I'm sitting here today on my day off... just soaking it all in... the beauty of this rainy day. I look outside and you can tell that the rain ended seconds ago. Everything looks so clean (if only my house were there... that's what I'm trying to get motivated to do). Call me cheesy, but I absolutely LOVE the way everything looks so clean, fresh, new... after the rain. It reminds me of another clean... that feeling after I've sat in His presence for even just a moment. He washes away my every doubt, my every fear and worry. He rains His love on me and I walk away feeling so clean, so fresh, so new... I have a new start... every day... He makes it available to me every single day. It's my own fault if I don't "bask" in it.
I KNOW this doesn't happen to you... only to me, but I find myself being critical or judgemental or cynical... but then... one moment in His presence... wow! All back in perspective! I'm so thankful for the cleansing!
Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."
"Right spirit" used here translates to "constant spirit". Consistency... living for God is just that simple. We don't have to have it all together. We just need to recognize that and consistently ask for His help EVERY SINGLE DAY! David was called a man after God's own heart yet made the biggest mistakes humanly possible. The difference? He got up over and over and repented and worshipped. He recognized he was nothing... a wretched sinner "undone" without the grace of God.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Meeting the Needs
I John 3:17 "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"
There go the excuses! Straight from the Word of God... It is my obligation to help those that I can. If the love of God is dwelling in me, it will be manifested in where I invest my time, resources, faith and love. I want Him to trust me with all He has given me. I want to be a funnel of all He wants to pour out... that doesn't mean I'm there yet, but I really want to be!
There go the excuses! Straight from the Word of God... It is my obligation to help those that I can. If the love of God is dwelling in me, it will be manifested in where I invest my time, resources, faith and love. I want Him to trust me with all He has given me. I want to be a funnel of all He wants to pour out... that doesn't mean I'm there yet, but I really want to be!
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Slow Fade of Turning TOWARD Him
I want to talk about another slow fade…
Slow Fade is an incredible song, but wasn’t what started me on this vein of thought. He began whispering to me about this last week. I believe it was Tuesday morning. I woke up heard my own voice saying these words (though I wasn’t actually speaking)… “and when the earth fades, falls from my eyes, and you stand before me, I know you love me.” As you may know, these are the words to the song “At the Cross”. The weird thing is, I wasn’t singing these words. I was saying them. I looked up the lyrics to this song so I could digest it piece by piece to see what He may be saying to me. The lyrics are:
OH LORD YOU’VE SEARCHED ME
YOU KNOW MY WAY
EVEN WHEN I FAIL YOU
I KNOW YOU LOVE ME
YOUR HOLY PRESENCE
SURROUNDING ME
IN EVERY SEASON
I KNOW YOU LOVE ME
I KNOW YOU LOVE ME
AT THE CROSS I BOW MY KNEE
WHERE YOUR BLOOD WAS SHED FOR ME
THERE’S NO GREATER LOVE THAN THIS
YOU HAVE OVERCOME THE GRAVE
YOUR GLORY FILLS THE HIGHEST PLACE
WHAT CAN SEPARATE ME NOW?
YOU GO BEFORE ME
YOU SHIELD MY WAY
YOUR HAND UPHOLDS ME
I KNOW YOU LOVE ME
YOU TORE THE VEIL
YOU MADE A WAY
WHEN YOU SAID THAT IT IS DONE
AND WHEN THE EARTH FADES
FALLS FROM MY EYES
AND YOU STAND BEFORE ME
I KNOW YOU LOVE ME
I began searching out the scriptures to be sure I searched out every possible thing He could be saying. I thought of how we no longer have to go through a priest like they did in the Old Testament. He tore the veil. He made a way. We have full access to His throne, but do we really take advantage of that? Do we come boldly?
