Listener or Lord?

So often we pride ourselves in the fact that we pray about everything.

We take our needs to God. He listens. Then we walk away and try to fix it ourselves. Or just keep thinking about how impossible our needs appear. If it was meant for you to figure it out, the solution would be your solution, and not Divine. It would exalt you, instead of bringing Him the glory.

Sure, we love God. He's our Savior. Our Deliver. He's our Healer, Redeemer, and Provider. And He's always such a great Listener...

But is He our Lord?

The definition of lord is, "a master or ruler, someone having power, authority, and influence."

It's easy to let Him deliver us, save us, provide for us, and heal us. We even work hard to serve Him and do many things for Him. ...but are we letting Him be the Lord of our lives?

When we make decisions without consulting Him, and waiting for Him to show us the way, we are ruling our lives. Lots of people will let Him listen to their concerns, but don't trust Him enough to wait on His response and do what He leads them to do.

Allowing others to influence our decisions above what God would want for us, is allowing them to be lord. It's easy for people to throw out advice, but you can not know exactly what God wants for you until you truly seek Him for yourself.

Giving your circumstances the authority to rule your mood, your emotions, your decisions is declining God's proposal to provide peace, love, and joy through every situation.

Recently a friend asked me, "how can my Christian friends be so rude and so down? How can they be saved and not be loving or joyful?"

Oh, that's easy! They love God, but they are not letting God be the Lord of their lives. They are rude because they are treating others the way they think they deserve to be treated, not allowing Jesus to be Lord and treating them the way He taught us. They are so down because they are disappointed in their failures and circumstances, not allowing Jesus to be Lord and trusting something beautiful is in the works.

How do I know this? I was that person. I have always loved God with all my heart, but there was a time in my life when I let Him be everything to me except Lord. He was my Great Listener. I told Him all about my issues with deep details, and He listened. Every single time. However, I'd get up from my prayers and go try to run my life. Repeatedly.

During this time I found that I was unhappy, rude, selfish, moody, and frustrated. I was that good Christian girl who would firmly tell the waitress why the food was not to my liking. I was that good Christian girl who would explain loudly why I felt like I was done wrong. Maybe I was right. Maybe the food was not what I ordered or the clerk rang up my items multiple times. But since allowing Jesus to be Lord of my life, I try to treat others with kindness. Always.

Maybe that waitress can't concentrate because she hasn't had time for a break during her 12 hour shift and her blood sugar is low. Maybe the clerk is exhausted from staying up all night with her sick baby. Instead of looking out for me, I try to think about others now.

I have a long way to go, and sometimes have to actually bite my tongue, but I have found this: When you upgrade Jesus from Listener to Lord, He upgrades your whole world.

The sadness, rudeness, selfishness, moodiness, and frustration disappear. It's easier to see things in a loving manner.

Oh, and don't kid yourself if He is Lord of most of your life...He must be Lord of all or you are not truly letting Him be Lord. There is no half way with this. If He only has authority over your finances, but not your tongue, He does not truly have authority.

Here's what I think...when He is Lord of all, the pressure's off. Your deeds or words or thoughts are no longer dictated by yourself, others, or circumstances- which will all fail you. When Jesus is Lord of your life, each moment is trusted to Him. If something happens that isn't pleasant, you don't feel like you caused it; you see it as a learning opportunity. What was God trying to teach me? What was I supposed to say to that waitress or clerk to encourage them?

Of course my life is not perfect, but it's better than it was. Each day is a gift and some aren't even given that. Each trial is growing me. Some are dying instead of growing.

I'd love to say that it's easy to let Jesus be the Lord of your life, but this is not the case. Letting go and letting God reign on a moment to moment basis, is the hardest thing I've ever done. However, it has brought me more peace and joy than I could express in a blog...that is why I felt like I should share all this with you.

So I challenge you to try it: Let God go from Listener to Lord and watch Him change your life!

Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

Such a great verse, but read it carefully..."saith the Lord"...If He's not your Lord, He's not speaking to you! Let Him be Lord and claim His Word!

Serving the Silent Savior

The other day I got an email devotion that was profound.

God shows us things, leads us a certain way, maybe gives us an answer, but then we don't see or feel or know anything else. Feels like He went silent.

