Category Archives: Christian growth

Take this Cup

18 Thursday Apr 2019

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As we enter into the time of year when many will celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, I wanted to urge you to consider more closely the events that led up to the day we celebrate called Easter.

The specific event that I am referencing is when Jesus took his disciples to Gethsemane to pray. He told the men who were closest to him that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow, and he asked them to keep watch with him (Matthew 26:38).

After instructing his disciples to watch, Jesus went a little farther where he diligently prayed to the Father. The passion of his prayer is evident as one of the Gospels records that he fell with his face to the ground as he prayed (Matthew 26:39). Another records that during this time of prayer, he was so anguished that his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44).

The words that he prayed three different times, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). In between these desperate pleas, Jesus would return to his disciples to find them sleeping and unable to fulfill his request to watch and pray with him.

At this moment in time, Jesus was in the flesh, subject to all human physical and emotional pain as he walked out the unusual and cruel destiny he was born to experience. While the disciples slept, he understood clearly the price he was about to pay for you and me, and with that divine understanding, he pled with his Father to take this cup from him.

We often think about the horrific physical torture and suffering Jesus bore for us as he was beaten to the point he was unrecognizable. We remember the crown of thorns that was pressed deep into his head, the heavy cross he was forced to carry, the nails that were driven through his hands and feet, and the spear that was thrust into his side.

We may even think about the emotion pain Jesus was subjected to, as he was mocked and ridiculed and even spit upon. The grief he must have felt as some of his closest friends rejected him when he refused to defend himself even though he was totally innocent.

Instead of only remembering these events, take a moment to go back to Gethsemane. This was the pivotal moment where we see the anguish of a decision. “Take the cup!” Jesus pled. Yet, what comes next shows his obedient character, “Not my will but yours be done!” What a significant decision Jesus made in that moment. One that forever impacted the eternity of all mankind. Jesus made the decision to walk out his destiny, which was that he was born to die! He came to this earth in human form to pay the price for our sins, to become the perfect sacrifice that provides each of us the opportunity for eternal life.

If you know the rest of the story, after Jesus suffered and died for us, he was placed in a tomb. He wasn’t there long because three days later he was resurrected, and not long after ascended back to heaven. That same power that raised Christ from the dead is now at work in us who believe in him!

Ephesians 1:19-22; 2:4-7 NLT

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

This weekend as we give thanks for our Lord’s great sacrifice and celebrate his resurrection; may we also remember Gethsemane. Can we learn from Jesus’ example to pray, “Not my will, but yours be done!” Let us choose to follow our Savior’s lead and walk out our God-given destiny no matter the cost, accessing that mighty power that is available to us because he was willing to take this cup.

 

Offense

30 Saturday Mar 2019

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Welcome to the part two of my blog post. Earlier this month, I published part one called, “Defense”. I shared of my experience earlier in life as a High School volleyball coach, and things to consider about offense and defense in an athletic competition. I used this concept to drive a spiritual point that I feel benefits all of us. Let me remind you of a couple key points.

When we think about one team being on offense and the other being on defense during a given portion of a competition, we could think about many concepts, but the one I want us to focus on is opposing forces with the end goal of winning.

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Unfortunately, if feels that we are constantly surrounded by division. We find it in politics, in the workplace, in homes and families, and even in the church. This type of opposing forces can come with a greater price than just the loss of an athletic competition. With a variety of opinions comes an opportunity for us to become offended or defensive. While a strong offensive and defensive strategy may be critical to win in sports, allowing a spirit of offense or becoming overly defensive could cause you to lose big in your natural and spiritual life.

Since these two issues can take such a toll on our love walk and our peace, I divided this topic into two parts. If you missed the first part, you can scroll down on the web site to read it at secretplacerevelation.com. Today, I want to continue the topic by looking at the offensive side.

In our humanness, we have opportunities every day to offend others or to become offended by someone’s actions or words. Many times those situations are totally unintentional and misunderstood. I can certainly say that there have been times I have been sharing a heartfelt message, only to listen back and hear that my word choices didn’t portray the message I intended to share at all.

There are times of misunderstanding because of the perceptions of the hearers and unfair expectations of others. Adding more complication, we live in a world with countless electronic communication methods, where our written and voice messages, or even lack of response to a message, can be interpreted in many ways.

While some situations that could cause offense are very innocent, we must also face the reality that many truly are cruel. I have often said that hurt people hurt people. When we are suffering physically, spiritually, or emotionally, our actions and words may become offensive.

Regardless of the intent of another person’s actions or words, we personally have a choice whether to pick up an offense or let it go. I like to think about it like picking up rocks. I grew up in the country, and as a young girl, I played outside much of the time. I remember picking up rocks for my dad to clear for mowing or even to use to build the outline of a pretend house. I would use my shirt to gather all of these rocks, stretching the fronts and staining them as I added more and more rocks to take back to my place of building.

If you pictured every offense you are currently carrying as a rock, how heavy is your load? The reality is simple; offense hurts the one receiving it much more than the one who caused it, whether intentional or not.

I believe we are to choose to try to see the best in others. I am thankful that so many have done that for me when I have unintentionally caused pain. I also believe it is important to forgive even when the offense was intentional. Let’s face it, we all make mistakes at times. This passage from the Bible makes this clear.

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” Colossians 3:12-15 NLT

When we feel the sting of the hurt others have caused us, this passage can be challenging to follow. When the offense feels too big to forgive, just remember that Jesus is our perfect example. He was innocent, no one could find any fault in him, yet he endured such inhuman treatment when he was beaten and sent to the cross. He bore every hurt we could imagine, and he sees and understands your pain. When you are willing to let it go, he will help heal those wounds.

I am not understating the “offense” you may have endured; I am suggesting that you have a choice to make in what you do with it. You can react to it, by holding on to it and becoming bitter or you can do better by responding with love and forgiveness.

Will you lay down your rocks? Will you choose bitter or better? One of the wisest writers of Scripture said, “Love makes up for all offenses” (Proverbs 10:12b NLT). With God’s help, I prefer to throw down my rocks and choose love instead. I hope you will too!