Then I began to think about that phrase… I’ve always interpreted those words as the end of time when we stand before Him. There are verses about the earth fading. In prayer He started showing me the deeper meaning… and no doubt, this is what Darlene Zschech and Reuben Morgan had in mind when they wrote this God inspired song. It’s when we let the earth fade… the things of earth fade away from our vision… all we see is Him before us. Suddenly, all things are in proper perspective. I’ve been digesting this song for the last 2 weeks. He reminded me of a message I heard as a teenager that was titled “The Danger of the Gradual”. I couldn’t tell you who preached this message, but the words have forever been stamped on my heart. It’s the little things that pull us away from Him. It’s the little things that creep into our marriages… just like we saw in the video. BUT… what if we have the opposite slow fade…
James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you…”
What if we slowly begin to find moments for prayer… just a fleeting prayer at first, but then we suddenly feel compelled to get alone with him. We are seeking out quiet places where we can bear our souls and our burdens to Him… or just tell Him how grateful we are that He has allowed us to be born into a country where we can enjoy the freedom of worship… thank Him for health & strength. What if we found ourselves desperate for His perspective… for His direction… for His vision for us… what if we suddenly anticipated with eagerness, praying a prayer shift? What if suddenly I feel love for everyone I come in contact with… even if they are difficult… what if I start reflecting His image in my life? What if I’m not so concerned about “getting my way” all the time or how will this affect me? What if I suddenly wasn’t concerned about what this world calls beauty and I let it be the hidden man of the heart, an ornament of a meek and quiet spirit that Paul talked about in I Peter 3:4? What if I could stand before my peers and declare “thus saith the Lord” and not worry about what they will say or if they will believe me because I know YOUR voice… your voice above all others…
What if suddenly we wake up one day and we realized that the earth has faded from our eyes… we are now seeing Him before us instead of the world’s perspective… we are seeing through eyes of faith… we aren’t affected by our surroundings and circumstances no matter what they are. What if we see Him standing before us and suddenly we begin to realize just a portion of the depth of His love for us? That changes everything! If we ever really “get” how much He loves us, we won’t be afraid… we won’t be intimidated. We will have the understanding that we truly are unstoppable… not even death has a hold on us for to live is Christ to die is gain! (Philippians 1:21)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOY0mjjmx8Y
Slow Fade is an incredible song, but wasn’t what started me on this vein of thought. He began whispering to me about this last week. I believe it was Tuesday morning. I woke up heard my own voice saying these words (though I wasn’t actually speaking)… “and when the earth fades, falls from my eyes, and you stand before me, I know you love me.” As you may know, these are the words to the song “At the Cross”. The weird thing is, I wasn’t singing these words. I was saying them. I looked up the lyrics to this song so I could digest it piece by piece to see what He may be saying to me. The lyrics are:
OH LORD YOU’VE SEARCHED ME
YOU KNOW MY WAY
EVEN WHEN I FAIL YOU
I KNOW YOU LOVE ME
YOUR HOLY PRESENCE
SURROUNDING ME
IN EVERY SEASON
I KNOW YOU LOVE ME
I KNOW YOU LOVE ME
AT THE CROSS I BOW MY KNEE
WHERE YOUR BLOOD WAS SHED FOR ME
THERE’S NO GREATER LOVE THAN THIS
YOU HAVE OVERCOME THE GRAVE
YOUR GLORY FILLS THE HIGHEST PLACE
WHAT CAN SEPARATE ME NOW?
YOU GO BEFORE ME
YOU SHIELD MY WAY
YOUR HAND UPHOLDS ME
I KNOW YOU LOVE ME
YOU TORE THE VEIL
YOU MADE A WAY
WHEN YOU SAID THAT IT IS DONE
AND WHEN THE EARTH FADES
FALLS FROM MY EYES
AND YOU STAND BEFORE ME
I KNOW YOU LOVE ME
I began searching out the scriptures to be sure I searched out every possible thing He could be saying. I thought of how we no longer have to go through a priest like they did in the Old Testament. He tore the veil. He made a way. We have full access to His throne, but do we really take advantage of that? Do we come boldly?
