it's 12:43 a.m. and i can't sleep... just an f.y.i. :)
in church last sunday, my dad preached an awesome message titled "next." (you can download it HERE) amazing to me how i get excited over that one word. next. if you are in a season anything like mine, next offers hope, interest and relief! next holds within it the potential for change...
dad made this statement "God will only have me stay in one place because of my doings or my not doings." a powerful statement. to further quote him, he has also said many times in the past "application is the foundation of fruitfulness."
all of this came together for me a couple of days ago - i've been doing a study of the book of james and so much of what i've been dwelling on in that book ties it all together...
"you can't pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God's law and ignoring others...do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? do i hear you professing to believe in the One and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? that's just great. demons do that, but what good does it do them?". - james 2 (the message)
whether i move to the next level, the next season, the next opportunity, the next whatever is based on my doings. or not doings. shouting "AMEN!" when dad preaches about the "next," singing israel houghton's "moving forward" or "another level" with all my vibrato, journaling scriptures about "see, I am doing a new thing"....these are all well and good - but will they usher me into the next phase? on their own, i'm thinking probably not.
what am i doing? merely acknowledging the need, desire and determination for change will not bring change. a good starting place, but that has to develop into doing. making a daily schedule for myself detailing the particulars of a new course of action to bring me into the next level of whatever is great...but until i JUST DO IT, i'll have only scheduled potential, not reality.
i believe in the principle of tithing - i acknowledge it's truth.
but am i tithing?
i believe in the cause of the Kingdom, winning souls and making disciples.
but am i actually telling people about Jesus?
i believe in good health and staying fit.
but am i still drinking four cokes a day and eating six chapati's for dinner?
i believe in showing the world the love of Christ.
but am i being kind to my family, my co-workers, the waitress who's too slow?
i believe in the power of prayer.
but am i praying?
i believe in the power of God's Word.
but am i reading it? studying it? obeying it?
this is what God spoke to my heart two days ago...
"rebekah, I cannot bless what you believe...
I can only bless what you do."
if i am given seed that is GUARANTEED to be good quality and sure to produce good fruit and i shout about it, write down rhema's in my journal about the best farming techniques, read the accounts of great farmers who have gone before me, write an album full of songs about how grateful i am for the seed, how excited and willing i am to go into the field and sow it, choreograph an interpretive dance using ribbons and lots of ballet jumps and minister it in church, write the most eloquent and moving spoken word and make a youtube video of it that goes viral, declare every day the power that it has, command abundance to come forth out of it, fast and pray for the overflow of harvest from it, host a workshop and then a conference about it, start a ministry called "guaranteed seed heavenly harvest ministries" and tell my friends that they should get some of this seed too.....will any of that bring fruit?????? as wonderful as my motives, excitement, passion, faith, expectation and demonstrations of belief may be, will any of that turn into fruit????
unless i till the soil, plant the seed, water the ground, uproot the weeds...unless i do that, i would have only built monuments of make-believe, turned into a hero of hypocrisy and gathered followers of fantasy.
the scripture says that "knowledge puffs up...".
we often have a false sense of security because we KNOW.
we say, we teach, we talk, we shout hallelujah...
but are we doing what we know to do?
i don't know about you, but i'm ready for the next,
i'm hungry for the harvest,
and i'll do what i gotta do.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
the up-side of being thrown into a furnace...
first blog of 2012 - it being april, that is slightly pathetic...
but the last couple of months have been, how shall i describe them...
horrible? amazing? purpose filled? embarrassing? exciting? all of the above...??
it's hard to describe how the worst things can turn out to be the best things in disguise...
like the torture of going to the dentist to remove the tooth that's been making life miserable for weeks, but at the same time, the SWEET JOY of relief when the pain is finally gone.
it's the pain of removal that leads to the freedom of pain...
does that make sense to anyone but me? :)
in daniel 3, there's a story we all know. the three boys, shadrach, meshach and abednego (props to the parents for seriously unique names)... they decide not to give into peer pressure (the whole nation bowing to an idol, thousands upon thousands of people except for them) and as a reward for their unwavering commitment to righteousness, they get bound and thrown into a fire so hot that men simply standing close to it died.
as i've been walking through challenges the past few weeks,
i've been thinking about this story a lot.
a lot a lot.
so much in this story speaks to me, but the crucial part for me starts in daniel 3:19...
