Restoring Justice - Olivia Noble

In my last post I talked about obstacles and one of the biggest times you may run into an obstacle is when you are moving out in what the Lord wants you to do. I have to laugh at how the enemy thinks he can actually stop what God has set in motion. I have been privileged to watch God move in and through my daughter's life. God has set things in motion in her life and I just wanted to give others the chance to partner with her and see God move the financial obstacle by allowing her to share with you a portion of what He is doing.

Justice
Has the word justice ever made you sick to your stomach? If so, you are not alone. Justice has always come across as a harsh word to me, it’s always been something that partners with punishment and the loving side of me use to cower at the sound of the word.  Until I actually realized what Justice is. Justice is the restoration of every violation of love. When true justice comes, healing follows, love invades, and the broken become better than they’ve ever been. My name is Olivia Noble and this March I get the incredible opportunity of bringing justice to Ecuador. Now, before I tell you about this awesome opportunity let me tell you a little about me. I am the daughter of this wonderful blog owner and thanks to her I have had the incredible opportunity of growing up in the church. Right after high school I was incredibly blessed with the acceptance to Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. Boy has it been a life changing experience, and I am not even done with my second year. It continues to blow my mind how much there is for us to discover. God is so vast that we get to spend all of eternity seeking out his goodness and discovering his incredible nature. There is always more of him to discover and the beauty in this truth is that as you discover Him, He develops more of you.

Ever since I was little I’ve had the biggest desire to love on the broken, the forgotten, and the outcast and as I’ve discovered more of God he has revealed to me how this part of my heart is set on bringing justice. So let’s get back to the trip. In March me and a team of students will be sent out from Bethel to bring justice to Ecuador. We will be hanging out in youth prisons, walking the streets of the red light district, visiting orphanages, assisting the mentally disabled and so much more. Every day will be filled with the restoration of every violation of love. The most beautiful part about it is we will be partnering with a branch of Expression 58 that is stationed in Ecuador. Even though the team and I will only be able to love on the people for a little over the week that we are there, we get to connect them to people who have the resources to make life change sustainable. Our love won’t leave with us.

So help partner with me to bring justice to Ecuador. Every prayer counts and every donation is appreciated. Whether you’re partnering with a simple  prayer or a donation, it matters. It’s more than just partnering with travel plans, it’s partnering with a move of God, and when you are in tune with God, life is just that much more blessed.

We get to bring Justice to Ecuador. It’s more than just for one week, it’s more than just for one trip, because justice is so much more than one word.

For donations click the link below

https://trips.ibethel.org/transactions/new/14989

Obstacles

Obstacles are a part of life. How we approach them and our feelings about them, determines how much the obstacle will impact us. Obstacles come in different sizes, making some easier to overcome, while others seem like impossible situations. 

Lately, it seems I am surrounded by obstacles. I recently started college, after spending the past 25 years raising my kids and taking care of my family and it hasn't been easy. I expected it to be hard, however, obstacles. I did not expect, popped up around me. I looked at each obstacle as a challenge and asked myself how bad do I want this dream? 

I feel like this season of obstacles is not just for me but for others who are contending for Kingdom things. Each obstacle placed in front of us is for a purpose. If the enemy put the obstacle there, he did so to stop us. Look at the story of Joseph; His brothers had sold him into slavery; years later they were reunited and after the death of their father, his brothers were still afraid that Joseph was holding a grudge against them. Joseph wasn't holding a grudge though and said to them in Genesis 50:20, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people." Joseph had to go through many obstacle to get to that place of authority but God took each obstacle, which was meant to harm him, and turned it into good. God can use the obstacles of the enemy to build our faith, for if we have "faith the size of a mustard seed, we will say, 'move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20) When we overcome the obstacle, it makes us stronger and the enemy weaker.

Sometimes, God is the one placing the obstacle in our way. In the book of Hosea the Lord tells him to "take yourself a wife of harlotry" (Hosea 1:2) In chapter 2, God speaks to the prophet about His unfaithful people, using Hosea's wife as an example, "Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and wall her in, so she cannot find her paths. She will chase her lovers, but not overtake them; yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go and return to my first husband,' In this story God blocked the path of the unfaithful to get them to change course and lead them back to Him. 

