On the Good Side of Goodwill...

Do you ever feel like – God is against you?

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Luke 2:14

I lived for years as if the Lord Jesus wasn’t for me. I did. I had this undercurrent of thought that God was against me. This untruth was seated at the core of my being and although it was a lie of the enemy, it was how I genuinely felt. And believed. It was just like a little black cloud that followed me, even when everything in God’s Word told me otherwise.

Have you ever felt that way?

There may be a myriad of reasons why we succumb to believing that God isn’t really for us. Maybe we simply don’t know God’s Word for ourselves or know it and don’t believe it is true. I mean, really. Maybe we simply don’t feel good or worthy enough. Maybe we don’t have a deep interaction with the Holy Spirit Who assures us of Jesus’ love. Whatever the root, it is a lie from the pit of hell.

So, read again the angel’s proclamation quoted above and be reminded that Jesus’ coming is good news. He is FOR you. Nope, you and I are not good or worthy enough and never will be. Yet, Jesus came to rescue our broken and battered lives. He came to take the bad and make it His wondrously good. He is always for you even when you aren’t for Him and nothing will ever change that.

So, be encouraged this Christmas season. Tell the enemy’s thoughts in your mind to take a hike in the Name of Jesus. Dig into God’s Word and let it saturate your soul till any black clouds have no room to germinate. And then live in His extravagant peace and goodwill in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Because that His heart toward you.

At the Start of the Week...

At the start of this week…

If your kids are whining, your workmates are irritating, and the neighbors won't mow their lawn, it is probably a sign your soul is running on empty! It is time to get filled up, saturated, and doused in the Holy Spirit. Get alone with the Lord and His Word, rest in His presence, and get fueled up to greet the week ahead.
Psalm 63:1-2

If you feel burnt out, stressed out, or wiped out – again, it is time to return to the living waters of the Holy Spirit. Are you unsure about His work in you? It is time to spend some time getting to know Who He is. Take a look at the Gospel of John, Chapters 14, 15, and 16. Don’t remain a desert when you can become an oasis.

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything!
1 John 4:4

The Most wonderful Time of the Year...

Okay, yesterday was Black Friday, the official start of the Christmas season...

"For unto us a Child is born...”
Isaiah 9:6

And I for one, could not be happier. The Christmas season IS the most wonderful time of year. Along with spring, summer, and fall. No joke. When I started living a lot more for Jesus and a lot less for myself, every day of life has become a wonderland.

Nope, it wasn’t always this way for me. Even though I truly loved the Lord ardently and was serving in full-time, pastoral ministry. I was a hot mess of distracting thoughts, living in lies I believed about myself, a little enamored with the world’s way of doing life, not too mention a few strongholds in my soul that hindered living life joyfully. At one point I began to even dread rolling out of the bed each morning.

That all changed not too many years ago when I began living life surrendered --I mean really surrendered. When the sweet Holy Spirit wooed me to live hands off with an utter abandonment of my dreams, my hopes, my way of doing and wanting things to the Son who was given at Christmas. Now every day is an adventure – a wonderland filled with His goodness -- even when circumstances seem difficult. And there is life. And inexpressible joy. Yep, surrender can still be a struggle sometimes, but anything less – is just that -- less.

So, I love Christmas. I love every day. Because I, who once lived in despair, now have every reason to wake up each new day and watch His wonder unfold.

I Know Him (even if not very well, yet)...

“You know Me, Sue...”

"For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day."
2 Timothy 1:12

I know that I don’t have the corner in knowing the Creator of the Universe, however – I DO know Him. This One, who healed me of terminal Stage 4 Cancer, this One who has rescued each of our children, this One who has come through financially for us for too many years to count, this One who delivered me from the addictions of fantasy and an eating disorder, This One who released me from depression some years ago. I know Him. I have been a student of His Word for many years. I feel His presence and I am comfortable watching the Holy Spirit at work.

I may not know Him well, nevertheless, I do know Him.

Yet, a few weeks ago when I got some unexpected, not so pleasant news, I felt fear rise. Yet Jesus said to me – in His still small voice that can whisper in my soul, yet stop the raging storms of hell, “You know Me, Sue.”

That is all He had to say. I am waiting, trusting, and I am confident that He holds this unfinished business of ours in His mighty hands. I know Him and He is all I need to know.

Do you need a reminder that you know Him, too? A reminder that He has never failed you? Remember Who you know and walk in His pure joy, no matter what you are currently facing.

He’s got it and He’s got you.

Feel free to share...

At the Start of this Thanksgiving Week...

At the start of this week of Thanksgiving...

