will the real Jesus please stand up?

Dropping. Like. Flies.

That's the phrase I used during a recent conversation with a few friends. We were discussing how many people we’ve witnessed leaving the Christian faith. The Kentucky in me showed when I said people once strong in their faith are dropping like flies. Maybe that's a bit of an overstatement. Maybe it's not.

I was in 2 Corinthians 11 this morning and was reminded that the Apostle Paul warned the Church of this very thing. He said, "I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough."

The phrase Paul uses, "put up with" is also translated as "tolerate."

Interesting, isn't it?

We live in a culture that demands "tolerance," yet Paul tells us if we are tolerant of a different Jesus, we will be deceived. Did you catch it – even those who have a SINCERE and PURE devotion to Christ can be deceived. That should send chills down our spines.

You bet a different Jesus is being preached these days, and Christians are putting up with it alright –

A Jesus that tolerates sin.

A Jesus who doesn't require repentance.

A Jesus who didn't die as an atonement for sin, but rather as an example of standing up to the religious of His day (good grief).

A Jesus who says, "Love is love," defining "love" by our standards and feelings rather than how the Bible defines love.

May I echo what Paul said to the church in Corinth? We are tolerating this in the Church! Wake up! Don't be deceived!

Paul also said a few other things that ALL of us need to take to heart, especially when it comes to this subject –

"So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (1 Corinthians 10:12)

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves." (2 Corinthians 13:5)

I can't tell you exactly what happens that causes someone to lose their faith. But I can tell you that it doesn't happen overnight. No one wakes up one morning and says, "Today is a good day to turn my back on Jesus and Christianity." Instead, losing one's faith is always a slow fade, and it always begins with…you guessed it… tolerance of a different Jesus.

How does that happen??

If you have heard me say it once, you have heard me say it a thousand times –

We have GOT to stay in the Word of God.

If we aren't consistently seeking God on the pages of His Word – because that is the PRIMARY way He reveals Himself to us – then we will be susceptible to deception.

You can agree or disagree with me, but I believe there can be a good case made that we are in the last days. We must stay true to God's Word. People around us need Jesus - and not the Jesus we have made in our own image -

-who blends in with our culture,

-who says what we want Him to say,

-who never says anything that makes us uncomfortable and

-who never calls us to repentance.

Instead, people need to know Jesus as He is revealed in the Bible –

-the One the Old Testament prophets foretold,

-the One who is the exact representation of the Father,

-the One who is the Word made flesh,

-the One who died for our sins and rose on the third day,

-the One who will return and take with Him those who stand firm until the end-

THAT'S THE JESUS the world needs.

That's the Jesus WE need.

Today, and every single day, we must choose to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith. We must be diligent! We should ask ourselves daily - what do I believe about Jesus? What do I believe about the Bible? We need to know what we believe and why we believe it. We must put forth the effort to study our Bibles. We must learn why it is reliable, trustworthy, and absolute truth. Otherwise, we are vulnerable to following a different Jesus. Do you know the difference?

"See to it that no one deceives you." - Jesus (Matthew 24:4)

bothered by the bible

I was so bothered by what I read this morning in my Bible. I can’t shake it.

Something is missing in the Body of Christ, and I am beyond bothered by it.

Paul wrote quite an intense letter to the church in Corinth. In part of that letter, he wrote about the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit distributes to EACH member for the common good (1 Corinthians 12). In verse 7, he says, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” The word “manifestation” means to make visible or observable. In other words, the spiritual gift in each believer should be EVIDENT. Clear. Plain to anyone who is looking. I’ll ask you what I’ve been asking myself: Are the gifts in the list visible in a typical church member? Are they observable in you? Are they manifested in me??

Paul listed these gifts:

A message of wisdom
A message of knowledge
Faith
Gifts of healing
Miraculous powers
Prophecy
Distinguishing between spirits
Speaking in different kinds of tongues
Interpretation of tongues

Have you ever asked yourself why we aren’t seeing these gifts manifested in the Church?

It seems we rarely talk about them, let alone operate in them. Why is that? Can we think of the name of someone who displays the gift of wisdom? Why can’t I think of someone who has the gift of healing? What would that even look like in our church today?

It seems to me that we have whittled down this list to only a few, and more specifically, to the gifts that don’t make us uncomfortable.

Paul wrote another list of spiritual gifts in Romans 12:

Serving
Teaching
Encouraging
Giving
Leading
Mercy

We are more comfortable with that list, aren’t we? Man, that bothers me.

The question I keep asking myself is this: WHY are we not currently experiencing the manifestation of all the spiritual gifts?

My answer is not short, but I’ll do my best to keep it brief.

We aren’t seeing the manifestation of the Spirit in all the ways Paul listed because of several factors. I’ll start with this one:

· Biblical illiteracy.

Are we even aware that there is a list of spiritual gifts? And that the Spirit distributes them to EACH ONE? Meaning, every single follower of Jesus Christ has a spiritual gift!

Biblical illiteracy is, in my opinion, one of the greatest hindrances to the work that God wants to do in and through the Church. Many of us are not aware of the power we have because we aren’t familiar with our Bible. I fear that many Bible studies are watered down to “How does this verse make me feel?” instead of “What does this passage teach me about God?” and “How can I surrender my will to the authority of Scripture?” I’m afraid that our so-called Bible studies have become more about feeling better about ourselves than responding to God in humble reverence and awe.