 

Defense

07 Thursday Mar 2019

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Earlier in my career, I had an opportunity to coach High School Volleyball. I joked that after five years of this activity, I decided to give up coaching and keep my Christianity. In all honesty, it was something I enjoyed for a season and I am thankful for the experience. I have been able to look back on those years and apply both the positive and negative lessons learned in many aspects of my life.

53236207_565845720580033_4070223743438290944_nThere are many things to consider about offense and defense in an athletic competition. I want to use this concept in a very different way to drive a spiritual point that I hope will benefit all of us. When we think about one team being on offense and the other being on defense during a given portion of a competition, we could think about many concepts, but the one I want us to focus on is opposing forces with the end goal of winning.

Unfortunately, if feels that we are constantly surrounded by division. We find it in politics, in the workplace, in homes and families, and even in the church. This type of opposing forces can come with a greater price than just the loss of an athletic competition. With a variety of opinions comes an opportunity for us to become offended or defensive. While a strong offensive and defensive strategy may be critical to win in sports, allowing a spirit of offense or becoming overly defensive could cause you to lose big in your natural and spiritual life.

Since these two issues can take such a toll on our love walk and our peace, I want to divide this topic into two parts. Today, I specifically want to talk about the defensive side.

Have you ever been caught off guard by your own unintended defensive reaction in a given situation? Perhaps you received some unsolicited feedback or criticism about your personal passionate projects. Maybe you are in a discussion where your opinions are overlooked or deemed unimportant. Regardless of the situation, defensive feelings and more importantly the root of the cause of those feelings are painful.

Defensiveness can be a serious problem. It can limit your growth and isolate you from risk taking, which might be required to walk out your God-given destiny. Additionally, defensiveness may limit your ability to mature as a Christian and to be used by God in ministry opportunities. As a Christ-follower, we should want to see forward momentum in our relationship with our Savior and in our efforts to share His love. If we are isolated behind a wall of defensiveness, how can we accomplish this goal?

I recently had an unplanned opportunity to face this challenge. I was in two different situations during the same time where I found myself reacting defensively. I didn’t like the way it made me feel, and I certainly didn’t like the limitations it put on my opportunity for growth. I began to ask myself why I reacted this way. In the first situation, I had to realize that not all feedback is intended to be negative; often its purpose is to help you grow. When we have received hurtful or unfair criticism in past experiences, we can unintentionally put up a wall of defense that is meant to protect us from that type of pain, but it also protects us from advice that may help us succeed.

In the second situation, I had to realize that my initial reaction was related to a passionate belief; however, I needed to take a step back and respond instead of react.

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”  James 1:19-20 NLT

My key take-away from this experience is this. My situation was unlike an athletic event, no one had to win! I began this blog defining the key concept of the athletic competition I was referencing as the opposing forces with the end goal of winning. It is an unreasonable expectation to think that everyone will agree with your opinions, and the reality is others are as passionate about their way of thinking as you are.

Much of our defensiveness could be avoided if we did as James instructed in the above verse and become better listeners and slower to speak. When we can put ourselves into another’s perspective, we may see things more clearly from a very different vantage point. This is the place where compromise and growth begins and hate and division can be obliterated.

Next time you find yourself feeling overly defensive, stop and ask yourself if you are reacting or are you responding. Remember to listen for the opportunity not just the criticism, realize that you are who God says you are and don’t allow yourself to be defined by others, and lastly, relax and realize that you don’t have to defend everything. The emotional consequences of being overly defensive are simply not worth it, and the ability to relax and understand that others have the same right to their perspective is liberating.

Stay tuned for part two coming soon about offense!

Enduring Love

29 Tuesday Jan 2019

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As we approach the month of February, a month known for being a time for expressions of love, ask yourself what you are personally conveying to those around you. True love “Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7).

My heart hurts from the lack of enduring love that I am witnessing all around me. Never in my adult life have I observed the level of division and hate that I see before me in so many forms. As Christ followers, I believe we are to express something greater. I am not talking about a compromising faith, but I am referencing a love that can endure differences of opinions. I believe we can stand firmly on the promises and instructions provided for us in the Word of God and continue to express love to those who disagree with our stance.

I believe this starts within ourselves, for what is in us will eventually come out. I always like to pose this question, if you are in imminent danger, with only a few seconds to respond, what is the first thing that comes out of your mouth? I would argue that your response is an indicator of what is inside of you. When impurities are heated up, they tend to rise to the surface. I learned this watching my husband make fishing lures. He melts lead to pour into molds during this process. As the metal gets hotter, the impurities rise to the top for him to scoop off.

There are moments in our lives where things are heated up. Perhaps it is a difficult situation that you are walking through, a challenging relational issue, or even a political or ethical stance that is challenged. Regardless of the cause, what comes out when under pressure is an indicator of what is inside. If you take inventory and do not like what is coming out, there is a better way. The Bible tells us, “Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). He can help us to love in unlovable times and in the most challenging of situations. He teaches us unconditional love.

In the New Testament, Paul addressed the Corinthian church, which had become full of envy, strife, and divisions. He told them that these behaviors were evidence that they were living like mere unchanged individuals. They were not living the “Greater” life they could be demonstrating as Christ followers. In fact, he even tells them that he couldn’t share all that God had for them because of their childish state. He said he had to feed them milk instead of solid food! He challenged them to realize that each of them were co-workers, who should labor together with and for God. He told them that they were God’s field and God’s building! (See 1 Corinthians 3)

Paul’s instructions to the New Testament churches are applicable to the “Church of God” or all believers. We should be not only the field, which God cultivates, but also the house, which God builds; a house in which He intends to dwell! When we take inventory, if we find that we are full of strife and division, we can learn from these instructions that there is a better way.

Later in this same book of the Bible, Paul describes enduring love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Could we as believers strive to develop this kind of love for others? Could we instill and demonstrate this kind of love for our children, grandchildren, and all we touch? Could we imagine a world without bullying, without hate for those who look, believe, or act differently than we do? I am not suggesting that we should not have strong convictions about the clear instructions that are provided for us in the Word of God. However, we should equally have strong conviction to love those who believe differently, even while opposing what they believe in.