Then I began to think about that phrase… I’ve always interpreted those words as the end of time when we stand before Him. There are verses about the earth fading. In prayer He started showing me the deeper meaning… and no doubt, this is what Darlene Zschech and Reuben Morgan had in mind when they wrote this God inspired song. It’s when we let the earth fade… the things of earth fade away from our vision… all we see is Him before us. Suddenly, all things are in proper perspective. I’ve been digesting this song for the last 2 weeks. He reminded me of a message I heard as a teenager that was titled “The Danger of the Gradual”. I couldn’t tell you who preached this message, but the words have forever been stamped on my heart. It’s the little things that pull us away from Him. It’s the little things that creep into our marriages… just like we saw in the video. BUT… what if we have the opposite slow fade…
James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you…”
What if we slowly begin to find moments for prayer… just a fleeting prayer at first, but then we suddenly feel compelled to get alone with him. We are seeking out quiet places where we can bear our souls and our burdens to Him… or just tell Him how grateful we are that He has allowed us to be born into a country where we can enjoy the freedom of worship… thank Him for health & strength. What if we found ourselves desperate for His perspective… for His direction… for His vision for us… what if we suddenly anticipated with eagerness, praying a prayer shift? What if suddenly I feel love for everyone I come in contact with… even if they are difficult… what if I start reflecting His image in my life? What if I’m not so concerned about “getting my way” all the time or how will this affect me? What if I suddenly wasn’t concerned about what this world calls beauty and I let it be the hidden man of the heart, an ornament of a meek and quiet spirit that Paul talked about in I Peter 3:4? What if I could stand before my peers and declare “thus saith the Lord” and not worry about what they will say or if they will believe me because I know YOUR voice… your voice above all others…
What if suddenly we wake up one day and we realized that the earth has faded from our eyes… we are now seeing Him before us instead of the world’s perspective… we are seeing through eyes of faith… we aren’t affected by our surroundings and circumstances no matter what they are. What if we see Him standing before us and suddenly we begin to realize just a portion of the depth of His love for us? That changes everything! If we ever really “get” how much He loves us, we won’t be afraid… we won’t be intimidated. We will have the understanding that we truly are unstoppable… not even death has a hold on us for to live is Christ to die is gain! (Philippians 1:21)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOY0mjjmx8Y
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Slow Fade of Turning Away from Him
It is surely a slow fade when we give ourselves away, but what are we giving ourselves to? That is the most important question. I want to talk about 2 different kinds of slow fades.
The first slow fade is when we allow things to creep into our hearts and minds that take us away from His perfect will, His understanding, His ways. There are so many little things that can draw us away.
"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines," Song of Solomon 2:15
We think of all the big, obvious sins, but they don’t start as big sins. My brother’s descend into a life of addictions and bad choices started with small choices. I called him to see if he would be bold enough and brave enough (since he’s still struggling to get his life together) to tell me if he remembers the very first steps of this influence. He said, without hesitation, that it was music. He said you get comfortable with the music of this world first and it leads to others things. It’s all very gradual. He says once you’ve felt the power of God, the Holy Ghost up & down your spine and then you encounter this other music and begin to participate and let it into your life, mind, heart… and you feel the goosepump feeling again, you are actually entertaining the spirit of this world… dancing before the prince of the powers of darkness.
Ephesians 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
From there, he tried skoal, then smoking, drinking… each one a step deeper into the world of darkness. Statistics have shown that people who abuse drugs and alcohol started with smoking. They didn’t start with the intention of abusing drugs.
I’ve also watched people walk away from church and from God and never come back… sometimes leaving straight from choir or some other ministry and delve into a life of deep darkness. You look at that and say, how did that happen? Did they just jump up one day & decide to go back to sin? No! At some point prayer was skipped a time or two… not given top priority… hurt feelings were not dealt with… bitterness took a small root and began to grow. Maybe the “small fox” for them was envy… wondering why so & so was chosen for a ministry instead of me… or sang a solo instead of me. Maybe the small fox was pride. Perhaps God blessed them and showed them favor and they began to become lifted up within themselves. Only prayer can fix these things. Maybe the fox was evil speaking… our words are so important. Out of the abundance of our heart, our mouths speak. We better check our heart in at the cross EVERY DAY!
...TO BE CONTINUED...
The first slow fade is when we allow things to creep into our hearts and minds that take us away from His perfect will, His understanding, His ways. There are so many little things that can draw us away.
"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines," Song of Solomon 2:15
We think of all the big, obvious sins, but they don’t start as big sins. My brother’s descend into a life of addictions and bad choices started with small choices. I called him to see if he would be bold enough and brave enough (since he’s still struggling to get his life together) to tell me if he remembers the very first steps of this influence. He said, without hesitation, that it was music. He said you get comfortable with the music of this world first and it leads to others things. It’s all very gradual. He says once you’ve felt the power of God, the Holy Ghost up & down your spine and then you encounter this other music and begin to participate and let it into your life, mind, heart… and you feel the goosepump feeling again, you are actually entertaining the spirit of this world… dancing before the prince of the powers of darkness.