"nebuchadnezzer (again - unbelievably creative naming skills from the parents) ... ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. he ordered strong men from the army to TIE THEM UP, hands and feet, and THROW THEM into the furnace. shadrach, meshach and abednego, BOUND HAND AND FOOT, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire."
(emphasis added - also the part about creative parental naming skills)
later, the king freaks out when he looks in and sees four men in the fire. he double-checks with his staff to make sure how many were thrown in, then says "'but look! i see four men, WALKING AROUND FREELY IN THE FIRE, completely unharmed! and the fourth man looks like the son of the gods!" (vs.25)
he calls out to the men and the next verses are BEAUTIFUL... "shadrach, meshach and abednego WALKED out of the fire. all the important people, the government leaders and king's counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn't so much as touched the three men - not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them!" (vs.26b-27)
the up-side of being thrown into the furnace...
#1. freedom is found in the fire...
it amazes me, every time i read it, that strong men tied them up, hands and feet,
and threw them in.
they were thrown in in bound.
they were thrown in helpless.
they were thrown in with the things the "strong men" had put on them.
they were thrown in for doing the right thing.
they were thrown in after standing in faith.
YET...the king saw them "walking around freely in the fire" and they WALKED out.
thrown in bound, walked out free.
the fire wasn't allowed to touch them. they came out without even a hair singed (and from a fire that could kill people at a distance, that's pretty unreal).
the only thing that was there before the fire that was NOT there after??? the bondages.
the only thing the fire consumed?? what the strong men had put on them.
the only thing the flames burned??? the ties that kept them from moving freely.
#2. the Fourth Man is in the fire...
notice, not before and not after.
in the place that was meant to destroy them, they found the Deliverer.
in the place meant to hurt them, they found the Healer.
in the place intended to finish them, they found God.
#3. faith is furnished by the fire...
those who had just invested massive amounts of money into an idol were suddenly converted into believers by what they witnessed. the testimony of those men, the miracle of them walking out without even the smell of smoke confounded the wisest, humbled the proudest and persuaded the leaders that THIS GOD was worthy of worship and allegiance.
so... i think God let me get thrown in to my "furnace" for several reasons...
He wants to deal with the things that are binding me.
He wants to reveal Himself to me in a way i can only see in the fire.
He wants the outcome of the fire to be a testimony to those observing.
and it's been happening... like a dentist's appointment, the place i really didn't want to be has turned out to be where i'm finding freedom, deliverance, purpose, miracles,
grace, and JESUS like never before.
i'm not coming out scarred and wounded and bleeding and dying... oh no...
i may have been thrown in, but i'm WALKING out! FREELY!
so if you're in a fire too, from one furnace-dweller to another... it's SO worth it!!
go in knowing, "you will walk through the fire and NOT be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze." isaiah 43:2
but the last couple of months have been, how shall i describe them...
horrible? amazing? purpose filled? embarrassing? exciting? all of the above...??
it's hard to describe how the worst things can turn out to be the best things in disguise...
like the torture of going to the dentist to remove the tooth that's been making life miserable for weeks, but at the same time, the SWEET JOY of relief when the pain is finally gone.
it's the pain of removal that leads to the freedom of pain...
does that make sense to anyone but me? :)
in daniel 3, there's a story we all know. the three boys, shadrach, meshach and abednego (props to the parents for seriously unique names)... they decide not to give into peer pressure (the whole nation bowing to an idol, thousands upon thousands of people except for them) and as a reward for their unwavering commitment to righteousness, they get bound and thrown into a fire so hot that men simply standing close to it died.
as i've been walking through challenges the past few weeks,
i've been thinking about this story a lot.
a lot a lot.
so much in this story speaks to me, but the crucial part for me starts in daniel 3:19...
"nebuchadnezzer (again - unbelievably creative naming skills from the parents) ... ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. he ordered strong men from the army to TIE THEM UP, hands and feet, and THROW THEM into the furnace. shadrach, meshach and abednego, BOUND HAND AND FOOT, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire."
(emphasis added - also the part about creative parental naming skills)
later, the king freaks out when he looks in and sees four men in the fire. he double-checks with his staff to make sure how many were thrown in, then says "'but look! i see four men, WALKING AROUND FREELY IN THE FIRE, completely unharmed! and the fourth man looks like the son of the gods!" (vs.25)
he calls out to the men and the next verses are BEAUTIFUL... "shadrach, meshach and abednego WALKED out of the fire. all the important people, the government leaders and king's counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn't so much as touched the three men - not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them!" (vs.26b-27)
the up-side of being thrown into the furnace...
