Establish My Heart

     

       So this year I didn't have any new year's resolutions. I have nothing against setting personal goals, I think it's a great idea! But this past year, 2020, has really opened my eyes to a lot of things, yes it was a different and at times difficult but there was a lot of good that came out of that year as well. The one singular observation that constantly rose above all others, was the state of the heart of man.            Wow, so many things happened that really brought people's hearts to the surface. It was amazing watching neighbors taking care of neighbors when the pandemic hit. It was a beautiful thing to watch the young people grocery shopping for the elderly so they wouldn't have to go out in public. It was amazing watching small businesses acclimate to the restrictions and yet find creative ways to still accommodate the community. And even greater watching the community rally around the small businesses and keep them afloat during this horrific time for businesses. 

     Churches were actually putting feet to their faith and began reaching out past their walls into their communities and sharing the love of Jesus through actually feeding the hungry and helping the needy. Watching Believers in Jesus out in the streets having worship and baptisms and sharing the message of Jesus in the midst of chaotic and fearful times in our country and world. When many were being told they couldn't gather by those who wished to see churches shut down and God's people silenced, they stood up anyway and boldly walked out their commitment to Jesus and remained obedient to who God calls us to be, especially in the midst of darkness. God's Children were busy shining a light.

     On the other side of the spectrum, I saw the ugliness of hearts surface. I saw people who can't tolerate anyone else's way of thinking, destroying people's businesses, towns, livelihoods. I watched as people would physically attack those who thought differently than them. Hate spewed out of the mouths of children who have been taught that everyone is out to get them. I've watched people lie and use other people to push an agenda meant to destroy all that is good. I have listened to dangerous rhetoric repeated over and over again until people simply believe it because they've heard it so much. The list goes on really. The condition of man's heart has been on full display both good and bad this past year. ... And I'm sure 2021 will be much of the same.

     So no resolutions this year but I ran across this verse one day and I decided that THIS will be my focus this year: 

"For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;

You do not delight in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, 

A broken and a contrite heart - 

these, O God, You will not despise."

Psalm 51:16-17

     Staying humble isn't easy is it sweet friends? But it is necessary to living a life that truly pleases God and a life that is full of peace. And we need BOTH of those things today don't we? The world will be how the world will be. God warned us about the direction it was going and He's told us to stand strong and hold to our faith. The only thing we CAN control in this life is our relationship with Jesus. 

     I believe that now more than ever, we need to be extra diligent in loving our Savior. We are being tested now and will continue to be tested in the days ahead. Our commitment to serving Jesus with our lives, our knowledge of what God really says versus what we "think" He says, and our ability to stand up to the Enemy of Christ without cowering or backing down will all be determined in the days ahead.

    We must really know Him sweet friends. The only way to navigate the way ahead, the way that leads to Eternal Life, the way that separates us from the rest of the world... is to really know Him. What we "think" we know, is not enough! We must seek His heart, we must study His Word, and we must be willing to change the things in our minds and lives that do not align with what He tells us to do. It won't be easy, but it is so worth it! Know Him well sweet friends, Know Him Well. oh, and Happy New Year! 

Turning back to Egypt

     Lately I've been reading about Moses and the Israelites. It never ceases to amaze me how even though the Israelites came out of captivity and experienced freedom, when life seemed overwhelming on their journey, they wanted to RUN BACK TO THEIR CAPTORS!

     And we can be just like that can't we? We, who have lived under the captivity of the sin in our lives, even though we have laid it down at His feet and repented, and Jesus has washed us clean... we manage to turn back to the very thing that held us in slavery, and run towards it.

     We are NOT supposed to be like that sweet friends! The Israelites  were not supposed to be like that either! Do you know that the trip to the Promised Land should've only taken them 11 days???? Yet it took them 40 YEARS wandering in the desert to get there! Why? Because God does not like our disobedience.

    It's kind of a tough pill to swallow isn't it? I think it's also something that we forget, that God does allow us to go back, to run back to our sin. He allows us to choose freedom or slavery. And... He allows us to face the consequences of our decisions. The Truth is sweet friends, God does not want us to turn back to our sin. He wants us to realize our sin is painful and He wants us to want to be free from it. God has so many wonderful things for us to learn and experience with Him and He wants us to walk away from ANYTHING that would hinder our relationship with Him.

    That's what sin does, it separates us from God. How often do we shrug off our sin like it's really no big deal? Oh it is a huge deal sweet friends! Sin leads us to death! An eternity spent apart from Jesus! That's serious! God is so merciful to us and we need to humble our hearts and thank Him for His mercy towards us when we treat Him so carelessly with our lives. And we need to intentionally walk in His grace daily, turning our hearts away from the things that break His. Striving to love Him with everything that we are.

