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

Worry about your own Commitment...

     It's exciting when you know what God is calling you to do isn't it? it's exciting when you know you are right in the middle of God's will for your life. you make a commitment to God, to serve Him, to give your very best, your everything to do what He's called you to do. Time goes by and you have been completely invested in the work God has called you to do. There's been some blood, there's probably been a lot of tears, and at least a few sleepless nights, but you've hung in there, you've sought God's direction and favor over your calling, and you have come so far...

                                      and then...

     You look over and there's someone else doing the exact same thing as you, maybe. even. better. OR maybe they're completely new at it and they don't have a clue what they are doing but... they're getting the same recognition as you, or maybe. even. more. Maybe you love the Lord and you do your best to spend time with Him daily and please Him with your life and your goal is to walk in the joy of the Lord. You pray that He blesses your commitment and your life as you strive to serve Him, but...you've hit a hard time in your life, you struggle to keep moving, keep reading, keep praying, keep serving but you still love Him with your whole heart... you look over and see joy on someone else's face, you see the excitement in their face that you are struggling to get back and you feel discouraged as to why you have to face this trial and see others being joyous in where God is taking them.

                                                     How do you deal with this?

                          It's actually really simple: Worry about your own Commitment.

   It doesn't "feel" simple I know...because we are made of flesh and full of emotions, but this is where the rubber meets the road in our obedience to the One who calls us. It is so easy for us to get distracted in this life isn't it? We not only live in a world that is consumed by "comparison" but unfortunately we are seeing this same consumption within our churches and the Christian world,  and we have to be so careful to not become entangled in the Enemy's game.
   
    The Body of Christ is such a beautiful testimony of who God is. He created us all uniquely with our own giftings, talents, callings, and specifically laid out path... that ALL makes up ONE Thing...HIS GLORY.  That's why this becomes easier, when we get to the place that we understand that our lives, and everything we are made up of, is for Him and Him alone. He loves us so much. He created each one of us with a purpose. Doesn't that make you feel so important to God and so loved? I know it does for me.
 
    So many times I have felt inadequate, unimportant, used, not strong enough, and yes, even "burnt out"... but, that's because I was looking around me, comparing myself to others, wondering why they were more popular with the people than me, wondering why leaders liked them better than me, ect. Oh how much joy in serving my Savior I missed out on while focusing on things I didn't understand.  Instead of looking around, we need to remember to look up. Fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, We often use the phrase "I Do it for the Audience of ONE"... but do we really?

     I went through a really hard time a few years back, see I grew up in the church. I've always been involved in church, as a child, as a teen, and as an adult. I started participating in ministry teams when I was 9 years old, I was leading and teaching those younger than me at the age of 12 and it continued ever since. I loved church, I loved serving in my church. I've done a lot of things within the church. I was always at church, serving in ministry. I've served in several different churches. But then a few years ago, I realized I just couldn't do it anymore. Through all the ups and downs, through all the successes and failures, through all the lessons learned up till now... have led me to ONE thing:

     I have learned how to really know and love my God. I have learned through His Word and by sitting at His feet, what His character is and what His heart is for His people. I love Him so much and though there is still so much for me to learn about Him, and ministry, and life... I know Him well.  I am so very thankful for the opportunities I have had to watch and learn from godly men and women leaders, who not only invested in my life but showed me what it really looks like to love Jesus and to live for Him daily. Solid, Sound minded, Bold, Faithful Servants, Unwavering Character, Committed to Truth Leaders.  I am also thankful that I have been able to witness what poor leadership looks like and those who pretend to love the Lord with EVERYTHING and how God is still faithful and always takes care of those who love and seek Him despite these people.  BUT...

    My biggest lesson in ministry, in my personal relationship with Jesus came a few years ago, when I could no longer force myself to simply "participate" in "church" because ya know..."THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO..."

    I've learned that God wants our hearts before He wants our ministry.

    He wants our commitment to Him, before He wants our commitment to a church.

                                              The same goes for our churches....

    God wants people's hearts before He wants their talents.

    God wants His Church to be a true reflection of who He is and who He calls us to be.