The devotion I read talked about how all through the Bible God did this to great people. He anointed David to be king long before it was time. Job knew he was blessed of the Lord, then God went silent. And there are numerous other examples.

The point is, when God calls you to do something, shows you something, or tells you something, you have to trust Him on the timing. Don't give up and think that He has changed His mind or forgotten about you.

The enemy wants you to think that you didn't hear Him right or you should try to make things work a different way. Oh! Think about Sarah and Abraham! God gave them a promise of a baby and then went silent, so she decided to try to make it happen her way. She paid for that for many years to come.

In the silence there are things going on that you cannot see. God was working things out in the kingdom that David would rule. God was showing the devil that Job was dedicated, wholeheartedly. You have no idea what God is doing that you cannot see!

While God is silent in one area of your life, He is working in other areas. Think on those things. Actually think about each and every blessing and previously answered prayer. Don't let your mind wander to what you cannot see. Keep your eyes fixed on Him and His glory, His power, His righteousness.

No matter what you can or cannot see, He is still your Savior and will bring you through. He will do what He has said. He does not lie or change His mind.

Hold on. Keep serving the silent Savior, and you will be singing a new song when His will is complete in you!

Focus, Baby, Focus

God is so good. It doesn't really matter where you are or where you've been, if you look at what you have overcome, whether great or small, you will see the goodness of God.

The enemy wants us to focus on the now, what we are missing, what is not happening. That keeps us from worshiping with great faith for what is to come. Worship is to give God glory for what we cannot see.

You may not be able to see your need being met, your prayer being answered, but if you just remind yourself of all the answered prayers, all the needs He's already met, your faith for your current miracle will build. Then you can worship Him for it, even though you can't see it.

We want to think that it's something we must do make it  come to pass, but it's not. It's His mercy, it's His grace, it's His goodness that will bring it to pass. All He wants us to do is ask and believe. Then He gets all the glory.

His Word is so clear about trusting Him. He knew it wouldn't make sense to us, that's why the Word says "lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5).

So this week, walk with Him in trust and great faith. Make a list of His provisions on your life. Don't take even the small things for granted, for it is by His grace that you have anything at all, including a home, health, a sound mind, clothing, family, friends.

When my 7 year old is doing his homework and keeps get distracted by the things he'd rather be doing, I say, "focus, baby, focus! Then you can do other things." He always smiles, redirects his thoughts, and tries to finish.

You do the same thing! Focus, baby, focus! Focus on what He has done and worship Him for what He is doing and watch your mountain be moved! In Jesus' Name!

Falling in Love

As a young girl, you develop "crushes" on boys. Yep. With this crush, you find out everything you can about that boy. You want to know what his favorite color is, what he likes to eat, where he likes to go, what his hobbies are... and so on ... you get the picture.

Eventually, you find yourself liking things he likes, and wanting to be where he is, just so you can see him and hope he notices you. When you don't get noticed, you end up crushed.

Then you grow up and date. You find out what your guy likes and how to make him like you. When it doesn't work out the way you want, you feel crushed.

Finally, you get married. You learn what your husband needs, how to make him happy, and how to show him love. You learn what to say and what not to say. You completely invest in this relationship, because it will last until death. You give it all you got. And still sometimes end up crushed.

Then there's Jesus. He's over there waiting on you to invest all you've got in Him. That's the relationship that will last forever. That one should be the priority. We get so wrapped up in trying to perfect our physical relationships, that we neglect the eternal spiritual one.

When you fall in love with Jesus, and I mean truly, deeply, more than any crush you've ever had, you want to know more about Him. You can't read His Word enough. You can't talk to Him enough. You want to hear His voice. You want to share your fears and your joys with Him.

When you fall in love with Jesus, when you realize that HE is the One you will spend forever with, you want to know what makes Him happy. You want to know what makes Him proud. You study His ways, and learn His laws with great excitement. He's your Crush. Then you get excited about what you find, and you want others to feel Him and know Him.

I used to think "witnessing" was a job, a task that you do in God's Kingdom. But, the deal is, if you know Him, if you are really in love with Jesus, it's like telling everyone about your best friend. Things like, "God is so good to me," roll off your tongue with actual meaning.

