Wonderful Jesus!

The Attitude of Giving!

2 Corinthians 9:7- So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. NKJV

If the truth is told, people are always giving. People give to political campaigns because they believe in the politician or the political party. People give during disasters because that is one time when we all agree it is better to give than it is to receive. People love to give at Christmas, birthdays, or special occasions. Typically, people give to others because something is stirred in their hearts that makes them want to reach out and help or bless someone else. So why do we have to be reminded that we should give cheerfully when it comes to the church?

I was sitting in service many years ago at a conference. It was offering time, and I was digging into my purse to give. I had a little money, but not a lot, and I had purposed to give twenty dollars in offering. As the offering was being taken up, the speaker for the afternoon was at the microphone and commented on how much people spend on movies and entertainment. Then the speaker made a statement about not tipping them because they had something for us greater than entertainment. And I think they referred expressly to the dollar amount I had in my hand.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7 NKJV

I have endeavored to live my life of giving by this principle. I believe in having a purposeful amount of offering in my heart to give and plan accordingly. Sometimes my husband may pull out his wallet and add to that, or the Spirit will speak to me and tell me to give more. Rarely less. But on that particular day, for the first time ever, I put my money back in my purse. I shocked the person I was with, and I surprised myself. But I knew I heard disdain in that person’s voice and felt that my offering would not be acceptable, so I kept it. In giving that day, I would have broken the other part of this verse:

…not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:6 NKJV

As believers, we are to feel a huge responsibility in getting out the kingdom’s message. To carry the gospel to our communities and abroad costs money. Some say it costs a lot of money! I’ve been responsible for events in ministry that cost thousands of dollars, with no wastefulness, and barely meeting the needs. Things are costly in a church, and most merchants don’t give their goods to the church as a donation. So things cost.

Speakers, musicians, decorations, lights, air, and heat come with a price tag. And a warm smile and “Jesus loves you” will not get these things paid for. Yet, some still think it’s a shame to give to the church. As a matter of fact, my example probably encouraged you to be stingy. But that was not my point.

My point is that a negative experience doesn’t change the word of God. Giving financially to the work of the ministry is scriptural, and we should all be willing participants to finance the kingdom.

And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law….
Hebrews 7:5 NKJV

The tithe is the most basic of giving. Every church member should pay the same tithe amount no matter their income. The word tithe means one-tenth. If every person gives one-tenth of their earnings to the work of the Lord, it’s a fair share system. My ten percent may only be 20 dollars, and yours might be 200 dollars, but the point is that it is only ten percent of our income.

I heard people argue that they can’t afford to give the tithe, but I replied that I can’t afford to not give it. I have experienced that the 90 percent is blessed as we honor God with the ten percent. I’m not of the camp that believes if you don’t give God ten percent, you’ll give it to the doctor, the lawyer, or the car mechanic. However, I feel emphatically that I am blessed because I obey Him in this area.

Back to giving. Giving involves everything that you do that is above the tithes. I believe tithing counts toward giving, but everything else is like adding frosting to the cake! So here are some tips to help you to stay cheerful and not grudging in your giving:

Be led by the Spirit in your giving! God knows when you need a challenge in your giving!
Pray about unexpected offerings! (If you want to!)
Give as you have predetermined but be open to God’s voice!
Don’t be manipulated by schemes and gimmicks!
Don’t allow other people to be God’s voice in your giving! (For example, when someone says God told them to give a certain amount and everybody else should do the same)! Let them obey God, and you do the same!
By the same token, don’t be a copycat giver. John gave $5,000, so now you are going to give it! If you can’t afford it, that will kill your joy!
Don’t charge your giving. Giving comes from what you have, not from what you borrow. If you borrow thousands of dollars to impress the pastor or the members, you’ll end up in debt with no one to blame but yourself.
Don’t sell your belongings to give unless you hear God say it! We jump on the bandwagon of things God didn’t direct us to do. Then we blame Him when things go wrong.
When you give sacrificially, and sometimes we are called by God to do that, make sure that you will not wake up regretting it in the morning. True sacrificial giving always brings peace.
Lastly, don’t make public testimonies of your giving unless God okays it! If it will bless someone and the person isn’t around or doesn’t mind, okay. If it will embarrass someone who was the recipient and you make them feel humiliated, it was not God! Be careful with that! (See Matthew 6:3).

The best giving isn’t to the church. It’s to the people of God. I tend to avoid people who like to give “testimonies” about not having food or money, but they trust God. That sounds like a manipulative person to me. But when God whispers to my Spirit and tells me to bless someone with a meal, money, or whatever, the joy of giving comes in. Especially when they respond with a comment that it was just what they needed!

