Do It Again, Daddy

When my sister and I were younger, we LOVED when our dad would swing us or toss us into the air or flip us around. Of course, we were never satisfied with just one time, we were always shouting, "Do it again, daddy, do it again!". He loved to do silly and fun things that would entertain us. Even though I am sure it tired him out at times, we would chant "Do it again" and he loved it!

God is the same type of Father with us. He loves to do things for us! He enjoys giving His children gifts! When we share about what the Lord does for us, it is called our testimony - and our testimony is continually growing! In Hebrew the word testimony can be translated as "do it again".

For me, I look back over my life and see a lot of mistakes. I see times where I took advantage of God's Grace and used it as an excuse to continue in a sinful lifestyle. I see times where I lied to cover my tail. I see hurts and pain and grief...but that's not my testimony. My testimony is how the Lord redeemed me from that. My testimony speaks of His great love that met me where I was at and changed my heart. My testimony gives me greater cause to Worship the Lord, because He saved me from so much! That salvation changed my life yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Testimonies are powerful, which is why the enemy does not want us to share them. The enemy tells us that we should be ashamed, that people will reject us, that the Lord can never use us because of what we've done, etc... The truth is that satan is the father of lies, it's the only language he can speak! Truth comes from the Lord and the Lord says that we conquer the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimonies! (Revelation 12:11) No wonder satan wants to keep us quiet about our testimonies.

In 1 Samuel 17, David kills Goliath. I absolutely love David's statement beforehand, he says:

"You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand." (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

David responds to Goliath with authority, knowing that the Lord had delivered the Philistines into Israel's hand. When the enemy speaks lies to me, telling me that I am unworthy, I respond with the Word of God which is truth. My testimony declares that I serve the One True God.

In 2 Samuel 21, the Israelites were battling the Philistines again. One Philistine had six digits on each limb - six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot! The men they fought were descended from giants. David and his men defeated them. The other Israelite warriors had the faith to stand against giants because of David's testimony of what the Lord did against Goliath! Testimonies build our faith! Testimonies declare that our God is the only One worthy of praise and worship and adoration.

Don't be ashamed of your testimony. Share it. Maybe it will help someone else overcome their giants. Together we can shout unto God and as His children say, "Do it again, Daddy!"

Feeling Homesick

I recently listened to a compelling sermon by Pastor Steven LeBlanc called "Lessons for Living in a Foreign Land: Are You Homesick" which influenced my thoughts and provided a lot of insight used for this post. 

"For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come." Hebrews 13:14

After King Solomon died, the nation of Israel divided- he was the last king to reign over a united nation. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, Simeon, Ephraim, Manasseh, Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Issachar, and Zebulun (10 in all) comprised the southern kingdom of Israel. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin comprised the nation of Judah in the North. For about 200 years the nation of Israel rebelled against the Lord, and in the end they were led into captivity. Before captivity, a few of the faithful fled North to Judah, the nation that had remained faithful. However, eventually Judah was taken into exile in Babylon for 70 years because they rebelled against the Lord. (The 70 year period was in order that the land could enjoy it's Sabbaths. 2 Chronicles 36:21; Leviticus 25:2-4)

"Then the king [Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon] commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king." Daniel 1:3-5

When Nebuchadnezzar brought these men into Babylon he had planned to do the same thing with the nation of Judah that he had done with all the other kingdoms he had conquered. His strategy was to bring young men of influence into Babylon, give them everything they could ever want, strip their culture from them, and immerse them in the culture of Babylon, then he would reinstate them as leaders in Judah to create a vassal state loyal to himself. He even renamed them to change their identities to that of Babylon. Satan's tactics have not changed. His strategy is still to remove us from our Biblical principles, to give us everything we could ever want, to strip the Heavenly culture from us, and to immerse us in the culture of this world, so we become lukewarm Christians.

The story of Daniel (and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) proves that it is possible to be faithful to God even away from the Promised Land. The prophet Jeremiah prophesied that Judah would be taken into Babylon, and, after it came to pass, he instructed the exiles on how to live in Babylon. "Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." (Jeremiah 29:5-7) In studying the life of Daniel in the Old Testament, we find that he was highly favoured in Babylon. He sought the welfare of Babylon, but he never compromised his obedience to the Lord. When he first arrived, he refused to defile himself with the king's food and requested to eat only vegetables and to drink water. When an injunction was enforced that no one should pray to any god or man other than Darius the Mede, Daniel continued to pray to the Lord three times a day. For this he was thrown into a den of lions, but was delivered because he trusted in God.

