God is not moving at Grace Covenant Christian Center… and we are excited about that!
We have awesome Praise & Worship (thanks to Angela McKenzie and her team), but it does not usher in the presence of the Holy Spirit & God’s presence does not fall down on us… and we are excited about that!
God is not meeting our needs… and we are excited about that!
God is not healing … and we are excited about that!
God is not providing… and we are excited about that!
I could go on and on!
God is not moving because He has already moved when He sent His son, Jesus! Many people believe (including myself, not too long ago) that they need to “do” something or believe “for” something, or pray a certain way, so that God would move on their behalf. If this were true then God would be like our puppet waiting for us to “pull the right strings” enabling Him to get up off His throne and “do something” for us. The truth is God has done it ALL already. God is not moved by our actions. He is not moved by a great service. He is not moved by our prayers, or tears, or fasting. He was moved by His great love for us over 2,000 years ago when He sent His son, Jesus. Do you remember what Jesus said as He hung on the cross? “It is finished!” I am so thankful for the truth being preached at GCCC that has caused my faith to “shoot through the roof” knowing that it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with JESUS!!!
I used to be taught, and always believed, that God’s presence would fall down on us as we were all led into great praise & worship. The problem with this thinking is when we don’t “feel” His presence, then we think that we didn’t do something right or good enough or God (for some reason) didn’t want to be in our presence. I am so thankful for finally seeing the truth on this subject! At Grace Covenant Christian Center God’s presence is there each and every Sunday because He walks in the door with us! I have the Holy Spirit (God Himself) living on the inside of me! He goes with me wherever I go! Grace Covenant Christian Center is so blessed to have Angela McKenzie & her team leading us in Praise & Worship! We are even more blessed that they and the rest of us at GCCC realize and know that awesome praise & worship does not “allow” God’s presence to “fall” but simply helps us recognize, focus on and be sensitive to God’s presence living on the inside of us!
God is not meeting our needs because they were ALL met at the cross! We are excited at GCCC to see people realizing and accepting ALL the blessings that God has already given to them! The blessings of God are not contingent on our performance, they are not contingent on our giving, they are not connected to our hard work… they were all provided at the cross! When we FREELY receive what all God has for us then we can freely and joyfully share with others!
God is not healing (and as I have heard Andrew Wommack say, “God has not healed anyone for over 2,000 years.”). Now, THAT’S good news! Our healing took place at the cross! 1 Peter 2:24 tells us that by Jesus’ stripes we were (past tense) healed. There is nothing you can do to “earn” your healing it was already “earned” for you by the stripes that Jesus took on His back!
God is not providing for us at GCCC… He already has provided everything that we could ever need or want and then some!!! It is so much fun to sit back and enjoy all the benefits of our loving God! He has truly blessed us beyond measure!
I am so thankful for the Word, the Good News, that is being preached at Grace Covenant Christian Center and I am even more excited to see everyone dusting off their Bibles and digging into the Word and using their Swords for themselves!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Zipping with God
Today, my husband & I spent 3 hours zip lining in the Smokey Mountains. Bob wanted to go on vacation in the mountains and have a peaceful "get away" reading & relaxing. Reading & relaxing are nice, but MY idea of a vacation includes something that is a little more exciting! So we compromised... I read & relaxed with Bob and he came zip lining with me!
I will have to admit, my motives for going "zipping" had nothing whatsoever to do with God; I simply love a good thrill. However, God did remind me of just how wonderful He is while up in the canopy of the trees.
There were 8 people in our group, along with 2 guides. Before we left for the top of the mountain, our guides explained to us that they would remain with us at all times. One guide would always be the first to zip and go before us onto the next platform while the other guide would stay behind and be the last one to zip off of each platform. They assured us that they would NEVER leave us and would remain with our group the entire time. Sound familiar? God reminded me of His promise in Hebrews 13:5, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Before we set out on our adventure, the guides helped us get all of our gear on including our harnesses, helmets, etc. We were equipped with all the right tools to keep us safe and secure. Sound familiar? God reminded me that He has supplied us with gear called the Armor of God so that we are able to stand against the devil's schemes(Ephesians 6:10-20). Now, I could have foolishly refused to put on all the safety gear provided for my protection; but I chose to use every item supplied! You can choose NOT to put on the full armor of God; but I would not recommend it! I would highly suggest that you cloth yourself with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, put the gospel of peace on your feet, take the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and don't forget the sword of the spirit, which is the Word!
Once we were well equipped, we headed up the mountain in jeeps zig-zagging through the winding rough roads so that we could reach our starting point and start zipping down the mountain. Sometimes the road of life can be difficult but we need to be like Paul and continue to press on towards the mark (Philippians 3:13-14).
