I don't know about you, but if you have school age kids you will understand mornings are often very hard, to wake my kids up is literally like waking the dead at times! When they have to get for school anyway, on Saturday they are commonly awake bright eyed and bushy tailed at day break!
I wonder if God views us this way too...there are signs all around that His coming is well, coming and we seem to be unmoved by it! It reminds of the 10 Virgins in the Bible, 5 were wise, 5 were foolish, the verse says they all slumbered and slept while they waited for the Groom, but at the time of His arrival the 5 wise were ready and had oil in their lamps and went out to meet Him! While the 5 foolish were fumbling around trying to buy more oil to trim their lamps. Humans get too wrapped up in drama and other distractions to focus on the main thing, God is coming back for the wise...He is coming back for a people that has slumbered and slept, but are still watchful of the day He will crack the Eastern sky and call us home!
The Bible also tells us to encourage one another with these words...when we see the signs there needs to be an excitement not a fear of the Rapture...so I wanna encourage you,
Be ready the Lord is coming soon!!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Rocks in your shoes....
There are two types of pearls, natural pearls and cultured pearls….the difference between these two are solely in the process.
A natural pearl is created when a piece of sand slips into the shell of an oyster causing an irritation this irritation continues until a natural pearl is formed. A cultured pearl is created with help, a slit is made in the tissue of the flesh of the oyster and an irritation is inserted thus beginning the process of developing a cultured pearl. Both processes create a pearl..both processes involve an irritation too.
When God is working on us we as humans want to “help” the process along on our own when all God wants us to do is let this process continue naturally…the irritation, frustration or discouragement is allowed by God to perfect these “pearls” in us not to make us quit, if you are struggling with the process don’t quit now something important is happening in you. The key in the formation of the pearl is not the environment, or even the shell, it is all about the piece of sand, it causes the irritation that eventually forms a pearl…God allows the enemy to put these irritations in us that create pearls… When we don’t use this irritation to our benefit we are settling for a spiritual cultured pearl…we have to allow the natural process to occur so we can gain the true pearl God wanted us to have!
Have you ever been on a walk or hike and you get a rock in your shoe? This can hurt really bad until you get it out of your shoe, sometimes it isn’t even super noticeable at first you just kind of feel like something just isn’t right. It is funny because most times it is a tiny rock that has been so bothersome to you! I have this one pair of shoes that I get rocks in my shoes all the time, but you know after a while you can kind of get used to it being there, unless it is a really big rock.
I feel like our walk with God works this way too, we can be walking along and all of the sudden we start dealing with some spiritual rocks, these could be come from another person, from frustration or just plain discouragement… We are walking along feeling great when all of a sudden you are hit with a rock from the enemy, it could be anger, jealousy or just carnality. We tend to want to become angry or frustrated when this happens but what God really wants us to do is save it, learn from it use it to build an altar in our life!!
Deu_27:5 And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.
God was telling them to just use the natural stone to build their altars, God saw altars built with carved or hewed stone as unsacred and unfit to perform sacrifices on! I feel like He thinks the same about our altars when we try to interfere in the building process! We need to let God be God in us!
Look at Naomi she endured the death of her husband her sons and the separation from one of her daughters in law, also she no longer had a name when she returned home. Those are some pretty rough rocks to deal with! But God gave her a sweet daughter in law named Ruth who cared for her so much she was willing to leave everything for her! Ruth was dealing with a lot of stuff herself, the death of her husband, and moving to a new country.
Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
She wanted to take care of Naomi and she took it very seriously she sought out a relative who could take care of them…she married Boaz and had a son. The beauty of all of this is that Boaz became a kinsman redeemer to Naomi this gave her former husband and her a name in their country again, and Ruth was put into the lineage of David and Jesus! They took the big rocks in their shoes and slowly built an altar to God and He honored them both for it!
Ruth 4:14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
Ruth 4:15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
Ruth 4:16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
Ruth 4:17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
There are probably many examples we can think of concerning struggles, but two more I want to mention are Joseph and Job.
