Anoint My Feet

I am in a season of growing. And shifting. And hearing. And allowing God to move where He want to move.

My prayer daily is:
Lord, anoint my feet for the work You have called me to do.
The big and small work You have ascribed to me.

Anoint me feet with:
Readiness.
May I be always ready for whatever You have.

Eagerness.
May I be found in posture eager to do the work You provide.

Willingness.
May I be quick to obey all You assign for my life.

Excitement.
May I never lose my zeal and passion for what You ask.

Usefulness.
May my whole being always be ready to be fully used for You.

Preparedness.
May I forever be learning and growing as You prepare me for greater things.

Promptness.
May I act upon Your spoken word to me with immediacy.

Strength.
May I depend on Your Spirit for strength for the journey ahead.

Hunger.
May I always stay hungry for that which You do and say.

Anticipation.
May I always anticipate and look for Your great provision.

I challenge you you to pray for God to anoint your feet today.

An Atmosphere Shifter

She’s an atmosphere shifter.

Because when you have the Spirit of the resurrected Jesus living inside of you, you cannot remain the same.  You have an assignment that cannot be ignored.  And you have the ability to change the atmosphere of every single situation you find yourself in.

And every day is an opportunity to BE Jesus… with skin on.  “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you re His dear children.”  (Eph 5:1)

Ahh, yes.  And although she's making her momma’s heart soar, I can only imagine how glad she’s making the heart of her Father.

She would call yesterday to share the news with her dad and me.  A God-sized story that would tell of her encounter with a homeless woman at a gas station where just earlier she would send me a photo of her pumping gas with the text included, “Here goes my bank account.”

Because we never really see the surprise attacks before they come.  And the one to our family this year would prove more of that reality than any other we’ve experienced so far.

Oh but He is good.  And faithful.  And provides for us even in the wilderness.

And upon filling her tank up she listened, again, to the words of a song that had been playing on repeat in her car.  The words would penetrate her heart once more, “Let me be filled with kindness and compassion for the one, the one for whom You loved and gave Your Son. For humanity increase my love, help me to love with open arms like You do. Oh that when they look in my eyes they would see You. From the homeless to the famous and in-between..”

And God answers the cry of our hearts.  Her heart.  To be Jesus with skin on. 

And just as she exited the station she saw her.  The homeless one in need.  And she felt it.  The tug of her heart to not only financially sacrifice… and it is a sacrifice… but also to share the love of Jesus with her.

Because isn’t that what it’s ultimately about anyway?  To share the love of Jesus with others who may not know?

And upon receipt of the only cash Chloe had in her wallet, the woman would ask her, “Do you go to Bethel?”

One question.  One simple question that started a dialogue between two perfect strangers.

And at the end?  One simple prayer that would forever connect Chloe to Crystal for the rest of her days. 

Because one encounter with Jesus changes everything.

And we may never know the result of our prayers or of the seeds we plant, but because of Chloe’s willingness to be inconvenienced on a Sunday afternoon for a woman who may never have known the gift of grace offered to her, too, she may get to see the harvest as early as next Sunday!

“I’ll be right here at this same time next Sunday,” she would say to Chloe.  “If you want to pick me up, I’d love to go to church with you!”

One encounter.
One yielded spirit.
One receptive heart.
One brief conversation.
One prayer.

It ALL matters.

Love God.  Love others.
And we complicate it so often.

Loving isn’t always easy… but it is always, always, always worth it.

Thank you, Chloe, for paving the way for others to encounter Jesus.  For bravely being Jesus with skin on.

Well DONE… WELL done!  <3

Fight, Cling, and Keep!

I tell it often to those I’m teaching about the Bible: As often as you can, pull out the verbs... the action words... so you can know exactly what the Lord expects from you within the passage. And today they were crystal clear. 1 Tim 1:18-19 is Paul exhorting his spiritual son. “Here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you FIGHT well in the Lord’s battle. CLING to your faith in Christ and KEEP your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their conscience; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.”

Paul is reminding his protégé of the good hopes others had for him. He’s lovingly foreshadowing Timothy’s usefulness as well as warning him about the necessity of fighting well, clinging to his faith, and keeping his moral efforts in check.

