Never Look For Justice In This World

“Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it.” Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from single-minded devotion to God. If we look for justice, we will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in discontent and self-pity, as if to say, “Why should I be treated like this?” “ Why are others treated like this?” If we are devoted to God, we understand that we are directed to treat others justly, but He alone justifies. This is one of God’s boundary markers for us. When we attempt to rescue others, or ourselves, we have taken on His battle to justify. Psalm 91:11 states; “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” If we try to guard ourselves, we put our common sense on the throne and then attach God’s name to it. Instead of “not” leaning on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6), we “do” lean to our own understanding and, therefore, we are not trusting God. He is “the guard” and only He can justify. Although we are to war through prayer for others and ourselves, not our arm, but His “arm will bring justice to the nations.” (Isaiah 51:5)

 

Father, please forgive us for crossing Your boundaries for us. Lord may we surrender outcomes and results to You alone. May we focus on “doing” your will and on leaving the outcomes to You. May we not be diverted by thoughts of justice and injustice, fair and unfair. You alone will justify. May we fix our eyes on You. May we walk in obedience by “doing” all that You direct us to do. May the outcomes rest with You. For your glory and in your name we pray…Amen

 

 

 (a few key lines taken from writings by Oswald Chambers)

Robust Women Of Faith

Today women long for a robust Christianity that not only challenges minds, but one that calls us to kingdom action! In these difficult times a mild spiritual diet will certainly not sustain us in the kinds of battles God is calling us to engage. 
Women want and need to know God in much deeper ways. We don’t want to play at our Christianity when the gospel calls us to arm ourselves and to stand firm against the Enemy. God doesn’t call his daughters to be spectators, but active participants in his mission for the world.

We want to hear about the Jesus who demanded loyalty, who commanded authority from storms, sinners and satanic forces, who said vexing and frustrating and wild things! We want to hear preaching that is not just faithful to His words but to His TONE: of comfort but also of rebuke, of welcome but also of warning. We want to hear His dares, His call to come and die, His challenge to make hard choices. We want the Jesus of the gospels who does not just meet our needs, but who calls us to bold and courageous adventure, to self-sacrifice, to taking risks.

We want to hear a true gospel that is not blinded in prosperity, racism, gender bias or inequity; not a gospel enslaved by culture, tradition, and antiquities. We want to hear the full gospel of Jesus that leaves us aching for His perfect will and burning with a passion to complete it.

We want the Jesus who promises huge rewards for huge sacrifices, who embraces feisty Peter and wayward Mary Magdalene in same.
We want the Jesus who welcomed the little children, but also the Jesus with eyes like a flame of fire, with feet of burnished bronze and a sharp two-edged sword coming out of his mouth. Whatever that wild imagery means, we want to grapple with it. We want the Jesus who inspires awe and calls forth our worship: a gospel from The Gospels. That’s the Jesus we want! That’s the Jesus we need: the one who is worthy of the honor, adoration and allegiance of all men and women in kind!

Catch The Glory

In the glory there is peace, understanding, and fullness of joy, may He catch you in the GLORY this day:

My Child whom I love, today I want to tell you…

“My Kingdom will prevail. It advances in spite of storms, winters, seasons of mourning, and seasons of love. Nothing will deflect it.

My kingdom advances both in the harvest and the famine, churning and shifting the ground below it and the sky above.

My kingdom alters the face of the earth and all that are enslaved within her.

Those within the kingdom are transformed anew.

Their bodies molded like clay into forms I had designed and declared before the creation of mankind and the earth.

Surrender is there in the making of them.

Surrender yields up the worn and the broken to the master who creates a new likeness,

likened to His own.

Emotions are set aback in the wave of My great love.”

“Yield yourself to my advancements,” He says to me.

“As the Kingdom grows, you too will grow.

As the Kingdom advances you too will advance by my Spirit.

The way is long and narrow, but all of your steps are marked by Me.

Though you are worn and weary, I will make peace your headdress.

I will wash you in the unspeakable joy of my love.

Await Me.”

 

“Father, Father,” I call out to You.

“I await.”

