Do they know?

Romans 10:14-15

¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!

How do they know if they have not heard? For me like so many others, It wasn’t so much that I refused to know Jesus, I just didn’t really know a whole lot about him. I remember when I began to feel the stirring within me. I also remember when the thought of all of this was just too much…too strange and I shut it down completely. But then I remember that day when God revealed himself to me in a way that scared to me to death. And then I just knew.

I don’t always have the right words to say to someone in sharing the Gospel and I sometimes walk away from the conversation feeling as if I failed or went about it wrong. I even get bogged down by the times of my life that were a poor reflection of Him, if even a reflection at all, and wonder if people can see Christ within me now.

I so hope that is the case. I hope that today, even through my failures and my flaws, that my life would be a witness for Him.

Our Youth group is meeting every Sunday morning with the purpose of making sure we are equipped to correctly spread the news, the good news of the Gospel. I wanted to share with you one of the ways we are learning, it is called the Roman road.

Romans 3:23 - ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 - ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 - ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 10:9 - ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:13 - ¹³ For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”^[

Romans 5:1 - Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have^[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,^[a] who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:38-39 - For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 I tried to piece together what I could with this, there may be a few scriptures that I am missing, I’ll let you know next week after I fully learn it myself. I just thought that this would be a good reminder or good notes for each of us. I also wanted this to be available to someone who has never read it before also. God’s word is so full of the Gospel and this is only one of many ways to share it. I hope that it blesses you and that you will bless someone else by it today.

Years ago I wrote this poem. I must admit I laughed a little when I came across it today. It’s a little all over the page, but I guess you are used to that if you have been reading this blog long. All I know is that what this poem is about was absolutely everything for me once I knew Him.  

Silence

No beating wings, no hymns of praise – the angels gathered starring at his face.

And one not dare to ask God why, they knew the time had come for his goodbye.

 The time before, he called they went, but things were different now His days were spent.

The screams the blood they could not bare – Release us LORD, send us there!

The crown of thorns that pierce His face, remove them LORD in this we pray.

Well give him ours, each one we’ve earned, except this offering for His return.

The cracking whips, the tarring skin, the damaged body no doctor can mend.

The angels hearts are calling out, their mouths won’t open for fear of shout!

Whose voice was it that calmed the sea, that filled the sky, that breathed in me.?

You are the one that spoke it all and still right now your grace with fall.

 
Those words you spoke, even to the shores, “Stop right here, you may come no more.”

Then stop this LORD speak your command. He just turned to them and raised his hand.

The angels stopped in fear of what was next, in silence he spoke and in silence they wept.

Now that they could see the plan, but not for Jesus, it was for man.

One by one they hit their knees with tear stained faces and hearts unease.

Wings that weren’t broken but could not fly, moments that seemed forever but raced right by.

They watched them lift Him off the cross. God let us go, we will keep watch!

When God said yes they flew they went, straight to their savior and protecting Him.

LORD lock us up and send them away they’ve done enough just let us stay.

 The angels watched as they cleaned His face, they searched for the beauty the blood had erased.

They stood close by, not an inch they moved, starring as they lay Him in the tomb.

Crucified He was, resting He is now, waiting for His day when God’s word would be lived out.

Preparing in the Kingdom now for the right hand of the throne, Jesus is our Savior, to all this will be known.

Three long days have passed; oh how much longer can this take, this moment we want to cherish, for this moment we cannot wait.

Raise Him LORD and let’s rejoice we want to see His face.

The time has come they’ll be set free, but will they thank you for this grace?

The glories yours we must confess, in silence we believed,

now sound the trumpets and beat the drums a celebration is due indeed.

Now lift your voice and sing a song of praise to our King,

you truly are the faithful one, because of this they are redeemed.

We bow our heads and lift our praise to the right hand of the throne, because of this you’ve saved their souls and claimed them now your own.

Man will know Him by His name and live beneath His reign.

They Kingdom come thy will be done they’ll pray this in His name.

He gave his Son, his only Son, for you it had to be, His mercy and His grace stretched out; worthy child I have one plea.

So take this gift that dwells within your heart that once was stone. He loves you more and asks you now, surrender before his throne.

k

Freedom from slavery

Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

I wonder if any of us would be willing to admit that we are slaves to our baggage (sin past & present, strongholds, addictions, resentment, fears, judgment…). Not only was I a slave to it, and unfortunately still am with a few things, I was exhausted over it. I think what scared me more than the thought of laying these things down at his feet was the thought of never getting rid of them.  

