today May 28, 2011

“Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.

Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts…”

(but open them instead.)  Psalm 95:6-8a  NIV

“And so this is still a live promise. It wasn’t canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn’t keep renewing the appointment for “today.” The promise of “arrival” and “rest” is still there for God’s people. God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we’ll surely rest with God. So let’s keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience.”  Heb. 4:8-11 MSG

No matter what happened  yesterday, last week, or over the last 6 months, today is the day that you can enter His rest. Stop struggling, stop worrying, stop beating yourself up. If you hear, “You’re a mess”, “You don’t deserve it”, or “You’ve gone too far”… these are lies from the enemy. God’s voice is saying to you today, “Come to Me. I am overcome with love for you. I forgive all of your mistakes. I am ready to move forward with you today.”

Today is the day!

masquerade May 25, 2011

Started my quiet time this morning by reading this blog post written by one of the founders of  Good Morning Girls (an online accountability ministry). Courtney writes that we need to beware of the world of blogging because it is a great venue for false teaching. Whatever we read on a person’s blog, we must make sure it lines up with scripture, especially if you feel an internal nudge to explore the idea more. The Holy Spirit will tell you if something is awry, but you  must be tuned in to listen. If you come across an idea presented by a blogger that is new to you, I recommend that you look up scriptures to check it out for yourself.

This came as a definite warning to me as a blogger. I need to remember to back up my ideas and perspectives with the word of God. I challenge you to look up the things that I am talking about in my posts and make sure that my writings align with God’s writings. If you ever have a question about something I’ve posted, or think that I might be off a bit, feel free to email me.

The trouble with false teaching is that it can closely resemble God’s truth. Beware “of such men (who) are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.” (2 Cor 11:13)

The enemy is sure to include enough familiar Christian teaching to make us comfortable, so that we do not detect the false teaching that will slowly but surely draw our hearts away from Christ. That is always the goal of false teaching… to take the focus off of Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of mankind.

I’m mindful of the wacky prophecies made about the rapture occurring this year. We may get a laugh out of the ramblings of an old man, or we might get irritated about his ignorance of Matthew 24:36 (“no man knows the day or hour”), but be assured that Satan made some major progress in discounting the idea of Christ’s second coming.  The world is scoffing… with no concern about being ready for this real event that will come at the appointed time known only by God the Father.

That false teaching was easy to spot, right? Be on your guard against teachings that will more subtly and slowly draw you away from the truth that you believe. Don’t be fooled by the enemy’s masquerade.

It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off.   Hebrews 2:1 msg

urgency May 24, 2011

Isn’t it true that all hell breaks loose on Sunday morning when you’re trying to get the family to church on time? None of us wants to bicker with the spouse or threaten the children through clenched teeth…but it happens. The enemy wants to be sure that we are completely wound up and distracted when we get to church.

It happened to us this past Sunday. One of the worst yet!  There were some heated exchanges in the car and lots of tears.

Later in the day, after the cold silence wore off, I really wanted to talk about what happened. My hubby wasn’t ready. The Lord prompted me to be quiet and wait for a better time to talk. It was really hard! The old me would have pressed and trampled on my husband’s heart…but I gave him time and space to think things through.

Meanwhile, however, I kept stewing on things. I became so self-righteous while creating my long list of wrongs against me. While falling asleep that night, and when I woke Monday morning, it was all I could think about. Rehearsing what I would say and do consumed me.

In the midst of my stewing, the Lord spoke to my heart and showed me something new. When I get upset about something, the enemy often works to convince me that it is SO urgent that I must talk about it and work it out immediately. God reminded me that I have a lifetime to work out some of the recurring issues in my marriage. Very few things are so urgent that I must press my husband to talk when he is not ready.  Knowing that the feelings of urgency were coming from the enemy allowed me to stop and put my concerns in God’s hands. I finally had the willingness to trust Him and wait for the right time.

