Is It Really You God?

I am reminded today of a time that I had walked through the eye of the greatest storm I had ever known or imagined in my life.  It was a time in which I held so tightly to the only hand that had never let go of me, the one whose hand, while I could see and hear the raging storm all around me would keep me and protect me.  Although I never doubted that God would see me through this time, I was left with many questions and in need of much healing.  As things began to calm and life began to have some normalcy again, I started having dreams that were so powerful and completely amazing to me.   They brought me a great sense of awe and humility.  I was literally seeing the future that God has planned for me.  At first I was so excited that I couldn’t keep it inside, people thought the trauma was taking its’ toll.  People always have an answer to that which they don’t understand, have you ever noticed?

After reasoning had time to set in, I began to talk to God about it.  I shared my thoughts and feelings with absolutely no one other than God.  I thought Lord, now it has all passed, what now……. is this it?  Are my dreams just me, and not you at all?  Is my conscious trying to make sense of it all and that’s all this is?  I spent a whole week reasoning through these things and by the end of that week had convinced myself that what I had been seeing was not God at all.  The following Sunday Morning, the pastor that was ministering that day gave me a word.  He said, “ God says that the things he has shown you, He did show you and he is going to show you more soon.  As he shows you more, these things will come into clear view and they will come to pass. You see he allowed you to walk through the storm because he EXPECTED to see you reap a harvest of Great Joy!  Everything that the enemy has stolen from you will be repaid seven times, even better relationships than before.”

He EXPECTED!!! WOW! My father knew that I would make it through!  I didn’t know and almost didn’t make it.  It felt like a bolt of lighting went through my body when I heard him say that he EXPECTED to see this from me.  You see when God talks about a harvest, above all else he refers first to the lost.  The road that I had walked was a road on which I experienced everything that was the exact opposite of what God had planned for my future, with God protecting me through it of course.  In order for me to reap the harvest that he plans for me to reap for him, I had to conquer the opposition spiritually in advance.  We can not reap what we do not weep over and labor over.  We also can not reap that which we have no understanding or burden for.  You see we are allowed to plant, water with tears, and then harvest in great joy!

Psalm 126:5-6 “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.  They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.”

You see after every war, there is a gathering of the spoils!!!!!

A Little Mercy Goes A Long Way

^{Matthew 12: 1} At about that time Jesus was walking through some grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. ²But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”

³ Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴ He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. ⁵ And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? ⁶ I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! ⁷ But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’^{[a] 8} For the Son of Man^[b] is Lord, even over the Sabbath!

Jesus illustrated his gracious understanding of our humanity here.  In our lives there are needs and situations that demand an answer and a response, some are trivial while others are moments of desperation.  As Jesus demonstrated in this passage, not all scenarios can be answered by the typical blueprint.  Jesus referred to a time when David broke the law to feed him and his men.  Then he goes on to explain that they would not be so quick to condemn the disciples for breaking the law if they had only a little mercy or understanding.  Jesus declared that showing love and mercy is far better than unnecessary sacrifice to appease the critics.

Cindy King

Is God Concerned With The Insignificant Details of My Life?

If you are like me, you face the challenges of each new day with a fresh perspective filled with hope and enthusiasm. And like me, you have days that end and seem like a complete waste. No matter how hard you try, you simply can not accomplish everything that was on your agenda for that day. There was a time in my life that scenarios like these would have weighed heavily on my mind and left me anxious to the point of soaring stress levels.

Over time as life became more and more demanding, I realized that if I give my very best first and foremost, God always takes care of the those things that I can’t get to. I believe it might play out very differently if it were a result of neglect or laziness. God does not bless slough-fullness, just as he does not bless a giver that gives what is of no value or that which is not a sacrifice to him.

I remember a particular Wednesday evening that my family and I were headed to church. On the way we were discussing amongst ourselves the topic of just how demanding that week had been already. My husband had a class to teach and I had Youth Group to teach. I made the statement, ” Lord, I really wanted to have a duck to use as an example for my class tonight, but you know that there was no time for me to look for one. I am very disappointed, but please help me get the point across anyway. Lord you know that I would have been prepared if I could have.”

