I want the Lord to create in me a burdened heart. In fact, I am begging God for a burdened heart. When I hear the word burdened, I consider it a negative word. It is certainly not a word to be taken lightly. There are several definitions of burdened in the dictionary. It is something that is carried. It is something that is emotionally difficult to bear. It is a source of great worry or stress; weight. It is a responsibility or duty.
Sitting in my college apartment, I can look around at my closet that is full of clothes, my bed, my laptop, my college education, and most importantly my freedom in Christ that guarantees my salvation when I am finally called home to be with my sweet heavenly dad.
And while I take all of these things in, I beg for my heart to be burdened with a heart for the people that can't claim that hope and assurance that they are saved and treasured by the King. The people that don't know Jesus. It's hard for me to sit with all of my stuff my life and not be completely convinced that none of it matters if people in this world don't know the one person that does matter.
If my heart is burdened for the lost, then the lost are people that I carry on my heart. Knowing that people are lost is something that is emotionally difficult to bear. The lost are a source of great worry or stress (an urgency for them to know Jesus). The lost are a weight. But most importantly, it becomes a responsibility or a duty to seek the lost. I want my heart to be burdened like that.
If every single Christian in the world had a burdened heart for the lost, I don't think that there would be very many lost out there. Sadly that isn't the case. In Asia alone, less then 9% of the population know Jesus. That means that roughly 3,797,785,607 people don't know Jesus on that continent alone.
Now I'm not saying that everyone should pack up and move to Asia to tell them about Jesus, (even though that would be legit). Certainly there are people all around us that don't know Jesus and we are near them for a reason. What I want is to be used by the Lord.
I know that the Lord uses those who are willing to be used. I know that the Lord uses those that have a desire to be used. Mine is burning. Why He would use me, I have no idea. I have nothing to offer, and I certainly don't deserve it. But I am going to take the responsibility that He has given me as a believer, and run with it. God will do the rest.
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.----Isaiah 61
I started writing this to get my thoughts out about what the Lord has been teaching me, but I hope it encourages you in your purpose. I want us to live with a sense of urgency. If we know the truth then why aren't we sharing it? Let's start asking God to burden our hearts for the lost and let Him do it. Let's start praying for the nations, the people in our classes, our president, the sick, the broken, the weary, and the lost. Let's actually share the gospel with the people we see everyday. Let's start looking at things eternally and stop trying to think of how we can make ourselves comfortable.
I'm tired of being comfortable.
So I pray that you will join me in the life of being uncomfortable for Jesus. I pray that you will join me in being a prayer warrior for the lost. Let's finish this commission together that God created us to live for in the first place. Jesus is worth it! The adventure is worth it!
I love you friends!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Unending Grace.
This summer I worked at Sky Ranch Christian Camp in Van, Texas. Although I went there to serve and love kids, the Lord did more in my life then I thought possible. It's funny how God works like that. Being at camp was like living in heaven on earth. We got to have fun and worship the Lord without any distractions or worldly things. The kids that came to Sky Ranch called it the "sky high." They catch on fire for Jesus at camp but when they go home it fades away and they fall into the way they were before. Every girl that I talked to wanted to go home and be different. They each wanted to serve the Lord passionately and not lose it. I remember the worship song with the words, "when I come down the mountain and get back to my life, I wont settle for ordinary things. I'm going to follow you forever, for all of my days, I won't rest until I see you again."
How many times do we promise ourselves that this time it will be different? This time I will follow Jesus. This time I won't give into to temptation. This time will be the last time.
When we come into a relationship with the creator of the universe we become a new creation. We become beautiful butterflies, and we are transformed out of being the gross caterpillar that was once confined to the dirt. The Lord allows us to fly in our freedom. But one thing that was constant with my girls at camp were the feelings of worthlessness and failure. Failure to be "perfect" and maintain the "sky high." The Lord revealed to me just HOW MUCH grace He has for us. He already paid for every sin that we will commit and every mistake that we will make. We are clean, perfect, forgiven butterflies. So why are we still sitting in our mess on the ground? Why are we still confining ourselves to the ground when we now have the ability to fly? We fly in freedom and in grace. The Lord has given me a free gift that I do not deserve and I could never repay. So this mindset that I have to repay Him by being perfect just stabs the grace out of the gift. Jesus just wants me to love Him and give Him all of me. Not by my works so that I cannot boast in earning anything.