Jesus demonstrated the greatest love when He laid down His life for us. He did not come to bully and spew hate at those who didn’t believe as He did. He loved in such a selfless way that He endured unbelievable torment for ALL. My passionate plea is that if we call ourselves His follower, we could demonstrate His love during a time of great strife and division in our country. I am praying and asking God to invade our lives in such a way that His love is shown in and through us.

NO PRECEDENT!

11 Friday Jan 2019

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no precedentI love a new year. It is a great time for change, a time for new priorities, a time for leaving the past behind and looking toward the future.  For 2019, I have felt to pray and believe for things for which there is “NO PRECEDENT”.

Before I explain why these two words are my focus, I want to invite everyone reading this to join with my church, Grace Community Church, and me as we start our year strong with a week of prayer and fasting starting Sunday 1/13 through Saturday 1/19.

I will be posting a daily update starting Sunday morning with the daily prayer focus topic and pertinent Scriptures, which I encourage you to pray and declare over each topic.

Additionally, I want to encourage you to add some level of fasting to the week’s activities. There are many types of fasts and there are great benefits to pairing prayer and fasting together.

Now I want to describe my focus of “No Precedent”. When I think about the word precedent, the first thing that comes to my mind is the way it is used legally. Let me share that form of the definition.

Precedent

The noun precedent means an example from the past that provides evidence for an argument. It is most commonly used in legal circles and, more specifically, can be described as a previously decided case that guides the decision of a future case.

Examples:

  • Having discovered a similar case in the past, the prosecution team used this precedent to support their argument.
  • There is precedent with last year’s Smith versus Jones case. 1

Two other ways precedent is defined in Merriam Webster Dictionary is:

“Something done or said that may serve as an example or rule to authorize or justify a subsequent act of the same or an analogous kind a verdict that had no precedent; a person or thing that serves as a model” 2

I want to share one last example I found which is…

Precedent and the Supreme Court

“A precedent is something that precedes, or comes before. The Supreme Court relies on precedents—that is, earlier laws or decisions that provide some example or rule to guide them in the case they’re actually deciding. (For example) When hostages are being held for ransom, a government may worry about setting a bad precedent if it gives in…” 3

Now that we have considered many definitions of the word precedent, I want to contemplate “NO PRECEDENT”. What happens when a case comes before the Supreme Court for which there is no precedent?  In this situation, there is no previous example to guide the decision making process.  The judges are forced to look outside of just what they have experienced or read from the past, and they must now move forward with the facts, knowledge, and wisdom they have been given.  There is no history, tradition, or precedent to guide their thought process.

Another way to consider this thought is inventions. Before something is discovered or invented, there is no precedent to guide the thought process about the discovery. Think about electricity as an example. Since electricity is a natural force that exists in our world, it didn’t have to be invented. It did however, have to be discovered and understood.

Most people give credit to Benjamin Franklin for discovering electricity, In 1752, Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment. In order to show that lightning was electricity, he flew a kite during a thunderstorm. He tied a metal key to the kite string to conduct the electricity. Building upon Franklin’s work, many other scientists studied electricity and began to understand more about how it works. For example, in 1879, Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb and our world has been brighter ever since! 4

We have all experienced times when due to a storm or technical issue we lost our electrical power. Most can’t imagine living life long term without electricity, yet before it was discovered, there was NO PRECEDENT for electricity and all the benefits it provides us. People didn’t sit around and say, “I sure wish someone would discover electricity, it sure would be great”. They didn’t know what they were missing because there was no precedent for it at that time.

Let’s consider an example that is near and dear to most of us, the mobile phone. At one time, we thought it was great to be able to sit attached to a cord and take turns using our phone with our neighbors for whom we shared our party line. At that time, there was NO PRECEDENT for this device called a mobile phone, which is now so much more than just a means of verbal communication. This gadget is our camera, GPS, computer, video gaming system, flashlight, calculator, dictionary, video camera, weatherman, photo album, mail, Bible, and so much more!

When the Lord began to challenge me with these two words, “NO PRECEDENT”, I was reminded of three specific images from my childhood church, where I started attending when I was only 4 years old.

The first image I was reminded of was an out-house! Unbelievably, I vividly remember having to go outside to a wooden building as a small child when I first started attending that small community church.

The second image I saw was the old church fan. That device made of cardboard and a wooden stick that we used to stay cool since there wasn’t any air conditioning! Thirdly, I remembered those hard wooden pews.

When indoor plumbing, air conditioning, and padded pews were available, the church embraced and welcomed these things. Why is it then that the church, is often less likely to accept the spiritual things for which there is no precedent?

  1. There was no precedent for a women until God formed Eve from the rib of Adam
  2. When Noah spent years and years building a boat on dry land, there was no precedent of rain
  3. There was no precedent for a baby being born from a virgin until Mary delivered Jesus
  4. There was no precedent for Moses’ burning bush or Saul’s bright light on the road to Damascus, but both of these men were never the same after these experiences.

Just because there was no precedent for any of these examples, does not make them any less real. Have you ever thought about what would have happened if Mary had said to the angel, “No thank you, I won’t carry the Son of God because there is no precedent for that!”  Thankfully, she responded positively and said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). I don’t believe that meant that she totally understood everything, but she was willing to do something that had never been done to see God’s plan fulfilled!

Let’s consider the passage in Luke 5:36-39 from the New Living Translation.

Luke 5:36-39

36 Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. 37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. 38 New wine must be stored in new wineskins. 39 But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”

Jesus’ comment in this passage concerns the Pharisees who rejected the “new wine” or the gospel and held that the “old wine” which was first century Judaism was better. Up to this time, there was no precedent for the gospel that is now being preached. Jesus was very controversial and not all believed or followed Him.

I could show you many examples, but this one has always stood out to me the most. Look with me at portions of John 6:53-67 NLT

53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.

60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” 61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.)

66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

The disciples felt that what Jesus was saying was very hard to accept. He was teaching them spiritual truths that didn’t make sense to their natural thinking. There was NO PRECEDENT for this type of teaching or believing. In fact, we read where many couldn’t accept it and they deserted Jesus.

