? You are primed for this believer, don't stand idle. Remember the times God has got you through and press start today! You are ready!

Thank you Lord for your grace! You are holy, true, gracious! Thank you for never being afraid of my big emotions, worries, confusion. Holy Spirit you walk through life with me! Your promises are yes and amen. You are the living God who sees all. You have called me to action because you already know you have prepared me. Forgive me Lord when I have stood idle. Your mercies are new every morning and today I press start. AMEN

Present in His Presence

Sometimes I find myself being present but not really present. What do I mean? For instance, I am in a group we are having a conversation and then next thing I know I am pondering on all the things...What do I need to get done today? What bills are due? What is my dog doing? Will work be a long day? I wonder if there will be traffic? What am I going to eat?....ect. Then the next thing I know I "come back" to the group and am trying to figure out what we are talking about now. 

A few weeks ago during sunday service worship I began praying that we would be present in God's presence, that I would be present in His presence... I truly believe how we act with people around us can reflect how we treat the Lord. What do I mean? Well let me ask some questions. Are you impatient with people and do you find yourself being impatient with the Lord? Do you put on a mask for those around you and do you put on a mask when you speak with the Lord? Do you question the motives of others and do you question the motives of the Lord ?....These are just a few and maybe you have no idea what I am talking about and that's okay. I know for me and my life, I see the correlation.

For about a month-ish I found myself just in a funk. I couldn't place it but there was a heaviness that  wouldn't shake off. I began just getting discouraged feeling as though I am just going through the motions of life but for what? While feeling this I also knew these weren't feelings from the Lord. The devil was working overtime but not just that I was allowing myself to walk in the lies. I find in my life, when I am feeling most distracted or weighed down is when I have let the worries of life cloud over my mind. So where was I going wrong? I was present but not present...with who? The Lord. I found myself becoming distracted with the things. So instead of setting aside the worries, the worries were allowed to invade my peace. And let me tell you worries and peace do not mix AND what you set your eyes on most is what will reign in your life. 

In Philippians 4:4-9, Paul gives us some advice on standing firm in the Lord. It says  in verse 4 "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice". First thing is first, you can't rejoice and worry at the same time, impossible. Verse 5-6 says "Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God".  Paul tells us the Lord is near, let others see the effect of His presence in your life. He said to lay your burdens at the feet of Jesus, let him know whats up!.. Oh how good our God is, the one who created all things, knows all things and stills want you to release it all to Him. Then in verse 7 it says  "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus".  What does Gods peace do? It will keep us, every part of us. Our hearts and minds will be kept safe in His peace. What is peace? "freedom from disturbance; tranquility". So when we rejoice in the Lord, give Him all our worries and concerns, His peace will keep us!.. Verses 8-9  says: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you learned and received and heard and seen in me(Paul)- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you". Paul tells us what to keep our minds on and that when we do this, when we practice setting our minds on what is true that the God of peace will be with you! These verses are a call to action! 

So do you see, I found myself doing the same thing I could do in a group setting but with the Lord. Becoming distracted. I could sit down read the Word, be in a service, or listening to worship music and still not be fully present, becoming distracted by the worries of life. Was the presence of the Lord with me still? Yes but the question is, was I sitting with the Lord fully present? Was I allowing His presence to heal, change, correct or guide me? Or was I too concerned about how I would fix this or that? 

As I become fully present in the presence of the Lord something happens. Truth enters and change begins. Hebrews 13:20-21 says "Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back rom the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen". Jesus is starter and finisher, He will accomplish IN US what pleases Him. 

Will I take the time to reside in that transformative presence? All through out the Bible, whatever God speaks over, resides in, touches, a transformation happens.   Don't believe me? read the stories of the Bible they testify of this transformative presence.  Just a few days ago, my mind began to wonder, lies from the devil began to flood in BUT in an instance the Holy Spirit brought to my mind the song "Voice of Truth". So I begin to sing "But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story. The voice of truth says don't be afraid, and the voice of truth says this is for my glory. Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth!"..And in that moment I went from worrying to rejoicing!  And I could have easily missed the moment of truth the Lord had for me if I had decided to dwell in my worries and not choose to be present in Gods presence.

I hope this encourages someone. I want to encourage you to be present with Jesus, be transparent and let His presence bring transformation in your life. Let the God of peace reside over your hearts and mind. Take your eyes off the "things", place your gaze on the one who brings about the change. 