Galatians 5:4-6 says "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
I don't know about you but I don't want to fall away from grace because I'm too busy working for it. I want to sprint towards it and never let go! God just wants my faith and my love and my life. He doesn't ask me to obey rules to earn His love because I can't. I want to express my faith through love because that is all that God is, love. Is there a better way to worship God who is love then to be love and give love the way that Jesus did for us?
God doesn't need us but He WANTS us! I want to walk in His grace for the rest of my life and never again become a slave to sin, a slave to works and rules. I want to experience everything that God has for my life and for me. If you have felt the burden of trying to live by rules and laws, and you are missing out on the grace that is freely being poured over you, I would encourage you to get back in it!! Grace is why we are saved, period. Allow God to take you out of your mess and wash you in His love. His desire is for you and YOU belong to HIM!
How many times do we promise ourselves that this time it will be different? This time I will follow Jesus. This time I won't give into to temptation. This time will be the last time.
When we come into a relationship with the creator of the universe we become a new creation. We become beautiful butterflies, and we are transformed out of being the gross caterpillar that was once confined to the dirt. The Lord allows us to fly in our freedom. But one thing that was constant with my girls at camp were the feelings of worthlessness and failure. Failure to be "perfect" and maintain the "sky high." The Lord revealed to me just HOW MUCH grace He has for us. He already paid for every sin that we will commit and every mistake that we will make. We are clean, perfect, forgiven butterflies. So why are we still sitting in our mess on the ground? Why are we still confining ourselves to the ground when we now have the ability to fly? We fly in freedom and in grace. The Lord has given me a free gift that I do not deserve and I could never repay. So this mindset that I have to repay Him by being perfect just stabs the grace out of the gift. Jesus just wants me to love Him and give Him all of me. Not by my works so that I cannot boast in earning anything.
Galatians 5:4-6 says "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
I don't know about you but I don't want to fall away from grace because I'm too busy working for it. I want to sprint towards it and never let go! God just wants my faith and my love and my life. He doesn't ask me to obey rules to earn His love because I can't. I want to express my faith through love because that is all that God is, love. Is there a better way to worship God who is love then to be love and give love the way that Jesus did for us?
God doesn't need us but He WANTS us! I want to walk in His grace for the rest of my life and never again become a slave to sin, a slave to works and rules. I want to experience everything that God has for my life and for me. If you have felt the burden of trying to live by rules and laws, and you are missing out on the grace that is freely being poured over you, I would encourage you to get back in it!! Grace is why we are saved, period. Allow God to take you out of your mess and wash you in His love. His desire is for you and YOU belong to HIM!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Israel's Only Savior
1 "But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead. 4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life."-Isaiah 43:1-4
This passage has completely opened my eyes to the truths of God's immense love for us. The first thing that God says is that He has summoned us by name. The definition of summon is to authoritatively or urgently call on. How cool is it that God calls us by our names to come to Him? I think of it as if God is saying "Reagan I am urgently calling for you!" He will be with us always and through everything, the fire, storms, water, even when we are walking on solid ground. I have always known that "God was there," but I never completely lived as if He was living inside of me. As I finish my freshmen year of college, I look back on everything that I have learned and it is more then I could ever even have imagined. This year the Lord has urgently called for me to live for Him and it has been the experience of a lifetime and I will never go back! Just like this passage says, I have gone through the rivers but they have not washed over me. I have gone through the fires but I have not been burned. I am precious in the Lord's sight and because He loves me He says He will give men in exchange for my life!!
Today I was looking through my brother's national geographic magazine and the article was about the world's tallest trees. This pictures were incredible of the 300 foot trees. They were absolutely breath-taking!! A lot of people can see God's beauty through nature. I see how huge God is compared to the hugest things. If MY GOD created a 300 foot tree, He must be HUGE. If my God made the biggest mountains, he is still much bigger. So who am I to think that my life and my problems matter? But they do to God. He loves me and will give anything for me to seek and call after Him. And what is stopping us sometimes? God created everything. He is funnier then the funniest person I know. God is HILARIOUS! He is more loving then the most loving person I know. Because He created them. He created me. This fact alone should make us want to THROW our lives at him and allow him to control it all. If He knows whats going to happen and whats best then why would we ever want to do anything on our own??
What are you holding onto, big or small, that God is asking you to trust him with? Are you willing to give it away and rest in the lap of our daddy? The only one who will always be faithful?