God can also use obstacle to build our endurance and strength. Just like running a marathon takes endurance, an obstacle course, not only takes endurance, but strength and determination. Romans 5:3-4 states, "we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance character; and character, hope." When we are face with obstacle and trials God can take those and produce character within us that reflects Him. 

Another way God can use the obstacle in our lives is to teach that He doesn't intend for us to do things alone. Many obstacles take more than one person to overcome and it is at those time that we reach out to one another for help. Ecclesiastes 4:9-11 "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone?Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. and a threefold cord is not easily broken"

Whatever the source of the obstacle it will still slow you down but it doesn't have to stop you.

As I look at each obstacle, I can choose to get discouraged and fall into the "woe is me" trap, or I can choose to press on. There is a little known verse in Jeremiah 12:5 : "If you run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with the horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan."

 I choose to contend with greater things and therefore I must press on, through, over, or around the obstacles placed in front of me. 

Take Time To Pull The Weeds

This has been a busy summer. I chose not to plant a vegetable garden because I knew I wouldn't have time to take care of it. My last post was about what I choose to cultivate, well it has also been a very hot and wet summer and because of the weather and my inaction weeds have overtaken my flower bed in front of my house. I didn't choose to cultivate those weeds, I actually planted some bulbs this spring. But because of my neglect the weeds have cultivated themselves, leaving little room for the beauty that I wanted to grow.

These weeds with the one lone flower trying to survive among them are so symbolic of our lives. There are many weeds in our lives that try to choke out the beauty, in order to battle them we must be diligent and stay on top of it. I have tried to pull weeds off and on this summer but haven't put much effort into it and this is now the result. Like these weeds, there may be things in our lives that we know shouldn't be there and we may casually confront them but if we don't get in there and pull up the whole root it will return with a vengeance.

I noticed a few thing about the  circumstances in which these weeds have prospered. First I have been busy. I didn't stop and take the time to pull them when they were few and small because I thought other things were more important. Now the weeds are screaming at me every time I pull in the driveway. It is much easier to deal with issues and "weeds" in our lives before they take over the entire garden. Eventually they have to get pulled, better to stop and take the time early than putting it off.

Second, I didn't put more mulch down this year. I didn't, for various reasons, update my protective barrier against the weeds. How many times do we let the barriers in our lives go outdated. "I mulched a couple of years ago, it can wait one more year." or so I told myself. Now I have a mess to clean up because I didn't protect things in the first place.  Proverbs 13:6 says "Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but wickedness overthrows the sinner." We need to make sure we renew our "mulch" of righteousness so that the weeds cannot overthrow  us.

Third, the weeds are more relentless this year than I have ever seen. I can only assume that the rain and heat that we have had this year have contributed to the problem. Rains come in life, sometimes they are rains of blessing but often times they are the rains of troubles and trials. If we do not stay on top of our thoughts and our actions the weeds of worry and stress can overtake us. Add to the rains the heat and it may be unbearable to try to clear them out, but we must persevere or be overtaken.

Now as I attempt to tackle this undertaking of pulling up each weed up by the root I am reminded how I need to be on guard in my own life. Making sure my "mulch is at an adequate depth for protection. And when a weed does pop back up because I may not have gotten the root I need to be quick to pull it up so that beauty may once again be the focus of my garden and not the weeds.

Choosing What I Cultivate

Be anxious for nothing, 

but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,

let your request be know to God; 

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus. 

Finally, brethren, 

Whatever things are true,

whatever things are noble,

whatever things are just,

whatever things are pure,

whatever things are lovely.

whatever things are of good report,

if there be any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-

meditate on these things

Philippians 4:6-8

I am heart broken, not at the state of the world we live in, for that I have hope, because we were told these thing would happen and we were told that Christ "overcame the world. I am heart broken and convicted for myself and for my brothers and sisters in Christ who have been sucked into the enemies schemes via social media. We are to be the light of the world yet we ourselves are feeding into the agenda of division. 

Yes the world is in bad shape and we cant hide our heads in the sand. But we cannot join the world in negativity and fear when we hold Truth and the Love of Christ for a broken and dying world. We must educate ourselves with Truth and arm ourselves with the Armor of God. 

As I look at social media all I see is anger, hate, division, and criticisms. Just a couple of years ago I cleaned up my news feed so that I was seeing godly posts from godly people. Now, however, many of those same godly people have fallen to the ways of the world and the news media. Jumping on the band wagon of hate, criticism, division, and anger. I myself have been guilty of this. 