I had the chance to speak to our Youth group last night and I wanted to share something that I shared with them. These 3 things have really been what changed it all for me. They are a combination of things that God revealed and words spoken from people who ministered to me.

1.     God will never allow full contentment, peace or joy when we choose to fill the voids in our lives with anything other than God first.

2.     After being saved or turning from sin. God does not intend on mending every relationship back into a present relationship in your life, nor does he intend on molding every addiction back into a “manageable” substance in your life. He also will never set you free from your strongholds and expect you to take back a part or a percentage of it and apply it back into your life. There are times when God draws a line in the sand and says no more.

3.     God can change the desires of your heart.

You see what took me a long time to grasp was Jesus didn’t just die on the cross for the redemption of our sin’s. He died so that we would have freedom too.

 I don’t know what it means to you to have freedom, but I can tell you freedom for me meant more than any of my baggage ever did. To know Him is to love Him, to lay it all down to Him is freedom.

The beautiful thing about God is that he doesn’t tell us to get our lives together first then come to him. No, he says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

I was so tired of being tired. As a matter of fact I am a little worn out  with the baggage I have yet to let go of, and I have no one else to blame but myself. You know the verse that says, (Matthew 6:13-14) Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. I always wondered if the real problem was that only a few could fit (on account of their baggage that is)…who knows.

I do know that God really wants us to experience joy, peace and happiness in our life. If you have time today read James 2. I love verse 26 that says, As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Sometimes God requires action on our part. Sometimes were are just too stubborn or afraid of what will happen if we did let some things go. It doesn’t require you being the one to know how to fix everything; you just have to be willing to trust Him with the outcome. (I should really take my own advice on this one…).

Before I close I wanted to go back to #3, God can change the desires of our heart. This one is huge for me, mainly because it wasn’t easy for me to lay most of my things down to Him. I didn’t joyfully go through this process; if it was that easy then it wouldn’t have been that big of deal for me to lay it down in the first place. Through time and prayer God changed the desires I had for each of them. All I had to do was ask.

We can do this; we can walk in freedom and leave the dark shadows of our “baggage” with Him. (could I possibly say that word any more times today J)

FOR IT IS FOR FREEDOM THAT CHRIST HAS SET US FREE, STAND FIRM THEN AND DO NOT LET YOURSELVES BE BURDNED AGAIN BY A YOKE OF SLAVERY!!!  

One Body

1 Chronicles 28:9-10

⁹ And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

¹⁰ Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.

When you read this scripture does it make you think about what God is calling you to do? I realize that unlike Solomon I am not called to the task of building the Temple or unlike Noah to build an ark. I am not Moses who was called to meet with God on the mountain and chisel straight from the mouth of God the commandments on the stones or even like David to conquer the giant & eventually reign as the greatest King of Israel. The list of people that God used throughout the bible are long and I hope that when you spend time in the word reading about them you would allow each story to strike the cords in your heart.

Although I am not one of them, I am a child of God. What I cannot deny is that I am destined to fulfill the calling that God has placed upon my life to reflect His glory. I want you to remove the thoughts you may have that your “calling” has to be huge or on a level that you cannot comprehend. Although this may be true for some, or even for you at times, what I want you to think about today is how we can make sure that we don’t miss out on the times when God is calling you to be a vessel for him, even if it is for one person.

If God has placed it on your heart to rise up and be a prayer warrior for someone then don’t think twice about it. Get up and pray. If God has brought a situation to your attention and you feel the Holy Spirit directing you to encourage that person or counsel that person through it, than through prayer be willing to serve. The word of God says that we are The Body of Christ, One Body with many parts that work together.

Let’s read a little about what God says about our gifts (callings) and what we are to do with them.

 1 Corinthians 12

Spiritual Gifts

¹ Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.

² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.

³ Therefore I tell you that no-one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, Jesus be cursed, and no-one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,

¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

¹¹ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

One Body, Many Parts

¹² The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.

¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body— whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free— and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

¹⁴ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.

¹⁵ If the foot should say, Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body, it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

¹⁶ And if the ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body, it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

¹⁸ But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be?

²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you! And the head cannot say to the feet, I don't need you!

²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,

²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,

²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

²⁸ And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?