Thank-you Lord for your grace Lord. Thank you Jesus for being with me in the storms and sunny days. You will never leave me nor forsake me. Holy Spirit continue to guide me, speak to me and transform my mind. I pray Lord that the peace of God will reside in the lives, homes, hearts and minds of your people. Let us see you Jesus are you are! Lord I love you! Help me to love you more! Give me eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to Follow. 

In Jesus' Name AMEN

Listen to song below:

Voice of Truth

New Year, New Sprouts

First off Happy New Year! It is another year for new opportunities, new revelations, new friends, new GROWTH!

You ever heard of a sprout? Well other than the store, when a seed sprouts it begins to grow. Webster Dictionary defines sprout when used as a verb as:  to grow, spring up or come forth; to send out new growth.  This is a process that comes out of falling away or leaving behind. What do I mean? I am glad you asked! A seed has everything it needs to become what it was intended for, whether its a flower, a weed, or a tree! Now the seed isn't self sustaining BUT when placed in the right conditions it blooms and becomes exactly what it was intended. This seed growing process is called germination. Websters dictionary says germination is to cause to sprout or develop.  In this process, the seed coat must be shed for this new growth to begin. So you see, after the seed sheds its coat there is no going back! Now quick question, what did the seed do to begin this sprouting process? Did it have to figure out all the logistics and timing? NOPE, the seed dwelled in the conditions that brought out what it was already made to do!

So why am I talking about seeds, germination and sprouting? It's because it applies to life, to be specific it applies to my life. As a believer in Jesus Christ I am called to be like-Christ, I am called to be whom God has called me to be and this requires transformation. You see, a seed not in the right conditions won't be all that it is made to be. If I place myself in an environment that is not conducive of growth then I will lay dormant with all the potential the Lord has given me. BUT, if I dwell in places that result in germination I then become exactly what I was made to do, I begin to sprout. You see God hasn't called me to figure out how I am going to grow nor does He tell me to take control of my growing, or figure out this or that out. He calls me into his presence to dwell with him and to just allow his presence to do what it does best, germinate me and bring forth the sprouts. In Mark 4:26-27 Jesus says the Kingdom of God is like when a farmer spreads seed on the ground and through the night and day the seed sprouts and grows, bringing forth a harvest! The Kingdom is the perfect germination place for seeds to sprout. Why? Because where God's presence is, transformation happens. Just look at the times when Jesus calls his disciples, he said follow me!  He said leave what you are comfortable with and have known your whole life and follow me into New life, New sprouts, New growth (Matt. 16:24, Matt. 9:9, John 10:27)!

So am I telling you that for growth to happen something must fall away? That you can't experience growth doing the same thing over and over?  Yes, even nature tells us so, just look at the sprout. AND I am also saying stop trying to figure out how to sprout, rather place yourself in the environment that brings forth the natural growth process. Where can you find this environment? In Christ. Jesus has done the work already, it is already done and all you have to do is dwell. Dwell in the promises of God's word, dwell in his presence and HE WILL complete the work he started in you (Philippians 1:6)!

Psalm 139: 1-6,13-16

"O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord . 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

....

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me,  God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!How precious are your thoughts about me, O God."

Thank You Lord for your grace and your all sufficiency!! Lord I pray there be a germination and sprouting among your children! Bring forth new growth and deep roots. I pray Lord for those who don't yet know you that their hearts will be softened and your word will begin to germinate in their hearts and minds. Give me eyes to see, ears to hear and heart to follow after you! In Jesus Name.

In Your Presence

Surrender

Why do some just survive and others thrive in the presence of God?

Let's get some definitions out of the way. 

What does survive mean?

    -> to continue to function or live

What does thrive mean?

->To grow vigorously, to gain

So there is in obvious difference between the two. Surviving, I believe, requires more striving and leads to exhaustion. Where as, thriving is more ease and naturally brings about a great harvest. 

Last Sunday this question was posed and again in my small group. "Why do some just survive and others thrive in the presence of God?" My honest answer was "I don't know". For me personally I tend to survive/ I see myself as surviving. I get up, I work, I eat, I sleep, REPEAT.  I have my mental lists, mental to dos, bills, ect. And in the small group we discussed how "crazy" it is that the more you hold on to things, the more you try to have it all together, the more you realize you don't. Well during my morning walk I was thinking about this question, because honestly I didn't feel like I could answer it. WHAT IS IT that makes the difference in surviving and thriving in the presence of God? Then one word came to mind, SURRENDER. 