Unfortunately, we are living in a different day than we were 20 years ago. It's not just that things are "changing", change is a part of life and a crucial part of growth... but we are experiencing a different kind of "change" in our churches. It's not a surprise, God told us it would happen, but it's heartbreaking just the same.  I pray and long for the revival of God's people. For the day when the "church" turns back to caring only about the "Audience of ONE again". When those who are sick, can be healed.. when those who are lost, can be found... when those who are caught in bondage, can be set free... and when those who choose to follow Jesus, can be transformed as His Children.

      Today I am sure that in parts of this world, there are those churches who hold fast to the Truth of Jesus. I am sure that the Body of Christ is stronger than ever, full of Children of God who love Him wholeheartedly, who strive to be holy, who are quick to repent and turn from sin they have stumbled into. I believe there are pastors and teachers and leaders and workers who take their walk with God seriously and I am sure He is using them mightily. I believe this!

    But... in my own walk, as a strong leader and solid Believer, and someone who does her very best to love and please her Lord daily (no, I'm not perfect...but I aim for it! 2 Cor. 13:11)… I had to choose whether or not to link arms with fellow Believers... who openly lived in sin, with no remorse or repentance, and whether or not I could link arms with other leaders who, instead of preaching freedom from sin, did their very best to "make room" for those sins. (I am not talking about one set of people or pastors or churches here either...a bunch) What a confusing example to all those watching. What a heartbreaking thing to witness that rather than sharing the Truth of who God is and the power He has to set us all free, only half truths would be shared all while elevating our need to be able to sin instead of our need for a Savior.

    The conclusion to my decision to step away from the "church" (not the Body of Christ...but the church, at least from the local ones we have access to, at least for now...(there's always hope)) I had to make a choice to either link arms with leadership pretending to do things God's way, or break away and be true to the leader God calls me (all of us) to be. For me, it takes more than a church full of nice people and nice pastors...it's about the leadership and the example set for Believers. We must be very careful who we submit to that influence our lives. (that's Biblical!)

   The heartbreaking side for me is that I really do miss church. I miss the hands on ministry with people, I miss the feel of a "church family" not people to potluck with but people who you actually knew things about their lives, you invested in each other, I haven't seen that kind of unity or family in a church in a long time... lots of activity, but very little real fellowship. I miss that. But...oh the things God has showed me during this time of seeking Him and His will for my life...without a church.

  See,  I cried out to God a few years ago, I said "What am I supposed to do if I don't have a church? How am I supposed to serve if I have no ministry? What about all my gifts and talents?"   … And in the quiet, through the tears, I heard my Master's voice.. "It doesn't matter what you do, it matters how you serve Me everyday." and with that, came the clarity I needed. In order to use our gifts and our talents for God...we have to in fact, USE THEM FOR HIS GLORY.   What good does it do me, to use the gifts and talents God gave me within a church that does not honor Him, obey Him, or lead people to Him?  We cannot lead people astray from God and be glorifying Him at the same time.

   Yes, I have many gifts and talents, but if God chooses for me to not be busy using those gifts and talents right now... because that honors Him.... then, I'm okay with that. Is it hard to watch other individuals doing ministry? Sure at times, but I've decided in my heart that I would rather be faithful to God than use my talents "just because".  This might sound "harsh" to some, and that's okay. (Trust me, I didn't want to write and share all of this either but God has told me to do it and I am trusting Him through this that there is a reason I am sharing these very personal decisions with you) My heart is not to bash churches, that is not my desire. I know that there are churches out there glorifying God and shining a light in this dark world. But.. I am also aware of the day and age we are living in, it is evident to see Satan moving into not only our culture but into our churches and deceiving people...easily.

    So here's the deal, whether you have found a church home that really loves the Lord and preaches His heart and you are actively serving within that ministry, or if you are like me at the moment that does not have a church home to actively serve in, I encourage you to seek Him first.

