But What About the Joneses?

Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” ~Luke 12:15 NLT

There is a song I hear on the radio, while driving to and from work, that has pierced my heart. The song is “I Want to Go Back” by David Dunn.  What has always stood out to me about the song is this one particular statement:

When I was a kid,I didn’t care to keep up with the Joneses; I was just happy that they lived next door.

For those non Americans reading this blog who are not familiar with the idiom "keeping up with the Joneses",  it basically means "to try to emulate (match or surpass) or not be out done by others".  It is a reference to living a constant materialist struggle of comparison with others. This is a common issue for many people living in first world countries.  Sadly, for many, enough is not really enough. Having nice things isn't bad, but we have to question our reasons behind wanting them. Are they sincere or is it because so and so has them or, "I have the money, so why not?"

There is so much to be learned in scripture about this subject:

In Luke 12:13-21, a man who is most likely already wealthy comes to Jesus wanting him to make his brother divide the family's inheritance with him. Jesus responds accordingly:
“Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”... “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:13-2 NKJV)

What I find so interesting about this encounter is that Jesus instantly switches from rejecting the request of this wealthy guy who is coveting for more, when he probably has need of nothing, to addressing his disciples, who are living completely sacrificial lives. He turns to the people whom he had told, "Take nothing for your journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece." (Luke 9:3) and begins to talk to them about the key to true provision:

 Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.  Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?  And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?  Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?  And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.  For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (Luke 12:22-34 NKJV)

Notice Jesus did not promise his disciples wealth, but he did promise them their needs, both physical and beyond. He promises the disciples,who have given all, their needs, yet to the man who most likely has much already he offers nothing. Perhaps he knew that more would ruin him; by what he tells him, it appears that is probably the case.  Something awesome I discovered while studying this passage is that when Jesus said, "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom", that word "kingdom" means "authority or power". If I have to choose, I'm choosing spiritual authority and power over material wealth any day.

It is important to note that the same Bible that talks about how much God loves to bless his people also says that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24) The "needle" was a reference used to describe a small door built into a gate. It was created for the safety of the city and was a way that travelers could still get in at night. It was so small that a camel could be unloaded and shoved through, but that was the only way it could fit through. Therefore, Jesus wasn't saying it was impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, but rather that it was difficult. When His disciples heard Jesus say this, they were astonished and said,  "Who then can be saved?" Jesus responded, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:25-26)

Perhaps you are reading this and you are "The Joneses".  You have been blessed greatly financially.  The only question I'd have before congratulating you is, "Are you as close or closer to God now than you were before you were "blessed"? I put "blessed" in quotes, because how it has affected your life determines whether it is really a blessing or a curse. Just because something looks good doesn't mean it's from God.    I truly hope if you were asked that question your response would be something like, "Yes! I give more; I am able to have the freedom now to spend more time with God and be involved in ministry more; etc." I really hope your answer would look something like that. Sadly, many people's wouldn't. It would involve having God, and sometimes even family and friends, as less of a priority and material goods and luxury experiences as more and more of a priority. 

One of my favorite documentaries is called "The Men Who Built America". It is about the business men, like Norman Rockwell and John D. Rockefeller, who became extremely wealthy in their industries. All the men it highlights ended up with more wealth than any man could probably spend in a lifetime. However, most of them never felt like they had enough, because they always wanted more than the other guy, whichever guy that happened to have taken their "wealthiest in America" spot at that moment.  What a sad way to live!

1 Timothy 6:10 says, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

Quit thinking about how the grass might be greener on the other side of the fence. Yeah, that grass might be greener, but what is going on inside that house? Is a family falling apart because the parents are coveting after greener pastures themselves? We have to learn to just be happy for the Joneses, or, if relevant, pray for them, but never compare ourselves to them. Quit thinking, "But what about the Joneses?" What might be a blessing to the Joneses could be the destruction of you.  God knows what you need and if you put Him first, He will provide every bit of it.  