In the same way, we live in Babylon. (America resembles Babylon more than you would think). This world is not our home and the ways of this world are not our ways. In Romans 12, Paul warns Christians not to be conformed to the ways of this world, but instead to be transformed by seeking out the will of God. The Holy Spirit gives us more discernment the more we allow Him to speak into our lives. We are called to remain undefiled by the world. Our ways are God's ways, that means that we cannot endorse or approve (Romans 1:32) of the world's fallen values. The Bible is truth. Always. Period. It is not half-truth. It's truth is not contingent upon the "evolution" of science and culture. God alone determines right and wrong. Don't let the fallen culture of a fallen society do that for you.

As we live for purity and holiness in a fallen world, the world will hate us and reject us. Jesus said himself, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." John 15:18-19  Do not mistake me for saying that as Christians we need to walk around like holier-than-thou jerks. I am a sinner saved and redeemed to the Father by Jesus Christ. We are called to model the life of Jesus--a life of love, compassion, and grace. So what's more important, obeying God or loving people? Both! Jesus modeled both. (Luke 11:42)

My life has been far from holy and far from pure. I have fallen and repented. I have dealt with transgressions and iniquities. I need the blood of Jesus Christ on my life. I need the daily friendship of the Holy Spirit. I need the love of the Father. I desire to bring glory to the Lord in all that I do. I hope that the world will see in me an unrelenting desire to obey God AND a compassionate love for people. Because people are God's passion. The older that I get the more homesick I become for Heaven. This world is not my home and the ways of this world are not God's ways. But I know that I am here to seek God's provision over the welfare of the world in which I live and the people in it.

In closing, I leave you with the encouraging words of the Apostle Peter: "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." 1 Peter 2:11-12

The Lord, My Provider

"Give us this day our daily bread..." Matthew 6:11

After the Lord delivered the Israelite nation from Egypt - after all of the miraculous signs and wonders they had witnessed - they complained in the wilderness that Moses and Aaron had led them their to die. In their hunger they actually longed for the life they had in Egypt - a life of bondage. They did not trust that the Lord would provide for them as He led them into the promised land. But God caused bread to rain down from heaven. He instructed each family to gather only enough for one day, but many did not trust Him and the extra that they had gathered was infested with worms the next day.

Whenever I read through Israel's desert story, I find myself getting annoyed with their continual lack of faith. Then I remind myself that I do it too. I have tried to be my own provider. I have longed for life as it used to be. I forget that God actually cares about my daily needs.

God cares about our daily needs!

The Lord doesn't provide for us once or twice then tell us to fend for ourselves. He wants us to come to Him daily. He rained bread from heaven every day. He doesn't want us to just get by, He wants to bless us with abundance. 

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. Within the prayer He instructs the disciples to pray "Give us this day our daily bread...". I think Jesus taught them to ask God for daily provision not only to recognize that He provides, but to remind us that He is our Provider. Every day.

"Manna only came from heaven one day at a time." - Sherry Perdue (A.K.A. Mom)

Resuscitation: Battling Apathy

Love is passionate. When Jesus went to the cross for the sins of all people it was the greatest display of love this world will ever know. We call it His passion. Love is passionate.

What is the opposite of passion? Apathy. Apathy is the "absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement". (dictionary.com) Have you ever felt apathetic? Maybe life seems a bit mundane & you just continue through, day after day, with no emotion or excitement. It feels lifeless. It reminds me of a story in the book of Ezekiel. In chapter 37, Ezekiel experienced a vision of being placed by the Lord into the middle of a valley full of bones. The Lord asked him, "Can these bones live?" to which Ezekiel replied, "O Lord God, You know". Ezekiel is leaving this question up to the Lord because he knows that the Lord is the only one who brings life.

It is easy for me to get into routine. I like structure, but when life becomes too regimented it is easy to go through the motions without experiencing emotion. I want my life to be so much more than that!

In his September 22nd sermon entitled "The Purpose of Prayer", Pastor Robert Morris discusses territorial spirits. He explains that principalities are princes who rule over a geographical region. These territorial spirits have strongholds over cities and regions. For example, he explains that Gateway Church (the church for which he is the lead pastor) was planted in Southlake, Texas--a city known for pride and greed. Morris knew that as a church they would be planted there to battle those principalities. Now the church is known for its humility and generosity. He explains that we have to "Pray and walk in the opposite spirit to tear down a principality". The enemy is not going to idly sit back and let us call our nation back to God, we need to go to deeper levels of prayer and to walk in the Holy Spirit.

In this same way, the principality ruling over this region in Salem, Oregon has a stronghold of apathy. We come against this stronghold by praying and walking in passion. As Christians we need to be known for our passion and our joy. What encourages me is knowing I am a part of the Kingdom and my King rules over all. I am not bound by the stronghold of a territorial spirit, because my King has set me free!