Maybe we know the Scriptures, but do we respond in belief? I have a vivid image in my mind of a vast battlefield and strewn across it as far as the eye can see are wounded warriors of Christ. Instead of engaging the enemy with confidence and courage, and fighting from a place of guaranteed victory, they are bleeding out from unhealed wounds and limping around from injuries. Many are clueless that they are even on a battlefield, let alone supposed to be fighting. And sadly, some are fighting against their brothers and sisters, resulting in serious harm.

You bet I’m bothered.

Not only are we suffering from Biblical illiteracy, but flat-out unbelief is crippling the Body of Christ as well. We say we believe, but do our lifestyles and choices prove otherwise?

Add to that divided affections. What I mean by that is this: we want to worship God, but we don’t want to be inconvenienced. We don’t want to be uncomfortable. We don’t want to give up our pet sins.

Y’all know as well as I do that this should not be a picture of the Church.

Our generation has more access and more resources to help us know and study God’s Word more than any generation before us. Why aren’t we using them?

Our generation has the resources to meet more needs than any generation before us. Why are there so many in need around us?

Why are we limping, crying, whining, and bleeding out on the battlefield?
Where are the strong and mighty warriors of Christ who know how to fight?
Where are the sword and shield-wielding soldiers fighting in power and deflecting all of the arrows of the enemy?

You bet I’m bothered.

Let me bring this back to the list I started talking about in 1 Corinthians and share the questions I’ve been asking that got me bothered in the first place -

Why are we not seeing more people healed?
Why are we not witnessing miracles?
Why are we not hearing bold prophecies?
Why are we not discerning enough to recognize a true follower of Jesus from one who deceives?
Why are false teachers able to lead so many astray while so many of us stand idly by?
Why is there so much division in the body of Christ?

Yeah, I’m bothered, alright. But I believe it’s a holy, zealous bothering stirred up by the Holy Spirit. And if I was a betting woman, I’d bet I’m not the only one bothered. I’d bet many of us know that the Church is meant to experience and be so much more.

Not a single follower of Christ is meant to bleed out on the battlefield. Not a single one. We are meant to be more than conquerors. We are fully equipped and empowered, and I, for one, am not going to shut up about it.

I am not who I used to be. I know the power of the Holy Spirit can change and mature anyone. I certainly am not claiming to have “arrived.” My goodness, I have so much to learn, and most certainly, I am still a work in progress.

I want to be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.

I want to help strengthen the body of Christ. I want to grow in my knowledge and humbly help others to grow, too. I want to encourage believers to get darn serious about studying the Scriptures for themselves. Just think, there are some of you out there with the spiritual gift of healing! We need you to step up! Some of you have the spiritual gift of prophecy. We need you to speak up! Some of you have the spiritual gift of distinguishing between spirits – for heaven’s sake – now is not the time to remain silent! The body of Christ is meant to work together, using our spiritual gifts FOR THE COMMON GOOD.

If you are one of the soldiers bleeding out on the field – then hear the Word of the Lord – GET UP in the Name of Jesus! Actively seek the help you need. We are all called to RUN the race – not limp the race. Nothing has the power to keep you down. Absolutely nothing.

The body of Christ, the Church, may not look like she should right now, but I haven’t lost hope. Jesus won’t give up on His Bride, and neither should we. If you are bothered like I am, then let the change we crave begin with us:

Do we need to repent of apathy?
Do we need to repent of arrogance?
Do we need to repent of unbelief?
Do we need to repent of neglecting God’s Word?

If we need to repent, then let’s repent, for crying out loud. Let’s fall on our knees and cry out for God to move among us in power. MAN, I CRAVE THAT.

May there be a day when we read the list of spiritual gifts, and instead of being completely bothered, we think -

Now there’s a description of my Church!

what should I do??

There are a few things on my plate right now that require me to make a decision. It's not a "ignore it, and it will go away" kind of thing...I have to make a choice. Problem is, I have no idea what choice to make. I bet you can relate.

I read Psalm 25 this morning, and it was like seeing a bright, neon flashing sign - "Hey! Do THIS, and you'll get the clarity and direction you need!" Sometimes, God whispers. Sometimes, He hollers. This was a hollering moment.

Check it out: "Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

I read that and was like, Yes!! God I want you to show me your ways! Teach me what paths to take! And then there was this... "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His ways" (verse 9).

If you were with me for Finding Joy, then you won't be surprised by what I am about to say. God promises So. Many. Things. This is an excellent example. God WILL guide the humble in what is right and teach them His ways. Here's the kicker - He won't guide just anybody and everybody - He guides the humble. There it is - our responsibility in the promise.

If we want to experience God's promises, we have to participate in God's promises.

If you and I want God to guide us, then we must humble ourselves. In other words, if we have a pride problem, God won't guide us anywhere. He can't because we are in the way. Humbling ourselves won't happen without a deliberate choice. I'll say it like this - If we have a choice to make and we have no idea what to choose, our first choice should be to check our hearts and make sure we are humbling ourselves before the Lord and before others. Then, we wait on the Lord. He WILL guide us.

Verse 12 says, "Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose." Fear (a holy reverence) and a humble heart go hand in hand. If you have choices you need to make, the first choice should be to humble yourself before the Lord. Then rest and trust that He will guide you. He's never failed you yet, has He?

#preachingtomyself

#humilityisachoice

#Godisfaithful

#pridegivesusdeafears

#becomingAware

there's power in the spoken word

It's pouring rain in Indianapolis this morning, and the forecast tells me it's not going to get better any time soon. But, thankfully, I'm not focused on the cold and gray outside, I'm choosing instead to focus on things more potent than rays of sunshine (although we all know I love me some warm sunshine!)