Those who stayed had to make a decision, just because they had never seen what Jesus was doing before, just because they had never heard these teachings before, would they choose to have faith and believe or would they decide this is too hard and walk away.

I want to remind you of the verse I read earlier

“But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.” Luke 5:39 NLT

In 2019 are you content to say,

  • What I have is just fine?
  • Where I am with God is just fine?
  • All the undiscovered bottomless things of God are just fine?
  • Just getting by is just fine?

Do you remember what I said about electricity? It didn’t have to be invented, but it DID have to be discovered and understood. We need to be driven to discover and understand the bottomless things of God, EVEN THOSE FOR WHICH THERE IS NO PRECEDENT!

If you are like me, then you are not satisfied with “THIS IS JUST FINE” MENTALITY! In 2019, we have to be willing to put on some new flexible wine skins.  What that means is we may have to be willing to sacrifice our own ideas, opinions, agendas, and preferences.  We may have to sacrifice our time, our comfort zones, and our traditions!

Traditions can be a good thing; we just enjoyed a holiday season where I am sure many of you have traditions. Certain traditions can be healthy, but some can be harmful.

When tradition is doing something for the simple reason that we have always done it this way, it can inhibit growth and forward momentum. I heard the Lord speak to my spirit….this year choose ignition instead of tradition!

In that context, I am talking about tradition as doing something simply because we have always done it that way, even though God stopped directing that a long time ago.

When I think about IGNITION, it gives me the idea of a rocket ship launching. I believe God is challenging us to “Fan into flame and rekindle the fire of the spiritual gift God imparted to each of us” (2 Timothy 1:6). WE NEED TO BE IGNIGTED!

We need to dare to believe again, dream big again, and have faith to hope for the things we haven’t seen yet. Even the things for which there is NO PRECENDENT!

I opened with definitions of the word precedent, now let me take you to the Bible’s definition of “NO PRECEDENT”.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV

9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

I particularly love that last verse in the Amplified Bible; it says, “The bottomless things of God”! While I know that we often think this passage only pertains to heaven, I believe it also applies to earth. There are some things that eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and man has not even thought of that God wants to do for His people to advance His kingdom.

Are you someone who wants 2019 to be full of the things God has that eye has not seen and ear has not heard? If that is you, let me give you some next steps.

  1. It’s a new year and it is time for a new wine skin! We need to get alone with God and allow Him to renew our mind and transform us from unhealthy tradition to ignition.
    • We must avoid imposing past traditional structures on present renewals. We should understand that yesterday’s forms are often incapable of handling today’s dynamic of spiritual renewal
  2. Make prayer a priority! Plan now to be a part of our week of prayer and fasting starting this Sunday January 13th.
    • Ask God to show you specific things that you are to pray and believe for in 2019. Then write it down. This will keep you focused throughout the year.
    • Begin now to plan how you will participate in the fast. Write down your plan so you will be more likely to stick with it.
  3. NEW BEGINNINGS….BELIEVE AGAIN!
    • I realize that sometimes it is easier to settle, to feel like the old is good enough, but I am here to challenge you to hope and expect again.
    • It is important to inspect what you expect. Set some goals; write down what you are expecting God to do in the coming days. Have courage to believe again, even if you have been disappointed, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and dare to believe again!
    • Stay persistent! Many people plan to change the way they eat or the way they exercise at the New Year. The reality is, the majority will not even make that change last until the end of the month. If you go back to the old ways, you never have anything new. If you want something you have never had, you are going to have to do something you have never done.

I am asking God to help me let my guard down; to not be afraid to believe for the big things. I am asking Him to change any doubt into faith, and to give me some bulldog tenacity and persistence to stay with it until the end. I want to keep on believing for the things I see with my spirit eyes regardless of what I see with my natural eyes. Will you believe with me this year?

References:

  1. Web. 1 Jan. 2019. http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily confused/precedence precedent.htm
  2. “Precedent.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
  3. Web. 1 Jan. 2019. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precedent
  4. Web. 1 Jan. 2019. wonderopolis.org/wonder/who-discovered-electricity

Under the Influence

29 Wednesday Aug 2018

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Have you ever watched any of the funny videos of people who are waking up from anesthesia? I found several by searching YouTube.

  • There is one, where the person just loves everyone, and even proposes to the health care provider
  • I found one where two brothers actually convince their poor sister, who wakes up from having her wisdom teeth pulled, that there is a zombie apocalypse happening!
  • There is a girl who is convinced that they took her lips off
  • And a white boy who is convinced he is now Mexican

I can tell you I have had the opportunity to witness this very phenomenon more than a few times with my husband. The problem is you never know which version of him, he will wake up to be….one time he was a comedian, the next a wild man, and then usually he just loves everyone and tells them what an amazing job they are doing.

The point I am making is that many people who are under the influence of anesthesia will say and do things that they would not normally say or do! We also know of negative examples of things people do differently when under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

  1. In general, these individual’s judgment is impaired. They often make decisions that they would not otherwise make, and they may go places where they normally would not go.
  2. Often their speech is impacted; they may slur their speech, or say things that they normally would not say, and my later regret.
  3. The way they walk may also be effected. They may fail the field sobriety tests where law enforcement asks them to walk in a straight line, turn on one foot, and walk back on the straight line.
  4. Someone under the influence is often more emotional and expresses love in a more open way. Some people marry strangers when they are under the influence!
  5. Many also have an unusual level of bravery or boldness. Some people actually refer to alcohol as liquid courage.

Normally when we consider people being “under the influence”, we think of it in negative terms. For example, someone driving while “under the influence”.  I want you to expand your thought process and consider it a different way. If most people were different when under the influence of anesthesia, drugs, or alcohol, would you agree that people could also be different when they are under the influence of an all-powerful God?

Romans 8:5 AMP

For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.

I believe that those who are controlled by and under the influence of an all-mighty and all-powerful God also do things they would not normally do too!