Let's get back to this:

When I was a kid,I didn’t care to keep up with the Joneses; I was just happy that they lived next door.

A Time to Mourn

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:...a time to weep...a time to mourn..." ~Ecclesiastes 3:1,4

Greetings to all. As many of you will already know by the time you read this, my uncle passed away this last weekend.  He was a great man.  Due to living a great distance apart from each other, I was not privileged to have know him as well as I would have liked. So, in mourning his death, I also mourn that fact. But I rejoice, because of the good times I did get to spend with him and because I know that he is now without pain and in a much better place.

This morning, I knelt to pray with all kinds of thoughts swirling in my head. I had my list of things to pray for. High on my list were my family members, among many other people, places, and concerns. However, I felt to begin by saying, "God, I want to hear from you."  Immediately I felt God speak to me, "Cry."  I went into agenda mode, "God I don't have time to cry, I got a lot of things to talk to you about today!...there's this, and that, and...." Again, he interrupted my protest, "Cry".

You know when a three year old falls down, isn't really hurt that bad, but has that moment where you see them working up that cry face, and then, with effort, the tears come? Well, that was me today...until it became real.  I am guessing this command to me by God was due to an accumulation of withholding tears of sadness throughout a very rough year in general. 

You have to understand, when it comes to spiritual things, tears pour from me. When it comes to being extremely frustrated or even physically exhausted, sometimes, whether I like it or not, tears just come. But, when it comes to plain ol' sadness over circumstances or loss, at some point in life I apparently got in the habit of sometimes just allowing myself to go numb, put a tough face on, and never fully grieve. This is not the first time God has had to literally instruct me to cry. Actually, it's happened a few times.

The fact that he has had to instruct me to do this more than once, had me guessing there was probably scripture on it, and, indeed, there is. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is a "time for mourning" and a "time for weeping".  Psalm 126:5 encourages us that, "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy". 

The psalmist David spoke to God, "Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?" (Psalm 56:8). Another way this could read is, "You are well aware and have taken into account my state of exile: put my tears into thy bottle: have you not taken record of them?" There was something very important that David, a man after God's own heart, realized. He realized that God sees every tear and that tears are necessary.

So, you might be wondering why I am sharing this with you. I am sharing it because I believe there are many others out there, and perhaps you are one of them, who need to be told, "It's ok to cry. It's ok to weep. It's ok to mourn." It's not just ok; it's necessary. It's how God made us to function. It's how God starts the healing process. 

Whether you have suffered the loss of a loved one, whether you have suffered a physical loss, whether you have suffered a financial loss, whether you have suffered an emotional loss...whatever kind of loss you have suffered: There IS a time to weep. There IS a time to mourn.  If you haven't experienced that time yet, whether the loss was recent or decades ago, if  you have not yet truly mourned your loss(es), that time is now. Attempting to skip the mourning stage of grief does not shorten the process of healing, but rather extends it, sometimes making it indefinite. As Psalm 126:5 shows: it is tears that beget joy.

Many of you, especially men, particularly those in leadership of any kind, be it the head of a household, pastor of a church, etc might feel a need to keep your "game face" on at all times. This may be because you are afraid once the tears start you won't be able to stop, or it may be because you are afraid everyone else will fall apart and think you are having a break down if they see you shed a single tear. First of all, I assure you, neither of these things will happen. If anything, it will simply remind them that you are truly human. I encourage you: if you are feeling a weight from grief of anything, go into your prayer closet, shut that door, and put on your greatest "not really hurt 3 year old" expression, until the real tears come...until the real healing and joy begins to take root inside your heart.

Real men cry. Real women shed tears. And a very real God sees those tears, remembers and records them, and brings comfort. You don't have to understand everything to feel peace. As a matter of fact, scripture describes God's peace as being a "peace that passes all understanding." (Phil. 4:7) Whether you understand your losses or whether you don't, know that there is a God who desires to hold, comfort, and strengthen you, not despite your tears, but because of them.

