Waiting
https://makinghimknown.tv/waiting/
Choices
We make thousands of choices daily. Thankfully, during my “poor choice” chapters, I believe God was still pursuing me, asking me to choose differently. I believe the prayers of others, even ones I didn’t know were being spoken, were influencing my choices in ways I couldn’t understand. I believe my poor choices, once admitted, and surrendered, either have been or will be used by God for good.
Danger
Danger, danger Will Robinson! Anyone remember this line from the tv show, movie, or remake? It’s from Lost in Space. That title seems apropos with where the world is lately. The word danger literally means “the state of being warned”; so, if we dig a little deeper, the word warn means “to give notice to beforehand especially of danger or evil.” There are books in the Bible that highlight the dangers we’ll face, offering us warnings of what to be on the lookout for. Joel and 2 Peter are two the Lord had me digging into. If you’re not familiar with these books in the Bible here’s some context. Both books are warnings of the dangers for: -our behavior -our complacency -our self-centeredness -believing false teachers Joel – is just three chapters. The setting is us (the people) taking God for granted, turning to self-centeredness, idolatry, and sin. Joel gives a warning of how living like that would inevitably bring God’s judgment. Don’t mistake the fact, that since Eden people have sought independence from God’s control, as though our choices wouldn’t have an impact as we plot our own destiny. And God has allowed our rebellion, but soon the Day of the Lord will come. (Day of the Lord is God’s ultimate wrath or final fulfillment of the prophecies in the Bible.) Remember, God wants us to CHOOSE him, above anything and all things the world may offer or falsely promise. Joel 2:12-13 NKJV “Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.” 2 Peter- is just three chapters as well. The setting is Peter knowing his time on earth was limited. In his heart for Christ, he writes a warning letter to believers of what would happen, especially about the presence of false teachers. He reminds the readers of the unchanging truth of the gospel. Peter’s letter took courage. 2 Peter 2:1-3 NIV “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them – bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. Today there appears to be more and more folks who call themselves Christians yet don’t follow biblical truth. This is dangerous. Followers of Jesus and His word need to beware of the dangers Joel and Peter warn us about; culture, customs, causes, or popular opinion being socially acceptable does not mean it is wise or aligned with God’s word. We should beware of redefining what the Bible calls sin. And measure what the world defines as “good” against His word. Bottom line, it is a choice…If we call ourselves Christians, we need to have non-negotiable facts of faith. Do we believe Jesus is the only way? Do we believe the Word is unchanging? Are we studying and reading the Word for ourselves? Do we represent and practice the Word? Do we prepare for opposition in how the Lord tells us to? Are we educating ourselves on the dangers of what the Bible tells us is happening or coming? Are we prepared to stand for what we’ve proclaimed to believe? Do we remember we are accountable for our words, and actions? …it’s a choice, to follow, obey and worship God alone as our sovereign Lord. The right choice is rarely the easy one. As we read and learn from the Bible, we know this to be proven true time and time again. Lord, thank You for Your patience and mercy, wanting all to have the chance to know You, a chance to repent and be saved. May I pay attention to Your warnings, may I not forget You told of us the dangers of our behavior, and believing those who would teach outside Your word. Lord, I pray for strength, for compassion, for a resoluteness to speak Your truth, even if my voice shakes. Help me choose You daily in my words and actions, may I have courage to represent You, and live according to Your word knowing I will never regret my decision no matter the danger. In Jesus Name. Amen This week’s playlist: Crowder – Prove It ft. KB – YouTube Prove It Crowder Carrollton – Made For This (Lyric Video) – YouTube Made For This Carrollton Terrian – Stayed On Him (Isaiah 26:3) (Lyrics) – YouTube Stayed On Him Terrain
Just Use Your Keys
Believers have been given heavenly keys that open doors of opportunity and blessing, but many times they toss the keys aside or even forget the keys are theirs to be used.