                                                  Your sin will always call you back...
                                    but Jesus is calling you to walk forward in freedom.
                           And the choice is completely up to you sweet friends! love you -d

Quick Devotional Thought: James 1:27

"unspotted from the world" Wow, that's a powerful statement isn't it? I stopped and thought about this verse for a bit, ya know, back in Bible times... people still struggled with all the SAME SINS that we struggle with today. We might have more variations, but the same sins have been around since the beginning of time, there's really nothing new. But back then, or really, even say 20 years ago things weren't as "in your face" or "everywhere you look" as they are now.     Our world is very much "consumed" with sin so to speak. I asked God, "Is it even possible for us to be unspotted by this world today?" honestly, deep down I think I was somewhat hoping for a pass of some sort, but there it was, loud and clear, a voice I have come to know well, He said. "Yes, it is."
I felt a deep conviction in my heart and yes, I knew that "of course it is". We can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives us strength right? But it is such a humbling thought realizing that I need to do better in not being "spotted" by this world I live in.
I love how the Holy Spirit works, my husband stopped by the house later in the day for a little break and we were talking and HE brought up how he was feeling convicted that we need to tighten up our boundaries in our home again because of what he had been noticing in his own life and sensing in the Spirit. Isn't that awesome?
       The TRUTH is sweet friends, it is NOT easy being "unspotted" by this world, but.... it IS what God calls us to do. He wants a bride who is wearing white, not spotted and blemished. Righteousness is NOT easy, frankly, it's what a "living sacrifice" actually looks like. We SACRIFICE a lot. but we do it for such a great purpose... to be holy and pleasing to God. The benefits far outweigh whatever earthly things we might miss out on.
      So here's the hardest simple goal I've ever made lol: I must DO BETTER. I already know as I press on towards this goal.. there will be things I will need to give up, there will be opportunities I will willingly need to pass by, there will be heart and attitude adjustments that I will need to make... all in order to live my life according to God's will. And even though I know it will hurt, not all things, but some... I am willing to lay it down at His feet, because I choose to love Him MORE than anything that could tarnish my soul. He is worth it! I love you sweet friends, I hope you will join me in this journey of loving Jesus more.

Politics: How do we know what is RIGHT?

     What a crazy time we are living in right now huh? One for the History books for sure! Of course, we've had a lot of those "History book moments" over the last few years haven't we? Honestly, as a Believer, I'm not in shock that we've had a lot of noteworthy, surprising twists and turns in our world are you? I mean, if we've read the Bible at all we shouldn't be surprised at the events going on around us. God told us many things were going to happen, we just are unaware at the rate of speed at which they will happen....But.... things are speeding up aren't they? Sometimes I am amazed at how quickly things have evolved over the last 10 years, 3 years, this year. I'm sure you've noticed it too.
 
    We don't know the hour or day that Jesus will come back to get us, and we don't have to know, we just have to be ready! But God didn't tell us the things to watch out for in the world around us, the signs that time is nearing, for us just to ignore them did He? No. He wants us to be diligent and pay attention. Why? So many reasons...

          1. They are reminders for us that He IS coming back to take His People Home. Time to get serious about our relationship with Him. We MUST choose this day who we will serve. We must take what He did for us seriously and we need to walk away from the bondage of sin in our lives. Too many people who "claim" to be "Christians" are merely playing a role and not wholly surrendered to Jesus who died for them. This IS a big deal sweet friends. In order to really ACCEPT what Jesus did for us on the cross and accept eternity with Him, we must fully ACCEPT everything that He is. We can't pick and choose to be obedient "somewhat" or decide we only want to believe that God loves us and it doesn't matter to Him how we live... In order to really ACCEPT Jesus as your Lord, you must KNOW HIM AND OBEY HIS WORD. It IS that simple. It's NOT easy, but it is that simple. If we don't think it matters how we live our lives in disobedience to God just because we believe that He died on the cross for us... then we don't know our Bible, we don't know His heart, we don't know Him. There is FORGIVENESS and REDEMPTION for the Child of God... but we MUST walk in His GRACE....daily. (look up scriptures on salvation, grace, living for God...)

          2. The signs around us are also a reminder that people need Jesus. People we love, people we know, people we cross paths with... who have no hope, who don't know peace, who are afraid. We have OPPORTUNITY right now, before it's too late, to share the TRUTH of Jesus with people. The thing about signs and wonders, and even the destruction of things as the world spirals down into darkness, is that these things tend to expose the real FEAR that people with no hope have. The panic over... climate change, the unpredictability of strange weather patterns, strange animal behavior, things unearthed that have no reasonable explanation. All things talked about in the Bible... but they don't know these things. These things are very real but Children of God are able to REST in the fact that God is in control of a dying Earth, the Earth WILL pass away. God is in control of things that we don't understand and we can have peace in the midst of a falling world. But to those who do not know HIM... they cannot control what they do not understand and it is terrifying as they try to save themselves, the people they love, the planet.... and THEY can't. But we can offer HOPE and PURPOSE and LIFE.... in Jesus. We need to see these days we are living in, no matter how short or long they are.... as OPPORTUNITIES to LOVE our neighbor and speak TRUTH and HOPE and LIFE to them.