As we climbed up on the 1st platform, the guides hooked not just one, but two metal clips to a cable connected to the first tree that we were now in. They told us that our feet would not touch the ground again for another 2 1/2 hours. They also told us that from that point on we would always be safe (even though we would be up in a tree or suspended in mid-air zipping from tree to tree high above the forest canopy). And what was the reason that we would be so safe? What if we tripped and fell while on a platform? What if we jumped before they told us? Why could they so confidently assure us that we would not fall? They explained that we would ALWAYS be connected to the cable... ALWAYS!!! Each of us actually had 2 metal clips attached to our harnesses; at least one of those clips were attached to the cable at ALL times. We could safely zip from one platform to the next because we were connected to our anchor. Sound familiar? Jesus is our source; our anchor. When we are connected to Him, we are ALWAYS safe! He is ALWAYS there for us! I excitedly and confidently took the "leap of faith" off the first platform and went sailing through the sky! I had no fear because I knew I was anchored to the cable. When we know who we are in Christ, we will have no fear. When Jesus Christ is our anchor, we can confidently take ANY "leap of faith" that God wants us to take! Go for it! You will not regret it!
Each platform was built high up in a treetop. These trees were huge! They towered above the ground! We had 2 people in our group that were a little scared and each time they reached a platform they breathed a sigh of relief. We jokingly called them 'tree huggers' because as soon as they reached the platform they would hug onto the tree in the middle of the platform. They enjoyed the 'safety' that the strong towering tree provided. Sound familiar? "The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10.
While we were up on the small circular platforms waiting for our turns to zip we quickly learned while we had been given helmets! We were being bombarded by HUGE acorns falling from the tree tops above us! The helmets were protecting us from the acorns! Without the helmets, those acorns could have knocked us out! I chuckled to myself as God used the acorns to speak to my heart, "Yes, there will be some "nuts" in your life that will try to "knock you out" & discourage you but you have the helmet of salvation! All things have been provided for you through that salvation. Keep pressing on!"
Sometimes the platforms were so far away from each other that you could barely see them. Each platform was REALLY high off the ground and seemed a little scary. Sometimes the next step that God wants us to take in life may seem a little scary or too big of a step for us to reach or accomplish, but remember... you are connected to Jesus! When you have Jesus, you can do it! Sound familiar? "I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength!" Philippians 4:13.
I thoroughly enjoyed zipping through the mountains spending time with my Abba Father!
Here are videos of Bob & I zipping
I will have to admit, my motives for going "zipping" had nothing whatsoever to do with God; I simply love a good thrill. However, God did remind me of just how wonderful He is while up in the canopy of the trees.
There were 8 people in our group, along with 2 guides. Before we left for the top of the mountain, our guides explained to us that they would remain with us at all times. One guide would always be the first to zip and go before us onto the next platform while the other guide would stay behind and be the last one to zip off of each platform. They assured us that they would NEVER leave us and would remain with our group the entire time. Sound familiar? God reminded me of His promise in Hebrews 13:5, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Before we set out on our adventure, the guides helped us get all of our gear on including our harnesses, helmets, etc. We were equipped with all the right tools to keep us safe and secure. Sound familiar? God reminded me that He has supplied us with gear called the Armor of God so that we are able to stand against the devil's schemes(Ephesians 6:10-20). Now, I could have foolishly refused to put on all the safety gear provided for my protection; but I chose to use every item supplied! You can choose NOT to put on the full armor of God; but I would not recommend it! I would highly suggest that you cloth yourself with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, put the gospel of peace on your feet, take the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and don't forget the sword of the spirit, which is the Word!Once we were well equipped, we headed up the mountain in jeeps zig-zagging through the winding rough roads so that we could reach our starting point and start zipping down the mountain. Sometimes the road of life can be difficult but we need to be like Paul and continue to press on towards the mark (Philippians 3:13-14).
As we climbed up on the 1st platform, the guides hooked not just one, but two metal clips to a cable connected to the first tree that we were now in. They told us that our feet would not touch the ground again for another 2 1/2 hours. They also told us that from that point on we would always be safe (even though we would be up in a tree or suspended in mid-air zipping from tree to tree high above the forest canopy). And what was the reason that we would be so safe? What if we tripped and fell while on a platform? What if we jumped before they told us? Why could they so confidently assure us that we would not fall? They explained that we would ALWAYS be connected to the cable... ALWAYS!!! Each of us actually had 2 metal clips attached to our harnesses; at least one of those clips were attached to the cable at ALL times. We could safely zip from one platform to the next because we were connected to our anchor. Sound familiar? Jesus is our source; our anchor. When we are connected to Him, we are ALWAYS safe! He is ALWAYS there for us! I excitedly and confidently took the "leap of faith" off the first platform and went sailing through the sky! I had no fear because I knew I was anchored to the cable. When we know who we are in Christ, we will have no fear. When Jesus Christ is our anchor, we can confidently take ANY "leap of faith" that God wants us to take! Go for it! You will not regret it!