He’s reminding Timothy AND US today that the war we wage is real but victory is possible! Possible because of the resurrected Christ who lives in us. Possible if we engage daily in the cause for righteousness. If we remain faithful to our post and to the Commander in charge. If we keep watchful over the movement of the enemy. If we refuse to compromise His standards for Holy living. If we remain steadfast in our pursuit of godliness until our army enlistment has expired.

Oh that we would keep in the forefront of our mind, the battle that rages against us for our very soul. And with everything in us, determine to keep our weapons of faith and good conscience ever present and working to give us the endurance needed to fulfill our assignment with strength!

Fight, Cling, and Keep!!

Clearing The Way In The Wilderness

All of us, at one point or another, find ourselves in a season of waiting.  A hard season of waiting on God to work it all out.  I get it.  I know this season just as well as you.  But I hope I can be of some encouragement to you today.

Isaiah 40:2 says, “Listen!  It’s a voice of someone shouting, ‘Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord!  Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God!’”

Oh friends… we have the ability to make a way for Him to do the work that ONLY He can do!  But so often times we hinder that work by choosing to remain stuck in our wildernesses.  We must make a way through the wasteland.  In this world we WILL have troubles.  That’s a guarantee.  But there absolutely is a better way than despair and depression and disappointment.  When we choose to linger in the hurt and pain too long, we become disabled from seeing the mighty work of Jesus.  Oh that we would ALWAYS insist on maintaining an intentional awareness of our assignment to hear His voice.  Where is He standing in you circumstance… now go and stand right next to Him!  We can’t afford any kind of distraction from what it is He is doing and what it is He is saying.  Distraction leaves to distance, disinterest, and ultimate disability and dysfunction. 

So today, as my own battle begins, and the battles rages for those I love, I am CLEARING the way in the wilderness for the Lord.  I am making room for Him to work.  I am looking for His love, mercy, and goodness in everything about this day.  I am making a straight highway through the wasteland for Him to walk through.  I am opening the doors of praise in my house (my physical body) and I am sending out praisers in ADVANCE of the storm, because I know the work that will shine from the other side of ALL of this is incomparable to anything else.

I cannot focus on the pain AND His promises at the same time.  I cannot give influence to both my poor circumstances and worry AND His powerful capacity and willingness to answer simultaneously.  I can only be awe’d by one thing - what will it be?

I wrote it in my journal months ago, and it is still true today:

Oh I am gonna praise Him even in this!
Even in the uncertainty!
Even in the pain!
Even in the dysfunction!
Even in the discomfort!
He is using even this!

All for MY good and HIS glory!

Happy Thursday, friends!

Anoint My Feet Jesus!

Job 29 records the words of the man who is remembering the former blessings of his life before the pain. Verse 6 reflects on a time, “When my steps were bathed with cream.” I found this interesting to say the least. 

Sometimes “cream” or “heavy milk”, even “butter” was used for the purposes of anointing the feet. And Job is reflecting here on a time when the richest milk flowed from him. Some theologians say that Job’s cattle produced such a vast quantity of milk that when the servants brought it in from the fields, their pails would literally run over in abundance. So much so that Job couldn’t step from his house without stepping into puddles or milk. Some scholars say that this milk acted as a “washing” agent for his feet.

Job is recollecting a time when his feet were literally dripping with the cream, intimating the presence of the Lord. 

And so it makes me see differently this morning. I am dripping with His presence when I spend time with Jesus. When I soak in habitation with the Father. I leave an indelible mark and affect every room I enter when I remain connected to the Giver of grace. 

Eph 6:15 says, “Stand on your FEET alert, then you’ll always be ready to share the blessings of peace.” Ahh... there’s gonna be people I encounter today who are experiencing pain and chaos. Am I walking into their life with a READINESS to bring peace? I’m praying for God to keep me ever aware of my potential influence!

Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the FEET of the messenger who brings good news...”. Ahh.. beautiful are the feet... implication here is: movement, going somewhere.”

Psalm 40:12 says, “... He set my FEET on solid ground and steadied me AS I walked along.” We can trust Him in our going!

Josh 1:3 says, “Wherever you set your FEET, you’ll be on land I’ve given you.” It’s like God’s saying, “You want to be blessed.. you want to change things? Get going! Get into it!”

And so we pray: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We declare it like He’s commanded in the example: “Kingdom, come!” We say, “I want Your world to infect and influence my world.”  So then we must ask for the anointing of our feet.

