Is It Black or Is It Blue?

I have to say that I’m when told that something is black and the actual color is blue, I am NOT someone who will sit by quietly and go along with the propaganda.  Any of you who know me well, will attest to that.

Lately, it seems that situations along this line are something I’ve been wrestling with.  Things are black and white or wrong or right.  It is very disturbing to me when I see folks twisting the truth to accomplish their own agenda.  And, what’s more…when they’re found out, they refuse to admit wrongdoing. I thought transparency was the best policy?  Oh yeah, I guess that’s for everyone except church leadership! (Ouch…true, but ouch!)

Now the sticky part…of course I’m speaking about The Church…no, not any church in particular…The Church.  Now, before you get your tail feathers ruffled, please realize that I am grateful for The Church.  I am a member of The Church, The Body of Christ, and I am in no way bashing it.  I am simply going to share my thoughts on what I have experienced over the past several years.  My hope and prayer is that we…The Church…will make some decisions to focus on people…not just SAY those words…but truly focus on people and their needs in all aspects of life.  Are we so focused on numbers and growing churches bigger and bigger that we are essentially leaving folks in our wake simply because we want to have a “growing church…or look good…or have the biggest church?”

I have had conversations with leaders that spout out things like a car salesman who has memorized something as a sales pitch for the “answers” to my questions.  Those answers would be fine if all of the “book learning” they repeated were truly the answer.  They weren’t the answers to my questions.  What I have found is so many leaders, young and old, “know” exactly what to say because of what they’ve been taught.  But what is lacking is a true leading of the Holy Spirit.  Who?  Yes, the Holy Spirit. So many in the church have become so educated about ministry and running a church that they rely on their own head knowledge entirely too much.  Did you know that some Bible translators are even re-writing the Bible and leaving out important things such as the actual Holy Spirit?  It’s true!  I’m not against education in any way and I say again…I am not bashing anyone.  I am sharing with you what I have experienced at several different churches.  I have been extremely confused and upset at times at the cold and ineffective answers I have gotten to some very challenging questions I have asked several leaders over the past several years.  (Q:: “Why can’t we give folks an opportunity to accept Jesus as their Savior?”  A:: “It’s not part of the program.”---Yep, this really happened!)

 

But God!!  Yes, but God…He has crossed my path with someone who is not only highly educated, but also is a Spirit led person and has extensive experience within the church.  I have spoken with this person for several hours over the past month or so and I find that I am not alone, but I am in the minority in my thinking.  I also have learned that I’m not entirely wrong in what I’m seeing in The Church.  I cannot begin to tell you just how grateful I am for this new relationship.  I thank God…His timing is so perfect… and right when I was beginning to feel hopeless.      

I find that churches are looking for the young, educated and dare I say good looking folks to be leaders.  Hmmm…this sounds a lot like how the book of Daniel opens up in Babylon!!  King Nebuchadnezzar only wanted the young good looking, educated “movers and shakers” of their time and he wanted nothing to do with God.  (I’m not saying that churches don’t want anything to do with God…but, if we don’t rely on the Holy Spirit aren’t we ignoring Him?)  Now I have nothing against folks who happen to fall into this category, but my question is; what about the rest of us?  Are we not all called of God for the special purpose that He made each and every one of us for…regardless of where we are in our walk with the Lord?  I have had conversations with a leader who said that they actually banned a person from being on the worship team simply because they didn’t like something that was going on in that person’s personal life.  My jaw hit the floor! The issue they explained to me wasn’t even something “bad.”  My thoughts were that they were missing out on a wonderful chance for the Lord to help someone learn a different way of doing things in their life.  By banning this person from the worship team, feelings were hurt and it’s my understanding that this person moved on to another church…who knows if the issue ever got resolved.  Another is where it’s claimed that women are celebrated for their God given gifts and talents, but they’re limited to the “kitchen” ministry or working with other women and children only.  One place won’t even allow a woman’s name to be listed as a “worship leader.”  Wow!!  I hope Darlene Zschech or Kari Jobe don’t move to the area and want to be a part of this worship team.  At one place a person was told that they could play the guitar on the worship team, but the volume may be turned down because they weren’t sure that they should be heard….REALLY?!?  I happen to know this person and they are currently on a team where the volume for them is not turned down and they are an appreciated member of the worship team.  (These are only a few of the stories that I’ll share for time’s sake.)


Is this how Jesus treated his disciples?  From what I’ve read about my Lord and Savior, my answer is “no!”


One word…Babylon!!  Church, we have got to do better…much better!  We are in the world but not of the world!  Are we so focused on appearing perfect…while actually being superficial, that we’ve lost what being a follower of Christ is all about…lost hurting people?  Of course we want to be organized, focused and communicate well.  Those things are much needed within any organization.  But, doing so at the cost of hurting people who simply need Jesus is not the way to go about doing it.  Calling yourself a Christ follower without treating people the way Jesus treated them is like telling me that the color black is really blue.  That doesn’t wash with me. 