    Let Him lead you daily in how to please Him with your life. Sometimes that may involve other people, we live in a hurting world with people all around us that need Jesus. Pray that God opens your eyes and helps you to see them. Sometimes it may just be how you live out your day at home, how you steward your time, your money, your priorities, how you love your family... just love God with your whole heart and walk in obedience to Him.

   God is calling His Children to be committed... not to ourselves, not to the world, not to our churches, not to our own talents, not to other people, not to our own ideas of "Christianity", but to Himself. "Well done, good and faithful servant."

  Live for an audience of ONE. It's not easy, it will be hard but I promise you, if we fix our eyes on Jesus, and worry about our own commitment to our Creator... everything will be just fine. <3

A Beautiful Way to be Broken...

     

There is one fight in this life that I always hope to lose... Pride vs. Repentance.

         We all struggle with pride, it's part of our human selves. We fight for control over everything. This deep stubbornness can penetrate every area if we allow it to. Why am I talking about this? Because, this ONE thing right here, that we all have wrapped up inside our human nature, can single handedly DESTROY everything that God has for us.
         Did you know that the entirety of God's message to us in His Word, is how WE must be willing to let Him be the Lord and Master of our lives? We often think and are even taught that the entire gospel message is about us telling other people about Jesus...but it's actually not. Telling other people about Jesus IS a vital part of our lives as a Believer, but the ENTIRE Bible focuses really on one thing only...our PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with God and whether or not we OBEY Him with our lives.
       Crazy huh?....Not really. Our Creator loves His Creation deeply and His one desire is that we CHOOSE to love Him back. (Pretty Simple Message) Unfortunately since sin entered the world, simply obeying our Creator is not easy, BUT it most definitely IS possible! His GRACE is sufficient for us to want to live according to His will and to deeply desire to do what pleases Him.
      We don't hear too much about repentance anymore. Such a beautiful and powerful thing in the life of a Believer and we don't ever talk about it do we? When was the last time someone you know or someone in your church...or yourself... shared about the sin they were caught up in but Jesus set them free? I mean we hear a lot about trials someone might be going through and maybe how hard life has been and they made it through but...what about repentance? Why?
      I believe that it is a total work of the Enemy to get God's Children distracted and to forget about the work of REPENTANCE in our lives. We see the "Church" today making room for sinful behaviors in the lives of Believers. We've bought into the misguided line that God loves us no matter what we do therefore it doesn't matter how we live. This is such a twisting of God's beautiful truth that He DOES love us no matter who we are or what we've done, and because of THAT, He offers all of us a chance of Redemption and to be His Children.
       Repentance and Redemption go hand in hand, and both are an amazing picture of God's love for His Creation. Look at how much we are missing out on when don't understand or make these a part of our relationship with our Creator? Both of these acts in a Believers life, keep us not only humble before our God, it will continually remind us of who we are and who He is...He is God and we are not. A healthy fear of God is what keeps us on the right track, understanding that our lives are not our own and it really does matter how we live before our God.
       I've come to realize that there is a huge difference between someone pretending to really love their Creator and someone who really wholeheartedly DOES love their Creator.  One wants God's stamp of approval on their lives, however, they will continue to live how they choose, banking on God's love for them as an excuse to not have to be holy. (not Biblical by the way!) OR...One who cares more about what pleases God and what breaks His heart over what their flesh prefers to do.
      If we truly love our Creator...then we understand. through getting to know Him better and reading His Word to us, that our lives were made to worship and please Him. It's not our will but His will for our lives. Not our desires to be fulfilled but His.
      Living for Jesus... is a life of sacrifice on our part. It's death to our fleshly desires. Period. As a Believer and Follower of Jesus... Repentance is a key factor in a heart that remains humble before our God. Redemption is what we get to experience when Jesus picks up our brokenness before Him and makes us clean and whole, completely pleasing to our Creator. Isn't that AMAZING?
      I pray that we all have a heart of repentance before our God. I pray that He continues to fill us with His GRACE so that we can continue to walk daily in righteousness, pleasing Him. BUT...IF we should stumble on this journey, I pray our hearts are quick to be broken before our God and quick to make things right again.

Repentance and Redemption... what a beautiful way to be broken.

