Not Just Surviving

I Samuel 17:33-37 (NLT) “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”

Over the past few months, I have dealing with family matters. My birth mother passed away four years ago. My step father just last month. My brother and I retrieved their ashes from relatives and laid them to rest a couple of weeks ago. I love my birth mom and have candidly shared that there was a separation due to addiction. Though divorced for many years, my step father remained her companion until her departure. I could bore you with all the dramatic details or even a justification for years of distance but it really doesn’t matter anymore. During this time, I have been drawn into a deep evaluation of my life which I deemed that of survival until my teenage years. The highlight reel planning in my mind like an old projector casting images on a white sheet on the walls of previous homes – I began to revisit places I didn’t really want to and process events that are long since gone. It has been a tough time. Not all of the memories are good ones. To shake myself out of the depths of darkness, I would often think I survived. My brother and I made it thanks be to God who always had His Hand upon us. However, there is more to the story that God has pressed me to share.

I think there are very few people Christian or not who haven’t heard the story of David and Goliath. Everyone loves a good story especially when good overcomes evil, right? But even though I grew up on it, I read it again with new eyes. Spiritual eyes from a loving Father who desperately wants me to see Him when I thought I was just surviving.

“When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God!

David was a shepherd. His earthly father entrusting him with the sheep. Though the family depended on the flocks for livelihood and sustenance, his brothers mocked him for his lowly position among the sheep. David was committed to his duties. In the course of his tending, he was confronted with death defending the sheep. He had encounters with lions and bears which in turn was a fight to the end. In each case, he survived the battle killing the predator and rescuing the sheep. David survived. I survived some things that others have succumb to. You, my friend, are a survivor. Yet I have discovered just recently that I more than survived – I am victorious. Those small skirmishes that I have diminished to hide the hurt, brokenness and pain of the past are actually battle scars of preparation because God is making me a warrior.

Zechariah 4:8-10 (NLT) Then another message came to me from the Lord: “Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand…”

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin… God was training David in his ordinary life doing ordinary things just surviving to face Goliath. The purpose in David required preparation. The preparation came in the form of survival. The popular television show called “Survivor” puts contestants in the middle of nowhere with limited resources and put through a series of tests. They tribal council decides who stays or goes. The final two contestants take a long walk of remembrance before the final tribal council at the finale determines the one who “outwitted, outplayed and outlasted” the others. This is a game. There are producer, field agents and medical staff ensuring the protection of those who signed up. What makes us any different? Life is hard. We are called to endurance. Our survival comes at sum of small victories. You have been winning all along but the enemy insists it is merely surviving because you are so close to beating the giant that he has to keep you from the battle field. Do you despise the small beginnings – the place where you survived but hold unforgiveness or resentment in your heart? Perhaps, it is fear and insecurity that doesn’t want to risk it anymore. I am talking to someone if no one other than myself.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (NLT) But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

God is coming back and will find a remnant church. Remnant sounds small because it is. Many will call Jesus Savior but few will receive the empowerment of making Him Lord. Those who choose true repentance who ask Him to be Savior and turn to the Lord will have a veil removed that reveals the heavenlies in full operation. Like Jacob who saw heaven coming to earth and vice versa. Suddenly, Christ is in you. Surviving is not enough for those purposed to thrive. The Spirit of the Lord takes over construction of your soul and restoration of your heart. Things are different as God makes us more and more like Him. I do not believe the purpose of God is to destroy us that is the burden of sin. His Purpose is to make us vessels of His Glory. Filling us to overflowing with all of His Love and Goodness. He gives us full armor to be battle ready. What if the sum of your life story is really a series of small victories in disguise? What if you recounted them as such giving God all the glory? What might happen? Giants would fall.

I John 5:4-5 (NLT) For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

The walk down memory lane was not a field of flowers but walking through valleys, shadows and darkness again. Regret, shame, pain, and the past on vivid display but then a light came on thanks to the Word of God and His Spirit. I was there. I was with you. You made it because I was there. I never left. I never forsook you. I have a plan for you. You needed small victories to win the war. You needed faith. You needed hope. You needed desperation to find me. You did. You didn’t survive. You are thriving and headed to meet Goliath because now you have what it takes. I live in you. You have defeated and overcome the evil of the past. You are walking to your purpose. You will win! Why? “Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is yours through Christ, who loves you.” (Paraphrased just for me.) Through the brokenness of a difficult childhood, God carved a place for His Son in my heart. Once Jesus filled it – faith had a place to grow. Faith took hold of hope with both hands and will not let go. I won! I made it! To God be the glory. If you are reading this – you more than survived. You made it. You are a winner of small victories who will one day win the war.