Later on Monday, I received an email from my husband with his thoughts on what happened on the way to church… and an apology. The very first thing he wrote was about how grateful he was that I gave him space! That was the hardest part, but clearly the most valuable. In the end, I received the communication from him that I wanted. Not by pressing him, but by backing off.

This lesson about false urgency is so valuable to me. When I am overcome with emotions and concerns about something, I really need to go to God and lay it all out before Him. If it truly is urgent, then He will confirm that for me. Otherwise, I will wait on Him and proceed with loving caution.

open May 20, 2011

Remember when some of Jesus’ disciples were walking along the road and He appeared to them after He had resurrected from the dead? Luke 24 says that they walked and talked with Christ, even invited Him in for a meal, but they did not recognize Him until “their eyes were opened and they recognized him” (verse 31). What I never realized until this morning was that just a few verses later in that chapter of Luke, we see something similar:

While they were still talking about (what happened with the disciples on the road), Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  (After some eating and discussion)  Jesus said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”  Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.  (Lk 24:36,44-45)

There is definitely a theme here. Christ, through the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, has the power to open our eyes and our minds. When it seems that He is absent from our circumstances, He can open our eyes and show us His presence in that very moment. When we are reading the scriptures and we don’t understand, He can open our minds to understand what we are wrestling with. He can open our hearts to receive it and apply it appropriately.

People often ask me how I get such insight from God’s word when I teach or blog. Clearly, it is the Holy Spirit revealing truth to me. I make no claim to great depths of spiritual knowledge. Heck, I doubt my own sanity on a daily basis! If I were to recommend ONE thing to you in regard to studying and understanding the Bible, I would say to read the passage over and over again. Read it in several different versions. (biblegateway.com is excellent for this…you don’t have to buy a bunch of bibles.) When I teach, I read the passage I’m covering probably 50-75 times. Maybe more.

Why do we work so hard to figure out God’s will on our own?  Why do we pound the commentaries and bible dictionaries to make sense of the scriptures? While studying is important and I do it often, we often forget about the most important resource that we have. Christ’s very presence in us through the Holy Spirit. The Creator of the perfect plan for our lives, and the very author of the Bible are dwelling within us. We only have to press in, be quiet, and listen for the still small voice that will surely come.

apple of my eye May 19, 2011

It’s a double-post kind of day!

This morning, I was doing my study in Hebrews 1 and was led to Proverbs 7.

¹ My daughter, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
² Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
³ Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.

I saw verse 2 in a new light… the bible speaks many times about how WE are the apple of God’s eye (for example, in Psalm  17:8). The phrase is an expression of love that we still use today. The double use of the phrase in scripture creates a comparison. If I am the apple of His eye, and He would like to see His teachings (the Bible) become the apple of my eye, then consider this…Maybe I should love His word as much as He loves me!

I heard a teacher once explain that the expression “apple of your eye” comes from the idea that when I gaze at an apple, it is reflected in my pupil. When God gazes at me, I am reflected in His eye. I should daily gaze at His word so that it is reflected in me.

father and son May 19, 2011

Over the past 2  years or so, I have grown in my personal relationship with Jesus more than all the other 18 years of my christian life combined. The single most influential thing I have learned to do is to visualize myself with Him. I have discussed this many times on my blog already, but will touch on it again. The change that has taken place in me cannot be explained in mere words.  When we imagine ourselves walking and talking with Jesus in person, and we allow Him access to our imagination, He can communicate to us in amazing ways. Through this practice, the depths of His love for me have been uncovered. His will for me has been more clear. His character and His heart have been revealed like never before.

By no means have I neglected to read His word or worship Him in prayer and song. Visualization is not the only way to fellowship with Him, and must be kept in balance with the truth of His word.

While I have grown ever close to Jesus in recent years, I must admit that my relationship with the Father is strained and undefined. Frankly, I don’t know what to do with Him! My growing-up father was not a model of love and care. Surely that affects my view of Father God. Typically, He is assigned a distant, judgmental persona in my heart.