Jesus loved people.  That’s why He gave up Heaven, came to earth and lived an everyday life just like us.  He experienced everything that we have or ever will experience…but yet, He never sinned.  That blows my mind…He never sinned!  In the midst of living here on earth, He did what His Father wanted Him to do.  He was led by His Father.  It didn’t matter if He was in a hurry to get somewhere, if He was led to stop and take care of someone, that’s exactly what He did.  He is our ultimate example!  Are we open to the leading of the Holy Spirit when we’re in a hurry or when it’s inconvenient for us?  Do we “stiff arm” people because we don’t want to deal with the “mess” of their lives?  What about those who look different than us…maybe they have piercings, tattoos or colored hair?  There is a business that is known for its Christian values, but their standards are to not hire folks who “look a certain way.”  Really?!?  What an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life who maybe doesn’t know the Lord.  And…what about those who do know the Lord and have piercing, tattoos or colored hair.  Are they discriminated against because they don’t look the part of a “typical Christian”…whatever that is?  Honestly and quite bluntly…I don’t believe that Jesus cares what they look like physically.  It’s their heart He wants.  Why aren’t we…The Church…more concerned about people’s hurting hearts?  Folks, the fields are ripe for harvest!  It’s not for us to decide that the harvest doesn’t “look” like a harvest that we want to reap.  I believe we’re hired to do a job in spite of what the harvest looks like.

With the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior at hand, I encourage you to search your heart, ask the Lord to show you what attitudes you may have about the lost and hurting.  If not for the grace of God, you or I could be that homeless man or woman looking for their next meal.  You are blessed because you have a roof over your head and food on your table whether your income is 10 dollars per year or 10 million a year.  None of us is any more special than the other. (Read that over and over until you get the reality of it.) God loves us all the same.  In Him, we are all on an even playing field…even though that’s really not how we, The Church, act a lot of the time.

Jesus is coming soon and He’s looking for a Bride without spot or blemish.  I believe it has more to do with our individual / collective hearts than it does the look of our churches, the sound of our worship team or the sophistication of the message.  Of course we want excellence for our King, don’t get me wrong, but let’s not do it at the expense of the hearts of others.  Let’s share the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ!!  Isn’t that what He wants us to do?  Don’t accept the color black being called blue just because someone you respect is calling it that.  You have a body, heart, mind, soul, and spirit of your own.  Look to God and be led of the Spirit…he will not lead you wrong!!

 

     

A House Divided Will Not Stand.

About 6 years ago, something in my life happened that caused me to keep myself and my immediate family safe from my extended family.  At the time, the fact that I had to make this decision was actually tormenting.  It’s something that I had wanted and needed to do for years, but I wouldn’t because I felt guilt about it.  Even though I knew that guilt was from the enemy, I still grappled with walking away.  The enemy attacked me from different angles telling me not only that I was a terrible person, but that I was a terrible Christian.  Well, going through that has made me a much stronger person because I’m not a terrible person, nor am I a terrible Christian…imperfect and saved by grace, but not terrible!  I was a hurting person who was forced to set safe boundaries for myself and my family...period!  And…although I don’t put myself in the same league as Abraham and Joseph, the Lord used them as examples to show me how He separated them from their families for a reason.  Abraham’s family worshipped idols and Joseph’s family had tremendous dysfunction, but later reunited them. 

At that time, the Lord spoke to me through 3 different ministries…teaching, leading, encouraging, guiding and growing me.  Overall, God has made me a much stronger person in my faith as well as in my mind.  And, although I don’t listen to those ministries on a daily basis like I did, I do still listen to them, am grateful for them and still support one of them financially.

Well, lately, I have let one of my family members back into my life.  I thought that everything would be ok.  Oh how wrong I was!  What I have found is that this person has found it their “calling” to let me know in their “subtle” ways that these ministries…that have helped me to be a better, stronger Christian…are all “false Christian teachers” and that I need to listen to the programs that they listen to so I can find out the truth. 

I have to tell you that over the past month or so, I have done some research. And what I have found is that no matter what ministry I listen to, I have found a little something that doesn’t set well with me and perhaps it doesn’t line up completely with what the Bible says…not grossly…and I don’t believe on purpose either.  But, who am I to point a finger and cry heresy?  The way I see it, I’m no expert, but I know the voice of my God and I also know that none of us are perfect.  I believe that we need to be very cautious about what we teach and that there are consequences to deliberate false teaching.  But what I’m seeing within the body of Christ is people accusing others of heresy when they themselves teach against things that are clearly stated in the Bible.  Maybe they should read the Bible on that particular subject… and not present something out of context and exploit what someone is teaching that is Biblical.  No one person has the Bible figured out.  I certainly do not profess to!  No one person is so wise that they have the authority to condemn other Christian teachers publicly!  Now, if these teachers were teaching that we should isolate ourselves and follow only one person(not Jesus)and then advised us to drink laced Kool-aid to take us to “heaven,” then we would have a problem.  Or if they were twisting the scripture to mean something that it wasn’t meant to mean, this too, would be a problem.  Gross wrong teaching should be addressed properly! This is definitely not the case!  Just today I read this passage from Beth Moore’s  Jesus:  90 days with the One and only.  Day 48  ‘I remember a time when a critical letter from a seminary graduate shook my confidence.  As I read the list of mistakes she was pointing out, I started thinking, “She’s right!  What in the world do I think I’m doing? I have no formal theological education.  I shouldn’t even be doing this!”  But God reminded me during the following days that I was exactly right; I shouldn’t be doing this.  This ministry is God’s.  If my confidence is in myself, I’m in big trouble.  God also assured me that I will always make mistakes, but they will serve as reminders to my readers never to think more highly of this teacher than they ought.  Only One can be taken at His every word.’    This is such a true statement!!  Yes, we are all human and we will make mistakes…none but Jesus is perfect!!

