“I Cry to You, But You Don’t Answer”

Posted on February 27, 2018 by daaorg1214

My friend, Maxine, ran into a rough spot when she got sober about nine years ago. Her personality is bubbly and infectious; she never had a problem landing a job, just couldn’t keep it. With her prior arrests, background checks always caught up with her. It made her employment history sketchy at best. Maxine’s dad worked in maintenance and janitorial service most of his life, and she had picked up a few skills here and there. She decided she’d try her hand at cleaning homes. When she told her friends about the idea, everyone was on board, and she was off to a good start.

Maxine was introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ in rehab, and her relationship with God continued to grow. She began to meet new people, and her housecleaning jobs increased. She decided to specialize in cleaning floors, rugs, and carpets, and make a go of a small business. Things really began to take-off from there. Her friends continued to be very supportive and gave her lots of encouragement and referrals. Maxine gained a reputation for good, reliable service at a good price. It wasn’t until six years later, when she started to take on larger clients, that her business hit a snag.

She enjoyed the initial building stage, but things took on a much different tone as the business grew, and her faith took a hit as well. As the money stream tightened, Maxine became anxious. She felt as if the Lord was letting her down. Many of us have been in this place, where our backs are against the wall and we don’t know quite what to do. The things that used to work for us are no longer working. We cry out to the Lord, but it seems that He isn’t hearing us.

In the Book of Job in the Old Testament, Job said as much. He said to the Lord in Job 30:20 (NLT), “I cry to you, O God, but you don’t answer. I stand before you, but you don’t even look.” These moments, when it seems that God isn’t responding, His mercy is speaking loud and clear, and we have the distinct privilege to press upon our spiritual hearing to receive what His mercy is saying. Heavenly Father is incredibly patient with us. 1John 5:14 tells us that He always hears our prayers. He’s interested in every detail of our lives, but we must also remember that God’s number one priority is our spiritual growth in Christ.

Heavenly Father wants us to succeed in life, but sometimes a subtle shift slips in. It’s one that causes us to lean less on the Lord Jesus and lean more on the flesh. We begin to walk more by sight than by faith. We forget that the goal is that our view of who God is and what He is willing to do for us grows, as our reliance on self-effort and ability diminishes. Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) gives us some extremely good counsel when this happens. It tells us, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Everything happens for a reason, and although you may not understand it, the lesson learned will inevitably be that God didn’t bring you this far to leave you. He’s working in you to will and do of His good pleasure through the Holy Spirit. He’s helping you to grow into the person that He desires you to be.

Romans 8:28(NKJV) tells us, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Maxine had a dry spell, but things got better. She learned many spiritual lessons during that season, like how to wait on God before making big decisions. Her eyes were also opened to being more thankful to the Lord for having people in her life that were willing to support her the way that they did. But the greatest lesson she learned was how quickly doubt can slip into our hearts when situations in our lives change. Doubt is not a part of God’s Kingdom. It doesn’t come from Him, and it takes up space that only trust and love for God should occupy. So yes, dry seasons will sometimes occur in life, but our commitment to hold to God’s unchanging hands will ensure they are only temporary. He promises that ultimately, everything will work together for our good.■

Pants too Tight, Mouth too Loose

Posted on February 20, 2018 by daaorg1214

My grandmother would say to me, “Your mouth is going to get you in trouble.” She accused me of talking way too much for a youngin barely able to make up a bed. In her day, kids were to occupy themselves with quiet play, and never to be so brassy as to interject in grown folk’s business. As with every new generation, mine was viewed as a new opinionated breed. This, coupled with an insatiable curiosity, presented a sassiness that often shocked my grandmother. By the time I was a skin-tight jeans wearing teenager, she was utterly stunned by the antics she witnessed on TV and saw reflected in me and my siblings. We were completely outside the box, and nowhere in the contextual framing of her thought process was she able to connect the wires that made us act the way we did.

The combination of pants too tight and a mouth too loose never diminished my grandmother’s love and care, but it earmarked the differences between us. Of course, compared to today, the antics of my generation were mild to say the least. Talk about jeans too tight, today they’re a little more than stockings. Some of the things that bothered my grandmother about my generation are championed in today’s society, and perhaps necessary for progression and freedom of expression. But as with most generations, ours lacked the patience to weed out the less useful, while cherishing many of the priceless jewels from those before us.