My husband was driving and decided to drive around the back way through the alley. As we passed through, I said, “Stop! Go back!” To my surprise, there it was! A big yellow wooden duck, just perfect for my visual aid. It was lying there in the middle of the road. I was so excited and overwhelmed all at the same time! There was no possible explanation for that duck being there, and me finding it at the exact time I needed it, other than God himself cared that I needed it.

Is God concerned about the Intricate details of my life? Absolutely! I can assure you, at no other time in my life have I ever encountered a 1 1/2 foot duck in an alley! Not only is he concerned, but he gets involved. I am so thankful that my Father is personally involved in my daily life!

We are human beings and it is very easy for us to decide that God has much bigger things to be concerned with than the simple things that concern us. You may be facing a huge mountain and feel overwhelmed or you may have minor details that need to line up for you to be successful, either way, I am convinced that God desires to be involved on your behalf. Take the time to invite him to work in your life today.

NLT Psalm 139:16
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Blessings,
Cindy

Hearing or Hearing From God?

Why is it that God’s children allow themselves to be so easily fooled and succumb to the schemes of those that would prey on weak mindedness? The fact is that most of us are not weak minded at all, but choose to open our spirits up to those that would take advantage of the most vulnerable part of our character, our emotions. Our emotions are the number one assault of our enemy at all times. When the devil is allowed to drive our emotional well being, he then has access to every critical facet of our lives.

1 Peter 5:8 NLT-8
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

The Devil was very well aware of the fact that he could not take Job’s life. Job however, was not as aware of this. The enemy had him so beaten down that Job said :

NKJVJob 13:15-
“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.”
The enemy had attacked Job to the point that he was weak and utterly hopeless. He had come to grips with the thought that if God decided to kill him, he was ok with that. The enemy had him convinced mentally that this might be the outcome. I don’t know about you, but when I get sick I am a big baby! Thus I become very emotional.

Take Eve in consideration, the devil preyed on her life ambitions to deceive her.
He used her passions and lack of wisdom against her. Simply said….. he took advantage of her emotions.

Let us take a look at Jeremiah chapter 37:1-21
Zedekiah son of Josiah succeeded Jehoiachin[a] son of Jehoiakim as the king of Judah. He was appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar[b] of Babylon. 2 But neither King Zedekiah nor his attendants nor the people who were left in the land listened to what the LORD said through Jeremiah.
3 Nevertheless, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to ask Jeremiah, “Please pray to the LORD our God for us.” 4 Jeremiah had not yet been imprisoned, so he could come and go among the people as he pleased.
5 At this time the army of Pharaoh Hophra[c] of Egypt appeared at the southern border of Judah. When the Babylonian[d] army heard about it, they withdrew from their siege of Jerusalem.
6 Then the LORD gave this message to Jeremiah: 7 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: The king of Judah sent you to ask me what is going to happen. Tell him, ‘Pharaoh’s army is about to return to Egypt, though he came here to help you. 8 Then the Babylonians[e] will come back and capture this city and burn it to the ground.’
9 “This is what the LORD says: Do not fool yourselves into thinking that the Babylonians are gone for good. They aren’t! 10 Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!”
Jeremiah Is Imprisoned
11 When the Babylonian army left Jerusalem because of Pharaoh’s approaching army, 12 Jeremiah started to leave the city on his way to the territory of Benjamin, to claim his share of the property among his relatives there.[f] 13 But as he was walking through the Benjamin Gate, a sentry arrested him and said, “You are defecting to the Babylonians!” The sentry making the arrest was Irijah son of Shelemiah, grandson of Hananiah.
14 “That’s not true!” Jeremiah protested. “I had no intention of doing any such thing.” But Irijah wouldn’t listen, and he took Jeremiah before the officials. 15 They were furious with Jeremiah and had him flogged and imprisoned in the house of Jonathan the secretary. Jonathan’s house had been converted into a prison. 16 Jeremiah was put into a dungeon cell, where he remained for many days.
17 Later King Zedekiah secretly requested that Jeremiah come to the palace, where the king asked him, “Do you have any messages from the LORD?”
“Yes, I do!” said Jeremiah. “You will be defeated by the king of Babylon.”
18 Then Jeremiah asked the king, “What crime have I committed? What have I done against you, your attendants, or the people that I should be imprisoned like this? 19 Where are your prophets now who told you the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land? 20 Listen, my lord the king, I beg you. Don’t send me back to the dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for I will die there.”
21 So King Zedekiah commanded that Jeremiah not be returned to the dungeon. Instead, he was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace. The king also commanded that Jeremiah be given a loaf of fresh bread every day as long as there was any left in the city. So Jeremiah was put in the palace prison.