#1. freedom is found in the fire...
it amazes me, every time i read it, that strong men tied them up, hands and feet,
and threw them in.
they were thrown in in bound.
they were thrown in helpless.
they were thrown in with the things the "strong men" had put on them.
they were thrown in for doing the right thing.
they were thrown in after standing in faith.
YET...the king saw them "walking around freely in the fire" and they WALKED out.
thrown in bound, walked out free.
the fire wasn't allowed to touch them. they came out without even a hair singed (and from a fire that could kill people at a distance, that's pretty unreal).
the only thing that was there before the fire that was NOT there after??? the bondages.
the only thing the fire consumed?? what the strong men had put on them.
the only thing the flames burned??? the ties that kept them from moving freely.
#2. the Fourth Man is in the fire...
notice, not before and not after.
in the place that was meant to destroy them, they found the Deliverer.
in the place meant to hurt them, they found the Healer.
in the place intended to finish them, they found God.
#3. faith is furnished by the fire...
those who had just invested massive amounts of money into an idol were suddenly converted into believers by what they witnessed. the testimony of those men, the miracle of them walking out without even the smell of smoke confounded the wisest, humbled the proudest and persuaded the leaders that THIS GOD was worthy of worship and allegiance.
so... i think God let me get thrown in to my "furnace" for several reasons...
He wants to deal with the things that are binding me.
He wants to reveal Himself to me in a way i can only see in the fire.
He wants the outcome of the fire to be a testimony to those observing.
and it's been happening... like a dentist's appointment, the place i really didn't want to be has turned out to be where i'm finding freedom, deliverance, purpose, miracles,
grace, and JESUS like never before.
i'm not coming out scarred and wounded and bleeding and dying... oh no...
i may have been thrown in, but i'm WALKING out! FREELY!
so if you're in a fire too, from one furnace-dweller to another... it's SO worth it!!
go in knowing, "you will walk through the fire and NOT be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze." isaiah 43:2
Monday, November 14, 2011
yes...you SHOULD be here...
last week, as i was traveling home from a couple of weeks in the states, i had a frustrating and eye-opening experience.
my first flight was nine hours of massive discomfort trying to sleep in an economy seat cruelly designed for people much shorter and skinnier than myself. my chair didn't recline and the armrest had broken piece that kept digging into my hip. the gentleman sitting beside me was about 6 ft. 5 in. so, together, we were both trying to "politely" get as much leg room as we could to keep circulation going down to our feet... not easy.
definitely not comfortable.
having dozed through the in-flight meal, i arrived in amsterdam hungry, sore and frustrated. i had a nine hour layover. i started walking around the airport trying to think of how to pass nine hours...
being a true-blue matheny, food was first on my agenda... i headed upstairs to a food-court and paid WAY TOO MUCH for a burger and a coke. only partially satiated, i continued to walk around. only 8 hours and 20 more minutes to go.... sheesh....
i walked and walked, browsed in the stores, watched people, drank from the water fountain, walked some more.... only 20 more minutes gone by...
i went back up to the restaurants to find coffee and somewhere to chill and out of the corner of my eye, i saw this...
beautiful, inviting, warm... and somewhere in the back of my mind, i thought i remembered my dad telling me something about my ticket and a lounge i could rest in... am i allowed in there??? as i contemplated walking in to ask, the magical glass doors open and out walk a group of business men in expensive suits. at the same time, a couple of ladies from behind me walked in... they had super high heels and expensive smelling perfume. i stood there in my jeans, t-shirt and $3 body spray from walmart, watched as they were greeted by the hostess, and feeling sufficiently assured that i would not be allowed in, turned around and went to search for my coffee. for which i paid $9 (like, 800/=!!)
i found a place to sit and i waited and waited. as time went by, i started to feel the effects of the way-too-expensive caffeine wearing off and my long night of battling the tall guy for leg space coming on.
i contorted myself in my chair to try to get some sleep.
then it got cold.
really cold.
and i didn't have a sweater or jacket.
finally, exhaustion, cold and tearful frustration meshed together to create a desperate boldness. i went back up to the lounge.
the crown lounge.
i walked in and hesitantly went to the ladies behind the desk.