My grandparents, and foreparents before them, had a boatload of what many people lack today, common sense and wisdom. Proverbs 4:7(NIV) tells us, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” Plenty of people have knowledge, but few seek the wisdom and understanding that comes from God’s Word.

2 Peter 1:3 tells us that through His divine Word, God has given us everything that we need for living a Godly life. His Word teaches us that restraint and modesty contribute to the foundation of moral character, and moral character pleases Him. It keeps us from being arrogant, which is something that God strongly dislikes.

Proverbs 18:21(NKJV) tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” Words are incredibly important. What we do, think, and say are the defining characteristics of our personhood. Heavenly Father warns us that talking too much is dangerous business, and He assures us in His Word that if we don’t use wisdom, we will have to eat the consequences that tag along with a lack of consciousness about what we say. And not only this, once we release our intentions verbally, the enemy gains information better left inside our heads, between us and God. Saying the wrong things at the wrong time allows the enemy greater leverage to undermine our good efforts.

1John 2:6 (ESV) tells us, “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” God has shared much instruction in His Word that is designed to keep us safe, fulfilled, and thriving; part of this instruction teaches us to be disciplined in our words and actions, because being disciplined is a part of His nature, and as Christians we’re to be like Him.

My grandmother was endeavoring to teach her grandchildren to be people with good moral character, and rightly so. Her approach was one of instilling the notion of an economy of words, and now that I’m much older, I wish I had paid more attention to her wisdom. As a teenager, my pants were too tight and my mouth too loose for my grandmother’s taste. She loved me to pieces any way, but I learned to watch what I say the hard way; after many embarrassing situations, lost friendships, and troublesome circumstances. The best approach is to seek the wisdom of God’s Word and walk in it. This way our words will be seasoned with wisdom, and skin-tight will be the defining characteristic of our relationship with God. ■

The Journey Forward

Posted on February 13, 2018 by daaorg1214

All of us are on a spiritual journey, whether we admit it or not. The evidence to back this up is in the very beginning of the bible, in the Old Testament. Genesis 1:26(NLT) tells us that God had a conversation with Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit. He said “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.” You and I, and everyone else, are made in the image of God. Most of us gloss over this tremendous piece of knowledge without taking the time to digest it, but we should. John 4:24(NKJV) tells us that “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Our Heavenly Father is Spirit, and He has created us to be spiritual beings, made in His likeness. The highest and greatest level of existence that can be achieved in any person’s life is one in which we experience God through worship and fellowship. Heavenly Father makes no bones about the reality that this must be done Spirit to spirit, and it must be done in truth. Through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, God has given us the distinct honor and privilege to be able to achieve this most holy state of worship and fellowship while we’re on earth and in human form. It’s the greatest perk of eternity, and we should be amazingly thankful to Him for the opportunity.

No one ever goes before God’s throne, and comes away from it the same way that they came. Embracing Him with our whole hearts leaves us changed in a way that is miraculous. We learn in His Word that there is some fruit produced from walking in His goodness. Galatian 5:22-23(NLT) tells us, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Walking in oneness and communion with God through the Spirit of Christ will extend these yummies, but a staggering amount of us are still walking around sad and unhappy with our lives. God wants us to know that there’s a way through Him to change this.

“Feeling good is everything!” It’s an old saying, but boy does it ring true. Good feelings of joy, love, and peace are our birthright. It comes with the inheritance we have received through Christ. This is very, very important for us to know, because it gives us a measuring stick for understanding where we are, and where we’re going. You may be sad in this moment, but make no mistake, the joy of the Lord is your destination.

A journey is the action of moving from one place to another, and sometimes we humans don’t like that idea. We want to stay where we are because it’s comfortable. It’s what we know, and very few of us readily embrace a move to the unknown. There are a few non-negotiables that come with being a spiritual being, and faith is one of them. Faith is the DNA of moving by the Spirit. So we’re never going to get to the place that God has destined us to be by staying put. Our journeys in Christ have only two trajectories, forward and upward; and both will require us to make a change.

We need to marinate in this truth because it is the springboard of hope when feelings of sadness are hard to shake. God did not base the production of fruit on how we feel from one day to the next. He made it an absolute sure thing by decreeing that walking in the Spirit is the only way to produce fruit. So if our emotional state is one that is outside the realm of fruit, a spiritual change is on its way and we need to move toward it.