Job lost his wealth and children in one day…talk about rocks in your shoes this man had them and really he had every reason to give up…but he used those rocks to build an altar to God, and in the end God restored back to him all that he had lost and then some!!! In this story it seems to me he didn’t have anyone shouting his praises or encouraging him to go on….sometimes we won’t have anyone and that is the way God wants it because we will depend on Him…Just keeping piling up the rocks…keep building!
Joseph was a dreamer, not sure how many of you are dreamers, but I know I am a bit of one and for dreamers Joseph’s story could be scary! He told his brothers and father about his dreams he was having and they mocked him and because of the jealousy of his brothers they sold him into slavery, he went to prison after being false accused….but through all the rocks God gave him favor, He watched over him every step of the way! The altar he built before God led him to be a savior of his family…the dreams he had did come true, God made him a very powerful man!
My point is to make you realize we all have irritations, frustrations, hard times and stuff…rocks as I like to call them, but they are all coming because God is perfecting us, He is wanting us to build an altar with them so we can give ourselves as a living sacrifice…don’t quit God is still working in you, He wants the natural pearls not the cultured ones…but to get them there are going to be rocks and irritations, but trust Him in the process of building up your altar and remember…
The question is what will you do with the rocks you find in your shoes? Will you throw them at someone, will you let them destroy you or will you build an altar with them?
we know that all things work together for good to them that
Rom 8:28 And we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
A natural pearl is created when a piece of sand slips into the shell of an oyster causing an irritation this irritation continues until a natural pearl is formed. A cultured pearl is created with help, a slit is made in the tissue of the flesh of the oyster and an irritation is inserted thus beginning the process of developing a cultured pearl. Both processes create a pearl..both processes involve an irritation too.
When God is working on us we as humans want to “help” the process along on our own when all God wants us to do is let this process continue naturally…the irritation, frustration or discouragement is allowed by God to perfect these “pearls” in us not to make us quit, if you are struggling with the process don’t quit now something important is happening in you. The key in the formation of the pearl is not the environment, or even the shell, it is all about the piece of sand, it causes the irritation that eventually forms a pearl…God allows the enemy to put these irritations in us that create pearls… When we don’t use this irritation to our benefit we are settling for a spiritual cultured pearl…we have to allow the natural process to occur so we can gain the true pearl God wanted us to have!
Have you ever been on a walk or hike and you get a rock in your shoe? This can hurt really bad until you get it out of your shoe, sometimes it isn’t even super noticeable at first you just kind of feel like something just isn’t right. It is funny because most times it is a tiny rock that has been so bothersome to you! I have this one pair of shoes that I get rocks in my shoes all the time, but you know after a while you can kind of get used to it being there, unless it is a really big rock.
I feel like our walk with God works this way too, we can be walking along and all of the sudden we start dealing with some spiritual rocks, these could be come from another person, from frustration or just plain discouragement… We are walking along feeling great when all of a sudden you are hit with a rock from the enemy, it could be anger, jealousy or just carnality. We tend to want to become angry or frustrated when this happens but what God really wants us to do is save it, learn from it use it to build an altar in our life!!
Deu_27:5 And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.
God was telling them to just use the natural stone to build their altars, God saw altars built with carved or hewed stone as unsacred and unfit to perform sacrifices on! I feel like He thinks the same about our altars when we try to interfere in the building process! We need to let God be God in us!
Look at Naomi she endured the death of her husband her sons and the separation from one of her daughters in law, also she no longer had a name when she returned home. Those are some pretty rough rocks to deal with! But God gave her a sweet daughter in law named Ruth who cared for her so much she was willing to leave everything for her! Ruth was dealing with a lot of stuff herself, the death of her husband, and moving to a new country.
Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
She wanted to take care of Naomi and she took it very seriously she sought out a relative who could take care of them…she married Boaz and had a son. The beauty of all of this is that Boaz became a kinsman redeemer to Naomi this gave her former husband and her a name in their country again, and Ruth was put into the lineage of David and Jesus! They took the big rocks in their shoes and slowly built an altar to God and He honored them both for it!