I love the church, the physical and the spiritual church. I love giving to the church and being a part of what is happening in the church. When there is a need in our church, we immediately talk about how we want to be a part of what is happening. We’ve made sacrifices, and we’ve made some of the mistakes I mentioned. Especially giving grudgingly because someone put us on the spot. But we have grown through those experiences and still have absolute joy in giving to the church and others. How’s your attitude towards giving? It’s something to think about! Wonderful Jesus!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Psalm 56:3-4- Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word),
in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

Remembering those who have given their all for our freedom! Honoring their lives by not forgetting that freedom may be free for us, but it cost others everything! Thank God for those who have put their lives on the line for our freedom, and for those who still do it every day! You deserve the remembrance and honor! Wonderful Jesus!

Why Miracles Don’t Bring Devotion!

1 Corinthians 10:1,5- Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea…But with most of them, God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

I’ve been a Christian for over a half-century. I know I have some of you wondering how old I really am, but suffice it to say, I’ve been walking in the way for a long time. Even now, after all of these years, I have a difficult time understanding people. As I was meditating on the Lord it got me wondering how we can all live in this world, see the majestic beauty of the earth, and experience the grace of God, and yet some still reject Him!

Paul, in writing to the Church at Corinth, started this particular section of his letter by stating he didn’t want us ignorant concerning what happened when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. In essence, he was sharing a well-known event with them to make a point that I believe needs to be made today.

Paul said that all of our ancestors (those who were in Egypt) were under the cloud:

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.
Exodus 13:21-22 NKJV

The cloud of God’s glory was present for all to see. Throughout the day the cloud led everyone away from Egypt, bondage, and their past. The pillar of cloud led them all to a brighter hope, a better tomorrow. And at night, the pillar of fire was there giving them light and assurance that God was still with them. Paul said that all who left Egypt experienced this miracle.

Then Paul said that all, that means everybody passed through the sea. When the waters parted, none was left behind. They all crossed over.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Exodus 14:21-22 NKJV

Passing through the Red Sea should have been a deal maker between the children of Israel and God. Once they stepped into the river bed that was dry, they should have rushed to the other side to give God their undivided devotion. Yet, their praise, heartfelt and spontaneous, didn’t seal their commitment.

All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.
1 Corinthians 10:3-4 NKJV

Paul is referring to the eating of manna and drinking water from the rock. Both miraculous experiences were powerful examples of God’s might and active engagement in their well-being, but for them, it was still not enough. We know this because Paul said:

But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
1 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV

In other words, God did everything He could to demonstrate His love for them, and it was never enough. They complained, they disobeyed, they made an idol of gold, and they wanted to return back to Egypt. Event after event, miracle after miracle, forgiveness and more forgiveness, and deliverance after deliverance, and they still rejected Him. I simply don’t get it! I sit in the place of looking back over their journey and judge their ease of neglect to the God who was better than good to them, and it puzzles me! And I’m sure it puzzled Paul because his observation was that God wasn’t pleased with most of them and therefore they perished in the wilderness.

I think about this today and realize that we are no different, and in many cases, worst, than the children of Israel. I’ve heard people say that if God is real, where are the miracles? Well, He performed countless miracles for the children of Israel and they were faithless. Then Jesus came and He performed many miracles, and let me remind you of the response of the people:

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death…
Acts 2:22-23 NKJV

These words were spoken by Peter on the day of Pentecost, after all of the miracles Jesus had performed, after His death on the cross, and after He had risen from the dead. Miracles are great, and they are a powerful witness to the presence and power of God. But they don’t cause the masses to believe today, any more than they believed in the past. And to me, that’s astonishing! I don’t get it!

So if miracles don’t draw people to having a committed relationship with God, then what does? And if miracles don’t happen to make people love God and realize how good He is, then are they necessary for today? Well, I’m glad you asked because I have some thoughts on the subject.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7 NKJV

But God! All of us, who are living for the Lord has a “but God” testimony! Not the Red Sea testimony, but the one that testifies of a loving Father, who in spite of our mess-ups and failures, love us. Or the testimony that bears witness to the fact that in the midst of the busyness of life, when no one was around, and we felt the weight of the world on our shoulders, or the deep-seated weight of loneliness, God stepped in. But God! Or maybe there is the testimony of abandonment, abuse, neglect, or being cast away without a friend or someone who cared, but God showed up. And with God came His great love, the exceeding riches of His grace, His kindness towards us in Jesus. And at that moment, something happened that a miracle could never outlast; acceptance and redemption from Elohim, God of the universe! And in return, our complete devotion and love!