We see in this passage, that just like the church today, the people wanted the prophet to bless them, pray for them, and give them a pretty sounding word to encourage them from the Lord. They found themselves in a distressful situation and expected that God would take care of them even though we read that the people and the King did not listen to or heed anything that God spoke through Jeremiah. They had an emotional need for reassurance that all would be well. I love it when Jeremiah asks,” Where are your prophets now who told you the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land?” The prophets had spoken what the people and the king wanted to hear. We see that again the king requests Jeremiah, only he does so secretly. Why a secret? The king became desperate for a word from the Lord, maybe he thought he could get a prettier word this time, either way he didn’t want to suffer the political ramifications of the people knowing he had summoned Jeremiah. Politics in the church?! Sound familiar? I just threw that in for good measure.

You see, prophesy that comes straight from God rarely makes us popular. God is not concerned about our fame nor should we be. I have asked myself again and again, how is it that people will line up and open their wallets and even worse, their futures, to every prophetic scam that comes through the church?! Scam? YES! The New Testament clearly teaches us that Prophesy is one of the gifts from the Holy Spirit. But……I dare argue that……although we must have this gift operating in the church today, it is my opinion that there is less need for it today than in old testament times before we had the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Am I saying there is no place for this gift in today’s church? Not at all. I have no problem with this gift, what I do have a problem with is the showboat mentality that we see demonstrated in the church today on various levels. We do not know what uncertainties lie ahead of us, this is where prophetic is needed in our lives.
People line up to get that word. Why? They are emotional about a situation in their lives. Please know that there are times we must seek a word from the Lord. But, when we find that we seem to need a new word day after day, month after month, and year after year something is wrong! It is time to open up the Bible and read it on our own for a change. Jeremiah 37 reminds me so much of a church that my husband and I pastored. The prophetic would flow so strong and freely blessing the congregation week after week. People would be so blessed by God’s interest in the intricate details of their lives. Over time, it became evident that the people wanted their words, but did not want to change their rebellious lives. Anything and everything that God promises us is of no validity unless we align our lives with the word. Of course eventually they began to make all kinds of statements along the lines that something was wrong with the leaders because there were no more pretty sounding words to give them. When the Holy Spirit would no longer move that way among the people, they chose to find someone that would give them the word they were seeking rather than repent and get their hearts right, which was all that God was interested in. He is interested in becoming great in our lives rather than us seeking how great WE will be when he reveals his plans to us.

I said all of this to say……..Like the king in Jeremiah 37, don’t allow just anyone to speak over your life, and certainly don’t bank on it. All of the prophets had spoken, but Jeremiah was the only true one. The one thing I would like for you to take from this passage above all is that Jeremiah did not give the king a Generic prophesy as did the others, but a very detailed and accurate prophesy.
The God we serve is not a generic God! He is the God that has mapped out our every intricate detail of our lives. You say……how do I avoid this kind of deception? I will give you just a few basic guidelines that will help in any situation.

We live in a spiritual world and are spiritual beings as is our enemy the devil. You must understand that the devil knows your future and God’s plans for you, thus he works overtime to thwart those plans. First and foremost, not all that speak part truths are the Holy Spirit, your enemy knows the truth as well. In many cases a fortune teller could give just as much information, especially generic details.

Prophesy must line up with the Word of God and prayer first and foremost.
Prophesy should be wisdom and confirmation.
Prophesy that never brings correction and instruction needs to be questioned.
Beware of generic prophesies or non-specific…….Always consider the validity of a generic word. As God’s children we have the Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth. We all have a measure of spiritual understanding.
Prophesy should be accurate and specific.
Prophesy should never come from left field or be something that you had no idea God would speak to you.
Prophesy that is with regards to that which you have discussed with God alone and is specific to this, should be taken more seriously. When I say more seriously I mean continue praying about it and believing God for it.