        3. Now here's where we talk about Politics. The signs of the times are a reminder that there is an ENEMY at work in our world. This is talked about SO MANY TIMES in the Bible. Satan and his demons are EVERYWHERE and we are FOOLISH to dismiss this. We as Children of God do not need to live in FEAR of these demonic entities (unless we are living in disobedience to God, then... we are giving them leverage in our lives!) but we need to recognize that they are constantly WORKING a Plan... to steal, kill, and destroy. ALWAYS.  We must be wise sweet friends, this is no little thing. We are in a battle between good and evil, between light and darkness, and whether we like it or not.... POLITICS IS IMPORTANT for the BELIEVER. Nations rise and fall based on politics. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. It's no different now. We cannot shy away from politics. We must SEEK GOD in HIS WILL for the land. It does not mean that we will always see what God desires for us working out in the world we live in, if that were the case, then there wouldn't be an end times... God wouldn't get to the place where He is DONE watching and comes back for us. right? But it doesn't change the fact that God EXPECTS His Children to STAND FIRM for TRUTH and for what is RIGHT. ALWAYS. There will ALWAYS be CONFLICT. When God tells us "If MY people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray, and TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, then I will hear from Heaven, and heal their land"... We are and WILL CONTINUE TO BE in a constant battle of turning from wicked ways so that God can heal our land. The world will always push for wicked ways.. no brainer. But WE are seeing those wicked ways creeping into our Churches and being used to PUSH Wickedness forward. We must FIGHT against that and we can do that by shining a light in politics. Getting involved with our voices in pushing back against what the Enemy is using among the "Christian" community. He's crafty, he's smart, and he's been deceiving people for AGES. This is a game, and Satan is really good at it. We must be wiser and smarter... and BOLDER. Unfortunately, a lot of Christians, do not want to have anything to do with politics, they have opinions of course, but would rather remain quiet and not cause conflict of any kind.... this is NOT God's heart. We are to try to live peaceably with everyone however until we are all in Heaven... this will not happen. God's peace exposes the darkness. God's peace busts up the work of the Enemy and brings freedom. There is a BIG difference between being a PEACEMAKER and KEEPING PEOPLE HAPPY.  God calls us to be peacemakers in this world... and a lot of times... it's ugly, and full of opposition because the Enemy... does not want God's peace brought into any situation. So do not fear sweet friends, you do not have to run for an office, but you need to be bold in standing for truth and speaking up so that others can hear where YOU CHILD OF GOD, stand and why. You might just make a big difference!

     We cannot forget that God calls for UNITY within the BODY OF CHRIST. The REAL Body of Christ.... not people who simply claim to be but those who are HIS. We should be on the same page, of one mind... one body moving the exact same direction. It's scary to hear "children of God" on two opposite sides of the fence on topics, both thinking it's God's will.  It's not. God has never been, is not now, nor ever will be... divided. WE are allowing the division. The author of confusion... is Satan, not God. We are divided on issues because we are not all IN JESUS. PERIOD. This is a crucial part of being a Child of God sweet friends. We MUST KNOW HIM WELL and BE IN TUNE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT Who will unify us as the Body so that we can move forward together accomplishing GOD's purposes here on Earth.

     Personal story: So I did NOT like Donald Trump at all when I found out he was running for President. I couldn't really stand him and I was really frustrated that he was running. There were a couple candidates that I sort of liked, but I didn't feel a peace about anyone really. Time was getting closer to election and some of the candidates had dropped out and I just couldn't decide who to vote for so I prayed (should've done that WAY sooner...just saying) and I asked God who He wanted me to vote for and it was an instant answer : Donald Trump. And I was like WHAT????? "Donald Trump" and I know the voice of God, I was a little confused because it was unexpected but I said... "ok".  Because I KNOW the Voice of God in my life. So I started actually listening to Trump.. and even though yes his style is different... his words resonated and in my spirit I began to understand why God was going to use this man. IN MY SPIRIT.... see the HOLY SPIRIT works like that...FOR ALL OF US. .. IF we let Him. The amazing thing is that ever since that day, for the last 4 years, I have heard other Believers testifying to listening to the Holy Spirit over the President. I have heard AMAZING things about what took place in Israel during the election of our President (pretty amazing and prophetic...) I've heard about things that I HAD NO IDEA were happening with other Believers over this entire election process but you know what???? It WAS THE EXACT SAME SPIRIT WORKING THE EXACT SAME THING IN ALL OF US AND WE WERE'NT EVEN AWARE OF EACH OTHER!!! THAT is the BODY of CHRIST! AMAZING!!!!  His ways are not our ways and we need to remember this. He is God and we are not. He will NEVER stray away from His Word but we need to know His voice. He tells us that over and over in His Word and it's so important for times such as these. We don't have to understand what He is doing, we don't even have to like it... BUT... what is the cost for us to IGNORE His Voice?  God taught me a huge lesson through the last election. I've watched God use this man to tear down demonic strongholds in our country and if you cannot see the spiritual warfare that is taking place right in front of our faces pretty much on a daily basis then.... you're missing the spiritual stuff friends. There is a HUGE battle going on in the spiritual realm over our country and it's time we WAKE UP.

     We are in a trying time right now in our country with viruses and quarantines. It can be hard for a Child of God to KNOW what the right thing to do is. So many people right now Christian and Secular alike are fighting over opening up or shutting down. Vaccines no vaccines, ect. So what do we do? What is right? I want you to be encouraged sweet friends.... WE know the ONE who knows. Right? There is so much FEAR gripping the hearts of the people all over the globe, and it is scary times we are living in but Oh Child of God... He holds us in His hands. All we need to do is SEEK HIM. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide YOU. If we can place our trust in HIM and SEEK Him for direction... we will be okay. No matter what happens in this world... He's got us. But it IS so important that we seek Him BECAUSE there ARE things that WE are UNAWARE of... remember that WE HAVE AN ENEMY... that does not sit dormant and who is tirelessly working against us... The ENEMY'S plan is at work as well.