Throwback Post August 2016: Learning To Be Fearless

        So this past month in my journey with the Lord, I have discovered that even though I am very bold in my Faith and don't normally ever cringe when I have an opportunity to share what I believe on any topic...I am not "fearless" in all things. And I sincerely believe that this is something that needs to change.

I specifically hang out and rub shoulders with people that I admire and want to be like. The statement is true that we become like those we surround ourselves with. Influence is powerful. Standing alone is hard, but if you can find like minded people who really want to please God with their lives and who strive to be everything He's called them to be... it strengthens you in ways you can't even imagine.

As I sit in our Ladies Bible Study, called JOY4Women, my Faith is strengthened and encouraged as we dig in deep and discover who God really is and what He really is saying to us through Scripture. We serve an Awesome, All Powerful God who has ALREADY defeated ANY darkness we could possibly EVER face...and yet the question looms..."why are we so afraid?"

Why are we so afraid to speak up when we see darkness in this world, or in our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?

Why are we so afraid to join in with others who are speaking truth? We might think to ourselves, "well good for them" "that's right"...and yet WE don't want to tie our name to something that other people might disagree with EVEN though we KNOW it's Truth?

Why are we so afraid to Speak out Loud about Who God is? Why do we just assume that someone else will tell them?

Why are we so afraid to LIVE EVERY DAY for Jesus? Is it just too hard to do so? Is His grace really NOT enough to help us live a life that is pleasing to Him so we just give up?

Maybe the first question is...Why are we so afraid to REALLY KNOW HIM. Does it scare us because we Know that there are things about ourselves that we like...that will have to change if we really allow ourselves to Know God Well?

There's a lady who is my friend, that attends our Bible Study, and she is fearless in witnessing to people. Her example has caused me to have some deep reflection time with God about how I can better share Him with others. Some would say, "well now, we all do things differently, some people are just quiet and shy and share with their example, and others share more verbally and are more outgoing...we don't have to all share the Gospel the same way"...and that makes sense, until we start looking at God's heart and read what He says to us in the Bible. Then that excuse of  "just do it how you feel you're supposed to", doesn't quite cut it anymore. 

       We have different personalities and there's always the prompting of the Holy Spirit (don't confuse this with your comfort zone) but God doesn't call us to be mice. He is not happy when we shy away and don't share the Gospel because we are scared. He tells us to speak the Truth boldly. And we can't just Live it...we have to Speak it also. Can you imagine if Jesus never talked to anyone? He just went around healing people and doing miracles but never told anyone what He was doing, why He was doing it, and Who He was....would we even know or understand the Gospel today? If we are to be like Him, then it is NOT ENOUGH to be silent and nice. 

This challenge is HUGE...because it requires pretty much "living" outside of my comfort zone. It means that first and foremost I will continue to seek God in all things: all circumstances, all my beliefs will line up with His truth, all opinions that I form will be a reflection of His heart and not my head or fleshly desires...this requires lots of discipline on my part, an intentional act to know Him more daily. To not allow myself to be satisfied with "basic Christianity" but to know Him well.

      It requires me to intentionally LOOK for those opportunities to share Jesus and that means to people everywhere. Not just the easy ones who come to me or an activity that I'm involved in but to the person standing at a checkout line, or to that one who is sitting on a street corner, or anyone else that could be in my path. This means that I need to be more aware of my surroundings and who is needing to hear about God's love. One thing I have learned, is that if we are living and walking with the Lord, we do not have to beg Him for opportunities to share Him with lost people(anyone) ...we just have to simply open our eyes...because those opportunities are all around us.

I want to be fearless. What do we really have to lose? Oh but what do we have to gain?!! I am on this journey and I am scared of what it requires to be fearless lol...but I know that it IS what God requires from His Children. This world will hate us...but SOMEONE just might change their choice of eternity...because one of us...became fearless...and shared LIFE. 

