Tag: Jesus

You Were Running Well..What Happened?

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“You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NIV

We start with such excitement and passion over a new beginning, a new idea, a new acquisition, new relationships….so on fire and committed. Then something happens. We hit a roadblock that causes us to lose momentum, discipline, or even hope.

You were doing so well. Life was good. You were living the best & blessed life…#GOALS…that is until life happened. An unexpected hurdle gets in the way and sends us in our feelings limping back to the sidelines.

So what happened? Who or what cut in on you?

Was it illness? Death of a loved one? Family issues? Busyness? Insecurity? Rejection? Opinions of others? Lack of faith?

One day during my quiet time, the question leaped right off the pages of Galatians…”Who cut in on you?”. Though Paul was speaking to a group who had started strong by faith that were being misled by false teachers, it was as if Brother Paul was speaking directly to me in that moment. Who/what did you allow to quench your fire? What made you lose focus? Who told you that you couldn’t do that thing God told you to do? Who told you weren’t enough?

I thought long and hard about that question. I had allowed quite a few hurdles to trip me up….grief mixed with a whole lot of busyness, add in getting my only child through his senior year of high school (and all of the emotions that come with it), a dash of rejection and oh…trying to help everyone else run their race. Fatigue and frustration cut in causing me to check out of my own race. I had momentarily lost sight of the end goal and what team I was running for.

Well it’s time to get back on track, refocus, and run the race like a champion. I might have got cut off but I am not counted out (Thanks be to God) and neither are you. So friend, if you haven’t been running well, there’s still time on the clock.

Run well.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

– Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV

Closets…

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A few years ago I moved into a home with much more closet space than I was used to…a woman’s dream, right? Problem is…my closets have become an area of neglect. In addition to being a storage place for clothes 2 sizes too small that (that I am working really hard to get back in to – NOT.), they have become a space to hide all of the junk that I want to keep out of site to make my home look presentable and feel welcoming. When I come across an area of clutter, I have picked up this terrible habit of moving the clutter to a closet instead of sorting through it and putting everything in it’s proper place (The type A part of me cannot believe that I am sharing this…).

The same could be said about my spiritual closet. There are some things tucked in there that I am holding on to just in case God’s plan might not work out the way I’d like. Things I don’t want to deal with…the hard stuff. Treasure buried underneath unforgiveness, painful memories, grief, and disappointment. Things I don’t necessarily want people to see in my life, because if they do it might indicate that I am a bit of a mess. But who am I fooling…I am a mess! A mess with a King for a Father. A Father that knows everything I try feverishly to hide. A Father that has already cleaned me. A Father that wants me to go deal with that closet – both the spiritual and physical ones.

As you prep for spring cleaning, don’t forget your spiritual closet. There might be some stuff in there you forgot about. Get rid of junk that needs to be tossed out, sort through all that stuff, you might even find some treasure buried under all the clutter waiting to be shared with others.

Father, You know everything about us even the things we try so desperately to hide from others. Strengthen us by Your Spirit to address those issues in our spiritual closets that hinder us from being all that we can be in Christ Jesus. Whether its fear, unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, envy, disappointment, insecurity – whatever it is You have given us power to overcome. We thank you Lord because you love us despite everything that we have kept in the closet. Let us honor Your love by tidying up our closets making them presentable to You.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Here Re Go Again….

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Here re go again (nope – that’s not a typo).

As we welcome another year, most of us have already started our list of re’s. Our list of resolutions that we’ve made with good intentions of keeping but often poor or very limited execution — only to repeat the cycle each year. While I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions (and obviously not committed to them), each year I resolve to lose weight, read more books, kick a bad habit, start a new project (while reflecting on the project from last year I never finished —- ooo maybe I’ll redo it this year), to not allow the same challenge(s) that I had the previous year trip me up in the new year. Each year I resolve to do a list of things while receiving the cliche promises of another year of revival, renewal, restoration and recalibration. Sadly I must admit, that at the end of the year I resolve that resolutions are pointless and days later come up with a few less than last year.

It dawned on me in the process of making my list of 2019 re’s, I seem to momentarily lose sight of the biggest re of all time…redemption. The redemptive work of the cross. The redeeming blood of Jesus Christ that washed me clean. The resurrection power of Jesus that enables me to do all things. His Spirit guiding me, revealing His plans for me and reminding me of His Word. Because of His redeeming love I don’t have to feel defeated at the end of another year because I failed to follow through on my list of resolutions.

As I refocus on Him…

As I renew my mind…

As I recall all that He has done for me and allowed me to do…

As I remember that He has a purpose and a plan for me…

As I reflect on His love for me – as I am…

As I renew my vows to Him (to love Him with all of my heart, to love others, to honor Him with my worship, to seek Him intentionally, to obey Him)…

My list and plans become obsolete. I know that He wants the best for me as He reveals those things in my heart that keep me from being more like Him. He refines me as He works on increasing my faith so that I know without a doubt all things are possible through Him. He helps me to release my grip on those things that I held on to way too long in preparation for what He has in store for me. He has reminded me that He is first. That He is God and wants to reign in my life it I would only let Him.