  "...weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." ~Psalm 30:5

Broken Pieces

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people." ~Genesis 50:20 (NLT)

This verse has been on my mind so strongly lately.  Recently, I have heard stories, over and over again, that reiterate the lesson found within this verse...

A minister falsely accused of a crime, didn't put all his energy into fighting the accusation, but rather accepted that God's will would be done.  Now, having been in prison for years, a church has been started behind those bars due to his not despairing and seeing God's hand, even in such a tragic situation.

A child away from God, wandered much too far, and, while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, accidentally killed someone. Now, both him and his nephew, also in prison, have come back to God and many others are coming to know God through them as well.  

These are both real stories that have been shared with me within the last couple of months. 

Granted, every story doesn't climax with someone in prison. (Thank God!) These just happen to be the two examples I felt to share. And every story doesn't  involve literal flesh and blood people causing the harm. Scripture says that, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." ~Ephesians 6:12 

The scripture at the beginning of this blog is from the story of Joseph, and Joseph's story is just that...Joseph's story.  In Joseph's story his brothers are the ones who did him wrong.  God took that and used it.  He used it to the extent that he was able to use Joseph to save the lives of a multiplied number of people, his brothers’ included. 

Each one of us has our own story.  The negative part of the story is not what matters. What matters is what you are willing to let God make of it.  God can take anything and make something beautiful.  He can take a royal disaster and make it into a royal masterpiece. But you have to be willing to hand it over to him...broken piece by broken piece.

You see, the picture of your future you had formed in your mind?  It's nothing compared to what the master artist can design. As a matter of fact, you will probably not even recognize what he creates as you begin to hand over those pieces, one by one.  

Frustration..hand it over.
Hatred...give it to Him.
Jealousy...let go of it.
Judgement...it's the Lord's.
Discouragement...lay it down.

Piece by piece by piece, watch God make something beautiful. Something others can look at and learn from. Something that can transform other's lives as well. 

Piece by piece by piece.

While at LA Camp meeting recently I heard the song "Healing is Here" for the first time.  Two particular lines stood out to me above all the rest:

You are the God of all power,
And it is your will that my life is healed. 

Yes, it is God's will to allow us to go through tests and trials.  If we continue to persevere,  these will transform us into vessels more fit for his kingdom.  However, it is also His will for our lives to be healed.  It is especially His will that our lives are healed.  The entire point of the sickness, trial, or test  is for Him to receive glory through the healing. 

Whatever your circumstance, it IS God's will that your life is healed. It IS God's will that others benefit through your testimony. God is not blind to where you are or the circumstances that you face. He took Joseph from the pit to the palace, but He didn't do it overnight.... 

He did it piece by piece by piece. One act of obedience followed by another act of obedience.  Back stabbed? No problem, shake it off. Forgotten? It's ok, it's not God's timing yet anyway.

Piece by piece by piece. Trust God. Obey God. And Watch God do what only HE can do. 

Living Proof

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:19

I've heard it quoted many times, usually jokingly, but oh, how much truth is found within these few words: "Everybody wants to see a miracle, but nobody wants to be one."

According to Webster's Dictionary a miracle is: an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs; an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment.

From life and observation I have learned the following:
Everybody wants to see God move. Everybody wants to see God do awesome things that prove His glory, but nobody wants to actually have to endure any kind of hard situation, be it emotional, spiritual, physical, or financial, in order for that glory to be shown. Yes, everybody wants to see a miracle, but nobody wants to be one.

On the flipside, through personal and second hand experience I have also learned that:
Every missionary that chooses to embrace their calling and obey God is also, simultaneously, making an unspoken, yet understood, commitment to "being a miracle".  

Now, being a missionary myself, I would like to claim that we all make that second commitment with a skip in our step and an excitement and anticipation of the possibilities of all the amazing things God is going to do, because, well...He's just gotta!  He made the plan, so He's gonna back it up right?  YES!!!  Now we know it's time to watch Him show off. Sit back, grab the popcorn and Coke...it's SHOWTIME!!!! (Oh wait a minute..."faith without works is dead"...But that's a different blog for a different time....)