NEVER! Assume that you understand fully what God is saying and how he will do it. You do not! This is one of the greatest ways that the enemy derails God’s people. They take the word and begin to play it out in their lives on their own rather than letting God bring it about. Wait for God to show up and show off, don’t allow the enemy to cause you to seek self promotion. Remember Abraham was promised a son, as he grew impatient he decided to help God bring it about and that only interfered with God’s perfect plan.

Proverbs 2 1-9……..this is the one fail safe you can count on!
1 My child,[a] listen to what I say,
and treasure my commands.
2 Tune your ears to wisdom,
and concentrate on understanding.
3 Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.
4 Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.
5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD,
and you will gain knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
8 He guards the paths of the just
and protects those who are faithful to him.
9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
and you will find the right way to go.

Stay Blessed!

Pastor Cindy

Do You Suffer From VTB? A Vision Too Big!

I will never forget the gut wrenching feeling that I felt on that early Spring morning as a member of our church was explaining why she and her family would no longer be a part of our church family.  It had happened before with others for this reason or that others had left, and yet the heaviness that I felt was overwhelming and heart breaking.  Any time the ones we shepherd are deceived, it just crushes our spirit as we know full well the impact that can take place when people step out of God’s will for their lives.  This conversation came after I stood before the congregation and delivered a prophetic word that God had given me specific to our ministry. ( Note: I said our ministry, not a specific body of people)

It was a very detailed and specific message that burned inside of my spirit.  I was so very excited at what God was showing me, but I had the discussion with Him before bringing it that the people would never understand it or receive it.  The overall idea was instruction as to the type of ministry and direction that God was leading in, as well as how we would get there.  Yes, it seemed so exciting and yet too much to imagine in my own thinking.  Never the less, I am just crazy enough to bring anything that God tells me I must bring and share.  When we speak what God is saying…….those things are birthed in the spiritual and then simply must be brought into reality through prayer.  Speaking it will reveal the hearts of those around you as well.

As I listened closely to her excuses and reasoning, there was no validation in what she was saying.  I asked, “ Will you please tell me what specifically has troubled you?”  She said……,”Well, it’s really this simple…..all of the things you talked about today, look around you.   You have maybe 60 people in an old warehouse and a vision that big?!”  I continued and said,” Yes, if this is how you feel, it would be best that your family find another church.”  I let her know that I still loved her, but could easily see there was no faith or vision to work with in that particular situation.  Over the next few days I prayed and said,” Lord, maybe she is right……maybe somehow I am completely off base here.” I even began to question the things that I absolutely know God showed me.  You see the enemy lives to bring confusion and doubt into our lives!  As I was praying, the Holy Spirit reminded me of this:

NLT Matthew 28:16-20¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

¹⁸ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,^[b] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

When we serve in ministry, so many times we feel that we fall very short of the mark.  We feel that we fail others and can never give enough time to those in the body.  He reminded me that Jesus being our perfect example, worked diligently to spread the gospel.  Even so, He focused primarily on only twelve men, one of whom did not go on to win, but failed.  These were the specific ones that Jesus discipled and invested in.  Keep in mind the one that failed even studied under Jesus, wow!  And talk about a big vision!  You bet!  He told the eleven to go and make disciples out of all the nations.  Say Whaaaa?   Can you picture this?  Jesus is telling them…” OK.  I want you eleven men to go out there and preach the gospel to the whole world!”  Can you imagine how overwhelmed they must have felt?  But when he reassured them, He said, “ Don’t worry! No matter where you go or what unbelief and opposition you may face………I AM WITH YOU!”  Now that is exciting!!

My point?  My point is this……a small group of people can accomplish the unthinkable when they are in agreement and their vision comes from the Father.  When God gives you a vision for the future never accept less and never stop expecting it.  Never allow others to explain to you what it is reasonable for you to accomplish because it’s not about you.  He will accomplish that which he says he will and you cannot accomplish it without him anyway.

