. . . Meanwhile

The Life I Now Live

2012-02-03T16:37:00.004-06:00

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

I love this scripture. I have prayed it for my life. Although I see evidence of it, I’m aware of the greater fulfillment still to come. It’s been popping up in my spirit for the past couple of weeks, and as a way to acknowledge the Lord speaking I usually reply, “Yes, Lord, my life is yours.” But, this morning the LORD showed something to me that became salve to a hurting place.

Recently, a friend of mine and his family moved away to a new city with a new job. I was not able to properly process their move because of family circumstances, really the last month they were here I totally missed. I’m not complaining about my family, I have learned more about love since December 29 than some people allow themselves to learn over a whole lifetime. It’s just now that I’m coming out of the rubble (so to speak) my friends have moved, I barely got to say goodbye and I am having to adjust. On top that, he moved to a city that harbors (pun totally intended) a heart full of some other friends of mine. In 2003 or 2004 a group of friends and fellow ministers moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL and started a church called The Harbour. There was a big question whether I was going to move to, but the LORD said, “No.”

I feel real sorrow and hurt over it, surprisingly so. My analytical mind has broken it down into 75% sorrow from my friends moving and 25% of hatred towards Ft.Lauderdale. That’s not true, I don’t hate the city. I believe it is more of the feeling I’m missing out on something. The questions roll in like a flood, “When is it my turn?” “Am I being punished?” “What did I do wrong?” They’re all lies and only exist to distract from what the plans of the LORD are. But when there is a hurt, they try to get in and fester and infect.

So, this morning I was feeling this sorrow and I said to the LORD, “Heal my heart.” I immediately thought of Galatians 2:20. For me, that was call to grab my Bible and sit down at the piano. I began to sing this verse over and over. It became a salve to my hurting heart. At first I didn’t understand why, it’s not the most comforting scripture. It does contain the word crucify. After a few times of singing through it I weaved in, “...not my will, but yours be done” from Luke 22. I began to realize that it is obedience to whatever the LORD is asking that is not only life, but it is what heals the wounds that vain imaginations, selfish ambition, dreaming without God can leave behind. It even soothes the sorrow when you miss a friend who you know is walking in obedience to the LORD. I can rejoice with all of my friends in Ft. Lauderdale. I can rejoice where I am because I am exactly where God has led me. Wherever He leads is life for us.

(Here's a simple recording of the song that came this morning LIFE I LIVE, click to listen.)

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus felt sorrow and asked to be delivered from it. However, his prayer was not his will be done, but the Father’s will. Hebrews tells us that Jesus sympathizes with us. Granted, missing my friends isn’t quite the same as taking on the sin of the world, but He understands my hurt and has given me salve to soothes it. Obedience = the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loves me and gave himself for me. Not only does it soothe, but heals and restores the hurt back to strength so we can carry on. God’s yoke and burden only hurts us if we are fighting against it. He promises that it is light and easy. Mt 11:28-30

Under A Rest

2012-01-25T15:12:00.003-06:00

Sometime in November I started working on a song about being covered under the wings of God (Ps.91). Truth is, I had been collecting lines and thoughts for over a year for the song, November just happened to be the time to add some music. On December 11 Jonathan and I found out that he would be undergoing chemotherapy for his brain tumor. We started gearing up for an ambiguous year. A few days later my mom sends me a punny cartoon (to the right). The symbol over the stick figure’s head in the cartoon is called a quarter rest. If you’re reading music and this symbol comes a long then you would rest, stop playing or singing, for one beat. Do you get it now, under a rest? Hahahaha,

I love everything about it. It’s a pun, it involves music and due to our current circumstances, the song and another prophetic word I understood exactly what it meant. Little did I know that a couple of weeks later I would understand it all a little more.

Jonathan had a week long seizure event that we are just now bouncing back from. For two weeks I was literally at a stand still. He was four hours away from home when he first started having seizures and I had to wait for him to arrive in Birmingham by ambulance. My plan was to tidy up, pack a hospital bag and take a nap while I waited. However, I found myself at my keyboard singing the newly pieced together song to the LORD. Something about the melody was not only comforting, but strengthening.

One of the lines of the song says, “I’ll stay here, I will rest here underneath your wings it’s where I want to be.” The thing is I want to live and thrive and survive. Jesus gave His life so I could LIVE. But, I’m only doing it from the protection of God’s wing, the shelter of the Most High.Tucked in close enough to hear his heart beat and the feel him breathing, and close enough to hear Him whisper the secrets I need to know. My friend Beth Taylor describes a time of her life as being put in the inside pocket of a man’s coat; dark solitary, but right next to the heart. I want to be everything God created me to be, but I’m only going under the protection of His covering. No matter what the details of life are, if we’re under His wing it will be a place of rest. Let Him navigate through the treacherous circumstances. Let him soar and take you to places you would have never found on your own.

Here’s a simple recording of the song: Where I Want to Be

I Hear You

2012-01-20T11:00:00.001-06:00

All in a day

Wednesday, January 18

7:30am - Read Psalms for the day starting with Ps.18

It was only the first line of the Psalm, “I love you, O LORD, my strength,” and I was instantaneously engaged with God. I read it again and agreed out loud that Yahweh was my only strength. Continuing, my heart and mind gained assurance as I read that He is my rock, refuge, stronghold, shield. My mouth blurted out praise because He - Is - Worthy and I - Am - Saved!

Like a lasso the next verses pulled me in a little closer as they described death surrounding, entangling and terrifying the servant of the LORD. And then, as If I were face to face with Abba, his breath changed my fears from rocks to dust. “I hear you,” he said as I read David’s revelation, “In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he head my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.” (vs.6) “I hear you!” He said, and I replied, “I hear You, Father.”

As if those few minutes weren’t enough oil to anticipate the Bridegroom for the duration of the day, I kept reading. The rest of Psalm 18 is a description of how God responds when the enemy is surrounding His children. He uses the earth as his weapon to scatter the assault. He sends out from on high to draw us away from what is too mighty for us. The Psalm keeps going further into the riches of God, and how He deals with us according to our righteousness. We can run against a troop, leap over a wall, He gives us His shield of salvation ... all because He hears.

8:00am - Read Romans chapter 3

Hmmm, I’m still reading and meditating on Psalm 18. Fighting my task oriented DNA that is yelling at me to move on and finish my list. My rebellious side has never come more in handy as I stubbornly tell my list to shove it, I’ll do whatever I want to. Ahhhh, a few more minutes with this heavenly moment that is changing something deep inside of me.

8:15am - Interruption

The few extra minutes with the Father and Ps.18 were totally worth it as the opportunity to be a Proverbs 31 women rings loud.

(The details of the next few hours are a total blur.)

3:00pm - Start Beef Stew and watch a movie with hubs

The movie Amelia, about Amelia Earhart life and final flight, has the most terrifying scene I have ever witnessed. Freddy Krueger, Alfred’s Hitchcock’s The Birds, Blair Witch Project, Chris Angel ... candy compared to what I felt during the last ten minutes of Amelia.

Her flight around the world was coming to end. Only two more stops to go, Hawaii and Ohio. She had accomplished so much as pilot and as a woman. As she approached the Howland Island there were complications with communication between her and the Coast Guard station there. The movie depicted that the radar’s battery was dead that could have determined her location and the Morris Code transmitter was left behind with other things to make the plane lighter. All they had was a radio transmitter. The ever-long scene told the story that the Coast Guard could hear her vocal transmissions, but that Amelia could not hear the Coast Guard. The scene went back and forth between the plane and the Coast Guard. It was frustrating to watch ... it was ever - long! There was one brief second when she was able to hear the signal, but it was gone as fast it came. The realization began to settle in with both parties that Amelia and her flying companion were going to be lost and die if the radio signals continued to be incomplete, she was low on fuel. As we know, she never landed. Her plane was lost and never found.

At some point during the intense scene I heard the Father say again, “I hear you!” And I remembered that earlier that morning I replied, “I hear You, Father.”

It is not enough for us to only rely on the unchangeable, constant truth that our cries to Him reach Him (Ps.18:6). We have to position ourselves in a manner to hear the Lord speaking to us. We will not survive with a one way conversation. We will be lost with no hope.

(I was haunted for the rest of the day, still am with this realization ... details also blurry.)

6:30pm - Go to church

Fighting the urge just to sit in my car while my son is in youth. This time I told my rebellious to can it and joined my brothers and sisters inside the warm building. As a church right now we are studying the Holy Spirit. The teaching that night was on the Old Testament Prophecy.

There was a lot said, but what I remember the most was this question and answer: How did the OT prophets receive messages from God? Sometimes and dreams and visions, sometimes angelic visitation, but the majority of the time the heard the word of the Lord.

Why is there prophecy? So God’s children would know what to do, know His heart, know His plans, keep covenant.

LORD, help us rest and gain strength from the promise that You hear us, and help us walk in the truth that we have to hear You to live!

Betters Into Worse

2012-01-07T09:51:00.000-06:00

It was designed to begin and end with purity, an enduring place of firsts between a husband and wife. The first night full of experiment and discovery, the joy and submission of becoming one with someone else, should set a standard for the marriage instead of memory. As the two intertwine and life plays its hand the marriage bed will be a place of inside jokes, intimate secrets, tears and laughter. Many decisions will be made there, discussions started on opposite sides that end with a roll to the middle. A husband sweeps his bride’s hair back as she lays over the side of the bed nauseated because the fruit of their union is making its presence known in her womb. It won’t be long until the very same fruit runs, jumps, bounces on the same bed where it was created, giggling all the while. The bed will extend its landing again to offer comfort from thunder and big bad dreams because no one’s covers can do a better job of covering than those of a mother and father’s.

Although the bed itself may change, a new mattress every 10 years, a new frame as the times demand, sheets and pillows will come and go, but the spirit of the marriage is kept with the couple. They may grow into a new home. They may downsize to a guest room or visit around the world. They may even take it to a hospital. Although the bed may see its share of repetition, firsts will always have a place between the two. Kids turn into grandkids, and betters into worse.

What once was a place of joy may become a place of pain. What was once health may become sickness, and richer may turn poorer. The same intimate care and discovery they experienced on their wedding night may look differently as one feeds and bathes the other. Bed side tables can pile up with medicine, heating pads, bed pans, Gatorade and more, but with it comes new jokes and secrets to share between the unified two.

A marriage bed begins long before the words “I do” and I suspect that even death can’t really put it to an end. Given the full attention of its occupants, it will grow and grow in love and strength. A picture of the kingdom of heaven. Unity in the betters, unity in the worse. Love holds no record of wrong, it is kind, it isn’t self-seeking, and it does not give up.

Irresistible Kindness

2012-01-05T19:50:00.004-06:00

I’ve been reading through the book of Romans. I’m taking it slow, mainly because if I don’t I will miss so much. It’s like a Russian nesting doll, when you open it up there is another doll and then another and another. Anyway, one of the passages that I love and leaves me wondering is Romans 2:4. “...or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

I remember looking at the scripture when I was studying about humility and pride. Pride will never lead you to repentance, but always lead you to incorrect thinking about God and our relationship with him. That is one of the things Paul is saying in this passage. As I read it this time, nice and slow, I asked God what it meant that His kindness leads to repentance. Like the Russian nesting doll, this scripture might be well appreciated at our first stumbling upon it, but there’s more to it than just the outer shell. So, it never hurts to ask God to what something means, even if you think you know.

A few days later, after a whirlwind of crazy events involving a hospital, few hours of sleep, psychotic reactions to new and numerous medicine, learning new lessons in servant hood, fighting bully personalities, and so much more ... take a deep breath ... I found myself being invaded by the kindness of God.

It looked like a friend of mine wearing a beautiful smile and armed with an embarrassing amount of food. She was supposed to bringing a simple meal to feed my family in a time of need, but what she brought was a picture of the riches of God. A cooler packed with not only the supposed meal, but snacks, and extra groceries, and thoughtfulness. And, as if that wasn’t more than enough, she returned from her car with two more bags of extras, including Heaven’s kiss just for me ... brownies. Ahhhhhhh!

Ahem ... Side note: I am convinced that when we need comforting God says, “Eat some chocolate, that’s why I made it.” No, you can’t abuse it nor can you replace God with it, but let us not forget that He created it and we should be thankful and partake.”

As she unpacked the feast I was surprised and overwhelmed, and heard God say, “This is what my kindness is like.” I felt my protective walls dissolve, the need to be brave slipping away, all my independence was suddenly in need, and my friend was still there with compassion, a hug and prayer. Her kindness was irresistible.

God’s kindness towards us leads us to repentance. He reaches into the depths of everything He is and serves us with one “treat” after another. He keeps them coming engraved with personal details that call us to trust him until we can no longer resist. We repent and run to His love.

Lord, help us not settle for surface knowledge of your riches. Teach us to keep going deeper. Thank you for your irresistible kindness!

Wonder

2011-12-21T14:20:00.002-06:00

To my list of amazing words of the season (expectation, believe, giving), I’d like to add Wonder.

It like to wonder, question things, imagine, think outside the box, etc... I like it when songs, teachings, books, and people challenge me to wonder. And the truth is, I experience that use of the word more than the other use of the word, or at least recognize it.

It’s primary definition is miracles. In William Mounce’s dictionary of New and Old Testament words, he says this about Wonder, “...the extraordinary deeds of God ... beyond one’s abilities to do or grasp.” Those wonders can be good or bad. Exodus says Egypt was smitten by God’s wonders. The Psalmist writes of God, “...such knowledge is too wonderful for me to understand.”

Yes, I want to experience and witness miracles. No, not to make money on a new ministry scheme or just for the sake of miracles. I want to see my God show off, I want to know Him better. Now that I think about it, I experienced a wonder of God this week, it was truly wonderful. I won’t go into the details, but let me remind us that He sees everything and hears every cry.

Okay, here is why I wanted to write about wonder. Isaiah 9:6 says, ...His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor .” Just based on the definitions miracles and uncertain/questioning, it think this might be my favorite name of God. (That’s not really a true statement, how could I have a favorite?) My God, who offers me counsel (advise, plan, purpose), is wonderful (miraculous, beyond my ability to grasp). It’s a win, win relationship. He’s been planning, purposing wonderfulness from my beginning, His really. And, when I cry out for help, His works more wonders to help me see the already wonderfulness in motion. That will never change because Wonderful Counselor is name. It is who He is. He can’t help but be wonderful. He can’t stop advising more wonders.

And, may I also suggest that when we are wondering (uncertain, doubting, questioning), as long as we are wondering with Him, we are begging Him to show off. 2 Chronicles 16:9. Another win, win.

Isaiah 9:6-7

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Understanding

2011-12-15T19:29:00.002-06:00

I have a friend who is heavily criticized because of the work she does with Bound4Life, a Pro-life movement. I've made decisions that disturb my cozy life in an effort to end abortion, but these guys are leading the way and on the front lines of a war I can only see part of.

Today, she was quoted in two nation-wide news journals concerning what we pro-lifers consider a fairly big break through and stand made for LIFE. As she wrote about the funniness of what it's like to see her name in those journals, it wasn't for fame or recognition sake. It was like God leaned into our time and kissed her right on the check. Those are my words, but she had asked God for some encouragement just a few days before all this occurred. I'd say he responded quite nicely!

I was thinking about how much I love her and how she carries the Father's heart. She is greatly criticized and ridiculed for what she does for LIFE. Considering this criticism and the way she carries God's heart for life, I was wondering why we criticize? Please understand that she is criticized equally from world and the church.