This is truly an example of how the enemy works.  He is the accuser of the brethren.  Just like this family member has done to me, the enemy will cause all sorts of trouble and then turn around and accuse us falsely to try to break us down and try to discredit us as well as others.  This is what the enemy loves to do, and all too often, he uses Christians to do just that within the body of Christ.  I have to tell you that some of the teachings I watched on the internet were shocking…from both the accusers and the accused.  I approached it with much prayer.  But what I did find is that on one side, when questions were raised and the person was reprimanded, they humbled themselves, corrected themselves and apologized.  I did not find that on the other side…those making accusations and causing a ruckus.

I know that when I worship Jesus Christ through music that He accepts my worship.  I don’t believe He disapproves of me because I’m not worshipping Him through hymns or music that is traditionally acceptable by certain denominations within the Body of Christ.  Who sets the standards for worshipping with music anyway?  The most wealthy in the church who threaten to leave if it’s not done their way?  What if we were in Africa and all we had to worship with were our voices and sticks to keep a beat?  Does God reject that form of worship because it’s not the traditional hymn performed in the traditional way?  I don’t believe He rejects any of our worship as long as the great name of Jesus is being lifted up by folks whose hearts are set on Jesus…whether it be in Africa or any other part of the world who may have only limited means, in denominations that worship only with hymns or non-denominational churches that worship with contemporary music.  God created us to be unique!  I believe He loves the different ways that people worship Him.  Why do we get so hung up on the differences?! No one way is the perfect way!  In fact, getting hung up on the different styles of worship and causing a ruckus takes the focus off of God and puts it onto ourselves.  Are we truly worshipping if we’re being judgmental of the style of music while we’re in the midst of worship?

This scenario reminds me of places in the Bible where Jesus healed people and the Pharisees said that He was filled with Satan.  I ask you; how is it that the enemy…Satan, Lucifer, the Devil…whatever you want to call him… would lead me to praise Jesus, learn from God’s word and continue on to help others in Jesus’ name?  A house divided against itself will not stand.  It is simply ridiculous!!

So, once again, because of all of this, I have had to make the difficult choice to protect myself.  But, I know that the Lord knows of my love for this person and even though they have tried to cause problems for me, I know that the Lord loves this person as much as He loves me or anyone else for that matter.  I don’t wish bad things for them, nor do I doubt their belief in Christ.  But, I will protect myself and my family at all cost.  I will protect my well being.  I will not let the enemy bring me down…period!  God has created me, like you, for a specific purpose and I will not let accusations stop me from fulfilling what God has created me to do…Lord willing. 

With all of this said, I believe that we should all be very cautious about who we let into our “inner circle” of friends…or even family.  Of course we should never be above or beyond correction!  But, be sure of who is behind this correction.  Is it a person who truly cares about you, or is it the enemy trying to get you off track from our mighty God?  We are at the end of the end of days.  The enemy is doing all that he can to tear the Body of Christ apart.  Don’t fall for his tactics and surely don’t be one he uses for that purpose.  Our Great Shepherd said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”  John 10:27  Stay tuned into His voice…it’s His voice that truly matters!

If you like this, check out my other, shorter blog.  I post there 2 times a week.  http://actnowday2daydevo.blogspot.com/

The Full Armor of God

The Full Armor of God

Recently, I heard someone teach a lesson on how we don’t need the armor of God if we continually praise / worship God through good times and bad.  They used the example of David and how he didn’t use any armor to defeat Goliath.  He drew from the time of preparation as a shepherd to defeat the giant…time that included praising/worshipping God along with taking care of sheep which includes defending them from would be assailants.  Simply because David was confident in what God had equipped, or rather, created him to do, he knew that there was no way he would miss taking out the enemy…who had openly been defiant to the God of Israel.

In all of this I can completely see the truth in what was taught.  But my question for God was; why then does Your word tell us to put on the full armor of God?  The word of God is truth and our manual for life’s issues.  Why wouldn’t we need the armor of God?  The Lord answered my question in this manner.  The armor of God isn’t just speaking out that we’re literally putting on the spiritual armor.  It’s found in each piece of armor itself.  (See Ephesians 6:10-18)

1. The belt of Truth…the Truth being the Word of God…reading it on a regular basis…learning/knowing who God is through His word.  The belt is a foundational piece of armor that holds other pieces of the armor in place.  The word of God is our foundation to knowing who God is and how to live our lives out in a Godly manner.

2. The breastplate of Righteousness…truly knowing that you are righteous because and only because of the work that Jesus did on the cross for all mankind.  Jesus is righteous and He has made us righteous.  When God looks at us, He sees us through the Righteousness of Jesus…making us Righteous.  The breastplate guards our heart and all other vital organs.

3. The shoes of Peace…walking in peace and love, imitating Jesus, the Prince of Peace…learning about Jesus from the gospel of peace.

4. The helmet of Salvation…full knowledge and confidence in Salvation through Jesus Christ…the Savior of all mankind.  That knowledge protects our mind from the lies the enemy uses to try to break us down and destroy us.

5. The shield of Faith…continual growing and deepening our Faith in God…knowing that He is for us, trusting and believing in Him without a doubt.  The shield used to quench the fiery darts the enemy uses to try to take us out of commission.