Each platform was built high up in a treetop. These trees were huge! They towered above the ground! We had 2 people in our group that were a little scared and each time they reached a platform they breathed a sigh of relief. We jokingly called them 'tree huggers' because as soon as they reached the platform they would hug onto the tree in the middle of the platform. They enjoyed the 'safety' that the strong towering tree provided. Sound familiar? "The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10. While we were up on the small circular platforms waiting for our turns to zip we quickly learned while we had been given helmets! We were being bombarded by HUGE acorns falling from the tree tops above us! The helmets were protecting us from the acorns! Without the helmets, those acorns could have knocked us out! I chuckled to myself as God used the acorns to speak to my heart, "Yes, there will be some "nuts" in your life that will try to "knock you out" & discourage you but you have the helmet of salvation! All things have been provided for you through that salvation. Keep pressing on!"
Sometimes the platforms were so far away from each other that you could barely see them. Each platform was REALLY high off the ground and seemed a little scary. Sometimes the next step that God wants us to take in life may seem a little scary or too big of a step for us to reach or accomplish, but remember... you are connected to Jesus! When you have Jesus, you can do it! Sound familiar? "I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength!" Philippians 4:13.
I thoroughly enjoyed zipping through the mountains spending time with my Abba Father!
Here are videos of Bob & I zipping
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Till the Walls Fall Down
The song "Till the Walls Fall" by Martha Munizzi is a really powerful song that ministered to me this morning. It reminded me of a lesson that God had given me several years ago when I was teaching Jr. High age students. I went back and read through the lesson and WOW God really ministered to me through it! Today I am going to choose to "practice what I preached" several years ago!!! The battle is NOT mine it belongs to the Lord! And the great news is that it has already been won!!!
You can read in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 about king Jehoshaphat. One day, King Jehoshaphat found himself in an impossible situation. Impossible for him but NOTHING is impossible for our God. The Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites came to start a war and to take over Judah including Jerusalem. Thankfully, Jehoshaphat did not try to join the battle and defend himself; instead the first thing Jehoshaphat did was seek God for direction.
When trouble comes our way we need to seek God for direction on how to handle the situation, FIRST, before we take matters into our own hands.
As Jehoshaphat is praying to God he says, “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” 2 Chronicles 20:12b
When we find ourselves in a spiritual battle, we should not focus on the situation but we need to keep our eyes on Jesus!
In 2 Chronicles 20:15 we read God's reply to Jehoshaphat's prayer... “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”
There are some powerful things in this verse:
1. Do not be afraid. We do not want to allow fear into a situation because fear will cause everything to be blown way out of proportion. (Kind of like viewing our situation through a high powered magnifying glass!)
2. Do not be discouraged.
3. The battle is not yours; the battle is God's. If we truly believe that the battle is not ours, then we should not try to get involved. We should not try to defend ourselves. We should let God fight the battle!
4. God says, "You will not have to fight this battle." So why do we tend to think that God needs our help and want to join in? If we choose to join the battle we are choosing to walk out onto the battle field and are putting ourselves out in the enemies line of fire! I think I will choose to stay 'off' the battle field and allow God to handle the situation.
5. Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. God instructs us numerous times in the Bible to stand firm but the one that comes to mind is in 1 Peter 5:8-10 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
6. God repeats, "Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged." Hmmm... I wonder why this is repeated? It is extremely important that we do not allow the enemy to successfully use fear and discouragement against us. We need to stand firm in faith.
2 Chronicles 20:18-21 goes on to say that Jehoshaphat, all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down to the ground and began to worship God. Then some stood up and praised the Lord, with a very loud voice. Early the next morning they all left for the desert where God said that these enemies would be. Jehoshaphat stood and reminded everyone to have faith in the Lord and they would be safe. Then Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise Him as they went out ahead of the army. Now look in verse 22 to see what happens!
2 Chronicles 20:22 “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.”
It goes on to say how the men of Ammon and Moab started fighting against the men of Seir. After they destroyed all of them they starting fighting each other and destroying each other. All the enemies that were after God’s people destroyed each other and Jehoshaphat and his men were not even there yet. When the men of Judah came to a place that overlooks the desert where the enemy armies were they saw only dead bodies lying all over the ground; no one had escaped.
The battle was not theirs, it belonged to the Lord. The only weapon they used in this war was Praise & Worship. They did not use a sword, nothing else. They did not have to fight anyone.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 tells us, “Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
In Ephesians chapter 6 it talks about putting on the whole armor of God so that we can fight the enemy. In verse 12 it says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, (that means other people) but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
~ Our weapons are different than the world’s weapons.
~ It is easy to act like the world when we are being attacked but we need to step aside and allow God to fight our battles.
~ Let God fight your battles. When I let God fight my battles I know that He wins every single time! In fact, EVERY battle has been won already at the cross!!!