Yes, I would like to claim that's how it is and maybe it is that way for some. I know I personally have came a long way. However, when the next mountain looks higher than the last, by human nature it is easier to focus on that fact, rather than the fact that the mountain before that last one was smaller, and the mountain before that one was smaller, and yet God has always taken me over or through each them. And each time, my faith has grown. But, I will admit, I have never literally spoken the words, "God, I want to be a miracle!", that is, not until the stage was already set for me to need one, then it has been spoken more in the form of the words, "God, I NEED a miracle."

In the story of the feeding of the 5,000, the following conversation occurred between Jesus and His disciples:

When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. ~John 6:5-6

When God asks you to do something that seems impossible, He is proving you.  When you find yourself or a close relative with an incurable disease, He is proving you. When He asks you to give and you have no idea where it will come from, He is proving you. This list could go on for a while, but the point is: There IS a reason for your dilemma...and that reason is for His glory to be shown...through your proving. God wants to work; He has a plan in place. The provision is activated by your proving...when you prove He provides the proof!!!

According to Webster's to "prove" means: "to test the truth, validity, or genuineness of."

Want a financial miracle?

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. ~Matthew 3:8-10

Want healing?

Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. ~James 5:14-15

Want  deliverance?

Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. ~James 5:13

No, I've never asked to be a miracle, yet, thankfully, I have been blessed to be one, many times.  Having made a commitment to God to minister in what is considered the most expensive city in world has not been an easy thing. My flesh wants to know the hows, yet my spirit has had to learn to trust Him, on a whole new level, to provide every need necessary. And miracle, after miracle, after miracle I have seen Him do so, in ways I never could have imagined. Before I began this journey my pastor encouraged me saying, "God's finger will never point where His hand won't provide."  That has been my motto for the last year and that is now becoming my testimony.

A week and a half ago, it appeared that within a few more minutes my Dad might no longer be with us. Yet, as I laid hands on him to pray and began interceding for him in tongues, my father, who couldn't even speak at the moment, and who could barely breath, also began speaking in tongues. At that moment I felt that peace that passes all understanding sweep over the room. (Phillippians 4:7) After receiving oxygen, all vitals showed normal, and later all tests came back normal.

The world jokes: Everybody wants to see a miracle, but nobody wants to be one. 

But God says: "Prove me."

 



Grace in Disguise

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." ~Genesis 6:8

Often when we think of the story of Noah we think of the verse above... how Noah found grace in God's eyes, how Noah and his family were spared the fate that so many other people had fell victim to, by their own choice.

Rarely do we think about what grace looked like on that ark on the 23rd, or on the 32nd, or on the 39th day. Rarely do we think about the fact that grace is not always pretty when living through the preliminaries, especially when we don't yet realize they are simply just that....a beginning, not an ending.

The Bible says in Genesis 7:24 that "the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days." 150 days living with a bunch of stinky animals....Imagine how gross those stalls must have been!

The smells...the claustrophobia...5 months!!!

Oh, but then consider the alternative.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. ~Phillippians 4:11

Calvary was very ugly. It's hard for us to even comprehend the brutality that occurred on that day, but it was even worse for those who had walked with Jesus day in and day out, who had to stand by and witness God in flesh being treated worse than a criminal.

If  only they could have truly understood then, what we are so blessed to understand now.

Circumstances in your life may look bleak. You may feel like you have "drawn the short straw" ...possibly multiple times over. Know that His grace is sufficient. He trades beauty for ashes and makes all things beautiful in His time.

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. ~Isaiah 61:3

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ~2 Corinthians 12:9

Staging a Protest

“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am presently reading a book called “The Devil in Pew Number Seven” by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo.The writer’s very creative narrative of her own birth made quite an impression on me:

 

I yelled.

