Recently I had a very clear memory, and as I walked through it in my mind I realized that God was trying to speak to my heart about today. So, as I pressed in I began to see a Godly principle unfold before me.

I remembered my labor with Hannah. At one point, when we knew her birth was not going to happen at home after such long labor, we headed to the hospital. One of the first things they needed to do for me was start an IV. For reasons unknown to me, they brought in someone who was new and still learning to start IV’s. She kept sticking my arm, seriously trying over and over again between 3-6 times to get that dang IV started. I must interject that I have really great veins that are not at all hidden and every other time I’ve had an IV, the person starting it has always marveled at the ease of doing that with me. Now, I’m sitting in the bed, having been in active labor for 52 hours. I’m exhausted. I’m so sore all over. My mind is so tired. My defenses were low. I had every reason to be angry and snap at this girl and the woman watching her try. Those who had come to the hospital with me began to lament the amount of pricks I was receiving. Yet, inside I was mustering every ounce of patience and grace to not curse at this poor girl. Finally, when I had enough I very softly and calmly said, “I would like someone else to try now, please.”

I have to be honest I’m still amazed that I had the self-control that day to remain kind, but I realize it was a supernatural response. That response was able to emerge from me because I had prayed to be that way and I had taken opportunities to walk that way previously, and honestly, because I had failed at it many times before and knew the weight of my actions.

During times of discomfort, we don’t get a “pass” to misbehave.

My testimony that day was real. Who knows what was affected in someone’s heart because I remained calm and respectful. I didn’t need to cut down that poor girl, she was likely nervous enough. She needed grace and I gave until I had given all I could, then I asked nicely for someone else.

I’m not at all glorifying myself or saying I’m so much better than anyone else, what I am saying is, we need to wake up and mature to the point that we realize our actions matter. They matter at all times and in all circumstances. We are called to be the salt and light of the world. We are most definitely responsible for our actions.  Even when we are hurting or being hurt, we are called to remain the salt and light. We can look to Jesus for this very example. He endured the worst 24 hours imaginable, yet He never spoke a cross word and went to the grave thinking of others. We are called to be like Him.

Prayer Moment: God, please help me to walk out difficult times with true dignity. Help me to always and under every circumstance point people to Jesus by the way I behave. Forgive me for the times when I have failed at this. There are many. God, my desire is to walk so closely with You that people don’t see me, but You. I know this will take a lifetime, but I’m willing to keep working toward it every day. Forgive me of my sins and lead me down paths of righteousness. In Jesus name, Amen.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16

I saw an explosion and the people all around had several different responses to it. Some started screaming and running around in panic and anger. They knocked down others and contributed to more chaos. Others began to immediately flee. They turned and ran away from the area affected as fast as possible, even knocking down or shoving others who were in their way. Finally, there was a group that hit their knees immediately after the explosion occurred. They went to their knees and bowed their heads and waited a minute, then they stood up and made their way quietly, calmly and purposefully. This group seemed to have stopped to focus their hearts and minds before moving at all.

I keep thinking about our lives lately, and how it’s been one media created explosion after another. We are under attack.

It’s so important to make conscious decisions now, before anything else happens, about what you will do when blowups occur. Years ago, I decided that God alone would direct my steps, so now when something happens, I take a step back and listen to Him first, no matter how “obvious” the answer may seem. When I begin to see a narrative explode across all the screens in my life, I refuse to immediately jump into agreement with it, because guess what, it’s often untrue or misconstrued.

A lot of the situations in 2020 should serve as a good example. All the panic and all the chaos brought our world to a screeching halt, and for what?

What if instead of panicking like they wanted us to, we had taken a minute and hit our knees and asked God what He had to say about it? These are the times we are living in, and the church (universal) should be serving as an example of what faith looks like. Sadly, what I’ve seen is many in the church falling in line with whatever scheme is occurring and living paralyzed by the same fear as everyone else.

We are the church.

We ARE the church.

If the church can’t or won’t listen to God, then how can we ever expect to be disciples to the nations?

And there you have it, that’s what is really at stake. The world needs Jesus and we are called to be the light of the world. Now is the time. The time is now.

Prayer Moment: God, You are the light of the world. I am so grateful that in You there is no darkness. I pray that You would always keep me so in tune with Your heart that I can weather all the storms of our times. Give me wisdom and discernment to know what to do and how to do it. Lord, You are the only One Who can guide me through this time. I pray that You would also give me grace to love those around me. Let my heart remain soft towards humankind.

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34

I keep seeing a large body of water, and in the midst of it, barely seen by the naked eye is an undertow. If you swim too close to it, you will be pulled under.

I see some swim over and fight against the tug, ripping themselves free and swimming away again. Yet, others swim near it and when they feel the pull, they surrender to it and are pulled into the deep.