I believe in miracles. I long for the miracle-working power of God to manifest in our midst. I even told God that if miracles were happening, people would rush to Him and serve Him forever, so I thought He should increase His miracles!

Miracles are wonderful! We do need to see them! But I believe that God chooses not to perform miracles on demand because He knows that if we build our faith and trust in Him based on miracles, it would be a shallow relationship. That type of relationship would only prove that we are sticking around for what God can do for us and would not teach us to love Him and to be faithful to Him, no matter what!

However, when our relationship is a love relationship; when we understand that the greatest honor in life is to be loved by God; when we have figured out that no relationship outshines the relationship we have been invited to through the Blood of Jesus; and when we value Him over all others and everything…then we can appreciate the miracle!

Miracles are all about what God can do for us! If we are not careful we will begin to think that if He isn’t doing a miracle for us, He doesn’t love us or He’s not present in our lives. When our devotion is to Him first, we can recognize that the greatest miracle is that He first loved us! Wonderful Jesus!

Be Strong in the Lord!

Ephesians 6:10 – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. NKJV

Sometimes I like to stop all of the busyness of life and just spend time with God. Of course, writing a blog keeps me in the word and praying, but it’s just nice sometimes to pull away and enjoy Him. So that’s what I have been doing. It was yesterday when He spoke a word to my heart that I didn’t even know I needed to hear, and it blessed me. So I want to share a little bit from our time.

This is an interesting time in my life. I have moved to a new church. I am trying to get a ministry going. And I’m in school again while working full-time. I’m excited and grateful about these endeavors, but sometimes I start to feel overwhelmed with it all.

So here I was, worshipping and praying with no real agenda and no requests I was willing to bring to Him when He spoke to my spirit about being strong. Of course, the first scripture that comes to mind when I think of being strong is our key verse:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Ephesians 6:10 NKJV

I understand that the only strength that I can lay hold to is the strength that I get from relying on Him. I know that even when I don’t realize I need His strength, it’s because He is so good at supplying it. So I completely relate to His encouragement to me to stay connected to His strength at this time.

There are occasions in the Bible where God encouraged others to be strong. A familiar event was when Joshua had to lead the children of Israel after Moses’ death:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 NKJV

Joshua was hesitant to move out from the place of mourning into the Promised Land. He was hesitant to take Moses’ place. But God spoke to Joshua and told him to be strong and that He would be with him wherever he went.

That’s very encouraging! Especially when you sense in your heart that God is telling you to do a thing or to go to a place that may feel overwhelming to you. Finding a new church, returning to school, preparing for retirement, or getting a new job all comes with uncertainties. They take us out of our comfort zone, the thing that we are used to doing. It’s a great comfort to realize that if He sends us, He’s asking us to trust the plan because He will be with us in the plan. Joshua obeyed God’s voice and found Him to be as faithful as He promised.

Another incident happened to Daniel. He had been fasting and praying when an angel appeared to him:

Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!”
Daniel 10:18 NKJV

Daniel was overwhelmed with the vision that God had shown to him about the children of Israel. What he witnessed caused him to become weak at the knees. But the angel told him to be strong and not to fear. He was strengthened at that moment by the message from God. It’s not always through a transition in your life that you need to be strong. You may need to be strong to be there for others through their difficult moments. Or you may need to be strong as others suffer, knowing that relying on the strength of God is what is needed.

I think of Daniel as I think about the mass shootings that are happening across the country. It’s enough to make you run into the house, lock the doors, and hide. But we have to continue to live and trust God for the strength to not be overcome with grief and fear.

My heart is especially hurting for the school community in Texas. Like the ones in Buffalo, those families are hurting at the senseless violence that has overtaken their lives. These events and others may cause us to become fearful, but in times like these, we must be strong. And we should be praying!

Paul wrote some very encouraging words in 1 Corinthians:

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NKJV

Stay watchful, and alert! We need not be fearful but must pay attention to our environment when we are out and about. Stand fast in the faith; this is not the time for wavering. God is still good, and He is still on the throne. Where sin abounds, grace abounds the more. Be brave and strong. There is no time for cowering from the enemy; it’s time to pray like never before. And let all that we do be done with love. Don’t give in to hatred and violence. Let love have its perfect work in our hearts! We need His strength today in great measure!

If you are in transition or wondering about how you will make it through a challenging time in your life, you can take heart with these words: Be strong!

Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”
Isaiah 35:4 NKJV

Challenging times are ahead for us all. Transitions will continue to be a part of living. But through it all, God tells us to be strong. I didn’t know I needed those words before I heard them, but I was strengthened when I heard them. Maybe you didn’t realize that you needed to hear them either, but here they are: Be strong! In Him and with Him, we can be strong because His strength is being perfected in us. Wonderful Jesus!