This morning took me to Luke 18 and the account of the blind man sitting on the roadside near Jericho. When he heard that Jesus was passing by, he began to call out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Those who were with Jesus tried to get him to be quiet (every time I read this, I wonder, what in the world were they thinking?!?) However, their negativity only spurred him on to holler louder - he refused to be deterred. Man, I love that!

As much as I would love to expound on this passage - I'll keep it short and sweet for a Monday morning.

USE YOUR VOICE.

What's on your heart? CRY OUT to Jesus. The blind man knew that Jesus could heal. Maybe sometime along the way he had heard Psalm 146 -

The Lord sets prisoners free

The Lord gives sight to the blind

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down (vs. 7-8)

Because he refused to be silenced (even by those who were traveling with Jesus!) and he continued to call out -

Jesus stopped. (Luke 18:40)

Well, now. Ain't that something?

Girlfriend, listen. You can have Jesus' attention today.

What's on your mind?

What's causing you grief?

What's worrying you?

What's bothering you?

What's holding you captive?

What's causing you to fear?

Use your voice.

Call out to Jesus.

Hearing you call out to Him will cause Him to stop and listen every. time.

Personalize the truths in Psalm 146 -

The Lord is well able to set YOU free from any prison - so call out to Him.

The Lord is well able to give YOU clear sight into every situation - so call out to Him.

The Lord is well able to lift YOU up - so choose to bow down before Him.

Let nothing - not even other followers of Jesus - convince you to be quiet, or to quit praying, or to quit calling out. There's power in the spoken word - so open your mouth and call out if you want Jesus to stop and listen. He wants nothing more than to hear you call His name.

from grouchy to grateful

The space between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be CRAZY. I can go from grateful to grouchy in neck-speed time. I am definitely a work in progress, and this is one aspect of my personality that Jesus and I are working on for sure.

This morning I read Psalm 142 and settled in on the first two verses:

I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour out before Him my complaint; before Him, I tell my trouble.

If I want to reverse my tendency to go from grateful to grouchy and instead go from grouchy to grateful, here are some things that I need to do:

1. I need to practice using my voice when I pray. In other words, I need to pray aloud. Typically, when I voice aloud what’s causing my panties to get in a wad, frequently, I realize how much I am overreacting. I can get a grip on myself a lot quicker when I speak my prayers aloud.

2. I need to take my complaints straight to God before I flap my jaws to anyone else. I believe that when we do this, God will show us several things. One, He will reveal if our complaint is just. If it is, and if we ask, He will be faithful to give us discernment, wisdom, and knowledge to handle it. Also, God will reveal to us if our complaint is coming from a place of irritability, pride, and/or frustration. If that is the case, He will be faithful to help us change our perspective and our attitude – if we ask Him to.

A great question to ask ourselves is this:

Would my complaint still be valid if I were practicing gratitude?

Here’s what I know: having a complaint doesn’t have to result in complaining. #Lordhelpme

I’m grateful that God always hears my voice when I call to Him, even when I come to Him with a complaint. I’m also incredibly thankful that He is merciful and has the power to transform my grouchy mood into a grateful one. What about you?

#Icanchoosenottobegrouchy
#therespowerinbeinggrateful
#lotstobegratefulfor
#HappyMondayyall

you are not your diagnosis

Sometimes I think I might explode before I can get to my laptop to type what I’m thinking, then I wonder how in the world I will keep it from turning into a full-blown message!

Here’s what’s got me fired up this morning –

Against all hope, Abraham in hope BELIEVED and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his FAITH, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he DID NOT WAVER through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being FULLY PERSUADED that God had power to do what he had promised. (Romans 4:18-21)

Buckle up - we are in for a fast ride.

Abraham did not deny the facts.

Yes, it was true that his body as good as dead (don’t miss the humor in that!). Yes, it was true that Sarah’s womb was also dead. He wasn’t living in fantasy land. Abraham knew what was real, and he wasn’t denying the cold-hard facts of reality.

BUT GOD.

You see, God PROMISED Abraham descendants.

Abraham had a big fat choice to make. He could either believe God or not. Abraham chose to believe God. He didn’t waver through unbelief. He was fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He had promised. Y’all. That kind of belief has enormous implications.

You and I need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt what God has promised. And we need to CHOOSE TO BELIEVE HE HAS THE POWER TO DO IT.

So, what does this look like for you and me? Let me use “Susan” as an example that many of us might relate to.

Susan has symptoms of depression and anxiety and meets the criteria for a diagnosis. These are the cold-hard facts. Susan doesn’t deny the facts – it’s reality. Just like the reality that Abraham’s body was old and as good as dead.

And yet – God promised Abraham descendants.
What has God promised Susan? He promised her joy. And peace. And a sound mind. And freedom.

So, what’s Susan going to do?
She has two choices.

She can keep saying, “I have depression and anxiety.”
OR
She can begin saying, “My God promised me joy and peace and a sound mind and freedom!”

It comes down to this - will Susan choose to believe that God’s promise trumps her reality? Will she be fully persuaded that God can turn her every “can’t” into a “can”? Will she continue to believe that she is who her diagnosis tells her she is, OR, will she believe God’s promises?

Think of it like this –
Susan was given the key that will unlock the prison door of the diagnosis holding her captive. It doesn’t do her any good to simply have the key in her possession – she must learn how to use it. Merely saying she believes the key will unlock the door won’t work. She must actually use the key.

