His Rain Falls When We Prepare Our Hearts

 I want to talk about those times when we lead or participate in a praise and worship service in which we feel that God's presence just didn't move. We compare one service to another or one season to another and find ourselves playing the blame game: Yup it was that out of tune guitar, those loud drums, the tired vocalists, and definitely those new songs. It's easy sometimes for us to concoct some crazy-wild explanation for something so simple. I've even found myself saying, "Lord, why? These people needed You to show up...I was dying for You to show up." I don't know if any of you can relate but this is a horrible feeling. You come home and think that you just wasted your time and even worse that you just wasted God's time and probably made Him tear up a bit from how awful that whole service turned out. I've been there and it's because I've been there that I've sought out my Lord's council. I love how he speaks into my heart so clearly. There are specific moments when I've just felt God laugh and I'm pretty sure when I've talked to Him about these things He's been just balling out, shaking His head, ready to just cradle me because the answer is so simple.

*~*~*

(Song of Solomon 1:6) 

Do not stare at me because I am dark,

    because I am darkened by the sun.

My mother’s sons were angry with me

    and made me take care of the vineyards;

    my own vineyard I had to neglect.

(Song of Solomon 2:10)

My beloved spoke and said to me,
    “Arise, my darling,
    my beautiful one, come with me.

*~*~*

What The Lord revealed to me was that we, His children, are the ones who carry His presence and He confirmed this with His Word that says that we are the Temple of The Holy Spirit, His church. We're suppose to be putting the "C', "H", "U", "R", "C", "H" in "church". The only way to do this is through our relationship with God. He is always able to move but we also have the calling to release what He has freely given us. His Spirit is waiting to be releases but if we don't feed our spirit's how can we accomplish this? It's about talking to our Father because His Holy Spirit is with us and longs to be upon all of us, it's about getting into His Word for a fresh and new revelation, and it's about intimate prayer and worship behind closed doors when no one is looking. God is tired of His unfaithful bride who is ravished by many lovers. In Jeremiah 3 The Lord tells His people that "the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen" because of their unfaithfulness. God uses the words prostitution and unfaithfulness to describe our desire to seek another's council and even our own;He refers to anything that occupies the first place in our hearts. 

*~*~*

(Jeremiah 2:13)

“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
    the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

*~*~*

Do we not do this today? We lean on our own past understanding and at some point stop overflowing because we've traded fountains. We think we can survive with what we know but those moments are when we need The Lord the most. Only He can see a heart naked as it is. When He says He wants a worshiper in spirit and in truth, this is what He's referring to. He longs for His worshiper to lay beside Him and hear His heartbeat and the only way for us to do this is to cultivate that relationship. Sometimes we reach moments where we hide our faces from The Lord and sink back. He's calling out. Talk to Him. He just wants to talk to us. He just wants to love us. Our wells can't hold water but His can. He doesn't want us to struggle or get frustrated anymore. When you prepare your heart's garden He will walk in and spend time with you. Because you know Him He will listen and because He knows You His Spirit will be upon you ready to be released.

*~*~*

(Psalm 132:7-8)

“Let us go to his dwelling place,
    let us worship at his footstool, saying,
 ‘Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.

//We are that resting place that 

The Holy Spirit longs to dwell in.//

*~*~*

 "Learn to steward God's presence in stillness, not just in corporate worship." 

                                                                                           

                                                                                            —Steffany Gretzinger

When we do this through intimate time with The Lord our services and corporate gatherings will be in continuous overflow. His signs and wonders will be there. The fullness of His Spirit is the key and that key can only be given to us through spirit taught knowledge that comes from the secret place. My secret place sometimes looks like a locked room with soft Bethel or Ihop music playing in the background, or a locked bathroom with me kneeling at the foot of the tub, a car ride, or gardening time outside. The one thing that all these locations have in common is that I am alone with God in order to seek Him. You don't need anything fancy just a place where you can cultivate that relationship with God behind closed doors so that when you do life in the open you will be walking in the fullness of His Spirit and that rain will fall no matter where you find yourself.

Random Snippets: Preparation, Fire, Love

“If we want to be transformed we first need to be informed and to be informed we need to be instructed.”