I'm asking for it today and tomorrow and next week.  Always.  God, anoint my feet with readiness, eagerness, willingness, excitement, usefulness, preparedness, promptness, strength, hunger, and anticipation.

"Your Word is a lamp to guide my FEET."  Psalm 119:105.

Walk.  Go.  Get moving on that anointing.  Leave a mark for Jesus!  

The world is waiting.

Anoint my feet, Jesus!

Doing Only What Jesus Is Doing

John 5:19 is Jesus’ response to the Jewish leaders who had been harassing Him for breaking Sabbath rules and also for claiming equality with God. He says this, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”

Jesus did nothing apart from the appointment of the Father. Nothing contrary to His character. Nothing “independently” or “separate” from His Father. Jesus is saying here that He acted in no way on His own accord. He doesn’t do or will do anything without the knowledge and consent of God, the Father.

Everything Jesus did and does is in conjunction with the Heavenly Father. There is perfect union... extreme oneness.

And I see it today slightly different. This observation Christ makes of the Creator was not in the actual work He witnessed... but perhaps it was in having been a witness to Divine character and supernatural temperament. I conjure up and image of Jesus receiving holy inspiration by sitting upon the lap of His good, good Father, observing firsthand His purpose and plan and executing it with masterful detail and overwhelming love. I picture Jesus maintaining an awareness of God’s nature and design, and then intentionally choosing to adopt the same disposition.

The Father’s great character then, was known, seen, observed, and acted upon by the Son.
And so we must ask ourselves, “Am I doing only what my Father is doing?” Am I choosing truth and grace? Am I loving others regardless of the cost? Am I staying connected to the Vine? Am I willing to risk reputation for the sake of upholding the Gospel message with integrity?

Oh that I would be found doing only that which my Father is doing!

May I Never Offer Jesus Anything That Doesn't Cost Me Something

In 1 Samuel 15, we see Saul was given strict orders by God through the prophet Samuel to completely destroy the, “entire Amalekite nation.” (vs 3). And yet in verse 9 we see this, that, “Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the fat calves, and the lambs – everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed what was worthless or poor quality.”

Upon his own authority, Saul saved only those things worthy of anything to serve his selfish purposes, claiming to have spared them for sacrifice to the Lord, and additionally blaming his troops for doing it.

And I wonder how often we are guilty of giving from this kind of nature? Sacrificing only those things we have zero need for?

And yet the future King David would make this decree, “I will not offer anything to God that doesn’t cost me something.” (2 Sam 24:24)

My commentary suggests that Saul was now being tried by, “victory, power, and prosperity.” Oh how often times God blesses and then tests the weight of that blessing against our ability to carry and we fail the test. He’s longing to give the weight of glory to a host of people, but only the measure of which they are able AND willing to endure. Here Saul has proven his inability to obey, his unwillingness to surrender, and his deficiency in weight-bearing.

And to me the saddest of all is that he needed Samuel. The tasks for which he was assigned required Samuel’s great counsel and wisdom. But after Saul repeatedly exhibited a determination to have his own way, Samuel seems to have exerted little influence over him. .
Special favor requires special obedience and I must determine that I am indebted to the Father for His lovingkindness.

May I refuse to give God anything but my very best! May my zeal and passion for Him be authentic and may I always be a willing vessel, always growing in strength to bear more weight of His glory that He longs to pour out. May the legitimate fervor be made evident by the urgency of my obedience to God even when it collides with my convenience, pleasure, and self-interest.

Transformation Vs Inspiration

Saul was a complicated character. And his story is one marked by complicated circumstances.

A look into first Samuel 10 gives us hope. At least it did me when I read verse 9, “As Saul turned and started to leave, God gave him a new heart...”

A new heart! That’s great news! But an honest look into his life as a king and we will likely be confused by this language. A new heart?

Saul, indeed, gave evidence of possessing the gifts of kingship...wisdom, power, strength... but no confirmation existed that he possessed the grace of holy living. While he could command armies and address political issues, he cared little for keeping a conscious void of offense, and insisted on maintaining a spirit of fear and provocation.

When the Word tells us that God gave him a new heart, it’s proof of kingly character, but not of a virtuous and righteous condition. Making him right in power didn’t make him right in fellowship with God or prepare him for the spiritual holiness that was so much more a part of his kingly responsibilities than physical competence or mental aptitude.