³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

³¹ But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

1 Corinthians 13

Love
¹ If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

³ If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

¹⁰ but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

¹² Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

We all have gifts. We are all called. We are the Body of Christ, one body with many parts. I can make a list a mile long of people that are hurting, sick or need salvation. I have times that God puts people on my heart by way of sorrow to make me aware that I need to pray for them right then. There are times in the middle of the night I will be woken up by a thought or a dream I have of someone and I know that I need to actually wake up, and get out of bed and pray.

How powerful we would be if we just committed to being a vessel for God and prayerfully listened to his direction. We are all needed and loved; God has a plan for your life, a calling to stand up and thrive against.

There are times when I feel as if I am a slave to my fears or thoughts. It isn’t until I rise up (meaning to make a move) and claim my freedom in Christ over it. We are not supposed to be held down by slavery, we are however supposed to seek wisdom and discernment over everything in our life. If God has placed something on my heart I don’t hit the floor running, I hit the floor on my knees to seek his direction on where my approach is supposed to be.

Galatians 5

¹ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

I have been really blessed by many believers who have done exactly what I am talking about today for me. There is something that is so thrilling for me when someone calls me or somehow lets me know that God has put me on their hearts to intercede in prayer for (especially when they haven’t a clue as to what I may be going through). I feel like it is one of Gods special blessings to let us know that He knows.

Today, I just wanted to encourage you to keep pressing on (or for some of you to start pressing on). We all have struggles and doubts and insecurities. Just remember that it isn’t “us” that have the power and  authority, we just need to be a vessel for it to flow through.

Do not fear

Isaiah 41:10, So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

This scripture has been given to me by two different people in the last four months. One of the things that I have learned about God is that when something is repetitive, you need to take note. I have often felt alone at times in dealing with fear. I blame my lack of faith and trust I have in God, or I blame anxiety.  All I have to do is open the bible and see over and over again that God does not want me to live in fear. I came up with the following (I’m drawing a blank as to what this is called) to help me when I am feeling fearful or attacked. These are scriptures that I have become very familiar with over the years. I am calling them my “war” verses.     

F – Fiery darts from the wicked one - Ephesians 6:16b

E – For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

A – Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God – Philippians 4:6

R – In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength – Isaiah 30:15

F – Fear not for I am with you – Isaiah 41:10

A – All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant - Psalm 25:10

I – I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me       Psalm 23:4b

T – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding – Proverbs 3:5

H – He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. Psalm 18:17 /  O LORD my God, I called to you for help
and you healed me. Psalm 30:2

I have felt so spiritually attacked for the past two weeks. I have had to come up against and deal with things that I was not happy about. The wildest thing about the last two weeks is that God orchestrated a group of women to meet with me and minister to me and encourage me in the midst of all of this, none of them knowing that this was going on at the time. God continued to show me that although our enemy is real, the victory over my life has been won. We are battling a constant war; the great news is the ultimate defeat has already been won. If we have given our lives to God then we have the promise of eternity with him. If not, then God help you, if you were to have witnessed just a few of the things that I did you would be running. I am so thankful that I have a relationship with Him and I knew which direction to run to.

Oh, and to add to the attacks that I experienced throughout my dreams and my thoughts, I was able to witness a baby snake that lay just inches from my sons bare feet. Seriously! It’s only February…this can’t be a good sign.

Over and over God kept reminding me of his promise…his covenant.

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 says, ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

There is freedom in Christ. There is protection in His blood. I feel more equipped today then I did before this experience and my confidence in God is higher. Although I was at war I could not be touched, through my faith in who I am in Him I am saved.

Psalm 144:1-2 ¹ Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle. ² He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge...

I realize this post may be a little heavy for some, you should have been in my shoes while it was happening. I wanted to share this with you because He is our conqueror and our deliverer. I don’t want to forget that, and I don’t want to live a day without Him.

On a lighter note, I downloaded Mandisa’s song Good Morning while this was going on. Until the dreams stopped I would get up in the morning a play it, and when it got to this part of the song I sang it with all my heart, “I went to bed dreaming, you woke me up singing, get up get up hey…good morning”. Oh how that was a good morning when it was over.

1 Peter 5:8 says, ⁸ Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

 I wish things like this weren’t true, but unfortunately it comes with it. I do not fear evilness, I fear not giving myself over to the plan that God has for my life. When it comes down to it, I am thankful to be a threat. And I am thankful that I can be fully dependent upon my God who upholds me with his righteous right hand.

Thank you LORD for the sacrifice you gave us through your son. May you give us mentors and leaders to teach us and place us in the positions to be the same for others. I pray for unity in the Body of Christ. I pray that anyone holding back on their commitment and walk with you will lay their burdens down and trust you. Let our walk be a vision of beauty to you, make straight our paths. Give us the security to be released from our fears and our strongholds. Help us to know and love you more.