6. The sword of the Spirit…speaking the Word of God out to situations in our lives or the lives of others…the Word of God, when spoken, does not come back void and it accomplishes what He wants it to accomplish.  (See Isaiah 55:11)  It is also sharper that a two edged sword.  (See Hebrews 4:12)

7. Praying in the Spirit…praying without ceasing, continual communication with God (See 1 Thessalonians 5:17) …prayers led by the Holy Spirit…not out of our own understanding or interpretation of things and not restricted to praying in tongues only.

All seven things listed are a form of worship to God.  Honoring Him in these things, basically putting Him first in our lives is a form of worship to the God of the Universe.  And adding to that…

8. Praising God in word or song is putting our focus…our attention on God…worshipping Him…making and keeping Him the Center of our lives our everything.

When we live a balanced life, this spiritual armor is one way God covers us…protecting us from the enemy.

Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8

The definition of vigilant is:  1. keenly watchful to detect trouble; wary.  2. ever awake and alert

It says for us to be keenly watchful or ever awake and alert because the devil is seeking whom he may devour.  The way that is stated let’s me know that not everyone “is available” to be devoured.  You see it’s very easy for us to get out of balance.  Of course we’re not perfect and this is a journey we’re on…a journey where we learn and grow in God.  He watches over us and when we do get out of balance, His mercy and grace covers us.  But, it also shows me that we have a part to do in all of this.  As Joyce Meyer says, “We have a part to do and God has a part to do.  He will not do our part and we cannot do His part.”  Being vigilant and staying “on task” is very important.  The life of a follower of Jesus Christ is not a walk in the park…that is, as long as you are continually growing.

Now I’d like to touch on the fact that there are seven item listed in Ephesians for the armor of God.  Seven is the number in the Bible for completeness and spiritual perfection.*  It’s no surprise to me that there are seven items that comprise the full armor of God.  Oh…but what about number eight…praising and worshipping God in word and/or song?  I’m glad you asked!  The number eight signifies new birth, new creation or new order.*  Just as eight people were saved from the Great Flood and repopulated the earth, this was a new birth of the world population, a new order of things.*  Or just as there are eight notes in a musical scale…the eighth note is also the first note in the next octave…also a new beginning.*

So, even though praising and worshipping God is not listed with the full armor of God, it is a type of armor that we use in spiritual warfare…number eight…a new order of things, a new creation or a new beginning.  It doesn’t make the other items obsolete.  It sums up the seven pieces of armor listed.

Now this brings me back to the beginning of this lesson...a new beginning.  (Ha! ;D I couldn’t resist that!)   Even though I didn’t doubt what I learned from the teaching that day…I wanted to understand it more thoroughly.  I praise God for who He is!  His word says that if we lack wisdom, all we have to do is ask for it and He will give it without reproach. (See James 1:5)  This is a wonderful example of just how faithful God is to answer our prayers…and also how His word, when spoken, does not come back void.  How awesome and amazing He is!!

Selah 


Taken from Dr. Ed Vallowe’s “Biblical Mathematics”

Also, see my Day2DayDevo   http://actnowday2daydevo.blogspot.com/

Stretching, Growing, Trusting, Believing and Speaking!!

So today’s been a day where I have struggled to get through with a good attitude and a smile on my face.  It’s not because things aren’t going well for me, because they are.  I just believe that this is another “stretching” time for me.

As I look back over my life to see where the Lord has brought me from, I think…how on earth have I made it this far, with so much that I’ve had to overcome?  On the other hand, I look to the future from where I am and it’s somewhat daunting to think; how am I going to get to that place that I see in my mind’s eye…the dreams and desires of my heart that God has placed within me?  Of course, deep within me, I know that I know that it’s the Lord who has brought me this far and it will be Him who takes me on to that next place.  One day at a time…one day at a time.  J 

You see, a month or so ago, the Lord let me know in His own way of speaking to me that He was taking me to a new level with Him, but that it would be a time of emotional ups and downs.  Well, so far, what I believed He spoke to me has proven to be true.

A few weeks ago I was evaluated and accepted on a worship team that is incredible!  I cannot even explain the joy that sprang up within me when we visited this church for the first time…let alone being accepted on the worship team!  It is home!  For the first time our entire family finds this place of worship to be our home.  Just when I had truly lost hope that there existed a church family like this in NWA…poof…the Lord led us directly to it…in His perfect timing!  PTL!!  For any of you who know what I’ve been through the past 20 years, you understand what a breakthrough this is not only for me, but my family as well.  We’ve been on a search for a church home for quite some time.  I am ecstatic about it!

But, along with this wonderful promotion, if you will, there have been emotional ups and downs.  When the Lord first spoke this to me, I set my mind to overcome these ups and downs as quickly and gracefully as possible.  I set my mind to make the right decisions when in those emotional times.  And, when I am too weak to carry out those decisions for myself, I trust the Lord for His strength and grace to carry me through…and so far, thank the Lord, I have been able to overcome.  But, it hasn’t been the easiest goal to stick to!  Just sayin’ !!