Sounds good, but how does this actually work? What are some practical steps that Susan can take?

Susan can start by identifying “I can’t” statements that the diagnosis (or addiction) has convinced her of. Statements like –

I can’t get out of bed this morning.
I can’t talk to that person.
I can’t live without this.
I can’t handle this situation.
I can’t think straight.

Susan can then begin replacing the “I can’t” statements with “God will be faithful to help me _______” statements. Statements like –

God will be faithful to help me get out of bed.
God will be faithful to help me handle any situation.
God will be faithful to help me think clearly again.

One. Step. At. A. Time.

If I had the privilege of talking with Susan this morning, I would want to remind her -

YOUR GOD IS FAITHFUL.
YOUR GOD IS POWERFUL.
YOUR GOD WILL KEEP HIS PROMISES.

YOU ARE NOT YOUR DIAGNOSIS.
YOU ARE NOT YOUR ADDICTION.

It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set you free. (Galatians 5:1)

No more, “I can’t,” only “God can” from now on.
You weren’t meant to COPE. You are meant to be victorious.

#morethanaconqueror
#youcanfightandwin
#youarewhoGodsaysyouare
#youarenotyourdiagnosis
#Godstruthtrumpsyourreality

yeah sure, but do you really believe it?

I read a quote yesterday by Neil T. Anderson that I can’t stop thinking about.

“People may not always live what they profess, but they will always live what they believe.”

We’ve all professed our belief in something, then turn around and do something that totally undermines what we said. Well, I guess I can’t speak for you, but I certainly have. We would do well to ask ourselves regularly this question:

What do my behaviors say about my beliefs?

Let me back up and tell you why this is on my mind.

I had the incredible opportunity to visit Israel last week, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to adequately describe the impact it had on me, let alone convey everything to you that I want to. I’ve been thinking about it A LOT, and I’m sure it will show up in future posts and studies and videos. For now, though, I believe this will summarize where I keep returning:

Faith in Jesus Christ is based on historical facts, not some crazy notion or idea that someone cooked up a long time ago.

Often it’s super easy (especially if we run in Christian circles and speak Christianese fluently) to say “I believe __________” and fill in that blank with any story we read in the Bible. However, what I’ve been asking myself and what I want to encourage you to ask yourself is this –

Do I *really* believe it?

Obviously, our first inclination is to say, “Of course, I believe it!”

Then my next question is this:

Does my behavior prove it?

Ouch, right?

Here’s some questions I’ve been asking myself the last few days -

Am I allowing fear to direct my decisions and the direction I’m choosing? If so, then do I *really* believe that God is with me and will equip and empower me? I may say I believe that, but does my behavior and choices prove otherwise?

Am I harboring resentment toward someone for an offense long past? If so, then do I *really* believe that Jesus was serious when He said to forgive as I have been forgiven? I may say I believe, but if I’m holding on to unforgiveness, then my behavior and attitude prove otherwise.

Am I allowing worry to overtake my thoughts and rob me of joy? If so, then do I *really* believe what the Bible teaches about worry? I may say I believe, but if I continue to worry, then my behavior proves otherwise.

If you were to ask Jake (my husband) what one of my favorite sayings is, he wouldn’t have to think long about it. He would say,

“When people show you who they are, believe them.”

Which is very similar to another one of my favorite sayings –

“Who you are thunders so loudly that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary.”

I have no idea who coined those phrases, but I love them both. Admittedly, they are much more fun when they are directed toward someone else. However, it is my responsibility to point to myself and ask if they are true of me. What do my behaviors say about my beliefs? Do they match my words?

With our words, we may often say, “Jesus is my Lord.” Are we saying the same thing with our behavior?

Here’s what I know. The world needs for those of us who say we believe in Jesus to actually live like we do. You with me? Let’s do this. And what I mean is, let’s not just say we’re going to do it, let’s actually DO IT.

#whatdoyoubelieve
#theBibleistrue
#livelikeyoubelieveit

to be funky or not to be funky - that is the question

I've been wrestling through some things over the last few weeks. I've had to remind myself on an ongoing basis of a few fundamental truths when my emotions and feelings have threatened to hijack my mind. I thought maybe some of you could use the reminders, too.

Just because I feel weak doesn't mean I am a weak woman. ("When I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10)

Perfect peace IS possible no matter what my circumstances are. ("You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in you." Isaiah 26:3)

When crawling into a hole and never coming out again begins to sound like a viable option, it's a pretty good indicator that I need to make some changes in my thought patterns! I need to remember that God is my hiding place and that He will protect me from trouble (Psalm 32:7) – and to clarify – He doesn't promise to keep me from experiencing difficulty, but rather, He protects me from any harm that could come as a result of trouble. (Jesus told us clearly that we will have trouble. The promise is we won't be harmed by it if we trust Him.)

Here are my choices: I can either give into my feelings and emotions and head down a path that guarantees I will end up miserable and funky, OR, I can fight for my joy. (Sometimes it feels like I am fighting for my sanity, not just my God-promised joy. Maybe I am. Please tell me someone can relate to what I'm saying!!) Either way, I must remember this – if I don't fight, I will get my behind kicked. But, if I do fight, I am guaranteed victory.

So, what do I do when it feels like I don't have a fighting bone left in my body?

I open my mouth, and I call on the name of the Lord.

I simply say, "Jesus."

There is POWER in the name of Jesus.