Today I listened to a sermon from Kris Vallotton from Bethel Church and was convicted. One quote from the sermon was, "what I cultivate, dominates". What are we cultivating? Are we seeking out the "good reports" or are we sharing the glaring criticisms. The enemy is reeking havoc in our country and I, for one, refuse to agree with him.

We are told in Philippians 4:6 to "be anxious for nothing"; when you look at your news feed on your social media, do you get anxious? "I have overcome the world", Jesus told us. So why are we agreeing with the enemy instead of obeying our Lord Jesus Christ? Why are we not giving everything, through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, to God? Have we forgotten the God we serve and how powerful He is? Do you refuse His peace when you give your worries to Him? 

I choose to believe God who says He will give us "peace which surpasses all understanding" (Phil 4:7) I know My God is bigger than all the fear, hate and division that we see in the world today. I choose to cultivate things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. I will seek out the virtue and proclaim the praiseworthy. I wont bury my head in the sand but I will dwell in the arms of My Heavenly Daddy knowing He is in control and He has already won. 

No longer will I cultivate the loss of hope, the hate, the division, and the criticisms. I will not agree with the enemy and let fear in. 

I will lift my eyes to the hills- from whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow 'my' foot to be moved. He who keeps 'me' 

will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel (His people) shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is 'my' keeper; 

The Lord is 'my' shade at 'my' right hand.

The sun shall not strike 'me' by day , nor the moon by night. 

The Lord shall preserve 'me' from evil, He shall preserve 'my' soul.

The Lord shall preserve 'my' going out and 'my' coming in. 

From this time forth and even forevermore.

Psalm 121

Clear the Stage - Crush the Idols

Four years ago I posted a song on Facebook and today it popped up in my timeline memories.

It is a powerful song that spoke to me then and even reminds me today. The bridge of the song goes like this.

Anything I put before my God is an idol

Anything I want with all my heart is an idol. 

Anything I can’t stop thinking of is an idol.

Anything I give all my heart to is an idol.

We talk in the church about putting God first, but those lyrics really got me thinking about how easy idols sneak into our lives. In our minds we think that idols are bad things but when you look at it in this way you realize that we can make an idol out of really good things.

How many of us say we don't have time to do devotions? We let the day to day tasks and responsibilities come before God. I've written, before, about making room for God and how He wants us to put Him before anything else, that includes our families, our jobs, our  "to do" lists, and even our recreational activities. 

How many of us have wanted something with all our hearts? Maybe it was a dream job, or a dream wedding, or a child, or a spouse; the list can go on. These are all good things and it is not bad to want them. They become idols when we put them as a priority. We must keep it in perspective and desire God more than anything else.

How many of us have things in our lives that we can’t stop thinking of? Young people, watch yourselves here, how much are you thinking of that girl or boy you like? For us that are more mature, how much are we thinking of our worries and responsibilities? “How am I going to pay the bills this month?” or “How am I going to get my ‘to do’ list done?” How often do we think of God during the day? Do you give Him your few minutes and go on your way with your day or is He continually in your thoughts? When the worries or “to do” lists pop up, are you giving it to Him and thinking about who He is and how He’s got you.

How many of us have given all of our love to our husbands and our children? We spend so much time taking care of our kids that we don’t spend time with Jesus. We look to our spouses or boyfriend/girlfriend to fulfill the needs and desires that only our Heavenly Father can fill.

On Sundays (or Saturdays) we go to church and sing praises to Him, but like the song says, “we can sing all we want to and still get it wrong”.

So its time to “clear the stage”. Take time this week to “take a break from all the plans you have made and sit at home, alone and wait for God to whisper.” Clear away the busyness and things that steal your thoughts and let God reveal those things you have turned into an idol. Sometimes an idol isn’t a bad thing in and of itself but it becomes an idol because of the importance we put on it. Anything we put before God is an idol.

“Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze 

if that’s the measure you must take to crush the idols.”

Ezekiel 14:2-6  And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let myself be inquired of at all by them? 

“Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘

Thus says the Lord God: “Every one of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.”

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, 

‘Thus says the Lord God:

 “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.