Ruth 4:14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
Ruth 4:15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
Ruth 4:16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
Ruth 4:17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
There are probably many examples we can think of concerning struggles, but two more I want to mention are Joseph and Job.
Job lost his wealth and children in one day…talk about rocks in your shoes this man had them and really he had every reason to give up…but he used those rocks to build an altar to God, and in the end God restored back to him all that he had lost and then some!!! In this story it seems to me he didn’t have anyone shouting his praises or encouraging him to go on….sometimes we won’t have anyone and that is the way God wants it because we will depend on Him…Just keeping piling up the rocks…keep building!
Joseph was a dreamer, not sure how many of you are dreamers, but I know I am a bit of one and for dreamers Joseph’s story could be scary! He told his brothers and father about his dreams he was having and they mocked him and because of the jealousy of his brothers they sold him into slavery, he went to prison after being false accused….but through all the rocks God gave him favor, He watched over him every step of the way! The altar he built before God led him to be a savior of his family…the dreams he had did come true, God made him a very powerful man!
My point is to make you realize we all have irritations, frustrations, hard times and stuff…rocks as I like to call them, but they are all coming because God is perfecting us, He is wanting us to build an altar with them so we can give ourselves as a living sacrifice…don’t quit God is still working in you, He wants the natural pearls not the cultured ones…but to get them there are going to be rocks and irritations, but trust Him in the process of building up your altar and remember…
The question is what will you do with the rocks you find in your shoes? Will you throw them at someone, will you let them destroy you or will you build an altar with them?
we know that all things work together for good to them that
Rom 8:28 And we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
God is in the wind
This year in Alaska we have endured several storms and some down right weird weather! Today I was looking out my window when I started thinking about these storms. In my yard there are limbs and small branches everywhere my mind began to race so here we go...
The Christian walk is filled with storms, some will be earth shaking others will just be mild, but both are still storms and there is a purpose for each. When we go through wind storms in our lives we wonder if it will ever end then when it does we begin looking around wondering why all our "stuff" is lying all over the yards of our lives, we question God, but I need that in my life to fulfill your will, but He just comes back to gently remind us that the word says we need to lay aside those weights that affect us...the branches coming off the trees are God's way of cleaning them up before Spring so there will be room for the new buds ready to pop through just as soon as it warms up! We are no different than those trees the collection of stuff that clung to us during our Winter season is affecting our walk with God, it gets in the way of our sensitivity to the Spirit of God, so we have to be shaken in the storms to rid us of those weights..our Spring is coming the weather is going to get warmer and God is going to bring life to the things we thought were dead. If you are facing a strong wind in your life just hold on, sit still and let the branches fall trust He is doing a good work in you and remember He is in the Wind!!!
The Christian walk is filled with storms, some will be earth shaking others will just be mild, but both are still storms and there is a purpose for each. When we go through wind storms in our lives we wonder if it will ever end then when it does we begin looking around wondering why all our "stuff" is lying all over the yards of our lives, we question God, but I need that in my life to fulfill your will, but He just comes back to gently remind us that the word says we need to lay aside those weights that affect us...the branches coming off the trees are God's way of cleaning them up before Spring so there will be room for the new buds ready to pop through just as soon as it warms up! We are no different than those trees the collection of stuff that clung to us during our Winter season is affecting our walk with God, it gets in the way of our sensitivity to the Spirit of God, so we have to be shaken in the storms to rid us of those weights..our Spring is coming the weather is going to get warmer and God is going to bring life to the things we thought were dead. If you are facing a strong wind in your life just hold on, sit still and let the branches fall trust He is doing a good work in you and remember He is in the Wind!!!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Most Likely to Succeed...
I was never the girl everyone went crazy over...attention was limited, never fit in with the popular crowd, was never voted best looking, or most likely to succeed...I am constantly after myself about my extra weight that has been around since my last pregnancy...ummm that was 9 years ago!
It has been said that I am "odd" looking...my skin is not super great, never has been.
But, you know what God rejoiced the day I was born, He rejoiced the day you were born! He knew us before we were us...I was made in His image...I am a friend of God..I am a daughter of the King, my Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills.. honestly, it only really matters what my God thinks about me..I am beautiful in His sight...and one glorious day, soon I will see His face and forever worship Him around the throne!!