I don't want to live a passionless life. I don't want to love in passionless ways. I don't want my marriage to have only a few sparks. I don't want my worship to lack expression. I want the passion that Jesus has poured out over me to leak onto everything around me. I can't beat this spirit of apathy, but my Saviour already has! Like the valley of dry bones, only God can breathe life into all people. Jesus came to give us new life!

I want to love like Jesus loves. I want to see beauty and potential in the "hopeless case". I want to see His life-giving breath bring to life what once was dead. I want to reflect His glory. I want to resound His grace. After all, Jesus was the most passionate person to ever live, and I want to continually fall more and more in love with Him.

The Bridge Builder

An old man going along his way
Came at the evening cold and grey,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
With steps it seemed were known to him
Then built a bridge as he'd once been taught
With two trees felled and a rope he'd brought.

"Old man," said a fellow-pilgrim near,
"Your wasting strength with building here.
You must go on at break of day,
You never again will pass this way.
You've crossed the chasm deep and wide,
Why build a bridge at the even tide?"

The builder lifted his old grey head,
"Good friend, in the path I've come," he said,
"There follows after me today,
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.
He too must cross in the twilight dim.
Good friend, I built the bridge for him."


By Will Allen Dromgoole, (modified by Tom Schattke)

Saviour

Before the Lord destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah He rescued Lot & his family from the city. Unaware of the urgency of the situation, Lot dragged his feet before leaving the city. "But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city." (Genesis 19:16 ESV)

We are not always aware of the severity of certain situations & often times we linger in places where we should not be lingering. Sometimes God has to take us by the hand & literally drag us out of those situations. He does not remove us because He is mean or condescending- He removes us to show us His mercy.

Thank you, Jesus for Grace!

Unity

In Matthew 12:25, Jesus said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. It's so simple to think about, yet the truth holds immense wisdom and depth. If my husband and I viewed each other as opponents rather than two people who are working toward a common goal, then our marriage would not last, and it certainly would not reflect the love of Jesus Christ and the unity of the trinity. Now looking at it on a much broader scale, how about the church? I do not mean my individual church or your individual church, but the collective bride of Christ spread out over the earth. Are we in unity? Are we working together toward a common goal? Or do we compete amongst ourselves? We spend a lot of our time bickering over doctrinal differences instead of sharing the truth of Jesus Christ. Our purpose on this earth is to bring glory to God and spread the Gospel of His grace to all people. When we are not in unity the message we send does not reflect the unity displayed by the Divine Trinity- The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as One. Imagine what would happen in our communities, in our countries, and in the world if Christians focused on our similarities rather than our differences- it would change the world!

The Ark of the Covenant was placed in the most holy place within the tabernacle and the temple. The Ark represents the presence of God on earth. The top of the Ark was one solid piece of gold with two cherubim hammered out of the gold, it was called the mercy seat and it represents the throne of God on earth. The mercy seat is represented with the elements of praise, humility, and unity. Therefore, the process we have to go through to enthrone the King of kings and the Lord of lords is one of praise, humility, and unity. I want to see these three elements return to the global church. I want us to build a throne that is worthy of the Most High God!

"Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. Psalm 133

Unity is like anointing oil. In this Psalm we see that when the oil was poured out onto Aaron's head it soaked his beard and flowed right down onto the ground around him bringing life forevermore. When we come together in unity it will affect our communities, our country, and our world. It will restore blessing and life!

Let us focus on the beautiful, pure Gospel of Jesus Christ and show the world how much He loves humanity. Let us allow the Lord to showcase His grace through our lives. Let us set aside our differences and enthrone our Lord in praise, humility, and unity.

The Glory of the Lord

“everyone who is called by My Name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made.”  Isaiah 43:7

When David was king over Israel, he desired to build a temple for the Lord—“a house of rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD and for the footstool of our God.” (1 Chronicles 28:2) He even mentions that he made preparations for the building of the temple, but because he had been a man of war and had shed blood, the Lord told David that he may not build the temple. Instead the Lord instructed David that his son Solomon would be the one to build the temple of the Lord, so David gave Solomon all of the plans for building the temple. Soon Solomon set skilled people in charge of all of the structures and elements of the temple. Once it is complete Solomon offers a prayer of dedication for the temple.

“As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, ‘For He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever’.” 2 Chronicles 7:1-3

The glory of the Lord fell as fire from heaven. That’s amazing! If there was any doubt in the minds of Israel’s enemies that the One True God was on their side I am sure it was completely erased when they saw that fire. Imagine if we saw a building with fire resting upon it, but the fire was not consuming the building. To say we would be shocked is an understatement. We also see this happen earlier in the Bible when Moses erected the tabernacle of the Lord.

“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.” Exodus 40:34-38

Both the tabernacle and the temple of the Lord are purposed to house the Lord among His people. Throughout scripture we see a common desire in the heart of God—to dwell among His people.