             —Kris Vallotton

We all must go through stages and seasons of preparation because without learning periods we would be walking through life thinking that ignorance is bliss. I am the first to stop right there and admit that it is abso-tu-ta-lutely not. It's scary and frustrating when we don't know what to do and when we don't have the answers. It's like trying to put together a brand new desk by looking at a picture because we're too lazy to read and follow the instructions step-by-step. Guys, girls, friends nobody on this earth taught us to enjoy the preparation because our human and carnal nature just wants to survive and live life by jumping through hoop after hoop. I've learned to enjoy the calm seasons and the wacky-out-a-control seasons also. For a while it's like we're either in a desert with no one around to support  or befriend us, or like everything is getting too hectic to stand. In particular, I want to address the seasons of solitude. Us and God and nobody else (so it seems). Literally, it's like where have all the Christians gone? It's a season of preparation. I asked God a while back what was going on with this and why I felt this way and He simply answered by giving me this image in my mind: I was a Porcelain Doll inside of a wooden hutch with glass doors, protected and hidden. I asked The Lord what this meant and I just felt Him say, "You're that doll and right now that is exactly how I have you because when it's time for you to move I'll take you out but until then I'm protecting you because I'm going to teach you during this period of time." Preparation. Enjoy the learning process and take close notes because you will need them later on for what God has begun to do with you.

Someone once said that my generation had fire but no foundation. Well that was my spiritual cue to get even more fired up. You see the events and the retreats are great but they flame out while true passion for God just cannot because it only takes one taste of His water to never thirst again. I will continue my preparation but at the same time I know God is using me to lay down the foundation for His temple. That temple is every one of us because the Word of God tells us that our bodies are the Temple of The Holy Spirit. We are The temple. The hardest thing is to start up a fire but once you get it really going there's no stopping it. The first song I actually sang in church when I was little was, 

///Oh this little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine///

*~*~*

///Don't let Satan blow it out

No, I'm gonna let it shine///

*~*~*

///Let it shine///

If the fire is already there then now all I've got to do is fan it so that it can't be blown out. God is using you and I to lay down the foundation in the hearts of His children. We're going to bridge the generation gaps. My generation will not only have the fire (which is *extremely important) but also the foundation that is God's Word. When someone is in love though, nobody has to make them do anything because they will do it out of love. That's also what I've been called to do. I'm like the wing-woman, the third wheel bestie, the match-maker. I'm that vehicle that God uses to lead others to Him, to encounter Him, and He does the rest. He does the wooing and the candle-lighting. To accomplish this we need to let The Holy Spirit prepare us and mold us. If getting into God's word is hard for you then don't ask God to help you like reading ask Him to make you fall more and more in love with Him. Because love is what God is all about and that's what our worship to Him is born from. Love is like a burning flame that cannot be easily put out.

(Song of Solomon 8:6-7) 

Place me like a seal over your heart,

like a seal on your arm; 

for love is as strong as death,

    its jealousy unyielding as the grave.

It burns like blazing fire,

    like a mighty flame.

⁷ 

Many waters cannot quench love;

    rivers cannot sweep it away.

If one were to give

    all the wealth of one’s house for love,

    it would be utterly scorned.

Some questions for you:

Do you have someone who mentors you?

Who can you be an example for?

Is it enjoyable for you to get into God's word?

Has God been revealing His heart to and for you on a deeper level?

Does your Worship (intimate and congregational) reflect Solomon's 8:6-7 verse?

What questions do you have?...

The Gentle Whisper

(1 Kings 19:11-13) 

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

*~*~*~*~*

Sometimes I wonder, "God is this you talking to me? Is it really you?" The Lord has been showing me exactly what He sounds like. His voice isn't of confusion, of a big commotion, of violent storms, of furious ramblings...it's a gentle whisper. Shhhh...So gentle that your heart and mind have to be silent to hear it. In Spanish we call it a "susurro". I love that word, I connect with that word. You see, God has never been vindictive nor rough-hearted with me. He's been nothing short of loving, merciful, patient, and gentle to the touch. Why on His green earth would His voice, the very breath that gave me life, be any different? The enemy comes to try and plant so much confusion that He actually thinks I could fall for, but the living memory of my first love is always there to send him right back to where he belongs. The voice of truth and wisdom is a gentle whisper that comes to bring peace and direction. 