What does it mean to surrender?

->to yield to the power or control of another

-> to give up completely or forgo

You see I can survive by going through the motions, checking off the lists, looking at what is next, but in doing this I miss the goodness of God, I miss the rest and growth he wants for me. When I am surviving I am just bouncing from one thing to the next, leading myself to a state of exhaustion.  God wants me to thrive in His presence and He says to me "Lauren Surrender. Let go of what you feel like you  need to do, or feel like you need to say or feel like... Let go and TRUST ME". *Side note: a few years ago the Lord reminded me that when you let go of the reins then He will take you higher. Why is this? Because when I have the reins I think I am guiding my life in the right direction of what I deem good and I have to make sure everything goes correctly. BUT, when God has the reins he takes me to higher places that I couldn't even imagine and He is in control of the direction and outcome. You see God is Good (Psalm 103:8), He brings everything to completion and wants what is best for me (Philippians 1:6). God knows something that the world doesn't know. A surrendered heart removes the striving, removes just functioning, takes away the exhaustion and brings about vigorous growth, rejuvenation, joy, rest, clarity. 

You know what, surrender requires vulnerability and trust. Those who thrive in the presence of Jesus let go of their preferences, concerns, self-consciousness, ect. The extent of your surrender shows the extent of your thriving in Christ.

To be honest vulnerability is where I struggle most. BUT GOD, is so good to tell me, to show me, to guide me, to walk with me on this path of surrender. God puts his finger on places in our lives where there are idols, pride,  lies so that we may be free but we must chose to walk on the path of surrender and truth. In Matthew 10: 16-22 , Jesus pointed out a place where a rich young ruler needed to surrender. The man chose to walk away from the invitation, he didn't want to let go. Maybe he feared what would become of him, maybe he felt his identity was in the things he owned. The problem though is that he wouldn't surrender all of himself to Jesus, he didn't trust Jesus enough to provide all that he needs. I don't want to be that way, I want to give Jesus all that I have and surrender to Him continually.  

Luke 9:23~ If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

God doesn't just want me on Sunday, or morning devotion. He wants my every step, my every being, every thought to be set on Him. 

1 John 2: 5-6~ But the love of God will be perfected within the one who obeys God's Word. We can be sure that we truly come to live in intimacy with God, not just by saying, " I am intimate with God" but by walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

LISTEN:  Only Jesus

I encourage you to go and listen to series called Rethinking the Church

Rethinking the Church Pt 3

Lord thank-you for loving me! I pray for that my posture in life becomes one of surrender, with arms wide open! If you can use anything Lord, you can use me! No matter how long it takes Lord, you have the reins. I want my life to scream YES to what you have for me Jesus. Thank you Lord! You are holy, sovereign, just and loving! I pray for all of those just surviving Lord, bring them to a place of surrender and thriving in you Jesus. Give us hearts to follow, ears to hear and eyes to see you rightly. In Jesus name. AMEN.

Prepare for Rain

 

What is preparation? The action/process of making ready.

One of my favorite movies is Facing the Giants, I mean I can quote most of the movie because I have seen it so many times!  There is a portion where Mr. Bridges tells a story of two farmers. Two farmers desperately needed rain but only one went out to prepare for the needed rain. Which one  do you think trusted God to send the rain?

The one that prepares for what he is praying for is the one who displays his trust in God. When Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead he visited his apostles and told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift ,which is the Holy Spirit, that would be sent by God the Father (Acts 1:4,8; Luke 24:49). How long were they to wait? The answer is 50 days (on the day of Pentecost), but of course the apostles didn't know this.  So imagine this, Jesus says wait in Jerusalem till an unspecified time for the promised gift. One day passes, two days pass, a week passes, a month passes and from the outside nothing seems to be happening.  The Bible says not to grow weary in doing good and in due time the harvest will come (Galatians 6:9). So after 50 days where do we see the apostles, we see them not getting weary, they are still preparing for the promise that God gave them. They are found meeting together with other believers and in a moment the promise is filled and there is about 3000 people added to the family of God (Acts 2). You see what happens when a promise meets obedience? Joy, generosity, the blind see, people are set free, and love will overflow!