In the distance the shofar sounds.

I hear it.

Its echo lingers in the hope of You.

In the wake of it, the shofar sounds again.

I am with Him.

 

Father, May we all be caught up in the glory of You every moment of our lives.

Amen.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 

 

Fearless

“The wise man in the storm prays
God, not for safety from danger,
but for deliverance from Fear “..Ralph Waldo Emerson
 

In light of the recent attacks against Paris and the people of France, we have seen fear escalate not only across peoples of this nation, but across the nations of the world. Fear is a powerful weapon and unless boldly confronted, in time, it will surely consume us.

Absolutely nothing good resides in fear. Fear inevitably paralyzes and destroys. Sadly, many people never fulfill the call on their lives, not because of lack of skill or ability, but because of fear. Many try to take steps forward, but, regrettably, fear stops and hinders them. Many fears challenge us…fear of terrorism, fear of disease, fear of flying, fear of being alone, fear of being different, fear of failure, fear of what others may say or think, and the list continues from there. Fear empties our lives and burdens us with worry and apprehension.

According to 1 John 4:18 fear brings torment. Enjoying life and being tormented at the same time by no means bears fruit for a fulfilling life.  How can we truly engage in the life we’ve been given while nibbling on a diet of fear. For most of us, fear of others, and what they think or believe about us, is the most common and debilitating fear. Many times we hesitate to share the truth of the gospel with others for fear of what they may say or think. Often times we hesitate to draw boundaries or to say “no” to things we know might offend others, even if we feel a nudge from the Spirit to share.Twice in his farewell address to the elders at Ephesus, Paul says, “I did not shrink back” or “I have not hesitated” (Acts 20:20,27). Paul was bold about communicating truth. He repeated this phrase twice because he knew that the people would continually be tempted to shrink back from dealing with issues that needed to be addressed. Whether it’s sharing the hard parts of Scripture or confronting hard relational issues, we must not shrink back.

Frequently, we don’t dare let others see us get “too” excited about Christ or evangelism, because often times we’re afraid of being singled out or being criticized as a “holy roller” a “Jesus freak”, or other names we deem offensive. How often has fear of criticism paralyzed us from speaking truth, taking risks, and breaking from the crowd, especially when we know the Lord is encouraging us to do so.

I love this quote from Teddy Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. “

May we be people who enter the “arena” every day of our lives.

May we never shrink back in fear.

May we never fear failure even if we stumble and fall.

May we speak the truth boldly and risk all for the benefit of Christ.

May our cause always be for you Lord, for your glory, for your kingdom…We give our lives.

Scriptures for Prayer: 

Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:13 For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, “Fear not, I will help you.

3fcd2684d3872f59b3380ac4f388c572

 

The Medusa-Snail Story

Yesterday I reread an essay from a book by Lewis Thomas entitled “The Medusa and the Snail”, published in 1979. The medusa-snail story is an extraordinary tale of a mature jellyfish engulfing a tiny newly-hatched slug, only to be devoured bit by bit until the snail dominates. When a snail is small, the jellyfish will sometimes swallow it and draw it into its digestive tract. But the snail is protected by its shell and cannot be digested. The snail readily fastens itself to the inside of the jellyfish and begins to eat it, from the inside out. By the time the snail is fully grown, it has consumed the entire jelly fish.

Many of us are frequently like the jellyfish, and have our own snail that eats at us from the inside. Our snail may be pride, unforgiveness, anger, insecurity, depression, worry, greed or some other trait. Slowly it grows and begins to gnaw at us. Eventually we are consumed from the inside.

In Hebrews 12:1 we read, “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…”. If you truly desire to finish the race of life, and if you want to make it to the finish line, each of us must learn to continually let go of anything that may be holding us back. What kind of things am I referring to? The things that constantly gnaw at your insides. The things that cause you to be discouraged or depressed. The things that weigh you down and keep you awake nights.

Think of it this way: If you attach one light bulb to a battery, the battery will run for a long time. If you attach 100 light bulbs to a battery, it will go dim and dark very quickly.