In Him

A Planting

Quote: “You don’t get what you wish for; you get what you work for.”

I read this quote this weekend, and was very taken back by the way it made me feel. It made me think about a Parable that I love, the Parable of the Four Soils.  

Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23

³ Then he (Jesus) told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ He who has ears, let him hear.”

¹⁸ “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰ The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹ But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. ²² The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. ²³ But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

I feel like I could end right here (but I won’t…grin). I think the most important question here is, “which one of the four soils reflects you?” I’ve mentioned before that sometimes I think we just make this all too hard. Maybe it is not that it’s too hard, maybe we just don’t know how to go about it. I think that after we have made the decision to repent from our sins, allow Christ to be Lord and Savior over our life (meaning to be saved) and getting baptized, we should ask ourselves this question. Is our life producing the Fruit of the Spirit?

Ephesians 1:13-14 says, ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession— to the praise of his glory.

What this means is this, when we are saved our body becomes a temple for the Holy Spirit. That is why it is so important to make good choices and to not live in sin. We aren’t just a shell, but a holy temple to God. We also are to live our lives continually producing the Fruit of the Spirit which is:

Galatians 5:22-25

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
The question I ask myself often is, “Can I look at the last year, month, week or even day and vibrantly see these things?” And “Do others see the Fruit in me?” I can say yes to several and then I get to peace, patience, joy and the big one for me…self-control…those are hard. In our jobs, our families, our serving…anything that we do, we should do it with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If we aren’t producing these things, we should “reflect” and re-evaluate. We could spend all the money in the world on books about freedom and happiness and fail to see that it is all given to us right here. Hebrews 4:12 says, For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

You may think I’m crazy but I challenge you to grab something and list out each of these (example: love, joy etc.). Carry it with you and throughout your day tally up the times where you see the fruit being produced. It’s pretty powerful and really honest.

What this all boils down to for me is this. We cannot out give God and we cannot out sin from His grace. We can however claim our place in His Kingdom (by becoming a Christian) and live completely stiff and stale. This isn’t just a suggestion from God or a “How to” section of His word. It is the will of God for us to live by this. Ephesians 5:15-17 says, ¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live— not as unwise but as wise,¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

For the sake of making this post too long I ask you to please take the time and read Ephesians (at least chapters 4 & 5, if not the whole thing) so much incredible information in there.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Listen, we are equipped. No matter your situation, your hurts or your life we can do this. My heart hurts daily over this hard and unforgiving life. We are so hurt and confused sometimes that to even think about facing tomorrow can be more than what we can deal with in a day. Our God is HUGE. And He loves BIG. Lay it all out for Him and be willing to produce this beautiful thing He has given us, not just for His benefit but for ours. I know I have put this last scripture on here before but it is one that is so powerful to me, it makes me realize how powerful and glorious He really is.

Psalm 97

¹ The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.

²Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

³ Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.

⁴ His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.

⁵ The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.

⁶ The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.

Oaks of righteousness

If you live anywhere around Magnolia you are most likely aware of the tragedy that took place last Friday. Two 19 year old girls lost their lives in a tragic car accident, Anne Donlon and Katie Walker. The Donlon’s are part of our church family so as you can imagine we have surrounded them with love and serving to the fullest extent that we know. I promise you it was nothing compared to the love God poured over them. I know her parents Andy and Teresa from various events in the church (youth, women’s events etc.) and only knew sweet Anne from picking up my kids from Sunday school however the last 6 days have made me feel like I have known them my whole life, and that my friend is through the love that Christ has given us.

1 John 4:9-10 says, ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. vs 19, We love because he first loved us.

As I stood back and watched and heard what these families were going through I begged God to heal their pain. Monday night I watched the family greet and minister to over 1200 people at Anne’s wake, I then watched the family stand up and minister and preach to the 600 plus that attended her funeral. It was all about God and his mercy and grace and how they were giving him all the glory. Broken, hurting, bleeding people…desperate for their God. One thing that both of the families have said is, “If just one person comes to know Jesus because of my daughter’s death, then it will be worth it.” A statement I will never forget. I wish so badly that each of you could hear what they spoke. It was more witnessing than I have ever heard from any sermons combined. It was beautiful and gut wrenching and Jesus flowed all throughout it.