"i'm not sure i should be here," i said to one of them.
she asked to see my ticket, which i sheepishly handed over, fully expecting her to turn me away.
but she looked up at me, smiled, and said these words...
"yes. you should be here."
i walked around the desk and what did i see? a buffet. soups and salads. bread. stew. fruit and cheese and .... oh my gosh!! a cuppucino maker!! all for FREE! all for me!!! huge, big chairs!
places to rest comfortably! warm carpets on the floor... it had been here for the 8 hours i had been suffering downstairs...
it was all just waiting for me to claim it!!
i felt relieved and FOOLISH at the same time!
HOW could i not have had the boldness to ask before?!?
well... i enjoyed my one hour in the crown lounge, then onto my next flight.. :)
here's what i thought... my wonderful dad has spent YEARS travelling in uncomfortable seats, spent hours on long layovers in freezing airports... he's done it all, and as the result of the price he paid, i now get to enjoy the benefits of all the miles he's travelled.
he paid the price - i get the reward.
i'm not the rich businessman or the ladies in high heels and designer perfume.
i'm the chic in jeans and walmart body spray.
but i belong here too. why? cuz dad made the way.
i just have to walk in and enjoy it.
if i remain outside because i'm intimidated and not sure i qualify... well, that's sad. and that's how SO MANY of us are as believers... we're outside, cold, hungry, being "ripped off," when the free-flowing cuppucino is just WAITING for us! our DAD has paid the price for us to enter the "crown lounge"... we are royalty! we qualify!!
so... in case you are tired, sore, hungry and frustrated from the journey... you need to remember the price has already been paid for you...
yes... you should be here...
my first flight was nine hours of massive discomfort trying to sleep in an economy seat cruelly designed for people much shorter and skinnier than myself. my chair didn't recline and the armrest had broken piece that kept digging into my hip. the gentleman sitting beside me was about 6 ft. 5 in. so, together, we were both trying to "politely" get as much leg room as we could to keep circulation going down to our feet... not easy.
definitely not comfortable.
having dozed through the in-flight meal, i arrived in amsterdam hungry, sore and frustrated. i had a nine hour layover. i started walking around the airport trying to think of how to pass nine hours...
being a true-blue matheny, food was first on my agenda... i headed upstairs to a food-court and paid WAY TOO MUCH for a burger and a coke. only partially satiated, i continued to walk around. only 8 hours and 20 more minutes to go.... sheesh....
i walked and walked, browsed in the stores, watched people, drank from the water fountain, walked some more.... only 20 more minutes gone by...
i went back up to the restaurants to find coffee and somewhere to chill and out of the corner of my eye, i saw this...
beautiful, inviting, warm... and somewhere in the back of my mind, i thought i remembered my dad telling me something about my ticket and a lounge i could rest in... am i allowed in there??? as i contemplated walking in to ask, the magical glass doors open and out walk a group of business men in expensive suits. at the same time, a couple of ladies from behind me walked in... they had super high heels and expensive smelling perfume. i stood there in my jeans, t-shirt and $3 body spray from walmart, watched as they were greeted by the hostess, and feeling sufficiently assured that i would not be allowed in, turned around and went to search for my coffee. for which i paid $9 (like, 800/=!!)
i found a place to sit and i waited and waited. as time went by, i started to feel the effects of the way-too-expensive caffeine wearing off and my long night of battling the tall guy for leg space coming on.
i contorted myself in my chair to try to get some sleep.
then it got cold.
really cold.
and i didn't have a sweater or jacket.
finally, exhaustion, cold and tearful frustration meshed together to create a desperate boldness. i went back up to the lounge.
the crown lounge.
i walked in and hesitantly went to the ladies behind the desk.
"i'm not sure i should be here," i said to one of them.
she asked to see my ticket, which i sheepishly handed over, fully expecting her to turn me away.
but she looked up at me, smiled, and said these words...
"yes. you should be here."
i walked around the desk and what did i see? a buffet. soups and salads. bread. stew. fruit and cheese and .... oh my gosh!! a cuppucino maker!! all for FREE! all for me!!! huge, big chairs!
places to rest comfortably! warm carpets on the floor... it had been here for the 8 hours i had been suffering downstairs...
it was all just waiting for me to claim it!!
i felt relieved and FOOLISH at the same time!