Wait For Confirmation!

1 Samuel 1:23-So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the Lord establish His word.” Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

The account of the birth of the prophet Samuel is filled with drama. We have Hannah, his mother, who is barren and desperate to have a child. We have Elkanah, her husband, who feels like she should just be glad that she has a wonderful husband who loves her so much. Then there is Penninah, the other wife of Elkanah, who has given him sons and daughters and has no trouble reminding Hannah that she is barren. It’s just a lot going on in this chapter.

But one year, when they go to the feast, Hannah is at her wit’s end with a desire to have a son. While the family is celebrating and eating, she’s fasting and praying, crying out to the God, who seems to be silent to her request. As she is praying, the priest Eli witnesses her lips moving, thinking that she is drunk:

Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Get rid of your wine.”
1 Samuel 1:4 AMP

But Hannah wasn’t drunk with wine but with the misery of being barren. She was pouring out her heart to God. While she was praying, she made a deal with God that if He gave her a son, she would give him back to the Lord to serve the Lord all the days of his life. And although no words were heard, her mannerisms caught the eye of the priest. She explained to Eli that her heart was heavy and she was just crying out to God over the burden of her heart. Then Eli pronounced a blessing over Hannah:

“Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”
1 Samuel 1:17 AMP

Hannah did indeed receive the petition of her heart from God. When it was time to return to the feast, she told her husband:

“I will not go up until the child is weaned; and then I will bring him, so that he may appear before the Lord and remain there as long as he lives.”
1 Samuel 1:22 AMP

Elkanah was not with Hannah when she pledged Samuel to the Lord. Today, mothers may have a say over their children, but they really didn’t have the final say during Hannah’s life and culture. The Bible clearly states that if a wife makes a vow and the husband vetoes it, it is null and void (See Numbers 30:6-8).

Elkanah did not overrule Hannah’s vow, but he cautioned her to be sure that God was confirming His word in the situation. Elkanah’s word to Hannah leaped in my spirit as I reread this account. Making vows, or claiming God said something to us, or that we are obeying the voice of God is not a lite thing before the Lord. Even as New Testament believers, we must be careful of what we attribute to God or what God has said to us.

We can probably all recall a time when we or someone we know has said that God told us to do something. How many brides or grooms have declared with boldness that God told them to marry someone? I know I did! How many of us have heard that God told someone to leave their spouse? I have heard it on more than one occasion. How many people have said that God has called them into the ministry? It’s not uncommon to hear people say that God told them to do something.

In Hannah’s case, she promised God to give Him Samuel permanently. Her husband told her to be sure that God was in what she was doing because once it was done, it was done! Trusting God to confirm a decision that we are making is wisdom. David wrote these words:

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:5 NKJV

When God is in the decision-making process, His stamp of approval is on the decision. When we say that we need to make a decision and we don’t have time to wait on God, that’s a clear sign that we need to wait on Him. There are some decisions that we can’t afford to get wrong, and having God confirm a word to us or from us can say a lot of pain and disappointment in the future.

I mentioned that I was a person who said that God told me to marry my husband. We met in a military airport in Sicily, and he invited me to dinner. I wasn’t hungry, but I went with him. He seemed to be known by people at the airport (he was a pilot), and many saw me leave with him. I took the risk. We had a nice time sharing our faith in the Lord.

A few months later, he called me at my base in Italy, on a whim. I was passing by the payphone and just happened to answer it. Months later, when we were both back in the states, I called his base looking for him, as I had promised. We decided to get together. He told me that God had said I was to be his wife on our second date. That wasn’t my first time hearing that from a man, but I decided I needed to pray because I really liked him.

My prayer to God was simple, “Is this the one, or do I look for another?” I heard God speak to my spirit, and He told me to look no further. We were married four months later and have been married for 35 years. Not cohabitating and barely making it, but living in a loving, God-centered relationship. It wasn’t enough for him to tell me what God said. I needed to have God confirm that to me.

Through the years, I have genuinely come to appreciate the confirmation of what I believe God is saying to me. When I trust Him and wait for His confirmation, He brings to pass the thing that I am trusting Him for. When I don’t wait, I have to pray to get through something I could have avoided. Not always things that could be considered sin but things that drain my time and energy, or become problematic in getting it done.