When I shift my focus to Jesus, He does what only He can do. He saves me from myself. Y'all. I can't do it. I can't fix me. I can't help me. I can't rescue me. I just can't. I am a hot, hot mess sometimes. But, Jesus. Jesus somehow reaches down and lifts me out of the slimy pit. I simply need to call on His name.

I don't know what your current circumstances may be, but this I do know: Jesus can and will give you the strength and power you need to not only endure it but to conquer it.

I'm so grateful I have a Savior that's not like me. Aren't you?

Happy Monday, friends!

Anticipatory Joy

To everyone who joined me on the Finding Joy journey - THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! I had a BLAST with you!!

Last night our group here in Indy met again so we could talk through the last week of homework. I had someone ask if I would post the "no more" list from the last session. If you haven't watched the video yet, I pray you will do so. I believe Anticipatory Joy is an incredibly powerful weapon in our arsenal. We have much to look forward to and it can bring us joy here and now.

It's difficult for us to imagine what Heaven will be like. Sometimes, it's a little easier to imagine what it won't be like.

The Bible tells us that there will be no more death. What does that mean?

No more death means -

No more funeral homes, no more full-size coffins, no more small coffins
No more disease, no more sickness, no more cancer, no more diabetes,
No more broken bones, IV’s, or surgery, no more hospitals, no more waiting rooms
No more comas, no more sorrow, no more separation.

No more sin –
No more physical abuse, no more sexual abuse, no more emotional abuse
No more broken marriages, no more adultery.
No more jails, no more prisons.
No more addiction, no more overdoses
No more sex traffickers, no more pornography

No more depression, no more anxiety, no more fear, no more worry,
No more schizophrenia or paranoia, no more bipolar or delusions, no more disassociation.
No more PTSD
No more nightmares, no more sleepless nights

No more poverty, no more hunger
No more mass shootings
No more terrorists, no more war
No more dictators, no more persecutions
No more racism,
No more hatred

No more hurricanes or tornados or floods

No more.
No more failing. No more falling short.
No more pride. No more guilt, no more shame.

No more.

It’s almost impossible to imagine, isn’t it?
Maybe that’s what Paul was thinking when He was moved by the Holy Spirit to pen these words in 1 Corinthians 2:9 -
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived the things that God has prepared for those who love Him."

We can only imagine now, but someday, our faith will be made sight.

#AnticipatoryJOY
#FindingJoy
#JoyHEREandNOW

Give Jesus a reason to talk about you.

I've been thinking about heaven a lot lately. No particular reason really, except maybe because I'm getting closer and closer to it with each passing day, but that's true of anyone who has professed Jesus as their Lord, whether we are twenty and enjoying wrinkle-free faces, or a bit more weathered and discovering that at least wrinkles aren't painful.

Ever wonder what's happening in heaven? As in, what's going on there right now? I believe Matthew 10:32 gives us a small peek of what happens in heaven on a regular basis. Jesus said, "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven."

I have always read and was taught this verse in the context of an initial confession of faith. When someone first publicly declares their decision to become a Christian, Jesus acknowledges that person to His Father in heaven. While I still very much believe this to be true, when I took the entire context into account, I no longer think it's referring to only a first-time confession.

Jesus prepared His disciples for difficult times ahead. He told them plainly that they would be hated by everyone because of Him (Matthew 10:22). What could possibly make being hated by so many worth it?

Only. Jesus.

When we find ourselves in a difficult conversation that presents an opportunity to either speak His name or keep silent, imagine Jesus leaning in and listening carefully. When we choose to acknowledge His Name, I can't help but think that a huge smile covers His face as He elbows the Father and says, "Did you see that? That's my girl!"

I want Jesus' approval far more than anyone else's, don't you?

I think any time you or I choose to speak the name of Jesus publicly, it makes Him proud enough to mention it to the Father. To me, that makes any ridicule, hatred or even persecution worth it. Well worth it.

Happy Tuesday, friends. Be bold. Be courageous. Speak the name of Jesus today. He is worth it.

The space between a promise and fulfillment

What do we do with the space between a promise and its fulfillment?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Sometimes, I feel stuck in the muck between a prayer and an answer. I've been praying for something for a long time. You know what I'm talking about? Like a loooooooong time. What happens in the space between the promise and its fulfillment? We have lots of options to choose from. Here's just a sample of some of the choices I've made:

Frustration. Being frustrated always makes me arrogant, and unpleasant (to put it mildly).

Hopeless. This is a scary and dark place, and quite frankly, I know better because Jesus is my hope, but I need to be reminded of that when the situation seems hopeless.

Weary. Feels like I'm covered in leeches draining me of any strength I have left (sorry that’s gross).

Needless to say, when I choose frustration, hopelessness, and weariness in the space between a prayer and a promise, it gets ugly. Truthfully, I get ugly. And I don't like me ugly.

God told Moses at the burning bush that He had come down to rescue His people from slavery (Exodus 3:8). Yet, before they would see that promise fulfilled, things would get worse, much, much worse. So bad in fact, that Moses said to God,

"Why Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all."

If you struggle in the space between a promise and its fulfillment, you are in good company. Moses did, too.

However, there is a big fat difference between Moses and us. We know how the story ends. We have the written word of God to remind us of God's faithfulness.

You and I have this promise –

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

When we feel stuck in the muck between the promise and its fulfillment, we have an important choice to make. We can choose frustration, hopelessness, doubt, worry, fear, and weariness, OR, we can choose to fill the space with faith, trust, and praise. Listen, when we CHOOSE to keep our faith, when we CHOOSE to trust that God is faithful, and when we CHOOSE to praise….