When you are deeply in love with Jesus, things of this world actually fade while you focus on Him. Nothing is as important as spending time with your Crush. I'm not sure why I always thought Jesus was so Powerful and Almighty that I couldn't get to Him. I'm not sure why I thought I had to respect Him in a reverent "just look, don't touch" sort of way, but I'm so glad that I figured out He's not like that.

He waits for me with open arms when my heart is breaking. He holds me with His love when my mind is overwhelmed. He listens when I pour out my darkest secrets and offers His mercy when I've done wrong. He doesn't judge and condemn. He loves and forgives. Every single time.

I don't talk to Him with some well organized theological prayer rhetoric. I talk to Him like I'm writing this blog...in my plain old words. I talk to Him like He's sitting next to me. Because I found out that when I talk to Him like this, He shows up. Always. He sits right down next to me and never gets tired of hearing my voice.

This Crush I have now is indescribable. Learning about Him is invigorating!

And I just figure, if I'm gonna spend eternity with this Crush, I want to know everything I can about Him!

I dare you to fall in love with Jesus. He won't ever crush your heart. ...He's just into crushing your fears for you. He's into crushing your pain. He's into crushing your enemy. He's into crushing your mental or physical illness. I'm not bragging, but I'm just saying, my Crush is pretty awesome. (:

Wilderness Wandering

The wilderness is a lonely place. The good thing about lonely is that you have nothing and no one to focus on, but the Lord. That's where He shows you His power.

For the children of Israel, Deuteronomy 8:2 says that the wilderness was, to "humble thee", and to "prove thee", and to "know what was in thine heart."

It is humbling to be alone. There is no one to validate your feelings, no one to listen to your pity party cries, no one to congratulate the little victories. It's humbling to stumble through your wilderness with people questioning your deliverance from Egypt. In the wilderness, you have to completely shut out the loud lies of the world and listen to the victorious voice of the Lord.

He will show you what is in your heart, not because He needs to know (He is God and He already knows!), but because He wants you to know so that you can rid yourself of ungodly things hiding deep within you.

This was the problem with the children of Israel: Idols. When they didn't get an immediate response from the Lord or they wanted to do things their way, they started worshiping idols.

Growing up reading that, I always thought, "this is so irrelevant to today. No one worships idols anymore." What an immature perspective! EVERYONE is worshiping idols! If you are not worshiping God and putting Him first, you are worshiping something else...that is your idol. You are not physically bowing down to your career or your work-out routine, but if you are not spending the first fruits of your time, energy, and finances on the One True God, then you are putting other gods before Him.

So you find yourself in this wilderness. Maybe you are dealing with depression. Maybe you are dealing with divorce. Maybe you are dealing with anger. Maybe you are dealing with the loss of a dear loved one. Maybe you have been hurt deeply by your spouse.

Whatever your wilderness is, there is only one way out. My pastor, Rev. Wayne Huntley, preached a powerful message about how to get out of the wilderness recently: According to Song of Solomon 8:5, the way out is to lean on the Beloved. Leaning of Jesus.

Here's the thing about leaning on Jesus. It's not easy. You have put aside the idols you are preoccupied with and focus completely on Him. It's easier to try to stay busy with other things occupying your mind, or focus on trying to figure things out. It's easier to justify your feelings related to your trial. BUT, when you lean on Jesus, surrender your feelings, fears, and future, He will humble you, prove you, and show you what is in your heart. And then you will be free to move on to the Promised Land, the place of prosperity that God has promised you.

He will not leave you in the wilderness to figure it out all on your own. Exodus 13:18 says that God was leading the children of Israel through the wilderness, and Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds us that God will never leave us or forsake us.

Quit wandering through your wilderness, wasting time on self pity. Let Him lead you away from the idols of this world that are holding you captive to the wilderness of your trial. Lean on your Beloved, Jesus, to teach you the lesson you must learn and move you on to the next chapter of your life.

I mentioned it in the last blog, and I think it's worth mentioning again: All through Exodus, God tells the children of Israel to have no other gods before Him. He wanted them to worship Him. I wonder what would have happened if they had worshiped Him alone through the wilderness.

