December 31, 2017

Let God Arise

"Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before Him."  Ps. 68:1

In the middle of a battle it is the weakness of the saint who cries out, 'let God arise!'  I met a woman the other day who is in a battle and there is not much at all she can do about it.  She is powerless over the legal system and she faces two undesired options.  All she can do is call out, 'let God arise.'

A group of us gathered around her in supportive prayer.  It was an exquisite picture of the body of Christ - women spending themselves in prayer and intercession on behalf of this woman, who could only sit and weep.  We prayed for the One True Living God to rise up over this woman and over the situation.  We prayed for God's enemies, which are her enemies, to be scattered.  We asked that those who hate the Lord, and her, would flee before Him. 

It is a reminder that when one member of the body is not able to pray, the other members of the body join together to stand in the gap and repair the breach.  May God arise over any battle you find yourself in today.

December 30, 2017

Grace and Peace

"Grace to you and peace be multiplied." 1 Peter 1:2

This is a wonderful prayer.  Peter writes to the "pilgrims of the Dispersion" and if we are carefully tuned in, perhaps we can sense the Lord praying this for us today: grace and peace be multiplied to you.

The prayer is for a multiplication effect.  In the Kingdom addition and subtraction are replaced by multiplication and division.  Here the request is made for something to be multiplied in the lives of people.  We can think about how much peace we have in our lives now and then just meditate upon that peace being multiplied.  So often distraction can bring division, but meditation upon the things of God with the help of the Holy Spirit can result in multiplication.

Next we notice what the prayer is asking to be multiplied.  These are things not material.  Some may call them ethereal, others spiritual.  Peter is asking for grace and peace to be multiplied.  If we think about it, this is a scandalous prayer!  May grace be multiplied to us - grace meaning when we get what we do not deserve.  I don't deserve forgiveness, but grace provides for it.  All the benefits of the shed blood of Jesus - that is abundant grace - and the prayer is for a multiplication of it. 

So it is with peace.  The Greek word for peace is 'eirene' and the name Irene is connected to it.  The word means calmness, tranquility, and absence from strife.  Such peace extends beyond us to our relationships with others, as evidenced by Jesus the Prince of Peace, coming to bring peace, reconciliation, and restoration to broken relationships.  Yes - this kind of peace - multiplied.

Beloved, may grace and peace be multiplied to you this day! 

December 29, 2017

Hear in Heaven

"...then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause."  1 Kings 8:45

This is Solomon's wondrous prayer of dedication at the completion of the temple.  Beginning in 8:22 and continuing through verse 53, the son of David repeatedly prays:

Listen to the cry and prayer of your servant;
Regard the prayer of your servant;
Hear in your heaven Your dwelling place;
When You hear, forgive;
Hear in heaven, and act;
Hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and give to everyone according to all his ways; and
Hear in heaven their prayer and supplication, and maintain their cause.

This is our prayer and our cry to the Lord: listen, regard, hear in heaven!  Forgive, act, give, and maintain our cause according to Your will.  What power and boldness we have in approaching God!  We can pour out our supplications and prayer before Him.  When others around us may be busy and not available, our God makes time for us and is always available.

December 28, 2017

More Than Conquerors

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”  Rom. 8:37

Have you found yourself in a battle lately?  Are you facing that battle from the position of victory, whereby you can enforce God's victory through Jesus Christ over the situation?  Paul tells in Romans that we are "more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

The term “more than conquerors” means:

• To gain a decisive victory;
• To vanquish beyond;
• To have an abundant victory!

In all these things is a direct reference to the tribulation, persecution, famine, peril and other adversities described in verse 35.  Paul writes that in those things, despite those things, during those things we are more than conquerors – we will gain a decisive and abundant victory over those things! 

The key is that we gain the victory “through Him.”  We cannot do it on our own.   We are to rely upon the strength of God in our weakness and the power of the Holy Spirit in us to vanquish – to put out – that tribulation. 

• 1 Cor. 15:57 – “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
• 1 John 5:4 – “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”
• 1 John 4:4 – “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
• Rev. 12:11 – “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…”

We are able to overcome adversity, tragedy, defeat, and persecution – by our faith.  The Lord gives us spiritual tools to use in this process:  the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony.  The blood covers us and the word speaks life into situations.  Picture the armor piece mentioned in Eph. 6 regarding the shield of faith – which is able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one.  See that shield of faith covering you completely and snuffing out the arrows of attack being slung your way.  Enforce the victory that Jesus has given you - you are more than a conqueror! 

