Talking out loud...

Thursday, April 29, 2010:

I am sitting here, thinking about all the stuff we go through, the drama, the stress, and it hit me: how many of us actually believe and trust that “all things work together for good, to them that love God and are fitting into His plans” when we are in the middle of an intense situation? How many of us connect to Psalm 23 “even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not be afraid, for You are with me...”? We need to expand our sight and take a good look from a different angle. “Bad things” happening to us may not be simply “bad things”. It could be a particular valley you are meant to go through, for God to take you to the other side. Especially those of who us who have stepped forward and said, “I’m all in, holding back nothing, take me where You want to take me Jesus, use me all the way, this is it”.

Meant to go through? I believe so. We all influence our own destiny. My choices determine my future. If I say, “Father, I am meant for more than this. Take me where you want me to go, I am here for that purpose” then you better believe He will acknowledge that! And we don’t realize the ensuing valley-passing is a direct result of that request. Our discontent is not with the pasture we are currently in; it is with the knowing that “there must be more than this that is meant for me, I want to be THERE!” So God, the best Dad there is, takes us by the hand and takes us there--often through the “death valley express route”. I find that looking at things this way relieves the strain, presents me with fresh light and puts fresh wind in my sails.

A frequent perspective check is always good. Good to sound things out, good to look at it again, from a different viewpoint. Good to question your own decisions and see if they’re still up to snuff. If it can’t stand up to my own scrutiny, it ain’t worth the doing.

Inside out! part 3

Matthew 3:8-12

Here we go--the part of salvation that so many of us misunderstand. It's when Jesus starts "cleaning house. He'll make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in it's proper place before God; everything false He'll put out with the trash to be burned." This is an easy-to-read but very hard-to-experience part of our walk with Jesus. It feels like we are being turned upside down; truth is we are being set right side up. It feels like so much is "going wrong" in our lives. Things we used to rely on are not in place; we grasp for familiar props only to find they aren't there anymore. It's withdrawal time. And withdrawal is hell on earth, while it's happening to us. But change your viewpoint, brother, sister. This is the proof of our transformation, our redemption is at work within us. The internal shuffle is a good thing. Time to laugh, thank God, praise Him for what's going on. The feelings will change once your perspective does. Hallelujah, here we go!

Inside out! part 2

Matthew 3:8-12

God's standard of calling-it-as-it-is is seen in "Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire." It is too easy to refer to a one-time experience, or a spiritual lineage, and claim "I'm safe." Jesus wants the real, the visible, the tangible fruit. Your life, brother; your life, sister. What is the offspring of your soul? What has your life given birth to? Measure your significance through that. Not the projects, or the achievements, but the level of changed-ness you live in daily. That truly gives glory to Jesus, to our Father. Inside out. Join the revolution; be a world changer-- live radically saved--inside out.

Inside out! part 1

Matthew 3:8-12

I can't help but sense Jesus' power and passion for our lives to be significantly different when I read this! Look at it--"He will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out!" This is what it's all about--letting that fire burn and have it's way with you. That kingdom life is within--not a badge, not a church, not a label, not a way of talking, of singing, of praying. That kingdom life is FIRE. Being saved, being His, is all about being in a state of constant burning. And that fire has to get hot enough, hot enough to change your current state of being. Transform you from within. Burn hot enough to change the way you think, you feel, you react. Be a burning transformed being, changing, never the same, always hot. Hallelujah, thank you Jesus, here I am, burn away!

Pressure is a gift... part 3

James 1:2-4

Being exposed is always a vulnerable thing. Which is why so many of us shy away from it. We need to get used to the idea of what is inside being known and seen by all. Realize it or not, this is what happens when we go through difficult periods of life--our true colors show. So what are you really like? Does your faith really take center stage in time of crisis? Do you still run to other sources aside from Jesus in your desperation? Make choices today, when there is no pressure on you. Even in the midst of that crisis, make choices, to belong to Him. And as you do so, your perspective will change, and when it is all done, you will come out well-developed, matured, not deficient in any good thing. Amazing. Lastly, don't rush the process. Don't merely "endure" it; you will miss out on the growth and development. Embrace it, OWN it! This is your chance to come out of that crisis better than ever before!

Pressure is a gift... part 2

James 1:2-4

The amazing "guarantee" that comes with belonging to Jesus is in these verses. Tests, challenges, pressures-- they can work FOR you, not against you. It really is all about your perspective. The "gift" is not the difficulty; it's the opportunity to grow and evolve through the period of difficulty. Our faith-life "unprocessed" by pressure is like raw carbon--raw, organic substance. But through the pressure process that your faith-life goes through, IF you choose the gift in it, is forced by heat and pressure into something evolutionary, something beautiful, something extremely HARD and UNBREAKABLE. Amen, Father. Thank you for the gift. Thank you for the sight!

Pressure is a gift... part 1

James 1:2-4

This can sound really crazy to someone going through the worst time of their life to date. But think about it for a moment: pressure is a gift, in disguise. The key is us figuring out the disguise and seeing the opportunity in it. The stress is never welcomed, but a lot of us recognize we do excellently under pressure. It forces us to think and act outside the box. It pushes us beyond our comfort level, to achieve or endure above and beyond what we deem "possible". Jesus knows. Bottom line, is if you belong to Him, love Him, and are fitting into His plans--then all things work together for your good. That's Romans 8:28. That's a promise for you.

It's who we are that counts...

Luke 6:43-45

In our day and age, there are too many saying what we should do and how we should worship in order to be "in the right." These words of Jesus are freeing words! Our fruit is not what we "do" outwardly. It's all about how much LIFE we live, and therefore give. Religion kills; Jesus came to bring life, and life abundantly. I have known people who have so much scripture knowledge, but there is no "life" in their words... and then there are those who aren't much to look at as far as spiritual credentials in people's opinion, but their lives exude life and so do their words. Just live; be real, be present. God is always talking. Our quality of "life" stems from the quality of that relationship.