I've written before about how misunderstanding will often lead to criticism if we don't redirect it. I think or at least am considering that we criticize people who carry a part God's heart because we don't understand that part of God's heart. Sure, we are learning and growing, but I know I have been quick to judge people who I don't understand. What if instead of criticizing we asked God for understanding? If we ask He will give it. Wouldn't you rather grow in understanding than burn with hatred for someone or live in disdain?

Yes, we will come to the understanding that certain people are not representing God very well even though they think they are. Heck, we might realize we aren't representing God well. But, I believe, too, that we will learn more about the Father's heart, the Son's heart, and the Holy Spirit. I want a greater understanding of Him! And, I don't want miss out on parts of Him because I wasn't willing to listen, to be wrong, to wear humility, to search Him out, etc...

We are the Body of Christ. We need each other to learn from, to grow with, to work together.

Father, help us to clothe ourselves in humility and season our speech with grace. Help us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Give us ears to hear Your truth and eyes to see You in other people even if we don't understand. Give us a desire to understand and know You more.

Giving

2011-12-09T23:21:00.001-06:00

My family is under the smallest budget we have been refined to in years. I’m thankful that we have something to budget. For the most part, and to my surprise, it isn’t bothering me too much that Christmas gifts this year are minimal. Of course, there are moments. I was cleaning the kitchen today and our stockings, hung on the chimney with care, were begging to be filled. In my head, perhaps under my breath, I thought, “I hope I’m able to give them stockings this year.” In the most gentle voice I heard the Lord say, “There is no giving without me.”

I’ve written before about Bob Sorge’s book Secrets of the Secret Place. In the chapter No Plan B Sorge teaches that we have to come to the understanding that if God does not save us then we are not saved, if He does not heal us then we are not healed, etc... There is no plan B, He is it. That particular chapter has changed my life. As I was wiping down the counter and heard the Lord say, “There is no giving without me,” I understood the premise. As I pondered his statement, I thought about some of the gifts He has given.

He created us and gave us the breath of life. When I create idols I cannot give them life. I can try to make them have power, and I can try to give them authority in my life, but as the Psalmist writes, they cannot see, hear or breath. God is life and there is no life without him (Psalm 135:15-18).

He gives His word in a few forms. We have it written in the Bible, we have it spoken with His voice, and we have His son living in us (John 1:1, Col.1:27). He gives us His word and He is not a man that He can lie (Numbers 23:19). All God’s promises are Yes, and amen (2 Cor. 1:20).

God has given us His son because He loves us (John 3:16). And, the gift of grace and gifts of the Spirit.

The list is forever long ....

He is the Father of Lights, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (James 1:17; Matt 7:11)

“...how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt 7:11; Luke 11:13)

So, as cheesy as this will be, no matter what we are giving this Christmas, whether it be frankincense, a song on a drum or a widow’s mite, let us come to understand that there is no giving without God because he has taught us what a gift is, what is means to give and how to be a giver.

Believe

2011-12-04T19:47:00.003-06:00

I've been reading a daily advent study. I'm not one to get too caught in the traditions of the season, but some of the words that are everywhere right now hold a lot of weight for me. Expectation being one of them.

Part of one of the advent readings included Psalm 27. I could talk for days about this passage, but for today I will only ramble about verse 13. The translation I most often read says, I believe that I shall look upon the Lord in the land of the living. (ESV) Although that sums it up, I learned that verse from the NASB. Better yet, I learned of that verse from a Kent Henry song titled "Faithful God". That song, with its happy melody and powerful message, reminded to press on in one of the most difficult times of my life. The NASB says it like this:

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. Psalms 27:13 &14 (NASB)

I believe things that the world mocks. I believe things about God and His word that other believers mock, and vice versa, to be fair. Even though it's painful at times to continue believing and even though the ridicule only grows the longer I believe,

I would have despaired unless I had believed.

I believe that God created the universe. I believe that Jesus became flesh to set me free from sin. I believe that the Holy Spirit talks to me. I believe that I was purposed for the Kingdom of God right now and forever. I believe that God hears every word I speak. I believe God corrects me because He loves me. I believe Jesus is better. I believe that the spirit of wisdom and revelation is my best resource. I believe that the more I fall in love with Jesus, the less influence the world and the things of this world have on me. I believe that God is good.

I believe, I believe, I believe ... help my unbelief so that I will not despair, but that I will increasingly know You.

(This might be kind of random, but I keep hearing this in my head so I'm going to put it out there: I believe that the Twilight series is garbage and I don't believe in giving it my money or my time.)

Expectation

2011-11-30T09:11:00.004-06:00

Isaiah 64:4-5, "From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways"

Expectation; if unmet it can send us into despair, hopelessness, frustration, bitterness. The key is expecting from the only one whose name is Faithful and True. All else, whether it be a person, a thing, a place or an idea, will fail us at some point. But, if our expectation is from Yahweh, we cannot be moved (Psalm 62).

LORD, forgive me for not expecting more from you. You are not my wishing well, but You are a loving, real, jealous, passionate Father, Bride Groom and Teacher. I have ravished you with one glance from my eyes (Song of Songs 4:9). I want everything You are offering to me.

As a daughter of the Creator of the Universe, my expectations are high!

I expect to be heard, to be met, to be spoken with, to be provided for, to be freed, to be called, to be corrected, to be loved, to be led, to live. Not because I'm a demanding spoiled brat, but because You have promised those things and so much more! I rest in Your faithfulness.

Blog Crush

2011-11-28T15:31:00.005-06:00

If there is such a thing as a blog crush, mine is a cozy kitchen

No Bible verses, no church, no spiritual revelation ... just food and humor.

Purity: we gain nothing for ourselves

2011-11-18T10:32:00.002-06:00

I’m not a competitive person. I just don’t understand why everything has to be a competition. Even with my Yankees, of course I want them to win, but if the other team out plays them so be it. I like to see the best from everybody and I love when everybody does their part. However, when it comes to worship leading, I find that my inner competitor shows up ready to win. It baffles me when I find myself feeling gratified or like I’ve won something when I’m chosen to lead worship instead of another person. What is that? Where does it come from? When the opposite has happened, another worship leader is chosen, at times I have felt discouraged. It’s the dumbest thing, ever!

A friend of mine, and fellow worship leader/singer, were talking about how possessive we can become of our positions on stage. “That’s my part, my solo, my mic, my monitor, etc...” Worship leaders (speakers, teachers, preachers, etc...) are not in competition with each other. We are in a battle for truth and, yet, we spend time arguing over styles, preferences, position and titles. Pride will always pick a fight against worship. Worship and worship leading cannot happen except through humility. If pride is being tolerated, then true worship can’t happen. Our services and gatherings will turn into just songs, honoring God with our lips, but with hearts far from him (Is. 29:13).

Similarly, I’m learning not to compare people. The only possible comparison that should be made when it comes to people is are they living up to who they were created to be. No one is the best evangelist, worship leader, teacher, writer, etc... Because we are uniquely made, there are times when it is right for me to be the worship leader because I’m a right fit for the moment. There are more times when I am not the right leader or sound to be released. And, as I’ve learned by experience, when it’s not right for me to be the leader it causes damages or hinders. If we are all created with a purpose, then who decided that there had to be a best, and why have we let in the church?

We do not have time to concern ourselves with questions like, “Am I the best?” There is only one found worthy! Rather, we should be asking ourselves, “Am I doing everything God is asking me to do? Am I in the place where God has led me? Is God promoting me here or have I promoted myself?” I’ve also learned that promoting myself into a position I have not business being in is embarrassing. Not only did I mislead myself, but ended misleading others. Selfish ambition is pride and it is not pure.

I’m reading a book by Arthur Katz titled Apostolic Foundations. The Lord is using this book to teach me more about leadership, and is surfacing a bunch of garbage in my heart. It’s kind of unfair to just drop this quote on you, because Katz is excellent at layering a teaching and I fear you’ll miss the foundation. However, I think it will stand on its own. He talking about the service of priest (Leviticus 8) and the time they have to spend waiting.

“In priestly waiting, every fleshly thing, every human contrivance and device, every desire to perform and win some glory for ourselves, every lazy, fearful tendency to take the easy and cheap way out, will rise to the surface. A mind battle takes place, and thoughts come to mind of the practical things that need to be done and how the time should really be more usefully employed. To patiently, dismiss those thoughts, and bring our minds to a place of rest in God, free from distracting thoughts, does not come readily. Through a process of repeated experiences in waiting, we bring out thoughts into subjection to Christ, so we are not influenced by every stray thought ... When our “doing for God” has vestiges of desire to obtain something for ourselves, then that service is no long priestly. Pure priestly ministry does not bring to the minister anything for himself. It is totally and exclusively unto God...”

Purity: empty spaces and wasted places

2011-11-02T19:21:00.002-05:00

Bob Sorge, one of my favorite teachers, has book titled In His Face. I’m currently reading it for the fourth time. Funny what I missed the first three times, and wonder what I’ll catch the next time I read it. I often refer to this book, probably because it’s about focusing and sharpening our passion for Jesus. The eyes of our heart need regular check ups!

In the book, Sorge shares a poem he wrote about worldly distractions. One of the lines says, “...You watch TV instead of praying because you enjoy food offered up to idols.” (We can replace TV with anything that distracts us from focusing on Jesus, or anything that has our attention.) Sorge explains that particular line. “The world practices and portrays its idolatry on TV. You would never do the things they do on TV, because you don’t serve their idols. But when you watch them do it, you are eating the food they offer to their idols.”

This thought haunts me. I invited the Holy Spirit to let me know when I was eating idol food, and as He is faithful, He never misses an occurrence. It’s embarrassing how often I hear His whisper, “This is idol food.” Embarrassing, but amazing. I highly enjoy taking ground in my heart, soul and mind for the Lord’s residency. And I feel empowered to protect my husband and son from idol food too. I wouldn’t feed them meatloaf with a side of poison. Likewise, I’m becoming more and more aware of when I can offer them something better for their spirits.

Song of Solomon talks about the little foxes that spoil the vine. In an effort to have a pure heart, I’m looking for the foxes. I want the Spirit of revelation to reveal to me when I’m partaking in something unholy.

What if watching a TV show that is 90% good and 10% evil gives damages my spiritual hearing. Or, what if reading a book that is just fiction and silliness impairs my ability to discern between good and evil. What if listening to music that is instrumental, but the composer is Shaman really does release a sound that is contrary to the sound that God releases or sings over me. Sincerely, I wonder if watching excessive cooking shows dulls my sensitivity to the Lord. Living a lifestyle of purity is much more than saying no to sexual sins. It’s saying no to anything that defiles a heart, soul and mind. It ranges from the obvious to the secret places that we might not even think twice about, i.e. how many cooking shows can I watch in one day without it affecting the highest place in my heart? Seriously?

In February I started writing a song called Purify My Heart. One of the lines is, “...reveal empty spaces, wasted places...” I started to imagine, rather, tried to imagine what it would be like if God truly had his way in all my places. There are the obvious places that need working on and the secret places, but then there’s the empty spaces and wasted places that have so much potential for God to live and reign in. My heart says, “Yes, take up residency,” but my flesh says, “I like idol food, entertain me.”

Thankfully, God’s mercy triumphs over judgement. The Psalmist says (I paraphrase), “Blessed are those who set their heart on a pilgrimage, through the valley of weeping, they will go strength to strength until they appear before God in Zion.” Psalm 84

I am not perfect, but I am on a pilgrimage. The Lord responds to me and my desire for purity. There will be weeping, but He gives me all the strength I need to get to His face!

Purity: a humble beginning

2011-11-02T09:39:00.002-05:00

Psalm 119:125, “I am your servant, give me understanding.”

Jesus promises in the sermon on the mount that it is the pure in heart that will see God. David writes in Psalm 24 that is it is the one with clean hands and a pure heart that will ascend the hill of the Lord. I couldn’t be more grateful for the blood of Jesus that washes me clean from sin. But, my desire is to have a heart established and blameless in holiness before God (1 Thes. 3). We are commanded to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16). I know, it’s not possible except with Jesus, He is the new and living way. On my best day I am still a sinner, a redeemed one, but still a sinner. But what a waste to stop at just being cleansed by the blood of Jesus. I want to live and thrive in the freedom He has given me.

While I’m here on earth, and learning to love the Lord with all my heart, strength and mind, there are actions that I can take, by the grace of God, to strive for holiness. I’m learning His ways, they are higher than mine. I am learning His law, it is perfect and revives my soul. I am learning the fear of the Lord, it is clean and endures forever. I’m hiding His word in my heart, it is alive and active! These things are holy, pure and righteous. The more I seek, the more I know. The more I know, the more I trust Him rather than all the other things I’ve been taught in life. Worthless things! The more I trust Him, the more pure I become.

I cannot trust His direction without purifying the need in my heart to control a situation. I cannot obey Him without purifying me heart of the need for instant gratification. The lyrics of a Jason Upton song say that purity and victory cannot be separated.

We are servants in the Kingdom of God. At the end of the day, all that I do, no matter how seemingly great or small, it is in service to the King of Kings. Anything thing lingering in my heart, ears or mind that contradicts this in impure even if it’s well intention.

Jesus, give me understanding.

One Perspective on Obedience

2011-10-27T15:14:00.005-05:00

Sometimes obeying the LORD feels like being trampled underneath a herd going in the opposite direction. I praise you, Lord, for being the Breath of Life.

Humble Leaders

2011-10-26T09:02:00.002-05:00

Proverbs 11:2, "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."

I feel like I could write a whole book on the importance of teaming leadership and humility. Not because I’ve mastered the dynamic duo, but because I haven’t. I understand from failure why I can’t be trusted as a leader if pride is the gate guarding my high place. I also understand it from a wounded follower perspective. And, thankfully, I’ve experienced humble leadership by some really great people.

This summer at Kids-A-Flame camp we prayed for kids who felt like they were going to be worship leaders. One of the things that the Lord burned in my heart was humility. As I began to pray for them, I realized that I was actually interceding for worship leaders everywhere. I groaned and wept over humility. Since then, the Lord has been revealing all that I was praying for and why. Because worship is the act of bowing down whether it’s physically or spiritually (to whatever is in the highest place), it makes sense the humility plays a key part.

A couple of weeks ago I talked about some passages of scripture that describe two kings and why they were dethroned (Is.14, Ez.28). Some theologians believe the prophetic scriptures are also referring to Satan, describing how he was kicked out of heaven. Regardless of who it was referring to, I don’t want to be that guy! The Ezekiel passage says he was beautiful, without blemish until unrighteousness came into his heart. It was pride that created a desire in him to be worshiped rather than to worship. His leadership became faulty because humility was gone and he was no longing serving.

Leadership requires an even more intentional stand against pride. 1 Peter 5:5 says, “Clothe yourselves in humility toward one another.” My friend Eddie Taylor says that as leaders we are first leading ourselves and then others. We have to be mindful that whatever is reigning in our hearts, soul and mind is what we lead other into, even if it is unintentional. Leadership and servanthood should not be at odds with each other. They are a beautiful, pure combination. When I have guests in my home I serve and lead them. Yes, I’m serving them food, but I’m leading them in what to eat because I prepared it. I lead them where to sit, I lead them to the bathrooms, I’m responsible for making them feel comfortable or uneasy. If a tornado were threatening us then I would lead them to safety.