Today, my mind has been bombarded with thoughts that, if I had given into them, it would have been easy for me to set all dreams aside and simply walk away.  I have caught myself wanting to speak negative things out loud numerous times…and if I had a replay back of my day, I probably did a few times.  I really cannot remember.  But, what I do remember is catching myself thinking negative thoughts, opening my mouth and then speaking…”God, I am who You say I am.” “If God is for me, who can be against.”  You see, what we speak about ourselves…or others…is what will, given time and repetition, come to pass.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, those who love it will eat its fruit.  Proverbs 18:21  

Even though it’s been a challenging day, in the whole scheme of things, it’s been a very good day.  This stretching that’s going on is causing me to draw even closer to the Lord.  It’s causing me to go to a deeper level of trust with Him.  Just knowing that in and of myself, I am completely unable to do what I believe He has called me to do causes me to trust and believe in Him more and more.  It’s times like these that the Lord tests us…stretches us…so that our faith and trust in Him grows deeper and stronger.  I’ve come to recognize, accept and appreciate these times. 

So when the laughs of those who I foolishly shared my heart with come back to “haunt” me, or the “haunts” of harsh words spoken to me or harsh treatment I’ve experienced over the past 20 years growing in my calling, I know it doesn’t matter what they think of me.  It only matters what God thinks of me.  I pray for those who have hurt me in those moments.  I ask God to bless them above and beyond what they believe God has for them…and I mean it!  They’re not just shallow words!

You see, death and life truly is in the power of the tongue, whether they are things spoken to us or things that we speak to others.  If we cannot encourage one another in our endeavors in life, then we should not speak out anything negative to someone else or ourselves.  That behavior is so very hurtful!  And trust me, I’ve experienced plenty of it whether it’s been from family, friends or Christian leadership!  You don’t want to be a dream killer, do you?  I don’t believe I know anyone who wakes up in the morning and says, “I believe I’m going to kill so and so’s dream today!”  But even so, it still happens.  A few years ago someone told me that they could tell just by looking at someone that that person would never amount to anything.  I was shocked to silence by that statement.  Oh how grateful I am that God doesn’t look at our appearance, but rather, He looks at our heart!

Stretching and growing can be an emotional and painful thing to go through.  But our trust and belief in God will be strengthened and deepened through this process.  Remember, He sees your heart and what you can become in Christ.  Speak out the word of God to overcome the lies of the enemy, whether those words are what you hear in your mind…or lies of the enemy spoken through other people.  You are who God says you are…and if He is for you, who can be against?!?

Stretching, Growing, Trusting, Believing and Speaking!!

 

Growth = Change

So I was out on the lawn mower today for just under 2 hours.  Somehow, even with the loud sound of the engine running and the blades cutting, I find this to be very peaceful.

Today my thoughts were on growth.  I was thinking back to six, maybe seven years ago on Christmas day.  I woke up and said, “Happy Birthday, Jesus.  “All I have to give you is myself.  I give myself to you.  Make me the best servant I can be for you.”  Since that day, I have had tremendous pruning and growth…not that I wasn’t growing before, because I was.  But, this growth has been rapid…and at times, painful.

The way I see it, most people want growth in some way, shape or form.  Maybe they want their garden to grow, their hair or fingernails to grow…perhaps they want their bank account to grow or maybe their responsibilities in their career to grow.  The problem is that many of us who want growth, don’t want what comes along before the growth can take place…the pruning.

You see, when things grow, they can get wild and out of control if they’re not pruned properly.  Have you ever seen a tree or shrub that has grown without any pruning or shaping to it?  They can actually be pretty unattractive!  Well, that’s exactly how we can become if we don’t allow ourselves to be pruned and shaped by the Master Gardener. 

As soon as I spoke those words, asking God to make me the best servant I could be, He went to work on me.  There were things in me that needed to be taken out.  Some things that I didn’t even know were in me, and some I did know about, but sincerely thought that I had dealt with, but in reality, had not.  He began to prune me…”cutting” the things out that didn’t need to be in me, essentially making much more room for Himself.  “More of You and less of me” I prayed, and still pray today.  You see, when you prune a shrub, tree or flowers, it spurns growth.  And then, as it grows, it can be shaped into a much more beautiful shape than it was before.

Growth = Change   There is no getting around it.  There have been times when I’ve caught myself saying, “Lord, what am I doing wrong now?”  Well, the truth of the matter is that I really wasn’t doing anything wrong; it’s that there was a better, more refined way of doing it.  We cannot expect growth without change…period!    

Now, what if I had decided that I didn’t want to deal with the issues that God brought forth in the pruning process?  I could have fought it and decided that I truly didn’t want to be the best servant I could be and rejected the pruning.  I could have just settled for much less than God’s best and decided that I am the way I am and that I didn’t need to change.  That would have been the “easy” way to deal with that…but, with that attitude; I would never reach the potential that God created me to reach…which I believe is a lifetime process.  You see, God has the best life we could ever imagine planned for each and every one of us.  We have to want that life though.  We have to accept God’s way of life for ourselves…which is the best way possible…hands down.  The trouble is that it’s not the easy way.  In fact, I find it to be more than a just little challenging at times.