WE

FIND

JOY.

Joy. Right there in the space between the promise and its fulfillment.

We get to choose.

What will you choose today?

#FindingJoy

#FindingJoyinthemuck

#Godisfaithful

#dontmisstheopportunity

Hey, you've got something on your shirt!

Y'all know I'm all about Finding Joy these days. I'm continually looking for new ways of thinking and creating opportunities that bring more joy into my life. I found joy in an unlikely place today – hidden like buried treasure in Leviticus.

Check out Leviticus 8:30 -

“Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and his sons and their garments.”

As much as I would love to expound on this verse, I know I would lose most of you, so I'll keep it short and sweet.

Think about this – Moses sprinkled BLOOD on Aaron and his son's clothing. It wouldn't have been any less gross then than that it would be today. Every time they saw the blood stains on their clothes, they were reminded that it required the death of something innocent for them to be forgiven. Others would have seen it, too. Imagine how awful it would have been for Aaron and his sons to walk around with blood-stained clothing yet behaving like someone who didn't know God.

You see where I'm going with this, don't you?

If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, then you have been sprinkled with His blood for your forgiveness. You can't see the blood with your naked eye, but its visible in the spiritual realm. Question is, are you and I living in such a way that it's evident in the physical realm? In other words, are we consciously aware that we are walking around with the blood of Jesus on us? What difference does it make in our lives? Is it noticeable to others that we have been consecrated/set apart by His blood?

It's not a theoretical question. For Christians, it's literal. It required the literal blood of Jesus to forgive you and me of our sins. When we accept His sacrifice by faith, we're blood-stained.

What difference would it make in your life and mine, if we looked at ourselves with spiritual eyes and saw the sprinkled blood of the Lamb on us every day?

For starters, it sure would bring the joy of His salvation, wouldn't it?

Let's live like we know we've got blood stained clothes on today.

#FindingJoy

#therespowerintheblood

When healing doesn't come, then what?

I’ve been chewing on something since yesterday morning. It’s nothing new, but I can’t help but feel like I’m not the only one that needed the reminder…so I’m just going to say what I want to say and then tell you how I got there.

You and I cannot escape pain.

 Before you quit reading, hear me out.

 All of us know this to be true but we don’t want to admit it or talk about it, and I didn’t hop on here this morning to talk about it either – I don’t want to talk about pain, I want to talk about where we go when we are in the thick of it.

 In John 11, we read the story of two sisters who were grieving the loss of their brother, Lazarus. Keep in mind that these two gals knew Jesus well. They hadn’t just heard about Jesus’ ability to heal; they had witnessed it. They knew that if Jesus had been there, their brother would have lived, plain and simple.

 Talk about a gut punch.

 This is the kind of pain I’m thinking about this morning.

 Martha and Mary knew this pain. They knew Jesus could have changed the outcome. He could have prevented the sickness in the first place. He could have intervened.

 But He didn’t.

 What do we do with that?

 I love this story for so many reasons, but possibly my favorite reason is because of what Martha and Mary did in the middle of their pain.

 They went TO Jesus, not from Jesus.

 Read it for yourself in John 11:1-43. Both women said to Jesus, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” There is a big difference between saying this TO Jesus and saying it about Him. They went directly to Jesus in the midst of their confusion, disappointment and pain. Mary literally fell at His feet weeping. What a heart wrenching scene.

 Maybe you have been there. The healing you prayed for didn’t come and your heart is broken. You are left with confusion and pain because you know, deep down, Jesus could have healed, but He didn’t.

Here’s what I want to say to you – take every ounce of the pain you feel, the disappointment, and the confusion and run straight to Jesus. Something amazing will happens when you do– He feels your pain with you. Don’t ask me to explain it, I can’t. I don’t know how and frankly I don’t know why Jesus enters into our pain, but He does. It’s mind-boggling that Jesus felt the deep pain and sorrow with Martha and Mary when He knew good and well what He was about to do. He easily could have said to them, “Don’t cry! Chin up, Buttercup! I’m about to blow your mind!” But He didn’t. He wept instead. The Greek word for wept in this verse doesn’t mean He had a few tears in His eyes. It means He was demonstratively upset.

 Picture Jesus sobbing.

 God never promised us He would heal every time.

 He did promise that He would be with us.

 You know the ending of the story. Jesus brought life out of death. He still does. One way or another, Jesus will breathe life back into you, if you let Him.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit

I woke up in a good mood. Generally speaking, I usually do. That doesn’t mean I’m in the mood to talk to anyone before I’ve had a few cups of coffee, but that doesn’t mean I’m not in a good mood, just a good and quiet mood like any true introvert would understand. However, this morning something happened that irritated me and my good mood turned sour almost immediately. The more I thought about it, the more irritated I became. I’ve been down this road many times before and it usually ends with me in a slimy pit that takes a lot longer to crawl out of than it did to get in.

Then I came across this -

A familiar scene in the Luke 13:10-14. Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath and He healed a woman and the synagogue leader became “indignant.”

When we read stories like this, we generally sympathize with the person Jesus healed and find it incomprehensible that anyone would be mad at Jesus for healing. Right?

This morning I sensed the Holy Spirit nudging me … this morning my attitude was more like the synagogue leader.

Ouch.