David did not have the heart of a survivor but a victor. He didn’t cower from the giant but ran to him. We can do the same. It is in us. Jesus lives in you and I as believers. Do you believe? You didn’t barely make it in surviving it was a victory. Don’t let the enemy make you feel small because of the details. Do not let him tell you that you will never be enough just making it through life thankful for what you have because it is more than you deserve. Need I remind you that Christ considered you worth dying for? At the end of self, you will always find the Lord if He is the One you are looking for. He is loving! He is kind. He is the healer of all things broken Who will fill you with His Power in every weakness. He is faithful. You have victory in Christ that begins in surviving. Don’t stay in the wilderness today. Walk boldly to the battlefield. God is with you! You will not fail! Confidence is born in every small victory in life. Don’t discredit survival as less than a win! We are living glory to glory and victory and victory just because Christ lives!

Romans 8:37-39 (NLT)  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Adapt and Overcome


Adapt and Overcome

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” (Philippians 4:12)

Today’s Morsel:  One of the phrases we learned in the military was "Adapt and Overcome."  In other words, adjust and get over it.  Don’t allow your circumstances and situations to cause you to become ineffective for the mission.  Get over it.  Paul knew how to adapt and overcome.  He told the church at Corinth: “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.” (2 Corinthians 11:24-30).  He continues with these words, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24); “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:12-13).  If you can’t adapt and overcome the enemy will defeat you and you be ineffective for the mission.  Let's adapt and overcome so we are effective for Jesus.  

Sing:  I’ve got Jesus on the inside working on the outside, oh what a change in my life.  I’ve got Jesus on the inside working on the outside, oh what a change in my life.  I’ve got Jesus on the inside working on the outside, oh what a change in my life, oh what a change, in my life.

Thought For Today:  Adapt and overcome.

Only Time Will Tell

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (AMP) He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.

There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven—(Ecclesiastes 3:1) I have finally lived long enough to experience all of the times and seasons listed in Ecclesiastes 3:2-8. Life is always full of change. Though one longs for change, its unexpected arrival is unsettling. The transition of transformation is arduous and hard. Maybe that is why life is hard – to break off the ridge pieces and soften our hard and callous hearts. To make us pliable and moldable in the Hands of God as He creates the beautiful masterpiece promised in Ephesians 2:10. All the pieces of brokenness used to for His Good and Glory just as prescribed in Romans 8:28. These are not empty words but the Truth that change our life from ordinary to extraordinary. When faith produces endurance which turns to trust and trust becomes confident hope. Every season in our life has purpose and meaning. God has prerecorded the moments of our life intentionally and precisely like a roadmap to success. (Psalm 139:14-16) I was made for this. The plan and purpose of my life was for peace and wellbeing with a future and hope clearly defined as my destiny. (Jeremiah 29:11) All of this given to those who desire completeness in Christ enough to make Him Savior and Lord. (Ephesians 1:23) We have been given every spiritual blessing. (Ephesians 1:3)

A pastor in church was describing the condition of the church of Ephesus during his sermon yesterday. He shared that they had it all… all the tools necessary to grow and prosper but didn’t know how to use them properly. I wonder is also the story of the modern day church. Having it all – we just don’t know how to use it to overcome ourselves and step fully into Christ. Our past is filled with reasons why not. Today is crowded with worries, cares and anxiety about things that don’t really matter. Our future defined by them both to be nothing spectacular when God says otherwise. We just don’t believe Him enough to step out of our past (filled with excuses), move past the distractions, and step into our destiny. The ideology of church must be exchange for the Deity of God. The Father, Son and Spirit are fully capable of completely and confidently changing your life and mind from mundane to the miraculous.