On this first day of this new year, I resolve to seek Him first – trusting that He will guide me in the plans that He has for me.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Is there room?

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“…because there was no room…”

These five words in the account of Christ’s birth (Luke 2:1-7 NKJV) give me pause each time that I read them. Though God had a very specific plan for the arrival of our Lord and Savior, I wonder if the inn manager made any attempt to make room for the young mother ready to give birth to the Messiah. I am sure if he had only known the Prince of Peace, future King of Kings was about to enter the world, he would have made room. Or maybe not…

2,000 plus years later we still fail to make room for Jesus in our lives.

No room for Christ in our country…

No room for Christ in our government…

No room for Christ in our schools…

No room for Christ in our workplaces…

No room for Christ in our homes…

No room for Christ in our families…

There’s barely room for Christ in Christmas these days. Sadder still is that many neglect to make room for Him in their hearts as Lord and Savior.

In the parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24), Jesus tells the story of a man who prepared a banquet for many people…not just an ordinary banquet – but a great one. When eveything was ready, the man sent his servant to gather the guests. But like most of us, many of them made excuses as to why they couldn’t come. Instead of shutting the door, the man extended a second invitation – a call to those not on the original guest list, those who others probably didn’t make room for – the sick, the poor, the disabled, the undesireables.

” ‘Sir’, the servant said, ‘What you ordered has been done but there is still room’.” – Luke 14:22 NIV

There is still room.

Jesus is waiting. No longer outside in a manger. No longer in a stone covered tomb, but a resurrected King seated at the right hand of God offering a new life – salvation to all who make room for Him in their hearts. He is waiting to intercede for us if only we would let Him.

When we come to Jesus, He will never turn us away. He has plenty of room and He’s still waiting.

Won’t you make room for Him?

You’re Invited…

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Most of us have looked forward to some kind of invitation at one point or another in our lives.

As a child, an invitation to the cool kid’s party…

As a teen, an invitation to the dance with the guy or girl we’ve been crushing on…

As an adult, an invitation to our best friend’s wedding…

An invitation…

to join an important committee,

to a VIP event,

to meet a person of prominence or our favorite celebrity.

The invitation makes us feel honored, special, fortunate to be thought of…chosen.

The best invitation that I have received is…

An invitation to a new life…

An invitation to freedom…

An invitation to rest…

An invitation to be a daughter of a King…

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” – Isaiah‬ ‭55:1-3‬ NIV

Have you accepted the invitation?

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

– ‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Strange Fire

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“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.” – Leviticus 10:1 KJV

Anytime that I find myself feeling a disconnect between me and God – consumed with irritability, impatience, frustration – just feeling out of sorts, I think about my own strange fire. The unchecked envy and bitterness, seeds of comparison taking root, unforgiveness shoved to the furthest corner of my heart, the hurried prayers, quiet time interrupted with the urge to check personal email/social media or respond to that text that I forgot about, or the incomplete assignments He has tasked me with. None of theses being laid down at the altar, instead they contaminate my worship – sending a strange fire.

When Nadab and Abihu were under the watch of their father, they followed the sacrificial instructions exactly as they were given by God which He welcomed as a pleasing aroma. But when left to their own devices and thoughts, Nadab and Abihu broke protocol choosing instead to worship their own way…emitting a strange fire. They had done it before and saw God’s glory – so why do it their way? Were they too lazy to start the fire the right way? Was the wood supply too low? Or out of the way? Did they offer the sacrifice as a way of keeping up with ritual? As I thought about the possibilities, I think of the things that have been evident in my own worship at one time or another – my will, routine, worry, bitterness, pride, unforgiveness, lust, self-righteousness, the list could go on – all strange fire.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” – Romans 12:1 NIV

We must offer God our whole selves- laying at the altar our thinking, wills, emotions, attitudes, unbelief, unforgiveness, and self-righteousness to offer a sweet, pleasing and acceptable aroma to our Lord.

“Through the Spirit, Christ offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice, freeing us from all those dead-end efforts to make ourselves respectable, so that we can live all out for God.” – Hebrews 9:14 MSG

A Love Letter to Him…

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You knew me way back then. You saw me from a distance…your eyes always on me. You seen me in the secret place. You and only you know everything there is to know about me…even my most deepest thoughts. When I wasn’t sure I was ready for our relationship, you patiently waited for me.

Despite my frailties, failures and flaws, your love for me remains the same. Though I often disappoint you and have occasionally turned my back on you, you still claim me as yours. You were there right beside me in the darkest of times. When I hit rock bottom, you rescued me. Not Prince Charming but a King. I bowed to you. Washing your feet with my tears and you picked me up – wiping each tear away to reveal the beauty behind them.

You took my stoney heart and crushed it. Taking every broken piece, masterfully putting them back together to create a heart that beats for you alone. Though we have our secrets, your love for me is no secret at all. Sometimes I take you for granted. Not taking the time that I should to show my appreciation but your love for me has never changed. I am still the apple of your eye.