 

 

December 27, 2017

Outside the Camp

“And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through His own blood.”  Heb. 13:12

In this passage, Jesus is set in comparison to the animal sacrifices that were made by the priesthood in the days of the tabernacle.  The blood of the sacrifice was brought into the camp, but the body was burned outside the camp.  So too, our Jesus was taken outside the camp, up to Golgotha, to be crucified and shed His blood for the atonement of sin. 

Through the gospels, Jesus is working His way toward Jerusalem, yet His crucifixion is outside the city.  Jesus is the substance of the Old Testament shadow of sacrifice and atonement.  So much can be gleaned from this section of Hebrews, yet for today let’s focus on this unchangeable truth:  Jesus suffered so we would be made holy through His blood.  Jesus suffered for a reason and a purpose; part of that purpose was to establish His chosen people as holy, or set apart.  The blood He shed at Calvary made this possible. 

Thank You King Jesus for this great and marvelous gift!  Thank You for shedding Your blood for the remission of sin.  Thank You for suffering outside Jerusalem for us.  Thank You for Your holiness.  We bow down before You, Lord of Lord and King of Kings. 

 

December 26, 2017

God's Redemption

"Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in your eyes?" Ruth 2:10

The Book of Ruth is such a wonderful book of romance and redemption.  In the natural this book is about Ruth , a young Moabite woman who falls in love with an older man named Boaz.  Spiritually, it points forward to the love of God who sends His Son Jesus Christ into the meadows and fields of life  searching for a Gentile Bride and calls her unto Himself. 

This verse so brings to mind the day of my salvation.  At the time I had two sons.  My oldest was born with a congenital heart condition and was expected to undergo open heart surgery.  I was not saved at the time.  I was searching and seeking, as my fears were enormous.  This one day I was looking outside at the trees in the fall.  I thought to myself, there has to be a God.  How would the sun know how to set and the moon to rise?  How would the leaves know when to fall to the ground and when to grow beautiful new ones in the spring.? It was creative perfection.   I felt so desperate and I fell to the floor and said to God, if You are real You have to show me.  Immediately I felt His strong presence and He was hugging me.  I knew at that moment that grace was bestowed upon me.   I asked Him why "have I found grace in your eyes."  He is so faithful  to answer when we seek..  Ruth thought she was in a field to reap and work only to find Boaz.  Ruth was wondering why she had found grace in his eyes.  We were both in the right place at the right time.  What an awesome Lord we serve. 

December 25, 2017

Glory to God

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men."  Lk. 2:14

Today is going to be very full.  Our day will include a trip to the women's prison in the morning, where we will sing (or make a joyful noise) Christmas carols and hand out out toiletries and a notepad to the women.  Afterwards, we will get together with family and open gifts, eat, and talk.  Some may take a nap.

So I need this time right now to say to You Lord, 'Glory to You in the highest.  You had one child - a Son.  You chose to send Him to dwell among men in human form.  You made possible the gift of Christ.  Thank You.'

May there be peace on earth.  May there be goodwill among the peoples of this world.  Thank You that "Consolation of Israel" (Lk. 2:25) came, to fulfill prophecy and to begin the restoration of all things.

December 24, 2017

Heaven's Declaration

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."  Ps. 19:1

Look!  Look at the heavens and watch them announce the glory of God!  The speechless skies are filled with declarations of truth.  That which appears wordless contains much communication. 

The clouds speak to us: He is Holy.  The bright blues call out: God is good.  Raindrops cascade upon us, saying: God hears us and He cries with us.  Thunderclaps - The Lord is majestic and all-powerful.  Lightning bolts - the Lord our God is great and mighty.  On and on it goes, the conversation of the heavens is endless.

If we take time this Christmas Eve to listen to the skies, we may see for ourselves the handiwork of God's glorious creation.  It wasn't long after a baby was born that wise men traveled to Jerusalem, following His star in the East. As the wise men looked up into the glorious heavens, that star moved over them and led them to the cradle of new creation - Baby Jesus.

December 23, 2017

Freedom!

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."  2 Cor. 3:17

There is no doubt about it - I celebrate the freedom that comes with Christ.  Maybe it is because I have been set free from many things, or perhaps it is what I have seen the Lord do in prison.  Either way, I love freedom.

Some Bibles use the word liberty - coming from the Greek "eleutheria."  This word gives us two very fascinating meanings: freedom from slavery; and freedom of access.  The freedom we have in Jesus has brought us out of our spiritual Egypt and into our spiritual Promised Land: out of places in our lives that have been enslaved; and into places of freedom.   

Freedom is one of the many gifts of God made available to us as followers of Jesus.  It is not my gift, but His.  He presents it to me and it is mine to open.  As we approach Christmas, may you find the gift of freedom under your tree - all wrapped up and your name written on the gift tag.  May it be yours to open, to lay claim to, and to possess as yours this season.