“I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Ezekiel 37:26-27

The Lord’s desire was to dwell with His people, but He did not desire to dwell in man-made houses. Solomon even laments on this truth: “But who is able to build Him a house, since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain Him? Who am I to build a house for Him, except as a place to make offerings before Him?” (2 Chronicles 2:6) In fact, the Ark of the Covenant which represents the presence of God on earth, had golden rings with golden poles that went through them so it could be carried around with the Israelite nation, this represents that the Lord does not have a resting place on earth.

In the New Testament after Jesus ascends into heaven His followers were awaiting the Helper whom Jesus promised He would send. The day that the Holy Spirit fell on the earth is what we call the day of Pentecost—which means fifty, so it was fifty days after the ascension of Jesus into heaven.

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4

If you remember, after Jesus died on the cross the curtain of the temple that separated the holy place from the most holy place was torn in two. We understand this now to represent that our bodies are now temples of the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:19).  The Lord’s desire was not to dwell in man-made houses, but God-made houses! The Lord dwells in each of us—we carry the presence of the Lord, just like the priests who used to carry the Ark of the Covenant around with the Israelite nation.

It says in this passage in Acts that divided tongues as of fire rested on each one of them. Just like the fire that fell from heaven and rested upon the tabernacle, just like the fire that fell from heaven and rested upon the temple, the fire of the Lord fell from heaven and rested on each person because we are now the vessels of the Lord’s glory. Isaiah 43:7 says that we were created for His glory—my purpose is to bring glory to the Lord through the gifts He has given to me.

Imagine the change that would occur in the world if all Christians understood that our purpose is to carry the presence and the glory of the Lord! The needs of people would be met, physical ailments and emotional scars would be healed, and people would experience the freedom that only the Spirit of the Lord can bring. I want to see the Kingdom of God manifested on this earth. I want to see the culture of man submit to the culture of heaven! I want to see the love of Jesus Christ expressed to each and every individual person.

And I want to see the glory of the Lord rest like fire upon His temples again.

Stand in the Gap - part 2

After the Israelites had been delivered out of Egypt and after they had spent forty years wandering in the desert, they finally came into the land that the Lord had promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit. The promised land. The land flowing with milk and honey. But when they came into the land life wasn't instantly perfect for them. In fact, there were people already living in this land! The nation of Israel had many battles they needed to win before they could fully come into the promises of God--in fact, they went to battle with thirty-one nations.

The first nation they did battle with was Jericho. Now Jericho had a huge wall around it, this wall was actually pretty advanced for it's time. This wall was a double wall, meaning that there were actually people living in this wall. What was the Lord's strategy for destroying this wall? He instructed Joshua to march the Israelite nation around the city of Jericho once a day for six days, then on the seventh day they were to march around the city seven times and at the end the priests were to blow the trumpets and the people were to shout. After they had done this the Lord would knock down the walls and the people were to take the city. As they prepared for this, it was actually Joshua who instructed the people to be silent as they walked around the city. Why? Because the Lord had given Joshua wisdom, he knew that if the people were to grumble over these instructions they did not understand, their words could come against the mighty work that the Lord was going to do.

First lesson: tame our tongue. When the Lord tells us to do something, we should do it instead of complaining and counting it as impossible. With God nothing is impossible. (Luke 1:37)

Now the nation of Israel followed through on the Lord's instructions. On the seventh day after they had walked around the city seven times Joshua said "Shout for the Lord has given you the city". The people all shouted, the priests sounded the trumpets, the walls came crashing down, and the Israelites took the city. The nation of Israel didn't take the city because of their own power or might, they took the city because they were obedient to God and they believed He would do what He said He would do. The Lord's power is shown through this situation, which caused the other nations in the promised land to become afraid because they knew that Israel was the only nation with the One True God on their side.

One part of this story that I find very interesting actually occurs directly before Jericho after the Israelites had crossed over the Jordan river.

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" And he said, "No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?" And the commander of the LORD's army said to Joshua, "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so.
Joshua 5:13-15

Many scholars believe that it was Jesus Christ who appeared to Joshua. Even if it is not Jesus, we know that it is an angel of the Lord. When Joshua asked him "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" his answer is priceless: "No". Meaning, I am not for either of you, but you can choose whether or not you wish to be on my side.

God is not looking down upon our nation and taking sides with various opinions or political parties. We are the ones who need to decide to stand on His side instead of quarreling amongst ourselves. I will say it again: we need to stand with God! Stand with Him "against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places". (Ephesians 6:12) We need to stop thinking that other people are the enemy. Jesus Christ came and died for everyone. The will of God is for all to be saved. 2 Peter 3:9 says that He does not wish that any should perish, but that all people would change their mind and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Let's stand in unity as the body of Christ! Imagine how that unity would rock this world that we live in! It would show people just how worthy our Lord is!