Keep On
Have you ever felt tired of the fight? Or just plain angry that it feels like the setback sneaks up on you just when you think forward is the direction you are heading? Or that you’re dealing with the same issue, again? I wrote this from my prayer chair tucked in my quiet corner at home shortly after screaming at God while doing the dishes. (Literally) Tears streaking down my face, speaking out loud how angry I am at Him. That’s about as real as it gets, right?! Doesn’t he know how weary this world is? Doesn’t he see that it’s exhausting to keep praying, to keep fighting, to keep on trying? As I settled in my chair, even in my anger, my soul reaches for Him, for His truth and I grab my Bible. The truth is He does know. He knows how I felt in the moment. He knows my heart. He knew I was angry. He knows the outcome. He knows it all. IT ALL. Every tear. Every pain. Every cry. Every ache. Every set back. Every word spoken before it is. Every motive. Every plea. If I’m being honest that’s frustratingly beautiful. It’s frustrating because my flesh says then why not just fix it Lord?! It’s beautiful because my spirit knows that He will in His time. My part is to keep on… To keep on praying. To keep on praising. To keep on surrendering. To keep on obeying. To keep on soaking in His word. To keep on trusting. If like me, you need some encouragement to “keep on” believing that the Lord does know or to “keep on” despite how it may feel below are a few truths. Soak them in. Believe them. Keep on… “So, keep up your courage, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” Acts 27:25 “Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:3 “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 Lord, thank you for this day, thank you for the knowing my heart and preparing me with your word, correction and love. Thank you Lord for helping me to keep on after the moments of tears and reminding me Your word is unfailing. In Jesus Name. Amen. Last, I leave you with one of my favorite poem. I hope it encourages you to Keep On… This week’s playlist: We Are Messengers – Come What May (Official Lyric Video) – YouTube Come What May We Are Messengers Terrian – God With Us (Lyrics) – YouTube God With Us Terrain FILL ME UP ( LYRICS )#Tasha #Cobbs – YouTube Fill Me Up Tasha Cobb
Don’t Postpone Joy
Last year marked something new, something different. Things started shifting and moving. I’ve been locked in and locked out. I’ve been shut in and shut up. I’ve been passionate. Sometimes a little too passionate. I’ve spoken when I should have remained silent and remained silent when I should have spoken. I’ve felt this urgency, an urgency I can’t explain. And through all of this, I haven’t stopped moving. Moving towards something I haven’t been able to quite put my finger on….? Then it happened. That moment that stops everything. That realization that makes you recalibrate and refocus. That instant, you take a deep breath and stop moving. It happened like this… My daughter and I decided one Saturday morning to visit an estate sale. I’d never been to one before, at least not that I remember, but I will never forget this one. We walked into the house where the estate sale was being held. Immediately, something stirred inside of me. This house represented someone’s earthly treasures, but it wasn’t their earthly treasure I sensed; it was their heavenly treasures, the love, the mercy, and the kindness that had been lived out there. It reminded me of what Jesus taught his disciples about where we should store our treasure: Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practice—don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets. 20 Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21 VOICE Walking through the house, we started to look at various items; I was not searching for anything specific, but books always get my attention. I especially love books with gold lettering on their spine – they look so “fancy” on my bookshelves. With that in mind, I grabbed a book that had the “fancy” factor I desired and continued to browse through the house. I stumbled across a type of vintage goblet that I collect for $1.00 ( Indiana Glass Company Goblet – Whitehall American Avocado Green if anyone runs across any….amber is fine too)! What a find! I ended up making the book and the goblet my own, and we called the trip good. My daughter carried the book with the pretty spine out to the car, and as she was walking, she began to read from it. She was very quiet. I asked her what was wrong, and then she began to read out loud to me. As she was reading, tears welled up in my eyes, and in her eyes too. I knew right then that God had orchestrated this very moment in time. I knew that He had stopped whatever it was He was doing just to speak to me. This moment was important. It wasn’t to be forgotten. Within seconds, I was reminded that life is not just about the shifting, and the moving, the constant striving, and the straining. Yes, living life with passion and urgency is important, but it is not the only important thing. The book she read from, the book with the gold spine, was written by a man to his son Adam. My daughter read to me the following: “A lot has happened since the fall of 1990 when I sat at our kitchen table and jotted down a few pages of instructions and personal observations for my son, Adam. He was beginning his freshman year at college, and I felt that a collection of the insights and discoveries which had positively influenced my own life might be an appropriate gift to commemorate this important event. As a young adult, Adam would soon find himself standing at life’s most challenging crossroads. His choosing the right path would make all the difference. Here was my attempt to help his heart as well as his head to know the way.“ This book is a book of fatherly advice from a father who loved his son very much, a book about how to live life and how to live it well. My daughter read some of this advice to me. As she was reading, it occurred to me how often I miss the simple things in life because I am too busy focusing on the big complicated problems that I was never meant to solve in the first place. I was reminded of what Jesus taught: Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25 I like what Pastor Francis Chan said as well: “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” Yes, we should live life with passion and urgency, and zeal, and we should never stop striving for the TRUTH, but we must also appreciate the little things, the gifts that God gives us every day. These gracious gifts form moments woven together into a beautiful story – your story, my story, and ultimately His story. It turns out that the book with the fancy gold spine provided me so much more than a place on my bookshelf. It made me stop. It made me recalibrate and refocus. It made me take a deep breath and re-evaluate my life and how I am living it. So, here is some really simple advice from an earthly father to his son Adam, that I know makes our heavenly Father smile real big! Compliment three people every day. Have a dog. Watch a sunrise at least once a year. Overtip breakfast waitresses. Look people in the eye. Buy great books, even if you never read them (especially those with gold lettering on the spines) OK, Ok…I might have embellished this a bit! Sing in the shower. Use the