You see, Jesus didn’t push His way into the synagogue that Sabbath morning and force anyone to listen to His teaching. He was there because He had been invited. The synagogue leader opened the door for Jesus to come in and teach but got all shades of mad when Jesus

behaved

like

Jesus.

I have been guilty of this more times than I can count. 
I willingly and sincerely invite Jesus to be the Lord of my life. And yet, there are times when I get all shades of annoyed when Jesus acts like Jesus and tells me to

die to self 
to be kind and gentle 
compassionate in every situation 
and surrender my desire to control.

Just like Jesus. All up in my business. Calling me to think and respond differently.

Calling me to change.

And here's the kicker - empowering me to do so if I CHOOSE to.

As I write this, I am making a conscious decision to choose a different path this morning. I wish I could tell you it’s easy, but it’s taking more effort than I’d care to admit. But, y’all, I’m dead serious about changing the way I think and changing how I respond – I am dead serious about finding joy in every situation. And I know it's only possible if I choose it. The situation may not change, but I sure as heck can change how I choose to respond to it.

Joy sounds a lot better than that slimy pit of frustration I’ve been in before.

I’m grateful for the gift of choice. Aren’t you?

Happy Wednesday, y’all. Choose well.

#FindingJoy
#Choiceisagift
#Choosewell

Focus determines outcome

Happy Tuesday! I am finally getting over an annoying head cold and I’m so grateful! I am such a big baby when I get a cold. I can’t take regular cold medicine because it makes me high. Too much information? Sorry, but it’s so true. I’m such a light-weight I can’t even handle a single dose of Benadryl. But I digress.

Here’s what’s on my mind this morning and I want you to picture me practically hollering it ….

What we focus on will determine our outcome!

Let me use a very familiar passage in Luke 8:22-25 to illustrate this point. Quick recap: the disciples were in a boat, Jesus decided to take a nap, and a storm threatened to drown them.

So – 
The storm was bad = REALITY.
They were in great danger = REALITY.
They might drown = Possibility.

We can't blame the disciples for focusing on the storm. Drowning was a very real possibility and honestly, if we were in their sandals, it’s what we would focus on, too. Storms have a way of engulfing us and so often, we focus only on the possibility of drowning and forget there are other possibilities.

The disciples hollered at Jesus and woke Him up and recounted to Him the only possibility they could see in the moment - "We're going to drown!!" Yep. They very well could have. Drowning was a definitely a possibility. But it wasn't the only possibility.

Jesus sees ALL possibilities. Sure, Jesus saw the storm. It's not like Jesus woke up and said, "What storm? It's not that bad!" Actually, Jesus asked them, "Where is your faith?" In other words, "Did you forget who is in the boat with you? Drowning isn't the only possibility, guys" (my paraphrase, obviously).

I could talk about this for hours but I want to keep it short. Here’s all I want to remind you of today.

Jesus SEES the reality of your circumstance right now. You don’t have to deny your circumstances – the storm you are in may be very, very real and threatening to destroy everything and drown you in the process. Just remember this – Jesus doesn’t just see the reality of your storm - He sees more. There are always possibilities that we can’t see, but He can.

We have a choice. We can focus on the storm and the possibility of drowning OR we can shift our focus to Jesus.

What I’m saying is this: Sure, there may be a storm. That’s reality. But our God is able to create new realities.

Reminds me of the promise in Romans 8:28 – 
We know that in ALL things (all storms, all trials, all persecutions, all heartaches - all means ALL) God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Friend, I have a simple question for you. Do you love Jesus?

If your heart’s cry to that simple question is yes, then let me encourage you to open your mouth and call on Him in the middle of your storm. If you focus on Him, the possibilities are endless, and drowning won't be one of them.

#thereispowerintheNameofJesus
#JesusisWITHyouinthestorm
#ThereareendlesspossibilitiesinJesus
#focusonJesus
#ReadYourBible
#FindingJoy

Got Questions?

What’s the best way to find out a secret?

Ask questions. Lots and lots of questions. If you really want to know something, the best way is to never stop pursuing the answer.

How can you tell the difference between someone who really wants to know the truth from someone who doesn't? Look for the one who's asking the questions and seeking the answers.

In Mark 4, Jesus tells the parable of the sower. If you aren’t familiar with it, I encourage you to read it. It may sound confusing at first. Wanna know something cool? Jesus did that on purpose. In fact, He did it often. Why? So those who really, really, really wanted to know the truth would need to seek it. And guess what, those who sought it, always found it.

After Jesus told the parable, He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” Who were the ones who had hears to hear? We find out in the next verse:

“When He was alone, the Twelve and the others around Him asked about the parables.”

The Twelve (the disciples) AND THE OTHERS. Man, I love that. Jesus always taught His disciples, AND He was willing to teach anyone else that stuck around after the sermon to ask questions.

Check out verse 11:

He told them, “The SECRET (or mystery) of the kingdom of God has been given to you.”

Given to who?? Those who stuck around long enough to ask questions.

Dude.

May I speak boldly? Don’t be discouraged if you have a gazillion questions about the Bible, about faith, or about God.

Questions. Are. Good.

Ask away! But whatever you do, don’t fail to seek the answer after you’ve asked the question. Just remember, the Truth we seek will always be found in Jesus alone. What's the best (and only) way to know what's true? -

Read. Your. Bible.

Let me echo Paul's words in Colossians 2:2-3 -

"My goal is that you will be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that you may have the full riches of understanding, in order that you may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Boom.

The answer to our questions will be found in Jesus Christ. So, let's keep asking questions and let's keep seeking answers.

