Expectation

Every Wednesday night (and formerly Sunday mornings) for years I've said the church's confession over my tithes that I'm "believing the Lord for" and there's a list of things. One of those things that would really be a huge miracle to me right now is "bills paid off". So I'm sitting at lunch today and God showed me something about saying that. Usually when we're saying it at church we're just doing it because it's what we do, but what if we actually believed??? If we believed, we would act like it was true. If it was true, I would not be sitting still while I made that confession... I'd be jumping around everywhere and yelling excitedly because there's a LOT of debt in my life that needs to be paid off - debt that has kept me from doing the things I need to for God. Having that paid off (early) would be one of the most exciting things to ever happen in my life. It would be a freedom like never before. So I wonder, do I believe that the Word is true when it says in Malachi that the windows of Heaven will be opened up to me and a blessing poured out to the extent that I have no where to put it? (That is actually what it says!) I need to act like it! I need to believe to the point of action (because what you actually believe is what you will act upon, anything you don't act on, you don't really believe) and I need to realize that it is TRUTH I am confessing, and God has promised that my bills will be paid off (and really it's in His best interest even more than mine).
I need more than words or a head belief... I need expectation.

So maybe...

I wanna do this the rest of my life...

13: A Plan

When I was about 13 years old, I went through a time of severe depression. I thought often about what the easiest way to kill myself might be, and asked God almost every day to just take me in my sleep. I can't say for certain what I was angry or upset about at that time, but it seems I always was. I put on a decent show for people - no one really knew how badly I hated myself or my life. I was saved, and I knew Heaven was in my future, but I was blind to the idea of any hope for life before getting there. One day, in the midst of all of that, I cried out in my bedroom once again for God to kill me, and I heard very plainly (although not audibly) this verse: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" (Jeremiah 29:11)  God let me know that day that His words in the Bible were meant for me, too. I took this to heart and began to talk to God about this plan. He showed me things about preaching in foreign lands, and about ministering in places where most ministers do not go. It gave me a hope inside that there would be something bigger and better for me while still alive, if I would follow Him.
I haven't been perfect in fulfilling God's plan. I've been wishy-washy. Many times I'd be so on fire for God that I'd lay hands on people I didn't know to be healed... then there were many times when I became so apathetic toward the true cause of Christ that I should not have even called myself a Christian. But God knew how to get to me. In spite of my apathy, He continued to nudge me and call to me. In 2009 I decided to get off the roller coaster and just pursue God with my life. Still haven't been perfect, but my heart has stayed on Him, and He's never disappointed me.
This past year, God started requiring some real decisions from me. Some that were more drastic and in opposition to my flesh than "will you choose to pray today?" The pursuit of Him picked up speed and I found that I'm no longer just walking with Jesus, but I'm running a race. God has been revealing to me how important it is to get in His word, find the plan, and run with it. He's also taught me how to follow His gentle leadings and that if I'll listen, He will direct me. He has been making Jeremiah 29:11 more and more real to me these 13 years later, especially as 2013 approached. (Not likely a coincidence, but I don't pretend to understand the numbers and codes and all that stuff. I just think it's cool.)
So here on the first day of 2013, I'm praying about the year and God brings back to me the vision He gave me as a 13 year old, but says "This year, you won't just see it ahead, you'll see it happen."
2013 is my year. The year of happens. The year of His plan. I'm stoked.

Another Taste

When I was little, I liked pickles. That is, until one day when I was about 4 years old and for some reason threw up after eating them. That bad experience was enough to get me to not touch them again until I was about 16. I had one on a cheeseburger. Not as terrible of an experience, but still didn't like them. Then when I was 25, I tried them again. This time I loved them. I still eat them quite frequently. I'm glad I tried them again.

Many people have a pickle experience with Christianity. They think it's okay for a while, but then they have a  really bad experience with a church or a person claiming to be a Christian. Some even relent to one more try at a church and have an experience that is mediocre at best. But I believe that if they will choose to try it again, with people who really seek to live by the Bible and be like Jesus, they'll find that they love it and will want to come back frequently. They'll be so thankful that they gave it another go.

The thing is, Christians, we've got to be people that do actually seek to live by the Bible and be like Jesus! Give them something they'll want to taste. The Bible says "O taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psalm 34:8) If our lives don't show a goodness worth tasting, then why would they want to know anything about it? If you believe the Lord is good, then share that goodness (LOVE) with others. Give them a taste of the goodness of the Lord. It is His kindness that leads mankind to repentance (Romans 2:4), and you are the messenger of that kindness to the world.

Some Thoughts on Homosexuality & the Love of God

I read a post today about people protesting Ellen's right to be a spokesperson for J.C. Penny. The only reason they were protesting is because she has chosen a lifestyle of homosexuality. As surprising as this may sound to people who know me, I think their protest is ridiculous and harmful to the cause of Christ.