This undertow is the Holy Spirit. It represents the pool of believers, many who are still unaware of Holy Spirit and how He moves in the world today. They come near and begin to see glimpses of Holy Spirit and some fight and refuse to be pulled into deep relationship, while others feel the tug and quickly surrender to be pulled into a deeper walk with the Spirit.

We are to be in this world and not of it. This vision, to me, represents the Holy Spirit moving right where we are and then inviting us into the deeper things in the middle of it all.

Are you willing to walk (or in this case swim) in a different way than the world? Are you willingly being swept into all the many “causes” that are blaring around us, or are you following the Light of the world?

In Him there is no chaos. In Him there is always peace. In Him there is resolution. In Him we find solution. In Him we grow and become better versions of ourselves. It is in Him that we find all we need.

Today, I encourage you to take an assessment of your heart. Have you become defiant because of a cause that you have decided to champion? Has that cause begun to trump your walk with God? Are you willing to lay down that cause to follow His path? He is our justice. He is the only One qualified to judge a heart. So, we know if we are following Him then we are on the right path. It may look different than most others, but isn’t that what the Bible says it would be?

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 4:13-14

If you are following after the voice of offense, friend, I’m afraid you have chosen poorly. It’s never too late to stop and reset your heart to listen to the Voice that carries the only pure agenda. The One Who has seen for all time and knows the hearts of all men. The One Who laid the foundations of the earth and still cares for your heart. Let’s all take a moment today and make sure we’re headed down the straight and narrow.

Prayer Moment: God, I long to be with You. I ask You now to place a fiery hedge of protection over me. Guard my heart and mind, never letting me be led astray. Teach me more everyday how to maintain a focus on Truth. Give me eyes to see through the veil that conceals the lying voices and show me the root intentions of the ones screaming on this earth. Then give me courage to stand firm with You. I don’t need to stand against others, I only need to stand with You. Bless me with a humble heart that will daily lay aside its own agenda to walk with You. I follow You alone. Hold me close. In Jesus name, Amen.

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Matthew 7:16-20

Resplendent: Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.

I ran across this word in a scripture about David’s crown the other day. I can’t explain why, but it stood out to me and I felt God had more to say about it…

If anyone knew about having a lot of enemies, it was David. It seems that from early in his story, until the end he was dealing with one type of enemy or another, even within his own household.

I believe some people carry such a powerful anointing and calling that there will be a constant barrage of jealousy around trying to steal the glory or criticizing the “crown” they wear.

Here is the scripture I read the other day,

“Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent.” Psalm 132:17-18

There are certain ones that God places something inside that is unshakably brilliant. A light on the inside, a charisma so to speak. Nobody can manufacture that. You can’t borrow it or teach it. You either have it or you don’t. And that is the reason it attracts so much jealousy.

The world has really shown its hand on this, trying to drown out all light that is out of its control. That light that is directly from God. But they can’t take it away. They try to dishonor it and call it all sorts of names, but they can’t destroy it. The “church” is even guilty of this jealousy. They find a person who is uniquely gifted in a special way, that only God can create and they often turn away that person, or treat them with great suspicion, but it’s all rooted in jealousy.

What is the meaning of this?!

Imagine if we begin to encourage that anointing and give it a place to be matured and cultivated so it is even more resplendent? Then we might truly see a greater number of people drawn to the cross. I believe a great purpose in this type of resplendence is to attract people to the true gospel of Christ. God puts that special charisma in people so they can draw others to the kingdom.

When we shame it or cast out the person carrying it, then we risk stunting their growth or perverting it because of rejection. We are in large part responsible for the immaturity of many of these people because we’ve never given them a chance to be known and to grow. Who do they learn from if the church is afraid of being overshadowed by their splendor?

Prayer Moment: God, help us to receive those whom You have placed a unique and special anointing upon. The ones You’ve anointed to bring major shifts to the world. Forgive us for anytime we have rejected them out of jealousy. Help Your church to begin to steward those people well. We need them now, more than ever. Thank You for loving us. In Jesus name, Amen.

To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue. All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. The Lord works out everything for His own ends- even the wicked for a day of disaster.  Proverbs 16:1-4

Today, I want to leave some scripture for you to read over and contemplate.

Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious! Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cringe before You. All the earth bows down to You; they sing praise to You, they sing praise to Your name.” Come and see what God has done, how awesome His works in man’s behalf! He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot- come, let us rejoice in Him. He rules forever by His power, His eyes watch the nations- let not the rebellious rise up against Him. Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of His praise be heard; He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For You, O God, tested us; You refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us to a place of abundance. I will come to Your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to You- vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble. I will sacrifice fat animals to You and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats. Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me. I cried out to Him with my mouth; His praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, Who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me! Psalm 66

God, the Eternal and Immovable Creator of all. He remains the same. He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. If we focus on Him and His goodness, then what shall we fear? He stands as a guard around our lives and will walk us through any storm. I trust in the goodness of God. I lean on the kindness in Him. He is my everything.