Recently I had a dream that was terrifying.  I woke up and began to pray for protection for my family and myself.  I used to have terrible dreams as a child and would also sleep walk several nights out of the week.  This went on for years.  I remember that terror and haven’t experienced it since I accepted Jesus as my Savior at age 13.  So, it really bothered me that I had this dream.  As I lay in bed contemplating and praying about the meaning of the dream, I heard the Lord speak to me.  In that still small voice, He let me know that there were some things in my life that He wanted changed and they were things that I knew needed to be changed.  In short, the enemy was attacking me and he was getting to me through these things.  He told me what they were and I said, “Ok, I will make these changes.  I want all that You have for me.  I repent. Forgive me for not changing them before now and please help me when I’m weak.  I will do my part, please help me with the parts that I cannot do for myself.  I trust You and believe You.”  You see, I was aware that I needed these changes, however, in all honesty, I would change for a little while and then I would just fall back into the same pattern that I had been in before.  I didn’t take the change seriously.  I was being lazy about it.  Well, this dream got my attention!  I realized the seriousness of the changes that needed to be made.  Otherwise, I believe in my heart that if I didn’t, I would not move on to what God had next in line for me.  I would be settling for much less than what God has planned for me. 

Growth is not always easy.  It will always involve change.  And just as some children experience growing pains while growing physically, we, as children of God, can and will experience growing pains as we grow and mature spiritually.  No, it’s not easy, but I know, trust and believe that it’s worth it!

For myself I have made the decision that there is no turning back and there is no stopping.  I have set my mind on the Higher things of the Lord.  I trust that every high thing will come down and every stronghold in my life will be broken.  I will not accept anything less.  Why would I want to accept anything less than what the Lord has made available for me?  Jesus gave everything for you and me when He gave up His life on the cross.  I cannot even begin to imagine the pain, shame and suffering He endured for me, let alone the entire human race!  The pain I have gone through is real, but it’s a fraction of the pain that Jesus endured for me, not to mention all mankind, as well.  I believe I will press in and press on and be triumphant in Jesus’ Mighty name!

If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to ask for growth, expect and accept the change…the pruning and shaping…it will totally be worth it!!

Communication...it's the key to...

On my way home from work today, I approached a part of the drive where traffic merges.  We don’t live in a heavily populated area such as LA, NY or Dallas, but the traffic can get heavy for our neck of the woods just like anywhere else.  I don’t like going through this area at certain times of the day only because most folks refuse to signal which way they’re going causing traffic to pile up and occasionally a wreck.  I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve made this point while going through this stretch of the drive.  Today was different, though.  I drove through it (with my turn signal on, btw!) and made it through easily.  Traffic in front of me merged harmoniously with signals...I looked in my rear view mirror and saw what I would consider a symphony for the eyes!  The cars behind me all signaled and merged perfectly as well, without stopping traffic…without causing confusion!  It! was! beautimus!

 

Using a turn signal in a car is a form of communication between drivers. (No need to discuss the other forms! HA!)  If you don’t use it, you’re not communicating.  It’s that simple.

 

I find communication to be of the utmost importance.  It’s beyond me why so many of us refuse to communicate.  If we don’t communicate by signaling in our cars, it causes confusion and potential danger.  If we don’t communicate in day to day life, whether socially, in the work place, family or even with strangers…inevitably, it may and probably does cause confusion and / or hurt feelings.

So…I wonder how God feels when we don’t communicate with Him?  Hmmm…I can’t answer for Him, but, I can tell you that I don’t like it when I extend a line of communication to someone and they don’t respond.  I have felt slighted, put off and even downright ignored.  Even though I have a healthy knowledge of who I am, it does still bother me from time to time when someone doesn’t reciprocate.

 

Our Heavenly Father wants to communicate with us.  He is always reaching out to us, but we don’t always respond to His calling to us.  Why is that?  Are we too busy doing our own thing?  Maybe we’re in a bad mood and don’t want to?  Do we have selective hearing?  Or just maybe we think that we’re above communicating with Him?  You know…an “I’ve got it all figured out, I don’t need help” attitude!  Whatever the case may be, God is the One we should be communicating with.  He sent His only son, Jesus, to live on this earth in a body of flesh so that He, God Almighty, could relate to us.  Jesus gave up everything in Heaven to come and live and die on this earth so ultimately we could have Salvation, but so that we could have communication with God as well as many other things.  Jesus is our High Priest. (See Hebrews 4:14) There’s no need for any of us to go through any. one. else. to communicate with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We are totally and completely free to communicate with Almighty God, the Creator of the Heavens and Earth on a one to one basis without any fear.  How awesome is that?!

 

God wants the very best for us.  He has already provided the very best for us in every situation we might be in whether we need healing, (physical, mental or emotional) wisdom, material or monetary needs.  You name it…He’s already made the provision. All we have to do is ask and believe.  Asking is partaking in communication.  Praying to God is communication with Him.  It’s easy!  There’s no need for fancy words…no need for long, seemingly, impressive speech!  He’s not impressed by that.  He wants someone with a heart for Him.  It’s as simple as speaking to Him and telling Him what’s on your heart and mind.  I have had prayers answered that I only thought in my mind.  I’ve had prayers answered that I spoke out loud in a normal speaking voice.  And, I assure you, I’ve had times in my life where I was afraid that I had let God know a little too loudly and a little too boldly what was on my mind.  But, what I found out is that, whatever the issue was, He already knew.  That’s right…He already knew...but He wanted me to communicate it to Him.  I also found out just how big God is…He can take whatever it is that I have to say…even if I’m angry with Him.  The beautiful thing is that He listens and then He helps me, in spite of how I feel or what I’ve said or done.  Yes, He still helps me no matter what I throw at Him.  I find that SO freeing and absolutely amazing!  Knowing that I can tell Him anything that’s on my mind and not having to worry about gossip or my words being twisted into something that I didn’t say and so on and so forth, is very freeing.  He is the only One I can totally and completely trust…hands down!

