Sometimes God Requires More Than We Expect

The Lord was already calling me out onto the streets a few months before my notice to vacate. When the notice came, I was prepared in my heart and in my mind to go out onto the street. I gave away everything I owned and those things that no one wanted were thrown away (except for those few things I wanted to keep, like my Christian CD's, important paperwork, family photos, etc...). I no longer had a place to live, a place to call my own. The comfort of my own bed was gone as was the knowledge that I had a place I could return to every day that I could call my own. What little physical comfort I have at this point in time is had by sleeping in the back seat of my son's unused car, which is parked in the driveway of his friend's (Tim) apartment building, or in sitting on a park bench.

It's definitely been a journey, even if it's only been a few short weeks. A few days ago I was asking my self why God would choose me to help bring healing to the hurting and broken lives of those living out on the street of this city. I'm not eloquent speaker; I'm not tall or handsome; I'm don't have any of the traits of someone who you would think that God would use for this mission. There are brothers and sisters in Christ who can rattle off scripture and give you the book, chapter and verse where it can be found... I'm not like that. For a long time I've felt inadequate in that area of my walk with the Lord. So, what do I have that the Lord can use? What worth did He see in me that caused Him to choose me? I thought of Moses, who felt ill-equipped for what God was sending him to do. I also thought about the Apostles who dropped everything at the calling of the Master. That's when I had my answer. I had a willing heart. When God told me that I would end up out on the streets to minister to the homeless, I just accepted it. I didn't fight or complain... I just said okay and then began planning for my life outside my comfort zone, which, as anyone who knows me can tell you, is very VERY unlike me.

In the weeks leading up to moving out on to the streets, I weaned myself off of my anti-anxiety medication. I guess that was the first thing God wanted removed from my life, and I was in total agreement with Him. I didn't need it any longer. He was my source of peace, not some little pill. The weaning process went smoothly and I believe I was off the medication completely a week or two before my transition to street life. That was the easiest thing I've done in this entire process.

I've had a chance to minister to several people while being out on the street, including a Christian couple who are homeless and who had slipped back into sin because they were living with people who did things that the Lord had brought this couple out of years ago, and my youngest daughter who has the misunderstanding that God is there to serve us and not the other way around. She is very confused in her Christian walk because she refuses to accept guidance. She is an expert in building walls!!!

Mat 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Then there is my brother and sister. My brother had initially offered me a place to sleep, shower and eat, but then he rescinded his offer, saying, “I changed my mind. I can't help you out. Carol (my sister) should be there for you. Take care and good luck. You're in gods hands.” He went on to say, “You put yourself in the situation you're in, now it's up to you to help yourself. Yesterday you were all excited to be homeless. Maybe this is what you need to change your ways and ways of thinking.” My “ways of thinking” are in reference to my relationship with God. He believes I have gone overboard and take “religion” too seriously. So... He's pretty much disowned me.

Then there is my sister who, after a lengthy conversation, basically threatened to have the police force me into the hospital for observation because she thought that giving everything up for “god” to the point where I said that I was ready to give my life for Him was so opposed to how she believes, that she thought I had literally gone insane. It didn't help when I told her that God speaks to me. I wrote an article on my blog site about that, but it was the update to that blog article that really made her head spin. When she read that update, she called me on the phone and disowned me right there and then. She didn't want to have anything else to do with me.

There have been many instances where my faith grew weak. There were a couple of days there when I felt that I was blocked off from any communication with God. Other days old sins that I've spent a lifetime praying to be delivered from, seemed to try to creep in. There was a day I walked the streets dehydrated, stumbling over my own feet. There have been many times when I've felt the pang of hunger. I've spent painful and sleepless nights in the back of a car. There were times my body shivered as the cold of the night penetrated me to the core. Blisters on my foot has made walking slow and painful. Through all of this I could cling to only one hope... God. I believe that He will not allow me to go through anything that He has not created provision for. I also believe that He will not leave me here where I stand. The Potter has decided to beat me down into a lump to create me anew. This may seem strange to some, but I relish the idea of being used by God in a new way! Yes, I have my own personal journey though the desert to experience, but in the end, God will be able to use me in ways that wouldn't have been possible had I remained where I was. He would have needed to choose someone else. Praise God He chose me!!!