If sadness, loneliness, or any other emotion is causing us to feel down, we can be assured that this state is not our final destination. Sometimes these feelings are an indication that we’re not moving forward at God’s divine pace, and that our faith muscle is not getting the workout it needs. In Romans 12:12(NLT), Heavenly Father tells us how to remedy this. He says, “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” We must place our hope in God, because He will not fail us. No, this Christian journey isn’t always easy, but we cannot allow ourselves to be stagnant. God’s Will is that we continue to go higher in Christ, and He’s given us the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us every step of the way.

A Motivational Shift

Posted on February 6, 2018 by daaorg1214

God desires the absolute best for His Children. If you’re a parent, this is very easy to understand, because our children tug at our heartstrings like nothing else. We want them to be happy, and we’ll do just about anything to make this a reality. The love that our Heavenly Father gives us infinitely exceeds that of a biological parent’s love and care. It may be hard for some people to believe this, but it is true. John 3:16(NLT) tells us, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” The amazing reality that God gave his only begotten Son as a sacrifice for our sins is the evidence of His love. There’s no other love that compares to it, and there’s no other sacrifice that will ever compare to what the Father risked in order to save us.

Ephesians 5:1-2 The Message (MSG) tells us, “Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.” God has a plan for our lives, and it is that we learn to love like Him. A lot of us are not aiming this high. We are motivated by many things in life. Some of us are chiefly motivated by our professions and careers, others by artistry and creativity. For many of us family is the central focus of our existences. All of these are wonderful, but nothing can take the place of serving God, and doing it with a heart that pleases Him.

One of the things that we are required to do as Christians is to search our hearts and examine exactly what our motivations are from day to day, because this matters to our Heavenly Father. Through the Apostle Paul, God challenges us in 2Corinthians 13:5 (NIV) to “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” The evidence of our faith is reflected in our commitment to Christ, and how we live this out daily through our conversations, attitudes, deeds, confessions, and motivations.

Ephesians 3:17(NLT) tells us that God desires that Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, so that we are rooted and grounded in love. Our hearts can carry a rich treasury. We produce good things from it when our roots grow down into the Lord. Only then will we have the spiritual strength and stamina to be a foundation for all those we love and support. When our motivation is to grow in Christ and love like him, we are not swayed by what we receive, or moved by the disappointment of not receiving enough. A shift to go higher in him is where we have to continually aim our sights, because that is the glue that will forever and beautifully hold our lives together.

In the Shelter of God’s Peace

Posted on January 30, 2018 by daaorg1214

1John 4:18(NLT) tells us, “Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” This is an amazing verse! It should motivate us to plumb the depths of its extraordinary revelation, but as a lonely young woman that had known much fear in my life, love without fear was elusive to me. I thought the two came as a packaged deal. Not appropriately cataloging love and fear as polar opposites, of course I both consciously, and no doubt subconsciously, assumed chaos and confusion were love’s companions as well. With all the relationship mishaps and missteps that were spun from my ignorance, I’m incredibly thankful that God saved me from myself, and guided and schooled me to know love’s way.

There was a big ol’ hole in my heart, and I had no idea what to do with the emptiness. I didn’t know why it was there, but it drove me to make impetuous choices and decisions. I could have ended up with some pretty horrendous consequences on my hands, but Heavenly Father had different plans for me. It wasn’t that I was so special, but that’s the overwhelming goodness about His love; It makes us all feel as though we’re being individually singled out and lavished in His attention and care.

As I became more acquainted with God and began reading His Word, the revelation of 1John 4:18 began to take root. It came at just the right time, because I was beginning to become bitter about the loneliness I felt. So much seemed to be missing in my life, and I quite naturally thought that God was going to have to do something really gargantuan to fill up my empty spaces and turn my blues into sunshine. That’s where I set my sights; not on God’s love, but on receiving something tangible and grand.

In my naiveté, the image of His perfect love expelling all fear meant that He would automatically and expeditiously obliterate all vestiges of it in my soul, and all I had to do was focus on how happy I’d be when the right man would finally come in and sweep me off my feet. In my mind, this would be the answer to my fear and emptiness. Well, as God would have it, the right man came along, but he didn’t do any sweeping. He put the broom in my hand and said, “Let’s work it out, together.” I didn’t like that.

I totally lost it, and gave new meaning to the term ‘adult temper tantrums’. I didn’t know what to do with myself, but there he was, this man sent from Heavenly Father to partner with me through all my baggage. Yet, my emptiness was still this gaping hole. So, I went to God with my complaints about how He’d blessed me with something that wasn’t exactly what I wanted. Sure, it was what I needed, but it—he—didn’t take away the fear. It was still there. It was the hole inside my soul, and for years I didn’t know its name.