There is a stirring deep within my heart for more. Not a spirit of unthankfulness but of abundance. I feel the need to sacrifice and serve but not from my flesh anymore but completely immerse myself in the Will of God. It is a scary place. For years, I thought I was all in but rather standing precariously on the edge. I have fought the good fight of faith…winning barely by the skin of my teeth. I want more faith. But now I know the cost…it is high. It requires absolute trust and total confidence in Jesus to protect all that is precious to me as warrior for His Kingdom. I asked for more faith. I wanted this thing called trust to grow in my life. Be careful what you pray for because when it aligns with God’s Heart. His Word. His Mind. You will absolutely get it. Consider the cost of going all in because once you are drowning in His Grace – it will become your wholehearted mission to see His Face. Like Jacob and Paul, you may come away with a handicap or nagging thorn in your flesh. It is in our weakness that His Power is sought after not because God desires it to be so but because in a place called Eden – we decided so. Don’t blame it just on Adam and Eve. You and I have a choice each day to choose life or death, blessing or cursing, sin or obedience. Hits where it hurts huh… I am feeling it, too.

He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time.

Timing is everything with God. Life according to His Plan doesn’t change because I am unsettled. But rather the Lord comes to settle things with His People once and for all. (Isaiah 1:18) It is important to note that our nature is to settle for things daily as a means of survival. God’s Plan is to settle the matter of sin once and for all so that His People will reach eternity. To give our life away to Jesus rather than indulging in a meaningless and pointless existence driven by whim and emotions. An intentional life that leads to fulfillment and complete satisfaction. You are not there yet if discontentment plagues your soul. If your circular thought is I should be thankful but I am still longing. It’s not settled yet.

He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]

You have not arrived and neither have I. The first church service that doesn’t apply to you where the Word of God is shared and His Spirit heavy in the room – is a call to the altar. The more I sow into eternity the greater my need for grace. As I edge closer to Jesus, the Light of His Love illuminates the darkness and staleness hidden in my fickle heart. There is always more of me to give and you, too. Fear of what people might think keeps us following the crowd which only produces hollowness and emptiness. There is the taskmaster of tradition. It comes masked as religion. It is much easier to pick apart the Bible and build a mask that gains us entrance to the façade of holiness that is really a pious gesture. Church, it’s time to remove our covering and live unveiled lives to allow God’s Transforming Power to produce the purpose that we long for. We want all of God but refuse to give Him all of us to work with choosing a beautiful mosaic with no substance or truth. You will never be satisfied until eternity becomes your purpose and the Lord in full possession of your heart.

Yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.

Life with God is not always an epiphany. He speaks to us. Directly to us. Yes, He uses pastors, teachers and podcasts. But the God of the Universe, Creator of All and Your Heavenly Father wants to talk directly to you – His Beloved. Mountaintops allow us to breathe in His Spirit and refresh our soul. Faith and trust are sown in the valleys of life when God is completely invisible and seems silent. Why? Because though no one can find out, comprehend or fully grasp what God has done from beginning to end or what He is doing in this very moment – God is always working. He is always moving. He is always pursuing you. He goes before you. He lives in you. He is behind you. This is why human senses and emotions are detrimental to us. We must learn to walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Cue in the Andy Griffith theme song with Andy and Opie whistling their way to the fishing hole – this is not at all what this passage reflects. It is often edging, groping or crawling out to the edge of faith hoping not to fall only to realize falling is inevitable for our hope to be secure. Trust is in the fall my friend. The end of self to fully surrender our life to the Lord including every single minute. It is an all in event. Are you all in today? Why not?

We must ask the Lord to help our unbelief. It takes the impossible to see a miracle. What seems impossible in your life? Do you need a miracle? Maybe just a sign from God? Am I going in the right direction? Are you there, Lord? I assure you that God is with you! He will never leave you or forsake you. He is waiting patiently and lovingly for you to seek Him. He responds to the softest whisper of a sincere heart. You have a purpose today that only you can fulfill – it is up to you only to want it enough to seek it. You will find it when you seek the Lord wholeheartedly according to Jeremiah 29:13. After reading Jeremiah 29:11 for years, I finally continued reading at it finally made sense. You cannot find a purpose and plan that will satisfy your soul without consulting with its Creator. The One who devised the whole thing including every messy and broken part. Life happens. Surely in the course of life, you will experience every single thing noted in Ecclesiastes 3:2-9. No one is exempt. But only those who decide to give their whole heart to the Lord will see the beauty of His Creativeness when He makes them into a masterpiece. Christ died and rose again handing you the Keys to the Kingdom. Use them. We have everything needed to live a rich and satisfying life. It is found not in this world but our pursuit of His Kingdom. Only those who choose surrender will reap its great reward. It is something that satisfies our soul first. It brings the peace that passes understanding. It is overwhelming and intoxicating. A love story like never before. We are all destined to have it but few will pay the price to find it. What about you?