Very soon I will be going back to school, university life in all its splendor, and I can't wait for God to do school with me. Honestly, thank you Jesus for the Holy Spirit because He is the best study buddy. I do the reading and He does the reminding. So, with the spring semester coming up in a few days (4 exactly) comes new challenges  hopes, dreams, experiences that I feel ready for. Ready in the sense that I've strengthened myself with God's presence and the Word over the winter break. Like I said in my previous posts, a lot of changes are coming and I can't wait to testify about those. But in the mean time the preparation continues and I rest in God's peace knowing that all wisdom He has control of. 

If you're having trouble recognizing God's voice I'm going to share with you a little piece of advice that a wise woman shared with me: When God speaks to you what He says will bring you peace and not confusion. Even if God is asking something difficult of you, His peace will overtake you and deep in your spirit you will know exactly what to do. Ask for the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the Father's desires for you and He will because He is your comforter. 

Stagnant Congregational/Corporate Worship {Wisdom & Revelation}

Congregational/Corporate Worship- An assembled group of people that have come together to respond to God's love by pouring out their love back onto Him through various forms of expression (bowing, dancing, clapping, lifting of hands, singing, playing an instrument, painting...etc).

We gather together in church for that time when feet are freely lifted off the floor, hands are stretched up to the sky as a show of surrender, and hearts are loving as faces are seeking. No matter how your church does Congregational Worship one thing is for certain, and that is that we are in the vulnerable position to love on God. Some churches have choirs while others have bands, some use an organ, while others incorporate electric guitars, and some are a combination of both old and new styles. I have nothing against either but this I do know for sure: God is a God of revelation. Jesus left us the Holy Spirit to comfort us and to reveal to us the treasures that are hidden in the Father's heart. The minute we let conformity depict our church's vision we say to God, "I like what you've done so I'm going to stay here and talk and live in this one thing forever." What happened to sing a new song? God is a God of fresh, new, and constant revelation and His Holy Spirit is always here with us willing to give a new vision to those that are truly hungry for it, for those that are willing. Here are a couple of signs that will let you know if your church has become stagnant, stuck in a vision that God has given them in the past with no desire to move forward. 

• The preachings/sermons have been the same for a good while and are repeated over a period of time.
• New ideas aren't considered and if they are, these ideas take flight but then gradually burn out and all goes back to normal.
• The congregation attends church services but there is really no change in their personal lives
• There is no desire to go deeper, to grow spiritually by fanning into flames the spiritual gifts (wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, discerning between spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongues, the interpretation of tongues) that come from God's Holy Spirit. (2 Timothy 1:6) and (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

*~*~*~*~*

^{(Ephesians 1:17)} I keep asking that 

the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 

glorious Father, may give you the 

Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so 

that you may know him better. 

If you feel this to be the case in your 

church, turn this verse into a prayer 

and speak it over yourself and your 

church saying:

God, my glorious Father, I ask that 

You give me (and my church) the 

Spirit of wisdom and revelation so 

that I (we) may know You better.