I panicked big time, because somewhere inside, I knew that my destiny was unfolding, but nothing about it looked the way I thought it would. I was about to lose everything, and I needed peace desperately. I needed to grab on to it and never let it go. That became the theme of my prayer life, to be guided by God’s peace.

Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) says “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” God wants this to be a reality in our lives. He wants to give us His peace, but we must have a willingness to surrender our fears and anxiety to Him as well. 1Peter 5:7(NLT) tells us, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” All of us have issues, some more complicated than others, and we have to work through them. It’s sometimes a lengthy process, because fear has a way of making itself cozy, but God has placed His Spirit inside us. He will lovingly guide us to release our fears in the shelter of God’s peace.

A Thump from a Bump

Posted on January 23, 2018 by daaorg1214

The proverbial school of wisdom teaches that warning signs of impending trouble come in degrees. First, there’s a sign that equals the effect of a thump on one’s head. If that isn’t heeded, which in most cases it isn’t, there’s a whack that’s enough to leave our heads spinning a bit. And if that doesn’t get our attention, the last and final sign might come in the form of a big ol’ boulder that’s about to land on top of us. The long and short of it is that Heavenly Father has woven warning signs throughout each of our lives. It’s truly amazing how He does this, because these warnings are tailor made to fit our unique and individual circumstances. If we’ll pay attention, they’ll help us navigate through some of life’s rocky terrain, so that we always come through with our well-being intact.

Philippians 4:8-9 The Message (MSG) tells us, “8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” God has made a very clear distinction between the things that bring Him glory, and the stuff that is just a waste of time. He tells us to keep our minds filled with thoughts, ideas, and imaginations that represent His nature; those things that are true, noble, beautiful, and excellent.

These verses greatly aid our discernment, because they tell us what’s on the mind of God. They show us how harmoniously He moves, and that we can do the same as we put on the mind of Christ. Philippians 1:17 (NLT) says, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.” We’re citizens of heaven, and we’ve been commanded to act like it. God has called us out and set us apart to be different. This means that we ought to have an understanding about the place we call home, and we must also carry ourselves as true ambassadors of that heavenly place.

There’s no confusion, doubt, fear, darkness, bondage, or ignorance in heaven. It’s a place of love and light. We need to let this sink in the deep recesses of our inner sanctum. We’ve given far too much room to ambiguity, because ambiguity is safe for many people. It doesn’t require a fully persuaded, sold-out commitment, but there’s none of that wishy-washy business in our heavenly home.

In order for any person to discern properly, they must know the truth. They must be able to discern a thump from a light bump. When you don’t know the truth, you might think that something from the pit of hell is from Heavenly Father, or that a gift from heaven is dark and evil. God said in Hosea 4:6 that His people are destroyed because they lack knowledge; they reject it. This is how so many of us are tricked by satan, because we don’t know the Word well enough to recognize the difference between light and darkness.

Most of us have a lot going on. We’re pulled in a thousand different directions from day to day. God knows our grind, but we can by no means allow it to interfere with our commitment to carve out some time for our relationship with Him. James 4:8 (NLT) tells us, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” It is critically important that we begin the practice of spending quiet and quality time with God. It’s a matter of sitting peacefully and inviting the presence of the Holy Spirit into your space in the precious name of Jesus Christ.

The noise of our worlds can drown out His still voice and the peace He offers if we’re not careful. We’re not making the time for Heavenly Father that we should, and that’s why we mistake the thump as a bump, and miss those wake-up calls to tighten our walks in Christ. In Hebrews 4:12, God tells us that His Word is alive and powerful, that it’s so sharp that it divides the joints from marrow. He’s given us His Word so that we’ll be equally on point, and have razor sharp clarity to pump the breaks before the thump.

Deceived by Our Own Hearts

Posted on January 16, 2018 by daaorg1214

One of the most troubling patterns in a woman’s life is not recognizing when her own vulnerabilities are causing her to miss the mark. I’m reminded of someone that I know who, from outwardly appearances, looks like one of the strongest persons you’ll ever meet. Everything about her seems put together, and I’ve visited her home, it’s equally fierce. Beautiful furniture, impeccably arranged, and every room is spotless. She’s a very successful attorney with a penchant for younger men, and no matter how apparent the signs appear to be, she never suspects their infidelity or the fact that she’s being used for her money.