You may recall another time that God had His people use the weapon of praise. When Joshua and the army of God needed to defeat the city of Jericho they had a huge obstacle standing in their way to victory. A huge wall surrounded the city. This was not your ordinary wall. It was huge; it was built to protect the city. What happened to the wall? How did the army of God destroy the wall? They marched around it quietly for six days and on the 7th day they marched around it seven times and then let out a huge shout to the Lord and the wall fell down flat. Notice they shouted thanking God for their victory before the wall came down.
Now both of these battles took place prior to Jesus' finished work at the cross. The battles that we fight have ALREADY been fought and have ALREADY been won!!! We need to accept Christ and His finished work! When we join in and become involved in the situations and circumstances in our life we are choosing to hit the 'replay' button of a fight that has already been fought & won. I think I will choose to stand firm in the faith and stay off the battle field that the enemy is trying to drag me back on. I will choose to let God fight my battles. I will choose to praise God for the Victory that He has already provided!
I praise God that He loves me so much that He was willing to send His one & only Son to die for me! I praise God that NOTHING can separate me from His love! I praise God that no weapon formed against me can prosper! I praise God that He is an awesome God! I praise God that the enemy has already been defeated! I praise God for His grace! I praise God that I was saved by His grace! I praise God that the truth will always prevail! I praise God that He is my defender! I praise God that I am standing on the Rock! I praise God for the victory! I praise God that the battle has been fought and I am on the winning team!
Jesus cried out as He hung on the cross, "It is Finished!"
You can read in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 about king Jehoshaphat. One day, King Jehoshaphat found himself in an impossible situation. Impossible for him but NOTHING is impossible for our God. The Moabites, Ammonites and Meunites came to start a war and to take over Judah including Jerusalem. Thankfully, Jehoshaphat did not try to join the battle and defend himself; instead the first thing Jehoshaphat did was seek God for direction.
When trouble comes our way we need to seek God for direction on how to handle the situation, FIRST, before we take matters into our own hands.
As Jehoshaphat is praying to God he says, “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” 2 Chronicles 20:12b
When we find ourselves in a spiritual battle, we should not focus on the situation but we need to keep our eyes on Jesus!
In 2 Chronicles 20:15 we read God's reply to Jehoshaphat's prayer... “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”
There are some powerful things in this verse:
1. Do not be afraid. We do not want to allow fear into a situation because fear will cause everything to be blown way out of proportion. (Kind of like viewing our situation through a high powered magnifying glass!)
2. Do not be discouraged.
3. The battle is not yours; the battle is God's. If we truly believe that the battle is not ours, then we should not try to get involved. We should not try to defend ourselves. We should let God fight the battle!
4. God says, "You will not have to fight this battle." So why do we tend to think that God needs our help and want to join in? If we choose to join the battle we are choosing to walk out onto the battle field and are putting ourselves out in the enemies line of fire! I think I will choose to stay 'off' the battle field and allow God to handle the situation.
5. Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. God instructs us numerous times in the Bible to stand firm but the one that comes to mind is in 1 Peter 5:8-10 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
6. God repeats, "Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged." Hmmm... I wonder why this is repeated? It is extremely important that we do not allow the enemy to successfully use fear and discouragement against us. We need to stand firm in faith.
2 Chronicles 20:18-21 goes on to say that Jehoshaphat, all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down to the ground and began to worship God. Then some stood up and praised the Lord, with a very loud voice. Early the next morning they all left for the desert where God said that these enemies would be. Jehoshaphat stood and reminded everyone to have faith in the Lord and they would be safe. Then Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise Him as they went out ahead of the army. Now look in verse 22 to see what happens!
2 Chronicles 20:22 “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.”
It goes on to say how the men of Ammon and Moab started fighting against the men of Seir. After they destroyed all of them they starting fighting each other and destroying each other. All the enemies that were after God’s people destroyed each other and Jehoshaphat and his men were not even there yet. When the men of Judah came to a place that overlooks the desert where the enemy armies were they saw only dead bodies lying all over the ground; no one had escaped.
The battle was not theirs, it belonged to the Lord. The only weapon they used in this war was Praise & Worship. They did not use a sword, nothing else. They did not have to fight anyone.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 tells us, “Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
In Ephesians chapter 6 it talks about putting on the whole armor of God so that we can fight the enemy. In verse 12 it says that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, (that means other people) but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
~ Our weapons are different than the world’s weapons.
~ It is easy to act like the world when we are being attacked but we need to step aside and allow God to fight our battles.
~ Let God fight your battles. When I let God fight my battles I know that He wins every single time! In fact, EVERY battle has been won already at the cross!!!
