Come Out of Hiding

 

 

The power of the Lord was upon Elijah (1 Kings 18:46).  Yet only one chapter over we find Elijah hiding from Jezebel's threats; pleading with the Lord to end his life.  Too often we allow the enemy's voice to override God’s.  Satan takes pleasure in paralyzing us by circumstances. He knows in believing the lie, we will go into hiding and abort our call.  The Lord's will for our life will be blinded by the darkness of our untamed thoughts and anxieties that rapidly breed in our minds.  Enough is enough.  There is a secure Hand of provision and help just beyond these looming shadows.  There is light; there is love; there is hope just outside the cave.       

                                                                       

Father, forgive us for allowing doubt and fear to enter our hearts.  We let the voice of fear, the voice of others, the voice of the enemy to muffle Your voice.  Your voice that was once so clear to us becomes a forgotten sound.  Your power that defeated circumstances in our lives becomes a doubted memory.  Your faithfulness proven again and again becomes an overlooked blessing.  We cast away all doubt and we choose to believe Your promises.  We incline our ears to You once again.  Speak to us, Lord...

 

 

Scripture Buffet

 

When we fail to be in God's Word, we tend to create our own litmus test as to how we are doing spiritually.  Our obedience is measured against our personally tweaked moral compass rather than God’s moral absolutes.  We take certain Scriptures we want to give ourselves wholeheartedly to and others we conveniently pass over because they don't appeal to us, require too much of us, or they are a challenge to our personality.  We deceive ourselves when we think we can pick and choose.  God isn’t into serving buffets.

"Man does not live on bread alone, but on EVERY word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

In all truth, as obedient as we may be in the Scriptures we handpick, we are still living a life of disobedience.

 

"For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws." James 2:10

 

Please don't misunderstand me.  I am in no way sitting over here in a ditch saying we are saved by our works or that our works define our Christian faith.  We need the Holy Spirit working in us to be able to live a life pleasing to God.  It is nothing we can do in and of ourselves, BUT it is our responsibility to align ourselves with the Holy Spirit.  It is our job to cooperate with His working in us to make adjustments in us that line up with what God desires from His children.  If we truly desire to serve God, our actions will line up with our confession.   

 

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." John 14:26

 As we point fingers and whisper about others, is it possible we are lacking in areas that are just different?  OF COURSE WE ARE!  We have to get our eyes off of judging others.  We have to quit comparing our lives to them and look at our lives in comparison to the Word - the whole Word.  It is one thing to be concerned for a fellow believer.  We should be!  If what we call “concern” is manifested in gossip, slandering, making fun of individuals, blasting insults about them, we can be assured that we are operating out of a spirit of pride and judgment.    A heart of love and true concern for the falling of another person will not shun or condemn the person, but will reach out to them, grieve for their condition, and fight for them in prayer.  

We are saved by His grace.  It's all about what Jesus did and nothing of ourselves.  We all need His continued grace and mercy each and every day because we all fall short.  In different areas?  Yes.  Other's faults tend to look worse in our eyes when put next to our own, but this is not how it is for God.  He sees all sin the same.   Sin is simply put as missing the mark.  When we hoot and holler that we hit a portion of the target and our neighbor here lost his arrow in the woods… the truth is, we both missed the bulls-eye.  We all need the same innocent, perfect shed blood of Jesus to cover us.

I think if we start viewing it as God does, the time we spend gossiping and throwing stones at others can be used instead to seek Him with our whole heart.  It becomes "How am I measuring up to Jesus?" rather than "Look at him. I can't believe he calls himself Christian."  

If we are seeking Him with our whole heart, we will have His heart.  We will view others differently.  We will love them differently.  We will reach out to embrace, not to crush.  We Christians are all foreigners TOGETHER in the earth.  It's time we stick together, spur one another on, and build one another up in the faith.  Our strengths are different.  Our weaknesses are different, but we are all on the same team.

Lord, we need our eyes opened, our hearts humbled, and our spirits hungry for Your Word. Jesus is the Word made flesh and we know apart from the fullness of Your Word, we limit ourselves in knowing You.   All too often times we create a god in our own image that suits our ways and our lifestyle.  We want to serve You, the ONLY true and living God.