In the case of her current boyfriend, I’m personally convinced that he cares for her, but there have been numerous events that would have caused the average sister to turn him loose months ago. She hasn’t, and it’s troubling to witness. It’s not a good situation. When questioned about her choices, she says, “The heart wants what it wants.” Ain’t that the truth. That’s exactly why God warns us in Proverbs 4:23 (NLT), “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” To guard is to watch over in order to protect or control. The heart is a part of the soul, and God has charged us with the responsibility to watch over and protect it. He knows that our propensity is to allow our hearts to not only make our decisions and choices, but to rule over them as well. This governing position belongs to Christ. Only he is capable of always steering us in the right direction.

Guarding our hearts not only involves what we allow to flow out of it, but also what we allow to come into it. Jesus Christ said in Luke 6:45(NLT), “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” This verse informs us that the heart has a treasury. It has storage capability, and sometimes it has some unnecessary and unhelpful baggage. All of us are works in progress, and part of our soul-work is to come clean to Heavenly Father about our stuff.

God has given us a mission in life. It requires our understanding of what He’s asking us to do, as well as our commitment to do it. Within our mission to please God and grow in Christ, there are certain tasks that we unequivocally must do, and confronting our baggage so we can get rid of it is one of them.

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that we can be deceived by our own hearts, because our hearts can and do at times lead us astray. Our human hearts can cause us to veer off the path that God wants us to be on. This is why He tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT), “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” God knows our futures. He knows the person that is best for the path that He has purposed and laid before us.

We should never allow the fear of loneliness to undermine our relationship with God and cause us to betray our own destiny within His plan and will. God wants the best for us, and when it is clear that we don’t have it, or that what we have isn’t building us up but tearing us down, then we must examine our hearts. Because if we’re trying to hold on to something that is harmful to our souls, fear is running the show. Whenever that happens, the outcome might cause us to look the part of someone who has it all together, but deep down, we’re falling apart, and we need God’s love to heal our wounded places.

We’ve probably all encountered a friend that doesn’t want to admit the truth to herself, and it might feel as though we’re not able to help, but prayer is the very best help we can offer. It’s a privilege to pray for them in faith. We should also let their examples remind us to put our own vulnerabilities in check, so that we can continually obey God’s Word and produce good things from the treasury of our hearts.■

Know the Truth!

Posted on January 9, 2018 by daaorg1214

Love is a decision that we make every day. It is not always an easy choice because we live in a world where the majority of people will turn their backs on love. When I was a small child, I believed that everyone loved God and was a good person, but like the Apostle Paul, when I grew up, I put away childish things. In John 15:19 (NLT), Jesus Christ warned the disciples, “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” He tells us the truth, and the truth is not always comfortable to hear, but we must know it if our goal is to love in the way he does.

As a neophyte in God’s Word, I didn’t fully understand the distinction of being worldly. I knew that there were people that didn’t believe in God, but I thought that everyone would ultimately make the decision to know, love, and connect with Him once they understood how much He loves us all. It was inconceivable to me that anyone would not want to have a relationship with the Creator of the universe through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As I have grown in spiritual maturity, I have come to know that there are far more who turn their backs on Him than those of us who can’t get enough of Him.

He’s good to the last drop, and He fills our cups to overflowing continually. But we can’t get it twisted. Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 7:13 (NLT), “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.” It’s a narrow gate to heaven, and the devil has blinded the minds and hearts of many people so that they will not enter it. They are worldly—of the world, because they have denied their Creator’s love by denying His only begotten Son; therefore, they are still under the rulership of satan; for the world is his domain. Understand that satan, the devil, is not so much interested in bothering the folks that deny the Lord, because he’s pretty much got them in the bag. They’ve fallen for his tricks, and he doesn’t need to do much to keep them hell-bound. The true disciples though, those are the ones the enemy tries to come against.

Some people are fearful about the spiritual truths of good and evil, but no person will ever be free by a lie. To deny the truth is to walk in darkness, and to fear it is to turn our backs on God’s love; for His love is truth. 1 John 4:17-18 (MSG) tells us, “God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.”