You may recall another time that God had His people use the weapon of praise. When Joshua and the army of God needed to defeat the city of Jericho they had a huge obstacle standing in their way to victory. A huge wall surrounded the city. This was not your ordinary wall. It was huge; it was built to protect the city. What happened to the wall? How did the army of God destroy the wall? They marched around it quietly for six days and on the 7th day they marched around it seven times and then let out a huge shout to the Lord and the wall fell down flat. Notice they shouted thanking God for their victory before the wall came down.
Now both of these battles took place prior to Jesus' finished work at the cross. The battles that we fight have ALREADY been fought and have ALREADY been won!!! We need to accept Christ and His finished work! When we join in and become involved in the situations and circumstances in our life we are choosing to hit the 'replay' button of a fight that has already been fought & won. I think I will choose to stand firm in the faith and stay off the battle field that the enemy is trying to drag me back on. I will choose to let God fight my battles. I will choose to praise God for the Victory that He has already provided!
I praise God that He loves me so much that He was willing to send His one & only Son to die for me! I praise God that NOTHING can separate me from His love! I praise God that no weapon formed against me can prosper! I praise God that He is an awesome God! I praise God that the enemy has already been defeated! I praise God for His grace! I praise God that I was saved by His grace! I praise God that the truth will always prevail! I praise God that He is my defender! I praise God that I am standing on the Rock! I praise God for the victory! I praise God that the battle has been fought and I am on the winning team!
Jesus cried out as He hung on the cross, "It is Finished!"
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
"Most people in the world love God, they just hate church! There are a lot of great churches, but by and large most churches have lost their way. They are so busy building ministries they have forgotten that we are supposed to build people." ~ Jim Richards
I read that about a week ago and can't seem to get it off my mind! Interestingly enough, over the last few months I have told people numerous times, "We are NOT trying to grow a ministry! We are simply following God one foot step at a time." We have many people tell us that they are praying for our ministry and for the church to grow. While I appreciate their prayers and I know their intentions are good, every time I hear it I want to shout, "It's not about growing a ministry!" I told someone a month or so ago, "If anyone ever gives me a book on how to grow a successful church/ministry it is going straight in the trash!"
Go into any Christian or secular book store and you will be able to find a whole slew of books on how to grow a successful ministry or church. As I was thinking about this fact, my first thoughts were, "Why in the world would anyone want to read a "how-to" book about how to build a ministry? Why would anyone want to 'model' their ministry after another 'successful' ministry? What works for one may NOT work for the other! What God wants for one ministry many NOT be what HE wants for the other! We need to listen for and follow after God's voice... plain & simple!" Then I heard that still small voice that said, "I NEVER asked men to build ministries!" I then remembered what Psalms 127:1 says, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." We need to focus on what God has called us to do, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." Mark 16:15 and let GOD take care of building His house!
The church is not a building! The church is not a ministry! The church is not a denomination or a non-denomination! The church is the body of Jesus Christ! The Church is people!!! It's time for the 'walls' (built by man) of the church to come down so that Christians can go about their Father's business and go out into their world (their neighborhoods, their families, their workplaces) and share the good news!
Lord, I NEVER want to focus on building a ministry; I ONLY want to focus on YOU! Lord my desire is to share the GOOD NEWS with others so that they can truly know who they are in Christ and be whole and healthy in YOU! I want people to realize that they do not have to be dependent on the "church" or a ministry or a leader; they can depend COMPLETELY on YOU!! I want people to accept the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work so that they realize they are in right standing with God at all times so that they are well able to go out into their world and make an impact!
I read that about a week ago and can't seem to get it off my mind! Interestingly enough, over the last few months I have told people numerous times, "We are NOT trying to grow a ministry! We are simply following God one foot step at a time." We have many people tell us that they are praying for our ministry and for the church to grow. While I appreciate their prayers and I know their intentions are good, every time I hear it I want to shout, "It's not about growing a ministry!" I told someone a month or so ago, "If anyone ever gives me a book on how to grow a successful church/ministry it is going straight in the trash!"
Go into any Christian or secular book store and you will be able to find a whole slew of books on how to grow a successful ministry or church. As I was thinking about this fact, my first thoughts were, "Why in the world would anyone want to read a "how-to" book about how to build a ministry? Why would anyone want to 'model' their ministry after another 'successful' ministry? What works for one may NOT work for the other! What God wants for one ministry many NOT be what HE wants for the other! We need to listen for and follow after God's voice... plain & simple!" Then I heard that still small voice that said, "I NEVER asked men to build ministries!" I then remembered what Psalms 127:1 says, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." We need to focus on what God has called us to do, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." Mark 16:15 and let GOD take care of building His house!
The church is not a building! The church is not a ministry! The church is not a denomination or a non-denomination! The church is the body of Jesus Christ! The Church is people!!! It's time for the 'walls' (built by man) of the church to come down so that Christians can go about their Father's business and go out into their world (their neighborhoods, their families, their workplaces) and share the good news!