December 22, 2017

The Great I Am

"And I tell you the truth, Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I am!"  John 8:58

Jesus is in the middle of our predicaments and declaring, "I am!"  On our good days, He is.  On our bad days, He is.  The boldness and audacity of truth expressed to the Jews in Chapter 8 of the Gospel of John is the boldness and audacity of truth expressed to us today.

If we are unsure of what is happening in our lives - Jesus is our I am.  When we have doubts and insecurities, our I am is with us.  He is the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End.  Jesus is with us and He is for us.  The ones this truth offends are the ones who do not want Jesus.  Jesus, we want you.  We need you.  Thank You for that before we were born, You were there.  Thank You for Your mercy and Your grace that made a way for us.  Thank You for every good and perfect gift.  Thank You that You are an approachable Savior - the great I am that we can talk to, cry with, listen to, and love.  We adore You, Lord Jesus.

December 21, 2017

Praying for My Friends

"After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him twice as prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before."  Job 42:10

What a conclusion to this book!  After everything Job has encountered, experienced and endured, he "prays for his friends."  I find this remarkable.  Job goes right to God in heartfelt conversation and intercedes for them.  Then Job gets blessed.

Prayer is a great gift to give to a friend.  Jesus exhorts us to give it as a gift to our enemies.  In this book of Job, the friends had offered lots of advice.  I wonder how many times I have been an unsolicited advice-giver when all my friend wanted was someone to listen and then to ask God for His advice. 

Even now I am prompted to pause, think of my friends - and collectively bring them all before my Father - asking Him to bless each and every one of my friends.  For those in need of advice, I pray that the Spirit of wisdom would come to them.  For those in need of comfort, that the Comforter would be present today.  For those in need of healing, that the Great Physician would heal in His way.  I pray that my friends would encounter God's love today.

December 20, 2017

Hold Fast What is Good

"Test all things; hold fast what is good."  1 Th. 5:21

Lord, help me to test all things and to hold fast what is good.  How easy it is to get side-tracked in this fast-paced world.  Scripture instructs us to test all things.  Friends, this is wisdom.  Paul writes in 1 Cor. 10:23 that "everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.  Everything is permissible, but not everything is constructive."   I need to remind myself of these truths often.

It is interesting that Paul writes this verse immediately after writing "do not despise prophecies."  I am to follow both these instructions - do not run from the prophetic and test the prophetic.  Let me test the prophecy against the fullness of Scripture.  Again, this is wisdom.

When I find what is good, let me to cling to it - hold onto it.  It might be a good word, an act of goodness, or God's goodness and kindness just lavished upon me.  These are the things I work to hold fast to and not let slip through my fingers.

Life has a way of coming upon me and trying to distract me from all that is God and is good.  Today I stop and remember: God loves me.  This is truth; this is good.  I will hold fast to that "good truth" today.

December 19, 2017

His Compassions Fail Not

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."  Lam. 3:22-23

Truth speaks

Compassions fail me not,

Cascading round my doorstep daily

Sure mercies meet and greet me

In the going and coming of my life.

I recognize them not in the busyness of my day.

They are there just the same.

Life speaks;

Its voice hurtful and pained,

Wounding deep places inside of me

Lowering my resistance, I find there’s nowhere else to turn.

From this darkened place Father calls, Father waits,

I hear Him not in the sorrows;

He is there just the same.

I know not how long I am there;

A moment, a lifetime.

My heart’s despair cries out, “It hurts.”

That is all that Healer needs to hear.

Heavens rend for Father’s hand to come down for me;

For me!  He has come for me.

His hand of light cups my chin as He whispers,

“I am the lifter of your head.”

Defenses dropped, I let Love in.

Comfort comes to envelope me,

Safety comes to rescue me.

My head now lifted into the brightness of His rising.

My eyes meet His;

My gaze expressing thankfulness;

His expressing the same.

The Spirit and the Word enter in

And I am changed.

December 18, 2017

Launch Out into the Deep 

"When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."  Lk. 5:4

We find Jesus by the water as many want to hear the word of God.  The Lord spots two empty boats; empty because the fishermen were off washing their nets.  They had endured a frustrating night of fishing and hadn’t caught a thing.  In their minds, the work was finished for the day.

 Jesus climbs into the boat of Simon and asks Simon to help him get the boat out into the water.  Once there, the Lord begins to teach the multitudes.  We can only imagine what is going through Simon Peter’s head at this point.  Once He had finished teaching, Jesus then turns to Simon and says, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 

Simon’s response is so often like our own:  LORD, we tried and haven’t; caught a thing!  We’ve been out there all night – the best time to fish – there was NOTHING!  I’m tired, I’ve been trying, and frankly, I don’t why you would do such a thing.  Some of us have been praying to God for a long time and haven’t heard a THING!  Some of us have been waiting for our healing to come for a long time – it feels like that dark season of the night  - and we haven’t received a THING!   We’ve been waiting for our whole family to be saved – praying and praying – and we haven’t seen a THING!