If that isn't most likely to succeed, I don't know what is!!!!!
It has been said that I am "odd" looking...my skin is not super great, never has been.
But, you know what God rejoiced the day I was born, He rejoiced the day you were born! He knew us before we were us...I was made in His image...I am a friend of God..I am a daughter of the King, my Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills.. honestly, it only really matters what my God thinks about me..I am beautiful in His sight...and one glorious day, soon I will see His face and forever worship Him around the throne!!
If that isn't most likely to succeed, I don't know what is!!!!!
Monday, March 7, 2011
picture this...
Imagine yourself being in a valley...all around you is dryness, dust and dirt...there are cracks in the ground from lack of water...there is no life to speak of either...just a bunch of scattered bones....dried out dead bones...Imagine how Ezekiel felt...I kinda laugh to myself when I think about it, not because I have no faith, just thinking how awesome it would have been to see life come to that valley again!
When it seems like all you see when you look around is dry, deadness...I'm talking about dead ministries, the future that used to look so bright has dimmed and is fading away...dryness of the spirit can kill a Christian! God amazes me, I love to watch Him breathe life back into that ministry, renewing that spark, it feels even better to have God do it for you, to experience that life again! I love to imagine being Ezekiel, my Pastor spoke of this valley yesterday, and I found myself imagining I was there...seeing the bones coming together and standing there in line, but still not moving...there was no life.. But when the prophet spoke the word the life came again...now even greater still is imagining being those bodies that were put together, do you think they knew what had happened?
I'm so thankful for the times in my life God has done that for me, He used a prophet to speak life into my spirit, now I wanna do the same for you...God has not left your situation, He sees the dryness whether it be from sickness, sadness, fear or just plain desires not being fulfilled...He sees it all...over time those bones decayed and became dry bones...the same thing happens to Christians they let time slip away or it just does until the dryness consumes them...but God won't let you stay that way if you ask, He will bring the pieces all back together....the sinew, the flesh, it all be back where it belongs in His time...the healing will come, that revival will come...the joy will come back, just wait and see...the moisture of God's presence will fill that place again! He amazed Ezekiel with the works He performed and He will do the same for you!!
Love ya my friends!
When it seems like all you see when you look around is dry, deadness...I'm talking about dead ministries, the future that used to look so bright has dimmed and is fading away...dryness of the spirit can kill a Christian! God amazes me, I love to watch Him breathe life back into that ministry, renewing that spark, it feels even better to have God do it for you, to experience that life again! I love to imagine being Ezekiel, my Pastor spoke of this valley yesterday, and I found myself imagining I was there...seeing the bones coming together and standing there in line, but still not moving...there was no life.. But when the prophet spoke the word the life came again...now even greater still is imagining being those bodies that were put together, do you think they knew what had happened?
I'm so thankful for the times in my life God has done that for me, He used a prophet to speak life into my spirit, now I wanna do the same for you...God has not left your situation, He sees the dryness whether it be from sickness, sadness, fear or just plain desires not being fulfilled...He sees it all...over time those bones decayed and became dry bones...the same thing happens to Christians they let time slip away or it just does until the dryness consumes them...but God won't let you stay that way if you ask, He will bring the pieces all back together....the sinew, the flesh, it all be back where it belongs in His time...the healing will come, that revival will come...the joy will come back, just wait and see...the moisture of God's presence will fill that place again! He amazed Ezekiel with the works He performed and He will do the same for you!!
Love ya my friends!
Monday, February 7, 2011
You will be changed!
I was thinking when I woke up this morning about trials...not because I am going through one, but because many of my friends are!
In church yesterday a dear sister sang a song called, "The Potter knows the clay," very good song, loved the words to it....it brought the question to my mind, does the Potter really know the clay? Then my pastor got up and said that it has been said that Master potters take a lot of time looking for that right piece of clay to make their next creation, guess that answered my questions...God does know the clay, he does know us, He knows what heat it will take to get us where we need to be! Some of the trials we face we feel like we are splitting in two, and no one understands where you are or where you are going...you know I believe that is true to a point, God understands, but unless a person has walked through what you are they really don't understand, trials are a very lonely time in your walk with God.