Ephesians 2:2 “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”
From there, he tried skoal, then smoking, drinking… each one a step deeper into the world of darkness. Statistics have shown that people who abuse drugs and alcohol started with smoking. They didn’t start with the intention of abusing drugs.
I’ve also watched people walk away from church and from God and never come back… sometimes leaving straight from choir or some other ministry and delve into a life of deep darkness. You look at that and say, how did that happen? Did they just jump up one day & decide to go back to sin? No! At some point prayer was skipped a time or two… not given top priority… hurt feelings were not dealt with… bitterness took a small root and began to grow. Maybe the “small fox” for them was envy… wondering why so & so was chosen for a ministry instead of me… or sang a solo instead of me. Maybe the small fox was pride. Perhaps God blessed them and showed them favor and they began to become lifted up within themselves. Only prayer can fix these things. Maybe the fox was evil speaking… our words are so important. Out of the abundance of our heart, our mouths speak. We better check our heart in at the cross EVERY DAY!
...TO BE CONTINUED...
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Slow Fade
I spoke on this subject in our young married's class this past Sunday. I don't know that I could post it all here and say exactly what I feel but I will attempt it over a few days. So, for today, here's the video and words of this song... LOVE IT!
Slow Fade
by Casting Crowns
Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-8SYA6rfbs
You may have to copy & paste the link... sorry!
Slow Fade
by Casting Crowns
Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-8SYA6rfbs
You may have to copy & paste the link... sorry!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
My Eye is Upon You
This long post come word for word from my prayer journal on 7/27/09. As I've said many times, when He gives me something, I know it's not just for me. So, this is my way of letting Him speak this same word to whomever else is supposed to hear these same words:
My eye is upon you. I see you. That should be your only aim. I know the intent of your heart. Mine is a gentle teaching, a gentle guiding. You are learning to discern my voice—not only my voice but the guiding with My eye. It’s a new chapter I’m writing in your life. Go forward unafraid… in boldness. I’m at every turn… every slight move… I’ve gone ahead. I’ve planned the steps. Don’t look with your eyes. Look with the eyes of the Spirit.
Gen 6:8 “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” In the Hebrew, grace here translates “favor”.
When my eyes are upon you, you’ll find favor in every area of your life.
Exodus 33:12 Moses… “…yet thou hast said , I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace (favor) in my sight.”
Verse 11 says the Lord spake to Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend.
My favor is greater than any other thing. I decide on your behalf.
Psalm 30:5 “…in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.” The Amplified says favor is for a lifetime.
Recognize me in all… the good & the bad… fiery trials and tests perfect My will in you and allow me to pour out my favor.
Proverbs 3:3-4 “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the tablet of thine heart: so should thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”
Those who stand for truth, esp. when it’s not the easy thing to do… those who stand against the current of worldly, carnal influences… My favor is so readily available to them! Verse 4 translates “good success”… I will bring success…. I exalt, I bring favor with God and man.
Proverbs 8:32 “…blessed are they that keep my ways…”
Vs 34 & 35 “Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life and shall obtain (bring forth) favor of the Lord.”
We must walk in Your ways… expect your instruction every day. Verse 33 says “Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.”
I have a plan for you each day… seek me daily for instruction.
Proverbs 14:9 “…among the righteous there is favour.”
Job 28:10-11 from the Amplified “He cuts out channels and passages among the rocks and his eyes see every precious thing. Man binds the streams so that they do not trickle (into the mine) and the thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.”
Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye.” (Hebrew: I will counsel thee. Mine eye shall be upon thee.)
My eye is upon you. I see you. That should be your only aim. I know the intent of your heart. Mine is a gentle teaching, a gentle guiding. You are learning to discern my voice—not only my voice but the guiding with My eye. It’s a new chapter I’m writing in your life. Go forward unafraid… in boldness. I’m at every turn… every slight move… I’ve gone ahead. I’ve planned the steps. Don’t look with your eyes. Look with the eyes of the Spirit.
Gen 6:8 “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” In the Hebrew, grace here translates “favor”.
When my eyes are upon you, you’ll find favor in every area of your life.
Exodus 33:12 Moses… “…yet thou hast said , I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace (favor) in my sight.”
Verse 11 says the Lord spake to Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend.
My favor is greater than any other thing. I decide on your behalf.