Sometimes, the Lord says to us, go out a little further, into the deep, the unknown, the places you haven’t been with Me, go there and then beloved one, lower your net.  It’s scary, it’s new; these are the new places in our journey with God.  We can’t see the bottom anymore when we go deeper.  The water may be more turbulent.  And why would we go?  Why should we go?  Our nets are empty Lord!  Our faith level is waning, and our doubt level is rising. 

Jesus says to us, go deeper.  Trust Me.  Go further.  Believe Me.  Launch out a little more.  I will not leave you, nor forsake you.  A little more.  Good.  Now a little more.  You can do it.  You don’t have to see to believe.  Good.  Now – lower your nets. 

Simon had a moment of choice.  So do we.  He said, “nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”  By faith, Simon lowered that net.  He went out deeper and he lowered the net.  Despite the way it looked:  fishing at the worst time, not the best; tired and frustrated; no results; Simon demonstrated faith: the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.  He went out there and he lowered those nets.  Some have to see to believe. Simon just BELIEVED.

So too, by faith we can launch out deeper with the Lord, as deep calls unto deep.  We can choose to say, Lord, I haven’t seen anything yet, but okay, at Your word, I will lower this net.  I will do it by faith.  It’s all I have left.  It worked for Simon Peter.  Maybe it will work for me.  And so, by faith we go deeper, deeper still.  We wait, hear the word of the Lord, and obey – lowering our nets. 

“And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”  The second boat was summoned; and both boats were overloaded with fish, to the point of sinking.    Simon dropped in humility before Jesus.  Everyone there was astonished at the catch, the abundant catch.

If you’ve been waiting and haven’t got an answer, the Lord might be saying to you today, “Child of mine, let’s go deeper.  Let’s take a step of faith.  Remember wherever you go, I’ll be there.  Follow Me to a place that is new to you.  Once we’re there, lower your net.  By faith, lower your net.  There’s an abundant catch waiting for you.”

December 17, 2017

An Expression of Holiness

"When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest.  And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger; I am the Lord your God.”  Lev. 19:9-10

Today we are going to see that what we call “Missions” is actually an outward expression of holiness, according to the Scriptures.  Let’s dig into God’s word as we mine for the treasure of the truth together!

Chapter 19 in the Jewish Bible is titled “Kedoshim” or Holiness.  It means that these moral and ceremonial laws were an expression of God’s holiness.  Also notice this is written in the future tense – “when you harvest.”  Israel had not yet been given the land – so this is an instruction for a time that had not yet come.  The entire book of Leviticus, meaning “And He Called” is given in one location: Mt. Sinai.  This text gives us four actions that the Israelites were commanded not to take:

q  2 in the field – do not reap the corners of the field and gather the gleanings;

q  2 in the vineyard – do not glean the vineyard and gather every grape.

These were commandments to moral living, whereby harvesters (or reapers) were called to leave behind food and fruit for the poor and the stranger.  The “needy” could then come and gather what was left for them. 

So when the worker of the field reaped the harvest, he would grab stalks of grain with one hand and cut them off with a sickle in the other hand.  Whatever stalks fell to the ground during this harvesting, the worker was forbidden to pick up.  This meant the corners of the land were available to the poor and stranger, and any grain that had fallen to the ground.  They had to come and get the food.  It was not given to them.

The other two provisions from the vineyard were instructed the Israelites to leave some of the grapes behind as well as not picking up the grapes that fell to the ground.

Now that we have an understanding of these terms and instructions, let’s consider the population to be served:  the poor and the stranger.  A poor person was considered one without enough money to buy a field; sickly; widowed or abandoned.  A stranger in the Old Testament is usually referred to as the Hebrew word “ger.”  A ger is anyone outside of Israel, who has no intention of becoming part of Israel.  Gentiles were the first gers on the Biblical scene.    

This passage ends with the Lord declaring, I am the Lord your God.  This ties the instruction back to its giver – God, and to the expression of holiness.  An impartation of holiness requires an outward expression of it.  This passage is about caring for those in need.

December 16, 2017

Are We Persuaded Yet?

 “For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day.”  2 Tim. 1:12

Let’s take a closer look at the power of these words written by Paul to his precious son in the faith, Timothy.

 For this reason:  the reason is the gospel; Christ!  He alone is our reason, our answer.

