Faith and Forgiveness

Every Sunday my 6 year old receives weekly devotionals from our church. The current topic for her devotionals is faith. Reading these verses every day has caused me to pause and think about what faith means to me personally. With all the prosperity and "name it and claim it" type preaching in the world today, it can become confusing as to why we should have faith. Do we have faith simply to have an idea in our minds of how our life should be and then God will fulfill our wish list? Is faith simply so we can live a comfortable life? What if what we have faith about does not align with the word of God or His plan for us? Is our faith alone what causes God to move on our behalf?

"So I tell you, when you pray for something, believe that you have already received it. Then it will be yours." Mark 11:24

For many the above verse is used as a reminder of God's promise to us. Looking at this one verse alone would lead us to believe God will answer us when we have enough belief. However, we cannot look at verse 24 without also continuing to read into verses 25-26...

"AND (emphasis mine) when you stand praying, forgive anyone you have anything against. Then your Father in heaven will forgive your sins."

Can we come to God believing by faith for something to happen and also harbor unforgiveness in our hearts? According to these verses, I would say it's impossible! There are so many things we need to address in our lives before sending up our wish lists to God. Matthew 6:33 is a reminder of this lesson. "But put God's kingdom first. Do what He wants you to do. Then all of those things will also be given to you."  I have found in my own life that by seeking God first, the things I once found important were suddenly irrelevant to me. When we seek God first, we begin to experience His love. We begin to comprehend His forgiveness and mercy. Just as the woman who washed Jesus' feet with oil in Luke 7:47, we see how much we have been forgiven which allows us to forgive others. 

Are you waiting for a breakthrough in an area of your life and it seems elusive? Have you been praying faith prayers for years without seeing any sign of a change happening? Are you also harboring offense and unforgiveness against someone in your life? If you have received the forgiveness of God, you MUST release the person who has caused you harm and pain. There is no way around it! Forgiving does not condone the actions of your offender or say what they did was okay. In the same way, God's forgiveness of us is not an endorsement of our sin. Even though we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He didn't wait for us to run to Him with an apology before He hung on a cross. 

I challenge you today to examine your heart for areas of hurt and pain that you are holding onto. Before praying for the next item on your with list, pray that God will help you to release the person you have been holding in the prison of unforgiveness. The reality is in most cases the person you think you are hurting is not even aware of how deeply they have hurt you. The only person trapped in this prison is you. Why waste another day preventing God from moving in your life? He's waiting on you!

Unleash!

I am a person who goes through cycles of reading. When I am in the mood to read, I will have several books in process at once. Once the mood leaves I have a hard time reading anything at all. Currently I am in one of the cycles of reading and have no less than six books around the house that I am in the process of reading. When I saw Perry Noble's book Unleash! was being released, all the other books immediately had to take a back seat. 

I first have to recommend always reading the Bible for inspiration and revelation into living the Christian life. No author can come close to imparting wisdom like the God inspired word recorded in scriptures. If you are looking for a companion to your bible reading, then Unleash! is a great place to start. Having attended a leadership conference at NewSpring Church several years ago, I knew the type of personality to expect in a book written by Pastor Perry. I was not disappointed. 

I read Unleash in two days! Each chapter was inspiring and I could not wait to read more. When it ended I was disappointed! Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

"God wants to hear us laugh. God is not after our begrudging submission. He is after our joy,"

"We can live a life that is unleashed because of whose we are, not who we are."

"...one of the most damaging enemies of the unleashed life: religion."

"God’s love is in Christ, not in our performance."

"...if you don’t let your past die, then it won’t let you live."

"We can’t live a truly unleashed life until we begin to understand how precious we are to God."

"The key to living a meaningful life is to focus not on what we want but rather on who Jesus is and what He wants for us."

"We will never become fully who God has called us to be unless we grasp that life is not about getting other people to serve us but about how we can serve others."

"As followers of Christ, our primary goal is not to be understood but rather to be obedient."

"One of the marks of a person who is living an unleashed life is that they can acknowledge the goodness of God even when they are experiencing hell on earth."

These are just a few of the points Pastor Perry Noble makes throughout this book. In his typical "no holds barred" style, Pastor Perry gives Christians a much needed kick in the pants to get out of the spectator stands and begin living the life God is calling them to lead!