  1. In general, these individual’s judgment is not impaired but heightened. They often make decisions that they would not otherwise make. Let me give you an example. Recently I dropped some friends off at a store to pick up something, while I went down the street for fuel. When I got back, two of them came out carrying the boxes, but said my other friend would be a minute….she was in there praying for a woman who has a bad back! When you are under the influence of an all-powerful God, you do things like pray for hurting people in the store, even if they are a perfect stranger!
  2. Just like the first group, people under the influence of God will also have their speech impacted; they may say things that they normally would not say. When we are controlled by an all-powerful God, we can speak with words that are not taught by human wisdom, but words taught by the Spirit! (1 Corinthians 2:13)There have been countless times in my life, when someone being influenced by God has spoken words of encouragement to me, when there is no way except through God they could have known I needed those words!
  3. When we are under the influence of God, it isn’t just our speech that is effected, but also the way we walk.Ps 119:1-3 NKJV …walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. If we are under the influence of an all-powerful God, the way we walk should be effected. 

    Ephesians 4:1b-3 NKJV

    1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart! 3 They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.

    • We should walk in love (Ephesians 5:1-2)
    • We should walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8-12)
    • We should walk wisely and not as fools (Ephesians 5:15)

    1 John 2:6 NKJV

    He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

  4. One other thing I said about people under the influence of anesthesia or even other drugs/alcohol is that they are often more emotional and express love in a more open way. There is no love like God’s love. The influence of God in our lives gives us the ability to love the unlovable in ways that would normally be humanly impossible.
  5. The last attribute I mentioned about those under the influence is a heightened level of bravery or boldness. I am here to tell you that when an all-powerful God influences you, you will have opportunities for great boldness and bravery.

We see many examples of boldness and bravery in Scripture, but one that immediately comes to mind is Peter. This man had just recently denied knowing Jesus when they came to take Him for crucifixion.  Then we see this same man not long after Jesus’ resurrection, under the influence of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, stand up boldly proclaiming the gospel and preaching his first sermon.  The people responded asking, “What must we do to be saved?” He saw about 3000 souls come to the Kingdom that day!

We have seen all these examples of how things can change under the influence of an all-powerful God, but how do we tap into that? To answer that question, we first must consider the influences around us.

The word “Influence” can be defined as a powerful legacy, something passed on to you from family. It can also mean to sway, or effect or alter by indirect or intangible means.

The reality is that we have people and many forms of information, media, and communication that influence us each day. Sometimes that influence can be positive and sometimes it is negative.  Look at these two examples from the Bible.

Romans 7:24-25 Message Bible

24 I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? 25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

James 2:1 Message Bible

My dear friends, don’t let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith.

Not only do forces of influence surround us, but also we as individuals, have an opportunity to influence those in our own circles. Take a moment and consider who have been the most influential people in your life. Perhaps you are thinking of a parent or grandparent, maybe a teacher or a pastor, maybe a friend or coworker.

I did a Google search for the most influential people of all time1.  According to one survey that named the top 100 most influential people, Jesus Christ was number one, but in that very same survey, Muhammad was number six!  Moses was #18 but Hitler was #17!  We have an opportunity every day to be an influential person; the question we should consider is if our influence is positive or negative?

There are benefits of being a positive influence.

Proverbs 11:11 AMP

By the blessing of the influence of the upright and God’s favor the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

Psalm 112:1-9 NLT

1 Praise the Lord!  How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands.2 Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.3 They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever.4 Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.5 Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.6 Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered.7 They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.8 They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.9 They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor.

On the other hand, we can also see in Scripture those who were negative influencers. Here is just one example.

1 Kings 21:25-26 NLT

No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel.

Every person has opportunities to be either a positive or a negative influence on the lives of those we touch. This picture speaks of influence…

It says “I thought about quitting, then I noticed who was watching”. You can put a blank there instead of the word quitting and fill it with many things that would apply to your ability to influence others.  Here are some examples:

  • I thought about HATING then I noticed who was watching
  • I thought about SINNING then I noticed who was watching
  • I thought about GOSSIPING then I noticed who was listening

YOU FILL IN THE BLANK! You can fill it with whatever your greatest struggles are. NONE OF US ARE EXEMPT! Now let’s turn those words around.

  • I thought about showing kindness….because I noticed who was watching
  • I thought about praying….because I noticed who was watching
  • I thought about turning the other cheek….because I noticed who was watching
  • I thought about being generous…because I noticed who was watching
  • I thought about leading….because I noticed who was following!

OH, THE POWER OF POSITIVE INFLUENCE!

We live in a world that is all about self-gratification….but if we are under the influence of an all-powerful God we can live differently than that. He empowers us to live self-less lives being His hands, feet, and voice extended to this world.

In closing, consider this passage. The prophet Jeremiah is crying out to the Lord and look at how He responds.

Jeremiah 15:19 NLT

19 This is how the Lord responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you!

Our world is desperate for those, under the influence of an all-mighty God, to become the most influential people with voices and actions that are louder than all the destructive influences around us!

WE MUST INFLUENCE THIS WORLD MORE THAN IT INFLUENCES US!

 

  1. https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-influential-people-of-all-time–

Compelled by Compassion

04 Saturday Nov 2017

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This post is dedicated to a dear friend of mine, Peggy Parks, who was one of the most compassionate individuals I was blessed to know.  Rest in Peace Peggy and enjoy the beauty of heaven!

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Have you ever felt compelled by compassion?  I hope that we all could respond positively to that question, but I had an opportunity a short time ago to experience this on a different level.

Recently I shared a blog post called “Restore” where I described a difficult personal journey.  It seems many have experienced similar circumstances and could relate closely to this teaching.  I was invited to share that lesson at our annual Women’s Retreat for the Southern Missouri District of the Assemblies of God.

Every year there are specific mission’s projects that the women’s department sponsors.  The theme for this is “Compelled by Compassion”.  I sat there in that mission’s service listening to this year’s focus projects, and my heart was so full of compassion unlike I had ever experienced before.

In the afternoon, before it was time for me to share my “Restore” message, I was asked to assist during a prayer service where we prayed for women who had specific needs.  As I listened to each one share with me what they needed prayer for, my heart was so sensitive to their pain.  As I began my lesson, I realized I was in an unusual state after these activities.  I was trying to get through my introduction, feeling very emotional, and I happened to turn where I could see over my shoulder the Mission Theme Banner that said those words, “Compelled by Compassion”.  In that moment, I had a realization that this was exactly what I was experiencing!  I was being compelled by compassion on an unfamiliar level!