I have suffering:  Paul had experienced the “fellowship of His sufferings,” and “knew the power of His resurrection” according to Phil. 3:10.  He was encouraging young Timothy to prepare for the same kind of experience.

I am not ashamed:  for we are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ!

I know:  We perceive, we see, we hear!  We understand in our spirits.

Whom I have believed:  JESUS!  In Him we trust.

I am persuaded:  We are convinced; Truth has brought us over to His side.

He is able:  Not us, but our Savior – He is able!

To keep: To hold it, watch it, care for it.

What I have committed to Him:  all we have given to Jesus, released to Him – He cares for it.

Until that DAY – of His glorious appearing! 

 Are we persuaded yet?  Paul is telling Timothy, his spiritual son that he believes and has been persuaded that Jesus will keep all that Paul has given to his Savior.  And so Paul is not ashamed, even in this suffering until death that he faced when he wrote this letter to Timothy.  He is not ashamed because he knows.  He knows.  He knows. 

 Are we persuaded yet?  The enemy seeks to dissuade us, tell us otherwise.  He is a defeated enemy.  The world would have us still seeking evidence before we might believe – more and more; an endless quest.  Yet we walk by faith, not by sight. 

Are we persuaded yet?  Have we committed all things to Him?  Is there anything we are holding onto, that might hamper our persuasion?  Do we believe God’s word for our life? 

We trade WHAT for WHOM; for it is not what we have believed, but WHOM we have believed.  Today God, we commit IT (whatever it is in our lives) unto You.  We believe You for Your word; that You shall keep it.  We want You to care for it, for him, for us.  We confess that there may be some things holding us back from being fully persuaded.  We ask for Your forgiveness, Father, and we ask You to persuade us.  Persuade us.   We agree You are able.  You are able.  When suffering comes, we commit it to You, for You are able.  And we are not ashamed of the Gospel.  We are not ashamed of You, Jesus.  We embrace You and call You by Name. 

December 15, 2017

I Will Not Be Shaken

“I have set the Lord always before me,

Because He is at my right hand  I will not be shaken.”  Ps. 16:8

Who can keep me safe in times of trouble and in moments when my world has been turned upside down?  The Lord my God can keep me safe.  He is my Rock, my Strong Tower, my Deliverer, my Fortress.  When I receive bad news, Jesus is Good News.  He brings me comfort and relief from the distresses of life.  He is at my right hand – even now.

Today I choose to set the Lord before me.  I choose to set my mind and heart upon Him and not the things of this world.  I offer my worship to my Savior, the One who has saved me so many times before and is faithful to do so again.  With purpose and intention, I set Jesus before me, and before my trials and difficulties.  I picture my Savior out in front of those problems.  He is bigger and the problems grow smaller.

As I come to Him with all my flaws and failings, He meets me.  He is with me.  Together, we can get through today.  Because Jesus is my companion today, I will not be shaken.

December 14, 2017

Jesus, The Messiah

“For unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His Name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.  Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”   Isaiah 9: 6-7

This word of promise is given to us in the 9^th chapter of the book of Isaiah; the promise of a child, specifically a son, who will shoulder the government of which increase and peace shall know no end – forever.  This son shall be known by names which depict the fullness of his character and nature. 

The child, our Messiah, is known as: wonderful; mighty; everlasting; and, peaceful.  Jesus is also known as Counselor, as God, as Father, and as Prince.   In these we see the completeness of His character. 

He is Wonderful Counselor, a magnificent advisor.

He is Mighty God, a powerful and heroic warrior.

He is Everlasting Father, our eternal parent.

He is Prince of Peace, our royal leader of a health, happiness, and shalom – inner peace.

Who is Jesus to you?  Which of these descriptions strikes your heart?  How has the Lord revealed Himself to you recently:  as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, or as Prince of Peace? Take some time to thank Him for the way He has shown Himself to you. 

December 13, 2017

My Light and My Salvation

"The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"  Ps. 27:1

This is David's declaration of faith, his statement of truth.  Though enemies may have surrounded him, David kept his eye on the Lord.  He did not let his circumstances define him.  There is a message of hope in that for us.

Are you facing trials in your life?
The Lord is your light and your salvation - whom shall you fear?

Is illness causing difficulties right now?
The Lord is the stronghold of your life - of whom shall you be afraid?

Are you uncertain where the next paycheck is coming from?
The Lord is your light!

The situation you may find yourself in right now does not define you - God defines you through His word.  Let truth become your reality and this verse become your declaration of faith.