Should you find your sink is backed up, your checking account choked up, or the fulfillment of your life’s dreams seems to be distant and diminishing, this is the time to count your blessings. This also might be the time to get your priorities in place. Who is number one in your life? Is it yourself or the Savior who pursues your heart? Have you been depending on your ingenuity or relying on the boundless resources of the One who created you?

Should you find your home improvement project stymied once again, your family relationships frayed, or your work situation anything but desirable, it is time to lean into the Good Shepherd. Let King Jesus, shepherd your torn and weary heart with His healing touch. Let His Word be the ointment that heals your soul. Then and only then, obey what He tells you to do in each of these areas of life and watch for His wonder.

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything!
1 John 4:4

Feel free to share...

Join Him in the Dance...

Did you know?

“The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;                                                   He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love;                                      He will rejoice over you with singing.”    Zephaniah 3:17

Did you know that the word “rejoice” in this passage means to dance, to twirl, to be exultant, to rejoice? Now read this in the context of the passage: Your God dances over – YOU!

I don’t think we often think of our Lord doing this over our lives – about our lives. He sees us as we are, frail, broken, wicked, and selfish – I mean, let’s get real here -- and yet He rejoices over us completely with full acceptance of the dust that we are. He sees us as we are, yet knows where He wants to take us.

Did you live under a cloud of feeling less than today? I did for a few hours. And you know what? This cloud was from the pit. I know better. I know His Word better. And truthfully, I know Lord Jesus better than these lying thoughts. I cast that cloud down asap and promptly I was reminded by the Holy Spirit of the passage above.

Our God dances over us—over me and over you. Let’s revel in this truth, turn our hearts to Him and let Him have the final say about how He thinks and feels toward us. Then, let’s join Him in the dance.

Into His Courts...

Do you desire to live in more of His presence?

“Serve the LORD with gladness; 
Come before His presence with singing.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, 
And into His courts with praise. 
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”
Psalm 100:2,4

These words reveal the gateway to experiencing the continual presence of God in our lives. No, not just in theory, but the actual, felt presence of the Creator Who loves us and gave His life for us.

“The avenue of sustained inflow of divine power to man was to be kept open by the sustained outflow of joyous and humble praise to his Maker,” Pastor Jack Hayford writes. The simple act of continual gratefulness positions our hearts to receive from Jesus and serves to annihilate the workings of our adversary, the devil.

Thankfulness binds self-pity and self-absorption that would cause us to keep our eyes and hearts fixed on our circumstances instead of the Almighty who can alter the dilemmas in which we find ourselves. Genuine, authentic praise from our lips opens heavens realms to pour down the reign of the Holy Spirit. Truly, God inhabits the praises of His people.

Yet, we don’t praise to get. We worship because He is worthy. He alone must be the focus of all our adoration. Let’s begin His acclaim right now and come into His courts with joyful hearts.

Shield of Faith...

Nobody can do it for us – we have to carry our own shield...

"…above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one."
Ephesians 6:16 

Faith is a growing process for sure, but there are two paths to greater belief the Scriptures speak of…

One: Know His Word inside-out-and-backward. His Holy Spirit breathed Word ignites the flame of faith in our soul and spirit like nothing else can. We need to endeavour to be soaked, drenched, and saturated in the Word for ourselves; without guilt and with a new translation!

Two: Know the Author of the Bible inside-out-and-backward. It is hard to trust someone you don’t know personally. Find yourself in His
presence alone, under the shadow of His wings, as often as possible.
 
At the end of the day, let this piece of our armor – the shield of faith in Him – be the one we lift high and effortlessly.

The devil’s darts will drop to the ground.

Feel free to share...
____________

Teeter-Totter...

Tell me. Which end of the teeter-totter do you sit on?

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
2 Timothy 1:12

Some of us are content with the pure emotion of loving and experiencing our One and Only Lord. We love being enveloped in His embrace, His presence in a worship service, or being overwhelmed with His wondrous joy. For others of us, all that matters is that everything be tested, tried, and known true by the Scriptures. We are concerned that emotion tends to be fleshly or devilish and is more of a snare than a blessing in a believer’s life.

Let’s sit in the center on this teeter-totter with Paul. A student of God’s Word, he knew it backward and forward; upside-down and right-side up. Paul experienced the love of God shed lavishly in his heart in the Spirit’s power. He couldn’t have suffered for the gospel with such abandon if he hadn’t known the Savior, oh so personally. And yet, the power of God’s Word trumped his emotions when circumstances were out of control.

Are you a student? Are you a lover? With Jesus we gotta be both.

Perfect Peace...

This morning, I heard the Lord whisper...