Why was that?  I could think of many reasons.  In my previous state, I was so overwhelmed that there was no room in my mind to be as sensitive to others.  In some situations, I was feeling enough pain myself, that I wanted to block out the pain of others.  I also think in my situation, I was running at such breakneck speed that I was doing two or three things at once and never stopping to be “In the moment” that I was currently experiencing.

Some of these responses are simply habits and choices that we can make a decision to change, but some can only be changed when we allow the Lord to do a work in our own heart and restore our soul.  I began to realize that since experiencing my own “Restore” journey that I my heart had changed, I was sensing things that I was overlooking before, I was feeling compassion on a different level, and I actually had a totally different perspective on aspects of life that I was previously oblivious to.

As Christians, I believe that we should be different.  The challenge is that often we are living life so broken that there isn’t any capacity left to show love and compassion for others.  Often our lives are so busy that there is no margin left in our lives to express love and compassion.  Lastly, as hard as it is to hear, there are times we are just simply too self-absorbed in thinking about our own needs and desires to open our hearts to show love and compassion to others.

I have to be honest, I still fail at times in these areas, but I am so much more aware of the pain, suffering, and needs of others than I was before this journey.  I realize that I can’t be everything for everybody, but if all of us could be compelled by compassion and love, follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, how much differently would this world be?

Philippians 2:1-5 NLT

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Compassion is defined as, “Sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.”1  Jesus was the ultimate example of compassion.  Look at a few examples.

Matthew 14:14 NLT

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Mark 1:40-41 NLT

A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”

Mark 6:34 NLT

Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

Luke 7:12-15 NLT

A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

All of these are examples of times Jesus had a, “Sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it”!1  There are many more examples of times He was moved with compassion during His ministry, but I want to show you an example of what I call ultimate compassion.  We see this example when He was dying on the cross.  Not only did He love you and me enough to bare all those stripes for our healing, and pay the supreme price of His death for our salvation, but also while He was enduring unbelievable agony and suffering, He saw those in pain around Him.

Jesus had compassion on the thief who was dying on one side of Him during His own crucifixion.  He told him, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

We also read that while He was on the cross He had compassion for His mother.

John 19:25-27 NLT

Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

During His own agony, He was making sure His mother was going to be cared for when He was gone.  What an example for us to follow.  The Word tells us in Luke 6:36 NLT, “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate”.

Too often, we feel that if we are suffering, we get a pass on showing love and compassion to others, but I believe Jesus shows us a different example.

If you are like me, you are likely thinking it is a tall order.  The good news is that the Christ in us enables us to love and express compassion this way.  Perhaps you are familiar with 1 Corinthians 13, often known as the “Love Chapter”.

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 NLT

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 out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

I often say that in my own humanness, I cannot love the way this passage defines love, but the Christ in me can!  If we will open ourselves to God and let Him do the work in our own hearts, we can have the capacity to love this way with His help.

I believe we are living in a time where showing Christ’s love and compassion is more critical than ever before; not only to our fellow believers, but also to a lost and dying world.  The world we live in is dark and it is getting darker!

Think about it a different way.  How many of you like the dark?  I like it to be dark if I want to look at the stars or if I want to sleep.  Darkness often does different things to different people.

Some may like the dark, because it provides cover or protection.  For example, deer season is upon us and my husband likes to be in his stand when it is still dark in the morning or until it is dark at night.  The darkness provides him cover so the deer don’t see him, and the deer are braver to move out in the open when it is dark.

For some darkness brings fear.  Fear can lead to panic.  Sometimes fear leads to people turning inward or to self-preservation mode.

Sometimes darkness leads to hopelessness, weariness, or depression.  I remember when I first started working in the home medical industry, someone called wanting to know if we could provide a SAD lamp.  I had never heard of such a thing and immediately misunderstood the request.  I thought they meant “sad” as an emotion, but SAD is actually an abbreviation for Seasonal Affective Disorder, which can often be treated by artificial light.  Light therapy is thought to affect brain chemicals linked to mood and sleep, easing SAD symptoms.

At times darkness can compel us.  If you have a power outage in the evening when there is no outside light, you are compelled to do something about it.  You will find either some candles, a flashlight, or some source of artificial light.

Why did I give these examples?  Because I want us to think about how we are allowing the darkness of the world we live in to affect us, specifically how is it affecting our ability to show love and compassion?

Are we using the darkness as a cover?  Do we have an attitude that because the world is getting darker and darker our efforts don’t make a difference or no one will notice or expect me to express compassion?

Are we allowing the darkness to bring fear that is causing us to turn inward and be in self-preservation mode?  Are we only worrying about our own needs and ourselves?

Are we allowing the darkness to bring sadness, hopelessness, or weariness?  Do we have the mentality that we have carried the torch long enough and we are tired, it is someone else’s turn?

On the other hand, are we allowing the darkness to compel us to do something?  Are we looking for ways to let our light shine in a way that demonstrates the love and compassion of Christ through us?

Jesus said, “….I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 NKJV

Another familiar passage found in Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV reads like this:

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

In closing, I want to share a story that Jesus shared, one that is familiar to most about the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10:30-37 NLT

Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Jesus said, “Go, and do the same”!  I believe He is counting on us as His children to be His feet and hands extended, to show love and compassion to those around us.

I have a few questions for you to consider.  Are you still so broken yourself that you have no capacity to show compassion on others?  If that is the case, He wants to restore your soul!

Are you in a place where you have no margin left in your life?  I realize there are times when we have many priorities and many things to do, but if you hear yourself constantly saying, “I don’t have time!” Maybe you need to get alone with God and ask Him to show you where you need to make some changes.  If we are honest with ourselves, we really have time for the things that are important to us.

Lastly, ask yourself the hardest question….am I too self-absorbed?  Am I so concerned with my own needs and desires that I have no room to think about others?  Am I willing to sacrifice some of my time and energy, or even my finances to show compassion and love to others?