Psalm 30:5 “…in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.” The Amplified says favor is for a lifetime.
Recognize me in all… the good & the bad… fiery trials and tests perfect My will in you and allow me to pour out my favor.
Proverbs 3:3-4 “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the tablet of thine heart: so should thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”
Those who stand for truth, esp. when it’s not the easy thing to do… those who stand against the current of worldly, carnal influences… My favor is so readily available to them! Verse 4 translates “good success”… I will bring success…. I exalt, I bring favor with God and man.
Proverbs 8:32 “…blessed are they that keep my ways…”
Vs 34 & 35 “Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life and shall obtain (bring forth) favor of the Lord.”
We must walk in Your ways… expect your instruction every day. Verse 33 says “Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.”
I have a plan for you each day… seek me daily for instruction.
Proverbs 14:9 “…among the righteous there is favour.”
Job 28:10-11 from the Amplified “He cuts out channels and passages among the rocks and his eyes see every precious thing. Man binds the streams so that they do not trickle (into the mine) and the thing that is hidden he brings forth to light.”
Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye.” (Hebrew: I will counsel thee. Mine eye shall be upon thee.)
Monday, August 10, 2009
Give it away!
I have not been a faithful blogger lately, but my life has been in much transition. I look back through my prayer journal and find that 2 weeks before God opened this door in my life, there is an entry that says "as I drifted off to sleep last night, I felt you reassuring me 'Don't worry. I'm doing a new thing. I've prepared you for transition' over and over." Two weeks later I got a call that changed my course and opened the door for me to be where my heart is. I wasn't seeking anything. I was content with whatever He had planned for me. God is so thorough. He gives us the desires of our hearts when we make His Kingdom our business. I want to go through every door He opens and walk away from every door He closes. I'm sharing this because I have also felt Him really speaking about how so many times we live just below what He has for us because we don't see it big enough. He has greater things for us than we could ever imagine. Let's not limit Him with our small vision. I want to pray the prayers that HE wants me to pray... prayers that please Him... according to His will.
I John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:"
I stand amazed at the ways He guides our steps and yes, even our conversations. Today I had a long talk with a dear friend and as I shared the journey God has had me on this past year or so, there was a portion that was directly for her TODAY! She was making a decision that was completely affected by something He had already done for me, through me and in me. We HAVE to share what He says and does for us. It's not just for us. It's for those He puts in our path. We wept and rejoiced at our great God of every detail! God, don't let me hold in these experiences... let me be a life poured out. I want to give away every word and blessing you send my way!
I John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:"
I stand amazed at the ways He guides our steps and yes, even our conversations. Today I had a long talk with a dear friend and as I shared the journey God has had me on this past year or so, there was a portion that was directly for her TODAY! She was making a decision that was completely affected by something He had already done for me, through me and in me. We HAVE to share what He says and does for us. It's not just for us. It's for those He puts in our path. We wept and rejoiced at our great God of every detail! God, don't let me hold in these experiences... let me be a life poured out. I want to give away every word and blessing you send my way!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Reputations
Call me strange, but during the wee hours of the morning this past Saturday I woke up hearing these words, “Abstain from all appearance of evil”. I drifted back off to sleep but when I opened my eyes the next morning I heard it again. I recognized this verse but looked it up for clarification. The verse is familiar to me because I used it when Bryan & I were dating and he would want me to meet him at his house to go somewhere (he lived alone). I always asked that I meet him at his mom’s and leave my car there because of how it looked. The verse is found in I Thessalonians 5:22. It also references chapter 4: 12 of this same book. I am including verse 11 because I feel it really gets the point across:
“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”
The Amplified says “that you may command the respect of the outside world”. This tells me that our reputation does matter. We are witnesses whether we are planning to be or not. The Amplified also says “that we may live quietly and peaceably with all men”. When we are grocery shopping, when we are the customer (of any kind), when we are being waited on in a restaurant… we are sometimes the only Jesus they see. I pray that I am always mindful of that!
“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”
The Amplified says “that you may command the respect of the outside world”. This tells me that our reputation does matter. We are witnesses whether we are planning to be or not. The Amplified also says “that we may live quietly and peaceably with all men”. When we are grocery shopping, when we are the customer (of any kind), when we are being waited on in a restaurant… we are sometimes the only Jesus they see. I pray that I am always mindful of that!
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