This week, a breakthrough came in this area. I was reading in Hebrews chapter 1:

 ¹ In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…

That last verse really came alive. I remembered when Jesus said in the book of John, “If you have seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.”  If I know and trust the heart of Jesus, then I already know the heart of Father God!

In the middle of bible study worship this week, the Father spoke to my heart and assured me, “I am as tender as My Son. You can trust Me. I do not judge you; I love you.” What a breakthrough.

I am working on visualizing the Father. Uncertain of His form, I have been asking the Holy Spirit to help me in my imagination. Great things are happening in me as I grow closer to both Father and Son.

tune in May 16, 2011

God has really been impressing on me the importance of listening to Him. My girls and I are studying the Life of David via my Chronological Bible. I am so impressed with the way that David listened to God. He really tuned in to what God was saying.

God speaks in so many ways. Through others, through the Bible, through circumstances, music, literature, nature, and also through the gentle and quiet voice of His Spirit. We just have to be attentive.

In the past week, God has spoken to me so much. I doubt it’s more than usual… I think I’m just listening more! Two specific situations stick out that I want to share.

My husband has been under immense stress of late. God has blessed his business beyond what we imagined and there is much work to do. I have tried to make suggestions about how to reduce his stress, but he wasn’t quite hearing me. One morning I was thinking about what to say to him before he left for work (at 6:00 a.m.). Suddenly, I sensed the Lord telling me to get out a piece of paper and write my husband a note. I couldn’t believe how clearly all of my thoughts came together and how concise it was. I gave it to him and he ran off to work.

He came home that afternoon and told me that the office manager had just called him into her office and told him many of the same things that were in my letter. I had no idea she was going to do that! She insisted on a couple of things that I was also very upfront about in my letter.

I was so blessed. I really felt like I was going out on a limb… I didn’t want to tell my husband what to do, especially in regard to his business. The Lord used both me and the office manager to tell my husband what was on His heart. My hubby received it as a word from the Lord, and it drew us together in a way that I did not expect.

I had another moment this week as I was looking at a picture of a butterfly. The Lord spoke to me these words:  You are the wing.

What?  Was that you, Lord?  Has my recent sleep deprivation and slight dehydration affected my mind? Where did this random thought come from? Why won’t it go away?

Sometimes, God speaks in abstract ways. I spent some time going back to Him to make sure it was His voice. I tried to analyze it. I tried to suppose what it meant. I started to panic and wonder if I could really trust myself to hear Him.  I thought back to past situations when I misheard or misunderstood His word to me. I was a mess… and had to text a friend as I sobbed in the el pollo loco drive thru. (Strange, I admit, but it was my only time alone the whole week!!)

I wrestled for a bit and decided on letting it go and waiting for God to show me what it meant. Those of you with different personalities might wonder why it took me an entire day to get there… but I am a work in progress!

A few days later, I ran into a friend at church and she drew me aside to ask a question. She wondered if I would be available to help her with something. At that moment… I knew what it all meant. God wants me to be a wing and bear some of the responsibilities and burdens with this friend and another friend that is closely involved. It’s a pretty minor thing now, but God has revealed the potential for our venture, and I am excited!

What a blessing to hear Him, and then understand. I was relieved to get some insight in only a few days. The Lord has spoken to me before, and it has taken long periods of time to bring it all to fruition so that I could see and understand. Waiting is the hardest part, don’t you agree?

What is God saying to you this week? Are you listening? Write down what He says, ask all of your questions, make all of your excuses, and then surrender. Lay it down. Let Him handle it. He will provide ALL that is needed. He will open ALL of the doors. He will teach you ALL that you need to know. He will carry you ALL the way!

“You will weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.    And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself any more, but your eyes will constantly behold your Teacher.    And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:19-21