     Here's what I think: God did not create this virus. (He is capable of plagues right? but He did not create this. This is NOT His work.) So this virus was manmade. Now God can and DOES work things out for good for those that love Him (awesome!) but this TERRIBLE thing did not come from God. Who is behind it? Regardless of what "man" created it... I believe as always, the Enemy is behind awful things to whatever purpose. I believe that there is immense wisdom in keeping people safe from this awful thing. I am thankful for the quarantine time that we have already had. I believe that it has been good to provide safety and get a handle on this pandemic. I also believe that we have seen how God can take something bad and work it for good. What a blessing it has been for so many families to have this time. What a blessing it's been for a lot of us to take a look at our lives and reevaluate what's important. I believe it's been a great way for God to work in churches... building up those who seek Him and tearing down those who don't. God can work all things for good! I also believe that the Enemy is at work as well. Not every home is happy. Not everyone is safe. There is fear and depression. A lot of very bad things are happening and being released as well during this time. I believe as Children of God, we must SEEK GOD and listen to the HOLY SPIRIT for direction. ONLY God knows and sees the whole picture. The ENEMY is not being idle right now... sometimes in neutralizing, it provides the best TIME to move forward with a plan with no resistance. right? We must be diligent in seeking God's plan over our own ideas of what might be best and safest. We must be of ONE MIND. ONE BODY OF CHRIST. I do not know what the best plan of action is but I do know WHO does. So I will commit to seeking HIS will daily and doing my best to follow the Holy Spirit's lead in what to speak and what to support and what not to. There are A LOT of loud voices in this world today... I think ours should be louder. Not out of hate or anger... but full of TRUTH. We must FIGHT sweet friends. The Enemy is after your family, your friends, your neighbors... Fight Child of God. Rise up and FIGHT! The battle belongs to the Lord! We are His!

Quick Devotional Thoughts: Psalm 27:1

I think it's probably safe to say that at some point in the last few months, we have all experienced a little fear in the days we are facing right now.. some maybe a lot of fear. I have watched the world around me and noticed all different levels of fear that are very present in the midst of the unknown. BUT... I have also witnessed incredible bravery and courage and hope in the midst of all this darkness. Amazing. As a Believer I am so thankful that I have a HOPE and a SECURITY that no matter what happens in this world or to me... God is in charge and I get to REST in that fact that I am NOT in control. Sometimes we like to fight for control don't we? I've been there. But really, isn't it amazing that WE don't HAVE to be in control of this and we don't have to fix it... we just have to do OUR part and Trust God. I love that! I pray for those in our government that have to make the decisions of what is best for our country...  I would not want their jobs! I pray that they are seeking God in their decisions and that God would give them peace and us peace as we move forward into the unknown. My heart breaks as I see those who do not trust in Jesus, I see the panic and fear and anger and my heart hurts for them. It must be so terrifying to live in such fear. This verse is a beautiful reminder for times like these. It's also a good reminder in the day and age we are living in as well. Ya know, it's so interesting reading throughout many MANY places in the Bible, about how rampant demons were among the people. It's crazy to me how many times it talks about Jesus going into a city or a lot of times the (church) and casting out demons! Demons were everywhere ...back then... so how much more do you think they are around today? Crazy thought huh? Not really. I think maybe we've kinda tricked ourselves in believing that demons don't really exist anymore, because.. well we don't want them to do we? lol... but it doesn't change the TRUTH that demonic influence is so much more evident in the world today. During the times we are living in, throughout the world, in politics deciding what we are willing to embrace, in our churches deciding what we are willing to compromise and embrace, demons are after our children tormenting them, they are after our families and friends working hard to destroy them with addictions, depression, fear.... I believe it confirms that time is drawing near and Satan and his demons are working overtime to deceive as many as possible... and it is working.  There is no longer a fear of the Lord among "Christians" and because of that, people are being led astray by the Enemy in droves. Deception is a scary thing, it knocks out all common sense and leaves you standing there defending your foolishness with a fiery passion. There is no hope in changing a fool's mind UNLESS they turn to Jesus.

    The Lord is my LIGHT in a very dark, very deceived, very dangerous world..BUT I am NOT afraid! Greater is He that is in me, than he that is the world! Stay strong sweet friends and DO NOT FEAR!

A Message for Someone Who has no HOPE...

Who are you?

Have you made mistakes? Have you lived with regret? Do your choices haunt you?.....

Have you hurt people?... People that you care about?....People who love you?  Have you pushed people away, built a wall around your heart because YOU don't want to be hurt anymore?....

Do you hate? Your life....other people... yourself?   Do you live inside a pit of darkness and you can't find your way out?  Are you tormented by terrible thoughts of how worthless you are? … Can you sleep sound at night or are you tortured by unseen things pressing down into your spirit?... Are you depressed?.....


