Don't be moved!

The Lord spoke to me this morning in my devotional and I believe it is a word you will find very encouraging. I read Proverbs every day, the chapter corresponding to the day of the month. Today being the 10th it is Proverbs 10. A chapter devoted to the wise sayings of Solomon contrasting the wise man with the foolish or evil man.

The blessing of the Lord- it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it]. God's blessing is there for us, we don't do anything [toil, strive] to receive it, it is there by virtue of our relationship with Christ. We are made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ. Praise God!

Wise men store up knowledge [in mind and heart], but the mouth of the foolish is a present destruction. The lips of the [uncompromisingly] righteous feed and guide many, but fools die for want of understanding and heart.

These are wonderful passages of scripture filled with God's wisdom. Now hear is a key verse as we go into the Springtime and the season of tornado's and bad weather. Proverbs 10:25- When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous have an everlasting foundation.
Psalms 125:1- Those who trust in, lean on, and confidently hope in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides and stands fast forever. Praise God

Matt 7:24-25: So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it was founded on the rock.

These scriptures have application in many situations in our lives. They apply to our relationships, our finances, our health, our spiritual condition and also to our physical surroundings. Jesus was trying to teach the disciples this lesson when they were in the boat on the lake and a storm arose. He fully expected them to be able to take care of the situation and not be disturbed from His sleep. You remember that He was asleep when all the bad weather was going on around Him?

Jesus had to rebuke the storm by speaking to it and immediately the storm ceased. You've no doubt read this passage many times and maybe you've never grasped the significance of the power available to us through our relationship with Jesus. He intended for us to have power over the physical world around us. His plan for Adam was for him to rule over the earth.

We have been experimenting with this power for many years. Every time that a storm is forecast to come into our area, Jamie and I take the authority Jesus gave us and exercise it over our property. We usually will quote Psalms 91especially verse 10 which says: There shall no evil befall you, nor shall any plague or calamity come near your tent (your home, all your property, where ever you are, your children, etc.). We have never had any damage to our home or cars, our children or us.

We fully trust in and believe God's words to be true regarding our safety and we speak them out in faith trusting that He will protect us. Do this next time that storms come into your area. Instead of giving into fear, made a faith decision that His word is more powerful than any storm and trust that He will protect you. Just imagine that you're on that lake in the boat with Jesus sleeping. Instead of waking Him to do what He told you to do you take control and silence the storms in your life through the power of His words spoken through you. He'll wake up and say "Well done good and faithful servant".

Jamie and I bless you and ask God to richly bless and keep you according to His mighty word!

The Haunting Past

The more we mentor, the more we learn that there are still issues in our own lives that we are dealing with. Have you noticed how when you have overcome certain issues, the enemy tries to throw them back up in your face as if  they are still issues. We must always be wise to his schemes, not ever letting our guard down.

I was praying today and the Lord reminded me that those things of the past can be used by the devil as a "homing pigeon." I’ll explain... My husband is a mighty, faith man. Did you know that the opposite of faith is fear. Fear means flight or flee, being so scared “that which may cause flight.” Alan trusts God with his whole heart. He does! But there was a time early in our marriage where we were not in financial harmony. We have since, done Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace, we pray together seeking God’s financial council and we are in agreement when we do everything now. Now we are investing in the stock market together.

However, that homing pigeon of (financial) fear still tries to come back and land on Alan (to roost in his thoughts), even though Alan has already overcome that. So we must first, have the eyes to SEE as it is happening so that we can, REMIND the enemy that we have overcome that fear and THANK God that we are new creations in Christ Jesus. The old creature has passed away, behold we are made anew. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things behind] is fit for the kingdom of God” Luke 9:62. Fear cannot run roughshod over us anymore. It has no place. We now stand firm, in Jesus’ name.

Try that he may, the enemy cannot succeed in tormenting Alan in the area of financial investments. We bind our minds to the mind of Christ meaning that the enemy cannot come in the back door. Half of the battle is being aware that there is an accuser of the bretheren. Since we know that the opposite of faith is fear, the enemy longs to pervert Alan’s “faith mindset” to a “fear mentality”. So we take our authority because we are no longer in that place of fear anymore. We have spiritually matured! We are so far removed from that place we were years ago, there is no comparison to what we knew then to what we now know. And we aren’t going back, but are moving ahead in Christ Jesus. Empowered by the Holy Spirit! Praise God!