Joshua was told to "Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy". Taking of his sandals was a sign of humility and submission. We are called to submit to the Lord's leading and in humility to follow His guidance.

One thing that I have learned recently is that what is represented in the Old Testament with physical properties has a spiritual comparison in the New Testament. Let me explain. In the book of Joshua, Jericho has a wall built up around it that came crashing down when the nation of Israel shouted out in praise and resounded the trumpets. Now we don't have walls to physically knock down, but spiritual walls built up in peoples hearts. We come against the walls of brokenness and apathy and as we praise and exalt the Lord, He comes and tears down the walls that have been built up in people's hearts. Psalm 147:3 says that the Lord "heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds".

Let us join together in unity, ignite our prayers, and lift up extravagant worship to stand in the gap with God against the spiritual forces of darkness and see people delivered, set free, healed, and restored to our Lord. It is only by His power and His goodness that change will come. Let's silence the enemy with our resounding praise and claim souls for the Kingdom of God!

Stand in the Gap

"if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Our nation needs healing. As we approach our next presidential election, my heart has continually been grieved by the wickedness that continues to engulf our nation. We live in a country that prides itself in providing religious freedom, yet Christians are being persecuted more & more. If you stand up for what you believe then you are called a bigot or intolerant. In California, Christians are being fined for having Bible studies in their homes. Marriage is being attacked nationwide with prevalent divorce & a strong push for gay marriage. Natural disasters destroy homes, families, & cities. Mass shootings claim many lives. Who is going to join with the Lord & stand in the gap for our nation?

"I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one." Ezekiel 22:30

We need to stand in the gap! We are called to build up the wall of righteousness! How do we stand in the gap? Prayer. God is looking for people to stand with Him & intercede for the people of our country. Do not let complacency set in. Do not think that your prayers will not make a difference! Don't be discouraged!

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

Daniel (10:12-14) prayed for twenty-one days for his answer & when the angel came, he said that he left the first day that Daniel prayed, but he was held up in battle. Our persistent prayers break answers through to earth from heaven. In Ephesians 3:20 is says, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us". God's power is at work where? Within us! Jesus said that whatever we ask for in Jesus Name will be given to us! When we seek God & align our wills to His & stand in the gap with Him, He uses us as vessels to declare His power to the world!

In Moses's tabernacle, the altar of incense represents the prayers of the saints. They burned incense morning & evening, to represent continual prayer. Where does the fire come from to lift our prayers? It comes from God! God supplies His fire to our prayers & they affect the earth!

Will you join with me in prayer for all of the lost, hurting, hungry, & desolate people of our nation?

Let's stand in the gap!

Identity: Bondservant

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10


“But if he (the slave) says to you (the master), ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you & your household, since he is well-off with you, then you shall take an awl, & put it through his ear into the door, & he shall be your slave forever. And to your female slave you shall do the same. It shall not seem hard to you when you let him go free from you, for at half the cost of a hired servant he has served you six years. So the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do.” Deuteronomy 15:16-18

At the end of a seven-year period, any master who owned slaves was required to set them free. Occasionally there were slaves who would refuse to leave their master because they loved their master so much. The master would then stand the man next to a door & pierce his ear by driving an awl (long pointed tool used for piercing small holes) through it into the door. The slave would then stay with his master forever as a bondservant.

A slave serves his master because he has to; a bondservant serves his master because he loves his master. Legalism serves God by trying to do well enough or be good enough, seeking somehow to earn the Lord's approval. Those under Grace serve God out of love.

In his sermon series “Beyond”, Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church defines worship as “love expressed”. Pastor Zach Neese, a worship leader at Gateway, expounds on that definition in his book “How to Worship A King” saying that worship is “love expressed God’s way”, meaning that we have varying ways of expressing ourselves, but unless we express our love in the way that is worthy of the Lord we are not expressing true love & devotion. If my husband never told me that he loves me, never kissed me, or never expressed his love for me in the way that I need for him to express his love, then I would mistaken his love because it was not expressed in a way that I can relate to. God’s boldest expression of love for us was the death of Jesus on the cross; in response I should extravagantly express my love for Him.