Do you feel alone? Do you sit and wonder how anyone could .... love you? Who ARE you?

All of your disgusting habits, your rotten attitudes about life...people...yourself...
All the hate you have stored up inside...
All the ways you've tried to hurt the people around you...
All your failures.

Every mistake you have ever made.


Every single REGRET you have caused yourself throughout your entire life...
Every BAD THING you have EVER DONE......


Jesus took that.

All your STUFF, on THAT day....

Before YOU even existed.
He knew exactly how TERRIBLE you would be... and He took it anyway.

He was BEATEN for every single thing YOU have ever done.
Every time flesh was RIPPED from His back, YOUR SELF WORTH was being paid for...

Because He already LOVED YOU.

He took a BRUTAL beating for EVERYTHING you've EVER done wrong...
For all the terrible things you were capable of... BECAUSE HE KNEW...

that all of your mistakes... all of your bad choices...all of your regrets...

These things did NOT define your WORTH.

He DIED for YOU...

Because to Him, YOU are worth everything...
Because He has a PLAN for YOUR life...
Because He has so much to give YOU...…...

He saw you as His beautiful CREATION... a vessel to be FILLED.....

with JOY not sorrow...
with LOVE not hate...
with PEACE not despair...
with VICTORIES not defeats...
with HOPE and a FUTURE...

He saw your worth before you ever thought about Him. He Loves you so much that He gave EVERYTHING He had... in order to SAVE YOU.

He knew you might reject Him.
He knew you might hate Him.
He knew you might never even care about what He did for you that day...

But...
He still loved you more than ANYONE ELSE ever could. And He GAVE His life on that cross for YOU anyway.

You see, on THAT DAY, He didn't just bring you love....

He CRUSHED EVERYTHING in your life that is out to destroy you....
He conquered Sin and Death. Satan, the Enemy of your soul, who loves all of your mistakes and failures, who throws in your face all your regrets, who does his best to DESTROY your life and tells you over and over how worthless you are, who torments you day and night, who covers you in darkness and despair...

Jesus CRUSHED HIM and EVERYTHING that is trying to drag you to Hell.

Jesus has the VICTORY and He CHOOSES YOU.

All you have to do is understand... that no, you don't deserve the love of God... but you ALREADY HAVE IT.

He's LOVED YOU since the beginning of time. YOU have to accept His love and forgiveness that He offers to you FREELY... Because He already paid the price for it. All He wants in return...

If for YOU.... to LOVE HIM BACK. …… Will You?

*There's no "special prayer". Jesus is already with you now, just talk to Him, ask for His forgiveness for all the bad you've done. Thank Him for loving you enough to die for you. And ask Him to help you as you go forward as a Child of God.. this day... CLEAN and NEW and FULL OF HOPE!

*feel free to message me with any ?'s you might have on this new journey or if you need any help getting a Bible (very important so that you can learn about God and get to know Him better) or any advice on where to go from here...(finding a GOOD church home that preaches Truth and can help disciple you in your faith is also very important to help encourage you on this journey). I am so happy for you and I don't know who you are... but I am praying for YOU! Go... walk in freedom and discover just HOW MUCH YOU ARE LOVED sweet friend! God Bless You and Welcome to the FAMILY of GOD!!!! -darby

Joy Nugget: Simplicity of Heart

 

      I absolutely love this verse! What a perfect picture and example wrapped up in these 2 tiny verses. Every time I come across this verse it always causes me to pause and think..."gladness and simplicity of heart... wow, is that me? Is my heart glad? Is my heart simple?" And it never fails, my answer is usually "there's so much going on"  stress, deadlines, activities, a huge to do list that's not getting done... and I feel almost jealous of those in this verse!

     BUT.... it's my own fault isn't it? How easy it is for us to be busy, with stuff, with worry, with life but... that's not how it should be. There is great conviction in these verses. What would it look like to a lost world if they saw us glad and not worried? What a welcoming atmosphere that would create especially in these times we are living in? 

    We desperately need God's peace in our world today. We need His peace in our hearts. Sometimes we just need to get back to the basics don't we? Being a "minimalist" has become a popular trend lately and neither my husband or I are minimalists by any means, we have tried hard the last couple years to simplify our lives and get rid of things we don't need and not go overboard buying more things we don't need.  And it's been a blessing to get rid of those things …. but "simplicity of heart"? 

     It just sounds lovely doesn't it? The beauty of having a light heart and enjoying God and people. One area that I have not mastered as well as I want to is obeying God in the "do not worry" rule. Man, that's hard isn't it? I do trust my God 100% but still... I find myself worrying at times and though I am human, I will continue to strive and let the Holy Spirit teach me how to not worry. And I am excited for that day to come! Sometimes we can get busy with all the "spiritual" stuff that we can end up missing the whole point of our relationship with Jesus... which can be found in the basics of our belief and within the pages of His Word. Sometimes Christian activities can become the focus of our lives instead of just spending time at His feet, getting to know Him better. Sometimes... the depth comes in the simplicity. These are things I'm learning as I continue on my journey...

     In the meantime, this verse will be on my mind as I work on being glad and having simplicity of heart. Stripping away all the "extras" and focusing on my relationship with Jesus and the things He wants me to learn and do. Being simply His.