*~*~*~*~*

Every church has a vision but if we want to grow as both a body and a congregation we have to embrace the Holy Spirit's out-pour of wisdom and revelation in all areas (vision, worship, our personal lives, ministry, preachings, age group classes...etc.). A few words can make a difference, one prayer can change it all...I can testify to that. In fact, going a little personal, the church that my family and I attended for 13 years of my life modeled and still models this behavior. It's like they got stuck in time and instead of growing, the exact opposite happened. I pray tough that one day God will touch their hearts and light an eternal fire in their spirits. For years and years the same Spanish hymns were sung, the same sermons were repeated and circled, and new ideas were "politely" ignored. Until...one day God touched the heart of a young 15 year old girl who constantly did all in her power to avoid church at all cost even though her parents were associate pastors. That young teen, by the grace of God alone, was me. Our whole youth group (around 15 teens) packed up and headed off to Discovery Camp in Columbus TX. There, right there, God gave me direction and a calling. After 3 days away from home my return brought on a huge revolution to our church. As we drove back I kept repeating words that even I did not comprehend, "Mom we need to call so and so and get this and that because God wants me to start a youth band at church." Even my mom looked at me in disbelief. After I repeated the same thing over and over again she realized that I was being for real. Now after I repeated the same thing day after day she was sure that it was all God and made some phone calls. In short, from that day and beyond God placed the right people in our midst and confirmed the word that He had given me. Over a six month period a youth group band was formed from nothing, God has a way of doing that. It was something that only God could have done because any type of idea brought forth to the pastors was tossed under the rug or was short lived. The kids and teens were growing spiritually and their parents attended church enthusiastically. Here I learned to be a leader, I learned about instruments and grew vocally, here God showed me that He was going to use me to give birth to true worship in the hearts of others. Now...here comes the vision change and the transition. At age 16 many oppositions came through gossip and unfair acts by the Pastor and his family and my family's eyes and my own were opened to the stagnation in our church. We were contempt and blind to the spiritual placidity and conformity. God was trying to tell us that He had more for us, much more. God lead us to another church where we find ourselves today where we witness the Glory of God fall down. In my case, God was trying to bring revival to my first church and a new vision but God's revelation was rejected there. So God says to me, "You did what I asked of you and because they have rejected me and not you it's time to move on. I have something special for you, let it go and trust me for I have been faithful to you." 

God has been more than good to me and I can say with all my heart that when you give your whole life to Him He guides your every step to give you a hope and a future because all things will work together for your good. Wherever you find yourself right now, ask God to reveal to you what your church needs and how you can help it grow and move forward. The Holy Spirit will show you how to make blossom your Corporate Worship time so that the whole congregation can be open to the desires of the Father's heart. Like I've stated before though, true worship first has to blossom in your heart through intimate time with the Lord so that you can impact all that is around you. God has a special purpose for you, go at it and discover how it is that you can draw your Congregation into a deeper relationship with the Lord so that the Holy Spirit can freely flow as He wants. God is bringing an amazing awakening to our churches and the way we worship Him there,. I can feel it. I know that I am going to be apart of this by God's grace alone, are you?

Remember: Church is a place of preparation. When we worship God in church through any form (music, dancing, painting...etc.) we are simply being prepared and equipped for what we should be doing on a daily basis, and this will ultimately give us a glimpse into what awaits for us in eternity. 

Transitioning—Move Forward!

Transition: passage from one state, stage, subject, or place to another
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Why do we need to transition? There comes a time in our lives when the Lord begins to move us toward a new season and it's crucial to transition smoothly.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"You will live in the fruit of this moment."  —Kim Walker 


Seasons come and seasons go and "people come and go so quickly." Things change, they really change and it makes us feel as if the world has just shifted up and down and all around in just a blink of an eye. In these moments we have to quiet our hearts and be sensitive to the voice of God. It's not a question of whether we can be literally silent or not, but about how obedient and responsive to God we can be. We're not born with a perfect pitched spiritual ear, it's developed and formed as our relationship with God grows. We begin to know what He sounds like and feels like. In my case, when I stop everything and silence the world around me my room becomes my meeting place with God. Here behind closed doors I cry, I converse, I laugh, I question, and I worship, and here is where I feel God walk, whisper words into my heart, and overflow my heart with love and guidance. It's in these moments where the Lord begins to prep us for what lies ahead, because the strength of our relationship with Him determines how we handle and walk through each passing season. A smooth transition. As children of God we need to know how to move from one place to another, trusting God with our lives. Some seasons are rough and others are full of joy, but one thing that I know to be true is this God is still God and never changes. His promises for us hold true and each lesson is meant to be learned. Yes, it's for our benefit. Because we love the Lord, all things work together for our good. 

*~*~*

(Ecclesiastes 3:1) For everything there is 

a season, a time for every activity under 

heaven.
*~*
(Ecclesiastes 7:10) Don’t long for 
“the good old days.” This is not wise. 
*~*
(Galations 4:9-10) But now that you know 
God—or rather are known by God—how 
is it that you are turning back to those weak 
and miserable forces? Do you wish 
to be enslaved by them all over again? 
You are observing special days 
and months and seasons and years!