As a bondservant for Jesus Christ I have the gift of grace which is "the power of God to help me overcome sin" (Pastor Sion Alford). Does this mean that I am perfect? Absolutely not! I have fallen far faaaaaaar from the mark every day of my life. But I strive to serve the Lord because of my love for my Saviour. ("If you love me, you will keep my commandments." John 14:15)

“What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.” Romans 6:15-18

Being a bondservant requires a self-understanding of why we serve the Lord. Do I serve God because I feel required to under religious law? No, if I did then I would not be truly serving Him because I would long internally to serve my own will & desires. Do I serve God because I am afraid of the eternal option if I choose not to? No, because that service would be motivated out of fear not love. Do I serve God because He loves me & I long to devote every ounce of my being to celebrating & declaring who He is to the world around me? Yes, I strive to serve the Lord this way. I respond to His love by expressing my own love & gratitude for Him. My expression of love for God shows the world just how valuable my God is, therefore I desire to extravagantly express my love for Him to declare that He is & will always be above all. I do not need to please man or subvert my thinking to the ways of humanity, because I am a bondservant of the Most High God & my life will be lived as a living sacrifice to Him.

Whom do you serve?

Are you a bondservant?

Priests! Rise up!

One thing that I have learned about the Bible, is that it, to me, is like a giant "connect-the-dots". Everything is interwoven, & as I come to understand the meaning behind one "dot" it brings the whole picture into focus more than it had been before.

"In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." Hebrews 8:13

Today we, as Christians, live under the covering of a new covenant with God--a covenant that was promised throughout the Old Testament, one that restores us to our First Love. This covenant of Grace removes from us the pressure to be good enough before God, because no one, other than Jesus Christ can ever earn salvation. The book of Acts marks the beginning of a new covenant with the Lord, but we are able still able to perceive God's heart for His people & His pure character throughout the entirety of the Bible. I love studying the Old Testament because it provides pictures of His Grace & a promise of what Jesus Christ would bring for all of us who are in Him.

In Exodus 32, the Israelites made for themselves a golden calf & worshiped it. Moses called for those who were on the Lord's side; all the sons of Levi gathered & wiped out 3000 who were worshiping the golden calf. On that day the Levites were ordained for the Lord's service as Priests. In Deuteronomy we see the duties of a Priest--to carry the Ark of the Covenant (the presence of the Lord), to minister to God, & to bless the people. (For a deeper understanding of a Priests duties read Identity: Priests). The New Testament shows us that through Christ we are now all Priests before God (1 Peter 2:5, 9). As Priests it is important for us to understand & to carry out our duties.

Now that I have established a solid background, let's take a look at what the Lord told the nation of Israel though the prophet Malachi.

"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?' By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the LORD's table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. But you say, 'What a weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
Malachi 1:6-14

The Lord is speaking directly to the Priests of Israel. The sacrifices that the Priests had instructed the people to bring to God were the lame, mutilated, & diseased animals within their flocks. God points out that if they were to bring that to their government, it would not be accepted, so why would they offer such a poor offering to the Lord.

The sacrifices that we bring to God are a way that we express our love for Him. He is worthy of our best because of who He is! Under the covenant of Grace we do not have to offer animal sacrifices to the Lord anymore. (Thankfully. I get a bit queasy at the sight of blood.) However we are still to bring an offering to God. The reason it is called a sacrifice is because it was a sacrifice to give it. When we offer our finances to God, but do not make a sacrifice in it we are offering a "polluted sacrifice".

For example, in Mark 12 when Jesus went into the temple to watch how people gave money, He was not looking for the person who gave the greatest gift to God, but the person who made a sacrifice from the heart. To the Lord, the widow who gave two small copper coins gave far & above what any other had given.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am certainly not speaking from a position of perfection in this area. I have continually given the Lord far less than He deserves far too many times over the course of my life. I have worshiped my finances as I feared the outcome of the month instead of submitting my finances to the Lord & offering Him a sacrifice from my heart first. Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church said "We worship what we fear the most". Israel feared hunger in the desert & worshiped a golden calf. We worship money when we hoard it instead of submitting our finances to God. We as Priests need to model how to give with a heart filled with love for our Saviour. Worship is love expressed & we are to express our love by sacrificing the best we have to God.

Another piece to note from the text is that the Priests grew weary of offering sacrifices to God. In other words, they viewed worship as a chore instead of a privilege. God has always been more concerned about the attitude behind the act. We cannot enter into His presence if we view it as an obligation. We are blessed to have access into God's presence! When we worship God from our hearts, He shows up & meets with us! In Hebrew it is the word mishkan, which means Tabernacle or a dwelling place with God! And when the Lord shows up He meets His peoples needs. Praise the Lord!!

"And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction."
Malachi 2:1-9

In the beginning of chapter 2, the Lord actually tells the Priests that if they do not have a heart change & honour the Lord with their offerings, He will spread dung on their faces. Poop. But not just any poop, the poop of the animals they are sacrificing! He is going to spread poop on their faces, poop on their offerings, & they will be taken away with the poop. When they sacrificed an animal they would take the skin, head, legs, entrails, & dung outside to be burned. (Leviticus 4:11-12) I believe that this is symbolic of Hell...as harsh as that may seem.