I have been reading in Genesis this morning and thought it might be fitting to share the story of Abraham and Isaac. This story is really special to me because of all the stories in the bible God has used this one to teach me the most. As a matter of fact at the ripe age of 18 my mother in law shared this story with me and I swore I would never serve a God that would require that of me. Oh little did I know back then. Many of you are familiar with the story, if not take a minute and read Genesis 22.

God had told Abraham to take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I tell you about. The story goes on to say (Genesis 22) that he did as the LORD had asked. He cut the wood and prepared the altar, he bound his son and laid him there. Then he took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham! Do not lay a hand on the boy, “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Oh, thank you God that this story ended this way, I’m not sure I could have made it through it if not.) I always try and figure out how he explained this all to Isaac, I guess that is one of those things we will not know until we get there.

It took many years to realize that the reason Abraham was so willing and obedient was because he knew that God had made his covenant with him through his offspring (Genesis 15) and Isaac was his offspring. So, if God wanted him to sacrifice him, God was going to have to resurrect him from death. He had faith that I cannot comprehend and fear of the LORD that I cannot imagine.  I have been told before that God may have also wanted Ab to experience firsthand what it was going to be like for God when Jesus was to be crucified.

Can you imagine? What it would it be like to have enough faith in your God that you knew whatever the circumstance you would trust him? When I think about how the Donlon family spoke about accepting that she was no longer here but in heaven and embracing the love and plan that God has in all of this. I wondered if I could say the same.

I thought it was only fitting that our Pastor did and altar call at the end of the service. He gave everyone that opportunity to know Jesus and to spend our lives with Him forever in eternity with Him. Do you know Him? What I need you to know that if that were have been me at 19 my family would have been mourning in a whole different way than just the loss of my life. The one thing that I think we are able to hang onto when losing someone is the joy that they are in heaven, surrounded by his glory and splendor and majesty. They have accomplished our ultimate goal. If that isn’t the case I’m not sure how we cope.

If you haven’t come to know Him yet it’s time. We are not promised tomorrow. I don’t know how else to tell you that. Psalm 103:15-16 says, As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and it’s place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children – with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.

I pray that the love of Jesus grabs a hold of you and never lets you go. I pray that you experience the urgency to have a relationship with him because if something were to happen you don’t get a 2^nd chance there. To be absent from body is to be present with the LORD, no matter which place you are headed. You will meet your Maker, eternity is a very long time.

Isaiah 61:1-3, I memorized this years ago from a bible study. I am pretty sure this is what Teresa read at her daughters funeral.

 ¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

Matthew 11:28, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

The Power of the cross

Romans 7:14-25

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature^[d] a slave to the law of sin.

I hope you were able to laugh a little at these verses, not because there is anything humorous about the content but by the simple fact that Paul may have a slight touch of ADD. I’m just saying.

Let’s take a look at what Paul was saying in this passage. Basically he was striving to do good, he wanted to live out the life of a great Christian and had all of the tools to help him (just like we do today). Then at times his flesh would win and he would give into the temptation to sin, all the time knowing better.

When I read this today it made me think about how many times I gave into sin knowing good and well that it was wrong. Many times I didn’t even want to sin but somehow the battle between my spirit and my flesh was lost and I gave into it.

Revelations 12:7-12 says this, ⁷ Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸ But he (the devil) was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
¹¹ They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
¹² Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”

But woe to the earth and the sea…we aren’t fighting against the little man with a pitch fork and a red suit here. He is nasty, called the prince of this world, the ultimate deceiver…and he is filled with fury for he knows that his time here on earth is short and soon Jesus is coming back for His people.

John 16:33 says, I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. What Jesus is saying is that He already paid the ultimate sacrifice; the battle against all evil has been won. When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure (to be seated at the right hand of God) He wanted to assure them that they would never be alone. He sent us the Holy Spirit (the Counselor or the Spirit of Truth) to guide us and to never leave us. Period.

Psalm 139:1-12, ¹ You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me. ² You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³ You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. ⁵ You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

Ok, let me try and bring this all together. The devil has been hurled out of heaven, 1 Peter 5:8 says Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. That scares me. But then I remember that I am covered by the blood of Jesus and the devil has no authority over me or my life. Paul says in Colossians 1:13 For he rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Paul also says that true believers have been transferred from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom, from guilt to forgiveness, and from the power of Satan to the power of God.