Man, I love God’s Word.

Happy Monday, y’all!

#FindingJoy
#HappyMonday
#YouCantAskTooManyQuestions
#SeekAndYouWillFind
#ReadYourBible

Can YOU amaze Jesus?

Is it possible to amaze Jesus?

Yep.

The Greek word for marvel or amaze (thaumazō) is used often in the New Testament and most often it's used in the context of how people responded to Jesus. That's probably not a surprise.

But that's not the only time the word is used.

Y'all. There are TWO times that we are told Jesus was amazed.

One is found Mark 6:7 - Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith. #ouch

The other time is in Luke 7:8-9. A centurion sent his friends to ask Jesus to heal his servant. The centurion said, "I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed."
When Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following Him, He said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel."

Jesus was amazed at the centurion. Why? Because he demonstrated great faith. How? By displaying humility and belief.

Humility + Belief = a beautiful display of faith that amazes Jesus.

Honestly, I find it amazing that it's possible for me to amaze the One who continually amazes me! I can either amaze Him by my faith, or amaze Him by my lack of faith. And I get to choose which it will be, and so do you.

Want some JOY in your life? Humble yourself and choose belief. Go ahead, amaze Jesus today.

#AmazetheAmazingOne
#ChooseHumility
#ChooseBelief
#ChooseJoy
#HappyWednesdayYall
#FindingJoy

God's Promises and Your Choice. What's the Connection?

My mind has been running 100mph since 5:30am. For those of you who aren’t morning people, I apologize in advance for the elevated enthusiasm in this post, but if I kept silent this morning the rocks in my flower beds were sure to cry out. I have a fire in my bones this morning, yo.

Here’s something that should kick-start your week off right:
If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ – YOU ARE PROMISED JOY.

I hesitated to write a post that mentions God’s promises because so much of what has been written about God’s promises falls into a category I label “Bunnies and Balloons” and y’all, I’m just not the bunnies and balloons type of girl. So trust me, this ain’t a bunnies and balloons type of post.

See, here’s the gig about many of God’s promises – 
They require our participation.

I realize that’s a loaded statement and I will thoroughly unpack it in “Finding Joy,” the Bible study I’ll teach this September, but this morning, I wanted to share with you just a taste of what I’m dwelling on these days.

Truth: God is a God of promises.
Truth: He is faithful to keep His promises.
Truth: God gives us the gift of CHOICE. We get to choose whether or not we experience His promises.

Straight up – if you and I want to experience JOY – the kind of joy that is promised by God – then you and I have some serious work to do, because this promise from God requires our participation.

Consider Jesus' promise of rest:

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

The simple truth is that we will have rest IF we come to Jesus.

IF.

Guess what? It’s our choice. The promise of rest is a sure thing. Literally it’s there, waiting for us to CHOOSE it, by coming to Jesus.

Jesus is a gentleman. He will never force His will on you.

You GET to choose.

You want rest? Go to Jesus.

Girls, if you ever hear me say anything, hear me say this: Read Your Bible! We desperately need to be in the Word of God so we will know the Word of God for ourselves.

God has promised us so much. The question is, are we participating?

Happy Monday, y’all. Choose well.

#FindingJoy
#ChoiceIsAGift
#GodsPromisesAreSure
#GodIsFaithful
#GodPromisesJoy
#JustSayNoToBunniesAndBalloonsTheology

Just thinking about Spring and greater things yet to come...

Maggie, our *perfect* Goldendoodle, was born in October 2017 and we brought her home in December. It was soooooo cold her first week with us and it snowed a lot. If you know me at all, you know I am NOT a cold-weather kinda gal. (Every single year I tell myself that I'm going to have a better attitude about winter and look for God's beauty in it. I willingly admit to you, not counting the two times I said while it was snowing, "Oh that's pretty", I have failed at it yet again. My attitude is terrible. Sorry. But I digress.) 

I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to get a new puppy in the dead of winter. Puppies need to go outside - A LOT - and every single time I froze to death. It takes me longer to put on my sweater, scarf, coat, gloves, snow boots, and multiple hats, and any other random piece of warm clothing I can manage to get on under my coat than it does for her to do her business outside. I have tried to explain something to her as I'm putting all my layers on - "Maggie - I promise you - it won't always be this way! Someday soon it won't take me 10 minutes to get ready to take you outside. All I will have to do is slip on my Wonder Woman flip flops and we can go outside! Someday soon you will see green leaves and green grass and beautiful colorful flowers! Birds will chirp, the sky will be blue, and it will be WARM! I know you don't believe me. It's hard for you to even imagine it because you've never experienced it...but just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it's not real! You'll see! It WILL happen, I promise!! 

As I was saying this to Maggie for the 100th time, I felt God nudge me and say pretty much the same thing I'd been saying to my puppy. "It won't always be like this. I know that now all you see sometimes is the pain, suffering, heartache and frustrations of this life. You yearn for something more but it's hard for you to imagine it because you've never experienced it. But just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it's any less real." 

There WILL be a day when eternity is not something we only talk about - it will be our reality. It's so hard to imagine it, because just like my dog who has never experienced anything but the cold, will someday experience a beauty and warmth she doesn't even know exists yet. 

I try to remind myself of this truth as often as I can. It won't always be like this. For those of us who know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our eternal summer is coming. Our eyes have not yet seen and our ears have not yet heard all that God has prepared for those who love Him. So we wait. But we wait with hope. And that makes all the difference.