For the purpose of letting the importance of humility, worship and leadership settle in all the nooks of crannies of our being, which is where pride breeds, let’s consider Jesus’ example:

Jesus. He is God. He is the word. He was has always been. He never changes. Everything exists through Him. There is no one like Him. His name is above every other name. He is the way. He is the truth. He is Life. The list goes on and on and on. Yet, he tells his disciples that He came to serve. He serves all of humanity by giving them the greatest gift ... His life that reconciles us back to the Father. He washes away our sin with His blood. When I give blood at the doctors office they either prick my finger or withdrawal it from my arm. When Jesus shed His blood it was to point of being beyond recognition. To His death he served all of humanity and made a new and living way. He was a servant clothed in humility. He was rejected. He was ripped apart. He spilled out. He served us in the greatest of display of humility.

Not to mention, the measure of gentleness Jesus displayed to the people He came in contact with. His gentleness displayed to the Samaritan woman at the well changed the atmosphere of fear and tradition around them and caused her to believe and bring back a city who also believed. His gentleness got Zacchaeus out of a tree, called Lazarus out of the dead, fed 5,000 people, and so forth. Did I mention he was born in a barn?

His birth, His life, His death, everything about Him is one enormous (how high, how wide, how deep) display of humility.

Humility: Pride's Greatest Enemy

2011-10-13T09:54:00.003-05:00

In order for us to exalt the knowledge of God above strongholds in our lives, something else has to come down. We can’t serve two masters. There is no room for the knowledge of God to share the highest place with counterfeits. He is either exalted or something else is.

As I studied world religions in school I noticed a commonality, it was kind of obvious. Christianity is the only religion that says you have to have a savior. In some form or fashion all the other religions believe that each individual can do things to save themselves, enlighten themselves, and ultimately become god. I’ve written before about how the message of, “I can save myself, I have the power, I am god,” is all over the place. I’ve had all I can stands and I stands no more (thank you Popeye) of being force fed this bologna, and I’m beside myself that people are deceived into believing it.

It all boils down to pride. It’s pride that believes you can save yourself. Our greatest act of humility is admitting that we can’t do it on our own and we need a savior. Pride says I can figure this out. Humility says I need You, God. Pride says I don’t need a savior. Humility says Jesus is my only hope. Pride says do what you want to, do what feels right. Humility says I trust the knowledge and ways of God. Those comparisons can go on forever and ever.

James and Peter both said, “God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.” (Js 4:6, 1 Pt. 5:5) This past spring I was in a meeting when I began feeling nauseated. Within five minutes I lost my lunch. During the process, after I realized my prayers were not going to stop the inevitable, I heard the Lord say, “This is what it looks like when I resist the proud.” I know that is gross, but I will never forget it! Pride cannot exist with humility. They are enemies, and I promise you that you want to be on humility’s side.

I can see pride and humility as two guards fighting for authority over the high place of our hearts. They aren’t necessarily trying to reside there themselves. Pride puts up a nasty fight when we try to pull down strongholds, vain imaginations, lofty opinions and replace them with the knowledge of God. It is pride that argues with our willingness to trust God and His ways. The psalmist says that it is the pride of the wicked that keeps him from seeking God and making room for Him (Ps. 10:4). Humility also puts up a fight when we let pride deceive us. (Obadiah 1:3) That’s why pride and humility are enemies. They are at war with each other, fighting for our high place. (Let me clarify, it doesn’t out right say they are enemies in the Bible. I am using analogies to help my case. If you don’t like my analogies, please create your own. I’m certain you will come to the same conclusion that the only way for the knowledge of God to be exalted to the highest place in our hearts, souls, and minds is through humility.)

When I wrote about representing, I mentioned that as leaders we will lead others according to what is residing in the highest place of heart, soul and mind. Similarly, if pride is winning the battle of our high place, then we will lead others in pride. If humility is the gate to our high place, then we will lead others to humility.

Remember the passages that may or may not be referring to Satan? ...to be continued

Lay Up Treasures in Heaven

2011-10-05T10:34:00.002-05:00

I’ve been reading through the Sermon on the Mount in the book of Matthew.

Today’s section was titled “Lay Up Your Treasures in Heaven” (Mt. 6:19-24).

When I read the titled I went ahead and prayed, “Lord, teach me to do this better, with holiness.”

I was kind of taken with the idea that earthly treasures rust, get destroyed and can be stolen. They have expiration dates! Even can goods expire. There is no preserving earthly treasures. It’s like a house built on sand, gone with the storm. Psalm 119: 37 says, “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.”

Heavenly treasures cannot rust, be destroyed or stolen. This is a trivial example, which serves my point, but I had a Garmin once. It was a Christmas gift and I really loved it! I liked the assurance of having it around. I liked that I programmed it to have a British accent. It was funny when my husband would changed the language to German. Links ab biegen means turn left in German. Anyway, not sure what happened to my precious (remember Gollum in the Lord of the Rings) Garmin. My best guess is that it fell out of the car. Gone! I prayed that God would restore it back to me, and I’ve got nothing. I miss my Garmin. But, heavenly treasures will never fall out of my car. They are built on a wise foundation that cannot be washed away.

I don’t regret one penny I’ve given away because the Lord told me to. I do regret the dollars wasted on coffee. I don’t regret the amount of time I’ve spent in prayer. I do regret the hours I’ve wasted on terrible movies, oh if I could have those hours back. I don’t regret the amount of money I’ve spent on music lessons, nor the hours spent in practice. I do regret singing for any other reason than God. I don’t regret spending time with family regardless of what we were doing. I do regret wasted emotions, time, energy , money, etc... pursuing things that do not satisfy, that are fading.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (vs.21).

O my. How can I love the Lord with all my heart if my treasure lays somewhere else?

I asked myself these questions this morning in the full assurance I will get better at laying up treasures in heaven, because He is a good leader.

Can my treasures be stolen or destroyed?
What are the things that have my heart?

LIFE

2011-10-04T08:35:00.001-05:00

So, I’ve become an activist for LIFE, finally. I can no longer keep silent about how abortion and other life sucking issues are overlooked, misunderstood, promoted, funded, etc... As my friend Suzy says, “Ignorance is not bliss.”

Below are a couple of links from the Bound4Life blog, Moral Outcry. The writers are informed, honest, and passionate with truth. They don’t vent, slander or spread more falsehood. They are legitimate.

1. This link provides the most recent listing of companies who support Planned Parenthood. Here’s the deal, if they give money (or any other support) to Planned Parenthood and you buy their products, then you are supporting Planned Parenthood.

http://www.lifenews.com/2011/09/12/pro-life-group-lists-companies-backing-planned-parenthood/

1. This link provides a list of companies that have that have hired a company called Senomyx. In short, this company chooses to use aborted baby cells to do research instead of the many other resources available to them. These companies include Kraft, Nestle and Pepsi. Pepsi Company is a parent company to a whole lot of other companies.

http://bound4life.com/blog/2011/08/29/aborted-baby-cells-used-as-research-base-for-flavoring-list-of-products-included

I can’t lie, when I read the lists of companies that support abortion my feelings were hurt. The “I want” monster that raises his ugly head when I’m fasting, made an appearance when I saw my favorite cereal company on the list. Do I want Cinnamon Life Cereal or do I want to take a stand for Life and see abortion end? Do I want to shop at Whole Foods or am I for Life? Starbucks or Life? After all, Jesus is the way, the truth and the LIFE

My grocery list, eating out choices, product choices have all changed. Now that I know, I have to share with you so you will know.

Last thing, I also wrote a letter to the companies that affected me and told them why I was no longer buying their products or using their services, and asked them to please reconsider their choice to fund Planned Parenthood or other companies that support the killing of babies in any way. They have so many other, life giving options to support.

I pray you choose to do the same ... they can’t ignore a holy roar for life coming from the Body of Christ!

(I will post the Starbucks report soon, I have to find it again.)

Represent

2011-10-02T18:21:00.003-05:00

Recap: Worship occurs when the knowledge of God is exalted to the highest place. There is a constant battle for what will reside in the highest place of our hearts, souls and minds because Satan wants to be worshiped. (And then in a surprise stirring, I may have rambled a bit about the purpose of the stage and difference between art and worship.)

Here is the simple truth, as I have discovered in my own life and serving with others. Whatever is residing in the highest place of our heart, soul and mind is what we are representing. As leaders, if the knowledge of God is not the highest thing then think about where we are leading people. I don’t know about you, but that thought terrifies me. Especially as a worship leader because my responsibility is to lead people into worship. How can that I happen if worship isn’t occurring in my own heart, soul and mind?

You know why Jesus is the good shepherd, the perfect leader? Because He and the Father were one (John 10). At the age of twelve is defended his whereabouts with, “I must be about my Father’s business...” (Luke 2:49) You know why David was a man after God’s own heart? Listen to what he writes in Psalm 24. “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?...He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully....” Was David perfect at having a pure heart? No, but he was after the heart of God.

We are representing something at all times. We have the choice to represent the knowledge of God. The prayer of my life, okay, one of the prayers of my life, is that I must be about my Father’s business.

We have set this standard for the leaders at the Birmingham Prayer Furnace, for all the reasons above. Also, for the sake of intercession. May I extend to you something that the LORD will not let me forget? If I am not worshiping, exalting God to the highest place, then I am representing a falsehood. If I am representing a falsehood then it happens in the place of intercession too. How bazaar, prideful perhaps, of us to pray to the Father something that is not His knowledge. I am coming to understand that what the God wants most is our trust in His knowledge. It must break His heart when I ask for things, represent things that are not of Him. It’s breaking mine.

Worship has to be intentional! Know what you are representing.

Don't Settle for the Art!

2011-09-22T20:06:00.004-05:00

Worship isn’t art. Art can express worship, but at its nuts and bolts worship isn’t art. In school I was taught that Art is a representation. Worship isn’t representational. It doesn’t represent the things that are going on, choices being made, discoveries unturned, wars, tragedy. It is what is happening, it is the choice being made, it is a discovery.

My favorite painting is quite possible Valley of the Yosemite. There is a print of this painting at the Birmingham Museum of Art, where I live. It is hung at the end of a long corridor and beckons you to come closer from the second you enter the building. With every step the painting grows in size, wonder, color, beauty. The artist represented his awe so well that you feel like you can step right into the painting. I swear you can feel the heat from the rising sun and dust on your hands from the mountains. The musical Les Miserable is a representation of the novel by Victor Hugo, which in itself is a representation of the happenings of France in his time. You feel the harshness of life, you feel how strong humanity can be, and you feel the warmth of an act of kindness as you watch the musical or read the book. But, Valley of the Yosemite and Les Miserable are not the real thing.

When I right a song it is a representation of what is occurring in my heart, soul, strength and mind toward the LORD. Every part of the song represents the worship that is happening in me, but the song in itself isn’t worship. I write because I can’t help it, and I know others, so I’ve been told, are fed (so to speak) by songs I write. As I am fed by other songwriters. I earnestly hope that any song, blog, teaching I write is directing people toward Jesus and then getting out of the way. If the art ever becomes a hinderance to the reason it’s created, then I’ve missed it. Valley of the Yosemite makes me want to go to Yosemite and experience it for myself. The painting is amazing, but I want to see and feel and touch and wonder.

That’s my dilemma with what we call worship music, worship service, worship part of the service, etc... There’s too much emphasis on the art and not enough on the worship. Admittedly, I’m a frustrated worship leader and I pray, pray, pray that what is being communicated here is not criticism on the church. We’re just people trying to figure it out ... and I can’t say enough how much I love the church!

Rather, I pray what is being communicated is don’t settle for the art! Strive for worship in your heart, soul, mind and strength.

The Stage

2011-09-21T10:30:00.002-05:00

I had the wonderful opportunity last night to see one of my favorite musicals, Les Miserable. Maybe on a different day I will write about all the reasons I love, love it. Okay, well, I can’t resist ... The musical composition is brilliant, and the voices couldn’t be any more moving as they cover the entire range of emotions, and the contrast between impossible times with hope and doing what is good, and the artistic set design and motion ... ahhhh!

At the end of the performance the audience stood up and began to applaud the cast and crew. They deserved it! It was the longest curtain call I have ever experienced. Sometime in the middle of it I looked around at all the people, roughly 2,800. All of us were standing and clapping. Some of them cheering and whistling. As I looked around and listened to the noise of applaud I became jealous. I wasn’t jealous of the performers. There was a time in my life when I longed to be on the stage, in the spotlight, performing for the audience. I am no longer in that place.

I was jealous on behalf of God. The desire in my heart was that the LORD be on the receiving end of the applause. I wanted all the noise to be for Him. I wanted all that time standing, all the energy, all the effort, all the adoration to be for Him. Isn’t He worthy?

The stage has become something totally different for me now. When I’m invited to be on a stage I see it as an opportunity to serve. It’s not a place for me to absorb the praises of men. It’s a place to direct the hearts of men to the heart of God. Am I perfect at it? No. My ego and need to be affirmed is really loud. Am I at least good at it? Not really. There’s a constant battle going on between my flesh and spirit. My spirit cries, “He’s the only one worthy!” My flesh rebuts, “You sound so good when you sing.” My Spirit says, “He is all I need.” My flesh says, “If you could play the piano better the people would worship more.” I have the ongoing choice to renew my mind and exalt the Lord ... especially when I’m on a stage.

Can I be vulnerable? I’m bothered when people respond to my worship leading with comments like, “Your voice sounded so good this morning,” “Your piano skills are improving, what are you doing,” “ You sound just like [fill in the blank],” “That’s not a good song for you,” and my absolute least favorite, “I love watching you worship.” I feel like the biggest failure as a leader when people notice those things over the one and only GREAT, BIG God that we are singing about. I can sing, so what! He created the universe! I’m becoming a better piano player, big deal! He gave His life for you! And, why are you watching me worship? He’s the beautiful one!

Some of those issues are mine and some of them belong to others. But, let’s be honest here, we’ve made the worship time in our church services something that it was never meant to be! So many times it’s more about the music and the song rather than God.

If I can’t worship God in an empty room with just His word hidden in my heart, then my worshipper is broken. If I have to spend $200 and drive 200 miles to attend a conference just so feel like I have freedom in worship, then my worshipper is in need of repair. If I can only worship when Suzy Q is leading, then I’ve become a fan and not a worshipper.

As a worshipper, as a worship leader, as an equipper of worship things, I can’t stand for the attention to be on anything else but the LORD. I am increasingly jealous for the praises of men to belong to the only one found worthy. The stage isn’t a place to be admired, but to serve.

Worship Leaders

2011-09-09T15:07:00.003-05:00

Worship leaders are not called to lead people in the direction they want to go. They are called to lead as they hear from the Father - Bob Sorge

Defining Worship Part Two

2011-09-01T10:54:00.003-05:00

You may have heard the expression “worship wars.” Perhaps, you have some experience fighting in this war. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, please wake up because there is a war going on for your worship. It’s real and it’s serious. Robin Mark writes in his book on worship, The 21st Century Poet, that it is a grave mistake when pastors and worship leaders or anyone think that worship wars has to do with music styles and preference. The worship war raging all around us has to do with what we are worshiping, not how. It has everything to do with who or what has taken up residency in the highest place of our hearts, souls and minds.

Why is there a war for our worship? In the words of the Saturday Night Live’s Church Lady character, “Could it be ... Satan?” Leave it up to Hollywood to make a joke of our sole enemy. That’s not coincidence by the way. It is a precise example of how Satan works and takes ground in the worship war, keeping us entertained and laughing and too busy to notice he is reigning in our lives.

I’ve wrestled a bit on how to communicate the reason why Satan plays such a big part in worship. There are some interesting scriptures to consider, but with them comes a long history of another set of wars within the Biblical interpretation and theology world. I don’t have the space or will power to fight in that war. However, I do want to briefly mention the scriptures, and then you can decide to research them as far as you’d like.