How does this apply to my life?   Another quote from Facing the Giants said "Your actions will always follow your belief".  You want to see what a person lives by or what they believe, watch what their actions tell you. We can see the story of the farmers that one believed the rain would come, we see that the apostles still had faith 50 days later, we see what they believed because of their actions. What good is a belief if you just think it and you act the opposite way? I would call that person a liar because they truly don't believe what they say? Why would I say this? Because actions follow your belief. The Bible says "What good is your faith if you don't show it? True faith in Jesus produces good deeds. (James 2:14-26) Isn't that amazing! Faith in Jesus  results in my actions changing and not because I am good but because God is good. How so? Well before I was saved my actions showed who I loved more, myself. I could do "good" things but it is all outward not an inward type of change. Now that I trust Jesus I am more concerned about what He delights in and not my own. Jesus transforms me from the inside which I couldn't do myself and this transformation results in my actions following suite.  So am I saved because of my actions? Nope. I am saved because of my faith in Jesus and that faith is active. (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Lord Thank you for another day to be part of your will. Lord I pray for your laborers that you stir us up. Help us to prepare for the influx of your harvest, Jesus. I pray for hearts of surrender and repentance Lord, we want more of you Jesus.  I pray that our obedience meets your promise so that lives will be changed Lord. Forgive me Jesus for going about life mundanely. You are my joy, my salvation, my hope. Touch your children today. In Jesus Name Amen.

Questions to ask myself

-Am I preparing for what I am praying for?

-Do my actions match what I believe?

-Am I living life with purpose?

You Never Give Up On Me

Voice of Truth

Para Tu!

 I just got back from a missions trip to Guaimaca, Honduras and I miss it so much already! First off the weather was amazing and the mountains were beautiful! I love being surrounded by the beauty of God's hand. 

At Guaimaca they speak spanish and I can pick up a few words and say only a couple of phrases. Before I go on I just want to thank the Lord for the Honduran translators that assisted us! They were essential in sharing with the communities the love God has for them! 

Now, "Para Tu" is a phrase I used alot, it means "For you". Whether it was giving Bibles, beans and rice, toys, tracts, or money, Para Tu was my favorite phrase. Why? Because while handing them the item and saying Para Tu ,their face would light up. Whether it was a face of a cowboy, a wife or a child, excitement and joy rushed to the fore front! I love giving gifts and it is something about giving a needed gift at the right time that does my spirit good!

The Bible says in Proverbs 15:23 "A man has joy in giving an appropriate answer, And how good and delightful is a word spoken at the right moment--how good it is! How true is this! A good word or seed in a right season bears much fruit! 

On my trip I was surrounded by mountains and mountains reminds me of one of the names of God, Jehovah Jireh. In Genesis, Abraham was told to sacrifice his son and Abraham walked up the mountain to obey. AND at the top of that mountain, as Abraham had set his mind to obey and God provided a ram in a bush. Here Abraham named the place Jehovah Jireh which means " the Lord will provide" and people still use the proverb "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided"; Genesis 22:13-14. If you don't know this story, I want to encourage you to go take a read (Genesis 22). But the Lord is true to His name! He will provide! 

Every day of the trip the Lord provided, whether that was having enough beans and rice, opening doors for conversations or just giving us the opportunity to walk out the joy of the Lord. But take notice this provision takes place after our hearts were set to obey. God doesn't ask us to have every answer or solution or every tool needed for the next season, He asks us to obey first. This obedience then leads to the "para tu" moment of provision. 

Today, back home, there was a Para Tu moment for me from God. During the trip I was able to wake up and just start my day with the Lord. It was a time of filling in preparation for the outpouring of the day. The first morning before going out into the villages the Lord pointed out the verse that says "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ"-Ephesians 1:3 And in church this morning our pastor began with this verse! In that moment I knew the Lord was saying to me "this is FOR YOU!" and the joy that I felt was just overwhelming! It was kind of like the Lord gave me all of these Para Tu moments for those in Honduras and turned around and gave me the same thing back home! Oh how good the Father is! 

So I want to encourage believers take the step of obedience because the Lord wants to give gifts and promises that are Para Tu!