Distraction = Destruction

Our Young Marrieds small group is reading a book, His Needs Her Needs by Willard F. Harley. Its preface tells about Harley’s early encounter with a friend whose marriage was in trouble and came to him for advice. The friend’s marriage ended in divorce anyway so that sent him on a journey to discover what counsel could have made a difference in the outcome. His answer theorized that if you could associate “a feeling of love, to a person”, then that could be the difference.That is a great concept. Many have called it the best marraige book ever written with over one million copies printed internationally in over 15 years.

As Christians, we automatically associate those same feelings of love with our heavenly Father. “A feeling of love with Abba Daddy.” The Bible is the number one most printed (over any other publication) in the entire world. The Bible is revered as the inspired Word of God. Yet, why is the world currently in a downward spiral? That is the question that has me troubled. Morals, values, character, leadership, government, marriage, the family unit, etc.

What is the first commandment? (Jesus)“Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord; And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with your whole soul (your life) and out of and with your whole mind (your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.” -Mark 12: 29-30 AMP. 

He is a jealous God because he wants you to have THE best and your obedience of Him is what avails Gods best for you. A practical application of this, is to respect God and those in authority over you. The other gods have become the distraction of the one true God. There is a reason that this is the first commandment. It is because God knows any other god (lower case) will side track us (ie: power, money,  people, objects, hobbies, ablity, etc.). The enemy uses them as distractions. Distraction will take us down a path of destruction. There are scriptural references that attest to that. And that is no theory. It is Truth.

Jer. 25:6; 35:15, Luke 4:8.

Navigator

We have been asking the Lord to show us how to relay the person of the Holy Spirit to individuals in terms so that they can understand. One day He simply replied, “Navigator.” Upon thinking on this, I kept coming back to the GPS (navigation) system in cars and on cell phones. The “nav” system works as a compass based on a map. The Holy Spirit works as a guide (navigator), based on God’s Word (The Bible), hence the expression, “the Bible is a guidebook for life.” 

Alan and I were in New York over the holidays. When Alan returned our car into the rental office, he had to walk back to the hotel. He used the “nav” system, on his new phone for the first time, following the map to get back to the hotel. A few days later we were getting in our last few hours before catching a cab back to the airport. Bags already awaiting our return in the lobby office, a cab had been pre-arranged to pick us up at the hotel at 3:30 pm to take us to the airport. Getting maximum enjoyment while in Brooklyn, we cut it a bit close in returning to the hotel. 

Upon realizing our dilemma of possibly not making it back in time, we kept asking people on the street how to get back to our hotel. We were frantic. I’d had a muscle injury in my leg before going on the trip, so I was nervous about re-injuring it by walking faster than my leg was ready to go. I was being pressed to hurry. We did get back in time. 

Later, however, we realized we’d had the capability to find our way back, all along. We had not yet gotten accustomed to using this new feature available to us. The map had been right there in Alan’s pocket. The “nav” system. All we needed do was USE IT! How many times have you, in a moment of panic, reacted without realizing what you needed (or something comparable), was available to you all along? If you’d just had the pressence of mind and taken a moment to recognize it.

The Holy Spirit is like that too. He is already there (within us), poised and ready to help. All we have to do, is Power up. He is the POWER; our Empowerment, our Compass, our Guide, our Helper, even our Navigator. Just as you tap onto the screen to summon the “nav” feature on your cell phone, so do you tap into the power of the Holy Spirit by simply asking Him for His help. When we get accustomed to using this supernatural empowerment available, it becomes second nature to us.