There is safety and security in your arms. Many nights they have been my resting place. As we walk this journey together, you take me by the hand and steady me when I lose my footing.

You fill me with joy. There is peace when I am with you. You take care of every one of my needs – there is nothing within your power that you would not do for me. You spared no expense when it came to me. You spent it all.

As much as I wish that I could, I could never love you the way that you love me. There is no gift that I could give to repay you for all that you have done for me. The best that I can do is give you my heart – give you all of me – holding nothing back.

I will tell the world about our love. Your love is the greatest love of all. You are all that I need. Your love is better than life itself. Your love is the only love that will stand the test of time. You will never take your love away from me and it will never change. No matter what we go through, NOTHING will separate me from your love. Your love simply amazes me – I continue to be in awe of you.

All that I am and all that I will ever be is because of you. You complete me.

Before I knew you, I heard about you. Now that I know you, I can’t imagine my life without you.

I love you because you loved me first.

I love you because of who you are.

I love you because there is no one like you.

You are my King. The King of Kings.

I love You Lord.

It starts with love ❤️…

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“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:37-39‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When I look at the current climate of our country and the world for that matter, what I see missing is love. People walk through life empty, bitter, angry, and full of hate…lives completely void of love. Never embracing the love freely given to them.

Because of this void, people tear one another down, pick each other apart, bully, hate, harm (verbally, emotionally, or physically) and even kill each other.

Am I saying love fixes everything?

Absolutely.

Love proved itself the ultimate healing agent when God gave His only Son, Jesus, that we might have eternal life and live an abundant life filled with love. He never intended for us to live these hate-filled empty lives

So what’s missing….

Our love of God.

He loves us but do we love Him?

Do we love ourselves?

It’s impossible to love anyone else without loving the two.

Try Love today…because you are loved!

HELLO?!?!?! I am in pain…

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As you’re going through difficult situations, has it ever seemed like no one sees your pain? Perhaps you believe that they don’t even care. You want to say “HELLO?!?!?! I am in pain over here!” but in reality your pain, though it does hurt, is not as bad as you think. It’s almost like you are under an anesthetic – you know that what you’re going through should hurt more than what you’re experiencing. You occasionally feel some tugging, a bit of discomfort, maybe some tears….or a whole of tears, but the pain doesn’t match up to how you want or expect to feel according to your situation. Your pain definitely doesn’t look like the world’s or maybe even like someone else that is experiencing the same thing. But the fact remains, you have been hurt.

Instead of letting God help us with our pain, we want others to make us feel better. We want them to know more about our hurt than seeing God’s grace. We settle for a quick balm to help cover the wounds as we wait for God to work all things together for our good. The embrace of a hug seems more comforting than kneeling and crying out to the Lord. The empathetic and kind words of well meaning family and friends momentarily sound better than hearing God tell you that this pain will make you stronger. Temporal comfort – a welcome distraction from the moments of silence intentionally designed that we might call out to God seeking shelter in Him.

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” – Psalms‬ ‭91:1, 4‬ ‭NLT‬

God’s feathers of grace cover the wounds of our pain. They are a shield of protection from ill advised counsel and well intended but misguided words of comfort, protecting us from further hurt as He strengthens us and mends the brokenness through His amazing grace. His covering, not only for our comfort and protection, but that He may be glorified through us.

The next time it seems like no one notices your pain, consider that they are seeing the fruit of your pain or better yet the One who is covering the pain. They know that you are in very capable hands…

GO!

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How easy would life be if we could stay in our little (or big) Christian circles (or cliques – oh if we could be honest for a second)? Spending all of our time with people who believe in the same God as us, that revere our Jesus as Lord. Those that are most like us and are most comfortable with. Void of places and people that don’t get us or believe in our God. To them, our norm is peculiar. To us, their norm is peculiar – though sometimes we forget where we were before Christ…that their norm was once ours.

“and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” – Luke 9:2 NIV

Let us not forget that we were brought into this glorious life, saved and tasked to go out to be the light in dark places – in our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, grocery stores – wherever He sends us. Sent to be the salt in bland and bitter conversations, to bear fruit in dry and barren places. Called to be fisherman of people. Though Jesus calls His disciples fishermen, our lives are more like the bait that attracts the fish to the Master Fisherman. He occasionally puts us in waters that are unfamiliar, long forgotten, or beneath our Christian standards. Why? Because He knows where He wants to go.

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.

Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” – Luke‬ ‭10:1, 3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As Jesus’ followers walked with Him, they received instruction, witnessed healings and miracles, watched His handling of opposition and naysayers, and were fully equipped and empowered to do great things for His Kingdom. Then He said GO!

What a terrible thing it could have been had they never gone out? Hadn’t shared all that they learned and witnessed. Their lives – examples of Jesus’ transformation power. What if they passed on the opportunity to share the Good News?

Our salvation, as personal as it is, was never intended for us alone. But as our lives are being transformed, to go out to be the light, the salt, the bait…He’ll take care of the rest.

He never promised the places we would go would be comfortable, familiar, or serene –

He just said GO!