 

Now the flip side of the coin is listening for that still small voice…learning to say what I need to say, but then getting myself out of the way, being silent and listening for His response. (Be still and know that I am God… Psalms 46:10)   He’s answered me in many different ways.  We’re all different and He knows exactly what the best form of communication is needed for each of us.  Don’t get stressed over not hearing a voice either loud or soft.  Just listen…give Him your time…He is speaking to you now and always.

 

He’s the Creator of ALL things, but yet, He knows who you are and He wants a relationship with you.  (See Colossians 1:16-17, Job 7:17)

 

Communication…it’s the key to a good relationship, whether it’s with God, family, friends, co-workers or strangers. 

 

Are any of you suffering hardships?  You should pray.  Are any of you happy?  You should sing praises.  Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.  Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the lord will make you well.  And, if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.   James 5:13  

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  James 1:5              

The litmus test of our love for God is...

I must say my tail feathers have been a bit ruffled within the past few days!  As I continue on, it’s my intention to explain the things I’ve seen and heard in an honest, but to the point fashion.  Although my words may be stern in some places, there is no malice intended in them.  The point I wish to make here is not necessarily that my tail feathers have been ruffled, but in fact, how the things that I’ve seen and heard affect unbelievers and the body of Christ, both in negative ways.  My hope is that we can learn from instances like these and be guided by the Holy Spirit so that the Body of Christ can be most effective in these last days.

I recently had a discussion with a long time acquaintance while I was out and about doing some shopping.  Although I see this person only once every few months or so, I have been acquainted with this person for twenty plus years.   


The conversation started out quite commonly with the typical, “Hey, how’s life treating you”…and so on.  Then it quickly turned to a conversation where this person was telling me that the body of Christ is really hurting because of things like… the ceilings in the churches are painted black and people wear jeans to church and look like bums.  I could go on…but, I’ll leave it at these two statements.


The thing is…this is a free country and we’re all entitled to our opinions…just as I am freely stating my opinion now.  So, I’m not saying that it’s wrong for her to have her own opinions. What bothers me, is the example this person, a citizen in the body of Christ, is making in a fairly loud, condemning way without regard to others within earshot.    


It’s my understanding that as Christians, we will continually have something to work on in our lives until we enter Heaven’s gates.  God sees us as righteous because…and only because of what Jesus did on the cross for us.  None of us are perfect. Only Jesus holds that title.  He finds us in the muck and mire.  Even so, He picks us up and each at a different pace cleans us up.   


So, what if a unbeliever hears the words that this person speaking about how “it’s wrong to wear jeans to church?”  What if this statement keeps someone from attending church for the first time? Aren’t churches supposed to be places that accept hurting people…who perhaps may be wearing jeans? I have to tell you…I like to wear jeans.  I don’t even own a dress.  However, I do wear dress clothes when a situation calls for it.  And, I’m not a rebel; I just know what I like.  The last time I checked, though, I am still very much anointed to do what God has created and called me to do whether I’m wearing jeans or not.


I see this person’s statements as a negative for both the unbeliever and the Christian alike…but in different ways.  These types of statements hurt unbelievers because they already may feel unaccepted by those who are believers before they even darken the door of a church.  On the other hand, it just makes believers look bad and judgmental of unbelievers and believers alike!


Here in the United States, we have a church on nearly every street corner.  But yet…look at the state of our country.  Something is wrong here…and I don’t believe that it has anything to do with the fact that church ceilings are painted black or that people wear jeans to church.  I believe it’s a heart condition…not of all of us…but, of plenty of us.


I have to tell you, I did not grow up in a Christian family.  I did attend church as a child from time to time.  I even attended church camp and received Jesus as my Savior as a child. But my understanding of how God loved me didn’t hit me until way later in my life.  Needless to say, I have had A LOT of things to overcome…more than some folks, but less than others.  I don’t count myself perfect in any way, shape or form.  I will continue to ask God on a regular basis to take out of me what He doesn’t want in me and fill me with more of Him.    


Now, with that said, my experiences while God has been cleaning me up have been incredible.  What I mean by that is that when my “behavior” has been “less than” what some Christians “thought it should have been”, I have been ridiculed, scorned and iced out by them.  Really!  I wish they would have taken the time to get to know me so that they could understand why I was hurting…instead of deciding that I wasn’t “holy enough” to be around them.  There was a time or two in my life where I was so depressed that I was ready to take my own life (and nearly did once) because I didn’t think I could make it any longer.  My Christian friend didn’t help me, rather I was accused by this person of attempting to manipulate with the mention of suicide to her.  I was told that I was no longer wanted as her friend.  I have since then forgiven this person…just so you know.  J


The litmus test of our love for God is our love of neighbor. ~ Brennan Manning   OUCH!      


I’m grateful that God gave me the strength to hold onto Him so that I could get to the point where I have a better understanding of His love…something that wasn’t modeled to me by so many when I needed it the most.  But, I am also grateful that I went through these things in this way.  Yes…I am grateful!  My experiences have given me a unique understanding of what to do and not do.  Of course, I’m not perfect.  I still make mistakes which is exactly why I need the grace of God.