Blessings,

 

Pastor Cindy

 

Blue-Eyed Angel

Today when I was making sales calls as I normally do, something happened that touched me deep within my soul.  I walked into a restaurant and introduced myself to the owner who then motioned for me to sit down with him to explain why I was there.  As I was walking in, a blue-eyed blonde haired little girl with beautiful rosy cheeks smiled at me as if she had known me forever and said, “Hi!”  She was about three years old, and I smiled back and immediately said, “Well hi to you!”   Her dad and I were discussing business when she walked directly over to me and stood in front of me staring deep into my eyes.  Remaining focused on the business at hand, the next thing I knew there was this little sweetheart sitting in my lap hugging and loving on me.  WOW!  This little person that I had never seen before was expressing genuine affection and love towards me.

After leaving, I was reflecting on the pleasant experience that I just had.  I began to ponder what it is that changes in us as we grow older, that often completely removes and changes behaviors like that little girl displayed.  I began to realize that she was too young to have experienced bad relationships, painful disappointments, or worst of all the rejection that many of us face in life at one time or another.  She clearly had no past encounter that would keep her from trusting me and embracing my presence. She had never had the others around her accuse her of doing wrong based on her natural instincts to live, laugh, and love.

Then I was reminded of the scripture:

NLT Matthew 18: 2-4

² Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. ³ Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁴ So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

In this passage Jesus said that we must turn from our sins, but then he takes a giant leap forward and says that unless we become like little children, we can never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!  We must consider the attributes and qualities unique to children when reading this.  Generally speaking, they have no concerns as to how their parents will care for them, love them, and protect them.  It is simply understood that they are totally dependant upon their parents as it should be.  They are not afraid to trust and love their parents, knowing that they are given the same increased in return.  They live life being silly and foolish with the hands of instruction there to guide them along the way when they stray.  Children love and trust others instinctively, usually even those that have wronged them.   They are quick to forgive and forget, keeping no score.  They explore and accept the challenges that face them with enthusiasm.  Children are never afraid to dream BIG!

What is it then that keeps us from having that child like relationship with our Father and loving others as He does?  Rather than explore all of the many possibilities, I see it like this.

NLT Matthew 18:21&22

²¹ Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone^[i] who sins against me? Seven times?”

²² “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

Until we learn that our healing comes through forgiveness even when we are the one that was wronged, we will never be successful in loving others the way the word commands us to.  Over time we become skeptical and assuming of others even our brothers and sisters in Christ.  The bottom line…..you may get burned sometimes, but do it anyway.  Don’t allow past experiences to keep you from living, laughing, and loving!  If the cost is forgiveness, pay the price.  He paid that price with his son so that we could both receive it and give it freely.  Often times we say things like,” I am just this way or if you knew what they did.”  I am convinced that when we fully get the concept of forgiveness, we will be those sweet children that our Father desires to have and be more than willing to extend love and compassion to those that need it, whether they have earned it or not.  We did not earn God’s love and grace, yet we expect others to work and earn that from us.

I pray that God will teach me to go overboard and be guilty of not finding fault, rather than refusing to reach out and love Him and others out of fear from past experiences.

Blessings!

Pastor Cindy

 

 

 

 

Mark 9:23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

Have you ever been just walking through life day after day minding your own business when suddenly, you realize that the daily grind as you know it is no longer enough?  Somehow you find yourself in a place of knowing inside that everything you are and have been is about to change.  The solid footing you once felt underneath you has shifted and is leaving you with a sense of uncertainty in your life.  Your life has been re-directed, and although you realize it, you are not sure at all where you are going in the future.  For the most part, many of us do not adapt well to change.  Our lives no matter how challenging and unpleasant they may be at times, become our comfort zones.

 

The first step to having your peace restored is realizing and accepting that God is repositioning you for the hope and future that He has planned for you.  Once you accept this and begin to seek first The Kingdom, you will most likely begin to see a glimpse of your future.  You will begin to give birth to a new vision and hope for that which is ahead of you.  Our deepest desires come from the depths of our souls, reflecting our relationship with our Father.  When we are walking with God and being made like Him, our desires will reflect His desires for us.   He will impart His will into us and cause us to long for that which He is preparing us for as well as the blessings that come with being in His perfect will.

 

When you begin to have new desires and dreams that maybe you even question, for whatever reason, know that He has placed those within you.  Having said that, some things are not for you act on until the time God has planned.  You may feel you know exactly what God has for you, but it is never for you to work out other than by obedience and prayer.  He gives you the desire for something and you then embrace it and pray over it, nurturing it and looking for it. After you are faithful, wait carefully on Him, He then makes your desires your reality.  Sound too simple?  That’s because it is!