Lord, I NEVER want to focus on building a ministry; I ONLY want to focus on YOU! Lord my desire is to share the GOOD NEWS with others so that they can truly know who they are in Christ and be whole and healthy in YOU! I want people to realize that they do not have to be dependent on the "church" or a ministry or a leader; they can depend COMPLETELY on YOU!! I want people to accept the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work so that they realize they are in right standing with God at all times so that they are well able to go out into their world and make an impact!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Who Has Bewitched You?
I started studying in Galatians last night and WOW! It is ALL so good! I would love to discuss every scripture but so that this blog doesn't become too long, I encourage you to read it for yourself.
Galatians 2:21-3:3 "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"
The word "bewitched" really stood out as I read this. "Who has bewitched you?" Bewitched? I had heard that term before... "Bewitched" was a sitcom that was on TV from 1964-1972 about a mortal man married to a witch. Now, we all know the apostle Paul was not talking about Darrin Stephens and his witch wife Samantha. Never the less, Paul was referring to witchcraft. If someone has bewitched you they have affected you with witchcraft or magic or have cast a spell over you.
So why did Paul ask this question to the Galatians? "Oh foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?" It was because they had put themselves back under the law and were trying to attain the goal by their own efforts! We need to always remember... "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) We are saved by GRACE, not by our human efforts.
As you can read in my "NEVER will I leave you, NEVER will I forsake you" post, I too was foolish like the Galatians and had been bewitched. I was saved by GRACE and then over time I allowed myself to be put right back under the law. As I press on towards the mark (or goal) I am determined to give Jesus Christ ALL the credit. I DO NOT want it to be about me, my knowledge (or lack thereof), my works or good deeds or for that matter all my mess-ups and mistakes. Lord help me to get ME out of the picture! I want to give Jesus ALL the glory and honor that He deserves! I want to know, REALLY know Him and His finished work! Apart from Christ I am nothing and can do nothing! Yet, "I can do all things through Jesus who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)
Galatians 2:21-3:3 "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"
The word "bewitched" really stood out as I read this. "Who has bewitched you?" Bewitched? I had heard that term before... "Bewitched" was a sitcom that was on TV from 1964-1972 about a mortal man married to a witch. Now, we all know the apostle Paul was not talking about Darrin Stephens and his witch wife Samantha. Never the less, Paul was referring to witchcraft. If someone has bewitched you they have affected you with witchcraft or magic or have cast a spell over you.
So why did Paul ask this question to the Galatians? "Oh foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?" It was because they had put themselves back under the law and were trying to attain the goal by their own efforts! We need to always remember... "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) We are saved by GRACE, not by our human efforts.
As you can read in my "NEVER will I leave you, NEVER will I forsake you" post, I too was foolish like the Galatians and had been bewitched. I was saved by GRACE and then over time I allowed myself to be put right back under the law. As I press on towards the mark (or goal) I am determined to give Jesus Christ ALL the credit. I DO NOT want it to be about me, my knowledge (or lack thereof), my works or good deeds or for that matter all my mess-ups and mistakes. Lord help me to get ME out of the picture! I want to give Jesus ALL the glory and honor that He deserves! I want to know, REALLY know Him and His finished work! Apart from Christ I am nothing and can do nothing! Yet, "I can do all things through Jesus who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Don't Put the Cart Before the Horse
As I was reading Romans this morning, God reminded me that for such a long time I was trying to put the cart before the horse. If you put a cart 'behind' a horse, the horse is able to 'pull' the cart with ease... try to put that same cart in front of or 'before' the horse and the horse will not be able to push it.
I used to think that I was a sinner because I sinned. God recently showed me that "I was putting the cart before the horse." I now realize, I sinned because I was a sinner, that was my nature before I met and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
I used to think that in order to BE righteous, I had to do and act "righteous." God recently showed me that (yep, you guessed it) "I was putting the cart before the horse." I now realize I am able to act righteous because I AM righteous through Jesus Christ!
This may seem like an insignificant difference, but let me assure you there is a BIG difference!
Before when I would do something wrong (sin), I would start focusing on the thing or sin that I had done and soon would fall under condemnation and feel very unworthy and unrighteous. I would think things like, "How can God use me when I am such a sinner?" Or... I would try to become more 'righteous' by setting goals to increase the hours that I would pray and read the Word, etc. And then life would happen and I would fall short of those goals, AGAIN! I would then think, "How am I ever going to obtain a standard of righteousness good enough to be used by God?"
Now when I mess up and do something wrong (sin) I remind myself, "I am no longer a sinner, so stop acting like one. I am righteous through Jesus Christ, so start acting like Jesus." I am telling you from experience, it is a whole lot easier to stop sinning when you know that you are NOT a sinner! And it is a whole lot easier to act righteous when you know that you ARE righteous! Romans 5:19 "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."