"You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You."
Isaiah 26:3

Driving into work, I pondered the fact that this is how to bring every thought captive to Christ. Like Paul encourages us to do in 2 Corinthians 10:5, we must keep our mind centered on the Lord Jesus throughout the day and trust Him with every aspect of our life.

Do I want to be critical or happy?
Do I want to complain or dance on the mountaintops?
Do I want to be sorry for myself or overflow with gratefulness?
Do I want to be Debbie Downer or Abundant-Life Annie?

What type of person – ahem – or Christian do I want to be??

Well, about an hour after arriving at work, my peace and happiness were challenged. You know what? With the Holy Spirit’s power, I determined to let nothing rob me of my great day. As I thought about the Lord, I was kept in His peace. His perfect peace. It wasn't even a struggle.

The promises of God are amazing...

Together...

Feeling alone or lonely? You shouldn’t....

"But God, who is rich in mercy, 
because of His great love with which He loved us...
made us alive together with Christ... 
and raised us up together, 
and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,"
Ephesians 2:4-6

Here in these three remarkable verses, we find three present-tense “together with Christ” statements:

We are alive together with Him
Raised up together
And we sit together

All because of His love beyond reason, and His meticulous sacrifice to redeem us from our sin and ourselves, we are never alone. We are together in Him.

But do we always live like this? Do we live lives hidden in the Lord Jesus? I for one sure didn’t for many years even though I was a church-going believer. We can still love and worship Him, yet live so contrary to His ways by doing...what we want to do.

These three “together” truths get me. I mean, they really sober and excite me at the same time. I don’t want to live for myself any longer or dream selfish, small dreams. This means living life with an eternal perspective that what I do matters, what I speak in His name has authority to unseat hell, and that I am His emissary here on earth until He takes me home.

So, let’s invite King Jesus to teach us what it means to be together with Him in every aspect of our lives and start living out these amazing statements.

At the Start of This Week...

At the start of this week...

As the day’s news grows darker, and the world seems to be coming apart at the seams, well, Jesus told us it would be so. It is time to let our light in Him shine brighter, our joy in the Holy Spirit grow stronger, and our faith be greater than anything the enemy can throw at us. Let’s look up! Our redemption draws near.
Luke 21:28

If your own personal news seems bleak, your family is fractured, or your job seems in peril, remember the One who holds your breath in His hands and owns all your ways. Surrender completely to Him. Everything. Every dream, every selfish desire, your today, and your tomorrow. He Who knows you best loves you most and the Lord is oh so able to take care of all that concerns you.
Daniel 5:23

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything! 
1 John 4:4

Thinking of You...

You are the apple of His eye…

"Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings."
Psalm 17:8

Did you know, did you realize, that God Almighty only ever thinks about YOU? His Word tells us He only thinks loving, kind, respectful, cherishing, exquisitely lovely, good, purposeful thoughts about you constantly. His thoughts of you in any given moment outnumber the grains of sand on the seashore.

You are the apple of His eye. Quite literally, you are the pupil of His eye. You know, the black dot in the middle? In other words, He only sees you as a lover only sees the object of His affection.

If you have cause to doubt this ageless truth in this moment, well, it is time to get back to His Word. His unfailing, Truth-filled Word. It is time to carve a niche of your life to be alone with King Jesus the Living Word. He wants to remind you that you are everything to Him.

Because you, dear one, are all He sees.

Double Back...

Jesus wants to bestow double-back what has been taken from you by your adversary...

"Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours."  Isaiah 61:7

Where the devil has sown fear into someone’s life – crippling them for years on end – when the enemy’s lies are exposed to King Jesus; how often the Lord turns this person into a mighty and courageous warrior.

When an individual has known great shame, even from the womb, when Jesus is invited to break these lies of worthlessness, He then transforms them into someone who knows their standing in heavenly places.

On and on this goes. So, what might be troubling you?

Let Him have it. Give up control. Don’t be afraid to be healed and delivered. Jesus will be gentle with you, but ruthless to Satan. You will be in good hands and He will not fail you.

Lean and Mean...

I want to live lean for Jesus...

"... let us strip off every weight that slows us down, 
especially the sin that so easily trips us up. 
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus...”
Hebrews 12:1b-2a

This was a go-to verse when I was entrenched in strongholds, sin, and stuff. Not to say that I now have my life together – that will be a lifelong work of the Holy Spirit in me – but most definitely, King Jesus has released me from the chains that once kept me oh so defeated.

Now, I want to live lean from all the periphery pursuits that, well, are honestly a waste of time. Yes, we need relaxation, recreation, and creative outlets. However, walking in the Spirit far exceeds all these things. Again, I don’t have this completely down. I am most definitely a work in progress. But when I live full of His presence and His Word, that is exhilaration and restoration enough. I haven’t had to choose not to pursue things I once did, they have pretty much just fallen to the wayside without me even trying.