In the book of Isaiah a word of prophecy is given to the nation of Israel regarding the King of Babylon. Part of the word contains five “I will” statements that some theologians believe are a reference to Satan and why He was kicked out of Heaven (Is. 14:11-15.) Ezekiel also has an interesting passage that some theologians believe are referring to Satan. Ezekiel 28:11-19 is a lament for the King of Tyre. The description says that he was in the Garden of Eden, he was the guardian of cherubs, and, also, cast out by God. My knowledge of the prophetic tells me that prophecy is full of layers, some we see and some we do not see. Yes, those passage of scripture are about the kings mentioned. Yet, another layer of those prophetic words may be referring to Satan himself. I don’t know, only time will reveal that knowledge for sure. In the meantime, they are interesting! If nothing else I’m fairly certain that the King of Babylon and Tyre were operating under the reign of evil. (I’m going to re-address these passage when we talk about humility in regards to worship ... soon)

Let’s look at some other scriptures that are obviously referring Satan and his intentions. We know that Satan was cast out of heaven. Jesus says he saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven (Lk 10:17.) In Revelation 12 we read were Michael and his angels defeated Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, and was thrown down to the earth ... and he went off to make war on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. We know from these two scriptures that Satan was thrown out of heaven and is making war on the children of God.

From the beginning of humanity Satan was there distracting Adam and Eve from the promises of God. He is still prowling around like lion begging to be worshiped (1Pet. 5:8.) He lies, he kills, he steals, he accuses in an effort to exalt himself. His whole existence is to knock God and the knowledge of God out of the highest place. He is at it all day long. He uses people, any type of media, church, theology, ministry, etc... Satan is in our ears all day long trying to distract us from loving the Lord with all our hearts, souls and minds.

That’s why there is war for our worship. There is a highest place in our lives. God rightfully belongs there, but we have to choose to let Him reign. Otherwise, the deceiver has done his work and occupies the highest place. Don’t worry though, look what God has done. I love this: God did to Satan what He is asking us to do. He has prepared a way for us. He threw Satan out of heaven and is asking us to cast down every high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God (2 Cor. 2).

One last, beautiful example of worship. When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness, He addresses Satan’s lies and attempts to be worshipped. Satan offers to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He will bow down and worship him. Jesus replies, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.” (Mt.4:10)

We have to know there is a war for our worship. We have to ask ourselves, “What are we worshiping?” What is reigning in our lives? And we have to know and believe that we are created to worship the Lord only, telling Satan to be gone.

Defining Worship Part One

2011-08-18T07:37:00.003-05:00

Worship occurs when God and the knowledge of God is given its rightful place. 2 Corinthians chapter 2 tells us that the weapons of our warfare are for the pulling down of strongholds, vain imaginations, lofty opinions ... anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. In order for us to exalt God and His knowledge to the highest place we have to remove, cast down, destroy what has taken up residency in His place. When we do this, we are worshiping. 2 Corinthians goes on to say that this action is to the obedience of Christ. That is why obedience is worship. Jesus was in full obedience to His Father as He lived and died as a human. He was fully one with the knowledge of God and exalted it to the highest place over His fleshly desires to do otherwise and over His right as a part of the Godhead. No wonder why the author of Hebrews says that Jesus is able to sympathize with us. We will not obey what God is asking us to do if the knowledge of God isn’t reigning in our lives.

Whatever we allow to occupy the highest place in our hearts, souls and minds is what will reign in our lives. If a stronghold, idol, vain imagination, lofty opinion, etc... is reigning it will birth, so to speak, more strongholds, idols, vain imaginations that oppose the knowledge of God in our lives. Here’s an example. If we allow the love of money to exalt itself above the knowledge of God as our provider it reigns in our lives. First Timothy says that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Jesus says that no one can serve two masters. If the love of money is in the highest place, then it will reign in our hearts, souls, minds birthing all kinds of evil. If we pull down that vain imagination and exalt the knowledge of God as our provider, then He reigns. Psalm 23 says, The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want and we are promised that goodness and mercy will follow us. What would you rather have reigning in your life, all kinds of evil or no lack followed by goodness and mercy? You can apply the same pattern to any idol, vain imagination versus the knowledge of God. What are we worshiping? When Jesus confirms that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all of our hearts, all of souls, all our minds it is because He understood what worship is. It is far more than singing songs, and that’s why I’m discontent when music and worship are mistaken to be the same thing. Worship is in the everyday decisions to exalt the knowledge of God to the highest place in our lives. There are 86,400 seconds in a day to worship.

Wildest Dream

2011-08-16T14:07:00.004-05:00

So after a meeting, a planning meeting, I heard the Lord sing this over me in the car ride home. I'm not against planning ... He was just reminding me about dreaming.

Wildest Dream (click here to listen)

Will you let Me be your wildest dream?

Laying down your plans and all the schemes?

Better is one day spent with Me

I'm what's needed, I'm the one thing

We'll go higher, we'll go deeper

The width and strength of My love you will see

Will you let Me be your wildest dream?

a note in my little red book

2011-08-06T08:35:00.005-05:00

I'm starting to post some thoughts on worship, leading, and how music plays a part. I'm a little hesitant to post the following note because I think there is a lot of room to be misunderstood. However, the idea of this project, Worship Chronicles, got started after I wrote the note. Since it is called Chronicles, it seems appropriate to begin with how it all got started.

I wrote the following note one day during a worship service at church. I can't recall if I was on the worship team or had the week off. Either way, these thoughts started pouring out in my little red notebook. The note verbalizes joys and frustrations I've had with what it means to be worship leader, worship services and music for the past five to ten years. It is in no way is a definitive statement on what I believe worship is. The note was a starting place to journey with Lord.

Since May 22, I wiped the slate clean and asked the Lord to teach me about worship. As He is faithful, He's given me some really incredible insight that has and still is shaking false ideas about worship that I've been taught, have believed and built things on. I won't sugar coat it, it's been terrifying to see where I've been deceived and mislead people.

So, the following note is how Worship Chronicles got started.

May 22, 11

Worship Leading: What is it?

I’m enamored with the Lord. When the “worship” part of the service is over, I’m still going. Sometimes it takes me the rest of the day to finish processing what got started, or at least to find a stopping place. When I limit worship to be only the music part of service or even limit it to being an entire service, then I I’ve misunderstood what worship is.

Worship is where I choose to place my trust. If I’m a worship leader, then I am leading people in the how and to and why we put our trust in the Lord. It’s not song leading, its not praise leading. Worship leading isn’t about a song and so leading worship is about a song. Rather, it is about leading people to places where the goodness of God is displayed, as well as other attributes, and they can choose to trust Him. If I can make a bold statement or suggest that what we do in churches on Sunday mornings, at best, are baby steps in worship. It’s easy to choose to worship the Lord in an environment where God is, should be, exalted and His goodness is praised. It is a place where community and encouragement are, should be, strong and where remembering what God has done for us is without end. Church and church services should be an effortless place to worship God or to choose to put our trust in Him. They should not be considered the only place where worship occurs, nor should they be the goal of our worship. The goal of a worship leader is to lead ourselves and others in trusting God. Truth is, the majority of my worship of God happens outside of church

Then there’s the interesting dynamic in our church services and administration is hiring a song leader versus a worship pastor. The emphasis has been on creating a great musical section of the service for far too long, calling it worship and deeming song leaders as worship leaders. A worship leader/pastor should be more concerned with leading a group of people into trusting the Lord rather than perfecting a song list. Worship is fueled by trusting who God is and what He is saying. Church, prophecy, teaching, words of knowledge, encouragement, etc... encourage worship to happen in our lives. Songs, dances, art work, obedience, acts of service, etc... are an expression of worship to God, an expression of our trust in Him. Maybe a worship leader by this definition is what a senior pastor does or a team of pastors. All that to say, I think worship leaders should be considered as a part of the pastoral team of a church in every way.

Imagine my relief when I started to understand this difference because I’m a terrible Sunday morning worship leader. I would rather sing one song than five of them. I’d rather journey through scripture than plan intros and outros. Honestly, I could care less about the structure of a song, order of songs, or songs themselves. As a worship leader, I am becoming more concerned about leading people in trusting the LORD. On any given Sunday it might be a song that vehicles that best; maybe it will be a dance or flag or testimony or prophetic word or scripture.

Just to clarify, I love praise songs. I’m a musician. One of the ways I process what God is teaching me and how I’m learning to trust Him is through songwriting. They encourage me, awaken my heart to declare the greatness of God. Scripture is numerous accounts of songs, hymns, and music. The Levites were skillful musicians and understood music. I’m not belittling the importance of music in regards to worship. I’m simply trying to uncover the myth, the lie, that says music is worship. It’s not. Just because we’ve sung four songs in the manner of 25 minutes does not guarantee worship has occurred. Isaiah 29:13 God says, “...people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men...” In verse 16 He says, “You turn things upside down.” I fear and have a great concern that churches are settling for song leading instead of worship; settling for lip service instead of leading hearts to trust the LORD. Amos repeatedly prophecies to Israel, “Seek God and live...” and through him God says, “...take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen...” Amos 5. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13 that we may prophesy and speak in tongues of angels, but without LOVE is a resounding gong - it’s just a noise. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to LOVE the Lord with all your heart, strength and mind. Worship is trusting the Lord, to trust we must know Him, to know Him is to love Him ... anything else is a waste of time.

Can worship happen on Sunday morning? Absolutely! There are opportunities in church to worship and there are opportunities happening all day to trust the LORD. I’m not okay with assuming I’ve been worshiping just because I gathered with a few brothers and sisters in Christ. As a worshipper, someone who trusts the LORD and learning to do it more and more, I am jealous for every opportunity to worship, place my trust in God. As a worship leader, I am jealous to make people aware of the 86,400 times they can worship in a day. 86,400 is how many seconds are in a days time.

Are we seizing every opportunity to worship God? Or, are we settling for a really great sounding noise?

One last thought, imagine how our average day would be different if we worshipped / trusted all day long. It’s a different perspective. Imagine how our all day worship would affect those closes to you? Don’t you think our conversations would change? And, the way we think about things would change too, which ripple into how we do everything. i.e. spend money, parent, befriend, respond to crisis, media intake, etc... Imagine also the affect our all day worship would have on people we just happen to bump into through an average day. i.e. co-workers, grocery cashier, gas station attendant, flight attendant, school teachers, McDonald’s workers, waitress, librarian, auto repairman, bank teller, kid who sneezed on you, inconsiderate lady at Wal-Mart who thought her time was more important than my time (am I the only one?) ....

Worship Chronicles

2011-07-19T10:46:00.003-05:00

I've started working on a new project called Worship Chronicles. I can't lie, I'm a little opposed to the word chronicles. It seems so starched. However, I'm fairly certain that's what the LORD said.

My best guess is that the project will consist of what the LORD is teaching me about worship. I asked Him recently, "What is worship, and what does it mean to be worship leader?" Faithfully, He began showing me things about worship that have ripped apart so many things I believe and have been taught concerning it and the part that music plays in worship. He has approached it from a different perspective than I would have ever guessed, which shouldn't be that surprising at this point in my life. There's a reason He is called Teacher.

I'll start posting on the subject of worship soon.

The Need to be a Child

2011-07-16T13:14:00.001-05:00

July 16, 2011

I just watched The Switch. It’s a movie about, surprisingly, family. Specifically, about the need each of us has to be a child that belongs to somebody. In the movie their is a boy who was conceived through artificial insemination. Though his mother is fully available, there is a void in the child’s life because of the absence of the Father. It’s not politically correct to say this, but I will any way because politics often leads us incorrectly. We need husbands dedicated to their wives and their families in our lives and in our culture. We need Fathers in our lives and in our culture. We need the chance to be children who can run to their daddies and say, “Are you proud of me?” “Do I belong here?” And, to hear and see the resounding “Yes” in response to our needful cry. While I’m rocking the PC boat, we need a culture where mothers aren’t trying to be the all and everything to a child; not to mention encouraged to try and do it by themselves.

But, and it’s a really big but, we don’t live in that kind of society. We live in a tornado of deception and selfishness that twists the foundations of family inside out and upside down. Our culture idolizes children if we choose to have them, but if we don’t choose them they are discarded as trash. It’s a culture that is so messed up there are millions of children looking to be adopted because of horrific reasons that leave them without parents. And, we keep redefining what family is based on the deception and selfishness of the people rather than truth of what it actually is. Instead of setting a standard for people to rise to, actual leadership, we create chaos by the constant amendments what family is and what marriage is.

It’s heartbreaking. One, because there are so many children (young and old) who have never had their need to be a child met. And, who have found a sense of belonging in unfortunate places. Two, this is not the Creator’s purpose for us. He is the Everlasting Father and we are created to be children, to belong. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsename facing the nearness of His death, he cried out to Abba, Father! because He knew that He belonged to Him and had the right to cry out.

There is Hope.

We need Him! We need Him to redeem what we have turned upside down. We need the blood of the Lamb to extend adoption to us. It is the only ointment that will heal and soothe this ailment. It is what binds us to Abba, Father! Instead of slaves to the destructive tornado we become eternal sons and daughters to the Everlasting Father!

Thank you gracious God for being a Father to the fatherless.

Rules Will Never Love You

2011-07-07T08:58:00.003-05:00

Day three hundred and sixty-eight of three hundred sixty five

July 7,2011

Rules Will Never Love You

Technically, my 365 days are up. Well, at least the blogging part. Interesting things happen when you obey the Lord. Of course, to obey means you have to listen. To sum it all up, I’ve been strengthening my relationship with God this past year, realizing that He is in every minute (which is how this all got started in the first place) and I don’t want to miss one thing He doing.

I’ve been on a couple of long trips this summer, to accompany me I checked out the audio reading of The Shack by William P. Young. I read the book when it first came out a few years ago. Listening to it was remindful of all the brilliant conversations, but it was also a new learning experience. It helps me process information when I can get in as many of the senses as possible. One of the chapters is titled “Verbs and Other Freedoms.” In it Mackenzie (the main character) and the Sarayu (representing the Holy Spirit) have a conversation about how God is verb; active, alive, moving, breathing, etc... In the process the issue of relationship versus rules comes up, again.

“Mackenzie!” (Sarayu) chided, her words flowing with affection. “The Bible doesn’t teach you to follow rules. It is a picture of Jesus. While words may tell you what God is like and even what he may want from you, you cannot do any of it on your own. LIfe and living is in him and in no other. My goodness, you didn’t think you could live the righteousness of God on your own, did you?”

“Well, I though so, sorta...” (Mackenzie) said sheepishly. “But you gotta admit, rules and principles are simpler than relationships.”

(Sarayu replies) “It’s true that relationships are a whole lot messier than rules, but rules will never give you answers to the deep questions of the heart and they will never love you.”

Rules will never love you. Thank you Jesus for loving me and wanting a relationship with me! Listening and obeying could be mistaken for rules. They are definitely a discipline. As with any relationship, listening is key ingredient and so is action. A relationship that is not a verb is no longer a relationship. It has become a subject or memory.

Just to throw some William Mounce (Complete Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words) out one more time: Four out of the five words used in the Bible for Obey include in their definitions hear, listen, to keep, to watch over, and to guard. Only one of the words for Obey means to do what one is told. Beyond interesting! In our relationship with God we listen and keep guard, catch the foxes because we love Him and we know that He loves us. Is He not also listening and watching over?