Prayer Moment: God, thank You for making good out of the trying things in my life. Thank You for loving me and establishing within me a joyful heart. During all things, I will praise Your name. In every situation I will find Your joy! You are my Source, both now and forevermore. I adore You. In Jesus name, Amen.

I recently had a powerful vision, that quite honestly, I didn’t think I would be sharing publicly…but apparently, I am supposed to.

I was praying and asking God what was on His heart and immediately I had a vision. I saw a deep crevasse in the ground and saw a lot of people within that crevasse and they all looked to be in some sort of travail. I was taken back by the sight and heard God say, “This isn’t My heart, but it’s the prayers of those who suffered in the Holocaust that have cried out for that to never happen again. Those prayers are covering you right now.”

I knew what I was seeing was true, but I admit it was a lot to take in. After sharing it with my mom, she reminded me of this scripture…

When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. Revelation 6:9

And then I remembered this…

And when He had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Revelation 5:8

Friends, it is time to do two things. First, thank God for the prayers of those who have gone before us. We should realize that their prayers were just as important as our current prayers. You never know whose prayers are covering you right now. Second, it’s time for us to partner with the prayers of those who went before us and create a united front to stand firm for the kingdom of God. Our prayers matter.

I encourage you to continually go before God and pour out your heart, but also go to Him and ask Him what He wants you to pray. Doing that has really given me a focus and boldness to move forward with a more strategic prayer life. Just picture it like this, if I am at war and using a bow and arrow I am bound to hit some enemies by just randomly shooting in their direction, but if I use the direction of my leader, who is looking through binoculars to know more accurately where the enemy is, then I will have a much larger accuracy. When we ask God how and for what to pray, we can be assured to have increased accuracy and many more answered prayers.

It’s time for the church to be very intentional. We must listen and remain low to withstand this attack. Keep your knees on the ground (so to speak), praying without ceasing. This is our time, and this is our assignment. Are you ready?

Prayer Moment: God, give focus and power to my prayers. Teach me how to more accurately pray. Show me where You want me to invest my prayer time. Give me wisdom to discern the times and protect me from being led astray by the enemy. I am Your instrument, use me as You will. In Jesus name, Amen.

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Revelation 5:11-12

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed, and its destruction was complete.” Luke 6:46-49

Foundation is so important, but how is it established?

The One Who set the foundations of the earth and established the borders for the ocean can create a deep foundation within your heart, but this will require time and deliberate surrender.

Salvation is only the first step in our walk with Jesus. After salvation we are invited into a lifelong journey of cultivating not only our new life with Him, but also walking out heart healing from the things of the past. Yes, a measure of this can happen right away when we are saved, but for most, the process takes a long time and has many different layers. It’s within the fires of healing and the time spent searching out God’s heart in scripture that our real relationship develops into deep rooted foundations. It’s in relationship built with the Holy Spirit that our hearts find a deeper revelation of what God intended when He released the Comforter to guide us through this life.

Before we begin focusing on all that we feel should be changed in the world, first we should stop and make sure we are living life from a solid foundation. The foundation with three pillars, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. With that three-prong foundation, there is no limit to the heights we can reach.

I encourage you today to really take time to evaluate the depth and strength of your foundation. Have you neglected any part of that three-pillar foundation? We can lean in and become acquainted with Them at any time, we only need to ask. We meet Jesus at the cross, and then He leads us into relationship with Father and Spirit, it’s a beautiful process.

Prayer Moment: God, draw me nearer to Your heart. Hold me close and lead me in love. God, I long to know You in all forms. I love You, Abba Father. I love You, Jesus. I love You, Holy Spirit. Lord, I love all of You. Every part. Help me to cultivate deep roots of relationship and understanding with You. Bless me, Lord. Help me to be a blessing to You too. In Jesus name, Amen.

The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His Holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob. Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty- He is the King of glory. Psalm 24

There was a song released a couple of years ago and it was based on the premise that you can’t turn out the light on the inside. This is truth. The Light of the world lives inside us when we ask Jesus into our hearts. Therefore, we carry a Light that cannot be turned out. While reading my Bible just now, I stumbled upon these verses.

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.”    John 11:9-10

I have never considered these verses much before, but it seems to me that God is saying that we need that internal light to give us sight during the dark times. These feel like dark times to me, and I guarantee there’s no way to walk things out well apart from God. This reminds me of another verse that we all know so well…

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”. Matthew 5:14-16

It’s time for us to bring the Hope of the world into this conversation! Let your light shine for others. Don’t get bogged down by fear, anger and resentment. Instead, what might happen if you refuse to partner with disgruntlement and instead chose to release the Light of the world. The only answer to any of the things that are currently making life difficult is Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life.