Jesus spoke to Ananias about visiting Saul on the street called Straight. Ananias didn’t move until he was sure Jesus wanted him to do that. God wanted Peter to go over to Cornelius’ house to share the gospel. Knowing that Peter would need confirmation to do this, God spoke to him in a vision. Paul wanted to go to Asia to preach, but God didn’t confirm it, He sent Paul to Macedonia instead. Mary was told that she would give birth to Son of God, but she wanted confirmation that the angel wasn’t leading her astray. He said to her that Elizabeth was pregnant in her old age.

Throughout the word of God, in both the Old and New Testament, is a validation of the truth of what Elkanah said to Hannah, “Be sure that God is speaking”! Taking time to hear from God about any decision is a good thing; however, taking time for important decisions is wise. Remember, that if you ever feel like you don’t have to wait for God, that is a clear indication that you need to wait on God. Wonderful Jesus!

Remember the Lord!

Deuteronomy 8:18- “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” NKJV

There are things, people, and events in life that we feel as if we will never forget. I will never forget the night I was filled with the Spirit of God. I will never forget the first time I met my husband. I will never forget the birth of our girls, the first time I preached.

But then there are some things I hope to never remember again. If possible, I wish to have amnesia over those events so that they can be permanently removed from my psyche. Sadly, that’s not how it goes.

Interestingly, we have difficulty letting go and forgetting those things we shouldn’t remember while having difficulty remembering those things we should remember.

Such was the case with the children of Israel. As the children of Israel stood before the Red Sea with the army of Egyptians coming toward them, they soon forgot all of the plagues and thus the miraculous signs that God had performed in Egypt:

Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
Exodus 14:11-12 NKJV

They forgot how horrible it was to be in Egyptian bondage, and they forgot how mighty God was in the face of their difficulties. Faced with possible death, or so they thought, they could not remember God. Neither could they remember His works. All they saw at that time was the Red Sea before them, the army behind them, and they remembered Egypt. But they should have been working to forget Egypt!

Later, when they arrived at the Promised Land, Moses sent out twelve spies. Ten returned with a negative report, while two returned with a report of hope, vision, and the possibilities with God. Listen to the response of the children of Israel when they heard there were giants in the land:

And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!… So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”
Numbers 14:2,4 NKJV

They forgot God again! They forgot about the crossing over on dry land and the parting of the Red Sea. They forgot about water coming out of the rock. They forgot about bitter water turning into sweet water at Meribah. And they forgot about being delivered by the mighty hand of God from Egypt. As a matter of fact, they wanted to return.

In Deuteronomy 8, Moses takes time to share with the children of Israel the Law. And in doing this, he takes them down memory lane to remind them of the goodness of the Lord to them, exhorting them not to forget the Lord:

Remember the Lord, Moses cried!

Remember, He brought you out of the land of Egypt!
Remember, He kept you these forty years in the wilderness!
Remember, He fed you with manna!
Remember, He didn’t allow your clothes to wear out!
Remember, He didn’t allow your feet to swell from all of that walking around!
Remember, He is giving you this good land that He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! Remember the Lord!

Why would Moses have to tell them to remember the God that they had experienced, just as he had? The God who had been so good to them? Moses answers this question:

And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth
Deuteronomy 8:18a NKJV

Moses understood that the promised land had many blessings for the children of Israel, and he understood the dangers of wealth! Moses knew that when life was no longer difficult for them and they had all of their material needs met, they could easily think that they had done all of this independent of God!

No longer to be slaves depending on others for their next meal, a corner to sleep in, or a ration of oil. When you get into this land, abundance is waiting for you, and you will be wealthy. But I caution you, Moses said, remember the Lord, for He is prospering you! He will be the reason you succeed!

Moses continues to tell them why they are walking into a land of great wealth:

That He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers,
Deuteronomy 8:18b NKV

God promised Abraham that 400 years after his death, He would bring Abraham’s descendants to Canaan to inherit the land. God promised Abraham a nation of people. God promised that He would be with them and would prosper them. God fulfilled the covenant that He swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when they entered the promised land. Because of this fulfillment, Moses told the children of Israel that they were not to forget God but to remember Him!

That message rings with just as much warning today as it did when Moses originally spoke it. We are to remember the Lord our God because He is the One who enables us to get wealth. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty wealthy compared to my parents. Actually, I’m pretty wealthy now compared to my beginnings. My first job yielded me $1.85 an hour, approximately 75 dollars a week. I make more than 75 dollars in a day today! I am wealthy! To God be the glory! I was thankful then, and I am grateful now. Even more so because I remember that the Lord has prospered me.