Over the past year I’ve learned and confirmed a couple of things I’m passionate about. Also interesting, the closer I get to God, the one who created me, the more clear I am on what I’m created to do ... my sweet spot, my Pop-Eye (I’ve had all I can stands and I can’t stands no more) moments:

I am passionate about relaying the need and necessity of responding to God / relationship with God. I become a giant nerd when I start talking about it. I LOVE IT and want everyone to feel the same way I do about relationship with God.

I am passionate about Truth, and almost come out of skin when I meet or hear of people who are being deceived.

I am passionate about Jesus receiving all the worship He is worthy of. It’s saddens me when individuals are not worshipping Him, but I cannot stand (Pop-eye) when the body of Christ is worshiping and exalting anything other than God. I need the church to be glorious, and we are most glorious with Jesus is exalted to the highest place.

I am passionate about purity. For me, I am most passionate about it concerning ministry. It’s related to my passion for worship. Although, it differs from the holy discontent I have for false worship and deception. When I think about purity and the desire to be pure in heart, I usually find myself at the feet of Jesus with a holy desire.

Sneaky God

2011-07-02T10:34:00.003-05:00

Day three hundred and sixty-three of three hundred sixty five

July 2,2011

Sneaky God

On Thursday I got surprised by God, as did my son, Winter. A last minute opportunity for him to go on a mission trip to Canada threw us all in a whirlwind of fun times with God. When I first got the e-mail, I almost dismissed it because we don’t have any extra “mission trip” money sitting around. Before I could say turn down the offer, the Lord said to me, “This is Me, do you trust my plans for Winter?”

I was finding myself in a position to respond to God, again. I’ve gotten so much better at trusting the Lord with my life and have encouraged many friends to just trust Him, but responding to Him with trust on behalf of Winter's life was not natural. It was like learning how to trust all over again. This is my son. I spend a good amount of my time providing for him, protecting him, disciplining him, loving him, etc...

Contraire, contraire my friends. Here’s the promise of the LORD: if I am responding to God correctly then He is the one providing for, protecting, discipling, loving my son. Yes, He may be doing it through me and my response to Him, but it’s Him all the way. Now, God is opening more doors for Winter and what he was created to do. The best way for me to “help” Winter is to trust the LORD.

So, I said yes to the surprise offer. Literally, within a minute of me saying yes provision for the trip started coming in. It’s been a fun, crazy two days as we’ve seen a plan that God has had all along revealed. For the record, He has orchestrated it completely different than I would have. I haven’t been able to reason anything, and I can be a stubborn, independent lady. Everything that I’ve tried to do to “help” has fallen through and God’s ideas have prevailed. I can’t argue with Him.

And to Winter’s honor, he is making some big boy decisions as well. Preferences that he’s been vocal about in the past have been laid down and he has simply said, “Okay.” I love that all this for Winter and it’s grabbing his attention and making him look at God in a different way. He’s learning to respond to God!

A quiet summer has turned into a sneaky God summer!

I have to trust Him.

I Belong to You

2011-06-29T15:11:00.003-05:00

Day three hundred and sixty of three hundred sixty five

June 29,2011

I Belong to You

Song of Solomon 6:3 states a promise that we can cling to and find confidence in, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” I was reading it today and realized that the Bride states after she waited too long when the Bridegroom knocked and called and she missed Him. The Bride declares this before she is reunited with Him.

I’ve mentioned in the last couple of posts that about missing the Lord. At Kids-A-Flame camp I had another wrestling match with a stronghold in my life. I’m so over this area of weakness, I’m tired of thinking I’ve gained victory only to find it out that it is biting me in the face. So, I asked the LORD about it. How much longer will have I have to wrestle with this? Why is this still an issue? The Lord said three things to me:

One - you give it an ear. It sends out signals and it finds a receptor in you. He led me to Matthew 4:10 where Jesus tells Satan, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only will I serve.” I’m so thankful for this word that I repeat and agree with while pulling down this stronghold. The truth is, if I receive this stronghold’s signal, then I’m placing it above the knowledge of Christ and I’m serving it. No more!

Two - the LORD said, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:29. No, I’m not possessed. However, I know the evil spirit in operation. And if it is sending signals that I’m giving ear too, you better believe that I’m not playing games with it and I’m fasting.

Three - the LORD asked me to tell me to sing a song to Him.

I knew exactly which song He was asking for, I Belong To You (click to hear). My friend *Stuart Jones wrote it a couple of years ago. It simple says, “I am Yours, I belong to You, I am only Yours.”

I have an immediate response to any signal that I may pick up from this stronghold, I’m praying and fasting to pull the stronghold down, AND I’m declaring that I belong to the LORD. Just like the Bride in Song of Solomon knew that she belonged to her beloved and He belonged to her, I have not been forsaken by my Beloved while pulling down a stronghold. As a matter of fact, He’s got my back!

And just for extra fun, Merriam Webster says that the word belong originates from the word longing. Be + longen = to be attached or bound by birth, allegiance or dependancy.

Stuart Jones will be releasing his CD when the LORD says so. I will be sure to keep you posted because you want to hear Christ in him - trust me!

Longing

2011-06-28T15:50:00.003-05:00

Day three hundred and fifty-nine of three hundred sixty five

June 28,2011

Longing

Longing.

Merriam Webster defines it as ‘a strong desire especially for something unattainable.’

I’ve noticed that sometimes my responses to God involve longing. There is the longing I have to see God. Even though it is attainable and one day we will see Him, I have no idea when and therefore a longing occurs in my very being. Longing grips my heart when I pray for the lost, especially those who are close to me and turned away from the goodness of God. I experience longing when worship is happening that doesn’t belong to God. I can’t put into words how my heart longs to see Jesus lifted high. When I try it usually looks like tears and sounds like groaning. I have a strong longing for truth and when I hear and see deception being released through any means (T.V., music, movies, books, people...) I have a violent reaction to it. My jaw is clinching right now thinking about it. On the same lines, I have a longing for the Church to counter the deception with the truth. Attainable? Yes! Happening as much as it should? No. Hence the longing. Now I’m crying again.

Perhaps, the greatest longing I have ties back to seeing God. I long for a pure heart. I long to walk in humility. I long to always be in a position to hear what God is saying and to do whatever He is saying. Even though I rest in times that I do listen and obey, the times when I miss it create a longing in my heart to respond to God in right, pure, and holy way. Again, is it attainable? Yes. But at the same time I’m like, ...”really, I’m wrestling with this again?” There’s a longing for victory.

In Song of Solomon 5 we read about how the Bridegroom came and knocked on the door of His love, calling for her. She was already in bed and she wrestled back and forth on whether or not she should answer the door. By the time she decided to get up and go to Him, He was gone. Her response was, “...if you find my beloved...tell him I am sick with love.” I associate the longing in my heart to respond to God in a prompt, holy, pure way with the Bride’s words “...tell Him I am sick with love.” I hate it when I miss Him. I hate it when I let petty, outside influences determine whether I’m going to respond to Him or how I am going to respond to Him or how fast I’m going to respond to Him. The only rest I find is when my response is pure and right ... otherwise, a longing is created and I’m sick with love. Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”

An interesting thing about longing is that if we are not careful it can be confused with or lead to hopelessness. When it comes to God and following after Him, no matter how many times we have to retry His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3). He will never forsake us when we are seeking (Psalms 9). We are not without hope because we belong to Him. More on that tomorrow.

His Garden

2011-06-27T13:11:00.002-05:00

Day three hundred and fifty-eight of three hundred sixty five

June 27,2011

His Garden

In the spring I planted a variety of flowers and herbs in the pots that sit on my patio. I wouldn’t say I’m the greatest gardener, but I’ve learned a few things over the years. I’m still waiting on my Lilies to bloom. I have new ones and returning ones. They are taking forever! My herbs are finally green and fragrant. I was a little considered about them due to a novice, hasty decision to move them outside too soon in the spring. After a lot of care and a transition to a different pot and soil, well, let’s just say I’m ready to use them in a recipe or two. The most curious of my plants are the Dwarf Sunflowers. I bought dwarf red seeds and dwarf blush (white/pale) seeds. The red flowers were really more purple and very pretty, but didn’t last long. The blush seeds sprouted three foot stems and the most delicate, wedding like flower I’ve ever seen. And though three foot sunflowers are dwarf compared to regular size sunflowers, they were only supposed to be 18 inches tall. So, they kind of look funny in the undersized pots they are planted in. I wish they had more soil to stand taller and more firm. They droop over so pitifully. Somewhere in the red and blush “dwarf” sunflower seeds was another variation of sunflower. I have two bright yellow, also not so dwarf, sunflowers. Complete surprise. Then there’s the Creeping Jenny that is perfectly living up to its name, and the ever faithful Lavender.

In Song of Solomon 4, right after the embarrassing display of affection the bride groom pours over his bride, he says, “Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! blow upon my garden let its spices flow.” The bride responds by saying, “Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits.” (vs.16, ESV)

So, I got to wondering again. If I’m a garden that belongs to God where His word has taken root in me, and the fruit of the Spirit has found a place to grow, and the gifts of the Spirit are being nurtured, and there’s signs of discipleship, and I’m connected to the Vine, etc, etc, etc... I wonder what God thinks about His garden. Is He disappointed about the seeds that never rooted? Will He try again in a different season? Is He waiting in anticipation for a bloom that is taking a really long time, like I am waiting for my Lilies? Is He ever surprised at how I flourish or did He always know the potential? Is overgrowing the space you were planted in ever a bad thing (1 Cor. 7:17-240)? Does it always lead to pruning or does God have a transplant in the making? What’s His favorite part about me as a garden? Faithfulness, like my Lavender? The flowers? The fragrance? Or, is His favorite part just that it belongs to Him?

Cory Asbury writes, “I am beloved and He is mine, come into your garden and take delight in me.” (click on Cory Asbury to hear this song)

LORD, Here’s what I got. Some of it is in abundance, some of it is weak, some of came out of no where, some of it disappointing. But, It’s Yours ... I trust Your presence in my life.

Put to the Test

2011-06-26T14:37:00.003-05:00

Day three hundred and fifty-seven of three hundred sixty five

June 26,2011

Put to the Test

For the past ten years I’ve been involved with a ministry called Kids-A-Flame. It’s annual kid’s camp. I’ve been leading worship for KAF for six of those years, I think. It’s an incredible week of so many things ... summarized ... of expanding the Kingdom of God.

This year I felt like we, the leadership team, were on our toes all week. The Lord prompted us a few months before camp of change and need for understanding. From my perspective, I feel like we responded to the Lord really well before camp, but especially during camp as we approached each day with the attitude of “Okay Lord, what now.” It was good!

For me personally, I feel like everything I’ve written about for the past year, particularly within the contents of this blog, was put to the test. Am I really going to respond to the Lord in heat of the moment? Do I really trust His leadership? Am I really listening? Will I really obey what I feel like He said, even when it goes against everything I was taught in worship leading school? Am I really willing to make tough/unpopular calls? Have I really conquered the fear of man?

In all honesty, I took a lot of ground this week with taking the time to listen and respond to the LORD throughout each day. I also missed it a couple of times. Of course, today I wish I could take back those moments and wonder what would have been different had I responded correctly. At the same time, I’m finding a huge amount of rest because of the places I know I followed where He led.

One of those areas was choosing which songs we (the worship team) were going to do. We start off by making of list of songs that we love and feel like have possibility. That list is usually 30 songs long. A couple of week’s before camp I felt like we were missing something in our song list and our approach to worship this year. Alex, the young man who leads with me felt the same way. So, our song list was narrowed down to about 15 songs and we were still searching for what was missing. By the time camp started our approach to worship time was only doing what felt right regardless of what has worked in the past and of what we thought kids need. The more we did only what we felt God was leading us to do, the more faithful He was to continue leading us in the middle of the worship time. Every night there was some element of worship that was a surprise to us (the worship team) and that led us (all the camp) further into worship - not songs - worship. The worship time is only one example of His leading like that. There are many areas of camp.

I’d like to honor my worship team for a second. For the most, they are all a part of churches whose Sunday morning worship consist set list of songs, each song has a structure that is well rehearsed and that’s it. So, when I told them what I was sensing,one of the guys said something along the lines of , “You’re really going to have to lead us in that because that’s not what were used doing.” They were right in step all they way, laying down all the things/songs they could have done and shined at. I couldn’t have asked for a more flexible team of worshipers - totally legit!

It occurred to me that my 365 days of responding to God will not end in 15 days, but is a choice to make throughout every day ... remembering that He is in every minute.

His Shoulders

2011-06-24T11:43:00.002-05:00

Day three hundred and fifty-five of three hundred and sixty-five

June 24,2011

His Shoulders

I’m not sure when it started, but for the last year or so, maybe, I’ve had these flash visions (a vision or picture that goes as fast as it comes) of the God responding to me. They usually come after I’ve responded to Him in some manner. Most of them come after times of ministering or when I’ve attempted to communicate His heart through prayer/intercession. One time it was a vision of me as little girl running into His arm. The vision communicated delight. Another time it was a picture of God kissing me on the check, communicating pleasure. Other times have been facial expressions. He patted me on the head one time as if to say, “Keep trying.” Perhaps, my favorite is the time He winked during a worship set at the Birmingham Prayer Furnace communicating He had one more “trick up His sleeve”. Shortly after, He totally surprised us with an incredible revelation. It was less like a trick and more like glorious.

Last night my heart was overwhelmed with sadness which lead to intercession. Briefly, it had to do with how good God is and how not okay I am with a few people I hold pretty close who are choosing to shut God and His goodness out of their life. After a time of weeping a groaning over it, I had another flash vision. This time, the LORD was sitting beside me, put His arm around me, pulled me in and I laid my head on His shoulder. In the quickness of the vision, I felt He was sympathizing with my frustration and sadness. More likely, that I was sympathizing with His heart for these few people. Either way, we were feeling the same way. As He pulled me in I felt His compassion and I felt His heart that wanted to give them all His goodness. Can you imagine what God must feel like when a person, a city, a nation rejects His goodness?

In that moment last night God and I were responding to each other. I responded to His burden with intercession, He responded to my response with comfort and compassion.

Beth Taylor

2011-06-18T08:14:00.003-05:00

Today, I would like to point you in the direction of one of my favorite people. Her response to God will challenge you, encourage you, and take you a little deeper into the knowledge of Jesus.

Beth Taylor has a new blog/website where she shares what she loves to do - write. She is a beautiful writer! (She actually proof reads her stuff.) Each post is like work of art, uniquely and wonderfully layered together. Each sentence is a perfected brush stroke. Sigh....

Do yourself a favor and go read: www.beneath-the-surface.com

Safe With Us

2011-06-04T20:18:00.001-05:00

Day three hundred and thirty-five of three hundred and sixty-five

June 4, 2011

Safe With Us

Last night I was at a worship service, singing about being close enough to hear God’s heart beat and listen to His secrets. I know I’ve written about that before, it’s one of my favorite things to pray. I had a thought based on Psalm 25:14, “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, He will show them His covenant.” (NKJV)

Is His secret safe with us?

Not safe with us in a gossip, I won’t tell anybody kind of way. Jesus tells his disciples as He is sending them out, “...What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” (ESV) He wants to be known. Rather, are intent and purity of His secrets safe with us? I began to pray and declare the following things over myself and others who were present.

I will not use Your secrets to judge others.

I will not use Your secrets to make money.

I will not use Your secrets for promotion.

I will not use Your secrets for my gain.

I will not use Your secrets for my selfish ambition.

The purpose of knowing God’s secrets is to pray them back, to change the atmosphere, change lives, shift cities, states, governments, tear down strongholds, pull down principalities, etc...