HOW could i not have had the boldness to ask before?!?
well... i enjoyed my one hour in the crown lounge, then onto my next flight.. :)
here's what i thought... my wonderful dad has spent YEARS travelling in uncomfortable seats, spent hours on long layovers in freezing airports... he's done it all, and as the result of the price he paid, i now get to enjoy the benefits of all the miles he's travelled.
he paid the price - i get the reward.
i'm not the rich businessman or the ladies in high heels and designer perfume.
i'm the chic in jeans and walmart body spray.
but i belong here too. why? cuz dad made the way.
i just have to walk in and enjoy it.
if i remain outside because i'm intimidated and not sure i qualify... well, that's sad. and that's how SO MANY of us are as believers... we're outside, cold, hungry, being "ripped off," when the free-flowing cuppucino is just WAITING for us! our DAD has paid the price for us to enter the "crown lounge"... we are royalty! we qualify!!
so... in case you are tired, sore, hungry and frustrated from the journey... you need to remember the price has already been paid for you...
yes... you should be here...
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
kill or keep??
one of the most famous stories in the Bible is the story of abraham offering isaac... but let me take a few minutes to point out some interesting things from this story that stand out to me...
i'm sure you're familiar with the story... abraham had been promised generations that would number as many as the stars in the sky... all of these were to come from the one son that he had miraculously been given: isaac. his wife, sarah, gave birth to isaac when she was far past child-bearing years. isaac was the promised child. he was the prophecy fulfilled. he was the joy of sarah, the hope of abraham.
then, one day, God speaks to abraham. "take your son, your only son, isaac, and go to the land of moriah - sacrifice him there as a burnt offering." (genesis 22:2) what sounds totally absurd, and even cruel, abraham responds to with immediate obedience.
he takes isaac on the greatest journey of faith - they travel to the region of moriah, to the mountain God showed him. once they got close, abraham said to the servants, "stay here with the donkeys. the boy and i are going over there to WORSHIP..." (gen.22:5)
first thing to note: this is the first time the word "worship" is mentioned in the Bible. it's not related to music, singing, a band, lyrics, dance... none of the that. the first time worship is mentioned, it's referring to obedience, sacrifice, trust, total faith. WOW!!!
when isaac and abraham are walking up the mountain, isaac says, "dad, we've got the wood and the flint... but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?" (gen. 22:7 paraphrased)
second thing to note: isaac was abraham's flesh and blood - his offspring. when you are on the path to obedience, many times your flesh will speak up and start pointing out what is missing... or try to talk you out of what you're going to do. i don't think isaac was intentionally doing that (to be honest, though scripture doesn't say, i don't think isaac knew what was coming... he was just making observations). still, the point is... this was a dad going to sacrifice his child - and on the way up, his beloved son spoke up and pointed out the very thing that was breaking his heart - there was no sheep. isaac was to be the sheep. how tempting it must have been for abraham to just turn around and forget what God had said.
once they got to the place God showed abraham, he prepared the altar, laid out the wood, and then tied up isaac and laid him on the wood. again, the Scripture does not go into much detail here, but i absolutely cannot imagine a young boy eagerly and happily laying on the altar of his own death. even if he was submitted and willing to obey, you know there must have been fear, tears, amazing conflict to trust. imagine what it must've been like for abraham - looking down at his beautiful son, seeing the struggle in isaac's eyes to trust that his father know's what he's doing...perhaps doubting abraham's love, maybe crying out, maybe struggling against his father... oh my gosh, it must've been such an emotional moment for them both. for abraham, having to fight his will and his understanding and his reasoning - struggling with submission in the moment of sacrifice.
and at the greatest moment of the test, the climax of conflict between his spirit and soul, when abraham raised the knife to slay isaac....