God always gives us choices. And with every empowerment is an invitation to cultivate our calling and germinate our giftedness. By giving appropriate attention to our union with the Father, we naturally advance our affections and enhance our effectiveness.

My commentary says, “How earnest and how particular men ought to be in examining themselves whether their serious impressions are the effect of a true change of nature, or whether they are not mere temporary exercises, the casual result of external circumstances.”

It’s a heart issue. And we must work at managing well what we have so graciously been given!

Sunlight may shine brightly on the external frame while darkness lingers within the internal fragments.

Transformation is so much different than mere inspiration!

The Answer For Our Enemies

Hannah had prayed for a child. Desperately prayed. And all the while those around her mocked her for of her barrenness. Scripture tells us that, “Year after year Peninnah (the second wife of her husband, Elkanah, who had children), would taunt Hannah.” (1 Sam 1:7)

But one prayer changed everything. A prayer.. a vow with God really. If He’d allow her a son, she’d give him back to the Lord for service the rest of his days.

And it’s exactly what happened!

In due time she gave birth to s son, Samuel, and indeed returned him to the Lord at the tabernacle in Shiloh.

And then we see her prayer of praise in chapter 2. Verse 1 says, “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because You rescued me.”
I appreciate the wording of the NLT version. “Now I have an answer for my enemies.”

And I looked long at that.

An answer?

And I believe her “answer” was her steadfast praise and devotion to her God. She addresses it here of her “enemies”, not in a way of reproach and reviling, or even in a form of retaliation. But in a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Her God!

Oh because praise and thanksgiving so often confuse our enemies. Those who cannot imagine past depression and discouragement cannot see purpose in delight and delectation.

Here in Hannah’s exuberant and elated state, she provides an honorable example for us. One where there is great absence of vindictiveness, revenge, and retaliation. Her heart is too occupied by adoration and gratitude for what the Lord has done!

Ahh... that our minds would be fixated on His goodness, and our mouths employed for His glory!

We must stay resolute in rejoicing and persistent in prayer... this is the answer for enemies!

Spur One Another On

1 Samuel 12 records the action of Samuel in what could be considered his farewell speech. Israel had demanded a king, and in a sense rejected Samuel’s leadership and the Lord’s authoritative power.

Samuel received the order honorably as he was discharged from his duty. But not before he gave fair warning to the people, even asking the Lord for a sign to bring thunder & rain during a time when that was not the norm.

When this came to pass, the people of Israel were frightened and insisted Samuel pray to HIS God that they would not die.

Samuel responds in verse 20 saying, “Don’t be afraid. You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, don’t turn your back on Him.”
Encouragement AND confrontation of sin.

Samuel was asked by the people to pray for them because they were terrified. My commentary says, ”Many who will not have Christ reign over them, would yet be glad to have Him intercede for them.”

Wow.

And I love his... Samuel had acted and was still behaving as a faithful watchman. And in doing so, he gave them warning, at the same time he delivered to them his very soul. Samuel was asked to PRAY for them, however he promised more to them. Verse 23 tells us that he promised to TEACH them.

Ahh... just like Jesus.

And shouldn’t that, too, be our goal and focus? To tell the truth in love while encouraging one another... spurring them to holiness?

Samuel assures them that there is another way to escape evils. While reminding them of their painful condition, he challenges them to a new way of living. He reminds them that while their way seems to make better sense now, the Lord has already called Israel to be His own possession. He would have the final say.

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good worlds.” (Heb 10:24)
Our goal, like that of Samuel, should always be to spur other on to holiness.

You Cannot Afford The Distraction

On a Monday morning following a hard weekend I need to hear His voice.  I NEED to hear what He has to say about situations that are painful and circumstances that are hard.  And in my desperate attempt to find answers, I come.  Come to the only place that brings peace... the only place that offers comfort and I say the words I know to muster... the words that have become my anthem song in difficult seasons of hurt... "Jesus, speak.  Say something to my heart today that I will help me get through this."

And just like only He can do - He shows up more powerfully than I could have imaged.

And just like only He can do - He delivers words on a page that feel like salve for the soul.  And the "answer" comes from an unlikely verse.  Just one verse nestled sweetly in the middle of my bible...

Psalm 27:3.  "Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid.  Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident."