3 John 1:2 (NKJV) Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Stop Complaining


Stop Complaining

I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.” (Psalms 77:3)

Today’s Morsel:  Do you feel as though you are being overwhelmed?  Have you stopped to determine if you have been complaining a lot?  The psalmist said, "I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed."   Job felt overwhelmed.  He said, “Even today is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.  Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!  I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.” (Job 23:2-5)  The meaning is not that he made bitter complaints in the sense which those words would naturally convey, or that he meant to find fault with God, but that his case was a hard one.  His friends furnished him no relief.  Paul said that we should do all things without murmurings and disputings (Philippians 2:14).  Everything that we do, we should do unto the glory of the Lord and stop complaining about it.

Sing: Are you weary, are you heavy-hearted?  Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.  Are you grieving over joys departed?  Tell it to Jesus a lone.

Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus, He is a friend that’s well known.  You have no other such a friend or brother, tell it to Jesus alone.

Thought For Today:  Don't complain or you may get overwhelmed.  

Pennant Race



Pennant Race

Monday, July 29, 2019

KINDNESS BRINGS OUT KINDNESS IN OTHERS.

Bible Reading of the Day: Read 2 Samuel 10:1-2.

Verse of the Day: “Always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else” (1 Thessalonians 5:15, NIV).

“Wow!” cried Nathan. “What a game!”

He and his dad leaped out of their seats in the baseball stadium after their favorite team had come from behind-twice-to win the game in thirteen innings.

“It was great, wasn’t it?” Dad said.

“Thanks for buying the tickets and taking me, Dad,” Nathan said. “You’re welcome, Son, but I didn’t buy the tickets.”

“You didn’t?” Nathan said.

Dad shook his head. “The tickets were given to me by Mr. Grant.” “He just gave them to you?”

Dad shrugged. “Yeah, I helped him cut down a few trees a few weeks ago, so he said when he got a pair of tickets for this game, I was the first person he thought of.” “He just gave them to you?”

Dad nodded, smiling. “Out of the goodness of his heart,” he said.

“Wow,” Nathan said. “That’s really cool.”

“Well, we’ll have to be sure to let him know how much fun we had and how much we appreciate his kindness.”

Just then, as they walked through the stadium gate and onto the large concrete plaza, Nathan spied a man selling sports pennants. “Can I get one, Dad?” he asked.

Dad nodded, and Nathan dug into his pocket for money. He raced over to the man, bought a pennant bearing the home team logo, and then dashed back to his dad’s side as they walked together toward the car.

“What are you going to do with that pennant, Son?” Dad asked. “Are you going to hang it on the wall in your bedroom?”

Nathan twirled the pennant in his hand. “No,” he answered proudly. “I’m going to give it to Mr. Grant.”

Dad’s eyes opened wide, and he smiled broadly. “I think that’s a wonderful idea,” he said. “A wonderful idea.”

TO DISCUSS: Although Nahash’s kindness to David was rewarded by David’s efforts to be kind to Nahash’s son, David’s kindness to Hanun was not rewarded by Hanun. (The rest of the story of David and the Ammonites is found in 2 Samuel 10:3-19.) Sometimes that happens. Kindness is not always rewarded in this life, but which do you think usually has more positive benefits: kindness or unkindness? Why?

TO

PRAY: “Lord, help us see the ways that our kindness to others often brings kindness back to us.”

Living For His Glory

John 17:1-5 (AMP) When Jesus had spoken these things, He raised His eyes to heaven [in prayer] and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify You. Just as You have given Him power and authority over all mankind, [now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him [to be His—permanently and forever]. Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true [supreme and sovereign] God, and [in the same manner know] Jesus [as the] Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You [down here] on the earth by completing the work that You gave Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory and majesty that I had with You before the world existed.