These are important questions for us to consider.  I believe God is asking us to live our lives compelled by compassion!

 

  1. “Compassion” Merriam-Webster.com

 

It is Written

15 Monday May 2017

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Image1 (2)I am excited to introduce my third book, “It is Written” now available at Amazon.  I am sharing the introduction below for all of my blog readers.  I am particularly proud of this project, because it is all about God’s written Word.  It is a topical Scripture reference guide, we all should have available, which is packed full of passages for the topics you face in your life.

You will find passages on the following topics:

  1. The power of the Word
  2. What you speak
  3. Faith
  4. Protection
  5. Warfare
  6. Children
  7. Salvation
  8. Healing
  9. Financial freedom
  10. Needs
  11. Worship/Praise for who He is
  12. Anxiety/Fear/Stress/Worry
  13. Comfort
  14. Depression/Disappointment/Discouragement
  15. Hope/Peace/Courage
  16. Freedom/Liberty
  17. Overcoming temptation and addiction
  18. Anger
  19. Love

I love the Word of God and I view it as my roadmap, my book of instructions, my inspiration and encouragement, my list of promises, my prayer guide, and a mighty weapon against the enemy…just to name a few! We learn about the armor of God that is available to us in Ephesians Chapter 6.  All of the pieces of armor are defensive except one – the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  This is our offensive weapon and if we want to be victorious, we must learn how to use it wisely.

Ephesians 6:10-18 NKJV 

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.

Speaking, proclaiming, and praying the Word of God is so powerful in the life of a believer. Jesus Himself provides our greatest example.  When He walked on this earth, He faced the same temptations and challenges that we as humans face.  When He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to endure a great time of testing by Satan, he overcame him through three words, “IT IS WRITTEN!”

Matthew 4:1-11 NKJV

 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.'” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'” 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him,  “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

When you use the Word of God as your weapon, you also can be victorious just as Jesus was.  The answer to every issue you face can be found in the pages of God’s Written Word.  I encourage you to use these passages or create even more of your own to arm yourself and to become strong in the Lord with the power of His Word.

When you have a need, begin declaring the answer with the promises found on these pages.  When you do not know what to pray, begin praying and claiming the Scriptures.  Take the Word of God and write your own declarations and prayers.  Hide it in your heart and you will become a mighty man or woman of faith!

Follow the link below to order your copy today!

 

Keys To The Kingdom

25 Saturday Mar 2017

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I am so excited to announce the release of my Keysnewest book, Keys To The Kingdom.

To peak your interest to get your own copy, I am going to share the introduction of the book with you below.  Get your copy today at Amazon.com.

Keys To The Kingdom

Introduction

Looking back I see now that I have always had a storied history with keys – physical, lock-opening, ordinary keys. Having been a Christian for many years, it should not have surprised me then that the Lord chose to use such a simple, tangible object as a touchstone for my spiritual growth and learning down the road. The book you hold in your hands contains many of those teachings. But first, before the spiritual significance of keys could ever become part of my experience, I had to learn a few things about keys in a general, human way.

As I consider my history with keys, a few stories come to mind.

The first time I really paid attention to keys was as a sixteen-year-old. Most of my friends at the time were younger than I, and we all thought it was cool that I could drive them home after basketball games. As teenagers, transportation freedom is one of those rites of passage leading to all other types of independence, and we were no exception. Also not unusual was the fact that we didn’t always act responsibly with our new freedom.

One night – and I still shudder to recall how we were allowed to do this, especially in the winter – our coach let us leave our game still in our sweaty uniforms. Shorts, a sleeveless shirt, and knee-high tube socks were hardly appropriate for the temperature outside the gym. My two friends and I drove through our small town that night. We came to a stop light, and one of them hollered, “Chinese fire drill!” The three of us reacted with great excitement by jumping out of the car, running around it, and clamoring back in before the light turned green. I don’t know if teens today still take part in this silliness, but it was great fun for us at the time.

My car, however, made “Chinese fire drills” difficult because it had a five-speed, manual transmission. This meant I needed to ensure the car was in neutral and the emergency brake was engaged before jumping out to run around the car. On that particular night my friends, as they ran past the driver’s side of the vehicle, hit the door lock and shut the driver’s side door. They thought it was entertaining to watch me standing outside the car, freezing, at a stop light.

Not one to let the fun pass by, I decided to return the favor. During the next fire drill, I ran past the passenger side doors, and I locked and shut them. It would have been funny, except that I didn’t realize my friends were doing the exact same thing on my side of the car, probably at the exact same moment! The humor of our funny prank quickly dissipated when we realized we were all standing outside the car at a stop light, in our sleeveless shirts and short shorts, in the middle of winter, at night, locked out of the car, with no spare set of keys. The feeling of frustration and discomfort is something I still recall to this day.

Years later, I had another run-in with keys, but this time it wasn’t such a funny story. It was, in fact, a bit scary.

My husband and I lived in the country, and our first child was about a year old at the time. I worked the late shift at a hospital about thirty minutes from home. One night the hospital was on “lockdown” because of a local situation where a manhunt for an escaped, dangerous convict was underway. Someone reported seeing a man sneaking in through the Emergency Room, so the hospital was locked while this report was investigated. After a thorough search, the convict was not located within the hospital. It was a good news/bad news situation, though – certainly I was relieved there wasn’t a runaway convict hiding in the hospital where I worked, but I was also about to leave my shift and head for home along a dark, rural road at 11:30 at night. The convict was still at large, and I was about to be out in the darkness, alone. As I left, I kept looking at the row of trees lining the road, scanning them carefully and anticipating that the convict would jump out at any time. By the time I arrived at home, un-attacked, I was a jittery mess and eager for the safety of our home.

Living in a rural area, we often left our doors unlocked. None of my neighbors or anyone I knew in the area could recall the last time there had been a home burglary, and it was nice to live in a trusting community where locked doors weren’t a frightening necessity. That meant, however, that I didn’t often keep a house key on my set of keys. Why would I ever need it?

That night, however, likely because of the manhunt, I found the doors to my home locked. I knocked and knocked, pounded on the door with all my might, and tried to awaken my husband. He was sleeping at the other end of the house and with the attic fan running, there was little chance he would hear me. In my spooked state, I was certain the convict would jump out of the bushes any moment and attack me.