My eyes were pinched shut against a light as harsh as a solar flare. They stung as if sprayed with salt water. From head to toe, my skin tingled as if a blast of arctic air had swept over me. Chilled to the bone, I couldn’t explain the traumatic change in the temperature. My body shivered, trembling like a leaf in the wind.  And, although I was suddenly cold, my lungs burned with each breath.

In vain, I cried out.

My legs, kicking without regard for the hands that attempted to hold me down, were no match for the masked faces surrounding me. I could not make sense of their muffled voices. Out of control, powerless to hold my head up, I was carried away against my will. With fingers curled into a ball of fury, face as red as Mars, I howled so loudly the wail could be heard down the hall.

Like all humanity before me, I entered the world staging a protest.

My first thought when I read this was “..and so it is with us.”  How many times in life does our flesh protest something God wants us to do or perhaps just something he wills us to endure?  How many times does He move us forward, while our heels are still dug in the sand?  How many times has He asked us simply to remain standing, yet we proclaim a sit in and recruit friends to join us.  

A baby’s options are death or life, nothing else, and so it is with us. Stagnation is a spiritual killer, as is letting down your guard, forgetting or neglecting to keep your spiritual armor on. Recently, while driving through the state of Missouri, I read alarming statistics posted on an illuminated sign beside the interstate: “Number of Deaths this Year: 711; 64% Unbuckled”.  I personally have been in at least one accident, in which I have no doubt that I would have died, had I not been wearing a seat belt. Instead, due to this precaution, and, no doubt, greatly due to God’s protection, I walked out of the car, practically unscathed. At 70 mph, the car had rolled multiple times and finally landed upside down, with a caved in roof.  When I read that sign reporting the number of deaths I just kept thinking, how low would that first number have  been, had, by chance, that second number been lower? And how much is this like us in the spiritual realm? How many casualties could be prevented if we simply remembered to keep our spiritual armor on at all times? (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Whether God has told you to move or whether He’s told you to stand. Don’t doubt. Don’t question. If He has spoken, you can rest assured that the path you will trod will be the safest. Why?  Because He has promised to be with you.

As the song goes…

“Many things about tomorrow

I don’t seem to understand,

But I know who holds tomorrow

And I know He hold my hand.”

So stand up, put down those protest signs, and get those heels out of the sand. God is FOR you. (Psalm 56:9)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ~Jeremiah 29:11

A Bottle or a Well?

And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. ~Genesis 21:19

Hagar, sent out with just a bottle of water and bread, which was now gone, had lost all hope, given up on life, and was now planning to endure the death of her child. However, God heard her child's cry and revealed a source of provision for them much greater than what she'd had priorly. Before: A bottle (now empty) After: A well. How easy it is to be like Hagar, so focused on a problem that we miss the solution God has already prepared that's right in front of us.
      Sometimes we look through a microscope, when the answer is found through a panoramic view. Microscopic vision is man-made, an "I can figure this out if I try hard enough" mentality. Panoramic vision...this kind of vision is God given. This brings to my mind the feeling I experience inside when I stand on a mountain top overlooking a valley. Thoughts of God's amazingness, His power, and His glory overwhelm me every single time. In like manner, stepping back and allowing these same feelings of awe and this same perspective to take hold spiritually in the middle of life's difficulties will begat peace, which will give place to faith, which will produce the answer to any "impossible" situation one could ever face. Step back, pray, then look again...God might very well open your eyes just as he did Hagar's. An empty bottle or a well? Which will it be?

Hope

This morning I woke up in quite a good mood....with the lyrics to this song in my head:

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, help me stand
I am tired
I am weak
I am worn
Through the storm,
Through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand, precious lord
Lead me home

My first thought was "I'm feeling just fine right now..so why am I waking up with lyrics to a song about feeling tired,weak,and worn? This was definitely not the song of choice I wanted stuck in my head all day.