"just then an angel of God called to him out of heaven, 'abraham! abraham!' 'yes, i'm listening.'" - genesis 22:11
third thing to note: in the most emotional, stressful, challenging moment of his life, abraham was still able to hear God's voice. he didn't let his emotions override the moment... he was still sensitive, still listening, still attentive... he heard the "now word" of God.
if abraham had gotten swept away by the feelings of the moment, he would've missed out on what God was saying...
he would have killed what God intended for him to keep.
i want to challenge you today - what is God saying to you NOW?? abraham WAS indeed walking in obedience to what God had said... but he was also tuned to the fresh word, the "now" word. are you? are you letting the emotions, the sacrifice, the pain, the questions, the frustration override your choice to listen to God? what is He telling you to do? listen out for what He's saying... over every voice of fear, doubt, anxiety, hurt... listen for the voice of God!!
i'm sure you're familiar with the story... abraham had been promised generations that would number as many as the stars in the sky... all of these were to come from the one son that he had miraculously been given: isaac. his wife, sarah, gave birth to isaac when she was far past child-bearing years. isaac was the promised child. he was the prophecy fulfilled. he was the joy of sarah, the hope of abraham.
then, one day, God speaks to abraham. "take your son, your only son, isaac, and go to the land of moriah - sacrifice him there as a burnt offering." (genesis 22:2) what sounds totally absurd, and even cruel, abraham responds to with immediate obedience.
he takes isaac on the greatest journey of faith - they travel to the region of moriah, to the mountain God showed him. once they got close, abraham said to the servants, "stay here with the donkeys. the boy and i are going over there to WORSHIP..." (gen.22:5)
first thing to note: this is the first time the word "worship" is mentioned in the Bible. it's not related to music, singing, a band, lyrics, dance... none of the that. the first time worship is mentioned, it's referring to obedience, sacrifice, trust, total faith. WOW!!!
when isaac and abraham are walking up the mountain, isaac says, "dad, we've got the wood and the flint... but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?" (gen. 22:7 paraphrased)
second thing to note: isaac was abraham's flesh and blood - his offspring. when you are on the path to obedience, many times your flesh will speak up and start pointing out what is missing... or try to talk you out of what you're going to do. i don't think isaac was intentionally doing that (to be honest, though scripture doesn't say, i don't think isaac knew what was coming... he was just making observations). still, the point is... this was a dad going to sacrifice his child - and on the way up, his beloved son spoke up and pointed out the very thing that was breaking his heart - there was no sheep. isaac was to be the sheep. how tempting it must have been for abraham to just turn around and forget what God had said.
once they got to the place God showed abraham, he prepared the altar, laid out the wood, and then tied up isaac and laid him on the wood. again, the Scripture does not go into much detail here, but i absolutely cannot imagine a young boy eagerly and happily laying on the altar of his own death. even if he was submitted and willing to obey, you know there must have been fear, tears, amazing conflict to trust. imagine what it must've been like for abraham - looking down at his beautiful son, seeing the struggle in isaac's eyes to trust that his father know's what he's doing...perhaps doubting abraham's love, maybe crying out, maybe struggling against his father... oh my gosh, it must've been such an emotional moment for them both. for abraham, having to fight his will and his understanding and his reasoning - struggling with submission in the moment of sacrifice.
and at the greatest moment of the test, the climax of conflict between his spirit and soul, when abraham raised the knife to slay isaac....
"just then an angel of God called to him out of heaven, 'abraham! abraham!' 'yes, i'm listening.'" - genesis 22:11
third thing to note: in the most emotional, stressful, challenging moment of his life, abraham was still able to hear God's voice. he didn't let his emotions override the moment... he was still sensitive, still listening, still attentive... he heard the "now word" of God.
if abraham had gotten swept away by the feelings of the moment, he would've missed out on what God was saying...
he would have killed what God intended for him to keep.
i want to challenge you today - what is God saying to you NOW?? abraham WAS indeed walking in obedience to what God had said... but he was also tuned to the fresh word, the "now" word. are you? are you letting the emotions, the sacrifice, the pain, the questions, the frustration override your choice to listen to God? what is He telling you to do? listen out for what He's saying... over every voice of fear, doubt, anxiety, hurt... listen for the voice of God!!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
...i'm sorry, i'm just too busy...