 

The Name Jesus

What does the name Jesus mean to you? No, seriously. I want you to take the next 60 seconds to think about what that name means to you. If nothing is coming to you, say His name out loud. No distractions. No outside noise. Turn the television off. If you have to go into the bathroom just to get alone for one minute, do it now. I'll be here waiting for you. 

Did you truly just spend the last 60 seconds thinking about Jesus? Did you say His name out loud? If so (and I truly hope you did) what happened? I'm not asking this as a rhetorical question. I want you to comment with details of what happened when you spent 60 seconds uninterrupted while calling on the name of Jesus. 

Why do we call on the name of Jesus? There are many people who say His name with no reverence whatsoever. His name is used even as a curse or as a way of expressing extreme frustration. I refer to this as 'prank calling' Jesus. In my experience of calling on His name, He answers. It is up to me how I am going to receive Him when He responds. The most powerful times of worship during church have been simply when we have sung His name together as one voice. 

Think about these scriptures regarding the name of Jesus:

-"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (No other name will allow us access to Heaven)

-"...giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," Ephesians 5:20 (It's because of Jesus we can give thanks in all circumstances and for all things.)

-"that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11 (There is nobody who will not one day bow to confess Jesus as Lord. Whether it is here on earth or when they reach eternity, there is only ONE name that will remain!)

-"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 1:3 (Jesus is the name that brings peace)

I could continue listing scripture after scripture of the ways Jesus' name is used. He is so many things there really are no words to describe Him! Take the time today to say His name and spend at least 60 seconds in His presence!!

This is one of the songs we sing at church that seems to usher in His presence every times it's sung:

Denying Jesus

I know the people who read my posts are at various places in their walk with Christ. Today I want to do something a bit different and address this post to those of you who feel you have fallen away from your faith. You once had a strong faith in God, but now you find yourself denying Jesus and walking in a life you never thought you would be living. 

What happened that caused you to turn away from the faith you once had in Jesus? Did someone within the church body hurt you? Perhaps it was the reality of life that caused you to question your beliefs. Or did you succumb to a sinful temptation and because of feeling like a failure you turned away from your first love? 

I've found the greatest tool satan uses against us is shame. When we stumble in our walk, or in essence deny Christ, satan begins an all out assault to convince us we are no longer worthy of the call God has placed on our lives. As Christians, I see where all too often we assist satan in his efforts. When a brother or sister in Christ falls into sin, many are quick to discredit the giftings God has placed inside of them. We seem to forget they are human and immediately judge their entire lives based on one bad decision or moments of weakness. 

We need to look no further than the life of the disciple Peter in order to see how God can use those who have once turned from Him. Have you wondered what it would have been like to walk alongside Jesus in the flesh? If you struggle with sin you may think if you could just have a more intimate encounter with God, then you could defeat your giant. However, Peter physically walked with Jesus. He saw Jesus perform miracle after miracle live and in the flesh. He even walked on the water with Him! None of the other disciples had faith enough to step out onto the stormy waves! Peter proved his devotion to Jesus over and over again. He showed complete commitment right until Jesus' end. Or almost.

"Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!” A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept." Mark 14:66-72

What happened to the Peter who walked on water? Where is the Peter who was on the mountain with Jesus and heard the voice of God call Jesus His son? This Peter is not the Peter we have read about up until this point. Is this where you have found yourself? Like Peter, you may have wept over your decision to deny Christ. Or maybe you are numb to the choices you have made and see no reason to weep. Have you turned away from the body of Christ out of shame from your denial? 

It's important to know the story of Peter to know it did not end with his denial and weeping. He did not turn away and disappear into bible oblivion after this account. Peter's faith was renewed with a vengeance! He was the first man to see Jesus after His resurrection. Peter helped start the early church. He traveled in the name of Christ and performed healings and miracles. It is believed Peter was so bold in his faith that he too was murdered on a cross, but requested it be upside down because he was not worthy to die in the same manner as Christ! 

I would say Peter's moment of denial is what spurred him to such an unrelenting service to Jesus. So what will you do with your fall? Will you let it defeat you and let satan rob you of the plan God has for your life? Or will you use your stumble to propel you towards living a life greater in love with Jesus? Will you use it to give you greater compassion for others who have stumbled or turned away from their faith? Will you be forgiving when those in our church body are caught in their sin? I pray today is the day you see your call from God has not been rescinded! He still has a plan for you!