*~*~*

No matter what the new season may be 

that the Lord is walking you through, 

keep your eyes fixed straight on God. 

Don't look to the right nor to the left and 

walk on. People will fail you and buildings 

will try to contain you but the presence 

of God, now that will be with you 

wherever you go.

Journal Excerpt {Halloween}

Sitting on a wooden bench, on the third floor of the Education Building at school, I felt compelled to write. I needed to get my thoughts down on paper, on anything really, but facebook just wouldn't do: I needed something momentarily private, something that I could stare at and meditate on for a good while before my next class. So here's my unedited heart, spilled out onto a single  sheet of notebook paper.

*~*~*

 Think of the person that you love most in this world. Who is she/he? Now picture this scenario: There's a person who's always trying to make your loved one look bad, hurts those that your loved one holds dear. That person invites you to his/her party. Do you go? This is how I view everything—God is my Father, the one who's always been there for me. Why would I celebrate something that's used to hurt His heart? When you don't have a relationship with God everything you see is {rules, religion, more rules...Why this? Why that?} When you have a direct relationship with God the questions and answers no longer matter because you would drop anything in a minute for the one who chose to give it all for you. It doesn't matter what everyone else does. Who cares? Be different and don't be ashamed of it! I choose not to celebrate halloween, not because of the candy or the costumes, but because of what this day represents. While parents send their kids trick-or-treating, there are thousands of people making sacrifices to the devil on this day. I don't know about you, but I'm not gonna give Satan and his followers the satisfaction of knowing that I'm at the party of the one who hates my Best Friend! Tonight is Worship and Movie Night at my house. Amen to that!

Ponderings:

• People want to come as close as they can to the line without crossing it. How far can we get? How much can we get away with before it's labeled as "wrong." Forget the world and fix your eyes on God.
• It doesn't matter how much you are forced to do what's right, because until you encounter the Living God and receive a revelation, everything will seem like a pain transformed into a rule book {Look with your eyes wide open}.

I choose to have this attitude today:

(Joshua 24:14-15) “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Growing In Intimacy

Intimate- associated in close personal relations, characterized by a warm friendship, private and cozy; an association, knowledge, or understanding arising from a close personal connection.

Shhhh...silence everything. Quiet all the noise. Get back to that place of pressing in and sensitivity. Once again, or maybe for the first time, forming a personal relationship with the Lord where you get to know God deeper and deeper as you get down on your knees and pray, laugh, and bring to life old and new conversations. This should be a time when pending thoughts and dreams that are sketched in your heart find themselves interconnecting and flowing through a pen onto paper. The cobwebs are blown off of journals and that cozy corner is embraced once more. Intimacy. The mere pronunciation of this word utters wholeness and drawing near. I picture two becoming one, loving another slowly, and the sharing of private thoughts. Lines no longer matter so there are no boundaries because it is a pure relationship worth more than gold.

*~*~*~*~*

If I had to put words to such a relationship Psalm 63 fits my heart's voice perfectly.

(Psalm 63:1-8) O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. 

*~*~*~*~*

To grow in intimacy we must first begin. Here are a few tips on how to let your relationship blossom with the Lord so it can become a constant overflow of Worship, love, and intimacy.

{1} Pray. Little by little start pouring out your heart to God, abandoning any fears or insecurities, so that you learn how to get out your feelings. Hand over the good, the bad, and everything in between to The Lord, knowing that He simply longs to hear your voice as much and more than you want to hear His.

{2} Converse. Throughout your day talk with God. He's your friend. If you've never done this before then it'll be just like meeting a stranger only to realize that with time and many words later that stranger becomes a friend. Don't feel crazy because like His word says, God goes with you. Whether you're in your car, in the restroom, or at the mall talk to God. Include Him in the big and small things because He cares.

{3} Make Time. Having a relationship with God and making time for that is awesome but there comes a crucial moment when the door must close. A moment of privacy and silence where it's just God and you as one. No interruptions or distractions because there are things that are on God's heart that He wants to share with you and things that you need to say as well. Learn to make time for all these things: prayer, Bible reading, and conversation. It won't always be easy or perfect but starting off your day even with a simple prayer in which you offer God your schedule so that He can take over your day and align all that needs aligning.