This week at church we looked at the passage in Matthew where Peter steps out of the boat and walks on the water towards Jesus. While this passage is so important in understanding trust and being able to surrender, I picked out something I had never thought about before. Paul ASKS Jesus to ask him to get out of the boat and walk on the water!! How many times have we ever ASKED God to challenge us to step out in faith when we could surely fall? I think that the Sweet Lord wants us to want to be uncomfortable for his glory. If we are comfortable in our faith then we have settled and we are missing out!!
Today, ask God to test you, ask God to challenge you in an area that you never even thought about. Then leap out of the boat and run towards the father! YOU WILL NOT FAIL! He will be right there with you and when you reach him he will wrap his arms around you.
Hope everyone is having a blessed week. I love you all so much!!
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead. 4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life."-Isaiah 43:1-4
This passage has completely opened my eyes to the truths of God's immense love for us. The first thing that God says is that He has summoned us by name. The definition of summon is to authoritatively or urgently call on. How cool is it that God calls us by our names to come to Him? I think of it as if God is saying "Reagan I am urgently calling for you!" He will be with us always and through everything, the fire, storms, water, even when we are walking on solid ground. I have always known that "God was there," but I never completely lived as if He was living inside of me. As I finish my freshmen year of college, I look back on everything that I have learned and it is more then I could ever even have imagined. This year the Lord has urgently called for me to live for Him and it has been the experience of a lifetime and I will never go back! Just like this passage says, I have gone through the rivers but they have not washed over me. I have gone through the fires but I have not been burned. I am precious in the Lord's sight and because He loves me He says He will give men in exchange for my life!!
Today I was looking through my brother's national geographic magazine and the article was about the world's tallest trees. This pictures were incredible of the 300 foot trees. They were absolutely breath-taking!! A lot of people can see God's beauty through nature. I see how huge God is compared to the hugest things. If MY GOD created a 300 foot tree, He must be HUGE. If my God made the biggest mountains, he is still much bigger. So who am I to think that my life and my problems matter? But they do to God. He loves me and will give anything for me to seek and call after Him. And what is stopping us sometimes? God created everything. He is funnier then the funniest person I know. God is HILARIOUS! He is more loving then the most loving person I know. Because He created them. He created me. This fact alone should make us want to THROW our lives at him and allow him to control it all. If He knows whats going to happen and whats best then why would we ever want to do anything on our own??
What are you holding onto, big or small, that God is asking you to trust him with? Are you willing to give it away and rest in the lap of our daddy? The only one who will always be faithful?
This week at church we looked at the passage in Matthew where Peter steps out of the boat and walks on the water towards Jesus. While this passage is so important in understanding trust and being able to surrender, I picked out something I had never thought about before. Paul ASKS Jesus to ask him to get out of the boat and walk on the water!! How many times have we ever ASKED God to challenge us to step out in faith when we could surely fall? I think that the Sweet Lord wants us to want to be uncomfortable for his glory. If we are comfortable in our faith then we have settled and we are missing out!!
Today, ask God to test you, ask God to challenge you in an area that you never even thought about. Then leap out of the boat and run towards the father! YOU WILL NOT FAIL! He will be right there with you and when you reach him he will wrap his arms around you.
Hope everyone is having a blessed week. I love you all so much!!
Monday, April 4, 2011
God is in the Dominican Republic!
Over spring break I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip with Campus Crusade for Christ! The University of Santo Domingo has 171,000 students, many of which do not understand the love of Jesus or the free gift of eternity that we can have through Him. We went on the campus everyday and shared the gospel with students. The entire trip was completely moved by God and so I want to give Him glory by sharing about my week.