 

Psalm 37:4-7

³ Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
⁴ Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
⁵ Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.

⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.
⁷ Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;

 

I just love this passage!  It teaches us to take great joy in His presence.  Do you know someone that you just delight in and take great joy in being around them, anytime in any way?  This is how it can be with our Father.  When we delight in Him, he gives us our desires!  The word goes on to say, “commit your way to the Lord.”  To Commit your way, makes us realize that we can be completely real with God.  We can talk to Him and tell Him exactly what we are feeling regardless of what it is.  In being honest with Him and sincere in our desire to follow Him we are made to be honest with ourselves.

This passage goes on to say then, “Trust also in Him.” Wow! Tell Him what we feel and then trust Him with it!  You see even when God has been so good and given so much, He so desires to give us even more of the riches in life.  He desires to give us health, prosperity and the ability to enjoy it, more and better relationships, and many times things that we could never think to even ask for.  You see, when God works it out, we get to enjoy the fruits of what we have asked for.  Don’t try to make it happen your way…….Let go and “ Let God”  Tell God your deepest desires and watch Him bring them to pass in your life!

 

Yes, most things take time to come into reality, but while you are waiting and praying know this:

 

 

Romans8:26-28 MSG

 

^26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

 

He even makes something amazing out of our aching and groaning!!  Only God can do that.

 

Be Bold and Courageous!!

Have you ever felt as if your courage in a single moment just melted away, leaving you with a feeling of hopelessness and despair?  Have you ever faced an unexpected turn of events before?   If you are like me, you have more than once.  And like me, you probably ask yourself questions like:

What did I do wrong or what did I do that caused this?

How did this happen?

God! Where are you?

Why is it that immediately when the plans we have made fail or appear to have failed, we lose heart?  In a single moment we forget every step we took along the way, every failure and every victory all at the same time.   Life is always a journey that is turning, twisting and changing.

There is a place that we all reach at some time or another. That place is the place where we begin to feel like we fought hard, stood strong, and yet we feel as if somehow God brought us this far so He could just walk off and leave us.  Or we begin to doubt that God was ever with us to begin with.  These times are the most critical, the times that we must be still and listen.  Only then will we see the “Why?” Not only are you not alone if you have felt like this before, but even God himself has questioned situations like this.  Even though God does not face defeat, He still faces disappointments.

1 Samuel 15:10&11: ¹⁰ Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, ¹¹ “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night.

In the first chapter of the book of Joshua, we read where the Israelites are ready to go in to the land that God had promised them generations before. God gave Joshua instructions in chapter one as to what the people must do. In verse 6 God said,  “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land that I swore to their ancestors I would give them. In verse 7 God said, “ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you.  Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left.  Then you will be successful in everything you do.”

First of all, WOW! How many of us are ever given such specific details as to our assignment?  God told him that he was giving them the land, AND that he would be the one to do it!   Most of us would have assumed when God said “giving” that somehow there would be no challenges involved.  God said……so he will.  Yes and no.  He will when we do!  Joshua had the guarantee that God was with him and something we find later in this chapter that is missing in many churches today, he had the absolute support of all the people.

^{Joshua 1:16} They answered Joshua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us. ¹⁷ We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. ¹⁸ Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!”

They were willing to do whatever it took and were determined that there would be unity among them.  You can not be successful when there is division in the body.  Division spreads like a wild fire!

In chapters 2 through 7 we see great miracles and success in all that God instructed the children of Israel to do.  They crossed the Jordan and conquered Jericho!!  In chapter 7 we see an unexpected turn of events.  They headed into the next battle full of courage.  Then by verse 4 we read this:

Joshua 7:4 ⁴ So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai ⁵ chased the Israelites from the town gate as far as the quarries,^[c] and they killed about thirty-six who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away.

I think it is safe to say that maybe all us would have felt the same way at this moment.  But then Joshua took it a step further.  After all they had been through and all God had done for them, Joshua began to cry out to God.  He felt as if God had taken them so far and then abandoned them.  He wondered if they would have been better off if they had just stayed where they were to begin with.  He felt like they would all die now and questioned how that could possibly honor God’s great name.  Have you ever felt like you followed the voice of God only to find yourself in a place that it looked as if you were completely wrong?  Oh, not mention the routine gossip that loves to imply things like this would not happen if the leadership were right with God.  As we will see, it was not the leadership here but the hand of another that was the source that caused such pain for Israel that day.  Deception shows itself among people, but is not always reflected in the form that people would like to choose.