December 12, 2017

Learning to Stay

"In all the days of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out - until it lifted."  Ex. 40:36-37

Have you ever wanted the cloud to lift and move, so you could follow it?  Have you ever gotten out in front of the Lord  - off blazing a trail only to find out God was back at the tabernacle, so to speak?  It is a challenge for me to stay.  I am excited when God is moving and I sense He wants me to follow Him.  It has taken me to some fascinating locations and provided sacred moments.

It is much less exciting when the cloud stays right where it is at and doesn't move.  In those times I am learning to stay where God has me, and to do what He has asked me to do.  I have had seasons where the Lord wanted me home - to minister to my family as a wife and a mom.  In those seasons I have to remain focused on Him so I don't begin to move out ahead of Him.  There has come great joy in discovering the awesomeness of God in the daily routines of cooking, cleaning, laundry.  I find home is the place where I have some of the most sacred moments with God.

I am a sojourner and so I enjoy the experience of new travels and adventures.  The Lord is using that to teach me how to stay.

December 11, 2017

I Have You in My Heart

"It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart..."  Phil. 1:7

Paul writes this expression of tremendous love and affection for the church at Philippi.  This prison letter is a love letter to the church, filled with tenderness and compassion.  How great it is to hear someone say that they have us in their heart!

I began to understand this letter of Paul's when I started going into prison.  God had placed a supernatural love in my heart for women in prison.  I understand these words and I have spoken these words to the incarcerated.

As wonderful as it is to know Paul expresses this to the congregation, how much more wonderful is it to know that Jesus is saying the same about us?  Jesus, filled with tremendous love and affection for the church, speaks out of His tenderness and compassion.  He says to us, 'It is right for Me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in My heart.'  Today, please know this - Jesus has you in His heart.  He loves you with an everlasting love.  Receive His love.

December 10, 2017

He Rescued Me

"He brought me into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me."  2 Samuel 22:20

These are a few words from the song of praise that David sang to God.  The Lord had delivered David from his enemies and poured out his heart in thankfulness and praise to his Rock, his fortress, his shield, and the horn of his salvation.

I like to write in my Bible -- there are two in my house that carry years of notes, dates, and references.  In many ways they are a testimony of the great love of God.  At the bottom of the page by this verse my note indicates that on Nov. 20th, 2002 our Wednesday morning Bible Study group prayed this verse for a person's healing.  I remember it like it was yesterday; in fact in was nearly 11 years ago.  I recall the sense many of us shared that God was going to rescue and deliver and bring this person into a broad and spacious place - all because God so delighted in him.  It was, and remains, one of those verses that is in my spirit - it is part of who I am.

If I feel trapped or closed in, God wants to bring me into a spacious place.  When I am in need of rescue, He will, because He delights in me.  As for that person we prayed for eleven years ago - he walks in the healing that the Lord has given to him.  God delights in His son.

December 9, 2017

The God of Reconciliation

"God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them."  2 Cor.5:19

There we stood in the school cafeteria on a weekday morning.  Not just any weekday; this happened to be the National Day of Prayer.  A group of us gathered in this public high school in Chicago and prayed.  We prayed for the children in that school, in the city.  We prayed for their families.  We prayed for the staff.  We prayed for the violence to end.  We prayed for shattered families to be reconciled.

It has been an interesting year, filled with the twists and turns of the transition our ministry has sensed would happen.  We have found ourselves in public high schools, county jails, halfway houses, death row units, and more.  We have become immersed in the human trafficking issue, seeing afresh the faces of the incarcerated. This year we have also plowed up the soil of re-entry, developing ways to teach Biblical re-entry to women behind the walls.  We have seen miracles this year as well - the amazing power of forgiveness shown by an offender who forgave her stepfather after 40 years of carrying unforgiveness.  That very next week, her step dad drove over 1500 miles to visit her in prison - and to ask her forgiveness.  She told him she had forgiven him - a few days earlier.  This woman's stepfather writes her every week now.  This broken family has been reconciled.

We have had correctional officers ask us when we would do a Prayer Seminar for them.  There are letters and notes and comments giving testimony to the powerful healing and restorative work of God in the lives of women and in their families.  We keep stumbling into God in prison.  He is reconciling the world to Himself in Christ.  We watch Him work, try to do our part and not get in His way.  We give Him honor and glory and praise that is due to Him and Him alone.  Have Your way, Lord.

December 8, 2017

The Word of God

"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."  Hebrews 4:12

How I love the word of God!  It is alive and active in my life.  God's word brings encouragement, exhortation, instruction, direction and correction.  It sets me on the path the Lord has for me.  His word can be sharp as it reaches through to the depths of me.  A word in season from Him will separate soul and spirit, joints and marrow and discern the thoughts and intentions of my heart.  Truly, there is no where I can hide from the Lord.