I pray you'll take this journey with me...and for those of you who already live fearless... thank you and...I'm catching up! ;) 

Throwback Post November 2016: A Worship Reality

        Worship is such an important and CRUCIAL part of a Christian's walk with the Lord. You cannot live for God, follow His commands, be who He's called you to be and ignore this very basic part of your relationship with Him. This is the part where you recognize exactly Who He Is. Without this acknowledgement, we are left to our own way of thinking, our own way of doing, our own way of living, our own way of witnessing...and ultimately, we are left to our own demise.

      Worship is so much more than the songs that we sing...it is the very WAY we LIVE. Worship isn't about doing...it's about being. Constantly aware of our Creator. Constantly walking in His grace to be righteous. Constantly CHOOSING to be obedient to Him because we are fully aware of Who He Is.

    I'm afraid that we as a whole, have lost sight of the depth of the meaning of the word "worship". I'm afraid that we have strayed away from the very lifeline of worship. We have turned worship into something that revolves more around what we are getting out of it than what God is receiving from us. I mean when was the last time you sat (or stood) before God in worship and focused the entire time not on what He can do for you but rather just on who He is? 

    I am a worship leader and that is a task I do not take lightly. Helping people step into the presence of God and making sure that everything that is done is completely pointing to Jesus, is not always easy. BUT... I have noticed such a shift in our worship services... some "worship" songs that are ever so popular in most churches... lack so much  and yet we sing them because they're fun. Same with lots of hymns... lack so much and yet we sing them because we like them. Both of these elements have the same reasoning...they make us feel good. Now don't get me wrong, there are LOTS of great worship songs and hymns out there that take us straight to the heart of God. But does that make the ones that we spend time focusing on during worship...that don't....okay?  

  

    When worship is really supposed to be (based on what I read in Scripture)...all about us praising God for who He is....then why do we spend so much time on songs that reflect more on the things we are going through and less on how amazing and how in awe we are of Him? Now I don't think that there is anything wrong with songs of reflection... It's good to recognize our need for God and ask Him to help us through difficult times...BUT are we maybe getting away from what we NEED to be focusing on in our acts of worship? Does it really hurt us when we spend so little time making Him increase and us decrease? Could there be a reason why we should be focusing more on the God that we serve instead of the many ways He serves us?

   Again, I'm not knocking the songs we sing that bring about reflection but what I am saying is that I really think we are confusing the issue of the real meaning of worship. And we are undoubtedly confusing the meaning to others around us.  

Throwback Post July 2017: Where is the REAL CHURCH?

        So I kinda went off the grid for a little while... it wasn't that I had "writer's block" or anything, actually I have TONS of things I've been thinking about blogging... but it was more like I took a "writer's break"..is that even a thing? I don't know but I had to take one. I guess what caused my blogging and social media absence was based on deep discouragement and frustration over things that I was reading coming from the "Christian Community", not just people all over the world but people I have known forever, people who I have looked up to and admired, and frankly a whole lot of people that should know better. Truth is Truth and when people decide to change who God is or who He calls us to be in order to become super popular with ya know..."all the lost people out there who need Jesus"..... I get irritated. I get frustrated. I get sad. And even though I had a lot of things on my mind and heart to write about, I didn't want to write them out of frustration or anger.

       

       I'm not saying there is anything wrong with being angry or frustrated with the twisting of the Truth, God wants us to be grieved over the same things that grieve His heart. There is a place for anger within a Child of God...a holy anger against the things that mock God and lead people astray.

      This is not a "fun" or "feel good" post, but since I have no real genre to my writing, you basically get whatever is on my heart at the time, and I have a feeling that I am not the only Child of God that is dealing with these frustrations and discouragements within the "Christian Community".  I am not trying to demean "all Christians" or seem to be "against" Church in general....BUT, There IS the Beautiful Body of Christ that is moving and functioning as one vessel completely in love with their Creator and this BODY is unified in Christ all over the world. AND THEN there is a whole lot of people claiming to be the Body of Christ but are nothing more than hopefuls for the Kingdom but unwilling to lay down their lives to get it. God calls this: Sheep and the Goats. Righteous and Unrighteous. And there is a steep price for both...One will pay now, and One will pay later.