The final words of a man might be considered the wisest as tempered with time and experience. Though these were not his final words, John 17 puts the heart of our Savior on blast for all the world to see. His Purpose revealed in a single chapter though spoken through His Word. Jesus sole goal in all of this was to glorify the Father, to be filled with His Glory and to give that Glory to us. Not just those who knew, but those who would find Him in the future. The word “glorify” according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary means to make glorious by bestowing honor, praise or admiration. It also means to light up brilliantly. How appropriate! Jesus is the Light of the Word and invested His Light in each of us to shine brightly in a dark and dying world. We are to be His Beacons of Light reflecting His Glory to all mankind.

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify You. Just as You have given Him power and authority over all mankind, [now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him [to be His—permanently and forever].

The art of reflection is the redemption of mankind. To wipe off the cloud of ignorance using grace to remove every sin and to reflect with faith and trust the image of our Father in glorious light. A tangible light that all the world can see through transparent lives. I have been studying the purpose of God’s Glory as the church as a whole cries out for it. God’s Glory is characteristic of revival yet few are ready to encounter Him in such a way. When God’s People call out for His Glory to fill a space, I wonder if they are fully aware of the cost of such a holy inhabitation. The Spirit of the Living God who produces His Glory in a body of believers cannot change the impact but must be free to flow. In that moment, our heart, mind, soul and body are touched by the Hand of God and filled with His Presence. You cannot have such an encounter and stay the same. It is impossible to hide sin from the Father in that moment. Lip service gives way to radical obedience and a call to reckless living as faith-driven fully trusting in God for His Glory.

“The Glory of God always comes at the sacrifice of self.” AW Tozer

Are you ready to walk by faith right off the edge of unseen cliff into the realm of hope deemed impossible? Have you considered the cost of discipleship deciding it’s too high a price? To have God’s Glory means one must sacrifice self in order to reflect Him completely. I want it. But will I receive it? It is my choice. Am I willing to sacrifice my life and shove every part of me across the table to God in exchange for it? Hmmm… let me think.

John 17:13-18 (AMP)  But now I am coming to You; and I say these things [while I am still] in the world so that they may experience My joy made full and complete and perfect within them [filling their hearts with My delight].  I have given to them Your word [the message You gave Me]; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world and do not belong to the world, just as I am not of the world and do not belong to it. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but that You keep them and protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth [set them apart for Your purposes, make them holy]; Your word is truth.  Just as You commissioned and sent Me into the world, I also have commissioned and sent them (believers) into the world. 

God’s Glory will produce love, joy, completion and perfection within those who commit their life to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. I pause to remind you that in order to have these things one must commit their life to the “thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” To surrender one’s life to the Father is not an offering but a sacrifice. Less than all of me doesn’t fit the definition. I cannot glorify me and the Living God at the same time. The choice is made in every situation and circumstance I face each day moment by moment will I reflect the Father or me. Will I react to the conditions of life or respond to the Truth that governs my life. It is by intentional faith and simple obedience that the Glory of God fill the cracks of my chaotic and broken life to reflect a confident love so profound that it attracts the world. I must learn the truth about me, who I am, whose I am and what His Purpose is for me including fully reflecting His Glory to ever encounter the Glory of God and revival so desperately desired by the church. This pursuit by one will become unity as the church moves forward with one heart, one mind and one purpose. To reflect the Glory of God.

I Corinthians 10:23&31 (AMP)

All things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible], but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. 

 So then, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of [our great] God.

“We do not segment our lives, giving some time to God, some to our business or schooling, while keeping parts to ourselves. The idea is to live all of our lives in the Presence of God, under the authority of God, and for the honor and glory of God. That is what the Christian life is all about.” – R. C. Sproul

Who the Son sets free is free indeed. (John 8:36) In Christ, you are free to choose how to live. There are those who follow Christ from a distance and others who choose to step into an abiding relationship. To follow allows us to choose our path and decide our level of obedience based on our decisions. Each choice produces a consequence. To live and abide in Christ doesn’t afford such a thing because our desperation to remain close and yoked to Him chooses for us. Comfort, convenience and control are very tough masters to overcome. Pleasing people to gain acceptance, affirmation and approval are quite tempting. But friend, if it is the Glory of God that you are after it will require separating from such things to step into the fullness of Christ that is complete self-sacrifice.