I am against homosexuality 110%. I have seen it ruin people's lives. I have even personally felt the vile grip of the demonic spirit behind it. I am also against adultery. I've seen and felt it's evil sting too. I see no one protesting the use of straight but unfaithful entertainers. Why not? Because the Christian community has classified certain sins as worse than others. We classify people by their sins and how we would rank their sin on  our self-righteous scale. But sin is sin. All of it exactly the same, all of it equally detestable to the Lord, and equally redeemable by the blood of Jesus. No one is their sin. They do sin or live a lifestyle of sin, but they are not sin. People are to be loved. God loves Ellen. God loves all homosexuals. God loves all murderers. God loves all adulterers. God loves all prideful, judgmental, religious gossipers. He does. With the same love. What we do or don't do isn't what affects God's love for us. Furthermore, as followers of Christ, what people do or don't do should not affect our love for people.
I'm not asking anyone to condone sin. Nor do I believe in trying to fund the gay community or supporting gay marriage or anything of that sort. I wouldn't do that anymore than I would support a Communist group, or a brothel. I am simply asking people to stop being so quick to stand against a person. Stand against sin. Stand against all of it equally. Stand for love. Stand for people.
And quit giving the world a bad taste of Jesus. He loves. We all have messed up and lived in ways that didn't please Him. There are no exceptions to that (Romans 3:23). But Jesus loved us in spite of that so much that He died to take the judgment and punishment for us. We deserved to die, but He didn't want any of us to get what we deserve. Even the ones who have believed a lie and bought into the homosexual lifestyle. Even the ones who refuse to believe He exists. Even the ones who misrepresent Him. Even the ones who have slaughtered others in His name. He died for all of us, and commanded us to love each other. And so we should.

And if you want to deal with the problems of homosexuality or any other sin in this world, PRAY. God can change people by His love and conviction. Your judgment and condemnation will only spread hate, but prayer will make a way for love to bring freedom and truth and light into those areas where sin exists.

What are you saying??

"My manager doesn't know what she's doing."
"My co-worker is a drug addict and lousy at his job."
"The youth don't care about Jesus."
"So-and-so has no respect for anyone."

Um, hello? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?
God caught my attention this weekend about what I was saying in conversations. Things were flying out of my mouth without any filtration at all. Things that if I was really thinking about it, I would not say because that is not the way I want those things to go.
The Bible says to "call those things that be not as though they were." (Romans 4:17) I may not see a whole lot of good in situations, but what I see is not what is real. What is real is what God would say about the situation. God would look at the situations and say:
"My manager is full of the wisdom of God and makes wise decisions."
"My co-worker is saved and is walking in the grace of God. He is redeemed and delivered and realizes his God-given purpose which drives him to do his job as unto the Lord."
"The youth are awake, hungry, and on fire for Jesus."
"So-and-so fears God and loves people with the love of God that was shed abroad in their heart."

Which set of statements sounds more like what would be ideal? God's way obviously. So why keep putting words out there to contradict God's way, and create the far less than ideal situation (or reinforce it)?

I can't promise anyone that I will never slip up and say something contrary to God's way, but I want to strive from now on to only allow the kinds of statements God would say out of my mouth. And not just about others. Things like "I'm always tired." "I can't..." and "I am not good at..." have to stop coming out of my mouth. They disagree with what God has said. Colossians 1:29 says, "For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me." His energy is working powerfully within me!!  Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." I CAN!!  Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  I was made for anything God asks me to do, its not too hard, and I am well able!!
God has made His opinion clear, my mouth needs to line up with it. And think about it, don't you feel better saying the things God says versus what we've always said? It's because we were created to have those God promises operating in our lives, not failure, not defeat, not sin... but victory.

I would challenge you today to ask yourself: what are you saying?

Harvest Time

"And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]." Mark 16:15 (amp)

"All during this time, the good news - the Message of the Kingdom - will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come." Matthew 24:14 (msg)

"Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" John 4:35 (nkjv)

"Jesus said, 'The food that keeps me going is that I do the will  of the One who sent me, finishing the work He started. As you look around right now, wouldn't you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I'm telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what's right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It's harvest time!" John 4:34-35 (msg)

"And Jesus said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.'" Mark 1:17 (esv)

"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise." Proverbs 11:30 (nkjv)

"How much do you have to hate someone to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?" - Penn Jillette (athiest comedian)

"'Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you  to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world." - William Booth (founder Salvation Army)

"What are we here for, to have a good time with Christians or to save sinners?" - Malla Moe (Norwegian pioneer missionary)

"Some want to live within the sound of a church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell." - C.T. Studd (English missionary)

It is time to start doing what the Bible talks about. It is time to spread this Gospel to EVERYONE. Why would you not? Surely we don't hate anyone enough to want them to die without Christ. So the only explanation I can think of for why we haven't shared Jesus with the people around us is fear.

But 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Also, Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

God has given us the ability to do what He asked us to do. He took away our excuses.

It's time to start doing what God has commissioned us to do, and spread His life-transforming good news with everyone.

It's Harvest Time!