^{Joshua 7:6} Joshua and the elders of Israel tore their clothing in dismay, threw dust on their heads, and bowed face down to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until evening. ⁷ Then Joshua cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side! ⁸ Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? ⁹ For when the Canaanites and all the other people living in the land hear about it, they will surround us and wipe our name off the face of the earth. And then what will happen to the honor of your great name?”

Joshua felt like God had brought them to this point, and for what?  He felt like even God’s reputation was at stake here.  He felt abandoned.  Look at what happens next!  God tells Joshua, “Get up!”  Something I would like to point out here is that although Joshua lost all of his courage, he did not act on his emotions.  You see, when we have done the right things and find ourselves in a valley of decision, we do that which we KNOW is Right.  That is when we act and move only on what we know to do rather than what we feel like doing. The only thing Joshua knew to do was to get on his face before God.  By doing so, he heard the voice of the Lord.

Joshua 7: ¹⁰ But the Lord said to Joshua, “Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? ¹¹ Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me. And they have not only stolen them but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. ¹² That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat. For now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction.

We read on that God revealed the problem and addressed it in front of the whole nation.  The Israelites had to know that the problem was dealt with and that God would be with them or they would not have had the courage to pick up and move forward as they did.  Later in Chapter 11 we read that Joshua took control of the entire land just as the Lord had instructed Moses.  Then there was rest.  If Joshua had followed his emotions, he would have turned back or settled for far less than what God had promised.  It is when we choose to be obedient even though we may not know why, that we become successful!  It is then that IMPACT comes!  People are willing to chase after personal dreams and ambitions with everything they have, but unless they can see the “why” or the self-gain involved, they will not passionately pursue God’s direction in their own lives.

Let us look at another example of greatness, King David.  David recognized that no matter what he faced, he must find a way to encourage himself in the goodness and greatness of the God he served and loved.  He knew that if he lost his courage and knowing that God had a plan……..his HOPE, that he had no reason to move forward.  In Psalm 22 David found himself in a place of despair.

¹ My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
² Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.
Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief.

Then by verse 3 David is saying what he KNOWS.  God is Holy and has been faithful for generations.  He begins to encourage himself by remembering that his ancestors cried out to God and were saved, never disgraced.  David goes on to pour out his heart in this chapter, all the while saying what he KNOWS……God is just and is worthy of our praise always!

Based on what he knew to be true about God, David found courage for tomorrow.  David began to proclaim that God heard his cry and that God would answer, although he did not see it physically yet.  By Chapter 23, one chapter later, David is proclaiming god’s greatness!  He proclaimed that he could never get away from God’s goodness and unfailing love.  So many times like you and I, David simply did not understand the circumstances he found himself in.  But! He never questioned what he KNEW,

Psalm 24¹ The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.
² For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths.

God was his hope and his future, regardless of feeling like a failure or not.  And David found that all he held on to, God did honor.  The Bible tells us that David was a man after God’s own heart, and yet we see that David faced ups and downs just like us.  God does follow through with His promises in the time that he sees is proper for all involved.  Remember God always has our best interest at heart.  He has to be our Father first.

Be bold and courageous based on what you know, not how you may be feeling.  Tell God how you feel because he cares and understands.  Never allow the enemy to steal your hope because then he holds your future!  Obedience in this season will open the door to your next season.

Blessings,

Pastor Cindy

The Man at the Door

The Man at the Door

One evening as I sat in the comfort of my cozy living room with my beautiful family, there was a knock at the door. We live in the country and it is a rare thing that there is a knock on my door other than a child looking to play with my children. I opened the door and there was a man that I did not recognize. The man had a little girls jacket in his hand. He asked, ”Do you have a little girl?” I said, “No.” He responded, “My son rides the bus home and accidentally picked this jacket up and brought it home. It is cold out and for all I know this could be her only jacket and so we are trying to return it to her.” I had never met the man, so I asked where he lives and we exchanged a few words, he then went on his way in his search.