So I ask you this. Are you are true believer? Have you accepted Jesus into your heart as Lord over your life? Do you believe that He died for the redemption of our sins and that through Him we can be washed white as snow? If the answer is yes have you been baptized (any questions on this please ask me)? Will we sin, of course? Can He forgive us? Yes, if you turn from it (repent) and take it to Him. Does it get harder to live life without sin, sometimes but I always know I’m moving in the right direction when I am tempted by Satan the most. Satan loves it when we are just “good people”. When we are just moving along not doing bad but not doing anything good. In those times we will rarely her from Satan, why would we…we are in a safe place to him and not much threat. Jesus says, I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot or cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth (Rev 3:14-16).

I live my life everyday with the goal of trying my best to know Him and love Him more. I want so bad to be used as a servant in His Kingdom. I can honestly say that most of the time I don’t fall into premeditated sin (planned sin), the times I do have become so painful that I can hardly stand it. I fail daily. I’ve said before that my mouth and my judgment nearly do me in at times. But I know that I am forgiven! I serve a God that knows us better then we could ever know ourselves. He knows when we will fail or give into sin. Every time we repent and choose to not turn back to the sin we are stronger and more knowledgeable than before (I guess you could say he educates us J). Just remember that if we are a child of God we will not be defeated. Psalm 30:5 says, For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

I hope you take from this today a feeling of hope and not defeat. We serve a loving God that never wants us to fail, but when we do he is there for us to pick us up and make us new again. The enemy we face is no wimp, but we are covered by the blood of Jesus and cannot be taken. Make the choice to seek Him. Ask God to make him real in your life. We have to stop wasting the time and energy thinking that we can do this alone. I am praying that everyone who reads this will experiance something with God this week that cannot be explained by anything other then the power of Him. So many times we are waiting on Him. I believe that He is waiting on you.

All you who labor

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

This was a rough week for me. Will was out of town over the weekend and my son had a toothache that lasted from Friday night until Tuesday morning. We weren’t able to fix the problem until Tuesday because of the infection and the pain medicine that he was given made him very sick. I have never seen him in so much pain, and have never felt so helpless. Then we went through a very painful procedure on Tuesday that I think has taken us both the remainder of the week to get over. So the little amount of sleep I had for those first few days mixed with drama and emotional turmoil has created a feeling of exhaustion for me that I cannot shake. I have a sign that my mom bought me that says, I am woman, I am invincible, I AM tired. I usually look at it and smile, this week when I have caught a glance at it I’m pretty sure I just rolled my eyes.

When I sat down this morning and opened up my daily devo book Matthew 11:28 was the title. I immediately knew that was going to be what I wrote to you today.

The King James version says this, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. The Greek word for laden in this passage is this Phortizo which means, to load up, to overburden with (spiritual anxiety).  The Greek word for rest in this passage is anapauo which means to repose, to refresh. It signifies to give intermission from labor, to give rest, to refresh so to recover strength.

I just stopped after reading that and made a list of all the things that I labor against, and I hope that you will stop right here and do the same.  After reading back over my list I placed each item into one of the following categories. a.) My responsibilities b.) Life c.) my choices d.) things that are NOT my choices. I realized that most of my items fell into the c category (my choices). Here are a few examples: activities, ministry opportunities, hobbies, scheduling and interests. The next in line was the category a.(my responsibilities), example: family, work and ministry commitments etc. Then there is b (Life), this one is hard because I put the list of people that are sick or hurting or struggling in anyway, basically my prayer list of everything that I emotionally labor against, this list could have been so long and detailed but I tried to simplify it today for the purpose of the example. Then last but defiantly not least category d (things that are NOT my choices), this one frustrates me the most. You know these things, the ones that somehow you were just sucked into. Whether it be from circumstance or relation we all have these and sometimes they can be the most draining. I am realizing today that if I could mark those things off my list I probably wouldn’t be as tired when dealing with the others.

Then God prompted me to create another separate list and title it “Things that I make people labor against”. Sometimes God just isn’t fair when shoving a mirror in our face as we are pointing the finger to others. He is always sifting, isn’t He?

Anyone out there tired of being tired? Are you worn out by your list of things that you labor against? Are you exhausted from fighting against someone or for something that is so out of your control but yet the cords that bind you to it or so tight that until victory is won over it you are stuck with it, being pulled along, sometimes dragged around by it?

Have you become so consumed by bitterness and hurt by betrayal or loss that you have lost all respect, and all focus on the things that really matter? And for your life you can’t let that person or that hurt go long enough for either one of you to take a breath?