John 8:12 (AMP) Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 

John 12:45-46 (AMP) And whoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes and trusts in Me [as Savior—all those who anchor their hope in Me and rely on the truth of My message] will not continue to live in darkness.

Matthew 5:14-15 (AMP) “You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Philippians 2:13-16 (AMP)  For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.  Do everything without murmuring or questioning [the providence of God], so that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish in the midst of a [morally] crooked and [spiritually] perverted generation, among whom you are seen as bright lights [beacons shining out clearly] in the world [of darkness], holding out and offering to everyone the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to rejoice greatly because I did not run [my race] in vain nor labor without result.

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come: glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you…” Does my life give glory to God? All of it. The last few days I have been fasting and praying for more. I will give God anything not yet given to receive His Glory. I am desperate for more of Him. When our Christian walk becomes mundane and nothing special – it is time to root around in the Word of God, seek the Face of God and cry out to Jesus because our light has grown dim. God has blessed my life beyond anything I can imagine. Even when I cried out for more faith, real faith and confident hope – He obliged. It came through suffering and self-sacrifice but bless God it made it. However, I cannot live out purpose without the Glory of God evident in my life. I am nobody. A sinner saved by grace who needs Jesus every single day just to make it through…how about you? Do you need Jesus? Crave Him. Desire Him. Look for Him. Talk to Him. Listen for Him. Chase after Him. Is He a priority to you? He is Savior and He is also Lord. To have His Power and Authority in this life is to worship Him not only as Savior but make Him our Lord. Savior is easy. Lord, not so much. It comes in the form of self-sacrifice. Abandonment of our will to fully step into His Will – everyday in every decision. It is a commitment of all that few are willing to make. What about you?

I love the definition of glorify as to light up brilliantly. It speaks to my heart today. This little light of mine must be stirred into a flame so that it shines brighter than ever before. It is in this that His Glory is manifested in my life. The greater the sacrifice the larger the light. This is not about giving things up or doctrinal obedience but rather complete sacrifice of self and surrender of our soul entirely to the Lord and His Will. We all have a unique purpose with one mission – to glorify God in our whole life. His Glory will come and fill up every empty vessel ready to receive.

2 Corinthians 4:5-7 (ESV) For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 

The Identity Crisis

Genesis 1:27 (ESV) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

My first college English class was taught by a feminist. She was so committed to the identity of womanhood that when submitting a paper all personal pronouns must be he/she or his/her when relating to a person in general. When the gender was not identified it was to be written as such. All through grade school, I was instructed to use “he” for undetermined gender. It was a radical change and caused many rewrites to satisfy the instructor. She was passionate about womanhood and equality for the female gender. Well, there is a new shift in the modern culture to eliminate gender altogether. It began with public restrooms. In fact, in Berkley, California, there is a new push to change things like “manhole” to “maintenance” cover. The city council voted unanimously to revise the city municipal code with gender-neutral language. Dozens of terms will be revised and the pronouns “they” and “them” will replace “he” and “she” with the new ordinance. I pause here. I can sense those on the edge of their seat expecting a political argument. I will not debate. I believe it is important to open the eyes of the believer to the underlying scheme of the enemy at hand.

I am and you are created in the Image of God. It doesn’t matter who you are. Man, woman or even if you identify as transgender or gender neutral. You are created in the image of God. Period. It doesn’t matter what pronoun is used. You have an identity assigned by God to your person. It would be easy to focus on a platform or conform to the culture of the world. The enemy of the human soul is attempting to create a huge identity crisis in all mankind. The division between church and state widens but not because God desires it to be so but rather believers lose sight of the human soul and engage in political banter. You are a Child of God. Your gender is secondary to the fact that God has claimed you as His Own. Religion has a way of getting in the way of one’s relationship with the Living God sometimes. Right and wrong established by God’s Law form doctrine that produce habits and establish some form of control when the truth is everyone has fallen short of the Glory of God and I am pretty certain we all sin every day. There is no hierarchy to sin. All sin is abominable to God. What is the solution to the attack on identity?

