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.