That man left me with many things to think about and also to be thankful for. How many of us would really be in the frame of mind to consider the possibility that a little girl is going to get up and go to school tomorrow without a jacket on a cold morning, and better yet, how many of us would actually take the time and show the kindness to try and find her? I am convinced that the majority of us would not be inconvenienced with a little girls lost jacket, nor would we be willing to assume the responsibility of returning it. I was also thankful to think that when my eight-year-old son misplaces a hoodie or a jacket, he has two or three others to choose from. Wow! We are blessed.

American Christians in general are either too busy with their OWN problems, after all everyone has their own problems; or they are so spoiled rotten that they have completely lost touch with reality and are oblivious to the world around them. We are missing the greatest fundamental element of Jesus Christ! You can study any “religion” of your choosing, and in most cases you will find the one teaching they all have in common is that your beliefs are in everything about your life. Your beliefs are reflected in every aspect of your daily life……all you do and say. More importantly, what you actually “DO” or choose “NOT” to do. Across the globe it is evident that the church is in a state of decay. This reflects the condition of the “Christian” household. Homes are in decay as a result of the selfish lifestyles of men and women of God!

Crises in our communities are taking place on a daily basis. In these times we see our true colors shine through. The inconvenience of a disturbance, not being able to drive down the street, or maybe not getting to bed on time. Often as we read the responses of local people to situations, we don’t see anyone hurting for that individual or calling for prayer; instead we see the inconvenience it has caused in their life. My heart breaks as I reflect on these things. I pray that God continue to break me and reshape me so that I am willing to cry and hurt for those in need of Him. I also pray that I may be the one that will go beyond what is traditional or expected. And like the man at the door, will others see genuine love and compassion that only comes from the Father in me?

“Give me your eyes for just one second, give me your heart so I can see……everything that I’ve been missing………Give me your love for humanity.”

• Mark 12:31
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Countless times in recent days I have heard this scripture referred to and then a story, you have heard it. You know you are at the drive through and bless the car in front of or behind you, and wow, you have loved your neighbor. I am not saying this is not a good principle or that it won’t bless someone. What I am saying is that when it comes down to the “grunt work or dirty work” we do not want to apply the same principles. We do not want to get “involved”! It might take too much time or be a real downer. Or maybe, it just won’t be fun. We look all around for purpose and opportunity to minister, but when it is staring us in the face at an inconvenient moment we pass it up. When we love others the way Christ loves us, it will show in the little things. And the little things are the real life changers!

Blessings,

Pastor Cindy

Jesus Likes it!

The Msg – Luke 6

22-23″Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don’t like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this.

It does not matter how often we experience it, we are still surprised and shaken when it happens. That moment at work or maybe even at church, that piercing moment when you feel a lump form in your throat as you fight back the tears; from the brokenness and pain inside. We see in the scripture reference above that we have no reason to think it strange or unusual behavior when we are treated badly and not accepted by others. Jesus said, ”What it means is the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable.” John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.

The Word teaches us that we are the temple in which God’s spirit now dwells, thus we are the light of Jesus shining in real life today, in the now. When we realize what Jesus was saying, it is not strange that we meet those brick walls in day to day life that are unexpected. Simply by being in the presence of others, our light so shines that the darkness is exposed. When the light of Christ is shining in our lives, we reap both the acceptance and the un-acceptance. Some will pour their hearts out to us, whereas others, will simply be irritated and stirred up by our presence.

Something that I find very exciting in this passage is that Jesus was speaking to all that follow him. He was telling the church that all who have his light shining in them will experience these things. He made the specific point that if the leaders and preachers experience this, why would it be strange for others to experience these same things. The sad fact here is that, unfortunately today, many in leadership face that very resistance from our own brothers and sisters. Ouch! That hurt didn’t it?!

Now the part that makes me weep and rejoice at the same time! Jesus said, “You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don’t like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds.” I don’t know if you have an imagination as I do, but wow! I can see it playing out in my mind…..Jesus likes it!!!! And heaven is applauding!!!! Heaven sees and takes notes…..Yes! We get a little glimpse of how he sees and rejoices because of us! I know you, like me, desire nothing less than to please him! So be encouraged in this.

Blessing!
Pastor Cindy