Matthew 22: 37-38 Jesus said to him, 

“ 'you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

 with all your soul, 

and with all your mind’ 

this is the first and great commandment.”

1 John 5:19-21  We know that we are of God, 
and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. 
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, 
that we may know Him who is true; 
and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. 
This is the true God and eternal life.  
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.  Amen.

The Word of Testimony

God has been speaking a lot to me, lately, about being a living sacrifice and a living testimony. He has been reminding me of the promises He has made and given to me and the miracle HE has already done. This world can be such a discouraging place and we can get so wrapped up in the negativity. The one place of refuge we have is with Him. God’s word is living and breathing but many Christians have grown stagnant in their devotion times. During my devotions the other day I had a goal of reading 1 John 1, but God decided to stop me after verse 4. Let me walk you through what happened that day in hopes that it will change the way you read the Word and let God speak to you.

 1 John1:1-4 (NIV)

“That which was from the beginning, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. The Life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, we write to make our joy complete.”

As I read the passage I realized that I could read it as one looking at someone else’s story, or I can look at it as if I was the one writing the story. So I decided to go back and re-read it in first person. I have used a similar technique when I pray scripture over people, but for some reason I never really used it for me.

1 John 1:1 “That which was from the beginning, which ‘I’ have heard, which ‘I’ have seen with ‘my’ eyes, which ‘I’ have looked at and ‘m’ hands have touched – this ‘I’ proclaim concerning the Word of life.”

By looking at these verses in this way I am forced to reflect on what God has done in my life. What have I seen of Jesus in my life, with my own eyes? What have I looked at and touched that was from God?

1 John 1:2 “The life appeared; ‘I’ have seen it and testify to it, and ‘I’ proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to ‘me’”.

“The Life” was presented to me through the Word at a young age but it was the “Word made flesh” living in and through those who believe that convinced me of the Truth.

Jesus is the Word made flesh but when we accept Him and accept the gift that He came and sacrificed Himself for me and then comes and lives in us (Col. 1:27), we then become the word made flesh when we begin to apply the Word and surrender to His perfect will.

1 John 1:3 “’I’ proclaim to you that ‘I’ have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with ‘me’. And ‘my’ fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ”

As I reflect on that verse, I remember things that I have seen and words that God has spoken to me. Making it personal, I look at my testimony. I can read theses verses and look at what God did thousands of years ago, among a group of people I have no physical connection to, but I think that He wants me to make it personal. He wants me to stop and reflect on what I have seen and heard.

I have witnessed His healing power, I have been the recipient of His miraculous provision and His restoration. I have heard Him speak to me and I have even felt His arms around me. To me these are not just words on the pages of a book, it has become reality.

The things I have seen or heard are not just for me. I have went through times in my walk with Him that I have boldly proclaimed what He has done for me, but then at other times I have grown stagnant.  I am reminded in verse 3 that it is for you that I give my testimony of what Jesus has done in and through my life, so that you too can have fellowship with Him. Since it is required of me to share my testimony, I must spend time reflecting on what Christ has done for me and is doing for me. Why?

1 John 1:4 “’I’ write this to make our joy complete.”

New King James says, “to make ‘your’ joy complete", but I like the “our” in NIV. When I share my personal experiences and encounters with Christ it makes “my” joy complete, but it also gives others hope and encouragement and hopefully at times sets them free. This bring joy to them.

Revelation 12:11 says, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."

We overcome not only by the blood of Jesus, which was poured out for All of us, but we overcome by the word of OUR testimony. God still moves, miracles still happen, He still speaks. We can have daily fellowship with Him thanks to the sacrifice of His Son on a cross and His resurrection. It is our duty as disciples and followers of Christ to share our personal testimonies. We need to share what God is doing in our lives. The world doesn't need or want a god that moved a couple thousand years ago, they need the Living God of the Universe that still moves and lives today. The best way for them to see Him is to see Him moving in our lives, but they won't see if we don't share. So spend time reflecting on what God has done and is doing for you and get out there and share it. 

I Have Tasted

Fifteen years ago this month Jason and I decided to take a weekend away from the kids. We lived in Texas at the time and we decided to visit a bed and breakfast in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Now there really isn’t much to do in Ardmore, but the whole reason for the weekend was to get away from the busyness and the kids. Even though I really don’t remember a whole lot about the weekend, I know we enjoyed the relaxation, and one thing has stood out to me for 15 years. The breakfast at Shiloh Morning Inn. They served Banana Fosters pancakes with pecans. I will never forget the taste, I have searched for something like it ever since.

