Complacency

 Complacency is like a gray blanket that covers us, and though it seems warm and comfortable, it keeps the joy and passion out of our lives. We get so caught up in the day-to-day, that we don't even realize when we have wrapped ourselves in this blanket. It comes into our lives like a blanket of fog, covering the landscaping and hiding the beauty.

A few years ago, I recognized how I had allowed myself to be wrapped up, and I threw off the blanket. I told myself I would not allow myself to be wrapped up in it again. However, just like you can't walk in the mud without getting muddy, you can't constantly be around complacent people without becoming complacent. I recognize, yet again, I have allowed the complacency blanket into my life. It is a daily struggle to keep it off and at times, I grow weary. I know God has us where we are supposed to be for this season, but there is a strong longing for something more. More of God and His Glory to be manifested in and through our lives.

There are so many times I want to go up to people, grab them by the shoulders, shake them, and say, "Don't you realize there is more than this!" I have written before about tasting and hungering for more and I feel as if there is a famine happening. Not that God is withholding- quite the contrary, He desires more than anything for His people to step out of the way and say,"whatever You want to do, do it."

In reality, they are covered with the blanket of complacency that deceives them into believing that this is all there is. They don't even know what they are missing. To experience God's presence so thick in a room that you can't even stand. To feel joy so overwhelming that your stomach muscles hurt for days from laughing so hard. To witness His will being carried out when people are set free, restored to health and sound mind, and relationships are restored. To rest in a "peace which surpasses all understanding". I thank God that He has given me a taste of these things and I will continue to hold on to the promises He has given and throw off the blanket of complacency. I will long for the day when these things become an everyday occurrence, not just a scattered moment.

I am convicted that it is part my responsibility. Am I walking out my daily life for the Kingdom? These things can only happen when lives are lived fully surrendered to Him. How am I doing? How are you doing? Are we allowing ourselves to be wrapped in the blanket of complacency, or are we living every moment in full surrender to Him?

Doors

God has been leading me down a new path and often times as one door opens another closes. That was what 2016 was for me; it was a season of change and challenges. 

Sometimes, it is painful when a door is shut. Doors are a lot like the obstacles in our lives;sometimes they are there because God wants them there and sometimes they are there to hinder us on our journey. Whether God has shut the door or not, He can use the circumstance to help us see in a new light. When a door is open it illuminates certain things and when that door is shut, the light shifts to illuminate other things for us to focus on. So it is with the doors in our lives.The patterns of light shifts and change around us lighting the new areas that need exploring. Would we dare venture to explore those areas if they were not illuminated for us? When a door is closed to us we no longer see the path we were on; we must move on to the new adventure and a new path. 

There are times when one door is shut, but a new one opens. There may even be more than one open and sometimes there are none at all; we are left standing in an empty room - waiting. I have learned, over the years to not rush into the next door. There are times of growth in the hallway and in the waiting that prepares us for the journey through the next door. It is also in the waiting, when there is more than one door open, that we can seek Gods will in which door to walk through. Not every door is opened by God. We must wait on Him to illuminate the way for us. 

What ever the situation, it's never easy to do new things, but it is in the challenge that we discover our strengths. It is in our weaknesses that we lean on God's strength. As I walk through these new doors I may not see the path in front of me, but I hold to the promises that God has given me and I take the next step in obedience. As I do this I get closer to the promises and closer to God. 

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.