{4} Get into the Word. The best way to naturally get to know God is by reading the Bible because there you will learn what God likes, dislikes, what makes Him laugh, cry, and you will discover the true character of the one who loved you first. Before doing this pray so that God can show you the things that you do not know and so that what appears to be intricately difficult will be plain as day to you. When you begin to do this God will start revealing new things to you through His word, a new lifesong that will direct you and transform your way of thinking. Meditate on God's word by breaking it down and relating with it. 

*~*~*~*~*

May your relationship with God grow each and every day, as each season in your life changes, so that your ears become more sensitive to the Lord's voice.

*~*~*~*~*

To Read or Not To Read—That Is The Question

Gasp! What to do when you have to choose between what you know you should do and what you know you have to do? As Christians we are faced with this in our public school setting, with friends, and maybe even with family members. We find ourselves at a crossroads.

This past week I faced my own trying moment as I had to choose between reading an assigned book for my English Lit. class or walking away by not doing the work and S.N.ing (Spark Noting) it all to oblivion. Knowing right from wrong I decided to do the most logical and appropriate thing‒Pray. My professor assigned our first reading, Flannery O'Connor's book, "Wise Blood." Not before long I began to notice that this "easy read" wasn't going to be so easy because it went against all that I believed in speaking every horrible thing one can think of to call Jesus. It's a very dark piece that I would never recommend any Christian to read because you will literally get a headache after a few pages...one's spirit just can't take so much. Once I started noticing these issues I began to just pray for God to give me the strength to just do this and represent Him in the process. We will have to face difficulties in which we must choose but what I have to say is this: just because you don't like what you're reading doesn't give you the right to walk away because where would our testimony lie then? It's so easy to run away from the world to escape sin but we're really running from what lies within us. Our foundation must be well secured in Christ Jesus because if it isn't we will easily be shaken. The word of God tells us not to conform to this school but never does it say to get away from it because we have been sent here for a purpose. When you face these sorts of things my advice to you would be to pray, pray, and then pray some more. But ultimately what the Lord showed me was that I have to obey my professor and do what he says but not act in the ways that the rest of my classmates act. I've met some great people but yes some do cuss and others do blow off assignments, but does this mean I should escape and flee to the middle of nowhere? No. Jesus wouldn't and didn't do that. By His testimony and His message of truth lives were changed. (Romans 13:1-3) Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. It's almost like there's this constant fear in us to not do anything wrong and from respecting the Lord we go to being terrified of Him.  We've got to strive to do what is right but we can't live in terror and condemnation. This is not the kind of relationship that God wants to have with us because His perfect love casts out all fear. Like His word says, if we are afraid then we have not been made whole by His love because we live thinking that we are going to be punished at any moment. I read "Wise Blood" up to where I had to in order to get enough information for the essay that I had to write in class. Had I not read this book, what sort of opinion could I have given? How would I have represented my God? I could have dropped the class or simply failed my exam by not taking it but that would have impeded the over all purpose that God has for my life. There are things that we have to do that we won't want to do. Are we going to run away like Jonah, or are we going to confront our giants like David? The only way to know what God wants us to do is by asking Him. There are times in everything, meaning that sometimes God will give us the green light and other times He won't because He knows what He's doing. How will we know the difference? (John 10:3-5) The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

In order to move in God's perfect timing, to know when God wants us to do something, and recognize when He doesn't we must do three important things:

       1). Recognize Jesus' voice

       2). Follow only His voice

       3). Know His voice

This means that we've Got to have a close, intimate, relationship with God so that we can hear his voice constantly, listen to the Holy Spirit's guidance, and then obey. Like Kari Jobe and many other wise pastors have said, "We can only recognize a voice that we've heard more than once." We've got to spend time with God.

Oh Dear. Pride.

(Proverbs 11:2) When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

A brick wall that separates us from home, a bolder blocking the pathway, a raging sea separating a sailboat from shore—all of these things can be compared to pride. One thing's for sure though and that is that pride will never bring us anything good. It's the reason why we can't fully express ourselves, the reason why worshipers go sour, and the reason why a worship team can never come to be one. Pride. Even the utterance of this word sounds beguiling and intense.