Make it your goal to worship Him alone through the wilderness. Let me tell you this: Wilderness worship is powerful worship. It makes the enemy mad. It brings you great joy and peace. If you want joy and peace in your wilderness: worship!

Worship means to give God glory for things to come, things you can not see happening. Wilderness worship is powerful because you are completely trusting God and worshiping based on faith, not feelings. You are worshiping based on what you know God will do, not what you can see at the present moment.

So, when you are sick of the wilderness, you must first lean on Jesus. Let Him work on humbling your spirit, proving your mind, and purifying your heart. Then, and only then, can you offer wilderness worship! ...and watch the walls of Jericho fall!

A Dangerous Generation

My generation is dangerous. We have so many more easily accessible resources than what our parents had. We have education, jobs, and social support. If we need something, we google it and figure out how to get it. We have amazing churches where we can go to be filled and renewed in the Spirit.

Recently I watched a YouTube interview video by my pastor, who has been my pastor since I was 3 years old. Traffic Talk with Wayne Huntley

It is well worth your time to click on the link. Rev. Wayne Huntley is considered an elder now and has pegged our generation, as he perfectly states in that video. We are self-sufficient. We know our resources and access them when needed. We don't ever exhaust the natural resources to the point where we are dependent on a Supernatural intervention. We have robbed ourselves of an intimate walk with God, being led by the Holy Ghost on a daily basis, because we have made a life long commitment to Him and feel like that is enough.

Obviously, I am not speaking for the entire generation. If this is not you, then don't read on. But, if you can relate, please keep reading! I was raised in a home where Jesus was the answer. Mom and dad worked hard, but still fell short in providing and would pray for Jesus to intervene. One day, I vividly remember my mother praying for God to send us groceries and within hours, there was a knock at the door. A neighbor had gone to the store to find that many items were buy one, get one free, and she was a widow, living alone, so she gave us all the free items. As soon as that lady left, mom actually did a little dance thanking the Lord for answering her prayers. I saw my mom do that dance often.

When was the last time you were in a place where you had to depend on God to pull you through? You had completely exhausted the natural, and you needed a Supernatural intervention.

Here's the deal. You can't ever get to that place where you can rely on a Supernatural intervention, if you don't have an intimate walk with God. Rev Wayne Huntley explained how we need to be more dependent on the Holy Ghost and be led on a daily basis by what He wants us to do. We've become so comfortable in going to church multiple times during the week and filling up our spiritual tank, that we neglect to develop daily walk with God. We neglect to schedule time for Him on the days that are crazy busy. We neglect to diligently seek His will on every aspect of our lives.

The generation before us, our parents, wouldn't dare leave the house without having prayer and devotion. They wouldn't dare change jobs or buy a new house without seeking God's will. They wouldn't dare to get married or have children without asking for God's favor. Yet, here we are, we rush out on Monday morning neglecting to ask Him for direction for our day, because we are still full of the dose of the Holy Ghost from Sunday night. We neglect to praise Him for waking us up and providing for us.

In our finite minds, we feel that we are successful because we're able to pay our bills and buy groceries on a regular basis. Sure we live from paycheck to paycheck, but we're never in a place where our stomachs are growling and we're wondering how much longer the electricity will be on without paying the bill.

The truth is, it is God Who gave you that job. It is God Who gives you the health to go to work every day. It is God Who gives you favor with your boss and co-workers. It is God Who keeps your car from breaking down every 50 miles. It is God Who keeps you and your family safe while you travel around town. It is God Who puts the very breath in your lungs and wakes you up each day with a sound mind.

These are the things our parents realized. These are the reasons they fell on their knees every morning and worshiped the One True God. What you spend your time on, it what you are worshiping. All through the Old Testament, God was angered at the Children of Israel because they put other gods before Him. God does not change. How long will we go on putting other things before Him? How long will we go on spending more time on social media, than we do getting to know Him for Who He is? The God of our parents has not changed. He is longing for us to find Him and know Him the way that they did.

We can't be led by the Holy Ghost on a daily basis, if we don't get into His presence on a daily basis. You wouldn't ask someone you don't know for a favor, so how can you ask the King of kings for a Supernatural intervention, when you don't have an intimate relationship with Him?