Father, we do not want to be entangled in the things of this world or hindered in any way from serving you. May our hard shells of pride, unforgiveness or any other hindrances be softened by the love of Jesus. May we eat and digest freely the bread of life that only You provide.

Father we thank you that we may find rest as we respond to your word:  “Come to Me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Help us to look to You for needed strength and an overcoming spirit as we daily encounter challenges and burdens in completing our race.Thank you that you recenter our focus on You so that we may serve others and serve you to your glory.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.

An Awestruck Moment With Job and Me

This morning Job and I were a bit awestruck by an amazing passage in his book. Although I have read the book of Job several times, today, the Lord allowed me to see it in a new way that I have never seen before. I love it when He does that! :   Job 26:7-8, 14

“He spreads out the northern skies over empty space;

    he suspends the earth over nothing.

He wraps up the waters in his clouds,

    yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. 

He covers the face of the full moon,

    spreading his clouds over it. 

He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters

    for a boundary between light and darkness……

 

 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;

    how faint the whisper we hear of him!

    Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”

Amazing, yes? In the beginning Job seems to be describing the northern portion of the heavens, where the grandest constellations like Ursa Major(the Great Bear), the Big Dipper, Ursa Minor (the Little Bear), and The Little Dipper are visible to the inhabitants of the northern part of the world. What a catch of the eye this must have been for Job! The Northern Hemisphere consists of most of the earth’s land area and most of the human population (about 90%), while the Southern Hemisphere is about 90% sea. Oh, and by the way, the average weight of a star is 2 plus 30 zeroes behind it.  And, yes, they just hang there?

The_Ursa_Major

“He suspends the earth over nothing”

Just reading that passage says it all. Remarkably, Job appears to grasp this concept. In contrast to the teachings of his time, like the Greeks who thought the earth was held on the shoulders of Atlas, or the people of India who believed the earth was held on the back of an elephant, or even the people in Africa who thought the earth was supported on the back of a giant tortoise, surprisingly, Job understood otherwise. According to the passage Job also had a grasp of the principles of the curvature of the earth and the curved nature of the horizon. The earth weighs 13,170 plus 21 zeroes behind it. And again, it just hangs there???

Earth_Western_Hemisphere

Take a look at this verse :

“He wraps up the waters in His clouds,

 yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.”

The fact that God can spread out the heavens over empty space, hang the earth on nothing, and fill the clouds with water without them bursting forth on our heads, definitely brings us to an awestruck moment with God.

Wagga-cb-7dec05

God has dominion not only over the world below and the world above but the very atmosphere.The average quantity of water vapor held in the air, is estimated to be 54,460,000,000,000 tons. The annual amount of rainfall is estimated to be 186,240 cubic miles. If this rain were to cut loose over the land portion of the globe, it would cover all the continents with water three feet deep. But it is just held up there ???

Think for a moment. Imagine if there was no such thing as evaporation, and you were required to lift up this great mass of 54,460,000,000,000 tons of water five miles high into the air, and keep it suspended there. And now fathom that God did exactly that on the second day of creation, and still continues to do it daily. How incredible is our God!

“And these are but the outer fringe of his works;

How faint the whisper we hear of Him!

Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”

Although Job’s description of God’s power is amazing and impressive, Job knew that his description did not begin to fully describe God. In fact he states that we only see a mere whisper of His power.

“Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”

As believers we are truly blessed by God to actually have the opportunity to see and understand many things that Job could not. The apostle Philip said, “Show us the Father and it will be enough for us.”Jesus answered (John 14:8) “ He who has seen the Father has seen me. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

Because Jesus is God in the flesh and His Holy Spirit is within us, He gives revelation and understanding to so many things that would be lost to us. By redemption, all the wonderful works of the Lord are eclipsed that we may draw near to Him, taste his grace, learn to love him, and walk in His ways. And even more amazing is that all that power Job just described is within us by His Spirit!

What a miraculous, indescribable God!