We ask for Your help to stay focused; that we wouldn't let any church tradition or teaching bind us up from searching You out more; that there'd be no sin we'd rather hold onto than You.  We refuse to let this flesh of ours rule us - whether it be what we consider big sins of adultery, homosexuality, murder, stealing, and the like or what is categorized as small sins: "white" lies, dishonest gain, “managed” addiction, gossip, filthy language, etc.  Help us to realize that sin is sin.  It cost Jesus the same price for each and every one of them.  He paid a debt we could never pay.  How dare we think we can take it for granted and okay "little" sins in our life as if You don't see.  May our eyes be opened, Lord, to see our lives; our hidden lives how You see it.   Just as Jesus told the people, "You must leave all and follow Me," may nothing in our lives be too precious to let go of for Your sake, Lord.  Please shine a light on those things we are holding onto tighter than we are You.  Amen.

Intricacies of Life

I was walking through a "year round" Christmas store and couldn't help but notice all of the Christmas villages on display. From afar, they looked nice;  caught my eye, but when I really got up close and saw all of the intricacies of each individual piece, it made the display that much more beautiful and appreciated.

I began to think about our lives and how all too often we look at the BIG picture and we miss the "little" things. Years pass us by and all we can account for is eating, sleeping, and paying the bills  - a life of what appears mundane when you look through it with surface vision. 

Day after day we acknowledge the  existence of people, places, and things but fail to notice their beauty. We grow weary concentrating on what we don't have and miss out on the enjoyment of what is right at our fingertips.

Looking at the villages I was also reminded of a couple of verses in Psalm 139. "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it."

When an artist puts detail into his creation: a painting, a sculpture, a writing,  it is placed there for a reason... for the observer to take notice and  to find enjoyment in the beauty and uniqueness of it.

God is the Master Creator, the Master Artist, and He is into detail! Everything He has ever created is an authentic masterpiece made for not only His pleasure but for ours! Our job is to slow down to find the joy in the NOW.

Let’s stop merely glancing over the big picture of life. Hit the “zoom” button and you’ll discover what a fleeting look will never see.

Begin studying the individuality of your children. Love them BIG now right in the midst of their cuteness, as well as their annoyances and quirks. Begin noticing the deeper things deposited within your spouse, significant other, or your friends rather than maintaining “how’s the weather” shallow conversations. Quit waiting for an "easier" or “more convenient” stage of life to live in the now. Before you know it, the chance you had is over. Everything gets pushed off for a future that never comes.

“Slow down and smell the beauty in life.” ets

 

Worth

 

Never content

The longing never filled

Looking for love

In a person to fulfill

You long to feel worth

To fill an aching void

Then in times you hide away

Rejection – to avoid

You think through your mind games

Your protection is found

But within this vicious cycle

You only remain bound

I’m aware of your struggles

I know where the hurt lies

Beyond your tough façade

I see the inner cries

Nothing I’ve created

Was made to quench your thirsty soul

No one in your life

Can ever make you whole

These idols in your life

Will one day come crashing down

And then you’re faced with the reality

It’s in Me – your worth is found

 

Living Proof

 

They told me hope’s all over

Even set a date my life will cease

But I know an almighty and faithful God

Who is the Healer of every disease

He’s Jesus Christ, God’s only Son

Who shed His blood for me

He took this sickness upon Himself

In His name all disease must flee!

He’s Jehovah Rapha, my Healer

It’s not His will to take me this way

Satan, you thief!  You won’t end my life

I take authority; you cannot stay!

I now know that years ago

Jesus took the keys of death from you

I realize this was your last attempt

But you no longer have me fooled

Many die because they don’t know this truth

But I know what the Word of God declares

Surely the Truth will make me free

I no longer fear your wicked snares

Jesus came to set the prisoners free

To set at liberty those who are bound

Devil, you’re a trespasser being evicted

For you’re treading on holy ground

In Jesus’ name I command you to flee

Every spirit of infirmity and disease

You must obey the Name above all names

You have no place in me

I’m living proof of the Lord’s power

I’ll proclaim it wherever I go

Jesus Christ has delivered me

I’m an overcomer, healed and whole!