          A new friend of mine made a comment about how frustrating it is to see more and more churches going "Hollywood" and I couldn't agree with her more. Why do we feel the need to "sell" Jesus to people? He IS already everything they need, why do we have to make Him Bigger and Better and more Fun and Popular... does He really need that much help to appeal to the broken, the captives, the hopeless, the lost? And yes here's a rant....WHAT IS WITH ALL THE SMOKE AND LIGHTS?????

       I believe God wants us to be relevant to the World around us but I do not believe God is okay with us going to "whatever" length we need to "give people what they want....so they'll come to Jesus and give Him a chance"...hey, people need Jesus period. It's our job to show people Jesus and it's His job to give them an experience. I think we've gotten confused along the way and the "church" is looking more and more like the world everyday and less and less like the real Jesus.

      There are a lot of sheep out there, and there are a lot of wolves. And it IS our responsibility to not blindly follow anyone who claims to know something about God. It IS our responsibility to KNOW God and His Truth for ourselves. We must recognize the flat out lies and all the MANY half-truths being taught and lived out in our "Christian" world today. Start holding each other accountable and most of all, start holding yourself accountable for the things you believe, you practice, and you share with others. Being a Child of God is a very serious thing. I'm talking to the Believer that "gets it" right now and wants to really understand what it means to "live for Christ". It's not easy, it's the hardest thing you will ever do...because it is so much bigger than you. But it is sooooo worth it. So even though this is not a "fun" topic or a very "uplifting" post... be encouraged my Brothers and Sisters in Christ... there are others that are grieving along with you over the state of the "church" today and know that the real BODY OF CHRIST is everywhere, strong, and functioning as it was designed.... Loving the Creator and DAILY striving to be the Child of God He's calling us all to be.

        So what are we supposed to do? What am I supposed to do in the face of this chaotic and clearly misguided time within our "Christian Community around the World"? .... I have been praying and pondering over this looming question for several weeks now, and the answer is the same one I had moments after I asked the first time.... the answer: keep speaking Truth.

        We are only as close to God as we choose to be, we are only as knowledgeable about His Word and His Character as we choose to be, we are only as clueless or wise about what His desires are for His Children as we choose to be. He has ALREADY given us everything we need to know and He has already told us to seek Him in ALL things and to know Him well. It's OUR choice what we do with that. It's OUR choice what we allow ourselves to believe. And it's OUR choice whether we will walk obediently or disobediently. SO... all I can do is daily strive to know Him more (this is not some cute saying but a lot of determination to make Him the MOST important part of my day, everyday). I MUST rightly divide the TRUTH in scripture and in EVERYTHING I hear and allow myself to believe. I MUST make sure that as I pass on TRUTH to those around me, that it IS actual Godly, Biblical TRUTH. I have a responsibility First as a Child of God to LIVE out what I believe, trust what I believe in, and know 100% that what I believe is absolute Truth. Secondly as a leader in the Body of Christ, in worship, in my women's ministry, in all of the people that I have the opportunity to speak into their life and any amount of influence that I may have... I must make sure that I am at ALL times...not sharing Darby's opinion but sharing God's opinion....because His opinion is all that matters in this life.   BIG RESPONSIBILITY we have as Believers, to make sure WE aren't getting in the way of someone finding Jesus and truly understanding what it means to FOLLOW HIM.

       I am still saddened by the things I read and see and hear, coming from fellow "Christians"....and that's okay because I know that it grieves my Heavenly Father's heart so much more. But I am determined now more than ever that I must continue to hold myself accountable to always SEEK the Truth, always SPEAK the Truth, and NEVER be intimidated or afraid to SHARE the Truth with whomever or wherever it is needed. This means that yes I will disagree with other leaders, pastors, teachers, brothers and sisters... oh well. God's Truth should always be our number one priority in the Body of Christ... and if it isn't...God tells us what to do in those circumstances as well... some people would be surprised to see what God says about that. But please, don't just take my word for it...look it up for yourselves! How about we all start doing a little more seeking God for ourselves and a little less using christian facebook quotes as our foundation of faith?

It's not easy....but you are not alone. Stay strong sweet friends, we are in this journey together!