For those who don't know Jesus a the living God who died and was raised again so that you can live in freedom I want to challenge you to ask God a question. Ask him, If you are alive and want a relationship with me, show me. I believe He will! In Ephesians 1 it says that before God made the world before any living being roamed the earth He loved you and chose you to be adopted into His family AND this gave God great pleasure! Ephesisans 2 tells us that Salvation (being rescued from the chains of sin and brought into a relationship with the living God) is not a reward for the good things we have done but is a gift given through grace when you believe. 

For those who know Jesus as Savior, follow him as Lord and have become a part of his inheretance I want to remind you of the promises that are FOR YOU...PARA TU!

~Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they WILL be filled- Matthew 5:6

~We are created new to that we can do the good things God has planned long ago!- Ephesisans 2:10

~We can come boldly and confidently into Gods presence -Ephesians 3:12

~God will finish the good work he started in you until it is fully complete!-Philippians 1:6

I want to end with a prayer from Paul for Spiritual Growth:

" When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father , the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower yo with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, HOW WIDE< HOW LONG< HOW HIGH AND HOW DEEP HIS LOVE IS. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to undGod. Now all glory to God who is able, though his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! AMEN." ~ Ephesisans 3:14-21

One Name-JESUS

Loved while Running

 

The Lord has been working on my mind lately, showing me how to have a renewed mindset (A renewed mind-set). And for me that looks like  walls of lies being torn down and clarity in what I actually believe which becomes clear by examining my actions and thoughts.

 I mean it is one thing to hear something all your life and know it to be true vs really understanding and knowing in your mind the truth of the matter. Specifically, if someone were to ask me "What do you have to do for Jesus to love you?" I would say "nothing" he loves you as you are now, where you are. This is true,  God doesn't say "make yourself better before coming to me", instead He says come (Matthew 11: 28-30).  AND if I were to be honest with myself, I would say that my actions don't correlate with what I know to be true, which tells me my mindset on the matter is faulty. For example, the question was posed to me " What do I do that makes God happy?" The first things that came to my mind were: being kind to others, praying, reading the Word, going to church ect... These are all great and lovely things AND.. Jesus  loves me without the other stuff added. How do know I this? Because the Bible says God loved the WORLD that he gave his son to die for my sins and I can only love Him because He FIRST loved me (John 3:16-21;1John 4: 19). Where was I when God said He would give his son to the world because He loved me? I wasn't even thought of, hadn't even done good or bad, AND YET God said he loved me.  I mean, that is just AMAZING. The living God who gave breath to my lungs thought of me before I was even thought of! 

So lesson number one for me is knowing and understanding Jesus Loves me , He isn't in love with me because of the things I do, He is just in love with me! 

 Story time in lesson number one. 

--I run early in the morning. One morning I thought to myself "Ooo the sun is starting to come up maybe I can go out on the pier with my worship music and do a devotion ". Then in my mind the Holy Spirit said " You know you are loved now, not just with the sunset coming up and your devotion out". That thought made me giggle a little and at first I was kind of like "yea, of course" but then that statement really made me re-think. You see my mind was thinking God loves me when I spend time with Him. This is true but his love is not based on what I am doing, His love doesn't wane because of my actions. I am loved by Him PERIOD.  So you see I was running on an early morning, hot, sweaty and jamming to my  disney playlist and I was hit with the realization Jesus loves me even now! Whattttt sweaty old, disney listening, thinking about work old me on this early morning? The answer is YES! God loved me in my running AND he loves me the same when I am worshiping Him AND he loves me the same on days I miss out on reading his Word.  

Because I have said yes to Jesus, yes to surrendering what I thought I knew, yes to the uncomfortable, I can rest in the truths and promises of the Word.  Romans 8:15 tells those who have accepted Jesus as Lord that we didn't received a spirit of religious duty but rather full acceptance.  ~" we did not received the 'spirit of religious duty' leading you back in to the fear of never being good enough. But you have received the 'Spirit of full acceptance', enfolding you into the family of God" See, I have been called into the family of God without first having to do the "things". AND because I am made part of the family of God I qualify to share in all of Gods treasures and inherit all that Christ is and all that he has (Romans 8:17).