Saturday March 5, 2011 (Prayer from a week before the trip)
God, thank you so much for this trip and the opportunities you have given each of us. I thank you that you are faithful and we are believing that all of the money will come through because it is your will for the gospel to be delivered around the world. I thank you for the deep friendships that are going to be made on this trip and that we will build one another up and encourage each other. I pray for the staff in the DR, that we would just bring them an ocean of joy and encouragement that only comes from you. God I just want you to use us to do great things for your glory. Your word says that you open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. God our desire is to know you in a deeper way and to be used to further your kingdom. So use us and blow us away! You are so great and we can't wait to see what you are going to do. We declare safety and protection on this trip because we know that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. I thank you that people are going to come into your family and have a personal relationship with you. I ask for boldness and speech that does not falter. We rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus because we know that when we resist him he has to flee. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you for providing a way for us to live eternally with you because we know that you are the only way, the only truth, and the only light. Fill everyone with the power of the Holy Spirit and the ability to live a victorious life that only comes from knowing you. Give us opportunities to truly love your people the way you love us. Show us a part of you that we have never seen before and stretch us to a point where we are uncomfortable for you. It wasn't comfortable for you to die on the cross, so help us learn to be uncomfortable and radical for you. Make us radically in love with you and who you are. Make us more like you because we are so awful without you. Thank you that you know the number of hairs on our head. Thank you for knowing what we are going to do in five years, and when we are going to take our last breath. You say that where 2 or 3 gather together in your name, there you are in their midst. Well there are 35 of us gathered together so I pray that you would be with us and in our midst the entire trip and before and after. Please humble me and help me to know how worthless I really am and how much I deserve death even right this second. Give me a new understanding of what your love is and how much it cost you. Lord it was free but it wasn't cheap. Your sacrifice was, is, and is to come the greatest sacrifice. You are the name above all names. You are Yahweh, El Shaddai, El Roi, The God who sees us in our pit and picks us up out of it. If all of these things are true, then who can be against us?! You are the creator of the universe and you are on our side! We love you so much! AMEN!
Saturday March 5, 2011 (Prayer from a week before the trip)
God, thank you so much for this trip and the opportunities you have given each of us. I thank you that you are faithful and we are believing that all of the money will come through because it is your will for the gospel to be delivered around the world. I thank you for the deep friendships that are going to be made on this trip and that we will build one another up and encourage each other. I pray for the staff in the DR, that we would just bring them an ocean of joy and encouragement that only comes from you. God I just want you to use us to do great things for your glory. Your word says that you open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. God our desire is to know you in a deeper way and to be used to further your kingdom. So use us and blow us away! You are so great and we can't wait to see what you are going to do. We declare safety and protection on this trip because we know that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. I thank you that people are going to come into your family and have a personal relationship with you. I ask for boldness and speech that does not falter. We rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus because we know that when we resist him he has to flee. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Thank you for providing a way for us to live eternally with you because we know that you are the only way, the only truth, and the only light. Fill everyone with the power of the Holy Spirit and the ability to live a victorious life that only comes from knowing you. Give us opportunities to truly love your people the way you love us. Show us a part of you that we have never seen before and stretch us to a point where we are uncomfortable for you. It wasn't comfortable for you to die on the cross, so help us learn to be uncomfortable and radical for you. Make us radically in love with you and who you are. Make us more like you because we are so awful without you. Thank you that you know the number of hairs on our head. Thank you for knowing what we are going to do in five years, and when we are going to take our last breath. You say that where 2 or 3 gather together in your name, there you are in their midst. Well there are 35 of us gathered together so I pray that you would be with us and in our midst the entire trip and before and after. Please humble me and help me to know how worthless I really am and how much I deserve death even right this second. Give me a new understanding of what your love is and how much it cost you. Lord it was free but it wasn't cheap. Your sacrifice was, is, and is to come the greatest sacrifice. You are the name above all names. You are Yahweh, El Shaddai, El Roi, The God who sees us in our pit and picks us up out of it. If all of these things are true, then who can be against us?! You are the creator of the universe and you are on our side! We love you so much! AMEN!
The trip stretched me in many ways. I learned to be willing and obedient in my faith and I saw a boldness in myself that I had never seen before while sharing my faith. I learned that success is not necessarily getting someone saved, it is being willing to be used by God and leaving the results up to Him. I learned that my words are powerful and my prayers WILL be answered when I ask in faith. In Matthew 21:21-22 Jesus says “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to this fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” I lived off of this verse that week and it has changed my life even today. Every morning I prayed in faith that God would do great things through me and let me lead people to accept Him. I had the opportunity to lead six college students from the Dominican Republic to Christ, and talked about Jesus with countless others! God is always faithful and He never fails to blow me away. Its so cool to know that God WILL do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think! ALWAYS!
Another thing that was so cool was how God tested our patience and trust in Him through time and money. We were supposed to be home Sunday night and we weren't expecting to have and money left on the last day of the trip. But on Sunday when we walked into the airport, we found out we wouldn't be home until Monday night. The cool thing was that for some reason we had a ton of extra money left over- out of no where!! We spent the day at the aquarium eeeekk fishies!!!
Basically God is AMAZING and this trip rocked my world!! Start praying for BIG, SPECIFIC things and watch God move in a way exceedingly and abundantly above all that you could ask or think! Love you guys!
Friday, January 28, 2011
The Furious Longing of God
Brennan Manning, the author of "The Furious Longing of God" writes this... "Someone once said, If a man would learn to pray, let him go to sea."