How Americans see wealth, I am not even close to being wealthy, but when I look back on where I came from to where I am now, I most definitely am wealthy. Again, to God be all the glory! My husband and I enjoy walks in the evenings where we talk about what’s going on in our lives, with our ladies, church, or jobs. And we always walk back in the door, grateful! God has not only been good to us, but He is also good to us now! We can’t contribute our lives to our smarts or our abilities, only to God! And guess what? Neither can you!

No matter where you are in regard to material wealth, all that you have is because God has been good to you! It doesn’t matter if you have a bunch of letters following behind your name or before your name; you have gotten to that place of success because God has been good to you! It may seem like your talent opened that door or got you that great record deal or contract with the team, but it was God, not you! And if you haven’t remembered that in a while, I encourage you to stop and remember today that it is the Lord who enabled you to gain the wealth you have today!

Why? To establish His covenant in the earth for we are blessed with Abraham:

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV

Thank God for Jesus! All we have, all we are, is because of Him and through Him! Remember the Lord, for it is He who has empowered you to become wealthy! Wonderful Jesus!

It Doesn’t Matter Where You Go!

1 Samuel 10:21-22- And Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord answered, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.”

I love the fact that God doesn’t have to look for me because He always knows where I am at! I was reminded of this truth in the Bible just this week.

Take Saul as an example! Saul was the son of a powerful man in the tribe of Benjamin, whose name was Kish. The Bible shares the fact that Saul was tall and handsome. He had everything going for him, and I am sure that he felt it was enough. Then one day, his father’s donkeys turned up missing. Why Kish asked Saul to go with a servant to look for the donkeys, he probably couldn’t say, but he did. And Saul went.

While Saul was out hunting for the donkeys, he met Samuel the prophet. Samuel proceeded to tell Saul that he was chosen by God to be king but to keep it to himself for the moment. On the day that it was time for the anointing, Saul was nowhere to be found. As a matter of fact, Samuel had to get divine help to find out where Saul had disappeared to:

But when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord answered, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.”
1 Samuel 10:22 NKJV

God told them exactly where to find Saul. He was hiding among the equipment. Here God is getting ready to have him anointed as the king of Israel, and he is in hiding. When God has an assignment on your life, you can run and even hide, but He knows where you are at. Even when you change your locale, He isn’t surprised by it, and it changes nothing!

Jonah would be able to tell you that! God had an assignment for Jonah! Jonah didn’t want to do the assignment. So he left his home and got on a boat headed in the opposite direction.

But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Jonah 1:3 NKJV

Jonah was a prophet of God, and yet he hadn’t realized that he couldn’t flee the presence of God! Even David understood this truth!

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
Psa;m 139 NKJV

Yet, Jonah ran, only to run smack dab into God! There is no getting away from Him! David said,

If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
Psalm 139:8-10 NKJV

If you have been trying to outrun God, stop wasting your time, because you cannot do it. Wherever you go, He is already there. That should bring comfort and not fear. That should make you shout and not fret, because He cares enough about you, about us, to always know where we are at!

Cornelius’ encounter with God also sheds light on the fact that God knows where we are at all times. Cornelius was a Gentile in the Italian army. Somehow he had become interested in the God of Israel and had begun to pray and to give as a way to acknowledge the faith he had embraced.

About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God
Acts 10:3-4 NKJV

God took notice of Cornelius’ alms and his prayers and sent an angel to him. God wanted to bless Cornelius but He wanted to use Peter to bless him. Peter wasn’t at home, and God knew that, but He also knew where Peter was lodging and what he was doing.

Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”
Acts 10:5-6 NKJV

God knew exactly where Peter was at that precise moment, and he told Cornelius. In faith, Cornelius sends his servants to the address given to him, and Peter is there. I’ve heard people say that if you aren’t at church when God starts blessing, you will miss out on your blessing. Maybe! But since God knows where you live, He can come to where you live, work, or even vacation, and bless you! All addresses are known to Him and by Him!

Another person who can testify to this matter is also named Saul, but his name was changed to Paul. Saul was headed to Damascus to round up some more Christians to persecute when he ran into Jesus. After his encounter with Jesus, he was blinded for a time. Some men who were traveling with him took him to a place to stay. While he was there, God spoke to Ananias, His servant:

So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
Acts 9:11-12 NKJV

Ananias wasn’t interested in meeting up with Saul, the persecutor. But God wanted to use Ananias to bless Saul. God gave Ananias the exact location of where Saul was at that time, and Ananias found him as the Lord said that he would!

We serve an amazing God. Whenever we try and place Him in a box with our theology or our experiences, we should know that it isn’t happening. It doesn’t matter where we go in this life, God will always be able to find us because He never loses sight of us. He knows where we are at all times and He knows how to get people to us to bless us! If we run from Him, that only shows our lack of faith that we can’t outrun God or hide from Him. But over and again He has shown us in His word that we are important enough to Him that we can’t hide from His presence!