 

 

Father, please touch every person who is need of healing of any kind.  I speak the name of Jesus into their life now - the Name that is high above every other name (Philippians 2:9).  The Name that washes us clean from sin.  The Name that drives out disease.  The Name that defeats depression.  The Name that has the power to restore relationships.  The all-powerful Name that can conquer anything and everything that falls short of God's perfect plan for our lives.  Thank You for the name of Jesus and so unselfishly sending Him to us as our Healer.   Open our eyes to see so that we may take hold of all that You have made available to us through the price that Jesus paid for us to have.  Amen.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zpLPh6LibE

 

Disorder

 

 

Laughter suppressed

Voices hushed

Counting the minutes

Always a rush

 

Order to keep

Schedule to maintain

Missed the elusive mark

Joy turned to pain

 

Monitored closely

Every move watched

Excitement kept

In orderly box

 

Magnifying things

Downplaying what matters

Actors of a script

Groomed into character

 

Hours pass by

Seconds are missed

Days travel by

With moments never kissed

-ets

 



It's Time

 

Prisoners function, but they are not free. We too often learn to function in dysfunction - physical or emotional - becoming so accustomed to bondage that we settle with the condition. 

We learn to live with it.

 

It becomes comfortable.  

 

It becomes normal.  

 

Functioning through life but never free!

You are meant for so much more than going through the motions of life.  It's time to quit settling!  It's time to stop seeing yourself through the lens of your past!  It's time to aspire beyond limits others have led you to believe that you have. 

Quit hiding the chains.  Quit bringing color to them through excuses as to why it's okay to remain bound.  A finely decorated prison cell is still a prison cell. 

It's time to kick off the shackles and reposition.  Your environment, your choice of entertainment, or the people you surround yourself with may have to change in order to blossom into all that God has created you to be.   

 

 Jesus came to set the captives free!  It's time...

^"The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity]." Luke 4:18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pD2zIuiC2g

Trust Him

 

As Jesus was speaking to the multitude of people, He was saying things that didn’t make sense to their natural mind.  Much of it sounded quite bizarre; leading some to think that He was a crazy man.  At the conclusion of His talk, the Bible says:

 

“From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.  "Do you also want to go away?" Jesus asked the Twelve.  Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Notice that Peter doesn’t stop there, but goes on to say, “Also we have come to BELIEVE and KNOW that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  (John 6:66-69)

 

When we come to the realization that Jesus IS who He says He is, we can fully trust Him when He tells us something or directs us in a way that doesn’t make sense to us.  We can trust Him even when the multitude mocks and when those who once followed Him walk away. 

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

 

TRUST HIM!  And trust that His plans for you ARE good! (Jeremiah 29:11) :)

 

Uncomfortable

 

 

 

ISIS.  Persecution.  Torture.  Martyrdom. 

As I reflect on the cruelty being done around the world to fellow Christians in the name of a false god, I can’t help but think that we are missing it.  We go about our Christendom in such ease that we take it for granted.  We take our comfort for granted.  What we want is available in different shapes and styles throughout our city to where we custom fit our worship time into what feels good and what fits into our schedule. We have that freedom and safety to do so week in and week out. I thank God we have the ability to openly serve Him like we do.  I’m thankful we can do it comfortably without fear of impending danger.  I pray that never changes, but I’ve had to ask myself:

 

Am I too comfortable?  Am I too snuggled into my American Christianity that I forget?  I forget others that God so dearly loves.