Another thing I was thinking about is landscape....when an avalanche, tornado, or hurricane come through an area that place is forever changed, the buildings may get rebuilt, but the landscape never looks the same..when trials move through our lives our "landscape" will never be the same again, we are forever changed! When we lived in Florida Hurricane Opal came through the panhandle, when the destruction was finished the place looked like a war zone! The beautiful white sand dunes that were once there were gone, oh sure they are probably built back up now, but the landscape was forever changed...
The changes that are brought about in our lives because of trials are for our good and the good of others, they aren't just for you...they work patience, not for you, but for those around us, so we can have the patience we need to be there for them!
If you are going through the storm look up, be encouraged, sit at the Master potters feet, stay on the wheel and let that beautiful work be completed in you! You will be amazed at the changes God brings in your landscape!
In church yesterday a dear sister sang a song called, "The Potter knows the clay," very good song, loved the words to it....it brought the question to my mind, does the Potter really know the clay? Then my pastor got up and said that it has been said that Master potters take a lot of time looking for that right piece of clay to make their next creation, guess that answered my questions...God does know the clay, he does know us, He knows what heat it will take to get us where we need to be! Some of the trials we face we feel like we are splitting in two, and no one understands where you are or where you are going...you know I believe that is true to a point, God understands, but unless a person has walked through what you are they really don't understand, trials are a very lonely time in your walk with God.
Another thing I was thinking about is landscape....when an avalanche, tornado, or hurricane come through an area that place is forever changed, the buildings may get rebuilt, but the landscape never looks the same..when trials move through our lives our "landscape" will never be the same again, we are forever changed! When we lived in Florida Hurricane Opal came through the panhandle, when the destruction was finished the place looked like a war zone! The beautiful white sand dunes that were once there were gone, oh sure they are probably built back up now, but the landscape was forever changed...
The changes that are brought about in our lives because of trials are for our good and the good of others, they aren't just for you...they work patience, not for you, but for those around us, so we can have the patience we need to be there for them!
If you are going through the storm look up, be encouraged, sit at the Master potters feet, stay on the wheel and let that beautiful work be completed in you! You will be amazed at the changes God brings in your landscape!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Why are you afraid?
Fear is the number one thing that stops us from fulfilling the God called purpose in our life! Whether it be fear of failure, fear of success, not wanting people to see us, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves, etc...but the thing is when we are walking in God's will we really only draw attention to Him, not ourselves!
And He said unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Matthew 8:26
In Matthew when they called on Jesus because of the storm, he was not upset with them because they disturbed His sleep, but because they were fearful and focused on their circumstances not on the answer! Jesus is the answer to everything! He wants us to come to Him with faith and trust that it is all in His hands...not fearful of what may happen if we step out into our calling. When Jesus rebuked the wind and sea there came a great calm, that same great calm will come into your life when you are where He wants you to be...you too will have peace!
Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.
Proverbs 15:16
I like this verse...just come to God with what you have, little is much with God, give Him your life, your talents, your gifts and He will make it great, not you, but your ministries!
I just want to encourage you to step out in faith, don't fear and God will use you to change your world!
I love y'all...
And He said unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Matthew 8:26
In Matthew when they called on Jesus because of the storm, he was not upset with them because they disturbed His sleep, but because they were fearful and focused on their circumstances not on the answer! Jesus is the answer to everything! He wants us to come to Him with faith and trust that it is all in His hands...not fearful of what may happen if we step out into our calling. When Jesus rebuked the wind and sea there came a great calm, that same great calm will come into your life when you are where He wants you to be...you too will have peace!
Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.
Proverbs 15:16
I like this verse...just come to God with what you have, little is much with God, give Him your life, your talents, your gifts and He will make it great, not you, but your ministries!
I just want to encourage you to step out in faith, don't fear and God will use you to change your world!
I love y'all...
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