This living word from a living God is powerful, coming from the Greek word that means "energetic."  It is operating in my life and is filled with energy.  How many time has the word of God performed "spiritual surgery" on me?  Many times!  His word of truth has brought freedom, it has brought healing, it has brought comfort.  So too the word has come with correction, redirection, and God has used His word to show me when my ways are not in alignment with His ways.

I am so thankful that the word of God is alive and I praise Him that His word brings life.  It remains the primary way the Lord chooses to "speak" to me and it is the place I go to when I am confused.  Father, thank You for the gift of Your word.  Use it this day to speak to us, I pray.

December 7, 2017

I Know Your Works

“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty, but you are rich; and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” Rev. 2:9

The Lord was direct in His commending the church.  He stated, “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty, but you are rich; and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”  As mentioned above, the church underwent great persecution and suffering because of its faith.  Jesus mentioned three things:

·         Works;

·         Tribulation; and,

·         Poverty.

The church was a hard working church.  It experienced trials and suffering.  And, by all appearances, it seemed poor.  Certainly the church stood in stark contrast to the wealth of the city.  Yet, a loving kind Savior did not stop there, for He said, “but you are rich.”  What a wonderful pronouncement!  The church may have been lacking in the natural, but in the spiritual realm, Jesus saw the church at Smyrna as most wealthy.

It is important to explore further to understand why Jesus would bestow such a blessing upon this church.  Was it because it was small?  Was it because the finances were few?  Was it because of the persecution?  The answers are all the same: no.  For there are certainly small churches, churches without much financial resource, and churches that experience trials.  These characteristics in themselves do not qualify a church as spiritually rich.  So what is the key?  The church at Smyrna was considered rich by Jesus because it understood for whom it existed.  The church existed for Christ.  It exalted Him as the Head of the church.  It kept its eye upon Him.  As such, the church was able to endure, a quality admired by the Lord.  In 2 Cor. 6:1-10, Paul makes an impassioned plea to the people of Corinth, as he explains the ministry of Christ.  He writes: “We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.  But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report, and good report, as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown and yet well known, as dying, and behold we live, as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” 

December 6, 2017

The Lord is my Shepherd

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want…”  Ps. 23:1

Jehovah Raah   is the LORD our Shepherd.  Identified in the 23^rd Psalm, because of our Shepherd, we shall not want.  The word “raah” means to pasture or to tend.  The shepherd tends his flock of sheep in a loving and caring way.  Throughout the Old Testament we find references to the shepherd:

Ø  Genesis 46:34; 48:15; 49:24

Ø  1 Chronicles 11:2; 17:8; and 2 Chronicles 18:16

Ø  Psalms 28:9; 49:14; 78:71; 80:1

Ø  Isaiah 40:11; 44:28

Ø  Jeremiah 17:16; 23:1-5; 31:10; 43:12; 49:19; 50:44; 51:23

Ø  Ezekiel 34:5;8;12;23; 37:24

Ø  Micah 5:4; 7:14

Ø  Zechariah 10:2; 11:15; 16; 17; 13:7

These references to the shepherd were a type, or foretelling of Christ, our Chief Shepherd. We are His sheep, desperate for His care, protection and for His voice.  The prophet Jeremiah devoted more attention to the sheep and the shepherd than found in any other book in the Bible.  In John 10 we find Jesus speaking to the Pharisees: “…I am the door of the sheep.”  This is one of the seven I AM sayings found only in the gospel of John.  We recall the covenant name Jehovah means I AM, fulfilled in seven (perfection) expressions of identity and of redemption. 

December 5, 2017

Be Wise

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.”  Col. 4:5 

The second instruction provided by Paul deals with a key ingredient in the walk of faith:  walk in wisdom.  In the Greek, wisdom is “sophos” and means prudent in our walk dealings with others, as a result of our relationship with God.  It also refers to our God-given capability to regulate ourselves, or what we might refer to as self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit. 

In Hebrew, wisdom is “chokhmah” and is knowledge, experience and insight.  The Book of Proverbs is commonly called the book of wisdom.  We can conclude that wisdom comes from our relationship with the Lord – it is equipment for our spirits.

It is significant that Paul writes for the church to walk in wisdom toward a particular group – those who are outside.  We can surmise this means those people outside the church body.  This makes even more sense when we read the next instruction, to redeem the time.  Redeeming the time is to take advantage of the appointed times (kairos) or divine appointments that God schedules into our calendars.  He wants us to maximize those moments.  He desires the kairos times to be recognized and maximized within the church – and especially beyond the church.  After all, the church is the instrument used the Lord to advance the Kingdom of God.  This is the role of evangelism – to reach the lost.