Numerous times throughout the bible we read about furious storms at sea. The story of Jonah, or even Jesus calming the storm. These storms often brought fear of death and danger. In the story of Jonah, God brought a storm to bring Jonah back to him when he tried to run away. This little girl tells the story perfectly and she's awesome!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4VrujheblY
Oftentimes we have to go through a fierce storm in order to turn to God in prayer. The kind of prayer that exhibits a furious longing for God. How many times I go through fierce storms is impossible to count. But God rules the wind and the seas and He sees us through our hurt and shame. Song of Songs 7:10 says "I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me."
God is telling us something through all of the storms in the bible.
Mark 4:35-40 "On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
God's desire is for us. He is so in love with us and he LONGS for us to draw close to Him. He longs for us to pray with a furious longing that cannot be satisfied with the things of the world.
Knowing that God's desire is for ME, I am learning to turn to God in everything, not just the storms. He WANTS to hear about my day and He wants to know about my friends and my grades and all of my dreams. Take a moment to talk to your dad. You belong to Him and His desire is for you!
Numerous times throughout the bible we read about furious storms at sea. The story of Jonah, or even Jesus calming the storm. These storms often brought fear of death and danger. In the story of Jonah, God brought a storm to bring Jonah back to him when he tried to run away. This little girl tells the story perfectly and she's awesome!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4VrujheblY
Oftentimes we have to go through a fierce storm in order to turn to God in prayer. The kind of prayer that exhibits a furious longing for God. How many times I go through fierce storms is impossible to count. But God rules the wind and the seas and He sees us through our hurt and shame. Song of Songs 7:10 says "I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me."
God is telling us something through all of the storms in the bible.
Mark 4:35-40 "On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
God's desire is for us. He is so in love with us and he LONGS for us to draw close to Him. He longs for us to pray with a furious longing that cannot be satisfied with the things of the world.
Knowing that God's desire is for ME, I am learning to turn to God in everything, not just the storms. He WANTS to hear about my day and He wants to know about my friends and my grades and all of my dreams. Take a moment to talk to your dad. You belong to Him and His desire is for you!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas, HE Lives On The Inside Of Me!
I discovered a TV show called "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant." (Now before you freak out and close this page just hear me out I promise I have a point!) The show is about women who go nine months of their lives not knowing they are pregnant until they go into labor and birth a child. If you are like me, this probably blows your mind because I can not bring myself to understand how this happens, but it does! As crazy as this sounds, God really spoke to me through this show...
We shouldn't have to deliver a baby to know that we were pregnant.
We shouldn't have to SEE God to know that He lives on the inside of us.
When we enter into a relationship with the Creator of the universe, God's spirit enters into our hearts to live on the inside of us. Although we can not physically feel this, our lives begin to reflect the work being done on our hearts. We see this through faith and we feel God's love. So why do so many of us live as if we are waiting for God to move and do His part before we do anything?
We shouldn't have to deliver a baby to know that we were pregnant.
We shouldn't have to SEE God to know that He lives on the inside of us.
When we enter into a relationship with the Creator of the universe, God's spirit enters into our hearts to live on the inside of us. Although we can not physically feel this, our lives begin to reflect the work being done on our hearts. We see this through faith and we feel God's love. So why do so many of us live as if we are waiting for God to move and do His part before we do anything?
John 14:16-18 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
We need to stop living as if we are clueless! When we reach the judgement day and God asks us why we didn't follow Him are we going to say "I didn't know you were living on the inside of me to help me"?
If you ever talk to a pregnant woman, you can't help but notice the abundant joy on her face. She knows that what is inside of her is special and it is apart of her and she can't explain the overwhelming love that she has for something that she has never even seen. And she can't help but show it off!
Shouldn't our love for Christ be like that? I want my face to express abundant joy because I know WHO is on the inside of me, even though I can't see Him. I want to SHOW IT OFF because I want everyone else to have that abundant joy!
"Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?" 1 Corinthians 3:16
And just like a new mother nurtures her child, we need to nurture our hearts with the Word of God.
Jesus was born this Christmas night some 2000 years ago so that He could die to live on the inside of us. Isn't it exciting to know that He WANTS to be with us all of the time?? As you spend Christmas with your family and friends, remember that not only is Christmas celebrating the birth of Christ, but also what He was born FOR. He knew long before the earth began that we needed a savior.
Lets start our new year declaring to live with the abundant joy that God fills us with. Let us show off what is on the inside of us. After all, what fun is it in not knowing?