What would happen if over the next couple of days, you walked away from the media and social media and instead focused on your Light? What if you immersed yourself in scripture and leaned into the still small Voice? What if you stepped further into the Light?

Well, I’ll tell you what will happen…You’ll start shining brighter!

Prayer Moment: God, help me to step so far into Your Light that I radiate the hope of heaven into the earth. Stoke the fires of revival in my own heart, so I can be an instrument of true and lasting change. God, forgive me for the times when I have held back my light. Uncover the Light within my heart and help me to shine brighter!! I love You, God. In Jesus name, Amen.

Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:12-13

Indivisible: unable to be divided or separated

You can always see the hand of the enemy when you see division. It’s his greatest desire to divide, because then it’s much easier to steal, kill and destroy. The father of lies is always whispering in one direction or another. It’s often shocking to me when I see how much he’s been able to whisper those lies in the direction of the church and they are believed.

None of us is immune from hearing and/or believing a lie. None.

We would be best served to remember that and come at each thought the way the Bible instructs us to. By taking each thought captive we have a far greater chance to avoid being manipulated by the constant barrage of lies that the world throws our way. I can’t help but wonder if much of the discord and division could be stopped if the church began to hold their own individual thoughts captive to seek the Truth.

It’s not a gray area honestly, we are either partnering with the father of lies, or the Father of Truth.

Lie: an intentionally false statement. Present a false impression; be deceptive.

Sometimes, it’s not what someone is saying, it’s the motive behind it, the false impression. I’m seeing a whole lot of that lately. I keep hearing people chanting out one thing but living something completely different. This is not a new problem, but it’s definitely a forefront problem right now. Before I partner with any of the words people are saying right now, I have been trying to examine the root of whatever movement it’s coming from. When I do that, I realize what exactly I’m agreeing to.

Truth: the quality or state of being true. That which is true or in accordance with fact or reality. A fact or belief that is acceptable as true.

To be in accordance with fact or reality. This is something I’m taking a lot of time to determine lately. Reality isn’t simply whatever someone says it is, no, it’s truth. It’s taking a look at what is really happening. It’s being honest about the condition of my own heart and admitting that if I carry wounding it taints the way I view reality. We all have a personal responsibility to seek out the truth. Seek it on your knees before the Lord. Seek it in the Bible accompanied by the Holy Spirit. You are responsible for keeping your heart in line with the Truth.

Prayer Moment: God, I need You now, more than ever before, to guard my heart and mind from the lies of the enemy. God, You know the enemy is using media and many other venues to propagate a false reality. I need Your help to know the difference between fact and fiction. Thank You for warning us that these times would come, but now that they are here, I choose You. I choose to partner with Truth. Let the Spirit of Truth rest in my heart and mind and guide my every word and step. Place a fiery hedge of protection over me, to burn off any and all lies that are thrown my way. In Jesus name, Amen.

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ’, and will deceive many.” Matthew 24:4-5

He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44b

 

 

 

I have often commented lately that it feels like the world is on fire. I felt this way as we labored through the Covid 19 “full stop” that occurred and now I feel it even more as we watch the waves of rioters literally trying to destroy buildings with fire. It’s been devastating to watch and feels so unnecessary. Peaceful protests are fine, but a line has been crossed and the vision of many is blurred.

As I have spent much time crying out to the Father for our country and calling it back to life. I have felt stirred in the deepest of places to say, “God, I know You aren’t finished with America yet, so bring her back to life.”

Then I saw it…out of the ashes, a phoenix rising. I’ve written about it before, but here is the same vision again, except this time it’s over our country.

America is not finished. There is a fierce spiritual battle over this nation. Have you ever asked yourself why? I believe it’s because America is the last bastion of hope and freedom in the world. There is no other country like it. It was established by God to represent His kingdom to the earth, but somewhere many lost that vision. Remember it was for religious freedom that the pilgrims left and landed in America. We established ourselves with Biblical principles and intentionally as “One Nation Under God”.

We may have lost our way for a season, but in my heart, I hear God saying, “It’s not over yet.” I feel with all my heart that the remnant here is far larger than the ones set on destroying our fine country.

It’s time to awaken the phoenix. It’s time to arise and wake the sleeping bride. It’s our time to rise up from the ashes around us and to take one step at a time back to the heart of the Father and His plan for America. Will you do it? Are you willing to recapture the promise?

 

Instead of a prayer moment, today I want to remind you of this song…

America the Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain                                                            For purple mountains majesty above the fruited plain                                                                 America! America! God shed His grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood        From sea to shining sea.

 

When the wicked thrive, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall. Proverbs 29:16

An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins. A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor. The accomplice of a thief is his own enemy; he is put under oath and dare not testify. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Many seek an audience with a ruler, but it is from the Lord that man gets justice. The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.  Proverbs 29:22-27