Quick Devotional Thoughts: Philippians 2:13

    This is what GRACE is! The empowerment to overcome sin. Not cover it up or have it pardoned (mercy) but to OVERCOME it. I LOVE this about God. He didn't just look at us with love and show us mercy in our human state when He died on the cross for us. It didn't stop there... instead He gave us one of the most wonderful gifts He could give us... a way to be holy. a way to please Him with our lives. a way to actually become His righteousness. a way to no longer be slaves to sin but to righteousness. Grace. All the good things about God... we now have access to because of this beautiful gift. 

    The desire to do what pleases Him, only comes from really knowing His heart. We should always be growing deeper in our relationship with Him so that we are constantly being transformed into His masterpiece. (Grace allows us to do this!) His strength is made PERFECT in our weakness (Grace!) By crying out for Him in times of struggle and temptation, He gives us everything we need to walk away in freedom. His GRACE is sufficient for me! One of my favorite things about God.... His beautiful wonderful gift of grace... I pray that I can continually grow in grace and become everything He is calling me to be! 

*2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Follow Me Tinman!

                               "You just need to follow your heart and you'll do the right thing"....

      Isn't it amazing how one of the biggest beliefs in this world, is the complete opposite of what God's Truth is?... Not really (sigh) but it is proof of how hard the Enemy of our souls has worked to get us to believe the exact opposite of what God tells us:

Even as Believers, His Children, we have also bought into this lie too many times: "Follow Your Heart"... "Do what you FEEL is right"... and the newest popular saying today: "Speak YOUR Truth"

Nope. Sorry, none of these statements... are Biblical!

We NEED to stop believing them.

Why is it such a big deal to not believe these sayings? Because, these beliefs will lead us down a path that is very different from the one that God has for us. Do you hear me? THIS is NOT God's path for your life! This should scare us honestly.

I mean, ... what a selfish state of mind we really have in living out these sayings. When we as God's Children, hold these 3 sayings next to His Word, it reveals the heart of the creator of these thoughts... it's not God, but it is the polar opposite. That's how Satan has always done it, he twists what God designs and tries to get us to do the exact opposite of what God tells us doesn't he?

We forget about our enemy. He exists. Since the beginning, he has been mastering his skills of deception and guess what?... he's really good at it by now.

We are foolish when we don't get to know who God is or what His Word says, then we start believing any cute "good" sounding thing as "truth". … and Satan is laughing at us.

More importantly, God is hurting as He watches us be so deceived all while believing and high fiving each other in our "Christianity" as we skip down a path that God did not create for us.

I know this post already is sounding a little harsh but we must pay attention to what we are allowing ourselves to believe sweet friends! It's so easy for each of us to get sidetracked and caught up in ourselves that we sometimes forget that... it's not about us. WE don't know what's BEST for us.

Just because we "give Him glory" for certain things in our lives... it doesn't mean we actually are glorifying him. He's not going to take the credit for something Satan is doing for us just because we "think" it's God doing it.

These misconceptions... um, lies, are so very dangerous for us BECAUSE they take us away from the TRUTH that God is God, and we are His Creation. HE directs our steps. Not us. We follow His heart, not our own. Feelings are not Truth. His ways are higher than our ways, we don't know on our own what is best. And again, here's the biggest kicker to our egos: Our lives do not revolve around us. We were created by Him and for Him. Frankly, it doesn't matter what we think we want, what matters is we live out the plan and purpose He created us for. 

We love to read this verse as if God gives us whatever WE want but stop... think about it.... If WE are SEEKING Him in all things... HE will GIVE us the DESIRES … of our hearts. (read it again),,, 

He will GIVE us: 

His plan for our lives...

The next step we take...

The things in our lives that will glorify Him and fulfill His purpose for us... 

The things which will bring us joy... that HE created for us.

Not give us the things that we want but we will begin to want what HE WANTS.

And the things He wants for us sweet friends, are going to be so much better than anything you or I have planned! 

It's also really easy to focus on what He has given us already and sometimes we even stop seeking Him in those things. Like our talents. I have learned such a huge lesson in this area of my life. I have learned that sometimes we become the sole driver behind our talents and often assume that just because we are talented and we use those talents that we are glorifying God. But this isn't exactly true.

Now God does tell us that we need to be using what we have and not simply ignoring what He has given us but also that we need to be using them according to His will. Take a look at this verse found in Hosea 13:2

"Now they sin more and more, And have made for themselves molded images, Idols of their silver, according to their skill; All of it is the work of craftsmen..."

Very TALENTED craftsmen.... made idols.

But how does this apply to a Child of God? Well, what happens when we start using our talents in ways that go against God's Word? Is simply the fact that we believe in Jesus enough for God to give us a pass to participate in things that displease Him simply because we are His Children? Are the "things of this world" no longer "things of this world" if His Children are participating?

It's thought provoking isn't it?

This was a hard and painful lesson for me to learn because... it's fun to be talented. There is frankly a LOT of opportunity in this world for talented people. And there are tons of opportunities within the Church for talented people. But if God is not the driving force behind our talent... then how can we be sure we are pleasing Him with it? God wants us before He ever wants our talents. I love this! We are so important to Him way before all the things we can do.