Father may we be so awestruck by the wonder of You that all else shadows and diminishes in the glory of Your light. May we rise up in this power that Job described so vividly and push back the darkness, tear down the strongholds and trample on the enemy by your spirit.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Big Dipper on the starry sky

Big Dipper on the starry sky

Cut Through the Noise

So you say to yourself, “Here I am again enduring the daily grind.” If you’re like most of us, you have stressful concerns that don’t seem all that important when you are healthy with the Lord, but when you’re wrapped up in them, they seem to be the most important things in the world. Your perspective alters and you feel yourself getting sucked into worrying about those Matthew 6:33 things. Rather quickly, you’re no longer thinking about those current or future plans that God has designed for you to complete. Distraction is shifting your focus.

So now what do you do to stay on track and to not get distracted? How can you keep or develop a missional focus?

First of all, read through these revolutionary texts from Jesus in Matthew 10:34-39.

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (ESV)

It’s easy to get bogged down in the anxieties and stresses of daily life, but it’s also amazing how easily all of that noise clears up when you set your focus on Jesus’ words. “Whoever finds his life will lose it.”

I’m on home assignment right now preparing for an upcoming mission to Ethiopia and Kenya. There have been many distractions the last two weeks that have affected my normal schedule. My lack of consistent schedule is not only causing me less time for writing, but also less time in the Word. It is so evident that the cares of this world have a stronger effect on me when my time with the Lord and his concerns are cut down.

I’m very seldom affected by the lust for material wealth, but, lately, caught up in the rush of this world, not having a consistent schedule, having less time in the Word, etc, I became much more vulnerable to the things around me. Recently being plopped in the life of a friend whose retirement life seemed to be much more desirable than my busy life, I have to admit I felt tempted. For a moment I thought that it would be so easy to shrug off this rigorous mission life and to move into a pleasurable retirement life. As that thought passed through my mind, I knew immediately, that I would soon long to be on the missions tract once again. Surprisingly, in spite of that realization, my emotions were still screaming, ” A leisurely life would be so appealing.”  The temptations of life clamor in our ears. They are ever present and oh so NOISY!

In a comfortable retirement life I would surely be able to find and enjoy all that life has to offer: Travel, peace, perpetual vacation, and great living conditions in sunny California. Following that deceptive thought, a familiar scripture floated through my mind. I seemed to hear Jesus’ voice saying, “those who find their life will lose it,  but those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

It is in vulnerable moments like these that we need to take out our Bibles and read and meditate on those powerful and demanding words of Jesus in Matthew 10:39. Allow those words to cut through all the noise in our lives and cancel out anything that’s not from our Lord. He is our shepherd, and we need to yield and listen to his voice alone. Temptations will come but they need not overcome us.

“Whoever finds his life will lose it.”

I believe Jesus spoke to my spirit as I read that passage and it was as if he started to question me, “Do you love your family more than me?” Do you refuse to take the trials that come when you follow me? Will you try to find your life on your own or will you give it up to me?”

“Whoever finds his life will lose it.”

Oh, how my heart ponders and rests on those words ….for it’s then and only then that my heart breaks, I lose my life, I find my life, and I am made truly alive through Him!

 

Blood Moon Rising

“I will set wonders in the heavens and the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke; the sun will turn to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of God” (Joel 3:3).

The result of a total lunar eclipse is that the moon will appear reddish-orange in color, a phenomenon known as “Blood Moon.” The intriguing color is the result of the moon passing through the earth’s shadow. In fact, this Saturday’s blood moon is merely the third of four blood moons within a year: April 15, 2014; October 8, 2014; April 4, 2015, and September 28, 2015. This close interval frequency is a very rare event. In fact, before the 20th century, there was a 300-year period when there were no such eclipses. In the words of NASA, “getting four umbral eclipses in a row is like drawing a rare lunar poker hand of four of a kind.”Although single blood moons happen fairly regularly, four appearing so closely together is extremely rare. There have only been a series of blood moons a handful of times over the past 500 years.

What does the Torah(first five books of Hebrew scripture)and Jewish tradition have to say about blood moons? Well, for starters, the first eclipse of the four appeared on April 15,2014 on the Jewish holiday of Passover, a pivotal event that commemorates the ancient Israelites’ Exodus from slavery in Egypt. As those familiar with the book of Exodus know, God unleashed ten plagues upon the Egyptians when they refused to follow God’s command to free the Jewish people.