We should not be afraid of the reality that people are used by the devil to come against us. They do this so that we will not rise to the level of love that God has called us to. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, although it can seem that way. People are not our enemies. Our enemy is the one who uses them because they are ignorant of his devices and allow themselves to be used. This verse also informs us that the enemy works through institutions, powers, and wickedness in high places; these include his dark angels and world rulers. God doesn’t want us walking around with our eyes closed. We can look at just about every institution in the world today and see the handy-work of evil within them. They are corrupt and the corruption is not so much hidden as it once was. Our responsibility is not to access blame or choose sides. Our obligation as God’s children is to be wise and sharp through His Word, so that we are not outsmarted by satan’s devices.

Heavenly Father wants us to know the difference between light and darkness, and good and evil. He wants us to know the difference between the truth and a lie. He also wants you to know that you’ve been called with a holy calling. You might look at yourself and not realize how valuable and special you are to Him, and how your gifts and calling will influence others; but the truth is that you are destined through Jesus Christ to be a conduit of God’s love. You are destined for wonderful things, and the testament of it is the degree to which the enemy has tried to steal your destiny. Life can be so incredibly challenging, and we can’t understand why anyone would want to injure or hurt us, but the truth is that the enemy tries to use people, and the circumstances they create, against us. The good news is that we are not defenseless.

God would not have us to be ignorant of evil’s devices. One of the most important aspects to living the abundant life that Christ made available is to know God’s Word. We must not buy into the fear, confusion, and chaos that is happening all around us. If we trust Him, God will place a hedge around us. He tells us in John 8:32(NLT), “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, God has equipped us to be more than conquerors! We are in the world, but we are not of it. The more we know the truth, the more we can walk as children of God’s light, liberty, and love. We are not weak, because through Him we are strong. As we grow in the knowledge of who we are through Christ, God will continually elevate us and bring us to a place of confidence and joy.

Let It Go

Posted on January 1, 2018 by daaorg1214

The world is filled with chaos, and we would all do ourselves a huge favor by cultivating a relationship with someone who doesn’t add to it. For some of us, this is a tall order, because we have an underlying belief that draws chaos into our lives. This isn’t God’s Will for us, and it is very important that we know this truth. Heavenly Father is a God of order. 1Corinthians 14:33 informs us that He’s not the author of confusion, and 1Thessalonians 5:23 tells us that He’s a God of peace. He gives every individual the option of introducing His peace into their lives. To do this, sometimes we must let some things go.

Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV) declares, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” This is an amazing reality! Through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father has blessed us with ALL spiritual blessings. ‘ALL’ means all. Colossians 2:10 (NKJV) tells us, “and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.” God has made us complete in Christ. Through him, we are a total spiritual package. It is absolutely available for us to walk in this, but we know that not all of us will choose to walk in what God has made available.

In Ephesians 4:24, Heavenly Father admonishes us to put on the new man. This means that we have to put on new thoughts, new attitudes, and new behaviors that line up with our new reality in Christ. We can’t be the same people we were two years ago, two months ago, or two weeks ago. God gives us a chance for renewal every 24 hours, and it is up to us whether or not we’ll make use of it. He reminds us daily that this earth is not our home, we’re just passing through. We’re interdimensional beings because our physical bodies are on earth, but our hearts and minds should be constantly at home in Christ.

Some of us might ask ourselves, “With all the spiritual blessings we have received through Christ, why does life have to be so challenging?” God doesn’t intend for His children to be the devil’s punching bag. He doesn’t want us to go through life constantly in a state of ducking and diving, but we cannot under any circumstances escape the reality that we’re here on this earth to learn lessons about the love of Christ. We are here to walk in partnership with God, to place our hand in His hand so that He can lead, guide, and direct us through the rocky terrain of our challenges. Our spiritual lessons are revealed in literally walking out our hand-in-hand relationship with God daily, but far too many of us are not focusing on walking with Him. Instead, we’re clinging to people, situations, addictions, or things. We’re holding these things too tightly, so the spiritual lessons we must learn are often about release and surrender.

Spiritual lessons not learned will always be on repeat; that’s part of God’s masterful design. If we don’t learn spiritual lessons the first time, situations and circumstances continue to circle back and present those lessons until we do. Sometimes, when they circle back, the consequences of not learning them are a little harsher than before. So, we would do well to open our eyes, be attentive to the Spirit, and learn the lessons that are before us. But the truth is that it often takes us a while to wake up. This is why my constant prayer is that Heavenly Father will help me to see what I need to see, in an effort to learn my lessons well.

God cosigns the overwhelming importance of spiritual lessons through the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 5:11-14 The Message (MSG). It says, “I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you’ve picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby’s milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God’s ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.”