Merry Christmas, I love you all.
And just like a new mother nurtures her child, we need to nurture our hearts with the Word of God.
Jesus was born this Christmas night some 2000 years ago so that He could die to live on the inside of us. Isn't it exciting to know that He WANTS to be with us all of the time?? As you spend Christmas with your family and friends, remember that not only is Christmas celebrating the birth of Christ, but also what He was born FOR. He knew long before the earth began that we needed a savior.
Lets start our new year declaring to live with the abundant joy that God fills us with. Let us show off what is on the inside of us. After all, what fun is it in not knowing?
Merry Christmas, I love you all.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Battlefield
The other day I stumbled across 2 Chronicles 18 and it was EXACTLY what I needed to read. (Isn't God funny?!). Upon first glance, this story is easy to skim over and forget about, but if you really look at it, we can apply it to every situation that we are faced with. Here is the story!
1 Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2 Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.” 4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the LORD.”
5 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Go,” they answered, “for God will give it into the king’s hand.”
6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?”
7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.
8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
9 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 10 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”
11 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.”
12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”
14 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”
15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
16 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”
18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing on his right and on his left. 19 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’
“One suggested this, and another that. 20 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’
“‘By what means?’ the LORD asked.
21 “‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.
“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
22 “So now the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you.”
23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from[a] the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.
24 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”
25 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son, 26 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”
27 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!” 28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.” 31When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him, 32 for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.
33 But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the breastplate and the scale armor. The king told the chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” 34 All day long the battle raged, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset he died.
1 Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2 Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.” 4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the LORD.”
5 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Go,” they answered, “for God will give it into the king’s hand.”
6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?”
7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.
8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
9 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 10 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”
11 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.”
12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”
14 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”
15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
16 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”
18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing on his right and on his left. 19 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’
“One suggested this, and another that. 20 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’
“‘By what means?’ the LORD asked.
21 “‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.
“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
22 “So now the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you.”
23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from[a] the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.
24 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”
25 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son, 26 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”
27 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!” 28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.” 31When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him, 32 for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.
33 But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the breastplate and the scale armor. The king told the chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” 34 All day long the battle raged, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset he died.
Jehoshaphat fears the Lord and he insists that they "first seek the counsel of the Lord." I love this because it reminds me of all the times I am faced with a situation or a decision and the first thing I say to myself is NOT "I must first seek the counsel of the Lord." This is such a wake-up call to me because we SHOULD first seek the counsel of the Lord in EVERYTHING we do! We become so caught up in the excitement and chaos of life that we make every decision our own when it is really God's. How much more would we benefit from our decisions if they were based on the Lord's answer?
The second thing I love about this story is the King of Israel's answer when he is asked if there is another prophet of the Lord they can talk to. He says "There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” This made me laugh out loud when I read it. What a childish remark! It reminds me of something I would say when I was five. But that is beside the point. The point is we are reading the foreshadowing of the man who will be used to bring glory to God in this story. His name is Micaiah and he is LEGIT!! The messenger who goes to get him is like "alright Micaiah all the prophets are prophesying the success of the king, let your word be the same and tell the king what he wants to hear."
What I really got out of this story was the way Macaiah handled this entire situation. He stood firm on his word and the word that the Lord gave him. Even when he was told to give the "favorable" answer he said no. He tells the king that they should not go to battle and he is slapped in the face and sent to prison. But before he leaves he says "If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me." Macaiah is so confident in the Lord that he tells the king he is going to die!! And he does!! Even though he was frowned upon and sent to prison, Macaiah stood on what the Lord had shown him and he didn't compromise his answers to please people.
We need to live our lives like this. We should have so much faith in God and so much boldness that our lives SCREAM the glory of God and declare his promises, even when they don't make us popular. We must inquire of the Lord before everything and when we are told what to do we must obey and stick to it. If Macaiah had given in and told the king to go to war, the king would have probably still died. But since Macaiah told him not to go and that he would die, God received glory in the fulfillment of his word! Even though it was hard, and he was punished, standing on the truth in faith brought glory to God and everyone that witnessed the truth was able to believe.
We are in a constant battle. And God has already won the battle. But, it is up to us whether we choose to fight the battle His way or ours. In all of the problems or "battles" that I am dealing with right now, I need to stay on God's side until the very end. There is no switching sides!! What are your battles? Are you inquiring of the Lord for the answers? Are you obeying the answers and bringing glory to God?
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