That empowerment can’t be much use or help to us if we don’t not use it. As Christians, we need to use this precious, God-given gift of the Holy Spirit. He is there as Navigator to get us through the stormy waters of life; marriage, work situations, financial decisions, parenting, and other relational issues, etc.  “But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Holy Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all truth (the whole, full Truth). For he will not speak His own message; but He will tell whatever He hears from the Father and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come.” -John 16:13 AMP

After the Storm

It's Winter in Alabama or at least the calendar says it is so. However the temperature seems more like Spring and with that warmth have come the storms. Last Monday morning early there were a bought of tornados here in Birmingham. Areas north of us were hit extremely hard with whole neighborhoods being heavily damaged.

One of the couples in our church whose home was damaged live in that area of town. On Saturday I went to help them do whatever was needed to begin the process of recovery. Arriving there was like traveling through a war zone. What were houses now looked like huge piles of sticks with trees scattered all around pushed over by the high winds. The tornado had mostly spared their home but had removed most of the trees in their wooded yard.

Awaking at 4am Monday morning to the sounds, they had made it into the hallway from their bedroom before the tornado struck blowing out windows. In a few seconds the storm had passed leaving them unharmed but traumatized emotionally. Looking at all the damage around their home, it was a blessing to learn that no one had received serious injuries just scratches, bruises and terrifying memories of the storm.

As we began to work clearing debris there was a group of people helping. I asked them how they knew our friends. Interestingly they told me they didn't know them at all. Just a group of people helping someone else who was in need. As I looked around the same thing was going on at other homes. People helping to cut down damaged trees while others brought food and water to those volunteering.

There were officials of course but mostly volunteers. It was so encouraging to see church groups and neighbors, people helping others through a difficult time. It's something we need more of in these trying times. People helping others without asking anything in return. It's a spirit of mercy and compassion, something God given from the Father of all mercy. Zechariah 7:9

Adoption Spirit

We are in the middle of a time of prayer and fasting for the new year and seeking God's direction for our church, the Inverness Vineyard. In our prayer times, the Lord is pouring into us much wisdom and a new and deeper understanding of His wonderful love, grace and mercy for us. He intends for us to be conduits of His love, mercy and grace to a world of lost, depressed and desperate people.

As we are being filled up with Him, we look for people upon whom we can pour out His anointing. Out of our inmost being will flow rivers of living water. The very life blood of Christ which transforms us into His likeness! Paul speaks of the adoption this way in Ephesians: "He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight."

As I was about to pray yesterday during lunch a co-worker came into my office asking some questions about her sons ability to remain under her medical plan. As we were talking she began to pour out her heart and brokenness about her son who was in rehab for addiction to alcohol and drugs. She loves him so much and was so distraught over his inability to free himself from addiction.

She told me that she and her husband had adopted their son as an infant and that he simply could not understand why his birth mom had chosen to give him up for adoption. The Lord was speaking to me through this situation of His Spirit of adoption that He actually chose us when we were in the middle of our sinfulness and lostness.

As I was praying with her, we prayed for the Spirit of adoption to infuse their son with the understanding of the love that his adopted mom and dad have for him as well as the love of his heavenly Father. That love would transform him enabling him to free himself from the past and unlock the chains of addiction that have bound him.

Today, invite the Lord to come into your heart and permeate your soul with His Spirit of adoption to free you from the past and any sins that have bound you. He is able and He is willing to do it!
Blessings

Tower of Babel

Since being involved in marriage ministry, we have a very different perspective on lots things including the story of the Tower of Babel. 

The story goes like this... “At one time the whole world spoke a single language and used the same words. As the people migrated eastward, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. They began to talk about construction projects. “Come,” they said, “let’s make great piles of burnt brick and collect natural asphalt to use as mortar. Let’s build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skies - a monument to our greatness!” - Genesis 11:1-4 (bold italics for emphasis)

Wow. Did you catch that? “A monument to OUR greatness.” What in the world were they thinking? They were thinking that they no longer needed God because they were god. “Pride comes before the fall.” Upon reading this, we realized how similar a parallel this is to the marriage relationship. Husbands and wives process and communicate in such different ways. At times (and for some, most of the time!) there is difficulty relating between man and woman; husband and wife. Why do you think that is? It is because God wants us to understand our extreme need for Him in our relationship with our spouse. And His Holy Spirit is there to help us understand and relate to one another. That is why the Holy Spirit, the Third Cord, is so necessary. The Bible tells us, “God blesses those who realize their need for Him...” - Matthew 5: 3. So that means, He (God) can't bless us if we don't realize our need for Him. Right? Without faith it is impossible to please Him.