Where are we as followers of Christ if we cannot or will not help the hurting because of our own preconceived ideas of what they should look like or act like?  I’m grateful that Jesus didn’t turn me away because of the miry mess that I was in.  Who am I to turn another away because I don’t believe they’re “good enough”… for whatever reason? 


The fields are ripe for harvest.  But are we willing to accept the look of the ripened field and be Jesus to them?  He cleans us up from the inside out…or have we forgotten that?


Is it so important what our churches look like…inside or out?  What would we do if we didn’t even have a church building like so many around the world?  It’s the living God inside of us that makes the difference…not what we look like or the look of the place we worship.


We, the Body of Christ, need to take off our rose color glasses of what we “think” a believer or even a church should look like.  We need to remember that the righteousness that we partake of comes NOT from anything that we have done, but from everything that Jesus did for us.   As the body of Christ, we need to wake up and smell the coffee!  The time is short!  It’s God’s desire that ALL men be saved and come to know the knowledge of truth.  1 Tim 2:4


Now, it’s not my intention to pick on either of the folks mentioned in this blog at all.  One of them I approached years ago and discussed the way things were handled and the other; I did state my opinions clearly and kindly in opposition to what was said.  It is no secret as to how I felt about what was said in either instance.  However, the things that were said to me recently did stir things up within in me that I have wanted to put on paper for a long time.


God has a purpose for all things, and in His timing, He takes those things out of us that He no longer wants in us…opening our eyes to more of His truth…removing the rose colored glasses, so to speak, and allowing us to share with others as He leads us. 


Please do be in prayer with me for the body of Christ to rise up and be the Church that God intended us to be.  The time is short.                 

 ****Please check out my new blog which I update 2-3 days a week.  It’s more of a day to day inspirational blog.  Thanks!    http://actnowday2daydevo.blogspot.com/

This Home is Protected by...

This Home is Protected by…

By:: angie c tipton

actnow ministries

2.4.2013

 

Lately, it seems as though the hot topic is about gun control.  Although I agree with many of the posts that I am seeing on Facebook, until now, I haven’t had a need to post anything for myself. 

 

Last night, David and I were sitting in our home enjoying an evening watching the Super Bowl game when suddenly Stewie, our dog, began to bark and growl.  Now this really isn’t something that’s unusual.  You see, Stewie “has a mouth on him” and he’s definitely not shy.  We live in the country and he loves to chase squirrels, rabbits and cows.  It’s not unusual for him to run from window to window looking out, scanning for things to chase.  He let’s us know in his own way that there’s something out there that he “needs to investigate.”  This time, however, his response was very different.  He ran to David, began to shake and continued to growl as we tried to calm him down.  We thought that he had seen a coyote or an opossum and was scared.  He did calm down a bit, but really wasn’t acting like his normal self.  We watched the halftime show and still he continued with this behavior for about 20 minutes. 

 

David then went into the kitchen and while doing so, glanced to the front of the house saw a silhouette of a person on our front porch.  At that point, he casually looked around, picked up his shoes and headed for the laundry room where there is another window to view our wrap around porch.  That’s when he saw what Stewie was going on about.  There were two strange men lurking about on our porch.  At that time David came out and told me to call 911. 

 

Now we don’t live within the city limits of our town, so it takes more than just a few minutes for the authorities to get to our home.  In the mean time, David grabbed his gun to protect us from these intruders.  He headed outside and then had me turn on the lights on the other side of the house.  It then exposed these two and they took off, never to be seen again.  The county officers arrived, checked out the surrounding area and assured us and the neighbors that they will patrol the area for the next couple of weeks.

 

I am grateful that we live in a country where we have officers who will come to our aid in a time of trouble.  But, I am also grateful that we live in a country that has guaranteed our rights to keep and bear arms as provided in the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. 

 

With that said, I assure you that I’m no “pistol packin’ momma” or anything like that.  In fact, I’m quite the opposite.  Just today, I remembered something from more than 20 years ago before David and I were married.  I had no interest in guns or any type of hunting at all.  But, in my own naïve way, I thought that if I took David to see “Bambi” the day before opening day of deer season, he would be “moved” to cancel his hunting trip…HA!  Like I said, I was NAÏVE…I didn’t care for guns or hunting.

 

24 years later, I would have to say that my stance has softened a bit.  It doesn’t bother me so much to have guns in the house.  David is very responsible about gun safety.  It also doesn’t bother me as much about hunting…which he hardly ever does any more.  BUT, it does bother me to have strangers lurking about my home with ill intentions on their mind.

 

You see, this is the second time something of this nature has happened in the past 3+ years.

 

I approach these things in this way…our home is protected by God Almighty.  I trust that He not only has provided for us, but also protects us.  I have trusted Him to protect us and will continue to do so until the day I die.  But, we also don’t need to be naïve in thinking that we don’t need to take proper measures to protect ourselves.  That would be foolish.

 

Now, we haven’t had any reason to pull a trigger, as those who have attempted to enter OUR HOME unlawfully have fled without incident.  Myself…I believe that to be an answer to prayer.  At the same time, when my husband headed outside to protect us, you bet I was grateful that he not only had a gun, but knows the proper way to use one and is not afraid to do so…only IF needed.

 

I will continue to trust God to protect my family and my home…but know this…

 

“This home is protected by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  If you still choose to unlawfully enter after knowing that, know that Mr. Smith & Wesson is here to protect us as well!”