Here is the hope that I want to leave with everyone who needs to hear it. No matter how bad things seem, God is always there working in the midst of it all. The focus can't be on the situation at hand. Your focus throughout your ordeal needs to be on the One who has already provided an escape for you. He has already placed the provisions that you need and they're up ahead a little ways. You just have to keep walking forward and make it through to the other side to receive them. If you stumble, don't stay down! Pick yourself up, even if you stumble with every step you take. The reward is in the struggle! Although I have been through quite a bit recently, I remain hopeful that through all things God is with me. His Holy Spirit, who is with me 24/7, is a valuable help in difficult times.

Today I was thinking about Jesus on the cross. I pictured myself face to face with Him and in His agony, I pictured Him straining to look at me. It was then that I broke down crying, apologizing to Him for all the things that I had done that brought Him to that cross. His body was ripped apart before he was forced to march to His death. The blood loss was enormous and He began to suffer from dehydration. Blood dripped into his eyes from the crown of thorns forced onto his head. He was beaten and spit upon. His body struggled to take in breath after breath as it hung naked and misshapen on the cross.

Then we come to our struggles. Worth comparing? If you have the smallest faith, the smallest hope, God can use that to accomplish much. Let Him lift you up. Let Him help you take those first few steps back onto the narrow road. Sometimes God requires more than we expect, but remember, those who endure to the end will be saved!

The Good Fight of Faith

Recently the Lord has been showing me a couple of things.

If you follow  my blog or Google plus you can see that people all over the world are getting hit with spiritual warfare.

A few weeks ago, in the spirit I began seeing two fists pounding in the heavenly realm within the glory cloud.  God wants His people to be proactive in spiritual warfare.  This means  taking ground in the spirit and not simply rolling with the punches that satan throws us.

When Jesus said "the gates of hell shall not prevail" (Matthew 16:18) we need to understand that the gates of hell are a defensive mechanism that cannot stand against the onslaught of Christ within us.

More recently, God has been showing me that we need more intimacy with Him.  Not just seeking His hand but seeking His face.  I am wanting to get back to the level of the prophetic that I was walking in a few years ago.  I remember I was spending much more time in prayer, praise, and worship.

Please keep my in your prayers, and be sure and drop me a note of encouragement every once in a while.  We are in this fight together!

1 Timothy 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

The Most Beautiful Words in the Gospels

What are the most beautiful words in the Gospels?
These two right here:

…and Peter…

These two words are found in Mark 16:7 and I find them to be the most beautiful and moving words in the Gospels. Every single time I read them, they get my heart beating. They give me shivers and chills. Sometimes I even choke up in tears.

…and Peter…

Why?
We all know what Peter did. He was one of the three closest companions that Jesus had. He was the spokesperson for the twelve apostles. He was the one who promised He would never deny Jesus.
And when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter was the only one who tried to defend Jesus.
When Jesus was escorted away to His trial, Peter was the only apostle who followed. The rest scattered into the night and hid.

…and Peter…

Yet despite all this zeal for Jesus, it was only Peter who verbally denied Jesus. It was only Peter who cursed Jesus. Not once. Not twice. But three times. (Possibly even six times.)
This is certainly the low point of Peter’s life. He feels abandoned and betrayed. And Peter even betrays and denies Jesus. He probably feels that all is lost, and that whatever happens, He is lost for eternity. He is done for. God will never forgive him.
All of us have felt this way from time to time. Like we have done something or said something so terrible that Jesus could never forgive us.