Sometimes You Don't Have Words

How much time do you truly spend alone with God? I have to admit I am guilty of filling my hours with things that have little to nothing to do with Him. However, right now I am in a season of life that is requiring me to make some big decisions. These are more than "what are we having for dinner" type decisions. They are decisions that could change the course of not only my life, but the lives of others. These are decisions that I would not even want to begin to make without making sure I'm following the Holy Spirit's guidance in how to proceed. 

Many times our first instinct in these kinds of situations is to seek the opinion of our friends and/or family. What we often fail to realize is that others can have their own motivations in the counsel they provide. They also never have all of the facts. We can attempt to fill them in on all the details, yet there is no way to fully explain all the thoughts, emotions, and actions that contribute to the decision ahead of us. God is the only one who knows all the details and even the ones you do not know. If your decision involves others, God knows their hearts in a way you never could. The Holy Spirit is the only one qualified to give an expert opinion.

Over the last few days I have found I'm spending a lot of time focusing on hearing from God. I am not sharing this to brag in any way. Please refer back to the second sentence at the beginning of this post. I'm reading books related to where I am in life right now. I'm reading scriptures. Worship music is playing almost constantly. A friend asked yesterday, "Are you always so full of joy like this?" I didn't really understand what they meant so they explained further. It occurred to me that my time spent in seeking God on one particular issue has spilled over into other areas of my life. 

Are there heavy decisions ahead of you? Have you already made your decision? Did you seek God before proceeding? Do you have peace about your choice? One thing I have experienced personally is a peace that comes from knowing when you are hearing from God. There will be people who will question your decisions, yet if you know you are following God, then their opinions do not matter. When you have direction from God, He provides His peace in order to sustain you from the backlash that will come as a result of your obedience. 

If you have not recently taken the time to get away with God, I strongly encourage you to take the time to do so as soon as possible. If there is a lack of peace in your life, seek Him immediately! His presence is stronger than any medication. I am praying for all who read this to have a divine encounter with God in a way they have never experienced before. 

I will end today with a song. This is one of my favorites that is sung at my church. I have yet to hear it and not also felt the spirit of God moving while it is being sung. The primary reason I am so moved by this song, and I believe God is also, is the part where the words end and simple moanings begin. There is something that happens in the spiritual realm when we speak to God in an unintelligible language. Satan does not have the ability to interpret our groans and utterances. The Holy Spirit moves on our behalf through our sounds. God knows the struggles in my heart. If I simply prayed in my own words I would be providing satan with ammunition to use against me. Even the bible talks about petitioning God in such a way!

"Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily." Psalm 55:2

Take some time today or tonight to seek God for the decisions you are facing in your life. I promise He will help you see the direction to take!

The Sweet Potato Saga

I have found there is one food my six year old absolutely abhors....sweet potatoes. Regular potatoes are not an issue for her, yet for some reason she has a strong dislike for the sweet variety. It was several months ago I made sweet potatoes without realizing it would turn into one of the biggest dinner battles ever. She cried. She pouted. She sat at the table for close to an hour over her refusal to eat sweet potatoes. She informed me several times she wasn't hungry anymore. Had I placed a cupcake in front of her, I'm sure she would have quickly found an appetite. She eventually ate the sweet potatoes, but not without the threat of punishment. 

Last night I tried a different approach by serving sweet potato casserole. I remembered she does not like sweet potatoes.  She made it painfully obvious the last time they were served. However, it is something I know is good for her. She resisted yet again, but did eat it with fewer tears than before and in less time. 

This morning as I was thinking about the sweet potato saga, I heard God remind me of how similar I am when it comes to Him giving me things that are good for me that I don't "like." There are times when God brings people or situations into our lives that are good for us even though we don't like them. It's through trials that we find out how strong we really are through Him. It's through hurt and disappointment that I have learned to trust fully in Him. Some life lessons I am slowly learning now that I am taking the test for the 20th time. Every time such a scenario is "served" I cry because I don't want it again. Just like my 6 year old though, the amount of time it takes for me to "get it" diminishes each time the test is given. The tears become less. 

What is the sweet potato in your life? Is there something God is telling you to "eat" because it's good for you, yet you turn into a child in your refusal to just listen to your Daddy? The next time you come to the table and find that meal being served, will you pout, cry and refuse to partake or will you trust Him to have your best interests and health in mind? 