Then, as I was reading my Bible this same morning, I read the following verse:

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.~1 Cor.15:19

Paul, the writer of the above scripture, experienced ALOT of bad things in his life, much of which is recorded in 2 Corinthians 11:22-33. As shown in the verse above though, he realized that in the big picture of things it just didn't matter. He admitted that if he was just thinking about the present, the life he had experienced here on earth, and not the glorious eternity God has promised those who serve him, he would be most miserable. Not just miserable, but the most miserable of ALL men.....and after reading 2 Corinthians 11, who can blame him?!!! (On a side note, I have decided that from now on when I'm having a "bad day" I'm reading this chapter to keep things in perspective. :-)

The point:
It's ok to sometimes feel tired, weak, and worn. We are all human. We all sometimes wake up "on the wrong side of the bed" for what seems like absolutely no reason. The important thing is that our focus is right and that it never changes---

70 years vs. eternity....

Where and with whom have you placed your hope?

I remember many years ago as a Bible quizzer sitting on the bed in my grandma's house in the mountains of West Virginia late on Christmas Eve night memorizing verses for the soon starting season..... I remember this particular moment because I remember how quickened in my Spirit I felt as I memorized the verses below:

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. ~1 Thess. 4:16-18

It's like I felt God saying "Hope in this. Remember this. Focus on this...This is what it's all about. Don't forget it."

This morning when I was thinking about how Paul said he would be "of all men most miserable", I began to think about "When am I the most miserable?" I am the most miserable when I take the blinders off..when I choose judgement or justice toward others over mercy...when I begin to look at people or circumstances through the world's eyes, rather than through Gods. I am the most miserable when I take my eyes off Christ and the promise of eternity in Heaven and turn my focus towards anything that is not eternal.

Thankfully we do not have hope in Christ in this life only. We have an eternal hope!

Through the storm,
Through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand, precious lord
Lead me home!

Watching God Work

“When God is looking for someone to use He looks to the prison, not to the palace.” ~Rev. Jeff Sanders

Has God ever spoken something to you and you wish that He hadn’t? I don’t mean something chastising, but a word of direction regarding your future or a promise, yet you found yourself wishing that He had just kept you out of the loop?

I am, as some rednecks would say, a “get ‘er done” type person. I consider myself more a follower than a leader, but if I look around and no one is leading, I’ll usually take the reins and do what has to be done. So, if I’m at point A and you tell me I’m eventually going to be at point C, I intend on doing what it takes to get there…because that’s where I’m supposed to be going, right? Why waste time? Why take the 10 mile trail when there’s a 5 mile short cut?

So, when I, apparently at the right time, listened to a cd of a message Bro. Royce Wilson had spoken at BOTT 2009, a minister’s conference hosted every year by a church in Alexandria, I was reminded that, when God’s timing is right, He will begin to speak, but not before then.

You see, before listening to this message, I was getting pretty upset, and was letting God know about it. I was asking Him things like, “Why tell me something if there’s nothing I can do about it?” (Remember, my “take the reins” personality description up above?”) I felt God gently tell me, “Because you asked.”

“Ok…He did get me there.” I did ask. Every major decision I make I pray and fast about. And I had been doing a whole lot of that at this pivotal time in my life. So yes, He had answered and He had answered in more detail than I would ever have expected.

Yet, I still found myself wondering, why, knowing how I am, would you choose to show me this, a Point C with a road block? Then I felt God reply, “So you would have to trust me, and know it was me and me alone who got you there.”

Sometimes, if most people are in a lazy mood, they don’t have much of a problem sitting by letting someone do something on their own…but most people also, that have a high level of respect for someone, if they see them working on a project, etc, that they feel they could lend a hand to help with, are usually going to help, or feel guilty not doing so. And this is all well and good. But we have to be careful not to take this approach with God, remembering that His ways are above our ways and His thoughts are above our thoughts. Usually his plan is so complex and so much better than what we would imagine that we would merely be in the way if we attempted to “help”.

Yes, faith without works is dead, but sometimes our “works” simply has to be to pray and continue to do what’s right.