Because living in this dry and desert land can so often times feel like a battleground.  And all around we are simply "dodging bullets." Our eyes wake to a new day, and simultaneously there's a war raging for our very soul.  From the moment our feet hit the ground we have an enemy working tirelessly to destroy us.  And he'll use any tactic... any means necessary.  He'll use people to communicate hateful words, he'll cause illness to sneak in and invade, he'll manipulatively construct patterns of rejection designed to invoke doubt about God's call on your life.

He will use whatever means are necessary.

And sometimes he doesn't even have to try very hard.

Sometimes we come as willing participants aimed headlong into the trap.

And then in the Lord's kindness and great care for my wounded heart I read this story in the pages of commentary:

"A Dutch fleet once drew near to Chatham. Fearing it might effect a landing, the Duke of Albemarle determined to prevent it, and endeavoured to inspire his men with his own dauntless spirit. Calmly he took his position in the front, thus exposing himself to the hottest fire from the hostile ships. An affectionate but over-cautious friend, seeing him in such danger, darted forward, seized him by the arm, and exclaimed, "Retire, I beseech you, from this fierce shower of bullets, or you will be a dead man!" The Duke, releasing himself from his grasp, turned coldly on the man who would tempt him to cowardice in the hour of his country's need, and replied, "Sir, if I had been afraid of bullets I should have given up the profession of a soldier long ago."

And I read those lines again... the ones that impacted me the most,

"Retire, I beseech you, from this fierce shower of bullets, or you will be a dead man!"

He "turned coldly on the man who would tempt him to cowardice in the hour of his country's need, and replied, "Sir, if I had been afraid of bullets I should have given up the profession of a soldier long ago."


Because truth be told, our first inclination... our first reaction is to "retire" or to "retreat" from our assignment.  One look at danger and our reflex is to withdraw.

And I see it too often with those who've been given such responsibility and yet remain ineffective due to the intimidation of the weapons aimed against them.

I see it now... the bullets are intended to distract me from my mission.  They are meant to bewilder me, disturb me, divert me, and frustrate me from the good things God has planned.  The ammunition is meant to trouble, agitate, confound, confuse, sidetrack, delay, unhinge, discourage, circumvent, disappoint, ruin, and throw me off course.

And I hear the words from a best friend who's purpose is to encourage AND advance me, "You cannot afford the distraction."  And she's right.  I'm stopped dead in my tracks when the words leave her mouth.  She's right.  I can't afford the distraction... it's too costly.  And when God has called you to be set apart... when He has called you to live differently... you no longer have the option of distraction.  And changing the assignment is not a choice either.

Because wasn't it what I had studied about just last week... wrote about even... the call for every believer is spelled out for us in 1 Thess 5:16-18... "Remain joyful, pray continuously, and be thankful in all circumstances."

My call is that of a soldier.  A soldier serving for Jesus.  Serving Jesus.  And "if I had been afraid of bullets I should have given up the profession of a soldier long ago." 

And so I wonder about obtaining this courage during the trials of unsettled times.  And how, in the midst of the battle am I to maintain a spirit that is unafraid?

1.) Communion with the Father.
I must behold His beauty.  I must offer authentic worship and an appropriate view of who He is.  Exodus 3:5 says this, “'Do not come any closer,' the Lord warned. 'Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.'  Do we really have a sincere appreciation for whom we are serving and whom we love?  A right adoration for the King of Kings??  I must mediate on who He is and the goodness of His character.  My commentary says, "The heart and mind must be fed and strengthened by constant converse with God in worship and holy thought."

2.) Frequent Seclusion.
Psalm 27:5 says this, "For He shall conceal me when troubles come; He will hide me in His sanctuary.  He will place me out of reach on a high rock."  Often we must retreat to be with the Father in private.  We must get in the habit of creating a history with Him that only He and I have.  That means shutting the world out as we shut Him in.  Jesus modeled this behavior for us, "Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer." (Luke 5:16)  It's the only way we conquer trouble and prepare for the danger that lies ahead.  I must frequently seclude myself from worldly disorder.

3.) Worship!
Hebrews 13:15 says, "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that openly profess his name."  Yes.  Expressions and exercises of a heart yielded to God!  It's what keeps us in constant review of what He's doing and what He has done through His abundant goodness and amazing grace.  My commentary adds this, "Courage and hopefulness must be fed with joy and not with sadness and sorrow.... in thought of all He has done for us, we strengthen our hearts."