At the time, we had a rescued Doberman named Max living with us in our backyard. Max and I hadn’t quite figured each other out yet by that time and, while I was fairly certain he was harmless, I’d had a run-in with him recently and knew he could be quite protective of our son and our yard. Still, since the front door was locked, making it through the yard to my bedroom window seemed my only hope. If I could arrive at the window unscathed, perhaps I would be able to bang on the window loud enough to wake my husband.

I approached the yard cautiously, and Max immediately began to growl. This didn’t bode well at all. In that moment, I had to choose between my fear of the dog and my fear of the man who might jump out to get me at any moment. After deciding to take my chances with the dog, I made my way to the window; it was just high enough to be barely out of my reach. About that time, I heard Max snorting and pawing at the ground. I turned in time to see a snarling Doberman in full stride, headed straight for me.

To my amazement, and I never will quite understand how it happened this way, he didn’t attack me. Rather, he jumped up and hit the window with his head. Then, he backed up and did it again!

I breathed a sigh of deep relief when, moments later, the porch light came one, the back door was opened to me, and my startled, sleepy husband stood in the doorway in a stupor, trying to figure out what was happening.

Without a key, without access to open a door, I needed to open, the anxiety and fear and hopelessness of being locked out was immeasurable. I’ve never forgotten what it felt like. But the sensation of having the door opened to me was equally memorable – there was joy, gratefulness, and a deep sense of relief.

I tell you these two stories to make a specific point: Keys are important because we do not like to be locked out. And, just as we need keys in our natural life, spiritual keys are also a necessity. Jesus provided us with some important spiritual keys.

During Jesus’ earthly time of ministry, He met with his disciples and asked them who people thought He was. The passage below tells this story.

13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matt. 16.13-19)

Here, Jesus told His disciples at the time and all future believers that He had purchased some keys for us, keys which will enable us to walk in greater fullness and victory on this side of heaven. While I had read and quoted this particular passage from the Bible for years, the keys mentioned here took on new meaning about six months ago.

During a normal Sunday morning sermon, our pastor flashed the above verse about keys on the screen briefly. He did so to demonstrate one of the points of his sermon, though I don’t recall entirely now what the sermon was about. At the end of the service, I was led to pray for a particular friend who was fighting a physical illness. While I was praying, in my mind, a vision of an old-timey lock came to me. Some would call it a skeleton lock, and perhaps you have seen the antique skeleton keys which were used in such locks long ago. As I prayed, I heard the Lord say, “I have given her the keys!”

Remarkably, after that service, I saw keys everywhere I looked. I couldn’t escape them! For example, a billboard sign I pass by regularly and never take notice of had a key on it, and it stuck out to me like a sore thumb. I began to notice how many of the inspirational quotes I read mentioned keys in their messages. I even noticed there is a key emoji on my phone!

Around that time, my daughter asked me, “Mom, what do you want for Mother’s Day?”

While I don’t normally want or need anything, I knew as soon as she asked that this year was different. I had found a set of forty-two unique skeleton keys, and I really wanted a box with a skeleton key lock on the outside. I already knew exactly how I wanted to use the box and the keys, and I was excited to put my revelation into practice in a visual way.

In the chapters to come, we will talk about what I did with those keys and how transformational our vision of keys can be in our spiritual lives. The spiritual keys I discuss are closely related, and they become more powerful when connected together.

I pray that you too will realize every key on our key ring has a purpose. Relying on these keys is an important tool in making sure we aren’t locked out of all that is intended for us.

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Pruning Season

10 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by in Christian growth

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IMG_0293“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”  John 15:1-2 NLT

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He taught the people using parables and analogies that made the message relatable. This particular passage of Scripture about pruning in the vineyard is packed full of truths that can be applied to our lives.  When we consider the practice of pruning, especially at this time of year before growing season, it is relatively easy to consider the importance of pruning away dead or diseased branches.  However, the interesting thought found here is the fact that he also prunes the good branches to make them better.

Sometimes the most powerful enemy of “great” is settling for good. These words that Jesus spoke challenge me to be open to the reality that sometimes our Heavenly Father will prune good things out of our lives to create great things.

Letting go of the good can be unsettling and very difficult at times. We like the comfort of the known and the security of the familiar.  Truthfully, we are often attached to the “good” in our lives, and it is difficult to release that without knowing what “great” looks like or when it will arrive!  This is the point where our level of trust in the gardener will be critical.  We have to believe that He knows best even while we wait to see the results that come from the pruning process.

Like many spiritual concepts, this is easier said, than done, so let me try to encourage you further. There are many factors that can affect the overall quality of a grapevine, but the three most important are climate, slope, and soil.1

For the best fruitfulness, vineyards need to be in a climate where there is a lot of sun. When they are positioned on a slope, they get full advantage of the sun, are more protected from the frost, and benefit from the best drainage.  Drainage is the most important factor for healthy soil, which is critical for strong root systems.  Healthy roots determine level of growth or fruitfulness.

How can we apply this to our own spiritual lives? Keep reading below from the passage we read at the beginning:

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.  John 15:4-5; 8 NLT

Just as a climate with much sun is important for a fruitful vineyard, our connection to the “Son” is equally significant. We must remain in Him; spend time in His presence and in His Word if we want to be fruitful.

Our slope is crucial for two key reasons. First, in the context of position to best absorb the sun and avoid the frost.  From a spiritual standpoint, we must position ourselves as victors and not victims.  We cannot be fruitful with a victim mentality.  Secondly, proper slope determines drainage.  We have to position ourselves where the pain, stress, hurt, and all other negative influences can drain away.  If we allow those things to remain, the soil and ultimately our root system will be diseased and damaged, preventing growth.

If you find yourself in a pruning season, it can be very painful because you often do not understand what is happening. Try to remember that if He is pruning you above the ground, your root system is multiplying below the ground.  Even when the process is painful, try to focus on the fact that He wants to take you from good to great!

 

Reference
1.  Web.  10  Mar.  2017.  http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viticulture