So whether you are exercising , on the couch paying bills, volunteering, cleaning or maybe you have been running from God. I want to tell you, you are loved! Right now, where you are, Jesus loves you! You don't have to work for His love! Where ever you are, who ever you are I want to remind you of Zechariah chapter 3. Zechariah was given a vision from the Lord. In this vision Satan was standing next to a priest (Joshua) ,in the presence of the Lord, accusing Joshua. The Lord's response was this " I the Lord reject your accusations. Yes, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you!. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched form the fire. " Joshua was standing their with filthy clothing BUT his filthy rags were taken off and new fine garments were placed on him. Then the angel said "see I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you fine new clothes ~See here, God didn't call Joshua to fix himself up, or check off all the boxes to be good enough. He was pulled out of the fire and his filth was traded for what was good.  The lies of Satan are rejected! AMEN I no longer live a life with a blinded mind but clarity through the Holy Spirit. (Zechariah 3: 1-10)  And it is not too late for you, you don't have to get yourself together before coming to Jesus, and you don't have to work for His love. 

Thank you Lord for your grace! Thank you Father for sending Jesus to dress us in majesty! Thank you Holy Spirit for being the revealer of truths and one who guides and directs us into the deeper parts of who God is. Lord I pray for every mind, that revival in the minds will stir up. In Jesus' Name Amen.

A resource to check out: Walking Deeply with Jesus

A Renewed Mind-set

There are many things in this world that amaze me or causes me to be in awe. For example:

• The Milky Way galaxy is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe and within this specific galaxy there are at least 100 billion stars.
• If the Sun was the size of a front door, earth would be the size of a nickel. 
• About 230,000 species in the ocean are known but scientists say that 91% of ocean species have yet to be classified.
• The most complex part of the human body is approx 3lbs..the brain!

Of course this list is not exhaustive but just to think from something as large as the galaxy to something as small as the brain, intricacy can be found in it all! I just love that! 

Anyways, the Lord has been bringing to my attention the topic of the mind and the renewed mind-set.  Before I go any further I want to define some words because though words may seem common I think it is important to be able to give a clear picture and to do that sometimes common words should be defined outright. 

• Mind 
• Websters: the element or complex of elements in an individual that feels, perceives, thinks, wills, and reasons or the conscious mental events and capabilities in an organism
• Mind-set
• Websters: a mental attitude or inclination or fixed state of mind
• Renew
• Websters: to make like new: restore to freshness, vigor or perfection 
• Brain:
• Websters:portion of vertebrate central nervous system enclosed in the skull and that integrates sensory information from inside and outside the body

Now we know the brain is something physical, it can be seen via imaging or surgically. The mind though, is a whole other world that can't be seen. Many unseen battles are lost and won through out peoples lives on a daily basis because of the mind. There are people that can help with these unseen battles like psychiatrist, therapists, and counselors. AND (not but) there is a living God who cares about the whole of you, every aspect of your being.  So before I continue, I want to encourage you if you have struggles and unseen battles you are not alone and getting help isn't weak but rather an indication of strength. 

I want to share with you the aspect of help from the Lord. 

The mind is an amazing organism, powerful and sometimes it can work to our own detriment.  I can have so much on my brain that my mind doesn't seem to turn off, like I want to rest but I am thinking of all the scenarios; other times my mind seems clear and I am enjoying all the things.  Most times, for me, if my mind is feeling clouded I am stressed, worried, anxious, ect, which is all the negative stuff. As a christian, this makes sense, if I am stressed, worried, or anxious I am not relying on or putting my trust in Jesus.  

You see, scientists say positive thinking causes a persons mental and physical health to be better ( I believe this is true). Therefore if positive thinking of these earthly things causes a positive effect mentally and physically how much better will turning my thoughts to the One who is most holy and righteous effect my mental and physical? Let me give you an example, if I go to the best Italian restaurant in my town I am sure I will enjoy the classic spaghetti dish, I may even say it is the best spaghetti dish. If I then go to Italy and get their best spaghetti dish I am sure I would then say "Nope, that dish does not compare to this authentic Italian dish right here". Now back to thoughts, the world says "think positively" it will do you good,  God says "set your thoughts on me" this is better.  Just like this world has cause and effects so does the unseen spiritual world. 

In Romans, Paul speaks of the foundations for christian faith and I want to encourage each of you to take some time to read through it, but for right now in chapter 12 we see topics of christian living. 

Verses 1-2  says:

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your true and proper worship. 