Jesus Christ is the head of our lives. He wants to make them function with a harmony we simply couldn’t achieve without him. He starts us off with baby’s milk, but love will require us to digest the meatier, weightier nourishment of spiritual life. Lessons that require us to release those things that no longer serve us well are solid food, because they give us the strength to reach out and embrace the things that will propel us forward, with greater wisdom, love, and faith.

God is our sufficiency. He’s everything to us and we can’t do anything without Him. Jesus Christ commands us in Matthew 6:33 to seek God first and live righteously, so that we can remain covered by His blessings and protection. We can’t get this prioritization piece mixed up. We must not prioritize anything above our God. He will forever and always deserve the number one spot. Only the Lord can lead us to a life of endless possibilities, but it will require us to surrender totally to him. We must let go of anything that keeps us from growing in Christ. If we’ll be committed to do this, Jesus will help us kick the fear of discomfort to the curb, then we can be renewed continually as God’s love fills our empty spaces.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Abundantly Blessed

Posted on December 26, 2017 by daaorg1214

Back in the day, being a faithful Christian meant being in church every Sunday. This is how folks measured whether someone had a true-blue relationship with God. In their minds, you didn’t necessarily have to learn anything new or add to your catalog of faith. You didn’t have to be a different person when you walked out of the building than you were before you came in; you just had to make sure you occupied a space on the pew each week. If you showed up, most folks considered you a faithful Christian. Cut to present day, and Luke 13:24 has stirred a new sense of urgency in the hearts of those that are convinced that not only are we living beneath our privilege, but we’re living in the last days. In this verse, Jesus Christ said, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.”

We forget sometimes that Jesus was a very radical person living in his time. He completely flipped the script on business as usual. He came to give us an up-close and personal demonstration of how to live according to God’s Will and Plan. In John 10:10 (NKJV), Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Much like today, in the time during which Jesus walked the earth, people were isolated; divided by race, class, and gender; and living in their own silos. When it came to unity, peace, power, and love, they had these small little boxes that they tried to put God in. Mathematics at its most basic level teaches us that you can’t possibly squeeze the faith required for a big life out of a mindset that seeks to make God’s love so small.

The definition of abundance is a very large quantity of something. The first instinct of those who read John 10:10 is to think of abundance in terms of finance and money. Their definition of wealth is exclusive to loot in the bank. God’s definition of abundance is prosperity in every area of our lives. 2Corinthians 9:8 (NLT) tells us, “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” His Will for us is to have good quality relationships, good health, a kind and committed spouse, family unity, and have our needs met with extra to spare. He desires that we operate out of the overflow of His abundance, so that we have plenty to share with others.

If God had not let us in on His desire for us to be abundantly blessed, we would not know what is available and achievable in life, and we would not do our very best to meet the standard He’s laid out for us in His Word. But the truth is that not only can we renew our minds to His promises, we can live the life of love that draws good things to us like a magnet. That’s good news indeed!

A myth that many people have believed for a long time is that you can have one without the other, that you can have the goodies without the good works to back them up. James 2:26 (NLT) tells us, “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” The yummiest desserts are made by skillful hands that labor in the kitchen. It should never be lost on those of us who like to partake of the goodies that the goal is that we get in the kitchen and learn to make them ourselves.

The Word of God is the bread of life. Our privilege and responsibility is to feast upon it as often as we can. It’s how we put on the love of Christ and begin to walk as he walked, talk as he talked, live as he lives, and love as loves. Sometimes this journey is uncomfortable; learning to be the embodiment of love often is, but it is what we are here to do. Jesus Christ warned in John 9:4(NLT), “We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.” We don’t know the day or the hour when Jesus Christ will come again, but we know he’s coming. He’s not coming back for a building, He’s coming back for us, and if we’re not ready, there’s not a better time than now to prepare.

God tells us in 2Corinthians 2:15-16(NLT), “15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?” We’re still in the game! We’re alive, and if you’re above ground you’re abundantly blessed. Through Jesus Christ, God has given us a Christ-like fragrance that rises up before Him. What could be better than that?!!! We’re a life-giving perfume to those that are waiting for us to influence their lives. So, the question is whether we’ll step outside our comfort zones and share with others what God has so freely given to us. If we commit ourselves to work hard and live the life of love that He has called us to, we will enter that narrow door to God’s Kingdom.■

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