It’s as though His secrets are weapons for us to use. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

His secrets release His kingdom on earth.

Please understand that I’m not against making money. If God tells you to write a book and you get the financially hook-up because of it, then praise the Lord for His provision! Unfortunately, there is a danger of using the things of God in manipulative manners for selfish gain. Manipulation can never be the reason to search out the things of God, and it’s not the reason He whispers His secrets.

I want to respond to God and His secrets with a pure heart. I don’t trust my heart or my imagination. And, when they team up it’s terrifying - that’s why I started declaring the above statement. I do know that God hears my cry for purity and sees me when I cast down vain imaginations. I want His provision and not what I’ve conjured up. I want what He wants; nothing more, nothing less.

Open Handed

2011-06-03T13:52:00.001-05:00

Day three hundred and thirty-four of three hundred and sixty-five

June 3, 2011

Open Handed

Yesterday I wanted to read through chapter 2 of The Song of Solomon one more time before moving on to chapter 3. I put away the commentary and notes and just read it. There so much good stuff throughout the chapter, and it was all settling in. But, verse 6 grabbed me and I began to wonder. Wondering for me means asking God questions that I would never ask in church, connecting other scriptures with similar ideas, and surfacing teachings and writings from other people.

(The best was I can picture or describe my mind and processing habits is like an apothecary cabinet. When new information comes in I’m searching for the drawer where it belongs . When everything is place, then I can “wonder” or pull things from different drawers and create thoughts and new drawers if necessary. As a matter of fact, if we are ever in a conversation and I get the blank look on my face, don’t worry. I’m retrieving data and will be right back.)

Chapter 2, verse 6 says, “His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me!” (This verse is repeated in chapter 8 too.) This image is so comforting. In a natural way, obviously between a bridegroom and his bride. The closeness and intimacy that occurs (or supposed to occur) in marriage is comforting and it does satisfy. But as I wondered, I also saw how we hold babies. The first thing we do is put one of our hands under their neck and head to give them support. Then, we cradle the rest of their little bodies with our other hand. Both hands on the newborns! They’re so tiny and fragile. It’s comforting to the baby and somehow it’s comforting to us too, especially when we bring them in close.

Either scene, spouse or baby, it involves open hands. Can you imagine trying to support a baby’s head with a fist? When a fist is used in marriage, it’s abuse and is no longer intimate or comforting. If we consider Song of Solomon as a picture of Jesus and His bride, what does that mean for us? The open handed embrace is not only comforting, but it keeps us and preserves us.

In my wondering I thought of some other scriptures about His hands. These two particularly: Psalm 95: 7, “For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” And, Psalm 145:16, “You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing...(vs20) The Lord preserves all who love Him.”

The verse “You open your hand; you satisfy...” is as comforting to me as the embrace found in Song of Solomon. He is not a closed off God. He opens up and engulfs us, bringing us in close to comfort, to keep and satisfy our deepest longing. (Our deepest longing is Him by the way.) It’s a perversion of the truth, straight of deception when God is viewed as limited. Or, when His ways / embrace is seen as constricting. Bob Sorge writes about The Secret of Confinement in his book, Secrets of the Secret Place. He says about the verse in Song of Solomon, “Instead of focusing on the immobility, the prisoner (bride) is focusing on the glorious intimacy of being held so firmly in the Lord’s hands. The confinement is actually a gift.” It’s an interesting, conflicting idea that God is holding us so close and we’re wrestling with Him (like Jacob) and we can’t move to the right or left, yet it’s in the embrace and in the closeness that He in providing for us, keeping us, opening up his hand for us.

God is an open handed God, even in the tightest embrace. We find the freedom in His nearness. It’s there.

Catch the Foxes

2011-06-01T10:51:00.002-05:00

Day three hundred and thirty-two of three hundred and sixty-five

June 1, 2011

Catch the Foxes

I’ve been studying Song of Solomon. I’m finishing up the second chapter, taking it real slow. I’m trying to squeeze out every drop of goodness. Chapter 2 has some of the most meaningful insight to me. It includes the scene where the bridegroom is calling for his bride behind a wall or lattice. I’ve written about this before, recent actually. I’m not interested in waking up in ten years or even tomorrow to find I’ve only invested in a window worth of relationship. Just a little further down, toward the end of the chapter, the bridegroom instructs his bride to “catch the foxes for us,” (vs.15).

The bride is speaking at this time, recalling what the Bridegroom says to her as he is behind the wall. The first thing is to arise and come away (get out from behind the wall, stop looking through the window). He describes the things to see and smell and experience, declaring his longing for her voice and her face. He ends is beckoning with these words, “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” Another reason to come out from behind the wall!

I was struck when I realized it was the bridegroom’s instruction to the bride. Considering two perspectives: One, I think a wrong mindset was exposed in me that says, “God will catch the foxes - He’s the protector of our relationship.” There is truth to that. He does warn us through dreams and prophetic words and admonishments. However, like a marriage relationship, each person gives 100%. If God is a protector of our relationship, then I am also a protector of our relationship. I should be taking responsibility and actively looking for the foxes and catching them, understanding that God is just as active in our relationship.

The second perspective is my earthly marriage. It’s the same principle. Just because my husband is the man and the gender assigned protector in our relationship does not excuse me from also giving 100% as a protector of our marriage. And, it extends to other relationship whether they are friendships, parental, ministry, business, etc...

I remember a scene from a movie (honestly can't remember the name) where the husband was engaging in adulterous activity. When he was confronted by his wife he said, "I wasn't paying attention."

Jesus, help me come out from behind the wall and match your intensity for our relationship. My 100% to your 100%. And, help me have the same mindset for my marriage, actively looking for the spoilers - paying attention.

Comparison (Part Two) - God

2011-05-21T16:06:00.002-05:00

Day three hundred and twenty of three hundred and sixty-five

May 21, 2011

Comparison (Part Two)

Before I go on I would like to mention that my disdain for comparison is reserved for it’s occurrences between people and God (keep reading). I greatly enjoy comparing grocery store prices, clothing prices, food quality, neighborhoods, and so forth. But no leaking into the boundaries of real people, who were created with real purpose by a real God.

Because we are a comparing people (it’s like we can’t help ourselves sometimes), we even compare the LORD with others. Comparing things that we create and even things He has created to Him is how other gods and idols form. The Psalmist says, “None compare to You, LORD.” Moses warns Pharaoh, “There is no one like the LORD.” Isaiah says, “To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?” And then God says to Isaiah, “To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One.” The Bible also has numerous other scriptures that indirectly speak of his incomparableness (I think I just made that word up. Although, I’m not getting any spell check warnings. hmmm.) Paul describes God’s riches and wisdom as unsearchable (Rom. 11). The book of Job says states of God, “Who assigns Him His way?” (36:22). God says to Job, “Who has preceded me?” (41:11). He is incomparable. He is nonpareil (I just learned that word when I looked up incomparableness - which is not is dictionary by the way).

Every time I put my trust in something other than God and His ways, I am trying to compare Him with something that I must think is better or else I wouldn’t do it. Every time I run to shelters (food, friends, advice, substances, escapes, etc...) that are not God, I am drawing a comparison between the fleeting and the Everlasting. When I start to break it down like that, It’s embarrassing. How can I compare God with any of those things. How can I trust anything but His life, His power, Him.

And not that we need help misplacing our trust, but the industry called Hollywood likes to teach us how misplace our trust in God. Here’s three examples among many. In the recent movie Eat, Pray, Love the message is, and I quote, “God dwells inside of me, as me.” Oh no! The writer of that movie compared themselves, and all of us, with God. After going to see Kung Fu Panda, I asked my nine year old (at the time) what was the message of the movie. He said, “You have the power to save yourself.” Arghh!!!!! I was afraid He picked up on that. I remember sitting in the car after the movie explaining how that wasn’t true. Nothing compares with the saving power of Jesus Christ and what He did for us in His life, death and resurrection. And, I just got home from a movie in which there was a Christian character. He was convincing and surprisingly not the but of every joke. Well, right up until the point where he asks a creature of the sea to save him, leaving his faith in God behind. (In an effort not to the spoil the movie - I won’t say which one it was.) I wasn’t expecting this movie to give any props to Christianity, but why even include it. This message being sent is unrelenting and if I’m not purposefully deflecting it with my awesome, super shield of faith, then it penetrates my heart and mind and strength. Consequently, disabling me from loving God with all my heart, mind and strength. If we believe we are our own savior, then it shouldn’t be a surprise that we live such selfish lives.

If Jesus does not save us, then we are not saved. He is irreplaceable as a savior. He is incomparable to any other. He is matchless in beauty. He outshines everything He created. He is the definition of life, of love.

Comparison

2011-05-18T15:09:00.000-05:00

Day three hundred and seventeen of three hundred and sixty-five

May 18, 2011

Comparison

I heard a quote recently about comparison, “One reason we struggle with insecurity: we're comparing our behind the scenes to everyone else's highlight reel.” - Steve Furtick. I hate comparison. It seems like it has been following me around ever since I was able to detect it, and probably before then. We are a comparing people. We stack our resumes with impressive content so that we will stand out when compared to others. We have favorite writers, singers, teachers, preachers, friends, foods, movies, cars, places, and so on. We compare everything. Perhaps naively, I’ve always thought that at certain age people will stop comparing me and all my stuff to others. If I could just make it until then, keep pressing until I’ve made my unique mark. At the ripe old age of thirty-six, this notion is not a reality. It never will be. Even if I did impress the whole world with my uniqueness, they would only use me as the means to compare others. It’s a carousel ride; round and round it goes where it stops nobody knows. The best way for me to fight the cycle of comparison is to stop comparing. I have to stop comparing myself, others and stop allowing other people’s cycle of comparison to suck me in. Stay off the carousel!

When I heard the quote I remembered a song I was writing a few years ago that says, “We’ve been so busy comparing and competing we haven’t noticed we’ve become conformed.” I believe that line was a message from the Lord. He wants to renew our minds beyond comparison. The apostle Paul writes, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Rom.12:2. I cannot tell you all that the acceptable and perfect will of God entails. However, I can say, with confidence, it doesn’t involve us obsessively, compulsively comparing ourselves with each other. I believe He is to be our obsession.

It’s interesting how comparison leads to competition. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for discipline and sharpening oneself. I love it, and would go insane without a goal. However, the end result is not to be better than someone else, but to be the best, sharpest Adrienne possible - faithful with the what God has given me. I think competing with others is irresponsible, especially within the body of Christ. Here’s why. As a worship leader I’ve heard numerous conversation about who’s the best leader out there, who’s the best song writer, what church is doing worship the best, what church is doing worship the worst, etc.... I myself have been compared to “famous” worship leaders. Let me just say, when the flattery wears off I’m left with a big bruise that distracts me from what I’m supposed to be doing. For instance, let’s say that someone compares me to Misty Edwards. If I don’t shake the dust off, I will begin comparing my self to her. I will begin striving to be like her because I liked the “compliment” and I like her style of worship. I will study her ways of worship to the point where I get better at being like her... conforming. Meanwhile, I’ve missed a million opportunities to lead worship the way I was created to lead, to study Christ, and, really, missed opportunities just to worship God. It’s irresponsible. I’m not responsible for being like anybody but Christ. I am created to respond to who He is not who others are, not to compare, not to compete, not to conform. Since when is worship leading a competition anyway? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard - pardon my absolute statement.

Paul also says we are called according to His purposes and predestined to be conformed to the image of [God’s] son (Rom.8). Peter echoes this thought,

“...gird up the loins of your mind ... as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Pet. 1.

I love that Peter says ‘gird up the loins of your minds’ because that’s where the battle ground of comparison occurs, in our minds. Hence why we need to renew it. I also am convicted and challenged by his admonishment, “not conforming yourselves to the former lusts.” If we compare ourselves to others instead of striving for holiness, it’s lust. If I want to be like Darlene Zschech instead of what God created me to be, it’s lust. It’s also lust if I lay the burden on someone else to try and be like what I prefer. As if my preferences (desires ... lusts) trump God’s purposes. I want to be holy (set apart) because my God is holy (set apart)! And, I want you to be holy because our God is holy.

Jesus, help me be holy as you are holy.Help me not settle for conforming to another image other than yours. And, help me not lay the burden of comparison on anyone else, but raise up your standard as our goal.

God is Fragrant; We Spread His Fame

2011-05-13T11:55:00.001-05:00

Day three hundred and twelve of three hundred and sixty-five

May 13, 2011

God is Fragrant ; We Spread His Fame

I have a friend, Cheryl. We were on staff together at our church for a few years. You can learn a lot about a person by working with them. For instance, I know that Cheryl likes un-sweet tea with Splenda, takes her own peanut butter to Panera Bread and that her book cases are overflowing into piles on the floor. More importantly, I have learned that Cheryl is smelly. In a course of any given week she will have several visitors that come and sit in her office or with her in the counseling room. When these meetings are over and Cheryl opens the door an aroma hits the air and spreads through the office. Whatever the visitor smelled like is what Cheryl’s office will smell like for the next hour or so; moth balls, perfume, bad breath, excessive perfume, mint chewing gum ... you get the point. Within an hour those smells disappear and the normal aroma of Cheryl and her office resides - a pleasant one!

Being one of these visitors on occasion, I’ve learned that overpowering the aroma of whatever I bring in, be it concern, frustration, offense, confusion, etc..., is the fragrance that Cheryl releases as she speaks the truth of the Gospel into every situation. It’s a rich fragrance, layers of goodness. When the door opens, I’m carrying a better fragrance. Throughout the rest of the day or week or even duration of the concern, the fragrance of Christ remains with me because Cheryl wears His fragrance.

In the Song of Solomon chapter 1:3 the Bride says of her Beloved, “...your anointing oils are fragrant; your name is oil poured out.” A little further down the Bride speaks again of his fragrance with more detail. As I was reading this I thought about Cheryl and her smelly office, but more so about the smell she carries because the name of Jesus has been poured over her like fragrant oil. She has made known her love of Jesus and is spreading His name, fame, love, truth, etc... wherever she goes and to whoever she pours up against.

A Hebrew translation of Song of Solomon says, “Like the scent of goodly oils is the spreading fame of Your great deeds; Your very name is Flowering oil, therefore have nations loved You.” In the accompanying commentary it is written, “When fine oil is sealed in a flask, its fragrance does not diffuse, but when opened and poured forth into another flask, its fragrance spreads.”

Jesus, you have poured into me. Teach me to pour you out into others, spreading your fame from one generation to another.

God is the One Who Was; We Follow the Tracks

2011-05-10T21:01:00.001-05:00

Day three hundred and thirteen of three hundred and sixty-five

May 10, 2011

God is the One Who Was ; We Follow the Tracks

I’m currently studying the Song of Solomon. I’ve read it a million times, prayed from it, wrote songs inspired by it, etc... However, now I’m studying it. I’ve commentaries, dictionaries, cultural aids close at hand as I dissect this piece of literature and consider it’s purpose in the Bible. I’m only on chapter one, but I’m already fascinated and challenged by its content.

The first part of chapter one is the Bride confessing her love to the Bridegroom. In the middle of her confession, she turns the focus on herself. In verse five she makes a confident statement about herself, “I am very dark, but lovely.” The statement is followed by an explanation and then a inquiry. In verse six she says that her brothers made her work the vineyards, yet she could not keep her own vineyard. In verse seven she asks the Bridegroom where his pasture is. She wants to be a part of his flock, unveiled, unashamed (vs.7). The Bridegroom replies to her question by telling her to “...follow in the tracks of the flock...beside the shepherd’s tents” (vs. 8).