And why would we even want to hide from His presence, when He loves us and wants what is best for us! Wonderful Jesus!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Have a wonderful day with your family and with Jesus! Wonderful Jesus!

Jacob’s Mom!

Genesis 25:21-22- Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah, his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her, and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. NKJV

How well I remember carrying each of our girls. Some of the memories are fond, and some of them are not. But I remember well the times I would pray over them as they were in my womb. As I have watched them over the years turn into the godly young women that they are, I see the fruitfulness of those prayers.

Rebekah was the wife of Isaac, and the Bible says that she was barren. Isaac knew that God could provide children to a barren woman; after all, his mom had been barren and gave birth to him in her old age. So Isaac prayed to God and asked Him to bless Rebekah with a child. God responded and blessed her with twins, Jacob and Esau!

They didn’t have ultrasounds at that time, so there was no help to tell her what was going on inside her womb. Although she had never experienced pregnancy before, she noticed that something was going on in her womb that seemed to be unusual. Not that ultrasound would have been able to help her!

But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
Genesis 25:22 NKJV

Rebekah prayed about the children in her womb. She wanted to know what was happening inside of her and why? God responded:

“Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; one people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.”
Genesis 25:23 NKJV

Wow! That’s a lot to take in. Rebekah may have known that she had two babies, but she didn’t know that she was carrying two nations in her womb. That’s pretty special! Before she could rejoice over that, God revealed to her that one nation would be stronger than the other and that the older son would serve the younger son.

I am sure that Rebekah didn’t know what to make of this word from God. We know that she was a wise young lady when she was chosen to be Isaac’s bride. We know from the scriptures that he loved her, and she was a great comfort to him. Things were going well, and now she would give birth to two mighty men who would both be patriarchs of their own nation. What was she to do moving forward?

As a mother, I learned early the value of praying over our children. Not wanting to take anything from their wonderful father, today it’s not about him! I prayed about everything concerning them. I prayed about the schools they attended, their teachers, their assignments, and their friends. I prayed about them coming to know Jesus at a young age and that their salvation would be real and their convictions would be strong. I prayed they would love God, love to work in His kingdom, be tithers, stay chaste, etc.

I prayed about the paths they would walk in and the careers they would choose, and I prayed and am still praying for the godly men that will someday claim their hearts. No matter how old children are, they will always require our prayers.

Motherhood isn’t easy, but it is special. As our children’s first teachers, we can greatly influence their lives. We can be a positive source of influence or negatively influence them. With Rebekah’s twins, we can see that her grown children may have had a different perspective on how their mother influenced their lives. Whatever they would say, we are sure that she did influence both of their lives.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.
Psalm 127:4 NKJV

A warrior directs his aim in the path he wants his arrow to travel. Much like we are to direct our children. We shouldn’t force our children to go a certain way, but we can certainly nurture and point them in certain directions.

One day I walked into the room where my husband and one of our daughters were conversing. She shared with him that she wanted to take a year off from her academics. In her junior year, she was completing high school and wanted to work on her music. I listened for a few minutes, and then I said that she had two options: stay in high school for her senior year or begin college. Those were her only choices. She wasn’t happy at the time, but she went to college and did well. She was an excellent student, and while I wasn’t interested in telling her what she had to major in, I felt it was important to let her know that she had to stay in school. (Again, not taking anything away from the influence of her father, because she followed in his footsteps in so many ways, it’s funny!)

We were spared a lot of trauma and drama in raising our girls through the years. Prayer was the vehicle that kept me sane as the mother of three beautiful, talented, and independent-thinking young ladies. Whether I was praying with my husband, my friends, or solo, I learned to take our girls to God in prayer.

That’s how Rebekah started her journey of motherhood. She prayed about her children. While the Bible doesn’t give us much information about her relationship with them, we know that she had a favorite son, Jacob. We also know that she decided God needed her help in bringing about His will in Jacob’s life. I’m sure I didn’t do it all correctly, either. But I wonder what Rebekah’s sons would have been if she had ended the way she started? Inquiring of the Lord!

Nevertheless, Rebekah’s son Jacob became Israel, patriarch of the nation of Israel. His life was a challenge since he was named a deceiver, but Jacob went on to have some real encounters with the Lord. God was with him when he went to live with Laban. We know that because he met God on the way and had the kind of encounter we all would like to have:

Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
Genesis 28:12 NKJV

Jacob knew that God was in that place. He decreed that if God would be with him and bring him back safely to his father’s land, God would be his God. On his way back home, he had another encounter with God where God changed his name from Jacob to Israel! Rebekah’s son may have not gotten it all right at the beginning of his years, but he did in his later years.