Our sights must be set on heaven.  We must be in constant meditation of Him.  "To behold the beauty of the Lord and meditate on His temple." (Psalm 27:4).  Our mind must be fixated on Him, our thoughts occupied by Him, and our hearts employed for His service.

We cannot afford a single distraction.  Time is running out.  A time when, "People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it." (Amos 8:12).

We cannot afford to waste another second on worry and doubt and fear about senseless enemies only seeking to kill, steal, and destroy.  I must set my gaze on things unseen... those things within the heavenly realm.

And all of this is proof of a renewed soul.

And so I wake on a Tuesday morning more determined than I was just days ago.  Because the mission is evident and my assignment hasn't changed.  And I believe with everything in me that the Lord is scanning the entire earth looking for willing agents who are determined to be unaffected by the disturbance... those who are unwilling to be thrown off course by interruptions of violence, and who are unafraid of the warfare raging against them while actively stepping into the path riddled by bullets aimed to kill.

I will remain steadfast in my pursuit of Him.

I cannot afford the distraction.

Waiting And Watching

Psalm 130:5 in the Message version says this, “I pray to God - my life a prayer - and wait for what He’ll say and do. My life’s on the line before God, waiting and watching till morning. Waiting and watching till morning.”

Ahh.. yes.. and some mornings you beg for a word.. any word.. from Him. To bring encouragement to a weary soul.

Because waiting is hard. So hard. And yet waiting is to be the constant posture of His people.

Because waiting exercises patience, it gives opportunity for hope, it deepens expectancy.

Waiting means to remain in a state of repose, as until something expected happens; to be available; to be ready; to look forward eagerly. And yet some seasons of waiting seem to bring anything but eagerness in anticipation.

Charles Spurgeon says, “Waiting tries faith and it’s a good thing, because faith grows by trial.” He continues, “Waiting endears every blessing when it comes; and thus we get 2 joys: the joy of waiting for the joy and the joy of enjoying the joy when it comes.”

This is huge! Joy in the waiting? What? Yes! Because for the Christ follower, joy IS coming. And so I can wait knowing that my waiting is never ever ever in vain.

And the waiting has got to be coupled with watching. Waiting and watching. The one who waits must always watch. Watch to see what He’s going to do!

And I see it today.. words leap from my commentary: “May we grow eager when we think of what is yet to be revealed in us.” Glory!! Even now... in the difficult waiting... He’s resurrecting, He’s renewing, He’s reviving! And so maybe I can wait. Wait... to rest in Him. To abide with Him. Wait... with an earnest expectation and desire for more of Him. Wait... with my lamp burning at all times.
Maybe I can wait with loving expectancy when I see it as God’s call. When I choose to see Him as the Author and Perfector with plan and purpose for it. Pain and affliction is never His desire... but development of godly character is. And so I pray that I may be rightly developed in my season of waiting.

I’ll keep waiting and remain watchful. And I know He will answer in His divine timing!

Conduct & Character

As Christians, we are commanded to produce fruit. Fruit is the evidence of a life devoted to Christ. The manifestation of God’s transformative and restorative power! Fruit, by biblical definition, means this: production, advantage, profit, effect, or consequence.

And John 15:16 records it interestingly from the mouth of Jesus, “I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit so that the Father will give you whatever you as for using My name.”
Lasting fruit. The continued product of growth. 

Because salvation is not a one and done deal. 2 Cor 3:18 says that we “... are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory.” (NIV) and obtain more glory... as we are changed into His glorious image.” (NLT)

And it’s not just about bearing fruit that in many instances is ripe only for a short time before breaking way from the branch, succumbing to death on the ground, but bearing fruit that remains. Fruit that extends life to the masses.

And we do this by remaining steadfast in our pursuit of Him, obeying His Word, remaining joyful during trials, spreading grace to all we come in contact with. We shift the atmosphere with our faithfulness and fruitfulness. It’s the only way we properly “advertise” Jesus to a hurting world that is dying from separation from the Savior!

It’s so increasingly important to remain diligent in the production of good fruit that represents the Father best!

People will ultimately judge us by our conduct and character.