The first plague was “blood”. The 10th and final plague was Death of the Firstborn (at which time the Egyptians literally kicked the Jews out of Egypt). Death is always associated with blood. Not only that, but the Israelites were commanded by God to paint lamb’s blood on their doorways so that the plague of the Firstborn would pass over their homes. As you can see, there was much reference to blood in this passage.

Remarkably, all four Blood Moons coincide with major Jewish Holidays
The first blood moon occured on Passover 2014, followed by the holiday of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)2014, then again on Passover 2015 and then again on Sukkot 2015.

Curiously major events of significance to the Jewish people happened on each of the last three recorded times that these rare blood moons occurred. They were events that changed the course and direction of Jewish history for all time. A blood moon coincided with the Six Day War in 1967, when Israel liberated Jerusalem; Jews were able to return to Jerusalem after 2000 years of Exile. Sadly, Jewish blood was spilled during this war.There was also a blood moon on the eve of Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948, following a bloody war that took place only a few years after the Holocaust, when six million Jews were destroyed.

Is the Blood Moon a Sign from Heaven?
Believers around the world of diverse faiths are attributing the blood moon phenomenon to the teaching of the prophet Joel, who had preached:

“I will set wonders in the heavens and the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke; the sun will turn to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and awesome Day of God” (Joel 3:3).

Inspired by the concluding words of Joel, some are suggesting that the blood moons are a sign from God that we are one step closer to the coming of the Messiah.

Is something wild or miraculous going to happen during the course of the upcoming series of blood moons?  Perhaps the words of the Talmud(Jewish civil and ceremonial law) can give us some insight on how we should relate to all possibilities and speculations:

“When the Jews perform the will of God, they need not worry about omens [or celestial phenomenon]. Thus says the Lord ‘Do not be frightened by the signs of the heavens.’” (Talmud Sukkah 29a)

Believers look forward to times like this. Jesus said there would be signs to alert His coming. No one can say with any degree of certainty when Jesus is coming again, because He said clearly that even the angels in heaven do not know that day (see Mark 13:32). No man knows that day, and the Son of God, when He was on the earth, did not know either. This knowledge, the Lord Jesus said, was strictly reserved for the Father. However, we are getting closer to the moment when we will be gathered together with our Savior. If you are a believer, it is time to work even more vigorously for the Father’s glory. If you are not a believer, it is time to trust Christ as your SaviorWe receive new life by faith… believing that Jesus died for our sins, that His death was in our place, and that His payment for sin is fully acceptable in God’s sight. …Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved… (Acts 16:31).

In Jesus’ Name…Amen

Where and when to view the April 4th 2015 eclipse:

http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2015-april-4

 

 

 

 

The Race You Never Win

“No matter how fast you run, you won’t escape. No matter how strong you are, you will lose your strength.” Amos 2:14

Running away is a race you never win. Running from our problems has, unfortunately, become more and more commonplace in our society. Tenets run out on renters, a spouse runs out on their family, and debtors run out on their creditors. People seem to be running in all directions; running from their fears, from other people, from their responsibilities and running from God.

Jonah tried to run away too. The book of Jonah  opens with God speaking to Jonah, commanding him to preach repentance to the city of Nineveh. Jonah found this order unbearable. Not only was Nineveh known for its wickedness, but it was also the capital of the Assyrian people, one of Israel’s fiercest enemies. Jonah, a stubborn fellow, did just the opposite of what he was told. He ran to the seaport of Joppa and booked passage on a ship to Tarshish, heading directly away from Nineveh. The Bible tells us Jonah “ran away from the Lord.” But Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). The trouble is, there are a lot of difficulties in life that we simply don’t want to embrace. Some things seem too hard to confront. Often times we’re afraid we’re not strong enough, we fear suffering, we fear reprisal or we don’t want to be embarrassed.

Sometimes, like Jonah in the Old Testament, we have a tendency to run from what we don’t want to face. Yet the Bible portrays God as a refuge where we can find safety: “He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield” (Psalm 144:2).