As I read the Bridegroom’s instructions I thought three things: Our Bridegroom (Jesus) has always been, Many have left tracks that lead to Him, and what kind of tent am I pitching to help others. Revelation 4:8 says that Jesus is the one “...who was and is and is to come...” He has always been and throughout history has left tracks for us to follow. One of my aids suggests that the word “tracks” means “heel prints” referring to Jacob. When we loose our way there is a great history for us to follow. It would be enough if it were only tracks or clues that Jesus left for us. However, the lives of those who have gone before us and lead us to Him are sometimes just the encouragement we need to keep running. If I’m honest, which I will be, sometimes it is the footprints of someone else that help me believe the footprints that God has left behind for me to follow.

The Bridegroom said, “...and pasture your young goats beside the shepherd’s tents” (vs. 8). Can you picture His pastures? Can you picture His footprints leading to it and all through it? Can you see the tracks that others have left leading to and dancing with in His pastures? Can you see the tents of the shepherds in the pastures of the Bridegroom? I can. Some of my favorites tents are my Dad and Mom’s, Bob Sorge’s, Fullness Christian Fellowship’s, IHOP’s, Beth Taylor’s - just to name a few. They have provided a place for me to gaze on the Bridegroom and to graze in His pastures. They’ve taught me how to make and pitch my own tent, how to take up residency with Jesus - stake my claim so to speak.

Jesus, help me build a safe tent for others to use if they need. Help me leave good heel prints in this huge history of You. Would you wash away tracks that lead to vain things and sandy foundations that I may have left in my wanderings? I want to leave tracks that lead to You and to You alone. Set my tent toward your face!

When Life Throws You a Monkey Bar

2011-05-04T08:02:00.005-05:00

Day three hundred and three of three hundred and sixty-five

God Is; We Can

The following story was written by my sister, Sonia Hollandsworth. I like to call her Foxy, FYI. The story is a great example of a five year old responding to who God is. It is also a great example of a parent teaching her child how to respond to who God is because she herself was responding to God. Our responses to who God is are contagious!

...So, for several months now my child has had an ongoing love-hate relationship with the monkey bars at school. Every day she gets to the second bar from the top, gets stuck, has to have the teacher help her down or pick her up off the ground and then we do it all again the next day (This would be a great place to mention that we LOVE her teacher!) At the risk of losing my self-proclaimed Parent of the Year Award, I will admit that after about the 2nd week of this monkey bar talk it was starting to get on my nerves until the moment that my consoling her for not getting to say good-bye to her cousin after a long weekend visit ended with uncontrollable sobbing, gasping for air, and a random yell of frustration "AND I JUST CAN'T GET TO THE TOP OF THE MONKEY BARS!" Woah! I quickly realized that my "Well, you'll get there eventually, keep trying" speech was perhaps not as inspiring as I had thought and this needed serious attention.

A couple of weeks after that incident, we were on our way to school and the subject of the non-cooperating monkey bars returned. I wasn’t too quick to dismiss it this time and listened intently to what she had to say. After hearing a series of I can’t this and I just can’t that and I can’t, can’t, can’t coming from the back seat and cringing at the sound of those 2 little words, I knew what our Bible Verse of the week would be - Philippians 4:13 “I CAN do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength!” After explaining what this verse meant and how to apply it to every area of her life, including the playground, I had her repeat it with me the rest of the way. She wasn’t the most willing participant at first, but to my surprise (why I don’t know) the next day she announced that she remembered the scripture and started saying it unprompted ….and then very enthusiastically shouting “Say it AGAIN!” ….this went on for the next 3 days and for the entire route to school. Needless to say my heart was smiling.

That was a month ago and we have since moved on to other Bible Verses of the Week but don’t worry, we still get our DMBU (Daily Monkey Bar Update)!! This was last nights:

“Hey Mommy, guess what? I made it all the way to the top of the monkey bars today and I got down all by myself and no one had to help me!”

“Oh, baby, that’s awesome!! I’m so proud of you!”

“You know how I did it?”

“No. How did you do it?”

“I just said that scripture ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength,’ Philippians 4:13, and I just went up to the top and did it!”

There are fewer things that bring me more joy than when my child succeeds, accomplishes her goals or conquers a challenge, but when you add God and His Word to the mix, my heart just swells with happiness…and maybe a little pride :) I think the thing that excites me the most is knowing that she saw firsthand that God’s Word is truth and it works!

Truth be told, she has conquered more than the monkey bars, she has conquered the lies of the enemy aka the Devil that was telling her she couldn’t because she will always know and remember that she CAN do ALL things through Christ who gives her strength! Glory be to God!!

Carry His Name

2011-05-02T13:26:00.003-05:00

Day two hundred and three hundred and one of three hundred and sixty-five

May 2, 2011

I had a interesting weekend as far spiritual activity goes. I’m going to write about a couple of those encounters shortly. The weekend came to a climatic ending with the announcement of Osama Bin Laden’s death. I began to process everything that I’m hearing and seeing on the news with my own beliefs about justice and right, and the other incidents of the weekend. I just stopped and said to God, “How do I respond to you with all this stuff?” In that instance I remembered this new recording that I wanted to purchase. Passion's latest release called “Here For You”. So I bought it.

Today I some errands to run all across town and took my new music with me. Funnily, the last song of the CD was ending as I pulled back into my drive way. The timing was perfect! As I was driving and singing along, I totally fell in love with the Lord - again. Here’s a summary of what I heard being sung, declared, proclaimed:

Let the earth fear the Lord, And all the people of the world Stand in awe, stand in awe
You are everything You’ve promised, Your faithfulness is true,And we're desperate for Your presence, All we need is You
You're strong like a river, Your love is running through, All my fountains are in You
This dry and desert land, I tell myself, “Keep walking on”, Hear something up ahead Water falling like a song
Jesus You’re my hope and stay
My heart will sing no other name, Jesus
I’m running to your arms, the riches of your love will always be enough
It’s your love we adore, it’s like a sea without a shore
I will carry Your name, carry Your name, Jesus, Your name forever
For all of my days, In all of my ways, Jesus, Your name forever
SPirit Fall...Oh, come Magnify the Son, Savior of the world, The hope for everyone
Strong, strong, whatever may come You have already won
When this passing world is over We will see you face to face
You're all to us, You're all to us, You're all to us, Yes, You are
Just like the atmosphere you've come to surround us here
Leading us into beautiful places
God you are here with us constantly here with us
You are our everything faithful and true

The Lord answered my prayer, “How do I respond to you?” with the message of this entire recording. I’m not promoting or telling you to buy it. You may hate it. But for me, at the end of an interesting weekend with too much to process ... these words reminded me that He is worthy, all we need, He is all to us, He is with us, He’s enough, and I am madly in love!

I respond to God by carrying His name.

My King is Coming

2011-04-27T11:53:00.004-05:00

Here's a song that leaked out of my heart. You should be able to click on the title to find a simple recording of the song. I'm so ready for His return, except for the knowledge of those who aren't ready.

My King is Coming

April 2011

My King is coming

I’ll prepare a way

For all His glory

He’s coming to reign

He’ll be the one

Whose beauty outshines

All of His creation

He’s coming to reign

My King is coming

Coming for His bride

He will be stunning

Will you recognize Him

I pray you know Him

He's coming for His bride

He's coming to reign

My King is coming

I’ll prepare a way

For all His brilliance

He’s coming to reign

He’ll be the one

Whose love will win

The praises of creation

He’s coming to reign

God Yearns Jealously; We Resist Evil

2011-04-20T11:31:00.000-05:00

Day two hundred and eighty-nine of three hundred and sixty-five

April 20, 2011

God Yearns Jealously; We Resist Evil

A couple of weeks ago I was in a meeting and become nauseated all of sudden. This is kind of gross, but hang with me I do have point. A few minutes passed, I became very uncomfortable and I knew that I had to leave the meeting. On the way to my car I realized that I wasn’t going to make it very much further before I “lost my lunch”. Sure enough a few steps later I found myself kneeling in the grass (thank God for the grass!). During the proceeding minutes, I heard the Lord say, “I resist the proud.” I’m not sure what it was that I ate (I blame the Tofu), but my body resisted it. Sense that’s a picture of what God does with the proud, I do not want to be proud.

Yesterday, I wrote about getting close to God and taking what He is offering. There is no way to get close, at arms link, with Him if we harbor pride. Look at what James writes,

“He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us...Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble ... Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands ... purify your hearts ...” James 4:5-8

The word proud used in James 4 is translated from the Greek word hyperphanos. Hyper means over, beyond, more than. Phaino means to shine, become evident. One could say that when we are proud we are over-shinning or beyond evident. Interestingly, the root word hyper is also the root word for God’s name Most High. If my pride tries to outshine God it may offer something. There are many prideful people who have been rewarded with financial gain, scholarly recognition, vain awards, but at what cost? Rejection from God? That’s a pricey result. I want to be in relationship with God, it’s the better. I am trying, striving to yoke up with God’s humility because I’d rather be doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than dwell, even richly, in tents of wickedness - Ps. 84. Jesus, help me!

One more thought ... I’ve written about Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife, before. When David brought back the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem the scriptures said He was almost naked dancing in the streets. Michal watched David’s worship from a window and despised him in her heart. She mocked David to his face for his worship and passion for the presence of God. At the end of the chapter is says that Michal had no children to day of her death. 2 Samuel 6.

This is a story of pride. It’s an account of other things too, but at it core there is a sharp contrast between pride and humility. Michal watches from a distance (not drawing near) and despises and mocks. David was near the Ark, the object that represented God’s presence, worshiping undignified before the Lord. Michal was barren, but God promised David that his house would be forever (2 Sam. 7).

God is Offering; We Get Close

2011-04-19T10:34:00.002-05:00

Day two hundred and eighty-eight of three hundred and sixty-five

April 19, 2011

God is Offering; We Get Close

During a recent time of worship at the Birmingham Prayer Furnace, we were focusing on the first couple of verses of Psalm 42. “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God.” As we developed the passage (meditating on it, tying it together with other scriptures) many prayers were spoken and sung. One prayer/song that I clearly remember and that is now branded on my heart said, “I am thirsty, I’ll drink from the cup you’re offering because you know my soul’s deepest cry/longing.”

There are a couple of things as I meditate on and continue to pray this prayer that it means - at least for me. One, He knows my deepest longing and offers me the thing that satisfies it. It’s the better. It’s not just good, it surpasses the ‘it’ll do’ mindset, or the settling of ‘I’ll take what I can get’. What He offers is the best! No shortcuts, the best. Honestly, I’ve grown weary and almost intolerant (Lord, help me get there) of the comparison I draw of what God is offering with my vain imaginations. Believing that I’m a victim when God offers something different than what I’ve dreamed up. He knows my soul’s deepest longing and offers me the drink that will satisfy it.

The second thing this prayer communicates to me is I have to be within arms link of Lord to take the cup He is offering. I have to be closer. I’ve written before about my visit to Niagra Falls. When I stepped off the bus I could immediately feel the mist from the falls on my face. The closer you get the more mist you feel. But, it’s the people who get on the boat and travel to where the falls meet the water below that get soaked, even with their ponchos. I think that’s the funniest thing ever by the way, like a poncho is gonna keep you dry from raging water fall.

As I have continued to worship with this Psalm and this prayer, I thought about how sad it would be for a panting deer to see the flowing stream of water, but never get close enough to take a drink. Similarly, how wasteful it would be to only watch or gaze behind a wall or through the lattice work when the LORD has said, “Arise...come away” (Song of Sol. 2:9-10).

God is Carpenter; We Build With Him (Part Four)

2011-04-15T14:01:00.001-05:00

Day two hundred and eighty-four of three hundred and sixty-five

April 15, 2011

God is Carpenter; We Build With Him (Part Four)

Several days pass from the last lesson or revelation about building. I’m working on the song trying to give it some structure, because I’m human and that’s what we do, and feeling like I’ve a hit a groove. Lesson five comes out of no where and totally throws my structure out the window.

Lesson five: Jesus’ life was the perfect offering. Here’s what I heard God the Father singing to me that day:

“I led my son to the earth

where He lived and died for humanity

Everyday He listened and obeyed, glorifying Me

We were one with every step

We were one with every word

We were one with every sacrifice

We were one with every healing

We were one with every teaching

We were one, building My kingdom

We were one in Gethsemane

Where He was kissed with betrayal

We were one before kings of men

Where He was mocked, beaten and bruised

We were one at Golgatha

on a cross-shaped altar

We were one

Adrienne, are you listening?

This isn’t a fool’s game, my son gave his life

So you could be one with me

Are you listening?”

Lesson six: The only way to listen and obey is to be one with God. The way has been made, use it! Get up and choose to be on that way - this is wisdom! - This is eternal. Foolishness is paving my own way, building my way and great will be its fall.

God is Carpenter; We Build With Him (Part Three)

2011-04-14T10:38:00.000-05:00

Day two hundred and eighty-three of three hundred and sixty-five

April 14, 2011

God is Carpenter; We Build With Him (Part Three)

Lesson Four: When we build with God it is everlasting. As I was processing all these lessons I noticed a recurring result. The wise builder’s house will not fall nor was it shaken. The foolish builder’s house not only fell, but Luke says, “... and great was the fall of it.” Abraham was promised to have as many sons as the stars ( and I am one of the and so are you) ... for generation to generation. I’m becoming more and more aware that I don’t have time to “fool” around with things that are not eternal. If it’s going to shake out or burn away I don’t want to invest in it.

Psalm 102:18 says, “Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.”

The refrain of the song “Listen and Obey” is:

Listen and obey, listen and obey

Listen and obey every step of the way.

One day while working on the song these lines were added:

Keep listening and

We ( God and us ) will build something everlasting

We will build what can’t be shaken

We will build for generation to generation

Are you listening?

God is Carpenter; We Build With Him (Part Two)

2011-04-13T12:28:00.000-05:00

Day two hundred and eighty-two of three hundred and sixty-five

April 13, 2011

God is Carpenter; We Build With Him (Part Two)

Abraham

The first two lessons of Building a dwelling place for God, individually and corporately, are unless God builds it is vain and hearing and doing what He speaks is wise like a man who builds on a rock. I began to ask the Lord to teach me how to listen and obey (hear and do). On February 22 in the middle of a 22 day fast God said, “Read Genesis 22.” It’s the account of Abraham’s willingness to give his son Isaac to God as a burnt offering. Abraham demonstrates an important discipline in obedience. Lesson number three: Listen, Obey and Keep Listening.

To summarize, God ask Abraham to give Isaac as a burnt offering in the land of Moriah on a mountain that would be pointed out later. Abraham doesn’t question or hesitate what God was asking, and begins the three day journey the next morning. Can you imagine what He must have been thinking and feeling for those three days? On the third day he sees the place where he will build an altar for the offering. Already, Abraham has shown how to begin obeying immediately while still listening. What if Abraham stopped listening and chosen a different place to build the altar? Would there still have been ram caught in the thicket? When they (Abraham and Isaac) get to the right place, he takes more steps of obedience. He builds an altar, binds up Isaac’s hands, his feet and lays him down on the altar. Obedient still, Abraham raises his knife. Listening still, Abraham here’s God say, “Abraham, Abraham ... don’t lay hand on the boy ... “ He looks up, and there’s a ram caught in a thicket. The provision of the Lord. What if Abraham was so busy obeying that he stopped listening? Isaac would have needlessly been sacrificed because God provided a better offering. Listen, obey and keep listening.