…and Peter…

So when Jesus rises from the dead, I find it terribly comforting that when the angel tells the two women who first witness His resurrection to go and tell His disciples that Jesus has risen, the angel emphasizes that they must also tell Peter. He singles Peter out. “Go tell the disciples,” the angel says, “and Peter…”
Yes.

…and Peter…

The resurrection of Jesus is for all of us. It is for the Mother Theresa’s of the world and the Hitler’s.
The resurrection is for John the beloved disciple, and Judas the traitor.
The resurrection is for you, me, …and Peter.
If you ever doubt or wonder about Jesus’ love for you, just remember these two words which tell us so much about our own sin, the heart of Jesus, and the complete forgiveness and love offered to us through His death and resurrection.

…and Peter…

An unharvested gospel

 

 

Sometimes, people learn about our character through subtle observation.

 

For example, if we believe that God has given us more than we need, we’ll leave some for others in whatever setting we find ourselves.

 

This principle of abundance shows up in how we tip restaurant servers, how we negotiate when buying things from relatives or friends, how we show grace toward someone who has offended us or even with how we make sure that others have a dessert at church dinners before we blindly add the last piece to the slice already on our dessert plate.

 

It’s not cool to have two pieces of dessert when somebody else is standing at the table, wondering where all the dessert went.

 

The life of faith is a life of sharing.

Actually, it’s more than that.

It’s making sure that others are provided for ahead of ourselves.

 

God’s voice is really the only compass that we can trust in this matter of knowing when and how to keep some for ourselves and when to simply give what we have to others.

 

I pray that you’ll ask Him for wisdom in this arena when it comes to your home life, your work life, your church life or your school life.

 

 

“When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:9-10)

 

God was calling the Hebrews away from selfishness and into benevolent generosity. Yes, the people could take ALL the crops from the land they owned and had worked. But that didn’t mean that they should.

 

The harvest was a gift from God, obviously, and so God had every right to direct that some of the harvest be left for others as a form of Old Testament welfare.

 

For the soft-hearted person who cared about obeying God and serving others, NOT harvesting the field edges or corners was a visible way to display faith at the same time as serving others.

 

Listen, don’t be the person who squeezes and twists and coerces and manipulates others in order to get every penny out of the deal, whether it be in the restaurant or in the workplace or in the real estate deal or in the estate-settlement discussions following a parent’s death or in those difficult conversations when somebody is telling us they’re sorry.

 

Leave something behind for others.

 

Your faith will be on display in a positive way, if you do

 

 

Don’t You Understand?

Mark 8:33, “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” (NLT)

Sometimes I think we forget just who it is that we serve. I think we forget how magnificent, and powerful, and faithful, our God is. The following scripture is a historical account that depicts the greatness and faithfulness of our Jesus…let’s take a journey through the Word. “Father, as others read this, may your Word be alive and active in them.”

In Mark chapter 6:30-44, we see an account of how Jesus took two fish, and fives loaves of bread and miraculously fed 5,000 people.

Two chapters later we see the same thing happen AGAIN. Mark 8:1-3 says this: "About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, 'I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.'"

Now, just having seen Jesus feed 5,000, you would think the disciples would respond with great faith and expectation, eagerly anticipating how Jesus is going to handle this current situation! Instead, their response is this, “His disciples replied, ‘How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?’” (verse 4).

As I read this, I thought, you have got to be kidding me! Did the disciples just totally forget how Jesus had previously fed 5,000?!

Jesus, very graciously, took the seven loaves, and a couple of fish, and miraculously fed this large group as well. “They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were about 4,000 people in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten. Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha” (Mark 8:8-10).

Now hang with me here, I’ve got one more Biblical account that I want to share….so, Jesus and the disciples get in this boat and they head off for the other side of the lake. Mark 8 continues, “But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food.” (Oh my, not again!) They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread (verses 14-16).

This time Jesus responded with “you’ve got to be kidding me!” Read on…

“Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear? Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”

“Twelve,” they said.

“And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

“Seven,” they said.

“Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them (verses 17-21).

As I read all of this, it’s easy for me to say, “you crazy disciples…how could you not see?” However, I would never say that, because I’ve seen a similar pattern in my own life. I too forget what God has done for me. For instance, every time He calls me to step out in a new way for Him, I panic. I too have a crisis of belief, even though every time previously He has been faithful to me. I don’t want to forget! I want to remember His faithful ways. I want to remember how He proved himself faithful in Bible days as we see in the above account, and I want to remember how He daily proves himself faithful in my life. I want to approach every situation with faith, not fear, knowing that He’s brought me through before, and He’ll do it again!

Later in Mark 8, Jesus tells Peter, “You are seeing things from merely a human point of view, not from God’s”.

I think that we often get caught in that trap. We see things from our perspective, and not God’s. “You have eyes, can’t you see?”

Dear Lord,  let us not forget how great and faithful You are. Help us remember WhoYou are and How You’ve met our needs. Let us learn the lessons that You have for us today, so that we can grow on to full maturity in Christ. Let us know the truth that nothing is impossible with You, our great and faithful God. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Son of a Carpenter

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter?
- Mark 6:2-3a

Of all the ways that God could have come to this earth, I find it very interesting that He chose to come as someone who appeared to be nobody special (Isaiah 53:2). He could have come as a powerful king, a great warrior, or even a knowledgeable doctor; but instead He came as the son of a Carpenter, born into a lowly working trade.

I found myself wondering why God chose to come the way He did... Why He chose to come as a lowly worker- like His people who He sought to save. I wondered why God would make himself among the lowliest if He was coming to be the greatest.

I think we can all relate to being lowly, or looking under-qualified. I think we have all been in a situation where we wonder how we can accomplish something, or if God has the wrong person. We look at ourselves and say that we are a nobody, we're not anything special... and we certainly do not have the wisdom for the task ahead.

I guess you could say it would be like a carpenter who is suppose to save God's people from their sins.

I personally believe that one of the reasons Christ came as a lowly carpenter, was to show us that with God anything is possible (Matthew 19:26). That even though we do not appear to be anything special, with God we are something special. That even though we lack the wisdom ourselves, with God we can have the wisdom needed to fulfill the tasks ahead.

God came as one of His people, to show His people that with Him, and through Him, we can do all things. Today, no matter how lowly you feel, or how much you lack, remember with God you are complete. With God you are special, and God plans to use you for great things (Jeremiah 29:11).

 

Loving Others

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. - John 13:35

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them (Luke 6:32).

For many people, loving others is a vague concept. Fortunately, agape love is very clearly defined in the Scriptures. When love is used as a noun in Scripture, it is referring to character. For example: "God is love" (1 John 4:8); "Love is patient, love is kind," etc. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Love is the highest of character attainments: "The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5). Love is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), the means by which a true disciple of Christ is identified (John 13:35). The attention given to love in passages such as 1 Corinthians 13 and 1 John 4 reveals its importance to God in our interpersonal relationships, of which the family is primary.

Agape love is not dependent on the person being loved, but on the lover. You may like someone because of who he is; but you love him because of who you are. God loves us not because we are lovable, but because God is love. If it were any other way, God's love would be conditional. If you performed better, would God love you more? Of course not. God's love for us is not based on our performance, but on His character.

Love is also used as a verb in Scripture. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). Used this way, love is grace in action. It is giving unconditionally to meet the needs of another.

If you say you don't love someone, you have said more about yourself than about that person. Specifically, you're saying that you haven't attained the maturity to love him unconditionally (Luke 6:32). The grace of God enables you to love others in a way that people without Christ cannot. God doesn't command you to like your family, your neighbors and your coworkers because you can't order your emotions to respond. But He does instruct you to love them. You can always choose to do the loving thing and trust that your feelings will follow in time.

Thank You, Father, for bestowing on me the greatest love of all by sending Jesus. Teach me to love others as You have loved me.