Then the text brightens up a bit & the Lord recalls His covenant of peace with Levi. The house of Levi feared the Lord & gave reverence to His great Name. They had a responsibility to instruct the people of Israel & to teach them how to follow the ways of the Lord. Jesus Christ is the Great High Priest! (Hebrews 4:14-16) He instructs us in the ways of a Priest & we are to follow His leading.

I strongly believe that the reason our society is in such a deteriorated state is because the people of God have not risen up & withheld their Priestly duties. We are to be set apart from the world & we are to engage Heaven's culture here on earth, but instead we are following the world's example. The culture of the United States continues to become more & more corrupt & people are shaking their fists at God saying that we know better than He does. The Priests of God need to rise up & reclaim our duty to teach the world how to honour the Lord! They do not know how because they have not seen an example of it!

Malachi goes on to discuss marriage in 2:10-16. The Lord expresses His favour over marriage between a man & the wife of his youth--that is a man's first wife. "Did He not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?" The Holy Spirit resides in God's plan for marriage! God's plan for marriage is a man & a woman together until death parts them. Maybe the reason our culture is choosing to dishonour marriage by aggressively pushing same-sex-marriage is because they have not seen the Priests of the Lord honouring marriage from a Biblical stance.

Let us reclaim our responsibilities as Priests of the Most High God & begin to instruct the world around us in His ways. Let us restore the culture of Heaven to Earth & put the Lord first in ALL that we do. Let us give praise, honour, adoration, & true worship to the only One deserving. Let us express our love for God in such a way that the world cannot help but be mesmerized by our outpouring. Let us seek His Face & ignite this world with an excitement & see the presence of God manifested upon the face of the earth unlike any other generation has seen before! Let us carry the freedom of God's grace to all peoples.

Pride and Humility

“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Pride is a tricky thing. It is difficult to recognize within yourself, yet we are quick to see it in other people. When we are behaving under the influence of pride we tend to look at others as if they are just not as talented or intelligent as we are. Pride seeks to draw a focus to ourselves in the hope that people will praise us. Pride can also be the refusal to recognize where we are wrong. 

As embarrassing as it is for me to admit, I have struggled with the issue of pride a lot throughout my life. I realize that the embarrassment I feel is also rooted in pride, in that I do not want to spoil how others perceive me. It became a means for me to internally pass judgement upon other people. Many times as I led worship I would be so focused on how my voice sounded that I was unable to minister to God. I was also overlooking my duty to host a meeting place between God & His people. Thankfully God still showed up because He loves His people & He wants to be with them. 


About a month ago God spoke to me & revealed to me my pride. Not only did He reveal my pride to me, but He affirmed His grace over me. Since that moment, the Lord has been revealing a lot to me--things He was unable to reveal to me while I was steeped in pride. Sin is rooted in pride, or to paint a picture "Pride is the soil that sin grows in" (Sion Alford, Gateway Church). I am going to go out on a limb & say that we are never more like Satan than when our hearts are filled with pride. That may sound harsh, but take a look at why Satan was cast out of heaven: 

Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you." Ezekiel 28:12-17

Satan became proud of his beauty & the gifts God had given to him. Isaiah 14 speaks of how he tried to elevate himself above God. He abandoned his role as a worshiper of the Most High God & attempted to become a consumer of worship & without any fight God cast him down. Not because God was threatened or jealous, but because God is the only One who is deserving of worship. 

Pride is an attempt to elevate ourselves. When I sin I have the option to either react in pride & refuse to recognize my sin or I can repent & turn my life around. When I refused to recognize my sin as sin I was still covered under the Grace of God, ("but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." Romans 5:20b), but due to my lack of repentance He was unable to use me in the ways He has purposed for my life.

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." 1 John 1:8-10

We live in a world that increasingly refuses to recognize sin as sin. The world has even twisted & misinterpreted Scripture in order to support their case. I myself have sought to justify my sin instead of repenting & turning away from it enabling me to embrace the freedom that can only be found in His Grace! I choose to submit myself to & seek after the culture of heaven instead of trying to subject heaven's culture to the world around me. The Bible is true for yesterday, today, & tomorrow. It needs no correction, it is not subject to changes in science--God wrote science & all of creation points to His divine detail.