This is Olivia during the first sweet potato dinner 

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask of Him?" Matthew 7:11

But What If......

Last night in conversation with a friend I made the statement of how most of the things we worry about never actually come to pass. We spent countless minutes and hours rehearsing worse case scenarios in our minds when the reality is few of these scenarios ever happen. People become paralyzed with inactivity because of all the scenes they have imagined. This seemed to be a profound statement to my friend who said they have never really thought about the consequences of worrying. 

Think back to the Y2K frenzy most people found themselves believing. Even if you did not create a stockpile of canned goods and water, it was hard not to find yourself going down the thought road of "what if this is the end?" There are people who live their lives now in preparation for the end of the world. They spend countless hours building bunkers, stockpiling ammunition, and isolating themselves from the rest of society. I'm not saying we should not be prepared in some way in case of an emergency. Most of us have fire extinguishers, flashlights, extra batteries, etc. in our homes. There are some things that are simply common sense. I put my seatbelt on in the car as a precaution, but not because I leave my house terrified of being in an accident. 

I wonder how high the number is of people in our country who take medication for anxiety. I've found the greatest stress levels in my life have come from my attempt to control things that are beyond my control. While walking to pick up my daughter from school this week I witnessed a car drive up on the sidewalk and hit a light pole head on. It was directly in front of the school where parents were standing to pick up their children and where children often play in the yard in front of the school. I have two options now in how I let this affect me. I could become anxious of it occurring again and vow to never walk that sidewalk and only pick up my child through the car line. Or I can thank God I was running a little late that day and not standing in that spot at the time this happened. Satan would love nothing more than to cause me to become anxious over something as simple as crossing a street I've crossed hundreds of times without incident. I know people who never travel far from home because of an extreme fear of flying. Anxiety has limited them from living life fully.

When thinking of anxiety, the real question is in whom do you place your trust? Do you trust God enough to believe He truly does have our best interests in mind? Do you believe Him to work all things out for His honor and glory? In the middle of your storm, are you able to get down in the boat and rest with Him knowing the winds and the waves could cease at the sound of His voice? Or do you find yourself constantly saying, "Yeah, I know all that, BUT....." Do you feel that if you don't take charge the world could fall apart? Do you lie awake at night thinking of all the negative possibilities of the choices you have to make in life? Or are you able to say, "Lord, I trust you in ALL things!"

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? "(Luke 12:25-26)

Talking Politics

I can't believe I'm about to go here, but let's talk politics. I'm not going to "endorse" any particular candidate or party. That is not what is on my heart today. What concerns me in watching the news, conventions, facebook posts, etc. is the venomous speech and the extreme loyalty to one man. Especially from those I know are professing Christians. I watch as friends who are in ministry share their feelings on the issues. Many of these posts are lacking in any love. Many are lacking in education on the very issues they are arguing. Again, please hear my heart on this matter. 

As Christians, we need to be extremely careful in where we place our loyalties and our faith. If our faith is placed solely in our government or in a particular political party, we run the risk of removing our loyalty and faith in God. If we feel our lives will be better or worse based on who wins an election, then we are forgetting the true source of everything in our lives. I'm not saying we should not be informed or aware of what is going on in our country. Yet it seems so many people become consumed, infuriated, and angry around election time. The greatest weapon of satan is the weapon of division. At no other time (outside of Sunday morning) is it quite as evident as in an election year. All you have to do is turn on the news and see the people standing across from each other yelling over police who are in place as a dividing line between the "sides" of an issue. 

My suggestion to each person when deciding how to vote (if you are voting) is to examine what issues would be closest to the heart of God. Does either candidate perfectly align with a Godly platform? No, neither do. I know friends who have said they would vote for Romney if he wasn't a Mormon and friends who say they can't vote for Obama based on his stance on marriage and abortion. Each of us need to examine our own hearts and ask WHY we feel led to vote for a certain candidate. Is it because of a party or a racial loyalty? Is it because it's how people expect us to vote or simply because it's the way we voted in the last election? Our decision in this (and all things) should all come back to scriptures. Do you trust in God's economy or the one resulting from the decisions of man? 

I would challenge everyone to do your research and search your hearts before November. Please know I'm not saying any of this to encourage anyone one way or another, but to simply take the time to truly seek God before seeking popular opinion (whichever side you find popular)

"Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods." Psalm 40:4