Preparation In The Waiting

One of the highest honors and privileges of our lives is getting into the Word of God.  It's my responsibility to protect what He has said and to steward well what He is saying.  We are living in critical times and you and I cannot afford to lose sight of the instructions He's put before us.

Preparation In The Waiting
Wednesday Night Group Beginning October 10
6:30 - 8 p.m.
Bethany Assembly of God

The Lord is always speaking.  And the way He does it is through His Word.  We invite you to participate in a 6-week encounter of SOAPing the scriptures together.  Hear from a woman who’s personal experience in the valley of waiting was transformed by remaining diligent in her pursuit of Him, and how there is always a sweet preparation in the waiting.  Tougher we will discuss:

    How to be a willing hearer

    How God speaks

    How to respond well to His voice

    How to be an atmosphere shifter

    How to be steadfast in review of His goodness and faithfulness

    Our indebtedness to bear good fruit

What Is God's Will For My Life?

I have served in ministry for almost 15 years now and I have to say that one of the most frequent prayer requests I receive is about God’s calling on our lives; and one of the most common struggles we deal with is the attempt to answer this one question.. “What is the will of God for my life?”

We pray it. 
I pray it constantly myself… “Lord show me Your will for my life.”

Because I believe that something deep inside each of us desires to know His will.  I believe that we all desperately long to know what we have been called to do.  We have this deep need for revelation in the area of giftedness and how we can change the world around us for the good.

And an honest reading of His Word will always reveal the answer.

However, it may not always look the way we intended it to.

Because I think when we ask the question, we are looking for direction about a physical calling.  Should I become a nurse?  Should I go into the field of engineering?  Should I take this job in marketing?

But I think God’s call for our lives is much more than a career.
I think it’s much deeper than a decision about employment.

Because I see in the pages of scripture that when He speaks about His will, He’s speaking about aligning the motives of the heart with the nature of who Jesus is.  He’s giving us divine directives that give us opportunities to look more like the Christ who’s image and likeness we were created.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says this, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Ahh… and so could it be… these three things are the will of God for my life?

Always be joyful.
Never stop praying.
Be thankful in all circumstances

Because isn’t His main concern… not whether or not I find the perfect job… but whether I develop true Christlike character?  Whether I can be entrusted to carry His presence into a hurting world?

Because I believe with everything in me that He is actively looking for a body of believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit, and who have the spiritual strength needed to carry the weightiness of His glory into the areas of darkness where those without Jesus are dying without hope.

And you and I have been given specific instructions on how to live out God’s will for our lives.

Always be joyful.
Never stop praying.
Be thankful in all circumstances

1.) Always be joyful.
Always.
It’s a Greek word, Pantote.
And you know what it means?
Always.
Always be joyful. At all times. 

And yet we find ourselves saying it, “But I don’t feel like it.”
Yep.  Me neither.
And that’s why it’s a choice.
I get to choose.
And if my desire is to look more like Jesus, than I’m going to have to get this one down.
ALWAYS be joyful.
It was indeed a command for a reason.  Because He knew we had not the ability to do it naturally.

And when we look for them, they’re all around us. 
Growth opportunities.
The long wait at the grocery store that causes me to be late for an appointment.
The car that won’t start after I’ve had it in the garage 2 times this past month for the same problem.
The blow dryer that’s stopped working an hour before I have an interview.

Life’s frustrations.

But our choice for joy is always within reach.

And it is our choosing joy in the midst of unfortunate circumstances that causes us to look more like Jesus.  It opens the door to greater blessing.  Because when He sees that we can be trusted with keeping our weak emotions in check, than He knows we can be trusted with more!  Blessing flows like a river into a heart occupied with joy because in it is the capacity for abundance and reproduction.

2.) Never stop praying.
I love the Passion Translation of this verse (17), “Make your life a prayer.”

I was meeting with someone the other day whom I have had the privilege of mentoring and I told her that prayer doesn’t have to be so structured.  God is more interested in the relationship developed through conversation than He is of the act of structured, rote prayer.

He’s simply after our heart.  And He simply desires to hear His children speak.

I said it once in an event a few years ago that I believe He longs to hear us speak, in part, because He loves to hear our voice.

And so His will for our lives… includes praying always.  Maintaining dialog with the Father.  Never giving up on the pursuit of answered prayer.  Oh how it IS His will to answer the aches and the cries of our heart!