Acts 17:26-30 (ESV)  And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent…

Are you confident in your identity? As a believer, I live and move and find my being in Jesus Christ. Alone. The world doesn’t define who I am. My roles as daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, employee or even Christian are not who I am. My entire existence is defined by Whose I am. I am a Child of God. I am confident in this identity therefore I am not challenged by the world’s push to prove that I am something else. I know who I am. Do you? When you are confident in your relationship with God it will be obvious? I do not have to prove anything to anyone. I live to serve my Father. I am like Jesus about my Father’s business which is first and foremost to love others. To give my life for others. My opinion is not important. My preference really doesn’t matter. The truth remains unchallenged by a lie. The power of truth in our life is confidence.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent…

I do not believe this statement is directed at the lost. I believe this command is to us all. The times of ignorance applies to the church, as well as the world. We must repent. Repentance is turning to God. To reflect His Image and our true identity is to become a true reflection of our Father. To become beacons of the Light of His Love comes first through repenting and figuring out just who we are in Christ. I am a Child of God. He desires us all to repent and follow Jesus straight into the Kingdom. This begins by assuming our full identity and living confident lives not drawn into debate but driven by love. Repentance is an invitation to live in a loving relationship with God the Father through Jesus the Son.

Why are the churches filled with men and women only? Where do transgender and gender neutral folks go to hear the Gospel? What about gay and lesbian couples? Are they welcome in your sanctuary or met with disgust? The social club of church can be no more. The identity crisis is growing and infecting our world because we do not reflect with confidence our true reflection as Children of God. This is not about tolerance but self-crucifying all-inclusive love. To lay my life down for my brother or sister includes abandoning comfort zones and personal preferences to fully embrace those who need love the most and lead them with a life of love to repentance. However, I must live surrendered to love and others that goes above and beyond what I find acceptable.

2 Corinthians 4:1-5 (ESV) Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

The solution to every problem and crisis is Jesus Christ. Sometimes it is hard to understand or properly perceive the boundless and limitless love that He offers. I am not worthy of it but have it just the same. His Mercy and Grace are abundant. Forgiveness never ends. He wants and desires all who He died for to come into a right relationship with Him. Who am I to decide differently? I am indeed the least of these. The one who has failed my Lord and Savior countless times yet His Love for me is unshaken. His Pursuit of me unending. I am the one who He has left the 99 to recover time and time again.

We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

When I choose to love only those who I find lovable, I am tampering with God’s Word. To openly state God’s Word and live contrary to it is to live a lie. If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who need it most. My insecurity is not of God. It is with bold confidence in the Lover of my soul and my identity as a Child of God that I can love others. All others. I cannot discriminate because Jesus does not discriminate. I cannot decide who is worthy because His Grace makes us all worthy. To live for Christ means that I must die to my own opinions to fully embrace the Truth and live by it.

There is a difference between tolerance and true love. I do not have to share the same opinion of others to love them like Jesus. I do not have to engage in certain behaviors or support their cause to love them completely. Jesus is our example. To love like Him is to lay down our life for them. I am wrecked by this. I am undone at the thought of my own transgressions. I don’t understand these ideologies but I do know that God’s Love for me is equal for those who have lost their identity or are seeking to find it. I must examine my own heart. I am not to get caught up in political agendas but live out God’s Agenda. To be a Light of His Love in the darkness. To reach for those who have fallen. To share with those who are lost. To help those who are broken. Even those who I don’t agree with…

I passed my college English class (ENC1101) with an average grade. I was a young Christian who rather than having meaningful discussions about the Love of God with my radical teacher chose to engage in constant debate about her humanistic views and political platforms. Mission failed. We will not change the world and its downward spiral. I am not called to do this. God’s Heart is for the people. Jesus died for human souls. I am called to share the Gospel, spread God’s Love generously, lead others to Jesus, and to abound in Kingdom works. I am not called to judgment but surrender and service. I am a Child of God. I know who I am. I know Whose I am. It is from this place that I am able to solve the identity crisis of those around me. With His Love…

Colossians 1:15-20 (ESV) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Haus Persaingan

Haus Persaingan Cerita ini berisi tema atau penyebutan kekerasan fisik, gore, atau pelecehan. Saya telah menatap layar selama berjam-jam. ...