Once you get a taste of something amazing you always want more, or at least you should. Jason and I were given a taste of what a godly marriage looks like and even though old habits sneak back in and things may have slipped, I have always craved and hungered for what we had a taste of. It makes us strive every day to get it back or maintain it when we find it again.

We also got the opportunity to taste what "church family" looks like. We were blessed to experience an atmosphere where we could be ourselves and not have to put on face. Everyone was genuine and loving and cared about each other. But even as the world has break-ups in families, so does the church and our wonderful family soon split up. Even though we went through the pain, we tasted what church should be and we hunger for it.

Jesus himself said in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled; and in John 6:35 “I am bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” He planted in each one of us a hunger for something more. 

Then he gives us a taste.

I have heard many stories of revival. When I first started hearing the stories I honestly didn’t fully believe them. I grew up in the church, but it was a powerless church where you went every Sunday like the good little Christian and gave your offering and sang the songs out of the hymnal. Then, God gave me a taste.

He gave me a taste of the Living Word. The word that gave promises and actually fulfilled them. The Word that spoke directly to my heart and sometimes even cut straight through to clean out what wasn’t meant to be there. The word that encouraged me and taught me and strengthened me.

Then He gave me a taste of true worship. Music had always spoken to me, but one day I realized it wasn’t the music, it was God using the music. He gave me a taste of worship without music and as I worshiped my thirst was quenched.  

As I hungered for more, at a women’s conference, He gave me a taste of His heart for the lost. It was so strong and painful that it pushed me to the floor crying out for them to know Him. I was given a taste of what He feels for those who have walked away from Him; it was a taste of His hunger for us. After that I wanted even more. I had tasted His love and knew there was more. I began to get restless and would hear more stories of people who had had visions or encounters with Him. I Hungered for that. I would look around and see the people around me, comfortable with what they were getting in church, but I had tasted and I was hungry. I wasn’t satisfied; I knew there was more.

A few years went by with God giving me a taste here and a taste there and with every taste I wanted more. Then, in December 2012, He gave me a taste of revival. He gave me a taste of healing; being healed myself and then watching others be healed. During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season He gave me a taste of what Christmas was truly about. He gave me a taste of what happened when we drop everything just to be in the Presence of God. I knew what it felt like to be in a room where the presence of God was so thick you could no longer stand. Then on one of the many nights we were there, He gave me a taste of joy. Pure, unrestrained joy. The kind of joy where you laugh so hard and for so long your abs and cheeks hurt and tears are rolling down your cheeks, and when you think you can finally catch your breath the laughter starts again. (It’s the only ab workout I enjoy).  

On Valentine’s Day 2013 He gave me a taste of being used by Him. That was our Valentine's date, spending time in the presence of God. I was on the floor during worship unable to stand. I was able to get to my chair but during the teaching I was asked to come up front and pray for someone. I was still really shaky and couldn't stop laughing and  all I could think was, "how am I .supposed walk the few few feet with these wobbly legs?" I managed to stand and with Jason behind me in case I fell I worked my way up front. All I could do was extend my hands and laugh with what felt like electricity pulsing through me. God healed the lady that night and and put me back on the floor. During my time laying on the floor, I realized my identity. I was given a taste of how God can use someone so unworthy and unqualified.

After a few months, things began to die down and most people went back to life as usual, but God had given us a taste. When you are given a taste you crave more. There have been many moves of God, big and small and with each move God gives us a taste of the kingdom. With each taste we get, we should want more. He says “blessed are those who hunger”. I hunger. I hunger to see a church laid out under the Presence of God. I hunger to see children so bold and moved by God that they are praying for their friends in school and bringing them to church. I hunger to be interrupted to do the will of God on this earth. I hunger to see the Gods people surrendered to His Glory and His will.

Many people hunger for the Kingdom of God. Too many in the church believe they cant experience the Kingdom until Jesus returns, but I have seen and witnessed when the Kingdom breaks through and people are never the same. I long to see complacency die in the body  and passion burn. I thirst for His Presence and hunger for His righteousness. I have tasted and I want more.

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation;  nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there! ’For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”- Luke 17:20-21