Did you know that the Bible instructs us on ways in which God will hear us? “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.” - Psalm 34: 17 (bolded for emphasis). That is why He intervened on behalf of the Babylonians. They were behaving in an unrighteous manner. “Anyone who obeys God’s law and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven” -Matthew 5: 19. We know that “obedience is greater than sacrifice” -1 Samuel 15: 22. It goes on further to say in verse 23, that “rebellion (the opposite of obedience) is like divination and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.”  Choosing rebellion over obedience is a vile offense to God. Do you see how the Babylonians were trying to make idols of themselves? 

We can learn from their error as we cry out to God in humility, submitting to His authority and instruction from the Holy Spirit. He is our counselor and guide in troubled times Blessings!

Refreshment

Refreshment! We all want it. We all need to have it when we get to a point of saturation with life. We often decide to go on a vacation when we get to that point. To a place to get away from the fierce pace of life. To rest; slow our pace; to catch our breath. From a Christians’ standpoint, we already have that available to us! It is that secret place with our Lord. We can go there anytime, day or night. He is the 24/7 Counselor. 

The Amplified Bible defines the Holy Spirit as Counselor, Advocate, Teacher,  Intercessor, Strengthener, Guide and Standby. All of those. You can just crawl up into His big, loving, Daddy arms and express yourself to the only One who really understands because He created you and knows exactly what is going on (as being omnipotent, He has unlimited power and authority). You expressing your heart is the single most important thing that matters to Him at that moment (because He is omnipresent- He is everywhere at all times). 

It is best going to Him. The Perfect Counselor is Love. He is patient and kind. Long-suffering, full of grace and mercy. Does not condemn. Loves unconditionally. Knows the plans He has for you. Plans of peace (His Peace, Perfect Peace). To give you hope and a future (His Future). To give you life to experience to the full. Go there. To that secret place with Him and draw from His Presence. His Will for you. 

The enemy uses busy-ness to rob us of our peace and joy. Enjoy refreshment with the Father from this place called LIFE. The wheel of life is always turning. It is up to you to get a reprieve. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you when you need to go there. Jump off the wheel and into the His arms. “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” -Deuteronomy 33:27

Resolutions

This has been a “soul searching” new year for us. Even more so than other years. I have noticed that in both of us as 2011 came to an end. There has been much silence between us, reflection and conversations of reviewing thoughts and feelings we have, things we have done, thought or said; questioning our motives, etc. As we have pondered that, I believe it surrounds our becoming (marriage) pastors and the great responsibility that comes with that. 

Our church pastor has taken the month of January for us as a church to fast, pray and to seek our Lord about the direction for our church for the in-coming year. Upon reading from “through the Bible in a year,” the scripture reading for today struck me, that stated, “Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues, preaching everywhere the Good News about the Kingdom. And He healed the people who had every kind of sickness (physical, mental, spiritual) and disease.”- Matthew 4: 23

We know that the Bible says that Jesus came to overcome the world. The “world” here represents everything that is not of heaven (sin, sickness, poverty, etc.). Heaven is perfect; the world, imperfect. Jesus had such compassion for God’s creation (us) in this imperfect world, that He came to bring us hope. Our hope is in Him! He is hope for the hopeless.

As Christians, that baton was been passed to us. We are to bring hope to the hopeless. We are to be the salt and light (to those who need it). We are truth and the life that will set them free. We are holy and righteous representatives for Almighty God, the Christ Jesus. That is what the Bible says of us. So we have been honored, and given a great responsibility to represent Him well to the world. We are privileged to carry such an honor. I want to fulfill that responsibility to the best of my ability, as I know you do too. And the only way to do this, as God would do, is only by His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. 

“Not by power nor by might but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.”- Zechariah 4:6

So indeed His Holy Spirit alive and active in us is necessary to accomplish the great commission. So Father we ask for Your eyes to see, hear and understand by Your Spirit. Amen.