Mothers! It isn’t too late to start praying over your children! If you started and slacked off, take up the challenge again. Prayer makes all the difference in the lives of our children. Even when we pray, there are so many obstacles and challenges before our children, but praying minimizes and even stops a lot of the plans of the wicked one. I believe that when Jacob left his mother to go to her brother’s home, she once again began to pray. His latter years were greater than his first! He had an encounter with God that put him on God’s path for him. I believe his mother was a great part of that!

Let me take this time to wish every mother a wonderful time on the day that is all about you, Mother’s Day! We do our best, pray our way through, and trust God! None of us are perfect but know that we are perfectly suited to raise our children; that’s why they are ours! Be encouraged, and keep up the great work that God has given you! Wonderful Jesus!

Rooted & Built Up!

Colossians 2:6-7- As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. NKJV

In my last blog, we looked at the first part of this verse and discussed what it looks like to make an adjustment in our lives as we walk before the Lord. There is no way to come in contact with the Word of God and remain unaffected. A change must come!

Paul says that we are to be rooted in Christ. We may recall from a science class that the roots of a plant draw water and nutrients necessary for the plant’s life. A spiritual connection is most definitely found in this natural analogy.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV

A tree or plant with good roots produces good fruit. So is the believer in Christ! We are blessed and fruitful. We don’t become afraid because of heat or drought. The weather doesn’t affect the tree any more than circumstances affect us because our hope and trust is in the Lord! We are rooted in Him!

Paul also encouraged us to be built up in Him! Paul wrote this to the church of Ephesus:

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22 NKJV

Isn’t this wonderful news? We are no longer strangers, sinners, without God. We are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s own household. As such, we are being built on the same foundation that the apostles and prophets of the New Testament was built on, and Jesus is the chief cornerstone! In layman terms, the cornerstone joins two walls together so that they won’t fall apart!

Jesus joined the Jews and the Gentiles together in Him. Everything is being fitted together that we might grow into a holy temple in the Lord. Not only that, we are being built together to be a dwelling place for God in the Spirit!

Paul is not referencing a casual acquaintance with the Lord. He is not even thinking of a shallow knowledge of the Lord. Paul is instructing us, the church, how to be anchored or rooted in Christ, then he tells us why this is so important. God wants to dwell in holy vessels, and He wants to dwell in us. Therefore, we must be holy as He is holy! Peter said it like this:

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:4-5 NKJV

What a blessing to think that God has such high standards for us. He doesn’t see us as some ole dirty worthless worm. No! He says through His apostles that we are being built up as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices that He finds acceptable through Jesus! That’s amazing!

Lastly, Paul encourages us to be established in the faith! I believe the New Living Translation helps us to understand Paul’s train of thinking:

Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:7 NLT

This reference to faith refers to the truth that we believe about Jesus! We need to be fixed, strong, established in the what we believe. Paul had to continuously encourage the Jewish and Gentile believers to remain established in the teachings of Jesus. It was tempting, maybe even easy, to fall back and that which they were comfortable with, but Paul knew the dangers of that:

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.
Colossians 1:23 NLT

This encouragement is necessary today for us! Stuff is floating all over the internet and the television waves. If we aren’t careful to remain established in the truth of God’s word, we may find ourselves away from His word and involved in some other things that resembled Him but, in the end, weren’t Him. Paul suggested that we stick with what we were taught about Jesus! The only time we leave that, is when we realize it wasn’t truth at all.

For example. Some people believe that Paul teaches that it is best to live as a single person and to remain celibate. That’s not what he teaches. He teaches that it is okay to be married and it’s okay to be single. However you find yourself, do it for the glory of God. And yes, single people should be celibate! So if you were told you had to be single to truly serve God and therefore you shunned marriage, that would be an instance where you can leave that teaching because it is not scriptural. I hope that makes sense!

Then Paul tells us to do all of this, abounding in it with thankfulness. The life of the believer should be a life that abounds. Abounding gives a picture of living your best life! God wants us to live our best life! He isn’t calling us to barely get by or even think our life has to resemble another person’s life. He wants us to live the best life that He has for us, with thanksgiving!

I don’t need to explain what thanksgiving looks like! We all understand what it looks and sounds like. All-day long, and every chance we get, we should be giving Him thanks for all He has done!

If we are rooted, built up and established in the Lord, it is because He has His hand on our lives, and we are being led by His Spirit! That’s something for which we should all be thankful! Wonderful Jesus!