But just as our hearts can be deceiving, so can our ambition with our talents. We have to be so careful sweet friends, that we don't become so focused on where our talents can take us, that we miss out on the very plan and purpose that God has for the talents He gave us. Face it, there are a MILLION different directions our talents can take us, but only ONE direction is meant for us.

We live in a world where everyone wants to be a star... but God has a much better and far more rewarding life for us IF we always make sure that it is HE who is opening those doors of opportunity for us to walk through and not our Enemy holding those doors open. Kind of a scary thought isn't it? But so very true. Satan knows all our gifts and talents. He knows our hopes and dreams. And.. He knows how to hold the "thing we've always wanted" out in front of us. Satan can make opportunities happen for us too. If we are not careful and wise, we most definitely can be deceived all while still believing that God is pleased with our lives! 

We must KNOW the AUTHOR of our talents sweet friends! We must let Him guide us in our talents and in our dreams. We can use our talents for anything, we can go many places, but not everything may be beneficial to our relationship with our Creator. We must remember that God will NEVER ask us to do ANYTHING that steps outside of HIS WORD. PERIOD. God will NEVER contradict His Word or His Character and THAT is WHY we MUST KNOW Him and His Word!

I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit who leads and guides me on this journey. I love that the Peace of God is what tells me whether I should go this way or that way. There is NO substitute for the Peace that ONLY comes from God in our lives. it doesn't matter how we may "feel"... our feelings don't define the Peace of God, it is something completely different and can only come from our Creator. Ask Him for His Peace as you do His will with what He's given you... and He will! His Peace is like the bumpers in a bowling alley, it keeps us on the straight path. If you don't have Peace when a door of opportunity is opened to you, even if it's "something you've always wanted"... don't do it. God has something better, something you were created to do waiting. Trust Him sweet friends, He cares more about you than anyone else ever will. And the most important thing that we can do as His Children... is learn to Love the Giver more than the gifts.

Because Truth: If we use our gifts apart from the Giver, and we follow our hearts apart from the One who designed them... what good are they anyway?

Know Him. Love Him. Follow Him.      

Quick Devotional Thoughts: Acts 8:26-39

      

   What a beautiful morning of both conviction and encouragement as I had my coffee with Jesus...

    I'm reading in Acts and this particular passage about Philip and the Ethiopian just struck a cord in my spirit and the tears started flowing as I thought about both the simplicity and awesomeness of God!

Simple:

#1 God LOVED the man sitting in his chariot trying to understand the Gospel

#2 God sent Philip to the man

#3 The man was reading exactly what he needed. Philip only needed to explain it to him.

#4 These men didn't know each other.

    I think sometimes we get confused about what it means to share the Gospel. We've somehow managed to make it super complicated by developing our "12 step How to make a friend THEN tell them about Jesus Programs". I'm not saying that it's wrong to build relationships with people before we start preaching fire and brimstone BUT... Jesus didn't do that, the Disciples didn't do that, the Prophets didn't do that... and I'm having a hard time finding this 'Friendship Evangelism' model anywhere in my Bible, so I'm kinda thinking that we've been making it up because well... we think it's easier?

     What I do see in the Bible and from the examples in Scripture is that the Truth is... People need Jesus. Some people simply don't want Him and they will continue to reject Him no matter how much we "hang out" with them. Yes, people may "hang around us" and be intrigued by how we live but honestly, unless they know WHY we are the way we are... then they are just noticing us and nothing more. We also must SPEAK while we live! (that is Biblical by the way!)

     This small passage is a beautiful and accurate picture of God's love for us and of how He knows exactly where we are and what we need when we need it. I LOVE that!

     The conviction came when I thought about the fact that I don't always look at the people around me. Sometimes I get tunnel vision, so focused on what I'm doing or need to do that I don't always see who God might be putting in front of me. My husband and I always laugh because it seems like any time either of us go to a grocery store, convenient store, Walmart... strangers come up to us and LITERALLY start talking about what they are going through! We don't even have to start the conversation. Strangers! I'm not kidding, we always joke that we must have some invisible flashing sign above our heads that certain people can see that says "FREE COUNSELING".... but you know what it really is?

People NEED Jesus.

      I am honestly humbled by this every time it happens because it tells me that God is using me and that people can sense Him in our presence. How humbling and awesome is that!

But... how many opportunities have I missed because I wait for someone in need of Jesus to get MY attention? Who am I walking by that desperately needs to know there is a God who loves them today?

      I repented this morning. I asked God to help me see people... right where they're at and give them Jesus right in THAT place of their need. The Ethiopian was in the place that he needed to understand Jesus right there. It's THAT SIMPLE. People don't need Jesus 2 years from now after I've gotten to know them really well... they need Him in whatever place they are at right now.

     We can't allow ourselves to be comfortable with a "Plan of how to tell people about Jesus", we just need to tell people about Jesus sweet friends! We don't have to scream in a strangers face or be unkind. But people need Jesus in every area of their lives, so there's really never not an opportunity to bring Jesus in the mix! God gave us common sense for a reason and the Holy Spirit as our guide. Trust Him. Pray. Let Him lead.