Bro. Wilson’s message was about being a “stranger in the land of fulfillment”.
He talked about how when God gives you a promise, you are not crazy; it will come to pass. His references were to the story of Joseph. He also said you are not wrong to share that “dream”/ promise with people. It is true that they may take it the wrong way, but you are not wrong to share it. He goes on to talk about the different stages of fulfillment…One being the prison. This is where the words from Rev. Sanders stood out to me.. “When God is looking for someone to use He looks to the prison, not to the palace.” God doesn’t usually pull someone straight from the palace to do his work. There are things He wants you to learn so you are ready when He places you where He wants you. Sometimes you may have to go through many trials to reach this point. Perhaps the greater the call the greater the trials? Yes, this is a scary concept, but the more and more I read the bios of people of God who have been used mightily, the more this seems to be the case. Obviously it is not because God doesn’t care, it because He has faith you will endure, come out as gold, and will be able to be used at a level you never would have been prepared to have been used had you just experienced the palace, and not the prison also.

So, are you willing to watch God work? To trust Him with a hands off approach in whatever trial you may be facing?

You might be wondering, how can anything good happen or change if I’m just standing still? Sometimes you don’t have to understand something. You just have to believe God’s word & trust Him.

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. ~Exodus 14:13

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you. ~II Corinthians 20:17

Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. ~Job 37:14

Relax, Stand Still, & Watch. God is in control!

The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. ~Psalm 24:1

Death to Self

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
~2 Timothy 1:7

He has told you, O man, what is good;and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,and to walk humbly with your God? ~Micah 6:8

There are times when you hear a certain sermon or read a certain passage in a book and know instantly that you have been forever changed by those words. This week I read one such passage and would like to share it with you. It is from the book "Passing the Mantle" by Sis. Joy Haney. In this book both her and various other ministers share both their life experiences and advice for the next generation. I strongly encourage you to read it if you get the chance.

This particular passage I would like to share was written by Sis. Bobbye Wendell, a former missionary to Ethiopia. Upon her family arriving in Ethiopia, the first open door God set before them was that of one to minister to lepers. As a matter of fact, there were over 500,000 lepers in that country at the time (in the'70s). They ended up purchasing and repairing a building near where these lepers were living and began to use the building for teaching them various skills and also as a church building. Up until the point at which Sis. Bobbye Wendell wrote this account from her life, they had seen no true harvest yet from their labor. She had a burden for these people, but also lived in fear of this disease. One day, when her husband brought home a lady with leprosy to be there new house keeper, which meant her working around their children, she told him he had to take her away...The following is what ensued from this conversation and how God dealt with her in a life changing way:

"He said he could not; she had no place to go and would be hurt again. She had been beaten terribly by other beggers. I told him very emphatically that she had to go. He sadly looked at me and said, "You may take her...here are the keys...but will you do something for us?" I asked what it was he wanted. He asked if I would go by Calvary on the way taking her back.

I was numbed. Didn't he know that I had been to Calvary? I had been there before, but it had been to take a soul to Calvary not to lead one away. I started to cry. I took the keys and grabbed my prayer shawl. It was a nice little pink and green shawl made by someone in the Alexandria, Louisiana church as a gift for me on the mission field. I cannot remember the dear one who gave it to me. I used it every service in the chapel church. There were reasons I used it.

I flew out of the house but did not take the lady with me. It was time for something to happen for me. Today would be the day.

The drive to the workshop and chapel was not very far; it consisted of a road, winding down the mountains side and through the village market. The narrow road was crowded with people who seemed to have nothing to do. Every time we drove down without incident was either a tribute to our driving skills or a miracle. This day was no exception, and I arrived safely at the workshop.

It was Saturday. We did not have a Saturday service at this time. Only the guard, Wolde Gabriel, was there. He opened the gate to the property, and I drove in. Wolde had very little of his nose left on his face. His eyes looked sad and a bit wary. He would wonder what I was doing there today. I drove past him to the front door of the building. I exited the car and went into the building. It was the same as the day before, nothing changed. The sameness was the smell.