Eph. 5:15-16 reinforce this message: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”  Likewise, Jesus instructed the disciples in Mt. 10:16, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless (or innocent) as doves.”  Again, these verses reference the need for prudence in recognizing situations and making good decisions.  Phil. 2:14-16 expresses it this way, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless (innocent), children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world….”

December 4, 2017

At Mt. Sinai

“In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.”  Ex. 19:1

Sinai in Hebrew means “thorny.”  Sinai, also called Horeb, was the location the Israelites were brought to by God.  Moses went up into the mountain at Sinai to receive God’s transforming instructions for the “kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” according to Ex. 19:6. 

Once at Sinai, the Israelites were encamped for approximately one year.  The history of events that took place during that encampment is depicted in the last half of Exodus, the Book of Leviticus, and Numbers, chapters 1-11.  During that time the people were transformed by a covenant relationship with God.   The Ten Commandments were given, and God’s wisdom and leadership helped Israel mature into an organized cohesive people.  After the encampment at Sinai, we find in Numbers 10:11 the Israelites finally depart and journey to the Wilderness of Paran.  Subsequently, the Israelites begin travel from Paran to Kibroth-Hattavah (Graves of Craving) to Hazeroth, and back to Paran.  From Paran, Moses sent out twelve spies to the land of Canaan and they returned with a report after forty days.  As Numbers 13 indicates, only Joshua and Caleb came back with a positive report.  The remaining ten spies were afraid of the “giants in the land.”  And so Israel disobeyed God’s command to enter the Promised Land of Canaan.  Their consequence was to wander in the wilderness for forty years, suffer the death of the ten spies due to a plague, and experience the elimination of the entire first generation of the nation Israel, except for Moses, Joshua, and Caleb.  We also note in Numbers 14: 39-45 that despite Moses’ instructions, the Israelites attempt to go to the mountaintop without the Ark of the Covenant or with Moses.  The Israelites are left unprotected and without the presence of the LORD, and are defeated and driven back to Hormah.  And the forty year wilderness experience begins. 

We see what happened to the people of Israel as they tried to “go it alone.”  Unless the Ark of the Covenant was with them, the Israelites would always encounter defeat. The same holds true for believers today: if we walk independently and without the presence of God in our lives, we are assured of defeat in our lives!  Seeking the Lord, asking for His lead in our lives, and then following after Him with a clean heart is walking with His presence in our daily lives.  Holy Spirit, turn us to Jesus!

December 3, 2017

Walk in the Spirit

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”  Gal. 5:16-18

The battleground is clear:  the Spirit is opposed to the flesh.  Therefore, our responsibility is to walk according to the Spirit, and not the flesh.  That is easy to say, difficult to do.  It bears repeating:  on our own, it will be impossible to do.  However, with the Holy Spirit operating within us, all things are possible.  How then, do we walk in the Spirit?  How do we prevent feeding the flesh?  Here is the answer: we must submit to subdue.

As we daily, hourly submit ourselves to God through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, we are surrendering our will and ourselves.  In that posture of surrender, we invite the Holy Spirit to take over and subdue our flesh.  That is where the victory comes. 

These works of the flesh are really sin in our lives.  As we look over the list, we are reminded of the areas of sin that have been conquered by the power of the Holy Spirit operating within us.  We can also identify an area where we might be struggling.  Beloved, submit to the Lord and ask Him for cleansing and the power of the Spirit to subdue the flesh.  Confess the sin and receive forgiveness.  As the victories come, we discover that God is cultivating fruit in our lives.  That fruit is known as the fruit of the Spirit and friends, that is what we receive as the result of a relationship with our Savior.

December 2, 2017

Revive Me

“Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.”  Ps. 119:88

Have you had a moment of weakness or fatigue and just felt like you were in deep need of being revived?  The answer is yes for most of us.  It can often occur when we are in the midst of a crisis, or immediately following a traumatic event.  We can sometimes be left drained, exhausted and searching for more than sleep to sustain us.

That is where the awesome life-giving power of God comes into the picture and into our lives.  In this verse, the Psalmist prays, ‘Revive me according to Your lovingkindness.’  Lord Jesus, revive us.  Preserve us physically, spiritually, emotionally.  Watch over our souls, our minds and our hearts as we travail.  We thank You Father, that You love us and are intent on sustaining us because of great mercy and compassion for us.  Yes, God, we see that You are for us.

We confess we are weary.  We acknowledge we are weak.  We ask for Your holy breath and inerrant word to lift us up, fill us up, and put us back up on our feet once again.  We remember all that You have done and thank You.  May the name of the Lord be greatly praised throughout the earth, for You have heard our cry and responded in love once again.