Don't be intimidated by all the "How To's" that we have come up with in sharing the Gospel.

                                                           This is HOW TO …..

                                                1. Love Jesus with ALL your heart

                                                2. Spend time in His Word. Our Experiences are not enough. We must KNOW Who He Is and what He says. We must KNOW HIS TRUTH.

                                                3. Share #1 & #2 with people.

                                              

                                                                     SIMPLE.

                                          Isn't God Amazing? Oh how He loves us all.

Thankful for the Brave enCOURAGErs...

We all love that verse in the Bible about encouraging one another don't we? You know the one I'm talking about right? It's this one...

Awesome verse right? I do love this verse and I love to encourage people. Even as a child I was often recognized for being an encourager. I love to see people be encouraged in life and in their relationship with God. This has probably always been the best part of leadership and being in ministry for me... encouraging others to dig deep with God and watching the transformation come in their lives. Beautiful stuff!

Maybe because I'm an encourager, I might notice this more but... I've really witnessed a major … I think the word "problem" would describe it truthfully, amongst Believers everywhere. My focus at the moment is on social media because well... that's what I've been looking at lately but... as I began to really dig into this verse (and many others like it) and reflect and seek out God's heart on encouraging one another and what that really means, I've found some ways for myself to become better at being an encourager! So here's what I've found:

    God knows how hard this life is and He understands how easy it is for us to want to give up. He knows how far from Him this world is and that's why He tells us how important it is that we encourage and "build each other up". I think that a lot of times we read this verse and we don't fully see the bigger picture of what God is actually saying to us. Look at what Hebrews 3:13 says to us:

   Encouraging one another and building each other up in the little and big things in life is good BUT God cares even more that we build each other up and encourage each other in HIM and in RIGHTEOUSNESS! How well are we doing that with one another lately? I know that this part is so easy for us to overlook sometimes because maybe those things aren't as visible as just normal "life stuff" but how important are these things in the life of the Believer? We live during a time where we are told as Christians that we need to mind our own business and not judge our brothers and sisters in Christ (am I right?) BUT...this can't get any further away from who we are as the Body of Christ! We are meant to be involved in each others lives, not stay away and watch from the sidelines. This has become a disastrous belief within the Christian community.
   Not only do we need to participate more in the lives of our brothers and sisters when they are stumbling and struggling in their relationship with Jesus but also..and equally important... we need to encourage each other in Truth! When our fellow brothers and sisters are walking, living, and speaking Truth, we need to be there to encourage them and build them up in that also.

   You know what I've been noticing lately? Facebook lol... now there's a lot to notice about Facebook but there's a trend among my own friends and newsfeed that I've become aware of which has prompted this post. I'm bold, this is nothing new to most folks that know me, and I'm so thankful that I have gotten to the point in my life where I am not afraid to speak what I KNOW is Truth. What I do find a little disturbing and a whole lot sad is when I post a cute picture of one of my furbabies or a picture of a pool floatie and a few short words about summer... I get TONS of likes and loves right away. Cool. But when I post a Truth about God, nothing I've made up in my own head but a Truth out of God's Word, might be a hard Truth but a Truth just the same... a few, and I mean a very few likes. WHY IS THAT? To encourage me with my pool floatie or puppy picture is more important than encouraging me in the Truth of God's Word???  Look, I am secure in who I am in Christ and I am not crushed by the lack of likes on a Truth post. I do however, have a concern that we are not taking God's call to encourage one another and build each other up... in Him, to heart as much as we should as fellow Believers.
    God's Truth will never be the popular opinion of those who... hate Him. BUT it should be the most popular opinion of those who love Him... right?

    As I write this post, it's not to bash anyone... but it's to encourage us to be BOLD in encouraging one another. The Truth is... it does take COURAGE to stand on Truth these days. It really shouldn't honestly.. we as Followers of Jesus, as the Children of God... should we really be afraid to speak His Truth? I believe the Enemy has really done a work in using fear to silence God's Children. Fear of offense, Fear of rejection, Fear of confrontation, Fear of being "labeled" judgemental (whether you speak out of love or not), Fear of frankly just being uncomfortable …. the bottom line is... Fear can stop us from being exactly who God has called us to be to one another. Fear can stop us from encouraging one another and building each other up. What a scary thought... allowing the fear from the enemy to become stronger than the fear of NOT encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ to BE what He calls them to be. I feel incredibly humbled by this thought. I do not want to sit by the sidelines and quietly "hope" that my brothers and sisters in Christ... "make it". I want to BOLDLY cheer you all on in your walk with Christ. To BOLDLY encourage you to fight the good fight! To cross the finish line with flying colors! To not give in to temptation and sin. I want to encourage you to LIVE for Jesus Boldly. And how can I do that unless I am not afraid to Boldly encourage you along the way!

     So, let's all do a much better job at encouraging and building each other up in Truth, and even standing with each other in the hard Truths... as the Body of Christ. I know that for these very few but faithful brothers and sisters in Christ that aren't afraid to "like" my Jesus posts... I Cherish you and I thank you for encouraging me and building me up! I will do my best to encourage you as well! much love sweet friends - darby