So what does God ask us to do instead of rationalizing our behavior or bolting for the nearest exit?

1. God is your Refuge, Keep Him close.

It’s easier to recognize a disconnect between the truth and whatever we tell ourselves when we’re very clear on what the truth is! Bible reading, prayer time and service to others helps clarify our vision. We can frequently pray, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

2. Admit your Problem.

Paul speaks for all of us when he says, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15). We’re always more focused on staying on track when we recognize that we frequently fall off it!

3. Define the Fear.

Fear is often a sign that in some way we aren’t trusting God. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment” (1 John 4:18). Whenever we fear, we need to think of it as a red flag that signals we’re likely to run!

4. Don’t Rationalize.

One of the key markers is the word “but”  (as in, “I did wrong but…”). Try to go for a whole day—and then an entire week!—without blaming anyone or anything. Look only for the plank in your own eye (Matthew 7:4) and figure out its true dimensions.

5. Be Quick to Reconcile.

We can’t have a good relationship with God until we face—and clean up—the messes we’ve made. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).

Whenever we want to run from something, we must train ourselves, instead, to run to God. “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent” (Psalm 27:5). To do this we must be honest with ourselves and honest with Him. And we must never give up hope. After all, even Jonah (Jonah, chapter 3) got a second chance!

So what problem are you running from today? What issues are causing you to “lose your strength?” Make up your mind to stop right now and deal with them. “Do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph 4:27) by spending one more day on the run. It doesn’t matter how badly you’ve failed in the past, “The blood of Jesus…cleanses us from all sin” (1Jn 1:7 ). Whether it’s a stubborn habit, or someone you fear confronting, “step up to the plate.” The thing that’s chasing you will lose its power when you face it down in the Jesus’ Name. Paul says, “Having done all… stand” (Eph 6:13), …and you do that through the power of God, not in your own strength.

Father, we surrender ourselves to you this day and every day and ask you to intervene on our behalf. May we be strengthened by your Spirit to never run away from our fears, our responsibilities, from other people or from you. May we stand strong and confront the things that hinder us. May we always run to you in all that we do, that we may be strengthened and empowered to complete the plans you have for us. In Jesus’ Name…Amen

A Naive Paulette

As a young girl of 19 years old, I identified quickly with the boldness and fire of the apostle Paul. My childhood had been wrought with fear and great pain. Reading stories of Paul strengthened me and propelled me. I wanted to be like him, to have His great strength and His boldness in my life. Paul became the mentor for my life, and I began to pray daily to become a “Paulette”. I wanted so much to be a woman of vitality, bold, and mighty for the glory of God. I prayed daily, “Lord please make me a Paulette”. I continued those prayers for many years. But somehow amidst those desires and my naiveté, I seemed to overlook in my Bible readings the great cost of His strength and His mission.

Paul spells out the true story behind his success:

“I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was [stoned], three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own [countrymen], in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches” (2 Co 11:23-28 NIV).

Most of us have a vague notion when we accept Christ, that someday we will have to make sacrifices. But for many, that price will have to be paid sooner than we realize. Not expecting that, many of us become discouraged and disheartened. We have a tendency to rationalize and to devalue ourselves and the work that we do. When our dreams don’t unfold in the time frame or manner we think they should, some of us table our dreams, putting them on hold. Others have abandoned them entirely. Reflect for a moment…Years from now, standing before our Father in heaven, will we be weeping and saying, “Father, forgive me for wasting so many of your gifts, I should have done so much more for the glory of your kingdom.”?

That’s the cost of a God-given dream.

Father, you have given us dreams to complete. Please intervene on our behalf. We stand in the authority that you have given us and denounce spirits of discouragement, pain and doubt. We boldly stand and declare that we will not abandon the dreams that you have implanted within us by your spirit. We thank you for dreams and visions that propel us for your Kingdom glory. May we rise above our fears, our inadequacies and the surpassing cost.  May we continue to run the race and finish strong according to your promises and in your great might and your strength. In your name we pray. Amen