Romans 6:14-15 says, "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!" Understanding true grace does not give a license to sin it makes you realize that you are no longer a slave to sin.
Romans 6:17-18 goes on to say, "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
I thank God that He allowed me to get the cart "behind" the horse in this area of my life!
I used to think that I was a sinner because I sinned. God recently showed me that "I was putting the cart before the horse." I now realize, I sinned because I was a sinner, that was my nature before I met and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
I used to think that in order to BE righteous, I had to do and act "righteous." God recently showed me that (yep, you guessed it) "I was putting the cart before the horse." I now realize I am able to act righteous because I AM righteous through Jesus Christ!
This may seem like an insignificant difference, but let me assure you there is a BIG difference!
Before when I would do something wrong (sin), I would start focusing on the thing or sin that I had done and soon would fall under condemnation and feel very unworthy and unrighteous. I would think things like, "How can God use me when I am such a sinner?" Or... I would try to become more 'righteous' by setting goals to increase the hours that I would pray and read the Word, etc. And then life would happen and I would fall short of those goals, AGAIN! I would then think, "How am I ever going to obtain a standard of righteousness good enough to be used by God?"
Now when I mess up and do something wrong (sin) I remind myself, "I am no longer a sinner, so stop acting like one. I am righteous through Jesus Christ, so start acting like Jesus." I am telling you from experience, it is a whole lot easier to stop sinning when you know that you are NOT a sinner! And it is a whole lot easier to act righteous when you know that you ARE righteous! Romans 5:19 "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."
Romans 6:14-15 says, "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!" Understanding true grace does not give a license to sin it makes you realize that you are no longer a slave to sin.
Romans 6:17-18 goes on to say, "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
I thank God that He allowed me to get the cart "behind" the horse in this area of my life!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
When God said, "NEVER will I leave you, Never will I forsake you." That is EXACTLY what He meant... NEVER!
25 years ago I was introduced to and met my Savior, Jesus Christ! Prior to that day I knew "of" Jesus but I did not "know" Him! I was not introduced to Jesus in a church... it was in the living room of an apartment with a small group of people who were messed up, yet were searching for something to fill the void in their hearts. We would get high and then read the Bible (No, I am not endorsing this nor would I recommend it! Please keep reading for the "rest of the story"). But God loved me! He saw past the muck and mire that I was in and He loved me! When I read the Bible, high as a kite, I read that God was a GOOD God! Could this be true?
For so long, I thought God was watching my every move waiting to beat me over the head and punish me if I did anything wrong! And trust me, I did PLENTY wrong on a daily basis. The only time I talked to God prior was when I was pleading to a God that I really didn't know crying, "Oh God, if you just get me out of this mess, I promise I will be good!" I was never able to keep those promises; I actually never even tried!"
But in that living room I came to realize that God was a GOOD God and that He loved me! I was born again and spirit filled in that living room and my life has never been the same since! As time went on, we kept reading the Word and the more we fell in love with Jesus and realized how much He loved us, the more we stopped wanting the things that the world offered, including drinking and doing drugs.
As I reflect back on the day I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I am thankful that God didn't care what kind of person I was. God didn't wait until I got my act together. My sins did not bother God in the least little bit; He had already provided payment for them at the cross! God didn't require that I clean myself up and come up to His level to meet Him. He gently outstretched His arm and reached down to my level and picked me up! Thank you Jesus!
Many believe, (including myself until recently) that when believers sin we become separated from God. It is preached that, "Sin separates you from God." THIS IS NOT THE TRUTH! Our sin was placed on Jesus when He hung on the cross. God turned His back on Jesus at the cross, full of our sin, so that He would never have to leave us or forsake us! "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34 & Matthew 27:46) That is just how much God loves us!