It’s not enough just to hear what God is saying, we have to obey. Yet, it’s not wise to run wild with obedience in such a manner that we stop listening. Step by step we build. As a matter of fact, I think the discipline to keep listening is a part of obedience. As I processed the details of Genesis I heard the Lord say to me, “Every step of obedience releases the perfect offering, incense that changes the atmosphere.” We can’t obey if we’re not listening.

At this point the name of the song changed from “We Will Build” to “Listen and Obey” .

God is Carpenter; We Build With Him (Part One)

2011-04-12T14:43:00.001-05:00

Day two hundred and seventy-seven of three hundred and sixty-five

April 12, 2011

God is Carpenter; We Build With Him (Part One)

At the Birmingham Prayer Furnace we’ve been seeking and asking the Lord how to build His house of prayer in our city. We’ve all processed it in our own ways, so the following is based on my time with God. A lot of my time with God is behind a piano and set to music. I began writing a song titled “We Will Build”. The song started out of a passion for the House of the Lord. David writes, “A zeal for your house has consumed me...” (Ps.69), and of David it is written, “...I will not give sleep to my eyes...until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place...” (Ps.132). Those words from Psalms ring loudly in my heart. One, that I would be a house of the Lord and also, that Birmingham would be a dwelling place for the Lord.

One of the first things that got thrown into my processor is Psalm 127 where Solomon in all of his wisdom writes, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who labor build it labor in vain...” Shortly following lesson number one in building a house for the Lord was the ending to Jesus Sermon on the Mount. “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and no do what I tell you?” (Lk 6:46, Mt.7:24) Jesus goes on to teach that those who hear and do what He says is like a man building house, who dug deep, and laid foundation on the rock. When the rains and wind came, the house could not be shaken. BUT, the one who hears and does not do what Jesus has spoken is like a man who builds a house on the sand. It’s foolishness. Lesson number two: Choose wisdom or foolishness. I’ve written about listening and obeying recently. Truth is, I’m still learning. I’m better at it now than I was in January, but perfecting it is far from my line of sight.

I was singing, working on the song one day when the following phrase came, “Whisper secrets of the Carpenter, teach me how to build.” I know I’ve written about this a lot recently, but this is where I am right now. This is me responding to God, and I’m determined not to move from this place until I thoroughly get it. Why? Because this is where He has led me ... He is my shepherd, I shall not want. He’s got the master plan, the blue prints and if I want to be wise a builder (individual, family and corporately), I better get closer. I’m getting close enough to hear His heart beat, the place where His secrets reside.

God Cares; We Care

2011-04-08T10:26:00.000-05:00

Day two hundred and seventy-seven of three hundred and sixty-five

April 8, 2011

God Cares; We Care

We’re a little over a quarter of the way through the year and if I were to summarize it so far ... Jiminy Crickets! It’s been a good year, I have no complaints. Yet, spiritually speaking I have found myself contending for ministries, my church, and individuals non-stop. Personally, I feel like I’m in a period of meaningful, deep discipline with God. We are fine-tuning my ability to hear Him and distinguish His voice from other noise. I’ve had some victorious breakthrough in that area recently that’s been nurturing. I can feel my roots growing deeper. All these things weighing in heavily.

This morning, I was thinking about all the different aspects of my year so far and asked God, “Who are You in all this?” He said in the most compassionate manner I’ve heard Him speak, “I care.” Contending, interceding and making stands of agreement or disagreements are often ugly. Dirt from the battle field slings everywhere, and pride surfaces like a foul beast. Maybe you can recall the majority of the scenes in the movie trilogy Lord of the Rings. More often than not the characters are dirty. They go from one battle to the next. That’s kind of what I feel like, one battle to the next. The sweat, blood and tears layer on, while my heart is homesick for eternity. Why? Because God cares for each person involved. He cares for every dream of His that He has planted in the hearts of man (ministry). He cares about the church, locally and as a unified body. He cares!

He sees more than we do and knows the importance of the hour. I’m convinced that the best way to demonstrate I care about what God cares about is by doing what He is asking. Forget about whether it fits into a theology book, forget about whether it fits into religious structures, forget about how's it been done in the past, forget about whether I’m comfortable with it ... do it. Obey, because God cares about whatever He’s asking me do and my best response is to care about it too.

Have Your Way

2011-03-26T16:02:00.003-05:00

Have Your Way

Day two hundred and sixty-four of three hundred and sixty-five

March 26, 2011

Here’s a recent response I had to the LORD in song form. Click on the title and it should take you to a link to hear a simple recording of it.

Have Your Way

Verse1

Purify my heart

I want is to see Your face

Surface impurities in the way

Purify my heart

chorus

Come have your way

verse 2

Search my heart God

I trust your love for me

Reveal empty spaces, wasted places

Search my heart God

Chorus

Come have your way

Chorus 2

All I want is to see you God

All I want to see your face Jesus

God Sits on the Throne; We Bless, Honor and Glorify

2011-03-25T10:24:00.002-05:00

God Sits on the Throne; We Bless, Honor, and Glorify

Day two hundred and sixty-three of three hundred and sixty-five

March 25, 2011

Revelation 5:13-14, “...And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.”

God, You are the victorious one, the one who sits on the throne! Help me give you what you are worthy of...all the blessings that flow from my mouth, all the honor my heart seeks to give, all the glory I have I may ever receive- for you, all the power to reign in my life.

You will take care of evil because you are faithful. Today, the issue of the hour is not will evil reign forever, but how many more souls will choose You over the evil that is rampant in our land? Help us to see those around us who have not chosen You, so that they may also be a part of Your kingdom, Your reign now and forever. Are you not worthy of my time, of my efforts to tell men of your faithfulness? Yes, You are worthy. The only one found worthy.

God is a Consuming Fire; We Are Thankful

2011-03-25T10:06:00.002-05:00

God is a Consuming Fire; We Are Thankful

Day two hundred and forty-nine of three hundred and sixty-five

March 11, 2011

I think what the Lord is showing me is His attributes of fire. If we let Him, He will search us with His eyes of fire, He will purify as He is a Refiner’s Fire, and He is an All Consuming Fire.

God will consume with His fire regardless. The question is what will He be consuming in my life. Brokenness or sin? If I let Him search and refine me then His consuming is of my brokenness and the dross that has surfaced. If I rejected the Lord’s searching or rebuke, then He will consume my sin (after a time of mercy, mercy triumphs over judgement). I will not be able to bear Him as a consuming fire if He hasn’t refined me.

Deuteronomy 4:23-24, Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the LORD your God has forbidden you. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

Isaiah 33:14-16, “The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: "Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?" He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,he will dwell on the heights: his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.

Hebrews 12:28-29, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

God, thank you for mercy. Thank you for your willingness to search us and refine and then consume are brokenness. This is love! This is what your kingdom is built on, what can’t be shaken.

God is Refining; We Let the Dross Surace

2011-03-08T11:46:00.002-06:00

Day two hundred and forty-eight of three hundred and sixty-five

March 8, 2011

As we invite and let God search our hearts, He becomes a refiner’s fire. Revelation says that His eyes are like fire. It makes sense that as He search us that fire is involved. As we are asking for pure hearts and He is searching, the impurities rise and surface. Dross - 1: the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal. 2: waste or foreign matter : impurity. 3: something that is base, trivial, or inferior.

During the past week as I have processing and standing before God’s love in His discipline, phrases like impurity and dross have come up on more than one occasion. As I was praying one day I said, “...reveal the empty spaces and wasted places of my heart.” Honestly, I’m ashamed that there are empty spaces in my heart, space that God is jealous for! And, I’m ashamed that there is wasted places in my heart, filled with all kinds of rubbish. Rubbish that produces dross - scum, foreign matter, inferior and trivial impurities as the Refiner’s Fire burns it out. Our hearts were created by God for God and anything fills them besides God is foreign matter. I think it’s interesting that foreign matter is one of the definitions of dross.

In Malachi we read about how God will refine. Thankfully, it also says why. “Who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when He appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. he will it as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD...Then I will draw near to you for judgment....” Malachi 3:2-5

The Lord knows He is coming in judgement and no one uncovered, unclean, impure will be able to endure His judgements. In His goodness and faithfulness to us, He offers to sit as a refiner and purify us making our offerings righteous. That is why we can trust His discipline, let His eyes of fire search us. It’s terrifying, I admit that even in His love. However, there is nothing more horrific than the day of His judgement and not being purified. I do not want evil and wickedness to be anywhere near me on that day.

God is Searching; We Trust His Love

2011-03-08T10:57:00.002-06:00

Day two hundred and forty-seven of three hundred and sixty-five

March 8, 2011

In the discipling process I have learned three things about God so far, I’m sure there is more to come. God is searching, He is the refiner’s fire and He is an all consuming fire. Our willingness to let Him search, refine and consume is sign our faithfulness to Him and trustworthiness to the contents of His heart.

In 2 Chronicles 16:9 it said that God is looking throughout the earth for hearts that are loyal to Him. David asks the Lord in Psalm 139 to search him and knows his ways, exposing evil and wickedness so that he (David) can be led into the everlasting way.

My prayer: God, you are searching. Will you search my heart and expose the crookedness, empty spaces, and wasted places. I want to be found loyal in your eyes. I want a pure heart, I want to see you. I trust your love for me and how it reveals the ways that are not aligned with your ways.

God is a Discipliner; We Do Not Despise

2011-03-08T10:20:00.001-06:00

Day two hundred and forty-six of three hundred and sixty-five

March 8, 2011

When I started doing this 365 day journey, I would ask the Lord everyday, “Who are you? How should I respond to You?” Without fail He would tell me who He was and the correct response whether it be a name or attribute. However, since late December into January, this typical or formatted way has been interrupted. There are days have I have not written about at all because they didn’t fit into my format. There are days that I don’t even know to express, they are so precious. On paper I’m on day 145, but the actually journey is closer to 200 days.

All that to say, I have no idea what the next days ahead will look like. For the last week, God has been a discipliner. He is has been very clear about not rushing through the discipline process. It’s not until a change has occurred. And in the middle of the rebuke is the Father heart of God moving in His great love for me. So, who is God today? He is the Father and His discipline has caught my attention - I will not despise it. Yes, I have already written about God as Father and as Discipliner, but He doesn’t change. My response to Him has to be based on the day at hand. Today, we (me and God) are still straightening out crooked places in my heart. It’s a constant flow of call and response and to rush through it would be the way of death.

God is a Corrector; We Turn To Him

2011-03-04T11:29:00.002-06:00

Day two hundred and forty-two of three hundred and sixty-five
March 4, 2011
God is a Corrector; We Turn To Him

Continuing thoughts from the last post, Proverbs 1:23 says, “If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.”

Because God is a teacher and a good one, He rebukes and corrects those whom He loves. Proverbs 3:11-12, “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom He loves...”

When the Lord corrects us, He wants something better for us that has eternal value. What we do with His correction or how we respond to it is a result of whether or not we trust Him. If we trust, we listen and straighten ourselves to align with word. If we don’t trust Him, we turn away from His word.

Proverbs 1 promises that if we turn toward God and His correction then He will pour out His spirit to us. And, He will make known His word. I can’t speak for you, but I want His spirit poured out in full measure. I want to know His every word, all of His secrets (one at a time, please).

Who is God? He loves us so much, He will correct us. Our response to Him? Turn toward and listen and obey. Then, get ready for His spirit to be poured out!

God is Speaking; We Listen

2011-03-01T10:46:00.001-06:00

Day two hundred and thirty-nine of three hundred and sixty-five
March 1, 2011
God is Speaking; We Listen

This past week I feel like I have missed God on more than one occasion. Though they were small and, perhaps, no one noticed, they ruined my week. They (the occasions) caused confusion, doubt and self-consciousness. I realized that God was surfacing some impurities in my heart. These impurities effected my ability to hear what God was saying, and tainted what I was hearing. Any time your ability to hear God is clear, the accuser of brothers is right there to add his two cents. It was so annoying, and I classically pointed my finger of blame at everything but myself. Once I realized it was God’s hand and my sin causing all the confusion - duh - I was overwhelmed with His great love for me. I was overwhelmed with His desire to be heard in purity by me and His desire for me to respond to what He was saying. Who is like our God?

Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” I was made to hear God and when I do, it increases my faith. No wonder the enemy is always trying to chime in. Because it increases our faith, when we are not listening or hearing we doubt.

Jesus says that if we hear His words and do them then we are like a man who digs deep and builds his house on a rock. If we hear and do not obey, we are like a man who builds on ground with no foundation - Luke 6.

Proverbs 1:23 says, “If you turn at my reproof (toward to the Lord), I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.” And, vs. 33 says after a terrifying account of what happens if we don’t listen, “...but whoever listens to me will dwell secure...”

I was made to hear the Lord speaking and I was made to obey. I want to hear Him without flaw, in full and I want to respond to all that He says with obedience. I’m not okay with building on a foundation that can be and will be blown away. So, I’m okay with God rebuking me and surfacing my dross that hinders His voice. I pray the same is for you.

Who is God? He is speaking because He has something to say that is the better. Our response to Him? Be wise and listen with pure hearts and then obey.

God is Authority; We Submit

2011-02-27T20:47:00.001-06:00

Day two hundred and thirty-seven of three hundred and sixty-five
February 27, 2011
God is Authority; We Submit

As the Creator of the Universe and the Author and Finisher of our faith, God is the authority in our lives. He is authority whether we acknowledge Him, submit to Him, fear Him or not. However, because He created us to be in relationship with Him, His desire for us to choose to authority over our lives individually and as the body of Christ. He wants us to be in relationship with as His creation, as His children, as His people, as His body, as His Disciples, as His Bride, etc... All of those responses to God require our submission to His authority, to who He is.

My church is currently going through a transition that we believe is God’s destiny for the church and as a direct result for our community. As it goes with transition, I asked myself “Do I believe in this change, do I believe in this vision for my church?” Somewhere in the middle of asking myself that, God grabbed my attention and said, “Ask me!” So, I did. I asked God, “Where do you want me?” As you can imagine, there are thousands of churches in my city with all kinds of flavor and destinies. God made it clear that the issue at hand was not ifI believed in the vision of my church or where I would rather be, but whether I trusted Him and His plan for me. (For the record, this issue keeps coming up in different areas of life - God wants all of my trust). I had a choice to make that went beyond where I was going to church and entered the realm of the trust, obedience and the fear of the Lord. I’m submitting to what He has asked of me because I trust Him - well, at least I’m learning to trust.

Who is God? He is authority...He sees further than we can and holds all things together. Our response to Him? Submit to that authority because it is wise, good and faithful.

God is the Father of Glory; We Accept His Gift

2011-02-25T13:15:00.002-06:00

Day two hundred and thirty-six of three hundred and sixty-five
God is Father of Glory; We Accept His Gift

Continuing on the topic of knowledge, Ephesians 1:17 says that the Father of Glory may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. Why does the Father of Glory give us this gift? So that the eyes of our heart will be enlightened, that we may know what is the hope which he has called us AND to know what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints (vs. 18) AND what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe in the death, resurrection and authority of Christ (vs. 19).

The Father of glory wants us to know His son who is the hope of our calling, where all treasures of wisdom are hidden, in whom the great power of God dwells and is for us - Jesus’ inheritance.

Why wouldn’t we accept this gift? We are promised revelation about an immeasurable greatness. How is that? It’s a glorious, wonderful possibility that only comes by the Father of Glory, if only we will accept.

Who is God? He is the Father of Glory offering us the gift of His son. Our response to Him? Believe in that gift, accept that gift and let it be powerfully at work within us.