As we dress up in our "Sunday best", let's not forget those who are being stripped, beaten, raped, and shamed.  As we sit on our cushioned chairs, resting our feet on padded carpet, let’s remember the chains that hold our sister, and the small, dark cell that imprisons our brother.  As we breathe in the sweet aroma of coffee and cocoa that is available for us as we freely hear the Word preached, let’s not forget those who are experiencing the scent of death as they near their last breath.  As we sing in one accord to Him who is worthy, let’s remember the horrific cries of those who are being tortured because of their love for the very One we are worshipping.  As we see our children happily skip off to their Sunday school classes, let’s remember those parents that are watching their child be maliciously killed for their faith in Christ.  May we “hear” the terror in those sweet children’s voices as they come face to face with monsters far more evil than the ones your child feared was under their bed.  

 May these tragic truths open our eyes to a world much larger than our air-conditioned four walls.  May our comfort make us uncomfortable.   May it serve as a reminder of the vast difference others are experiencing.  May it make us uncomfortable to the point that we begin to bear their burdens in prayer.  Uncomfortable to the point that we do not take our comfort for granted.  May it  cause us to press into God’s presence like never before.  Crying out for the strength, the comfort, the deliverance of a family we have not yet met.

Lord,  We know You understand the suffering that our brothers and sisters around the world are going through right now.   You relate firsthand with being tortured as Satan stretches forth his hands through willing men and women.   You empathize with the pain of losing a child.  We may have moments of sadness and shock when we hear the stories, but we can’t even begin to comprehend the horror they are truly going through.  Lord, help us.  Help us to feel their agony so that we are moved to pray.  Forgive us for getting so comfortable that we neglect bearing others' burdens. 

 

We pray for those who daily anticipate the possible visit from ISIS or other radical groups.  Give them the strength to stand true to their faith in You.  Help them to not be paralyzed by fear and deny Your name.  We pray that those who are called to martyrdom, that the hope of heaven would consume them in such a way that even in the midst of this gruesome turmoil, their spirit has peace in knowing they will be with You.  We also pray for supernatural deliverance for others.  Send Your holy angels to stop the evildoers.  Open up opportunities of escape for Your people.  We also pray for the persecutors themselves. May the blinders be taken off of their eyes that they may see the Truth and be set free.

May we not take the freedom we have to hear Your Word for granted.  While the surplus of Your Word is available, may we get so filled up,  and build such a strong foundation and relationship with You.  Should that day come that we too are face to face with such evil, may we never deny the faith, but be faithful to You even to death.   Amen.

"Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.."  Hebrews 13:3 NLT

 

 

 

… and all those around the world – with your prayers.

 

Matthew

 

My prayer for you...

May you never lose your smile or joy in the simple things

May your laughter never be muted

May you never allow anyone to silence your God given personality
 

May you never trade in your uniqueness for something ordinary 

May you never believe the lie that you need to fit in or be like somebody else

May you never replace your hugs and affection with walls

May you never use your words to hurt others

May you always be quick to forgive and quick to repent

May you never use your positions in life to control others but to lead with love

May you have a strong yet tender heart

May you know when to turn the other cheek and when it is your place to protect

May your spirit be sensitive to the voice of the Father

May you walk in the wisdom of God and not the wisdom of man

May you always have discernment with people and choices you face

May you have a hunger for God’s Word all the days of your life

May you be a fervent man of prayer

May you have a heart for the unsaved, the broken, and the hurting

May you never be judgmental or prejudice, but love people as God does

May you discover and walk out the work that you have been called to do

May you never doubt Jesus’ love for you

 And may you always stay on the path that leads to life…

Happy 7^th Birthday, Matthew – a boy that I adore – a boy that has changed my life J

I love you and am proud of you,

Mom

Beauty

 

 

As the leaves rustle across the ground

 In the cool autumn breeze

I gaze at Your creation

Where Your beauty is clearly seen

 

I see Your beauty as the sun comes up

 

It’s written across the sky

As the sun warms me, I feel Your love

When nighttime settles, I wonder why

 

Why You choose to share such beauty

 With one who fails You every day

 

Though I fall short time and again

 

Each morning You meet me anyway

 

In the quiet moments I sit and think

 In awe of what I see

 As the wind blows by, I hear Your voice

 Whispering to me…

 

You notice the beauty around you

The intricacies through and through

But as splendid as this all appears

My beauty is wrapped up in you…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggGwDrxrC2k&feature=related