When you have over one hundred people with various degrees of infection eating away at them...hands, feet, faces, and bodies...there is a cloying, clinging odor that permeates the area. This smell never went away. Soap, disinfectant, and cleaners just added to the strength and tenacity of the smell. A smell of dying flesh, people whose desperate claim to life was: "God made me this way to test the rich man. If he gives me a coin he escapes hell and I will have bread for the day." Do you blame them? They were told they had no soul, they could never inherit heaven, and they were never allowed into the vast compounds of the existing State church.....

I went deeper into the building. The guard, Wolde, remained at the door. His hands, or what remained of them, were held behind his back. They were covered in ulcers. I never touched them. Today was no different. I took my prayer shawl and spread in on the floor. I would kneel on it, pray, and when I went home I would throw it in the washer before using it again. I hoped it would last the length of our first term.

I started to kneel and quite firmly announced to the Lord that I had come to be "broken". With that announcement I went to my knees and started to pray. You do know that heavy smells actually can be tasted and the smell was terrible that day.

I prayed and nothing happened. After a while, as I attempted to get through, the Lord spoke to me and said," If you really wish to have your request (to be broken), then remove the prayer shawl." The thought of my flesh actually touching the floor was overwhelming. Some of the lepers walked barefoot daily over the floors, the smell of their infections entering the plank flooring. I could not do it. I would pray on. The voice came again, "Move the shawl." Finally, I moved the shawl. But the Lord was not finished with me yet.

As I knelt wondering if there was anything worthwhile in me, this fearful person, the Lord spoke again, "Get down." I stooped a bit; the Lord spoke and said again, "Go down" and I stooped lower. Finally, after the third time I tearfully asked the Lord, "I'm down...how much further?" He said,"Until there is no further down." I went down, stretched out on my face and frontal body.

I literally lay before the Lord with weeping. I would feel to turn my face and I would understand that I was to stay as I was. Something was happening. After time, later to judged about three hours, something like a dam broke inside me. Fear of disease and strangeness and filth poured from me. From the lower regions of my body to the flowing out of sounds and words from my mouth, the Lord delivered me. I would never be the same again. There would be a harvest. There would be a church and a people....There would be fulfilment of Psalm 68
:31, my call to Ethiopia. 'Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.'

I arose, as a new person, and went out of the building. The guard simply looked at me. I said, 'Wolde, give me your hands.' He held them behind his back. I asked him again, and finally he extended them. I took his hands in mine and said to him, 'You will never have to hide your hands from me again' And he never did.

The foundating of the enemy's resistance was broken that day, and soon we would baptize our first Ethiopians in Jesus' name. In those beginning days of harvest, there were twenty-seven leper people who were baptized in Jesus' name and several received the Holy Ghost. Many other acts of God's mercy were done, and doors began to open to fulfill Psalm 68:31."

It is Well with My Soul

Today I learned (and taught my English class) about how the song "It is Well with my Soul" was written by Horatio Spafford, a man who had just lost 4 of his daughters in a shipwreck. This same man had, within the last 2 previous years also lost a son to scarlet fever and also had his many real estate investments destroyed in the great Chicago fire. His wife, who had been traveling with the daughters, was the only family member that survived the shipwreck.

When the survivors of the wreck had
been rescued, Mrs. Spafford's first reaction was one of complete despair. Then she heard a voice speak to her, "You were spared for a purpose." And she immediately recalled the words of a friend, "It's easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God."

Mr. Spafford was originally supposed to be on that ship also, but was held back due to business and had sent them on ahead. While on the ship heading back to New York from England to be with his wife, shortly after crossing the area where the ship had sank, he penned the words to this beautiful song:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

"Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well."
~2 Kings 4:26

I want to have this attitude, no matter what the circumstances of life. When asked, "Is it well?" I want my reply to always be a resounding "Yes, it is well."

(I highly recommend listening to Selah's version of this song. It's probably available on Youtube; I just don't have access to Youtube here at the Mansion to post it. *sigh* :oP)