We no longer have a set of rules to follow because the Lord has written it upon our hearts! (Jeremiah 31:33) We obey Him not out of obligation, but because we love Him so much! I do not need a list of rules in order to be faithful to my husband, I am faithful to him because I love & cherish him--I want to keep a large distance from anything that would cause his heart to be grieved or broken. I desire the same relationship between myself & my Lord! I want everything I do in life to display my love for God.
A picture of our Lord that is continually painted throughout the entire Bible is that He loves us so much that His deepest desire is to dwell among us & to be our God. From the Garden of Eden through to Revelation He wants to dwell among us. "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:3-4 (See also Exodus 29:45; Leviticus 26:12; Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2; 27:9; 1 Samuel 12:22; 2 Samuel 7:24; 1 Chronicles 17:22; Isaiah 43:21; Jeremiah 24:7; 30:22; 31:1, 33; 32:38; Ezekiel 11:20; 14:11; 36:22-28; 37: 23, 27; Zechariah 8:8; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18; 1 Peter 2:10) He wants to dwell with His people! Jesus Christ's sacrificial death on the cross was to cover our sin & make us pure in God's sight so that we can dwell with Him as He intended for us!
I desire to humble myself under His mighty hand & exalt Him as the Lord of all who is worthy of my praise, thanksgiving, adoration, & worship. I desire to dwell with my God who spared no cost when He freed me from death. I forever want to draw nearer to my Lord, the God who wants to dwell with me. 




Lord, I desire to be close to You. Please keep my heart free from the soil of pride that can so easily take a hold. I submit my life to You & I pray that You would use me to spread the message of Your Grace to a world that is hurting & so desperately needs You. Thank You for softening my heart & creating in me an awareness of my sin. Help me to always use my gifts & abilities to bring Glory to Your great Name! I want to be used by You, Father! I love You!

Identity: Betrothed

"And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord."(Hosea 2:19, 20 ESV)

In three weeks Rob & I will be celebrating our love for each other & making a declaration & commitment of that decision as we exchange wedding vows. All of that is really a fancy way of saying, "I'm getting hitched!".

I have spent countless hours & a good amount of resources planning the event over the past two months. Finally, last week I stopped & realized I should probably sit down & write my vows. It was great to take time to reflect on my love for Rob & the journey that we have had together. I knew that in writing my vows I wanted to be sure to make realistic promises to him & to understand that in the areas where I am lacking (& he is lacking) we will lean on the Lord for completeness as our covering & the One who binds us. Together we are entering into a divine agreement that will forever join us together as one.

Marriage is an earthy shadow of the Lord's relationship with His church. The Lord has given His promises (vows) to us & has also established His expectations of us as His bride. In the book of Hosea, the Lord tells the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer. Not only is Hosea to marry her, but he is to love her unconditionally & call her to himself when she leaves him for other lovers. Hosea even purchases Gomer when she is being sold into slavery & again brings her home as his wife.

We do this. I know there have been many times I have sought after other "lovers" instead of seeking after the Lord. He bought me at a very high price- with Jesus' blood. I am His even when I fall away. He wants to romance me. Hosea 2:14 says that He allures us & speaks tenderly to us. We are His bride, in fact the Bible calls us "the bride of His youth". He yearns for us. He ardently loves us. He is passionate for us. He is burning for us.

As I prepare to enter into this new covenant of marriage with a man who I yearn for, burn for, am passionate for, & love to the deepest part of my being, it causes me to fall more in love with my Saviour whose love for me knows no bounds.

I am betrothed.

Identity: Chosen

We humourously see a common scenario portrayed in multiple ways through television. It goes like this: a group of people decide to recreationally enjoy a team sport, so they pick captains who then go through & choose people for their teams. Those captains generally choose the most athletic, quickest, strongest, elite members first, leaving the undesired awkwardly standing about hoping that they are not the last one chosen. In fact, all of us have experienced rejection in some form or another. Hollywood can do its best to make light of it, but what occurs deep inside is painful & not at all humourous. We all hope that we are good enough, funny enough, attractive enough, skilled enough, etc..., when in reality, we all have weaknesses that will keep us from being chosen.

You did not choose me, but I chose you... (John 15:16a ESV)

God chose us first. He did not choose us when no one else wanted us, He came in & chose us before anyone else had the chance! The Bible calls us a "chosen race" (1 Peter 2:9) & in the book of Isaiah (41:9), God says "...I have chosen you and not cast you off". He desires us more than anything & wants us to choose Him as well.

About three weeks ago my boyfriend dug in the dirt & pulled out a beautiful ring he had buried there for me. He told me that of all God's creation I am the most beautiful, then he asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. He chose me. His proposal was not only a declaration of his love for me, but also of his choosing to do life with me forever. When Rob proposed & chose me, he esteemed value to me by pledging his life to be with me.

Jesus Christ chose us. He chose us before time began & He knew us by name. He chose us before anyone else could. We were not chosen because of our talents. We were not chosen because of how good we are. We were chosen because He deeply loves us. We have a God who wants us, desires us, & longs for us. He wants us to come into intimacy with Him & to do life with Him forever. He esteemed value to us by His death on the cross. We are priceless. We have been chosen.