Listen, can you imagine the thrill the Enemy must feel when we become our own masters of destruction? When he has to do nothing but make us acutely aware of how hopeless and desperate our situations become and then he sits back and waits for us to react. How many of us are tired of reacting off of our emotions! I know I am. We serve a God who is so much more powerful than that. He created us for heaven’s sake and gave us every single emotion that we feel, to every extreme that we can feel it. He didn’t set us up for failure. He offered us free will mixed with the power of hope that covers our faith. We are left with one choice, what are we going to do with it?

If after trying everything else why not give Him chance? Sometimes this can happen in the middle of what we feel are the best seasons we have with Him. I can’t tell you how it happens each time but I know that if I lose focus for a day, and God help some of us, for the loss of focus we have had for years, then the footing we have dug our heals into so deep gets ripped away faster than all the strength we’ve spent planting it combined. Then we are left with nothing but the overwhelming feeling of defeat.

So whatever you labor today, or whatever you are making someone labor against remember that He wants you to come to Him and He will give you rest (and thank goodness the much needed rest to others too).

Sometimes I think we just make it too hard. We think knowing Him and serving Him is too hard or too difficult and let’s be honest some of you think it is flat out just not a necessity or too weird.  I promise you it is all of those things and none of those things at the same time. There are times where I would stand on a street corner if the circumstance was right and wear the “Jesus Freak” t-shirt just like some of the others. Then there are the times I am so internally humiliated by doing something that He has called me to do that I hardly know how to pull it off. Just so you know, It isn’t always those extremes. I think they happen to me a lot because I still deal with pride and comfort that doesn’t belong within me. After all when I came back to Him I made the promise that whatever it was I would be willing, and I am always reminded of that when I want to crawl under my bed and hide...be careful what you commit to. Not really, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Yes, I am tired and yes life is crazy but thank you LORD that you are offer us a resting place. Safe in the arms of you, secured by the sacrifice of your Son, and bound by the covenant and the promise of eternal life everlasting. I pray that each of us lay this list of burdens down to you this week and you minister to us as to where the changes can occur and in between all of this that you would give is rest. The old saying, “No rest for the weary” is only true if the weary don’t turn to you. For this is the day that the LORD has made, I will rejoice (after much needed rest) and be glad in it.

***Follow up from Security in My Savior

I felt that this was important to tell you this after yesterday’s post. I always know after I write something if the Holy Spirit was woven through it from the responses I get. There are plenty of times, actually most of the time that I will make my weekly post and hear nothing at all. Then every once in a while I will have a response that is huge. I knew yesterday when I sat down that this was going to be one of those posts. It was not at all what I had in mind to say, but since I fully committed this blog to the sole glory of God I knew to completely step back and give Him full reign.

The reason I am telling you all of this is because as soon as I finished posting yesterday I felt attacked. I took on a sadness over different things that were going on and acted out my extreme frustrations on my husband and even my children. I found myself mad and eventually exhausted and had no real reasoning behind it. My point is this. If we are going to claim to be and step out of our comfort zones to live a life fully devoted to God, then we better get ready for war. The enemy takes no time at all to test us. All Satan has to do is throw a few curve balls to see how we react to them. Are we going to do and live the way we talk about in church and in our bible studies or are we going to crack under the pressure and react out of our flesh?

I am not one who talks about Satan much, nor do I give him much credit for the actions or situations in my life, however sometimes it is just necessary to call it what it is and put a stop to it right away. After I realized what was going on with me last night I loaded up my kids, took them for ice cream and went to the church to play basketball and volleyball. I tried to make amends with my husband this morning and opened my bible for a fresh word for today. This morning I had a friend who told me that she was feeling spiritually attacked today, it was then that I jumped on here to make this post. I opened a website and the scripture of the day was this. Ephesians 6:12-13, (I am going to give you the full verse for the Armor of God), ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Be strong in your decisions.

Don’t be fearful and do not fall for the devils schemes. We serve a God that is so much bigger than that. And remember, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7

Security in My Savior

Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up. James 4:10 

Man, do I ever need to be lifted up. I have literally sat in my chair and cried my heart out over two families that have lost loved ones in the last 24 hours. One was the young mother I had mentioned before who has left behind her 3 year old little girl and the other was a local 8^th grader who after 9 days of fighting for his life from a brain aneurism has went to be with the Lord. It’s hard to describe how through the body of Christ you can be so connected with others that you don’t even know. Somehow their pain becomes your pain and then we are all left with one thing in common…Jesus.