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

Paul is telling his family in Christ to remember the mercy God has shown them. What mercy? I am glad you asked :), before I answer that what is mercy?

• Mercy
• Websters: compassion shown especially to an offender
• Compassion
• Websters: sympathetic consciousness of others distress together with a desire to alleviate it
• Offender
• Websters: to violate or transgress a law or rule

What mercy am I bringing back to my remembrance? I need to remember the compassion that was shown to me for my own wrong doings. My offense to the living God. You see God declared that the cost for disobedience is death. Now a show of hands, who has never disobeyed what God has said? Exactly. So we are each an offender whose rightful judgment is death (not physical, spiritual. Complete separation from the living God) according to God's Word. BUT GOD, is faithful even through our unfaithfulness. He made a way for us to be covered under righteousness by sending Jesus to pay the debt we owed. 

Read Romans 3: 21-26. 

This is the mercy Paul calls us to remember. Because of the mercy God has shown me, I am encouraged/ urged to give my body as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God.  It is living offering because I am still alive here on earth and it is a sacrifice because I must surrender. Surrender what and to whom? My own will, desires, feelings, and control to the living God who always wants the best for me! I mean that sounds like a good deal right? Like I am the one who made the offense and my debt was paid, then I am called to surrender to the one who has my best interest in mind! How loving is this kind of God! Paul continues to say, this surrendering of our lives is true honor and reverence to the Lord. After which, Paul says don't be conformed but be transformed. 

• Conform: to give the same shape or to be similar or identical to
• Transform: to change in composition to or change in character

*Side note: this is why it is important to define words. I mean I have read this verse plenty of times, but today when comparing these two words it really made me go wow! I understand a little bit more* Thank-you Holy Spirit for opening my eyes, ears and heart to the Word today!

Okay so Paul says "Hey my family, remember what Jesus has done for you, surrender to Him and don't be conformed to this world but transformed".  God wants his children to be transformed. Remember, we are the the offender and we are offered an opportunity to have our debt paid AND God calls us out of our offense to be transformed and changed. We aren't left how we came to him, THANK GOD! 

Paul says "Don't be the same as the world but be changed".  How? By the renewing of our mind.  Our mind needs to be refreshed or restored to what is true and holy. Many of those battles in the mind are lost because of lies. So how do we win? We have to refresh our mind/thoughts on what is true. No longer should I allow doubt, fear, condemnation, and anxiety rule and wash over my mind. NO. I must recall, remember, and wash over my mind the truths of the Word which was spoken by the God that loved me so much that he died, resurrected and conquered death just for me! 

Finally Paul says THEN. Which means AFTER remembering Gods mercy, surrendering my life and allowing myself to be transformed by renewing my mind in truth THEN I will learn God's will for myself which is good, pleasing and perfect! Thank you Jesus!! God has a plan for me that is good, pleasing and perfect. You know what this tells me once again? He really loves me, I mean he really cares about my life now and after here! And this love doesn't only pertain to me or other Christians, this is for those who aren't Christians (Romans 5:8). God loved you before you even decide to love Him and He wants what is best for you! He won't force you, but he will continue to ask you to trust Him.

Thank you Lord for being a living God who cares for and rejoices over me! You Love me fully and desire for me to be transformed into your image (2 Corinthians 3:18). Lord tend to the weeds in my mind as I refresh your truth over my thoughts. Help me to love you more and love others well. You are holy, magnificent, all powerful, and you are the essence of truth and love. I pray for your children Lord that a stirring in the hearts will occur, that we will long for more of you! I pray for those Lord who don't know you yet, that this week they will see and experience your love and peace in their life. 

Help my answer to be YES Jesus. In Jesus Name AMEN.

Verses pertaining to thoughts and the mind:

• Take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
• Set your thoughts on what is good (Philippians 4:8)
• Renew your mind (Romans 12:2)
• Have the mindset of Christ (Philippians 2:5)
• Have alert minds (1 Peter 1:13)

Zephaniah 3:17 says " For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs" 

Below is a link to where a sermon about the mind will be posted once updated:

Freedom Church Bossier Spotify

A new song:

Only Jesus

You can have my heart You can have it all Laying down my life No matter what the cost

Chorus Only Jesus all my days No greater presence No sweeter name The cross before me The world behind I have decided only Jesus Bridge No turning back no turning back I have decided Only Jesus