"Jesus answered by telling a story. "There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man." - Luke 10 (the Message Bible)
this story that Jesus told was stirred in my heart this morning. it's about a man who has been hurt, beaten, robbed and desperately in need of help. the first person to pass him by is a priest - a spiritual leader. we don't know why, but for whatever reason, this "Christian" crosses over to the other side. the second man to pass the beaten man is a "Levite religious man".... but Scripture says he "avoided the injured man."
sadly, and shamefully, this is often so true of my life
and the lives of so many believers.
we are too busy.
we are on our way to somewhere really important.
we have responsibilities.
we have an agenda.
we have our program.
how often do we, the Church, walk right past those who are hurt, beaten, robbed and desperately in need of help... so often, we don't even have the eyes to see them. if we DO see them, then we don't have the "time" to meet the need...we're too busy....
how often do we "avoid the injured" and find it easier to look for those who won't cost us too much time, finances or personal sacrifice/involvement.
by our actions, we can so easily send this message:
"i know i have the power to put a smile on your face.
i know i am capable of meeting your need.
i know that if i just took a few minutes out of my day,
i could make your day so much better,
i could encourage you and strengthen you.
i know you've probably been ignored, looked down on,
rejected, pushed aside and you're questioning if anyone sees you.
i know i could make a difference...
...i'm sorry...i'm just too busy."
while i may not have the resources at my disposal to radically invest in turning someone's life totally around, i can do SOMETHING - i can buy one extra loaf of bread at the store and give it out to someone in need, or take a few flowers home to my mama, or smile at the kid who's begging at my window and find out his name...i can speak life. i can remind someone that they are VALUABLE, that they matter... i can do something.
there was once a man who was so distraught at seeing the blind, the beggars, the crippled and the orphaned in the streets that he cried out, "oh Great God! how can Thou,
being a Good Creator, do nothing about this horrible suffering?"
and God's answer?
"I did do something. I made you."
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing
because he could only do a little." ~Edmund Burke
you can do something.
you can make someone's world a better place TODAY!
you can SHOW the love of Jesus TODAY!
you can warm someone's heart TODAY!
you can be the answer to someone's prayer...
if you see the need, then most likely, you're the one God put there to meet it.
don't pass by... don't look the other way...
"Act as if what you do makes a difference.
It does."
~William James
this story that Jesus told was stirred in my heart this morning. it's about a man who has been hurt, beaten, robbed and desperately in need of help. the first person to pass him by is a priest - a spiritual leader. we don't know why, but for whatever reason, this "Christian" crosses over to the other side. the second man to pass the beaten man is a "Levite religious man".... but Scripture says he "avoided the injured man."
sadly, and shamefully, this is often so true of my life
and the lives of so many believers.
we are too busy.
we are on our way to somewhere really important.
we have responsibilities.
we have an agenda.
we have our program.
how often do we, the Church, walk right past those who are hurt, beaten, robbed and desperately in need of help... so often, we don't even have the eyes to see them. if we DO see them, then we don't have the "time" to meet the need...we're too busy....
how often do we "avoid the injured" and find it easier to look for those who won't cost us too much time, finances or personal sacrifice/involvement.
by our actions, we can so easily send this message:
"i know i have the power to put a smile on your face.
i know i am capable of meeting your need.
i know that if i just took a few minutes out of my day,
i could make your day so much better,
i could encourage you and strengthen you.
i know you've probably been ignored, looked down on,
rejected, pushed aside and you're questioning if anyone sees you.
i know i could make a difference...
...i'm sorry...i'm just too busy."
while i may not have the resources at my disposal to radically invest in turning someone's life totally around, i can do SOMETHING - i can buy one extra loaf of bread at the store and give it out to someone in need, or take a few flowers home to my mama, or smile at the kid who's begging at my window and find out his name...i can speak life. i can remind someone that they are VALUABLE, that they matter... i can do something.
there was once a man who was so distraught at seeing the blind, the beggars, the crippled and the orphaned in the streets that he cried out, "oh Great God! how can Thou,
being a Good Creator, do nothing about this horrible suffering?"
and God's answer?
"I did do something. I made you."
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing
because he could only do a little." ~Edmund Burke
you can do something.
you can make someone's world a better place TODAY!
you can SHOW the love of Jesus TODAY!
you can warm someone's heart TODAY!
you can be the answer to someone's prayer...
if you see the need, then most likely, you're the one God put there to meet it.
don't pass by... don't look the other way...
"Act as if what you do makes a difference.
It does."
~William James
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
...come higher...
something way down deep inside you knows
beyond every nagging voice of doubt, disappointment and fear
that there is meant to be MORE in this life...
more than frustrated, dull days of repetitious duties,
pointless conversations,
shallow love,
petty issues,
making ends meet....
something way down deep inside you is crying out for LIFE, ADVENTURE, PURPOSE and MAJESTY.
that is the voice of God.
that is Him saying, "I created you for something GREATER.