I thought it would be fitting to share with you the endless, limitless, countless love of Jesus today. I know some of you I may lose here but if you will just hang in here with me it will be so worth it. Some of you reading this may have a long history of knowing Him, others only read this because you are curious of what crazy thing I may write in here week after week. Whoever you are and where ever you have been or currently are at, you are welcome here.

So before we get started I want to pray. Heavenly Father, I ask you to take this time that each of us spends with you today to open our hearts for new things. I ask that you make the confusing parts of all of this clear and that you make the necessity of knowing you and serving you applicable in each of our lives. I pray that you would become so real to us and allow us to experience you in ways that we know that we know, who you are. Give us eyes to see you, hearts to love you and need to serve you. Heal us of our judgment and our hypocrisy. Give us the ability to know you and love you, for some of us even more. I ask this in your sons Holy saving name. Amen

2 Timothy 1:7

For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and sound mind.

I’m sorry, did He just say sound mind? Well count me in. I struggle so much with fear and dealing with anxious thoughts that this passage speaks mountains to me. Before I was saved I assumed that becoming a Christian was hard, and honestly weird. I didn’t want to make changes because I didn’t see the necessity for it. I didn’t even feel the need to worship or love something that was living way up in the sky somewhere and could never grasp a word from the Bible. Wow, I have come a long way. Do you want to know why I needed Jesus? Because he is the only one that could handle me. I put so much on people, high expectations, feelings and emotions, security, and you know what…they always let me down. The fact is it wasn’t their fault. It was just me trying to replace God with something else, trust me as long as you try this, and some will do it until they are put in the grave, it will never work and you will never be satisfied. I don’t want to spend my whole life unsatisfied, do you? I know a few of you are thinking, who do you think you are…I am satisfied, but are you really? Or do you constantly find yourself searching and trying new things to keep you going. Have you ever tried to take a week and just sit still?

This week I want to give you a little homework. Grab something to write on and title it this, “Finding Security in My Savior”. Then underneath it I want you to list 5 things that currently in your life make you feel secure. Then for the next 7 days I want you to pray over these things and ask God to show if these are things worth feeling secure over and if you need to replace anything with Him. Do you know what it means to replace something with Him? It is simple. Give Him authority over it. Stretch your faith, tell Him you trust Him in these areas and ask Him to give you peace over it. Ask Him to know what it means to love Him and to feel the love He has for you. Open up and talk it out with Him. Even in taking the first steps in being saved are so simple. Admit to God that you are a sinner and that without Grace we deserve hell. Ask Him to come into your heart and take authority over your life. Acknowledge that Jesus died on the cross for the salvation of your sins and to tear down the walls (the veil) that separated us from God. Ask God to help you understand that because of this sacrifice we have opportunity for real relationship, a true love romance relationship with Him. Ask forgiveness for your sins and daily seek Him.

If you made this decision today, or any day then talk to me or someone that is a Christian about it. It is the most important decision you could ever make in your life. Then hang on, because you are about to experience life and love in ways that were undesirable before.

It’s not that there is always this huge physical feeling when it comes to God, no doubt I feel Him often, but that isn’t what it is all about. It’s more the yearning to fulfill your gifts and your calling. It’s a separation from wanting what the world says you should want and needing what God created for you. It’s about loving Him and His people, and it is about the God given enjoyment of serving.  

He is a forgiving God, he pours out His mercy and grace on us and redeems the shame from our sins.

He is a loving God, who unconditionally loves us no matter the choice’s we have made or circumstance we choose.

He is also a God who Judges, and He does so in His righteousness and honor and glory for the love of His people and purpose of His Kingdom.

So come to Him. Surrender any thoughts you may have against Him. You can’t question who God is harder than I did or fight any harder against knowing Him than I did for many years. Then one day, after he had reached out to me some many times, He plainly said, “Enough”. I found myself trip lined flat on my face and after spending more time there than I wanted I slowly got the courage to limb by limb raise up into His loving arms. I wore myself out riding the fence, I am so glad I am miles away from it on the right side now.

I pray that God would give you clarity this week and move your heart to know him and for those of you who already know Him to know Him even more.

For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and love and sound mind…the rest is up to you. One of my favorite teachers often says, “Bend the knee or He’ll break them”. I’ve walked on crutches a time or two.

Be Blessed

I know not everyone is comfortable commenting, here is my e-mail if you ever need or want to talk about anything.
kd.watts2007@yahoo.com