Yeah, I wanna live lean and mean (against the enemy, not people). I want to live on purpose and on assignment, keeping my eyes upon Him alone with as little encumbrance and hindrance as is possible.

At the Start of This Week...

At the start of this week…

If you should be bearing a load of guilt and you have confessed your sin or failing to the Lord, yet you still seem overcome with remorse. Remember! His sacrifice was given once and for all! You are forgiven! Don’t let the enemy lie to you. Go and sin no more in His power.
1 John 1:9

Should you be confused about a situation you are finding yourself in, well, God is not the author of any confusion. Take some time with the Lord Jesus, quiet your heart and mind, and open His written Word. He will guide you out of your confusion into His peace. 
1 Corinthians 14:33

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything! 
1 John 4:4

You Are Mine...

Right now, fires are raging near our church building...

“I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, 
I will be with you;
And through the rivers,
They shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire,
You shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the Lord, your God.”
Isaiah 43:1-3

Several of our church families have been told to evacuate their homes. Their beloved abodes where they have been raising children, making multitudes of memories, getting their souls healed up, and building marriages in the love of Jesus.

Are they concerned? Yes, most definitely. The fire has been in sight for the past two days. The air quality is so poor that many have left their homes already for cleaner skies. Nevertheless, they are in good spirits. As one mom told me, “We always have Jesus and He is always enough. He is walking us through this fire.”

Doesn’t it seem like stuff is accelerating? You know. Non-stop major happenings? We need to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit in all His supernatural giftings and kick any remnant of fear to the curb. I don’t think we have time to play around anymore or just let wasted days go by. God is on the move as hell seems to be bearing down.

But, He is greater still. What comfort. What power. He is with us every step of the way and He tells us we are His own.

Our Safe Place...

The world is certainly not a safe place anymore...

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
John 16:33

Has this planet ever been safe? No, not really.

Ever since Adam and Eve handed over their God-given dominion of earth to the slithering serpent of evil, this planet has never been safe. The things that we often attribute to God are not His doing and were never part of His original plan. The Lord of Love Beyond Reason has been telling us this in His Word for multitude millennia, but I am not sure we have always clearly listened.

Jesus tells us plainly that the adversary of our souls rules this planet, but those who believe – those who stake their lives on the Savior’s shed bled, immediately become residents of His Kingdom of Love (Col 1:13). Does this mean we escape earth’s suffering? Hardly. However, it does mean we can live in, live through, and live over and above life’s hardships because we have the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead living inside of us. His miracles take place daily.

All this to say, it is not a time to run for cover in fear, instead, let’s fearlessly love everyone, even our enemies, share our faith like lives depend upon it, and no longer live for our own comfort. Because you know what? Jesus has already won the war and we will always be safe in Him.

At the Start of This Week...

At the start of this week...

If you should lose your kid’s homework, lose his or her new jacket, or should you seemingly lose your kid to addictions or behaviors that are robbing them of life, remember it is never too late. It is never too late to get on your knees and ask God for His battle plan for their lives. Yes, ask Him for His plan and not yours. Take it from one who has fought these battles and seen the Lord come through time and again. Jesus did it all, in His timing, and His outcomes – all glorious by the way. Remember, the battle is against the enemy of their souls and not the child himself. And the enemy is defeated in Jesus’ Name.

Should the dog bark all night, a neighbor’s car alarm keeps going off for no reason, or it is simply that the world seems to be falling apart that is robbing you of peace, head to the shelter of Jesus’ wings. This is the only place where true calm, quiet, and well-being for your soul can be found. Let Him do the heavy lifting of worry or distress because you were never meant to carry these burdens!

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything! 
1 John 4:4

Dirty Dishes...

For years I would beat myself up over everything I did...

“Why did I say that? Why did I do that? Why did I blow it, again!!”

After years of these tormenting thoughts, the Lord gave me a picture:

I saw a table stacked with dirty, yucky, caked-on-food dishes that were piled high as if someone had left a huge mess on a dining room table. From out of nowhere, I saw the white-robed arm of the Lord swiping those dishes off the table until all that remained was the clean, white, linen tablecloth underneath – pure and pristine.

These dirty dishes, all piled up, plate-upon-plate, useless and dirty, represented every negative thought about myself. In one fell swoop, Jesus told me I was never to think that way again.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

Occasionally, when these thoughts try to return, I see His arm making a clean slate of the table of my mind. I know these thoughts are not from Him – I know I don’t want them! I simply don’t receive or give them a place to taunt me anymore. I am new; I am free. You can be too.