I did not create you to exist... I created you to LIVE!
see past what your eyes tell you... look into My realm...
see things from My perspective...
you are called to make a difference.
you are called to BE different."
your circumstances don't need to change...
it's time for YOU to change....
rise UP!!! rise UP!!! RISE UP!!!!!!
there is so much more!!
there is so much more than confused attempts at significance!
there is so much more than horrid cycles of sin!
there is so much more than human wisdom, earthly perspective and fleshly pursuits!
come higher...come higher....
COME HIGHER!!!
listen to that little voice...listen to the whisper
listen to the yearning desire that you so easily wave away as lofty ambitions
DREAM AGAIN.
DREAM AGAIN!
DREAM AGAIN!!!!!!
come on! you KNOW you were meant for more!
the past may tell you don't qualify,
the present may tell you it's impossible,
and even the future may tell you it's hopeless...
but the Cross of Calvary is shouting out,
there. is. a. way.
it may be a quiet shout, but it's persistent...
when the voices of failure, hurt, bitterness and hopelesness stop to catch their breath
the TRUTH is still speaking, for HE never stops.
you were made for more...
you were made for more...
you can be more...
....come higher.....
beyond every nagging voice of doubt, disappointment and fear
that there is meant to be MORE in this life...
more than frustrated, dull days of repetitious duties,
pointless conversations,
shallow love,
petty issues,
making ends meet....
something way down deep inside you is crying out for LIFE, ADVENTURE, PURPOSE and MAJESTY.
that is the voice of God.
that is Him saying, "I created you for something GREATER.
I did not create you to exist... I created you to LIVE!
see past what your eyes tell you... look into My realm...
see things from My perspective...
you are called to make a difference.
you are called to BE different."
your circumstances don't need to change...
it's time for YOU to change....
rise UP!!! rise UP!!! RISE UP!!!!!!
there is so much more!!
there is so much more than confused attempts at significance!
there is so much more than horrid cycles of sin!
there is so much more than human wisdom, earthly perspective and fleshly pursuits!
come higher...come higher....
COME HIGHER!!!
listen to that little voice...listen to the whisper
listen to the yearning desire that you so easily wave away as lofty ambitions
DREAM AGAIN.
DREAM AGAIN!
DREAM AGAIN!!!!!!
come on! you KNOW you were meant for more!
the past may tell you don't qualify,
the present may tell you it's impossible,
and even the future may tell you it's hopeless...
but the Cross of Calvary is shouting out,
there. is. a. way.
it may be a quiet shout, but it's persistent...
when the voices of failure, hurt, bitterness and hopelesness stop to catch their breath
the TRUTH is still speaking, for HE never stops.
you were made for more...
you were made for more...
you can be more...
....come higher.....
Thursday, August 25, 2011
..but without love...
when you stop to think about what marks us as followers of Jesus Christ, it's not signs and wonders, miracles, amazing giftings, talent or abilities...
"your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.”
- john 13:35 (new living translation)
love is the hallmark of the believer of Jesus.
love is what sets us apart as His.
love is what identifies us as His followers.
love is the proof and the evidence that we belong to Him.
love - a word we so often mistake for romance, lust, fluttery feelings, comfort, ease, preferences...
love is giving when it's easier to keep.
forgiving when we'd rather hold a grudge.
believing when it's easier to give up.
smiling when we'd rather frown.
serving when it's easier to demand.
sacrificing when we'd rather hold back.
showing kindness when it's easier to show justice.
in fact... 1 corinthians says that i could do AMAZING THINGS for God (eg. give away EVERYTHING i have to the poor, even be a martyr!), BUT without love... it's nothing.
the absence of love negates whatever i've done...
if i give without love, the gift is nothing from His point of view.
wow.
"...if i could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, i would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
if i had the gift of prophecy, and if i understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if i had such faith that i could move mountains, but didn’t love others, i would be nothing.
if i gave everything i have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, i could boast about it; but if i didn’t love others, i would have gained nothing.
love is patient and kind.
love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.
it does not demand its own way.
it is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
it does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins...
love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful,
and endures through every circumstance..."
- 1 corinthians 13 (new living translation)
so take a moment and ask yourself...
if i was to be judged by love alone, how i treat people, my attitude and actions towards others...would the world know i belong to Jesus?
"go after a life of love as if your life depended on it — because it does."
- 1 corinthians 14:1
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