Here's the thing about my mom's prayer...that wasn't the first time I heard her pray. She prayed like that every single day. That was the first time I heard her pray for something specific and watched it actually happen. She knew Who she was praying to because she didn't wait for a crisis to happen before she developed a daily prayer life. She met with the King of kings daily, and when she had a need, she knew exactly how to petition Him.

Don't wait until you get into crisis mode to find Him. Rise above the average walk with God that most of our generation has, and find an extraordinary place in Him. It is great that you are dedicated to attending church and signing up to help with every ministry possible, but that doesn't replace the intimate relationship He wants from you. Find that place in Him where you can depend on the Supernatural after you've exhausted the natural. Your faith will grow. Your spirit will soar. Your heart will be full and content. Why? Because walking with Him on an extraordinary level, is what we were created to do. Col 2:6.

This isn't just a blog. This isn't me just rambling about what I think we should consider for our lives. This is the Word of God and it does not change. God has proved Himself to me. God hears and answers our prayers, just as He did for our parents. A few years ago, I found myself in a place where I was in desperate need of a financial intervention. My gas bill was due (my heat/water heater is fueled by a gas line), and my groceries were almost gone. I truly had exhausted the natural and was completely dependent on the Supernatural. In my prayer time, I said, "God, You provided for my parents, and now I need You to intervene for me and my kids."

The very next day, a huge amount of money (enough to cover ALL my bills for a month) was accidentally deposited into my checking account. I called the bank, and they told me where it came from. I called that person, and they said it was a mistake but they felt like I needed the money, so I could keep it! I wish I could tell you that I got up and did that little dance my mom did when God answered her prayers, but I didn't...I just wept in humble adoration of the One who loves me so much. It was amazing that God cared so much about me that He provided more than what I needed.

James 4:8 says to draw near to God and He will draw near to you. He is waiting for you.

Put aside whatever you spend excessive amounts of time on, and schedule time with Him each day. Set an alert on your phone and don't turn it off until you talk to Him. Don't cancel your appointment with Him. When patients don't show up to an appointment at our office, they get charged a $25 fee. When you don't show up to your appointment with God, you are robbing yourself of blessings. Peace. Love. Joy. Abundance of life.

Escape this dangerous generation of being average and bust into the extraordinary Supernatural realm that the generation before us has discovered. If we don't, what will the next generation be like? The Supernatural may become extinct.

The Storm Is Over: Happy New Year!

It's been raining here for days. Persistent, heavy downpours of rain. Then tonight, New Year's Eve, it stopped. Not a drop. The clouds have parted, and the stars are peeking through. The physical storm is finally over. 

I'm not complaining about the rain. The rain is beautiful and reminds me of wonderful things. However, multiple days of rain is exhausting. You don't realize how exhausting, until it's over. I stepped out to take out the trash and didn't have to rush back in for fear of getting saturated. I walked to the mailbox without drenching my shoes in the nearby puddles that were sustained by a constant downpour. 

Oh, but there's a purpose to the storm. Rain storms change the environment providing suitable conditions for many types of ecosystems. Hydration for these ecosystems produces successful agriculture, rangeland, and human livelihood (food and agriculture organization, fao.org). James 5:18 says that the heaven gave rain and the earth bore it's fruit. So we need the rain, right? 

Spiritual storms are also exhausting. We overexert ourselves in prayer and fasting. We rack our brains to try to figure it all out, only to figure out that only God, in His infinite wisdom, has the knowledge and power to control the storm. While the spiritual storm is exhausting, it is necessary. It changes our spiritual ecosystems, providing suitable conditions for God to grow us and make us fruitful.

The 2015 storm is over. How do I know? Because 2015 is over. Don't go into 2016 fighting 2015's battles. Lay down your weapons and surrender to the One who speaks peace to our storms. Call out to Jesus in your storm, invite Him onto your tossing boat and let Him calm the raging seas in your life. 

Just as I'm glad this physical storm is now over, I'm going to praise Him that my spiritual storm is over. Leviticus 26:4 says that rain will cause an increase and fruitfulness. 2016 will be a year of fresh spiritual ecosystems with an environment rich and ready for harvest because of the 2015 rain!  

The storm is over- HAPPY NEW YEAR!