Pride- a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.

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In our personal and quiet lives as worshipers this can become a barrier between us and God, constructed by our own inhibitions. This state of mind will not permit us to connect with God because our eyes become fixed on our own splendor when they should be fixed on God's glory. Thinking highly of what we can do is meaningless in the things of God because our sole purpose as Christians is to recognize what He can do and what we can't do. Suddenly we get compliments, start living better than before, or maybe get accepted into one of the best Universities and leave God out. We forget who took us by the hand and guided our every step. Where's God? Where have we placed Him? He is the one and only deserving of all the glory and recognition. Just like pride affects our personal relationship with God it also has horrible consequences in our churches. Once there is a prideful spirit roaming around our time of fellowship all will go wrong because it divides friend against friend and neighbor against neighbor. Specifically talking to the Praise and Worship teams of churches I say with all my heart, leave pride out of your worship because it will soil even the prettiest song. What you feel you project and you can only give to others what you have. If that's a big bowl of pride then that will only bind up those who are free and entertain those who are not. God does not delight himself in a pretty song because anyone can sing; God lives in Worship that is presented to Him in spirit and in truth. It's got to be all about Him and nothing about looking at us. If you've seen this at your church then you know what I'm talking about. Singers, instrument players, ministers, dancers, people of the congregation, pride has got to get out of our churches because the whole "look-at-me" act is keeping us from God. If we want to see His glory then we've got to stop exhibiting ours.

How to Know if We're Full of Hot Air...

Suddenly no amount of praise will fill us. When pride takes over there'll be no more room for God and our relationship with Him will get devalued. We will replace our first love for an idol because without knowing it we will have become our own God. Pride causes us to say, "You know what God, thanks but I can do this! I'll call you if I need you but I'm doing really good right now." Our attitude will change and suddenly the words coming out of our mouths will even surprise us because we'll be unrecognizable. This path is surely one that we do not want to take because we are not alone in this life and if we have anything, anything at all, it's because God made it so. The glory and the honor...those belong to God.

How to Keep Both Feet On The Ground...

If we are humble always, in every situation God will be the one to lift us up. This is not to say that we can not accept a compliment but we must always, always, always give the glory to God and care more about putting His name in lights. We must never forget our first love and we must always remind ourselves of the moment in which we were saved by grace. It's always and forever got to be about Jesus. If our relationship with God remains first then pride will not stand a chance against such a burning flame.

When We Go On Our Own

Beginning to read the Book of Joshua one portion stuck out at me and caused me to re-read a few times. When this happens I know God wants to show me something, I know He's speaking into my heart.

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(Joshua 9:3-8)

But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins. They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy. When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.” The Israelites replied to these Hivites, “How do we know you don’t live nearby? For if you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.” They replied, “We are your servants.”

(Joshua 9:12-18)

“This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is dry and moldy. These wineskins were new when we filled them, but now they are old and split open. And our clothing and sandals are worn out from our very long journey.” So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath. Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby! The Israelites set out at once to investigate and reached their towns in three days. The names of these towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. But the Israelites did not attack the towns, for the Israelite leaders had made a vow to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

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There are times in our lives that are harder to swallow than others, yet there are also situations that we face that seem fine. We think we can handle the little things in life. The truth is...we need God for everything. We need to consult God before our decisions, whether we think we can handle them or not because His ways are not our ways. Why put ourselves in the situation to be surrounded by wolves. Just because Jesus promised to rescue us doesn't mean that we should step out on the limb. I would rather just cling to Him always. I cling by reading His word, through prayer, conversation, and Worship. It's because he loved me first that I want to hold tight to Him. I encourage you my bloggers to do the same. At that moment you will tast and see that the Lord is good and you will experience the tremendous joy of taking refuge in His loving arms. It might feel like we're about to drown beneath the raging currents but they will not drown us. Because he is our refuge the situations in our lives will not overcome us. Because of Christ. It's all because of my sweet, sweet Jesus. When we decide to go on our own we run the risk of hitting a wall or being deceived  But I love this and truly live for it:

(John 10:27-29) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.