3.) Be thankful in all circumstances.
I heard it said once, “Thankfulness takes the sting away from something sent to harm you.”

Ahh yes - - because what the enemy meant to destroy, God meant for good!

And so we combat what the enemy means as destructive, with thankfulness!

When we can take a situation of job loss and remain thankful IN the midst of hard times, we are basically choosing to co-labor with the Lord.  We are making a decision to give God the glory that is non-dependent of outcome.  And when I can learn to appropriately navigate the rough waters in the darkness, He will lead me safely to the shore every time.

Oh that we might be willing to say every day… “I am thankful for the opportunity to grow!  Take this life and use every part of it to magnify Your name Jesus!”

And so I wonder… if changing my perceptive on His will, will in fact change my entire life?

Because His word is clear.  And changing my assignment is not an option.

What is the will of God for my life?  For YOUR life?  It’s the same:
Always be joyful.
Never stop praying.
Be thankful in all circumstances

I will begin today putting into practice those things that cause me to look more like Him.  Because once I can learn to manage these tasks in my daily living, He will reveal the path in which I am to step boldly and bravely into.  All for His glory!

A Gradual Preparation For The Divine Commission

I love the story of the commissioning of King Saul. I guess b/c so much of what we read about this man is focused around the end of his kingship and highlights a fallen man filled with rage and sin. But long before this, there was a story of one called by God to the highest honor given, & it was no choice of Saul’s or even the prediction of his family.

1 Sam 9 tells the story of Saul & his servant being sent by his father to look for the donkeys who had strayed away. A simple request that would ultimately lead to a life-altering assignment.

At the suggestion of his servant, Saul set out to find the prophet they’d only heard about. The one called “The Seer”. For surely he’d know how to help them.

Vs 19 records Samuel’s words., “I am the seer! Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together & in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know.” He continues in vs 20, addressing the real ache of his heart, “And don’t worry about the donkeys that were lost... for they have been found.”

God had already spoken to Samuel & told him that Saul was indeed His chosen one for Israel. And so Samuel’s sweet words here were intended to lift Saul to higher thinking while offering compassion for that which currently occupied his mind.

Saul went looking for a donkey.. & found a kingdom. A calling. Oh such great hope for us too! What the Lord purposes for our lives is so much greater than we could ever even anticipate!

Samuel tells Saul, “Go up ahead of me.” What a mark of respect! And then continues to honor him at a meal in the company of 30 other guests! What a display of great affection & proof that he had divine foreknowledge of his arrival! Ahh.. that Jesus would say to us, “I knew you were coming & have a place designed for you, a great feast prepared for you, & a future that surpasses all of your expectations!”

I realize the beauty of the process! In this story we can see it too! The conformation of the Seer, the opportunity to go up ahead to be place of worship, the promise of divine revelation, a command to higher thinking, a shared meal with the Seer, an offer to abide in the Presence. Don’t lose heart friends! There’s a gradual preparation required for the Divine commission.
He's calling you... just be patient, dear one. The preparation is part of the glorious process!!

Natural Abandonment

Matthew 26:56 records the words of Jesus just following His betrayal and arrest. “‘But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the scriptures.’ At that point, all the disciples deserted Him and fled.”

Such cowardly abandonment from the very ones who’d just earlier claimed to be His closest friends... the ones who would “never desert” Him even after His prediction that they would.

And we can consider the many reasons these men left hastily. It could’ve been because of weariness and exhaustion. It might’ve been because they had been told not to resist evil (5:39), and this was indeed as evil as they had encountered. They may have simply fallen victim to involuntary influence. One left, they all left. And so often is the way of those following the world. Our greatest temptation often lies within our compulsory cooperation with misguided motivation from those unworthy of our devotion.

But I wonder too, about something else this morning. I wonder if ingratitude had a lot to do with their desertion. The disciples had grown ungrateful for their experience with the Savior.

Because the expression of gratitude is indebtedness. It’s obligation to the giver. Gratitude is when the receiver has a deep sense of deliverance and maintains a severe liability on behalf of the giver. And here there appears to be undeveloped gratitude in the hearts of Christ’s students.

And so I ask today: Lord may I never loose my sense of wonder at what You’re doing, and may I always remain grateful to You for all things and in all things!

We will naturally abandon that which we cannot feel genuine appreciation for.