I was also taught that when Adam & Eve sinned in the garden that their sin separated them from God. As I was reading "The Gospel of Peace" by Dr. James B. Richards (which is a great book) I realized that God did not separated Himself from Adam & Eve. God did not hide from Adam & Eve because they had sinned, it was the other way around! It was their "perception" that God would not want to see them naked that caused them to hide from God. "Perception" is not reality! Adam & Eve had always been naked before God; it did not bother God before... God didn't change, they did! "If God did not want to fellowship with Adam, He would not have come to the Garden looking for him" Dr. James B. Richards
The day I accepted Christ, 25 year ago, I knew that God loved me just the way that I was! I knew that He saved me by grace and that it was a FREE gift from God! I knew that NOTHING could separate me from the love of God! I knew that ALL things were possible through Christ! I knew that what I had was a relationship not a religion! Unfortunately, somewhere along the way I allowed 'religion' to sneak back in to my relationship without even noticing. I started believing that in order to be used by God I had to do X, Y, & Z. I started believing that I had to go to those "who were called by God" for prayer, guidance & approval. I started believing that if I wanted or needed God to move or do something I needed to pray, fast, cross all my T's and dot all my I's and if all that failed beg for forgiveness! It is not that I was living a life full of sin but I just wasn't able to do all the "good" required to be used by God. Thank God that He is the healer, not the one laying on the hands! Thank God that He is the provider, the peace, the joy, the EVERYTHING not the delivery person. If God can use a donkey or a fish, He does not need a man who is full of good works! I found myself back where I was over 25 years ago, before I met Jesus... never quite measuring up! Well, thankfully God continues to love me and again reached down and whispered in my ear, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Before someone uses this to find a license to continue in sin let me share... Since I have come to realize that it has NOTHING to do with anything I do or don't do and EVERYTHING to do with the finished work of the cross of Jesus I have done more for God then before. And though I still sin each and every day (who doesn't?) I sin a lot less. The difference though is my motives. I do not pray or fast or "work" to please God or get something from Him; I realize that He has already provided EVERYTHING for me at the cross and that very act of love compels me to want to do good! Knowing that there is NOTHING that can separate me from the love of my Abba Father compels me to love others! Knowing that by GRACE I am saved and in right standing with God at ALL times, compels me to want to share 'The Good News' with others!
For so long, I thought God was watching my every move waiting to beat me over the head and punish me if I did anything wrong! And trust me, I did PLENTY wrong on a daily basis. The only time I talked to God prior was when I was pleading to a God that I really didn't know crying, "Oh God, if you just get me out of this mess, I promise I will be good!" I was never able to keep those promises; I actually never even tried!"
But in that living room I came to realize that God was a GOOD God and that He loved me! I was born again and spirit filled in that living room and my life has never been the same since! As time went on, we kept reading the Word and the more we fell in love with Jesus and realized how much He loved us, the more we stopped wanting the things that the world offered, including drinking and doing drugs.
As I reflect back on the day I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I am thankful that God didn't care what kind of person I was. God didn't wait until I got my act together. My sins did not bother God in the least little bit; He had already provided payment for them at the cross! God didn't require that I clean myself up and come up to His level to meet Him. He gently outstretched His arm and reached down to my level and picked me up! Thank you Jesus!
Many believe, (including myself until recently) that when believers sin we become separated from God. It is preached that, "Sin separates you from God." THIS IS NOT THE TRUTH! Our sin was placed on Jesus when He hung on the cross. God turned His back on Jesus at the cross, full of our sin, so that He would never have to leave us or forsake us! "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34 & Matthew 27:46) That is just how much God loves us!
I was also taught that when Adam & Eve sinned in the garden that their sin separated them from God. As I was reading "The Gospel of Peace" by Dr. James B. Richards (which is a great book) I realized that God did not separated Himself from Adam & Eve. God did not hide from Adam & Eve because they had sinned, it was the other way around! It was their "perception" that God would not want to see them naked that caused them to hide from God. "Perception" is not reality! Adam & Eve had always been naked before God; it did not bother God before... God didn't change, they did! "If God did not want to fellowship with Adam, He would not have come to the Garden looking for him" Dr. James B. Richards
The day I accepted Christ, 25 year ago, I knew that God loved me just the way that I was! I knew that He saved me by grace and that it was a FREE gift from God! I knew that NOTHING could separate me from the love of God! I knew that ALL things were possible through Christ! I knew that what I had was a relationship not a religion! Unfortunately, somewhere along the way I allowed 'religion' to sneak back in to my relationship without even noticing. I started believing that in order to be used by God I had to do X, Y, & Z. I started believing that I had to go to those "who were called by God" for prayer, guidance & approval. I started believing that if I wanted or needed God to move or do something I needed to pray, fast, cross all my T's and dot all my I's and if all that failed beg for forgiveness! It is not that I was living a life full of sin but I just wasn't able to do all the "good" required to be used by God. Thank God that He is the healer, not the one laying on the hands! Thank God that He is the provider, the peace, the joy, the EVERYTHING not the delivery person. If God can use a donkey or a fish, He does not need a man who is full of good works! I found myself back where I was over 25 years ago, before I met Jesus... never quite measuring up! Well, thankfully God continues to love me and again reached down and whispered in my ear, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Before someone uses this to find a license to continue in sin let me share... Since I have come to realize that it has NOTHING to do with anything I do or don't do and EVERYTHING to do with the finished work of the cross of Jesus I have done more for God then before. And though I still sin each and every day (who doesn't?) I sin a lot less. The difference though is my motives. I do not pray or fast or "work" to please God or get something from Him; I realize that He has already provided EVERYTHING for me at the cross and that very act of love compels me to want to do good! Knowing that there is NOTHING that can separate me from the love of my Abba Father compels me to love others! Knowing that by GRACE I am saved and in right standing with God at ALL times, compels me to want to share 'The Good News' with others!
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